He had mixed feelings about Chelsea’s plan, but did not want to stand in her way. She was out to get her parents’ killers who were still walking free and committing more murders every day. The police system had failed to give her justice. Now she had decided to take things in her own hands. If he did not know the perpetrator and his ghastly deeds, maybe he would have felt differently. Furthermore, De Leon was supposedly already dead, so if Chelsea killed him it would be as if the killing never happened.
The cop in him struggled with this line of thinking, but for him the last piece of resistance was swept away when he looked at Jeanine’s heart and heard Cara say it was taken from her while she was still alive. De Leon was not human, he was a monster. He had been responsible for the deaths of many persons, including his own son and his girlfriend, and now Jeanine.
Pierce was expected to go by the book and do things the right way, but was there truly one right way to do anything? To put an end to someone who had inflicted so much pain on others did not seem wrong – rather, it appeared justifiable and it would be saving the lives of many others. No, De Leon had to be stopped, one way or the other. And if Chelsea was the one to do it, so be it.
Part Three
Love touches the soul and awakens a desire so powerful that even the most vigilant heart is lured by its radiance.
~ Jamie Lynn Morris
Chapter Twenty
Sin is committable by thought, word or deed; so is virtue. ~ Martin H. Fischer
It was nearly six o’clock in the evening and Dean had come home early as promised. They were snuggled close to each other in bed after another session of lovemaking. Fitting herself into the curves of his body, she smiled contentedly. She had never felt happier and had no regrets about what they had shared. Cara was right. Finding the love of a good man was changing her life in a positive way. She felt as if a wonderful new chapter in her life was beginning.
“Don’t you think we ought to be getting dressed?”
“Do we have to go?” She wanted the moment to last forever.
“Yes. Remember, I’m taking you somewhere special tonight.”
She pulled his face toward her and kissed him. “Where are we going?”
“It will be a surprise.”
Kissing him once more, she said. “All right, I’ll start getting ready,”
“Good.”
He had almost panicked when she suggested that they stay home. That would ruin the plan. As she disappeared into the bathroom Dean got up quickly and pulled on a pair of jeans and a black tee-shirt. With trembling hands he reached into his brief case and pulled out a wash cloth and the bottle of chloroform. There was no turning back now. His mind was made up.
He doused the wash cloth with the chloroform as he heard Chelsea coming out of the bathroom. He held it behind his back as she came toward him.
“What is that strange smell?” She asked.
But her question remained unanswered as he grabbed her and placed the wash cloth against her nostril. She struggled briefly and he could see the shock and fear in her eyes before her body sagged against him. He gently laid her on the sofa.
It was quite a challenge to get her from the apartment to the car and without being seen. Once there, he placed her on the back seat and put a blanket over her. He then quickly got in and slipped the keys into the ignition. He knew where to take her – it had been his own hideout for years. No one would be able to find her, unless he told them. That would never happen because his lips were sealed.
Chapter Twenty-One
Even with Death standing in the shadows waiting for you, it is your decision to let him take you by the hand and lead you away, or you can fight and live another day. ~Patricia Detwiler
Pierce finally made the phone call regarding Jeanine Groves to the other station on the south side of town. The police chief was very cooperative and offered to get together some of his officers right away to start searching the buildings in the area. Pierce promised to drive over to join them.
As he got into the squad car, he called his wife. The phone rang several times before she answered, and he found himself starting to panic until she came on the line.
“Hey, sweetie,” she said. It was like music to his ears.
“How are you doing, Em?”
“I’m all right, but missing you. The girls are also fine and Rodger says hi. Is everything all right with you?”
“Yes.”
“Stop lying to me, Pierce. I know you’re just doing your job, but just remember that you have a family too.”
“I know that, Em. The three of you mean everything to me. Believe me that I’m all right. The moment I am finished with this case, we’ll take a long vacation. Why not start looking for somewhere we can go for a while?”
“I will think about that. Call me when you get home tonight.”
“I will, Em. I love you and give the girls a kiss for me.”
“I’ll do that and be safe.”
“Always.”
He hung up the phone to check on Chelsea to see how she was doing and to fill her in on what was going on. He knew she was working on a plan which included going underground for a while.
He called her, expecting a quick answer as usual, but none came. The phone rang several times before going into voice mail. He thought that odd, and decided to call Dean who answered on the third ring.
“I just tried to call Chelsea and she did not answer. Is she all right?”
“Yes, she is fine. I left her sleeping in the apartment, and I am just getting a few things from the grocery store.”
“Good. I just wanted to make sure she was all right. Thank you for taking care of her.”
“Of course.”
As Pierce continued driving, he could not shake the feeling that something was not right. He could not quite put his finger on it. Shortly afterwards, he arrived across town and his attention was taken up by the immediate task at hand.
Several police cars were already there and about a dozen officers were milling around, awaiting orders. Pierce recognized Lieutenant Perez immediately and went toward him. They exchanged greetings.
“My men are ready to fan out for the search. I just thought I would wait until you got here.”
“Thanks for waiting.”
Lieutenant Perez called his men together.
“We are going to break up into groups and search these buildings. You must be careful though. Some of them are in a poor condition and parts may cave in or fall down. We have only a few hours of daylight left, so be quick, yet thorough. If you find anything at all, just radio it in.”
The men dispersed and started the search. Pierce, gun in hand, headed for a building to the far left. He poked around outside, looking for any signs of freshly dug earth or of a struggle of any kind. Seeing none of these, he decided to enter through the broken door that was almost falling off its hinges.
As he stepped inside he heard the crunch of glass beneath his feet. The interior was a bit dark as the windows were blackened by dirt. He made out some old furniture and a few sleeping bags and some cooking and eating utensils. Apparently hobos used the place sometimes.
Cautiously, he climbed up the stairs. He could hear rats scurrying across the floor, but no human sounds. Arriving on the second floor, he looked into the different rooms that appeared to have once been offices. When he came to the last one he saw some dried blood marks on the floor.
It looked like whoever left the trail had attempted to crawl away from their attacker. With his gun cocked, he cautiously followed the trail which led him to another room with its door ajar. He paused for a moment, wondering if it was wise to go in. He looked around and listened closely. But he neither saw nor heard anything.
With every muscle tensed and prepared for anything, he entered the room. In the far corner, he saw something wrapped in a piece of tarpaulin. It was in the shape of a human body which he assumed could be Jeanine’s. Without hesitating, he immediately walked over to where it was to make
sure.
But he did not make it. Suddenly the floor gave way beneath his feet and he found himself falling. He screamed as he fell and crashed onto the floor below. He felt as if every bone in his body was broken and the pain was excruciating. Then he blacked out.
He awoke to the wailing of sirens and the sound of voices around him. There was a terrible ache in his head and all over his body. He could not move and felt hands lifting him out of the rubble. He was placed on a stretcher and taken to a nearby ambulance.
He felt as if he was in a dense fog and could not clear his mind. His thoughts were in a jumble. He wanted to speak, and his lips moved but no words came. The voices of the EMT team were muffled and he could not quite make out what they were saying.
He remembered falling but little else. He attempted to raise himself up and felt the EMT push him back down. He was too weak to resist. The ambulance siren wailed and every move it made was painful for him.
Fear gripped him. His heart pounded in his chest and his breathing was shallow. Was he dying? He did not want to die. He could not die.
Images of his family flashed through his mind as he tried to cling to consciousness. There was so much left for him to do. He wanted to see his girls grow up. He wanted to grow old with his wife. He was fighting for his relationship with her. Love was a powerful thing, but darkness was trying to surround and suffocated him and it seemed to be winning. He tried to think, to talk, and to get up. But he found he could not do any of these things. He lost consciousness once more.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves. ~ Confucius
Waking with a start, Chelsea looked around her. She was in a small room all by herself. Then she remembered what had happened. Dean had put a cloth over her nose and she had passed out. It must have been chloroform. But why had he done that and why bring her here?
Her mind ran through all the possibilities, and only one of them made sense. He was the dirty cop Pierce kept insisting was among them and she had fallen right into his hands. But why kidnap her and bring her to this place? It seemed as if something else was going on.
She got up and felt dizzy for a moment. Clutching on to the small table beside the bed, she managed to steady herself. She had to get away from this place, wherever it was. Her eyes darted around the room and that was when she saw a gun lying on the dresser across the room. Curious, she walked over to examine it.
As she reached for the gun she saw a note under it. Picking it up, she read:
Chelsea,
I am sorry for my actions and I know nothing I do now can change what I did in the past. You were the reason why I came to Homicide - to keep tabs on you and what you were doing in case you became a threat. But after knowing you, I cannot go through with the other part of the bargain. Take the flash drive I put into your pocket and use it as you see fit.
I just want to tell you that you’re an amazing person and that you have changed me. Now I will die a better person. I love you, Chelsea, and be safe.
Dean.
PS. I suggest you stay low for a few days until things work themselves out. You are safe here and I have bought enough food to last you for at least a week. Look in the closet-there are a few things in there I think you should put on. Trust me on this one.
Re-reading the note, Chelsea felt as if she had stepped into a nightmare. She did not know what to believe. She had trusted him with all her heart, but had let her guard down to the wrong person. Anger filled her breast. She felt like such a fool. Of course, now she thought of it, there were several telltale signs. He constantly asked probing questions, he hardly ever let her out of his sight; and always wanting to know what she was thinking and how she was feeling.
How could she have been so stupid? The thought of how he conveniently offered his apartment for her to stay and what happened there made her burn with shame. He had it all planned and she, who should have known better, had walked right into the trap. His solicitous caring was nothing but a mask to cover his real intentions.
But then, why had he saved her when he could have killed her? This didn’t make sense. She thrust her hand into her pocket and felt the flash drive that he said would be there.
She looked around to see if a computer was present. She pulled out the desk drawer and saw a laptop which she took out and booted up. Then she inserted the flash drive and sat down. Several files appeared, and it seemed as if Dean had been gathering a mass of information over the years. She skimmed through the different folders until she saw one with her name on it. She clicked on it and it led her to a video.
She watched, fascinated and with bated breath, as things began to fall into place. When the video ended she knew exactly where she had to go and what she had to do. She was not only going after De Leon, a dead man, but also his partner Enrique Galvez. She knew who he was because she had seen him many times while she was growing up. Only, she never knew him for the monster he was.
She was all fired up to go, then remembered to look in the closet. There was a thick pair of denim jeans, a long sleeve blue shirt, a leather jacket, and a bullet proof vest which reminded her of what she was about to do.
She quickly got dressed, grabbing the gun and some extra ammunition she found in the drawer and headed for the door. She saw a key lying on the table and took that too. It might come in handy or it would not have been left there. As she stepped outside, she knew it was the right thing to do. Parked in the front yard was a sleek black Ninja motorcycle with a helmet hanging over the handle bar.
Dean had thought of everything. This made her even more confused about him, especially as she pondered the contents of the letter. It sounded as if he was trying to save her at the expense of himself. A wave of tenderness for him swept over her, almost as powerful as the anger she felt earlier.
As she mounted the bike, she had to admit that there were things she still did not understand, but that would have to wait. If what Dean said was true, then both of them were in danger. She had no time to waste for there was a deadline to meet.
She gunned the engine into life and set off down the road as if she was being chased by demons.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The man who is happy is fulfilling the purpose of existence. ~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Walking through the cemetery, Dean remembered the ploy he was going to use to get Chelsea to come with him there. This was where he was due to hand her over as the idea was to kill her in front of her parents’ tombstones. These guys really had a macabre sense of humor, now he thought of it.
Now he was coming here alone, without her, to face whoever they might be sending. His chances of escaping with his life were almost nil, but he had prepared himself as best he knew how for the encounter, and one thing he knew – he was not going down without a fight. That was why he made sure to get there with some time to spare.
The Prestons were buried under a huge oak tree and their tombstones were large and adjoining each other. They were big enough for a fully grown man to hide behind. Dean chose his position carefully. He crouched down behind the tombstone and waited, gun at a ready. He had no idea from what direction the hit man would be coming.
An owl hooted somewhere overhead, the rustling of birds roosting in the tree broke the silence, and a dog howled in the distance. Dean waited patiently and his mind was filled with thoughts about Chelsea and what would be her fate if she failed in her endeavor. The two of them seemed doomed as he waited, perhaps to meet his own demise. If he got out of this alive and De Leon and his partner were still free he would be forever on the run, with no place to hide. But it was worth a try.
He heard a twig snap and looked out from his hiding place to see the silhouette of a man standing before the tombstones. He made a bird call which was the signal, and Dean returned the same.
“Bring her out.”
Dean froze as he recognized the familiar voice of Detective Parker from the Homicide department.
Startled, Dean asked, �
�Is that really you, Parker?”
“I thought you were told never to use names,” he replied.
So Robert Parker was the dirty cop in the department. He was the one feeding their every move to the drug lords. He always kept a low profile and outwardly showed little interest in the goings-on at the office. As a senior member he had access to a lot of important information.
“Where is she?”
Dean paused for a moment. If he told him that he had changed his mind, it meant instant death. He had to come up with something else.
“I took care of her myself.”
“Do you expect me to believe that?”
“It’s not a matter of believing me, it’s the truth. I could not get her to come with me and so I had to do it myself.”
“You’re lying, and you know that. I have orders to get her and to get rid of you if you fail. Furthermore, I cannot let you live because you now know who I am.”
“But before you kill me, wouldn’t you want some evidence of her death to take back to your boss?”
“Evidence?”
“Yes, I have it right here wrapped in this piece of cloth.”
Parker hesitated for a moment and Dean threw something that landed at his feet with a thud. He bent down to see what it was and at that very moment Dean came out firing. Parker returned the fire, and Dean felt a burning sensation in his arms as he fell backwards upon the grass.
Chapter Twenty-Four
All men kill the thing they hate, too, unless, of course, it kills them first. ~ James Thurber
Dodging in between cars on the highway, Chelsea could not help but feel powerful as the bike engine roared loudly under her. The fire for revenge was re-kindled and burned more brightly now she was at last on her way to settle the score. The words that Isaac had said to her when she had visited him in the prison sprang to mind. The pure and innocent little girl that her mother loved so much was now truly gone and would never come back.
Romantic Thriller: Only Time Will Tell – A Romantic Suspense and Romantic Mystery Book: (Thriller Romance, Suspense, Mystery Romance, Suspense Romance) Page 10
