In the Shadow of Evil Book 2

by Nancy C. Weeks

  “We found two cameras in your apartment. One was in the vent over the front door. The second one was in your bedroom, in the vent over the bathroom door.”

  Every muscle in her body stiffened.

  “Is there any way to tell how long they have been there?” When he shook his head, she asked, “Could you check Louise’s apartment and my classroom?”

  Jared nodded. He didn’t know how to tell her he was part of the invasion of her privacy.

  The door opened and Emma entered. Jared was happy for the interruption. “Is everything arranged?”

  “Two orderlies will take Jennie down to X-ray. She’ll be safe. Meet us in about ten minutes. From there, use my ID card to take the staff elevator to the staff garage.” She handed him her car keys.

  She reached for Noah’s lab coat. “You have a reason to be here. Leave the same way you came in. Jared, you’re going to have to find a roundabout way to the radiology department.”

  “I’m not leaving her.”

  “Yes, you are. You have to play like everyone else if you want this to work.”

  “That plan places a target on you. And on that note, I don’t want you walking to your car alone. Tell Noah where he can wait for you,” Jared insisted.

  “Father Anthony is waiting outside this room to do just that. Noah needs to be seen leaving the hospital.” Emma touched Jared’s arm. “I just changed a couple of things, but it’s your plan. It will work.”

  “Things have changed tonight, not just for Jennie, but all of us. Mendoza is going to strike somewhere soon. I need you, Aiden and the boys safe, too.” Jared couldn’t keep the ice from his voice.

  An orderly tapped lightly on the door, and two of them came in with a gurney. “Are you ready, Dr. Lambert?” one asked.

  “Perfect timing,” she replied. Emma handed Jennie a hospital gown. “Put this over the scrubs.”

  “That’s my cue to leave,” Noah said, giving Jared’s shoulder a quick squeeze on his way out of the room. “Our sister is the brilliant one. It’s going to work.”

  Jennie took the ties of the gown and lifted her arms, a deep throat groan escaping her lips. Jared worked the ties around her neck, then helped her climb onto the gurney.

  “My students are going to learn every detail about what happened in my apartment and about Danny by the time the first bell rings. They need to see me, and I need to see them.”

  “I don’t know how that’s going to work…”

  “And I won’t be left out of the search for Danny. Whether you accept it or not, this is my fault. You can’t place me in some safe house and lock the door. I’ve a life here and I need to do everything I can to protect it.”

  He leaned down and kissed her. “As long as you understand I’m going to protect you, whether you want me to or not.”

  “It’s time, Jared,” Emma whispered.

  He let Jennie go. After dressing in the coat and glasses, he left the room. He counted the seconds: five…fifteen…one minute. Keeping his head low, his eyes on the floor tiles, he took the long way around the hospital to Radiology. Four minutes and thirty-seven seconds was the best he could do. He charged through the door and lifted Jennie into his arms, holding her tight against his chest.

  “It’s like they don’t even know we’re here,” Emma said, amused.

  “Thank you, Emma. Once all this calms down, I’ll take the boys for a whole weekend,” he said, kissing her cheek.

  Emma smiled. “Oh, don’t tease, Jared. That’s just cruel.”

  “No, really. Jennie will even help, won’t you, Jen?”

  “I’d love that.”

  “Great, that may quiet the beast when I get home hours late. The elevator is right around the corner. I assume your team is taking care of the cameras, both in the elevator and garage?”

  “Yes. I’m parked on level six. I’ll leave your car and text you the parking slot number. Please be careful.”

  Emma swiped her card at the staff elevator. “Don’t get all wrapped up in a lip lock and forget. You’re with me, Father Anthony?”

  “Good night,” Father Anthony said, and they headed to the center of the hospital, leaving Jennie and Jared alone. The elevator’s door swished open and they entered.

  “What do we do now?” Every one of her features showed the strain of the last several hours.

  “You look like you’re about to fall on your face.” Jared slipped out of his overcoat and draped it over Jennie’s shoulders. “Lean on me. I know you’re strong as hell, but just for my ego.”

  “Sure, if it helps you,” she said with a grin.

  Twenty

  Raúl broke every speed limit as he drove back into Baltimore. In the hour it took him to meet with Jared, all hell broke loose. How did Greg Scarvey get pass him, and his surveillance?

  His cell phone listed four missed calls from Mendoza, and just as many from Ivan. Ignoring all of them, he drove past the police vehicles double- and triple-parked in front of Mrs. Cunningham’s apartment. Instead of returning Mendoza’s call, he called Mac and initiated the plan to get his family out of Mexico. If Mendoza ever suspected Raúl betrayed him, vengeance would be quick, cruel, and merciless.

  The silver lining in this nightmare was that, by sending in Ivan, the illegal surveillance of Jennifer Marie McKenzie was over. There was no way to predict what Mendoza would do next.

  Raúl would need a believable excuse for where he was during Jennie’s attack. Getting hot and heavy under the sheets with one of Mendoza’s castoffs would work. But Raúl’s first job would be to find out if Ivan had the young student.

  He turned right at the end of Jennie’s block, parked the car, and got out. The cool air on his face revitalized him. The familiar smells of heavy traffic and the faint scent of the harbor penetrated his nostrils. This neighborhood had been his home away from home for the last three years. Living in plain sight while Jennie searched everywhere for proof of his existence, he learned quickly how to blend into the shadows.

  He moved behind the dumpsters at the front of the alley and studied the buildings on both sides of the street. It would be just like Mendoza to place two of his top men inches from each other, without one knowing about the other.

  His phone dinged the moment Jennie entered her apartment. Within ten minutes, Ivan had executed the rapist. Raúl trusted only a couple of the men he worked with every day. They both reported Ivan turned onto this street after leaving Jennie’s apartment. He was close.

  Raúl strolled down one side of the dimly lit street. Two blocks down, he crossed the street and headed back up the other side. A hand-written vacancy sign in a lower window of an old apartment building caught his eye. He picked the outside door lock and entered the building.

  The five-story building housed four apartments on each floor. The names on the mailboxes eliminated all but three apartments: two units on the third floor, and the one unit on the fifth floor. Quietly working his way through the building, Raúl checked each apartment for any sign of Ivan or the kid. On the fifth floor, a sliver of light peeked out underneath the door of the vacant apartment.

  Ahh, gotcha. Ivan had to be hiding behind that door. He cracked open the window in the hallway and climbed out onto the fire escape. Mounting the ledge of the railing, Raúl inched his way over, until he could reach the window of the middle bedroom. He pushed up the window, but it rose only slightly. Holding himself on the rail with his legs, he shoved the window until he could crawl inside headfirst. He lowered himself to the carpeted floor, cracked open the door, and searched the hallway. Ivan, sprawled on the sofa, slept with the television on mute. The door across the hallway was ajar. Someone laid curled up on a twin bed.

  He crossed the hallway and entered the room, shutting the door behind him. He inched his way across the room and came face-to-face with a young boy. The kid struggled with the bindings on his hands and feet. His mouth was stuffed with a wad of cloth and tied with a filthy handkerchief.

  “Hey kid, it’s all right. I’
m one of the good guys,” Raúl whispered, trying to calm the child down before he made a sound. He reached into his pocket and removed a pocketknife.

  “Just give me a second and I’ll get you untied.” He lifted the blade from the knife. Before he could cut through the bindings, a piercing pain exploded behind his eyes, and everything went black.

  Mendoza’s image appeared on the monitor. “Where is she?” His jaw was clenched, but it was his eyes, dark and cold, that sent a silent alarm through Ivan. Mendoza’s unrestrained anger was at its breaking point.

  “The men have been watching the hospital. She’s been in radiology for the last hour. An orderly told them she’ll be admitted overnight for observation. If the wounds on her neck don’t require additional surgery, she’ll be released tomorrow morning.” Ivan couldn’t help yawning.

  “Am I keeping you awake, Ivan?” Mendoza snapped.

  “Of course not, Jefe. I love chewing the grit at four in the morning.”

  “They better be damn sure the woman in their sights is Jennifer Marie.” Several moments passed before he spoke again. “Is Raúl still unconscious?”

  “Sleeping like a baby.”

  “He’s mine, Ivan. Make sure he’s still alive when I arrive. Where’s the boy?”

  “He’s tied up in the other room.”

  “Find everything you can on Raúl. Search his room, his car, everything. Take every one of his men apart piece by piece if you have to. I want answers. That bastard knows too much. I want to know how he knew you were in Baltimore and had the boy. He’s betrayed me to someone.”

  “I won’t touch a hair on his treacherous head. As for the rest, it’s in the works. I should have something for you in an hour. What about his wife and kid?”

  “The lying bitch is at the hospital. I sent men for her and the boy. They’ll all pay. The blood bath I leave behind will show just what happens when someone betrays me.”

  The words came out with such venom, Ivan couldn’t control the shiver that raced through him. It was time to see the backside of the crazy bastard.

  Twenty-One

  Jennie woke slowly, clenching her teeth to keep from moaning. Her neck hurt like hell. Overnight, seepage from the cuts caused the bandage to stick to the wound. Every time she moved, it pulled at the tender skin, causing the whole area to throb. Keeping her neck still, she carefully rose from the bed and walked into the adjoining bathroom.

  The queen of hotel interior design had decorated the room herself. A small basket sat on the counter with vanilla-scented shell-shaped soaps still in their wrappers, and single-use shampoo and conditioner bottles. A perfectly folded thick, white towel hung on the opposite wall. A new toothbrush and a small stack of paper cups sat next to the basket. The faint scent of bathroom cleaner hung in the air, and not a single water droplet stained any surface.

  The prescription bottle of pain medicine was on the counter. Jennie filled a cup with tap water and swallowed a pill, praying it wouldn’t come right back up. She may have convinced herself she didn’t need pain medication, but her neck had other plans.

  She gasped when she saw her reflection in the mirror over the sink. There was no color in her face. “I guess it’s the zombie look today,” she murmured. Reaching back to remove the tie in her hair, she gasped again. Hell, I can’t even brush my hair.

  How was she going to leave the room looking like this? She patted her face with cold water, hoping it would revive the color in her cheeks.

  She left the bathroom and entered the living area. None of her personal items appeared anywhere. An eerie quiet settled over the suite. She opened the great room’s white-shuttered doors and entered a small, empty kitchen. Where was Jared?

  She smiled when she spotted a note attached to the coffeemaker. She lifted her arm to peel off the note. The movement sent another sharp pain to her neck.

  “Had to go in. News conference at noon. Please rest!” JM

  Short and caring. But it left too many questions racing through her head.

  Was the man who attacked her the Beltway Killer? Why did he target her? Had they found Danny? And how was she going to get her hands on some fresh underwear, for Pete’s sake?

  She heard a key in the lock of the front door. Jared! Her heart soared as she started to leave the kitchen. The front door opened, but Jared didn’t call out. She grabbed a large skillet off the rack above the island and eased behind the left shutter, placing the skillet over her shoulder like a baseball bat.

  As the person neared the kitchen, Jennie stopped breathing. Tightening her grip on the skillet, she waited for the doors to swing open. As soon as the doors opened, Jennie ignored the pain in her neck and swung the skillet with all her might, striking the man right between his shoulder blades. She was aiming for his head, but he was too tall.

  “Holy shit,” Noah bellowed, swinging his arm behind him, knocking the weapon out of Jennie’s hand. “What the hell did you do that for?” He tried rubbing the bruise forming between his shoulder blades. “Damn it, Jennie, that hurt!”

  “What do you expect, you moron, when you come sneaking in on me?” Jennie fired back.

  “I wasn’t sneaking. Shit. I was trying not to wake you. And don’t call me a moron after you practically turned me into a quad.”

  “I’m sorry.” Jennie leaned against the counter. Her legs barely supported her. “What’re you doing here?”

  “Jared asked me to stay until he got back.” He took her arm and led her to one of the bar stools around the island. “Sit down before you fall. I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said, as he rolled his shoulders.

  “You came to babysit me? You don’t have to stay.”

  “Sorry, Jared thinks I do. How is the neck?” His hand touched her chin, but Jennie shrugged it away.

  “I’m fine.”

  “You don’t look fine. Does it hurt much?” Noah asked, eyeing the bandage.

  “I took something for the pain.” Jennie stood and faced Noah. “I need to replace the bandage. Emma sent a bag of gauze and bandages home with me. Do you know what happened to it?”

  “Yeah, I brought all that up with me. There’s also a change of clothing from your apartment. Would you like some help dressing that? I’m good at doctoring; it’s in the blood.”

  “I’m good, thanks.” Noah McNeil near my neck... I don’t think so. With a nod that hurt like hell, she left the kitchen.

  After Jennie dried off and dressed from her bath, she stood in front of the mirror. The pain meds made her woozy. If they did anything to curb the throbbing, she sure couldn’t tell. Tears formed in the corner of her eyes from the pain.

  No tears. It’s just a couple cuts.

  She raised her arm and pulled at the tape. The only way she could prevent a desperate groan from escaping was to bite down. Once she removed the tape, she slowly unwound the thick bandage. The sight of the two long angry cuts across her neck made her stomach roll. The pain pills danced in the pit of her stomach. She took in a deep cleansing breath and let it out slowly, but the nausea only grew. Jennie dashed over to the toilet just in time, before the little contents of her stomach filled the toilet. Her stomach recoiled again, but nothing came up. The dry heaves contracted her stomach, causing it to spasm. Her neck was on fire.

  Jennie unrolled a long piece of toilet paper and wiped her mouth. Leaning her back against the tub, she closed her eyes and allowed the tears to flood down her face. The image of Scarvey lying on top of her—the fear, the blood—flashed back in waves until it consumed her. She couldn’t stop the shakes that overtook her body.

  She had no idea how long she stayed like that. Noah sat beside her; his arm tucked in hers.

  “Better?” Noah asked, softly.

  Jennie nodded, sending yet another sharp pain through her neck.

  “What happened?”

  “Flashback.”

  “Would it help to know that’s very common after what you been through?”

  “No.”

  “I didn’t t
hink so.” Noah gently lifted her chin. He stared at the open wounds on her neck. “I can make that feel better if you let me, Jennie.”

  “I’m fine.” This time she was. How did sitting on the bathroom floor with Noah McNeil help her? But it did, and she was grateful.

  “There’s that word again.”

  She met his stare. “I would love your help.”

  During the next few minutes, Noah cleaned and dressed Jennie’s wound like a pro. His touch was soothing, showing a side of Noah that Jennie had never seen. “Why are you being so nice to me?”

  Noah didn’t say anything for a long time. After he placed the last piece of tape, he met her gaze. “I read your file.” He turned away for a moment, then faced her. “My behavior has been appalling. I owe you—”

  “You don’t owe me anything.”

  “I’m sorry, Jennie. My brother tried to tell me about you. I don’t know why I couldn’t see what he saw.” Noah rose from his kneeled position and moved into the bedroom. He froze when he reached the center of the room. “You should have been surrounded by your father’s police family. Instead, your life’s been hell. It’s a damn miracle you turned out so normal. . . decent.” He didn’t say anything for a long time, while he focused on the pattern of the carpet. “Can I ask you a question, Jennie?”

  She braced herself for another grilling.

  “I’m here to keep you safe until Jared returns. That’s it. I just want to know where you got this,” he said, pointing to her father’s file sitting on the edge of the bed.

  “I asked a friend.”

  “What friend?”

  “Can I just say it’s none of your business, and you’ll leave it alone?” Jennie picked up the file, holding it close to her chest, and headed for the door.

  “You should have mentioned the connection between you and Mendoza. I asked you so many times.”

  “When you asked, I didn’t know. Once I did… I get to protect the people I love, too.” She closed her eyes and swallowed the sob in the back of her throat. Drawing on her inner strength, she faced Jared’s twin and said in a voice barely above a whisper, “Thanks for helping me, Noah. I think Jared is on now. I want to watch the newscast, if you don’t mind.”