A Trace of Hope Read online

  Something registered in the back of her brain and for a second she couldn’t place it. Then she turned on her phone light again and realized what it was. The time was 11:02 p.m. Evie was supposed to be dead in less than an hour.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Getting through the gate was easier than they expected. Pete had an extra chauffeur uniform in the front, which Ray changed into on the way up.

  When Pete rolled down his window, the security staff didn’t see anything unusual about two imposing African-American drivers. Maybe they were so used to their own clients having extra security that it didn’t strike them as odd that other folks would too. And since the passenger was unaware of Ray’s existence, he didn’t say anything when he was asked to lower his window so they could confirm his identity. They never even checked the trunk.

  After dropping off the client at the main entrance, Pete was instructed to drive around to the side where the other limos were waiting. He did so. Keri listened quietly as Ray explained how his evening would go.

  “Pete, unfortunately, I’m going to have to knock you out. Then I’m going to tie you up and leave you in your car. My recommendation is that even if you wake up, you pretend to be unconscious. Don’t try to be a hero and warn anyone, because you’d actually be warning the bad guys. I’m a cop and what’s going on here is bad news. If your client is here, he’s a bad guy too. Your best bet is to ‘sleep’ through the whole thing. That way, you have fewer questions to answer when it’s all over. You understand?”

  Pete didn’t respond but Keri gathered he was nodding. A second later she heard a thud that suggested he’d been knocked out.

  “I’m going to secure this guy,” she heard Ray say. “Then I’m going to find out where I can take you where you’ll be under the radar. There are a few people milling about and I want to get the lay of the land before popping the trunk. I’ll let you out when I’m sure the coast is clear. You still okay back there?”

  “Peachy keen. I think the Vicodin is starting to kick in.”

  “That is super news, Keri,” he replied with mock enthusiasm. “I’m glad you’re starting to feel a little better. I just hope you don’t start feeling too good.”

  “Me too, actually.”

  Five minutes later, the trunk door popped and Ray appeared. He helped her out, threw a heavy cloak over her shoulders, and guided her through a side door and quickly down a hall and into a small bathroom. Keri could sense others in the area and kept her head down until he closed the door behind them.

  “So I asked around,” he said, making sure the door was locked, “and it turns out we’ve got some good news and some bad news.”

  “Okay,” Keri replied hesitantly. “Why do I get the feeling that even the good news at an event like this is still pretty bad?”

  “Because you are a very smart, intuitive lady. The good news is that this party is an ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ type situation. Everybody is wearing masks. I guess fancy folks don’t want to be formally identified at a special occasion that involves child rape and murder.”

  “I’m waiting for the good news, Ray.”

  “The good news is that not only the guests wear masks. The wait staff do too. They don’t seem to realize the extent of what’s going on here. They know it’s a sex party but they seem oblivious to the ages of the girls. A lot of them are actors and think this is a role-playing event, so they’re just going with it. Since they’re all disguised, you can be too. You should be able to get around without being identified.”

  “That is great, assuming I can get my hands on a mask and a uniform.”

  “That’s the bad news. Getting a mask and uniform isn’t a problem. In fact, I saw a bunch of them hanging up in the women’s dressing room down the hall. But the uniforms are…revealing.”

  “What exactly are you saying?” Keri asked defensively.

  “It’s just that, while I enjoy spending long, uninterrupted stretches in the company of your uncovered body, it is currently torn all to shreds. People might notice. I mean, some of your injuries from this morning are still kind of oozing. I think if you go into the main party area in lingerie serving crudités, you’re going to draw some unwanted attention.”

  Keri sighed deeply.

  “Under normal circumstances,” she said, “I would kick your ass. But you make a fair point. And since this medication is definitely kicking in and I’m starting to feel kind of warm all over, I’m going to let your impertinence go this one time. Maybe I’ll just put on the outfit with a thin robe over it and then search the house. I’m assuming they’ll be keeping Evie somewhere away from the main festivities. And that way, if someone finds me, I can just claim I got lost.”

  “Okay, Keri, but be careful,” Ray replied. “You’ll have to hide your gun in one robe pocket and the headset in the other. It’ll look suspicious if someone sees you wandering around in what amounts to a bikini with a complicated piece of audio hardware on your head.”

  “Can I pipe in here?” Keith said over their comms. “Keri, you can actually remove the earpiece from the headset and still listen to what we’re saying. It’s so small no one will notice it. You won’t be able to respond but at least Ray and I can keep you updated.”

  Keri and Ray exchanged looks and nodded.

  “Good idea, Keith,” Keri said. “You guys will just have to keep me looped in constantly.”

  “Will do,” Keith assured her. “And as long as I’m keeping you looped in, I wanted to let you know, I have no idea who this house belongs to. I’ve been doing some web searching but everything comes back to a shell company. The true owner is well hidden.”

  “I wish I could say I’m shocked,” Keri said. “But it makes sense. Anyone hosting something like this would want layers of paperwork hiding their involvement. But for the purposes of calling in reinforcements, the address is more important right now.”

  “Agreed,” Ray said. “I’m going to go get you one of those uniforms now. Hang tight here.”

  After he left, Keri locked the door and removed the headset and gun, one of Ray’s extras. Then she stripped naked and waited for him to return. Staring in the bathroom mirror, she saw what he was talking about.

  While she was in pretty good shape these days and could look at her unclothed body without feeling too self-conscious, her body was riddled with bruises, scrapes, cuts, scabs, and bandages that were stained by seeping blood. The entire right side of her face, from her temple down to her lips, was scratched and purplish-blue. Despite being nude, she looked like she was prepping for a horror film more than a porn shoot.

  The only good thing was that the meds Mags had given her had fully kicked in now. The intensity of the situation had cut into the warm feeling she’d felt earlier, so there was no high or especially good mood. But there wasn’t a lot of pain either. She could feel the tenderness in her muscles and bones, hiding just below the surface. But for now at least, it was keeping a low profile, allowing her to function.

  There was a soft knock on the door and Keri opened it. Ray reentered holding the uniform, a lightweight, cream-colored, silk robe, and a mask. She noticed him blushing slightly.

  “Like what you see, big boy?’ she asked playfully.

  “Yeah,” he said sheepishly. “I mean, you look like some sort of demon spawn who intends to drag me into the pit of hell. But you know, in a sexy way.”

  “What exactly is going on in there?” Keith asked over the headset.

  “Mind your business, mall boy,” Ray growled. “Way to ruin the mood.”

  “Sorry. I just thought this was supposed to be a serious situation.”

  Ray’s face turned into a scowl as he opened his mouth to reply but Keri shook her head and leaned in to give him a peck on the lips.

  “Can you hear me, Keith?” she asked. “I’m speaking into Ray’s headset.”

  “I can hear you, Detective.”

  “You’re right. This is a serious situation. We’ve got about forty-five minutes before my daughter
is supposed to be ritually sacrificed. I can’t think of any anything more serious. But it’s a lot to process, you know? I’m trying to keep my head on straight so I don’t completely lose it. Does that make sense, Keith?”

  “Yes, Detective,” he said.

  “If I think about the consequences if we fail, I don’t know that I’ll be able to put one foot in front of the other, much less do what needs to be done to save my daughter. So Ray and I, we sometimes revert to a bit of gallows humor. It keeps us loose. It reminds us that even when things get grim, we can laugh. And it keeps me from completely losing my mind. You don’t begrudge me that, do you?”

  “No ma’am,” he replied. “I guess I’m just nervous.”

  “That’s okay. I am too. I just hide it better. But you’re right. It’s time to get our game faces on. So I’m going to get into this ridiculous outfit and mask.”

  “And I’m going to see if I can hunt up one of those red ‘valet’ jackets,” Ray said. “If I can pass for one of the security guys, maybe I can get some info on where they might be holding Evie.”

  “What should I do?” Keith asked.

  “You hold tight for now,” Keri said. “Trust me. We’ll be calling on you soon enough.”

  Keri finished getting dressed, then turned to face Ray.

  “How do I look?” she asked.

  He pushed a button on his headset, turning it off.

  “I love you.” he said, without a trace of snark.

  He was staring at her deeply, almost as if he was trying to drink her in. Keri felt her heart open wide. She’d sensed how he felt but hearing the words out loud for the first time sent a shiver throughout her entire body.

  “I love you too,” she said back to him, her voice suddenly quavering.

  He pulled her in gently and kissed her, careful to avoid the bruised side of her mouth, although she didn’t really care at that moment. Then he wrapped her in his arms and hugged her for a good thirty seconds.

  “I just wanted you to know that,” he whispered in her ear, “no matter what happens out there.”

  “We’ll have to continue this conversation afterward, because I have a few additional thoughts on the matter. Okay?”

  “Okay,” he agreed, stepping back.

  “But for now, let’s get to work, shall we?”

  Ray nodded silently, then turned the headset back on.

  “Keith, I’m heading out to find a security jacket. Keri will be close behind me. Keep us apprised of any developments. And remember, Keri will only be in audio mode from this point forward. Understood?”

  “Got it,” Keith said.

  Ray gave one last half-smile before stepping outside. Keri waited sixty seconds, took a deep breath, and opened the door, walking out to face an uncertain future, armed only with a gun, her training, and a mother’s undying love.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Keri was initially nervous with each step she took, holding her breath as she rounded every corner with caution. She had even grabbed a tray filled with mushroom appetizers just in case she bumped into anyone. But after a while, she realized that with all the focus on the main party area of the house, no one really cared much what the staff was doing in the back part of the property.

  But as she walked up a set of stairs into what appeared to be the residence section of the estate, Keri did notice a marked uptick in foot traffic and security. Every few minutes a man would walk down a hall into a bedroom, accompanied by a young girl. In each case, a man in a red sport coat would accompany them into the room. After what she assumed was a security sweep, he would step out, close the door, and assume a position guarding the room.

  At one point, she realized she couldn’t get any farther forward in the house without going down a hall with two guards stationed outside rooms about thirty feet from each other.

  You’re wearing a mask. The lighting is dark. They can’t see your face or your bruises. Act casual. You belong here.

  She inhaled deeply, gave a long, slow exhale, and stepped out into the hall. Giving her best uninterested sashay, she made her way toward the first guard, who eyed her warily but said nothing. As she approached the second man, he held up his hand for her to stop.

  “What are you doing back here?” he demanded.

  “Just serving food, man,” she said, trying to sound bored and slightly annoyed. “My manager said to wander the bedroom halls occasionally to make sure no one felt left out back here. So I’m doing what I was told. Mushroom?”

  “No,” he responded gruffly. “But stick to the central event area from now on. No one back here is looking to eat.”

  “Okay. Sorry, dude.”

  She continued down the hall and made a left, in the direction of many loud voices and what she hoped was the “central event area.” As she entered the next hallway, Keith’s voice came on the comm. Keri had been so focused on her own task that she hadn’t realized he hadn’t spoken for a while.

  “Listen up, guys. I’ve managed to hack into the CCTV for the house and from what I can tell, they’re going to start some kind of presentation in less than a minute. There’s a countdown clock and it has forty-two seconds left.”

  Keri felt a wave of panic rise in her gut. Was it midnight already? She glanced at her phone. 11:29.

  “I’m almost in position in the main room,” she heard Ray say. “It looks like everyone’s starting to gather around the various monitors.”

  Keri picked up the pace, hoping to find her way to the main room before the presentation started. As she passed an open bedroom door, she glanced in and saw a flat-screen on the far wall. It looked to be showing the countdown as well.

  She looked back down the hall in the direction she’d come from to see if the surly guard had followed her but she was alone. Quickly, she stepped into the bedroom and pulled the door closed. She looked around. The room was filled with several bouquets of flowers and multiple lit scented candles on the dresser. The bed sheet and comforter were turned back. But the room was empty.

  Keri put the appetizer tray on the dresser and sat down on the end of the bed just as the countdown ended. The screen went black for several seconds. Then the word “Vista” appeared in bold, white letters. A deep authoritative male voice began to speak as pictures of the city appeared onscreen, dissolving into one another.

  “For close to a decade, a discerning group of elites, dedicated to the pursuit of a new kind of pleasure, has met once a year for an event we call the Vista. What is the Vista? It is a new way of looking at things, of seeing beyond the everyday sameness of our daily choices, of looking into the distance, into the beyond, into a world where our erotic gratification, our sexual fulfillment, our carnal desires are treated with the respect—no, the reverence—they are truly due.”

  The iconic Los Angeles images were now replaced by snapshots of attractive naked women. Keri noticed that as the narrator spoke, the women seemed to get younger with each passing photograph.

  “Each year, we convene to remind ourselves of what is possible for each of us if we just choose to take it for ourselves. The world is full of rules, of petty tyrannies, laid out by bureaucrats unworthy of the power they wield. But on this night, we are not bound by their rules, by their laws. On this night, we are the law. Life and death are in our hands, in your hands.”

  The screen went black again and then, to Keri’s shock, her official LAPD photo filled the screen. She heard a small squeal of surprise escape her lips and glanced quickly at the door to make sure no one came in. The voice continued.

  “As you all know, this year was very special, even before the events of this morning. The reward to the winner of our auction was always to be the offspring of this woman, a thorn in the side to all of us who appreciate pleasure without boundaries, a cancer on the freedom of free-thinking men. This is Detective Keri Locke, who made it her life’s mission to interfere with the natural order of the world, to stop men of passion from satiating their cravings. She wished, in fact, to punish us for them.
That will no longer be a concern.”

  Keri heard a rumble of cackling laughter from a room somewhere not too far away and knew the narrator had really wowed his audience with that one. She was glad the Vicodin was still flowing through her bloodstream. It helped numb her. Otherwise, she was pretty sure she’d either be throwing up or firing her gun at the television.

  “But despite her absence, we can still cause her suffering, because her only daughter still lives. She was abducted six years ago, ripped from her mother’s teat. But due to hard work and diligence, she has been found. And she is with us here tonight. She is our Blood Prize for the evening. And one of you has won the right to do what you will with her before cutting her throat and watching the life fade from her eyes. One of you has won the right to have purview over life and death and send this girl to meet her mother where they can rot together among the worms.”

  Despite the medication, despite the numbness, Keri felt herself gag involuntarily.

  “Gentleman, meet this year’s honored Arbiter.”

  Keri’s photo disappeared, replaced by live video of man standing in a nondescript room. He was wearing a mask that covered most of his face but not the random tufts of hair atop his head. He had on a golden bathrobe which could not hide a mass of chest hair poking out above it. His double chin was glistening with sweat. It was Herb Wasson. He didn’t speak, only smiled grotesquely, as if he couldn’t hide the excitement of what was to come.

  A second later, he was replaced by the word “Vista.” The voice spoke once more.

  “At the stroke of midnight, after our Arbiter has satisfied himself, we will congregate once more for the Blood Prize. Until then, please conclude any remaining delights and return to the Festivities Hall for the ceremony.”

  The screen went black.

  Keri stood up, the ball of anxious fury rising from her abdomen to her chest and finally to her suddenly throbbing head. She started to pull out the headset to reattach it to her earpiece. But before it was even out of her robe pocket, Ray’s voice was in her ear.