Storm Warning

by Dinah McCall

  And then she saw him, getting out of a wheelchair and coming toward her bed.

  Oh God. Oh God. Sully.

  Her heart started to pound. The familiar swagger in his walk was missing, and the concern on his face shamed her. She was ugly. Ugly. She would never be pretty again.

  She ventured another glance at his face, this time focusing on his eyes. He was crying. She’d never seen a grown man cry—not like this. Dear God, he was crying for her. She closed her eyes, unable to bear his pity.

  “Ginny…Ginny, baby, look at me.”

  When his hand brushed her shoulder, she flinched.

  “I’m sorry…I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I didn’t think about…”

  She heard him sigh, and it was the defeat in the sound that made her ashamed. This man wasn’t like Carney Auger. This man had promised he wouldn’t let her die. He’d kept his promise. Now all he wanted was for her to look at him. It was the least she could do.

  When she opened her eyes, Sully’s whole body went limp. The stress of being up, coupled with his fear for her, had undone him. He swayed where he stood, and as he did, an orderly darted into the room. The moment Ginny saw the stranger, her eyes widened with unmistakable fear.

  Sully turned, his voice tight with anger. “Get out. Get out and leave us alone. I’m fine.”

  “But, sir, you’re too weak to be left—”

  “Now!” Sully barked.

  The door swung shut behind him.

  Sully turned. Ginny was looking at him now, her attention completely on his face. He could see her searching out the injuries—the bandage on his forehead and the stitches that were beneath. Her lip started to quiver.

  He groaned. “Baby…please…I swear to God I won’t hurt you, but I need to touch you. Just to know.” His voice broke. “It’s my fault. I let him get to you and—”

  Tears boiled to the surface, suddenly blurring Ginny’s vision.

  “You saved my life,” she whispered, and reached for his hand.

  Sully froze. Riddled with guilt, it was the last thing he’d expected her to say.

  Ginny pulled his hand to her cheek, then turned her face into his palm.

  Her tears were wet against his skin, her lips trembling as she struggled to speak.

  “I thought he’d killed you. I didn’t know where you were, and I thought he’d killed you.”

  “Jesus,” Sully moaned, and sat down on the side of her bed before he fell.

  Her pupils dilated with fear as her voice lowered to a mere whisper.

  “He’s here, you know. Right here in this hospital.”

  Sully stiffened. “Are you talking about Carney?”

  Her fingers were clutching at his arm, fingering the fabric of his gown in nervous jerks.

  “Don’t go to sleep,” she whispered. “It isn’t safe.”

  “Christ almighty,” Sully muttered, and then stood abruptly. “I’ll be right back.”

  He strode to the door.

  The guard on duty jumped and reached for his gun as Sully grabbed his arm, thinking something was about to go down.

  “You go tell whoever is in charge of Carney Auger’s detainment in this hospital that they’d better get that son of a bitch out from under this roof or I’ll do it for them.”

  “I’m not supposed to leave my post,” he said.

  “You’ve got a radio on you, don’t you?”

  He nodded.

  “Then use it. I want Auger moved. If someone has a problem with that, send them to me.”

  The young man had been an agent with the Bureau for less than a year, but he was well aware of Sullivan Dean and the reputation that went with him. The fact that the director himself was directly involved in this case told him not to argue. If Dean spoke, the young man knew enough to listen.

  “Yes, sir. Right away, sir.”

  “One last thing,” Sully said.

  “Sir?”

  “Thank you for taking care of her.”

  The young agent nodded. “Sir. It was my pleasure.” Then he added, “I’m real sorry what happened to her.”

  “Yeah,” Sully said. “So am I.”

  He stepped back inside the room and closed the door. Ginny was just as he’d left her. He started back across the room, feeling weaker with each step he took. But he couldn’t give in to the urge to lie down. Not yet. Not until that horrible fear was gone from her eyes.

  “He’ll be gone before dark. I promise.”

  She nodded, then clutched at his hand again, curling her fingers around his wrist and tugging gently.

  “Stay with me,” she begged.

  Sully’s heart twisted. “Baby…I’m not going anywhere.” Then he grinned wryly. “I’m so damned weak, I couldn’t if I tried.”

  “Then lie with me.”

  Sully felt as if he’d just been punched in the gut. Lie with her? Lord in heaven, give me the strength to do this thing right.

  “You sure?”

  She nodded.

  He took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly.

  “I don’t know about this. What if I hurt you?”

  “Please, Sully. I’ve been afraid to close my eyes.”

  It was the “please” that sold her case. He sat beside her first, then scooted his arm beneath her neck. When she flinched, he paused.

  “It’s not you,” she said. “Just for a minute I could feel his hands on my—” She swallowed harshly. “Just hold me.”

  Sully scooted the rest of the way onto the bed, then pulled her close against him. The guardrail was up against her back. At least she wouldn’t fall out.

  “Am I too close?” he asked, fearing the simple weight of his body against her would be enough to send her into a flashback of the assault.

  She sighed. “No.”

  “I’m going to have to pull the guardrail up behind me or I’ll fall,” he warned.

  “Okay.”

  He reached behind him, felt for the metal railing, then gave it a yank. It came up abruptly, then locked into place. Now they were cocooned within the narrow bed, connected in body as well as in spirit.

  “Are you in pain?” Sully whispered.

  “Not anymore.”

  He heard her sigh, then felt her body relax. Minutes passed in which he watched her eyelids begin to droop, finally fluttering to a close. Her breathing slowed, then evened out. Only now and then did a muscle tense and begin to jerk, and when it did, Sully held her that little bit tighter and whispered quietly into her ear, “I’ve got you, baby. I won’t let you die.”

  And they slept.

  Curious as to why the patient in room 411 had never come back to his bed, the nurse who’d been caring for him went looking.

  She found them asleep, locked in each other’s arms. She knew their history. She also knew the woman hadn’t spoken a word to anyone since she’d been admitted, and she knew why. Rape, even if only attempted, was an ugly thing. And the woman had been beaten badly to boot. If she needed that man to hold her, then so be it. It was against every hospital rule and everything she’d been taught, but she turned and walked away as if she’d seen nothing.

  Dan Howard stood just inside the hospital entry, waiting for his passengers to arrive. He could have sent someone else to pick Sullivan up, but he wanted to talk to Virginia Shapiro personally, and this seemed the best way to do it.

  While he waited, the elevator doors inside the lobby suddenly opened. Sullivan emerged first, looked around the area and spotted Howard at the entryway.

  “He’s here,” Sully said.

  Moments later, Ginny emerged, seated in a wheel-chair. After a week of being hospitalized, she felt as if she were being let out of jail.

  “Let me walk,” she said.

  “As soon as I get you outside,” the orderly said. “Hospital rules.”

  Heads turned as they passed, mostly out of curiosity that someone was being released, but there were some who gave the woman a second glance, wondering about the fading bruises on her face, a
nd the healing cuts on her lip and eyebrow.

  Ginny hated it all. The curiosity. The double takes. She felt as if they could, just by looking at her, know what had happened. It was like being stripped naked all over again and at the mercy of that man.

  “Miss Shapiro, it’s good to see you again.”

  She jerked. Again? Had she seen him before?

  Dan Howard could tell she didn’t remember him, and while he hated to remind her, it had to be done. He had more than one thing to ask her while they were en route to the safe house.

  “I came to see you when you were first admitted,” he said. “Maybe you don’t remember. Those were pretty tough days for you.”

  “Oh. Yes. I remember.”

  “Let’s get you inside the car, where it’s nice and cool,” he said. “Sully can sit up front with me, and that way you can stretch out in the back seat. It’s going to be a short drive to the helipad, and then a couple of hours in the air until we get to the house.”

  Ginny gave Sully a nervous look.

  “It’s all right, Ginny.”

  Satisfied, she got inside the car and buckled up, but she didn’t relax until they were underway. After that, she settled back and pretended to nod off, knowing she would learn far more about what was happening with the case that way than if she asked specific questions herself.

  As they drove away, the irony of her situation struck her. She’d been a victim and survived, but the danger in her life was far from over. It seemed impossible to believe that anything else could possibly happen. She’d had her quota of traumatic injuries from the assault, and yet that might be nothing to what lay ahead. She was still in danger of losing her life, and her enemy still had no face. If not for the man sitting beside Dan Howard, she would certainly be in danger of losing her mind.

  “Where are we going?” Sully asked.

  “Closest unoccupied safe house is outside of Phoenix. I know it’s hot as hell there this time of year, but the house has a pool and a great view.”

  “It doesn’t matter where we go,” Sully said. “Ginny just needs time to find herself again.”

  “I need to talk to her.”

  “Not now,” Sully said.

  “Damn it, Sully, it’s her life we’re trying to save here. I suggest we let her make the decisions.”

  Sully lowered his voice, not wanting Ginny to overhear. “You don’t understand. Mentally, she’s barely capable of getting through a day, and that’s if no one rocks her world. You push her too hard and she could go over the edge.”

  “I’m not going to push. I’m just going to talk,” Howard said. “When we get to Phoenix, we’ll see. Okay?”

  Sully frowned, but he knew Dan was right. They needed information to solve the case, and until it was over, Ginny had no life.

  “Okay,” Sully said. “There’s the helicopter coming in for a landing now.”

  “Good. Right on time,” Howard said.

  “Hey, Dan, I meant to ask. Our things that were at the cabin…where are they?”

  “In the trunk of my car.”

  “All of it? Even the stuff that was in my car?”

  “Yes. We turned your rental in and put Miss Shapiro’s car in storage in Biloxi. The receipt and keys are in your luggage.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You know the routine. You’ve done it yourself. Oh, and another thing. The old man back at the landing…he gave back the money you’d paid down and tore up Ginny’s bill. He said it was the least he could do.”

  Sully nodded, then looked over his shoulder into the back seat, making sure Ginny wasn’t listening before he asked.

  “About Auger…”

  “He copped a plea to attempted rape and assault, rather than face the attempted murder charge the D.A. was shooting for.”

  Sully’s fingers curled into fists. “I should have finished the job when I had the chance,” he muttered. “Just the thought of that man ever being able to walk the streets again makes me sick.”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean. The judicial system sucks, and we both know it, although he’ll be out of commission for a few years.”

  The car stopped. Ginny roused.

  “Sully?”

  Instantly his hand was on her arm.

  “Right here, Ginny. We’re going to unload the luggage. Wait until I come get you, all right?”

  “All right.”

  She watched the two men exit the car and then sat up. To her dismay, she really had dozed off, missing everything that had been said during the ride.

  A short while later, Sully opened the back door.

  “Come on, Cinderella. Your chariot awaits.”

  “Where are we going?” she asked, as he helped her out of the car.

  He tilted her chin and then tweaked the end of her nose.

  “To the ball.”

  Ginny smiled and then caught her breath on a sob. Two days ago, she would have sworn she would never laugh again. Maybe there was hope for her yet.

  “But I don’t have any glass slippers.”

  “Doesn’t matter. That chopper’s gonna turn into a pumpkin if we don’t get a move on.”

  Ginny let him lead her, but she couldn’t help glancing over her shoulder as they walked away. A couple of men had stopped working to watch, and there was a delivery truck coming down the road they’d just driven. She shuddered as they helped her up into the belly of the chopper and then buckled her in. When would this nightmare finally come to an end? Would she spend the rest of her life always looking over her shoulder?

  Sully slipped into the seat beside her as Dan took the co-pilot’s seat. Ginny closed her eyes as the chopper lifted straight into the air. But her panic subsided as Sully gave her fingers a squeeze.

  “You okay?”

  Ginny swallowed the lump in her throat. “As long as this thing stays in the air and Agent Howard and the pilot don’t turn into mice, I’m going to be fine.”

  Sully was still laughing as the chopper banked sharply and headed west.

  11

  “Mr. Karnoff, do you have any more bags to be taken to the lobby?”

  “No, just those two,” Emile said. “I have a couple more phone calls to make, and then I’ll be down. Oh…and I’ll be needing a cab to the airport.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Emile waited until the bellman closed the door and then pulled several items from his jacket, including an address book, before reaching for the phone.

  “Operator, I need an outside line, please. I want to make a call to the United States.”

  “Yes, sir, one moment, sir,” the operator said.

  Emile waited for the tone and then dialed the number. A few moments later the phone began to ring.

  When the call for Virginia Shapiro came in to the St. Louis Daily, the caller had no idea that the call was forwarded to the desk of Officer Bonnie Smith, of the St. Louis Police. The moment that phone began to ring, a number of events began to occur. As Officer Smith answered, a tape began recording the call and another officer began a trace.

  “St. Louis Daily, Shapiro speaking.”

  There was a brief moment of silence, and then something clicked. In the background, she thought she could hear rumbling, like the sound of distant thunder. And then another sound, similar to the chimes of a doorbell, only louder than the thunder. She frowned, waiting for someone to start speaking, but the chiming sound continued to repeat—once, then twice. When it began for the third time, she spoke.

  “Hello? Hello? Is anyone there?”

  She heard a startled gasp and then a click. The connection was gone.

  “Did you get any of that?” she said.

  “They didn’t stay on long enough to get a trace.”

  “Blast it,” she said. “Maybe they’ll call back. In the meantime, make a copy of that tape and give Detective Pagillia a call. Tell him it’s on the way.”

  Lucy Karnoff stood in the hallway just outside her son’s room. She’d spent all morning tending to the deta
ils of keeping her home and family presentable, and now this! She absolved herself of guilt regarding the eavesdropping under the auspices of being a good mother. How else could she help if she didn’t know what was wrong? But what Phillip was doing made no sense. She knew he was alone, and yet he was distinctly speaking as though someone was there. She pressed her ear closer to the door just as another outburst occurred.

  “Listen, you crazy bastard, I’m getting sick and tired of having to clean up your messes! Haven’t you heard of AIDS? And your taste in women…My God! Do you want your dick to rot and fall off?”

  I’m not the one who’s crazy, Phil. You’re the one who can’t keep his head on straight. I know who I am. I’m the one in charge. I’m the one who knows how to tell people to go to hell, which is more than you can do. If you had any backbone, you’d tell your old man to go fuck himself.

  “You’re disgusting,” Phillip said. “I don’t have to listen to any more of this.”

  Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong. I’m Tony. I’m the player, and I’m not going anywhere, you idiot, because I’m inside your head.

  The agonizing truth was more than Phillip could bear. He sank to his knees, his hands cupping his ears, as if he could block out the sound of the voice inside his head, but it didn’t happen. Tony kept picking and digging at the scab between him and insanity and wouldn’t let go. What frightened Phillip most was that Tony was getting stronger, he could feel it, while he was losing ground on a daily basis. There were days when he didn’t think he could continue.

  Oh, no you don’t. You’re not offing yourself. I won’t let you. Besides, you’re Mama’s baby boy, remember? What would she do without her little boy?

  “Shut up! Shut up!” Phillip mumbled.

  Fine. I’m tired now, anyway. Why don’t you go play with yourself, little boy, and when I come back, I’ll show you what a real man is all about.

  Phillip crawled on all fours to the edge of his bed, then pulled himself up and fell prostrate across the spread.

  “Father in heaven, forgive me, for I have sinned,” Phillip muttered, and closed his eyes.

  Lucy pressed her fingers against her mouth and then slipped away. This was worse, much worse, than she had imagined, and more than she could handle on her own. She raced to a phone and called the number of the Dublin hotel where Emile was staying, but he’d already checked out. She had no way of knowing how to get in touch with him until he called. For all she knew, he could be on his way to another consultation, and this thing with Phillip couldn’t wait. There had to be something in Emile’s office that would help. After all, in the beginning, she’d been his assistant. She knew where he kept his ledgers and tapes. She’d even helped catalogue the ones from the early days. Without hesitation, she hurried to her husband’s office, ignoring the fact that he would be very upset if he knew what she was about to do.