Goldie helped the pregnant woman to stand, and Mrs. Volto let out a gasp, gripping her wrist tightly.
“What’s that noise?” she asked, suddenly beginning to hurry along the path. “It sounds like another drone. We have to get inside!”
But Goldie had no time to react because the bulky body of the drone appeared as if from nowhere, rising above the fence like a robotic spider and setting them in its sights. And she’d forgotten to bring her gun.
“Run!” Goldie yelled, picking up a stone from the nearby rock garden to hurl at the menacing hulk of metal flying their way. “Go get Zeke.”
Mrs. Volto raced to the door, leaving Goldie alone. She could do nothing but grab the rest of the decorative stones and one by one throw them at the drone with all her might, giving Mrs. Volto the opportunity to safely slip through the door. When her supply of rocks was exhausted, the drone hovered between her and the house, cutting off her route to safety. That’s when she noticed a package of some sort strapped to the metal body, trailing wires, a cell phone taped to the side.
“Oh no,” she said, turning to run. “It’s a bomb.”
FIVE
The high security fence loomed large, blocking Goldie’s only means of escape. With no way around it, she had no choice but to go over. Heart hammering in her chest, she picked up her pace and took a flying leap onto a stray pool lounger, using it like a springboard to launch herself at the wall. Her fingertips just managed to grip the edge while Zeke’s sneakers squeaked on the metal bars as she scrambled to throw her body across the top. The barbs on the wire dug into the flesh beneath her jeans, tearing the fabric, but she pulled and yanked herself free, leaving the blue coat dangling on the spikes as she dropped heavily to the ground on the other side. Winded but pumped full of adrenaline, she jumped up, ready to flee.
With her hair flowing in the breeze, she ran blindly in the dark, over the uneven ground of the field, struggling to keep a sure footing in her oversize shoes. The noise of the drone was incessant, whining, almost singing, and hot on her heels. There was no way she could outrun this thing. She could only hope something or someone would come to her aid.
“Please, Lord,” she muttered. “I know I don’t deserve it, but help me.”
She hit a hole in the ground, turned her ankle and cried out in pain, falling hard on the scrubby grass. Before she knew what was happening, she was tumbling over and over as she hit a slope, bumping on stones and clods of earth, feeling her body absorb an assortment of blows. The buzz was horribly loud, the drone directly overhead, just waiting for her to come to a standstill. Then it would crash land onto her, blowing her skyhigh.
Covering her eyes, not wanting to watch her own death unfold, Goldie waited for the inevitable. Yet the explosion never came. Instead, a gunshot pierced the night, cutting through the buzz and echoing across the hills. Someone was shooting. Another shot rang out and, opening her eyes, she saw the drone spark from contact with the bullet. The metal body wobbled, its buzz erratic, the operator clearly losing control of its flight. As if in slow motion, she watched the drone spin like a dying fly, spluttering and jerking, until it crashed to the ground about a hundred feet away and exploded with a bang. She shielded her face from the hot, rushing wind by burying her head in a bent elbow.
“Goldie!” Zeke was yelling out her name. “Where are you? Talk to me.”
“I’m here,” she yelled back. “I’m okay. I think.”
She pushed herself up to stand but groaned in pain as soon as her ankle bore her weight. She fell onto her behind, her body aching with the punishment of the blows she’d taken.
In a matter of seconds, Zeke was there, lifting her up, carrying her in his arms, taking her away from the burning drone, back toward the safety of the house. She snaked her arms around his neck, taking solace in his strength, grateful that he had come to her rescue so quickly.
“Thank you,” she said weakly, her adrenaline diminishing. “That was close.”
“We need to get you checked for injuries,” he said, his face stony. “You got a cut lip there.”
She brought a hand to her mouth and checked her fingers, wiping the blood on her pants. What she really wanted to do right now was close her eyes and sleep. After hours of infuriating insomnia, now was the moment her body chose to succumb to slumber, while she rested in Zeke’s arms. She must be in shock.
As he walked, Zeke winced and sucked air through his teeth, and Goldie glanced down to see his bare feet walking on the thistly ground.
“You’re not wearing any shoes,” she said. “You need shoes.”
“I know.” He winked at her. “But somebody took my sneakers.”
* * *
The atmosphere in the room was tense and Zeke was wide-awake and wired, eager to discuss the recent drone attack. Christina had decided to hold an immediate emergency meeting, despite the time approaching 3:30 a.m. She and Karl had driven from their respective homes without delay, alarmed by this latest development in the Volto case.
Christina welcomed each person in the room: Zeke, Goldie, Angela and Karl. Mrs. Volto’s home cinema room had been deemed the best option for this meeting. With no windows and excellent soundproofing, they were not only safe from attack, but Mrs. Volto’s sleep wouldn’t be disturbed by their voices. Come what may, she would be attending court later that day and had taken a prescribed sedative to calm her nerves.
“Garth won’t be attending this meeting,” Christina said, opening her briefcase. “He’s standing guard outside Mrs. Volto’s room. But he and Angela need to get some sleep before escorting her to court this afternoon, so let’s be quick and to the point.” She turned to Angela, eyes blazing. “How on earth did Mrs. Volto bypass you and manage to slip outside unseen?”
Angela was sheepish. “I was in the bathroom. I didn’t see her.”
“The CCTV footage recorded Mrs. Volto and Agent Simmons talking outside for at least fifteen minutes. And you were unaware of this lapse in security the entire time. If you need to spend fifteen minutes in the bathroom, you should wake up Agent Cooper to take your place. Is that clear?”
“Um... I needed to take an urgent phone call,” Angela stammered. “It was personal and I didn’t want anybody to overhear.”
Christina was clearly unhappy. “More urgent than protecting a witness in a Mafia trial?”
“I’m sorry ma’am,” Angela said. “It won’t happen again.”
Christina sighed, pinched the bridge of her nose. “The prosecutor for the Volto case tells me that Mrs. Volto’s testimony is vital in persuading the jury to return a guilty verdict. We absolutely cannot allow anything to happen to her, or to her baby. I’m disappointed that we slipped up again.” She opened a notebook and began to write inside. “You’ll be issued a formal warning, Agent Martin, and another slip like this will be grounds for instant dismissal from the case. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Go turn in for the night. We’ll take over from here.”
Angela rose from her seat. “Thank you, ma’am. Good night.”
Christina watched and waited until the agent clicked the door closed behind her.
“We can’t discount the possibility that Angela deliberately allowed Mrs. Volto to go outside,” she said. “We knew that someone was leaking information about the case, and Angela could be a perfect fit.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” Zeke said. “Marsha got hold of that classified schedule before Angela was even assigned to the case.”
“Well, somebody must’ve told the drone operator that Mrs. Volto was outside, giving him the ideal opportunity to attack.” Christina stood and began to pace, as if thinking hard to put the pieces together. “The parts of the exploded drone are being gathered by a forensics team right now, but early indications suggest there was no camera on it. That means it was being guided by sight alone.”
“That means someb
ody was watching,” Karl said.
“Exactly,” Christina added. “He was close by, able to determine the exact time to strike. Whoever was controlling that drone knew Mrs. Volto was sitting by the pool and took the opportunity to try to eliminate her. Our tech guys are installing the drone jamming technology right now, so at least we won’t face another attack like this one.”
Zeke couldn’t believe that Christina could be so shortsighted. Did she really think that Mrs. Volto was the target of this improvised bomb?
“The drone didn’t chase Mrs. Volto,” Zeke said. “It was trying to eliminate Goldie.”
Christina glanced at Karl, as if they had both been expecting this claim from him.
“Goldie was wearing quite a distinctive coat that belongs to Mrs. Volto,” Christina said. “In the dark and with the hood up, it makes total sense that the drone operator would chase that blue coat. The perp is probably associated with the Mafia and has seen Mrs. Volto wearing it before.”
Zeke looked at Goldie stretched out, exhausted in her seat, her curls cascading over her shoulders.
“The coat got caught on the barbed wire,” he said. “And Goldie slipped out of it. The drone continued to chase her, even though her hair was clearly visible.”
Karl wasn’t convinced of the theory. “Like Christina already said, it was dark and visibility was poor. Perhaps the drone operator was only able to see an outline of a person once Goldie was over the fence. That field on the other side of the yard is pitch-black.”
“I’m not buying it.” Zeke shook his head. “I want to agree with you, because I’d like Goldie to stay here where I can protect her, but it’s getting too dangerous. She needs to be moved.”
Again, Christina and Karl exchanged a knowing glance, and Zeke didn’t like their unspoken words.
“Listen, Zeke,” Karl began awkwardly. “Your history with Goldie might be clouding your judgment a little. You two are close, perhaps too close.”
“We’re not close, sir, not at all.”
Goldie was in agreement. “Zeke’s right. We have history, but it’s all been left firmly in the past.”
“What do you think, Goldie?” Karl asked. “Do you think the drone was targeting you?”
She shrugged. “I honestly don’t know what to think anymore. It’s possible that I was the intended target, but I can’t be sure.”
“The drone that exploded a couple hours ago was a different drone from the one spying on Mrs. Volto yesterday,” Zeke said. “It was a different size and color and shape.” He rubbed a hand across his mousy blond curls. “I know this may sound crazy, but I don’t think the two drones are linked. The first drone came to spy on Mrs. Volto, but the second one came to kill Goldie. They were probably being piloted by different people.”
“You’re right, Zeke,” Karl said with a smile. “You do sound crazy.”
“Think about it,” he said. “The first drone didn’t make any attempt to hurt Mrs. Volto, even though it could’ve crashed through her bedroom window at any time. It only wanted to record images. We know that her husband hasn’t ordered a hit on her, but it looks like he might want to spy on her.”
“Why would he do that?” Karl asked.
Zeke had already assured Mrs. Volto that her secret was safe with him, and he wasn’t about to betray her by revealing her affair.
“I don’t know. Maybe he wants to see his baby getting bigger. Mr. Volto may be a hardened criminal, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a doting father.”
Karl took off his glasses and breathed on a lens before cleaning it. “Let’s be realistic here. The first drone was a reconnaissance mission, casing the house and lawns. The second drone used that information to launch the attack. It makes much more sense than your theory.”
“But the two drones were totally different,” Zeke argued. “If it’s the same guy, why wouldn’t he use the same one?”
“Are you sure the drones were different?” Karl replied. “One big metal fly looks very much like another as far as I’m concerned, especially in the dark.”
“No, sir,” Zeke said. “They were definitely different.”
Christina interjected. “It’s clear that you’re concerned about Goldie, Zeke, and you’re doing a great job taking care of her. From what I understand, you cleaned her wounds and checked her over after the incident, and your attentiveness has been noted.”
Zeke raised an eyebrow. “Why do I sense that the word however is about to be unleashed?”
“However,” Christina said emphatically, “all the signs point toward Mrs. Volto being the subject of both the gun attack and the drone bomb. Even if her husband didn’t order the hit, somebody is clearly trying to eliminate Louisa Volto, and Goldie has simply been caught in the cross fire.”
Zeke didn’t agree, not in the slightest, but what was the point of arguing? Christina and Karl would only accuse him of allowing his personal feelings to sway his professional opinion.
Karl checked his watch. “Zeke, I’ll be taking over the nighttime guard duty in a half hour. And I’ve decided to move into the house until the trial is over. Can you tell Garth to go to bed at 4:00 a.m., please? And I want you to keep a close eye on Goldie in case there’s a concussion.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Why don’t we make some coffee, Karl, and get started on the incident report.” Christina rose from her seat. “There’s a lot to do, but let’s do it quietly. Mrs. Volto has a big day ahead.”
Zeke watched them leave, heads together in a hushed whisper, and he let his body sink further into the soft leather chair. Meanwhile, Goldie was blinking slowly, apparently relaxed, as if on the verge of sleep.
“You have to be more careful, Goldie,” he said. “I’m certain that a bounty hunter is on to you, and I’m worried that Angela might be involved.”
“You could be right,” she said. “But Karl and Christina think your judgment is clouded because of our relationship.”
“That’s not true,” he retorted, before considering the idea more carefully. “At least, I don’t think it’s true.” He had to be honest here. “I must admit that my feelings for you are complicated, but I don’t think it’s affecting my judgment.”
He had clearly engaged her interest, as she pushed on her flat palms to slide herself upright.
“Your feelings are complicated?” she queried. “How so?”
Zeke wasn’t sure he could summon the right words to explain exactly how he felt, because, in truth, he wasn’t even sure of his feelings himself.
“I like you, Goldie,” he said. “I like you a lot, much more than I should considering we’re partners. I need to put some emotional distance between us, because I’m falling—” He stopped. “I’m falling out of step with the assignment. I could see that Mrs. Volto was restless before bed last night, and I should’ve asked her if she was okay.”
“Your assignment is me, Zeke,” she said. “Mrs. Volto’s safety is on Garth and Angela now.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not doing such a great job of being your protector either. That’s the second close call you’ve had since you’ve been in hiding.”
“I’m not an easy person to guard,” she said sheepishly. “I shouldn’t have gone outside, so don’t be too hard on yourself.”
“I’m so glad you’re okay. When that explosion ripped into the sky, I was terrified. I mean, I’ve been scared before, but not like that.”
Zeke’s tight chest was still recovering from the terror, from the fear that he had lost her all over again. It had made him question how deep his feelings truly ran.
She smiled, lifted up her leg to focus on her swollen ankle. “Apart from the sprain and a few scratches, I’m totally fine.”
“I wouldn’t say you’re totally fine,” Zeke said. “In fact, you’re dealing with a lot of issues.”
“Yeah, but that’s my problem
, not yours.”
“I’ve been trying to help.”
Goldie snorted. “By whitewashing the past?”
“I’m not whitewashing anything,” he protested. “You seem determined to place the blame on me instead of accepting that we’re both victims of circumstance.”
“Circumstance?” She seemed incredulous. “Is that what you call it when you can’t be bothered to track down the girl you love?”
He sighed. “I don’t want to go there again, Goldie. It’s too late and I’m too tired.”
She stood up, balancing on one leg. “That’s fine by me. I’m going to bed.”
He jumped up to slide his arm around her back, tucking his hand into her armpit. “Let me help. You can’t get upstairs alone.”
She leaned on him, limping awkwardly to the door.
“This would be a lot quicker and easier if I carried you,” he said.
“That’s never gonna happen again,” she said, continuing to hobble. “I’m not a helpless princess, Zeke. I can take care of myself.”
He smiled, although it was not a smile of happiness. Goldie’s defensiveness was maddening. She claimed that she didn’t need anything or anybody, not even God’s grace. And she would never let up on her pressure to win an apology from him, to be the one in the right and prove to herself that she was the wronged party.
This cemented his belief that some emotional distance was definitely required.
* * *
Goldie towel dried her hair as she limped downstairs, her head fuzzy after the very late night. Despite sleeping until 11:00 a.m., she was still groggy and bleary-eyed as she headed in the direction of nearby voices, taking care to bear most of her weight on her good ankle.
“Good morning,” she said, entering the darkened room and seeing paperwork spread across the new coffee table, a replacement for the one destroyed by the shooter. “Mrs. Volto, how are you feeling today?”
Mrs. Volto stood abruptly and placed a flat palm on her chest. “Oh, Goldie, you scared me. I didn’t hear you coming. Willy and I were just doing some last minute preparations before I go to court this afternoon.”
Hunted by the Mob Page 8
