by Mary Alford
Grasping her neck, she drew air into her lungs. Each breath reminded her that he’d almost completed what he’d set out to do.
With her voice gone, she stumbled from the bed and over to Sutter’s side.
“Are you alright?” The words did not exist. Kneeling, she shook him gently. No response. She needed help.
Staggering to her feet and putting one in front of the other took all her concentration. She made it to the door, half expecting the man to appear again and finish the job.
Catherine stepped outside and yelled as loudly as possible. Each cry felt like a knife to her throat, but this time, her voice resonated down the hall to where several medical personnel were gathered.
Dr. Rolland rushed to her aid. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his brows slanted in a worried frown.
She pointed inside. “He needs you.”
A nurse she recognized from earlier along with other emergency personnel came to assist. A man in a deputy’s uniform rushed past her.
Dr. Rolland helped her back into the room. “It’s okay, I’ve got you.”
But she wasn’t worried about herself. All she could think about was Sutter. He’d risked his life for her. “He’s in good hands,” Dr. Rolland assured her, and helped her back to bed while another doctor assisted Sutter as he slowly came to.
Catherine couldn’t stop shaking. Her abductor had managed to find her in the hospital while she was under the protection of an FBI agent. Would she ever be safe again?
“Easy there, Agent Brenneman. Try not to move. That was some blow you took.” The doctor eased him into the closest chair, then bent to examine the injury.
Sutter winced and pushed his hands away. “I’m okay,” he said, though he didn’t appear so.
“What happened?” the deputy standing close by asked.
“The killer was here. We need to close off the hospital right now.” His gaze shot to the officer as he gave the order. “No one goes in or out of the building until we catch this guy.”
“I’ll take care of it,” the deputy said, and hastily left the room.
Sutter struggled to his feet, despite the doctor’s warning, and came to Catherine’s bedside. “Did he hurt you?” he asked.
She fixed her attention on him alone. Sutter was her safe place. As long as he was there, she could keep it together.
“I’m okay,” she managed to answer, as Sutter sat next to her. Her throat ached from the attack, but she was alive. She couldn’t get what Sutter had said out of her head. The killer. Her attacker had killed before.
The deputy came back. “Building’s on lockdown. Security is checking each floor. I’d like to assist, if it’s okay with you.”
Sutter nodded. “Go. But you’ll need more manpower.” He took out his phone and punched in a number. “Sheriff, I need every available person you have at the hospital now.” He explained what had happened, then listened. “Good. I’ll see you soon.”
Shoving the phone into his pocket, he studied Catherine closely, worry clear on his face.
“We’ll need to find someplace safe for you to stay until we can catch this guy. I promise I won’t let him near you again.” The taut set of his jaw convinced her he would do whatever necessary to keep this promise. Would it be enough?
Her gaze swept over his handsome face. Warm brown eyes filled with so much strength calmed the storm raging inside her.
“What happened in the room with the fire?” Sutter asked Dr. Rolland.
Catherine gasped. “There was a fire?”
“Yes. He used it as a distraction,” Sutter said gently. She couldn’t process the depth of rage this man must possess, to go to such extremes to kill her. Why did he want her dead?
“At the time, we had no idea the fire was deliberately set.” Dr. Rolland nodded toward the nurse standing by Catherine’s bed. “Beverly here spotted smoke coming from the room when she was checking on patients. She called for help. Most of the staff hurried to the area, which I suspect was his intent.”
Sutter nodded. “He wanted to draw people away from your room.”
Gathering enough air into her lungs was hard. This man was cunning. He’d risked countless lives to ensure her silence. What was he afraid of? He’d worn a mask. It had been dark and she didn’t get a good look at the house or the neighborhood. She doubted she could pick it out, much less him. Was it possible she somehow knew him?
A man in a sheriff’s uniform came into the room. Glancing around, he spotted Sutter and came over, while Dr. Rolland gently examined her bruised neck.
“I don’t think he did any irreparable damage, though your throat will be sore for a while. You’re safe now. Try and rest, Catherine. This has been a traumatic experience for you. I’ll check back with you soon. If you need anything before then, let Beverly know.” With another kind smile he and the nurse both left her to rest.
Yet peaceful sleep was an impossible wish. Each time she tried, the man’s eyes haunted her, along with the pain he’d inflicted on her and the pleasure he’d seemed to gain from watching her suffer. She didn’t understand how a human could enjoy hurting someone in such a sickening way. And there were other victims. She hadn’t had time to process it before now, but why else would the FBI be called in to investigate her case, unless she wasn’t the first woman he’d hurt? The thought was chilling.
He knew she was alive, and he wouldn’t stop until she was dead.
* * *
“There’s no sign of him,” Sherriff Collins said in a quiet voice. “I’m guessing he escaped before the hospital went into lockdown. My people are interviewing the staff to see if someone might have seen him. And we’re canvassing the surrounding area, as well. There’s video surveillance at all entrances. I’ll have my deputy go through them. Hopefully, we can pick him up on one of the cameras.”
Though disappointed, Sutter wasn’t surprised. He glanced over to where Catherine stared out the window, shoulders slumped. Defeated.
“He wore a medical mask and scrubs to help him blend in, and he had a gun. He created a fire in one of the rooms to draw the staff away from Catherine. This guy is smart. We can’t underestimate him.”
Sheriff Collins nodded. “Agreed. We’re interviewing the people working on this floor to see if they recall anything unusual happening other than the fire.”
Sutter didn’t believe they would. The Dead of Night Killer was good at blending in. “He stuck a syringe in my neck. It must have contained something to knock me out because I went down. When I came to, he was trying to suffocate Catherine with a pillow. I managed to pull him off. We struggled. He’s strong and I was groggy from the medicine.” He’d had the killer in his grasp and couldn’t subdue him. Would another innocent woman pay for his failings? “Anyway, he clocked me with the gun and then got away.”
Sheriff Collins pinned him with a look. The wisdom this gentle but tough man presented throughout this ordeal was something Sutter admired. “Don’t beat yourself up. This guy had nothing to lose and you’d been dosed. Sooner or later, he will slip up and we’ll nail him.”
Sutter wanted to believe him, but how many other women would have to die before that happened? “I know, but we sure could use a break. I hate to think of Catherine’s family missing her and worried.”
“I do, as well,” the sheriff said. “Megan’s been canvassing the town with Catherine’s photo, but so far, no one’s recognized her.”
Sutter remembered her reference to God. “Have her ask around the churches in town.” He explained what Catherine had said.
“I’ll do it now,” the sheriff replied, and took out his phone.
Sutter went over to Catherine’s bedside. Every little move he made sent shards of pain through his head. Whatever drug the killer had used to knock him out was leaving him groggy.
“How are you feeling?” he asked Catherine, his concern for her great
er than his own pain.
Her blue eyes appeared huge. Haunted. “I just want this to be over.”
“I know you do. We’re doing everything in our power to find this guy.” Yet so far it hadn’t been enough.
“But he got away, didn’t he?” she asked, holding Sutter’s gaze.
He hated telling her the truth, but he had to. “Yes, I’m sorry, he did.”
“He won’t stop coming after me, will he? He can’t afford to let me live,” Catherine said, and shivered at the thought.
Sutter wished he could think of something to ease her fears, but this killer was ruthless and resourceful. He didn’t like the idea of keeping Catherine at the hospital any longer than necessary.
When the sheriff ended his call and came over, Sutter asked him about moving Catherine.
“Until we catch this guy, we need a place he won’t think to look for her. Any suggestions?”
Sheriff Collins never wavered. “I may know a place. I’ll have to clear it first, but I think she’ll be as safe there as anywhere.”
“Where are you talking about?” Sutter asked.
“The West Kootenai Amish community nearby.” The sheriff waited for his response.
That was the last place Sutter expected the sheriff to recommend. “You think that’s wise?” he asked. “The Amish are a private, peaceful people.” Bringing a killer’s target into their quiet environment would not be condoned by the bishop.
“I don’t see that we have many options. We need Catherine safe and I know the bishop pretty well from some dealings in the past. I’ll speak with him and clear it,” Sheriff Collins said. “And there’s another reason why I suggested the community. My former deputy joined the Amish faith several years back. His name is Noah Warren. He and his wife and daughter live on the outskirts of the West Kootenai community.” The sheriff glanced at Catherine. “If I needed a safe place to disappear, it’s where I would choose to go.”
Hearing a former deputy had joined the Amish community was something Sutter was not prepared for. Leaving the modern world behind for a simpler way of life was something Sutter found himself longing for with each new case that came his way. He looked forward to meeting Noah Warren.
Despite Sheriff Collins’s assurances, Catherine appeared worried.
“I’ll be right there with you at all times,” Sutter told her. “I’m not letting you out of my sight for a minute until I know for certain we have this guy in custody.”
She managed the tiniest of nods. The hope in her eyes scared him. She was counting on him to save her. What if he couldn’t?
“I’ll see if I can arrange it,” Sheriff Collins said, before facing Catherine. “I know this has been difficult for you, but you’re in good hands with Sutter. You should try and get some rest.”
“Thank you,” she murmured. The sheriff squeezed her arm, then headed for the door, reminding Sutter of some Old West law officer.
The door swung open and Dr. Rolland entered, then held it wide for the sheriff. With a nod to him, Sheriff Collins left the room.
“You should let me have a look at that.” The doctor stopped next to Sutter and pointed to his temple.
“Thanks, but I’m fine.” Sutter dismissed the doctor’s concerns. All he could think about was protecting Catherine. So far, he’d failed miserably.
“How are you feeling?” Dr. Rolland asked her.
“I am...” She shrugged without finishing.
Dr. Rolland checked her vitals before saying, “Your shoulder is healing quite well. I’ll check back with you in a little while.”
He had started to leave when Sutter remembered he needed to find out if Catherine was strong enough to move.
“Hang on a second,” he said, and Dr. Rolland swung toward him, his brows raised.
“In your medical opinion, is Catherine strong enough to leave the hospital today? After what happened here, I don’t think it’s safe for her to stay.”
Sutter could see the question was a difficult one for the doctor. “She’s been through a lot, Agent Brenneman,” he finally said. “She’s suffered an ugly head injury as well as a gunshot wound. But Catherine is strong.” He sought to reassure his patient. “You will be okay. I’ll give you supplies to change the dressings and have a nurse show you how and when to change the dressings.” He focused on Sutter. “I just ask that you keep a careful eye on her injuries. If something changes, you must bring her in immediately.”
Relieved, Sutter smiled. “I will. Thank you, Dr. Rolland.”
“Of course.” After the doctor left, Sutter settled into the chair next to her bed and glanced out the window. The crystal blue skies made it impossible to believe the temperature hovered around freezing this morning.
With a deep sigh, Catherine turned to face him, and he sought something to say to bring her comfort. Nothing came to mind.
“Why is he doing this?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper. The red marks around her neck screamed that the killer’s latest attack had failed by seconds.
Sutter wished to spare her the truth, but she needed to know what they were up against. “He’s sick. Unstable.”
Her blue eyes held him captive. “There were others,” she said, the truth hanging between them. “He has killed before.”
Sutter managed a nod.
“How many?”
Drawing in a breath, he decided to be honest with her. “Six, as far as we know. All young women from around Eagle’s Nest.” All of them knew each other, but then again, most people were acquainted in this tight-knit community.
Shock rippled from her expressive eyes to her open mouth. “I can’t believe it. Why would he harm so many women?”
“Serial killers’ brains are wired differently. They are sociopaths who kill for physiological gratification. There’s no set reason why. Until we capture him, we can only work on the assumption he has a motive for targeting young, dark-haired women around your age.”
“Why did he come here and risk being captured?” she asked, but the fear in her eyes assured him she knew the answer.
“I believe you saw his face at some point or can identify him somehow. He can’t let you live.”
The reality of those words sank in and she inadvertently touched her throat. “But I don’t remember him,” she insisted. “The only times I saw him he wore a mask.”
Sutter leaned forward. “There’s something you know about him that you can’t remember yet. Whatever it is, it will help us identify him. Until your memories return, we have to keep you safe.”
“But how?” she asked and swallowed visibly. “He found me here. What’s to stop him from finding me anywhere?”
The hopelessness in her eyes brought out Sutter’s protective instincts. “I promised I wouldn’t let him near you again and I meant it. You’re safe, Catherine. You’re safe.”
She shoved her hair behind her ears. The look on her face assured him she did not believe him, but that was okay. He’d prove it to her and himself. He’d protect her, no matter what the cost was, because there was something about Catherine that made him want to see her story through to the end. Find out who she was. For her. For him.
THREE
The woman in the mirror was as much a mystery as why she was being targeted. The extent of what she’d suffered at his hands was displayed on her face. Her neck. Cut marks. Bruises. The drawn look of fear permanently etched in her expression.
Her dark hair hung past her waist. Blue eyes were huge and haunted against pale skin, dark smudges beneath them. A clean bandage protected the bullet wound in her shoulder. Catherine stared at her reflection, willing something from her past beyond the nightmare to return to her.
The clothes she wore were not the ones she’d had on when she came to the hospital. Beverly, one of the nurses, had bought them for her. Jeans and a warm flannel shirt, socks and sneakers. Th
ough the fit was okay, Catherine felt uncomfortable in them. How did she normally dress? Did she have a job? A family? Someone to love her?
Frustration reared its ugly head at the blanks in her memory. It was as if she didn’t exist before waking up in a killer’s basement.
Though clean and shiny, her hair felt out of place somehow, almost as if she wasn’t used to seeing it this way. On an impulse, she twisted it up on top of her head. Something about that seemed familiar. Had she worn it this way in the past?
She let her hair fall loose around her shoulders. A sense of hopelessness threatened to swallow her up. She closed her eyes and tried to bring answers out of the fog in her brain, without any results. Whatever was hidden there was not ready to be revealed.
With a weary sigh, Catherine left the bathroom. Sutter swung from the window at the sound, scanning her face. No doubt seeing the things she could not hide. She was terrified. Why had she lived when so many others had died? Gott had spared her for a reason.
Gott? She’d used the variation of God before.
“Are you okay?” he asked. Catherine didn’t know how to answer him. Okay was something she couldn’t relate to now. She was...nobody.
He left the window and came to her, clasping her arms. “The building’s been secured. No one’s been allowed inside who could not be identified as an employee. There’s a vehicle parked outside the kitchen delivery entrance. The alley leading from there has been cleared. We have men stationed around the building and outside. We’ll take the back streets until we’re out of town. From there, it’s a straight shot to the West Kootenai community. There’ll be an escort out of the hospital, but I don’t want to call undue attention, so we’ll be flying solo once we’re in the unmarked police vehicle.”
Sutter had taken every precaution to ensure her protection. But Catherine felt nowhere close to safe.
“Tell me about the Warrens,” she said, needing to get her mind off the crippling fear invading every thought.
