yard, in a patch of poison ivy.
He walked into the closet and parted the clothing. His necklace began to vibrate-his warning system working perfectly.
Once he completed the code for the combination lock, he opened the heavy door and strutted into the musty room. He flipped a light switch and the room filled with dim light. He took a plastic, three-ring binder from a small bookcase. As he held the sacred book, his hands began to shake. He waited for the shaking to cease, and then added his new entries into the binder, which told the cautionary tale of Noah Warner.
He understood that he’d be hailed as a hero in future years, which was why it was so important to chronicle his journey. But until that day of acceptance, he faced the reality of having to do his work in the dark, just as Batman had.
He moved to the pictures on the wall, once again feeling the heavy burden of responsibility. He removed the cap of this black pen and proceeded to mark a large X over the photograph of Noah Warner. He did it in slow motion to prolong the ecstasy.
He only had a brief moment to savor the accomplishment. There was so much more work to be done, and he immediately focused on his next mission. It would be less than two weeks from today, on October 10.
He knelt down in ritualistic fashion, as he always did during the “Crossing Off Ceremony.” He thought of the Spargo family and wished they could have shared this moment with him.
A knock on the bedroom door stunned him back to reality, followed by the sound of Gwen’s voice, “Kyle, are you in here?”
He wiped the tears off his face and raced out of the storm room. But before he did, he grabbed a small box. A gift that would give Gwen the surprise of her life. What was left of it, anyway.
Chapter 53
Carter removed his wraparound sunglasses to view the sign before him:
JP sat in the passenger seat, asking questions like a nervous mother. “Are you sure you got the directions to his house? … Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you? … Do you want to go over the plan one more time?”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“This isn’t funny, her life could be at stake.”
Carter couldn’t contain his laughter. “I haven’t seen you this in love with a woman in … well, actually, I’ve never seen you this in love with a woman.”
“She’s out there all alone with a murderer. I’d do this for anybody.”
Carter raised a sarcastic eyebrow. “Whatever you say, boss.”
He thought that Plan Gwen would achieve similar results as JP’s genius idea to break into Jones’ house. So he offered what he thought was a better solution, which would be to just kill Jones and hide the body. But he got outvoted-confirming his belief that democracy was overrated.
JP added his own amendment to Gwen’s plan by sending Carter as her personal bodyguard to shadow her. A change that Gwen knew nothing about, and if they wanted to continue to live, it was best it remain that way. It was clear to Carter that Cupid’s crossbow had delivered a direct hit so far up JP’s ass that he couldn’t think straight.
They’d departed Connecticut over twenty-four hours ago with the cover-story of going to visit Byron. They were pretty sure Gwen bought it. They stopped Friday evening in Washington DC, before continuing on the next morning.
“Let’s go over the plan one more time,” JP said.
Carter sighed. “I got it. Take the ferry over and hitch a ride to the village. Spy on Gwen and her boyfriend until Sunday. Then we meet up Monday night over there.” He pointed at the small, replica sloop pirate ship that was anchored to the dock. It had been converted into a restaurant/bar called Sloopy Joe’s.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?”
“Never been more sure about anything in my life. Besides, they’ll probably spend the whole weekend cozying up in his bedroom.” Carter took pleasure in his friend’s wince, then mercifully-for JP-changed the subject, “I can’t believe you’ve never been to Charleston.”
“I think it’s the only place on the planet I haven’t been to. I’m looking forward to my first Mama Jasper’s meal. Although, I’m not sure it could ever live up to the hype that Byron has bestowed on it.”
“Like myself, Mama Jasper’s is one of the few things in this world that lives up to the hype.” Carter began to drool just thinking about it. “And so does Charleston. My dad, rest his soul, used to take me down there all the time-a lot of military history in those parts. We used to always go to Fort Sumter, and tour the aircraft carrier the Yorktown.”
JP slid over to the driver’s side, while Carter exited the vehicle into a drenching Saturday sun and the smell of low tide.
“And be inconspicuous,” JP yelled last instructions.
“Is that a fancy French word for Carter gets to kill someone?”
“No, stay hidden-camouflaged-concealed.”
“In other words, don’t let Gwen find out, or our balls will be on the chopping block.”
“Just make sure she is safe, okay?”
He gave JP a thumbs-up sign and headed for the ferry docking station. JP backed up the Humvee, beginning his journey to Charleston so that Byron could babysit him. Carter thought he should take a detour and head straight to the loony bin.
Carter hid behind the ticket booth as he waited for the ferry, playing a hunch. The first ferry came and went, but he remained. Moments later, his instincts proved correct. When the man came around the corner, Carter drove his forearm into his larynx, dropping him to the pavement. “Where do you think you’re going?”
JP looked dazed. He tried to talk, but nothing came out.
Carter picked him up by his hair. “Maybe my directions weren’t clear-my bad-Charleston is the other way.”
JP returned to the Humvee. This time Carter was sure he was on his way.
The Hatteras Ferry took forty-five minutes to arrive on Ocracoke. Once on the island, Carter found a taxi to take him to the village. They drove along a two-lane road lined with dunes and marshland grasses.
According to the driver, the hub of activity was in the Silver Lake Village. That’s where Carter began his reconnaissance mission, and worked his way to the north shore beach, where Jones owned a home.
He doubted Gwen was in danger. He knew a few things about men and women, one of which was that a man doesn’t kill a woman like Gwen Delaney as long as he thinks she’s his. It’s when the man finds out his woman is with another man that she’s in trouble. He got the feeling that Gwen was smart enough to realize that.
He also doubted Jones was stupid enough to bring a journalist into his home if he had incriminating evidence spread out on the coffee table. So he was skeptical as to whether he would find anything inside. But the other thing he knew, was that hot women make guys do stupid things. So anything was possible.
Carter waited at a distance for someone to show. He’d never bought into the whole ‘patience was a virtue’ thing-he thought it was a waste of time, literally. He was tempted to open up one of the Coronas he had brought along, knowing this job had death-by-boredom written all over it.
As dusk settled over the island, Jones finally showed up with Gwen. They arrived by foot from the beach, walked under the house, and ascended stairs to a front entrance.
Carter smiled. Let the games begin.
