by Jan Coffey
Kelly shielded Jade from Sharpe’s gun.
“Take her,” she said to Ian in panic as she saw Joshua Sharpe glance back at Somers. “Take her away, Ian!”
“Not without you,” he said, shoving them both under the stage.
“Ian,” she screamed as a shot rang out.
There were screams all around them as shots continued to fire. People were running. She pulled Jade close to her. She saw Cassy dive in beside her, and then the Stern boys were there, as well.
“Please, God! Ian,” she called out.
They’d kill him. There were too many of them. More shots.
“Ian!” she tried to look out, but all she could see were feet stampeding by.
And then she heard the sound of helicopters and loudspeakers blaring overhead and dozens of cars and vans roaring down through the camp.
She pulled the others close to her and curled her body around Jade.
Chapter 24
The hospital waiting room had no windows. Kelly liked it this way. She didn’t want to see the full moon outside. She needed no reminders of what might have been. She had seen and heard enough to keep her running for the rest of her life.
She’d left the chaos at Tranquility Lake as quickly as she could. An army of state troopers and federal agents had poured into the camp as she’d huddled beneath the stage. She’d been told Bill had fired the first shot, wounding Joshua Sharpe. Ian had kept the rest running for cover as the agents poured in. The cult members had quickly laid down their arms in the face of such overwhelming force.
Victor and Brian had been responsible for the perfect timing of the assault. They’d located the cut phone line, and Brian been able to fix it. The call to the state police had been made before the actual explosion, which they went ahead with, hoping that the distraction might help Ian.
There had been numerous arrests in the camp, the most important being that of Tyler Somers. Busses were brought in to transport the rest of the sect. Most of the kids were being turned over to state agencies. These people, the majority of whom were innocent of any conscious wrongdoing, would need long periods of therapy to unlock their phobias and release them from the bonds that held them to Michael Butler and his successor.
And then they were those whom she held personally responsible for so many crimes—people like Janice, Rita and Wilson. She was relieved to see them taken away in handcuffs. Bill was going to be an important witness for the prosecution when the time for the trials arrived. To her great surprise, she learned that Bill had been involved with the FBI for several years now.
Kelly already had been told that her husband’s death and both of her parents’ deaths were being investigated as probable homicides. The murder of Lauren Wells wasn’t discovered until this afternoon, when they found the old woman’s body in one of the cottages. Kelly felt horrible, knowing she’d been the reason that the woman had come to Tranquility Lake. Lauren had come to warn her, and she had become a victim herself. The third victim.
Kelly would have been the fourth in a long line of them.
There would be no end to any of this, anytime soon. Feeling extremely vulnerable, Kelly gathered Jade closer to her chest and cuddled the yellow blanket around them both. The child was sound asleep. They had taken Ian away from the camp in an ambulance. She would not have survived any of this if it weren’t for him coming into her life again and saving them from a horrible death.
Now she prayed for him to pull through. She asked a gentle and loving God to give them one more chance. She realized now that everyone needed some kind of belief. Including her. The difference was that she’d recently learned she could maintain the freedom of her mind and still believe in something more. Something greater.
She heard his voice before she saw him. Kelly glanced up and saw Ian being rolled in a wheelchair toward her. She looked with concern at his legs. He was dressed in his own clothes. His shoulder was bandaged, and his arm was in a sling. She gazed into his face. He smiled at her.
“Don’t move,” he told her quietly when she started to wake Jade and get to her feet.
He asked the nurse to leave them.
“How do you feel? Shouldn’t you be in bed?” She took his hand, her eyes welling up.
He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss against her palm. “I’m okay. All sewn up and good as new.” He shrugged at the chair. “This is just hospital procedure. They wheel you in, they have to wheel you out. Did you have a chance to go back to the inn and pack?”
She nodded. “I gathered your stuff and a suitcase for Jade and me. That’s all we need.” They’d talked about it before Ian had been taken away in the ambulance. She didn’t want to stay at the inn. They were moving to a hotel near Conway until the authorities were done with them.
He brushed a tear off her cheek. “It’s over, love.”
“They told me there would be a lengthy investigation. I’d need to provide statements and give testimony. I can’t walk away, yet,” she said sadly, feeling everything closing in on her again. “And there’s no saying that this thing won’t follow me. Who’s to say that some other nutcase won’t pick up where Somers ended, five or ten years from now.”
“Kelly, it’s over,” he said gently. “And whatever you have to go through, I’ll be there with you. And when all the legal stuff is done with, we’ll be on the road.”
“To where?” she asked, choking on the words.
“Anywhere you want. The three of us. We’ll pick any corner of the world you fancy and start fresh—with everything. New identities. Everything. I’ve already had an okay from the Justice Department on that.”
She shook her head in disbelief.
“But do you really want to do that, Ian?” she asked nervously. “Are we worth it?”
“My God!” he breathed, leaning toward her in the chair.
His black eyes were misty as he drew her face close to his.
“You are all that I want now. You’re worth more to me than my next breath…more than my life,” he whispered, kissing her lips. “I love you, Kelly,”
Tears fell onto her cheeks. She kissed him with all the love she felt in her heart for him…with all the hope he himself had given her.
Jade was squeezed between them. She managed to work herself free and look sleepily into both of their faces.
“Does anyone need a Band-Aid?”
Thank you for taking time to read this collection. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review. Word of mouth is an author’s best friend and much appreciated.
Author’s note
We all seem to know or hear of someone who has suffered a radical personality change. We cringe when we hear about the destructive cults that suddenly appear too close to our comfortable world. Too often, unfortunately, they go unnoticed until it’s too late for something to be done. Jonestown. Heaven’s Gate. Waco. When they occur, these tragedies make us wonder how such a thing could have happened. And, in case of the creative minds of two fiction writers, the tragedies of the past make us say, what happens if somebody had the chance to stop it? Well, we hope you enjoyed Fourth Victim.
Following in our customary fashion, we could not leave behind some of the characters of our past books. So we hope you enjoyed visiting with Victor and Brian, who initially showed up in Triple Threat. And for those of you who asked for a cameo of Nate and Ellie, we tried but couldn’t find them a room at this inn. Maybe the next book.
For the many people who visit New Hampshire every year, we wanted you to know that Tranquility Lake and the campground and the inn were purely products of our imagination. So, don’t get lost in the woods in search of any warm water lake anywhere near Errol!
Again, we cannot finish a book without thanking our sons for their endless love, patience, and sense of humor. You are two amazing young men, and we couldn’t be prouder of you.
As always, we are so grateful to those of you who continue to read our Jan Coffey and May McGoldrick books. We
love you for your kindness and support.
Lastly, we have a favor to ask. If you enjoyed Fourth Victim, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review. Word of mouth is an author’s best friend and much appreciated.
We also love to hear from you:
[email protected]
Jan Coffey
www.JanCoffey.com
About the Author
Nikoo & Jim McGoldrick have spent their lives gathering material for their novels. Nikoo, a mechanical engineer, and Jim, who has a Ph.D. in sixteenth-century British literature, wrote their first May McGoldrick novel in 1994. Since then, they have taken their readers from the Highlands of Scotland to the mountains of Kurdistan in bestselling, award-winning historical romance and contemporary suspense novels under the names May McGoldrick and Jan Coffey.
www.NikooandJim.com
www.MayMcGoldrick.com
www.JanCoffey.com
You can contact us at [email protected]
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Like reading box sets?
Jan Coffey Suspense Box Set Volume Two
Jan Coffey Thriller Box Set
Complete Book List as of 2016
Writing As May McGoldrick:
Scottish Relic Trilogy
Much Ado about Highlanders
Taming the Highlander
Tempest in the Highlands
Thanksgiving in Connecticut
Made In Heaven
Ghost of the Thames
Scottish Dream Trilogy
Dreams of Destiny
Captured Dreams
Borrowed Dreams
Secret Vows
The Rebel
The Promise
Tess and the Highlander
Highland Treasure Trilogy
The Firebrand
The Enchantress
The Dreamer
Flame
The Intended
Macpherson Trilogy
Beauty of the Mist
Heart of Gold
Angel of Skye
Thistle and the Rose
Arsenic and Old Armor)
Writing As Jan Coffey:
Road Kill
Mercy
Aquarian
Blind Eye
The Puppet Master
The Janus Effect
Cross Wired
Silent Waters
Five in a Row
Tropical Kiss
Fourth Victim
Triple Threat
Twice Burned
Trust Me Once
And for everyone who asks how we write together:
Marriage of Minds
Writing Exercises for twenty-first century:
Step Write Up
Want more Jan Coffey?
Continue reading for a sneak peek at their latest romantic suspense novel:
Road Kill
PROLOGUE
Northwest Connecticut
April, 1997
Washing down the Xanax with a long swig of vodka, Lacey felt like from now on, every day would be a Saturday.
She tried to focus on the joint she’d dropped on her faded jeans. With an effort that almost made her laugh out loud, she finally trapped it between her fingers and lit it. The acrid smoke curled down her throat.
As Lacey stared into the blue and yellow flames licking the wood in the bonfire, figures took shape with sudden clarity. People. Trapped there in the fire. A man and a woman, screaming at each other. The man’s arm snapped out like the crack of a whip, striking the woman across the face. As she dropped to her knees, he kicked her in the stomach.
“No you don’t, you bastard.” Lacey reached into the flames to squash him. Her hand burned. She pulled back and stared at it. Her fingers were matchsticks—five of them.
Last week, she couldn’t find a lighter in the bathroom. Well, she’d never have to worry about that again. She spread them out against the dark sky.
A scream down by the beach sliced through the edge of her consciousness. The matchsticks hissed and disappeared, and her fingers returned. She sat bolt upright. The moon was gleaming off the waters of Sherman Pond.
A skin-and-bones girl sat across the way, plugged into her Walkman, on the other side of the fire. Lacey remembered her name was Liz. She was rocking to some tune, and everyone else had disappeared.
There was that scream again, muffled this time. Lacey tried to concentrate on the laughter coming from the beach. It would be so easy to faze out again.
That girl Stephanie must have gone with them.
Lacey was only here because she’d run into Michael Phoenix and his friends at the donut shop. Those guys were all seniors at the high school. Stephanie was only a sophomore, like Lacey. But Michael had promised some good shit if she’d go to the door at the nice house and ask for Stephanie. So she’d done it. No big deal.
That seemed like an eon ago. Lacey looked back into the fire. There’d been an Easter wreath hanging beneath the fancy brass lantern beside Stephanie’s front door. Bunnies and colored eggs and purple flowers arranged in the woven branches. Her family never had anything like that. They’d never celebrated any Easter, or Thanksgiving, or Christmas. Holidays like that would mean there was something good in life. Lacey couldn’t even imagine it. Not in their house.
As soon as Stephanie climbed into the van, it’d been clear she was hot for Michael. They hadn’t even pulled away from the curb before she’d had her hands all over him.
The muffled cry from the beach again broke through the fog.
“Did you hear that?” Lacey looked across the fire at Liz.
Liz pulled her ear buds. “No.”
“Where is everybody? I heard something.”
“It’s nothing.”
Lacey’s stomach got queasy. She really didn’t know any of these kids. Since moving to the area in January to live with her sister and her grandfather, she hadn’t made any friends. These guys were older, and it was the first time anyone had taken her partying with them. Still, it was better than sneaking money out of her sister’s wallet and buying the stuff.
“Sounds like somebody’s in trouble.”
“Aren’t you from Chicago or someplace?”
“Cleveland.”
“Whatever,” Liz snapped. “Don’t they party there?”
“Yeah, but that—”
“Just cool it. Your friend Stephanie knows what she’s doing.”
“She’s not my friend.”
“Better for you.”
“But is she down there with all the boys?”
“I said, cool it.” Liz threw her Walkman on the ground next to her. “Fuck. You really know how to ruin a good buzz.”
The cries and laughter grew louder as Lacey struggled to her feet. The sharp pain in her hip shot straight down her leg. She’d left her cane behind in the donut shop. She didn’t want it. Didn’t need it.
It sounded like the boys were chanting. But another voice was drowning out the others. Her father’s shouts. The crash of furniture. Her mother begging, pleading for him to stop. Lacey’s head was spinning. She tried to take a step but couldn’t get her bad leg to work. She almost staggered into the fire.
“Sit down!” Liz snapped. “It’s none of your fucking business.”
Lacey could hear her mother screaming. He was hitting her.
“No!”
Lacey lurched toward the beach, but the girl cut her off. Her face loomed over her in the dark.
“I said it’s none of your fucking business.”
Lacey felt the prickly heat of panic wash through her, and she scrambled away.
Silhouetted by the fire, Liz was watching her go. “Yeah, bitch. Just keep going.”
Lacey limped off, moving as quickly as she could through the dark woods. Pine branches whipped at her face and body. Missing a step, she went sprawling flat on her face. The smell of cold, damp earth filled her nose.
Lacey ne
eded to get her mother out. She could see his crazed eyes, the rigid mask of rage stretched across his face. He wasn’t stopping. He couldn’t. Her mother was huddled against the wall by the stove. Next time he’d kill her, he screamed, going after her again. Lacey believed him.
Fear propelled her to her feet as she struggled against the pain in her hip and leg.
Lacey hobbled as fast as her feet would move. The cracked yellow walls of their kitchen vanished, replaced by darkness and the smell of night. Her breaths stuttered in her chest.
Suddenly, the trees thinned and she found herself standing at the edge of the lake. Across the way, a solitary red lantern shone at the end of a dock, reflecting a blur of deep crimson on the water.
The voices and laughter were clearer here—goading, encouraging, taunting—and on the beach she caught glimpses of Stephanie’s white skin writhing amidst the dark shapes. One figure was standing back, watching the others. His cigarette glowed in the dark.
“Stop, you bastards!” she shouted. “Let her go!”
Her cry did nothing. No one turned. The chants became louder. Lacey felt in her pocket for the cell phone and dialed.
“Hello?” Her sister Terri’s voice was cool, calm. Like the coo of a dove. She would know what to do. Terri was older, smarter. She had just been accepted into the police academy.
“It’s me…Lacey.” Her tongue was a wad of cotton in her mouth.
The guttural sounds from the beach tumbled across the water. There was something nasty in the tone. Sick. Satisfied.
Lacey saw the dark solitary figure step forward, joining the others.
