Dire

by Jeff Carson

“… But I’m telling you right now, I’m not going to lose to Adam Jackson and that bitch Judy Fleming. If it’s the last thing I do on this earth, I’m going to beat them.”

  “In two years.”

  “Or less!” MacLean’s eyes were wider now. “The county council can fire us from the job before the term is up.”

  Wolf rolled his eyes.

  “I’m not going to be fired. And I’m not going to lose to them. There’re a few ways I can accomplish these two things. Some of them involve you as my chief detective going forward; others don’t.”

  Wolf popped his eyebrows. So now Wolf’s job was up for grabs?

  MacLean wilted under Wolf’s gaze. “Listen to me for once, Wolf. I want you to go into your office right now and write your report. Then I want you to go home and get a good night’s rest. Okay?”

  Wolf blinked.

  “And I’m going to go home and do the same,” MacLean continued. “Meanwhile, Hernandez, Rachette, and every other deputy we have on patrol can look for the Mackennas’ Silver Jeep Cherokee the perps have stolen from their garage. And secondly, Vail Pass is closed and we know Lauren Coulter is stuck on the other side of it, so we’ll let those people over there, the Denver PD and the rest of them, do their job and find her.” MacLean pointed a finger at them both. “You and I will let those people out there do their jobs, and we’ll convene back here in the morning and get our stories straight, our cases against this BS corruption allegation all lined up, and let ’em have it. Otherwise, you and I won’t have a job to do. Get it?”

  Wolf said nothing.

  “Let the rest of the crew take this case for a few hours. All right?”

  Wolf looked out the darkened window at the rear of the office. The snowflakes slid by fast. “See you in the morning.”

  MacLean clapped and closed his eyes. “All right. Let’s go. You know I need you in this department. What would it be without you? What would I be without you?”

  Wolf walked out the door with MacLean patting him on the back.

  “Were there any bystanders watching that river rescue from up on the road?” MacLean asked.

  Wolf shrugged. “I don’t think so.”

  “Right. Just put it in the report.”

  They walked to the cluster of desks at the far end of the squad room where Patterson, Rachette, and Hernandez were waiting.

  “All right, people. Listen up!” MacLean put up his hands.

  Two other sleep-deprived-looking deputies walked over.

  “We know the perpetrators in question are now in a silver Jeep Cherokee. Detective Patterson has the license-plate details, and we know the BMW SUV we’re looking for. Vail Pass is closed and with the last known whereabouts of Lauren Coulter being Denver only a matter of hours ago, we know we ain’t gonna find her with that BMW. She’s on the other side of the pass. So that leaves us with this silver Jeep.” He looked them each in the eye. “Find it.”

  MacLean turned and gave Wolf a meaningful look. “I’ll see you in the morning,” he said under his breath, and then left the squad room.

  The two deputies filed out, leaving Hernandez, Patterson, and Rachette looking at him.

  “Rachette, Hernandez, you heard the sheriff.”

  They exchanged a glance, nodded at Wolf, and walked away.

  Patterson sagged down onto her yoga ball.

  “How are you doing?” Wolf asked.

  She shrugged. “Not bad.”

  Wolf eyed her for a few seconds. As always of late, one hand was attached to her belly. Her blue eyes had lost some luster.

  The clock on the wall said 11:12. He pulled out his keys and took one off the ring. “Here’s my office key. Why don’t you go in there with your laptop and take position on my couch.”

  She nodded. “Thanks. I think I’ll do that.”

  “I ran a check on the 1992 Chrysler parked out front of the Mackennas’,” she said.

  “And?”

  “It was reported stolen in Denver earlier this morning. DPD took a report. I talked to the officer who responded. He says it was Zeke Jacoway’s roommate’s car.”

  “Zeke stole his roommate’s car?”

  “Yep. His report said Zeke and some random guy he’d never met took it.”

  “Any description on the guy with Zeke?”

  Patterson lifted a pad of paper, revealing a concealed note. “The roommate said the guy was tall, muscular, dark hair, goatee, dressed nicely. Wore purple rubber gloves.”

  Wolf narrowed his eyes. “Rubber gloves. Did he catch a name?”

  “Nope.”

  He knocked on the desk. “Okay. Good job. Now get into my office and lie down. There’s a cloth sleeping bag in one of the shelf cabinets.”

  He helped her to her feet.

  “What was all that about in there?” Patterson asked. “We heard you two yelling pretty loud. Sounded kind of serious.”

  “Nothing.”

  After a brief stare-down with him, she nodded and shuffled away.

  As she disappeared around the corner, he grabbed a nearby chair, wheeled it over and sat down, kicking the yoga ball under the desk. He opened the internet browser and pulled up a website, found the number he was looking for, and dialed.

  “Colorado Department of Transportation dispatch. How may I direct your call?”

  He checked over his shoulder and cleared his throat. “This is Sheriff MacLean. I need to speak to your lead dispatcher on duty.”

  “This is she … it’s me. I’m the lead dispatcher tonight.”

  “Ah, good. Listen, I need a favor.”

  Chapter 25

  Three minutes later, Wolf was back in his SUV and heading north on Highway 734. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out. “Shit. Hello?”

  “I’m about to leave.” Kristen Luke’s voice was loud in his ear.

  “Sorry, what’s happening?”

  “I’m wandering around this guy’s apartment, waiting for you to call. It’s been twenty minutes!”

  “You were saying you found the knife set,” he said. “What else?”

  She breathed into the receiver. “I’ve got some pain-pill bottles in the bathroom, another in the living room. All done and dusted long ago by the looks of it. Just a dirty, smelly druggie’s apartment. Now can I leave?”

  He flipped the windshield wipers on high. “Can you send me the map of where Lauren is?”

  “Yeah. I already did. I sent it to your email.”

  “Okay, thanks. You have any idea if she’s still there? Is there a link to a website where I can monitor her position?”

  “No. The tracking system’s back at the office, on Agent Hartford’s computer, and Hartford’s probably fast asleep at home right now. He was pissed when I called him in, and then went home in a huff when I left. That snapshot was taken an hour ago. It’s as good as we’re gonna get.”

  “Okay, thanks.” Flashing lights came into view through the snow and Wolf let off the gas. “I have to go now. You’ve been a huge help. Go to sleep.”

  “Keep me posted,” she said.

  “Will do.” Wolf hung up and slowed next to the plow. Greg Nanteekut has his face pressed to the glass of his high window looking down.

  Wolf pulled past the plow and parked on the side of the road. He kept his engine running and got out. His clothing rippled on the wind, which was much fiercer north of town where the Chautauqua Valley widened. He ducked his head and limped up to the grated step under the driver’s-side window.

  Nanteekut’s window slid down. “Hey, there he is again!”

  Wolf climbed up, receiving a blast of warm air and cigarette smoke flowing out of the plow’s cab. “Hey, thanks for meeting me.”

  “Yeah, well, dispatch tells me what to do and I listen,” Nanteekut said. “I hear you’re looking for an escort over Vail Pass.”

  “Yep. You up for the task?”

  Nanteekut picked up a pack of Marlboro 100s, fished one out with his lips and lit it. With a deep inhale, he pinched
one eye and said, “I was born ready.”

  Chapter 26

  Lauren kicked the snow away from the twin exhaust pipes on either side of her brother’s car. She knew if snow buried the exhaust pipes she’d be dead from carbon-monoxide poisoning, and then she’d have killed her daughter out of sheer stupidity.

  Of course, turning off the engine was no option. She’d been underdressed as it was all day, and now the temperature had dipped to minus-three according to the dash thermometer.

  She sat back inside, shivering and rubbing her hands near the vent. The digital display gas gauge had gone from three to two bars in the few seconds she’d been outside.

  If it came down to it, she would have to use a credit card. She had no choice.

  She leaned back on the heated seat. Rather than calming her, the violins of the classical music streaming out of the speakers sounded like cats being tortured.

  Her daughter’s smiling face swam into view. When she closed her eyes, she saw Ella again.

  Twisting the front and rear windshield wipers on, she turned in her seat and spied out the back window. Still nothing.

  She sat in an apartment building parking lot a few blocks off Frisco’s Main Street, her car wedged between two big pickup trucks covered in pillows of snow. To her rear lay white-encrusted woodland.

  A few people had streamed into the lot, and she’d held her breath, hoping she wouldn’t be asked to leave a designated spot. But that activity had been at least an hour ago, and, besides, there were empty spots everywhere. Nobody was going to bother her.

  Unless the cops were looking for her. Had Keith Lourde woken up? Was he dead? Was she a murderer?

  The torture was too much. Closing her eyes again, she took a deep breath and tried to imagine a moment in time a year from now when this would be all over. Then she saw Zeke’s bloody fist coming at her and she popped her eyes open.

  A pair of lights flickered through the tall pine trees in the rearview mirror.

  She sagged in the seat and twisted around to get a view.

  The lights shifted direction and glared off her back window, then the squeal of tires on snow neared.

  Sinking down further, she shut off the engine and adjusted the rearview mirror to get a view out the back.

  Was that a cop? It was a generic-looking American SUV, but it had a strange antenna jutting off the roof.

  Brakes squeaked.

  “Damn it.”

  Reverse lights flicked on and her heart started pounding.

  “Shit.”

  They were looking for her. If the police captured her, the man would find out. All hope of seeing Ella alive again was draining away.

  The SUV backed up and stopped, and then she saw the driver’s-side door open.

  “Shit shit shit …” She sagged further in the seat.

  Footsteps walked straight to her door and an arm rubbed across the window. A beam of light streamed in.

  Although she’d watched it coming, she flinched at the knock.

  “Yes?” She leaned into the glass, looking up as if she had every right to be there and was indignant at the interruption.

  “Lauren?” The voice was muffled.

  She put her face close and looked up as the man bent down.

  “David?” Her body flooded with relief. She burst into tears as she opened the door, smacking him hard.

  The door connected with his face and he stumbled out of sight, landing on his butt.

  “Sorry.” She closed the door.

  “That’s okay.”

  His face was dimly lit by the light pouring out of his truck cab.

  “You’re bleeding.”

  He stood up and grabbed her by the shoulders with strong hands.

  With a long racking sob, she let her muscles release and her body fall, but Wolf wrapped his arms around her and held her up.

  “It’s okay,” he said, brushing her hair back with a warm hand. “You’re okay. Let’s go.” He led her to his car and around the passenger side.

  She followed him, letting the tears flow down her face. “My daughter. Ella’s in trouble. I might have killed a man. I might have killed him. But there’s a guy who’s going to kill Ella. I had to—”

  “If you’re talking about Keith Lourde, you didn’t kill him.” He stopped and squared off with her, his big hands clamped on her shoulders. “The guy is fine. But he has every cop in Denver looking for you. And they’re starting to search the I-70 corridor. Frisco Police could find you here. You have to come with me.”

  Looking up at his eyes, she felt for the first time that everything was going to be all right. David Wolf was here, the man she knew so little about but had got such a strong feeling about the second she’d met him.

  He opened the door. “Get inside.”

  “Wait.” The warm blanket of security lifted and she suddenly felt cold. She shivered, her knees bounced under her thin jeans. “I can’t go with you.”

  She backed away, shaking her head.

  “What?”

  “I can’t go.” She pushed his hand away. “He’s tracking my cell phone. He knows exactly where I am. I can’t go with you. I can’t move or else he’ll kill her. He has a guy … the guy took my nanny out into the trees and came out covered in blood. He was covered …”

  He stepped in and held her again. “He has software installed on the phone to monitor its location?”

  She nodded. “He says he monitors everything. The phone calls, the messages …”

  They spoke some more, but she was fading so fast it was too much to resist shutting down completely. He was here. He could help her. He could hold her. She didn’t even have to stand anymore.

  For the next minute, she felt detached from her body, half conscious and letting David Wolf do the motions for her. She floated, and then she was put into a warm vehicle. The engine was running. The heat was blasting in her face, and then David was gone.

  Motionless, she sat, and the howling vents lulled her into a deep, black sleep.

  He’d driven away.

  He’d gone.

  She snapped to. “No! Wait!”

  She was at her father’s funeral again, gazing through blurred eyes at his closed casket. She was on her knees, pleading for God to bring him back. There was no way she could go on living alone, bringing a child into the world with no one to help her.

  There were crunching footsteps, and then David was walking past the rear of the car. He climbed in, shut the door, and looked at her.

  She met his gaze, and then looked at where she was. It was David’s vehicle. “The phone.” A flash of panic sent her heart rate skyrocketing.

  He held up the burner phone. “I got it out of your brother’s car. Don’t worry. We’re parked on the other side of the parking lot. The phone hasn’t moved more than a few yards.”

  He smiled with compassion in his coffee-colored eyes, and it was the gentlest thing she’d ever seen.

  Chapter 27

  Lauren looked up at Wolf through tears. She was thoroughly broken, he could see that. He’d seen men who’d been tortured for three days straight whose sanity was more intact than hers right now.

  “Ella,” she whispered as her eyes fluttered shut.

  Wolf searched for something to say but found nothing helpful, so he remained silent, putting a hand on her shoulder and gently squeezing instead.

  Her shoulder was bony, flexed and tense, and then it relaxed. “Ella …”

  He watched her fall into a fitful sleep. He wondered exactly how long she’d been awake. Their lunch date was to have been her dinner after an all-night shift.

  He did the math. Unless she’d slept at work, which was doubtful, she was probably working on no sleep for the past two full days.

  He rubbed his hands and put them near the heater vent. He’d backed the car up against the apartment building so he had a perfect view of the entire parking lot. If Frisco Police came in and found the BMW, he could exit quickly with Lauren ducked out of sight as he dro
ve out.

  He deemed the cab of his SUV warm enough now, so he turned down the heater. Picking up the burner cell phone from the center console, he pushed a button and it lit up.

  He was unfamiliar with the operating system, but it was self-explanatory. The list of recent calls consisted of one single phone number. The number was proceeded by a plus sign and a two-digit country code he failed to recognize.

  “No!” Lauren jolted awake and snatched the phone out of his hands. “What did you do?” She pressed a button and held it away from him. “What did you do? I told you, he’s monitoring the calls, the messages.”

  He held up a hand. “Lauren, I didn’t do anything.”

  Her face was still twisted in panic, her breathing shallow.

  “Lauren.”

  She looked at him.

  “I need the phone. I’m checking the recent calls. Then I’m going to give the number to my deputy, and she’s going to try to fix a location on the caller using the number. It could lead us to your daughter.”

  She darted her eyes around the cab. “Then what? He’s got a gun, and there’s a crazy guy with a knife who killed Barbara. What are you going to do? Storm the place? He’ll—he’ll kill her. They’ll both kill her.”

  Wolf lowered his hands. “We’re not going to storm the place. We’re not going to do anything but figure out where they are at this moment. We’re not going to put your daughter in any more danger.”

  He held out his hand and she finally handed over the cell.

  He pressed the phone button again and stared at the digits. “This is the number he calls from?”

  “Yes.”

  “You don’t have your cell phone, do you?” Wolf asked.

  “No. He took it.”

  “Do you know who this man is?”

  “I don’t know. All I know is he’s creepy and he wears rubber gloves all the time,” she said. “And even then, he never touches anything with them unless he has to. He uses the crazy guy with him. To pick up stuff, to hand it to him, to … kill.”

  Her eyes glazed over.

  “So there’re two men? Two men who took your daughter?”