Don't Look

by Alexandra Ivy

  “I still don’t understand why you killed Nash.”

  “He was everything I wanted to be, but did he appreciate what he had?” The flush on Parker’s face darkened at the mention of the older man. “No. He pissed it away on a cheap bar filled with regrets.”

  Lynne blinked. He killed Nash because he didn’t think he appreciated his life. “That’s . . .”

  “Insane?” His flashed a too-white smile, his eyes glittering with a hunger that he’d managed to hide until this moment. “I told you I’m broken.”

  Lynne dug her heels into the cement. She was going to have to try to make her move. But first she had one question that had to be answered. Otherwise it would haunt her for the rest of her life. Well, what remained of her life, anyway.

  “Why me?” she demanded. “I’ve never done anything to hurt you.”

  He lifted his brows. “Just the opposite. You showed me a kindness I never forgot.”

  Okay. That wasn’t what she’d been expecting. “I did?”

  “Yes.” His smile softened until it appeared almost genuine. “I was seven, maybe eight years old and I found a stray puppy. I knew my dad would never let me keep it, so I hid it in an empty shed near the school. Every morning I would visit and bring him food.” His smile faded. “One morning my dad caught me stealing bacon and forced me to take him to where I’d hidden the puppy. He was going to kill him when you passed by.”

  Lynne stiffened in surprise as the memory of that morning rose from the recesses of her mind. She’d been walking to school when she’d seen the man holding the squirming puppy by the scruff of the neck. He’d been shaking the poor thing so hard it was obvious he was going to end up breaking the tiny dog’s neck. Instant fury had overcome her as she’d charged toward the stranger, indifferent to the fact he was an adult with what was obviously a violent temper.

  “I remember.”

  “You started throwing rocks and screamed so loud that a dozen people came running.” His nose flared with pleasure as he recalled what she’d done to his father. “My dad slunk away like a scared rat and I took the puppy to the woods where no one could find him. It didn’t matter that I was punished when I got home. I had my dog. It was the only thing in the world that ever loved me.”

  She shook her head in confusion. “Why are you angry with me?”

  “I’m not angry,” he protested. “I’m disappointed.”

  “Disappointed?”

  “In my mind you were nothing less than an angel come to earth,” he told her, that hunger still smoldering in the depths of his eyes. “I held on to that image of you, and when I returned to Pike I discovered that nothing had changed. You were still the fierce protector of the vulnerable. Such a beautiful warrior. I decided I was going to make you mine.”

  She shuddered at the mere thought. Even when she’d assumed he was a handsome, fairly successful journalist there had been something about him that had squashed any attraction toward him. Almost as if her inner alarm had been warning her there was something sketchy.

  A damned shame she hadn’t paid more attention to her instincts.

  “I . . .” She had to stop and clear the lump of horror from her throat. “I had no idea.”

  “Because of Nash,” he snapped in a harsh voice. “I couldn’t believe when I first heard the two of you were dating. How could my angel be with that . . . Neanderthal?”

  “It was a mistake,” she assured him.

  He wasn’t satisfied. In fact, his face darkened to a strange shade of puce. As if he was having trouble breathing. “Not just a mistake. It was a betrayal,” he insisted. “I expected others to disappoint me. It was as inevitable as the sun rising. But not you.” He paused, visibly regaining control of his temper. “That’s when I realized I had to do something very special to punish you.”

  “Special?” That didn’t sound good.

  He smiled, pulling one hand out of his coat pocket to reveal the switchblade clutched in his fingers. With a smooth flick of his wrist the long blade was revealed, the razor-sharp steel shining with lethal promise.

  Chapter 31

  Kir halted at the edge of the opening that led to the massive octagon-shaped room in the very center of the air base.

  After a frantic call to 911 he’d driven straight across the snow-packed fields and jumped out of his SUV to scale the chain-link fence with more haste than grace. Then, dropping to the other side, he’d jogged across the frozen runways. He didn’t try to hide his approach. If someone was watching, there was no way to get across the wide, empty space without being seen. Besides, he was in too much of a hurry.

  Passing by Lynne’s truck, he came to a sharp halt. He was going to need a quick getaway once he managed to rescue Lynne. Pulling open the driver’s door he was relieved to discover the keys still in the ignition. Obviously the killer hadn’t expected anyone to enter the abandoned parking lot. Kir switched on the engine. Then, remembering Lynne’s heavy flashlight, he reached behind the seat to grab it before slamming the door and continuing forward.

  Once at the main terminal, he shoved open a loose door and slipped into the darkness. A heavy cold shrouded around him, the shadows so thick he was virtually blind. He paused, tapping into the knowledge he’d gained as a boy sneaking around this building. Moving forward, he made a hard right and entered the narrow space between the outside wall and the inner wall. The construction of the terminal followed ancient castle designs with layer after layer of cinderblock to offer protection against explosions. The result was a spiderweb of tunnels that led to dead ends and occasionally into the various rooms. It’d made an awesome place to play hide-and-seek when he was young, or to keep away from prying eyes when he got older and wanted someplace to party in privacy.

  Traveling through the tunnel, Kir passed by the hallway that opened to the inner rooms and instead searched the wall until he found the small, rusty latch near the low ceiling. There was a sharp squeak and Kir winced. He’d forgotten how noises echoed through the tunnels. Then, after pushing on the wall that now swung free, he entered a hidden escape passage that led down to the bunker room.

  If he were a serial killer, that’s where he’d take his victims.

  Ignoring the terror that pulsed through his body at the thought of Lynne in the hands of a maniac, Kir slowed his pace to a mere crawl as he caught sight of the faint light just ahead of him. He’d been right. There was someone down here. Which meant he had to be careful not to kick a stray pebble, or worse, trip over something he couldn’t see in the darkness. He couldn’t alert the killer that his evil lair had been discovered.

  As he reached the opening, Kir came to a halt. The sound of voices drifted through the air and a vast, overwhelming emotion swept through him, nearly sending him to his knees. Until that precise second he didn’t realize there’d been a deep, terrifying fear that he was too late.

  Pressing his hand against the wall, he struggled to regain his balance even as he recognized the voice of the man speaking. Parker Bowen. He nodded, feeling an odd lack of surprise. It wasn’t that he’d suspected the man. Parker Bowen seemed like a typical blowhard who was all wind and little substance. But now that his identity was revealed, Kir allowed the puzzle pieces to fit together.

  Parker could travel around town in full view, and yet not be truly noticed. He was expected to be everywhere, even at the crime scenes with his toothy grin and obnoxious questions. And Kir had sensed the man’s interest in Lynne, although he’d dismissed it as predictable male lust.

  He cautiously inched forward, absently listening to Parker blather about his reasons for killing Nash and his perverted need to make Lynne suffer. He refused to allow the words to sink into his brain. Not now. Later he would brood and stew over the man’s twisted logic.

  In the center of the space there was an oblong glow spilling from the ancient fluorescent light overhead. It allowed him to see Lynne seated on the hard cement floor with a man standing over her.

  His jaws locked as fury pounded through
him, but once again he battled back his emotions. Later he’d have an epic meltdown. For now he had to remain laser focused on getting to Lynne. Especially since he didn’t dare wait for backup. It would take time for them to drive out to the air base. Assuming they bothered to come at all. And once they were there, it would be a miracle if they could find their way through the maze of hallways and tunnels.

  Taking a second to confirm that Lynne was unharmed, Kir shifted his attention to the man standing a few feet from her.

  Parker Bowen was wearing his expensive coat and cashmere scarf, and leather boots more suited for the television station than an abandoned air base in the middle of nowhere. But while he appeared harmless, Kir could see the lethal blade he held in his fingers with practiced ease.

  That blade had already sliced at least four throats, maybe more. Kir had no intention of underestimating the level of danger this man posed to Lynne.

  “Very special,” Parker was assuring Lynne, a smug pleasure in his voice. Obviously, the bastard was taking pleasure in having her at his mercy. “My mother was a stupid woman. It didn’t matter how many times she was beaten or raped or humiliated, she would always go back for more. And she’d take me with her. Then I allowed myself to be attracted to you, only to discover that you were just as stupid. Throwing yourself away on that piece of shit.” His fingers tightened around the knife. “It wasn’t enough to see you bleed. I wanted more.”

  “More what?” Lynne’s voice was amazingly steady as she defiantly stared up at her captor.

  Kir felt a strange glow of pride at her unshakable courage.

  “I didn’t know,” Parker admitted. “I just wanted to see you suffer. I first tried to set your sanctuary on fire. But when I managed to break into the kennels the dogs made such a racket it woke the people in the house.”

  That explained the break-in at the sanctuary, Kir acknowledged, bending nearly double as he entered the control room. There was no easy way to get across the massive, empty space, which meant he had to hope he was close enough to make his move before Parker realized they weren’t alone.

  Across the room he heard Lynne’s gasp of sheer horror. “You would have burned those helpless animals?”

  Parker shrugged, clearly indifferent to Lynne’s outrage. Of course, he was a stone-cold killer. It was doubtful he even understood things like love, empathy, or regret.

  “I had second thoughts after I returned to town. I decided instead to destroy your clinic,” the idiot blathered on. “I was certain that would hurt deep in your soul. The trouble was that I didn’t know how to do it. Not until I caught sight of Nash and your slut of a receptionist doing the nasty in your storage room.” His laughter echoed through the emptiness. “I realized I could kill two birds with one stone. Or rather kill two birdies and torment a bitch.”

  Kir’s gaze darted toward Lynne. Predictably, her face was flushed with a seething fury. Lynne was the most even-tempered person he’d ever known, until it came to her beloved animals. But threaten one of them and she was like a crazy woman.

  Terrified she was going to do something stupid, he straightened and waved his arms to attract her attention. If she said or did anything to alert Parker that he was approaching from behind, they were both dead. But that was a risk he had to take.

  For a second she was too focused on her captor to notice his movements, then he watched the shock that spread over her face as she caught sight of him. Her lips parted, but Kir sharply shook his head, fiercely hoping she would understand he wasn’t ready to give away his presence.

  Almost on cue, her lips snapped back together, and she returned her gaze to Parker. “You were the one who bought the drugs from Nash,” she said, obviously realizing she needed to keep the man distracted.

  Kir released a shaky breath. Once again Lynne’s courage was on full display. Amazing.

  Parker tilted back his head to laugh in twisted pleasure at her accusation. “He was so easy to manipulate. He had the brains of a slug.”

  “What about the dart guns?” she asked as Kir took a silent step forward, and then another.

  Parker shrugged. “I’d seen the kind you used in the clinic and ordered them online.”

  Kir took two more steps, wincing as the cement crumbled beneath his feet. It wasn’t loud but the silence that filled the room was absolute. Not to mention the fact that the space was built like an echo chamber. Even the smallest noise reverberated.

  Almost as if sensing his burst of fear, Lynne loudly cleared her throat. “And deliberately left them behind?”

  “Of course.” Parker waved his hand, the light glinting off his knife. “I had to be tediously obvious to lead the dumbass sheriff in your direction.”

  “And you left the photo on the shed?” she continued, her voice overly loud, as if she was deliberately trying to conceal his approach.

  Kir didn’t let her efforts go to waste. Bypassing one of the metal columns that held up the high ceiling, he edged closer and closer to Parker.

  “Yes, I couldn’t resist letting you know I’d seen the real you.” Parker sliced the knife through the air. Kir’s heart missed a beat. He couldn’t see the man’s face, but he sensed his increasing agitation. It was in the edge in his voice and the stiff angle of his shoulders. “The woman beneath the mask. Just like I revealed my mother for the weak coward she was.”

  Lynne licked her lips. Did she feel the tension in the atmosphere? Probably.

  “When did you take the photo of me?”

  “Months ago. I’d gone into the clinic to see you and of course your receptionist was nowhere to be found. She was probably in the room with Nash. When I got to your office, I could see you sound asleep on your couch. I considered joining you to teach you how it would feel to have a real man holding you in his arms. But in the end, I decided not to soil myself.”

  He paused, as if thinking back to that moment he’d seen her alone and vulnerable. The thought made Kir’s stomach cramp with what might have been.

  Parker stepped toward Lynne. “Instead I took a picture to savor later.”

  Lynne scooted backward, nearly out of the pool of light. “How did—”

  “No more,” Parker abruptly interrupted.

  Kir tensed as Lynne studied Parker with a wary gaze. “What?”

  “No. More. Talking.” Parker lifted his arm, the knife reflecting the overhead light. “It’s time for screaming.”

  There was an odd sense of unreality to the moment. As if Kir had somehow strayed into a cheesy horror flick. The gloomy, abandoned air base. The damsel in distress. The ruthless villain with a knife clutched in his hand. The bumbling hero attempting a rescue mission . . .

  Swallowing a curse, he cleared his head. Parker had plunged into the dark side. The time to move was now.

  Coiling his muscles, Kir leaped toward the man’s back, yelling at the top of his lungs. “Run, Lynne.”

  He slammed into the man, taking them both to the ground. Luckily, Kir landed on top. Parker released a growl that sounded like a rabid animal as he struggled to turn over. Behind him, Kir heard footsteps as Lynne rushed to stand next to them.

  “No, I’m not leaving you,” she panted.

  “Go.” Kir switched on the flashlight in his hand, then with an awkward twist of his body, he tossed it toward the opening he’d come through. He didn’t want Lynne going out the main exit. Not when Parker might have laid booby traps to keep her from escaping. “Follow the tunnel,” he told her. “It leads out of the building.”

  “No.”

  Kir used his weight advantage to keep the man pinned to the ground. He didn’t miss the glint of the knife that was still clutched in Parker’s hand. If he didn’t keep him contained, all sorts of bad things were going to happen.

  “We need help,” Kir gritted, his muscles strained to the max. Who the hell would have suspected the smoothly sophisticated Parker Bowen would be as strong as an ox? Maybe it was a serial killer thing. You’d have to be buff to haul around the bodies. He shook
away the inane thoughts, sending Lynne a pleading glance. “Your truck is running in the parking lot. Take it to town and find someone—”

  “My truck?” she interrupted, her eyes widening. “It’s here?”

  “Yes, it’s in the parking lot.” Kir grunted as Parker managed to elbow him in the ribs. “Now go.”

  Astonishingly, Lynne turned to run across the wide space with adrenaline-fueled speed. In less than a minute she’d disappeared from view, swallowed by the darkness. Kir breathed a sigh of relief. He’d assumed he’d have to plead for her to go, but now he could concentrate fully on the man squirming beneath him.

  “You idiot,” Parker rasped, managing to get enough space to swing his arm backward.

  Kir jerked back his head as the knife threatened to plunge into his eye. The tip of the blade sliced through the flesh of his cheek. Instantly he felt the ooze of blood flowing down his face. It was intensely hot against his chilled skin.

  Distracted by the pain, Kir was shoved aside as Parker scrambled to his feet. The man glanced toward the tunnel where Lynne had disappeared, clearly debating whether to try and stop her.

  With a surge of desperation, Kir jumped to his feet and stepped directly in front of the man. Parker was going to have to go through him first.

  As if accepting that he would have to deal with Kir before he could track down Lynne, Parker sent him a vicious glare. “Just like your dad,” he ground out. “Poking your nose in where it doesn’t belong.”

  “Is that why you killed him?” Kir demanded, glancing around the cement floor. The place had once been an active air base. There should be something lying around to use as a weapon.

  He shuddered as he caught sight of the dark stains on the broken cement. Was that blood? With an effort he forced himself to ignore the gruesome splotches and continued his search for something that could help him fight off the lunatic.

  Nothing.

  Parker waved his arm from side to side, circling Kir as if looking for the perfect place to strike. “Very good. I wondered if anyone would ever figure out what happened to Rudolf,” he drawled, flashing a smile that was all white teeth and aggression. Like a wolf. “There’s a beauty in working in the shadows and I have perfected the art of invisibility. But every artist desires his creations to be properly admired.”