Page 73 of Sundowners
But no one stayed farther away than Creed.
I’d texted, I’d called, I’d prayed every time I went to the home that he would magically appear, even though Lexi told me he took a leave from work. Told the bosses he had some personal issues to work out, but I knew the truth.
Somehow Creed was mixed up with the people behind the attacks, and he was either hiding…or searching.
But the attacks had stopped. While that was a good thing for the community, no one felt we were out of the woods yet. Vanessa and Sterling had hit several dead ends, though the FBI was still investigating the BioBourne company and working with Interpol. I’d met with them and shared my research, but we all felt there was something right in front of us, keeping the true intentions of the organization hidden.
And Bloody Brilliant apparently cancelled the rest of their shows and skipped town.
Had Creed left with them?
Was he really gone?
Rhonda and I moped over him together, and I started to worry when her appetite seemed to fade. I tried different foods, even made her steaks and bought her beef ribs to chew on, but she’d barely take in a little, and then she’d lay on the rug in front of the vent.
Dammit, Creed.Where are you?
23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Creed
I heldout as long as I could, but I had to make one final trip to Puesta Del Sol before I made my final move on Stephen and his collaborators.
It took me three weeks, but I finally came across their house in the woods off of Highway 17.
It happened by accident. I’d been on the beach at sunset, looking for the young man and his spiritualist friends, thinking it couldn’t hurt to ask them if they’d been approached. But as I’d hidden under the pillars of the Boardwalk, waiting to draw aside the young man I’d spoken with, Stephen and his collaborators—the same ones who murdered the four bullies—approached them as they were getting started with their evening meditations.
The young man I’d talked to had smiled at first, but then he’d stepped away from Stephen and shook his head. He gathered his people and they made a hasty retreat. Stephen talked to the others and then I followed them to the same Mercedes SUV parked near the Boardwalk. I’d used the last of the money I had saved to buy a beat-up motorcycle, knowing I’d have to be able to follow them, and I kept my distance, tailing them as they left the Santa Cruz city limits for the mountains. I’d had to fly past when they turned down a hidden one-lane driveway, but I circled around and parked the bike in the bushes, hoping I’d be able to find the SUV.
It was too easy.
The house was a monstrous, modern architectural behemoth with a living roof and all the windows. I chuckled when I realized it looked an awful lot like the Cullen house in theTwilightfilm and thought how perfect for this guy to take on the vampire cliché.
There were two other cars there and two more arrived while I was watching from the outside. I hated not being able to get closer, but if The Source was inside, they’d likely be able to sense me.
Another car pulled up and this one caught my attention.
It was a McLaren, and when the man parked and got out of the car, I felt the same sick energy coming off of him that I’d felt whenever Stephen was around. He popped the trunk and lifted a woman out with ease, despite the fact that she was fighting against her binds.
“Ah, Timothy, I see you found your missing wife.”
He carried her up the steps toward Stephen with no effort whatsoever.
“She thought she could run, but I knew she’d go right back to her sister. Thankfully my brother-in-law was easily persuaded to return her to me.”
“The Source will be pleased. Come inside.”
The man carried the woman into the large foyer and Stephen followed with that creepy smile of his. My fucking skin was crawling even despite the distance.
Three more men in suits led The Source forward to greet this Timothy guy. There was talking, and then the group walked out of the lighted portion of the house and I lost sight of them.
I knew there was no way I could handle this alone. Mark and Cross were hesitant to get further involved and were making plans to skip town, maybe they had already. Rey and Vanessa were on the trail, but I worried they would get hurt, especially if they tried to deal with The Source.
The Source. Gone was the benevolent leader I’d found so captivating during my time with the cohort. I couldn’t believe they were going along with Stephen’s nefarious activities. How could they have let their teachings become so perverted? I was so disappointed, discouraged. I’d been ready to dedicate my life to The Source and their teachings of The Way, and now that I’d seen what they’d become…
No, I wouldn’t question my decisions. There had been too much good in my life.
