Дэвид Балдаччи - Mercy

“I’ve been through the whole house. There is no dog.”

“O — outside,” said the girl, her eyes widening.

“I came from the outside. I saw no dog. Do I look like I’ve been attacked by a dog?”

The girl ran her gaze over Pine and for the first time looked more confused than scared.

“Dolores told you there was a dog?”

The girl nodded.

“What’s your name? I’m Atlee.”

“I’m G-Gail.”

“Okay, Gail. I saw no dog. Dolores lied to you.”

Gail sat up straighter and wrapped the blanket around her lower legs.

“But I hear it barking when I’m down here.”

Pine thought about this for a few moments. “Does she let you out of here?”

“Only when she’s here. I do the cleaning and cooking and stuff.”

“I thought you might. But did you ever feed the dog? I mean, I saw no dog bowls or dog toys. And if it’s kept outside, there was no doghouse or a chain.”

“No, I never fed the dog. I’m scared of them.”

“When the dog barks, does it always sound the same?”

Gail shrugged. “I guess. I mean, it was a dog barking. And I heard it like an hour ago.”

“Tell me something, does it always happen at the same time when Dolores isn’t here and you’re down here?”

Gail thought about it. “Maybe, yeah.”

“Right. Well, there’s technology that allows someone to do that. With a recording set on a timer.”

“There’s really no dog?”

“No. Have you ever left the house?”

“Not since I came here. Dolores said I couldn’t. It wouldn’t be safe.”

“Why wouldn’t it be safe?”

Gail said, “I stole some food and other things from a store. And the police are after me.”

“Who told you the police were after you? Dolores?”

“Yes.”

“ After you told her you stole the things?”

“Yeah. She asked me a bunch of questions. And I told her about it.”

“How did you come to even be here?”

“I was hitchhiking and Dolores stopped and picked me up.”

“When was this? How long have you been here?”

Gail shrugged again. “I’m not sure. Maybe six months. Maybe longer.”

“Where’s your family?”

“Don’t have any. My mom and dad died. Overdosed.”

“I’m sorry. Didn’t you have any other family who could take you in?”

“No. So they put me in foster homes. That... that didn’t work out too well. So, I ran away.”

“Then Dolores brought you here. And made you live down here?”

“Not at first. I slept upstairs on the couch. But then she said I had done some bad things. I didn’t know what they were, but she kept on and on about them. I work really hard for her. I keep the house spotless and I cook and do the laundry. I do what she tells me to do. But then she said I had to come down here and sleep. But she said if I did better, I could move back upstairs where it’s warm.”

“Why does she even have a space like this?”

“She said it was like a safe room. She had it put in when someone broke into her house once. Least that’s what she said.”

“Okay,” said Pine. “But the door only locks from the outside , so it’s not much of a safe room, is it?”

Gail looked confused. “Oh, right. I never thought about that.”

“Does anyone ever come by here?”

“Not that I know of. I’ve never seen anybody except Dolores.”

“So you’ve never tried to get away?”

“I wouldn’t have anywhere to go and I thought there was a d-dog.”

She burrowed her face into her knees and started to sob.

Pine slid over and put her arm around her. At first, Gail jerked back, but then she slowly leaned into Pine’s shoulder.

“Okay, look, first thing we need to get you out of here. I have a friend waiting in a car outside. We’ll take you to where we’re staying and get you cleaned up and buy you a meal, okay? You look hungry.”

“Dolores said I’m so skinny I don’t need to eat much.”

“Yeah, I’m sure she did. Put your sneakers on and grab whatever else you want to bring with you.”

“There’s nothing, really.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

Pine led the girl up the steps and out of the room.

They had reached the foyer when the two women stepped out from the shadows.

Pine saw Blum first.

And Desiree second. The little woman was holding a gun to the side of Blum’s head. She had put on weight, and her hair was long and gray and clung to her head like strings of weighted beads. The face was hard and tight and full of venom.

She looked at Pine and said, “You’re not going anywhere.”

I’m sorry, Agent Pine,” Blum said, even as Desiree Atkins dug the muzzle deeper into the woman’s temple. “She was on me before I knew it.”

“Shut up.” said Atkins, before she glared at Gail.

“What the hell are you doing up here? Do you want the dog to get you?” she added shrilly.

Gail shrank back behind Pine.

Now Atkins leveled her gaze on Pine. Her brow wrinkled. “You look really familiar to me. Do I know you? You look like trouble.”

Pine said, “I probably look like a lot of people who you think are trouble.”

Atkins nodded but her suspicious look was still present on her features. “I have a surveillance camera set up at the end of my driveway. I got an alert and saw on my phone when you drove in. Joe taught me all about surveillance. But the stuff they have nowadays? All wireless with a phone app. It’s how I disarmed my alarm system before coming in just now.”

Pine just stared at the gun.

“Wanda told me you were snooping around.”

Pine said nothing. She just kept her eyes on the pistol held against Blum’s head.

“Wanda said you were looking for Becky.”

Now Pine spoke. “Her name is Mercy. Not Becky. That was the name you gave her.”

“Well, whatever, she was Becky to me.” She glanced at Pine’s waist. “You’re FBI, so you got a gun. Take it out and put it on the floor. Real, real slow. I know how to use this gun real good.”

Pine took out her Glock and, holding it by the muzzle, knelt, and set it on the floor. Pine had a Beretta Nano in an ankle holster as her backup weapon, but it was useless so long as Atkins had the gun against Blum’s head.

Atkins smiled in triumph as Pine stood. “Now, that’s real good. No trouble from you I can see. Becky was a badass. A real troublemaker. You, not so much.”

Pine just stood there looking at Atkins.

The woman said, “Now, you two are going to get in Gail’s little hidey-hole.”

“And then what?” asked Pine.

“And then I’m leaving. I’m all packed to go, suitcase in the car. I was as soon as Wanda called me.”

“And Gail?”

“She’ll be coming with me. She needs me to take care of her, don’t you, Gail?”

Gail looked up at Pine with baleful eyes.

“You don’t have to go with her, Gail,” said Pine.

“Hey, hey!” cried out Atkins. “You don’t tell her shit like that. You do that again, your friend here gets it good.” She shoved the muzzle so hard into Blum’s face that the woman moaned.

“Okay,” said Pine. “Okay.”

“That’s better,” said Atkins, clearly enjoying this. “Now move.”

Pine led the way with Atkins bringing up the rear, her gun still pointed at Blum’s head.

They entered the HVAC room where the underground space was.

“Okay, you can hold up right there,” said Atkins. She shoved Blum toward Pine. The woman staggered and nearly fell, but Pine was quick enough to catch her.

Now Atkins pointed her gun at Pine as her finger slid to the trigger.

“I take it we’re going down into that space feet first,” said Pine.