His one step back didn’t remove him from her shovel’s extended range. Revengeful glee saw her rearing back for another blow. The rounded blade crashed against his knees. Nothing satisfied more than the ensuing crunch and scream. Though it didn’t alleviate her pain, it did motivate her to move.
He doubled over and fell to the ground while reaching for his weapon. In the time it took for him to grasp it, she bashed him in the head with the flat side of the blade.
“Huh, unconscious is a good look for you.” She wished Matt could see her now. “I’m not helpless. I’m not defenseless. And I’m not useless.”
She turned in time to empty her stomach beside the intended grave. Gravity forced her trembling legs to buckle, sitting her down beside the killer.
He’d said he had a cell.
In Denny’s pocket, she found a burner phone, but the victory proved short-lived. The fucking thing had no battery. Denny might be paranoid, but he wasn’t stupid. In his other side pocket, she found the small cube worth a million bucks.
Once installed, the battery held little charge and one bar’s worth of signal. The digital readout said low battery, warning she didn’t have much time. Instead of wasting it searching the cabin for another or making a call, she sent a text to Lexi knowing her friend would trace it by any means available.
Seconds after hitting send, the phone rang. “Lexi, thank god you got my message.”
“Where in fuck’s name are you? And why in the hell do you need explosives? I’ve sent Billy a text. I also sent our friend in the feds a message through a back channel in case we need more help.”
The line went dead before Katt could answer, and she sent up a silent plea. Please, Lexi. Trust me.
“Fuck. Now what?” Questions remained. “How do I get the hell out of here, and what do I do with Denny?” If she couldn’t find the data, Billy’s expertise would handle the backup plan. Denny was too smart to not have the formulas backed up on digital media. Most likely, he’d hidden it somewhere in the cabin.
Her leg morphed into the realm of non-ambulatory, which made the idea of searching the home implausible. If she couldn’t find and destroy the data, Billy could level the structure. It wouldn’t be the first time the McAllisters danced along the outside of the law. The second-oldest McAllister’s exploits several months past pinged a memory and a hope for her future. Any future where she still drew breath.
Sitting with both feet in the grave, she contemplated her situation. If Lexi triangulated her position, she’d send help. That didn’t mean Larry’s boss wouldn’t get there first... with enough reinforcements to kill anyone present.
Denny intended to sell his work to the highest bidder, foreign or domestic. His boss probably meant to do the same. She needed time to rest and collect her thoughts.
Removing Denny’s belt, she swayed on hands and knees, resting before securing his hands behind his back. If she could hobble his feet, he wouldn’t be able to run. It took a bit of finagling but using his knife to cut a strip from his jacket solved the problem. She smiled as she tied his shoelaces together. He wouldn’t be able to reach them, and she’d clobber him if he tried to slide off his shoes.
The combination of pain, exercise, stress of a near-death situation, and the after effects of drugs sapped the last of her strength.
Her butt kissed the edge of the shallow grave once again in a graceless sit. Dizziness threatened her consciousness as darkness closed in from the periphery. Laying down might prevent her from fainting and help her gain her equilibrium.
Instead of crawling onto the surrounding leaf detritus, she chose the soft earth. Palming Denny’s gun, she lay in the hole intended for her grave and prayed not to wake looking down someone’s barrel.
I just need a little rest.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Matt’s signal to spread out saw each sibling soft-stepping away. Ethan angled west while Luc made his way east. Matt continued up the steep incline with Damien tracking Katt’s scent along the forest floor. Near her car, they’d found a limb dotted with blood. Damien sniffed, chuffed, then followed the trail up the mountain.
He imagined Katt’s struggle with the sharper slope. Several larger impressions in the ground signaled where she’d fallen. Snapped smaller branches appeared intentional, increasing his K9’s ability to follow the trail.
At the crest, they stopped and listened for the sounds of surrounding wildlife. A preternatural stillness settled its mantle over the entire area.
If Denny and Katt were inside the small building, they weren’t using candles or lamps. He saw no telltale glint of light or movement.
The structure’s front-porch steps had seen better days, as had the rest of it. No noise came from within, no sign of life.
It’s too quiet.
Instinct told him Katt was near. After circling the perimeter, he’d approach the building from the rear.
His whistled cue received no answer. Memory of lying under the stars and teaching her the family’s bird-speak chilled him. She would’ve answered if she could.
Even the crunch of leaves underfoot, so stark against the unnatural quiet, reverberated in his head. Intermittent birdsong from his brothers signaled their progress. Ethan was still off-key.
At the far edge of the clearing, the door to an outbuilding stood ajar. According to their information, Denny was a scientist, not a backwoodsman.
Still, no answering whistle from Katt.
Once adjacent to the cabin’s back porch, he spotted a man’s form crumpled inside an ill-kept garden... with newly turned dirt. Fuck! His soft, high-pitched whistle warned his brothers they weren’t alone on the mountaintop. The surrounding grass bore the trampled weeds and shrubs of many passes, someone shaving anxiety’s edge with exercise. A signal to Damien saw the dog’s sit-stay holding.
Matt approached with soft tread, palms sweating.
His heart battered its cage, reminding him of once before when he found Katt in the clutches of two kidnappers. Even then, her smart mouth and fortitude trumped the clinging vestiges of fear. She’d fought like a demon possessed.
So strong, so damned determined, she didn’t know when to quit. It was a point of admiration.
The back door to the cabin remained closed as he crept forward. Again, no lights. No telltale sign of life.
The lump of humanity laying among the weeds and fresh dirt groaned. Matt inched closer. A cap of wavy brown hair shot with gray shadowed a forehead streaked with crimson. Caked blood defined a trail from the side of his head to the small, crusted pool on the ground. Denny Alscher, his arms and legs bound in a familiar style.
When the outline of a shoulder came into view above the shallow grave, all pretense of stealth evaporated. Ten yards advance allotted a glimpse of his newest nightmare. In his terror-filled mind, he noted the unconscious but familiar form curled in a tight ball.
Nestled in the earth, Katt lay with her right foot slightly extended. Her swollen ankle bore the evidence of a long walk with no shoe, blood caking the bottom of her once-gray sock. Silky curls covered her face and splayed across the dirt floor of her natural bed while the soft rise and fall of even breaths offered hope. The bastard must have drugged her.
He’d forced her to walk on a broken foot then made her dig her own grave.
Red hazed his vision, as bile rose in his throat, denied exit by an iron will. His low kree-ah wail signaled his brothers the need for help.
“No, no, no.” Crouching beside her, he reached with shaking fingers to the soft flesh of her neck. That delicacy had been his feast, his triumph, his reason for existence.
“Oh god, Katt. Please don’t leave me. I need you.”
Luc stopped and sank to a crouch beside Denny. “Is she...?”
“She’s got a pulse, but it’s fast and weak.” Matt took off his jacket and covered her before cradling her to his chest.
Another signal from deeper in the woods announced Billy’s approach. When his brother cleared the tree line, he
paused to take in the scene then rushed forward. “What happened?”
“She’s alive, but we’ve got to get her to the hospital.”
Luc descended the back porch steps. “It’s all clear inside, in case—” The bottom tread snapped and left him scrambling for balance. “Fuck!”
Katt stirred in his arms, sluggish and uncoordinated. “Matt?”
“Yeah, babe. You’re safe.”
“Of course, I’m safe. I hog-tied the prick who abducted me.” Blinking several times to clear her vision, she smiled at him, then at Luc and Ethan. Nodding toward Billy, she added, “I see you got Lexi’s message.”
“What message?” Matt and Ethan asked at the same time.
“Yeah, kiddo. I got it.” Billy slung his backpack around and let it slide to the ground. “Looks like you’ve been busy. Why don’t you fill us in on why you think I should level the cabin?”
“Oh, shit. Yeah. Denny kidnapped me—but he wasn’t the one who drugged me.”
“That must have been Larry. He won’t be bothering you again.” Matt didn’t want to add to her misery by describing the scene where they’d found his body.
“Denny must’ve shot him after I was in the car?”
“Yeah, but right now, we’ve got other things to think about. I’m gonna get you to the hospital.” Matt pulled her closer and rubbed his cheek against the crown of her head.
“Wait. They’ll be coming. Denny said they’d found this location. How long have I been out?”
Ethan’s gaze skimmed the border of the property. “Dunno. Who’s coming, Katt?”
“Denny’s boss. He was trying to steal the information and sell it. Denny found a way to weaponize liquid solar fuel. He’s got all the data on flash drives.”
“Shit. That can’t go public.” Luc shook his head. “Let’s find it before we leave.”
“We don’t have time. The idiot didn’t tell me where he’d hidden it. It could be stuck behind a loose board or—I don’t know. I just don’t want anyone else hurt. We all leave or I’m staying.”
“Nugget...” Matt crushed her in his hold, unable to bear the thought of her encountering more killers.
“I have a better solution.” Billy’s grin favored Katt. “Considering the materials used to construct the cabin, I can wire this place pretty quick.”
“No!” Three brothers stood solid against the fourth.
“Hey. Hear me out. Lexi traced the number Katt called us from. The previous number dialed went to Horizon Solar Fuel, so I’m guessing she ended up with Larry’s phone. He was in bed with a billion dollar industry. Do you think they’re gonna put all their eggs in one basket, especially after what’s happened? No, they’re gonna send a small army.”
“Shit.” Matt’s huff stirred Katt’s hair. “It always gets complicated.”
“No, we can make this real simple.” Billy grinned in the face of his brothers’ groans. First, we don’t need to be in the limelight any more than Katt does. It’ll just draw more unwanted attention from psychos wanting the weapon. Therefore, I have a solution.” Billy chuckled as his siblings each shook their head. “Lexi sent a backdoor message to our federal friend. He can lead them here and let them take credit for the arrest. He can also help smooth over any problems with our department. Second, we don’t have time to search the cabin for hidden material, especially since he may have multiples. On the other hand, we don’t want that information going to a government agency any more than we want it in private hands. Hence, my easy solution. Let’s let our alphabet friends swoop in and save the day, but not find the data.”
Matt contemplated the situation. His brother’s scary rationale formed a twisted kind of practicality. Too bad common sense proved as illegal as it was rational.
“He does make a good case for deranged logic,” Ethan suggested.
“Jesus.” Matt looked around at the foliage. “Everything’s still pretty green and lush, lowers the risk. All right. How long to set it up?”
“Damn, dude. I’m not going to start a fire. It’s an explosion, not an incendiary device.”
“Yeah, yeah. How long?” Turning to Ethan, Matt addressed him and Billy. “You watch each other’s backs. Keep Damien with you. He’ll sense anyone’s approach before you can.”
“Not long. It’s about to fall down anyway. What about Denny?” Billy knelt to retrieve items from his pack; his mind would be working out the logistics of his objective.
“Luc can secure him to a tree, out of easy sight in case Larry’s men get here before the feds,” Matt ordered, moving toward the return path.
“Also, Luc, as soon as we get better reception, have Lexi use back channels to fill Kilregard in on the details. Jeez, I hope he’s still stationed in the Portland office.”
Matt held his precious bundle tighter, waiting at the edge of the clearing for Luc to secure Denny before starting the trek home.
When finished, Luc led the way. Though Katt didn’t complain, Matt saw her flinch every time his footing proved uneven.
“Figures you guys would have close contacts with the bureau,” Katt winced as a briar caught her hair in passing.
“He did say if we ever needed his help to call him. Shit. Luc, a hand here?” The need to hurry didn’t prevent his mind from replaying the snapshot of how he’d found her.
She’d fallen asleep in his arms by the time they neared her car. “Luc, open the door. I’ll sit in the back with her.” Pain marred the perfect set of her brow, as tiny crinkles appeared around her eyes and mouth. Small furrows deepened when he settled her in his lap.
The sudden explosion reverberated in his chest and forced him to hunch over Katt. She jerked awake; her eyes wide and filled with panic. The brave front wavered, overwhelming events had shaken her despite the fearless façade shown to the world.
Matt smoothed his knuckles over Katt’s cheek. “Damn, Billy does work fast, doesn’t he?” His younger brother’s incentive for excellence permeated more than his work ethic. The cabin would exist as little more than rubble.
“Yeah, it was his passion at one time. Hey, we didn’t get Katt’s car key off of Denny.” Luc twisted in the driver’s seat to look at Katt.
“Don’t worry. This heap will be the size of a cube, very soon. The feds will never connect the key to anything or tie Katt to the cabin by the time Billy’s done with it.” Matt smiled down at the possessor of his soul. “The next time you drive, it will be a newer, more reliable vehicle.”
“I almost feel sorry for the feds. They’ll comb that entire area looking for a needle in a haystack.” Luc chuckled then started the process of turning the clunker around.
Looking over his shoulder, Matt saw no curls or wisps of smoke drifting into the afternoon sky. When the feds arrived and took Denny into custody, no doubt the man would testify to everything he knew. “If he recreates his work, a shit ton of people are gonna want it. They’ll research every part of his life, every connection Denny’s made.”
“Which is why we’re gonna keep Katt out of it as much as possible. I know one fed in particular who will help in that regard.” Matt sighed as she drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Katt’s crutch caught on the heavy glass entrance to the nursing home. A day and a half in the hospital to rid her body of drugs and clear her head had provided ample time to review her situation.
Matt’s current surprise came with bittersweet memories. Her fingers shook on the padded handgrips.
“We don’t have to do this today, Katt.” A bittersweet sadness accompanied his grimace.
Ankle pain faded in light of anxiety spreading like wildfire through each of her nerve fibers. Matt’s hand on her shoulder infused the strength to hobble forward down the seemingly endless hall.
The expected odors failed to assault her senses. She detected cleaning solutions and a hint of lavender. One room they’d passed emitted a slight ammonia odor.
“What if she doesn’t want to see me?” After all the years of
hope and yearning for the opportunity to meet the woman who’d abandoned her family, uncertainty now overrode anger, doubt, and disappointment.
“Of course, she’ll want to see you. Though you have to realize, your mom might have more regret than she can handle.” Matt nodded to a passing orderly.
The long hallway with patient rooms dotting each side led to a central nurses’ station from where two other corridors branched off and held more rooms. Two women in scrub uniforms sat at the counter writing in charts. One brunette looked up and smiled. “Can I help you?”
Words congealed in Katt’s throat.
Matt stepped forward and smiled. “We’re here to see Katrina Slater in room 104.”
Gesturing to her left, the woman nodded, “Second door on the right side. Her name is under the room number. Are you family?” A speculative gleam signaled recognition.
“Yes.” It was all Katt could manage before Matt nudged her to the side.
Tears brimmed her eyes and clogged her throat. All those years she’d spent wanting to know why, then hating the woman for leaving, for ripping their family to shreds, rushed up to overwhelm her. Now she understood why. Nothing was as she’d expected.
She stopped outside the door. “I don’t think I can do this.” According to the conversation with the facility’s administrator, Ms. Slater had one regular visitor, a friend who’d kept the secret of her name change for thirteen years.
“Of course you can do this. We can do this. I’m thinking she’s so riddled with guilt and despair she may not talk much at first. Let’s see how it goes.”
Katt stepped into the room where morning sun brightened the cream-colored walls. One bed occupied the center of the space. A large padded chair on the far side under the double window was empty, which, according to their information was normal.
McAllister Justice Series Box Set Page 25
