Page 129 of The Lie Maker

Michael nodded. “How far down this drive is the cabin?”

“Maybe a hundred yards, give or take. Road takes a slight bend and the trees clear and the cabin’s sitting right there.”

Michael patted the actor’s shoulder. “Thanks for your help. Hope you’ll forgive the abduction. It wasn’t my son’s idea. I’d say, if you flag someone down in about half an hour, you could have them call the cops. Should be done by then.”

“Yeah, okay,” Walton said. He kept standing there, looking at the trunk, then back to Michael. Jack hadn’t stopped shouting.

“Go,” Michael said to Walton.

The actor turned and started walking in the direction they’d come from. Michael watched him until he was swallowed by darkness, then turned his attention back to the trunk. He banged it hard with his fist to get Jack to stop making noise.

“Jack,” he said, just loud enough to be heard, “sit tight. I’m going to go get your girl.”

Michael started walking down the drive.

Inside the cabin, Gwen, who still had Lana’s phone in her hand, said, “I guess we might as well get what sleep we can.”

There was one bedroom off the kitchen. Cayden said, “You take the bed, I’ll take the couch.”

“What about me?” asked Lana, still tied to the chair.

“No one’s stopping you from closing your eyes,” Gwen said.

To Cayden, she said, “We’ll head back to the city around six. Get some breakfast at a drive-through. We can give her another jab so she won’t cause us any trouble on the way.”

Lana tried to find some small comfort in that. At least she would be alive tomorrow. Whether she would be awake, or live to see the end of it, was still in question.

The phone in Gwen’s hand rang. Startled, she saw jack on the screen, and considered declining the call. She had been about to turn it off, anyway, in the event that the phone might be used to track their location.

“What the hell,” she said to herself, then tapped the screen and put the phone to her ear. “What?”

“Hello, Gwen.”

Not Jack. His father.

“I told Jack I’ll be in touch with instructions in the morning,” she said.

“No need. Let’s get this done. I’m here.”

Gwen spun around, looking at the front door. “Jesus Christ,” she said. She snapped at Cayden, “He’s here.”

He ran to the closest window and looked outside, but there was nothing but total darkness.

“Michael,” she said into the phone, “how did you find us?”

“Doesn’t matter. I’m here. Let’s get it done.”

Gwen walked to the door and opened it. “You’re lying. I don’t see you.”

“Watch,” Michael said.

In the distance, for only a second, she saw a bright face of a cell phone.

“Okay, so you’re here,” Gwen said. “Who’s with you?”

“No one. I came with Jack, but I left him in the trunk. Wanted to handle this alone. I’m here for the trade. Lana comes out, unharmed, and I’m all yours. And in the interests of complete disclosure, I’m telling you that I’m armed. But once Lana is free, I’ll toss you the gun.”

She snapped her fingers at Cayden.

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