The Rapture of Omega (15 page)

During my drive, I decided to continue my investigation. I put together a covert plan that would keep me from having to contact Illeana in person, and one that wouldn’t divulge my investigation to the sheriff or Naomi. It would be my own little secret. I understood the risks, and was prepared to deal with the outcome, however positive or negative it might be.

My job enabled me over the years to meet a lot of people, some that might come in handy down the road—like now. Several of those happened to be bank employees. Whether I met them investigating employee thefts or ATM break-ins, the majority liked me, and we were all on a first-name basis. I started there.

Calling around to each bank branch, I utilized my contacts, asking for information on the “down-low.” It wasn’t much. I merely gave them Jax Zapone’s name and asked if he had an account, and how much was in it. No one had a problem doing it, and, in fact, pulled the name up while they were on the phone with me. I was on my fifth phone call when the loan officer I was speaking with gave me hope. I had met Sandy Edwards years ago when I was still in uniform, coming to her aid when she had
been robbed making a late-night withdrawal from an ATM machine.

“Oh, let’s see here,” she mumbled, the
click, click, click
of her nails on the computer keyboard emanating through the phone. “Zahler, Zanfield…aha! Here it is, CeeCee, Jax Zapone!”

“Yes!” I quietly cheered. “How much in there?”

Sally let out a low whistle. “Apparently, defending shit bags like the guy that robbed me is quite lucrative. He’s got over $650,000 dollars in there!”

“Jesus! I knew it!”

“Is he a thief, CeeCee? What’s up?” Sally asked.

“Sorry, Sal, I can’t tell you right now—for your own protection, believe me. Again, this conversation never happened, right?”

“Are you kidding me? They’d fire my ass,” she laughed. “Give me a call and we’ll do lunch again.”

“You’re on!”

There was no way a slimeball like Jax Zapone had that much money. Even if he did, he’d never have a bank account in Mansfield. There would be no reason to. The answer had to be that Illeana had a lot of money, money she no doubt duped all of her followers for. The more I thought about it, the angrier I became, especially when I thought about how all my superiors and coworkers thought I was wrong.

Deciding to end my shitty day early, I went home without even telling anyone I was leaving. I knew they wouldn’t ask anyway, knowing how pissed I was.

My day perked up immensely when Michael phoned. Henry Wakefield had just called him with the news I had been desperately praying for. Paula Terman dropped the custody suit. Michael and I officially had custody of Lola
and the road was cleared for adoption. I couldn’t have been more thrilled.

“Henry played the tape that Lori made when Lola was at her visitation for Paula’s lawyer. According to Henry, he immediately hung up and called back in fifteen minutes saying his client was dropping the suit.” I could hear the elation in Michael’s voice. “Henry filed the papers and said the judge signed them right there in his office. She’s ours, Cee! Officially!”

I could’ve bawled. Lola was ours and now there was nothing in the way; sixty days from now, she would be our daughter—legally. As the warm tears filled my eyes, I smiled for the first time all day.

“We’re going to celebrate!” I announced.

“I’ve already taken care of it,” Michael stated proudly. “I made reservations at Cafe de la Chuck E. Cheese.”

I laughed. “Whatever shall I wear? Honestly, Lola will love it and so will the kids. When are we going? I’m on my way home now.”

“You are? I thought sevenish will work. Why are you coming home so early?” He actually sounded concerned.

“Don’t worry, I’ll explain later—everything’s fine.”

My day from hell put on the back burner, I arrived home to find Rena feeding Lola in her high chair. With pureed carrots smeared on her face, I lifted Lola up and held her tight. She was my daughter, and I loved her as if I had given birth to her. She squirmed in my arms, most likely crushed by the tight embrace. Holding her out in front of me, I laughed when I noticed the revolting carrot paste had worked its way onto her nose and eyebrow.

“No, Mama! Lola eat!” she demanded.

Laughing even harder at her stubbornness, I put her back in her chair so Rena could finish feeding her. Although she was two years old, Lola had quit feeding herself
self after her mother died. She was slowly working her way back, picking up a cookie here and there, but for now, we fed her. I refused to worry about it, knowing what she had gone through.

All the children were excited for the night’s celebration, however, none of them more than Michael and me. Lola didn’t quite understand the cause of the party; nonetheless she was overjoyed and overwhelmed at the children’s themed restaurant. She was worn out. She actually fell asleep in her high chair at the table. Michael affectionately carried her out to the car and gently put her into the car seat without waking her up. After he closed the door, he grabbed me into a tight embrace.

“I can’t believe how happy I am right now that she’s really ours,” he whispered in my ear as he held me tight.

“I know, it’s overwhelming. I want to hold her and never let her go.”

We were interrupted by the growing sound of giggles from behind us. The three older children watched our loving exchange with elbow nudges and red faces.

“Ooooo, ya gonna give her a big kiss, are ya!” Isabelle chuckled.

“All right, everybody in, or you have to spend the night with the big mouse!” Michael announced.

All of the children were exhausted by the time we got home, Rena included, and went straight to bed. Michael and I stood over Lola’s crib for a long time just watching her. It was one of the most precious moments I could remember. This tiny, beautiful, innocent child had both of our hearts and we would forever be her parents. I couldn’t help but smile.

Little did I know, it would be the last time for a while.

When Henry had called earlier and informed us the suit would be dropped, he told us we had to attend a formal hearing where this would be done. Paula would be present, and we would have to go through the motions. Even though her own attorney advised her to simply sign off the custody battle, Paula had to tell the judge that personally. We were thrilled, but I didn’t know if I could emotionally take another court hearing where there would be even a minute possibility of losing Lola. I expressed my concerns to Michael, and, as usual, he did his best to cheer me up.

“Look, Cee, it’s done,” he soothed while getting out of the shower. “There is absolutely no way the judge is going to listen to her bullshit. She’s on tape for crying out loud! How can anyone possibly dispute that? She clearly only wanted Lola for the money—Lori is also going to testify that we’re the better parents. Paula is dropping the suit. You have nothing to worry about!”

“How can I NOT worry, Michael?” I sat on the edge of the bathtub. “You know how these trials go. The littlest glitch can throw the whole thing off. Plus, this goddamn judge is all over the place! Who knows what kind of mood he’ll be in?”

Wearing only a towel wrapped around his waist (oh, how good he looked!), Michael knelt in front of me and took my hands.

“Trust me, okay? For once?” He smiled.

“Knock it off!” I chided. “Don’t give me that! You know I trust you more than anything in the world.” I became more serious. “I’ve trusted you with my life more times than I can count.”

He began to caress my face and I knew it would work out.

However, when I walked into Lola’s room that night and looked down on her perfect, precious face, my doubts began to rise again. For almost an hour, I sat on the edge of her bed, thinking everything from the rational to the irrational. At one point, I thought about taking her and the other children to a place far away, a place where no one could find us, and a place where nature would protect us.

For a while, this thought plagued the darkest parts of my reality. It could work—I had enough money. Maybe Illeana Barron was right. Maybe Eve was the answer, and I could take the kids and live out our lives in peace. The longer the thought remained in my mind, the further chilled I became. Was she really getting to me? Or was this horrific set of circumstances in my life altering my thinking?

Knowing my only recourse was to face the music, I gave Lola a light kiss and went off to bed, praying the hearing in the morning would come out in my favor, and Paula wouldn’t change her mind. This was one of those times in my life where faith played a very large part.

I slept fitfully, dreaming of natural disasters and life-changing events. I don’t know what it was that woke me, maybe a premonition, maybe it was intuition, but it was
around six
A.M.
that I decided to get out of bed and check on Lola.

She wasn’t in her bed.

Trying to stay calm and taking deep breaths, I began to quickly search around the house. I looked in the other kids’ rooms, hoping she decided to crawl in with them—something that was unusual, but not unheard of. Only when I saw the forced entry on our sunroom door at the back of the house did I begin screaming Michael’s name. I dialed 911 but could only point to the door with a trembling hand as I tried to explain to the dispatcher what was going on. I gave her Paula’s name immediately and ordered her to check the home in Little Kentucky where she was staying. I further told her to contact the jurisdictional law enforcement agency in Texas and have them place a car in front of Paula’s trailer. I wanted all of Paula’s relatives’ information: boyfriends, friends, and past employers. The dispatcher, whom I’d known for years, Jennifer, clearly couldn’t keep up, nor did she have the means to do everything I asked. I hung up on her and immediately called the private investigator that Michael had hired to find information on Paula. Since he didn’t answer, I called his local police department, identified myself as a police sergeant, and requested they drive to his house to wake him up and call me. Michael had come downstairs by then, and was as close to a panic as I was.

“Cee, settle down.” He tried his best to ease my panic. “Let’s check the house again. Maybe she’s here somewhere.”

I pointed to the sunroom door. “She’s not here, Michael! That psychotic took her. Don’t you understand what’s happening here?”

I was shaking, waiting for Coop to answer his cell
phone. “So help me God, I will find Lola, and I will kill that Paula woman with my bare hands. I promise!”

“Who ya gonna kill?” Coop asked, sounding groggy. I hadn’t realized that he had answered the phone.

“Paula broke into my house tonight and took Lola!” I shrieked. “Get Naomi and the both of you get over here!”

Without saying anything else, I knew Coop was throwing his pants on and shaking Naomi out of bed. I had no sooner hung up the phone than the first officers were ringing my doorbell. The cavalry had arrived.

Michael let them in. As he showed them Lola’s bedroom and the sunroom door, the crime-scene technicians began to immediately process the area and check for prints. Naomi and Coop arrived shortly after and I demanded an Amber Alert. Naomi hesitated at first, but after she saw the look on my face, she got on her cell phone to get the ball rolling. As far as I was concerned, Lola was in grave danger. Who knew what state of mind Paula was in right now? She could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, agitated, knowing that she was about to lose thousands of dollars a month to raise a baby she didn’t want.

After checking on the other children, I slipped out the door without anyone seeing and jumped into my detective car. I headed right for Little Kentucky. This woman had the intelligence of a houseplant. If my intuition was correct, she would head back to the place she was staying to hide Lola for a day or two, before driving back to her home in Texas. On the way, I thought about how terrified and traumatized Lola would be at this point. The thought not only made me sick, but it made me drive ten times faster. There have been few times in my life when I was so enraged. This time took the cake.

As I turned off my headlights and drove slowly toward
the home where Paula had been staying, my cell phone began to ring furiously. I knew it was Michael without even looking. I ignored it. I was more concentrated on the dark house that sat before me. I drove past and parked on the next street over, trying to be as covert as possible. I ran through the yards before coming upon Paula’s backyard. I knew she owned two Rottweilers, so I threw a couple of rocks and sticks inside the fence to see if they were outside. It was entirely too quiet. Satisfied I wouldn’t meet my demise at the hands of two canines, I quietly climbed over the fence and made my way to the large window at the back of the house. Once there, I crouched down and waited, listening.

It was at least half an hour before I heard some rustling inside the home. At first I thought it must be my imagination—maybe a squirrel or raccoon on the roof—but after I heard a muffled child’s cry, I realized it wasn’t. It sounded clearly like Lola’s mouth was being covered as she screamed, and all of my nerves came alive instantly. I reached for my cell phone and called Naomi.

“Get SWAT and everyone else over here,” I told her and informed her of the address. “She’s inside! Paula’s hiding her inside the house!”

“Whatever you do, CeeCee, just maintain a perimeter for now! Don’t go in!” she said.

“I’m not making any promises,” I whispered. “If you can’t reach me, assume I’m already inside!”

I hung up before she could protest.

Just then, I heard Lola cry out in a painful sound. That was it. I’d be damned to hell and back if I would just sit here and wait while that little baby was being tormented. I made my way to the side of the house and tried the side garage door. It was locked. Feeling desperate, I slipped around to the front and began looking at windows. There
was a small basement window that appeared unlocked, and I cut the screen. It was a tight fit, but I managed to slide through the window, dropping to the floor in a slight thud. I remained motionless for a few seconds, hoping Paula hadn’t heard me. When I was satisfied she hadn’t, I slowly made my way through the basement, still wondering where the Rottweilers were, until I found the staircase. One step at a time, I ascended toward the kitchen and was relieved to find the door halfway opened.

It was quiet, and it was dark. Playful shadows seemed to bounce from one wall to the next; images that made my eyes blink in a matter of seconds. No longer trusting my own vision, I resorted to sound. Damn! Where were those dogs? I could take a lot, but I had too many close calls with vicious dogs back in the days when I worked in uniform. I needed to be careful. I drew my gun in anticipation of a brutal attack, even by one of the fleeting shadows. But what if one of them happened to be Lola?

It was best to secure myself right where I stood. I slowly backed into a darkened corner and stood there, controlling my breathing, and just listening. No doubt the other officers and SWAT would arrive soon, and I was already in. If negotiations wouldn’t work, I would take my chances then. Then I realized what a grand mistake I had made by not telling anyone I was in here. Yes, I told Naomi to assume, but as scatterbrained as she was sometimes it wasn’t a given she would relay that information to the officers. I was in no mood to have a sniper fire a bullet into my head the minute I moved, so I slowly took out my cell phone and sent Naomi and the head of the SWAT team, Lieutenant Harmon, a brief text message:

“am inside house of mark…stndng still…can’t see or hear dogs or weapons..child inside..no gunfre until I
give go..secure perimeter and bgin hostge negots…do not respond…”

I was doing my best to control my breathing but it was extremely difficult. Only a few minutes after I sent the message I began to hear rustling outside the nearest window to my left. The cavalry had arrived. As quiet as they were, I was a little surprised that I could hear them at all. I made a mental note to relay my findings to the SWAT commander for future raids. In a matter of seconds I began to see the red and blue lights swirl on the outside. Now, with all of the SWAT members in their respective positions, the patrol cars and uniformed officers would block the roads to prevent citizens from coming near the house. Still no sound on the inside of the home. Where in the hell were Paula and Lola?

The phone inside the home began to ring incessantly. This would be the communications center attempting to call Paula to begin negotiations. I held my breath to see if the phone was answered somewhere in the small house—it wasn’t, and I began to panic. Lola was only two years old and couldn’t possibly be this quiet unless Paula had her incapacitated, or worse. After the third phone call went ignored, the hostage negotiator’s voice, low and controlled, began to make its way throughout the area on a megaphone.

“This is Sergeant Steve Grazzana of the Richland Metropolitan Police Department. We have the area surrounded and secured. Paula Terman, please exit the home immediately with your hands above your head, palms facing outwards. We don’t want anyone hurt. We only want the child returned safely.”

There was no response.

“Paula Terman, please answer your home phone when it rings. We want to make sure all phone lines are working
to ensure communication with you. Paula, we only want the child returned. We don’t want anyone injured. Please, Paula, pick up the phone.”

The phone began to ring again inside the home and, to my shock, it stopped on the third ring. I assumed someone had answered it. I couldn’t stand in my corner anymore, dogs or no dogs, so I slowly made my way through the kitchen toward a small hallway that most likely held the bedrooms. Just as I entered the hallway, I heard a muffled voice from the farthest bedroom at the end of the hall on the left. It was Paula.

“She’s MY kin and I ain’t talkin’ to no more cops,” she proclaimed loudly.

A loud hiccup and an exasperated wail cut her off—Lola. My panic and desperation were immediately replaced with anger. God only knows what she was doing to that child inside the bedroom. Dropping to all fours, I began a slow crawl toward the door when I heard a sound that made me stop dead.

It was the sound of a rattling collar mixed with a low growl.