“As you just put it, no duh.” The same man scowled. “We all know you mean well, honey, but it’s time for you to stop wasting time and leave this to the professionals.”
In a flash, Lita had him facedown on the ground with his arm twisted painfully behind his back. “Stop interrupting, asshole, and let her talk.”
There were a few tense seconds when no one moved. Forcing herself into action, Tori stepped forward and put her hand on Lita’s shoulder. “Way cool move, Lita. Maybe you could teach me how to do that sometime. Now, though, it would probably be a bad idea to break his arm like it looks like you’re about to do. I mean, it’s really nice of you to stick up for me but you can’t be mad at him for saying what everyone else is thinking.”
Lita released the man’s arm and offered her hand to help him up. “No hard feelings?” she asked. “I shouldn’t have overreacted but you struck a nerve, dismissing the one link we have to all this without bothering to listen.”
Ned stepped between them before either could say more. “Save it for later, folks.” He waited for both to nod. “Go on, Tori. Tell us what you’re thinking.”
“I’m sorry.” Tori’s face lost most of its color again. “I do know you all are experts on this stuff and I’m a clueless nobody. I really don’t mean to interfere. It’s just that I know I can help. They won’t run if I’m with Sarah and I’m positive they’ll talk to me.”
“Tori, no,” Guy objected.
“Just listen, Guy. Please.” Her eyes pleaded with him to let her finish. “I can keep them from Sarah and get them to tell me about things they’ve done and later I can testify about what they said. I won’t let them hurt her. You know I won’t, Guy. Tell them.”
“I believe you, Tori,” Ned assured her. “I don’t doubt that you could get them to open up but I won’t put you in that position.”
“But, Ned,” she protested.
“Hold up,” one of Ned’s fellow agents interrupted. “We could put a wire on her. Record it all and hear exactly what’s going on. We could take them down as soon as things start to heat up.”
They all considered the suggestion. “Please let me do this,” Tori coaxed. “They’re here and I can help you catch them. If they get away tonight, they might kill someone else. You have to stop them.”
“I don’t like it,” Ned stated. “And I’m not agreeing to anything but if, and that’s a big if, Tori, if we do things your way how could you get to the playroom with just Sarah? You haven’t met yet so it’s not likely she’ll want you there.”
Guy’s frown deepened. “She’d invite Tori to color with her if I asked her to. Sarah’s a sweet, sensitive kid. If I explained that Tori was nervous about meeting her aunts and told her that coloring would make her feel better, Sarah would have her downstairs within the minute.”
“Okay. What about Todd and your sister?” Ned seemed to be warming to the idea. “No offense, Tori, but Todd’s going to take one look at you and know something’s going on. I doubt he’ll let you wander off with Sarah and if he starts asking questions Terese’s bound to notice.”
“We’ll use the same excuse.” Guy clearly hated that they were about to decide that using Tori was their best option. ““Well we’re already planning to introduce Tori as a friend. We’re saying that she wasn’t sure she wanted to come with me tonight because she’s uncomfortable in groups where she doesn’t know anyone so I had you join us when we bumped into you two at lunch one day. We can play that aspect up with both of them. Forgive me, tiger, but Ned’s right. You look like a scared rabbit. Todd will buy it if we say you’re so nervous you’re making yourself sick. I can tell Terese you’re painfully shy but let me talk you into coming with me because you know how important my family is to me and like me enough to want to meet them in spite of your shyness. She’ll ask how she can make you more comfortable. I’ll say that you’ll be fine once your nerves settle down and mention how much you love chatting with the kids in the library. If I say I’m sure a little time with Sarah would put you at ease and stress how important it is to me that they get to know you, she’ll send me right to Sarah. She’ll also take it on herself to ensure you have privacy until you feel ready to join the rest of us.”
Everyone waited for Ned to comment. “Any other suggestions?” he finally asked. When no one responded, he gestured for Tori to join him as he stepped away from the group. He walked until they were standing in the church archway.
Leaning against the wall, Ned sighed and met her eyes. “Everything in me wants you to change your mind and refuse to do this. I’m not usually the one who makes decisions like this. That’s Todd’s job and I’ve always respected him for it but I never understood how difficult it must be for him. I asked myself what he would do in this situation. The odds are extremely high that we will grab a pair of serial killers who have gotten away with a whole slew of murders, spread all across the country, all seeming unrelated and none with even the remotest leads. Killers who will no doubt continue as they have been. We have a decent setup to lure them in and get information that will ensure a conviction.
“The only snag is that we don’t have enough time to pull in professionals to act as bait. Instead we have an innocent child who we know personally and, although we value the safety of all children and would do anything to protect each and every one of them, knowing this one makes her that much more important to us. We also have a woman who is equally special to us. She’s willing to put herself between the ruthless killers and the child in spite of her own potential danger. There is always a danger factor, Tori. We can plan everything down to the last microsecond and do everything exactly right and still have it blow up in our faces with the most horrible outcome imaginable. And we don’t have that kind of time here,” he paused to study her.
“So what do I do? Is the chance to keep two men from killing again worth the possibility of losing two people dear to my heart?”
“Yes,” Tori replied instantly. “Yes, because if you don’t stop them now you have no way of knowing how many others they’ll kill before you have another opportunity. Even if you lose me, it’ll be more than worth it to save someone else. I heard what you said about things going wrong but no matter what happens or how screwed up this gets, there is absolutely no way you’ll lose Sarah. I know you’re thinking that I don’t know what I’m talking about but I do. Even if they wind up killing me you’re going to be close enough for me to keep them from her long enough for you to get to her before they do. Guy would be pissed if he heard me say this but I would rather help you stop them and die than worry about my own safety and do nothing so they go kill anyone else. I know I’m not disposable but, in comparison with a child or a parent or someone who might one day find the cure for cancer, well, let’s face it. Much better for me to die than one of them.” She waited for Ned’s decision. “Well?”
“You’re wrong about your life being less valuable than someone else’s. And yes, Guy would go ballistic if he heard what you said.”
“So let’s not repeat it to him.”
“We won’t for now. But I’m not making any promises for later on, after they’re in custody and you and Sarah are safe.”
“Why would you do that to me, even then? We both know what he’ll say and how he’ll react. Haven’t I been through enough already?”
Ned took a minute to study her again before he nodded. “Yeah. More than enough and about to take it to a new level.” Ned caught Tori in a hard hug and steered her back to the others. “It’s a go. Let’s get Tori wired up. Guy, give us another rundown on the layout inside.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
As the sun began to set, a smiling Sarah led an extremely nervous and watchful Tori to her playroom located in the lower level of the house. It was next to the basement but not underground itself. There was a door to the outside on the side of the house and a window that allowed the room be filled with late afternoon sunshine. On any other occasion, the room would have seemed as warm and friendly as the little g
irl it was created for. Some of the furniture was slightly undersized but not to the extent where adults would find it too uncomfortable. The walls were painted a creamy ivory color that echoed the softness of the muted burgundy sofa. It faced a light-colored wooden entertainment center loaded with children’s movies and music. Next to the sofa was a matching chair with a bookcase lined with books any child would love. There was a table nearby, perfect for the games and crafts Sarah enjoyed with both her parents.
Sarah showed Tori her wide selection of coloring books and let Tori choose one first before she picked her own. They sat at the table and chatted easily as they paged through the books to find the pictures they would color.
“Sarah, can I ask you something?” Tori paused her drawing.
“Uh-huh,” Sarah agreed without looking up.
“Did you ask me to color with you because Uncle Guy said you’d be doing him a favor?”
“Uh-huh.”
“You are such a sweet girl, helping him like this.” Tori patted her arm. “Can I ask you for a favor too, to help me with something for your uncle?”
“What?” Sarah seemed uncertain.
“It’s nothing bad, I promise. And it’s not just for him, it would be for your daddy too.” Sarah nibbled her lip and nodded. “The other day we were talking and some other men I know heard them telling me what a good girl you are. Well, they didn’t believe it when your daddy and uncle said that you were so good that you would do something I asked you to do, since you and I are new friends. The men think they could trick you into forgetting about what you’re supposed to do and get you to listen to them instead. I agreed with your daddy and uncle but they thought I was wrong too. The favor I want to ask is a really easy one that will show them you are as good as your daddy says you are and that they can’t fool you into doing something I asked you not to do.”
“What am I s’posed to do?”
“Like I said, it’s really simple. The two men are going to sneak in here and pretend that no one but you and I know they’re here. They’re going to say weird things, like they don’t know who you are or who your daddy is and they might even call me a different name. No matter what they say I want you to stay right there in your chair until I tap on your foot with mine. When you feel that, I want you to act like you have to go to the bathroom really bad. They’ll probably say no and tell you to be quiet but you keep it up until I get them to let you go.
“When you get in there I want you to lock the door right away. They’re going to call for you to come out. They might say they have a present for you or they might act like they’re mad and yell at you but they’re just pretending to trick you into opening the door so they can tell your daddy he was wrong about you being the best little girl in the world. Uncle Guy and I know he’s right and they’re the ones who are wrong but you are the only one who can make them believe that. Can you help us with this, Sarah? Can you go in the bathroom and lock the door and stay in there until your daddy or Uncle Guy or I come to get you, even if it takes a long, long time and you don’t feel like staying in there anymore?”
“Uh-huh,” Sarah agreed happily.
“Everyone is going to be so proud of you, playing this game with me.” Tori hugged her awkwardly. “You remember what the signal is and what you’re supposed to do?”
Sarah rolled her eyes. “You kick me and I gotta go to the bathroom and don’t come out.”
“And you lock the door. Don’t forget to lock the door.”
“I know. You said I gotta lock the door right away.”
“And when do you unlock it?”
“If Daddy or you or Uncle Guy says I can come out.”
“Perfect. You’re so smart too, remembering all that. Oh, I forgot something. We have to keep this a secret. Those guys have a secret from us too. They wouldn’t tell me how they were going to try to trick you and they said we could keep it secret how I asked you to help me, okay?”
“’Kay.” Sarah went back to her coloring book, concentrating intently on her picture.
Tori choked back her tears and fought not to give in to the panic that was so close to overwhelming her. More than anything, she wanted to drag the innocent child next to her back upstairs and push her straight into her father’s arms where she would be safe from all this ugliness. Watching her, Tori was swamped with doubts. Whatever possessed her to insist that she was capable of handling this and why in the world did they believe her? Granted, she felt slightly better, now that she’d figured out how to possibly get Sarah out of the room and she still wouldn’t hesitate to put herself in between them and protect the child with her life if need be, but none of that was doing much to dispel her growing anxiety. For the next few minutes, Tori colored blindly, forcing herself to act as expected. Inside her head, she chanted that she would not pass out because Sarah needed her to hold it together. She had to keep her head and do her part to stop Russ and Stan or they would get away and go after someone else. Forcing herself to be calm, Tori drew Sarah into a conversation by asking questions about her school and her friends and the things they liked to do. She had almost reached the point where she could respond to Sarah’s comments without hesitating when she felt a sudden blast of cold air.
Tori swallowed her scream when she looked across the room and saw the men who starred in all her nightmares standing just inside the door. Not wanting their presence to startle Sarah, she extended her pinky and brushed the side of the girl’s hand. When Sarah glanced at her, she nodded toward the pair, alerting her of their arrival.
“Well, would you take a look at this.” Russ grinned widely. “Isn’t this a nice surprise, Stan?”
“Hot damn.” Stan’s grin was even bigger. “You shittin’ me or didn’t you really know she’d be waiting with the girlie girl?”
“Don’t mind him.” Russ stepped closer to the table. “He meant no disrespect, Miss Vicky, but he’s having some trouble believing that you’re really here. To be honest, I’m a little stunned myself.”
“Yes, I can see that.” Tori felt like someone else had taken over her body and answered for her. “Perhaps you should sit down.” She gestured toward the sofa. If they accepted, the table would be between the men and Sarah. Not that it was much of a barrier but anything was better than nothing.
Russ gaped at her unexpected suggestion. “Thank you,” he mumbled after a long pause. When he realized Stan was still gawking, he shoved his shoulder to get his attention. “Don’t just stand there. She wants us to sit down.”
Stan seemed embarrassed by his inability to hide his reaction to her presence. “Hey, what you hitting me for? I heard her.”
Tori glanced at Sarah and noticed that she had slid halfway off her chair to move closer to Tori. “Now, now.” Tori shook her head at their scowl. “Enough of that. Introduce yourselves to Sarah so she knows who her guests are.”
The men blinked at her again. “Oh. Okay.” Russ had the look of a little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Hey there. I’m Russ and this here’s Stan. We, ah, hope it’s okay that we came to your party.”
“Uh-huh.” Sarah nodded warily.
“That’s much better,” Tori declared.
After another pause, Stan shifted uncomfortably. “What’re we sitting here for? You said we was going to come in, do her fast and get out real quick.”
“I gotta go to the bathroom.” Sarah tugged Tori’s sleeve.
“No!” Russ jumped to his feet but Tori’s raised hand held him in place.
“I gotta go.” Sarah stood and squirmed as if she actually needed to go. “Real bad.”
“Go on, sweetie.” Tori patted her arm and smiled. “Take your time so you don’t poke any holes in your pretty tights. Russ didn’t mean to scare you but he’s been looking forward to meeting you so much. He doesn’t want you to rush either, right, Russ?”
“Um, no.” Russ sank back onto the sofa.
“See? You go ahead now, Sarah, and we’ll have a little grown-up talk while we wait.”
Tori watched until the door closed before turning back to the men. “What did you mean, Stan, when you said you’d do her?”
He looked nervously at Russ and didn’t reply.
“Oh, come now. There’s no need to hide anything from me. I asked a question and I expect an answer.”
“Well, um, you see,” Stan stuttered.
“Russ?” Tori redirected her question.
“What he’s trying to tell you is that we were going to stuff a rag in the girl’s mouth to keep her quiet and peel off all her skin.”
“Ah.” Tori swallowed her horror. “Care to explain why you would do something like that?”
“For you,” Stan blurted.
“Me?”
“We wanted to give you something when we came to you,” Russ added.
“Something as in her skin?”
“Yeah. We didn’t want to show up empty-handed. I know I should have thought of it right off and brought you something from each of them but I didn’t. I’m real sorry to disappoint you but I was hoping you’d let this token represent all the others and forgive us for not bringing a whole collection.”
Tori’s heart was pounding as she searched for a response. “Hmm, maybe, but not until you describe some of what you neglected to collect for me.”
Russ and Stan exchanged a look. “I, um, we, well, it would have been little things. Stuff that we got rid of when we were done or maybe things they had with them. Like, maybe the cord Stan strangled the old man and the bitch with last week or the black gloves I wore for our little magic act.”
“A few of your things. Tell me about some of the others.”
“Yeah, okay.” Russ frowned in concentration. “We should have brought you that weird doll with the orange hair sticking straight up that was hanging on that mirror instead of letting it burn up in the car with her.”
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