Always Watching

been there since that morning. I sat in my car, thinking. If Joseph and Aaron had come after him, where would they take him? The old commune?
    I drove out there and checked the barn, the cabins, down at the river, calling Robbie’s name, even searching the area where Willow was buried in case Aaron had decided to dig up her body, but the ground was undisturbed. I’d felt ill, seeing the dry fir needles coating the earth, knowing what was underneath that peaceful surface. I thought of Willow’s body, curled up in a forty-five-gallon drum, and backed away from the area, alert to every noise in the forest, until I was safe in my car with the doors locked.
    *   *   *
    On the way back to the village, my iPhone finally got coverage and a call came through. I recognized the number right away.
    “Mary, I can’t—”
    “I need to see you. I’ve been thinking about everything you said. I’m ready to talk.” She sounded upset.
    “I’m sorry, but I don’t have time right now. I’m trying to find my brother. I think Aaron’s done something to him.”
    “How…” She paused, like she was trying to take it all in. “How did he know he was going to the police?”
    “I don’t know. But Robbie never made it to the station.”
    “Come get me. We’ll look together—I might know some places. And if we have to, I’ll go to the police with you and tell them what I know.”
    “Be there in ten minutes.”
    *   *   *
    When I pulled in the driveway, the dogs didn’t come running. Thinking they were just inside the house, I ran up to the front door and rapped hard. Mary whipped open the door, pulling on a coat. “Come in for a second.”
    “I don’t have time—”
    “I need to show you something.” Her face was anxious and pale.
    I stepped in and she closed the door behind me. She quickly walked toward the kitchen, saying over her shoulder, “I remember a place they used to hide up in the mountains. I can show you, on the map.”
    I hurried after her—and stopped abruptly when I saw Aaron sitting at the kitchen table, with Daniel standing behind. Mary sat down across from Aaron, tears on her face. Something cold and hard pressed into my side.
    Joseph was holding a gun on me.
    I put my hands up, my blood roaring loud in my head as my mind tried to make sense of what was happening. Why was Daniel here? My breath left my chest in a rush when I realized he was also holding a gun, but it was by his side and he didn’t look comfortable with it. He was staring down at his hand, his face pale, and his hair around his forehead wet with sweat.
    “Daniel, what are you doing here?”
    He met my eyes, then quickly looked away again, shamefaced.
    My pulse hammered hard, my throat was tight with panic. My hands still in front of me, I shifted slightly, so I could keep an eye on Joseph, who’d deteriorated even further since I’d last seen him. His hair was greasy, his face pale, and his eyes bloodshot, like he hadn’t slept for days. He looked jumpy, on edge. I said to Aaron, “What do you want?”
    “We need to talk.”
    They’d brought me here for a reason, and I doubted it was just to talk. That shocking thought led to another. “Lisa, is she—”
    “Lisa’s doing very well.” His tone was casual, almost friendly, no sense of urgency.
    “What did you do with Robbie?”
    “We tried to make him see why going to the police would be a mistake, but he wasn’t ready to listen. It’s up to the Light now.”
    My breath caught in my throat. “What does that mean?”
    “When he’s ready to surrender to his fears, he’ll be freed.”
    I didn’t believe that Aaron ever planned on freeing my brother. Wherever Robbie was, he didn’t have long. I faced Daniel. Maybe I’d have better luck with him. “Please tell me where my brother is. He’s done nothing wrong.”
    Sounding overwhelmed, Daniel said, “I thought we were just talking—”
    Aaron said, “Enough.”
    Daniel stiffened.
    I said, “I told you, Daniel, they aren’t what you think.” I still didn’t know what they had planned, but I sensed that things had already gone further than Daniel had expected. “You don’t want to go to jail for anything this man has—”
    Aaron said, “Daniel knows where he belongs. He’s my son.”
    Shock staggered through me. I looked back and forth between the men. Could it be true? I said, “He’s your father ?”
    Mary finally looked up, her eyes focused on Daniel, worry in her face. But it wasn’t