by Wendy Davy
“You were outside my cottage last night?”
“Don’t you mean Nick’s cottage?” he sneered.
“I don’t understand why. You have a good career. You save people for a living. Why jeopardize it to hurt women?”
“I’m a complex man, Cali. There’s much more to me than what people see on the outside. I have friends, family. I can get a date whenever I want. But none of them satisfy my deepest needs.”
A shiver swept through her. “There are people out there who can help you.”
“I know.” His eyes strayed to her. “You’re one of them. Hungry?”
His unexpected question threw her off guard. Cali studied him in the glow of the candlelight. The yellow, dancing flames cast shadows across his unpredictable features. He stepped back and walked around the counter to the kitchen as if nothing were out of the ordinary.
“Let me help you prepare something.” She would try anything to get out of the handcuffs.
Chad stopped, turned and walked back. “I told you I’m not stupid.”
Cali’s mind threaded through possible replies. How can I convince him? If she were to get free, he could easily overcome her physically. The words she had spoken to Serena at the press conference came back. Fight back and fight hard. Cali had been speaking in physical terms at the time. But now, she would have to fight with another means.
God, gran t me serenity…
She would have to calm her nerves and focus if she was going to talk her way out of the cuffs. Cali took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Why don’t you let me go? You said I’m no match for your strength. And you’re right. You’re a strong man, Chad. I could never overcome you.”
“I know,” he agreed.
“I’ll do what you say.”
Chad made no attempt to release her. “You’re not ready to submit to me yet. Don’t play games, Cali. You’ll get burned.”
She switched tactics. “What’s the matter? Don’t think you can handle me?” she taunted, turning her false submission into aggression.
He laughed a humorless crackle of a sound. “You’re nothing for me to worry about.”
“If you really believe that, uncuff me.”
Chad clenched his jaw, appearing to consider her words.
She took a chance and added, “Or do you want me to see what kind of coward you really are?” She braced for his reaction.
“Don’t call me that!” Angry lines formed across his brow, his face reddened, and his pulse throbbed at his temple. He removed the key from his pocket.
He jerked her wrist toward him and jammed the key into the slot. Within seconds, he had her wrist free. He took her arm, twisting the already painful muscles as he drew her near. “I told you not to call me a coward. You will regret your decision to disobey me.”
Desperate, Cali tugged against him, looking for an opportunity to escape. Chad forced her toward the futon, the handcuffs clanking along the way. He shoved her onto the thin cushion, holding her wrist. If he confined her again, she would have no chance to escape, no chance to find Serena, and no chance to see if she and Nick could have a future together. A surge of adrenaline and anger swept through her system. No one had the right to jeopardize her future or her happiness.
Chad could bind her again within seconds. Cali searched the room for a weapon and spotted a wide brimmed candle within reach. She took her free hand, grabbed the candle and shoved it at his face. The melted wax sprayed across his exposed skin and splattered across his eyes. Adhering. Burning.
He screeched, releasing her wrist to cover his face with his palms.
Cali leapt away, grabbing another candle. But instead of throwing it at him, she tossed the candle into the pile of newspapers on the floor.
The paper ignited and the carpet caught fire, spreading as if fueled by gasoline. Flames engulfed the room within seconds. Smoke choked her lungs. She dropped to her knees, gasping for breath. She crawled to the door and opened it. She looked back. Chad stood, reaching out, groping the air in blind fury.
Cali ran into the raging storm, leaving the door open wide, desperate to escape the man who had become known as the High Tide Stalker. Adrenaline gave her momentum, but fear made her clumsy. She tripped as fear clawed at her, making her flight reckless with abandon. She climbed to her feet, determined to fight her way to freedom.
The wind tossed her around as if she weighed no more than a child. She fell again, struggled to her feet and ran. She squinted against the debris-filled wind and held up her arms to shield her face.
She ran toward the dark outline of a neighboring cottage, darting into the side yard and around the corner of a shadowy screened-in porch. Wind chimes clanked nearby, and tree branches scraped against windows. She backed against the cottage, plastering herself against the wooden shingles as the rain pelted her in a relentless cascade.
Gasping for air, she fell to her knees, shivering as her soaked clothes clung to her skin. With teeth chattering, Cali dared to peek around the corner. Flames had already eaten a hole through the roof on Chad’s cottage, and the front door remained open wide, swinging back and forth in the wind. The orange-yellow glow of the fire illuminated the doorway. But she didn’t see Chad. Was he still inside? Bile rose in her throat. Even forced to defend herself, the reality of someone in pain because of her actions made her nauseous.
She needed a phone. She needed Nick.
Only God can fulfill all of our needs, she remembered Nick’s words. She prayed, “Help me Lord. Protect me.”
She searched for signs of life in the neighborhood. But, with no electricity, she had no way of telling if anyone remained behind in the storm. Afraid to run into the open and knock on doors, she remained hunched beside the cottage, praying someone would see the flames and call for help. Then she remembered Chad telling one of the callers at the station that no emergency help was available due to the mandatory evacuation. Her heart lurched, and her hopes of finding help faded.
She peeked around the cottage again, and her breath caught. Chad had found his way outside. Flames danced on his clothes, and he dropped to the ground and rolled. The drenched ground doused the fire, and he climbed to his feet. He spun in circles, holding his arms open wide. “I’ll find you Cali. And when I do…” He laughed, a deep and sinful sound erupting from his throat. “You’ll wish you never laid eyes on Coral Isle.”
The firelight illuminated his contorted features. One eye was swollen shut, but the other was open. From the way Chad swept his head from side to side in search of her, Cali knew she had not blinded him after all. She stood on wobbly knees and braced herself as Chad began to head across his front yard. Soon, he would be where he could see her. She turned and ran, tears blinding her vision as much as the wind and rain. She ducked behind the cottage, and then stopped.
She needed to think. She needed a plan. Running in blind fear would only get her caught again.
God grant me wisdom…
Cali took in her surroundings, looking for a weapon. The burning cottage illuminated a pile of firewood in Chad’s back yard. She contemplated grabbing a log and using it for defense. But what if he took it and used it against her? Chad could inflict major damage, and she didn’t want to provide the tools for him to use.
Afraid she would be caught any minute, she circled around the back, and stepped toward Chad’s burning cottage. He wouldn’t expect her to return there. She hoped.
Cali had to get help. She remembered Chad tossing her cell phone in the back of his Jeep. Had he locked the doors?
Her heart raced with hope, and fear. She had to try.
She broke into a full run, shielding her face from the overwhelming heat from the fire. As she approached his Jeep, a sharp, guttural sound erupted from somewhere behind her. She leapt for the door, afraid to turn around and look. The door was unlocked.
She pulled it open and jumped inside, dark, acrid smoke following her in. She choked on the polluted air, coughing and gasping for breath. She swung the door toward
her, but a large hand blocked the way. Chad had caught up with her.
Ice-cold fear shocked her system, threatening to immobilize her. Her survival instincts kicked in, and she yanked the door back again as hard as she could. The door bounced on its hinges as it crushed Chad’s hand.
He screamed, pulling back to cradle his injury.
Cali shut the door completely. She scrambled for the lock, and pressed the button. The locks engaged just in time to keep him from gaining entrance. His face appeared in the window, the firelight reflecting the fury burning in his gaze. She glanced at the cottage, wondering if he would be able to get back inside and retrieve the keys to the Jeep.
Chad slammed his elbow into the window. Cali recoiled and lunged in the back for the cell phone. Desperation tore through her when she didn’t see it on the seat. Then, a split second later, she found it on the floorboard.
Cali directed her thoughts to one person. She opened the phone and dialed, praying he would answer.
Night Waves
Night Waves
Chapter Twenty-Five
Nick’s palms slid across the steering wheel, damp from worry. In all his years in law enforcement, he had never faced a fear as all-consuming as this one. He couldn’t contemplate losing Cali, not now when he had just found her.
Flashes of lightning illuminated black smoke billowing in the night sky. He turned on his emergency lights, and took the next right, heading for the source.
His cell phone rang.
“Justice,” he answered.
“Nick…”
Momentarily shocked to hear Cali’s voice, he hesitated before asking, “Cali. Baby, where are you?”
“It’s C-Chad. The lifeguard. He’s…” A loud crack sounded, and then her scream erupted through the phone.
Terror sliced through him. “Cali. Cali!”
“He’s going to get in. Hurry Nick. I can’t stop him.”
“Where did he take you?”
“His cottage.”
He remembered the address from when he was investigating the possibility of the lifeguards as suspects. “Hang in there. Use everything you’ve got to fight him. I’m on my way.” Another scream erupted, tearing through his core.
“I set his cottage on fire.”
His heart throbbed painfully in his chest. His gaze darted to the black smoke billowing through the dark sky, and he realized he was already heading in the right direction. “Are you inside the cottage?”
“N-no. Nick, he’s getting in…”
“In where?”
The line went dead. He punched the gas pedal, tearing through broken limbs and driving over fallen obstacles in the road. His tires squealed as he rounded a corner, and his jaw clenched in determination.
Dread compounded with fear as he entered the residential neighborhood. He slammed his foot on the brake pedal and parked a safe distance away from the burning cottage. Although the heavy rain combated the flames, the gusty winds fueled them, kicking them high into the air.
An explosion shattered windows on the right side, sending shards of glass flying in all directions. Black smoke erupted from the new escape route, making the raging fire appear lopsided inside the small, charred cottage.
“She’s not inside.” Nick reminded himself, as the fiery outburst raged out of control.
One vehicle sat in the driveway, and a man lay sprawled on the ground a few feet away as if he had been thrown aside by the explosion. Then, he stood and limped toward the vehicle. He raised his foot, bashing it into the window.
The outline of a person inside, hunkering against the far side jolted Nick’s heart. Cali was inside.
Nick retrieved his pistol, stepped outside and aimed the weapon. “Sheriff’s department. Get on the ground!”
The man turned. The flames illuminated his battered features, and reflections from the flashing blue lights on Nick’s truck wound across his face. One eye was swollen, his face streaked with dark ashes. He stood, arms and feet spread wide, ready to fight.
“Don’t do it, Livingston.” Nick held his pistol in a firm grip as he stepped closer.
Cali erupted from the other side of the vehicle, coughing, falling to her knees. “Nick.” Her voice barely carried across the howling wind.
“Cali, get in my truck.” He kept his eyes trained on Chad. “Get down, Livingston!”
Cali stumbled past Nick, climbing into his truck to safety.
Chad watched her. A full minute passed before his shoulders slumped. He raised his hands and laced them on the back of his head. He dropped to his knees, glaring in Cali’s direction. The cold contempt in his gaze injected a new round of adrenaline into Nick’s veins, and he stepped forward, ready to put an end to the High Tide Stalker’s crime spree.
****
Cali could not stop shaking. Her drenched clothes stuck to her skin, and her hair lay plastered across her shoulders in a wet, tangled mess. She rubbed her right shoulder where Chad had injured her by dragging her around.
Nick handcuffed Chad and pulled him to his feet. The cruel gaze Chad directed at her chilled her further as Nick walked him toward the truck.
Cali’s stomach dropped. Chad had to ride with them.
Dread filled her. Goose bumps covered her skin, and her shaking grew worse. She swallowed the lump forming in her throat.
Nick stopped Chad a few feet from the truck. He turned and faced the man who had stalked the women of Coral Isle for months, and said something Cali couldn’t hear.
Chad shook his head as a devious grin parted his lips.
Then Nick stepped closer, grabbed Chad’s T-shirt and yanked him up until they were eye to eye. Nick said a few more words, and then Chad’s face fell. Chad spoke again before Nick finally released him.
Nick opened the door and deposited Chad into the backseat. The seatbelt clicked as Nick secured him. Cali had expected Chad to fight, shout and curse. But, he remained still and silent, watching her with deadly intent. She didn’t like him being so near, but Nick wouldn’t let him hurt her.
She turned and faced the burning cottage. A portion of the roof had collapsed, leaving a gaping hole for the flames to escape. Soon, there would be nothing left. A hollow ache emerged inside her, thinking of the heartache this man had caused, and at how so many lives would be changed forever.
Serena’s life would never be the same. Neither would hers.
Anger replaced her sense of relief. Chad had done enough damage. It was time to put an end to his savagery.
As Nick climbed into the driver’s seat, she twisted, boldly facing Chad. “Where is she?”
Nick placed a hand on her sore shoulder. She winced, pulling back, but kept her focus on Chad. “I said, where is she?” she yelled.
“Hold on, Cali.” Nick’s soft voice made her pause. His gaze darted to her shoulder. “Did he hurt you?”
She shrugged glancing at his left shoulder. “I guess I’ve learned my limitations now, too.”
“You did great Cali.” Warmth mixed with relief in his smile.
“But it’s not over yet.” She focused on Chad again, lifting to her knees, ready to climb over the seat and shake the information out of him, now that Nick was there to protect her.
“Cali, look at me,” Nick demanded, his voice turning firm.
She heard him, but didn’t want to comply. “He knows, Nick. He knows where they are.”
He wrapped his hand behind her neck, directing her gaze to his. “I know where they are. Turn around and buckle up.”
“You do?”
“Now, Cali.”
His no-nonsense demeanor captured her attention. She clicked her seatbelt into place as he put the truck in Drive and made a U-turn in the middle of the street. He lifted the radio handset and contacted Helen at the station.
“Tell the deputies to look for the women three miles into the nature preserve. They’re on the inland side of the highway. I’m on my way. I’ve got the suspect in custody.”
“Is Cali OK?” Helen aske
d.
Nick spared a quick glance at her. “I’ve got her too. She’s shaken, but she’s going to be fine.”
That remains to be seen, Cali thought. Depending on whether or not we find Serena in time.
Nick concentrated on the road as he drove. The wind continued to batter the island, and the rain flooded the streets as the gutters filled to capacity.
“You’re shaking.” He glanced at her with concern creasing his brow. He reached for her hand, taking it in his warm grasp. “We’re almost there.”
