“Time for the party.” Wolfe slid up the bed closer to Annie.
“What I don’t understand is how you knew I wouldn’t be here?” Brad asked.
Wolfe reached across the bed and picked up the portable radio. “Thanks to the dead bitch cop, I have a radio.” Wolfe waved the radio. “I appreciate you keeping me informed of your location.”
“Were you at the prosecutor’s house tonight?”
Wolfman turned to Brad, but kept a hand grasping Annie. “Yup. Earlier today and for the past couple of weeks.”
“We got a report that you were there tonight.”
“Did you find out where the call came from?”
“What do you mean?” Brad tried to slip out of the cuffs, but they were too tight.
“This was way too easy.” Wolfe laughed. “I needed to get you away for a while. I used the payphone a few blocks away, and said Wolfe was outside the prosecutor’s house. I watched you fly past. As I got to your house, a kid pulled in delivering a pizza. That was a bonus—distracted the cops. Easy enough to take care of them. Annie opened the door for the pizza delivery, but it was me. And here we are.”
“You son of a bitch.” Brad struggled against the handcuffs. All he accomplished was ripping his skin. Blood trickled down his wrists.
“Fuck, this gets better every minute—seeing you struggle against your cuffs unable to get free. The sluts are tied up and waiting. For two years all I thought about was the prosecutor, Annie, and the blond cop. I fantasized what I would do when I got out. I had it all worked out, but then you caught me. No way was I going back to prison, I’d never have escaped a second time from maximum security. One of my cellmates had told me he always acted crazy so they’d send him for psych assessment. The judge bought my act and here we are.”
Wolfe took a long drag on the cigarette.
“You had cops here and with the prosecutor all the time. You even had cops with the young bitch at the college.”
“You were at the college. Annie was right.”
“That was a bit of luck. I came here looking for you. Then I saw Annie. Followed her to the college. She looked different, back to blond hair and she’d filled out nicely. I couldn’t believe it when I saw both her and the paramedic at your place. That’s when my plans changed. Fulfill my fantasy with the prosecutor or take these two. For over two years I’d planned every second with the prosecutor. But you had her too well protected. You were so sure she was the target. So, I still have my fantasy, the same plan, but it will be double the fun.”
“Cops will know something is wrong when I don’t check in.”
“Nice try. You’ve never checked in by radio after you get home.”
“They’ll page me and if I don’t answer they’ll come here to check.”
“I’m not stupid! Nobody is gonna come here till the morning. I have all night with you three. Then, I’ll go after the prosecutor. I can wait as long as it takes.”
Chapter Sixty-Five
Steele and Zerr sat in the back corner of the restaurant munching French fries. The exhaustion of the past two days was setting in and the food sat heavy in their stomachs.
They ate in silence and listened to their portable radio. Steele had the volume low. Routine calls. Then a frantic voice on the radio yelled, “Officer shot! Sixty-fourth and Deerfoot.”
Cops radioed they were responding.
“Should we go?” Zerr asked.
“Nah,” Steele said. “Half the city is on the way. Besides, we’re too far away and I’m beat.”
They listened to the radio. The first cars were unable to find the cop. There was no sign of his cruiser. Dispatch set up a grid search. More cops responded.
“Something’s wrong,” Steele said.
“What do you mean?” Zerr asked.
“I don’t know, it’s just my gut. I’ve got this feeling that something’s not right.”
“This call? Officer shot?”
“No, well, yeah. It’s the call to Blighe’s house. It doesn’t make any sense. Someone called saying Wolfe had been spotted. The security detail hadn’t seen anything. When we got there, we didn’t find Wolfe.”
“Sure, but we found the car he’d been sitting in. He’d been staking out the house for days if not weeks.”
“That’s what bugs me,” Steele said. “He was in the car sometime today, but no sign of him tonight. It’s like we went there for no reason.”
“You think we were set up?”
“Maybe not set up, but there must’ve been some reason for us to be there at that time.”
Zerr set his bottle down. “You think Wolfe wanted us there?”
“I’m not sure—well, yeah, I think so.”
“Blighe is his target. He threatened her lots of times. He hates her.”
“Sure, but he knows we’re watching her closely. What if there’s a new target?”
“If it’s not Blighe, then who?” Zerr asked. “We’ve gone over the files a hundred, maybe a thousand times. It points to Blighe as the target.”
“I don’t know, I just can’t shake this. Where did the 911 call come from? Who said Wolfe was in the area?”
Zerr shrugged. “That’s the info we got from dispatch.”
“We need to find out where the call came from.” Steele walked out of the restaurant, over to the bar, and flashed his badge. “I need to use your phone.”
The bartender set a phone on the bar. Steele dialed. “Dispatch, this is Steele, 114.”
“How can I help you, 114,” dispatch said.
“Can you check on that last 911 call we responded to. At the prosecutor’s house. Give me the address where the call came from.”
“Standby, 114.”
Steele waited.
“What if the call for a cop shot is false?” Zerr said.
“What?”
“If the call to Blighe’s was false, then why not the shooting call. It’s like the calls are leading us away from something.”
“From what?” Steele asked.
He was interrupted by dispatch. “Detective 114.”
“Go ahead,” Steele said.
“We have that call coming from a payphone at Eighty-Fifth Street and Forty-Eighth Avenue. The caller didn’t give a name.”
“What’s happening with the call about a shot cop?”
“Must have been a prank. All cops are accounted for.”
“Thanks, dispatch,” Steele said. “Can you patch me through to Detective Griffin?”
“Standby,” dispatch replied.
Steele held his hand over the mouthpiece. “Why would someone report they’d seen Wolfe from miles away? It doesn’t make sense.”
“That’s about four blocks from Coulter’s place.”
“Oh, shit.”
Griffin’s voice came on the phone. “Steele, what’s up?”
“Call Briscoe and meet us at Coulter’s.”
“Why?”
“Something isn’t right,” Steele said. “I think Wolfe is at Coulter’s. Get there as fast as you can.”
Chapter Sixty-Six
Wolfe climbed onto the bed next to Annie and ripped the tape off her mouth. “You and me gonna catch up on old times.”
Annie struggled against the restraints and screamed. Wolfe laughed. He grabbed Annie’s T-shirt and ripped it off. “That’s it. I like it when you fight.” Wolfe leaned over Annie and removed her bra, his hands roaming her body.
Brad struggled harder against the handcuffs, but it was no use. The cuffs were too tight, and he wasn’t flexible enough to get them around in front of him.
“Hey, Wolfe, you scum sucking maggot. I’m gonna take great pleasure in killing you, you bastard.”
Brad put his back hard against the wall, and used his legs to push off, in an attempt to stand. He slid back onto the floor. As Brad tried again, Wolfe looked over and grinned. “Yeah, I don’t think that’s gonna happen, pig. I’m tired of your whining.” Wolfe jumped off the bed and in two strides was beside Brad.
“Your buddy Devlin was stupid. Sitting in a car, window open, eyes closed.”
Wolfe punched Brad in the side of the head, driving him onto the floor.
“Just like that. Boom. One pop through the window. Then I dragged his sorry ass out of the car.” Wolfe grabbed Brad by the shirt and hauled him upright. Wolfe’s knee slammed into Brad’s stomach. “Then he doubled over and fell, just like that.”
Brad tried to raise onto his knees. He was almost there when Wolfe’s boot slammed into Brad’s ribs. More kicks followed.
“I could hear ribs cracking. Then I bashed his head into the pavement. I’m not gonna do that to you. I want you clearheaded so you don’t miss any of the show.”
“I’ll … kill … you.”
Wolfe laughed. “All I see is you struggling on the floor and the little bitch waiting for me. Watch closely to what happens to her because that’s what I’m gonna do to the paramedic bitch. Of course, you’ll be dead by then. You’ll go to your grave knowing what’s gonna happen to your woman.”
“Leave her alone,” Maggie screamed. “If you leave her alone, you can have me.”
“Maggie, no,” Brad yelled. “No.”
Wolfe looked over and grinned. “I’m gonna take you anyway, bitch, doesn’t matter which order I do it in.”
From far away, Lobo barked, Maggie screamed, and Brad yelled.
“You two shut up,” Wolfe said. “And tell that dog to shut up.”
Maggie glared at Wolfe and screamed louder.
Wolfe punched Maggie in the head. “Save the screaming for later.”
Whenever Maggie screamed, Lobo barked louder.
Wolfe threw Brad into Maggie’s makeup table, knocking everything to the floor. Brad lay on his side, gasping for breath. Every breath was agony. He rolled to the wall. His fingers found a bobby pin. He struggled into a sitting position and worked the bobby pin behind his back.
“Hey Wolfe, you fat bastard. I’ll bet you’re like that other fat biker, LeBeau. He liked the young bikers. You’re like him—a dick sucker. You pick on defenseless women to give you power, to feed your ego, because you lack in sexual prowess.”
Wolfe laughed. “Watch and learn.”
“Wolfe, you dog fucker. When I get these cuffs off, I’m gonna kill you. I’ll kill you slowly. You sick bastard.”
Wolfe laughed and pointed to Maggie. “You know, pig, I was gonna kill you after I’m done with Annie, but you know what, I think I’m gonna let you live while I rape your bitch over and over, and then kill her slowly. Then I’ll send you to hell knowing you were powerless to help her.”
“I’ll be waiting for you, motherfucker!”
Wolfe climbed onto the bed and pawed Annie’s breasts. She screamed as his full weight pressed against her. Wolfe put his hand over her mouth. Annie bit deep. Wolfe jerked his hand free and slapped her. “Scream all you want, bitch. You’re gonna take your last breath pretty soon.”
The sound of breaking glass came from downstairs. Wolfe didn’t notice.
Brad finally got the bobby pin in place, heard the ratchet on the cuff click once, pressing hard against his wrist. Then the cuff slipped free. He drew his legs up while reaching down with his left hand and pulled a gun from his ankle holster.
Wolfe turned and saw Brad’s hands were free. Wolfe rolled off the far side of the bed and grabbed a pistol from the night table as he dropped to the floor. As Wolfe stood, he aimed the pistol at Maggie. Brad kicked out his left leg, knocking Maggie toward the floor. As Brad swung his gun to bring Wolfe into his sights, Wolfe fired twice. Brad felt tearing pain in his leg. Nausea swept through him. He dropped the gun and rolled on his side.
Wolfe was laughing, a sick, maniacal laugh.
Through blurred vision and blinding pain Brad saw Wolfe aim the gun at him, finger on the trigger. Then a black shape flew into the room and knocked Wolfe to the floor.
Lobo’s teeth locked on to Wolfe’s arm. The pistol clattered on the hardwood. Lobo chewed and swung his head as his teeth dug deeper. Then Lobo dragged the big man across the floor by the arm. Wolfe tried to pull Lobo’s jaw off, but Lobo bit deeper.
The air was filled with screams — Wolfe’s cries of pain. Maggie and Annie were yelling at the top of their lungs.
Brad’s jaw was clenched ashis vision cleared. He glanced at Maggie. She seemed okay. He grabbed his gun and swung it toward Wolfe, but Lobo was fighting viciously and was between Brad and Wolfe.
Wolfe rolled to his left and reached out, grabbing his pants. His arm came back and slashed Lobo with a hunting knife. Lobo held tight and bit harder. On the second slash, Lobo released the arm and yelped, falling on his side.
Two shots rang out. Wolfe fell back and slid down the wall leaving a red smear.
Chapter Sixty-Seven
Zerr skidded to a stop behind a cruiser, Brad’s Firebird, and a pizza delivery car. Steele looked inside the pizza delivery car—a kid lay across the seat, blood seeping from stab wounds to the chest. Steele checked for a pulse—none. He drew his gun and raced to catch up to Zerr at the police cruiser. Steele stared into the car. The driver had his neck slashed from ear-to-ear. The passenger had managed to draw his revolver, but it lay in his open hand, his head twisted into an unnatural position. From the front door they heard screaming and growling. Steele changed the channel on the radio to a secure frequency and keyed his radio. “Dispatch 114 on tactical channel. Two officers down. Code 200 Red, Detective Coulter’s house.”
“Roger.”
They rushed through the open front door. The screaming and growling was coming from upstairs. They followed a trail of bloody pawprints from the entrance up the stairs. The growling turned to yelping, then two gunshots.
Steele stepped into the bedroom first. Lobo lay just inside the room, panting, whimpering, and covered in blood. Behind Lobo, Wolfe was crumpled against the wall, blood flowing from an empty eye socket. Steele kicked Wolfe onto his back—no response. His eyes moved to the bed where Annie lay tied to the bedposts.
Farther to the right Zerr knelt beside Brad and Maggie. There was a lot of blood around Brad. Zerr cut Maggie free.
Steele keyed his radio. “Dispatch. Upper bedroom secure. I need three EMS for gunshot wounds. And backup!”
“Roger 114. Backup on scene.”
Boots pounded on the stairs and Briscoe entered the room with two constables.
Steele turned to Briscoe. “We need the rest of the house searched.”
Briscoe nodded and sent four cops to clear the house. He pointed to a constable. “Cuff Wolfe and stay with him.”
Steele cut Annie’s ropes and covered her with a blanket. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m not shot.”
Steele nodded in understanding. He called to Zerr. “Charlie, what’s the situation?”
“Brad’s got a gunshot wound to his leg. The bone’s shattered. He’s lost a lot of blood. Maggie put a tourniquet on.”
Steele knelt next to Lobo. He bled from two large knife wounds and had shards of glass impaled in his body. Lobo’s panting was fast and shallow, his whimpers barely audible. His gums were blue.
“Maggie. Lobo is bleeding from knife slashes. What do I do?”
“Put pressure … on the wounds.” Maggie’s voice was slow and almost a whisper. “Is it bad?”
“Yup.”
“Get him to … a vet.”
Steele nodded. “Briscoe. You got this scene?”
Briscoe nodded. “What do you have?”
“I need a constable to drive. Lobo’s in bad shape. I’m taking him to the animal hospital.”
Briscoe nodded. “Go. Go.”
Griffin raced into the room as Steele left. “Oh my God.” He stepped next to Briscoe.
Briscoe looked back to the corner of the bedroom. Blood covered a large area around Maggie and Brad. Too much blood. “Is Brad still bleeding?”
Zerr shook his head. “No. Why?”
“Maggie,” Briscoe called. “Where’s the blood coming from?”
<
br /> Maggie didn’t answer.
“Maggie.”
Maggie slowly turned to Briscoe. “Huh.”
Her face was ashen, eyes droopy.
“Oh, shit,” Briscoe said. “Zerr, check Maggie.”
As Zerr reached for Maggie, she collapsed on top of Brad.
Zerr pulled her onto her back. She was unconscious. Her red camisole was blood-soaked. Blood covered her legs.
Briscoe shook his head. Brad’s blood?
Zerr pulled up the garment. Blood oozed out of a bullet wound on her left side.
“Where are the paramedics,” Briscoe shouted.
“Right behind you.” Dixon knelt beside Zerr.
“Not good,” Dixon whispered.
“Thompson, get the spine board up here STAT.” Dixon pulled a handful of gauze bandages out of his kit and handed them to Zerr. “Put these on the wound with as much pressure as you can. If the bandages get blood-soaked, apply more bandages. Don’t take them off. I’ll start an IV while we wait for Thompson.”
Zerr put his full weight on the wound. Blood seeped around his knees. “Hey, Dixon, she’s still bleeding.”
“I should have known. It’s through and through.” Dixon grabbed another handful of bandages. “You’ll have to put pressure on from the back and front.”
Zerr nodded. “There’s something you need to know.”
“What’s that?”
“Maggie’s pregnant.”
“How far along?”
Zerr shrugged. “I don’t know? A couple of months? Maybe more.”
Dixon nodded and turned his attention to Maggie. He had the IV running by the time Thompson was back with the spine board. Two cops helped slide Maggie onto the spine board and secured her with straps.
“Let’s go,” Dixon said.
Zerr stood. “Briscoe. The paramedics need an escort to the hospital.”
Briscoe nodded and keyed his radio. “Dispatch, 401. I need cruisers for an ambulance escort to the Foothills Hospital. Get two cruisers out front. Block the intersections on Sixteenth Avenue between here and Foothills.”
Wolfman is Back Page 24
