Lethal Affair

by Noelle Hart

  Knowing that Kylie was under police observation, Kim watched as she suddenly jammed a package into her mother's hands and then hooked arms with the mystery guy. They headed straight at him.

  Kylie's eyes met his and she gave him a piercing, pleading look accompanied by a small negative shake of her head, then swept past him. Kim caught the mystery guy's expression. It was pure, bug-eyed panic.

  Something was going down! She'd pretended not to know him, yet given him some kind of signal with her eyes. He sprang into action. Calling Carrie on his cell, he decided to follow at a discreet distance.

  *

  “Will?”

  “Yes?”

  “It's Carrie, Kim's wife. I'm going to dispense with chit chat and get straight to the point. I'm calling from Bastion Square. Kim and I came to sell at the flea market today and when he went to get us drinks, he spotted Kylie with some guy. Her mother was there too but Kylie just shoved her away and took off with this guy. Will, Kim thinks she's in trouble. She walked right by him and gave him a look of sheer desperation. He says he's going to follow them. He wants you to call Crane.”

  Will's heart hammered. He sincerely hoped Crane and his people were on this.

  “Thanks Carrie. I'll call him now.”

  He hung up and punched Crane's number on speed dial. “Crane! It's Kylie. She's in Bastion Square and...”

  “We know! We're tracking her every move on foot and by GPS. The man with her is the jogger who tripped her up at the park the other day. She gave one of our operatives his name and we're converging on his home now. We're staying on Kylie as well. I'll keep you in the loop as things unfold.”

  “Is there something I can do? Should I go there?”

  “They've already left that location. I'll be in touch.”

  Will stared at his phone with the dial tone humming at Crane's abrupt sign off. His stomach was in knots and a sour taste filled his mouth. The taste of fear was becoming a regular part of his diet, he thought bitterly, then headed down to the diner's kitchen to bring Jolene and Lyle up to speed.

  *

  Paul Stokes dragged Kylie through the Bay Center shopping complex just up from the square. Her ankle pulsed with every step, sending shock waves up her leg to join the nervous angst assaulting her.

  There must be more than one cruise ship in dock, she thought; it would explain why there were so many people.

  “Slow down,” she complained. “My ankle can't take this pace.”

  Paul stopped in his tracks. He was in a cold sweat, his face contorted with panic. “Sorry, sorry,” he muttered.

  Kylie looked him over. He was probably close to her age, tall and lean from running no doubt, with fair hair and intense blue eyes. Handsome in a jock sort of way, he looked like the kind of guy you could count on to keep you safe.

  That's just what he was trying to do; his wife and child were in jeopardy. Fervently she wanted to change that. Following Drew's instructions might or might not save them, but they had to believe that it would.

  “Lead on,” she said, sucking up the pain as her ankle screamed.

  Drew's intentions crystallized in her mind. He must know that she had a tail and wanted them to lose it. Paul led her through a maze of stores, round and round, in and out, Drew's explicit instructions committed to Paul's memory. At several points Kylie swore she glimpsed Kim's face in the crowds.

  Were Crane's people still with them? Surely if Kim was, then they must be too. Crane had told her they would be using GPS to monitor her movements. Was Drew aware of that too? If anything, it was painfully obvious Drew was more unstable than ever. This new stunt was completely over the top.

  Separating from the crowds, Paul took her into a long service alley that ran parallel to the waterfront with red bricked vintage buildings on either side. Ducking into an alcove, two sets of navy blue coveralls awaited them. Kylie zipped hers over her clothes while Paul did the same with another, adding caps embossed with a local cablevision logo.

  Paul's cell rang. The caller I.D. said, D.H. Paul listened to his next set of instructions.

  “Let me speak to him,” Kylie demanded.

  “He wants you to ditch your purse and the cane,” he told her.

  “What? Why?”

  “How do I know? He just said to get rid of them.”

  Was he somewhere nearby? How else would he know about the cane? She grabbed the phone from him. “Listen Drew, enough of this merry chase. Where are you? Leave these poor people alone. Your fight is with me. I'll come to you wherever you are.”

  Silence. Then, “Seriously? You think Crane can outsmart me? Our new friend Paul here has a big stake in how well you follow my instructions. Things will stay the way they are and you'd better hurry. Paul has great taste in women. Sela's tempting me with her big brown eyes as we speak. Should I take a sample of her, Kylie? Maybe just a little bite...”

  There was an ear curdling scream in the background, followed by weeping, shocking Kylie.

  “She tastes pretty sweet. How about little Ruby here, does she taste just as good?”

  “No! Please. Leave her alone!”

  “Ah. Now Kylie, I suggest you remember who's calling the shots here, alright? Let me hear you say it.”

  “Yes, alright. Whatever you say.”

  He clicked off.

  *

  Kim was out of breath. He'd lost them in the Bay Center but found them again when they'd come out and gone into the big tea and coffee merchant on Government street. Her companion was leading them on a wild goose chase that looped around and around in a dizzying circle.

  He stayed glued, and when they ducked into the alley that led to Market Square, he was just close enough to see them dive into an alcove that closed them off from view.

  Staying at the end of the alley, he took a call from Will.

  “Kim! What's happening? Carrie said you're following them.”

  “So far they've traipsed all over like a pretzel. Now they're in the alley to Market Square in some kind of niche. Maybe it's a door and they went in, but I can't tell without giving away my position.”

  “Has she still got the cane?”

  “She did a minute ago. Okay, I see some movement. I'll call you back.”

  He disconnected and peered around the side of a dumpster as two figures decked out in blue coveralls emerged from the niche. They went out to the roadway and got into a dark blue van marked with a cablevision company logo.

  To anyone watching they would have looked like ordinary cablevision workers, but to Kim there was no doubt it was Kylie and the mystery man. She'd limped all the way to the van, and she definitely did not have the cane.

  *

  “What is that thing?” Paul asked her.

  “A tracking device. The cops had it specially made.”

  Driving now, Paul glanced down at the small device in her hand. She'd ditched the cane alright, but not before prying the device off the handle first. Putting it in her pocket, she asked, “Where to now?”

  “You have to get rid of it. He said no cops. He said he'd know, and he'd... he'd... do what he had to do. What is it with this guy? Why does he want you so badly? Why doesn't he just grab you? Why did he have to involve my family?”

  She thought about it for a few seconds and realized she owed him an explanation. Hell, she owed him the truth.

  “I could go with the long version or simply say, he's mentally ill.”

  “No shit!”

  “He had me once in a secluded place. I got rescued and now he's trying to isolate me again. He thinks I'm pregnant with his child but I don't think that's why he wants me. I think for him it's a challenge now, to outwit the police, to show the world he can't be beaten. I'm not going to dip this in honey for you, Paul. You're right to be afraid. Because he's already killed several people and it doesn't look like he's going to stop.”

  Paul's face crumbled and his skin flushed red. He almost crashed into the car ahead of him but braked just in time. Saying nothing, she wat
ched as renewed resolve filled him. Hitting the horn, he urged the sluggish driver ahead to get moving.

  *

  Kim watched the cable van take off and gritted his teeth in frustration. What the hell was he going to do now?

  He looked up and down the block, not sure what he was looking for. Rubbing the totem he kept in his pocket, he sent a plea out to the Great Spirit.

  Who answered! A delivery guy was unloading a large steaming stack of pizzas, his moped idling at the curb. His mistake. Kim leaped on and took off without looking back. Colorful protests peppered the air behind him.

  He caught up with the cable van and stayed a few car lengths behind. He'd probably get charged with grand theft auto, or moped, but right now it didn't matter one bit. He'd go to jail or pay a fine or whatever it took if it meant saving this situation, whatever it was.

  The van did not meander like the walking portion of this little fiasco. It headed over the Johnson street bridge and into Esquimalt, passing the Songhee Trail where Drew Hammond's abandoned apartment was located. Further into the community the roadway took them past the Sporting Arena after which they turned left toward the waterfront into a small park called Saxe Point.

  Kim pulled off the road before reaching the parking lot, ditched the moped in some bushes and walked the rest of the way, taking care to look like a guy out for an afternoon stroll.

  His cell went off. “Will, we're at Saxe Point. Yeah, that little park in Esquimalt. There's not much here so they can't go far. I'll call you back.”

  “Wait! Crane just called to say he's lost her position. I'm calling him and telling him to send in the troops now.”

  “Got it. I'll hang back then, stay out of their sight.”

  “Okay, but keep them in your sight, okay?”

  “I'm hanging up now, Will. They're getting out of the van.”

  *

  Paul climbed out of the van and went around to help Kylie, in obvious stress with her ankle. She bit the bullet and hopped out onto her good leg.

  Paul's cell rang.

  “Where are you? Where is my wife and baby?”

  “Calm down, Paul. We're close. Close enough to smell, thanks to your little girl here. She's a real shit, you know that? Got a diaper full, reeks to high heaven. Just follow the stench and you'll find her.”

  Drew clicked off and Paul looked around wildly. “What the fuck! They're somewhere here but he's playing games. Says that Ruby crapped in her diaper and to follow the smell.”

  A cloud covered the sun and the afternoon light went to gloom. To their left was an open field with rockery and beach beyond. To their right was a lightly forested area with trails leading to public washrooms. Kylie knew that beyond those washrooms was a small cliff with a pebbled beach below and a lot of kelp, the kind of seaweed with an odorous punch.

  Was it a clue? If it was, it was so Drew. He was like a devious child, concocting his capriciously evil games.

  She took hold of Paul's arm. “This way.”

  Owls hooted as they hurried along the little trail and skirted the washrooms. No one was about except for a lone man who looked a lot like Kim, Kylie realized, walking behind them at a distance, his attempt at nonchalance comical if not for the dire situation.

  They came to a small clifftop and saw the kelp strewn beach and small cove below, the strong odor rising up to meet them. The rocks coated with dark green slime promised a treacherous descent.

  Paul's cell went off.

  “You're almost there, Paul, but now you go on your own. Poor Kylie won't make it down that slippery slope without breaking that wonky ankle of hers.”

  He didn't get a chance to reply as the call abruptly ended. Drew was in command, and he wanted them to know it.

  Paul gave Kylie a pitying look. He knew she probably wouldn't be there when he came up again. Suddenly he heard a baby's fretting whimper from below and without hesitation, launched himself down the cliff side. At the bottom he followed the sound, clamoring over rocks, slipping and sliding, scratching his hands on their rough surfaces.

  He found them tucked into a small cave. His wife Sela, his child, Ruby. Quickly he duck walked into the low cavern to his wife's side as she loosely held little Ruby with limp arms.

  Ruby let out a long howl. Sela never even flinched. Her eyes were closed and a red welt had formed on the side of her face. Blood trickled from her hairline where an angry, open cut could be seen. Paul quickly felt her throat for a pulse.

  It was weak, but blood still circulated. She'd been knocked out cold.

  *

  On the clifftop the drama played out.

  Kylie anxiously awaited Paul's return, hopefully with his wife and child intact. Peering over the edge, she heard the crunch of gravel behind her and whirled around.

  Drew was a few short meters away. “Hello sweetheart. How's your ankle? Must be killing you, huh. Too bad you had to lose the cane but I didn't want you bringing anything lethal to my party.”

  He was wearing jeans and a plain blue t-shirt with an ominous purple stain that could only be blood spatter. She could smell it on him, metallic, fresh. That could mean a number of things and it turned her stomach. She felt her legs buckle and fought hard not to sink to the ground. She had to keep it together, at least until Crane's people got here.

  Where the hell were they!

  Drew stepped closer, the scars on his face livid. His eyes riveted her attention with their glittering madness. Showing his chipped front teeth he smiled, seemed genuinely pleased, whether with himself or with her, she couldn't tell.

  Defusing the situation seemed tremendously optimistic. “What did you do with Paul's family?”

  “They're doing fine. Before you know it we'll be just like them. I wonder, will we have a boy or a girl? What do you want, Kylie? Does the gender matter to you?”

  She had to keep him engaged, talking, and passed a hand over the non-existent baby in her belly. “As long as it's healthy, Drew. That's all that's important. What about you? Do you prefer one or the other?”

  “I think I'd like a boy. That little Ruby was no fun. Kept squalling the whole time. Wouldn't shut up! Drove me crazy.”

  “You didn't hurt her, did you?”

  In one fell swoop Drew was upon her. He grasped her wrist and pulled her to him. Close up his face was a disaster that looked like he'd sewn himself up, the resulting scars healing with ridges. It only added to his wild, feral demeanor.

  Crane! Get your ass here! Now!

  “We're outta here,” he growled, and began to pull her with him.

  It happened fast. Kim loomed up behind him and smashed him over the head with a tree limb. Drew fell to his knees and swayed.

  “Move, Kylie, move!” came Kim's stern instructions.

  Her ankle screaming in protest, Kylie shuffled away, but Drew's hand snaked out and he grabbed her good ankle, pulling her to the ground. In an instant he had a wicked, trademark knife to her throat.

  “Back off!” he commanded Kim.

  This was all too familiar. Knowing that if she struggled the knife might slip into her carotid artery, Kylie went still.

  Wielding the branch, Kim tried simple reasoning. “Look man, the cops are coming. Let her go and you can make it out of here before they arrive.”

  Drew laughed. “Nobody's coming, Chief. Who the hell are you? Don't tell me you're her backup.”

  “I'm her friend.”

  “Really. Figures. Kylie's an irresistible catch, isn't she? Men just line up for a chance to poke her,” – the blade pressed harder against her throat - “like she's special. This is none of your business, pal.”

  Kim's lips formed a snarl. “Since you've been on a rampage, it's everybody's business. You need help, pal. Put down that knife.” He raised the branch, brandishing it.

  “What are going to do with that?” Drew taunted. “It barely scratched me.” He dug the knife in and got a whimper. “This gets the job done.”

  Kim searched his mind for the right thing to say
. He had to keep this asshole engaged.

  A helicopter buzzed them, flying low, just as the woods behind them erupted with dark figures all headed their way. Crane's people, at last!

  Drew focused on the sudden activity, the knife giving leeway as he peered into the forest. Using that tiny instant, Kylie flung herself to one side, the sharp blade skimming her jawline.

  Kim didn't waste a second. He snatched Kylie up off the ground and pulled her back behind him, shielding her with his body.

  Whirling around, Drew lashed out with the knife. Kim used the branch to deflect it but caught a long slash along his lower arm.

  Cutting his losses, Drew flung himself down the slippery slope, landed like a cat on his feet and took off running around the little cove and up the other, grassy side. He easily hurdled a low picket fence and tore through someone's private property.

  Operatives skidded to a stop at the cliff with their weapons cocked. Drew was already out of sight.

  “Which way did he go?” someone yelled, and Kim pointed.

  Six men took off down the slope cursing the whole way, while one man stayed behind to protect Kylie and Kim.

  In Kim's opinion, it was a moot effort at best.

  * * * *

  CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

  Everyone was talking at once.

  With three cruise ships in dock, Hammond had taken advantage of the dense crowds and used Paul Stokes to confuse Crane's team. Theoretically it should have been easy for them to follow Kylie's every move, but the crowds had made it near impossible. They'd been forced to rely solely on the tracking device embedded in the handle of Kylie's cane. Loathe to admit that his team had failed, Crane was relieved that Kim Moon's intervention and Will Delaney's constant contact with him had kept them on Kylie and Paul the whole time.