Beyond Risk

by Connie Mann

  Hunter held up his phone and showed him Jennings’s photo. “I’m looking for this guy. Have you seen him?”

  The clerk shook his head.

  He flipped through his phone and offered Charlee’s picture. “How about her?” He flipped through more photos. “Or her?” he asked, showing Natalie’s picture. “Or how about this girl?” He showed him Nora’s photo.

  The clerk squinted at Nora’s photo and shook his head. “Go back to the other one. No. The first one. Yes, she was here a little while ago.”

  Just then, another clerk, an older man, came in. He looked Hunter’s uniform up and down. “Are you perhaps Lieutenant Boudreau with Fish and Wildlife?”

  “I am. How do you know my name?”

  Hunter’s hand went to his weapon as the man reached under the counter. He relaxed slightly when the man handed him a folded piece of paper with his name on it. “A young lady was here before and asked me to give this to you if you stopped by.”

  “Was she alone?” When the man said yes, Hunter held up his phone and the picture of Charlee. “Is this her?”

  The man nodded, and Hunter unfolded the note.

  He says he’ll kill Natalie if I don’t come alone. He’s tracking me, but I’m not sure how. He might have Nora, too. Be careful.

  Hunter thanked them both and hurried back to his truck. The knot in his gut tightened. A killer had her in his sights, and she was worried about him. First, he texted Pete and Josh: Heard from Charlee. She’s headed north. Jennings monitoring her phone, maybe car. I’m in pursuit.

  He wanted to call her but didn’t want to risk alerting Jennings. Byte had sent the coordinates of last year’s incident to Hunter’s dash-mounted laptop, and he glanced at the map as he sped in that direction, various scenarios and possibilities to take down Jennings running through his mind. He switched to satellite view to get a better feel for the location and put those details together with the photos of the scene he’d seen earlier. He’d figure it out. No way would he let Charlee die. Or Natalie and Nora, either.

  * * *

  Charlee headed farther north, one eye on the rearview mirror, one eye on the speedometer. If she got pulled over for speeding, it would make her late, and that couldn’t happen.

  She came around a bend in the road and slammed on her brakes, along with every other car ahead and behind her. Flashing lights from several emergency vehicles let her know this wasn’t just a routine traffic stop. Within moments, traffic on the 60-miles-per-hour stretch of four-lane highway came to a complete standstill. Charlee eyed the dashboard clock and forced the fear back.

  She had no doubt Hunter had figured out where she was heading and wasn’t far behind. Which both reassured and terrified her. As a cop, and Marine Corps before that, Hunter had mad skills. Her brothers were no slouches, either. But Jennings was one determined lunatic.

  Her cell phone rang. She picked it up and saw the blocked number. “What?” she barked. He seemed to like weakness, so she wouldn’t show him any.

  “Tsk, tsk. Why so grouchy, Charlotte?”

  “Because there’s been an accident, and traffic isn’t moving. I can’t make your crazy deadline if I’m sitting here stuck in traffic.”

  Charlee listened to the silence and worried she’d gone too far.

  “Where are you, exactly?”

  “I’ll check.” Charlee opened the GPS window on her phone and read out the nearest cross streets.

  “I see you. Glad you know better than to lie to me, Charlotte.”

  “Why would I do that? You have what I want.”

  “Ah, yes. The lovely Natalie. Do you know what I want?”

  Charlee swallowed the panic. “Me,” she bit out. “But I won’t go quietly.”

  Jennings laughed. “We are going to have such a good time together, Charlotte. Before. I. Kill. You.”

  Charlee gripped the steering wheel harder to keep her hands from shaking. “Why are you calling me?”

  “Do you know where you’re going yet?”

  Charlee was betting her life on it, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. “I’m waiting for you to tell me.”

  “I’m sure you’ve already guessed.” He purred the words, and Charlee felt her skin crawl. “We’re meeting back where it all began. The same spot on the river where sweet JJ was swept away and died. And where nasty Nora was supposed to die.” His tone changed, became hard. “You have until nine p.m. to show up there in your kayak. Alone.”

  Charlee pulled off into a little strip mall parking lot, where she took several deep breaths. She had to think, plan. She used the map function on her phone to pinpoint exactly where she’d been last year. It would take at least another hour to reach the outfitter where she used to work. She knew how to get onto the property, knew their security was nonexistent, and figured they wouldn’t mind if she borrowed a kayak. She changed the map view, trying to remember if there was a better place to put a kayak in to get to the shoals faster. She didn’t relish the idea of navigating the rapids in the dark, but she didn’t have a choice.

  Her best chance was to get ahead of him and get to the spot before he and Natalie got there. Otherwise, she didn’t know how she’d get the drop on him.

  Her phone rang. Hunter. She wasn’t sure if Jennings could hear what she said, but she wouldn’t chance it. She feigned anger as she picked up the phone. “What? You done playing with your FWC friends and now you’re checking up on me?” Come on, Hunter, play along.

  “Look, cher, I had things to do, you know?”

  She snorted. “Right. Well, so do I. I’m not waiting around for you to have time for me.”

  “Touché. You still going kayaking?” he asked.

  “Yep. You know how much I love it, especially in the dark.”

  There was a pause. “You want to go get some ice cream at the yogurt place later?”

  Hunter hated yogurt, and they used to joke about the yogurt place near the outfitter where she worked, saying they were getting “ice cream.” So he knew where she was heading. “Yeah. I still have a couple errands to run before I put my kayak in.”

  “Ok, I’ll call you later. Be safe, cher.”

  She disconnected and murmured, “You, too,” even though she knew he couldn’t hear her.

  Charlee kept driving until she saw a sign for a big-box outdoor store. She hurried inside and bought a backpack, high-powered flashlight, a wearable headlamp so she could see where she was paddling, two knives, extra bullets for her Glock, and some sturdy freezer bags to keep everything dry, just in case.

  She wasn’t a former marine like Hunter, but this wasn’t her first day in the woods.

  Chapter 29

  Hunter checked in with Byte, who said Charlee was still heading in the same direction. Just as he hung up, Pete called for an update. “I just talked to Charlee. She’s okay. Rattled but hiding it well. Says she still has a couple errands to run tonight before she puts her kayak in.”

  Pete bit back a curse. “He wants her on the rapids in the dark.”

  “That’s my guess. It also means he’s betting her skills are sharp, because if she’s the ultimate target, he won’t want anything happening to her that he didn’t cause.”

  “She’ll handle it. Charlee’s amazing on those rapids. She laughs and shouts like a little kid. It’s always been her favorite thing.” Pete sobered. “It used to be, anyway. Before.”

  “I know. And it will be again. We’re going to get her out of this, make sure she can enjoy them any time she wants. Stay focused, Pete. You have to think like a cop, not a brother.”

  “This is my sister—both my sisters—we’re talking about.”

  “I know. Believe me, I know. But we have to leave emotion out of it if we’re going to get them out alive.”

  Pete muttered several choice words. “Hate that you’re right.” He heaved out a bre
ath. “What now?”

  “The outfitter she worked for was Suwannee Paddlers, right?”

  “Right.”

  “Meet me there as soon as you can. Tell Josh. I’ll call Sanchez and Fish. Do not try to get out there without me, or I’ll shoot you myself. We clear?”

  “Clear, Lieutenant.”

  “We’re going to get this guy.”

  * * *

  Sammy sat in the passenger seat of the dusty old pickup truck, trying to figure out what was happening. The windows were rolled down, and the wind blew in his face, just like always, but something was wrong. Tool Man was acting really different today. He wasn’t smiling or saying nice things; he was just grumpy.

  “Can we stop for cupcakes? I bet Charlee brought in some more today.” Maybe cupcakes would make Tool Man smile. They always made Sammy smile. They were so good.

  Tool Man shot him a look. “No cupcakes. Not today.”

  Sammy’s face fell, and he nodded. “Okay.”

  He got socked in the arm. “Don’t worry, Sammy, we’ll get some tomorrow. Today, we have some things to do, important things.”

  “What things? Do I get to help?”

  Tool Man smiled then, but it wasn’t the right smile. This smile was scary and made Sammy want to hide. “Yes, Sammy. You are definitely going to help me.”

  Sammy nodded. “I’m hungry.” He peeked sideways to be sure Tool Man wasn’t going to hit him. Sometimes he didn’t like it when Sammy reminded him that he needed food.

  The truck pulled off the road and into the parking lot of a fast food joint. “You stand next to the truck. Don’t let anyone near the stuff in the back, okay?”

  Sammy climbed out and stood by the tailgate. Inside the bed was some big lumpy stuff, but it was covered by a tarp, so he couldn’t tell what it was. He reached in to lift a corner of the tarp, and Tool Man smacked his hand away. Hard. “Ouch.”

  “Hands off. And no peeking, or you’ll be sorry. Got it?”

  Sammy nodded miserably as Tool Man went inside. He didn’t know what was happening, but he wanted to go home.

  * * *

  Charlee arrived at Suwannee Paddlers long after the chain had been hung across the entrance and the padlock secured for the night. She climbed out of the car and let out a relieved breath when she turned the tumblers and the lock popped open.

  She pulled through and then locked the gate behind her. If Jennings came this way, she wasn’t making things easy for him. She parked in the gravel parking area by the office, loaded her backpack, and quickly sprayed deet all over herself before she headed for the canoe/kayak launch. She didn’t want the bugs that swarmed at dusk ruining her concentration on the rapids.

  The kayaks were kept on racks, also locked, but Charlee was betting the combination hadn’t been changed on these either. She was right.

  She hauled one of the kayaks off the lowest rack, grabbed paddles and a life jacket from the nearby storage cabinet, and dragged the kayak to the water’s edge.

  She strapped on the life jacket, secured the headlamp to her forehead, and tucked the backpack on her lap, making sure the pocket holding her loaded gun was open for easy access.

  Hang on, Natalie. I’m coming.

  She pushed off and headed into the water, her phone in a plastic bag, GPS showing her location.

  * * *

  Hunter and the team rendezvoused in the parking lot of a dentist’s office just south of White Springs.

  “This scumbag is smart, so we have to be smarter. We don’t know why he killed his brother, Tommy, or why he attempted to kill you and Pete.” He nodded to Josh.

  “You think JJ’s death goes back to his mother’s dying somehow?” Sanchez asked.

  “There’s a lot we don’t know. JJ’s death could have been an accident. What we do know is that he has both Charlee and Natalie. I think it’s safe to say he has Nora, too. My gut says he wants Charlee at the place where JJ died.”

  “Agreed,” Pete said, and everyone nodded.

  “So here’s what I’m thinking.” Hunter pulled up a map of the area and outlined his plan. Within minutes, they were back on the road. Hunter just prayed they got there in time.

  * * *

  Sammy’s worry increased as they kept driving and it started to get dark. “Don’t we have to get ready for work?”

  “We have other work to do tonight, Sammy.”

  “But who will give the kids their prizes?”

  Tool Man laughed. “Don’t worry. They’ll all get what they deserve. Promise.”

  Sammy wanted to believe him, but that didn’t sound…right.

  A little while later, when Sammy thought his bladder would burst, they finally pulled off the paved road and onto a dirt road. The road kept getting narrower and narrower, and branches swept into the cab of the truck and scratched his arms. He rolled up the window a little and tried not to pee his pants, but the bumpy road was making it really hard.

  They finally stopped in a little clearing, and Tool Man turned off the ignition. “Time to go, Sammy. You’re going to learn a lot tonight. I’m going to need your help. Are you ready?”

  “Yes, sir,” Sammy said, but just then, he wasn’t sure. Something in his tummy was telling him things were really wrong. But he trusted Tool Man, so he got out. “I have to pee,” he whispered.

  “Go on. Make it quick.”

  Sammy went a few feet into the woods, then came back to where Tool Man stood by the bed of the truck. He dropped the tailgate and flipped up the tarp. At first, Sammy didn’t know what he was looking at, but then Tool Man turned on a great big flashlight, and the ache in Sammy’s tummy got real bad.

  There were ladies in there, two of them, and their hands and feet were tied with duct tape, and there was duct tape over their mouths. But it was their eyes that got to Sammy; they were wide and scared, and they made Sammy scared, too.

  “Who are they? Why are they tied up?”

  “You’ll find out soon enough.” Tool Man nodded to the smaller of the girls. “You grab that one, and I’ll get the other.”

  Sammy did as he was told and swung the girl over his shoulder just like Tool Man did with the other one. But his hands were shaking, and he wanted to run away and hide.

  Something bad was going to happen.

  Chapter 30

  It was dark by the time Charlee approached the rapids. Not exactly ideal conditions. Before she went any farther, she secured her phone and gun in the backpack and put it into the dry cubby behind her seat. It meant she’d have to find the location from memory, but she hoped the headlamp would provide enough light that she could find her way.

  Flashbacks from a year ago kept wanting to steal her breath, but she pushed them back. She had to focus on paddling. On getting to the right location and then figuring out a way to free Natalie before this loony tune killed her. That Charlee would give her life for her sister’s wasn’t even in question. She was prepared to die for her, planned on it, even. Natalie was going to be a teacher, and the world needed more good teachers, caring ones like their mom had been. She wouldn’t, couldn’t let her die. Wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she did.

  She took a deep breath and plunged into the churning water ahead of her, relying on muscle memory and years of kayaking to keep her upright as she navigated the rocks and currents in the dark. The headlamp illuminated just past the end of her kayak, but not far enough for her to clearly see anything or anyone who might be standing along the shoreline.

  It took all her concentration to navigate, but she made herself scan the shore regularly to make sure she didn’t pass the spot. If she did, there was no way she could get back there easily. If at all.

  She thought she was close to where she needed to be. Now all she had to do was figure out how to get to shore. Finding a way around the trees and rocks and the eddies surrounding them wou
ld be tricky. Especially in the dark.

  Suddenly, something hit her in the arm, hard. She pulled back in shock, tipping the kayak to one side. She tried to rebalance her weight, but the current grabbed her wrong, and before she could stop it, she’d flipped out of the kayak and was shooting down the river facedown. She immediately spun to her back and spit out what seemed like gallons of water. With her feet out front, she tried to steer herself toward the edge where she could grab a rock or branch. Anything.

  She felt the whoosh of air as something passed by, and then she was yanked to a stop, hard. She clawed at whatever was around her neck, choking her.

  A rope.

  The pressure increased as someone tugged on the other end of the line. Charlee wedged her hands under it to keep it from tightening around her neck, but it wasn’t working. She used her feet to kick, trying to duck, to escape, something.

  “Hold still, and I’ll pull you in.”

  Jennings! No! Charlee tugged harder, trying to get the rope off so she could escape. But he’d rigged a slip knot, so the more she tugged, the tighter it got.

  “Don’t fight me, Charlotte, or you’ll die before all the fun starts. Then where will we be?”

  Charlee stopped fighting. Let him bring her to Natalie. She gasped for breath as he dragged her toward shore, banging her on rocks as he pulled. She stepped in a hole and fell into the water, only to be yanked upright by the rope.

  “Keep moving.”

  He would pay for this, the slimy monster. Charlee grimly reached out for rocks and branches and used them to lever herself up and over. She finally collapsed on the shore on all fours, coughing and gasping for air. She threw off the rope, took off her life jacket, and climbed to her feet, fury in her eyes.

  “I’m here, you lunatic. Now let my sister go. I’m what you want.”

  He laughed, and Charlee realized she’d forever hate that cackle, deep and evil and sounding like it came from the pit of hell itself.