Courage Under Fire

by Sharon Dunn

  They walked for several more blocks before Lani spoke into the radio. “This is Officer Lani Branson and Chief Noah Jameson. Could you come pick us up? We’re headed back toward the northwest entrance to the park.”

  Maybe one of the other officers was able to nab Martin. Maybe Reed or Tony had caught up with him. From the sound of the sirens, NYPD had pulled out all the stops to try to catch the guy. Somehow, though, he doubted they’d gotten him. Martin was slippery. And he and Lani were the ones who had gotten the closest to him. Noah was 90 percent sure Martin had eluded them.

  The only thing that was clear to Noah was that as long as Martin was on the streets neither he nor Lani was safe.

  * * *

  As Noah drove Lani back to her house, she could feel a weariness settling into her muscles. Once again, Martin had escaped them only to fade into the crowd of people. News had come over the radio that a stolen car had been left at one of the parking lots surrounding the park. Martin had probably arrived in that.

  Noah had not spoken much since he had offered to take her home. She didn’t feel too talkative herself. Now it felt like this thing with Martin would go on forever. Would she be free of him if she moved out of the city? The thought caused her pain; she’d have to leave everything she cared about. Her job, her brother, her home and Noah.

  From the backseat, Scotty nudged against her cheek and groaned. The dog was amazing in how he picked up on her mood. She stroked Scotty’s square jaw. The thought of not being a K-9 officer would break her heart. The truth was she felt like she was in her element when she worked with the dogs.

  Noah cleared his throat. “So you texted Reed?”

  “Yes, he just made it home.” Noah and Lani had hung around the park to see if there was any sign of Martin and to wait until the vehicle that probably belonged to Martin had been located, which ended up taking a couple of hours. The forensic team was still going over it.

  Not catching Martin had triggered a restlessness in Lani. She couldn’t stay in limbo for much longer. Something needed to change in her professional and personal life. Reed and Abigail were talking more about wedding plans and finalizing adopting Dominic. Maybe she could look into being a K-9 officer in another borough. Maybe then her intense feelings for Noah would fade. She turned her attention to him.

  “Martin attacked you too,” she said. “He might do it again.”

  “I’ll be all right,” Noah said. “I live in a house with a bunch of Jameson men.”

  Lani suspected Noah was saying that to keep her from worrying. His father was still in good shape but older. Carter was injured and Zach no longer lived in the house since he’d gotten married.

  “I suppose you’ve got Scotty to protect you, and the other dogs,” she said.

  “Don’t worry about me, Lani.” Noah drove a few more blocks before speaking up. “This will go in my report tomorrow, but when Martin attacked me he had a needle with him. Jordan was killed by drug overdose administered with a needle, remember? We have Forensics working with the dogs to find the needle.”

  “Criminals usually use the same methods most of the time. That certainly makes it more likely that Martin did kill Jordan.”

  “We don’t know anything yet for sure. We need evidence. Katie sometimes comes into headquarters to have lunch with Sophie. If you see her, please don’t say anything.”

  Noah double-parked in front of the house where the glow from the lights in the living room and kitchen indicated that Reed was home.

  Noah leaned toward her. “Don’t worry about me.”

  Though she didn’t feel it on the inside, she gave Noah a faint smile and reassurance. “You have a good rest of your night, Noah.”

  Lani hurried up the sidewalk. As she unlocked the door and stepped inside, she heard Noah pulling away from the curb. From the moment she stepped inside her home, something felt wrong. Reed wasn’t on the couch or in the kitchen.

  “Reed?” No answer.

  From inside the garage, Jessie’s muffled baying reached Lani’s ears. Reed never left the bloodhound in the garage. It was reserved for the upstairs tenant. Lani hurried to her bedroom to grab her gun, pulling her phone out so she could call Noah. He couldn’t be more than a few blocks away.

  The lights in the house went out. Someone had thrown a breaker. She fumbled with her phone to click on the flashlight. She didn’t hear the upstairs tenant walking around. He must be out.

  Hands grabbed her from behind jerking her back. She dropped her phone. Before he even spoke, she knew it was Martin.

  “You’re coming with me. You were meant to be with me.”

  Lani struggled to twist away. She kicked Martin in the shin, one of the vulnerable parts on the human body. Martin didn’t so much as groan in pain. His grip remained locked tight on her. She couldn’t get the leverage to try for Martin’s knees or his stomach. The other vulnerable parts of the body.

  He dragged her across the floor, swinging her around to face the garage door where Jessie was still putting up a fuss. Certainly, the neighbors would begin to wonder what all the noise was about.

  “Now open the door,” said Martin.

  He released her from his grasp. She felt something hard and solid press against her back, a gun.

  “Where is Reed?” Her voice trembled. Had Martin killed her brother in order to get to her?

  “Open the door,” Martin said, his voice filled with rage.

  She twisted the knob. Jessie whined when she saw Lani and lunged toward her. The dog was tied up in a corner on a short rope unable to move more than a few feet.

  “Doesn’t that dog ever shut up? Thought if I put her out here she’d be quiet.”

  “Not when she’s distressed.” Lani looked around the garage for something to fight Martin with. The tenant’s tools were on the far wall.

  Exhausted, Jessie lay down but continued to whine.

  “Now go to the outside door and open it.” Martin shoved the gun in her back as a reminder of who was in control.

  She swung open the door. Martin had parked his car in a side street where no one would see it.

  “Put your hands behind you.”

  Lani hesitated, trying to figure out a way to get the gun from Martin.

  “Do it now!” Martin’s voice filled with rage.

  Reluctantly, she did as she was told even as she looked around for an escape route. The next-door neighbor had a high fence in his backyard. No one would be out at this hour anyway.

  Martin secured her hands.

  She felt a pinprick in her left shoulder and then the sense that some venomous substance was moving through her veins.

  “Just to make sure you don’t try to get away.” Martin opened the back car door and shoved her in.

  Lani had a fearful moment of wondering if whatever Martin had given her was going to kill her. As they rolled through the streets, she realized it was probably just meant to weaken her so she wouldn’t fight back. She remained conscious, but it would take all her strength to even sit up in the car, let alone find a way to escape.

  She was trapped in a car with a volatile man who had probably already murdered once before.

  SIXTEEN

  The phone call awoke Noah from a deep sleep. It was his brother Zach. Noah still felt groggy. “Yes?”

  “Reed just phoned in. Martin came to their house and disabled Reed so he could kidnap Lani. Reed got away and was able to get the license plate number of the sedan as he chased Martin down. Reed lost him, but Patrol spotted the sedan at the marina. We think he has her on the boat.”

  Noah’s head felt like it might explode from the news Zach delivered. His stomach turned to a hard rock. He was still trying to wake up, still trying to process what Zach was telling him.

  He threw back the covers, swung his legs to the floor and bolted to his feet in one swift motion. “Get the coast gu
ard involved. I’m going to commission a chopper. We need to find that boat.”

  “Ten-four.”

  “Keep me posted,” said Noah. “Tracking dogs and search and rescue on standby. I’m taking Scotty with me.”

  As he dressed, his heart squeezed tight. He bent over from the fear that washed through him. Lani was in Martin’s clutches. There was no telling what Martin might do. He straightened and took in a breath. He had to stay strong for Lani.

  He headed toward the door. “Come on, Scotty, we got work to do.”

  Scotty trailed behind him.

  Within half an hour, he was at the police helipad. Reed met him there with a scarf that had belonged to Lani. It had her scent on it in case they had to track her that way.

  With the blade whirring, creating a tremendous wind, he loaded Scotty into the backseat, and he got in the front with the pilot. He put his headset on. His stomach lurched as they rose into the air. He’d been in a chopper dozens of times. The tightening in his stomach was about Lani. His world would fall apart if something happened to her.

  When Noah glanced over his shoulder, Scotty sat firmly in the seat, his head held high and alert. Something about seeing his partner ready to work and face whatever lay ahead gave him strength.

  News came from the coast guard that they thought they had spotted the boat headed toward the East River but the boat had evaded them. The helicopter pilot headed in that direction. Noah stared down below to search the water. There were no flashing lights indicating a boat down there. Maybe Martin had turned off the lights on the boat to avoid detection.

  Noah commanded the chopper to fly lower. His eyes searched everywhere. For Lani’s sake, he would not let his fear overtake him. He needed to remain cool and focused if he was to find her and save her from Martin.

  He thought he saw shadows that looked different from the rest of the water.

  He gave the pilot the signal to lose elevation.

  “Any lower and I’m going to end up in the water.” The pilot spoke through his headset. “Night vision goggles in that compartment by your seat.”

  Noah put on the goggles and continued to survey the water. He leaned out of the chopper even more. Then he saw it. It was not that an outline of the boat came into view, but he saw the effects of a boat on the water, the triangular shaped ridges created in the wake of a boat pushing through the current.

  “Can you angle off toward there and shine the light?” he spoke to the pilot.

  “Gonna have to get a little elevation first,” said the pilot.

  It took a few minutes for the chopper to get higher and then switch on the light. It was a boat all right, headed toward North Brother Island, an abandoned island between the Bronx and Rikers Island.

  “Back off. I don’t want him to know we’re using the chopper to search for him. Make it look like we’re moving away from him.” If Martin figured out he’d been seen, it could endanger Lani even more. “You’ve got to put me down on the other side of North Brother where he’s not likely to see or hear that we landed there.”

  “That’s a tall order,” said the pilot. “I’ll do my best.”

  The pilot gained elevation and angled away, making it look like they were headed toward the Bronx. Martin would just think the chopper was on a regular patrol or was a private hire for a tourist. It looked like Martin was taking the boat to dock on the north side of the island. The pilot came in low on the west side. There were numerous buildings that would block the view of his landing. The buildings, most of them brick, were crumbling and overgrown with plant life.

  Before the turn of the last century, the island had housed people with infectious diseases. After that it had been a home for veterans and heroin addicts. But no one had been on the island since the early 1960s and it was illegal to go there. It was a perfect hiding place for someone like Martin.

  The pilot brought them down in an open area and killed the motor.

  “Wait here for me,” said Noah to the pilot as he jumped out and commanded Scotty to get out as well. Once the noise of the chopper died down, Noah phoned Zach and let him know where he was. Zach promised that backup was on the way. It would take them a while to get there.

  Noah pulled the scarf Reed had given him out of his jacket. He held it to his own nose, drinking in the light floral scent of Lani’s perfume. His heart filled with longing. He had to find her. He put the scarf away.

  They would need to get over to the other side of the island where Martin had docked before Scotty could pick up a scent. He pulled his flashlight out. Once he got close to where Martin had Lani, he’d have to navigate in the darkness. He tugged on Scotty’s leash.

  “Let’s go find her.”

  The dog took off running. Noah kept up with the steady pace that Scotty set.

  Martin finally kidnapping Lani instead of just tormenting her probably indicated that something inside of his obsessed brain had snapped.

  Yes, backup was on its way, but Noah knew that right now Lani’s life hung in the balance. It was up to him and his K-9 partner to bring her home safe.

  * * *

  Lani could feel the waves hitting the boat as it chugged through the water and finally came to a stop. She’d been in such a weakened state from the drugs that Martin had had no trouble lifting her onto the boat from the car. Only now as the boat was docking did she feel the drugs wearing off and her strength returning. She had no idea where he’d taken her. Lying on her stomach with her hands tied behind her had not given her much of a view of her surroundings.

  Martin pressed his foot on her calf. “Don’t try anything. I need to tie the boat off.”

  She heard his feet pound across the deck and then onto the pier.

  She attempted to roll over and to sit up. Even that took substantial effort. All she could see were shadows on the landscape and stars twinkling overhead.

  Martin climbed back on the boat. He crossed his arms and stared at her. “Well don’t you look pretty in the moonlight. My beautiful Katie girl.” His voice held a slimy quality.

  His words sent a new wave of fear through her. So in his twisted mind, Martin had become convinced that she was Katie. If she broke the news to him that she wasn’t Katie, what would the effect be? Would it put him over the edge? She knew he was capable of violence. Or was the lie so entrenched in his mind that reality could not get in?

  He stomped over to her. “Let me help you to your feet, my dear.” He cupped her elbow.

  The boat rocked in the water as she stared around at what looked like an end-of-the-world scene. Buildings crumbling and leaning to one side, piles of rubble everywhere, the plant life was consuming what men had built. This had to be North Brother Island. She’d seen pictures but never been here. Though it was illegal to step onto the island, urban adventurers and teenagers on a dare still came here from time to time.

  “Why have you brought me here?”

  “It’s my hiding place, my sanctuary. We won’t be here for long. Just until the heat is off of us. Then I’ll take you to someplace nice for our honeymoon.” He tugged on her elbow. “Come, I’ll show you.”

  He led her to the edge of the boat. Lani steeled herself against the encroaching panic. It did not appear that he intended to harm her...at least not for now.

  He climbed over the railing of the boat. “I’m going to have to lift you out.”

  “I think I can crawl over.” She still felt weak from having been drugged. It would be a balancing act with her hands tied behind her back, but the thought of Martin touching her sent chills all over her skin.

  “I said, let me lift you.” A note of rage had entered his voice.

  So that’s what it took. If she was at all disagreeable, if she didn’t do exactly as he requested, he might turn on her. Was he capable of murder? If he was Jordan Jameson’s killer, then the answer was yes. She had to assume so.

&n
bsp; “Okay, Martin, have it your way.”

  He wrapped his strong arms around her middle and lifted her like she was made of paper. Again, she was reminded of how she was no match for him physically. Her best hope was to try to outwit him. Maybe if she played along with his bizarre fantasy, his defenses would go down.

  He sat her on the dilapidated pier which squeaked from the weight of two people. Some of the wooden floorboards were missing, offering a view of the dark water flowing below.

  Again, he cupped her elbow with his hand. “Follow me.” He pulled a flashlight out of his pocket and turned it on.

  Even if she could get away from him and back to the boat, she’d never operated a boat before. Though she’d watched other people. He led her past a brick building of Victorian design. They stepped through the thick brush and overgrown plant life.

  They walked past theater chairs that looked like they were set up for an outdoor program though the chairs were more moss than wood. They entered another brick building. Holes in the roof allowed some moonlight to illuminate the area. Part of the wall had crumbled. She could see an iron bed frame leaning to one side due to a broken leg, and a sink and tub in the far corner.

  “This way,” said Martin.

  Beside a spiral staircase, Martin had made a sort of camp. He had a propane stove, two cots with sleeping bags on them, a supply of canned goods and some other personal items. He gestured toward one of the beds. “Have a seat?”

  When she sat down, one of the items on the bed looked like a photo album.

  “I’m going to build us a fire to keep us warm,” said Martin. He rubbed his hands together.

  “Could you untie me, please, Martin?” She tried to sound sweet instead of demanding.

  Martin didn’t answer right away. He turned and stared at her. It was too dark to read the minute details of his expression. His body language suggested he was relaxed.