Chapter 64
Here, well away from the dim light leaking from the cave, the moonlit semidarkness enfolded Mark, like the shimmering spectral shroud of a wraith. In the void left by Jack’s departure, the silence of the night was complete. No wind, no chittering insects, no bird noises, nothing. It was as if all life in the vicinity sensed the presence of a hunter and remained frozen, hoping that through absolute stillness, a state of safe anonymity could be achieved.
The silence of the night grew so loud it practically screamed at Mark. “Be still. Let that one go on his way. Do not draw his attention.”
Thoughts raced through Mark’s mind in a torrent. Heather was alive. Jack’s actions, the gentle way in which he wrapped her carefully in his shirt and picked her up, reassured Mark. Jack had saved her from the Rag Man. Jack would get her to the hospital.
Mark glanced back toward the cave and shuddered. The violence in Jack had shocked Mark to his core. Not that he cared that Jack had killed the Rag Man. Mark had come here to do that himself. But the way Jack had been able to overcome the incredible speed and strength the Rag Man had displayed. So efficient. So calm. So incredibly deadly. Undoubtedly Jack was a professional killer, but for whom? And why was he interested in the McFarland and Smythe families?
The answers that came into his mind raised the hair on the back of his neck. If Jack was the kind of person the NSA had sent in response to their message, then they were neck-deep in shit.
One thing was for sure: Mark needed to get back home before his parents were notified of Heather’s trauma and discovered him missing and Jennifer panicked.
Jennifer. Shit. She was probably near a nervous breakdown by now.
Having made up his mind, Mark turned away from the path taken by Jack, heading directly back toward his house along the way he had come, his powerful stride propelling him forward at a ground-burning run.
He made his way through the front door so silently that Jennifer didn’t hear him, although he knew she was listening for his return. Not wanting to scare her to death, he paused outside the door to her bedroom, which remained open a fraction of an inch.
His voice, barely a whisper, called out to her. “Jen, it’s me.”
The door whisked open, and a small hand grabbed his arm, pulling him into the room and closing the door behind him.
“Tell me!” Jennifer’s face was drawn, her eyes red.
“Heather is going to be okay.”
“Going to be? Is she hurt badly? What happened? Where is she?”
“It’s all right. I think she just passed out. Anyway, Jack Johnson took her to the hospital.” Mark was guessing this part, but it seemed a very likely guess.
Jennifer looked confused. “Jack Johnson? From the McFarlands?”
“Right. I ran as fast as I could. When I got close, it turned out to be a cave. Not our cave. Just a cave. The Rag Man had her chained to a wall.”
“Oh my God!”
“I was about to rush him when Jack charged in, pointing a gun at the Rag Man.”
Mark continued on, working his way through the whole story, pausing many times to answer Jennifer’s questions. Although he covered all the important parts, Mark left out the details of exactly how Jack had killed the Rag Man, only telling her that he had killed the maniac with a knife.
“Are you sure he is dead?”
“They don’t get any deader. Jack made sure of that.”
“But how? Jack against the Rag Man?”
“Believe me, Jack Johnson, or whatever his real name is, is no EPA man. From what I saw, he’s a professional killer, an agent for somebody. I’m thinking NSA, although he could be working for Stephenson and therefore the Rho Ship.”
“But he saved Heather.”
Mark paused, reflecting on how gently Jack covered Heather with his own shirt. “Yes, he did.”
Jennifer sat back on her bed, piling the pillows high behind her. “So Jack is one of the good guys.”
“Listen, I want to think so. It sure looked like he was sincere, and he got cut up bad protecting her. But we still have to assume that if he finds out about us and the Second Ship, he’ll turn us in. In a heartbeat. And I wouldn’t blame him.”
Jennifer nodded. “Then we’re just going to have to be careful around him and Janet.”
Mark raised an eyebrow. “Janet? What has she got to do with anything?”
“Oh, so you just assume that a professional killer agent of the United States government brings his civilian wife along for the ride? Mark, think about it. She has to be an agent too.”
Mark frowned. “I don’t know about that.”
“Let your brain do your thinking instead of your crotch. It makes sense.”
Mark shrugged. “I just think we should keep an open mind about Janet, that’s all.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Anyway, the only thing for us to do right now is try to get some sleep. Once Heather is in the hospital, the McFarlands will find out. They’ll call Mom and Dad when they get a chance. Then we’ll get to see her.”
“So, in the meantime, we should just hang tight?”
“You’ve got it.”
Jennifer bit her lower lip. “I guess there’s nothing else we can do.”
“Nope.” Mark opened her door, then paused to look at Jennifer. “Sis, it’s going to be okay. Get some sleep, and I’ll see you in the morning.”
Jennifer nodded, then reached over and switched off her lamp.
“Good night.”
Despite the stress that had built to a painful tension in his neck, Mark was asleep as his head hit the pillow. He awoke to his father’s hand shaking him.
“What?”
“Mark, wake up, Son. We need to go to the hospital. Heather’s been hurt.”
Mark sat up. “Hurt? How?”
“I don’t know the details. We just got a call from the McFarlands. They spent the night at the hospital. They said that Heather is going to be all right, but they wanted to let us know what was going on.”
Mark slid out of bed and into his robe. “I’ll get through the shower and be right down, Dad.”
“You'll have to wait a bit. The showers are booked with your mom and sister.”
Mark looked into his father’s eyes. “Did they tell you how she got hurt?”
“No, they just said she had a concussion. It was a little odd. Anyway, they said they’d tell us the whole story once we arrive.”
“What time is it, anyway?”
“It’s almost nine. It’ll be ten before we get Jen and your mom ready and get over there. Come on down and have a cup of coffee with me while you wait for a shower to free up.”
“Okay. Give me just a sec, then I’ll be right down.”
“I’ll pour you a cup. See you in a minute.”
“Sure thing, Dad.”
As his father left the room, Mark sat back on his bed. So Heather was truly okay. Despite convincing himself last night that Jack would get her to the hospital, a wave of relief swept over him. All night, in his dreams, he had looked for Heather and had been unable to find her. He felt more tired now than when he went to bed.
Arriving at the hospital, the Smythes paraded up to the information station. By the time they had gotten the information on Heather’s room number, Mark’s anticipation level had risen to the point that he could barely contain himself.
He just wanted to see her, to hug her, to tell her how glad he was that she was safe. He was as nervous as a boy before his first date, a thought that both amazed and mortified him. After all, this was Heather, the friend he had known all his life.
As he and his family meandered through the hospital corridors, Mark thought about what he would say to her. Certainly, the tale of how Jack had killed the Rag Man would have to wait. On this visit, he would just be there for her, just let her know how much he cared.
Arriving outside the door to her room slightly ahead of the others, Mark could not contain his grin. As he entered the room, his grin froze. There, sitting in a chair pulled up next to Heather’s bed, both hands gently holding Heather’s, sat Raul Rodriguez.