THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH: A Suspenseful Action-Packed Thriller

by Nolan Thomas

  “Agreed,” said Jackson. “Casey and Riley are her primary targets. We’ve got two vehicles so let’s put them in separate cars. Billy and I will take Riley. Vince, you take Casey. That way each vehicle has a law enforcement official.”

  Before either Vince or Billy could respond, Casey walked up to them. “Absolutely not. There’s no way I’m going to be separated from Riley.”

  “It’s for the protection of both of you to be separated,” Jackson said. “If Dixon is in pursuit, it forces her to focus on just one of you. There’s a better chance that at least one of you will survive under that scenario. I must insist.”

  Although Riley was upstairs watching TV, Casey was careful not to raise her voice. Mustering all the sternness she could without volume she said, “I have committed no crime, so you don’t have the right to insist I do anything. I respect your opinion, but I will not be separated from Riley. Make whatever plans you need to make, but that child has been terrorized, and I intend to do everything in my power to make sure her suffering days are over. Have I made myself clear, Special Agent Jackson?”

  “What you’re doing is needlessly jeopardizing the child’s life.”

  The two glared at each other, neither willing to give an inch.

  “This argument is needlessly jeopardizing everyone’s life,” Billy said, stepping between them. Casey and Riley can ride in the back of your Explorer. I’ll drive. Vince can take shotgun. You take my Jeep, and cover us if that becomes necessary. In the meantime, you can call in reinforcements.”

  “Works for me,” Vince said.

  It wasn’t the optimum plan, but Billy was right. There was no time to argue.

  “Get the ammo together. I want everyone armed,” Jackson said. “Vince, you keep lookout. Casey, get Riley all set and make sure she’s ready to leave. We pull out in five minutes.”

  “What about Jeremiah?” Casey asked.

  Jackson said, “We have to assume Dixon has gotten to him. He’s on his own.”

  “We can’t just abandon him! We would be dead by now if he hadn’t helped us.”

  “Casey,” Billy said putting his hands on her shoulders. “He’s right. Jeremiah would be the first one to say Jackson was doing the right thing. He would do whatever it took to save Riley. If you were in Jeremiah’s shoes, what would you want us to do?”

  Tears welled in Casey’s eyes. Billy pulled her close. Vince watched, fighting the jealousy surging in him. He realized if there was ever going to be a future with Casey, he had to accept whatever bond held Billy and Casey together. He didn’t like it, but he knew that Casey would never shut Billy out of her life.

  Billy let her go and kissed her on the cheek. “Go. Get Riley. This is going to be tough on her. She needs you more than ever.”

  Wiping the tears, Casey nodded. Her throat was too constricted from sadness to say thank you, but her eyes told Billy everything he needed to hear. She headed upstairs to Riley.

  Billy turned to Vince and Jackson. “Something about this isn’t making any sense to me. We’re assuming that Dixon tracked down Jeremiah and found him at the BuyMart. If she found out about this place through her contacts, how would she know one of us was going to the store? Why wouldn’t she come directly here?”

  Before the others could comment, an explosion rocked the house.

  64

  THE WINDOW PANES AND DISHES shook from the force of the blast. Riley and Casey screamed. Billy and Vince ran up the stairs. Casey had pulled Riley onto the ground and covered her with her body.

  “Are you all right?” Vince screamed, running to Casey. She rolled herself off Riley, and Vince bent down and pulled Casey up into his arms.

  “I … I’m fine,” Casey said. “I think I’m just scared. What happened?”

  “I don’t know,” Vince answered as he lowered his left arm to allow Casey to put her feet back on the floor.

  Billy had scooped Riley into his arms and was already heading back down the stairs. She had her head buried in his chest and Billy could feel her heart racing.

  “What happened?” she said tentatively as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

  “I’m not sure Riley, but we don’t want to take any chances.”

  “Is the Monster coming for me?”

  “I don’t know. But if she is, there’s no way I’m going to let her hurt you.”

  With her arms already around Billy’s neck, she squeezed him even tighter.

  Vince and Casey reached the bottom of the stairs.

  “What happened?” Vince asked Jackson, who was at the back of the house, looking out through the kitchen window.

  “It looks like there was some kind of explosion and fire. I’m estimating it’s about half a mile away from here.”

  They all gathered in front of the window and looked.

  “Do you think it was some kind of gas explosion?” Casey asked.

  “I don’t like the fact that Jeremiah hasn’t come back yet, and there was an explosion in the neighborhood,” Billy said. “It’s too much of a coincidence for me.”

  “You and I are on the same wavelength,” Jackson said.

  “Why hasn’t Jeremiah come back?” Riley asked, grasping Billy’s neck even tighter. “Did the Monster set that house on fire just like she did the Judge’s house?”

  They all stared at each other, not knowing what to say. Riley had managed to succinctly voice their fears.

  Turning her head towards Billy, Riley said tearfully, “Has Jeremiah been hurt? He was just trying to protect me, just like Rocky tried to protect me.” She buried her face in his shoulder, sobbing. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for anybody to get hurt. It’s all my fault.”

  Casey reached out and gently stroked her on the side of her head. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Riley. Nothing is your fault. Let’s not jump to conclusions about Jeremiah. We don’t know where he is. He’s such a friendly guy, he might just be yakking it up with some friends at the store.”

  Riley’s face brightened as she lifted her head from Billy’s shoulder. “Yeah, he’s very friendly. I bet he has lots of friends up here. He probably just lost track of time.”

  “There you go,” Casey said. “I think you just might be onto something.”

  Looking up into Billy’s face, Riley said, “It’s okay to put me down now. I’m all right.”

  “What if I don’t want to put you down?”

  Billy grinned and gave her a big smooch on the cheek.

  Riley giggled and wiggled. “That tickles. Your face is all scratchy.”

  “Sorry,” Billy said, just before he planted a quick, fuzzy-faced peck on her cheek, and lowered her feet to the floor so she could stand.

  Casey smiled at Billy appreciatively, remembering just how Riley must feel. Billy did have a way of making you feel everything was going to be okay. All those years growing up together, all the different men in and out of her mother’s life, Billy was her rock.

  Billy walked back over to the other men.

  “To be safe, we have to assume it’s Dixon, and this area has been breached. We need to evacuate,” Jackson said.

  “Let’s assume you’re correct, and Dixon is behind Jeremiah’s disappearance and the explosion. How do we know this isn’t just part of some twisted plot of hers to get us to leave the house? In here, we’re fortified and we can watch our perimeter. If we walk out that door, we could be ducks in a shooting gallery,” Vince said. “I say we stay and call in reinforcements.”

  “If we’re assuming Dixon blew up that house as a way to get us to leave, why wouldn’t she just blow up this house? It doesn’t make any sense,” Billy said. “With one explosion she could have eliminated everyone who’s seen her, and the primary people working on the case. I think she doesn’t know where we are because we’re still alive.”

  “What about Jeremiah?” Vince asked.

  “If she did find Jeremiah, she had to do one of two things. She either killed him immediately, or she captured him to fi
nd out where Casey and Riley are,” Jackson said. “If she killed him, she might not have our exact location, and the explosion was in fact a way to get us to run so she can find us. She knows the kind of car Casey and Riley were last in.”

  Jackson continued, “If she kidnapped him, we have to assume that Jeremiah gave up the location, and she’s on her way here right now.”

  “But why would she blow up a house we’re not in?” Billy asked.

  “Perhaps Vince’s theory is right. She knows we’re fortified and we can watch our perimeter. Perhaps she thinks that’s too dangerous for her. If she’s still acting alone, we do outnumber her, and she knows the possibility exists for more backup. So far her victims were all taken by surprise. Now she has to deal with professionals trained to handle weapons and situations.”

  “No,” Billy said, pacing across the kitchen. “I’m not buying it. Jeremiah would never have given up our location.”

  “How could you possibly know that?” Vince asked.

  “I’ve known Jeremiah a long time. He’s a stand-up guy. No way he rolled over on us. He’d know he was a dead man either way.”

  “Billy, we believe her to be a professional assassin. Do you have any idea of the techniques she could use to make him talk? He may be a stand-up guy, but that doesn’t mean he could withstand torture or--” Jackson said.

  Billy interrupted, “He wouldn’t give up Riley.”

  “He might not have had a choice, Billy. What if she injected him with a drug? We know she has access. She used drugs on that young cop in the hospital,” Jackson said. “Bottom line—Jeremiah missing means we’re in danger. And the explosion nearby is too much of a coincidence for comfort. We’re never going to figure out what’s actually happened standing here. We’re leaving.”

  Former soldier Billy nodded, grabbed a local map Jeremiah had left on the counter, and said, “Let’s look for the best way out of here to avoid detection.”

  Billy and Vince studied the map intently while Jackson called for backup.

  65

  SIRENS FAINTLY SOUNDED IN THE distance. Rolinska moved quickly back through the dense trees, not knowing how long it would take one of these rural fire departments to get here. As she broke through the edge of the trees she spotted her car. She needed to get out of here. Killing Jeremiah would have to wait until she found another location. A shot to the head would do the trick.

  Approaching her car from the rear, the back of Jeremiah’s head wasn’t visible. Rolinska thought he had probably dropped his head to his chest in agony from the realization his friends were all dead. She walked up to the passenger side of her vehicle.

  “Son of a bitch!” She muttered.

  Jeremiah was gone.

  Rolinska shook off her frustration—now was not the time. The sirens grew louder as she moved to the driver’s side of the car and opened the door. Clearly the ropes had been cut. Had Jeremiah cut the ropes himself, or had someone rescued him? Rolinska deduced that unless the rescuer was an expert at picking car locks, Jeremiah had to be alone and on foot.

  With sirens blaring, fire trucks headed in the direction of the explosion. Rolinska peeled out, leaving the black-bear cutouts in the wake of her fishtailing. She speeded down the road, then made a sharp turn onto the next county road. As she came to an intersection, a fire truck and a county sheriff’s car passed on the highway in front of her. Rolinska turned onto the highway and followed behind them. About a quarter mile before they reached the explosion site Rolinska pulled her car off the side of the road, and came to a stop behind a small cluster of trees. She grabbed the tablet from her dashboard.

  Rolinska smiled. “Gotcha.”

  Jeremiah was just a little north and west of her current location. The signal remained stationary. Clearly he had decided to wait for the emergency vehicles to arrive. Rolinska had to reach him before Jeremiah ran for help. She climbed out of her vehicle and started tracking Jeremiah.

  All her training and instincts took over when stalking her prey as she moved swiftly and noiselessly through the trees and brush. Rolinska watched the signal as she closed in on him, getting close enough to make visual contact shortly.

  Jeremiah hadn’t made a break for the rescue workers yet, but that wouldn’t last long. Rolinska edged closer and closer to her prey, honing in on his position. According to the tracker she should be able to see him, but hadn’t made visual contact yet.

  Invigorated by the hunt, Rolinska would soon be victorious. Oddly, rather than anger, she felt a modicum of respect for Jeremiah. She had underestimated him, and he used that to his advantage to escape.

  Rolinska stopped and peered through the branches. She glimpsed Detective Amato’s leather jacket. Jeremiah hunkered down in the woodsy undercover, waiting for the right time to dash to his rescuers. Rolinska pulled her Grach from her jacket. In the chaotic aftermath of the explosion the shots would go unnoticed. Rolinska took a few steps closer and fired three times into the back of the jacket.

  Rolinska moved closer to verify her kill. Dismayed, she found Amato’s jacket spread over a bush close to the ground. The three bullets went through the jacket and penetrated the ground.

  Jeremiah was nowhere to be seen.

  66

  AS SOON AS JEREMIAH GOT out of the car, a massive explosion threw him to the ground. He instinctively covered his head with his hands. After a few seconds he looked up and saw the house burning. Jeremiah was shocked, even though he never believed the murdering bitch would save Riley.

  He’d had to play along with her, but he never expected her to blow up the place. He felt badly the house was destroyed, but grateful everyone was safe at his place. He hoped to God the Burkes had followed their usual routine. The well-to-do, middle-aged couple only came up to their place occasionally in the summertime to escape the heat.

  While in the BuyMart parking lot, Jeremiah’s brain went into overdrive. Why had Dixon come to BuyMart and not his house? She clearly didn’t know who he was because she needed his ID to find that out. The first thing she said was “nice jacket.” Surely Dixon wasn’t interested in his clothing style, and she demanded to know why he wore it. The jacket had to be significant. It was Vince’s jacket, not his.

  Jeremiah surmised Dixon had planted a tracking device in Vince’s jacket; the FBI limited access to the case because Dixon appeared to have someone inside the MPD. Was Vince that inside person, and not aware of it? Vince had spoken with Dixon, thinking she was a doctor. She had learned who Vince was, and that he was close to Casey and Riley. Dixon had planted a device on Vince in the hospital. Jeremiah would bet his life on it.

  It explained why Dixon didn’t pursue their Jeep. If Dixon had the connections the FBI suspected, she could run the Jeep’s plates to get Billy’s information.

  Jeremiah marveled at the brilliance of her tactical simplicity. She stayed close to the key law enforcement officers on the case, and followed them at a safe enough distance not to be seen. A cold shiver ran up Jeremiah’s spine. If he had worn his own jacket, the others would be dead.

  Jeremiah considered taking off the jacket, dropping it by the car, and running like hell. But Riley and the others were in danger. Instead he bolted for the edge of the tree line and kept running. Once Dixon got back to her car, and discovered he’d escaped, she might question whether Jeremiah had led her to the right house. Her people could run a property search in the area under his name. It was only a matter of time before Dixon found his house.

  The others needed as much time as possible. As the juicy mouse in this cat-and-mouse game, he needed to keep Dixon occupied. The Burke’s house was about a mile from his as the crow flies. He had wanted to lead Dixon farther away, but this was the only empty place he knew of.

  Jeremiah figured the explosion actually worked in their favor. If Dixon had gone inside she would’ve seen the ruse immediately. Now she wouldn’t suspect this location was a red herring until she found Jeremiah missing. Surely the others heard the explosion and saw the fire as well. Since
he hadn’t returned from the store, Jackson and the others wouldn’t chance these were coincidental events.

  This thought heartened Jeremiah as he moved further into the woods, hoping Dixon would follow him.

  When he got deeper in the woods, Jeremiah found a spot to leave Vince’s jacket. He hoped Dixon would think it was a good hiding place while he waited for the rescue workers to show up. He placed Vince’s jacket over a low thicket, thinking it would look like he hunkered down to hide. Satisfied with the ruse, Jeremiah turned and ran like a deer with men in blaze-orange jackets on his ass.

  His only advantage was that he knew the area and she didn’t. It wasn’t a whole lot of comfort, but as he ran through the woods, jumping over roots and fallen branches, it was all he had. He was in pretty good shape, thank God, but he knew at sixty he was no match for her. He had no doubts about her physical prowess.

  After a few minutes, Jeremiah stopped. Bending over with his hands on his knees he gasped for breath, needing a minute to rest. He sat on the horns of a dilemma. Which way should he go? He could head to his place and hook up with everyone. He could find a place to hide and wait for the dust to settle and flag down a rescue worker when they headed back in.

  Unfortunately, both choices were predictable, but he was just too damned tired to come up with something that wasn’t predictable.

  Then it occurred to him.

  67

  JEREMIAH RACED BACK IN THE direction of Vince’s jacket. He knew it was a long shot, but sometimes when a guy’s chips were low, he needed to go all in. Dixon wouldn’t leave her car at the Burke’s house, she would use it to follow the tracking device. He estimated Dixon’s car should be about twenty yards away. He kicked into high gear. If Dixon had already found Vince’s jacket, this plan would blow up in his face. If she hadn’t found it yet, he might have a chance. He was already living on borrowed time, so what the hell. Panting as he reached the edge of the trees, Jeremiah saw Dixon’s Taurus.