Samantha looked startled by the question, but then nodded.
“Yes, I love him.”
***
They completed their meal and were headed back home. Jessica called the house to say that they’d be returning soon and to ask about the children. When she ended the call, Samantha spoke to her.
“You too.”
“Me too, what?”
Samantha turned her head and looked out the side window.
“The love thing... you too.”
Jessica said, “Thank you, honey. I love you too,” and then slowed her speed.
It was becoming difficult to see with all the tears in her eyes.
***
DA Hall’s eyes were also gleaming, but her eyes shone with triumph.
A second search of the Ryan estate had been conducted in an attempt to find the uncut diamonds that were believed to exist. No diamonds were found, but a keen-eyed rookie discovered the paperwork and other items Lionel Wentworth had tossed down a sewer on the home’s private road. Those items had come from the safe of Brendan Ryan and contained copies of his and his wife’s wills.
Samantha’s prints were found all over the pages of those documents, as well as other items taken from the safe.
Martha Ryan’s will was old. It had been made before Samantha had come to live with them. In it, she bequeathed some money to her late son, who had been alive at the time. The will instructed that the rest of her money go to an environmental charity. Had she died after her husband, rather than before, anyone not aware of Ryan’s money woes might think that the charity would get everything.
Hall was pacing around her desk. It was what she did when she was considering possibilities.
“Okay, the kid knows that if the old man drops dead before the old lady does that she gets nada. She learns that her grandfather is at death’s door and kills her grandmother. That would put the old man’s will in play, and he was leaving her everything.”
Tucci was sitting on the sofa with his partner, Carlyle, and he raised up a hand to get Hall’s attention.
“How did the kid know that the old man was dying?”
“There was a phone message, remember? Wentworth tried to reach Mrs. Ryan and left a message telling her that he had, ‘Grave news about Brendan.’ The little girl is smart enough to know what that means, so she ran upstairs and killed her grandmother. If Ryan was okay, it still worked. One way or another she needed the old lady dead.”
Carlyle was frowning.
“That’s odd, isn’t it? The lawyer’s message, I mean. Why not deliver that kind of news in person?”
Hall shrugged.
“He didn’t come right out and say that Ryan was on his last legs. He just made it sound urgent.”
“I guess,” Carlyle said, but looked unconvinced. He was wondering if Wentworth had been attempting to allay any suspicion on himself. Who leaves a message for a dead woman? Someone who doesn’t know that she’s dead, that’s who, or, a clever murderer.
Carlyle had voiced his suspicion about Wentworth’s guilt to his partner, Tucci. But Tucci was so infatuated with Hall that he was only seeing things her way, and Hall had her sights set on Samantha Ryan.
Hall stopped walking and leaned back against her desk.
“Is it enough to get an arrest warrant? Hmm, what do we have on Samantha Ryan?”
Tucci held up a hand and counted off using his fingers.
“One, she had opportunity. Two, she had motive. Three, she has no real alibi. Four, we can prove she’s read the wills and knows the combination to the safe. And finally, five, more than a few people think she’s a little off, and that 9-1-1 tape proves it.”
Hall nodded, but was also making a face.
“If she were twenty-nine that would be enough to go forward, but since she’s only nine, I want a smoking gun. Keep digging. If I’m going to try a child for murder, it has to be airtight. Once I have that, we arrest her.”
Tucci and Carlyle rose from the sofa and left the office.
Hall began walking around her desk again. This time she was considering the possibilities that would open up for her once she convicted Samantha Ryan. The case would garner a huge amount of attention from the media, and afterwards, she could get a job in a big city or run for mayor, possibly even governor.
“That little bitch has to be guilty, and I’m going to prove it.”
CHAPTER 16
At a designated location, Viola met the three serial killers sent to her by Prophet and told them to trail her back to the house she followed Violet to the day before.
Of the three men, only Morrison would be considered a physical threat, since the other two men were young and had slight builds. Nonetheless, the two were predators at heart and had mutilated and murdered more than a dozen women between them.
Being around serial killers always disturbed Viola. She knew if they didn’t fear retaliation by Prophet that they would attack her. Morrison, in particular, would love to kill her. Her twin sister Violet had once wounded him with a knife, and Morrison sneered at her every time they met.
“You look just like the bitch that stabbed me; killing you would almost be like killing her,” Morrison said upon arrival.
“But you won’t harm either of us, not if you want to live,” Viola told him.
Morrison had smiled then. It was the same smile he wore when he donned a tuxedo and played the piano at the upscale bar he worked at. He could be personable when he needed to be, but he had killed over twenty women in the last seven years.
***
Viola carried no weapon. All she had was the can of pepper spray she normally kept in her purse, and that was now in the side pocket of her designer jeans.
Morrison had a gun with an attached silencer, while the two younger men carried knives. The knives were so long that they looked like miniature swords. Morrison had wanted to take one car. He said that he would ride shotgun while the other men rode in the back seat.
Viola insisted that they follow her and that she ride alone. She kept imagining one of the men jamming a knife through the seat and into her back, and there was no way she was going to give them the chance to do so.
The area was secluded and had only a few homes scattered widely apart amid patches of woods. One of the neighbors was out late walking a dog. He was a young man, and seemed to pay them little attention as they drove by in their two car caravan.
Viola pulled her vehicle onto the shoulder of the quiet road. Before heading out, she had reminded the others to make as little noise as possible. They left their car with the doors sitting ajar, since closing them would make too much sound.
Morrison and the other men were all experts at entering a strange home at night, and they found an unlocked window towards the rear of the house. The room beyond looked to be nearly empty, with only a few cardboard cartons stacked high by a corner.
It was just after midnight when Morrison helped the other men climb up and into the room. He then turned to offer assistance to Viola.
She shook her head and whispered.
“I’ll stay out here. Bring my sister to me as soon as you can, and don’t hurt her.”
Morrison grinned.
“You and your sister better hope that nothing ever happens to Prophet. If he didn’t have my balls in a vise, ooohh, the things I’d do to you.”
Viola said nothing, but a shiver passed through her. The big man turned away and lifted himself up and into the room. It was like watching a cat leap onto a table, and made about as much sound.
The quiet didn’t last very long, as a cry of pain echoed from the home. Viola cocked her head to listen. She didn’t want to hear the dying screams coming from the women of PREY, but... there had been something masculine about the sound she heard.
That noise was followed by a grunt, and then the sound of a body falling. Viola stepped back from the window, preparing to run away, but then she saw Morrison at the window with Violet.
“What are you doing?” Viola
said, in a puzzled voice. It looked as if Morrison were giving her sister a piggyback ride, as Violet straddled the man’s broad back.
When she realized what was actually happening, she gasped. Violet had a cord wrapped around Morrison’s thick neck and was garroting the man to death. Morrison fell to his knees and grabbed the windowsill, while his other hand was locked in Violet’s hair, as he attempted to tug her off his back.
The effort failed, Morrison’s face turned red, then purple, and blood seeped around the cord biting into his neck.
Viola let out a little scream and ran towards her car. As soon as she hit the street, she came to a skidding halt. The young man was there, the one who had been walking his dog, and the pit-bull was growling and straining at his leash.
Viola freed the pepper spray from her pocket. She was about to squirt the dog with the noxious fumes when she realized the man was pointing a gun at her.
“Yo baby, don’t spray Stitches. He’s not my dog and I promised Dr. White he wouldn’t get hurt.”
Viola lowered her arm.
“Dr. White? Are you with PREY?”
“Yeah, and you’re Violet’s sister. Um-um, I do love twins, especially hot ones like you two.”
“But... there are no men in PREY.”
Jace shrugged.
“I’m sort of an honorary member.”
Viola heard footsteps running up behind her and turned in time to see Cassandra fire a Taser at her. By the time she recovered from the blast, her wrists and ankles were bound and a gag was taped in place. Just before the needle entered her arm, Viola saw her sister walking towards her. Violet’s face was streaked with Morrison’s blood, and her eyes were filled with sadness.
***
When hours passed with no word from Viola, Morrison, or the other men, Prophet was forced to come to the conclusion that something had gone horribly wrong.
The thought that Morrison might have harmed Viola appeared in Prophet’s mind but was immediately dismissed. Morrison wouldn’t dare, he knew what the consequences would be, and so that left only one answer.
PREY had triumphed, and Morrison, Viola, and the others were in their hands or dead.
No, not dead, at least not Viola. Prophet was certain that Viola’s sister wouldn’t allow that to happen.
A blinding rage overtook Prophet and eclipsed all rational thought. Once recovered, Prophet went to work assembling a new team. Answers were needed, as well as a response, a deadly response. Those bitches needed to learn that Prophet would not be cowed.
The new team was given instructions and told to kill anything they encountered at that house, including Viola’s sister. Prophet was done playing. It was time for the gloves to come off.
CHAPTER 17
Viola awakened to find herself in a basement and shackled to a bed.
The drug Cassandra had given her had dulled her senses and it took her several attempts for Viola to awaken fully. Once she had done so, she saw that Violet was asleep in a chair beside the bed. Viola called to her, and watched as Violet’s eyes fluttered open.
They stared at each other for long seconds, but then Violet spoke.
“Tell me where to find Prophet and I’ll make sure the others let you go.”
Viola shook her head.
“You’re the one who needs to go. Prophet will send more men here.”
A small smile appeared on Violet’s face.
“This isn’t the house you followed me to from the cemetery. This is the real PREY house. That other home was just a trap.”
“What? You knew I was following you?”
“Yes.”
“How did you know?”
“I knew that you knew I would visit Mom’s grave on her birthday. It only made sense that you would try to follow me from there.”
Viola sent her sister a bemused smile.
“You always were smarter than me.”
“We had hoped that Prophet would come to that house, but no, the coward stayed back where it’s safe.”
“Prophet is not a coward!” Viola shouted, and Violet’s eyes widened in understanding.
“You’re in love with Prophet?”
“No, you know better than that,” Viola said.
Violet stared at her sister as she tried to read her face. If Viola were in love with Prophet, it could change everything.
Viola’s shouting was heard upstairs, and Dr. Elena Colt came down to stand over the bed. She had stayed awake in order to speak with Viola as soon as possible. Violet left her chair and stood beside Elena, as the doctor spoke to her sister.
“Hello there, young lady, you are as lovely as your sister. I hope that you also have her good sense.”
Viola just glared up at Elena.
“Your sister tells me that you’re not a bad person. If that’s true, then why are you helping Prophet assemble his army of killers?”
Viola stayed silent, but the expression on her face revealed the surprise she felt.
“Yes, we know of your plans. Do yourself a favor, tell us where to find Prophet. We’ll get any information you possess out of you one way or another, and I would prefer not to harm you.”
Violet grabbed Elena’s arm.
“You can’t hurt her, please?”
Elena cupped Violet’s face in her hands.
“I don’t want to harm her, but I’ll do what’s necessary. Prophet must be stopped.”
“I understand that, but... give me time, please Elena? Let me talk to Viola and I’ll find out what we need to know.”
“Yes,” Elena said. “I’ll leave her to you for now. However, if she won’t cooperate I’ll have to let Cassandra have her.” Elena looked down at Viola. “I truly do not want to harm you, please tell your sister what we need to know.”
“Go to hell!” Viola said.
Violet let out a little moan. She knew her sister. If Viola loved Prophet, she would rather die than betray her lover.
Elena kissed Violet on the cheek, gave her hand a squeeze, and went back upstairs.
“You’re going to let that old lady torture me, aren’t you?” Viola said.
Violet sat on the bed beside her sister and cried.
***
“Empty?” Prophet said, the electronic voice distorted as it came over the phone.
Only Viola knew Prophet’s real voice. To the recruited serial killers, Prophet was just a shadowy figure and an electronically disguised voice.
Prophet was speaking to a man named Russo. Russo was a serial child molester who had killed a number of children over the years while satisfying his desires. Russo’s ideal victim was a girl between the ages of two and five, but he had molested children of both sexes who were as old as ten.
Prophet knew that Russo had no soul. Russo did however have an identity in his community as a youth counselor. He was also close personal friends with several cops he had gone to college with, and he had no criminal record.
Prophet could destroy Russo’s life with a phone call, and once his DNA was checked, Russo would spend the rest of his life in prison. That was why Russo had risen from his bed before dawn to do Prophet’s bidding. He and four other serial killers that Prophet controlled were checking out the house that was Viola’s last known location.
“Yeah, the place is empty and there’s a For Sale sign in the front yard. And before you ask if we got the right house, we do; I double-checked and it matches the photos that bitch of yours took.”
“It was all a trap,” Prophet whispered, and the anger was conveyed even with the electronic enhancement.
“One more thing, the house is clean as hell and smells like bleach. I think they killed whoever you sent here and then made the evidence disappear.”
“They have Viola. I must get her back.”
“Fine, what’s your plan?”
Prophet lowered the phone and thought things over. There was no hope of finding the PREY house and Viola could tell Dr. Colt what she knew. Viola had to be returned before PREY could make her ta
lk. The only way to accomplish that was to give them a reason to do so.
“Russo, listen to me. You and the others need to abduct Dr. Jessica White. She lives near that location. You need to keep the doctor alive, but—wait, better yet, take the doctor’s twins. That will put a fire under the doctor and I’ll have Viola back by noon.”
There was a sigh on the other end of the line, and then Russo spoke.
“You know I’m your man when it comes to grabbing kids, but this is some cowboy shit. What if there are a lot of people at Dr. White’s house?”
“Kill them. Kill as many as you want, but let Dr. White live so that she can contact Elena Colt.”
Russo had the call on speakerphone and Prophet could hear the other men grumbling.
“Listen, I know what I’m asking you to do is dangerous, but you’ll be rewarded. You’ll receive double shares once I put my plan in action, and one more thing.”
“We’re listening,” Russo said.
“Trade only one kid for Viola to Dr. Colt, make it the girl. Use the boy to learn the real location of the PREY house. Once you start breaking the kid’s bones, the doctor will talk.”
“Anything else?”
“Yes, do what you want to the girl but don’t kill her, you might as well have some fun. And you other men can rape the doctor, the bitch needs to be taught a lesson anyway.”
The grumbling turned to laughter, and Prophet knew the men were eager.
“Listen carefully, Russo, or grab a pen, I’ll give you the doctor’s address.”
“Good,” Russo said. “And how old are the kids?”
“I believe they’re two-years-old.”
“Nice, very nice, but I’ll have to be careful with the doctor’s little bitch; they die so easily at that age.”
“And beware her husband; he killed Numerical.”
“There’s five of us and we’ll have his kids; he won’t be a problem.”
Prophet laughed.
“You’re right, after all, what could one man do?”
CHAPTER 18
At the PREY house, Cassandra entered the kitchen and found Violet sitting at the table and drinking coffee. After pouring her own cup and adding cream and sugar, she sat across from Violet.
Taken! - Bedeviled (A Taken! Novel Book 17) Page 8
