by D. K. Hood
“She could be inside.” Jenna’s voice sounded desperate. “Amanda, can you hear me? It’s Sheriff Alton.”
Nothing.
“Amanda, are you in there?”
Nothing.
“Can you see if he’s rigged the door?” Jenna’s flashlight moved all around the frame. “I can’t see any wires.”
Kane examined the door but found no sign of tampering. “Same as before – move back into the kitchen and I’ll try and open the door.”
He waited for her to retreat, and then grasped the handle and the door swung open. Darkness and the smell of pee greeted him. He aimed his flashlight inside and then turned to Jenna and shook his head. “Someone was here but it’s empty now. Dammit, we’ll have to check the cellar.” He holstered his weapon. “If the Shadow Man has used this place Wolfe might be able to pick up some trace evidence.”
“I’ll get his ETA.” Jenna made the call. “They’ve just parked behind your truck and are on their way.”
Kane used his mic. “Wolfe, the back entrance is clear. Follow the tree line and don’t use the animal track. We haven’t swept the front of the house. We’re heading out the back door and over to the barn to check the root cellar.”
“Roger that. We’ll keep clear of the front of the house.”
Thirty-Seven
Jenna followed Kane down the back steps and they crept along the side of the house. The barn doors stood open and a shaft of light picked up the hatch leading to the root cellar. She waited for him to scan the area with his binoculars. “See anything?’
“Nope.” Kane turned to look at her. “Let me go first. We’ll head for the side of the barn, then take a closer look to make sure it’s safe to go inside.”
“Okay.”
As Kane took off across the rough ground between the house and barn, Wolfe’s voice came in her ear.
“We’re at the back door. Want us to watch your back before we go inside?”
Jenna turned to see Wolfe standing at the corner of the house. She pressed her mic. “Roger that.”
Moments later, Wolfe and Webber jogged to her side. She glanced over at Kane’s progress. He’d made the thirty yards to the barn without incident. He scanned the area before waving her toward him. She scanned all directions, and then jogged toward him, but halfway across, Wolfe’s voice broke the silence.
“Sniper!” Wolfe was aiming toward the hill and emptying his weapon.
As she turned to look at him, bullets slammed into her back and the impact, like a baseball bat to her ribs, threw her flat on her face. Pain shot through her like a red-hot poker and she gasped for breath. The ground beneath her wavered slightly and the grass pricked her eyes, then the metallic taste of blood covered her tongue. She turned her head to look at Kane and knew from his expression that it was bad. Oh, Jesus.
“Stay down, Jenna.” Kane’s voice came in her ear. “Don’t move.”
A part of her wondered why Kane hadn’t rushed to her side to say goodbye. His professional mask had slipped firmly into place as he scoped the hillside with his sniper rifle then fired a barrage of shots. She understood the drill. Wolfe was close by with the knowledge to tend her and Kane was providing cover fire. She heard his voice again and wanted to say something, but she couldn’t lift her hand to turn on her mic.
“Webber, fire to the west of the tallest tree on my command.” Kane sounded calm and in control and somehow it made her feel better. “Wolfe, you’re good to go – on my count, one, two, three.”
She turned her head to see Webber standing at the corner of the house. He lifted his rifle shoulder-high and the barrage of shots made her ears ring. All around the smell of gunpowder tainted the fresh spring air. The next moment footfalls thundered toward her, and then Wolfe had scooped her up and was running toward the barn. She bit back a cry of pain and stared up at his grim expression. I’m going to miss you all, especially Kane, Wolfe and the girls. “How bad?” She didn’t recognize her raspy voice. “I think they hit a lung, I taste blood.”
Wolfe laid her gently against the wall of the barn. “Let me take a look.” He tugged off her coat, and then released the Kevlar vest. A cold hand snuck up her back, pressing her ribs. “Take a deep breath.”
Jenna found she could breathe. She spat out the blood in her mouth. “It hurts like a bitch.”
“You’ll be fine. The vest caught the rounds and you’ll be bruised, but nothing’s broken.” Wolfe touched her face. “Let me see your mouth.” He nodded as he peered inside. “Don’t worry about the blood. You’ve bitten your tongue is all, when you fell.”
Jenna met his pale gaze and smiled. “Thanks, I figured I was a goner for sure.”
“I’ve got morphine in my field kit.” Wolfe got to his feet. “I’ll go get it and it wouldn’t hurt to strap your ribs and ice them.”
Jenna shook her head. “I’ve got Tylenol in my pocket.” She pushed a hand inside her jeans pocket and produced a strip. “I’ll get into the hot tub tonight. I’ll be fine.”
“I’ll pull the rounds out the vest, and then you should put it back on. It’ll support your back.” Wolfe went to work and removed the bullets, then helped her dress. “They’re a small caliber; he didn’t intend to kill you.”
The gunfire stopped and Kane came to crouch by her side, his concerned gaze examining her face. “You okay?” He took her hand and squeezed. His latex glove felt strange against her skin.
Jenna nodded. “Wolfe says I’ll be fine. I just had the wind knocked out of me.”
“You’re lucky you turned your back or the rounds would have hit the weakest part of the vest.” Kane smiled at her. “You’re one tough lady. I know how much it hurts, Jenna; you’ll be black and blue come morning.” He glanced up at Wolfe. “How fast can you get her a liquid armor Kevlar vest?”
“A what?” Jenna looked from one man to the other.
“It’s experimental technology.” Kane looked down at her. “The vest is saturated by a liquid called STF. It remains fluid unless hit by a bullet or a knife, then it hardens.” He lifted his attention to Wolfe. “I want one for her, like, yesterday.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” Wolfe straightened and leaned against the barn. “Did you take the SOB down?”
“Nope. I didn’t catch a glimpse of him.” Kane stood and stared toward the hillside. “Where did you first catch sight of him?”
“I caught a glint at the top of the rocky outcrop, which makes me figure he’s not military.” Wolfe rubbed his chin. “No fool would use a weapon that reflects, and a sniper would have taken a head shot. I’d say hunter, maybe at best.”
“Maybe.” Kane stared into the distance. “He must have dropped down the other side out of view. I had a clear shot to the outcrop and couldn’t see him.” He sighed. “It’s pointless chasing after him; there’s a dirt road on the other side and he’d be heading for the hills by now.”
“Would you like a drink, ma’am?” Webber knelt beside Jenna and handed her a bottle of water. “I always bring a couple of extras with me.”
Jenna took it with a smile. “You’re a lifesaver. Thank you.” She took a couple of pills with a sip, and then glanced up at Kane. “We need to check the root cellar. This might have been a distraction to keep us from finding Amanda.” She tried to get to her feet but Kane laid a hand on her shoulder.
“Rest awhile longer. I’ll go.” He turned to Webber. “Stay with her until I get back.”
Jenna shook her head. “I’ll be fine. I’m safe here in the shadows and Wolfe needs him to do a forensic sweep of the house.” She pulled out her weapon. “And I have this. Go. Amanda may be down there.”
“I hope not.” Kane grimaced and edged toward the barn door.
* * *
Kane slid around the door of the barn and peered into the dim light. Nothing had changed since his last horrendous visit. He pulled out his flashlight and aimed it all around, noticing a wire running from a small hole in the floorboards up a post beside the hayloft and out throug
h a hole in the roof. On closer inspection, it appeared to be the same solar panel set-up they’d found in another old house during the search for Lindy. The Shadow Man had required a power source in the cellar. The idea of finding another dead girl in that godforsaken place curdled Kane’s gut. He made his way slowly to the hatch and examined it for wires. Not willing to pull it open and risk detonating an explosive device, he searched around and found an old hay-rake handle to lift the lid. It came open easily and fell back with a clatter onto the floor.
After waiting a beat, he aimed the light down the steps – and grimaced. The treads carried bloodstained footprints in a grisly reminder of the past. He sucked in a deep breath and dropped his mind into combat mode. His heart slowed and his muscles tightened on alert as he edged down the steps. The smell of mildew, damp and rats greeted him with each step into the murky darkness. At the bottom of the steps, he drew his weapon and aimed the flashlight down the muzzle of his gun.
He’d never forgotten his first visit to this hellhole. He gritted his teeth, and then took a quick look around the corner. Ahead, a long red brick passageway led to an open door. His flashlight lingered on the black footprints on the concrete floor, flooding his mind with unwanted memories. After the murder, no one had bothered to remove the blood spilled during the slaughter of a young woman. The victim had resembled his sister and the memory of finding her mutilated body haunted him to this day.
With his pulse pounding slowly in his ears, he moved forward. The darkness closed in around him, suffocating, and so silent he could hear his own breathing. As he edged to the doorway, a cold breeze lifted his hair and made a spider run up a dangling cobweb suspended in the doorframe. He searched all around the doorframe for signs of an explosive device but found nothing. The dusty floor had footprints overlaying the bloody reminders of the past but they likely belonged to Rowley and Webber.
His mind’s eye recreated the image of the girl’s dead body. The gaping red smile slashed across her throat came to him like a nightmare from hell. He took a beat to gather himself, refusing to allow a memory to unnerve him. Dammit, he’d been in worse situations, seen more horrendous murders than he was prepared to admit. He turned into the cellar and used the flashlight to scan the room. It hadn’t changed much. Apart from a chair pushed to one side and a disturbed area of dust in front of an old wooden table, the place was empty. Relieved, he drew a deep breath then stared at the pool of dried blood, no longer red but a black reminder of murder. As he turned the beam, he picked up a wire running to a light bulb suspended from the ceiling. He’d make sure Wolfe knew this was a new addition to the cellar and the same battery set-up as the one they’d found in the other house. “Your knowledge base just keeps on growing, Shadow Man.”
He examined the chair, figuring it could be the one in the video where the killer had used to restrain Lindy. Another blast of cool breeze shot down the air vent, sending shivers down his spine. He’d seen enough. He was heading for the door when his flashlight picked up a glint on the dirty floor. He squatted to take a better look and found a silver chain with a bluebird charm attached. He used his cellphone camera to take a few shots, and then examined the chain. It was complete, so the killer hadn’t torn it from the girl’s neck. He pulled an evidence bag from his pocket and dropped the necklace inside. He frowned. None of the parents of the missing girls had mentioned that their daughters owned a silver chain. I hope this doesn’t mean he’s taken another one.
Thirty-Eight
The moment the deputies moved out of sight, Jenna let out a long painful breath. She’d gripped her trembling hands together to prevent them seeing, but the shock of what happened racked her body with tremors – and it hurt. She’d put on a brave face to put Kane’s mind at ease but the pain in her back was significant and it had taken an inner strength she didn’t know she possessed to hold back the tears stinging the backs of her eyes. The Shadow Man was a callous coward. She didn’t want to imagine the terror he’d inflicted on Lindy before her death and now Amanda was in his clutches. She laid her weapon on the ground beside her, pulled out her cellphone and called Rowley. She updated him, and then listened with interest.
“Nothing on the search or from the Braxtons. The hotline calls are much the same, nothing of significance. I’ve spoken to everyone who called but all the leads run dry.” Rowley sighed. “We’ve had a couple of calls – one came from Lucy’s mom just before. I wasn’t going to bother you with it right now but since someone tried to kill you, I figure it might be important. Lucy recalls Packer and Kittredge having a conversation about shooting out at the range. They chatted about their hunting rifles and made plans to meet there.” He cleared his throat. “I followed up and spoke to the manager of the rifle range and both men are more than capable of shooting from the distance you mentioned.”
Jenna rubbed her forehead. “We had them on the list to interview again. What was the second call?”
“It came in on the 911 line. The Zammits’ place backs onto the hillside, where you figure the shooter was standing. Mrs. Zammit said she caught sight of a light-colored pickup truck driving recklessly toward town on the dirt road bordering their property just before. Called in thinking the driver could be drinking and was worried about him speeding through town with all the kids on vacation and all.” Rowley took a breath. “I would have driven out to take a look but I’m alone here, so all I could do was to go outside and watch the flow of traffic. I didn’t see anyone speeding but there is a ton load of light-colored pickups in town. Looks like I missed an opportunity to catch the man who shot at you. I’m sorry, ma’am.”
“He couldn’t have gotten to town that fast.” Hearing a rustling sound close by, Jenna scanned the area. “At least it confirms the pickup was a light color. Keep me updated.”
“Sure will, ma’am.”
Unsure what the sound was that was getting louder by the second, Jenna disconnected. A large bush a few feet away would offer her more protection. She eased painfully into its shadows and sat panting. The small effort had sapped her strength. Staring all around, she noticed a shadow moving at the other end of the barn. She slipped her Glock into the palm of her hand and aimed, then flicked the mic switch on her com pack. “Kane, I see someone on my side of the barn. I have a clear shot.”
“That would be me, Jenna, so hold your fire.” Kane’s voice sounded less than amused. “There’s no sign of Amanda in the root cellar. I went around back to check on something. Where are you? I can’t see you.”
Relieved, Jenna leaned back against the wall. “I’m behind the bush a couple of yards from the barn door.”
“Roger that.”
Kane seemed to emerge from the shadows like a ghost. He came to her side. Jenna looked up at him. “You vanished then reappeared. I didn’t hear you coming.”
“That’s good; when you spotted me before, I figured I was losing my edge.” He crouched down beside her and pushed a strand of hair from her eyes. “You gonna be okay sitting here if I go get the beast?”
Wondering why he was treating her like a casualty, Jenna stared at him. “I’m fine. I’m quite capable of walking back to your truck.”
“I’d rather you didn’t.” Kane gave her a long, searching look. “You’re as pale as a ghost and if the sniper is intent on taking you out, we’d need to run to the cover of the house at least.”
“What makes you think he’s still out there?”
“This.” Kane pulled an evidence bag from his pocket and dangled it in front of her nose. “I don’t recall any of the victims’ parents mentioning their daughters owned a silver chain with a charm like this, do you?”
Jenna swallowed hard. “So if the Shadow Man left it behind on purpose, he’d be waiting for a reaction?”
“Oh, yeah. He’s been careful to cover his tracks – this isn’t an oversight.” Kane’s mouth turned down. “I’m hoping he’s not abducted another victim.”
“Dammit, we haven’t found a trace of Amanda and if he’s taken another gir
l already, he’s escalating faster than anyone we’ve dealt with before. I’ve stretched our resources to the limit and since the FBI figure we can handle this on our own, I’ll have to start deputizing some of the local volunteers to assist. The problem is everyone’s exhausted from searching already.” Dismayed, Jenna shook her head. “I’m done here. Wolfe doesn’t need our help, so we’d better get our butts into action and chase down the other suspects on our list.”
“Not so fast.” Kane rested one large hand on her shoulder “Jenna, I’ve been hit wearing a vest and it’s similar to being shot, just without the blood. I know Wolfe figures you’re okay but you should let the paramedics examine you and maybe have an X-ray.”
As if I have time. She stared up at him. “Not until we find Amanda.”
“At least ice the injury or you’ll be no good to anyone.” Kane cleared his throat. “You know I’m right, Jenna.”
“Dave, I know my body.” Jenna shook her head. “Nothing’s cracked or broken. I’m sure you know the feeling and yeah, it hurts, but I’ll be fine. I don’t need to go see the paramedics. I’ll get some ice on it when I get back to the office.”
Wanting to prove a point, Jenna tried to push to her feet and a wave of agony seared up her spine. She bit back a moan and decided leaning against the wall was a better option. “Okay, go get the truck.”
“I’ll drop the necklace in to Wolfe on the way. I won’t be long.” Kane moved his concerned gaze over her. “Drink the water. I’ve a bunch of instant cold packs in my field kit you can use.”
Jenna smiled up at him. “Yes, Doctor.”
* * *
After Kane insisted on carrying her to the front passenger seat of his truck, Jenna had reached her pain threshold and his offer of cold packs suddenly seemed like a good idea. Her teeth chattered as he slid them up her back, setting them over the T-shirt she wore next to her skin. “Oh, this is wonderful. Why haven’t I tried this form of torture before?”
