Ice Cold: A Rizzoli & Isles Novel

were two more under construction, with bulldozers and tractors rumbling around. Obviously, they’ve got plans to expand. This is going to be their next Plain of Angels.”
    “So you never spoke to Julian’s mother.”
    “No. And she never once tried to contact anyone about his welfare.” She shook her head in disgust. “How’s that for parental love? You’re given the choice between your cult and your own child, and you toss out the child. I don’t get it, do you?”
    Jane thought of her own daughter, thought of what she would sacrifice to keep Regina safe.
I’d die for her, and I wouldn’t think twice about it
. “No, I don’t get it, either.”
    “Imagine what it was like for poor Julian. Knowing his mom thinks he’s disposable. Knowing that she just looked the other way when the men dragged him out of the house.”
    “My God, is that how it happened?”
    “That’s how Julian described it. He was sobbing and screaming. His sister was screaming. And their mother let it all happen, without a peep of protest.”
    “What a worthless piece of shit.”
    “But remember, she’s a victim, too.”
    “That’s no excuse. A mother fights for her kids.”
    “In The Gathering, mothers never do. In Plain of Angels, dozens of mothers willingly surrendered their sons, letting them be dragged off and dumped in the nearest town. The boys end up so broken, so damaged, that a lot of them turn to drugs. Or they’re exploited by predators. They’re desperate for someone, anyone, to love them.”
    “How did Julian cope?”
    “He just wanted to go back to his family. He’s like some beaten dog, trying to return to his abusive master. Last July, he stole a car and actually made it all the way back to the valley to see his sister. Managed to hide out in the area for three weeks before The Gathering caught him and dumped him back in Pinedale.”
    “So he might head back there this time as well.” She looked at Cathy. “How far are we from Doyle Mountain? Where Martineau was shot?”
    “As the crow flies, it’s not far. It’s right on the other side of those hills. A lot farther if you go by road.”
    “So he could hike it.”
    “If he really wanted to.”
    “He just killed a deputy. He’s scared and he’s on the run. He might seek shelter in Kingdom Come.”
    Cathy thought about it, her frown deepening. “If he’s there now …”
    “He’s armed.”
    “He wouldn’t hurt me. He knows me.”
    “I’m just saying, we have to be cautious. We can’t predict what he’ll do next.”
And he has Maura
.
    They had been steadily ascending for nearly an hour, and had seen no other vehicles, no buildings, no evidence at all that anyone resided on this mountain. Only as Cathy slowed to a stop did Jane spot the sign, its post half buried in deep snow.
    PRIVATE ROAD
RESIDENTS ONLY
AREA PATROLLED
    “Makes you feel welcome, doesn’t it?” said Cathy.
    “It also makes me wonder why they’re so afraid of visitors.”
    “Interesting. The chain’s down, and this road’s been plowed as well.”
    They started down the private road, Cathy’s SUV rolling slowly over pavement coated with an inch of recent snow. The pines were thick here, casting the road in claustrophobic gloom, and Jane could see little beyond the evergreen curtain. She stared ahead, muscles tensed, not certain what to expect. A hostile interception by The Gathering? A burst of gunfire from a frightened boy? Suddenly the trees parted and she blinked at the view of open sky, cold and bright.
    Cathy pulled onto an overlook and braked to a stop. Both women stared down in shock at what was once the settlement of Kingdom Come.
    “Dear God,” Cathy whispered. “What happened here?”
    Black ruins dotted the valley. Charred foundations marked where houses had once stood, the two rows forming a strangely orderly record of destruction. Among the ruins, something was moving, something that trotted arrogantly between the burned-out houses, as though this valley now belonged to him and he was merely surveying his domain.
    “Coyote,” said Cathy.
    “This doesn’t look like an accident,” said Jane. “I think someone came in and torched those buildings.” She paused, struck by the obvious. “Julian.”
    “Why would he?”
    “Rage against The Gathering? Revenge for throwing him out?”
    “You’re pretty quick to blame him for everything, aren’t you?” said Cathy.
    “He wouldn’t be the first kid who’s torched a house.”
    “And destroy