Before the Dawn

by Gail Chianese

  “What did Daines say when you checked in?”

  “They’ve got nothing concrete. They’ve come across a few names, but all their parents swear they were home last night and none missed school today.”

  Right about then two teens dressed in baggy pants and hoodies slipped into an alley. Normally Kat wouldn’t have paid any attention—they looked like all the other kids in the area—except these two kept looking around and as they headed down the narrow road both constantly glanced over their shoulders. The kids might not be who they were hoping to find, but they were definitely up to no good.

  “We should call Daines, let him come check it out.”

  She laid her hand on his arm as he reached for his cell. “Wait. Let’s see where they go and first confirm these are the guys we want. Unless Sara’s in trouble, then we’ll call the cops and let them handle it.” No need to be a hero. Heroes tended to die.

  They left the truck parked on the main road under a street lamp for safety before venturing down the alley. The road ran between a row of abandoned houses with a few empty businesses dispersed among them. Kat and Shawn hid behind a dumpster as the alleged thugs took another survey of the area before disappearing down a side path. A few seconds later Kat peeked around the corner.

  “They’re gone.”

  Shawn stepped forward. “Which one do you think they went into?”

  The path turned out to be an intersecting road lined with warehouses, all abandoned last spring after the river flooded, submersing the entire area under five feet of water.

  “Probably one of these.” Pointing to the first warehouse on the left and then the right, Kat took a cautious step forward. “They didn’t have time to make it to any of the others unless they sprinted, but why do that? Do you think they spotted us?”

  “No. I think you’re right. They went into one of these buildings. Which do you want, right or left?”

  Both buildings appeared to be about ten thousand square feet, multistoried ruins that had stood empty for decades rather than months. Chains wrapped around the door handles, bars on the windows, and debris littering the road gave the whole place a warm, welcoming appeal. Not. They didn’t suggest an easy way into either building. Maybe the kids had gone into one farther down. Kat studied the building on the left. Other than the tagging on the walls, it appeared to be simply locked up for the day. Along with bars, plywood covered the windows to the building on the right and nearest to them. More tagging. Some artistic. Others, like Keep Out or Die, not so much so.

  Which of course meant this was the most likely place and she had to enter. But how? Cautiously, she walked toward the door, testing the bars on the windows. None were loose and there was no way to crawl between the bars, unless you were the size of a Chihuahua, which the teens were not, nor was she. Reaching the door, she saw that the handles had massive chains wrapped around them. Upon closer inspection, she found that they weren’t locked together, but were merely made to look as if they were. Bingo.

  “Looks like we have a winner. Are you still okay with checking it out before we call the police?” Her insides quaked. She really didn’t want to go inside. There were countless hiding places inside the huge building, with countless threats. Pulling up her big girl panties, she took a deep breath and put on a brave face.

  Shawn studied the writing on the wall. “Looks like an invitation to me.” He rubbed his jaw. “An invitation to what, I’m not sure. Let’s go find out—carefully.”

  A good idea. The signs could be to scare off the curious, which is what she hoped for, or they could be territorial markings. The doors opened silently, exposing a dim interior. Both waited, listening for any sounds inside that would indicate company. A bird took flight and tiny nails scuttled along the concrete floor. Windows on the far side of the room let in the late afternoon sun, showing what looked like a storage and staging area. Tall metal shelving units filled the center of the room, with conveyor belts running from front to back and another coming down from the floor above them. Shawn stepped in front of her, taking point guard.

  He raised his finger in front of his mouth and nodded for her to follow. She shouldn’t let him lead. She was the trained professional and while she had no plans on being a hero, she didn’t want Shawn to be one either. In the short time they’d been working together, she’d learned a lot about him and not only was he a nice guy, he made her feel alive. She looked forward to each day, knowing she might see him, would experience the giddy, tingling, I’m-a-desirable-woman feeling. She definitely wouldn’t mind if he kissed her again, and more. Yes, she dreaded each day too. For with every sunrise and sunset, they were closer to the time he’d leave for Seattle.

  Along the left wall stood two doors, the first leading to an empty room. Probably an office of some type to greet visitors or for a supervisor to monitor the employees. The second room looked to be a break room with a few overturned tables, more tagging on the walls. Shawn pushed open the door to the men’s restroom, the smell knocking her back a good foot or more. Dear God, it was like a sewer plant had backed up in there.

  “If they’re in there, I’m not going in after them,” she whispered.

  Poking his head a little farther in before letting the door close, he assured her the room was empty. Taking a deep breath and holding it, they pushed open the door to the women’s room. She ran in, shoved the stall doors open, and ran back out.

  “I’m taking the longest shower of my life when I get home tonight.”

  “I’ll wash your back, if you wash mine?”

  She realized he’d meant the comment to calm her nerves, ease the stress of the situation. Instead her nerves were zinging all over the place—mainly, straight to her core.

  “Let’s check the rest of the building before we make any plans. We may need hazmat decontamination.” Kat headed toward the other side of the building in search of the stairs, letting the serious nature of what they were doing bring her focus back to the job.

  Once again, Shawn took lead going up the stairs and entered the second floor. They came out into an open room that could have housed a billion cubicles. Footprints tracked in multiple directions across the dusty floor, disappearing through several doors lining one wall. A barking dog, along with passing cars, could be heard through a broken window. Sadly, the opening didn’t allow enough fresh air to cover up the stale smell of something rotting. Shawn held up his hand to stop her at the entrance, pointed to his chest and then to the closest door.

  Kat nodded, let him get a few steps ahead, then followed. Movement registered out of the corner of her eye at the same time she heard Shawn exclaim, “Oof!” He doubled over.

  Chapter 8

  Shawn had looked left when he should have looked right. The swing came fast and hard straight into his gut, knocking all the air out as he doubled over and kissed the ground. Kat yelled his name from somewhere in the other room but before he could respond a two-by-four came at his head. Rolling to the left, he dodged the blow, rolled back, and shoved his foot into his attacker’s stomach. See how he likes it. Climbing to his feet, he kicked the board aside and went flying into the wall. The kid plowed into him, using his head and shoulder to drive him backward, throwing wild punches.

  Stars swam before Shawn’s eyes. He fought back, slamming an elbow into the kid’s ribs. It loosened his grip, but the kid came at him swinging. Damn, what do they feed this boy? He was pretty sure at sixteen or seventeen, which he guessed the teen to be, he had been nowhere as strong. The kid jabbed, connecting with Shawn’s face. The tangy taste of blood coated his tongue. Damn! Licking at his split lip, he saw Kat, pale, frantically glancing around. He ducked just in time and dodged the next blow, then returned it with one of his own, knocking the guy’s head back.

  Blood dribbled down the other guy’s cheek from Shawn’s punch. Only fair since Shawn was spitting out blood from his cut lip. Footsteps pounded from the main room. Before he could warn Kat, she’d already stepped back against the wall, stuck her foot out, and
sent the other teen flying across the room. The lead pipe he held clanged against the concrete floor. The first teen, whose right eye now sported a shiner, came back at Shawn. Shit, when is he going to run out of steam?

  Ready and waiting, Shawn sidestepped his attacker and clotheslined him, knocking the kid on his ass. Finally, he stayed down.

  Shawn’s head jerked up at Kat’s scream. Prepared to step in and save the lady, he was awed as he watched Kat haul back and let loose a right hook to make a prize fighter proud. But she wasn’t done with the teen—while he was still reeling from the hit, she drove her foot straight into the guy’s nuts. Damn! That had to hurt.

  Looking over the two, he determined Kat’s guy had a better chance of answering questions. His was knocked out cold.

  “You okay?” he asked Kat.

  She nodded. “What about you? Is that your blood?”

  “Some of it. Let’s see what he can tell us about Sara.” Pounding feet and shouts from the stairwell drew their attention. Crap. Not the cavalry coming to their rescue. Grabbing Kat’s hand, they ran for the stairs. A quick look confirmed they only had moments before the rest of the gang would descend upon them. No way did he have the energy for another go-around. “Come on, we’ve got to get out of here.”

  Flying down the stairs, the shouts and promises to slice off his nuts gave Shawn the speed of a cheetah. He was very fond of his nuts and planned to keep them exactly where they were. Doors above them slammed shut about the time he and Kat hit the front entrance. He shoved her out, exited behind her, and looked for something to jam the door. Kat unwrapped the chain from one handle, making an intricate weave through both handles.

  “Think that will hold them?” he asked, knowing in his gut it wouldn’t for long but genuinely impressed by the lady at his side. During the fight she’d remained calm and level-headed. No screaming and crying in the corner. Not to mention she had a killer right hook and some serious leg muscles.

  “Not for long, so let’s get out of here. Once we’re safe, call your friend Daines. I’ve no doubt those thugs killed Sara’s brother and I’m afraid they may have her.”

  Back at the truck, Shawn started the vehicle, prepared to hit the gas at the first sign of trouble, and called the police detective. He filled in his friend on what had happened in the warehouse and gave its location, hearing the sirens before the call even ended. Within minutes, two patrol cars were in sight. The first one continued down the alley to the intersection leading to the warehouse. The other stopped behind them, blocking the alley. Daines had said he’d send them protection and the man was true to his word.

  Both officers got out of the car. The driver hunched down, weapon drawn, ready for any danger. The other approached Kat’s window.

  “Mr. Randall, Ms. Jones, I’m Officer Jennings. They’ve got the warehouse surrounded now. Once they have it secure, Detective Daines will let us know. Until then, please stay inside your vehicle and my partner and I’ll keep you safe.” The young cop didn’t sound worried, so no reason why Shawn should be either. Right. The guy looked to be barely old enough to drive, and the most action he’d ever seen was probably during a video game. Hell, on second thought, the kid could be an expert sharpshooter.

  Relieved the immediate danger was over, Shawn leaned his head back. Used to being in danger from his job, he took it for granted that he could die young. Not that he wanted too. But this was a whole other type of danger, one he’d rather not experience again. Kat, on the other hand, reacted like an old hand at facing down death.

  She looked at him now with big, glossy eyes, trembling.

  Maybe not such an old hand after all.

  Shawn wrapped her in his arms and pulled her against him. “Shh, it’s all right, babe. It’s over. We’re fine and Daines was only a few blocks away. He’s probably got them all rounded up by now and is busy questioning them.”

  “We could have been killed back there. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have suggested we follow them.” With a feather-light touch she ran her finger over his split lip. “You got hurt and it’s all my fault.” Tears welled up in her eyes then spilled down her face.

  “Hey, I made the decision to go inside too. I’m fine. It’s just a little cut. You should see the other guy. He’s going to have the shiner of all shiners.”

  Her laughter filled the car and something deeper, warmer filled his heart. Man, does my timing suck.

  A shiver rippled through Kat, tugging at everything inside of him. Sliding his fingers under her hair to cup her cheek, he brought her face up to meet his. “Hey, it’s okay.” A tear slipped from the corner of her eye and he used his thumb to wipe it away. “Don’t cry. It’ll be over soon. We’ll find Sara, nail these thugs for the fires, and be on our way to new jobs before you know it.”

  The sound of a quick sob had his gut flinching. Inwardly he beat himself up for bringing up her new job. He’d had a niggling feeling all along that she wasn’t as crazy about leaving the agency as she stated. He remembered a year ago talking to her about the job and how much she’d loved it, saying it was the best job in the world and she couldn’t imagine doing anything else. But it was more than the words she spoke. It was the conviction, the passion, the spark that lit up her eyes as she talked about her work. He wondered what had taken place and stolen all that away from her.

  Her obvious pain pulled him in deeper. He’d been trying to keep his distance. Getting involved now could only lead to problems in a couple of weeks when he left. Those big brown eyes studied him. He watched as she held her tears at bay, pulled herself together, and slammed the professional demeanor back into place. His heart fell. Damn. He plunged ahead anyway, claiming her mouth with his. Her lips parted in invitation to take the kiss deeper, to taste her sweetness, and he dove in, lost to all but the woman in his arms.

  A knock on the car window brought reality and their location back to him. Pulling away, he spotted Daines. I don’t want to break the kiss, but hey, what are you going do when the police are knocking on your door?

  Together, all three walked the short distance to the warehouse, where several other official vehicles waited. Sitting in the back of an ambulance were the two teens who’d attacked them, cops standing guard over each. In the back seats of three other cars were the other teens, or at least some of them, they had been searching for. The one face Shawn hoped to see was missing.

  “Did you find Sara?” he asked Daines.

  “No and there’s no sign of her having been here. So far, all of the boys questioned say they haven’t seen her in days. Those two,” he pointed to the back of the ambulance, “claim you and Kat were following them, so they hid in here and you jumped them.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “Detective Daines, we—”

  The detective held up his hand, stopping her. “It’s okay, Ms. Jones, I know they’re lying. You should see the rap sheet on these guys. Too fucking young. A waste. Anyway, I still need you to give Officer Prescott over there your statements for the official reports. We’ll take them down to the station, see if we can get anything out of them before they lawyer-up. Maybe by Monday we’ll have this arson case of yours wrapped up as well as the death of Brian Wallis, Sara’s brother.”

  Leaving Daines to yell instructions to one of the younger patrol officers, Shawn and Kat headed over to give Prescott their version of what went down. An hour later and God only knew how many times they’d answered the same questions over and over again, they finally walked away from the scene. The warehouse had been searched from top to bottom by the crime scene team with no evidence of dirty deeds beyond drugs and alcohol having been consumed on the premises. No sign or word of Sara. If it were him, he’d have holed up with a friend from school to keep safe from both parents and these goons. He was hoping that’s exactly what the brave girl had done.

  Looking at another brave woman, his chest tightened. She’d been amazing today, never losing hope or focus as they searched one abandoned property after another, remaining calm as she f
aced off against an enraged teen with a lead pipe, and holding her patience while she repeated her answers to the young cop. Smart, tough, beautiful. Still, things could have gone a lot different up there. Worse, it could have been Kat who got hurt. The thought made his stomach flip.

  He reached down, grabbed her hand, and pulled her faster toward the car. “Come on, time for us to get out of here and do something fun.”

  After the sweet yet mind-melting kiss in the car Kat expected his idea of something fun to be more of a contact sport for two. She couldn’t have been more wrong. While she was a little, or a lot, disappointed, she was also excited. Standing in the waiting room with eleven others, plus Shawn, she sized up the opposition as the teen handed out vests and explained how to score in laser tag. When they divided up into two teams, Kat had a couple of teenagers on hers, plus three kids. She looked at the little guy, Aiden, who couldn’t have been more than five.

  The kid held the gun like a veteran player and told his dad, who was on the other team, he was going down. With that attitude, she felt the odds were in her team’s favor. Shawn was stuck with three parents and two giggling girls who were busy flirting with the boys on her team. Yeah, he got the short straw. The game attendant released them into a darkened room with black columns and a few boards to hide behind. The players scattered. The war began.

  Within seconds her left shoulder sensor went off, flashing from blue to white, indicating she’d been hit. Looking down at her gun she saw that Vega had tagged her. Movement from her right surged her into motion and so it went for the next twenty minutes: sensors flashing white, her gun letting off small whines registering hits and scores. Emerging from the play room, each player scanned their scores, seeing who led with the most and exchanging high fives amongst the winning team—hers (yeah, baby!)—while identifying their call signs. She scored two thousand points, not bad. Not the highest score, that went to Shark—the teen boy on her team—however not the lowest either. Shawn, aka Phoenix, snagged third.