by C. M. Sutter
Chapter 56
I was jolted awake by a sharp prick to my neck. I tried to swat away the burning sensation, but my arms wouldn’t move.
“Leave her alone, you son of a bitch. She doesn’t even know you. She hasn’t done anything wrong!”
I recognized the voice, yet it sounded harsh and groggy. I turned my head and saw Jesse crumpled in the corner in a fetal position. He was a shaking, hollow-eyed man whom I hardly recognized. Dried blood covered his head and arms. I looked back and saw John at my neck with a syringe in his hand. He had just pushed the plunger full of meth into my carotid artery. I screamed and tried to jerk away, but the effects were already hitting me. It felt as if my temples were about to explode, and if my arms hadn’t been pinned under his knees, I was sure I could have killed him with my bare hands. I gritted my teeth as the heat washed over me. My heart rate increased by the second and sweat dripped from my forehead.
“Jesse, what do I do? I think I’m going to have a heart attack.”
John laughed. “You didn’t get enough for that, but the next time you try to escape, I’ll make sure you die.”
“Ride it out, Kate. There’s nothing else you can do. It’ll be over with in twenty minutes.”
“Yeah, and that’s when I give the bitch some more. Pretty soon, you’ll look the same—twin scabby-faced skeletons with habits you’ll never kick. Your hot-shit jobs will be a thing of the past. You’ll be losers just like me. My retirement fund is gone, and I still owe money for my gambling debts. You self-righteous assholes murdered Mason, my meal ticket. I have to cook meth every day and go to that piece-of-shit part-time patrol job just to keep my health benefits.”
“Then prison should feel like the Four Seasons to you.”
Footsteps echoed on the tile as John stormed across the room and kicked Jesse in the ribs. “Shut your mouth, druggie.”
Jesse grabbed his side and groaned. John kicked him again, harder that time. He smiled as if he enjoyed seeing the agony on Jesse’s face. John knelt at the detective’s side. “Want another hit?”
“Screw you.”
“Have it your way.” John pushed off his knee and turned toward the door.
“No, don’t go! I didn’t mean what I said. I need a hit, a strong one. This pain is too much.”
“Tough shit, you can suffer. That’s the price you pay for smarting off to me.”
“No, no, no, I need my hit. I promise I won’t say another word.”
John’s eyes lit up as he smirked his response. “Too bad. I guess it sucks to be you, Jesse McCord. I’ve heard that withdrawal symptoms are a real bitch.” John laughed as he exited the room. Squatting, he peeked through the hole in the door after locking it. “Enjoy Jesse’s company, Kate. He’s a real party animal. I’ll be back in a bit with a double dose for you. Pretty soon you’ll be begging for more just like he does. You’ll be flying high in no time and loving every minute of it.”
“Kiss my ass, loser. You’ll be in jail before I ever become addicted.” I heard roaring laughter as John’s footsteps became more distant, then he yelled back one last time.
“You’re nothing but a stupid bitch. Why don’t you take a good look at Jesse? He said the same thing.”
Chapter 57
Henry paced along the side of the road a quarter mile from the driveway on Old Barn Lane. The group of nine waited for the other officers’ arrival before moving in. According to a satellite view, the property looked to be on a large amount of acreage. An outbuilding stood to the west of the house, a good hundred feet away. The garage faced the driveway, which cut through the woods and intersected with Old Barn Lane, and a sidewalk led from the driveway to what was likely the front door. Other than a patio at the back of the house, the satellite imagery didn’t show much. The window locations couldn’t be seen from that viewpoint.
Finley jerked his chin toward the road. “Here they come.”
Three squad cars approached and parked behind the others. That gave them twelve officers, detectives, and sergeants in total.
Lutz gathered everyone around. “Is there a senior officer here?”
“That would be me, sir. I’m Don Charles.”
Lutz reached out and shook Don’s hand. “Okay, listen up, everyone. Here’s our scenario. We have a Chicago patrol officer named John Conrad who has taken two detectives hostage. One is a Chicago homicide detective, and the other is a detective who was brought in from Wisconsin to lend her expertise. Mr. Conrad has already killed four people that we know of, possibly more, and those two detectives—if still alive—are definitely on his short list. We don’t know for a fact that John or his hostages are in the dwelling right now and there’s an outbuilding to take note of a hundred feet or so to the west of the house. We’re going to surround the property by going in on foot through the woods. We have no idea if there’s a surveillance system installed, but everyone here has been trained to stay as invisible as possible, use cover whenever you can, and keep your heads on a swivel.” Lutz looked at each officer for questions then continued on. “We would normally coordinate our approach prior and communicate through our radios, but since he’s a cop, we’ll go silent and use hand signals only. Since we have no idea where the hostages are in the dwelling, we’ll have to breach the outer doors and move inward until he, or he and the hostages, are cornered. I’m sure Mr. Conrad doesn’t want to die today, but the hostages are our main concern. Their lives come first. John is known to carry a Glock 22, and if it’s on his person and he’s posing a threat to you or the hostages, shoot to kill without hesitation. Since there’s twelve of us, we’ll approach in six groups of two. That should cover the entire residence.” Lutz gave everyone one more glance. “If you have questions, ask them now, otherwise, let’s go.”
The plan was set, and the execution began. Twelve men disappeared into the woods and silently moved in on the property. Don guided his group of six to the left, where they’d cover the house on the east side, move in, and check for entrance points. They were in charge of breaching the patio doors. Lutz, Finley, and their detectives would move in on the west side. They’d have to cover the front door, garage, and outbuilding. Lutz said once the outbuilding was cleared, they’d move toward the front door and make their way into the house. The entire house, front to back, would be covered by officers, and if John was home, they’d squeeze him toward the center.
Lutz pointed at Henry, Mills, Potter, and Murray. They’d clear the outbuilding first while Finley and Lutz covered them and watched for movement.
The men scurried along the tree line while Lutz and Finley, with guns drawn, watched from their vantage point. Seeing that the north side of the shed was devoid of windows, Henry waved the men in his direction. They crept closer, using whatever they could as cover. Rapid fire erupted, and the men hit the ground. Dirt and metal fragments from the building’s aluminum exterior sprayed like shrapnel in every direction. The men were being fired upon from somewhere in the area of the garage. Lutz and Finley returned fire while the four detectives retreated behind the building and took cover.
Without radio contact, Lutz had no idea where Don’s group was or if they had breached the house during the commotion.
Finley yelled to Lutz between gunfire blasts. “Let’s back into the woods so we aren’t sitting ducks. Run west and try to line up with the guys behind the shed. They won’t know where we are otherwise. We need to regroup and come up with a way to enter the house. We already know where John is posted.”
Lutz gave Finley a thumbs-up and crouched as he ran parallel to the outbuilding. Seconds later, he and Finley caught the attention of the four men who were at the back of the shed.
Lutz yelled out, “Get back here with us so we can come up with a plan! Run for it now. We’ll cover you.”
Mills nodded and gathered the other three. On Finley’s signal, they ran the fifty feet to the tree line with everything they had. Ear-piercing gunfire rang out from both directions, but the men made it to cover unharmed.
Chapter 58
I jumped at the sound of gunfire and knew the cavalry had arrived. Henry figured it out, filled everyone in, and they’d found us.
Thank you, God. They came to rescue us.
Jesse shook as he cowered in the corner. His arms were wrapped around his bent knees, and he babbled nonstop. Nothing he said made sense.
I ran to him and knelt at his side. “Jesse, they’re here! Listen to all that noise. It’s gunfire, and that means our guys came to save us. We’ll be out of here soon, and you’ll get the treatment you need. No more meth, no more needles, no more addiction.”
Jesse pushed me away and rocked back and forth. “Leave me alone.” He frantically snapped his bruised elbow with his thumb and middle finger, trying to make a vein pop up. “I need my hit, I need my hit. Give it to me.” His eyes darted left and right then up and down.
I couldn’t get through to him, and there was no reasoning with Jesse in that moment. His mind was on his needs and nothing else. I ran to that small hole in the door and looked out as I crouched down. The rectangular opening was my only access to the rest of the world since the room had no windows. Through that opening, I could see to the end of the hall, and I’d know if somebody was headed our way.
I looked over my shoulder at Jesse. His hands covered his ears, and he continued to rock. When I heard footsteps in the distance, I spun back and peered out the hole. Our fate was about to be determined. A pissed-off John with a gun might be headed our way, or the police force was coming to our rescue. I prayed for the latter.
I counted the seconds and the footsteps—they were getting closer, yet I had to hold back from calling out for help. If John heard my pleas, it would fuel his anger even more. A figure turned the corner, and it was John. I quickly scooted away from the door then ran to Jesse’s side.
John screamed as he stormed down the hallway. “It looks like the boys in blue are about to speed up my plans. A hot shot or a bullet to the head, it makes no difference to me—I brought both. Say your prayers, Detectives, it’s time to die.”
I ran for the chair on the other side of the room and propped it under the doorknob. It would buy us a few more minutes. Then I flipped the single bed on its side against the far wall and grabbed Jesse. It was all we had for protection, and I knew that any second, John would open fire through the hole in the door.
We crouched behind the bed as bullets pelted the walls. Seconds later, I heard voices yelling throughout the house—the cops had gained entrance, and I prayed they would get to us in time.
John continued firing until the door was nothing but splinters. He kicked it in and headed toward us. It was either fight or die trying. I flung the bed over and knocked John off-balance. I had the upper hand for only a second and kicked him in the groin, but he overpowered me quickly. He had me in a chokehold with a gun at my head, and I was beginning to fade. That was when I heard voices at the door.
“John Conrad, throw down your weapon and get on the floor!”
The voice sounded like Lutz, but I couldn’t be sure.
“Kill me if you want. I don’t have anything to live for, anyway, but I’m taking this bitch to hell with me.”
“Drop the weapon, John, this is your last warning!”
The piercing sound made my ears ring, and I felt something warm running down my cheek. I was sure John had just shot me in the head.
“Kate, Kate, are you okay?” Henry knelt at my side. “Let me help you up. Carlyle, call an ambulance. Hurry.”
“Am I dying, Henry?”
“No, you’re fine. Put your arm over my shoulder.”
Mills helped Henry lift me to the other side of the room as Don’s team stormed in.
“We have a call out to the EMTs. The ambulance will be here any minute.”
“Somebody, help Jesse.” I looked toward the bed and saw John lying dead on the floor. I wiped my cheek then stared at my palm. It was covered in blood. “Did a bullet graze my head?”
“No, Mills shot John right under the left eye.”
“That’s his blood on your face, Kate. I had to make a split-second decision, and it didn’t appear that he was going to back down. That kill shot was for Jim.” Mills pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped my cheek.
“Frank, you saved my life. I’m so grateful.”
“All in a day’s work.” He gave me a wink then went to Jesse’s side. “Come on, partner. Let’s get you some help.”
We watched as the EMTs strapped the kicking and writhing Jesse onto the gurney and wheeled him out to the waiting ambulance.
“What will happen to Jesse? John did a real number on him and he has no idea what he’s doing.”
Lutz rubbed my shoulder. “Jesse will get well, but it’s going to take time. He’ll get the best treatment available to him, I’ll make damn sure of that.” Lutz raised his brow. “I need to call Jack and let him know you’re okay. Are you? We can have the EMTs check you out.”
“No, I’m all right.” I rubbed my neck. “Thankfully, John didn’t have much time with me. I’ll be okay.”
Finley gathered with the Lincolnshire police. “We’re going to hand this place over to you since it’s your jurisdiction. There’s a meth lab somewhere in the area, and it isn’t that shed. Make sure you find it, destroy the product, and burn it down.”
“We’ll take care of it, sir,” Don said. “I’m going to make a call to my boss then get the crime lab out here.” He gave Finley a nod and disappeared down the hallway.
Lutz handed each officer a card. “We’re going to head back to the city, guys. I have a ton of paperwork and calls to make regarding John Conrad. I appreciate all your help today with this case.” He glanced at John’s body still lying on the floor. “You’ve called the coroner, right?”
“Sure did, sir,” Carlyle said.
“Okay, I’ll touch base with your commander. We have joint reports to file.” Lutz nodded at Henry and Mills. “Give Kate a hand to your cruiser.”
“When my purse and phone are found, can somebody get them to me?”
“Sure thing, Detective Pierce, and I’ll take care of it personally,” Don said.
I walked out with Mills and Henry and breathed in the fresh air. I was thankful to be alive.
Chapter 59
After my first night of uninterrupted sleep since arriving in Chicago, I showered, dressed, and grabbed two muffins before heading out. Henry was picking me up. I’d wrap up my involvement with the Chicago homicide department, write my report, and head to the train station. Jack would be meeting me at the other end, and I couldn’t wait to see him and the rest of my team again. It had been a crazy, stressful week.
Henry slowed to a stop and waved as I stood on the porch and watched for his cruiser to pull up to the inn.
He lowered the driver’s-side window and laughed when he saw me cautiously approach. “I promise it’s really me, Kate.”
I climbed in and handed him a muffin. “I’m just making sure. I don’t want to go through that nightmare twice.”
Henry tipped his head to the backseat. “Check it out. I have your purse and phone.”
I let out a breath of relief. “Thank goodness. I’ll call the Lincolnshire PD and say thanks for getting them back to me. Have you heard anything on Jesse this morning?”
“Lutz said he’ll be at the hospital for a few days while his wounds heal, then he’ll be moved to a treatment center. Right now he’s on the typical round-the-clock watch while he goes through withdrawal and it’s going to take time for him to get clean, but he has plenty of medical leave available. Jesse is a strong cop, Kate, and he wants to get clean and come back to work. He knows t
he battle he’s facing, but he’s determined to come out on the other side better than ever.”
“I’m so relieved to hear he’ll be okay.” I bit into my cranberry nut muffin. “Yours is banana nut.”
“How did you know that’s my favorite?” Henry glanced at me and grinned. “Oh yeah, you’re psychic.”
We reached the police station as I took my last bite. “As much as I like you guys, I’m anxious to get back to North Bend and my normal life.”
“Really? North Bend is normal?”
“Okay, sort of, but we do our best.”
We entered the roll call room, and clapping erupted from the group. My eyes instantly welled up. I shook my head as I turned to Lutz and saw him wipe his own eyes.
He blew his nose into his handkerchief and spoke up. “Kate, you have the floor.”
I felt my face go red. Henry, Mills, Potter, and Murray stood and continued clapping, then the rest of the officers stood too.
I cleared my throat. “Please, guys, sit the hell down, you’re embarrassing me.”
They laughed as they took their seats and got comfortable.
I sat at the table next to the podium and poured myself a glass of water. My voice cracked as soon as I spoke. “I knew when I arrived here, my job would be difficult, but jeez, guys.”
They laughed again.
“I didn’t ask to be born with this gift, and yes, I am ridiculed a lot because of it.” I pointed at Mills and grinned. “Yeah, I’m talking to you, Frank. All kidding aside, I have to utilize and implement my dreams when they lead me down the right path. Sometimes the lines get blurred and the path isn’t well-defined until the end, when we’re able to look back at it. All I’ve ever asked of anyone is to have an open mind about people’s differences. Sergeant Lutz, I thank you for believing in me and giving me the benefit of the doubt. That means more than you’ll ever know.”
