Miles lay on his back, feeling Sam’s heartbeat against his side, and his soft hair smooth against his neck. He still wasn’t over the debilitating fear he’d felt for those endless hours before Katie had called. He wondered if he’d ever be over it. They’d been lucky, so damned lucky. He pulled Sam tighter and felt him wheeze a bit in his sleep. No nightmares, so far. He’d have to keep a real close eye on that.
Miles was so tired he felt like his skin was inside out and his brain was in a fog bank. Yet he couldn’t seem to shut down and sleep. So he lay there, listening to his boy breathe.
He closed his eyes and thanked Alicia yet again for encouraging Sam to get himself out of that cabin window. He’d wondered many times if she really was keeping a close eye on her son from the other side, if there was an other side, but if there wasn’t, how had Sam heard her voice? Miles knew it was Sam’s subconscious that had prodded him, but it was still somehow reassuring to believe, if even for a moment, that her love for her son overcame the silence and separation of death.
The air was soft, warm. He would swear he felt a brief touch of fingertips on his cheek. He smiled as he closed his eyes.
He had no idea how much time had passed. But one moment he was thinking about the problems with the new rotor blade design on the army’s new Proto A587 helicopter, and the next he was alert, ready to move. He lay there, listening.
There was a scraping sound.
It stopped. Then nothing.
Surely Clancy wouldn’t come back to try yet again to get Sam. There were two cops sitting just around at the front of the house.
It was probably just a branch whispering against the side of the house in the night wind.
No different sounds now, nothing at all.
Miles drew a deep breath, and settled in again. He imagined he’d be hearing things for many years to come.
“Hold yourself real still, Mr. Kettering.”
Miles’s heart nearly seized. His eyes flew open. He looked up into Clancy’s shadowed face, and pulled Sam closer.
“Yeah, I saw you wake up. Then I decided to wait just another minute, and sure enough, you were out again.”
Miles didn’t want to wake Sam. He whispered to that round white face above him, “What the hell are you doing here? How did you get past the cops outside?”
Clancy grinned, and Miles saw he hadn’t escaped scot free from the van. He had a split lip with some dried blood on it, his cheek was swollen and covered with three Band-Aids. There was another cut over his left eyebrow, a Band-Aid patched vertically over it. His right arm wasn’t in a sling, but he was holding it stiffly against his side.
Miles felt the muzzle of the gun, sharp and cold against his neck. Clancy leaned his face real close to Miles’s, and he smelled Clancy’s breath-salami and beer. He said, real low, “It was easy as kicking dirt. They were nearly unconscious last time I checked. By now, they might be dead, the morons. I’ve worked enough on cars to know about what not to do with a car exhaust. Pretty dangerous things, if you don’t know what you’re doing. Yep, nothing so easy as the car exhaust. Easy as cooking a hot dog. You see, the bozos kept the car turned on because they were too wussy to take the cold. That was when I knew exactly what to do.”
“You murdered two people just to get to Sam?”
“That’s right, Mr. Kettering. What’s your point?”
“Who’s paying you to do this? Who?”
“Well now, Mr. Kettering, that just isn’t any of your business, now, is it?”
“You have to know this is insane, Clancy. Half the state is looking for you. There’s no way you’ll get away with Sam, no way at all.”
“You know, Mr. Kettering, with all your yapping, I’m wondering if I shouldn’t just pop you now.” The muzzle dug in. Miles didn’t move, barely breathed, and he thought, I can’t die, I can’t. I have to protect Sam. He thought of Katie just down the hall, asleep. If Sam could hear his mother, then why the hell couldn’t he talk to Katie? He did, and then focused himself again. He was an idiot, a desperate idiot. Sam was too close for him to try to make a move. And it appeared that Clancy had nothing at all to lose. Who was paying him so much money that he just couldn’t give up? He felt the muzzle stroking his neck now.
“You don’t look too good, Clancy. I’m surprised you’re even walking around. I saw the van explode. It was a burning hell.”
“When the sheriff fired I slammed into that tree and knocked myself silly, but just for a minute. I saw the sheriff kill Beau and got the hell out of the van. Yeah, I wanted to pop all of you, destroying my van like that.”
But Clancy didn’t pull the trigger. So Clancy didn’t want to kill him just yet, thank God. Why not? No silencer, that was why, and this was not the time for gunfire.
Then Miles realized Clancy wanted him alive so he could carry Sam. He wanted two hostages. Then he’ll kill me once he’s gotten us away from here.
Miles didn’t even blink. He tried to unfreeze his muscles and his heart after the immense jolt of fear that had shut him down for a moment.
“Wake up the boy, Mr. Kettering. I won’t ask twice.”
He did, lightly stroking Sam’s cheek, speaking quietly to him, telling him not to be afraid, everything would be all right.
Sam’s eyes opened, focused on Clancy. “You’re a bad man,” Sam said, that little voice strong.
“Hello there, you little brat. Too bad you’re so valuable, I’d sure like to twist off your head. You got Beau killed, and I’m going to have to pay you back for that.”
“Why do you want him so badly, Clancy?”
“I just might tell you someday,” Clancy said. “Not that I necessarily believe it.” He took a couple of steps back to stand at the end of the bed, his gun aimed directly at Sam.
“Don’t even think of trying anything, Mr. Kettering, or I’ll shoot the boy. Believe me on this. I ain’t got nothin’ to lose here. Both of you get up now. You might as well put some clothes on, Mr. Kettering, it’s pretty cold out there. The kid’s just fine in his pajamas.” He fell silent, watching them. “Hey, I wonder if those deputies are croaked yet. Shouldn’t be long if they aren’t already. We just might take their car, what do you think?”
“Why would you do that? How did you get here?”
“Never you mind about that.”
Miles said, “Sam, I want you to get out of bed real slow. Stand over there, okay?”
“Papa-”
“Do as I say. Everything will be all right, I promise you that.”
Clancy laughed under his breath. He watched Sam slide away from his father, off the side of the bed. He stood there, in his red pajamas.
“Hey, Mickey Mouse, those are neat,” Clancy said. “Now you, Mr. Kettering. I want you to be real careful. You see where I’m aiming now? Right at the kid’s head. I’ll kill him if you force me to.”
But would he really? Miles didn’t think so. Whoever had hired Clancy wanted Sam too badly, but he wasn’t about to take the chance. Miles eased out of the covers and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He was wearing only his boxer shorts. The air was chilly. Slowly, he stood. Clancy threw him his jeans. He pulled them on, fastened them. He held out his hand. “My sweater’s over there.”
Clancy tossed it to him. When he had it pulled over his head, Clancy said, “No shoes. I don’t want you trying to make a break for it. Now, put your hands behind your neck.”
Miles laced his fingers behind his head.
“Okay, now, you walk out of here first, Mr. Kettering. Sam, you follow your dad. Do it, now. Keep walking. Kid, you behave yourself.”
He doesn’t want Sam dead, Miles kept thinking. Everything hinges on his taking Sam alive. But why? All Miles needed was an opening, a small lapse on Clancy’s part, and he could take him. He held himself ready, listened to every breath Clancy drew, realized he didn’t breathe easily because he was so heavy, and he was hurt. Just how badly, Miles couldn’t guess. He watched Clancy’s gun, watched how it remained aimed at Sam’
s head.
Miles walked slowly down the hall. He barely heard Sam’s steps behind him because he was wearing a nice thick pair of Katie’s socks. They were nearly to Katie’s bedroom door.
This is easy, Clancy, so easy. You can relax a bit, can’t you now? You’ve got us.
They reached the living room in utter silence. Moonlight showed through the front window that wasn’t boarded up. Not much, but enough so no one would trip over anything.
Slowly, Clancy motioned Miles to move aside. He grabbed Sam’s arm and dragged him toward the front door.
“Papa-”
“Shut up, you little varmint!”
He held Sam with one hand, realized that he couldn’t turn the dead bolt with a gun in his other hand, and stood there a minute, wondering what to do.
“Come here, Mr. Kettering. I want you to open that door or I’ll hurt your kid.”
He pulled Sam back against his stomach.
Miles walked to the front door and unfastened the locks.
“Open it.”
Miles opened the front door. The night wind rushed in, cool, sharp.
“Put your hands behind your head and walk.”
Miles stopped at the edge of the wide porch that wrapped around the house, touched his bare toe against a rocking chair leg.
“Well, go on down. We’ll check out those cops, see if they’re dead yet. Then we’ll take their car. I still can’t believe that damned sheriff ruined my van.”
“How did you get back here, Clancy?”
“I already told you, that ain’t none of your business, buddy. Walk down those damned stairs!”
Clancy had to know that he was running out of time. Miles had to see exactly where Sam was before he moved. Clancy and Sam were just in his peripheral vision behind him, just off to the right. Clancy had his arm around Sam’s neck, held him tightly against his side.
On the second step, Miles yelled, “Drop, Sam!”
Sam went limp and dropped to the ground. In the same instant Miles turned and kicked out, his foot crushing Clancy’s injured arm. The gun went flying.
Clancy screamed even as he grabbed Sam by his neck and lifted him off the ground, twisting, holding him away from him. Miles kicked again, this time in the middle of his chest. Clancy dropped Sam and went flying back, grabbing his chest, unable to breathe.
At that moment, Katie came through the open doorway, barefoot, her SIG Sauer in both hands in front of her.
She yelled, as she crouched, “Hold it, Clancy!”
“I’ve got him,” Miles said, and she saw that he was smiling of all things, an awful smile that held raw hate and triumph.
As he moved toward Clancy, he yelled, “Katie, check the deputies. There’s gas in the car, hurry!”
Miles smashed his palm into Clancy’s nose, and brought his knee up hard into his crotch.
Clancy screamed and went down onto his knees, holding himself. Katie literally jumped over Clancy and went flying off the porch, and Miles winced as her bare feet struck stone and gravel, but she didn’t slow. She jerked open the passenger’s side door and pulled the deputy out onto the ground, then ran to the driver’s side, and dragged the other man out as well.
Clancy, still bent over, staggered to his feet, his eyes on Sam, who was on his hands and knees, scooting backward toward the edge of the porch.
“It’s okay, Sam.” Miles jumped toward him and slammed his fist into Clancy’s jaw. He felt the skin on his knuckles split, but it felt good, sending this monster into oblivion with his bare fist. He watched him fall senseless, then turned to see Katie bent over one of the deputies, listening for a breath. Sam was sitting on the edge of the porch, huddled over, not saying a word.
“Mama?”
“It’s okay, Keely,” Miles said. “You stay in the house, okay? Your mom will get you in just a minute. Don’t move, Keely. Katie, do I need to see to the other deputy?”
Before Katie answered, she saw that Clancy was down, not moving, not even moaning and was lying on his side, facing the house. She didn’t have any cuffs and couldn’t leave Cole here, possibly dying. It was okay, Clancy was down and out.
“Miles, you got him good. Hurry!”
Miles kicked Clancy just to make sure he was really unconscious, and pushed his gun in his pants. “Come with me, Sam. We’ve got to help the deputies.”
Katie raised her head a moment to say, “Cole’s not dead! He’s breathing!” before she moved over to the other man. Miles was aware that Keely was standing over her mom, just as Sam was standing next to him. He quickly looked toward the porch. Clancy hadn’t twitched. “Sam, run inside and get my cell phone and bring it to me.”
When Sam handed Miles his cell, he punched 911. A short time later, they heard sirens loud in the still night.
The paramedics immediately covered the deputies’ noses and mouths with oxygen masks. “It looks to me like that was close,” said Mackey. He cocked a brow at Katie. “I’d call this a crime spree, Sheriff. You’re really keeping us busy. You and the kids okay?”
“I think so.” She pointed to Clancy. “For a fat guy, he moves as quietly as a cat burglar. I have no idea what sort of shape he’s in, though. Mr. Kettering didn’t pull any punches. But he’s alive, and that’s the important thing. Now we’ll find out who hired him. We’ll need you all to transport him once we’ve got you a police escort.”
“Nuts,” Mackey said. “The jerk must be just plain nuts.”
Wade showed up not five minutes later, jeans pulled over his pajamas, his shirt hanging open. “Jesus, Katie, you got him! By damn, you got the bastard.”
“Actually, Miles got him. He’s got some good moves. Go cuff him, Wade.”
Miles was elated and exhausted. He walked to the children who were both sitting on the edge of the porch, went down on his haunches and pulled them both against his chest. He kissed Sam, then Keely, again and again. “I’m so proud of you both.”
“I want Mama,” Keely said against Miles’s armpit.
“Let her do her job, then she’ll be over here. You just hold on to me, okay?
“Sam?”
Sam burrowed closer.
“Sam? You all right?”
Sam didn’t say a thing. He didn’t even blink when Clancy staggered to his feet, knocked Wade off the porch, jumped onto the driveway, and disappeared into the darkness.
Katie cursed a blue streak, and ran after him. Miles leaped off the porch after her. Both of them were still barefoot. Miles heard Wade cursing, couldn’t make out his words.
Then dead silence.
He heard a gunshot.
Then more dead silence.
19
M iles watched Dr. Sheila Raines from across Katie’s living room speaking quietly to Sam. He wasn’t moving, wasn’t meeting her eyes. His small hands were restless, pulling on his jeans, scratching his elbow, punching one of the sofa cushions.
“He’s hardly spoken a single word,” he said to Katie, who was sitting next to him, holding Keely in her arms, the little girl was sprawled out, asleep. Miles barely got the words out. “Too much has happened to him, just too much. And we still have no idea who is after him, and why. And that’s the biggest mystery: why go through all this misery to get ahold of one little boy? Twice now they’ve come after him after he escaped them. Twice! And tonight Clancy came after him all by himself, and he was wounded. It makes no sense at all to me.
“If his kidnapping was for money, then why was there no ransom note? They had almost two days, surely that was enough time to make their demands known to me.” He paused a moment, streaking his fingers through his hair. “I was certain it was a pedophile who’d taken him, but no, that isn’t the case, and I thank God for that. And I’m as certain as I can be that no one, not even the crooks I caught when I was an FBI agent, would want revenge against me this badly. And if someone did, then why not just shoot me? That would be easy enough to do. Why then, for God’s sake?
“Jesus, this whole thing is over the top
. And look at Sam, silent, his eyes blank like he’s really not here, like he doesn’t want to be here because it’s too scary, and he has all this terror locked inside him.”
Katie touched his shoulder. “It’s a terrible thing, what he’s been through,” she said. “But you know, Miles, even with the short time I’ve known Sam, I know he’s resilient. He’s a very strong little boy. Be patient. Sheila is very good. Have some faith.
“Now the motive. There is one, you know that, Miles. There always is. It’s just not obvious to us yet, and just maybe we wouldn’t necessarily understand it, but there is a motive, obviously a very strong one to the person or persons who had Sam kidnapped, given all the lengths Clancy and Beau have gone to. We’ll keep digging and we’ll find it, I promise you.”
It was as if he hadn’t heard her. “And it’s not over,” he said, still looking toward his son, “not by a long shot. Clancy is dead, and with him the name of whoever is behind this. But they’re still out there, I know it and you know it, Katie. And they’ll try again, you know that, too. Why stop now?”
“To be honest,” Katie said after a moment, “I don’t think Clancy would have said a word. Didn’t you tell me that you were certain he planned to kill you after he had Sam again?”
Miles nodded. He began rubbing Keely’s foot in its bright pink sock, so small, just like Sam’s.
“Even so he still wouldn’t tell you who hired him to do this.”
“No.” Miles happened to look down. Katie was still barefoot, wearing only jeans and her nightshirt with Benedict Pulp: Nonfiction printed across the front.
He looked down at his own bare feet and saw several cuts. He hadn’t even noticed until now. He’d see to them, but not yet, not just yet. Her feet were cut, too. Who cared about feet? He looked again at Sam and Dr. Raines. His boy wasn’t moving. He just sat there, looking at nothing in particular, moving his hands.
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