Running Target

by Kari Lemor

  Impatient, yes, but she’d waited so long to have Jack in a position to freely be with them. She didn’t want to wait any longer.

  The back door was open and Callie froze, dropping the bag. Maybe Scott had stopped by to get something and forgotten to lock it up again. The crime rate in this small town was low but she didn’t want to take any chances. She pulled out her phone, ready to dial 911 if she needed to.

  The kitchen was undisturbed but when she entered the living room, her breath left her. Victor Cabrini stood there, the photo album of Jack and Jonathan in his hands.

  “Shit.” The expletive jumped from her mouth before she could catch it. There was no way to bluff her way out of this situation if Victor had seen the pictures of Jack and Jonathan together. She turned to run but Victor grabbed her hair and pulled her back.

  “You bitch!” he screamed as his hand flew across her face and she fell to the floor with the force of it. His enraged expression told her all she needed to know. Bluffing would definitely not work.

  Stumbling to her feet, she tried to run but he grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her into the recliner. He moved closer and leaned over her, mad enough to kill. Had she gotten enough evidence to put this monster away only to be murdered before she could enjoy a life with Jack?

  Fear crisscrossed through every nerve in her body as he glared at her.

  “I noticed something on my computer this morning, Callina.” His voice was now composed. She wasn’t buying it though. It was the calm before the storm. “Several of my files had been read recently. Files I know I haven’t touched in more than a few weeks. I took the opportunity to check more of them. The ones on a flash drive I have in my desk.”

  His eyes narrowed and lips sneered. “And do you know what I found? I’m sure you do. I found that almost every file I had was recently accessed. And the day they were accessed, the very same day you used my computer for your extremely important work project. Coincidence? I didn’t think so.”

  She wanted to scream but no one would hear her. Maybe Bess next door would if she screamed loud enough but if she came over here, what could she do? Get killed herself. No, that wasn’t an option.

  “I decided to come over here and ask you myself why you would possibly be looking at private files on my computer. I took the liberty of letting myself in and checking things out. I found that little book.” He pointed to the photo album he’d dropped on the floor.

  Damn her for not putting it away. Jonathan had been looking at it last night and she’d simply forgotten. Hoping she would never need to hide it again. Stupid mistake. One she might pay for with her life.

  Victor’s calm façade started to break. “There are pictures of my grandson cavorting with the man who murdered his father. Then as I looked closer, I saw a remarkable resemblance between them. I couldn’t believe my eyes.”

  Reaching down, he pulled her from the chair. He shook her a few times then threw her on the floor. She tried to crawl away but a foot met her side and pain streaked through her. He’d kill her. Right here, right now. How could she get away? Her eyes darted around the room looking for an opening. Any way she could make it past Victor and to the door.

  “You slept with the man who killed my son,” he thundered, moving dangerously close again. “He fathered your child. How could you do that to Angelo? He cared for you deeply.”

  She covered her stomach protectively, tears leaking from her eyes. It was silly protecting her new child when she probably wouldn’t live long enough to deliver it.

  “Angelo was only using me to hide his affairs from you,” she cried, hoping to buy some time, to somehow save herself. “That’s how much he cared for me.”

  Looking around, she searched for her phone. It must have dropped when Victor had slapped her. Where was it? Could she reach it and dial 911? And if she did, would help arrive too late? What would Jack think if he came here and found her beaten body, limp and lifeless? How would Jonathan survive without a mother?

  “Then you must not have satisfied him. If you had been more of a woman, he wouldn’t have needed to go looking for female companionship.”

  Could she distract him with the truth? “Angelo didn’t want female companionship. He liked men.”

  “Don’t say that,” Victor screamed and turned away for a second. Her phone was on the floor by the kitchen door so she lunged for it. Right as she grabbed it, Victor stepped on her hand and pulled her hair again. He held a small gun pointed right at her.

  “I don’t think so, my dear. We don’t need someone coming in on their trusty steed to rescue you. You need to pay for your sins. Maligning my son and cheating on him.”

  Victor pocketed the phone then tugged on Callie’s arms. She found herself on the couch, the curtain ties being fastened around her wrists. Victor remained close.

  “I’m wondering what to do with you. First, I must ask if you gave the data you stole from my computer to anyone yet?”

  Should she tell him? Or should she make it sound like she hadn’t? Which would buy her more time? Maybe he’d keep her alive longer if he thought he had more time.

  “I was planning to give it to Jack tonight. He’s probably on his way now. But I also put one in a safe spot. The authorities will get it either way. If you leave now, you can pack up and get away before they arrest you.”

  Victor stared, hard and angry. “I’m not sure I believe you, Callina. All this time, I thought you were such a sweet girl, trustworthy and loyal. Now I find out you planned on stabbing me in the back. After all I did for you and your bastard son.”

  He pulled her cell phone out of his pocket and began flipping through her contacts. “Do you have his number on here? Jack, you called him, huh? I don’t see that anywhere. Let me check your text messages. Perhaps I’ll find something there.”

  Her heart pounded like a drum as Victor searched through her phone. Jack’s name wasn’t there but it would be easy enough putting two and two together. She hadn’t had time to erase her latest messages.

  “Hmm, you have one here about meeting someone in the morning. Aunt Agatha? She lives in Maine, doesn’t she? And if my memory serves me right, she’s quite elderly. I can’t imagine you’d be meeting her at a park nearby. So why don’t we give Aunt Agatha a call and see how she is.”

  Victor pressed the buttons on her phone and all she could do was watch.

  Chapter 22

  Jack remained silent as they rode the elevator to the fifth floor. His old department. The Attorney General had practically wet himself when he’d handed over the evidence. A call to an honest judge, one not on Victor’s list, had gotten arrest warrants issued for the twenty-three people listed on the mobster’s payroll. Currently they were on their way to arrest his old boss, Jeff Curry. Several federal marshals and his FBI friend, Chris Shaunessy, accompanied him. He had no authority himself, being persona non grata for so long, but the Attorney General had allowed him this little bonus. It was the least he could do for handing him Victor Cabrini on a platter.

  Walking into the outer office, his old partner, Steve, noticed him first. His eyes widened perceptibly then filled with fear. Was he in on this too? Had he been behind the numerous attempts on his life?

  “Hey, partner, the boss in?”

  “Jack? What are you doing here?”

  “These men have something to discuss with Agent Curry. If you know anything about it, I suggest you either fess up or get out of Dodge.”

  The half dozen agents standing around the room all stared incredulously as the marshals sauntered into Curry’s office and read him his rights.

  “He was on Cabrini’s payroll?” Steve asked, a scowl on his face. “All this time he was dictating how we proceeded on the case. No wonder we never got anywhere. Where did you finally get this information?”

  “How we got it doesn’t matter, only the fact we got it. The Attorney General is roundin
g up everyone on the list. It’s going to be a little crowded in lock up. You knew nothing about it, huh?”

  “Me?” Steve looked affronted. “Why would you think I knew anything about this? I thought you trusted me, man.”

  He wasn’t sure what to believe. “You were the only person who knew Jonathan was in the hospital when he ingested the rat poison. I told you about the New Jersey cops being there. I still have no idea how they knew. No one else had any idea he was my kid.”

  “Rat poison?” Karl, another of the agents hanging around the room, questioned. “That’s weird. My nephew got real sick from rat poison a few months back. Remember, Gerry, I told you about it right after it happened,” He gazed across the room at Steve’s new partner. “You were real concerned about his symptoms and how long he’d be hospitalized.”

  Gerry Kimball had been sitting quietly until now. Suddenly it seemed like he had someplace to go. Jack’s senses went into overdrive. Kimball hadn’t been on the list but that didn’t mean he hadn’t done someone else’s bidding. Maybe a boss he wanted to impress? One who might move him up the ladder a bit quicker? He would have been in the perfect position to overhear any of Steve’s conversations.

  Taking a few steps, Jack intercepted him. The guilt shining from Kimball’s eyes was like a neon sign saying, ‘I did it’. His blood began to boil. This man had poisoned his son.

  Grabbing Gerry by the shirt collar, he pushed him up against a wall. “You gave my kid rat poison. You could have killed him.”

  “It wasn’t me, I swear. You have no proof it was me.”

  The man was lying; it was evident as his eyes darted all over the room.

  “The boy’s mother saw who gave him the juice box. She can identify you. Should I get her here right now to do that? Will she say she’s never seen you before?”

  Gerry started to sweat. His eyes couldn’t stay still then zeroed in on Agent Curry, who was being brought out of his office in handcuffs. “He told me I needed to get you back here. I knew you’d show up to check on your kid. But you still managed to get by them. I didn’t give him that much. He shouldn’t have gotten as sick as he did. Cabrini was screaming for your head. It was the only way.” His eyes turned desperate. “But we never told Cabrini you were FBI. We kept your real identity from him.”

  Jack pushed against the man’s throat a bit more. “And I’m supposed to thank you for that. You stole three years of my life from me and I’m supposed to be grateful.”

  Kimball’s eye began to roll to the back of his head. Yeah, he should let him go, but this man had tried to kill his son. And he damned well almost succeeded. The fear of losing Jonathan returned and he pushed harder.

  “Jack,” Chris interrupted, “Maybe you should back off. We’ve got him. We’ll bring him to a holding cell, read him his rights.”

  A hand on his shoulder made him come back to reality. If he killed this man, he’d be no better than Cabrini. Easing off slightly, he still didn’t let go. The tone of his phone finally made him drop his hands.

  “Get him out of here,” he ordered, pulling his phone out of his pocket and checking the screen. Callie. He pressed the connect button. “Hey, everything all right?”

  “No, I do not think everything is all right, Jack,” the voice of Victor Cabrini came through the line. He couldn’t breathe. “I am here with Callina and I think we have a few things we need to discuss.”

  * * * *

  Damn this truck. It needed to go faster so he could reach Callie. Save her.

  Why hadn’t he foreseen the possibility of Cabrini figuring out what Callie had done? Now her life was in danger from the mobster. He should have insisted she come with him or at least get her some protection? Sent her over to Heather’s or Scott’s or even to work? She would have been surrounded by people and Cabrini wouldn’t have dared grab her there.

  Guilt was no good now. It wouldn’t get her away from Cabrini. He had to do it.

  Steve was rounding up a task force to arrest the mobster. Chris had gotten sucked into the whole mess also but promised he’d follow as soon as he could. Things were in an uproar at the office with Curry and many other supposedly upstanding people being found on Cabrini’s payroll. The marshals hadn’t wanted to let anyone go anywhere without further questioning. Plus they needed to get an arrest warrant for Victor. The judge had needed to review more of the evidence in order to issue that one. Being thorough, because Cabrini had slipped through the cracks too many other times. Like hell he’d wait for that. Callie was in danger now. And Cabrini had said to come alone.

  Calling Scott on the way, he made sure his cousin picked up Jonathan. No way would he take any chances Victor would get to the child as well. Scott had assured him the boy was safe, scoffing down chicken fingers and French fries. He’d call the other guys too but none of them were close enough to be of any immediate help. Scott had wanted to come, but Jack needed his son safe and didn’t trust anyone else with the boy.

  He approached the turn off for the state park Victor had asked to meet in. The place would be empty in January. Cabrini’s car was in the lot so he parked the truck next to it and slashed the tires, just in case. Walking in, he stopped at the wooden map and studied it, seeing the trail Victor said they’d be on. Looking again, he found one that looped around connecting to it from a different direction. That would be the one he took.

  The wind blew and he zipped his jacket higher, the snow crunching under his feet. It was cold today but not as cold as it could be in New England at this time of year. He should be thankful. And when Callie was safely away from the monster, he would be.

  It took almost fifteen minutes but he finally approached the area Cabrini wanted to meet in, cautiously circling around the outskirts first. Could there be a way to rescue Callie without confronting Victor? Get the drop on the man so he didn’t have the upper hand?

  As he peered through the trees, something bright waved from the distance. Callie’s crimson winter coat, signaling like a red flag. At least she had on something warm. Moving silently, hoping to sneak up on them, he patted the gun tucked in the back of his jeans in reassurance. He tugged his coat back over it so it might go unnoticed.

  Getting closer, he checked out the area. Callie stood on the edge of a clearing, her arms around the branch of a tree. A few steps farther and he could see her hands fastened together with some sort of binding and she struggled to get free. Cabrini was nowhere in sight.

  This was a trap. Had to be. No way would Cabrini leave her here by herself for him to find. But where was he? Glancing around nervously, he waited for what seemed like forever. Was Cabrini on an earlier part of the trail expecting to shoot him when he came down the path? If he was, that could work to Jack’s advantage.

  After another minute, eyes moving in every direction, he crept closer to the woman he loved. Had he ever told her that? Actually said the words? He’d shown her in so many ways how he felt but thinking back, maybe he hadn’t said it outright. Once they got out of this, he would make sure to tell her every day of their lives together.

  Still searching the area, he approached her. Her head flew up, her eyes filled with fear.

  “I’ll get you out of here, Calico.”

  She shook her head as he ran to her side. “No, Jack, Victor…”

  “Is right here,” Cabrini said, from behind him.

  Damn, he’d walked right into it. But what had his options been? To stand here and watch Callie twist in the wind?

  Turning around, he made sure to get between Callie and the mobster. Cabrini stood less than ten feet away with a gun pointed in their direction. Shit. Disarming him might be a possibility if he were closer, but he wouldn’t take the chance of Callie getting hurt with a stray bullet.

  “You wanted me, you’ve got me, Cabrini. Now let her go.” It would never happen but he had to try.

  The mobster laughed. Not a pleasant or humorou
s sound and terror ripped through his gut. He didn’t care what happened to him, hell he’d thought of putting a bullet into his own head a time or two in the past few years, but Callie needed to survive. To be there to take care of their son, and now their new little baby.

  “Why should I let her go?” Victor sneered.

  Jack clenched his jaw and fisted his hands. “I’m the one who killed Angelo. She had nothing to do with it. Let her go.”

  “She may as well have killed my son,” Victor growled. “She betrayed him by sleeping with you. Is that why you killed him? You wanted him out of the way so you could have her?”

  “It was self-defense. He came after me with a knife. Gave me a nice little souvenir too.” He pressed his hand to his stomach. “I never meant to kill him. My mission was to stay alive.”

  “And you are alive and he’s not.” Victor’s face was filled with rage. There’d be no negotiating with him.

  How could he get Callie out of here safely? His eyes flickered around the clearing, hoping for some miracle to pop out. Maybe Chris and a whole FBI contingent were on their way into the park right now. Yeah, he was delusional. The chaos at headquarters would take a while to simmer. He’d need to keep Cabrini talking and distracted, maybe kill some time without getting them killed. Find an opening to get Callie out of here at least.

  “I need to remedy that situation,” Cabrini added. “Put your hands on your head and keep them there.”

  Doing as he was told, he debated whether he could jump Cabrini as he came closer. Or would the man simply shoot him while he stood here? Then what would Cabrini do with Callie? The thought sliced sharply through him.

  “You know this place will be crawling with cops in a few minutes. You might want to consider running now.”

  “Is that what you are, a cop?” Cabrini practically spit out the words. “All this time I thought you worked for a rival syndicate. Thought maybe Callina here worked for them too. But she also mentioned the authorities and some of the information she took from my computer wouldn’t be at all useful to any rival of mine. Only to the law.”