by L. T. Ryan
Olsen chuckled again. “You don’t get to know that.”
“Worth a shot.” Bear shrugged. “Your boss sounds like a dick. What kind of asshole tells someone to kidnap a little girl? What kind of asshole kills a little girl? I knew you were weak. That’s just pathetic.”
Olsen sneered. “I never killed a little girl.”
“Katie Lamoureux disagrees.”
Olsen shook his head. “You really don’t know what’s going on here, do you?”
“Enlighten me.” Bear took a few more steps back.
“You think I’m that stupid?”
Bear didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
“Your mistake.”
Olsen charged. He swung the bat several times and pushed forward. Bear threw up a defending arm. The bat crashed near his elbow. His entire arm tingled. He worked his fingers into a fist. Nothing broken. Olsen went for speed instead of strength. That’s where Bear would get him. He’d only need to land a couple punches to get this guy on the defensive.
Bear moved in for the kill. Olsen didn’t give him a chance. He brought the bat down on Bear. He moved his head at the last second and the bat connected with his ear. The burst of pain was enough to distract him. Bear missed Olsen swinging for his gut. The bat knocked the wind out of him. He stumbled back. Olsen swung again. Head shot. Three points.
Bear landed on the floor.
Olsen didn’t bother checking if Bear was unconscious. He brought the bat down across Bear’s left knee. There was a sickening crunch. Bear howled in pain. The jolt shot up his leg and into his hip and radiated to his toes. His entire leg was on fire.
“Fair is fair,” Olsen said.
Bear didn’t bother responding. He launched himself upwards, despite the shooting pain in his leg, and tackled Olsen. He drove his forearm into Olsen’s neck. They smashed into a pallet full of boxes. The bat flew across the floor with a clatter.
“Fair is fair.” Bear said. “Let’s see if you’ve still got that smart mouth when I’m done with you.”
Olsen grinned. Bear threw two punches to his face and another to his stomach. Only one punch connected. From the guy’s form, he was using to fighting on the street. Bear only needed one good shot to knock him out.
Olsen stayed defensive, ducking and weaving to avoid most of Bear’s blows. The few that he didn’t avoid elicited a grunt. Olsen kept his balance. Frustrated, Bear swung a wide right hook. Olsen leaned back to avoid the blow. He kicked Bear in his injured knee. Bear grunted and tipped forward as he lost his balance. Olsen used Bear’s momentum to push him. Bear caught himself, but not before he felt Olsen move behind him and pull his pistol from his waistband.
“I thought we were playing fair?” Olsen asked. “Didn’t know this was a gun fight.”
Bear turned in time to see Olsen aim for his skull. One bullet between his eyes. That’s all it would take to end this. Bear had envisioned himself on the other end of the gun, deciding whether he could live with one more dead body on his conscience. Instead, he stared death in the eye.
And the only thing on his mind was Mandy.
She’d lost so much already, and she’d hardly even lived. At fourteen, she’d seen and experienced things most adults couldn’t even conceive. Bear would’ve given anything to have shielded Mandy from those nightmares, but they had made her stronger. She could survive without him, but surviving wasn’t living. Hadn’t that been his mistake all these years?
Bear threw himself to the right just as Olsen squeezed the trigger. A bullet whizzed by Bear’s head and tore through the boxes behind him. He tucked and rolled, popping up a few feet away. Olsen followed him, slowly and methodically lining up the shot before he squeezed off another bullet. This guy wasn’t in a rush. Olsen was toying with him.
Bear dove behind another pallet of boxes and sprinted down an aisle, turning this way and that. His goal was to distance himself from Olsen as much as possible. Olsen laughed. Bear could hear his footfalls trailing after him.
“Come on, man. You’re not going to win this one. Let me make it quick for you.”
Bear stayed moving, maintaining the distance. He had to find the upper hand again. It’s not like he’d never been outgunned. This felt different, though. He felt different. He was angry. That emotion elicited a spark in him. Now it felt like suffocating coals. The flames never went out. They ate him from the inside out.
What would killing Olsen do? What would it solve? Bear was still strong and fast, but his body had seen a lot of combat over the years. How long could he maintain this? Mentally, he was checked out. He’d told Noble to stay away so he could live a quiet life with Mandy. Yet here he was, stirring up trouble because he couldn’t just walk away.
Bear knew he wasn’t at the top of his game physically. But that meant he had to be smarter.
“Come on, man. The cat and mouse game ain’t fun. Look, if I promise to put the gun away, will you come back out and play?”
“Sure thing, boss. Let’s settle this.”
Bear heard Olsen change trajectories, pinpointing Bear and moving to him. Bear was already on the move himself. He made for the outside wall, then circled around behind Olsen. He tossed a few boxes to distract and misdirect the other man.
By the time Bear came up behind him, Olsen was so turned around, he had no idea where Bear was. Bear grabbed him from behind. Pinned him against a rack with a chokehold. Olsen swung wildly and fired a shot into the ceiling.
Bear didn’t flinch. He drove his knee into Olsen’s groin, then knocked the gun free. Olsen scrambled against the hold on his neck. He dug his nails into Bear’s forearm. Bear squeezed harder. He worked his fingers around Olsen’s trachea. Olsen passed out in thirty seconds. Bear slammed him to the floor, then threw a few punches to his face.
As Olsen lay on the floor moaning, Bear slipped a pack of zip ties from his back pocket. He’d seen them laying on one of the random pallets and snatched them up. Figured they’d come in handy. Death wasn’t on the menu tonight. But hell if he was going to let Olsen go.
With Olsen secured to one of the structural pillars inside the warehouse, Bear retrieved his gun and the bat. He slipped the Glock back into his waistband and kept the bat ready. He wasn’t opposed to forcing some answers out of the other man.
Olsen stirred.
“Let’s try this again,” Bear said.
That smug expression had been wiped from Olsen’s face. He spat blood on the floor between them. “I’m not telling you a thing.”
Bear brought the bat down on the man’s knee. He waited for the screaming to stop. “I’d rather not kill you. But you’ve done a good job of pissing me off this week. I’m liable to change my mind at any minute. That’s how this works. I’m going to ask you questions. You’re going to give me answers. I promise you’ll end up in a prison cell instead of a grave.”
“Go to hell.”
“Who’s your boss?”
“Screw you.”
“Why did you kill Katie Lamoureux?”
“I didn’t.”
“Who did?”
“Why don’t you go off yourself?”
“Is it the same people who poisoned the Weinberger’s? I know HealTek is behind this.”
“You have no evidence.”
Bear gestured to Olsen. “I have an expert witness. If you cooperate, I’ll make sure McKinnon goes easy on you.”
“You’re lying to yourself if you think she’s still alive.”
Bear ground his teeth together. He hadn’t gotten any calls from the hospital and figured no news was good news. “Come on, man. Give me something. Or you’re going down with the rest of them.”
“All right, I’ll give you something.” Olsen smiled up at him, his eyes beady and his teeth bloody. “I’d like to report a crime.”
“Come on, man.”
“No, no. You’ll want to hear this one.” He chuckled, like he couldn’t wait to tell Bear the punchline. “You remember my friend? The one who whooped up on you the other day?”
“The guy who jumped me? Yeah, I remember him.”
“Well, I think he’s about to do something bad. Really bad.” Olsen’s smile broadened. “Your daughter, what’s her name again? Mandy, right? And her friend. His name is… Marcus! Well, my buddy has paid them a visit. And if I don’t come back alive, he’s got instructions to make you regret ever moving to this town.”
“I already do. In a second, you’re gonna regret it, too.”
Bear swung the bat like he was trying to clear The Green Monster at Fenway. It connected with Olsen’s temple. The guy’s head snapped. Blood and saliva sprayed from his mouth. His head collapsed under its own weight. Maybe he was dead. Maybe he was barely alive and would suffocate while hanging from the railings. Bear would let fate decide if the man ever regained consciousness. He chucked the weapon and sprinted out of the warehouse to his truck. He’d be at Marcus’ house in less than ten minutes.
He only hoped he’d make it in time.
37
As soon as Mandy heard the knock on the door, she knew something was wrong. She and Marcus were sitting in the living room with their homework spread between them, the TV on mute so it wouldn’t distract them too much. He’d gotten them a bowl of popcorn to share. The smell of butter saturated the air. Mandy had spent the last five minutes practicing throwing pieces up and catching them in her mouth. Marcus watched in bemused silence.
As soon as they heard the knock, they froze, eyes wide. They remained still as the seconds ticked by. There was no noise from the other side. Mandy hoped the person would just go away.
Knock, knock, knock.
Marcus looked toward the door, then back at her. “Should we see who it is?”
“Bear said not to,” Mandy whispered. “Don’t answer it.”
“Not to answer it.” Marcus sounded defensive. “Just to see who it is.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
Knock, knock, knock.
The sound was louder now. More frantic.
“Doesn’t seem like they’re going away,” Marcus said.
He rose. Mandy pulled him back onto the couch.
“Stay here. I’ll check.” It went against all her instincts. If one of them was to do it, it had to be her. She didn’t trust Marcus to be discreet. “Don’t move.”
Marcus nodded his head. His wide-eyed stare followed Mandy as she made her way around the room. There was a window on either side of the door, and she pressed herself against the wall and made her body as flat as possible. As she inched closer, her heartbeat drummed against her chest. Every fiber of her being screamed at her not to do this.
Turn around.
Go upstairs.
Hide.
Using her index finger, Mandy moved the curtains a half inch to peer out the window. There was no car in the driveway. Their mystery guest had walked the whole way or left their vehicle down the road. It was too late to be the mailman or a salesperson. Perhaps it was a neighbor. At this hour, though? Most neighbors had the decency to not disturb a family later in the evening.
She pushed the curtains open another inch and leaned her head closer to the window. It had been silent for a minute. Had the person given up? Had they walked away? Or were they circling the house to find another way in? She and Marcus had closed and locked every door and every window in the place. Even on the second floor. Panic gripped her spine like a boa constrictor. What if they’d missed one? What if someone found a way in?
“Do you see anything?”
Marcus’ voice was too close. Mandy jumped. Her arm flailed out and pushed him away. He stumbled backwards, caught himself, and looked up at her as though she’d attacked him.
She scowled. “I told you to stay over there.”
Marcus looked ashamed.
Mandy walked up to the door and stood on her tiptoes to look through the peephole. It was rash and stupid, but when she saw open air, she breathed a sigh of relief.
It was a nice respite from fear. She turned back to Marcus and guided him back to the couch. “Stay here.” She pushed him down onto the cushion. “I’ll be right back. Don’t move.”
He glared at her but didn’t protest.
Mandy made her way around the house. She tested the doors and windows. At each window, she peeked outside to glimpse whoever might’ve knocked on the door. The yard remained empty. She hustled up the stairs and checked the view from each room. Even with the better vantage point, she saw nothing.
Why was her heart still pounding so hard?
Mandy bounded down the stairs. She still felt on edge.
“All clear,” she told Marcus. He’d stayed put. “I don’t know who it was.”
“Maybe—”
The jiggling of the door handle interrupted him. Mandy jumped the rest of the steps and landed halfway across the room. She grabbed Marcus’ wrist and pulled him off the couch. When the door opened, a haggard-looking woman greeted them.
Marcus’ mother.
“Hey, sweetie.” She pulled her keys from the doorknob. “Sorry I’m late. Have you eaten yet? We can order—”
When she looked up, she caught sight of Mandy and Marcus frozen in the middle of the living room, holding hands and looking like they’d seen a ghost. Mandy had the wherewithal to drop Marcus’ hand and take a step back. She looked down at her shoes.
“Hello, Mrs. Moore.”
“Hello, Mandy.” Mrs. Moore’s gaze shot to Marcus. “This is a surprise.”
“I’m sorry, Mom.” Marcus took a step forward. “The sheriff got sick, and her dad didn’t have a choice—”
“The sheriff is sick?” Mrs. Moore’s eyes darted around the room as she grabbed her stomach. “What happened?”
Before either could answer, a man stepped into the door frame and shoved Mrs. Moore forward. She stumbled to her knees. Her purse flew out of her hand. The contents slid across the floor. A violent scream erupted from her mouth.
For a split second, Mandy feared it was the tattooed man but she didn’t see the splotch of red and blue on his neck. This guy was about as tall as the other, but his hair and eyes were lighter. He had tattoos along his left arm. In his right hand, he held a knife.
The man mule-kicked the door closed without taking his eyes off the trio. “Everyone shut up. Sit on the couch and do not move unless I tell you to.” When none of them started for the couch, he yelled. “Now!”
Mandy helped Mrs. Moore to her feet. The woman convulsed in between sobs. She grasped for Marcus and shielded him with her body. The hysterics annoyed Mandy. She stuffed the feeling down. Not everyone was used to this level of violence. Crying wouldn’t help them, but it was natural. Maybe it would even garner sympathy from their attacker.
The trio sat on the couch. The man remained in front of them. His stare and twisted smile turned Mandy’s stomach. She resisted the urge to look away. It would only aggravate him. She had seen Bear use the tactic to put an adversary off their game. Mandy was too small to do that. She’d have to catch him off guard.
Mrs. Moore continued to cry, and soon Marcus joined her. Mandy felt bad for them. They’d never been through something like this before. When Mandy told her about the sheriff, Mrs. Moore’s expression made Mandy think the woman knew more than she let on. She was friends with Dr. Sing, so maybe…
“Shut up!” The man smacked the coffee table with an open palm, making all three of them jump. “Shut up before I really give you something to cry about.”
Mrs. Moore’s crying intensified. She tried to keep it quiet, but she was beside herself with fear.
Mandy had to come up with a distraction. She twisted in her seat and propped herself up on a knee. “What do you want?”
“For you to shut up.” He sneered at her. “Now sit back down.”
“Tell me what you need and I’ll get it. Money?” She pointed to the spilled contents of Mrs. Moore’s purse on the floor. “Her wallet’s right there.”
“I’m not here for money.”
“Drugs
?” Mandy knew Mrs. Moore was a pharmacist. Maybe she was involved in this whole HealTek business, too. “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what you want.”
“I don’t want you to help me.” The man stepped forward and snatched Mandy by the arm, dragging her over the back of the couch. She knocked over a vase. Water spilled onto the side table and dripped to the floor. He held the knife to her throat. “I want you to shut up.”
Fear gripped Mandy. She steadied herself. Bear had trained her for this. She had to stay still. She raised her hands to show she was unarmed and not a threat. She kept direct eye contact in order to hold his attention and see if his expression changed. Most people couldn’t help but telegraph their moves ahead of time.
“I’m sorry.” Mandy didn’t bother to hide the way she shook. She needed him to feel like he was in control. “Are you here for me?” She kept her voice small. “Because your friend couldn’t kidnap me before?”
She heard a gasp behind her. The guy looked over at Mrs. Moore, who was twisted in her seat now.
“Please,” she begged, “she’s just a kid.”
Mandy lunged forward. She knocked his hand away and kneed the guy in the crotch. While he bent over in pain, she looped both her arms around the back of his neck and drove his face into her knee. He grunted and stumbled backward. She gripped both hands together and slammed them down on his wrist. The knife fell to the floor. Mandy twisted toward Marcus and locked eyes with him. “Upstairs. Now.” When he didn’t move, she yelled. “Go!”
Marcus took his mother by the wrist and dragged her upstairs. The woman dug her heels in. Marcus kept pulling. He might not have been big for his age, but he had a weight advantage over his mother.
“She can handle herself,” he yelled. “Run!”
Mandy’s attention was pulled away when the guy in front of her grabbed a fistful of hair and yanked her around. His face was too close to hers.
“You’re going to regret that.”
She didn’t bother responding. The pain in her scalp distracted her. Mandy gasped for air. The oxygen was enough to clear her mind. She pushed past the sting and drove her fist into his bloodied nose. It wasn’t enough to make him let go of her hair. She twisted around and bit his arm as hard as she could. She felt the skin tear. Blood flooded her mouth as she ground her teeth together.