Justice for Breeze Read online

  Breeze gently pulled her hands from Mother's cool grasp. "I suppose I'm a disappointment all the way around. I know you were never happy I was destined for Wind. You never said it, but I could tell in the way you winced whenever it was brought up. Is that why you've given me to Coal?"

  "No, of course not." Even though the words were easy, Breeze noticed Mother's eyes didn't meet hers.

  "Then why? Why didn't you ask me if I wanted to be mated with him? Everyone has the right to voice their opinions. Why am I any different?"

  "You're special, Breeze. Though I don't play favoritism when it comes to what's beneficial for us as a collective, you're still my only daughter. I can still determine what I feel is best for you as my daughter. When you first came into my life, I was terrified. There wasn't anyone helping me to take care of you and I often felt like I was in over my head. I struggled every day to make sure we both had something to eat and a place to stay. You were so tiny when we found the Family, only fourteen months old. We were lost, alone, one tiny drop of water lost in an ocean. At the time, I stayed with the Family because it was what was best for you. In time, I realized it was best for the Family as well. Now I have an opportunity to do both. I'm granting Coal's request for you. You're too gentle, too pliable. Coal's fire will keep you safe, make you stronger."

  "I don't want Coal. What if there's someone else for me?"

  "Breeze, you're young still. You don't know what you want. Listen to me. I always have your best interest at heart."

  Breeze shook her head vehemently. "I won't agree to the mating."

  Sitting back, Mother's face hardened. "It doesn't matter if you agree or not. As soon as we get settled in New Home, he will claim you. He deserves it. He's been faithful to the family since he was grafted. That is my final word."

  "And what about Lolly? Will I resume my duties of caring for her?"

  "Yes. You and Coal will raise her together. Under his care, you will both be secure, and you will be able to care for her properly. At first, I had hoped you would rise beyond your potential and become our next Gaia. That never happened even though I pushed for you to learn everything about final Ascension. I admit I was discouraged when you couldn't Ascend beyond the fourth ring. Then our little Lorelei came to us last year, and The Mother Gaia revealed Her desires. She has touched the child. She will become our next Mother."

  Turning back, Mother smoothed Breeze's blonde hair behind her ear. "I know now that you were placed here to show our little Gaia what she will become. She's in your care because she needs guidance tempered with understanding." Mother's eyes hardened as she sat back. "I continue to hold you responsible for her. Coal will be assigned to her as well so that he may keep you both safe. Since you will have your hands full with her and then become his mate, I'm halting your Ascension attempts. You don't need to try any longer. You'll stay where you are."

  Breeze's mouth flew open. Denying her Ascension was the equivalent of public shaming. Not only was she being saddled with Coal, but she would also be ostracized. Shaking her head, she swallowed hard. Mother couldn't do this to her. Not only was she being held against her will, but for as long as they kept her there, she would be viewed with disgrace.

  "Mother, please," she whispered as tears sprang to her eyes. "Please, don't do this."

  "I've made my decision. Go." Mother sat back in the chair and extended the footrest as Breeze barely scrambled out of the way. "We will be leaving as soon as everything is prepared. Until then, stay with the children and Coal."

  Backing up to the door, Breeze felt the tears trickle down her face. Humiliation already burned in her cheeks and she swallowed to try and force the lump down her throat. She was going to be given away then forgotten. She would be stuck in a life that she hated, pining for a man she would never see again, forbidden from ever going Outside again.

  Forbidden.

  Breeze bolted out the door and ran.

  She ran as fast as she could.

  Away from everything she thought she knew.

  Away from a life that could never be satisfying again.

  She ran until arms closed around her and pulled her around. Dark eyes that held no comfort and lips that smirked with a harsh possessiveness.

  "Hello, Mine."

  Coal had caught her.

  Chapter 14

  "Hit us, Beth. What have you got?"

  "Hey, Dax. Cruz was right. We're dealing with a cult."

  Beth's voice from the speaker sitting in the middle of the situation room was straight to the point. Beside Finch, Dax Chambers, a Texas Ranger and one of TJ's friends, frowned. TJ had been a Godsend - he had rallied his friends to join in the search for Lolly and Breeze. Every law enforcement branch was represented - city, county, federal and state.

  "What do you know about them?" Hayden leaned toward the telephone.

  "The good news is they aren't one of the weird ones that believe in suicides or sacrifices. The bad news is they're nomadic. It's called Gaian Collective by the officials, but they refer to themselves as The Family. Their leader is always a woman who they call Mother. She represents the Earth Spirit Gaia whom they refer to as The Mother Gaia. Please note the capital letters. Agricultural and nomadic in nature, the Collective isn't known to cause problems or get into trouble. They have a live and let live mentality."

  "Until now," Dax interrupted. "If they're benign, why kidnap Breeze and Lolly?"

  "Not a whole lot is known about their culture. It’s unusual for members to leave the Family, and even more uncommon that they talk about it. However, about three years ago, a man surfaced who had spent most of his life in the Family. He wouldn't talk about their practices or beliefs other than to say a child is often chosen by way of some sort of ritual which will be groomed to become the next leader. That child is renamed 'Gaia.'"

  "They think Lolly is their next leader," Railroad muttered from where he was leaning against the wall. "That's why Breeze called her that."

  "Afraid so," Beth confirmed. "From what I understand, everyone gets a new name when they join. How that name is determined, I don't know, but it's always something natural sounding like Shrub or Pebble. Chances are, Breeze's real name isn't really Breeze."

  "I hate to say it, Finch, but this may have been one big ploy to lull you into a false sense of security. It could have been Breeze's plan from the beginning. You have to admit it's mighty convenient that this all happened the minute she was alone with Lolly."

  "No." Finch shook his head at Cruz. "Sarah was sick and weak. Breeze had lots of opportunities to ditch her in the woods and take off with Lolly. Instead, she got her to help." He narrowed his eyes. "Breeze is a victim here. You don't know her as I do. She loves Lolly and wouldn't ever do anything to hurt her. Besides, you saw how frightened she was on the video recordings. She didn't go willingly."

  Bruiser leaned on the table, changing the subject. "We found their farm Northeast of Boerne. It looked like we only missed them by hours. Have you come up with any leads on where they could be going?"

  "The property they were on is deeded to Jared and Donna Crow. The couple dropped off the grid in ninety-eight, and I believe them to be members of the Collective. I can search for similar landowners who have comparative tracts of land. It's a long shot at best, but I'll see what I can find."

  "Every little bit helps, Beth. Thanks."

  "No problem, TJ. Tell Melina I said hi."

  "Will do."

  The phone went dead, and silence descended on the room.

  Dax opened a folder and pulled out a paper. "We are still processing fingerprints from the farm. It's going to take a while to track them all down, but as you know, not everyone's prints will be on file. So far we've managed to identify four people." He pushed the paper toward the middle of the table. "This is Janice Walls. She has a record for drug possession from six years ago. She and her boyfriend, Mark Andrews disappeared two years ago in Oklahoma City." He tapped on a second mug shot showing a man in his mid-twenties who was obviously into
drugs. His pockmarked skin was sallow, and his eyes had no life in them as he stared into the camera. Stringy, dirty hair lay in lifeless clumps on his head. A still shot from the kidnapping scene was placed beside the picture. Cruz pointed to the man standing beside Breeze. "Andrews," he said simply.

  "Life in the Collective has been good to him," Hayden piped in. "He looks healthy."

  "Mmhm." Cruz interrupted and slid his papers out of a folder. Pointing to the first one that looked like an employment application complete with fingerprints across the bottom, he continued. "This one is Mary Beth Poplar. She disappeared last year from Houston. She quit her job, liquidated her assets and dropped off the map. Her sister said she had been searching for an alternative cure for epilepsy. The last communication she had from Mary Beth, she told her sister she had found a simple life and not to come looking for her. Her cell service was terminated the next day."

  He shuffled the papers and pushed a fourth toward the center of the table. "And this one is Larry Wencher." The photo was a military identity. "Medically retired from the Army after surviving an explosion that left him with a head injury in Kuwait. His father said the last time he saw Larry was four years ago. At that time, he had what he called a 'shit-ton of people living in trailers scattered all over his farm.' When he confronted his son about it, Larry told him they were new friends who believed in living a simple life. Three days later, when he hadn't heard from Larry, Mr. Wencher returned to the farm to find it deserted. He hasn't been seen since. Six months ago, Mr. Wencher had a heart attack and had been placed into assisted living. His son hasn't come to see him, and as far as he knows, the farm is still sitting idle."

  "Where is this farm located?"

  "Just north of Shreveport." Cruz pointed to the area on a map.

  The others studied the map for a moment before TJ broke the silence. "What about the tax records?"

  "Up to date and before you ask, they have been paid with cash. The farm is still in Larry's name."

  Dax nodded. "I think it should be checked out. Unfortunately, that's Louisiana, so we have no jurisdiction. What about the FBI?"

  Cruz sat back and shook his head. "We have no evidence that Lolly has crossed state lines so technically, it's still a state issue. However, with this new information, I'll go to my superiors and get a joint deal going." He stood and stalked out the room, grabbing his cell out of his pocket as he went.

  Finch glared at the map as the others talked around him. So far, the Amber Alert had netted them very little. One woman called saying her neighbor had a habit of running around in his yard in the middle of the night naked and singing. She was sure he was a member of a cult - or maybe just drunk. Another woman reported that a carnival had tried to run her off the road, and a man called in to accuse his girlfriend of devil worship. Something clicked in his mind.

  "That call that came in about the carnival. Where was it?"

  TJ looked through his notes. "Ah.. that was between Dallas and Tyler." He looked over the notes briefly. "Says here it was on highway sixty-four." He glanced up at Finch. "Where's your thinkin' at?"

  Finch ran his thumb over his bottom lip. "This group is nomadic. We know they have thirty or so members, if not more, and Breeze mentioned they have livestock. They have to have several vehicles to move around and with the animals, I could see someone thinking it was a carnival. Mr. Wencher reported a lot of trailers on his son's property before his disappearance." He stabbed at the map. "Look at this. Sixty-four is almost parallel to the interstate. If it was a carnival, wouldn't they be on the big road to make better time?"

  Railroad slowly shook his head. "Not necessarily. Some carnivals prefer the smaller circuit, especially if they aren't legit. Fixed games, shoddy rides, and questionable employees would keep them out of sight." He pointed to the north. "I'd put my money here. It's still early in the season, and they're going to need to get some crops planted. Going south or west is going to run them into areas where it's going to be harder to grow food."

  "I tend to agree with you, Rail." Bruiser nodded as he leaned on the table. "Oklahoma or Kansas? Arkansas is good as well."

  "By now, they could be anywhere," Dax threw in as he made a big circle with a pen. "Not to say they didn't go into Mexico, even. If they are dodging the law, the border isn't far away."

  Finch's heart sank at their words. Balling his fist, he slammed it down on the table as frustration rose in him.

  Hick squeezed his shoulder. "Come on, man, take a little break."

  "I don't want a break. I want my family back!" Finch shouted.

  The door squeaked open, and one of TJ's friends, an officer in the SAPD named Quint hurried into the room and slammed a piece of paper down on the table. "Two of the ICU nurses identified one of the kidnappers." He pointed to the tall man holding Breeze's arm before shoving her and Lolly into the van. "This man was seen coming out of Sarah's room one morning dressed as an orderly. When she questioned him, he said he had the wrong room and left. She hadn't seen him before working in the ICU, but they get new people all the time, so she didn't think anything of it."

  Finch studied the face. "I think that's the same man I saw a couple of times at the hospital. He almost ran over Steve Nolan the day Sarah died." His thoughts whirled around as he looked over at Bruiser. "The drugs in her system. This man nearby. That's too much of a coincidence. These sons of bitches killed Sarah and took my girls!"

  "We need to know who he is. I wish we had a better photo for face recognition software." TJ squinted at the page. He growled, low in his throat. "I'm going to check on hospital surveillance."

  Finch listened to them talk but never took his eyes off the map. He couldn't just sit here and wait for a lead to drop into their laps. He had to get out there and do something, anything.

  Turning on his heel, he hurried down the hall to the front door. As he ran down the steps, he heard Railroad behind him.

  "Yo, Finch, where are you going?"

  "I'm gonna check out the Wencher farm. I can't just sit here all day twiddling my thumbs. Call me crazy, but I got a feeling I can't shake."

  "Good enough for me." Railroad jogged down the steps. "I'll come with you."

  "Nah, man, you stay here and keep an eye on things for me. I'll call if I need anything."

  "Nupe." He lifted a set of car keys and dangled them. "Besides, I drove last. We can be there in about seven hours."

  Finch's eyes filled with gratitude. "Thanks. If you ever need anything..."

  "You'll be the first to know." His friend grinned and motioned toward the parking lot.

  Chapter 15

  "Bees? I want my Daddy."

  "I know you do, Lolly-pop." Breeze continued to brush the child's hair as she sat in her lap. "So do I."

  And she did.

  The realization of how she felt toward Finch came to her as Coal caught her running. The thought of him touching her made her stomach heave, and her skin crawl. She had balled up her fist and struck him in the jaw, screaming at him to let her go. The anger in his eyes at being denied was palpable. He raised his hand as if to strike her but was stopped by a shout nearby. Instead, he leered at her evilly and leaned in, pressing his nose to her neck and whispering that soon he would have her and nothing would stop him from taking what was his. He then stalked off with a smile on his face and began throwing out orders. Thankfully, the move kept him too busy to pursue her further, giving her some much-needed space.

  Everything was settling down at Brushwood Home after the mad dash to leave Stone Home. It was going to take a little time, but soon Brushwood Home would become just Home. This was the way of her people, even though she hated moving. It always meant hours spent crammed into a vehicle with too many other bodies. By the time they had arrived, and Breeze could finally stand and stretch her legs, it was well after dark. In the past, she was charged with helping Fern and Ivy get the children's trailer set up and ready for their charges. However, this time, they were going to stay in the generations-old house, and s
he was told to see Mother immediately. Finding her trailer had been easy - it was the biggest one, surrounded by the others. As she approached, Breeze couldn't help but smirk as she heard Lolly's screech of "I want my Bees, NOW!" over the noise of moving in. It had taken only a couple of moments for the child to jump into her arms and sob softly. The sounds broke her heart, but it also ensured that she wouldn't be kept from Breeze. It didn't take long for Mother to hand Lolly over to her.

  "Is Daddy losted again?" Her question was soft and carried a warble of uncertainty. "Him pomised not to get losted."

  "No, your daddy isn't lost. We are."

  "I want him to unlosted us, Bees."

  "Me too, Lolly. Me too."

  Breeze finished brushing Lolly's hair and settled the child down for the night. It was hot in the little room of the old farmhouse where they were staying, and the cracked window did little to relieve the stuffy air. Breeze could hear a guard outside the door on the landing, pacing restlessly. No doubt, they were going to keep a closer eye on Lolly and Breeze. Smart of them. She had already lived in the wilderness with Sarah and Lolly once. She could do it again and intended to take the first opportunity to do so. If she could get to someone, she could get them to contact Finch, TJ, Hayden or any of the others in San Antonio. If she could get a message out, she knew Finch could and would come for them.

  Breeze sat beside Lolly, gently brushing her hair back as she hummed the song that Finch often sang for his daughter. It was a nonsensical song about someone called Lollipop who had kisses sweeter than candy, and though she didn't know all the words, she had heard the melody enough to replicate it. She didn't hum it as fast as Finch did, making it more of a slow lullaby but it settled Lolly down and soon she was asleep.

  "Breeze?" Fern was standing in the doorway, Flint leaning against the wall behind her watching them with intense scrutiny. "Are you all right?"

  Glancing back at Lolly, she nodded. "As long as she's okay, I'll be fine."