Page 31 of Darkwater Lane

10

GWEN

A wave of terror washes over me, and I’m on my feet before I even finish placing the call. I’ve been training my kids on what to do in an emergency for years. There’s no way Lanny would send me a text like that unless something is truly, terribly wrong.

Worst-case scenarios tear through my thoughts, causing my heart to nearly seize with panic as I stumble out of the bar and through the lobby, waiting for the call to connect. I never should have let them go on their own. This entire experiment to give them more space and autonomy was a mistake.

I should have known that something like this was coming. I should have been better prepared.

The minute I hear Lanny pick up, I ask, “Are you safe?”

“Connor and I are both fine. Not hurt. Not in danger,” she tells me immediately. Her voice is trembling, and I hear the car running in the background. “We’re up at the gas station on Central.” It’s where I’ve always told them to go in case of an emergency. Don’t wait or hesitate, just get in the car and drive.

I close my eyes, allowing myself to feel a second of relief that almost brings me to my knees. I blow out a shuddering breath. I’moutside now, the swish of the hotel doors sliding closed behind me. “Okay, what happened?”

“I don’t—hold on.” She says something to Connor that I can’t hear. He starts to protest, but it’s drowned out by the sound of the car dinging as she opens the door and steps outside. “I’m not sure how much Connor saw. I’m not even sure exactly what it wasIsaw either. We got home from the barn, and everything seemed normal. The front door was locked and the alarm was on. But when I stepped inside…” She pauses and audibly swallows.

She’s breathing fast and shallow, and I can hear how hard she’s struggling to control her panic. “Mom.” Her voice warbles, and it physically hurts to hear that word and know that my baby girl needs me and I’m not there. I curl my fingers tighter around the phone.

“I’m right here. Tell me what happened.” I try to keep my tone level and calm, knowing she needs that anchor right now.

She draws in another sharp breath. “There was blood. Everywhere. I didn’t know what it was at first, but then…I saw a body. It was a man. He was on the couch. Sitting, with his head back and his throat…it wasn’t even—” She gasps, her words trailing off into a whimper.

My chest squeezes tight. All I can think about is Sam. How he’s not here when he should be. How I haven’t heard from him. Oh, God. What if one of those sickos came after us? What if my worst nightmares are finally coming true?

My body floods with dread, emotions threatening to overwhelm my thoughts. I start to tremble and have to clench my teeth, needing to stay strong and focused for Lanny.

“Sam.” I croak the word.

“It wasn’t him,” she quickly clarifies. “I didn’t recognize whoever it was,” she adds. “He was old. Had gray hair. But I didn’t see much else. I just turned, and pushed Connor back toward the car, and ran.”

The relief I feel is so intense that I stumble toward the wall of the hotel, pressing a hand against it to keep from sliding to the ground.Not Sam, I think to myself.Not my kids.

We’re all safe. For now.

“But he was for sure dead,” she continues, unable to stop herself. “The blood, Mom. It was?—”

“But you and Connor are okay?” I press, trying to steer her away from focusing on the horrific scene she just saw.

“We are. We left and drove up here. Just like we practiced,” she confirms.

I feel a burst of pride. Despite the quaver in my daughter’s voice, I’m remarkably impressed by how well she’s holding herself together. She’s not screaming or crying or blubbering with panic. We’ve drilled emergency scenarios again and again, but it’s different than facing a true emergency with its unpredictability and messiness and fight-or-flight hormones coursing through you.

Despite how well she’s doing, I need to be there. I need to see and hold my kids and know they’re okay. It’s an urge so primal that it’s painful. Then I remember that I don’t have a car, and frustration surges through me. I need Sam. Now.

I text him:

Gwen

Where are you?

I don’t want to hang up on Lanny to call him, so I keep her on the line while I open the location app on my phone. At least that way, I can see how far away he is. I note that Lanny’s and Connor’s icons are at the gas station. It’s what I expected, but it’s still a relief to see. Vee’s icon is at the tattoo parlor where she works. She’ll be safe there.

Sam’s icon, however, is missing. I scroll down to the list of names on the account below the map. His is grayed out. I click on it and get an error message that the user location data is unavailable.

My knuckles burn white where I grip the phone and shake it, hoping that might somehow make a difference. Of course, it doesn’t.

A wave of helplessness rolls through me. Where the hell is he? What if something’s happened to him? What if he’s in danger? My stomach roils, nausea burning the back of my throat.

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