“Talk about creepy,” Clarie grumbled.
Yeah, that was the right word for it. Most of the windows had been boarded up, and the ones that hadn’t been were just dark holes of jagged, broken glass.
The grounds hadn’t fared much better with time and lack of care. Once, there’d been gardens, but now it was an overgrown jumble of trees, underbrush and weeds. Some vines coiled out from that tangle and had snaked their way up the brick-and-stone facade.
Caroline was studying the place, too, but Jack figured it was more than just creepy for her. It was the place of her own personal nightmares. Where she’d come too darn close to dying over a year ago, when Eric had kidnapped her and brought her here.
After Jack gave Clarie a nod, the three of them got out and hurried up the steps and inside. Nothing was welcoming here, either. Just an empty shell with scarred wood floors and walls with holes and graffiti.
Broken glass was scattered everywhere, and they would hopefully use that to their advantage. When Gunnar and Manuel had gone through the place, they’d kicked up piles of it next to all the doors and the unboarded windows. That way, if an intruder came in, they should be able to hear when he or she stepped on the shards.
Since the killer was supposed to believe that Caroline was there to meet a therapist, Jack and Clarie started setting the scene. He stayed right by Caroline’s side while he took out the flashlights. Not for them to carry. No, he would put these in the foyer and the adjoining room so it would seem as if that was where they were.
It wouldn’t be.
“This way,” Jack said, leading Caroline and Clarie away from the lights.
The plan was to take them to the first room off the hall behind the winding staircase, but Caroline stopped and glanced down.
There was a bloodstain on the foyer floor.
Not fresh, thank God.
Nor was it Caroline’s.
It belonged to Gemma, who’d also been attacked here over a year ago. The memory of his father, who had been murdered that night, gave Jack another sucker punch of grief. Even though Gemma had survived the attack, seeing that bloodstain brought it all back, and he was certain it was even worse for Caroline. She’d nearly been killed that night, too.
Jack pushed that all aside and got them moving to the room where they’d wait this out. It wasn’t ideal since it did have a window, but at least this one was boarded up. Plus, if things went to hell in a handbasket, they could move into one of the other dozen or so rooms that fed off the hall.
The three of them stood there a moment so their eyes could adjust to the near darkness. Some of the milky light from the foyer made its way here. Just enough to create some spooky shadows and show dust motes floating like little ghosts around the room.
It was no wonder that some folks called the place haunted and only came here when dares, too much alcohol or both played into the mix.
“There’s a blanket in the equipment bag,” he told Caroline, knowing she wasn’t going to use it. She didn’t.
Caroline went to the window with Clarie, each taking a side so they could peer out through the cracks in the boards. Jack took up position by the door so he could see not only the hall but the front door.
And the wait began.
Even though Grace had gotten out the “leak” fast, it didn’t mean their attacker had managed to get things ready to come to the inn. But that thought had no sooner crossed his mind when his phone dinged with a text message. A message that had Jack cursing under his breath.
“Gunnar spotted someone on the road,” Jack relayed to Caroline and Clarie. “The person’s on foot and headed our way.”
Chapter Fifteen
Caroline forced herself to breathe normally. Well, as normally as she could manage, considering this was possibly the showdown that she’d been preparing herself for.
And the one that she’d feared.
She wasn’t immune to the panic that wanted to explode inside her, but she reminded herself that this was necessary. It would be impossible for her to put the past behind her if she was still dealing with it. And she felt in her gut that the attacks were connected to her past.
Specifically, to Eric.
Either someone thought Eric had spilled secrets to her, or else they were just tying up loose ends that they believed Eric had left behind. Lily and Zeller fit with the first theory. Kingston with the second.
“Did Gunnar spot a man or woman?” Caroline asked Jack. Even though she whispered her question, it practically echoed in the empty room.
“He’s not sure.” Jack whispered, too, but there was an angry edge to his voice. “Gunnar said he only got a glimpse of someone dressed all in black before the person ducked off the road and into some trees.”
There were certainly a lot of trees, and they dotted the landscape all the way from the road to what was left of the old gardens surrounding the inn. Someone could use them for cover, but eventually the attacker would have to come out into the open to make it inside.
Well, maybe.
It was possible to get into the house by crawling through the underbrush at the back, but it would still take some maneuvering.
“You want me to move to one of the front rooms so I can try to see this person?” Clarie asked.
Jack stayed quiet a moment, obviously giving her question some thought. “No. Gunnar and Manuel have good positions. They should be able to see if anyone approaches the inn, and if need be, one of them can move closer to get a better shot with the tranq gun.”
Caroline knew it was the should be that was eating away at Jack. He wanted absolutes when it came to her safety, but that wasn’t going to happen. The best they could do right now was to have a good shot at putting an end to this.
“What kind of range is there on the tranq gun they’re using?” Clarie asked a moment later.
“They actually have tranq rifles, and the range on those is supposed to be 210 feet. But Gunnar didn’t think it was smart to risk a shot that far out. He’ll want closer.”
Caroline agreed with that. It wouldn’t be like firing an automatic or semiautomatic, and if they missed on the first shot, they’d have to manually reload. That could give the person time to get away. However, Kellan had assured them that Gunnar and Manuel were both good marksmen with steady hands. And if they failed, then they’d go for a nonkill shot with their regular weapons.
There was also a possible problem with the tranq itself. It wouldn’t have an instant effect, and it could take several minutes to incapacitate the person. Still, the drug should make it a whole lot harder for their visitor to try to kill them. Plus, as soon as Gunnar or Manuel fired the tranq, they’d move in to apprehend.
“Zeller’s stupid if he doesn’t smell a trap,” Jack muttered just loud enough for Caroline to hear.
That, too, wasn’t setting well with him. Jack didn’t want to think of a fellow lawman being at the center of this, but it was possible. Zeller had the means and opportunity. He had a possible motive, as well, if he was trying to cover up his involvement in the sex-trafficking ring.
But Jack was right that Zeller should be able to smell a trap.
After all, the marshal had personal knowledge of her case and had almost certainly gone over every record of hers that existed. He might know that there were no other memories for her to recover. However, she was hoping he had enough doubts about her, about what she’d possibly remembered, that he would take the risk of coming here.
Of course, it was just as likely that he could have hired someone to do his dirty work, but she didn’t want to think about that now. If Zeller was guilty, he would come, and then Jack could arrest him.
Caroline peeked out through the sliver of space in between the boards and tried to get a glimpse of this possible attacker. Nothing. She could definitely see some trees and vines, but not a person. Listening didn’t help, either, because
the only things she could clearly hear were the patter of the rain and her own heartbeat in her ears.
Jack’s phone dinged again, the sound shooting through the room and nearly causing Caroline to gasp. Clearly, she didn’t have her emotions under control as much as she wanted.
“It’s from Gunnar,” Jack said after giving Caroline a quick look. No doubt to make sure she was still okay. Just because she hadn’t gasped out loud, it didn’t mean Jack hadn’t sensed her nerves. “He got another glimpse of the person, and he’s pretty sure it’s a woman.”
Maybe it was Lily, and if so, it meant she hadn’t sent a henchman but planned on doing the job herself. Of course, that didn’t mean the woman didn’t have hired guns in the area.
“Gunnar couldn’t tell if the woman was armed,” Jack went on, reading the text. She saw him click the button to set his phone to vibrate, probably so the killer wouldn’t be alerted by the sound of any other incoming messages. “But she just ducked into some oaks on the east side of the inn.”
Caroline wasn’t exactly sure which way east was, but she turned her attention back to the window in case the woman came that way. Behind her, she heard the soft clicks of Jack texting.
“I told Gunnar to try to get closer to the woman so he can take her or get a better shot,” Jack explained. “But Manuel’s staying in place so he has a bird’s-eye view of the house and grounds. This person might be a decoy, and I don’t want someone else sneaking up on us.”
A decoy would definitely be something their attacker would try. He or she had never come at them head-on and likely wouldn’t want to do that now. The person was basically a coward, and that played into the mental profile she’d done. So yes, they needed to expect some kind of trickery or deception, and with the sprawling grounds around the inn, this woman could be drawing their attention while someone—maybe another hired gun—slipped closer to them.
She looked over her shoulder and saw Jack move out of the doorway and glance toward both ends of the hall. He must not have seen or heard anything suspicious, because he stepped back in.
Caroline looked outside again, trying to pick through the darkness and the rain. Willing herself to see something.
And she did.
Thanks to a bolt of lightning, Caroline saw the blur of motion next to one of the massive oaks.
“Did you see that?” Clarie immediately asked.
“I did.” And Caroline was almost positive that it was a woman. One who was no longer in sight.
“Clarie, switch places with me for a second,” Jack told the deputy, and Clarie immediately hurried across the room to take up position by the door as Jack came to the window.
“She’s behind the center tree in that cluster,” Caroline explained, motioning in the direction where she’d spotted the person. “I didn’t get a look at her face, but I think she’s wearing a ski mask.”
Which would make sense. Not only would it conceal her identity, but it would make her face less likely to stand out in the darkness. Ditto for the black clothes. If it hadn’t been for the lightning, Caroline might have missed the figure.
Jack continued to keep watch. Waiting. And Mother Nature cooperated with another lightning flash. It lit up the area by the trees for just a second. Enough for them to see that no one was there. Either the woman had moved or she had stayed behind cover.
Caroline soon got the answer as to which had happened.
Despite the rain and her own ragged breath, Caroline heard the sound. So did Jack and Clarie. Their heads whipped up in its direction. It had come not from the trees but rather the back of the inn. And it was something they’d been listening for.
The sound of someone stepping on broken glass.
An intruder was inside the house.
* * *
JACK SILENTLY CURSED, bracing himself for a fight.
He’d known all along that it would be possible for someone to get in the house without the deputies or anyone else seeing them, but he had hoped that wouldn’t happen. Now that it had, he needed to do something about it.
He motioned for Clarie to switch places with him again and for her and Caroline to stay in place at the window. That would accomplish two things. The women could continue to keep watch in case this intruder was a decoy, and Caroline would keep out of the most probable line of fire.
Because Jack was certain the person who’d just stepped on that glass would soon be heading to the lights in the foyer.
Clarie took out her phone to send a text to Gunnar. It was part of the plan they’d worked out while still back at his house. She would let Gunnar know about the problem, and then either Gunnar or Manuel would move in closer to assist. The other would stay back to watch for anyone else.
Jack didn’t move. Not yet. He just stood there, waiting for the next sound, and he didn’t have to wait long.
More footsteps.
At first, those footsteps crunched over the broken glass, but then that stopped. It didn’t mean the intruder had left or had even quit moving. It only meant the glass was no longer in the path to alert Jack.
Dragging in a long breath, Jack tightened his grip on his gun and leaned slightly out the doorway so they could start the next phase of this trap. After all, they’d lured the killer or a henchman here with the news that Caroline was trying to recover all her memories. It was best if he played along with that for now.
“Just take a deep breath, Caroline,” he said, trying to make it seem as genuine as possible. “Try to clear your mind and think about what else you heard in that phone call. What did the caller say to Eric?”
With his lines delivered, he motioned for Caroline to jump into this.
“I’m okay.” Caroline’s shaky voice definitely didn’t mesh with the strong woman who was keeping watch out the window. “And I do think I remember. Yes, I can hear the person speaking...”
She purposely let her words trail off. Also as planned.
Jack listened for more of the footsteps. Nothing. But Clarie gave him the thumbs-up to indicate that one of the deputies was moving closer to the house. Since Jack hadn’t heard her phone ding with the message, Clarie had likely silenced it.
“Can you tell if it’s a man or woman talking to Eric?” Jack asked to keep his therapy conversation going with Caroline.
Again, she mumbled her response, but she strung it out for a few seconds. Hopefully, the intruder would think she was having some kind of revelation and would get there fast to try to silence her. Jack didn’t want this dragging on any longer than necessary, and he could stop the person as soon as she came into view.
“There’s someone else out there,” Caroline whispered.
Even though her voice had been barely loud enough for him to hear, those words roared through his head. “Is it Gunnar?” he mouthed.
“No. Someone else. I think it’s the same woman I saw before. She’s still out there by the trees.”
So that meant it was a henchman in the house, so maybe the fake therapy conversation with Caroline didn’t matter. If this thug had orders to kill, then he wouldn’t care what they were saying. Wouldn’t care if Caroline remembered anything or not, since the plan was for her to be dead soon.
Jack wasn’t going to let that plan happen.
Clarie sent another text. Probably to Gunnar again so she could give him a heads-up. No way did they want the deputy walking into an ambush, since the woman by the tree could gun him down. Of course, Gunnar would be looking for exactly that sort of thing.
Jack finally heard another footstep, closer this time, and he considered doing more of the fake conversation with Caroline. He decided against it, though, in case the intruder could use his voice to pinpoint their location in the house.
Another footstep. Then another. The person was coming closer, and Jack knew it wouldn’t be long before the person made it to the foyer. It seemed to him that the in
truder was making a beeline toward those flashlights.
“The woman outside is moving,” Caroline whispered. “And I see Gunnar.”
Jack wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. Certainly Gunnar had gotten Clarie’s warning, but the deputy might not have seen the woman.
Or she might have seen him.
Jack considered having Clarie send Gunnar another warning text, but it was too risky with the intruder this close to them. And the person was indeed close. Even though there were no more footsteps, Jack could hear some kind of movement. Maybe he or she was getting his or her own weapon ready to launch the attack.
It felt as if everything went still. As if everyone and everything were holding their breath. Waiting for something to happen.
And it did.
There was a plinking sound. Something metal had dropped to the floor.
At first, Jack wondered if the intruder had let something slip and fall. Maybe his weapon. But he soon realized that it wasn’t an accident.
Jack caught the first scent of the tear gas.
Chapter Sixteen
Caroline had had no trouble hearing the sound of something falling on the old wood floor of the inn. But she didn’t know what it was and had no idea what had suddenly put that troubled look on Jack’s face.
But she soon found out.
“Tear gas,” Clarie managed to say at the exact moment the deputy began coughing.
Almost immediately, Caroline felt her eyes, nose and throat start to burn, and if it truly was tear gas, she figured it wouldn’t be long before it basically incapacitated them. It wouldn’t knock them unconscious, but they wouldn’t be able to fight if they couldn’t breathe. If they couldn’t see.
And it was quickly getting to that point.
“This way,” Jack snapped, and he tipped his head toward the hall. He had his left arm crooked and pressed to his face while he continued to grip his weapon in his right hand.
His Brand of Justice (Longview Ridge Ranch Book 4) Page 16
