17. Willow

Dodge picked up a pre-arranged rental.It"s huge and black. An SUV that can seat eight, just the two of us. We drive in silence to the first secure facility on Dodge"s list. It"s halfway between Louisville and Baton Rouge, which is why it"s first on the list. It is also the closest to the private airfield. If we find my brother, I have no idea how to get him out of the place. It"s not like I can just walk out with a patient. Dodge gave me a "don"t ask" look when I asked him about this.

The big man is focused on the road ahead of us. I watch the landscape pass by the window. Some areas are beautiful and well maintained, while other places look abandoned. I"ve lived in Louisville my whole life until it all went to shit. I"m not even sure I want to be here anymore. I didn"t even get to go to my dad"s funeral. I doubt Gabe went either. I wipe a tear from my cheek. The vehicle slows before turning right onto a gravel driveway. It sounds loud as Dodge guns the SUV along. We arrive in front of a massive three-story plantation style mansion.

"You ready?" Dodge asks as he puts the car in park.

"As ready as I"ll ever be." I open the door and slide down until my feet touch the ground. I look around and comment, "The driveway is new."

"I noticed when I drove up. They haven"t had much traffic since. Makes me curious." We meet at the front of the car. Dodge lowers his head. "They"re having exterior work done, too."

"What are you suggesting?"

"If your brother is being held here against his will, maybe someone paid a small fortune for that privilege."

"Oh." I look around the place and pull myself together. "No time like the present."

As we enter the facility, we get no further than a small reception area. Even to the untrained eye, there are obvious cameras. Digital locks on the door as well. Plexiglas sits between us and the receptionist. Her eyes sweep over Dodge before "Bernie" asks, "How can I help you this fine day?" The woman still hasn"t looked at me other than a curious glance as we entered.

"I"m Levi Dodge, and I"ve been told," Dodge begins, a broad smile on his face that Bernie eats up, "that my nephew is here. We"d like to pay him a visit."

"I can help with that."

Dodge leans on the desk. Bernie makes a weird sort of chuckle before tapping a few keys on the slinky computer in front of her. How she hits the correct key is a mystery to me. Her nails are long and painted red.

"What"s his name?"

"Gabriel Carter," I say.

"Hmm, that name doesn"t sound familiar," Bernie says in a way that makes me believe her. There was no recognition in her voice or actions. Not a twitch. "Oh, I can"t find him."

I move up next to Dodge and catch Bernie"s eye. The woman is not happy that she doesn"t have Dodge to herself. I smile at the man. "Dad, what if Uncle Marcus used a different name so the bad men can"t find him?"

Dodge"s eyebrows shoot up and his eyes narrow. "Well, daughter, that is something to consider."

I roll my eyes.

Dodge asks Bernie, "Are you able to check if you"ve had any new residents in the last, say, six months?"

Bernie grins. "I can do that. Give me a few minutes."

"That would be great, Bernie." Pause. "Is that short for Bernadette?"

"It is." Bernie"s attention is no longer on the computer.

Having had enough of the flirting, I nudge Dodge in the side. He coughs. "So, any names come up?"

"Well, three people have been admitted in the last six months. One female, Alice Roberts, so it can"t be her if you"re looking for a male. The other two are men, a Brandon Zahir and a Damien Richardson." Pause. "I'm not sure I should have told you that."

"Damien Richardson," I interrupt.

"Are you sure?" Bernie says suspiciously. "It says he"s sixty-three. How can he be your nephew?" She questions Dodge.

"Damien was Gabriel"s father"s name," I say. "Had he lived, he"d be sixty-three. Richardson was Damien"s wife"s maiden name. So, you see why I think your patient is really Gabriel. My cousin." I smile. "Dad, why don"t you keep Bernie company while I go and visit with Damien? After all, I"m the one who begged to visit him."

"I"m not sure that"s such a good idea." Dodge says.

"I"ll make you a cup of coffee while you wait with me for your daughter." Bernie buzzes at the door. "Your cousin is in room 206 on the second floor. Levi, would you like to wait with me in the office? Much more comfortable in here."

"I"d love to."

I giggle. "Don"t get too comfortable, Dad."

Bernie buzzes us through the security door. She"s fast. As soon as we"re through, she grabs Dodge"s arm and leads him into her office. I catch her finger pointing at the stairs. "Second floor." She tosses me a small plastic badge that says "visitor" in typed red ink.

I clip it to my shirt for all to see. The stairs begin in a large reception area from which three hallways branch off. The walls are a clean off-white color, but devoid of decoration. The stairs, as I make my way up them, are old tiled. At the top of the first set, there are markings on the wall indicating left for rooms 200-214 and right for rooms 215-230. I go up the second set of stairs to the left.

"Can I help you?" The voice comes at me out of the blue.

I look around and see a male nurse. "Hi. I"m here to visit my cousin. Bernie gave me the all clear and sent me up here." I chew my lip. A nervous habit of mine. "I"ve never been here before, so I"m nervous."

Nurse Brian—or so it says on his white shirt—steps forward. "I can escort you if you"d like." He smiles. "Which room?"

"206."

He stiffens slightly but waves me in front of him. "This way."

I was nervous before, but the way Brian stiffened when I said the room number, my stomach is full of nerves. Fear too. What if the nurse was paid by Marcus to keep an eye on my brother? It was too easy with Bernie downstairs. They don"t just let visitors into patients" rooms. Wouldn"t they meet in a common area or in the garden? My heart starts pounding in my chest. I turn my head and offer a weak smile to Brian, who is walking behind me. He smiles back and walks forward.

"I"ll open the door for you."

I frown, my hackles are more than raised now. Why send me up here if I can"t get into his room without a key? It makes no sense. This whole situation does not make sense.

Brian opens the door and I see my brother right away. He"s curled up in a corner of his bed. I slowly step into the room and feel the door close behind me. Then the key locks me in with Gabe.

"Gabe," I whisper.

His head lifts enough for his eyes to find mine. They widen in surprise. The only reaction he makes. He says, "They"ve locked you in now," in a voice filled with emptiness.

"No." I run to him and throw my arms around his shoulders. I bury my face in his hair and burst into tears. Gabe is stiff and unyielding for a moment and then his arms pull me to him. "I"m here to get you out."

He shudders. "Brian just locked you in here with me. He works for Marcus. You walked into a trap."

I go cold at his words but shake my head. "I"m not here alone. I have Levi Dodge with me. He works for Ellison Security Specialists out of Boston. He"s ex-military and former cop. And his boss knows where we are."

Gabe cups my face in his hands and rests his forehead against mine. "I thought I"d never see you again." He shudders. "Marcus said he had proof that I killed Dad."

I wrap myself around my brother and land on his lap. I bury my face in his neck and murmur, "I saw what happened, Gabe. I have proof. We have to get out of here and go straight to the cops in Baton Rouge. With Ellison behind us, they won"t be able to ignore what we say."

"What evidence?"

"I downloaded a copy of the security feed from Dad"s office while I was hiding in the bushes. I wasn"t sure what would happen to it after I left. It"s in a safe place."

Gabe shivers and sits me down beside him on the bed. "I"m tired, Owl."

I can"t help but smile at his nickname for me. It soon turns to concern when I see his eyes droop. "Gabe? You need to stay awake."

"Hmm."

"Did they drug you?" I lay him down on the bed, which isn"t easy considering my brother is all muscle. I pry open one of his eyelids. "They did. Those bastards."

"All the time," he mutters, turning into me. "Owl, don"t leave me." Tears fall as I curl up on the bed with my brother.