“What have you done to her? She needs help.” Had the man poisoned her to kill her? Gage had been an idiot.
“My special elixir in her mug wasn’t meant to kill her. Yours on the other hand...” He gestured toward Gage’s mug on the coffee table. “Was meant to kill. You’ve interfered too much already.”
Gage stared at the mug, fear for Sadie curdling his insides.
“And you, Miss Strand—” his face scrunched up and turned red “—you don’t remember me? How could you forget after everything you’ve done to me? That figures.”
Hank glanced at Gage. “That’s right. She can hear me but she can’t respond. She won’t remember a thing, which in this case is too bad, but I couldn’t pass up this perfect opportunity to once again remind her. Now, sit on the sofa and put her down next to you.” Hank fired his weapon into the floor, the sound hurting Gage’s ears. Sadie scrunched her face and groaned, her head flopping back.
Anger burned in his gut as acid rose to his throat. He couldn’t take seeing her like this, and he’d been the one to lead her here. He did as the man asked, buying time, for what he couldn’t be sure. But he had to find a way out of this without Sadie being harmed more than she already was. “Tell me she’s going to be all right. Another woman is still in a coma. Another one is dead. So you’re the one who drugged Sadie and left her on a boat to die. But you planned for her to wake up long enough to suffer.”
“Nope. I didn’t plan for that. A couple of idiots were supposed to drown her and leave her on the boat to sink. I already told her everything I wanted to say after I drugged her. She would hear and understand, but there was nothing she could do about it except know that she was going to die. The look on her face—it was everything I’d hoped for. Then I put her out completely so the boys could take her out and kill her. She was supposed to die out there and her cause of death, should her body be recovered, would be due to drowning.”
“But they didn’t kill her and she survived, and she can’t remember. Who are you and what do you want with her? Why did you kill Karon?”
Calmly the man sat in his chair, still pointing his weapon at Gage. “If you’re expecting maniacal laughter, I’m sorry you’ll have to be disappointed.”
Doesn’t mean you’re not crazy. Gage had to keep the man calm until help came.
God, please send help. Gage waited patiently for the man to tell the story he obviously wanted to tell again, so that Gage would know too, before they were both killed.
“I’ll go ahead and tell you what I told her before, but then you’ll have to drink the hot chocolate.”
And die? No way. Gage would take his chances with the gun. “What’s in the hot chocolate?”
“I already told you. A secret recipe. My own conception. I’m a chemist who is very angry—” he raised his voice on the last two words “—that she can’t remember me.”
He stood then. Started pacing. His behavior was becoming more erratic.
Not good. Gage cradled Sadie’s head in his lap, her eyes wide and desperate with fear and yet, somehow the look on her face was peaceful. Uninhibited.
His gut churned even more.
God, help me protect her.
“My full name is Henry Snell III. Maybe that’ll help you remember?” He spewed the angry words at Sadie. “Huh? Does it?” He laughed, and yeah, it was maniacal this time. “You can’t respond to me. That’s something I haven’t been able to perfect yet. Everyone’s response is different.”
Gage tried to sit Sadie up and leaned her head back against the sofa. He knew she was getting this and comprehended. He hoped what Henry Snell III said was true and everyone’s response was different, so maybe Sadie would snap out of this sooner than expected. Gage would do everything he could to give her the opportunity to escape.
“Wait. Are you—”
“My grandfather founded the Snell Manufacturing Company—manufacturing plastics, more recently, up to a decade ago, plastic water bottles for bottled water.”
Oh. Man. Not good. Not good at all. The company that Sadie had discovered leaked pollution into the water.
FIFTEEN
Sadie hated this. She felt nauseous and woozy, and had no muscle control whatsoever. It was pure misery. And she hated having to listen to this man. Watch him spew spittle as he railed at her for not instantly recognizing him. For not remembering him. But she remembered now.
“You destroyed my life!” He waved the gun around. “Your little discovery that you used to make a name for yourself, a big career for yourself with all your special grants that let you travel the world—and, oh yes, I’ve been keeping up with you—your discovery destroyed the company. It cost us millions of dollars. The fines plus correcting the problem cost too much. My father filed bankruptcy and shut down the facility. He was fortunate he didn’t have to serve jail time, and for what? All because a tank eroded and leaked chemicals into the river. That company had been in my family for generations.”
Oh. Now. Sadie really wanted to be able to rail right back at him at the harm his family had done to the environment and to the people in Coldwater Bay, who couldn’t drink the water for months! She was glad she’d discovered the pollution leak. She didn’t regret that for one minute.
“And do you know what happened next? My father died of a heart attack. The stress of losing everything, the very idea that he’d failed our family so completely, killed him. Mom followed a couple of years later. She died of a broken heart. That’s a real thing. Did you know that? Maybe your time and energy would have been better spent studying that. And as for me? I was left as the sole heir of nothing but debt and shame.”
The man yanked Sadie to her feet. Gage tried to stop him, but Hank pointed the weapon at Sadie’s temple. “Don’t make me do it. I’m not ready to kill her yet.”
Sadie could stand on her own but her body wouldn’t easily respond. She knew she couldn’t fight him to save her life. He pressed his face near hers as though he would kiss her. In her peripheral vision, Gage tried to rush the man but the gun went to her throat.
“Okay, okay. I’m sitting down,” Gage said. “Please don’t hurt her.”
The desperation in his voice could nearly break her heart. Yes, she understood people could die of a broken heart. She’d nearly done that herself years ago.
“Why shouldn’t I hurt her? Oh, I see... You think you’re going to be the hero here and then spend the rest of your life with her. You think you’re going to be Sir Galahad saving maidens in distress, or rather this particular maiden. It’s not happening.” He pressed his cheek against hers as he continued, “I tried to move on. Even got married. Had a child. My wife left me because I couldn’t find the job I needed to support my family. Who would hire me, a chemist who worked for the failed Snell Manufacturing? That made all the headlines? Nobody, that’s who. So when my precious daughter, Kendra, got sick, her mother left us both. She couldn’t watch her daughter die, she said. And that’s exactly what happened. Maybe it was punishment somehow for the pollution, I don’t know. But I couldn’t afford the medical help she needed. All I could think of ever since that day was you, Sadie Strand. And how much I wanted to see you suffer and die. But how could I do that when you were halfway around the world with no real intentions of coming back?”
“What did Karon have to do with any of this?” Gage asked.
Oh, thank you, Gage. That was the question Sadie wanted to ask but couldn’t form the words on her lips.
I’m so sleepy...
Sadie couldn’t stand anymore and almost dropped to the floor, but Hank yanked her to her feet so he could control her and threaten her with his gun.
“Karon could lead me to Sadie. I befriended her. Took her to lunch a few times. And like you, Sadie, she didn’t recognize me. She’d already forgotten about the family her friend had destroyed. But more importantly, she gave me a lot of information in our conver
sations without even realizing it.”
“Your chemistry concoctions, right?” Gage asked. Was he grinding his molars? Sadie thought she could hear that even from where she stood next to Hank.
“You could say that. But then she became suspicious. Started asking too many questions. And unfortunately she met a new guy. Someone with the Coast Guard—Sean Miller. So no more fun for me. I knew what she was up to. She was trying to make a name for herself like her friend here, and bring me down. I will not be taken down again by some do-gooder conservationist. Not when I just found my way back. I was able to keep this house, though most of the antiques are gone. But not all of them. And I started renovations. Things are only just beginning to look up. All because I used my talents, my gift to create something new. And unlike my father and his father before him, I diversified!” His face reddened.
“You mean designer drugs?”
“If that’s what you want to call them, sure.”
“What’s the drug you put in our hot chocolate? What did you start with?”
“I doubt you know anything about chemistry so you wouldn’t understand. And if you’re thinking there’s an antidote to help Sadie, you couldn’t be more wrong. To be clear, the drugs I create are technically legal.”
“Only because the authorities haven’t discovered them yet.” And only until the DEA added them to Schedule I.
“And that’s why Karon had to die. She found out. Killing her would not only solve my problem, it would bring Sadie home.” Hank actually clapped with the gun in his hand, showing just how off the deep end he’d gone. Had to be the drugs. And that terrified Sadie. This would make it twice now that he’d drugged her. Would she act like he was acting? Think crazy thoughts like him? Her mind was so fuzzy right now she wasn’t sure...
She wanted to slump to the floor again, but he managed to hold her next to him.
“And Sean, did you kill him too?” Gage edged slightly closer with each question. Or was she seeing things?
“I didn’t have to. He crossed the wrong people.”
“The wrong people. You mean the maritime drug runners?”
“He and Karon should have minded their own business. They were digging too deep.”
Wait a minute. Sadie turned her head and held Gage’s gaze. She didn’t think Hank noticed. Gage’s eyes briefly flicked to hers, understanding in them. Good. He knew the quick-acting drug was slowly wearing off. Or was it?
“Digging too deep,” Gage said. “I don’t understand. I thought he was working with you? He was the connection between you and the drug runners.”
“No.” The man laughed. “You have it all wrong. And here I thought you were supposed to be some hotshot investigator.”
“Do you even hear yourself? You’ve killed people.”
Fury coursed through her veins. All she could do was listen. She was trapped in her body. Sadie wanted to scream. Who was working with Hank? They had to find out. She could only hope they would escape with the information when they did.
God, please help me to move. To do something. Help us escape and get free. I’m so sorry for the hurt I caused him and his family, but I never intended any of that. I meant to save the environment and to prevent harm coming to those drinking the water.
“And Sadie? You said you wanted to kill her. You’re the reason people have suffered and died. You went from a respectable businessman to a drug dealer. Aren’t you ashamed?”
“There’s more to it than that, but yes, in simple terms, I fell from grace after I was forced into the drug trade.” He ground out the last few words in Sadie’s ear. She winced, moving her head slightly.
She tried her hand. Made a fist. Yes, the drug was slowly wearing off. She could fight back. But she didn’t know—would she remember any of it? Oh, God, please let me remember...
She needed the drug to wear off. Hoped it would wear off soon. She needed to get away from Hank and over to Gage. Back into his arms, where she’d be safe and secure again. And maybe this time he would kiss her. If only to tell her goodbye because they couldn’t be together. She had a feeling he knew that too. Suddenly all her strength faded and dizziness swept over her. Hank lowered her onto the chair, his dark eyes inches from hers. She closed her eyes to shut out the nightmare.
This couldn’t be happening.
“I had no choice if I wanted to survive. I learned I could easily create new drugs. Legal. Perfectly legal. They’re delivered via the US Postal Service.” The man snickered. “Can you think of a better enterprise?”
Sadie kept her eyes closed as she listened to this man’s story unfolding, hoping the waves of nausea would finally pass.
“Don’t fool yourself. The changes you’re making to illegal drugs don’t really make them legal. They’re not for human consumption. They kill people. Or leave them damaged.” The floor creaked. Gage must be shifting closer. “Look, I’m sorry for your loss. All that you’ve suffered. But if your company was harming the environment and humans, then that had to come to an end. So you shouldn’t blame others for your loss.”
Sadie appreciated Gage trying to reason with Hank, but you couldn’t reason with a madman, especially one who had let grief and bitterness eat away at him until he couldn’t even see what he’d become. Until getting his revenge was all he could think about.
“But I don’t care about any of that,” Gage added. “I only care about her. What have you done to her? Look at her. You can’t know what any of the drugs you create will do to someone. What if she falls into a coma like Karon’s mom or dies? You have to help her.”
Sadie peered up at the man standing above her.
“Help her?” A sick grin slipped onto Hank’s face. He looked nothing like the “friendly fisherman” who’d rescued them from the island. He returned her gaze, fierce anger and murder in his crazy eyes. “I’m not a bad man. I wasn’t a monster until you made me into this, Sadie Strand. And now that you’re here in my home, I think I might like to keep you for a while. Everyone should think you’re dead—lost out there to the ocean, so no one will ever look for you. Especially not here. So I can experiment on you with my new drugs. I need a guinea pig. I’m addicted to this new way of life. I think you’ll soon find that you’re addicted too.”
Oh, God, please, no! Nausea rolled like waves inside her gut again.
“But you, Sir Galahad, I don’t need.” He pointed the weapon at Gage and fired.
* * *
Gunfire echoed in his ears as he dove behind the coffee table.
If Sadie’s arm hadn’t shot up to force the man’s aim away, Gage would be dead. As it was, the bullet grazed him across the shoulder. Fire burned through him.
Ignoring the pain, he crawled around to get behind the sofa. Caught his breath.
Gage had anticipated where the conversation was heading, and that once the completely crazy man told him everything, he would then kill Gage. He’d tried to inch slowly closer so he could tackle the man.
The guy had obviously taken too many of his own drugs and fried his brain. Maybe he’d forgotten he wanted Gage to drink and experience death by hot chocolate, but no way would Gage comply.
Somehow, he had to get to Sadie. Get her to a hospital. Maybe once he knew what Hank had started with, the doctors could do something to help her in case there were lingering effects, despite Hank’s claims there was no antidote. Still, she was moving now, so that was a good sign. Her pupils didn’t appear to be dilated like before. She was coming out of it. But how much of it would she remember? He hoped none of it, honestly.
“If you don’t come out, I’m going to kill your girlfriend.”
Gage hated hiding behind the sofa like a coward. He had to give Sadie the chance to escape. He thought the man wanted to experiment with drugs on her, but he wouldn’t remind the guy and push him further over the edge.
“Okay. I’m coming out.”
Gage squeezed his eyes shut. Sucked in a breath. God, if you’re going to save me, now would be the time.
Slowly he stood from the sofa, anticipating a bullet to the chest. He doubted this guy was a good enough shot to hit him in the head but really, what did Gage know. Nothing. Then his eyes locked on the swords above the fireplace.
“It doesn’t seem appropriate to kill Sir Galahad with a gun, does it?” Gage asked. “How about a sword fight?”
Okay, this was absolutely absurd. But maybe in dealing with a crazy person, crazy ideas would work better. And a sword? Gage had no idea how to use the thing. He hoped the swords were merely decorations and that Hank wasn’t practiced either.
“You can’t be serious,” the man said. He aimed the weapon at Gage.
And fired as Sadie tackled him. He missed again but kept firing. Gage ran behind a section of the wall but no farther. He couldn’t leave Sadie. Depending on how many bullets remained, Hank would run out soon. But Gage had to survive the blitzkrieg until then.
He peeked around the wall.
Sadie knocked the gun from Hank’s hand and it slid across the floor. Gage ran for it. Hank slammed her to the floor in his race for the gun. Gage beat him to it and aimed the weapon at the crazy chemist, noticing Sadie hadn’t moved since the man had knocked her to the ground.
Hank laughed. “I’m all out of bullets anyway.”
Gage aimed at the floor and fired. The chamber was empty. Still, he pocketed the weapon in case Hank had more ammo. And if he did, Gage would be the one to use it. But right now, Hank had no way of keeping them here, and Gage’s priority was to get Sadie to safety. Call down the law on this house and Henry Snell III.
“Okay, so we’re leaving now.” He approached Sadie to lift her and take her out of this nightmare.
“No.” Hank said, grabbing a knife from under the chair. “She’s going nowhere, and neither are you.”
In his peripheral vision, Gage caught sight of a big Asian vase. Was it an antique? He had no idea if it was valuable, and he didn’t care. Hank lunged toward him with the knife, and Gage continued to retreat. He had to wait for the right moment.
Thread of Revenge Page 15
