One Journey Ends

Sven opened the door with a heavy sigh. The day had been long and Tara was now safely ensconced in her home with the police watching over her. He would have the next twelve hours free before he met with her again at the cemetery. Justin, true to his word, had indeed been lying in wait. But Sven held up a hand to delay things until they could talk.

“Something has happened?” Justin asked flatly.

Sven was amused at how his partner continued to try to keep his emotions in check. If the Scandinavian weren’t adept at it himself, it might have worked. Someday he would have to explain to his mate that it wasn’t possible to keep things from him. But not yet.

“Nothing has happened . . . yet,” Sven replied. “I saw a thin young man watching her though that I suspect is the other attacker from the night you intervened.”

“Thin, yes,” he answered staring at the wall for a moment in recollection. “Greasy dark hair and wiry body.”

Sven nodded.

“Was there a tattoo on his hand?” Justin suddenly asked.

“He wore gloves,” Sven said shaking his head. “But that was enough to lead me to believe he is the one we seek. But there is another.”

“Another?!”

“Yes,” the blonde man sighed again. “This one is more sinister, I’m afraid. He kept well away from the other and watched him as much he also watched Tara.”

“Describe him,” Justin commanded in a shaky voice uncharacteristic if his usual demeanor.

“Tall, lean, somewhat dark hair tinged with gray, cold-looking eyes even from a distance,” the Scandinavian replied watching his partner closely. He knew who this stranger would turn out to be and worried about Juss res reaction. “He hid himself well enough from Tara and the thin man, but not so well that I would not notice him.”

“Adam,” Justin’s barely audible whisper seemed to fill the air.

“I was afraid of that.”

“Are you quite certain he did not see you?”

“I am positive, my heart,” Sven replied patiently. “I was extremely discreet and never took my eyes from the scene. Neither Adam, nor the other man looked in my direction.”

“Not even once?”

“I was able to track you for a year without you knowing,” the Scandinavian man smiled. “And this man did not seem as well trained as you.”

“He was not,” Justin acknowledged still shakily. “He was in the army, but no special forces training. He preferred to think of himself an expert, however.”

It was clear to Sven that his lover had indeed not seen his stepfather since he was living under the cruel man’s roof. Justin had never gone back to claim retribution for himself or his mother’s treatment. It perplexed the Scandinavian man a little, as the man he knew before him now wouldn’t let such transgressions against him go unanswered.

“Well, he is sloppy,” asserted Sven. “He is so consumed with his task he has forgotten outside factors that would necessitate his changing his tactics from time to time.”

“He was always inflexible.”

“It will be to his detriment then,” the blonde man said pulling his mate into a tight embrace. “You will not be at his methisthis time love. I would never allow it.”

“But Tara . . .”

“We will keep him from her and Seka, Justin,” Sven affirmed. “I believe in your abilities to protect them. And I believe in my own.”

Justin stayed within his partner’s arms for a while, collecting himself. Sven felt relieved that he was allowing him to comfort him as much as the blonde man had allowed him to in the past. Finally, the dark haired man raised his head and looked Sven in the eyes.

“Since I cannot watch over Tara, I will shadow Seka’s every movement.”

“I knew you would want to do that,” Sven smiled. “I have already called to let her know you would be following her.”

“Why?”

“Do you not think she has been expecting some kind of attack ever since she was taken from that cabin?” Sven queried. “She has told me she can never feel safe with the man still free.”

“I did not realize,” Justin mumbled.

“It is okay,” the blonde man soothed as he rubbed his partner’s back. “She is grateful you will be following her. Just be careful the police do not see you.”

Justin just smiled in response.

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The girl would be easier to get if there weren’t police in her house. Adam paced the small hotel room anxiously. He hated grabbing her in a public place, but it may be necessary. How would he get her in school, though? He’d noticed a police car tailing her to and from school, so a time during the active school day would be his only opportunity. But what to do about the woman? He would have to take her soon afterwards or that opportunity would slip away. And she must be punished as well. He would start following her the next day to get a sense of her patterns. He’d hate to have to grab her in public, as well. That would be too coincidental, and he needed to be sure the thin man was blamed for both disappearances.

He’d sold his cabin to make it look like he’d left the area for good. It wouldn’t do to be traceable. Adam still wasn’t sure what had happened. Henderson had left the girl in the cabin, he was sure of it. The mealy-mouthed man wouldn’t be stupid enough to sign the letter if he hadn’t. He was aware of Adam’s low tolerance for duplicity. Well, when it was directed at him, that is. Who could have been foolish enough to interfere? The cabin’s door had been kicked in, so if it was the woman, she had to have help. He would go to see Henderson in jail, but he couldn’t risk anyone making the connection. He knew very well that the man wouldn’t give him away. Adam had made sure the man was more afraid of him than prison. He’d paid him well for the trouble anyway.

Now, he just had to figure out what his next move would be once he ascertained the woman’s patterns completely.

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Tara rose first the next morning and made some breakfast for Seka and the policeman before rushing to get ready to go to the cemetery. She and Sven had decided she should be there earlier this morning. He would be there as well, though he would not make contact with her, as he feared being recognized by anyone watching. She knew he meant the stalker, but was trying not to worry her too much. After that, she would go home to change for her shift. Sven would be watching out of sight the whole time. Tara was going to have to get used to this new routine. Sven had given her his cell phone number and said he would available to talk to her at any time of the day or night. It made her feel a little more secure to know he was only a phone call away.

Seka called up a good bye as she ran out to get to school. Tara was almost ready to go herself when the phone rang. Forgetting to check the Caller ID, she picked it up with a breathless greeting thinking it might be Sven.

“So you finally decided to answer the phone, slut!” Mrs. Connors’ voice hissed into her ear.

Shocked, Tara slammed the phone down and backed away from it. Just when the calls had begun to die down, she’d lulled herself into a false hope that the woman had finally given up. But she’d deluded herself. Mrs. Connors was still intent on causing her daughter-in-law pain. And it worked. All of the numbness Tara had been able to build up with everything going on around her shattered and she was left trembling rooted to her spot, unable to move.

“Tara?” the officer’s voice broke the silence. “Are you okay? Was that the guy?”

“No,” she called down before slipping on her shoes and walking downstairs. “It wasn’t. Everything’s fine. I’m almost ready to go.”

“Your escort isn’t here,” he reminded her as she passed him.

“He’s here, he’s just staying clear of any observers.”

“I don’t know,” he replied skeptically.

Tara nodded and picked up the kitchen phone shakily. The dial tone was a relief and she quickly dialed Sven’s cell phone number.

“Hello, sweet,” he greeted her.

“Hi, Sven,” she answered. “You’re out there, right?”

“I have been for an hour now.”

“I’m sorry,” she said contritely. “I didn’t mean to keep you waiting.”

“You did not,” he assured her. “I was early on purpose.”

“Officer Shay doesn’t feel right about me leaving the house without you.”

“Put him on.”

Tara handed the officer the receiver and stood back.

“You’re where?” the officer said into the phone. “Describe what Seka wearwearing then.”

Apparently Sven’s description satisfied the officer. He grunted a reluctant approval and handed the phone back to Tara.

“I’ll leave for the cemetery now.”

“I will get on the bus at the stop before yours just to be sure,” he answered.

“Okay, see you soon.”

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Justin watched as Seka entered the school. He was following at a safe distance so that the patrol car didn’t see him. He stepped back and kept her in sight at all times. Once the school day started, it was frighteningly easy for him to sneak into the school and stay hidden in the shadows of utility closets. He knew it would be just as easy for Adam, if he chose to do so.

Justin’s mind swirled with images of his stepfather. The man hadn’t been gray when he’d last seen him, but that was many years ago. He couldn’t imagine how the vic str streak had escaped him. Justin knew Adam could be cruel, but he’d never beaten anyone to death as far as Justin knew and he’d also never actually used a weapon on him and his mother. Many of the Asian girls were mutilated as well as beaten, almost to an unrecognizable point. One had been gutted, reminiscent of the Jack-the-Ripper cases. Although Adam was a huge fan of violence, Justin never suspected the man would become interested enough in anatomy to know how to perform such monstrous rituals. Yet the evidence was clearly there to indicate he’d learned.

What had happened after he’d left him? That was something Justin couldn’t seem to get a handle on. He’d been tracing his stepfather’s past but could find much beyond a year after he’d left. Apparently, Adam had gone respectable in that short period of time and there were no records of arrests. The only things he’d kept in his name beyond that time were the cabin and a Utah driver’s license. He’d moved away from the town he’d lived in with Justin and his mother after that and dropped out of sight. Puzzling.

Justin was determined to solve that puzzle, though. He wouldn’t let the man tear his world apart again. It helped that Adam had no idea his former stepson was hot on his trail. Justin would leave that little surprise for later.