Iris Johansen - Bonnie

“And I hope you’re right. I just pulled up the info on Providence. It’s your Grand Canyon area. Providence National Park. That’s a sizable acreage, and it can be entered from any number of directions. If we don’t get to him before he gets to it, we’re going to have a hell of a time. I’ll keep after Danner and hope to get a visual on him before or when he enters the canyon so I can call you and let you know an approximate location.” She paused. “And I’ll call Gallo and tell him that they’re probably heading for Providence.”

“Call? He’s not with you?”

“No, we split up. He was going to find a car and truck and drive to the area you told us about. He called me an hour ago and told me that he’d run across a farmer at an apple farm who sold him a dilapidated old Buick. It runs anyway, and he’s on the highway. I’ll let him know that you’ve zeroed in on an approximate location.”

“No.”

“Yes. We may need his help if we have to try to intercede with Danner to get Eve away from him. Danner still has affection for him.”

“I don’t need-” He muttered a curse. He was being stubborn. He should take any help he could get. “Do what you like.”

“I will.” She hung up.

“She helped you,” Father Barnabas’s gaze was on his face. “But you’re not pleased.”

“I’ll be pleased.” He sat back on his heels. “When I get in a position where I can control her. Catherine is used to running the show.”

The priest’s lips curved in a faint smile. “And you’re not?”

“But it’s my show. Eve is mine.” He got to his feet, went to the edge of the hill, and gazed out at the ridge. The moon was high and casting a glow over the trees and rocks. The area beyond the ridge still appeared dark and mysterious, but he finally knew what lay beyond it. Wildness and steep rocks and a canyon that shouldn’t have been there. A terrain Joe knew nothing about, across which he’d have to follow or ambush Danner, who was probably familiar with every inch of the canyon. “Six hours. That will make it about dawn when Danner gets here.”

“What are you planning?”

“Going down this hill.” He made a face. “I should say sliding down this hill and making my way to Providence. I’ll reconnoiter the area, then camp out with my binoculars and wait until he shows up.”

“I’ll go with you.” Joe turned to where Ben had raised himself on one elbow. He did not know when the boy had awakened, but he was staring gravely at Joe. “I have to go.”

“No, you don’t,” Joe said roughly. “The last thing I want is to have to take care of you, Ben. You stay here with Father Barnabas.”

Ben was shaking his head. “There’s something for me to do. I have to go.” He sat up and began to put out the fire. “I have to be with you when you find them.”

And Joe might have to kill Danner in front of the kid. What kind of guilt trip would that lay on Ben for bringing Joe here?

“It’s okay.” Ben was looking at Joe with a gentle smile. “Stop worrying about me, Joe. It’s going to work out as it should for me.”

Joe felt a sudden chill. The kid was comforting him, yet he felt-

“Let him go,” Father Barnabas said quietly. “You can’t stop Ben, and I’ll take responsibility for him.”

“I suppose that means you’re going, too,” Joe said jerkily. “Well, you’re right, I can’t stop you. But stay out of my way.” He turned and strode toward the path leading down the hill. He suddenly whirled back to where Ben was putting out the last of the embers. “Did you… sleep well?”

The radiant smile that Joe found so like Bonnie’s lit the boy’s face. “Yes, Joe.”

But that was all he was going to say, Joe realized with frustration and that same flicker of fear. He turned and started down the hill. “That’s good, Ben.”

“PROVIDENCE,” GALLO REPEATED,his grasp tightening on the phone. “It’s possible but not a sure thing, Catherine.”

“Joe doesn’t care that it’s not carved in stone,” Catherine said. “It’s all we have, and he intends to go for it. You make up your mind what you’re going to do. I’m close to Danner, but I may not be able to verify his precise destination until the last hour or so. By that time, you may not have time to position yourself.” She added without expression, “It might all be over by the time you get there.”

“You think I want that?”

“I didn’t say that. Call me from wherever you decide to enter the canyon.” She hung up.

Gallo pressed the disconnect. He wasn’t angry with Catherine’s suspicions. She had every right to doubt him. He had been fighting with everything within him to find a way to absolve his uncle of blame. But he couldn’t sacrifice Eve on the altar of his love for Ted Danner. He couldn’t forgive Ted if he’d killed Bonnie. And he could only prove himself by acts, not words.

Providence.

The old Buick didn’t have a GPS, so he had to access his phone. He dialed it into the apps.

Do something, anything. Ever since he’d gotten on the highway, he’d been bombarded by thoughts and memories of his uncle Ted.

His friend, his family, the first person who taught him to trust in a world that was devoid of it.

Eve. Bonnie. How had the three people he loved become entangled in this nightmare that was tearing him apart?

It had happened, and now he must deal with it.

His eyes were stinging as he checked the directions for Providence.

“ANY SIGN?” FATHER BARNABASasked.

Joe lowered the infrared binoculars. “Nothing.” It was not dawn yet, but that shouldn’t have prevented him from seeing signs of life. They were inside the canyon area, and he could scan the area immediately outside. But it wasn’t as if there was a fence to seal off the canyon. The surrounding area was as porous as Catherine had said, and there were thickets of trees that could shelter any interloper, dammit. All he could do was keep a constant vigil and hope that Catherine could notify him when Danner approached.

If she had even been able to get close enough to Danner to give him that information. She would have had to escalate her speed, then make constant observations once she was within sight of Danner and Eve.

He lifted his binoculars again.

Nothing.

Come on, Catherine.

He glanced at Ben, who was sitting on the ground beside him. The boy was calm and hadn’t said a word since they’d left the hill.

“Okay?”

Ben nodded but didn’t look at him. “She’s near, Joe.”

He stiffened. “Who’s near? Eve?”

Ben shook his head.

And Joe wasn’t going to delve any deeper. Eve was the only one he had to worry about at the moment. He scanned the thickets.

His phone rang.

Thank God. Catherine.

“Do you have a visual on them?” she asked.

“No, what the hell are you talking about?”

“They’re in the canyon. They have to be. I finally caught sight of them fifteen minutes ago. They were on the trail outside the park, and a few minutes later, they disappeared.”

He muttered a curse. “We’re watching the area. I haven’t caught a glimpse of them. What were their coordinates when you lost them?” As she read them off, he checked them on the GPS. “That’s twenty minutes north of here, toward the ridge. He didn’t come all the way down to the main Providence area. It’s high country.” He jumped to his feet. “I’m on my way.”

“I’m following his trail from where he entered the canyon,” Catherine said. “I’ll call you if I spot him.”

Shit, Joe thought. “Twenty minutes.”

Too long.

Panic.

“Joe!”