met hers. He showed her a cell phone. “I’m going to call this in.”
Honor’s fingers curled around the cool grate dividing them, its edges digging into her flesh. “Wait. But—“
The door shut with him on the outside. She covered her face with her hands. This isn’t right. Something isn’t right. Honor saw the outline of his dark shape in the rain. Why didn’t he call it in on the car radio? Wasn’t that what cops did? She tried the door even though she knew it was locked. Honor’s eyes searched the back of the car, finding nothing that could aid her. Her body shook and it wasn’t from cold this time.
He got back in the car and put it in drive. Officer Tall ey’s eyes touched and slid off her face in the mirror. “We’ll go to the station now.”
Liar. You’re a liar. Honor huddled in the back. They weren’t going to the police station. No one was going to save her, to help her. Honor was on her own. She’d have to make a run for it again when he opened the door. It was the only chance she would have. I’m sorry, Mom. I’m sorry, Scarlet. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. She fought to stay calm, to keep the panic at bay. Numbness was creeping over her and Honor had the sense to realize that wasn’t good. She gave herself an inward shake. Don’t give up. Never give up. The voice in her head changed from her own to her father’s. Never give up, Honor, never.
“So what did these two guys look like?”
She started at his unexpected question, thoughts on the imagined voice of her father talking to her in her head. Clearly she was losing touch with reality; hysteria must be taking over. Honor’s dad had been dead for two years. No way was he talking to her inside her head. Honor was losing it. She shoved that disturbing thought away and focused on what was most important at the moment: survival.
“Honor?”
Something clicked in her mind. “How did you know about my mother?”
The car turned down a street and sped up. “What?”
She sat up straight, one hand braced against the seat to remain upright as the car took a sharp left. “You said my mom is probably worried and that you’d call her. How did you know I only have a mother?”
He didn’t answer for a moment. “I didn’t. I said your parents.”
Honor lowered her head and slouched back in the seat. She stared at her clenched hands , watched the pale fingers open and close, her eyes lifting as houses passed by in a watery blur, becoming more and more spaced out as they drove. Where was he taking her and what did he intend on doing to her once they reached his destination? The officer was corrupted. He was working with the two bad guys. Ergo he was bad as well. She bit her lower lip and willed her body to stop trembling. Fear wasn’t going to help her; she had to concentrate. Honor couldn’t lose her cool. She had to focus on escape. That had to be her priority.
“Did the men say anything to you? Honor?”
She ignored him, wrapping her arms around her stomach to contain her body’s trembling. It didn’t help. Be strong, Honor. Again it was her father’s voice instead of her own. Lightning cracked the sky and illuminated the rundown Catholic Church no longer in use. It was a monstrous brick building on the outskirts of Anderson Junction, set apart from the rest of the town. Large pine trees formed a ring around it, as though sheltering it from outsiders.
Officer Talley pulled the vehicle into the parking lot behind it and turned the car off. Honor stared at the building. It looked like a haunted place out of a ghost movie. Hope and faith and unity were supposed to be able to be found within its interior, but Honor knew that wasn’t what she would find once inside.
Their eyes met in the rearview mirror. “I need you to come inside with me, Honor.”
No way. Honor’s heart pounded. She glanced at the dark building, knowing nothing good was inside its walls. Her skin crawled with foreboding. Thunder rumbled as she turned her gaze