by Ken Ogilvie
Looking puzzled, Mario frowned. “You don’t understand, McBride. You belong to me, remember? I take care of my own. I’m sorry Enzo’s dead, but he didn’t do his job properly. Sure I’m furious, McBride — at myself, and Enzo. But don’t you worry, we’ll get that madwoman.”
Kingsley could hardly believe what he’d just heard. Far from executing him, Mario seemed to think he owed him a favour. Kingsley immediately began to think of ways to benefit from this stroke of luck.
“I don’t know what to say, Mario. Will you really get her?”
Mario’s eyes gleamed. “This time I’m taking no chances. The bitch has already made me look bad. I’ve sent a team after her — eight of the best men we’ve got. Another guy’s already in Prospect, dealing with that bastard, George Bradley. Nobody takes money from the syndicate the way he’s done.”
Kingsley was pleased to hear that Bradley was soon to be ‘dealt with,’ but didn’t understand what Mario meant about Jackie. Had they found her? How? “You don’t know where Jackie’s at. Or do you?”
“GPS, McBride. You know what that is, surely?”
“Of course,” Kingsley replied, “but what’s that got to do with her?”
“The sedan she took. It has a tracking device. We lost contact with it in some remote area up north but we know where it left the highway and which way it was headed. There aren’t many roads up there, so we won’t have much trouble finding the car, probably by tomorrow. I’m betting she hasn’t a clue that we’re wise to her. Our guys are disguised as hunters. They should be in her vicinity by late evening. They would’ve been there sooner, but had to take a detour to avoid the cops. By the end of tomorrow, she’ll be toast.”
Kingsley was stunned. He felt like hugging Mario. The bitch wouldn’t survive this one, and when she was gone, he’d be free. “That’s incredible, Mario. Fantastic. You have no idea what a load it takes off my mind.” He staggered to a chair and toppled into it, wincing. A broad grin split his battered face.
Mario shook with laughter. “McBride, you’d never make it as a knight in King Arthur’s time, but you’d make a crackerjack Prince John . . . No, better still, a Machiavelli. I read those things, you know, that classic shit. I’m not some dumb lout, like most of my guys. Maybe that’s why I take to you.” His eyes lit up. “What the hell. Get a good sleep tonight, and tomorrow we’ll go to the steakhouse again. Drown our woes in raw flesh and fine wine, hey Kingsley? Yeah, and vintage scotch. We can wait at the restaurant for the guys to tell us when the witch is dead.” With a regal wave, he dismissed Kingsley.
Outside, Kingsley’s stomach lurched. His last steak dinner with Mario was all too recent. Still, there was a lot to celebrate.
Chapter Thirty-One
Something disturbing but intriguing just happened. A woman was murdered in a small town in Ontario, quite close to the Trans-Canada Highway. The details are similar to Sarah’s murder. The CIB was called in, and I wish I was one of the detectives working on it. As head of the CIB, Jonathan’s the lead detective. DS Sykes pulled out of the case to deal with some family business. If I was in the CIB now, I could work on it. Instead, I can only follow it from a distance. But what if the killer’s the very one who murdered Sarah? I need to know.
— From the diary of Rebecca Sarah Bradley (June 30, 2006)
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
On Tuesday, Rebecca and the team spent a quiet day in Conroy, planning their next moves and waiting for Hound to show up. The evening passed slowly and she retired early, hoping nothing bad had happened to him. The following morning, she returned to her room after breakfast and slept until her cellphone woke her.
“Constable Bradley . . .”
“Hound?”
“Yes, Rebecca. I have some information about Jackie. Just listen, in case I lose the connection. Get a pen or something.”
She grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. “Go ahead.”
“Take down these directions, then tell Sykes to get his team together and call Orillia for backup.” He told Rebecca about meeting Esme, and her claim that Cora Simons was sheltering Lily Caldwell. He didn’t bring Matthew into it.
Rebecca whistled. “Great work, Hound. DI Sykes will be over the moon. Where are you now?”
“On my way to Jackie.”
“Wait, Hound. Stay put. We’ll link up on the Trans-Canada and all go after her together.”
“Sorry, I have to get there fast. I’m concerned that something bad may be about to happen at Cora Simon’s house.”
“Hold off, Hound. Don’t go anywhere by yourself, you could mess up the whole operation. Jackie might kill you, or just escape into the forest again. We can’t let that happen.”
“Speak louder, Rebecca. You’re breaking up.” Hound’s voice was muffled. He must have put his hand over the mouthpiece. Rebecca knew he wasn’t going to wait.
“Don’t do this to me, Hound.”
“What did you say, Rebecca? I’m having reception trouble. Speak—” The line went dead. Rebecca tried calling him back, but his phone went to voice mail.
“Dammit!” She called DI Sykes.
“Slow down, DC Bradley. I can’t understand what you’re saying.” He listened. “Okay. Grab your gun. I’ll round up Chad and Hadi, and O’Reilly. We’ll head right out. I’ll call Orillia and have an Emergency Response Team sent. This is the break we’ve been waiting for. Let’s hope Hound doesn’t screw it up.” He cut the call.
Rebecca dressed hastily, her hands shaking. Once again, she faced the prospect of Hound being killed before they could catch up with him.
* * *
Hound switched his cell phone off and focused on the road ahead. He would reach Jackie in half an hour or so, and what then? Drive up to the house and get shot? He motored on. When he spotted the lane to Cora’s place, he slowed his car to a crawl, eventually deciding to drive up to the house and duck if he saw Jackie aiming her rifle at him. Maybe if he made no attempt to hide, there would be no sport in killing him.
He rounded a bend and saw the yellow and black bungalow he’d been told to look out for. The multi-coloured birdhouses were exactly as Esme had described. Full of trepidation, he turned into the driveway and came to a halt behind a Volkswagen and a black sedan. He got out and stood looking around. No one came out.
He walked cautiously up to the front door and was just raising his hand to knock when it opened a crack. A rifle barrel poked through the gap.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Chad drove at breakneck speed, but Rebecca estimated that Hound still had a twenty minute lead on them, more than enough time to reach Cora Simon’s house and be killed by Jackie before they arrived, and well before the Emergency Response Team were likely to show up.
Rebecca leaned forward. “You sure you can follow Hound’s instructions, sir?”
Sykes had a map of the area spread out on his lap. He twisted round and gave her a sharp look. Of course he could read a road map. Rebecca wondered what they would do when they got to Cora Simon’s place.
Chad veered off the Trans-Canada, onto the back road Hound had told them about. In ten minutes, they would know how things stood. Rebecca leaned forward again.
“Take it easy, DC Bradley. We’ll just have to play it by ear. We have no idea what we’ll find. I know what you’re thinking, but I am not risking lives needlessly. Jackie has a rifle. Chad will stop the car when we spot the house, then we’ll get out and take cover. The ERT’s on its way, and it will be their call when to approach the house.”
Rebecca slumped unhappily into her seat and glanced at Hadi, who nodded. Rebecca supposed she’d have to agree with him. She peered out through the window.
* * *
Frozen to the spot, Hound fought back mounting panic. Jackie wasn’t smiling triumphantly this time, which was something. Instead, she was regarding him with a curious expression on her face. It certainly wasn’t hate or rage. Somehow, she didn’t seem to be threatening him, desp
ite the rifle.
The door swung open and he found himself looking down at another tiny woman. They seemed to be everywhere these days. “Cora Simon. You must be Hound. I have been looking forward to meeting you for a while.” She waved him inside.
Jackie lowered her rifle and stepped aside. Hound exhaled heavily and entered. He had to bend almost double to avoid hitting his head on the door frame.
Just as Cora was closing the door behind him, two large SUVs roared up the lane and headed towards the house. The vehicles ground to a halt in a cloud of dust, and eight men spilled out, all carrying guns.
Jackie leapt in front of Cora and Hound and fired at them, drilling one of the riflemen right between the eyes. The others dove behind the SUVs.
Jackie backed into the room and slammed the door shut. “Out back. Quick!” Hound followed her and Cora into the kitchen as a volley of bullets struck the house, shattering the windows and puncturing the furniture and walls.
Entering the kitchen, Hound almost stumbled over Jackie, who was leaning over another woman seated on a green plastic chair. Jackie helped her to her feet, and Hound knew at once that this was her mother. The woman appeared startled but unafraid. All four of them ran out through the back door.
Outside, Cora said, “I know a safe place we can hide. Quick, before those men cut us off.” She led them through the garden and onto a path that led towards the forest.
Hound glanced back over his shoulder. The gunmen had stopped shooting, although it wouldn’t be long before they came after them. He felt safer among the trees. Alone, he could easily have eluded the men, but the two older women made them much more vulnerable. They were moving far too slowly. Hound decided to stay behind and try to divert the men, but Jackie shouldered past him and blocked his way.
“They’re mine.” The deadly glitter had returned to her eyes. “You go on.”
“This way,” Cora said. Beckoning vigorously, she resumed her flight.
* * *
“Son of a bitch!” The syndicate leader stood looking down at his fallen comrade. “I swear I’ll strangle that bitch with my bare hands. Shoot to disable, if you can, but kill her if you have to.”
“What do we do now, boss?” said one of the gunmen. “Think we got any of them?”
“Shut up, idiot. We didn’t get a one. They’ve gone out back, done a runner.”
“How will we know if they’re not still inside?”
The leader grinned. “That won’t be a problem. You’ll take care of it.”
The gunman looked puzzled. “How?”
“Just walk up there and knock on the door. They’ll probably invite you in for tea.”
The gunman blenched. “What? Me? You saw what she did with that rifle. Topped poor Leo with just one shot. Let’s just forget it, okay?”
The leader tapped the gunman’s forehead with the muzzle of his gun. “Tell me what you’re gonna do.”
The gunman looked at his associates, but they all looked away. Swallowing loudly, he took a few steps forward.
“Right now. Got it?” the leader snapped.
“For sure, boss. Right away.” The gunman swallowed again.
The leader gave the gunman a shove and watched him scurry up to the door. He opened it. With a quick look over his shoulder, he disappeared inside. Seconds later, he emerged, waving his arms. “All clear, boss. Nobody here.”
The leader moved out from behind the car. “Okay, guys, let’s go. We’ll run them to ground in the woods and finish the job.” He eyed the dead rifleman. “I’ll just call Mario, and tell him what’s happened.” While the gunmen ran to the side of the house, he pulled out his cell phone, but he was out of range.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
DI Sykes and his team sped along the lane to Cora Simon’s house. Chad spotted the two SUVs parked near the house, and squealed to a halt. The detectives got out. A man lay sprawled in the dust, his head in a pool of blood.
“Jackie’s here all right,” Sykes said. “But we’ve got a big problem. Those must be syndicate cars. From their size, they must have brought six men or more, and you can be sure they’re all armed to the teeth.” He turned to his team. “That means we wait right here until the ERT arrives. I’m calling in more support. We could have quite a battle on our hands.” He put his cellphone to his ear. “Dammit, we’re out of range.” He turned to Chad. “Take the car and drive along the Trans-Canada until you get a signal. Tell Cartwright we need every available officer, plus canine support and a helicopter with thermal imaging.” He got out of the car, followed by Hadi, O’Reilly and Rebecca.
“Be back as soon as I can,” Chad yelled and raced off, sending stones flying from under the tires.
“Now what, sir?” Rebecca said. “We can’t just stay here and do nothing.”
“Yes we can,” said Sykes. “We’ll check the house, hopefully finding no dead bodies, and then we’ll confirm where the syndicate men chased Jackie into the woods. That’s obviously what happened. But that’s it. We need to be here when the ERT arrives.”
Rebecca cursed inwardly, although she knew Sykes was right. Once again, things had gotten out of control.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Hound followed Cora through clumps of bush and across forest glens. She pushed on in silence, helping Jackie’s mother up slippery hills and across shallow streams. If Cora had sheltered Lily for more than two decades, they must be very close, Hound figured. Maybe they were related in some way. But why had Lily never let Jackie and her father know where she was staying after she left them?
Before they had gone far, two shots rang out. One came from Jackie’s rifle. By now, Hound recognized its particular sound. A flurry of gunshots followed, and Hound became worried that the syndicate men had taken her down. But right now he had to help the women get to a safe place.
More shots echoed through the forest — closer now. Jackie’s rifle again, so she must be alive. Hound couldn’t help smiling, although somewhat grimly. He was still wondering why she hadn’t killed him when she had him in her sights. It meant he was in her debt, in a peculiar sort of way. As soon as the two older women were safely in the shelter, he would go back and help Jackie fight off those men.
* * *
The detectives found Cora’s house deserted. They guessed what must have happened from the broken glass and the bullet holes that peppered the living room and front entrance. Soon, the ERT arrived, and the detectives went outside to brief them. Shortly afterwards, Chad appeared and told them that Cartwright had come through big time. The area would be swarming with police and support units within the hour. Two handlers with search dogs were on their way, and a helicopter carrying a sniper would be overhead in twenty minutes.
Rebecca was impressed by this response, although she was still worried that they’d be too late to prevent a disaster. She approached Sykes.
“Sir, I want to go with you and the ERT.”
“Of course,” Sykes said, “but stay close to the other detectives. We’re heading out now. We haven’t got time to wait for more firepower.” He turned to the ERT leader. “Leave two men behind to guide the reinforcements when they arrive. The rest of your team can come with me. We should aim to close in on the syndicate men undetected. If we can take some of them out and pin down the rest until the reinforcements arrive, we might save some lives. The helicopter and sniper should be here soon.” Sykes turned to the detectives. “We’re heading into the woods now. The gunmen should’ve left a trail. If not, the dogs will pick up their scent when they get here.”
They set off, Sykes out front with the ERT, and the detectives trailing behind. Soon, they heard gunshots echo through the forest some way ahead of them, and they broke into a sprint.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
As soon as Hound went to retrieve the gift he’d left in the forest for him, Matthew was off. Bow in hand, he made hi
s way through the tangled bush to the place where he stowed his aging pickup truck. After a couple of unsuccessful attempts, the engine sputtered and roared into life. Matthew rumbled along a rough, overgrown track, to where he would park in a sheltered spot a mile from Cora’s house and make his way on foot to a place she had shown him long ago when he was a child. He wasn’t sure why Cora had told him to go there after Hound went to see him, but he was sure she had a good reason.
He felt guilty at not being honest with Hound. Jackie had come to his shack a few days ago. She’d told him she intended to kill Hound the first opportunity she got, and Matthew had no reason to disbelieve her. Afterwards, he went to see his mother, who said that Hound would be visiting him soon. She told him to let Hound know that Jackie could be found at her house. Apparently, Lily Caldwell had had a dream about Hound, and was convinced that Jackie wouldn’t kill him. Cora had also insisted that Matthew let Hound find his own way there, because on his way, he would meet someone he should get to know. Cora then told Matthew to head to the secret place she’d shown him all those years ago, and he should wait for her there.
This was all very puzzling, but past experience had taught Matthew not to ask questions. There was always a good reason for whatever his mother told him to do. As she’d instructed, he’d brought along his bow and a full sheaf of arrows.
Matthew’s destination was a cave much like Hound’s forest retreat. Matthew arrived and settled down to wait. He listened to the peaceful sounds of the forest, until a series of gunshots rent the air. Something had gone wrong. At once, he snatched up his bow and arrows and raced from the cave. Soon he saw Cora and Lily struggling along a forest path in his direction.
“What’s happening, Mother?”
Panting, Cora lowered herself onto a log. Lily stood next to her with a hand on her shoulder.
