Red Rover, Perdition Games

by L E Fraser

  Cringing against the floor, sucking clean air, she felt someone caress the tips of her fingers.

  Behind Sam, she heard a deep cracking sound. A thunderous reverberation deafened her. The world went black.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Reece

  “WHERE ARE YOU? Call me when you get this.” Reece put down the cell and tried to squash his irritation. Sam couldn’t still be on the phone. He’d been trying to reach her for over an hour, and it kept going straight to voice mail.

  He studied his iPad. It might be intrusive and controlling, but he’d track her cell. They were in the middle of a murder investigation, and if she didn’t want him “spying” on her, as she saw it, then she should be more dependable.

  Scrolling through his applications, he double-clicked on the GPS tracking for her phone. It showed her on the Don Valley Parkway, headed north. Ten minutes later, it was still there. Stationary on a major freeway.

  A few clicks and he had a traffic cam image of the city highway. Cars travelled along at a good rate. Enlarging the image, Reece traced the lanes of traffic. No cars broken down on the shoulders. He had a pretty good guess what the problem was. That useless car charger wasn’t working again and her cell was dead. The application was showing her last known location before the cell crashed.

  Chewing on the corner of his lip, he switched applications and checked the GPS tracker for the device he’d attached to her car. He studied the map. The car was at the Harris farm. Grumbling under his breath, he picked up his cell.

  “Hi, Brenda, it’s Reece Hash. Sorry to disturb but can you put Sam on the phone?”

  “I’m at Roger’s house,” she replied. “Sam’s not here.” Some type of bird was making a racket in the background. They must be sitting on Roger’s fantastic deck beside his magnificent barbeque.

  “I’ll try your landline.”

  “Why would Sam be there? No one’s home.” She sounded perplexed. “Jordan’s in the city, I dropped him off at the Rogers Centre to attend a Blue Jays game. Jordanna has detention all week, and Jennifer is with her aunt.” She paused before rushing to add, “I checked on her this time and she’s there.”

  Reece stared at the flashing dot on his screen. Sam’s car was definitely at the farm. She must be snooping. Hopefully she hadn’t broken into the house. During an active investigation, Sam’s scruples about obeying certain laws—such as breaking and entering—were shady.

  “Ah, my mistake.” He kept his voice matter-of-fact. “Enjoy your evening and say hello to Roger.”

  The red dot flashed at him. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. When he’d worked with the provincial police, he’d learned to respect his instincts—except for once. He’d neglected to act on his suspicions about Bueton Sanctuary. What happened that winter would forever haunt him.

  With a sigh, he grabbed his keys and attached Brandy’s leash—the dog wasn’t staying home with Jordan gallivanting around Toronto. Who knew if the little creep was actually attending a baseball game? Maybe he’d ditched his squad and was on his way over to make good on the threat to kill Brandy.

  During the day, Reece had considered Sam’s hypothesis from the night before. She was right. There was something off about Jordan. The more Reece examined the facts, the more convinced he was that Jordan was behind the threatening telephone calls. He remembered the smug expression on the kid’s face when they’d chatted about football coaches using red rover to measure players’ strength and agility. Reece wasn’t convinced that Jordan had killed his father—Roger was his main suspect, followed closely by Brenda or Caitlyn—but the telephone calls felt like a prank. But, with or without intent, a nasty prank could accidentally turn deadly in a heartbeat.

  After he set the alarm and locked up the loft, he and Brandy went to the parking lot and Reece settled the dog in the back seat. He drove to the Don Valley Parkway, hoping it was early enough in the afternoon to miss the joy of Toronto’s infamous bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic. Heading north, he made good time and was able to avoid all but two traffic jams on his way out of the city.

  After exiting the 400, he caught a glimpse of a tendril of smoke curling into the distant sky. Someone was burning spring lawn waste. The sight reminded him of working in the backyard of his old Uthisca home—he actually missed the everyday chores that had been part of his country life.

  As he gazed at the horizon, he realized it was more than just a whiff of smoke. It was billowing and the cloud was black. Something was burning hot and fast. A troubling sense of urgency overwhelmed him. He stepped on the accelerator and sped to the farm.

  Sam’s car was in the gravel lot, and Reece pulled up beside it, got out of his car, and opened the back door for Brandy. The dog hopped out and whined. The odour of smoke was prominent, and it was rising into the sky from the back of the property. A high-pitched scream mixed with the crackling roar of fire that floated on the wind. Reece’s blood ran cold and he sprinted around the house. He stared with horror at the flames that engulfed the barn, too astonished to move.

  Jennifer was running toward him from the direction of the fire, waving her arms over her head and yelling something he couldn’t hear. Reece closed the distance, and Jennifer fell into his arms. Her clothing reeked of smoke, sweat ran down her soot-covered cheeks, and her eyes roamed everywhere, never focusing on one spot.

  “Are you okay?” He took her hand. There was an ugly, blistering burn on her forearm.

  “There’s someone in the barn! We can’t get in. There’s a padlock and the other doors won’t open.”

  Reece’s stomach dropped. He let go of her hand and thrust his cell at her. “Call 911. Get an ambulance and fire trucks.”

  He tore around the house to his car, popped the trunk, and rummaged under the trunk pad. Blood pounded in his ears, his hands shook, and he couldn’t find the damn crowbar.

  “Jordanna called them when we got here ten minutes ago. She’s trying to get in.” Jennifer grabbed his arm. “There’s someone in there!” In the grips of panic, she looked like a scared little girl. “They’re gonna get all burned up! You gotta do something!” She was near hysterics as she tugged at his arm, urging him to hurry.

  Reece cupped her chin and held her eyes, trying to get her to focus. “Where’s Sam?”

  Confusion flooded her face. “What? Sam’s not here.” Her eyes fell to the car beside his. She looked stricken and clamped her hand over her mouth.

  When her legs gave out, Reece grabbed her shoulders and propped her up against the hood of the car, making sure she was able to stay upright before he returned to the trunk and snagged a crowbar.

  He circled the car and found Jennifer collapsed. Reece knelt beside her. “I need you to stay here with Brandy.” He held her eyes and fought to keep the panic from his voice. “Can you do that? Can you take care of Brandy for me?”

  She nodded mutely and he sprinted to the barn, tripping on a divot of soil and twisting his ankle. With a roar, he struggled to his feet, ignoring the searing pain in his ankle, and ran. In the distance, sirens warbled from the west, but he couldn’t tell how close they were.

  As he closed the distance between the house and the barn, he saw Jordanna beating on the east wall where the flames hadn’t reached. Reece hollered at her and she turned.

  “Someone’s inside,” she screamed at him. “I saw her fingers. But something happened. There was this horrible crash and now I can’t see her. I can’t get the doors open!”

  Sam! Reaching the barn, Reece shoved Jordanna aside harder than he intended. “Go to the house,” he shouted. “Wait for the fire trucks.”

  Reece positioned the crowbar against the lock and threw his weight against it, popping the screws that held the lapse. Even without the lock, the door still wouldn’t budge. He got on his hands and knees and tried to see under the door. Something was blocking the door from the inside, but he couldn’t tell what it was.

  He stood and raced to the sliding barn doors, put the crow
bar in the narrow gap, and pushed. They inched apart but the space was too narrow for him to get through. Black smoke billowed out, and he grunted as he tried to wedge the door open. Something was stopping the rollers from sliding.

  Stepping back, his eyes searched the top of the door. A piece of rebar blocked the rollers. He would need a ladder to reach the top to dislodge it from the tracks. There was no ladder in sight. Chaotic thoughts crowded his mind and he took a deep breath to gain control. He had to think. He had to get inside.

  “Sam!” He pounded on the door with his fist and tried to force his body through the narrow opening. “Sam! Are you in there?”

  Please God, don’t let her be in there. But he knew that she must be.

  He turned away to grab fresh air before circling to the other door to try to force it inward. It wouldn’t budge. Feeling helpless and infuriated, he ran back to the sliding doors. There had to be a way in. He needed to calm down and think.

  Before he knew it was happening, Jordanna had shoved by him and squeezed through the gap he’d created in the sliding barn doors. He peered through the narrow opening. The sound of coughing and choking reached him, but he couldn’t see through the smoke.

  “No! Jordanna, get out!” He pressed his ear to the gap but couldn’t hear anything.

  Returning to the padlocked door, he slammed his shoulder against it. “Get out! Jordanna, get out!”

  Her fingers grasped the edge of the door from the inside, and she yelled something he couldn’t hear over the roar of the inferno. Her fingers disappeared.

  “Jordanna! Get out!” He pressed his ear against the crack and heard dragging and coughing.

  Reece had never felt so useless. He backed up and charged the door, lowering his head, and throwing his shoulder against the wood. It flew open and he lost his footing, plummeting into the barn and spinning to avoid the flames. Jordanna staggered into him. He had to wrench his arm from her strong grasp and shove her through the door.

  When he turned back, Reece saw Sam. Her body must have been what had blocked the door. Jordanna had managed to drag her away, but, in the confusion created by the smoke and lack of oxygen, she’d accidentally pulled Sam deeper inside the barn. Closer to the raging inferno.

  With a howl, he raced toward her, choking on smoke and struggling to see.

  A rafter collapsed in front of him, obstructing his path. A chunk of burning wood glanced off his shoulder. White-hot pain flooded his arm. He tore the burning shirt from his body, stomped on it to smother the flames, and ripped off a strip of fabric. He shoved it against his mouth and nose and tied the ends behind his head. He circled the burning rafter and squinted through the smoke.

  Where was Sam? He searched the ground through the billowing black smoke. Finally, he spied her and lurched over with his hand pressed against his mouth and nose.

  “Sam! Sam, can you hear me?” He slapped his hand gently against her cheek, but she remained unconscious. The pulse in her neck was weak under his fingertips. Fumbling the cloth away from his face, he tried to tie it around her mouth and nose. Reece flung her limp body over his shoulder. A sharp, stabbing pain in his ankle made him waver. Gritting his teeth in agony, he limped toward the exit. Something hit his shoulder and he faltered under the assault. He staggered and nearly dropped her before regaining his footing and lurching for the door. He cleared the door just before the entire wall burst into flames.

  Jordanna was standing a few feet from the door. Her mouth was open wide as she fought to catch her breath, and her eyes were wide and glazed with fear. Reece snatched her wrist with his free hand and dragged her from the blaze.

  Just then, the roof caved in and a shower of glowing splinters projected across the field. Jordanna shrieked and grabbed tightly to his hand. She flung her arms over her head, screaming and crying. He couldn’t yank his hand free from her grasp. Her frantic movements unbalanced him and he staggered back. Sam slipped off his shoulder. He tried to grab her body and they fell together into a heap. Reece jumped to his feet, stamping out grass fires around Sam. From the corner of his eye, he glimpsed Jordanna. Confused and in shock, she was wandering blindly back to the barn. Adrenalin rushed through him, masking the pain in his ankle. He ran over and grabbed her.

  Terrified and confused, Jordanna fought against him. Reece wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off her feet. With the last of his strength, he spun around and hurled her as hard as he could away from the burning barn. She flew across patches of burning grass, landing far enough away to be safe. A glittering shard of wood landed on his thigh. He brushed it off and smacked his palm against the burning fabric of his jeans.

  Crawling on all fours, he reached Sam. He used the width of his body and outstretched arms to protect her from sparks and projectiles that flew from the disintegrating barn.

  Sirens pierced the air and deafened him as they drew closer. Someone yelled. Between the roar of the fire, smoke inhalation, and Reece’s utter exhaustion, he couldn’t understand the words. Water suddenly soaked his back and pounded his head. He collapsed to the grass, watching a fire truck fly across the field to the rear of the barn. Fifty feet in front of him, a second truck was stationary. Two firefighters had their feet braced against the weight of the water rushing through the spewing hose they held. A third firefighter ran over while his partners kept the hose flowing, spraying high above their heads, ensuring the force of the water didn’t hit them. The downpour was like needles piercing Reece’s skin. Still, he relished the pain, filled with gratitude that help had arrived.

  A firefighter threw Sam over his shoulder, and Reece shuffled to his feet. The adrenalin rush was leaving his blood and his muscles felt loose and difficult to control. When they reached the safety zone, Reece sank gratefully to the ground beside Sam. He could hear Jordanna screaming hysterically in the distance. Turning his head, he saw her sitting on the back of the ambulance. A paramedic was trying to fit an oxygen mask over her face.

  Reece huddled on the ground beside Sam, wiping burned curls from her forehead. “Hang on,” he whispered.

  A paramedic tried to move him. “Sir, you need oxygen and we need to see her.”

  “I’m okay,” he said. “Help Sam.”

  They attached an oxygen mask and an IV to her. When the EMTs tried to move her onto a gurney, she opened panic-filled eyes and swatted at them.

  “It’s okay,” Reece’s voice was hoarse from the smoke. “I’m here. You need to let them help you.” He leaned over the stretcher so his face was in her line of sight.

  Recognition flooded her bloodshot eyes. She pawed at the oxygen mask.

  “No, Sam, you need to leave it. Everything’s okay. Just let them help you now.” Reece removed her hand from the mask and held it against his chest, studying the colour of her forearm.

  He tried to recall the signs of carbon monoxide poisoning. All he could remember was that the colour of the victim’s skin changed. He spit on his finger and rubbed away some soot and dirt from her arm.

  Desperate for reassurance that she was okay, he turned and spoke to the paramedic. “Her skin colour isn’t bad.” Quivering fear rolled over him and he couldn’t prevent the tremble in his voice. “How much carbon monoxide do you think she inhaled? Do you think she’s okay?”

  “Sir, step aside.”

  A firefighter grabbed Reece’s shoulder. “Anyone else inside?”

  “I don’t know. I just got here.” He couldn’t bring himself to look away from Sam.

  The female firefighter leaned over Sam. “Ma’am, is anyone inside?”

  She shook her head and the woman nodded, leaving them with the paramedics.

  Over his shoulder, Reece watched the firefighters. Half of them were fighting the actual fire. The other half was drenching a huge circle around the blaze to prevent the fire from spreading to the tree line that separated the Harris farm from the neighbouring property. There was nothing left of the barn to save.

  Sam fumbled again with the oxygen mask. Her face was tu
rning bright pink from the effort to speak, and she was gesticulating wildly.

  Reece lifted the mask.

  “Brenda?” she croaked.

  “She’s okay. She’s in the city with Roger. Sam, you need to leave the mask.” He tried to fit the oxygen mask back on her face and she slapped at him.

  “No!” The word was a grunt of anger. “Set fire. Jordan?”

  She was telling him that someone had intentionally locked her in the barn and set it on fire. Not wanting to upset her more than she already was, Reece tried to keep the rage from his face and answered in a neutral tone. “Brenda said he’s at a Blue Jays game.”

  “Jordanna?” she whispered, her eyes beginning to close.

  He shook his head, leaning close so Sam could hear him. “If she hadn’t gone in, I wouldn’t have gotten to you in time. She and Jennifer risked their lives trying to save you.”

  Her eyes rolled back and her hand dropped.

  Alarmed, Reece turned to the EMT. “What happened? Is she okay?”

  “We need to get her to the hospital.” He glanced over at Reece and frowned. “Someone needs to take a look at you.”

  Fear froze Reece to the spot and he clutched Sam’s hand in his. “I’m fine. Can’t you tell me if she’s going to be okay?”

  The paramedic took his upper arm and moved him away from Sam’s side. “You can ride with us, come on.”

  He couldn’t leave Brandy by herself at the farm. Paralysed with indecision, Reece watched them roll the gurney to the ambulance. His mind felt slow and dull. He’d have to leave Sam alone in the ambulance and follow in his car. It was hard to concentrate and he couldn’t figure out another option. When his legs obeyed his brain’s command to move, he limped toward the ambulances to where Jennifer stood, holding Brandy’s leash in her hand.

  Jennifer was clutching the lead so hard that small drops of blood dripped off her hand from where she’d dug her fingernails into her palm. The dog’s tail was between her haunches. She growled low in her throat and nudged Reece’s leg. The leash twisted around his knees when Brandy moved to his other side.