The 13th Victim

by Linda S. Prather

  “You’ll have to remove the handcuffs”—Jerry spit out a mouth full of blood—“or dial the number.”

  Thomas chuckled, but it held no mirth. “Still the same smartass. Give me the number.”

  Jerry gave him Captain Alma’s cell phone number and waited through three rings. “Thomas has a request, Captain. He wants all cars—cruisers and unmarked—cleared from here to the interstate. He’s got guys in the air, and if they spot one, he’ll kill me.”

  “I’ll make it happen. May take me a few minutes.”

  Thomas ended the call and glanced at his watch. “I kind of hope your girlfriend doesn’t show up. She’s only got ten minutes left.”

  “I told you, she isn’t coming. So you might as well go ahead with whatever you’ve got planned.”

  “Did she ever tell you about all the times we had sex during those final days?”

  Jerry clenched his hands behind him, his body stiffening as he spat another mouthful of blood. “She didn’t mention it.”

  Laughter filled the room, and Thomas pulled the armchair closer to the couch and flopped into it. “I have to admit, she was a little prudish in the beginning. But once you light her fire, man, what a ride that girl can give.”

  Jerry knew he was trying to bait him. He’d lost the war, but if he could get Jerry riled up enough, he still had time to win one battle. “Glad she had a nice time.”

  Thomas laughed again and slapped his knee. “I even brought McHugh and a few of his men in for a taste. Once she got started, the slut couldn’t get enough. McHugh has been tapping her for the last ten years in payment for that marker. I’ll bet you didn’t know that either, did you?”

  “I am going to kill you, Thomas. If not today, then tomorrow or the next.”

  The laughter ceased and Thomas sprang out of the chair and jerked Jerry to his feet. He planted a hard right to the stomach. “You got lucky today, Palano. But I’ll be back.”

  Jerry gagged, vomited, and swallowed hard. Thomas was never going to let them go without killing Andi. The best he could hope for was ticking him off badly enough that he forgot her and killed him instead. “I’ll look forward to it, Richard.”

  “You can act cool, Jerry, but you’re going to wonder for the rest of your life if I told the truth. And even if you ask her, you’ll never know for sure.”

  Jerry gave him a twisted grin, seeing an opportunity too good to miss to turn the tables. “You might have raped her, Thomas, if you could get it up. Apparently, all you can do is talk about it, because I was there after the doctors examined her. We all know that she wasn’t sexually assaulted.”

  Thomas’s eyes contracted to tiny pinpoints as he bared his teeth and snarled. His right fist came up fast and hard, catching Jerry on the chin and spinning him around, immediately followed by a left kidney punch. Jerry grunted, leaned forward, and gasped for breath before whispering, “That all you got, Richard?”

  Thomas shoved him onto the couch. “Don’t you pass out on me, Jerry. When Andi gets here I’ll rape her right in front of you, and we’ll see who can get it up.”

  ~ ~ ~

  “Thank God.” Jasmine’s car screeched to a halt in front of the apartment, and Andi ran to meet her. “The Cobra just called. Shamus is alive, and she’s calling her father. I have to get in there, Jasmine, or he’ll kill Jerry.”

  Jasmine watched a patrol car pull to the curb a block up the street. “That’s Tracy and Mollie. They insisted on coming, but I told the officer not to get too close. Jerry called Captain Alma, and Thomas wants to make a trade: you, Jerry, and Shamus for free passage for him and his daughter from here to the interstate. Alma is clearing the road now.” She sighed. “Alma also told me Brad is dead, and Gambini probably isn’t going to make it. Brad shot him in the stomach when they rushed the house.”

  Andi closed her eyes for a moment and said a silent prayer. Stuart Gambini had saved her life, and she owed him that much. “Can you get me in?”

  “Let me see what I can do.”

  Andi’s cell rang, and she answered.

  “You’ve got three minutes, Carter.”

  “I’m outside, Thomas. I didn’t expect the feds to be here, so you’re going to have to give me a few minutes.”

  She gripped the phone tighter and trembled as Thomas laughed before his voice turned cold. “Do you want to hear him scream, Andi?”

  I need to placate him. She licked her lips then rubbed them together, gathering her courage. “Yes, Richard, I want to hear him scream, but I want to be there when that happens. But first, I owe you an apology. Remember? I’m ready to do that now.” The silence was maddening. “Think about it, Richard. I’ll get down on my knees and beg you to forgive me. Jerry betrayed me. Once you forgive me, we can make him scream together.”

  “You’ve got ten minutes.”

  Andi watched Jasmine walk away from the group she’d been talking to and pull out her cell phone. Andi could tell the conversation was heated. It took less than a minute before she walked back and handed a tall, officious-looking man the phone. He listened for a moment then handed the phone to her and turned to his group, which began clearing. Jasmine ended the call and motioned her forward. “Are you sure you want to do this, Andi?”

  “I don’t want to, but I have to. Nobody knows Thomas like I do, Jasmine. He’s crazy. Maybe a split personality. If I can keep him placated, maybe we all have a chance to survive.”

  Jasmine pulled a small pistol from her ankle holster. “Take this.”

  “He’ll search me, and if he finds it, he’ll hurt me.” She took a step toward the building, every fiber of her being screaming at her to run. Whiskey, rye, beer, ale… Andi climbed the steps and punched in the security numbers. She opened the door and stepped into the foyer. The elevator was directly in front of her. Vodka, gin, tequila, rum… She pressed the intercom button, and the elevator doors opened. Stepping inside, she squeezed her eyes shut as the door slid closed behind her. Brandy, cognac, absinthe, bourbon…

  CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

  Cherese climbed into the car. “You surprised me, kid. I figured you’d drive off as soon as I was out of sight.”

  Shamus kept his eyes straight forward, ashamed that the thought had actually crossed his mind. “You promised me you wouldn’t hurt Andi or Tracy.”

  “That I did. You’d best put some distance between us and that building. It’s going to blow any second now.”

  Shamus pressed down on the gas pedal and screeched away from the curb. He’d barely made it to the corner before the explosion rocked the road beneath him. He made a sharp right, then did a quick U-turn to send them in the direction of downtown and Jasmine’s apartment.

  They’re not going to let her drive out of here. If she doesn’t kill me, the Garda probably will. “Just in case I don’t make it, lass, who was the mastermind behind all this?”

  Her nose crinkled and her lips turned down. “‘Mastermind isn’t the word I’d have used for the bitch. Divina Morgan was the one they called the boss. She and her brother had big plans.”

  Shamus frowned. “So who did you blow up back there?”

  “Trust me, that one was no great loss. A lot of people will sleep better at night knowing Daniel McHugh finally met the devil.” She patted his arm. “Including your friends, Andi and Patrick.” Cherese pulled out her cell phone. “Time to call Andi and make sure everything is set up. I’m beginning to like you, and I really would hate to have to kill you now.”

  Shamus stopped at a stop sign, dialed, and hit the speaker button.

  Andi’s tremulous voice came over the line immediately. “Shamus?”

  “Aye, lass. We’re headed your way.”

  “Let me speak to her.”

  “I’m listening, Carter,” Cherese said.

  “They’re blocking off the streets, so you’ll have free passage without pedestrians. Give them five more minutes to do that.”

  Shamus could hear the fear in her voice. “Where are you, Andi?”

 
; Cherese shot him a quizzical look but he didn’t care. Something in Andi’s voice had his stomach tying itself in knots, and he wasn’t going any further until he knew Andi was safe. “Andi, I said where are you?”

  “I’m going in to talk to Thomas. Do what she says, and I’ll see you soon, Irish.”

  “We’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” Cherese ended the call, reached into the back seat, and lifted the second C4 bomb she’d prepared. “Drive carefully, handsome. You hit a bump, and we’ll be early fireworks.”

  Shamus entered downtown, glancing at the police cruisers parked across the side streets, and the line of green lights ahead of him. Mum always said there was some good in everyone, but she’d never met the likes of Richard Thomas or his daughter. The only chance Andi might have to escape the clutches of that madman was the crazy woman at his side. “Why do you want to kill your father?”

  Cherese didn’t answer immediately, and Shamus was afraid he’d pushed his luck. Then she cleared her throat. “He wanted me to be the best professional killer the world had ever seen. So he beat, abused, and pushed me until I didn’t care about anything. But he still wasn’t satisfied, so I came home to find my mother’s body lying in front of the door, her head on the coffee table. That was my father’s signature kill. He didn’t want me to have any doubt about who had killed her. Then he just disappeared.” She turned her cold green eyes on him. “I searched for him for years and finally tracked him here, only to be told he’d been killed.”

  Shamus gripped the wheel tighter. “Why go after the people you thought had killed him? You should have been thanking them.”

  “Slow down.”

  He slowed the car to a crawl. “Why did they kill the girls?”

  “Writing a book, kid?”

  “Andi is always telling me I talk too much. Curiosity and all that.”

  Cherese chuckled. “I really do like you, kid, so I’ll tell you what I know. They killed a man at a warehouse. The girls witnessed it, so they killed them, except one of them got away. That’s when Divina got scared and called me in to clean it all up. Once that slob of a husband of hers was out of the way, she had grandiose plans for her and my father. Envisioned herself as the First Lady.” Her voice turned cold again. “Of course, I didn’t know it was my father in the background of all this.” She pushed the gun into his side. “Pull over.”

  Shamus pulled to the side of the road and stopped the car. They were less than five minutes from the apartment building. “We’re almost there. What are you doing?”

  Cherese placed the C4 in the backpack at her feet and passed it to Shamus. “Put it on.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Andi glanced at her watch, her arm shaking so badly that she could barely see the numbers. Thomas had given her ten minutes, and Cherese had said she would be there in fifteen. Her time was up. I didn’t come this far to bury the man I love. If we’re going to die, at least we’ll die together.

  Her feet were like lead as she pushed away from the wall, crossed the hallway, and pounded her fist against the door marked twenty-three. “It’s me, Thomas.”

  “It’s unlocked. Come on in.”

  Sweaty palms made it difficult to turn the knob. She wiped her hands on her jeans and slowly opened the door. She didn’t recognize the man standing behind Jerry with a knife at his throat, but the voice made her bile rise. “Close the door, and face the wall with your hands above your head.”

  Andi whispered, “I’m not armed.” She obeyed his command, taking time to observe the room as she turned toward the wall. Jerry was unconscious, but she’d seen the slight rise and fall of his chest. He’s still alive. Cherese will be here in five minutes. Whiskey, rye, beer… Rough hands roamed her body before Thomas grabbed her hair and whipped her around.

  “I’ve waited ten years for this.” He slid the knife down the side of her face and across her neck to the top button of her blouse. His eyes bore into hers, and his lips parted as her body began to shake. “Tell me what I want to know, and I won’t hurt you again.”

  Bourbon, cognac… A scream escaped her lips as the knife penetrated her skin. Blood began to trickle, pooling between her breasts.

  CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

  “Stop him!” Jasmine rushed toward Patrick, who was sprinting for the front door of the building. Breathing hard, she slowed as Coilin tackled him to the ground. So much for thinking I had him calmed down. She actually thought he was going to strangle her when she told him Andi had gone inside.

  “That was Andi’s scream. Let me go,” Patrick said.

  “Rushing in there and getting yourself killed won’t help her.” Coilin released his hold. “Loan me your rifle, and I’ll take the building across the street.”

  Jasmine glanced behind them as Captain Alma and Sheriff Scappine parked across the street. The agents that had just left were arranging snipers on the route they expected Thomas to take. They didn’t want the Thomases dead, but she’d seen enough to know that no amount of interrogation would make either of them talk, and they were too dangerous to simply let them walk away. She’d deal with the fallout at the agency later. The important thing was saving Shamus, Andi, and Jerry… if they could. “How good are you with a rifle?”

  “Can shoot a fly off the wall from a hundred yards.”

  Alma and Scappine approached. “The Cobra is smart, and she’s probably going to expect us to do something like this. Take the roof of the building across the street, but you’d better make it quick,” she said.

  Coilin had disappeared before she even finished speaking. She reached a hand down to Patrick and helped him to his feet. “We’ll get her away from him. Just stay cool a little longer.”

  She turned her attention to Alma, and Scappine and filled them in. “They evacuated the building before we showed up. I have a sniper on the roof across the street, and it might be better if the Cobra doesn’t see you here. She doesn’t know I’m with the CIA unless Gambini told her, and I don’t think he did. Hopefully, she’ll think all law enforcement has cleared out or is helping to block the side streets to give them safe passage.”

  Captain Alma pointed to the building. “Do you think Jerry and Andi are still alive?”

  Jasmine glanced at Patrick, who was still clenching and unclenching his fists. “I do, but I don’t believe either Thomas will keep their word and let them go.”

  Alma sighed. “We’ll move up the street and see how this plays out. Thomas lets them go, we’ll hold off. But if he doesn’t, we’re taking him out before he hits the open road.”

  Jasmine spotted the car two blocks down and headed their way. “You’d better get moving,” she called over her shoulder. “Here they come.”

  “And here come the rest of the O’Conner boys.” Patrick nodded to where an old pickup had parked across the street. “She’d better hope the lad has not been hurt.”

  As if I didn’t have enough problems. Jasmine placed her hands on her hips, a subtle move to check the location of the Glock in her waistband. She raised her hand and faced the three brothers. “Stay back. She sees too many people here, she may just start shooting.”

  “Where’s Coilin?” Dylan O’Conner stopped his brothers from going any closer.

  Jasmine didn’t answer. She raised her eyes to the roof of the building the men were standing in front of. Dylan grinned and nodded. “We’ll wait here for the time being.”

  The car was close enough that she could see the paleness of Shamus’s face, as well as the stiffness of his body. “Something’s wrong.”

  “What do you mean, something’s wrong?” Patrick asked, his voice so low that it didn’t carry.

  She didn’t have to answer. Shamus parked in front of the building, and the two exited. The Cobra pointed at Shamus and called out, “There’s enough C4 in the backpack the kid’s wearing to take out half a block.” She chuckled. “Just in case any of you had any bright ideas of trying to stop us.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Andi clenched her teeth to stop a second scream as
Thomas jerked on her hair and forced her to her knees. “Now let’s hear that apology.”

  Jerry’s cell rang, and he cursed under his breath. “My daughter always did have bad timing. Get Jerry on his feet.”

  Andi stood and moved to the couch, her eyes following every move Thomas made. He was a ticking time bomb, and he could explode and kill one or both of them without warning.

  “We’ll be right down.” Thomas ended the call and smiled. “Guess we’ll have to wait a little while to finish our conversation.”

  Jerry was rousing as Andi tugged on his arm. “Come on, Jerry. Get up.”

  His eyes opened. “You shouldn’t have come. What are you doing here, Andi?”

  Thomas laughed crudely. “I was wrong, Jerry, she did come to save your ass. Get on your feet, or she made a wasted trip.”

  Jerry slid forward on the couch, and Andi continued to tug until he made it to his feet. She placed an arm around his waist.

  Thomas motioned with his gun. “How touching. After you.”

  Andi knew Jerry was hurting, as he grunted with every step. She did her best to let him lean on her so she could support his weight. Her heart began to race rapidly as the elevator doors closed behind them. In a few minutes, they would either be free or dead. As long as Thomas is alive, I’ll never be free.

  Thomas stopped them just outside the elevator. “When we get outside, you’ll walk to the car in front of me. Either of you tries anything, the other one will take a bullet to the head.”

  Jerry raised his head. “We had a deal, Thomas.”

  “You know how it is, Jerry. Some deals are made to be broken.”

  Jerry’s body stiffened, and Andi squeezed his waist hard. “Don’t.”

  “Better listen to her, Jerry. I’d hate to have to put a bullet through that pretty head of hers.” He motioned toward the door. “Showtime.”

  Andi scanned the area in front of them as she helped Jerry down the steps. Her gaze immediately locked on Shamus, who stood next to the Cobra. “Let Shamus go, Richard. He’s just a kid, and he’s never done anything to you.”