Page 76 of Now Until Forever
“We’re walking out.” He leaned down so his mouth was close to her ear. “Don’t look, okay?”
She buried her head in his neck, huddling closer to the warmth of his skin while he moved through the apartment. She wanted to get her phone and hug it to her as well, to keep it close so no one could plant fake messages on her device, but had no idea where it was.
Carlos carried her to the hall, speaking to other cops while she ignored the world and tried to stay awake. The last thing she wanted to do was pass out and be vulnerable. There had been entirely too much of that today. She needed to stay awake and figure out what that mess of a situation had been.
It was as if he didn’t even notice how much she weighed and it was nothing to walk through a building carrying her.
The elevator doors slid shut, and she lifted her head. They were alone.
“You can put me down,” she told him, her voice hoarse and barely audible.
“Not a chance.”
She stared at his profile, his head pointed forward. Resolution in his jawline.
“There’s an ambulance waiting for us on the street. They’ll take care of you.”
A tear rolled down her cheek, and she didn’t let go of him to swipe it away, just lifted her shoulder and used the material of her shirt to soak up the moisture.
When he stepped outside, the wind buffeted her, making her wonder how she’d managed to lose her jacket in the middle of all that. The bright afternoon light pricked at her eyes as he took her to the open rear doors of an ambulance and finally groaned as he let her down.
“You shouldn’t have carried me that far.” She frowned, holding on to his arms. Trying to get her legs to support her.
“What’s that?” He shook his head. “I can’t hear you.”
Eliana didn’t have a chance to argue with him, not that she had the energy anyway, because an EMT with bright-red hair led her into the ambulance and had her sit on the gurney. She answered as many questions as she could, giving her basic details and some medical information before she gave up and lay down on the bed in the middle of telling him that she took over-the-counter allergy pills sometimes.
“Lia!” Carlos scrambled into the ambulance and reached out, touching her leg.
She waved a hand without moving. “I’m okay.”
The EMT frowned at her, then glanced at Carlos. She spotted the hole for an earring in his right ear. “Sir, you can ride with us if you’re the next of kin, but no interruptions.”
“I’m her fiancé.”
Eliana’s eyes flared.
Carlos didn’t take it back. The EMT didn’t argue with him or ask any follow-up questions.
An oxygen mask was placed over her mouth and nose. She closed her eyes and heard them talking, and then the vehicle set off.
Still, his words rang in her head. And why not? They were so much better than any of the words she’d heard today. A dream that was far superior to reality, because nothing could go wrong in a dream.
SUSPECT CAPTURED; INVESTIGATORS FOUND ALIVE IN REMOTE CABIN
Anchorage Daily Chronicle — May 28
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The man suspected of orchestrating a string of ritualistic killings across Southcentral Alaska is now in custody after a dramatic rescue operation that also located missing investigators Kenna Banbury and Oliver Jaxton alive in a remote hunting cabin Tuesday night.
Authorities identified the suspect as 54-year-old Martin Halvorsen, a former bush pilot and skilled woodworker with property near Talkeetna. Court records reveal Halvorsen once owned the land where the underground workshop was discovered.
According to law enforcement sources, Banbury and Jaxton were able to leave subtle tracking markers during their captivity—including carved variations of the raven symbol—which search teams recognized after reviewing Banbury’s earlier case notes.
Troopers converged on Halvorsen’s off-grid cabin after aerial reconnaissance detected generator activity inconsistent with the abandoned structure he claimed to own. A tactical unit entered the cabin shortly after 9:30 p.m. where Banbury and Jaxton were found with minimal injuries, along with the suspect, who was restrained but conscious.
In a brief statement from Anchorage General Hospital, Jaxton credited his wife’s foresight. “Kenna always said killers who stage scenes crave narrative control,” he said. “We simply rewrote the ending.”
Halvorsen has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and unlawful imprisonment. Authorities are investigating possible additional victims.
