by Clare Revell
Sara shook hard. She knew she was going to die, but wanted the chance to tell Luke she loved him first. The cold metal handcuffs snapped around her wrists again.
Jamie snatched the rope and fastened her to the headboard. “What do I do with you? I can’t trust you. Maybe I should kill you. But…lucky for you there is something I have to attend to first. Think carefully, babe. I want you, but my patience is limited.”
Sara let out a deep breath. “Luke will find me.”
“Luke?” Jamie’s eyes blazed fire. “I come back after six months, and all you care about is some babysitting cop.”
“You left me. I loved you, fool that I was. You let me think you were dead. You never loved me. You stalked me, set me up. And yes, I’ve given my heart to Luke. He’s more man than you’ll ever be.”
“He doesn’t care about you one way or the other. Your emails made that abundantly clear. The only reason he stayed with you is because he was paid to.”
Sara shook her head. “No. He’ll come.”
“No, he won’t. Why should he? No one knows where you are. No one cares.” He spun on his heel and left.
Sara shuddered as her stomach churned and her chest tightened. She didn’t want to die; she wanted to live. She wanted her babies. She wanted Luke. She wanted to go home. She closed her eyes as tears filled them. She didn’t want to cry either. Crying just made the constant throbbing inside her head worse.
The door slammed behind him. Sara twisted her head and focused on the small crack in the curtains. She could make out the full moon shining in the dark sky. “Luke, if you’re coming, come quickly…”
****
Dave stood. “Come on. It’s time tae go.”
Luke glanced from the pile of pictures and reports he had in his hand. There had to be a clue in here somewhere. The team from Inverness had arrested Shepherds and was interviewing him. Teams were scouring the area looking for Jamie. “Go where? What time is it?”
“Five thirty and we need tae leave now for the carol service. Put yer coat on.”
“What if Sara rings again? I should stay here in case something turns up.”
“I have my phone. They’ll ring as soon as they know where Sara is. Meanwhile, we have plenty of time for church, coffee, and mince pies, before yer Dad’s plane gets in. It’s nine lessons and carols, well worth going tae.”
Luke rose and put his coat on, following them to the door. The last thing he wanted was coffee, mince pies, and small talk with the old lady who sat in front of them.
As he stepped outside, the crispness of the night air took his breath away. The snow lay deep and crisp and even, like in the very British carol Sara kept singing as soon as the snow began to lay—Good King Wenceslas. Stars twinkled and shone in the black sky, the full moon reflecting off the snow.
He turned to Mary. “Do you suppose she’s out there somewhere looking at the same moon?”
“I can guarantee it. You can almost hear the angels sing.” Mary’s breath hung in the air. “There is something about Christmas Eve.”
Luke glanced back at the house. “I left the tree lights on. Be right back.”
In the lounge, he bent to turn off the tree lights, and his gaze fell to the pictures on the coffee table, the ones he had taken of the beach. The top one was the rainbow reflecting off the sea, with a tumbledown cottage on the shoreline.
He glanced at Sara’s painting then peered at it. In the window of one of the cottages a pair of shoes had been left on an upstairs windowsill. Why on earth would she paint that? He compared it to the photos, but no shoes.
He stared at the painting for a moment then snapped off the tree lights.
****
The church was ablaze with candle flame. A tree covered in twinkling lights stood on one side of the pulpit, with a wooden nativity scene underneath it. Holly, ivy, and Christmas roses hung from the pillars which supported the gallery.
Luke led Mary towards their usual seats and slid into the pew. He read the service sheet, half listening to the older lady on his other side greeting him. The words beach, rainbow, cottage, shoes kept turning over and over in his mind. The link had to be there, but where?
Lord, show me the link. We’re running out of time.
“Hello, Mr. Nemec. How are ye?”
“I’m fine, Mrs. Urquhart. How are you?”
“I’m doing fine. I thought Frank might have been here. He usually brings me, but I had tae get a lift with Dr. Scott tonight.”
“Frank?”
“Frank Williams. Nice young chap, even if he’s a bit of a loner. Tall chap, long dark hair. I’m surprised you have nae bumped in tae him. He moved up here several weeks ago from down south. He or his friend walks the dog for me. Not seen him this week, which is odd because he has been at home. Probably tae busy with all the people he’s had coming and going at all hours, tae bother with an old woman like me. He even had that policeman off the television visit. Ye know the one who does all the interviews. And he has a lady friend staying.”
Luke’s interest piqued at the mention of the police officer. That could only be Shepherds. But a lady friend? “Why do you say that?”
“He brought a young lassie back on Tuesday, and I have nae seen her leave. She must be staying for Christmas. I caught a brief glimpse as they helped her in from the car.” She lowered her voice. “But she was in the family way if ye get my meaning. And he never said anything about being married. You know, she keeps her shoes on the window sill.”
Luke sat up straight. Shoes on the window sill?
“In fact, he was asking about ye and yer wife the other week. Have they found her yet?”
“Not yet. Where does Frank live?”
“Drover’s Cottage.”
On a hunch Luke pulled the photos from his pocket and showed them to her. “Is this him?”
“Yes, dear, that’s Frank. I thought ye said didn’t know him. His friend has one of those tattoo things.” She pointed to the other photo. “That’s him.” She paused then pointed to the photo of Jamie. “He helps with the dog.”
Luke leaned forwards and hugged her. “Thank you.” And thank you, Lord, for giving me the clue right when I asked for it.
Luke motioned to Dave and filled him in on the conversation. Dave rose. “Luke, ye get Dr. Scott. I’ll call for backup. Carole, I’ll need ye to take Mary home after the service.”
Luke headed across to Scott, just as the service began. “Doc, we know where Sara is. We got to go.”
He walked down the aisle and out of the church, praying they’d get there in time.
****
The church clock chimed six. Sara counted each stroke of the bell, the clanging chimes of doom forcing her mind to concentrate. As the last chime echoed across the still, snowy town, the door swung open.
Phil strode across the room. “Time to go.”
“Not going anywhere with you. You’ll have to kill me.”
“If that’s what you want.” Phil grinned at her. “Pity though. The three of us could have had so much fun together.”
Sara rolled her eyes. “You’ll regret that.”
“Not as much as you will.” As he took a step closer, Sara screamed as loud as she could, pulling on the rope tied to the head of the bed.
“Shut up.”
As defiantly as she could, she screamed again.
The bedroom door burst open. Jamie ran in. He took the situation in at a glance and pulled Phil away. “Leave her alone. She’s making too much noise.”
Phil scowled. “Then you shut her up.”
“There’s an easy way to do that.”
All hope of rescue faded. She had nothing to lose. They were going to kill her. She would go down fighting. Taking a deep breath, Sara screamed, praying someone would hear her.
Jamie moved over to her. “Shut up.”
Glaring at him, Sara screamed again.
Phil spoke over her scream. “RJ, shut her up now. There’s a car outside.” He paused. “It’s
the cops.”
Jamie shoved a hand over Sara’s mouth. “Shut up.” With the other he pulled a gun from the small of his back and released the safety. When he removed his hand she screamed again, but stopped as he shoved the gun into her side.
“Don’t try it, Sara. I want you to see him die before I kill you.”
****
Luke ran down the path, not wanting to waste another second.
Dave caught his arm. “Luke, we should wait for backup.”
Luke pulled his coat to one side revealing his holstered handgun. “We have all the backup we need.”
“Ye took a gun tae church?”
“It goes everywhere with me.”
“Does that include the shower?”
Luke shook his head. Even now, his cop instincts found humor where there should be none. “I sleep with it, too, if you must know.”
“Remind me not to annoy ye. I wish the UK police armed themselves the way the US ones do.”
Two screams shattered the silence. “Sara.”
Luke threw his shoulder against the door of the cottage. It gave to some extent, but not enough. He kicked three times, and it flew open. He drew his gun, flicked off the safety, and burst through the open door, not waiting for the others. “Sara!”
“Lu—!” The answering cry was cut short.
Luke ran up the stairs. He headed to the front of the house to the one closed door and shoved it hard. The door flew open, and he burst in, gun ready. “Police. Freeze.”
Phil took aim at Luke.
“Put the gun down.” When Phil didn’t Luke fired, hitting his left arm. Phil cried out and spun around, firing as he did so.
Sara screamed as the bullet missed Luke by a fraction of an inch, slamming into Dave who was right behind him. Dave slumped to the floor.
Luke leapt into the air and pushed Phil to the floor, knocking the gun from his hand. It flew under the bed. Before Phil could reach it, Luke launched a volley of punches. Phil lashed out with his uninjured arm, pushing Luke away.
Luke grunted as Phil shoved him against the wall. He pushed up, going after Phil again. He glanced over at Dave, then focused again on Phil, but too late, as despite blood running down his arm from the bullet wound, Phil had the upper hand, landing blow upon blow on Luke.
Luke twisted free and pushed Phil to the floor, using all his weight to secure him there.
Phil grunted and tried to get up. Holstering his gun, Luke hit him squarely on the side of the head three times, rendering him unconscious.
He slapped the cuffs on him. “That’s for kidnapping, shooting a police officer and resisting arrest.”
“Luke.….” Sara looked as if she were struggling to focus on him. Her eyes shifted between him and the floor.
“I’m here. Everything’s OK.” He stood. “Let’s get you out of here.”
“Jamie…” Sara gasped as Jamie silently pushed upright and put the gun against her head. Luke drew his gun and aimed.
“Put it down, cop, or she dies.”
30
Sara froze.
Luke’s aim didn’t waver as his gun lined up on Jamie. “Jamie Barnes, I presume. Or is that Robert Foster?”
“Sara’s husband is all you need to know. Something you should have remembered before you got involved with her. Put the gun down or stop me leaving with her and she dies.”
Luke didn’t flinch. “She’s going with you, which is why you’re threatening to kill her. Uh huh, makes perfect sense. Put the gun down.”
Jamie raised an eyebrow. “What? You think I’m kidding?” He pulled Sara tightly to him, pressing the gun hard against the side of her head. Sara whimpered in pain.
“If I can’t have my wife, then no one can, especially not a filthy pig like you.” Jamie pulled back on the trigger. “Now put the gun down, and kick it away.”
Luke put the gun on the floor, kicking it to one side. “All right.”
“Hands up where I can see them, and move against the wall.”
Luke raised his hands, backing off.
Jamie unfastened the handcuffs. He pulled Sara upright, pressing the gun against her, his finger still on the trigger. “See, babe, he’s a coward. All talk and no action. If he had any guts, he’d have disarmed me. I can’t believe you want him and not me. Now you and I are going to walk out of here. While your cop stands there like a good boy and lets us go.”
Yes, Luke is my cop, and I’m going to fight for him if it’s the last thing I do. “Let me go, Jamie.”
Jamie shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
Sara struggled. Adrenaline pumped through her. She grabbed his hand, and tried to get the gun away from him.
Jamie tugged back. “What are you doing?”
Sara gripped his hand and tugged. “You set me up…you’re Oscar.”
“Let go of the gun, Sara.”
Sara put her fingers over his and tugged. “You let go.”
There was a single gunshot. Sara screamed. Jamie’s eyes widened as he staggered backwards, blood spreading across his white shirt, in an ever increasing circle. His hand rose to his chest, surprise on his face as he dropped to his knees, then face down on the floor.
Luke scooped up his gun and his ring, which was lying near it, and moved over to Jamie. He checked for a pulse then holstered his gun. “He’s dead.”
“I killed him.” Sara’s hands trembled. “I killed him.”
“No, hon. His finger is on the trigger. It was him, not you.”
Sara began to cry and shake.
Luke wrapped his arms around her, rocking her and stroking her hair to calm her. “It’s all right. It’s over. You’re safe now.”
She clung to him. Was she dreaming? Would he vanish if she let go of him?
“You lost this.” Luke slid the ring onto her finger.
“Jamie took it away. He didn’t want me wearing it.”
“I want you wearing it, hon.”
“Good.” The corner of her eye caught movement at the door, and she stiffened.
Austin grinned at her and raised a pistol, aiming it at Luke.
“Luke, g-gun.”
Luke let go of her. She knew he also noticed the figure in the doorway. Drawing his gun, he aimed and fired in the same movement. Austin’s eyes widened with shock as the bullet caught him in the shoulder, and then he fell to the ground.
Footsteps ran up the stairs. Luke aimed again, ready to fire, dropping his hand only when Scott appeared. “Doc?”
“Backup’s just arrived.”
“Dave’s been shot.” Luke turned back to Sara. “Sara? You OK?”
Everything started to spin. The pounding in her head reached a crescendo. Four Lukes stood over her, their voices overlapping. The tightness in her chest prevented her from being able to breathe.
“Sara?” Several hands reached for her.
Struggling to stay awake, she looked up hazily. “Luke…I don’t feel so…”
****
Sara slumped against him. “Sara?” Luke pulled her upright. She was floppy, and her head hung forwards. He laid her back on the bed. “Doc.”
Scott ran across and felt for a pulse. He checked her eyes, wrists and ankles. He rolled Sara into the recovery position as she began to convulse. “We need tae get her tae hospital. I need my bag.”
Worry flooded Luke as Scott worked. Was he going to lose her after all? He watched as Scott prepared an injection and gave it to Sara. “What’s wrong with her? And what’s that?”
“It’s something tae help control the convulsions. Her condition has deteriorated.”
A uniformed officer appeared. “Paramedics are here.”
“Tell them I need a four mg lorazepam IV.”
Luke squeezed Sara’s hand. “Don’t you die on me, Sara. Not now I’ve found you.”
The paramedics came in and Scott took the IV and started setting it up. “This is Sara Nemec. She’s twenty-eight, and this is her husband Luke. She’s twenty-eight weeks pregnant with twi
ns. Severe eclampsia. GCS is three; it was fourteen when I arrived. She’s had one seizure which I treated with magnesium.”
Luke’s whole body numbed, as Scott and the paramedics worked to stabilize Sara and transfer her onto a stretcher. Please, God, don’t let her die, not now.
Another crew came in and started working on Dave.
After what felt like hours, Scott stood. “She’s stable enough tae move. Go with her, Luke. I’ll go with Dave and see ye there. Ye’ll go blues and twos with escort.”
“What?”
“Lights and sirens all the way.”
“OK.” Luke stood and followed the paramedics down the stairs and into the ambulance. He took Sara’s hand. The sirens echoed dully, as the ambulance set off.
****
Luke paced and prayed constantly in the maternity waiting area, as Sara was rushed into surgery, her life hanging on a thin thread. Her records gave her name as Sara Nemec, and he didn’t see the need to tell them otherwise. Consent forms for surgery needed signing and there hadn’t been time to wait for Mary to arrive.
“Luke…”
“Mary.” He turned and hugged her tightly as her arms folded around her. “Sara’s still in the OR. She’s been in there a while. She’s still down on file as my wife. They wanted me to sign the papers.”
“That’s fine. It needed doing. I’m so glad you found her, Luke. Is Dave all right? They said he’d been shot. Carole’s beside herself.”
“He’s alive, complaining about having to eat the food in here for a couple of days. He’ll be fine.”
Footsteps came down the corridor, slowing to a halt next to them. “Mr. Nemec?” A young doctor in scrubs stood there. She sat down next to Luke. “I’m Dr. Kinsey, one of the pediatricians.”
Pediatrician? Why not the surgeon who’d operated on her? “How’s Sara?”
“Yer wife is still critical. She’ll be in surgery for some time yet. We had tae do an emergency caesarean section. The babies are very tiny and very poorly.”
