Page 3 of Rough Choice

“Yes.”

“He was the one who discovered Max was transporting girls across state lines. Grier thinks Max has been trafficking women to Canada since before you even joined the club. If it hadn’t been for my dad, who stopped because he heard them crying in the back, Max’s operation may never have been found out.”

“I remember Max grilled me about the contents of the van; it sounded like he was accusing me of stealing, but maybe what he wanted to know was if I’d seen the women captured. Or even set them free,” Kye said, staring into the distance as he remembered the encounter. “Your dad was awful, but he had his redeeming qualities,” Kye added.

“I know,” Eliana said, parting from him long enough to pick up the shoebox from the couch. Opening the lid, Kye saw it was full of old photographs. “This is me as a baby,” Eliana said, handing him the top one. “I thought all of these were gone, but Grier said he’d found them when he’d helped you clean out the house after I left.”

“I told him not to throw anything away that might belong to you,” Kye said, looking at the photo. It was an old Polaroid that was tinged yellow with age, but clearly showed Henry as a younger, thinner, and less intoxicated man holding a little bundle on his lap.

“Do you see this?” Eliana asked, pointing to where Henry’s hand held her chubby baby one. Kye nodded. “My dad has his thumb pressed to my palm. When he was dying in the hospital, he took my hand like this. It was so forceful at the time I thought he was angry. Or he was panicked because he was suffocating. But now… I wonder if he just wanted to do this one more time. Have me wrap my fingers around his thumb and hold onto him like… like when I was a baby. When he was my whole world.” Eliana was crying, and Kye took her in his arms.

“It’s okay to love your dad and still be angry at him,” Kye said as he pressed his lips against her hair. “Henry saved those girls who got away. It doesn’t make up for anything he did to you and all the times he wasn’t there, but you can know in your heart that Henry was a good person. And in his own way, he loved you very much.” Eliana nodded and sniffled a few times before she was able to stop her tears.

“I know we don’t have time for this…” she said, stuffing the picture into her pocket. “It’s been a lot to take in today.”

“We’ll have all the time in the world to process these things and talk about them,” Kye promised. “Get your bag and get to the garage. I have to get one of the suit bags from the closet upstairs. I’ve got a couple of black ones we can use as body bags.”

“That’s a terrifying thought,” Eliana said, shivering. “Have you done that before? Used one to hide a body?”

“Eli…” he said cautiously, and she held a hand up.

“You’re right, I don’t want to know. I’ll meet you in the car,” she said and left the room. Kye made his way upstairs and retrieved the suit bags from the closet in his room and felt he might be sick. The last time he’d used one to conceal a body, he hadn’t thought twice about it. Now he was going to be using one to conceal Eliana’s body. Though she was very much alive, images of what he’d thought was her lifeless body in that photo would haunt him for years to come. He’d never forgive himself if that became a reality.

While he was still plenty angry at Grier for lying to him and almost killing the love of his life, he had to hand it to him; Grier’s loyalty was unmatched, and it had been his quick thinking that had saved his life. Before the night was over, he’d save his life again too and Eliana’s. Sighing one last time, Kye turned the lights off in the house that had once belonged to Eliana and that had become his home.

He knew the minute he shut the door behind him and climbed into the passenger seat of the Yukon SUV he’d never see her in that house again.

Eliana was shivering in the cold and in fright. She was watching helplessly as Kye and Grier dug her would-be grave. Their progress was illuminated by the headlights of the SUV but was still obscured by the downpour. They’d managed their way onto the property and just as the men had said, the forest was more of a compound. Once they’d passed through the chain-link fence, Eliana had searched the tree line frantically, looking through the tinted windows for cameras. It wasn’t easy in the night, with the rain, through dark windows, but they’d managed to find a few. It was in the line of these cameras they were digging their hole.

Kye had been smart. He’d parked the SUV so the tailgate was slightly obscured and only half of the grave was within sight of the camera. This would ensure she could get in and out of the hole without being seen. Hopefully.

Eliana was pulled from her thoughts when Kye opened the door to the back. He was soaked from head to foot, and he had dirt smeared on his face. “Are you ready?” he asked. She climbed over the back of the seat to back where Kye tossed the shovel aside and unzipped the suit bag.

“Let’s just get this over with,” she said and lay down inside. Kye gave her an apologetic look before zipping it up. Before he fully encased her, he smeared a muddy hand over her face to help darken the bruises. Eliana took a steadying breath as he lifted her into his arms. Rain pattered the tarp-like material as soon as she was out of the back of the car.

“I’m recording,” Grier said, and Kye nodded as he saw the cell phone Grier was pointing at them. Kye looked from the camera to the hole where he jumped inside and set the bag containing Eliana inside. Grier handed him the phone, and Kye had to wipe water from the lens to ensure it was visible when he unzipped the top to reveal Eliana’s face.

Playing the part as best she could, Eliana remained motionless knowing she was being filmed. The next part was the scariest. Kye had loaded a gun with blanks and, while still filming, fired several rounds into the chest of the bag. The pellets were enough to tear holes and sting her skin, but not enough to puncture her.

The loud shots echoed through the air loud enough to drown out the rolls of thunder in the distance. Kye hit send on the phone, and the video was off. He tossed it quickly to Grier and took hold of Eliana. “Come here,” he said, drawing her out of the bag and into his arms. “It’s over, it’s over,” he said quickly into her ear as she clung to him. He released her only long enough to jump out of the grave and hoist her up.

“Let’s load up,” Grier suggested and began filling the hole in.

“Get into some dry clothes; we’ll take care of this,” Kye said, holding the back door open for her. Eliana was grateful as she slid into the warm car and stripped of her now wet clothes. She had just tugged on pants and a shirt when she saw headlights approaching from the opposite direction. Giving the horn a quick honk, Kye and Grier looked up from their task. She pointed, and they turned simultaneously. Kye gestured for her to get down, and she was quick to lock the doors as she ducked in the back seat.

“Did Max send someone?” Kye asked, and Grier only shrugged. They watched as a tan Jeep pulled to a stop on the opposite side of the grave, and a single man exited. Wearing a green Park Ranger jacket, both Kye and Grier noted the handgun on his hip.

“What are you boys up to?” the middle-aged man wearing a broad-brimmed hat asked, his voice muddled by the rain.

“Digging a hole,” Grier replied. The short, thin man circled, hands on hips, and spat into the hole as he neared them.

“Pretty big hole, you got something to bury?”

“Maybe we’re looking for treasure.”

“You looking to get that smartass shot, son?” the ranger asked, his annoyance was clear.

“We’re not looking for trouble,” Kye interjected before Grier could mouth off and cause a bigger problem. “We’re just here to…”