She blinked her eyes open and closed.
Leaning close to her, he saw her eyes open again and focus on his.
"Love you,” she whispered. "So…sorry."
“Sheila, don’t leave me. Stay with me!” Erik pleaded as she drew a final breath.
The EMT’s did everything they could to keep her alive as they pulled up at the hospital. Rushing the gurney into ER, three doctors bent over Sheila trying to bring her back, but it was no use. She was gone. So was the baby.
Erik slid down the wall, unable to stand, and sat unmoving, unseeing. Pain seared through him to the very core of his being. He felt like he was going to fly into a thousand scattered pieces that would never be able to be put back together again. Not with his heart dead and gone.
Chapter Two
Two Years Later
Mad Dog Weber was experiencing a very disturbing sense of déjà vu.
Dressed as a homeless woman behind a seedy bar on the waterfront, she adjusted the grip on her Glock and waited. Zeus was supposed to be meeting a contact about a large heroin deal and she wasn't leaving until he was either in custody or dead. At this point, she didn't really care which. Hunting him for the last two years with a ruthless intensity, some of the others in her department thought she was truly living up to her nickname. She and Danny were now partners, and she would do anything to protect him from suffering the same fate as Devin. Although this time, she kept her heart from getting involved with her partner.
Losing Devin had nearly killed her.
Some days she wished it had.
A day didn’t go by that she didn’t miss Devin’s laugh, his wit, the way his blue eyes would spark when they were alone and off duty. Although it was getting harder to picture his face, she could remember how warm his hand felt on hers, the tang of his forest-scented after shave, the way she felt in his arms.
Gone. It was all gone.
Sucking back a sigh, Maddie thought back to Devin’s death. The department had a funeral service for Devin, although his body was never recovered. Maddie's captain asked her to take some time off, but she refused, working day and night trying to catch the elusive Zeus.
Zeus toyed with her, taunted her. Randomly sending her QR codes with cryptic messages or videos, he somehow managed to stay just one step ahead of her.
The chase was starting to wear on Maddie.
Returning her focus to the present, she tried not to breathe too deeply. How the department got the clothes so filthy and rank was beyond her ability to imagine. As seasoned as she was to undercover work, just thinking about the clothes made her skin crawl. Instead she turned her thoughts to catching Zeus, playing over the scenario in her mind. If she still prayed, she would ask God to deliver him into their hands.
"All okay, Danny?" Maddie whispered as she pretended to dig through the rickety shopping cart next to her.
“Yep. You okay?” Danny asked, knowing Maddie was nearing the end of her rope. Her laser focus on catching Zeus was about to drive her beyond both physical and mental endurance. She would never admit it, but he could sense the weariness in her. Like all of them working the case, she just wanted it to end.
“Peachy,” Maddie whispered, then started to sing an off-key tune in a warbley voice.
Danny smiled in spite of the situation. No one would go near Maddie with her singing like that. They’d think she was completely deranged. The concert ended abruptly and all grew quiet.
“That was lovely,” Danny teased. “Care to give an encore?”
“No,” Maddie said. Two thugs came through the alley toward the back door of the bar. They gave her a quick once over and moved on when she started singing. She had been on this case long enough to realize at least one of them was a bodyguard for Zeus. She could see their holsters as they stood in the light spilling from the back door of the bar. “We’ve got two coming in the back, fully loaded.”
“Copy that,” Danny said, adjusting his position at a corner table so he could watch Zeus’ men come through the back hallway. “Two more are at the bar. He’s got as many troops here tonight as we do.”
“No doubt,” Maddie said, contempt dripping through her voice. In addition to her and Danny, they had three guys out front, two in the alley behind her, and six inside the bar, including one undercover as the bartender. All wired, all tired of this cat and mouse game, all ready to take out Zeus. “He must really be planning to show up with all the muscle he’s sending in.”
Maddie relished the thought of taking the whole bunch of them down. She wanted Zeus to suffer. To feel the pain he had caused others. To spend his lifetime, and eternity, regretting every wicked thing he had ever done. Then she could rest.
“On your toes, Mad Dog. He’s here.”
No one had ever seen the elusive Zeus. All they knew was that he was tall, well-built and muscular. He had dark hair, no heart and a genius mind corrupted by evil. Maddie found herself anxious to see his face.
Sensing her thoughts, Danny tried to keep her updated. “He’s just a shade over six-feet tall. Muscular, for sure. Looks like he does weight training or maybe something like kickboxing. He’s wearing sunglasses and a fedora. Scruffy, dark beard hides his face. Dark skin, but almost looks like a designer tan. Broad cheekbones, thin straight nose. New porcelains on his teeth.”
Danny was quiet for a moment then Maddie heard him mutter, “Great. Just great.”
“What,” Maddie said, starting to get worried.
“He’s got on gloves. No fingerprints. Very smart,” Danny said in a whisper. He sank back farther into the shadows enveloping his table and watched the entourage surrounding Zeus. It looked like there were half a dozen body guards, all the size of small mountains. Strolling into the dive, Zeus appeared to look around, size up the situation, and find it agreeable before sitting down at a table. His groupies stood behind him. A small man with a wiry mustache and a nervous twitch, sat down at the table. Their snitch had better pull himself together or he was going to blow their cover.
“You got what I want, Kirk?” Zeus asked, leaning back in his chair. Speaking with an accent just beyond definition, Zeus looked over the snitch. The intensity of his gaze penetrated through the sunglasses and made the snitch squirm in his seat. Zeus ignored the drink that seemed to magically appear before him.
“Yep. I’m ready to deliver,” Kirk said. Maddie thought he sounded terrified. If he didn’t get a handle on his fear, things were not going to go well.
“Good. Let’s go over the details,” Zeus leaned forward and motioned to one of his men, who sat down with an iPad and started tapping in notes. “We’ll take possession of the delivery tomorrow evening. Where are we meeting you?”
“At my warehouse,” Kirk said. Sweat trickled down his forehead and threatened to drip in his eyes.
“At eleven, then, and no surprises,” Zeus said, stretching a gloved hand across the table and tapping Kirk on the arm. “I don’t like surprises.”
“No surprises,” Kirk repeated. Clearing his throat, he tried to tamp down his fright. “Just to clarify, Zeus, you want to pick up 5,000 grams of heroin. Right?”
Watching from his darkened corner, Danny saw Zeus stiffen slightly. Kirk needed to get Zeus to implicate himself, but things were about to spin out of control. He slowly moved his hand down to get a tighter grip on his gun, ready for whatever came next.
Zeus didn’t answer as he leaned back in his chair. He watched Kirk suspiciously, intently. Danny suddenly saw the terrifying power Zeus seemed to wield over people. His perusal was enough to make Kirk’s hands tremble.
“Isn’t that right, Zeus? Did I get the order wrong?” Kirk was starting to panic. He wanted, more than anything, to walk out of this bar alive tonight. Dealing with Zeus, there was only a fifty-fifty chance of that happening.
“You’ve got something wrong,” Zeus said, getting up from the table. Reaching over, he jerked Kirk to his feet. “You’ve got it all wrong.”
Kirk blanched white and began to visibly sha
ke from head to toe. Danny wasn’t sure the poor guy wouldn’t throw up. Zeus ripped the sleeve from Kirk’s shirt, revealing his wire. Bending over, Zeus put his lips close to the wire and whispered. “Mad Dog, you should know better.”
Standing back up, he pulled a gun and shot Kirk through the head before anyone had a chance to react. His army of bodyguards surrounded him as they moved in unison down the hall toward the back door.
Danny and the rest of the cops were trying to fire without hitting any innocent bystanders.
“Maddie, here they come,” Danny relayed as he followed Zeus down the hallway, dodging bullets. “Back alley, move forward.”
Shots rang out and two of the bodyguards hit the ground. Return fire took out one of the undercover cops.
Bursting out the back door, Zeus ran right into Maddie’s shopping cart, causing him to drop his gun and his sunglasses as he tried to catch himself. Half on the ground, he was momentarily caught off guard. In the few seconds it took him to gather his wits, Maddie’s Glock pressed cold steel to his throbbing temple. The bodyguards, who would have taken her out, now found themselves surrounded by some of Seattle’s finest. No one was going anywhere.
“Time to drop your guns, boys, and play nice,” Maddie instructed, holding the gun firmly to Zeus’ head. This had been too easy. She expected Zeus to put up more of a fight, to have more up his sleeve. Warning bells clanged in her head. She knew him. She knew he wouldn’t go down quietly. Something was going to go wrong. That notion brought the wretched bile of fear burning up her throat and stinging her eyes.
“Mad Dog, how lovely to meet you in person,” Zeus said, dipping his head ever so slightly her direction. When he did, the bodyguards started shooting at anything that moved and Zeus grabbed Maddie’s arm, attempting to twist the gun from her hand. Instead, she put up a fight he hadn’t expected.
“For a little slip of a girl, you are pretty strong,” he said, wrestling her for the gun.
“Size isn’t always the most important thing” Maddie said, leveling a blow to Zeus’ midsection that would have made most men fall to their knees. He didn’t seem bothered at all.
“I agree. Intelligence, charm and good looks more than make up for any inadequacies,” Zeus said, pinching her neck in an effort to make her pass out. “But then again, sometimes size is all that matters.”
Maddie twisted away from his hand and sucked in a gulp of air. She needed to keep a clear head or she’d be the next casualty on Zeus’ long list. Kicking him in the groin with as much force as she could muster, she expected him to fall to the pavement in pain. Instead, he laughed at her.
“Nice try, Mad Dog. That was not the least bit lady-like in deportment. I expected better of you. Surely you’re dear departed mother would expect you to behave in a more comely manner,” Zeus said, spinning her around and pinning her arm behind her back. He dipped his head to hers and ran his tongue around the edge of her ear. “If you can behave yourself, maybe I’ll keep you alive to play with later. What do you think of that?”
Revulsion shot through every vessel in Maddie’s body, creating a nearly overwhelming wave of nausea to roll over her. Swallowing hard, she fought to bring her emotions under control. That was the only way to keep the upper hand.
“I think you are the most disgusting, vile animal I’ve ever encountered,” Maddie said, quickly maneuvering herself loose and taking a step back. She once again held the gun pointed to his head.
Looking completely unconcerned, Zeus ignored the bullets whizzing around them as Maddie’s team fought down his men. “You wound me with your words, Maddie, dear. We could be such good friends if you’d just try a little.”
Maddie willed herself to pull the trigger, to end the life of the despicable man in front of her. But something prevented her from shooting an unarmed man point blank in the head. Why did she have to have a speck of conscience left? Why couldn’t she end his miserable life with as little compassion as he had ended her mother’s?
Zeus seemed to sense her hesitation and backhanded her hard enough that she fell to her knees. He wasted no time in yanking a knife from his boot, pulling her up and holding it to her neck. With his other hand, he grabbed her gun and held it to her side. His men were outnumbered and it was time to cut his losses. Whistling loudly, he drew the attention of the officer nearest Maddie, who issued a “hold fire” order.
“Gentleman, I will take my leave. To make sure you don’t shoot me in the back upon my exit, I’ll be taking along a little insurance.” Zeus slowly backed up the alley toward the street as he spoke, dragging Maddie along by the neck, his knife gleaming in the lamplight.
Maddie didn’t show her fear. Instead, she tried to think of the best way to take Zeus down without anyone else getting hurt. Casting a glance at Danny, she gave the tiniest shake of her head. It was her signal to him to not follow or try anything dangerous. Danny narrowed his eyes at her and glared. He wouldn’t let her go this easily. They all knew Zeus would slice her throat or shoot her as soon as he had the opportunity to escape.
So Danny and the other officers stood where they were. The three bodyguards still able to move ambled along behind Zeus, like a wretched macabre parade down the alley.
Maddie held both hands against the arm circling her neck, waiting for the right moment to break away. She couldn’t shoot Zeus and the three bodyguards by herself. One of them would get away, and she didn’t want to chance it being Zeus. Instead, she decided to see if she could put a dent in his aplomb.
“I’m surprised, Zeus,” Maddie said in a conversational tone as he dragged her along, getting closer to the street.
“At what, Maddie, dear?” he said, keeping his eyes alert and moving.
“That you let yourself be trapped like this. It was a pretty stupid move on your part not to keep someone in the alley by the back door. I would have thought the great and mighty Zeus would have planned better than that. Maybe you aren’t quite as clever as you think you are.”
The arm around her neck tightened like a steel band, threatening to cut off her air.
“You talk too much,” he hissed near her ear.
“You mean the invincible Zeus is intimidated by a little slip of a girl like me?” Maddie taunted. She could feel the anger emanating from him. Good. The more emotion he felt, the more likely he was to let his guard down, make a mistake. “Are you scared of butterflies and puppies, too?”
One of the bodyguards laughed and Zeus gave him a look dripping with venom.
“But that was funny, boss. I just…”
Whatever he was going to say was cut off when Zeus lifted Maddie’s gun and shot his own man.
“That wasn’t very nice, Zeus. A man is entitled to his own opinion. You feel threatened by factual observations. Isn’t that interesting? Obviously, he found me quite charming and funny,” Maddie continued with her needling. “I’m sure you do too, but your delusional fantasies make you unable to perceive that which is truly amusing.”
“Be quiet,” Zeus barked, his accent slipping a little. Maddie felt the prick of the knife on her neck and a trickle of blood. “Be quiet, or so help me, I’ll gut you like a fish right here, right now.”
As they came out of the alley, Maddie caught the eye of the two undercover cops still stationed out front. They had orders not to leave their post, no matter what. Now she was glad they had made that part of their plan.
“So you really are intimated by me. By a little slip of a girl who can take down big bad Zeus without really even trying. You are completely and undeniably pathetic. I really anticipated you being more of a challenge instead of such an easy mark. I also heard you were quite good looking. Apparently that rumor wasn’t true either,” Maddie said, knowing it would push Zeus beyond the edge of reason. He took a faltering step, which gave her the window she needed to free herself, grab her gun from his hand and shoot Zeus in the chest repeatedly while the other officers took down the remaining bodyguards.
Zeus roared in anger and pain before plu
nging the knife into Maddie’s left shoulder, slicing through her bullet proof vest as he twisted the blade and jerked on the handle.
Searing pain unlike anything she had ever known engulfed her as she dropped to the sidewalk, helpless to do anything but fight the blackness settling upon her. She could feel blood gushing down her arm and chest as she fought to focus on which way Zeus ran. One officer was calling for an ambulance while the other ran in pursuit of Zeus, who appeared to have once again vanished into what seemed like thin air.
Before sinking into oblivion, Maddie cursed herself for not putting a bullet into Zeus’ head in the alley. He somehow had managed to escape again. All she had to do was pull the trigger and end the nightmare that had plagued her for years.
Instead, she was spiraling down into the depths of an abysmal darkness hand-crafted by Zeus.
Chapter Three
Eric Moore stood up and drank in a long breath of clean air, stretching his back. Raising his hands above his head, he twisted right and left, enjoying the feel of his muscles being pulled and used. Looking up toward the May sky, the pale white of a wind machine stood in stark contrast to the vivid blue. Traveling the last two years, Erik helped install wind turbines. He was fascinated with the behemoth machines that converted kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. They dotted landscapes throughout eastern Washington and Oregon and he had helped install a good number of them.
When Sheila died, he couldn’t stand to be in their home or on the farm. After a month of barely making it through one day at a time, he rented the farm, put all his personal belongings into storage and asked Mike, his neighbor and friend, to keep an eye on things for him. He loaded a duffle bag full of clothes in his pickup along with his dog, Boone, and left. The time spent away from the farm had lessened the pain, softened the edges of the hole in his heart, let the grief slowly seep out of him. Erik still grieved, still hurt, still questioned why things happened the way they had, but he no longer wished he could die right along with Sheila and the baby.
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