The Girl from Her Mirror (Mirrors Don't Lie Book 1) (22 page)

Deciding not to stare into the shadows
after that, Makenna tried concentrating on something pleasant. She would think
of Hardin. Hardin, with his hard, taut body, and his mind tingling kisses.
Hardin, with his funny sense of humor and his amazing blue eyes. Hardin, with
his whispered words of magic and his hints of a future together. Makenna closed
her eyes and smiled. Hardin.

An hour later, she was staring into the
shadows once more, swearing she saw something move. No moose stepped forth this
time. It was time to start the motor again but she was afraid to, knowing the
sound would give away her hidden location. Her fingers and toes were so cold
they were numb, and her backside not far from it. The cold had seeped into her
bones and her many cuts and bruises, making them ache worse than ever. She was
cold and stiff and hurting, but as bad as her discomfort was, her fear was even
worse. She held out until her teeth began to chatter and the noise began to
grate on her nerves. Only then did she turn the key and allow the warmth to
flood the vehicle.

The clock slowly ticked off the minutes,
dragging their way into hours. It gave her entirely too much time to think, too
much time to piece together the puzzle rattling around in her head. When her
phone rang, the sound was loud and jarring in the empty cab, even though she
had the volume turned low. Her fingers were clumsy as she nervously brought the
devise to her ear and whispered a hoarse, “Hello?”

“Kenzie.”

Hardin’s voice was music to her ears.
She closed her eyes, savoring the sweet sound. “Did you make it? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I made it here to the car
without any problems. I can’t say for sure without a detector, but the car
doesn’t appear to have a tracking device on it.”

“Are you sure we shouldn’t get the
police in on this?”

“I told you, I didn’t get a good vibe
when I talked to them about the gray car. And I saw an officer talking to Bob
the other morning. Could have been innocent, but the way he kept looking over
his shoulder, I don’t think so. I’m not willing to risk it.”

“You’re the expert. I trust your
judgment,” she told him.

“How you holding up?”

Did she have to divulge all her secrets?
Should she confess to being afraid of the shadows? “I’ll be fine when you get
here.”

“On my way, babe. See you in just over a
half hour.”

“Please be careful.”

“Always, sweetheart. Always.”

Thirty-eight minutes later, Hardin
called again, saying he was close. Another minute and a half ticked away before
Makenna saw headlights. She slid down behind the dash in fear, until the lights
blinked twice, a third time, and she was certain it was him behind the wheel.
He pulled up close to the truck and left the motor running as he came to get
her.

“Hardin!” She fairly launched herself
into his arms, relief making her weak.

“Kenzie, are you all right?” He peered
down at her, worried by the tears that streaked her face.

“Just-Just so relieved you’re back!” She
hugged him hard, then pulled away to gather her things from the truck.

They made quick work of transferring
their belongings from the truck into the car. Hardin helped her hobble to the
passenger seat of the car, tucked her inside, and then hurried to get behind
the wheel. He pulled out of their hide-away, less than five minutes after he
arrived.

“You might as well get some sleep,” he
told her.

As they hit one of the many potholes
littering their path, Makenna grimaced. “Not likely, at least until we get on a
smoother road.”

“Sorry. I know it’s rough, but I don’t
want to waste any time. We need to make that 5:50 flight.”

“What then, Hardin? Obviously the mafia
knows I live in Austin.”

“I already talked to the FBI. They were
putting out a BOLO for Bob and Lisa and both the gray and green sedans.
Hopefully they already have the Lewises in custody and the Zaffinos know we’re
onto them.”

“But if they still think I can lead them
to Joseph Mandarino…”

“We’ll just have to convince them you
can’t.”

Fayetteville, North Carolina

May, 2006

“Where do you think you’re going?” her
mother asked tersely. She came into the bedroom and saw the suitcase lying
across the bed, already crammed full with clothes.

“I’m leaving,” the girl answered.

“Don’t be ridiculous. You can’t just
walk out the door.”

The girl turned to look at her mother,
the woman who, for the past eighteen years, had fed her body but starved her
soul. Until now, she hadn’t realized how much her mother had aged, how she
looked a decade older than her forty years. Her once lovely face was lined and
haggard, her eyes dull and tired. But her body was rigid, like always. Rigid
and cold.

Squaring her shoulders, the girl lifted
her chin and said saucily, “Then maybe you should tell me how it’s done. You
have plenty of experience at just picking up and walking away. Tell me, Mother,
how does one walk out of one’s old life? What’s the proper way?” 

“Don’t get smart with me, young lady.
Your father and I have provided for you the best we could.”

There was no sass in the girl’s reply,
just sadness. “Your best wasn’t good enough.”

Her mother flinched and took a step
backwards, as if the girl had physically hit her, but her shoulders remained
square and stiff. “Where will you go?”

“I’ve been accepted to a college in
Texas.”

“Texas?” A light flickered in the older
woman’s dull eyes.

“Don’t worry, it’s not going to cost you
a dime. I’ve gotten a scholarship and applied for financial aid.”

“How? When did you do all this?” her
mother asked sharply.

“I’ve been working on it for months, not
that you noticed. The school counselor helped me.” The girl returned to her
packing. Sadly enough, her entire world fit into two mis-matched suitcases, one
cardboard box, and a worn duffle bag.

“When will you leave?”

“I called for a cab to take me to the
bus station. It should be here in an hour.”

“You weren’t going to tell us good-bye?”
The only indication of emotion was the high-pitched trill in her mother’s
voice.

“I was never allowed to say good-bye in
the past,” the girl reminded her bitterly. “I didn’t see any need in starting
it now.”

Her mother made no comment, gave no
facial response. She simply watched the girl pack. The girl wasn’t even
surprised when her mother slipped quietly out the door.

She was surprised, however, when her
mother returned.

“I have something for you,” she said,
holding out a manila envelope.

“What-What is it?” the girl asked
warily.

“Money. There’s five thousand dollars in
there. It should help you make a fresh start.”

The girl stared at the envelope, clearly
in shock. Her mother had never offered her more than twenty dollars at a time.
“I-I don’t understand.”

She gave a nonchalant shrug. “We were
planning to leave next month anyway. You take this. We can wait another month
or two.” Her demeanor changed abruptly as she handed the girl another envelope,
this one larger and heavier. The words ‘Warranties, etc.,’ were scrawled across
its crumbled face. “Do not open this,” she said emphatically. “Keep this
somewhere safe. Never lose this. But never open it.”

“What-What is it?” The girl took the
envelope hesitantly, as if touching it might be dangerous. The look on her
mother’s face told her that it was.

“It’s life insurance.”

“I don’t understand…”

“You aren’t supposed to. For your own
safety, listen to what I am telling you.” Her mother’s voice was urgent. “Keep
this envelope safe, never let anyone know you have it, and never open it.”

“But why-”

Her mother cut off her questions.
“You’ll know when the time comes.” She stepped back, and for the first time a
look of uncertainty, a look of vulnerability, crossed her lined face. “I always
did what I thought was best for my family. Try to remember that.”

“I don’t understand,” the girl repeated,
her whisper thick with threatening tears.

Squaring her shoulders once again, the
older woman’s face slipped back into its mask of indifference. “It would be
best if you were gone when your father returns.” She moved stiffly to the door.
“Take care of yourself. Make a good life.”

The girl watched as her mother walked
stoically out of her life. No goodbyes, no hugs, no sentiment whatsoever.

It had been that way her entire life.

Wiping away her tears, the girl quickly
finished packing, adding the two new envelopes to her purse. When she was done,
she looked around the sparsely furnished room she had slept in for the past
twenty months, feeling little emotion.

She stepped to the mirror, examining her
reflection. Eighteen, but she felt - she acted -  a decade older. She
touched her palm to the cool glass and vowed this would be the final time. No
more nomadic lifestyle for her. This time when she left, she was leaving with
the same look, the same name. This time, she was leaving on her own terms. And
where she settled, she would stay.

“I’ll never forget you,” she told the
girl in her mirror. “I’ll never forget you, so that I’ll never be like you. My
new life starts now.”

They made the airport with time to
spare. Even after buying tickets and eating an early breakfast, they had to
wait for their flight. Hardin kept a careful watch on their surroundings, alert
for signs of danger. Seeing the opportunity to make a private phone call,
Makenna accepted his help as she limped her way to the ladies’ room.

After taking care of necessities, she
pulled up her jeans and settled, fully dressed, on the commode to make a phone
call. The line connected on the third ring.

“Mom?” When she heard her mother’s
voice, even though it was a groggily spoken hello, a lump formed in her throat.

“Makenna? Makenna, honey, is something
wrong?”

“I-I need to talk to you, Mom. I’m sorry
to wake you. I know it’s early.” She glanced at the time on her cell phone,
realizing it wasn’t even four-thirty yet in Texas.

She heard her mother murmur something,
then her father’s sleepy response. Even muffled, their voices were a welcomed
and heartwarming sound. “Don’t worry about the time. Is something wrong?”

“I need to ask you something, Mom.”

“Anything. Do you need something? Money?
I’ll give you my credit card number right now. Let me get my purse-”

“No, Mom, I don’t need money. I just
need to ask you a few questions.”

She heard her mother stifle a yawn.
“Yes, yes. What would you like to know?”

Makenna squeezed her eyes shut and
started the conversation she had never before broached. “When- When you and Daddy
adopted me, was it a sealed adoption?”

Madeline Reagan was silent for a moment
before answering. Makenna could swear she heard her mother’s heart breaking,
even over thousands of miles and cellular airways. “Why do you ask, Makenna?
You’ve never shown any interest in knowing about your… your real parents.”

“You and Daddy are my real parents,” she
was quick to say. “The only parents I’ve ever wanted, the only parents I’ll
ever need. Please believe that.” Makenna sniffed away a tear. “And I’m not
asking because I want to find them. Not for myself, anyway. But-But something
happened while I was up here. Mom, I think I remember living here as a child.”

“I-I don’t know, honey. Honestly I
don’t. I’m afraid I don’t know much about your first three years.”

“What do you know? How did you and Daddy
get me?”

She heard her mother sigh. “You know the
church in San Antonio where Tracey and Peter got married last year? Your Aunt
Patsy used to be secretary there. One morning when she got to work, there was a
precious little girl curled up on the back pew. I happened to be in town,
meeting her for breakfast at her office. I took one look at the little girl
with her big green eyes and long reddish brown curls, and my heart absolutely
melted. We were already in the system from having adopted your brother Seth.
With the help of our lawyer and our friend who was a social worker, we were
able to take you home with us. When no one came forward to claim you, we were
able to legally adopt you within a few years.” She could hear the tears in her
mother’s voice. “But you were our daughter, long before the courts said so. We
loved you from the very first moment we saw you.”

“As far as I’m concerned, you and Daddy
are the only parents I’ve ever had. Please understand, that’s not what this is
about. I just need to know if you have any clue to my real identity.”

Madeline Reagan was slow in answering.
“You had a little satchel with you. It had a change of clothes, a children’s
book, a little doll, and a blanket.” Her voice was sad as she recalled the
meager possessions. “I’m sorry, Makenna. I kept them for you, of course. But
that’s all I know about your first three years.”

“Did I tell you my name? Was it by
chance Tamara?” The name Tamara Mandarino once again popped into her mind.

“You didn’t talk much. What little you
did say was often gibberish. We named you Makenna, after ourselves. Part
Madeline, part Kenneth.”

News of speaking gibberish cemented her
suspicions. “Mom, I-I think I have a twin sister,” Makenna said hesitantly.

The statement did not surprise her
mother. She could almost hear her nodding through the phone. “I’ve often
wondered,” she said softly.

“You knew?” Makenna gasped. “How did you
know? Why didn’t you say anything?”

“The two of you are so much alike, yet
polar opposites in many ways, like two halves of a whole. You have the same
mannerisms, the same tilt of the chin when you’re angry, the same laugh. But
Kenzie never speaks of her parents. She never hinted at having a sister. We
never said anything, because we weren’t sure she knew.”

“She doesn’t. She doesn’t know I’m her
twin sister,” Makenna said sadly. “Oh, Mom, it’s not fair! It’s not fair that
they gave me away and I had such a happy childhood, when they kept her and made
her so miserable. Poor Kenzie never had the home I had. She never had real
parents, like you and Daddy.”

She heard a sniff on the other end of
the line. “That’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me,” her mother said
in a voice thick with tears.

“Thank you, Mom. Thank you and Daddy for
making me your daughter,” Makenna whispered.

“We love you, sweetheart. And we love
Kenzie, as if she were own daughter, too. In all the ways that matter, she is.”

“I-I have to go now, Mom. But is Daddy
awake? Can I speak to him for a minute?”

She could hear the phone being handed
off, then her father’s sleep roughened voice. “Makenna? How’s my girl?”

“I think I’ll be okay, Daddy. I just
wanted to hear your voice. And I wanted to tell you I love you.”

“I love you too, baby girl.”

“I’ve gotta go now. Give everyone a kiss
for me.”

“Will do. Be safe and hurry home.”

Wiping away her tears, Makenna dropped
the phone back into the zippered pouch of her purse. She had always known she
was adopted, but had never felt the need to know about her birth parents. They
had chosen to give her away, after all. 

Makenna hobbled her way up to the row of
sinks, where she washed her hands and blotted her face with cold water. She
still looked pathetic, what with her black eye and assorted cuts and scrapes,
and now the added dark smudges of a sleepless night. New worry lines creased
her forehead, compliments of a man named Joseph Mandarino, a man whose blood
ran through her veins. She puffed out a sigh, realizing her life had just
become very complicated.

From behind her, she heard a woman
speak. Her blood ran cold at the sound of the nasal whine, minus the Southern
drawl. “Well, well, well, look what the cat drug up.”

Makenna’s eyes flew up, meeting Lisa
Lewis’s cold gaze in the mirror.

There was another woman at the sinks,
and it was for her benefit that Lisa cooed her next words. “You poor dear. I
warned you about that man. Looks like he beat you again.”

Makenna darted her gaze to the other
woman, hoping for help, but she saw her shocked expression as she shirked away,
a small gasp escaping her lips.

“It’s not what you think,” she tried to
assure the woman, who was already turning to leave. “Please, don’t go! I need
your help.”

“I’m here to help you, dear,” Lisa
sneered. “If only you had listened to me the first time, none of this would
have happened.”

“Hardin didn’t do this to me, and you
know it!” Makenna hissed. “This happened when I was trying to escape from
you
and whatever drug you put in my drink!”

“Don’t be silly, dear, why on earth
would I have drugged you?” Lisa was still speaking in her cheerfully piercing
voice as if nothing was wrong, but her cold, flat eyes told a different story.
She stepped up close to Makenna, trapping the younger woman between the sink
and her round belly. She dropped her voice so that anyone else in the restroom
would not be able to hear her next words. “Drugging you will be the least of
your worries, little lady. You’re coming with me.”

“No I’m not!” Makenna tried to move
away, but her injured leg made her efforts slow and jerky.

“Don’t make a scene,” Lisa warned lowly.
“You’re going to walk out that door and down the corridor with your good
friends the Lewises and no one will ever be the wiser.”

“Hardin would never allow that.”

“Pretty boy has no say so in the
matter.”

“What do you want with me?” Makenna
cried, wrenching her arm free of Lisa’s grasp. She wondered if the other woman
knew who she really was, or if she still thought she was Kenzie?

“Your father. We want your father.”

“I have no idea where Joseph Mandarino
is.” With a sudden surge of bravado, Makenna lifted her chin defiantly. “And
even if I did, why would I tell you?”

Lisa looked at her with calculating
eyes. “Because if you don’t, people are going to get hurt. Starting with your
boyfriend out there. Then maybe I’ll send someone to your apartment, to visit
your roommate. Wouldn’t it be sad if your apartment developed a gas leak, and
the whole building went up? With all your friends still inside?”

Obviously she still thought she was
talking to Kenzie Reese.

And obviously she had no conscience
whatsoever.

“I’m telling you, I have no idea where
Joseph Mandarino is.”

“Take a guess.”

“Possibly Nashville.”

“We’ll check it out. Now come on.”

“Why do I need to come with you? Where
are we going?”

“Years ago, your father got a little too
greedy. He arranged for several millions of dollars to go into his own private
bank account as soon as this NorthWind project goes on-line. The Zaffinos want
to make a simple trade. His daughter for their money.”

“You’re- You’re holding me for ransom?”

Lisa shrugged her rounded shoulders.
“Call it what you like. It’s really just a business transaction.”

As another woman stepped into the
restroom, Lisa’s voice turned syrupy with concern. “You poor dear, look what he
did to you! Don’t you worry, I won’t let him touch you again!”

“Wait! What are you - My leg! I can’t
walk!” Makenna gasped in pain as Lisa tried to drag her from the restroom.

“He broke your leg, too? That brute!
We’ll have him arrested this minute!”

Makenna shook her head, trying to force
words through the pain. She reached out a hand to the woman Lisa was dragging
her past, but she could only manage a faintly whispered, “Help me.” 

“I’m helping you, dear,” Lisa cooed,
shooing the other woman away. To an onlooker, it looked as if she was
supporting Makenna’s weight, rather than forcing her to move. “And I promise to
protect you. That man can no longer hurt you.”

The moment they stepped into the
corridor, Makenna’s eyes searched for Hardin. She saw him at the water fountain
across the way, his back to her. When she would have called to him, Lisa jerked
her arm and threatened, “Don’t even think about it. If you want him to leave
this airport alive, keep your mouth shut.”

Makenna watched as the bald man from
Sabbaday Falls stepped up beside Hardin. His hand was in his jacket pocket,
suggesting a weapon. Before Makenna could see what would happen, a motorized
cart zipped up beside her, blocking her view of Hardin. Bob was in the driver’s
seat, wearing an ill-fitting airport uniform on his long, lanky frame and a cap
that concealed much of his face.

The moment the cart stopped, Lisa was
pushing Makenna into it, where she fell ungracefully inside. Unable to use her
left leg as an anchor to sit up and scoot over, Makenna was sprawled over the
entire seat, leaving Lisa still outside the vehicle. 

Seeing her opportunity, Makenna acted
fast. Already half-lying on the seat, she reached down and used her hand to
press firmly on the accelerator. The cart lurched forward, knocking an
unsuspecting Lisa to the ground. As the back wheel drove over her leg, the
wounded woman shrieked in pain, her grating voice loud and piercing. More
concerned with the assignment than his wife, Bob stomped his foot on the petal
and sped away, leaving her to writhe there on the ground. Makenna snatched her
hand from beneath his shoe and struggled to an upright position, yelling and
waving her arm to catch Hardin’s attention. Bob reached out to grab her, struggling
to maneuver the motorized cart among the crowd with just one hand.

Borrowing one of Lisa’s moves, Makenna
jabbed her elbow into his bony side with all her might. He jerked, causing the
cart to whip to the right. Makenna pulled on the steering wheel as hard as she
could, using both hands as she battled him for control of the wheel. The cart
made another sharp right and curled into a spin. Pedestrians in the corridor
shrieked and ran. The tail of the cart caught a newsstand and sent papers and
magazines flying in all directions, just before the rack came down with a
resounding crash. Bob stomped his foot on the brake and the cart made a crazy
zigzag as it skidded down the corridor, scraping and bouncing along the far
left wall. They finally came to a stop, lodged amid the front counter of a
coffee shop.