Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Friday, July 11, 10:30 A.M.

The cemetery’s surveillance tapes for the past year had arrived around eight last night and Zack had reviewed them most of

the night. Slowly he’d been able to piece together a chain of events. He rewound the footage and stopped the tape on February

eleventh. The landscape on the screen was covered in a dusting of snow. Icicles hung from the trees. The sky was as dull and

gray as the headstones.

The homicide team assembled in the conference room. Zack stood and ran his hand over his head.

The entire division had worked all night. No one was going to sleep until this guy had been caught. Detectives from other

divisions and uniforms were now helping them run down leads.

Ayden, Ricker, and Vega sat down. ‘So what do you have? You said it was important.’

‘I spoke with the cemetery director yesterday because I noticed cameras posted in several of the trees and by the front entrance.

It seems he installed surveillance equipment right after Christmas last year. He’d had trouble with someone spray painting

satanic symbols on some of the headstones. His graffiti artists haven’t reappeared or been caught on tape. But, he did catch us another fish,’ Zack said.

Ayden frowned. ‘Where’s Warwick? I want him to see this.’

‘He’s at the Department of Motor Vehicles,’ Zack said. ‘He’ll be here soon.’ He hit ‘play.’ On the television screen a grainy

image showed a white van rolling down a distant snowy road into the cemetery. ‘Pay attention to the vehicle entering the back

entrance of the cemetery. As you can see, this segment was recorded on February eleventh. The vehicle enters but stops at

the crest of the hill.’ He touched the screen where the vehicle stopped. ‘The driver doesn’t pull up far enough for us to

get a shot at the plates or a look at his face. But if you look closely, you can see that the driver is carrying roses, which

he leaves on Deb Hines’s grave. Lindsay O’Neil’s mother’s grave.’ Everyone in the room leaned forward and watched the driver.

‘He keeps his head low as he lays the flowers on the grave. He pauses for a moment of prayer and then leaves through the back

entrance.’

Ayden leaned forward. ‘He’s paying his respects.’

Vega folded his arms over his broad chest. ‘What time is this?’

‘Eleven fifty-eight A.M. ’ Zack hit the fast-forward button. ‘March sixth. The van appears again. It’s about noontime. The driver again is careful

to keep his face from the camera and the van out of close view. He leaves flowers and again leaves by the back entrance. The

Guardian has already proven he’s savvy with surveillance equipment, so he must realize the front entrance is covered by a

camera.’

Ayden muttered an oath. ‘How the hell are we going to catch this guy?’

Zack grinned. ‘Stay with me. Now we’re coming to April second. Lindsay arrives at the grave. She leaves flowers and stays

twenty minutes. She begins to leave. The van arrives. They almost meet this time. But she exits via the front entrance. She

said she’d seen a van that day and had thought it was the caretaker.’

‘She never noticed the flowers before?’ Ricker said.

‘The cemetery has a policy stating that all live flowers are to be removed every Saturday. Cemetery maintenance always cleared

away the old flowers before she arrived.’

He hit the fast-forward button again. ‘It’s May third. Again he leaves flowers.’

Ricker cocked her head. Her curly hair was twisted up into a high ponytail and her face pale from too little sleep. ‘May third

is the day the article on Lindsay appeared in the paper.’

Zack nodded. ‘Yes. And on this day our mystery man lingers at the Hines grave for over an hour. He seems to be talking to

the headstone. His body language suggests that he’s agitated. He doesn’t show his face, but this time he starts to leave through

the front entrance. He catches himself and backs up. But before he does, he gets close enough for us to pull a partial on

the plates. That’s why Warwick is at the DMV .’

Warwick came into the room. He had a file tucked under his arm and was breathless, as if he’d sprinted across the parking

lot and up the stairs to the second floor. ‘Did I miss anything?’

Zack nodded. ‘Right on time.’

Ayden didn’t look amused. ‘What do you have?’

‘The DMV ran the stats Kier supplied them. They had fifty-two possible matches. They’d printed out five copies of the list by the

time I arrived. I haven’t had a chance to look at them.’

Ayden shoved out a sigh. ‘Great work.’

Warwick handed copies of the list to the detectives. They each scanned it.

‘This could take days to track all these down,’ Zack said.

C.C. sighed. ‘I can get the guys from robbery to help.’

Warwick frowned as he glared down at the list. The deep tan of his face paled. He blinked and reread the list. ‘That’s odd.’

‘What do you mean?’ Ayden said.

‘I recognize one of the names.’ He swallowed as if he were struggling now. ‘Pete Myers. He runs the gym where I work out.’

He shook his head. ‘This has to be a coincidence. Pete’s a great guy.’

Ayden frowned. ‘I just got a report back from Sara. Remember that white powder found at the Turner murder scene embedded in

the footprint? She’s identified the powder as talc.’

Warwick shook his head. ‘It’s not Pete. I know this guy. He’d give you the shirt off his back.’

Zack understood Warwick’s worry. He’d lived with it when Lindsay had appeared to be the killer. ‘Let’s check him out first.

We clear him and you’ll concentrate better.’

Warwick nodded, grateful. ‘Thanks. I’d appreciate that.’

‘C.C., divide the list between you and Vega and robbery. When Kier and Warwick return from Myers’s gym give them some of the

names,’ Ayden ordered. ‘I want this guy found.’

The team disbanded. Within ten minutes Zack and Warwick were in Zack’s car headed east. ‘So how long have you known Pete?’

Warwick’s trademark confidence had vanished. He looked worried. ‘Since I was a kid. I still work out at his gym, but it’s

more than that. He raised me. I was a handful. He kept me in line, gave me direction.’

‘Do you know anything about him?’

Warwick tapped long fingers on his thigh. ‘Pete isn’t the Guardian. This is just one of those damn coincidences.’

No point in arguing. Evidence, not words, would sway Warwick. ‘I get it. But I still need to ask. What can you tell me about

him?’

Warwick understood questions had to be asked even if he didn’t like them. ‘He opened his boxing gym in town twenty years ago.

I know because I slathered his grand-opening sign with eggs. He could’ve called the cops. Instead he gave me a job.’

Zack merged onto I-95 south and headed downtown. ‘Do you have any background on him?’

‘He did some time in the military police. Retired in his late forties and came back here to open his gym.’

‘So he’s from Richmond.’

Warwick frowned. ‘I don’t know. I do know he has supported dozens of children’s charities over the years. Last year he hosted

a party at the gym for a bunch of kids whose folks were in prison. He even dressed up as Santa and handed out gifts.’

‘What do you know about his past?’

‘Not much. I do know his name isn’t Henry. He never talked about a sister named Debra or a niece named Lindsay.’

‘Names can be changed. And he plays his cards close to his vest.’

Warwick looked troubled but seemed to shake the dark thoughts away. ‘Maybe.’

‘Anything else you can tell me about him?’

‘He never talks about himself much. He talks about his fighters. He talks about the gym. He talks a little bit about when

he boxed in the military.’ Warwick frowned. ‘This is bullshit. Let’s get to the gym and clear this shit up so we can catch

the real killer.’

Zack took the Franklin Street exit. ‘Sure.’

‘Right.’ Warwick didn’t like this.

Zack maneuvered a few corners and a side alley before he came up behind the gym. There were no cars in the lot.

‘The place is usually deserted?’

Warwick got out of the car. ‘Not usually. But it’s not unheard of for him to take off during the middle of the day if business

is slow.’

‘Is summer a slow time?’

‘It can be. The weather is warm and people want to get outside.’

Zack quietly closed the car door behind him. They moved across the gritty alley to the front door. There was a CLOSED sign on the door.

Warwick tried the door. Locked.

Zack had a bad feeling about this. Warwick was praying Pete wasn’t involved. But the whole situation didn’t smell right. ‘Does

he still train fighters?’

‘He was training a couple last year but he cut them loose a few months ago. Hooked them up with a couple of good trainers.

Said he was ready to slow down.’

Zack peeked in the front window. The interior was dark. ‘That seem odd to you?’

‘At first, but then I figured he was just getting old.’

Zack wasn’t leaving this place until he got a look inside. ‘Any other way inside?’

‘There’s a door in the back. I have a key.’ They moved around the side of the building down the chipped sidewalk. The area

smelled of garbage. Warwick moved ahead of Zack toward a small metal door, shoved his key in the lock, and unlocked it. ‘I

have a standing invitation to come into the gym. He knows my schedule is squirrelly.’

‘Myers sounds like a good guy.’

Warwick pushed open the door. ‘He is.’

The gym was dark. The only sound came from the drip-drip of a faucet in the men’s bathroom.

‘Pete!’ Warwick shouted.

His voice echoed on the walls. No answer.

Warwick flipped on the lights. He moved down a dark hallway toward Pete’s office. The desk was a disheveled mess. ‘Pete usually

keeps his desk neat. Lately, he’s let it go. I figured it was just because he’s getting old.’

Zack jabbed his thumb toward a door. ‘What’s this?’

‘Basement access.’

‘Anything down there?’

‘Old equipment mostly.’

Zack sighed. Something didn’t feel right. He glanced around the office a second time. Myers’s desk was covered with stacks

of papers, a torn boxing glove, half-eaten food, forms. Being a slob wasn’t a crime. And then he saw the black-and-white photo

tucked in the corner of a bulletin board on his desk. It was the image of a twenty-something man and a young girl. ‘This Pete?’

‘Yeah. I don’t know who the kid is.’

The five-year-old girl looked familiar. ‘Damn. This kid looks like Lindsay.’

‘Can’t be. Look at the clothes. It’s early nineteen sixties.’

Zack flipped the picture over. Someone had scribbled Deb and Pete, 1963 in bold handwriting. ‘You’re right.’ Still, he flicked the edge of the photo with his thumb. ‘Lindsay showed me a picture

of herself as a kid. She looked just like this child.’

‘I don’t know who it is. I figured it was a sister or a cousin.’

‘A sister.’ Zack exhaled a breath. ‘This is a picture of Lindsay’s mother.’

Warwick’s mouth hardened as the implications sunk in. ‘It can’t be.’

‘Lindsay had a couple of photos in a box when we were married. I only saw them once. But hold up Lindsay’s kindergarten picture

next to this one and you’d see that she and this kid are the spitting image of each other.’

‘Oh, Jesus.’

Zack scanned the row of shelves above the desk. ‘We know the Guardian has some connection to Lindsay.’

‘That doesn’t mean Pete does. Likeness or not, this kid could be anyone.’

Zack glared at Warwick. ‘For now we have to assume that that child pictured with Pete is Lindsay’s mother.’

‘Pete can’t be her uncle.’ He sounded as if he were grasping at straws.

‘He sure as hell can be.’ There was a small television set on the file cabinet behind Pete’s desk. Built into the set was

a VCR . ‘What did Pete do in the military?’

‘Something with radios and the military police.’

‘Electronics?’

Tension radiated from Warwick. ‘Maybe.’

‘The Guardian has been watching Lindsay. And the cameras were positioned in the living room and kitchen. Nothing in the bathrooms

or the bedrooms. Private places where a good uncle wouldn’t venture.’ Zack pushed back the VCR tape flap on the television. Inside was a tape dated July 11 . He turned on the television and hit ‘Play.’ Instantly, a black-and-white image of Lindsay appeared. She was standing in

Ruby’s living room. The time stamp was less than an hour ago.

‘Shit,’ Zack said. ‘She spent last night with Ruby.’

Warwick paled. ‘Jesus.’

‘Vega said Ruby had a break-in last week. But nothing was taken. Something was added, though.’ Zack flipped open his cell

and called Ayden. ‘We have a hit.’ He explained what they’d found. ‘Send backup.’

Warwick shoved out a breath. He was struggling to hold it together. And if they’d had time, Zack would have pulled him out of there immediately. But he sensed that time was

running out.

‘I want a look in that basement but I don’t want a defense attorney crapping on my case because I don’t have a warrant.’

Warwick dug in his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. ‘I have access to the gym with no restrictions.’ He rubbed the back

of his neck with his hand. ‘If I needed a new set of gloves and couldn’t find them upstairs, I’d look in the basement. It’s

where Pete kept extra equipment when I was here last year.’

Zack smiled but there was no pleasure. ‘I was hoping you’d say something like that.’

Warwick opened the basement door lock and flipped the light switch at the top of the stairs. Both cops drew their guns. Slowly

they made their way down the rickety steps, their bodies crouched.

Halfway down, Zack moved past Warwick and peered around a blind corner. He saw the computer table. The monitors. And the rows

and rows of tapes, each meticulously dated and arranged in chronological order.

Warwick stared at the room in horror and disbelief. His world was shattering. But he was holding it together. Later the problems

would come as the enormity of it all hit him.

The heavy coppery scent of blood rose up as they moved toward the computer. Zack glanced toward a second door. He motioned

to Warwick.

Warwick nodded. Guns raised, they moved to either side of the door. Zack counted to three. On three he shoved open the door. ‘Police, come out with your hands up.’

A faint moan echoed from the corner. It sounded as if someone was injured. Still, he didn’t rush the room.

Careful to keep his body out of a shooter’s line of fire, Zack slid his hand into the room and felt around for a light switch.

He found one and clicked it on.

The first thing they saw was the blood. The entire floor was covered with it. This had been the Guardian’s killing room. No

doubt Saunders’s DNA would be all over the place.

Warwick’s gaze settled in a shadowed corner. ‘Oh my God.’

Zack tightened his grip on his gun. ‘What?’

‘Kendall Shaw.’

While Zack covered him, Warwick holstered his gun and hurried toward the reporter. She lay on the floor curled in a fetal

position. Fresh blood pooled around her and stained her clothes.

Zack still didn’t trust that this wasn’t some kind of trap. ‘Is she alive?’

Warwick touched his fingers to her neck. ‘A faint pulse. She’s been shot in the shoulder.’ He flipped open his cell phone

and dialed Dispatch. ‘All this blood. It’s a miracle she’s alive.’

‘Check her hands. Does she have both her hands?’

The doors to the hospital’s garage elevator opened and Dr Sam Begley walked out. The Guardian got out of the van and glanced at the clock above the elevator. ‘About damn time.’

The doctor frowned and kept moving toward his shiny BMW . ‘I couldn’t get away. We had an emergency.’

‘I have an emergency. I need to know where Lindsay is.’

‘She’s not in the hospital. I looked everywhere.’

‘Who was the battered woman brought in? You know never to call Lindsay without calling me first.’

Sam’s forehead perspired. ‘I didn’t treat a battered woman today. No one from the hospital called Lindsay.’

‘Damn it.’

‘The cops were here. They brought Lindsay and her roommate in for blood tests Wednesday. Did you drug them?’

The Guardian was running over an image of Lindsay standing in Ruby’s kitchen. She’d been called by the hospital. He was certain.

‘Yes. It was the only way to keep them safe while I worked.’

‘Jesus. You never said anything about hurting Lindsay.’

He didn’t like the doctor’s tone. ‘I would never hurt her.’

Begley shook his head. ‘You shot those kids today. Christ, one is dead and the other is fighting to stay alive.’

Guilt gnawed at him. ‘They could ID me. They had to go.’

‘This has gone too far. I’m out. It’s just a matter of time before the cops connect us.’

The doctor didn’t have the conviction to honor agreements. Spoiled rich boy had had everything handed to him on a silver platter.

He didn’t understand commitment. ‘You promised me you’d help whenever I asked.’

Begley lowered his voice. ‘I’d never have gotten into this if not for my debts. I’ve more than satisfied my gambling debts

to you. I never want to see you again.’

The Guardian slid his hand into his pocket. His fingers brushed the cool metal of his gun and silencer. ‘You’re done when

I say you’re done.’

Begley pulled off his glasses and cleaned the lenses on his shirt. The man actually looked defiant. ‘I’m finished.’

The shrill tone in the doctor’s voice grated. The Guardian could see the man was nervous. It wouldn’t take much squeezing

from the cops to make him talk. He’d like to use the doctor longer, but now he realized the time had come for them to part

ways. ‘If that’s the way you want it.’

‘Good.’

The Guardian pulled the gun and silencer from his pocket and before the doctor realized what was happening, he fired three

times. Each bullet struck Begley in the heart. For just a split second, surprise marred the doctor’s face as he glanced down

at the plume of blood growing on his chest. He staggered and would have fallen if the Guardian hadn’t caught him.

The thrill of taking life sent a tingle through the Guardian’s body. ‘You were part of a noble cause and I won’t forget what

you did for me.’

Begley’s eyes rolled back in his head. He was dead.

The Guardian opened the back of his van and dumped Begley’s body in. He’d deal with him later. Now, he needed to find Lindsay.

He got in the front seat of the van and turned on a GPS system. The system tracked a bug he’d put under the back bumper of Lindsay’s car. Since he’d seen the article about her in May and realized who she was he’d been determined never

to lose sight of her again. At any given moment, he could find her.

The GPS beeped and at first he thought it was broken. Then he realized she was parked in the hospital deck. He turned on the engine

and started to patrol the decks. He found her car on the bottom level. With the van still running, he got out and checked

her car. It was locked. He scanned the deck but there was no sign of her.

Something was wrong.

The feeling was as intense as it had been those years Debra had lived with her husband. He’d known she was in danger then

but he’d bowed to her will and left them alone as she’d begged him to.

He got back in the van and pulled a disposable cell from his pocket and he dialed Lindsay’s number. It rang six times and

then went to voice mail. Something was very wrong. She always answered her cell.

He closed his eyes. Think. Where could she be? Think.

The Guardian’s mind raced. This morning when Lindsay had been in Ruby’s kitchen, Ruby had spoken of the San Francisco murder.

The Carmichael woman. She’d also mentioned that Nicole’s husband, Richard Braxton, was from San Francisco.

It made sense that Richard would eventually find Nicole. But he hadn’t thought it would be so soon. If Richard was in the

area, he’d not likely find her, because she was safely hidden at the Kiers’. But Lindsay was an open target. He’d go after

Lindsay first and use her to get to Nicole.

How could he have been such a fool?

He’d been so consumed with Kendall that he’d ignored a critical danger. He’d made the same mistake he’d made with Debra all

those years ago, when he’d underestimated his brother-in-law’s rage.

The Guardian felt a rush of panic as he tightened his hands on the steering wheel. He had to think. Think like a hunter. What

would he do with Lindsay if he were Richard?

He might kill her in front of Nicole as some sort of lesson. Richard would need a secluded place. The scenarios made the Guardian

sick but also gave him hope. There might still be time.

Nicole was at the Kiers’ and there was the possibility he could beat Braxton there. He dialed the Kiers’ home number.

‘Hello.’

He suspected the young voice belonged to Zack’s sister, Eleanor. She was a sweet kid and Lindsay had great affection for her.

‘This is Dr Begley at the hospital. I’m calling to speak to Lindsay.’

‘Lindsay’s not here.’

‘Is her friend Nicole there?’

‘She’s in the bathroom.’

Good. She was still there. ‘Don’t bother her. I’ll just call back.’

‘Okay.’

He hung up and threw the car in drive. He still had time, but how much he didn’t know. He raced out of the parking deck and

cut through city traffic and onto I-95 north.

His heart pounded as he wove in and out of the traffic. He couldn’t screw this one up. He couldn’t.

Twenty minutes later, he pulled onto the rural road leading to the Kiers’ and slowly drove past their house. He parked in

a driveway down the street, climbed out of the van, and hurried through the woods that separated the houses. Staying low,

he moved toward the house. At first he saw only Mrs Kier, who was at the kitchen sink washing dishes. He needed to move closer

to get a better look but feared being detected.

His pulse raced. ‘Get out of the way,’ he whispered.

And then she stepped aside and he was able to see into the kitchen. Nicole was at the table playing cards with anther woman

and an older man.

He breathed a sigh of relief. There was still time. He hurried back to his van and prayed Braxton hadn’t hurt Lindsay.

The drugs in Lindsay’s system made it hard for her to concentrate. She was aware of strong hands supporting her as she stumbled

forward. She couldn’t seem to lift her feet or keep her balance.

The area around them was quiet. Wherever they were was far from the main road. She opened her eyes and saw she was being taken

toward an old barn.

The air was thick with humidity and sweat had dampened the back of her shirt. ‘Where are we?’ she muttered.

The man holding her laughed. ‘We are in a very private place. Where no one will bother us. Where no one will hear you scream.’

Lindsay swallowed her rising terror. ‘Why are you doing this? Who are you?’

‘I’m someone who doesn’t appreciate you sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.’

‘Who are you?’

‘Christina’s husband.’

Christina. Nicole. ‘Richard Braxton.’

‘So she’s talked about me?’ Hate and resentment laced the words.

‘Yes.’

Braxton kicked open the rickety barn door and pulled her inside across the dirt floor. When they were in the center, he let

go of her. She crumpled face-first into a heap. She tasted dirt and tried to spit it out of her mouth as she rolled onto her

back. Above, she saw sunshine peeking through the slats of a room. In the distance she heard birds.

Lindsay moistened her lips. She felt so dry. There was little doubt that Richard planned an awful death for her. She remembered

what Zack had told her he’d done to Claire.

She opened her eyes. Her vision was blurred but she could make out dark hair and a square face. She tried to sit up but he

roughly pushed her against the hard ground. He straddled her body. She felt his erection press against her belly and she thought

he was going to rape her.

She wanted to fight but found her body drifting as if she were on a raft floating out to sea.

Instead, he pounded two stakes into the ground above her head and then roughly grabbed her hands and lashed them tightly to the stakes. His weight lifted and he moved to her legs.

He yanked her legs open wide and tied them to more stakes, then hammered them into the ground.

She tried to pull her hands free of the stakes, but they didn’t budge. The hemp cut into the tender flesh of her wrist.

Through the haze, Lindsay understood that she needed to do something to save herself. She drew in a lungful of air and screamed

as loud as she could.

Richard cursed, drew back, and slapped her hard across the face. ‘Shut up, bitch. I don’t have time for this.’

Pain rattled through her head.

He slid his hand to the flat of her belly and up under her shirt. He squeezed her breast painfully. She struggled in vain

against her restraints as her stomach heaved at the thought of what was to come.

Richard put his lips next to her ear. ‘I don’t have time for you right now. I have to go get Christina. I want her to watch

what I’m going to do.’

Abruptly he got up and left the barn. She heard the engine of his car fire up and gravel kick up under the tires as he drove

off.

Tears burned in her eyes.

She was not going to die like this. She started to work on the restraints on her hands and ignored the way the rope sliced

into her wrists.

Nicole was lost in thought as she sat at the kitchen table across from Eleanor and Mr Kier. The pregnancy test she’d taken this morning had been positive. She was carrying Richard’s baby.

At first she’d been so numb that she’d not been able to leave the bathroom. She’d sat on the floor and cried.

And then Eleanor had called out to her. So she’d dried her tears and come downstairs.

She laid down her hand of cards on the kitchen table. ‘Gin.’

Eleanor frowned and leaned forward to study the hand. ‘You don’t have gin.’

Absentmindedly, Nicole glanced down. ‘I don’t?’

‘No. You can’t have a straight with mismatched suits.’

‘Oh.’

‘Geez. Can’t anyone play a decent game?’

The phone rang and Audrey came into the kitchen and answered it. ‘Sure, just a minute. Nicole, the phone is for you.’

Grateful for the distraction, she left her cards and moved to the wall phone.

Audrey smiled as she handed her the receiver. ‘It’s a policeman.’

Tension rose. ‘Thanks. Hello?’

‘Christina.’

Richard’s smooth voice raked down her spine. Her grip tightened around the receiver. ‘What do you want?’

‘I’m outside, parked at the edge of the driveway. I want you to smile to the nice people and then walk out the front door,

come down the drive, and get into my car. If you don’t, I’ll be forced to do some very nasty things to your friend, Ms O’Neil.’

Nicole glanced over at Eleanor, who laughed as her father came into the room and tickled her. Audrey stood at the stove working

on a pot of sauce.

‘Don’t keep me waiting, Nicole,’ Richard urged.

Steel cut through the silk. She knew Richard. He would do exactly what he said. ‘I’ll be right there.’

She hung up and managed a smile. ‘I think I need to get a bit of fresh air.’

Audrey frowned. ‘You look pale, Nicole. Are you all right?’

‘I’m fine. Just need some fresh air.’

Kier lifted a brow. ‘Who was that on the phone?’

‘Detective Warwick,’ she lied. ‘He wants to interview me again.’

‘I’ll go outside with you,’ he said.

‘No, no. Challenge Eleanor to a game of gin. I’ve been a bad opponent so far. I’m going outside for just a few minutes.’ The

lies tumbled off her tongue so easily.

Mr Kier studied her. ‘All right.’

She turned and stiffly walked out the door. Before she went outside, she stopped at the entryway table, where she’d left her

purse. She grabbed her cell phone and a vial of mace and put them in her pocket. Richard wouldn’t expect too much resistance

from her. And hopefully she could use that to her advantage.

As she reached the country road just out of sight of the house, she saw a dark Mercedes. Black and sleek, it looked out of

place.

The tinted passenger window rolled down. Richard sat behind the wheel looking so calm and relaxed. ‘Good to see you, Christina. If you’re thinking about running, I thought I should tell you that I have your friend Lindsay stashed

in a very unpleasant place. If anything happens to me, she’ll be long dead before anyone ever finds her.’

Nicole opened the door and slid into the front passenger seat. ‘Let her go, Richard. You have me. Just let her go.’

His eyes darkened. ‘Close the door, Christina. Now .’

Woodenly, Nicole closed it. If she made a move for the mace and did subdue him, what would happen to Lindsay? She had to wait

for the right moment.

The doors locked immediately. He started to drive. ‘You’ve cut your hair. I don’t like it.’

She didn’t know what to say to that and decided to stay quiet.

‘But hair grows, doesn’t it?’ He frowned. ‘Put your seat belt on, Christina. I don’t want you getting hurt.’

She swallowed and tried not to let her fear show. ‘Where are we going?’

‘Home, eventually. But first we have a stop to make.’

‘Where?’ she demanded.

White teeth flashed. ‘You’ll see.’

Lindsay had trouble shaking the effects of the drug. Her mind wanted to drift and her eyes to close. She wanted to float and

let the drug take her.

But as seductive as the drug was she knew if she gave in to it she would die.

She had to keep her thoughts focused. To get free of the ropes binding her was a challenge. To keep herself awake, she started

to talk.

‘Mom, if you’re up there, I could use some help. Zack’s a great cop, but I don’t think he’s going to figure this one out.’

She’d managed to loosen the binding around her right hand, though she’d not freed her hand completely. Her wrist was raw from

the constant rubbing and pulling against the rope. She focused on the pain in her wrist and the stones on the ground that

now dug into her back.

It was hard to judge how much time had passed. But she knew she had to hurry. Time was running out. She moistened her dry

lips and opened her eyes. She shook her head from side to side.

‘Remember how we dreamed of driving to California?’ She kept twisting her right wrist, ignoring the pain. Blood ran down the

wrist. ‘Remember how we’d pore over the maps and imagine every step of the route?’

The silence was her only answer, and it was a stark reminder that her mother was gone and that she was so very alone. Terror

burned inside her. ‘Help! Help!’ She screamed until her voice was hoarse.

The odds were stacked against her and it would be so easy to give up.

Above, blue sky peeked through the slats of the roof. For just a moment, Lindsay felt as if something touched her hair. Like

a caress.

‘Mom …’ The word felt wrenched from her.

There was no answer. Whether it was her mother or just a trick of her imagination, she didn’t know. But the sensation was

enough to calm her a little.

She drew in a deep breath as she had done so many times in yoga when she felt overwhelmed and scared. She kept breathing deeply. Her mind started to calm and refocus. ‘Don’t

panic. Don’t panic. I can do this.’

She swallowed and started back on the binding. ‘Where has Richard taken me?’ She sucked in a deep breath and released it as

she shook her head. ‘The sun is high above, so it can’t be much past noon. He couldn’t have taken me far. Mercy is in the

center of the city.’ She was willing to bet he’d taken her east.

The heavy scent of dirt, cow dung, and hay mingled with the heat. In the shadowed corners mice squeaked.

‘I’m in a barn. East of the city. Farmland east of the city. It’s abandoned.’

She thought about the new mall that was going to be constructed soon in the far eastern end of the county. The farmland had

been purchased and the owners had left months ago. Now the land waited for the bulldozers. It would be a perfect place to

take her.

Just imagining where she was gave her a sense of control. She tried to pull her right hand free. It slipped a little in the

binding but she couldn’t quite free it.

She wasn’t sure how much more time she had, but she knew if she didn’t get her hand free before Richard returned he would

kill her.

Richard had brought her here because he wanted to make sure that no one interrupted him when he returned. She guessed he was

going to bring Nicole back so that she could watch what he did to her. Her death would be the death he would use to terrify

Nicole into submission.

Ignoring the pain in her raw wrist, Lindsay started to jerk harder on the rope. ‘That son of a bitch is not going to win.’

Somehow she had to get herself and Nicole out of this.

The Guardian stayed several car lengths behind as Richard moved onto the four-lane highway. When Richard reached the interstate,

he headed east toward the airport. It made sense that the bastard would take his wife back to San Francisco. Familiar territory.

Once Richard left Richmond, finding Lindsay would be almost impossible. He couldn’t let that happen.

Tightening his hands on the wheel, he considered ramming Richard’s car. But even if he got his hands on the bastard there

was no guarantee that he’d say where Lindsay was.

There were so many variables. He had to stay the course and keep his cool. ‘Stay close and he will lead you to her.’

Then Richard made an unexpected move. He drove past the airport exit and continued on until he reached the off-ramp for Route

33. The rural route cut through the town of West Point and then snaked into the countryside. Where the hell was Richard headed?

The fear and exhilaration had made the Guardian forget the pain of his cracked ribs. This was his moment to redeem himself.

He would save the child when he hadn’t saved the mother.

‘God has brought me to this moment. This is my test.’

When Richard pulled down a gravel driveway, the Guardian continued on past until he reached another driveway a quarter mile down the road. He turned the van around, and when he reached the driveway where Richard had turned,

he stopped.

He glanced down the long driveway. He didn’t know what awaited him. Richard very well could have marshaled an army. And as

much as he wanted to kill Richard all by himself, he didn’t want to risk Lindsay’s life. He dialed Warwick’s number.

Warwick answered it on the second ring. ‘Warwick.’

‘Jacob.’

A tense silence followed. ‘Pete, we need to talk.’

Jacob was upset. It took a lot to rattle that kid. ‘You’ve found the basement.’

‘Yes.’

Pride mingled with sadness. He’d never wanted to hurt Jacob. He didn’t need to share DNA to know the boy was his son. ‘You were always a smart one. I’m not surprised you figured things out. In fact, I’m glad it

was you. The collar will look good on your record.’

‘Jesus, Pete, where are you?’

Pain and sadness resonated from Jacob’s words, but he didn’t dwell on the whys. He understood that questions like ‘Why?’ didn’t

matter until the quarry was caught. Smart kid.

‘I need you. And I need all the firepower you can put together.’

‘What are you talking about? We’re after you.’

‘I don’t matter anymore. Richard Braxton is in the city and he has his wife and Lindsay.’ He gave Jacob directions. ‘Just

come. I’m going to try to catch him alive but I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it. It’s more important to save Lindsay and Nicole.’

Pete hung up. He checked his watch. There wasn’t time to wait for Jacob and Zack. Richard wouldn’t waste time. Pete got out

of the van.

A small plane buzzed over and circled to land. There had to be a private airstrip close by. It made sense that Richard would

have his own plane.

His ribs tightened around him like a vice. It hurt to walk, to breathe. But he wasn’t going to let Lindsay or Debra down.

Not this time.

He hurried down the long gravel driveway that disappeared into a grove of trees. The heat of the day made him sweat, and soon

his shirt was soaked through. When he spotted the Mercedes parked under an oak, he slowed and moved behind a bush.

On the property was an old farmhouse. At one time it had been painted white, but the elements had long ago stripped the paint.

Now it was a faded gray. The wide front porch had collapsed in on itself. The windows on the first and second floors were

broken.

The house was too dilapidated to hide anyone. But as Pete stared at the house, a deep sadness caught him by the throat. The

place looked like the home where Debra and Lindsay had lived with that bastard Hines.

The first time he’d stood on Debra’s porch it had been twenty-seven years ago. Lindsay had been two and she had hugged her

mother’s leg and stared up at him as he’d argued with Debra. He had seen the problems in his sister’s marriage then and had

begged her to leave. She had defended her husband and had ordered Pete to leave and never come back. A few years later he’d tried to help her a

second time, but she wouldn’t leave her husband.

And, God help him, he’d given up on her and her daughter.

The last time he’d returned to Debra’s house, his sister was dead. Lindsay had run away from her foster care home. That bastard

Hines had shot and killed himself in a hotel room.

Pete had been so full of rage and anger. He had burned that house to the ground, believing the flames would singe the sadness

from his soul. He’d tried to track Lindsay down but hadn’t been able to find her. She’d been lost to him.

And then this past May he’d seen the article on Lindsay in the magazine. He had stared at her blond hair and blue eyes and

immediately had pictured Debra. All the memories had roared to life. And he knew God had given him a second chance to set

things right.

‘You are not alone, Lindsay,’ he said. He frantically began to search the grounds.

Nicole stumbled when Richard jabbed the gun in her back. ‘Move.’

Nicole had been afraid enough times in her life. Richard had seen to that. But this time the fear cut bone deep. Today wasn’t

about saving only herself. It was about saving her baby. And Lindsay.

‘Open the barn door,’ Richard ordered.

Nicole refused to make this easy for him. ‘Where is Lindsay?’

Richard’s eyes narrowed. Nicole braced, ready for the hard slap that usually came when she questioned him. However, this time

he smiled. He reached around her and pulled the door open. ‘She’s inside.’

His acquiescence was more frightening than his ranting. Still, she didn’t advance. She thought about the mace in her pocket.

If Lindsay was here, she could save her. Her hand slid into her pocket.

Richard was too fast. He grabbed her hand and jerked it back, twisting painfully until she dropped the mace. ‘You’ve learned

a few nasty habits that I’ll have to break you of, Christina. Now, get inside or I’ll blow your friend’s kneecap off,’ Richard

said.

Nicole knew he’d do exactly that. She had to swallow the rage and play along until she thought of something else. She reached

for the rusted lock and pushed it up. The door swung open slightly farther. Hinges squeaked as she pulled the rotting door

open.

The large room was lit only by the sunshine peeking in through the rafters, which stretched high up to a peak above them.

The floor was compacted dirt. A rusted sickle and an old harness hung from a peg on a post. Mice squeaked in a dark corner.

The room had a foul smell, as if something had recently died there.

‘Lindsay!’ Nicole shouted.

There was no answer.

‘Where is she?’

Richard pointed the tip of his gun to the northwest corner. In the shadows, she saw Lindsay. She lay on her back, her hands and feet tied to stakes on the floor. She moaned,

a sign she was still alive.

Nicole met Richard’s gaze. ‘What are you going to do with us?’

Richard closed the barn door behind them as if he had all the time in the world. ‘Lindsay has caused me almost as much trouble

as you have, Christina. And now it’s time she learned a lesson, like the one I taught Claire.’

‘Claire? What did you do to her?’

He laughed. ‘We had quite a bit of time to chat. She’s a strong woman. Or rather, was a strong woman. She had a high threshold for pain.’

Nicole felt sick. Poor Claire. She’d been so kind and had given her hope when she’d been so afraid. ‘Richard, spare Lindsay,

and I’ll go home with you. I’ll be a good wife again. You don’t need to hurt anyone else.’

Richard pulled a set of handcuffs from his back pocket and clicked the first cuff on her wrist. He dragged her to the north

side of the barn and clicked the other manacle to a wooden workbench. Driven into the center of the bench was a newly purchased

ax.

Tears burned in Nicole’s eyes. ‘Let her go, Richard. Please . I’ll never run from you again.’

‘I wish it were that easy, Christina. I really do. But you brought all this on yourself. I want to be gentle and kind but

you keep pushing me.’ His face hardened. ‘You need to be taught a lesson.’

‘Richard, please don’t hurt anyone else. I’m the one that you’re angry with.’

‘You drove me to this, my dear. You have only yourself to blame.’

‘I won’t ever leave you again. I’ll be a good wife.’

A smile tipped the edge of his lips as he pried the ax free of the workbench. ‘I’ve spent the last weeks covering for you

and telling everyone you were in Europe. Do you have any idea how humiliated I was for having to spin those lies knowing my

wife had abandoned me?’ His eyes glittered as he tested the tip of the ax blade with his thumb. The sharp edge sliced his

skin and the tiny wound began to bleed. He smiled. ‘I did everything for you. I treated you like a princess. And you left

me.’

Richard was a monster. He was truly insane. Nicole had to keep talking to him so he’d believe she’d surrendered. ‘I understand

now how much I hurt you, Richard. I shouldn’t have run. That was so wrong of me. But I was afraid.’

Richard stared at her. Sadness darkened his eyes. ‘Why were you afraid? I rubbed salve into your muscles. I bandaged your

cuts.’

That had been a truly horrible time. She’d laid battered and bruised on her bed and he’d tended to her injuries. She remembered

how good the salve had felt. And how much she had loathed his touch. ‘You were good to me.’

He nodded. ‘I gave you everything. I molded you into the woman you are today.’

If she could just connect with him, perhaps she could spare Lindsay. There was no hope for herself. She would have to return

with him. But if she could just save Lindsay … ‘I didn’t see that at the time. I should have.’

Lindsay groaned as if she were protesting, but she made no attempt to rise.

Tears spilled down Nicole’s cheek. ‘I love you, Richard.’

He closed his eyes for a split second as if he were overcome with emotion. ‘I’ve waited a month for you to say that.’

Her knees wobbled but she faced her husband. ‘ Please forgive me.’ The words tasted bitter.

For a moment his features softened. He looked at her tenderly. She thought she had him. She was going to find a way out of

this mess.

And then a switch inside him flipped. His gaze hardened to ice. He advanced on Nicole in two steps and hit her hard across

the face. She dropped to her knees. Tasted blood. The handcuffs cut into her wrist.

‘You are a lying bitch,’ he spat. ‘You need to learn a lesson.’

She cupped her stinging face with her hand. ‘What are you going to do?’

With the ax in one hand, he moved toward Lindsay. ‘I think the world needs to know that Lindsay’s precious protector turned

on her and cut off her hand.’

Nicole screamed and scrambled to her feet. ‘Richard, leave her alone. Please, I beg you. I’ll do whatever you want.’

‘Oh, you’ll do whatever I want. But first you need to learn a lesson.’

Lindsay’s mind had been crystal clear as she had lain on the hard earth and had listened to Richard rant and Nicole cry. Anger had roiled inside her as ants had crawled up under her shirt and started to bite her but she’d kept her eyes closed.

She hadn’t made a coherent sound or moved as Richard had badgered and threatened Nicole. It had taken Lindsay all that was

in her to keep her temper under control as Nicole had begged Richard to spare Lindsay’s life.

Just before Richard and Nicole had arrived, she’d been able to work the binding on her right hand loose so that she could

slip her hand free. But she’d not had the time to loosen the ones on her other hand or her feet.

As Nicole had pushed open the barn door, Lindsay had had only had moments to scoop dirt up in her fist. Now, she needed Richard

to get close so she could throw the dirt into his eyes.

Richard knelt beside Lindsay and ran the cold steel of the ax blade over her narrow wrist. ‘I wonder how many chops it will

take to remove her hand? I’m willing to bet it hurts like a bitch.’

Nicole wept. ‘Don’t do this, Richard. Please , have pity.’

‘I have no pity for traitors. And that’s what you are, Christina. You’re a traitor.’

Lindsay peeked through the slits of her eyelids. Richard had turned to face Nicole. This was her chance.

She drew in a deep breath and in one violent jerk pulled her arm free and threw the dirt into his eyes. The dirt caught him

directly in the face. He yelped, dropped the ax, and staggered back. He rubbed his face and hollered like a banshee.

Lindsay quickly grabbed the ax and cut the binding on her other hand. Her heart hammered in her chest as she sat up and sliced through the bindings of her ankles.

Nicole yanked on the handcuffs as if she were possessed. ‘Lindsay, run. Get away from him.’

Lindsay scrambled to her feet and ran to Nicole. ‘We’re both getting out of here. Now stretch out your arm so I can cut the

chain.’

Nicole’s hand trembled as she pulled the chain taut.

Richard fumbled for the gun in his waistband and swiped the dirt from his eyes. ‘Bitch!’ He pointed the gun at Nicole and

Lindsay. He cocked it and fired. The bullet whizzed past Lindsay’s head and cut through the side of the barn. Sunlight shone

through the hole.

Lindsay froze. Her fingers gripped the ax handle.

Richard pointed the gun at Nicole. ‘Drop the blade or I’ll shoot Nicole in the head.’

Lindsay stared at Nicole. Tears streamed down Nicole’s face and her eyes pleaded for Lindsay not to give up.

Richard jabbed the gun in the air. ‘Now.’

Lindsay laid down the ax on the workbench.

‘Clever,’ Richard said. ‘Toss the ax over in that corner. I don’t want you to be temped to try something again.’

Lindsay threw the ax in the corner.

Richard laughed. ‘You couldn’t save Mommy and now you won’t be able to save Nicole.’

Years of buried fury rose up in Lindsay. ‘You don’t know anything about my mother.’

He moved closer to Nicole. ‘I know a lot. Your friend Claire Carmichael had a lot to say as I sliced the flesh from her face.’

Sweat trickled down Lindsay’s back. ‘Screw you.’

Enraged, Richard fired the gun. The bullet bit into the dirt by Nicole’s feet, barely missing her. ‘If you refuse to accept

your lesson, Lindsay, I’ll kill Christina.’

Nicole shook her head. ‘Don’t do it, Lindsay. Don’t make it easy for him. I’d rather die than let him hurt you.’

‘Shut up!’ Richard shouted. He fired again.

This time the bullet nicked Nicole in the arm. He wasn’t toying with them. She screamed in pain and grabbed her arm. She stumbled

back but managed to stay on her feet.

Richard’s face twisted with fury. He raised the gun to Nicole’s head. He was going to kill her.

‘Richard!’ Lindsay shouted. ‘I’ll get down on the ground. Just leave her alone.’

Richard’s hand shook as he held the pistol at Nicole’s head.

‘What do you want me to do?’ Lindsay asked.

Richard didn’t take his gaze off Nicole. ‘Go over by the ax and lie down on your belly. Stretch out your arms.’

‘Okay, just don’t hurt her.’

Blood seeped from the wound in Nicole’s arm. ‘Don’t do it, Lindsay.’

‘Shut up!’ Richard shouted. He held the gun steady. ‘Hurry up. Lie on your stomach and stretch out your arms in front of you.’

Lindsay moved across the barn and knelt down. She stretched out trembling arms. She thought about Zack. He’d wanted a second

chance and she’d been too afraid to give him one. God, if only she had a second chance.

Richard walked toward the ax and picked it up, then moved beside Lindsay. Glancing at Nicole, he steadied his grip on the ax handle. ‘This is what happens to bad girls, Christina.’

‘Don’t do this Richard, please, ’ Nicole said. ‘If not for my sake, then the baby’s.’

His gaze didn’t waver. ‘What baby?’

Nicole swiped a tear from her face. ‘Your baby. Our baby.’

Richard’s gaze narrowed. ‘You’re lying.’

‘I’m not. I just found out.’

Lindsay drew in a breath. Maybe they could use the baby to connect with him. ‘It’s true.’ She started to spin lies. ‘It’s

a boy. The ultrasound just confirmed it.’

‘A son?’

Tears streamed down Nicole’s face as she slid her hand protectively to her belly. ‘Yes. A son. Yours and mine.’

‘A simple test will prove if you’re lying.’

Nicole lifted her chin. ‘I’m not lying, Richard.’

Richard’s gaze glistened with pride. ‘All the more reason to get rid of her.’

Pete knew he had to act now. There was no telling when the cops would arrive. He had to save Lindsay. She had to know that

she wasn’t alone.

Swallowing the pain, he held his gun straight. In a split second he took in the scene. Richard had grabbed Lindsay’s hair,

yanked her head back, and was pressing the ax blade to her neck.

In that moment, Pete pictured Debra’s last moments. She’d been alone. Afraid. He raised his gun. This was his moment of redemption.

‘Let her go.’

Richard’s gaze snapped up. ‘Back the fuck off or I’ll kill her.’ He pushed the blade against Lindsay’s neck, slicing her skin.

Blood trickled.

‘Kill her and I’ll kill you and your wife,’ Pete said. He moved into the room so that the wall, not the door, was to his back.

He didn’t want to kill Nicole but he would.

‘No!’ Lindsay struggled to get free.

Pete didn’t take his eyes off Lindsay. ‘You come first, Lindsay. If she has to die, then so be it. I came to save you .’

Richard heard the sincerity in Pete’s voice. He hesitated, understanding that Pete would kill his wife and child. ‘Who the

hell are you?’

‘I’m Lindsay’s Guardian.’ Pride welled inside him. He’d waited so long to say those words.

Outside, police tires screeched to a halt. Footsteps raced toward the barn.

Richard sneered and lowered his gaze to the blade. He was going to kill Lindsay.

The Guardian fired.

Guns drawn, Zack and Warwick burst into the barn as Pete’s bullet whirled past Lindsay’s head and struck Richard in the face.

Blood and brains splattered Lindsay’s face and body. She screamed.

Warwick’s face twisted with anguish. ‘Pete!’

Pete backed up, his gun still drawn.

‘Drop your weapon!’ Zack ordered.

Lindsay turned away from Richard’s body. She didn’t chance a glance down at his body. Instead, she looked at Pete. ‘You’re

my Guardian?’

Pete’s gun didn’t waver. ‘Yes.’

Understanding dawned in Lindsay’s eyes. ‘My mother’s brother.’

Pete nodded. ‘I wasn’t there for you when you needed me then. But I’m here now.’

Zack inched closer. ‘Pete, drop the gun. Give Lindsay a chance to get to know her uncle. It doesn’t have to end for you.’

Warwick’s face looked carved from stone. ‘Please, Pete. Don’t do this.’

For an instant, Pete’s stance relaxed a fraction and it looked like he might give up. Then he shook his head. ‘This is the

end of the line.’ He raised the gun at Nicole, ready to fire.

Warwick hesitated.

Zack didn’t. He fired. His bullet hit Pete in the chest. Pete dropped to his knees, the gun still in his hand. He turned his

face toward Warwick. ‘You’re a good kid.’

Warwick froze, his weapon pointed forward.

Pete raised his gun a second time.

Zack fired again. This time the bullet struck Pete in the head, killing him instantly.

Adrenaline pumped through Zack’s veins. For several seconds he didn’t move. He wanted to run to Lindsay to take her in his

arms, but he resisted the urge. He swept the room with his gaze. There didn’t appear to be anyone else there.

‘Lindsay, is anyone else here?’ Zack asked.

She shoved her hands through her bloody hair. ‘I don’t think so.’

Zack looked at Nicole. Her skin was as pale as porcelain. ‘Anyone else?’

Nicole shook her head. ‘Richard said he’d come alone. He didn’t want anyone to know where I was.’

Outside the distant sound of sirens began to grow louder. Backup would soon arrive. Still, Zack let his gaze roam over the

rafters and in the shadowed corners.

Warwick cleared his throat. ‘I’ll cover you.’

‘You can handle this?’

Warwick looked like he’d aged a decade. ‘Yes.’

Zack searched the room, and only when he was satisfied that the danger had passed did he holster his weapon and go to Lindsay.

She was covered in so much blood that he was afraid he might hurt her if he touched her. ‘Lindsay, are you all right?’

Green eyes locked on his. Tears filled her eyes and streamed down her face. ‘Yes.’ She wrapped her arms around him. ‘I thought

I’d never see you again.’

Zack held Lindsay tight. ‘It’s okay, baby. I’m here.’

Warwick, careful not to look at Pete, moved to Richard’s body and searched his pockets for the key to the handcuffs that held

Nicole. Finding it, he moved to her and unlocked them. He had a white-knuckle hold on his control and he wouldn’t be able

to hold it forever. He guided Nicole out of the barn.

Lindsay stared at Pete’s body. ‘How did he know we were here?’

‘He’s the one who had been watching you on the cameras. There are cameras at Ruby’s house too.’

‘My God.’

Zack wrapped his arm around Lindsay and held her tight. Her heart beat rapidly against his chest. ‘Let’s get out of here.’

‘Yes.’ In the harsh sunlight, Lindsay squinted and tucked her head against his chest.

As the backup cops arrived and fanned into a tight perimeter, he kissed her. ‘Lindsay, I love you.’

She clung to him. ‘I love you too, Zack.’