by Nolan Thomas
“What happened?” Nancy asked. “It looks like she just disappeared.”
Jackson responded, “She knew the exact location of the camera, and the camera’s visual range as well. She just stepped out of range at the perfect location to make it appear as if she vanished.”
Jackson turned to Vince. “Let’s get out of here. We need to talk.”
“Okay.”
Vince leaned down and placed his hand on Nancy’s shoulder. “Great job. Make sure Detective Wilson here gets a copy so he can rush it over to DC’s Forensic Science Lab for a full analysis.”
“You got it,” she said.
“Wilson, get this to the FBI lab as well. Make sure they check lobby footage,” Jackson said. “See if we can see why the security guard left the front desk. ASAP.”
Jackson and Vince walked towards the door. Nancy Jones called to them, “Gentlemen.” They both stopped and turned towards her. “Get this son of a bitch!”
Both men nodded and walked out of the room.
“I don’t like what I saw on that video,” Jackson said.
“What do you mean? We know they escaped. That’s the first good news we’ve gotten all night,” Vince said. “I didn’t see any blood on Riley, and the nuns reported only one shot fired in the hallway.”
“Dixon got a look at the plates. She knows that Jeep belongs to Billy Daniels by now.”
“She finds out an investigative journalist is part of the mix. Even more reason to go after them,” Vince said.
“Yes. But I’m more concerned she didn’t attempt to stop the vehicle. She didn’t shoot. She didn’t commandeer another vehicle and pursue. That tells me she has other ways of tracking them down. There’s no way Dixon lets Riley and Casey Callahan live. Just look at how many people she killed tonight just to get at them.”
“Where are you going with this?”
“That tells me she has a one hundred percent degree of certainty she’ll find them. The only way to be that sure is access to an inside track,” Jackson said. “Maybe someone in MPD. Clearly she’s a highly trained assassin. She has to work for someone. We don’t know who she works for yet, but we do know we can’t trust anyone.”
“I hate to think there’s a bad cop out there,” Vince said. “But I can’t argue with your logic.”
Jackson continued, “And she’s smart. Did you see how she stepped right out of that camera frame?”
“Christ, it was almost spooky. Like we’re dealing with someone who’s not human.”
“That tells me she’s fully trained on security devices and surveillance equipment to a level that she was able to calculate the camera range on the spot. Dixon is not your run-of-the-mill assassin. I’m going to get what we have on that video over to Interpol and see if they can come up with anything for us.”
Jackson placed his hand on Vince’s shoulder. “From this point on, you only talk with me. I’ll let Captain Diaz know you’re working directly with the FBI until further notice. MPD and the FBI have a long history of cooperation. Nothing you know gets shared with anyone unless I tell you it’s all right. Dixon could have her people right here on-site, maybe even working one or more of the crime scenes.”
“Jesus,” Vince said, shaking his head. “What the hell are we up against?”
53
CASEY GUIDED RILEY UP THE open staircase to the loft bedroom. She pulled down the covers on one side of the queen-sized bed, and motioned for Riley to get in.
“Good thing you’ve already got PJs on.”
Riley took off Casey’s sweater and handed it to her. “Thanks.” She crawled under the cozy covers. “Can I have the remote and watch TV from bed?”
“Of course,” Casey said, handing her the remote next to the television.
“Can we leave a light on?”
“Done,” Casey said, switching on the lamp on the night stand.
“Will you stay with me, at least for a little while?”
Casey crawled into the bed beside her.
“This is where I’m sleeping tonight, too. Jeremiah said the girls get the upstairs and the boys get the downstairs.”
Riley turned on the TV and flipped through the channels. She stopped at The Andy Griffith Show.
“I love this show. Don’t you think Mayberry would be an awesome place to live?”
“Yes. I used to watch this when I was girl. Who’s your favorite character?”
Silence.
Riley didn’t answer because she had already fallen asleep. Happy that Riley was finally getting some relief from the nightmare she was living, Casey leaned over and kissed Riley on her forehead, and got out of bed. She left the TV on and headed downstairs to join Billy and Jeremiah.
“How’s the little one doing?” Jeremiah asked.
“Poor thing’s exhausted. She wanted to watch television, but fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.”
“Rest is the best thing for her now,” Jeremiah said. “Beer’s in the fridge. Help yourself.”
Looking across the counter at Billy, she said, “I don’t know what I would have done without you today. I think Riley and I would both be dead. Thank you.”
Billy was disquieted by her statement. “Thank me? You don’t need to thank me. You’ve been in my heart since that first night on the stoop when we shared your Snickers bar. I don’t think I could go on in this world if you weren’t a part of it. I get sick to my stomach when I think of how close I came to loosing you.”
No one was more surprised these words had come pouring out of Billy’s mouth than Billy himself.
Casey smiled at him, reached across the counter, and placed her hand over his. “Best thing I ever saw in my life was you running towards us.”
They sat across the counter looking at each other. Casey didn’t know what to say. She knew they loved each other, but she never realized until now just how deep their bond was. She couldn’t imagine a world without Billy in it either. They were closer than most brothers and sisters.
“Billy, get on over there and give this woman a big-ol’ hug. It’s better than words,” Jeremiah said, his own eyes tearing up as he thought of his sweet Gloria. These two were right. The world wasn’t the same. He missed Gloria as much now as he ever did.
Billy went over to Casey and opened his arms in a welcoming gesture. “The man’s got a point.”
Casey stood up and threw her arms around Billy’s neck. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and pulled her close.
He didn’t want to let her go. The danger she faced terrified him. Somehow holding her close like this sparked a temporarily insane fantasy she would be safe if he just held on to her.
“Excuse me, you two. I said a big-ol’ hug,” Jeremiah said looking at his watch. “You’ve now officially passed the hug stage and are moving into completely different territory. I hate to break up this love fest.”
“Oh Jeremiah, you’re such a stickler. Just because we have an assassin hunting us all down like dogs, you don’t have to get so bossy,” Casey teased as she sat back down on the stool.
Billy sat down next to Jeremiah. “You’ve been amazing in all this. You didn’t even have to get involved. You helped save Casey and Riley, and now you’ve put yourself at risk again by bringing us all here.”
Jeremiah waved off his comments with his arm. “Ah, it’s no big deal.”
“No. Billy’s right, Jeremiah,” Casey said. “You’ve been wonderful, and there’s only one way I can think of to express my gratitude.”
“A big-old hug!” Billy and Casey said in unison as they both threw their arms around him. A tear rolled down Jeremiah’s cheek as he put his arms around them in a giant embrace.
“Hey, hey. That’s enough of this warm-fuzzy shit,” Jeremiah said. All three laughed.
54
“I’M GOING TO CALL VINCE and let him know where we are. Hopefully they’ve made progress on their end, and this nightmare can end,” Billy said. Casey and Jeremiah nodded.
“When you’re finish
ed, I want to talk with him,” Casey said.
Jeremiah saw the flash that crossed Billy’s eyes, and wondered why Billy couldn’t see he was madly in love with Casey—not as a sister, but as the love of his life. He suspected Casey was as much in love with Billy, as he was with her. He’d put money on it. They’d been looking at each other as just friends for so long, neither could recognize their feelings had changed.
Billy called Vince.
“Jesus, it’s about time you called. I know Riley and Casey are with you. Are they okay?”
“They’re fine.”
“Where are you? I didn’t want to call you or Casey because I didn’t know what your circumstances were. I figured the last thing you might need is a phone ringing.”
“Good thinking. We’re at a place Jeremiah has in the mountains, about an hour outside Washington. I think we’re safe here, for a while at least.”
“A whole lot has happened on this end you don’t know about.”
“Just a minute. Jeremiah and Casey are right here. Let me put you on speaker so you can update all of us.”
Billy walked back to the counter and sat down. He placed the cell phone in the center of the counter between them and activated the speaker. “Go ahead, Vince.”
“Casey, say something,” Vince said, worry clearly filling his voice.
“I’m okay, Vince.”
Billy rolled his eyes at Jeremiah.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t have my phone on when you called. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me.”
Incredulous, Billy questioned, “You didn’t have your phone on? You didn’t have your fucking phone on?” Billy took a deep breath. “You knew someone tried to kill Riley. Casey was with her at the hospital. An armed guard was needed to protect them—and you didn’t have your phone on? What the hell kind of cop are you anyway? They could have been killed!”
“Billy. Stop it!” Casey demanded.
“He’s right, Casey. It was incredibly stupid of me. Billy, I’m grateful you were there.”
Billy started to say something, but Jeremiah caught hold his arm, indicating he wanted to say something. “We all make mistakes. We learn from them and move on. What do you have for us, Vince?”
“I’m assigned directly to the FBI now for the duration of this investigation. The Feds are convinced Kathryn Dixon is not your run-of-the-mill assassin. She left a wake of devastation here at the hospital. She murdered four people.”
“We know about Officer McGuire and Sister Clarisse. Who else did she take out?” Billy asked.
“Another MPD Officer, moonlighting at the hospital as a security guard, and a lab technician.”
“Jesus,” Jeremiah said.
“Clearly you’re all in significant danger. The FBI suspects Dixon may have contacts inside MPD. That’s why I’m assigned to them, to keep the circle of people with information small, and avoid leaks. We saw Dixon on a surveillance cam. She got your plates. By now she knows who you are, Billy, and even money says that’s not good for any of you.”
“Jesus, this just keeps getting worse,” Jeremiah said.
“I hate to tell you this, but we don’t know where she is,” Vince said. “We do know she entered the hospital again. She murdered a lab technician after you left the parking lot.”
“Why in God’s name would she come back to the hospital and murder someone?” Casey asked.
“We think she wanted to get information from the crime scene. You know, see what she could find out. The theory is she killed the lab tech to disguise herself and assume an identity that would blend in. There’s no doubt we have a stone-cold, extremely well-trained psychopath on our hands.”
“Jeremiah and I monitored the rearview mirrors all the way here. I checked the grounds when we got here. We weren’t followed.”
“That’s good, but you can’t let your guard down for a minute. Do you have any weapons?” Vince asked.
“Yeah. I’ve got a Sig 226,” Billy said.
“I’ve got a 12-gauge semi-automatic Remington I keep here,” Jeremiah said.
“Good. Keep them handy.”
“Where are you now?” Billy asked.
“I’m in a hotel room with Jackson. He’s the Fed I’m reporting to. Kathryn Dixon knows who I am, too. She was there when I came to see Riley and Casey. I talked with her and didn’t have a clue she was a fake doc.”
“I know,” Casey said. “I watched from across the hall. She came up with that cover-story lie instantly. She’s smart.”
“That’s an understatement,” Vince said. “Based on some of the things we’ve seen, brilliant is a better description. Anyway, under the circumstances, Jackson didn’t want me near my place tonight.”
“Do the Feds have any idea who she is?” Billy asked. “Someone this talented didn’t just appear on the scene. She’s done other jobs prior to this.”
“The FBI is looking into this. They’ve got the CIA and Interpol looking into who she might be as well. It’s been a rough day for all of us. As much as we can, let’s all try to get a little shut-eye. Tell me how to get to Jeremiah’s place. Jackson and I will head out first thing in the morning.”
Jeremiah gave him directions.
“Wait,” Casey said. “Is there any way you guys can stop at one of those twenty-four-hour BuyMarts or some store like that? Riley is dressed in pajamas from the hospital. Some clothes would be great. I’m sure she’s going to feel awkward in her PJs around so many people. She doesn’t really know any of us that well. Jeans would probably be best. She needs a jacket as well.”
“No problem, Casey. Is there anything else you guys need?”
“No. We’re good,” Jeremiah said. “Give us a call when you turn onto the county road. You’ll be about fifteen minutes away at that point. That’ll give us a heads up that it’s you so we won’t accidentally shoot you boys.”
Everyone got a chuckle out of Jeremiah’s comment.
“Good plan,” Vince said. “You guys stay safe. Call me if you need anything.” He also gave them Jackson’s phone number. “See you in the morning.”
“Vince,” Casey said. “Wait.”
She picked up Billy’s cell phone and took the call off speaker. “Be careful, Vince. It will be good to see you tomorrow.”
Her voice was soft and low as she spoke. Billy walked away thinking it best not to listen. Their situation was too dangerous for him to let his jealousy get in the way. Besides, Vince was a good guy. Casey could do a lot worse.
As soon as Casey finished with her call, Billy said, “It’s been a long day. Let’s try to get some sleep. We can take shifts to stand guard.”
“Sounds good,” Casey said. “I’ll take the first one. I’m a night owl anyway.”
Jeremiah chuckled. “I usually have to take a leak during the night, so I could take the middle shift. Of course with the size of my prostate, I could take any shift. Urinating seems to have become my new pastime.”
“Well, I’m a reporter, and we all know the early bird gets the worm, so I’ll take the sunrise shift.”
Jeremiah went over to a closet door at the far end of the kitchen. He pulled out his semi-automatic Remington and chambered the first round. He walked over to Casey and sat the shotgun on the counter next to her.
“This is loaded and ready to fire. Be careful. Don’t pick it up unless you intend to use it.”
“I don’t know how to use a gun.”
“Hold it like this.” Jeremiah demonstrated the proper position and hold. “Just point in Dixon’s direction and pull this trigger right here. If it knocks you on your ass, get up and pull the trigger again and again. One trigger pull is one shot. This should stop anything coming your way.”
Casey looked unsure, but knew she had to do whatever it took to protect them.
“Don’t worry about reloading. Billy and I will be fully awake by then and take over. You get to Riley. She’ll be scared.”
“People like Dixon don’t usually travel with reinforcem
ents,” Billy said. “Stealth is their game. Wake us up if you see or hear anything the least bit suspicious. Otherwise, wake Jeremiah at two. I’ll take over at five.”
Billy pulled out the sleeper bed. As the bed opened up, Billy saw blankets and pillows inside. Sheets were already on the bed.
“They’re clean,” Jeremiah said, walking over to help.
Billy sat on the edge of the bed and started to kick off his shoes.
“Oh no you don’t Mr. Big Shot Reporter. That’s my side of the bed.” Jeremiah stood next to the bed, motioning with his thumb for Billy to get up.
“Seriously?
Jeremiah nodded. “Yep.”
Amused, Billy asked, “What’s the big deal?”
“The big deal is that I’ve been sleeping on the right side of the bed for about thirty years longer than you, and I’m in no mood to start breaking that habit tonight.”
Billy stood up and started to walk around to the other side of the bed. He dug into his pocket and pulled out a quarter. “I don’t suppose I could flip you for it?”
“Flip this,” Jeremiah said, proudly extending his middle finger.
All three of them burst out laughing. Not just chuckling, but side-splitting, almost pants-peeing, stress-induced laughter. Billy and Jeremiah rolled on the bed holding their sides. Casey sat in the chair across from them.
“You do both realize this is incredibly immature and not really all that funny,” Casey gasped, barely able to get the words out through her convulsions.
“I know,” Billy snorted, tears streaming down his face.
Jeremiah spoke in a laughter-choking, high-pitched squeal, “You might not think that was funny, but this is hysterical!”
He farted.
The three of them collapsed in side-splitting laughter the way only small children do. None of them knew what was in store, but where there is laughter—there is hope.
ROLINSKA SETTLED IN for the night. Detective Amato, along with the tracking device she planted on him, was tucked away in a hotel room with FBI Special Agent Jackson. Rolinska occupied the room across the hall from them. She only needed to get a good night’s sleep, and wait for Detective Amato to lead her to Riley and company.