Vendetta

by Lisa Harris

  A moment later, Nikki ended the call, then slipped her phone back into her pocket.

  “You okay?” Jack stopped snapping photos of the crime scene for a moment and looked up at her.

  “Yeah.”

  Except she wasn’t.

  A numbness moved through her as she started helping the men sweep the scene. The familiar routine felt mechanical. Photographs of Reynolds’s body were taken along with the surrounding area. Relevant notes were made, and all possible evidence collected. By the time they all met back at the shelter fifteen minutes later, the rain was beginning to slash against the side of the shelter. They weren’t going anywhere at this point, but at least they’d be fairly warm if they stayed inside.

  “There was no sign of Lopez,” Tyler said as he sat down under the shelter beside her.

  “I suggest we go through our packs and see what we have,” Anderson said. “We could be looking at spending the night up here if the weather doesn’t break, and it’s going to get cold.”

  “Spend the night up here?” Jack frowned. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’ve had about as much of the great outdoors as I can handle.”

  “If we stay together, we’ll all be fine,” Nikki said.

  “I’m not sure Reynolds would agree if he were still alive,” Cooper said.

  Nikki stood up and moved to the other side of the overhang to call Gwen again. They needed answers if they were going to figure out what was going on.

  “Do you have anything yet?” she asked as soon as Gwen answered.

  “I had to do quite a bit of digging . . . ,” Gwen said. The connection was breaking up. “. . . might have just come up with something . . . real name is Kenneth Waters. He was in the military for a couple years, trained as a satellite communication systems operator. He eventually left the military and went to work as a software engineer . . . later arrested on felony fraud charges. That must be why he changed his identity. If there’s a connection to the Angel Abductor, I haven’t found it yet . . . but I’ll keep looking.”

  Felony charges?

  “I don’t get it,” Nikki said. “How did those involved in the police hiring process miss something like that? If he had a felony—”

  “I’m not talking about Lopez.”

  “Then who are you talking about?”

  “Randall Cooper,” Gwen said. “The park volunteer who’s with you.”

  “Wait a minute—” Nikki’s head spun at the news. He’d been here all along? But it made sense. He’d been watching her, and now he’d found the perfect way to stay even closer.

  “Where is he now, Nikki, because you need to be careful.”

  “I know.” She was right. The man was a murderer.

  Nikki hung up the call and turned around. Cooper blocked her way.

  “What did Gwen tell you?” he asked.

  Nikki swallowed hard, refusing to allow him to see the alarm in her eyes. “She’s still doing a background check on Lopez. Trying to find out why he might have killed the pilot.”

  “Lopez isn’t the only one she’s looking at, though, is he?” Cooper took a step toward her. “She’s looking at all of us. Hoping to find a motive behind who killed Reynolds . . . and the girls.”

  Nikki reached for her weapon. “Yes, but she—”

  Before she could pull her gun from her holster, he grabbed her and pressed a revolver against her head. “You can’t fool me, Nikki. I can see the panic in your eyes. I wondered how long it would take you to figure out who I really am.”

  “Cooper?” Tyler stood up on the other side of the shelter. “I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but you need to put the gun down. You’re outnumbered here.”

  “Something I’ve already anticipated.”

  Anderson, Jack, and Simpson pulled their weapons and pointed them at Cooper.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, gentlemen,” he said. “Nikki, drop your weapon onto the ground. Slowly.”

  “Tyler’s right.” Nikki’s jaw clenched as she did what he told her to. “You’re outnumbered and will never get away with this.”

  “You don’t really believe that, do you? Because you know how much I’ve already gotten away with. Of course, I’m going to have to change my plan now that you know the truth. I thought about picking you off one by one until only Nikki was left. You’re the only one I really wanted up here. But you already know that as well, don’t you?”

  “You took my sister.”

  “Are you surprised? My plan ended up being so much easier than I thought. Just like Hansel and Gretel’s trail of bread crumbs. I had you playing right into my hands each step of the way. Your emotional attachment is a handicap, Nikki, but I suppose you’ve figured that out as well by now.”

  “Put the gun down, Cooper,” Jack said. “There’s nowhere for you to run.”

  “I don’t think so.” Cooper held the gun against her head with one hand, then moved his other hand up above her head. “Because I always make sure I have the advantage. I suggest that everyone take a slow step back unless you want me to be the last thing you see.”

  “He’s got a grenade.” Anderson took a step back. “Do what he says.”

  A tangible fear swept through Nikki. The officers continued aiming their weapons at Cooper, but even a seasoned sniper would hesitate in this situation. If they shot Cooper, she’d be dead.

  24

  Nikki tried to stem the flow of adrenaline. She knew enough about frag grenades to realize that with the pin out, she’d be dead the second he let go. Along with anyone within twenty feet.

  “Tyler . . . Jack . . . all of you need to move back.”

  Cooper laughed. “You’re finally taking me seriously. That’s good. Because not only do I have a grenade, I really don’t care if I die with her.”

  “Where’s Bridget, Cooper?” she asked. “Or should I call you Waters?”

  “I’m used to Cooper after all these years, but Bridget . . . she’s the least of your concerns at the moment. What you need to worry about is making sure these men do exactly what I say.”

  Jack held his weapon steady in front of him. “Then tell us what you want.”

  “We’re going to walk back to the helicopter—the four of you ahead of me. You can start saying your goodbyes to Nikki on the way.”

  They hesitated, then started moving slowly in the direction of the clearing. Raindrops ran down Nikki’s face. She blinked away the water as she struggled on the uneven terrain to keep up with Cooper while he held her against him.

  “In case you forgot,” Anderson said, “you killed our pilot, and our copilot’s missing. Which means we’re stuck here with you.”

  “Don’t worry. Tyler knows how to fly a helicopter. Don’t you, Tyler? It was a part of your advanced training.”

  “I took a few lessons, but I’m hardly a pilot. What I do know is that even a seasoned pilot wouldn’t take off in this kind of weather. The wind’s too strong.”

  Nikki caught Tyler’s gaze, unsure if he was telling the truth or merely bluffing in order to take control of the situation. If anyone could get her out of this situation, he could.

  “Then we’ll wait until the storm passes,” Cooper said. “I’m in no hurry.”

  “Why don’t you tell us what you want,” Tyler said. Any tension in his voice had dissipated. “Because I don’t think you really want to die today. Not this way.”

  Cooper laughed as they neared the helicopter, the rain still continuing to fall heavily. “Don’t play me like you did yesterday with Bridget’s mom, because I already know all the tricks of a negotiator. You want me to talk and you’ll listen. You’ll do and say anything in order to defuse the situation.”

  “I just want to make sure we all get out of here without anyone getting hurt,” Tyler said.

  “It’s a little too late for that, considering at least one of you is already dead.”

  “Did you kill Lopez?” Jack asked.

  “He was out cold when I left him, thoug
h I assume he’ll wake up eventually.”

  “If the temperature drops any more, and we haven’t found him—”

  “Forget about him,” Cooper said, the weapon pressing deeper into Nikki’s scalp. “Because I know who you are, Tyler, and how every fiber in your body is itching to take me down and save the girl. But take my advice. Don’t even try to play the hero. You think you’re capable of saving her, but you’re not. Not this time.”

  Nikki watched Tyler’s expression darken and knew he was weighing his options. Weighing whether or not trying to take Cooper down was worth the risk. Trying to determine if the man was really ready to die. But she knew there was no way he could move fast enough. Because stopping a grenade wasn’t the same as stopping a shooter with a gun.

  One split second. One quick release of the grenade, and they’d all be dead.

  Cooper stopped a dozen feet from the helicopter. “Here’s what you all have to understand. I didn’t walk into this situation blindly. I’ve spent months planning this. Months studying Nikki, Tyler, and Jack in particular, because I expected the three of you to be here.”

  “What are you talking about?” Jack asked.

  “Jack Spencer. Thirty-five years old. Single, though not for lack of trying, which makes me wonder if you’re simply just afraid to tie the knot. I also know about your juvenile record. Barely escaped a half-dozen brushes with the law. Decided at eighteen to join the army, and that decision probably saved your life. You eventually retired from the military and became a police officer now turned detective for this task force. And apparently no longer the bad boy you used to be.”

  “You—”

  “And, Tyler, you might not officially be a part of this team, but Nikki respects your input. I know you were part of an elite combat force that was ready at a moment’s notice to fight for your country. You led countless missions across the Middle East and other undisclosed locations until a bullet slammed into your leg and forced you back home. Back to your wife and son. I tried to imagine what it must feel like for you now. You’re trained in handling every possible scenario. Swimming, parachuting, surviving, hand-to-hand combat . . . and yet I know your weakness.”

  “None of that really matters,” Tyler said. “All I want to do is help you put an end to this.”

  Cooper laughed, all signs of the warm fuzzy tour guide gone. “You don’t want to help me. You want to see me dead. But believe me, take a step forward and try me. I’ll blow us all to smithereens. And it will be your fault. Just like the day you lost your wife.”

  Tyler’s jaw clenched as he spoke, and Nikki didn’t miss the flinch in his eyes. “Today has nothing to do with my wife.”

  Cooper was right. He’d found Tyler’s weakness.

  “It’s a cascade effect,” Cooper continued. “An unforeseen chain of events leading to this moment. Because today has everything to do with her, actually. If she hadn’t died, you wouldn’t be here today with Nikki on the one-year anniversary of your wife’s death. That is the chain of events that put you here at this moment in these particular circumstances.

  “Of course, if it wasn’t you, it would probably be Ryan in your place. That’s his name isn’t it, Nikki? The rich guy you’ve just started dating. Flowers. Dinner. The symphony . . . Does he know you came here with Tyler?”

  Nikki bit her lip. “That’s none of your business.”

  “I suppose not.”

  How had she missed this? He’d clearly been stalking her. Following her. Just like he’d done with Bridget. He’d known ahead of time she was going to be rappelling with Tyler. Anticipated that she’d end up being the one who took the call when Bridget went missing. He’d discovered a way to find her cell phone number and he’d been there this morning at Sam’s house while she’d been sleeping. He’d planned the whole thing out. Detail by detail. Leading them to this point, just like Tyler had said, and she’d followed him right into a trap.

  “You see, I know about the accident on the Isabella with your wife,” Cooper went on.

  “I said leave my wife out of this.”

  “Why, Tyler? She’s dead. Died aboard the Isabella one year ago yesterday. I read your story online, though I have to say I was surprised about what I read. Maybe it wasn’t like today, though. Maybe there were things that were in your control. Maybe there was more to the story.”

  “What are you talking about?” Nikki asked.

  “I know how quickly things can spiral out of control. Maybe you got in a fight over your son, or maybe she confessed to you that the baby wasn’t yours. That she’d been seeing someone else. You lost your temper—”

  “What—?” Tyler started.

  “All it really takes is a moment of weakness. One moment when you lose control. She falls into the water. You hesitate . . . just a moment too long. And she dies.”

  Tyler’s jaw clenched again. “I. Didn’t. Kill. My. Wife.”

  “Temper, temper, Mr. Grant.”

  “Tyler, don’t,” Nikki said. “He’s just trying to egg you on.”

  “I can’t help but wonder how hard it’s been for you, Tyler. Going back into civilian life. It’s an adjustment, isn’t it? If you think about it, there really isn’t any equivalent job outside the military for what you used to do. I mean, I suppose you could settle for being a swimming instructor, but that doesn’t exactly have the same adrenaline rush of being out there in enemy-controlled areas. I’m not even sure rappelling has the same adrenaline rush as that. But I’m done talking for now.” A beam of sunlight broke through the clouds. “The storm’s let up enough for you to take off, so I’ll give you to the count of ten to board the helo and start the engine.”

  No one moved.

  “You don’t think I’m serious, but you don’t have a choice. You leave, or I start shooting before I blow her up. Starting with you.” Cooper turned and aimed his gun at Jack.

  She felt her chest press against her lungs. She knew he wasn’t just spouting words. And she didn’t want to be responsible for someone else getting killed.

  Tyler took a step forward. “Leaving Nikki behind isn’t an option, Cooper.”

  “I have to say, I’m disappointed. Especially considering all you know about me by now. Do you really think this is nothing more than a game to me?”

  “None of us think it’s a game,” Anderson said. “But it does need to end now.”

  Cooper shook his head. “No one ever takes me seriously, but maybe this time you will. One . . . two . . . three . . .”

  “Let her go, Cooper. You can disappear into those mountains,” Tyler said. “You know this park as well as any ranger. It would be easy for you.”

  “Four . . . five . . . six . . .”

  “Tyler, go.” Nikki didn’t even try to fight the panic any longer. “All of you. Please.”

  “I’d listen to her if I were you.” Cooper aimed the weapon at Jack and fired.

  “Jack!” Nikki caught the stunned look in Jack’s eyes as he stumbled backward.

  A wave of raw terror coursed through her as blood spilled down his neck.

  “Go . . . Tyler . . . now, please. Take Jack and get out of here. Do what he says. I’ll be fine. If you leave now, before the brunt of the storm hits again, you should be okay.”

  “A smart lady,” Cooper said. “I told you to take me seriously, but you refused to listen. Push me, and I’ll shoot each one of you, one at a time, and I’ll still win. You’ve got exactly thirty seconds to get that engine going and get that bird out of here.”

  She could see the conflict in Tyler’s eyes as the men pulled Jack into the helo. She nodded. “Go. I’ll be fine.”

  Except she knew she wouldn’t be fine. But it wasn’t just a choice between her and Jack. She’d seen the hate in Cooper’s eyes. He’d kill them all before he let her go. And that wasn’t something she was going to let happen.

  She watched as Tyler looked at her for the last time, then climbed aboard the helo and turned on the engine. It roared to life as the blades began to r
otate. Someone shut the door.

  She was going to have to find a way out of this on her own.

  25

  A sinking feeling swept through Nikki as the sound of the rotating blades began to fade into the distance. She felt his gun pressed against her head, knew the grenade was right above her. She’d finally found him. The Angel Abductor. He’d killed half a dozen girls, maybe more, and she knew he wouldn’t hesitate to kill her as well.

  His lack of emotions wasn’t his only advantage. He knew the terrain far better than she did. In a few hours, darkness would envelop them, and even with a map, she knew she’d struggle. The sound of the helo faded, taking with it any remaining seeds of hope. She shook away that thought. Tyler would come back for her. She knew he would. And in the meantime, she had to find a way to escape.

  “Why are you doing this?” she asked.

  “Sit down on the ground and don’t move,” he ordered, taking a step back from her.

  She hesitated before complying.

  “You still don’t get it, do you?” His deep laugh sent a shiver down her spine as he jammed the safety back into the grenade and stuck it in the backpack he carried, along with her weapon. Whatever game he was playing, he clearly had nothing to lose. “This—all of this—was never about Bridget or even your sister. It was always about you.”

  “I don’t understand.” She caught the darkness in his gaze. If she didn’t find a way to escape, he would eventually kill her. “What does all of this have to do with me?”

  “You can save your questions for later. We need to get out of here. There’s a group of hikers planning to stay here tonight, and I don’t want to run into them.” He jutted his chin toward her, his gun still aimed at her. “Give me your phone.”

  She hesitated again.

  “Let’s get something clear.” His icy stare met hers. “You’re not in control anymore. I am.”