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Chapter twenty-seven
It took all of ten minutes for Logan Hayes to be placed under arrest.
The first thing Nico did upon arrival to the backward community was hit the first man who tried to stop him in the face. He dropped three more in his wake, ordering the rest of them, who’d heard the scuffle and poured out of their cabins to investigate, to stay well away while he and Seth searched door to door until they found Logan. Their presence was not well-received, but he was beyond caring. It was time these people learned their place, because if it was going to be on this island, then their time of disregarding the law—not to mention basic human decency—was over.
Frank and Zoe kept guard of the cruisers while all of this unfolded, armed to the teeth and ready to fire on anyone not wearing a uniform who dared approach them with even an ounce of aggression. Nico had debated bringing Zoe up here for the mere fact that if things turned bad, there wasn’t much he could do to protect her from these animals. In the end, though, he’d remained true to his word and treated her no differently than any other officer under his command. He hoped it hadn’t been a mistake.
It seemed his take-no-prisoners approach worked. The remainder of the camp held back with scowls on their faces as they dragged Logan out of his house in handcuffs. Gasoline-fueled lanterns hung on every porch, illuminating the clearing and everything in it with a dark, flickering orange. About twelve men, a handful of rough-looking women, and even a couple of children stood in silent protest while one of their own was stowed in the back of one of the vehicles.
“Let me make myself very clear,” Nico called out over the crowd. “Whether you like it or not, you are living on land that falls under the jurisdiction of the state of Maine. That means you are bound by the same laws as every other citizen on this island. Break those laws, and you will face the penalty.” A lot of angry faces looked back at him. “Now, I know you’re all used to doing whatever you please without consequence. Rest assured, I’m not here to evict you or disrupt your lives any more than necessary, but make no mistake, you will behave yourselves from this point forward.” He pointed to Logan, securely in custody. “Mister Hayes is being arrested on suspicion of murder. There is to be no retaliation for this arrest, no trouble of any kind, no exceptions. Do you understand me?”
Not a word.
Nico took a step forward. “Is. That. Clear?”
“Yes,” a feeble voice sounded from somewhere in the back. When the bodies parted, an old man with a homemade cane and frizzing white hair hobbled to the front of his people. “We understand.”
Nico nodded. “Good.”
Phew. Crisis averted.
It wasn’t until they were on their way back down the mountain that Nico felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He didn’t recognize the number.
“Lieutenant Dominici,” he answered, keeping his eyes on the taillights of the cruiser ahead of them, the one Frank was driving with Zoe riding shotgun. Seth glanced over at him from the driver’s seat. The poor guy looked wrung out. Suppose arresting your own brother will do that.
“It’s Wade,” a voice crackled through the bad connection.
“Not a great time, Wade. Can it wait?”
“No. You need to get back down here now.”
During the conversation they’d had a few hours ago, Wade had promised to see Lexie home safely when she finished her shift at eight. Being that it was now close to ten, Nico’s stomach responsively clenched as the question of why he was calling at all came hurtling into his mind.
“On our way,” he said. “Why? What happened?”
“I’m not sure, but . . .”
Seth revved up a particularly steep incline after a brief dip in the track, forcing Nico to stick a finger in his other ear. “Speak up. What’s going on?”
“She’s gone!” Wade’s words came through loud and clear. Nico’s jaw went slack. As reception faded in and out, the rest of the information came in a patchy string of distressing half-sentences. “. . . fire at my . . . left her alone . . . broke in and . . . car . . . even hear me?”
“Yeah, I hear you,” Nico shouted.
“. . . something else . . .”
“What?”
More white noise sputtered down the line. When he heard Wade’s voice again, what he said pulled Nico’s soul right out of his body and dangled it in front of him in a vicious taunt.
“There’s blood.”
Cold. So cold.
Lexie knew she was somewhere dank and dark even before she opened her eyes. Her whole body vibrated with powerful convulsions. Her teeth ached, too frozen to chatter anymore. Her head pounded mercilessly as she began making tiny, timid movements.
It was too much. Her stomach roiled and she turned, violently spilling vomit across whatever hard, damp surface she was lying on.
She coughed and gagged, drawing in ragged breaths until the nausea passed.
