Instantly, lightning struck and the winds turned violent, blowing over chairs, purses, goals and coolers. But Michael’s eyes remained on hers, daring her to make a move.
In the distance, tornado sirens wailed.
“Go!”
“Run!”
People screamed and scooped up children, racing from the field to the safety of their cars. But Greer stood firm. Michael’s blood spot grew larger—the boys had reinjured where Greer had stabbed him with the knitting needle.
He’d tried to kill her. Multiple times. He knew where she lived and broke in so she wouldn’t suspect him. Cindy had a key. His job had him on-site in many locations. It would be easy to follow Greer, find out where she was and take the opportunities to strike. He must have told Cindy work had come up Saturday night and left only to attack Greer. And was at church singing on Sunday morning!
The wind pressed against Greer—she dug her heels into the ground to stay upright.
Kids cried and wailed.
Men shielded women and worked to guide them to the parking lot as the tornado sirens screeched.
“Michael,” Cindy screamed through the wild winds. “We have to get the kids out of here! Alert says a tornado touched down less than ten miles out!”
Michael’s eyes lingered on Greer. “Get the boys. Get to safety. I’m going to help out here.”
“But Michael!” she cried.
He leaned over and, while staring at Greer, kissed his wife’s cheek. Greer’s stomach roiled. “Get to safety,” he boomed. “Be careful. I love you.”
Love? Love was his cover. To hide the vile creature that lived inside him. Masqueraded as a family man. A churchgoer. A father. A leader in the community. Greer’s skin crawled.
Cindy grabbed the boys and slowed near Greer. “Come on, Greer.”
“I’m going to help out here first.” She mimicked Michael’s own words. He was helping no one but himself.
It was over. He knew she knew. There were two choices. Try to take out Greer without anyone noticing. Nope. She had a gun. She placed her hand on it. Patted it. The second choice would be for him to make a run for it. And she would be on him like green on grass.
He glanced at her gun and grinned. He wasn’t afraid. Not of her.
Greer couldn’t deny that she was afraid of him.
In a whirl of mayhem, the soccer field cleared. Trees cracked and popped in the distance. Michael glanced in their direction. Through a wooded bike path was a subdivision.
He was going to run. Disappear. His cover here was blown.
But Greer and Lin would never be safe.
Other women would never be safe. A killer didn’t stop killing.
Not until he was caught.
Michael bolted toward the trees.
Greer had no choice. She gave chase.
* * *
Locke pressed on the gas pedal and drove at breakneck speed toward the soccer complex. Michael Woolridge used to go by the name Mick Woolridge. Grew up with a drunk for a father and traveled with Dixie Entertainment starting at the age of ten. He was mentored and trained in knife impalement until he’d gotten his own show. Mindy Bridges had been his assistant. When she went missing, no one had suspected Michael—a courteous young man of twenty-eight. He’d had a solid alibi. Flip Bomer. He’d continued his travels with Dixie Entertainment for about six months more and then stuck around in Birmingham working construction. When the tornadoes came through Goldenville almost twelve years ago, Michael had been on the crew. Met Cindy. Married her in a hurry.
A disguise to keep killing? How hard would it have been to check websites and map out traveling carnivals, then lie about construction work taking him out of town? Not hard at all. Seemed, according to Wheezer and Jody, that’s exactly what he’d done. Right here under their noses. Locke had eaten with the man. Allowed his daughter to spend the night with him. What if he’d hurt her? His head spun and bile rose in his throat as he yanked the wheel to the left, avoiding a wheelbarrow lying in the middle of the road.
Jerry and his team had spotted the tornado. Locke hadn’t been close enough, but it was heading this way. And Greer was at the fields with her attacker. And no vehicle! He’d tried calling but had gotten voicemail.
As oncoming traffic headed for him, exiting the soccer field, he pressed down on the gas pedal and squealed into the lot. He jumped from his truck. Most everyone was gone but he grabbed the shoulder of a man who was with his wife and older kid. “Do you know Greer Montgomery?” Locke bellowed over the wind and thunder.
“Yeah. She’s down on the field. Or she...was. You better get out of here and to safety.” He urged the woman on and they raced to the red truck in the lot. Pushing against the gales, Locke sprinted to the edge of the soccer fields. In the distance, Greer was running into the woods.
Was she crazy?
His lungs squeezed and blood whooshed in his head. He heard it first.
A roar announcing its arrival. Its intent.
He whipped his head to the left.
The twister was eating up the ground, heading straight for Greer. The woods would be nothing but her death warrant.
Locke couldn’t stand by and do nothing.
Not when the woman he loved was running into death’s door.
Praying under his breath, Locke kicked up dust and raced with the cyclone into the woods, knowing it was absolutely futile but needing to press on, press in. Trees uprooted in its path; the roof of the concession complex blew over Locke’s head, sending his heart into his throat, but he charged toward the woods. Too much debris and wind in his eyes to see.
No one was coming out of this alive.
FOURTEEN
Greer’s breath left her lungs as the terrorizing roar deafened her ears. The tornado was heading right into the woods. Trees were uprooting and being tossed like toothpicks. Greer could hardly see. Couldn’t think. The wind was too strong. Rain descended, stinging her skin.
She pushed forward. Michael couldn’t get away, but Greer couldn’t see him!
From nowhere, he grabbed her and slammed her to the ground. He raised his knife.
“How could you?” she shouted. “Why?” She shrieked as the sounds of wood splitting like twigs came closer. They were going to die. Lin was going to be motherless. But Locke. She had Locke and he would be a good dad. In her heart, she knew it. He’d rented a house and was willing to sacrifice the life he’d always dreamed of having to settle down.
The way he talked about riding horses and swings. The way he’d kissed her.
He wouldn’t leave Lin. And her daughter had Tori, Jody and Hollister as well.
“Flip! He was going to ruin everything. Coming into town and seeing all I’ve built here and wanting a piece of the pie. He thought he could blackmail me about Mindy.”
Who was Mindy? She fought to free herself from the ground, but he was too strong. The winds were too strong.
“I should have killed him after he lied for me all those year ago when I killed her, but I didn’t. My mistake. I’d never taken a life before.” He leaned into her face, down into her ear. “But I liked it.”
Greer kneed him in the stomach and went for the knife.
“What about Tiny Tim?” She clutched his wrist, hoping to knock the weapon away.
“Recognized me talking to Flip earlier that day. I couldn’t have witnesses identifying me and placing me with him. He had to die. And so do you.”
Michael had children. A wife. He was just going to kill her and hope to flee? To slide into a new life and identity and keep killing? Or go back to being the upstanding citizen. They had no leads!
He raised the knife as a chilling crack came. Suddenly, a tree slammed into Michael, thrusting him like a rag doll into the air and impaling him against another tree. Greer gaped, stunned. Her brain said to run. Her body remained paralyzed.
Another sound pierced the terrifying drone of the twister making its way to her. She squinted. She didn’t have long.
A blur to her right sprung closer.
No. No. No.
He was supposed to be safe. He was supposed to give their daughter a life. A parent.
Not be here with her. Not die alongside her. Everything inside her sank. Lin was about to be an orphan. Greer had been so scared Locke would be a dad who left—she never thought it would be from trying to save Greer.
He grabbed her hand. “Run! Run, Greer!” He glanced at a dead Michael Woolridge impaled on a tree like a target on the death wheel. Locke yanked her along as they worked to beat the tornado barreling down on them, but Greer wasn’t stupid and neither was Locke.
They weren’t making it out of this. People didn’t outrun twisters.
Bits of bark and twigs bit into her skin. Pine needles pricked her like daggers.
Locke held tight, dragging her with him. Her feet came out from under her and she fell to the ground. “Go! Go on. I—I can’t make it, Locke. Get out of here and don’t let our daughter be an orphan. Please!”
Yanking her to her feet, Locke glanced behind her. “You will not die today, Greer Montgomery. Where’s the feisty, brave woman I know?”
Exhausted. Defeated. Aching in pain. Waterlogged from the torrential rain.
“Lin needs her mother.”
A wave of bravery rose within her. Lin. Lin needed her. She found renewed strength, even if the situation was hopeless. There was no escape from the man-eater coming for them. Up ahead she spotted a steep ditch with a water-drainage tunnel. On the other side was a small subdivision.
“It’s our only hope!” Locke roared.
The twister ate through the trees, blowing Locke and her off balance before they could make a leap. They rolled down the ditch and Locke scurried to shove Greer in first. “Go! I’m right behind you.”
Greer scrambled through the freezing waters into the tunnel.
Locke came in behind.
The sound of death boomed and churned. Roofs screamed in protest as they ripped from houses and glass shattered. Greer prayed those inside their homes were safe.
A surge of water flooded the tunnel, racing over her face as the twister destroyed everything above them. “Locke!” she shrieked.
“Hold on. Just hold on, baby!”
The waters rose inside.
The tornado raged outside.
Either way they were dead.
The waters rose to her chin.
She gulped in air as it covered her nose...her head. Nowhere to find air. No way to leave. Not with the whirlwind wreaking havoc.
Locke’s hand laced with hers and squeezed. In that connection, somehow, she felt his love. He’d come for her. And he’d stayed with her. He was going to die because of her. This wasn’t selfish. He was not like her dad. Hollister was right.
God, forgive me. It wasn’t too late for that.
Her lungs burned and her brain screamed for oxygen. But it was too late to tell Locke how she felt. That she loved him. Had always loved him.
Her body wrenched in pain as she fought to hold on.
Locke’s fingers squeezed hers again as if trying to buoy her faith, remind her that she wasn’t alone. They could make it.
Maybe they could.
Until she saw nothing. Heard nothing.
Felt nothing.
* * *
Greer’s hand went limp and panic surged through Locke’s veins as he held on and held out for life. Come on. God, help us. Help us. Please!
The cyclone whirred above them. His lungs burned and begged for air. He wasn’t sure how much longer he had, and with Greer’s relaxed grip, he was terrified. He couldn’t raise their daughter alone. God, I can’t do this alone. I need You.
Suddenly, the roaring disappeared and he swam through the tunnel, pulling Greer along with him until he reached the opening and pulled them onto dry land. Greer’s face was bleached, her lips blue.
She didn’t move. He straddled her and shoved a clump of hair from the side of her face, felt for a pulse.
His hands trembled and the backs of his eyes burned like glowing coals.
There was no pulse. He turned her head to the side as water spilled from her mouth, then centered her, opened her airway and gave her two rescue breaths.
He cried out until his lungs ached and placed his hands on her chest as he began compressions. Tears fell down his cheeks and his nose ran, but he counted them off and pled and begged God to save her.
What would he tell Lin? Nothing. Because Greer was going to live.
One and...two and...
“Please, Greer! Live, baby. Live! Don’t leave me.”
Five and...six and...
“I can’t do this without you. I don’t want to. I love you.”
Nine and...ten and...
He continued to do compressions. Finished the first cycle. Started the second.
This could not be happening.
A gurgling came from her mouth. He hurried and turned her to her side, relief flooding him faster than the waters in the drainage tunnel. She coughed and sputtered and threw up a heap of water.
“Greer! Oh, thank you. Greer!”
She continued coughing and gagging, then sat up. She gazed at Locke, then fell into his arms, sobbing. He stroked her matted wet hair. “It’s okay. You’re okay now. We’re—we’re okay now.”
Cradling her, he rocked her back and forth, never wanting to let go, but a new wave of hysteria hit him. “Lin! Jody. We need a phone.”
Locke helped Greer to her wobbly feet and supported her weight as they climbed from the ditch to the road. Houses were rubble. People wandered dazed in the streets. Wails and moans of mothers and fathers echoed in the distance. This kind of destruction had to have been an F4.
They found a man sitting with his family, staring into space. “Sir, can we use your phone?”
He absently handed them his cell phone and Greer made the call. “Tori! Are you safe?” She nodded at Locke. “They went into the root cellar.”
Locke heaved a sigh.
Greer returned the phone to the man and went into cop mode, aiding the injured. Locke fell into line, helping pull loved ones and pets from the debris.
Neighbors hugged one another. Cried with one another. Prayed with one another.
Fatalities had been racked up and Locke grieved the devastation, but he couldn’t help but be thankful that Greer was alive. Lin and his sister and brother-in-law were safe.
Sirens whirred and Deputies Garrison and Crisp arrived on the scene with firetrucks and ambulances. Adam ran for Greer and hugged her. “Are you okay?”
“I am now,” she said. “Locke saved me.”
Adam put distance between him and Greer and nodded at Locke. “Good. I’m glad you were here.” Sincerity shone in his eyes. He touched Greer’s cheek. “We’ll talk later.”
“What happened to you? At the soccer field.”
“Tornado hit the edge of town before it disappeared and landed here. I got called out.”
Greer tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Okay.”
She didn’t mention they’d find Michael Woolridge in the woods. Or what had happened. She let them get to their jobs. But she turned to Locke. “I can’t tell Cindy who her husband really was. I don’t want those boys growing up knowing their father was a monster.”
“You want them to believe he died in the tornado a hero or something?” Locke wasn’t sure that was the right thing to do even though he understood where Greer was coming from.
“I do. But those victims’ families deserve closure, and I know as heartbroken and devastated as Cindy will be, she’d want that. How did you know?”
“Jody called.” He explained the connection and
listened as Greer retold Michael’s admissions. Greer used Adam’s radio and called the sheriff, delivering the news as he arrived. She wanted to tell Cindy about Michael, but Sheriff Wright insisted he be the one to inform her.
Hours later, Greer and Locke trudged onto Tori’s porch. Locke’s bones were weary and his muscles ached. But when he saw Lin and she reached for him, everything relaxed. The pain seemed to disappear. He took his baby girl and peppered her with hugs and kisses, then he passed her to Greer, who smothered her with more. He hugged Jody and Evan and quietly told them what happened while Greer loved on their daughter.
He caught her eye and Greer smiled. But it wasn’t the smile that undid him. It was what was in her eyes. Something he thought he’d glimpsed on the carousel at first. Something he had definitely seen when they dated.
He saw love.
And hope.
“How about I take Lin inside and change her?” Tori asked.
“I need to call Wilder and give him an update,” Jody said.
“I need to...go with her,” Evan said.
They left them to some privacy on the porch. Locke closed the distance between them and cradled Greer’s face. “I thought I’d lost you.”
“I thought I’d been lost. Locke—”
“Me first.” He grinned. This woman. She was everything to him. “I love you. And I don’t know what it will take to prove that I’m not going anywhere. I’m never leaving you or Lin. I don’t care how long it takes. You’re not just the mother of my child. You’re the love of my life.” He searched her eyes, tears blurring his. “When you weren’t breathing...I wasn’t breathing. Because I can’t—I can’t breathe without you, Greer. Please give me a chance. Just one.”
A strangled sob croaked from Greer and she sniffed, laying her forehead on his. “I’m so sorry for everything. I was so afraid and my fear kept me from telling you the truth. Not just about Lin...but the truth about me. I was scared of getting hurt again. Locklin, I never stopped loving you. I’ve never loved anyone else. It may take me some time, but I’m going to work through my fear. I may even need counseling, but I want to get past this. And I want you to forgive me.”
Killer Exposure Page 18