by Robin Mahle
The overcrowded police station made it difficult to find a place for Nick to cool his head. He seemed to realize he’d reached a boiling point and finally made his way through the back entrance. It seemed the only refuge left.
Kate pushed through the doors of the comm. room in search of him. She stopped one of the officers. “Have you seen Agent Scarborough?”
“A few minutes ago. I think he went out through the back.”
“Thanks.” She started along the corridor. As she pushed through the rear exit, there he was, propped up against the brick masonry wall, one foot pressed against it, scrolling through his phone.
“Hey.” She moved closer, leaning on the wall next to him. “You all right?”
“No. I’m not.” He turned to her. “He’s going to make it out of the state and we’ll have to start all over again. And if he kills that woman?” Nick shook his head. “How the fuck am I supposed to go back to Jake and tell him—again—that his son’s killer got away from us when we have so many people looking for him? How do I justify that to a man who’s lost his son, Kate?”
To see the torment in his eyes pained her. He’d been there to comfort her so many times and now that the situation was reversed, she didn’t know how to comfort him. Part of her feared he would misinterpret her actions, which upset her further because that was exactly what she’d wanted to avoid. Now there was this thing between them and it was preventing her from being there for him as a friend. She needed to talk about what he’d said, but now wasn’t the time. “I’m sorry it turned out this way. I truly am, and I wish I knew what to say to you. You’re my best friend, Nick, and I don’t know how to help you get through this.”
He reached out for her, wrapping his arms around her neck and pulled her close.
She felt his weight rest upon her and she hugged him back. “There’s nothing you can do or say that will help Jake get through this. I wish to God there was.”
He pulled back and held her gaze. “I failed him, but not only him; Emily’s family and now this woman’s family.” He broke the stare. “So many times, I’ve been here in this very spot and each time, I’ve been able to come back from it. Tell myself that I did what I could for the victims. I just don’t think I can keep feeding myself those lies.”
The door burst open and Dwight appeared. “We got an ID on the woman.”
They quickly returned inside.
“Olivia Rice, 42, stay-at-home mother of three.” Dwight pointed to the monitor. “This was where her car was last seen. It’s a 2010 Honda CRV, license VBJ-5311. The store’s purchase records confirm she was the one who Stroud followed. The only lone female to check out at that exact time.”
“Where is this? And how long ago was this image taken?”
“We reached out to her husband, who’s on his way to the McLean station,” Detective Mason began. “Her phone has a GPS tracking app and he’s bringing his in now. He said she just crossed over into Maryland. He figured she’d just decided to do more shopping and didn’t think to check her location until he got the call from us.”
“God damn it!” An unexpected burst of anger sprang forth from the otherwise levelheaded Agent Jameson. “How did she get past the check points?”
“Because no one was looking for her or her car—until now,” the detective replied.
“We know where she is, and that’s a good thing. Stroud may not realize this yet.” Kate turned to the detective. “When is her husband due to arrive?”
“Any minute. Once he does, the chief there will give us a call and we’ll have to do this over the phone. There’s no time to wait for him to come here. We’ll lose half an hour, easy.”
Within a few minutes, the call came in and Mason put it on speaker.
“Detective Mason, this is Chief Gardner. I have Mr. Rice here.” His voice faded for a moment while he spoke to the man. “Sir, this is the detective I mentioned. The FBI are also involved in the search for your wife.”
Detective Mason began, “Thank you, Mr. Rice. We don’t have any time to waste. Do you have the tracking information?”
The line crackled with background noise while the man retrieved his phone and opened the app that showed his wife’s locations over the past several hours. “This is it here.”
“What are you looking at there, chief?” Agent Scarborough asked.
“He’s on the I-15 over the border into Maryland. Looks like he’s headed toward the outskirts of Baltimore.”
Nick looked to the detective. “Do we still have access to the chopper?”
“Yes.” She immediately picked up the phone and made the call.
“We know where she is and that they’re still on the move,” Dwight replied into the speaker. “So long as they’re driving, we know she’s safe.”
“I’m sorry, Agent, but you don’t know that at all. He could’ve already gotten rid of her and kept her purse for money and her cell phone along with that.” Mr. Rice’s voice trailed off, sounding as though he was verging on tears.
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The sun was working its way down the horizon behind them. Stroud peered over the driver’s seat and noticed they would have to stop for fuel in the not too distant future. They could go maybe another fifty or sixty miles, he figured, before they ran out. That would put them well into Westminster, which was where he’d wanted to go.
The woman was getting tired too. She probably ran out of adrenaline and was running on empty now. Her shoulders drooped, her wrists relaxed on the wheel. Even her face appeared less tense. The muscles and veins in her neck no longer bulged either. She must have felt his stare and glanced through the rear view again, quickly returning her eyes to the road.
“Just keep driving. I’ll let you know when we get to where we’re going.”
“I’m down to less than a quarter tank.”
“I know that. I’m not fucking stupid.”
She recoiled.
Stroud made it across the border and that was his first priority. He had to give the cops some credit, though, and figured they discovered his car and knew the woman was gone. They’d be looking for them both by now. He couldn’t keep her for much longer. Alive or dead, that was the decision he still had to make.
His eye wandered toward the rear passenger window. It was that time of evening when the eyes struggled to adjust to the dimming light and everything was harder to see. He peered through, seeing nothing more than burning city lights as they started to turn on. There would have to be a place where he could leave her. He could kill her, but the idea wasn’t as appealing as she wasn’t to his usual liking. It would be out of necessity and while his mind flashed with images of her head dripping blood from having blown her brains out, it wasn’t his usual flush of excitement. He could do it just for spite. To get back at those asshole FBI agents and cops hunting him down like an animal. And he’d already proven he could beat them at their own game, hadn’t he? A small chuckle escaped him as his eyes lingered at the blurring lights passing by.
“Take the next exit.” Stroud returned his attention to the matter at hand.
She didn’t ask any questions this time, instead, did exactly as he instructed. The next exit was just ahead and she veered off the highway. They were heading into Reistertown, in the suburbs of Baltimore. That was where he could finish what needed to be done.
“Head right.” Stroud had studied the maps long ago, planned his route for each and every one of his victims right from the start, with few exceptions, one being his sister’s move. And even though his plans had been irreversibly altered, this one need not change. A park lay a few miles ahead where he could easily disappear into the night, at least to lose whoever would try to track him down. But then, if she were to remain alive, she would tell them where he was.
Perhaps he’d now provided an answer to his own question. A loose end like that could mean his capture.
» » »
“They turned off the highway.” Dwight noted the moving blip on the screen. “He’s head
ed into the northern Baltimore area.”
The husband had allowed the FBI to log into his GPS app account so that they could keep an eye on her location and track them down.
“We need to get Baltimore PD there right now. They’re our best chance at stopping him,” Detective Mason replied.
“Kate, make the call. Is the chopper here yet?” Nick asked.
“Yes,” Mason replied.
Within minutes, the agents were airborne once again, but there was a sense of urgency even greater than before. They knew the challenges that lay ahead and that Stroud was smart enough to find a way out.
“We should be there in forty minutes,” the pilot said.
“That’s too long.” Nick turned to Kate. “Any word from Baltimore?”
“They’re on their way. I’ve got the captain on standby to keep us updated. They’ll find him.”
“That’s what we thought yesterday.” Nick returned his attention to the front of the chopper, peering through the windshield as though he’d be able to spot Stroud from that distance.
Kate directed a troubling eye to Dwight. There were so many variables in this scenario that it was impossible to predict them all and right now, they’d only counted on the one—that Stroud had kept the woman alive.
» » »
“Pull over here.” Stroud waited until she pulled alongside a small community park that had been vacated thanks to darkening skies. He stepped out of the rear passenger seat, shifting his gun to the front and yanking the driver’s side door open. “Get out.”
The woman’s eyes grew wide as she slowly stepped out into the warm night air. The streetlamp ahead burned a dim amber glow, hardly casting enough light by which to see. It was one of those low glow designs that was meant to cut down on light pollution. But what it did was allow them to blend into the scenery. “What are you going to do?” Her fear was transparent, even with her semi-firm stance.
With the gun still aimed at her head, Stroud tossed his gaze in the direction of the park. “Start walking.”
She took small steps, but he nudged her in the back.
“Faster than that.” Stroud eyed the surroundings, checking for witnesses.
Moments later, they’d entered the tree-filled park and moved behind the playground where a few benches were tucked away beneath the shade trees. He could hear the woman’s breathing intensify. She was starting to panic and he couldn’t afford for her to let out a scream.
He reached for her shoulder and spun her around. “I’m sure you’re ready to go home to your husband and your children, so remember that it’s in your best interest to do exactly as I say and don’t make any noise.”
She nodded.
Stroud rested the barrel of his gun against her chest and began to slide it down until he reached the collar of her shirt—a V-neck top that revealed modest cleavage. “As I said before, you’re not my type, so if you’re thinking what I’m sure you’re thinking, you can stop.” He stepped back and looked her in the eyes. “I’ll be keeping your car and you’ll be staying here.”
Her face masked in relief.
“But if you scream for help before I have a chance to leave, then I swear to you, I’ll find you and your family and kill all of you. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes.”
“And if you think I’m not smart enough to find you, remember that I’ve been on the run for a week and the cops haven’t found me yet. Believe me, I’m smarter than you think.”
“I don’t think that—I swear. I just want to go home.”
“Good.” He glanced at his watch. “Your purse is still in the car?”
She nodded again.
“Then I’ll keep your cell phone just to be safe.” He began to walk away, but stopped short. “Oh, and there’s one more thing.” Stroud swung his arm wide, striking the woman’s head with the butt of his gun. Her knees buckled and she collapsed to the ground. “That should buy me some time.”
Stroud again scanned the area in search of any onlookers, but noticed none. He jogged back to the car and slid into the driver’s seat. Her purse rested on the passenger seat and he shoved his hand inside, searching until he retrieved the woman’s cell phone. Several missed calls and text messages. It was then that it occurred to him they could be tracking him through the phone’s GPS. Perhaps he wasn’t that smart after all.
“Shit!” He was pissed he hadn’t realized this before, but his only goal had been to get out of the state and he’d lost sight of anything else. But now, if they were tracking him, cops could be there at any moment. He opened the door and dropped the phone to the ground and stomped on it until it was smashed into several pieces. He didn’t know how much longer he had to get the hell out of there, but there was no time to think about it any more.
He keyed the ignition and pressed hard on the gas pedal, waiting for this large vehicle with its small engine to kick into gear. “Come on!” Finally, he spun out from the side of the curb and was on his way.
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Kate’s cell phone buzzed in her pocket and it took a minute for her to realize it wasn’t the vibration from the helicopter. “It’s the captain.” She answered. “Agent Reid here. Is your team close to the last known location?” Her words caught Dwight’s attention and he turned to her with trepidation.
“Okay. Call me when they are and let me know what you find. We’ll be there inside of fifteen minutes.”
Dwight reached for Nick’s shoulder to get his attention and then nodded to Kate. “What happened?”
With both of them staring at her, Kate swallowed hard before she could speak. “Captain said the signal died.”
“As in no longer moving or gone?” Nick asked.
“Gone. Like the phone’s been shut off or destroyed.”
“Damn it. Are they close?”
“A few minutes away.”
“If that woman’s dead, I swear to God I’ll fucking kill Stroud myself.” Nick balled his hands into tight fists. “I’ll fucking kill him.”
TWENTY-ONE
The chopper began to descend toward the site below where Baltimore police surrounded the area and an ambulance waited.
“Looks like we’re the last to the party.” Dwight unbuckled his seat belt and prepared to exit while the helicopter was just touching ground. “I hope to hell they found her alive.”
The pilot cut the engine and the team exited, keeping their heads low as the blades slowed overhead.
Nick peered over his shoulder and waved to them “Over here.” He returned to full height when he cleared the chopper and jogged toward the back of the ambulance, whose doors were open. “Where is she?”
An EMT stood just outside the doors and noted the FBI letters on Nick’s vest. “Inside. She’s hurt, but she’ll be okay.”
“She’s alive.” He turned back to Dwight and Kate. “She’s still alive.” Nick raised the corners of his mouth in what appeared to be a moment of relief.
“Where’s the captain?” Kate asked the man who offered the welcomed news.
“Over there, by the trees.” He pointed in the direction of the wooded area.
Kate made her way toward him, leaving Nick and Dwight to get the rundown on Mrs. Rice’s condition. “Captain McKinnon, what happened?”
McKinnon stood next to one of his officers and turned his attention to Kate. “Agent Reid? Looks like Mrs. Rice is a very lucky woman. She’s conscious and was able to tell us what went down. Stroud took a swing at her with the end of his gun and knocked her out cold—long enough for him to take off in her car, after he smashed her cell phone. We’ve got all units out looking for her car. I’ve got all my men searching the area.”
“How long was she unconscious? How much ahead of us is he?”
“We arrived on scene when she’d already regained consciousness. She was sitting on the bench and was still pretty out of it. A dog-walker spotted her and asked if she was okay. She figures she was out for at least ten minutes, maybe fifteen.”
�
��Long enough for him to clear out.”
“I’m afraid so. And my guess is, he probably dumped the car and is either on foot or looking at public transportation.”
“You think he’d risk showing his face?”
“It’s getting late and the later it is, the less busy the buses and trains will be. Commuters are already home by now and so, unless he’s recognized while buying the ticket, he would stand a fairly good chance of getting out that way.”
Kate eyed the area, pondering their options. They were so close to him now and to let him slip again would most certainly mean putting the boy at risk; the one they still had yet to identify. But he wouldn’t dare cross back over the border into Virginia.
Her expression revealed instant recognition. “Oh my God. We’ve been looking in the wrong place. Stroud wanted to come here all along. The boy must live here.”
“What’s that?” The captain’s attention had been diverted.
“Nothing, sorry, but would you mind meeting with my team for a moment?” Kate started to walk back toward Nick and Dwight.
“Not at all.”
They approached the two agents.
“How is she?” Kate asked.
“She’ll be fine. They’re going to take her to the hospital now. The husband’s been made aware.”
“We’ve been looking in the wrong place for that boy,” Kate started. “Vasquez has been searching the databases, reaching out to the schools, checking for a passport or other forms of ID, looking for a match to the boy, but we were wrong. Stroud wanted to come here; he just needed safe transport.” She studied her colleagues, who seemed to grasp her concept. “That’s why we haven’t been able to find him. He doesn’t live in Virginia; he lives here.”
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Lyle Stroud had the A/C blasting and wasn’t sure if it was the heat outside or his nerves making him sweat. He needed to get out of this car because that was what was going to get him caught.
