CHAPTER 34

Down the Hatch

I didn't know what was going to happen when Ranger opened the door. For all I knew Durant was waiting to spring out at all of us. I started to panic. My heart was thumping in my chest. As I took a step backward, Hector grabbed my hand and fell in step with me. I latched onto him as if he were my lifeline. He was probably just as curious as everyone else about what was down there, but he was more concerned about me.

Everyone else had gathered around the opening and were looking down into the tomb. I didn't know what they were seeing. It had been so dark as I struggled to make my way up the stairs, that I hadn't been able to get a good look around.

"What the hell," Joe said, turning to me with a horrified expression. He seemed to be waiting for me to say something, but before I could utter a word, an orb of light shot out of the hole, narrowly missing his head, and yet none of them reacted.

I was so startled that I lurched backward. If Hector hadn't been holding my hand I would have fallen. I shook my head, unable to comprehend what I was seeing. Just then, another blinding flash of light shot out and then another and another. One after the other they escaped until there were eight orbs and one tiny ball of light lined side by side, hovering in the sky. They were so bright my eyes were watering. Instinctually, I knew they were the women. I should have been frightened, but instead, I was engulfed in a warm feeling that gave me an all-consuming peace.

I didn't want to do anything to break the spell, but I had to ask. "Do you see that?" I whispered to Hector.

"See what?"

"The lights," I said, my voice soft with amazement. "The beautiful lights."

He craned his neck to look around, but I got the feeling he couldn't see what I was seeing. As I stared open mouthed at the sky, I realized it had gotten deathly quiet. I quickly looked around to find everyone staring at me with worried expressions.

Didn't they see them?

In unison, the orbs brightened as if pulsing with renewed life, letting me know they were grateful and happy to finally be free. I can't explain the feeling I had inside, but the guilt that I had been struggling with eased, leaving me with only their approval for what I'd done to Durant. They floated closer, gently undulating as they formed a circle around myself and Hector. It was as if they were gathering us in their warm embrace. It was so bright, I had to put my hand up to shield my eyes. As a final show of gratitude, the orbs pulsed brightly one last time and then disappeared.

As soon as they vanished, the weight I'd been carrying lifted and I stumbled backward, my legs weak and wobbling. Everything around me started to spin, and I knew I was going down. Strong arms caught me before I hit the ground. "Angelita, are you okay?"

Before I could answer, Barry yelled, "Everyone, step back. This is now an official crime scene." He was scowling in my direction, unhappy that I'd been able to lead them to a place that was undeniably sinister. One look in his eyes told me that he was scrambling for a way to save face in front of the other feds. The grudge he held against me had clouded his view of the facts, but now that the cellar had been revealed, he couldn't claim I'd gone off with a 'man' and taken part in an orgy of rough sex or chosen to stay away on purpose, causing everyone to worry needlessly.

I returned Barry's stare with a satisfied one of my own. I hoped he would leave it at that because I didn't have the strength to go another round with him, I didn't even have the strength to stand by myself. If it weren't for Hector's strong arms around me, I'd have been lying on the ground again.

Ranger and Joe made their way over to us. Joe placed his hands on my shoulders, bending at the knees so we were at eye level. "What's down there, Stephanie?" He wanted answers, but I just couldn't give him an explanation. It would take too long and too much time and I didn't want to have to do it more than once. When I gave my statement, that would be the only time I talked about what happened down there. I looked down at the ground, hoping that he wouldn't pressure me. He straightened and blew out a frustrated breath, disappointed that I wasn't desperate to offer an explanation. "I need to find out how the feds are going to handle this," he said and motioned for Ranger to step away with him.

At times my safety required them to work together in order to protect me. I watched as they had their muffled conversation, knowing that this was the part where Joe passed me off to Ranger for safe keeping while he took care of 'the situation' with the feds. There were variations of this scenario. Sometimes Ranger was responsible for keeping me safe and sometimes Joe was. It depended on who was better qualified at the moment. I was grateful for their support, but it made me feel like a toy that they shared… a sexual toy. It all left a bad taste in my mouth.

When they finished talking, Joe continued on towards the cellar while Ranger came over to stand in front of me with his hand out. He expected me to leave the comfort of Hector's arms for his, but I didn't. Hector wasn't interested in asking me questions or getting in my pants. His motivations were simple. He only wanted to be my friend. His loyal support reinforced his place in my life. I didn't want to hurt Ranger. He'd done so much for me, but things were changing; everywhere I looked they were changing… me most of all.

I looked over at the scary tree, wishing I was over there. Sensing my need to get away from the cellar, Hector took my hand and said, "We should move out of the way." I think I saw hurt in Ranger's eyes, but I couldn't be sure. He stayed behind watching intently as Hector and I made our way to the tree. From there, I watched Barry take his first step down the stairs with Agent Kinkade ready to follow. They had their guns drawn and apprehensive expressions on their faces.

I waited until Barry's head was the last thing I could see and then yelled out, "You should be careful." His head snapped toward the sound of my voice and so did Agent Kinkade's. Barry's eyes narrowed into a scowl, hating that I knew something he didn't. He wanted to know why I was warning him, but he'd rather eat shit than ask. Agent Kinkade on the other hand, simply nodded her head, giving my warning the credence it deserves.

They continued down the stairs until both of them disappeared from view. For several long seconds, we couldn't see what they were doing and then Agent Kinkade yelled up the cinder block stairs, "We need bolt cutters down here."

"I've got a pair in my bag," Lester said as he jogged over to his UTV.

My feelings were at war. On one hand, I was relieved to know that the door was still bolted, meaning Durant hadn't gotten out, but on the other hand, I was horrified that I was now a killer. After seven days, I was almost certain he was dead.

Lester handed the cutters down to Agent Kinkade. It wasn't long until we heard them cursing and gasping for breath. Everyone turned my way, looking for an explanation. A minute or two later, Barry came barreling up the stairs. His face was pale, and he was holding the lapel of his coat over his face. He didn't stop running until he was several feet away from the hatch. He leaned over with his hands on his knees gulping fresh air.

I didn't need to imagine what it smelled like down there. I knew. I'd smelled the women's rotting corpses through the glass cases for weeks, but they hadn't been freshly deceased. With barely any ventilation, Durant's rotting body would smell much worse.

I kept waiting for Agent Kinkade to reappear. Of course, Barry had left her down there without a thought. Such a gentleman. I was starting to get a little worried but then she finally came running up the stairs, just as desperate for air as Barry had been, but with a lot less drama. "Close… that… door," she yelled in between gasps to the agent standing closest to the hatch.

"What the hell's going on?" Joe shouted as he came around to stand in front of her. "What's down there?"

She didn't answer him right away. She was more interested in getting herself under control. Finally, she straightened and if you hadn't just seen her run up out of the ground like the hounds of hell were chasing her, you'd have no idea she'd just seen something harrowing. Her eyes found mine in the distance. There was something in them that I couldn't translate. Was it understanding… or accusation? "The situation is more complicated than we assumed," she told Joe, her eyes never leaving mine.

Ranger followed her gaze, studying me intently. "Complicated how?"

I don't know if she would have answered Ranger or not because Barry didn't give her time. "No one goes down there." He made eye contact with everyone and then pulled Agent Kinkade to the side, speaking in hushed tones. The longer they talked, the redder his face became. Finally, he threw his hands up in frustration, pulled out his phone, and began barking orders to whoever was unfortunate enough to answer on the other end.

"I need a full crime scene unit dispatched to my location." He paced back and forth, running his hands through his hair. "We'll need to set up a mobile command center ASAP and get Shaw here… yesterday!" An annoyed look crossed his face as he listened. "I don't care what he has on his schedule. He's going to want to see this firsthand."

By the time he was done with his call, he was gripping the phone so hard it was in danger of being crushed. He turned around, eyes connecting with mine. His expression bordered on crazy. When he started charging in my direction, I had to force myself not to retreat. I swallowed hard as I whispered to Hector. "I had to do it." I pleaded with him to understand. "I didn't have a choice."

There was no hesitation or judgment from Hector. He grasped my shoulders, forcing me to listen. "Whatever you did, you did it to survive. You are alive, nothing else matters." I wanted to believe him—more than anything. I gave him a nod and swallowed the lump building in my throat. "Say nothing," he said, "not without Mr. Fusco present." The only thing I could do was nod again.

Barry had several feet head start before Ranger and Joe realized his intent and started rushing to catch up with him. Seconds before he reached us, Hector slid me behind him, putting himself in the line of fire. Barry was on a rampage, not giving any thought to the danger he was putting himself in. Hector wouldn't hesitate to end him… maybe not while all the feds were watching, but he'd take care of him when he least expected it and I didn't want that on my friends conscience.

Barry's eyes oozed hatred as he leaned around Hector, stabbing his finger at me. Hector made a guttural sound that would have sent any sane person scurrying for cover. "I knew you were hiding something." Barry tilted his head studying me as if I were an unidentified specimen on a laboratory slide. "Care to tell me how that man down there came to be shackled and beaten to a bloody pulp?" When I didn't answer, he sneered. "Cat got your tongue… Princess?"

Time stood still.

Blood pumped within my veins, booming in my ears like pounding drums. "I've been waiting my whole life for you, my Princess."

All I could hear was Durant proclaiming his love for me and I wanted to be sick. With that one word, Barry had managed to open every scabbed over wound Durant had inflicted. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." He grabbed my hand, trying to put his cuffs on me.

I blinked and gasped for breath as Barry's angry face faded away and was slowly replaced with Durant's. I saw Durant's hand flying through the air and knew the belt was going to slice me any second. I growled like a cornered dog. "Don't fucking touch me!" I clawed at his wrist and jerked away before falling to my knees, pressing my forehead against a layer of brittle pine needles. I rocked back and forth, releasing a keening sound from deep within.

"Cupcake, can you hear me?"

I heard Joe calling to me from a distance, but I couldn't be sure it was actually him. It could be a trick. "Joe?" I whispered.

"Yeah, sweetheart, it's me." I heard the love in his voice, and slowly turned my head towards him. He was kneeling beside me, hesitantly reaching for my hand. "Can I help you up?"

I jerked my hand away, vehemently shaking my head. "You left me down there. I thought you came to save me, but you left me down there." I swiped at my tears. "Why would you do that?"

His brows wrinkled in confusion. "I'd never leave you in a place like that," he spoke softly. "I looked everywhere for you. We all did, but we couldn't find you."

He was lying. Durant had told me that no one was looking for me. "You did leave me." I was emphatic as I cried and held out my bandaged wrists. "I begged you to take the chains off, and you just yelled at me. You said it was my fault, but it wasn't."

"You're confused, Steph." He frowned as he calmly explained. "I'd have come to you in a heartbeat if I'd known where you were." He rubbed my back and I winced.

"Don't. Touch. Me."

He jerked his hand away as if he'd been burned.

"I want to go home." My body wracked with sobs.

From my other side, Ranger said, "Babe, is if okay if I touch you?"

I reached out to touch Ranger's forearm to see if he was real. "Did you come to save me?"

"I tried to find you." He sounded full of pain.

"It was all a dream, wasn't it?" I clutched his hand as tears rolled down my cheeks. "I didn't make it out of there." I sobbed harder. "I'm dead, aren't I?"

His eyes softened. "No, Babe, you're not dead. You escaped from that place."

"Are you sure?" I asked in a tiny voice. "I really got away?"

"You called me, and I came to get you."

"Promise?"

"I never lie to you." He picked me up like a child and I didn't resist. As he walked toward the UTV's, Barry came up on his side.

"It appears someone's gotten her 'memory' back," Barry sneered and started clapping. "Nice performance by the way, but I'm not going to let you get away with murder, Stephanie—no matter how good of an actress you are. I know you're responsible for chaining that man up. His death is on your hands and I'm going to make sure you pay."

"Get him out of my face," Ranger said to Agent Kinkade. She tried to block Barry, but he sidestepped around her and kept coming. Ranger softly whispered in my ear, "Don't say another word, Babe." Barry had no choice but to stop when the Merry Men surrounded him. Ranger kept walking as he yelled over his shoulder to Barry, "She won't be saying another word without her lawyer present."

"Better get him here quick then," he poked his head around the wall of Merry Men, "because the Special Agent in Charge is on his way and he'll have her squealing like a stuck pig in no time."

Barry stomped back over to the cellar opening while Ranger sat me down inside the UTV. "You okay?" he asked.

I wiped my tears with the sleeve of my coat as Joe slid inside the vehicle on the other side. He put his hand on my shoulder and when I didn't resist, he pulled me into him, cradling me. I could tell Ranger didn't want to leave me, but since he didn't want to witness a tender moment between Joe and I, he reluctantly shut the door and walked away, leaving me and Joe alone in the backseat.

Joe's face looked stricken. Things were starting to make sense to me again and I was ashamed of the things I'd accused him of. I put my arms around him, hugging him as hard as my injuries would allow. He tenderly hugged me back. "Do you really believe I would leave you down there?"

"No." I was ashamed that I'd thought him capable of hurting me in that way. "I'm sorry, Joe," I whispered into his neck. "I was confused. I had so many nightmares while I was down there. After a while, it was hard to know what was real and what wasn't." I sniffed. "I was afraid everyone had forgotten about me."

"That would never happen." His voice broke with emotion. "You are unforgettable. You have no idea how much I love you, Cupcake. No idea at all."

"I love you too, Joe."

Since the Special Agent in Charge was coming from the Newark field office, we had at least an hour and a half before he was set to arrive. The wait was doing nothing to help my anxiety. From the things Barry had said about his boss, he was going to come in here and take one look at me before throwing me in jail. Most likely, he wouldn't even stop to ask my side of the story. He'd believe whatever Barry told him and that didn't bode well for me.

Within the hour, forensic technicians and more FBI agents had arrived, bringing equipment by the truckloads and setting up two enclosed tents powered with generators to serve as command centers. One tent housed all the technical equipment and was presumably where the evidence would be cataloged. Hector and I were sitting in the other tent where agents in white Tyvek suits huddled around coffee urns and allowed themselves a few minutes of respite from the cold before they had to go back out.

Ranger had insisted I needed to eat and in order to entice me to do so, he had sent Cal on a food run. As I forced small bites of the roast beef sandwich down my throat, I tried my best to ignore the curious glances from the agents as they spoke in hushed tones. Some were more blatant than others, but the consensus seemed to be that I was guilty of murder. The thought of strangers judging me, not to mention going through a grueling interview about my time in the cellar had my nerves buzzing with dread.

I wasn't aware of my foot was tapping the ground until Hector put his hand on my knee, lending a sense of calm. "Everything will be okay, Angelita." I gave him a humorless smile. His attempt at putting me at ease was endearing, but he wouldn't be able to save me from prison, and that's where Barry seemed determined to put me.

The sound of a loud engine drew my attention. I looked through the open tent flap, noting the bright red truck as it parked behind a sea of black SUV's. It didn't surprise me to see Cyrus step out and head for Ranger who was talking with Joe and Agent Kinkade close to the cellar door. He talked with them for a few minutes and then he and Ranger headed in my direction.

"How are you doing, Stephanie?" Cyrus asked. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him I was fine, but everyone knew that I was far from, 'fine.' "It's time we talked, don't you think?" I gave him a thin smile. He looked around and made a face as if he wasn't pleased with his choices. He looked outside and come to some sort of decision. "Let's find a place we can speak privately," he said.

Knowing I'd put off the inevitable for as long as I could, I slowly got to my feet. Ranger stared after me as I followed Cyrus to his truck; the only place that offered any privacy. After he started the engine and turned on the heater, he pulled a yellow legal pad and a pen out of his briefcase. Once he was ready, he faced me. "I'm assuming you have your memory back. Is that correct?" I nodded and he studied me for a moment, his face unreadable and then he said, "Agent Hobbs is telling anyone that will listen that you killed the man in the cellar." He paused for a moment, gauging my reaction. "Did you?"

"I know that Ranger is the one paying you, but I need to know if you are going to share anything I say with him or the feds?"

"It's true that Carlos is footing the bill, but I work for you. What you tell me is privileged information. I would lose my license if I repeat a single word to anyone."

There was something honest about him and I just had this feeling that I could trust him, but what would he say when he learned I was a murderer? Would he be horrified? Would he refuse to represent me? I brushed the doubt aside. The fact was, I needed help and he was the best. I took a deep breath. "Yes, I killed him," I said without any guilt. It felt good to say it out loud, but I stayed silent about the women. I wasn't sure how much he knew.

He didn't recoil or run from the truck screaming. He simply asked, "Was he the man who kidnapped and kept you prisoner?"

"Yes."

He took a deep breath and spoke in a serious but gentle tone. "I want you to tell me everything that happened, in as much detail as you can, starting from the time you suspected you had a stalker. Leave nothing out, not even if it embarrasses you or makes you look guilty. My job isn't to judge, but to protect you… at all costs. Got it!"

I nodded and told him my story.

Every.

Last.

Detail.

I looked out the window as I spoke, recalling the events of the last few weeks. Occasionally, I would glance back to gauge his reactions. In the beginning, he tried to keep his face professionally blank, but as the story unfolded, he couldn't stop the horror and pity that crossed his face. I tried to stay detached and not to let his reactions affect me. In fact, listening to me recount my story; one might think it all happened to someone else.

When I finished, he said, "That's truly horrific," then he paused and looked down as if he was uncomfortable, but when his eyes came back to mine, he was all business. "The state of New Jersey considers what he did to you to be first-degree sexual assault since it was committed during a kidnapping."

"You misunderstand." I shook my head adamantly. "He didn't rape me."

"What you described is rape. You might not see it that way, but the law is clear on this matter."

"But he never—" I turned away, staring out the passenger window as I tried to explain. "He was never able to put his… inside me."

"Understandably, this is a distressing topic, and I'm sorry we must talk about it, but sexual assault does not necessarily mean penile penetration. It includes oral sex and penetration of any kind, whether it is a finger or an object."

I felt my face turning red. This was one of the most uncomfortable things I've ever endured, but I listened to what he had to say, hoping he was wrong. It somehow made it easier to deal with if I didn't have to put that label on it. "It doesn't matter." I faced him again, trying to make him understand. "I won't be telling the FBI or anyone else those details. Ever!"

He sat up straighter, clutching the pen in his hand as he paused from taking notes. "You have a Federal Agent out for blood, ready to arrest you for murder. We need to give them every reason to sympathize with you."

I met his gaze head on. "My answer is not going to change, Cyrus. If you don't want to represent me, I understand. But I won't tell anyone he did those things to me." I moved to open the door to get out.

"I'm not going anywhere, Stephanie." He reached his hand out to stop me. "There's just one thing I need to confirm." I pulled my leg back in and shut the door, waiting. "Was your kidnapper alive when you left him chained up?"

I nodded as I swallowed slowly, feeling the bile rising in the back of my throat. "I didn't check his pulse or anything, but when I left, his chest was still moving—barely." I looked down at my fingers clasped in my lap, catching sight of the cast. Anger struck me hard and fast. Because of Durant I was forced to break my own bones to get free from him. "I only intended to hit him hard enough to disable him and get out of the chains, but once I started, I… I couldn't stop."

He nodded in understanding. "And you were unable to tell anyone what happened because you were sedated for the first three days in the hospital?"

"Yes."

His eyes narrowed in curiosity. "When did your memories start coming back? I'm assuming it was before today."

I chewed on my bottom lip and looked over at him. "I never had a problem with my memory."

"You pretended to have memory loss so you wouldn't have to tell them where the cellar was and save his life." He was stating the facts as he saw them, not a question. I knew this was going to make me look bad, but I had no empathy for Hunter Durant. What that man put me and the other women through was nothing compared to what he got in return. As far as I was concerned, I did the world a favor when I placed him in the chains of his own making.

"Am I going to jail?"

Instead of answering, he had one final question. "Is anyone else aware of what you did?"

"No."

"Keep it that way." After taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Cyrus turned to me and said, "You did well in the previous interview. You were careful not to lie to the federal agents, but this interview is going to be more intense and they will need to have their questions answered satisfactorily. If they think you're hiding something, this could go badly for you. I want you to answer their questions honestly. If you become uncomfortable, and do not wish to answer the question, clasp your hands together like you're doing right now. That will tell me that I need to stop that line of questioning." He took a breath and looked out the windshield for a moment before coming back to me. "I want to be clear. Lying to a federal agent carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, but if you follow my directions, you should come out of this without serving time."