The Final Flashpoint

by Iona Morrison

  “No, not that I know of.”

  “I wonder why they were there last night.” Frank turned at the sound of the approaching car.

  “You and me both. I don’t know them well enough to know if they’re around to help or to cause problems.”

  “One question I can’t answer and know nothing about. Looks like reinforcements are here, and we’ll be starting soon. I’d better get Radar ready.” He turned to walk away.

  “Is he okay?”

  “More alert as time passes. He’ll be ready to find Matt. Radar likes him.”

  “I’m happy he does.” Jessie followed Frank over to the group of men standing near Dylan’s cruiser. They had a map out, and several flashlights were shining on it.

  “How are you holding up?” Dylan squeezed her hand. “Matt knows what he’s doing. He has great instincts.”

  Jessie gave him a wan smile. “Yes, he does.”

  “Kip sent me a text message. This is where the old abandoned flour mill is.” Dylan pointed to the area on the map. “We’re looking at about five to seven miles on foot. We can’t drive in, or we’ll alert them and take away the element of surprise.”

  “We walk in pairs and spread out across this area.” Sander’s hand moved across the area on the map. “They might be with him or watching us right now. Be careful and look out for your partner. With any luck, we’ll surprise them the same way they did us. If you see anything, call it in. You all have your radios.”

  Frank put the line on Radar. He bent down in front of him with Matt’s shirt. “Find our friend, fella. Let’s get to work.” Frank followed his dog, and Jessie and Dylan walked with him, guns ready.

  After walking a few miles, Jessie saw Amir straight ahead. Towering above him moved a magnificent creature of light. Amir’s hands rose to halt them. The angel flew back and forth blocking their entry deeper into the woods. “Something’s up. We aren’t supposed to move forward.”

  “What do you mean? We have to keep moving. Matt’s in there.” Dylan gave her a puzzled look.

  She explained about Amir, leaving out a few details. “It’s a warning to stay where we’re at. Matt would get it, but I don’t know how to tell the others.”

  Dylan called Sanders and explained what Jessie had told him. “What should we do? It’s your call, sir.”

  “We’ll wait.” Sanders put the call out on the radio to the others to hold in place until the all clear was given.

  ****

  Matt worked his hands free. It was almost as if someone had loosened the wires, but how could that be? Jessie had said the same thing to him in their last case. Damn, it was chilly. He rubbed his arms. Lifting the bag from his head, he squinted around the dark room. Faint moonlight filtered in through the cracks between the boards that had been nailed over the windows, and a thick shaft jutted down from the ceiling to end above a broken circular stone nearly three feet across. The old Cove Gristmill. He knew it. As a kid, he and his best friend Chad had explored this place many times. He pushed up slowly from the floor. His legs were shaky, and he stumbled several times on his way to the hidden door Chad had discovered years ago. He hoped it was still there.

  The pain in his side was terrible. His body trembled, but his mind screamed for him to get out quickly. The humming sound was louder. Matt rubbed his forehead. The ache in his head didn’t help. What was that sound? He should know it. He searched his memory in vain. Pain racked his body with each step. Instinct told him to get away from the mill and stay hidden but remain close enough to see them when they returned. Where had his captors gone, and why had they left him alone? He found the place where the plank siding of the mill was rotted and loose and slipped through it into the overgrown brush around the building. Think, Matt. Either Roth was stupid, or he was walking into a trap. He closed his eyes for a moment. It wasn’t making any sense. If Harry wanted him dead, he would be dead already. The delay was for a reason.

  Matt hunched down behind some bushes. By now, Sanders and the rest should be looking for him.

  Unless they’d moved back for safety…

  Hell! He jumped up to run. The explosion knocked him off his feet and rained pieces of the gristmill down on him, covering him with debris. In slow motion, his life marched in front of him. His past flittered like a ghost through his mind and crumbled into the brilliant light around him. Fear and worry dissolved into peace and that’s when he saw the beautiful creature. He must be dead. If this was heaven, why did he feel like hell?

  ****

  The ground moved beneath their feet, and a fireball brightened the early morning sky. “My God, we would have all been there when it blew,” Sanders called to Dylan over the radio. “Let’s move in with caution. Watch for our suspects in the area. Keep your eyes out for Matt. I’m not holding out much hope, but you don’t need to tell her I said that.”

  Jessie was stunned. He was there. An anguished cry escaped her lips before she could stop it. “Matt.” She took off running.

  Dylan caught up with her, grabbed her, and held her to his chest. “You can’t run in there Jessie. The suspects are waiting to pick us off. Use your head. You would know if Matt were dead. What is your heart telling you?”

  “I don’t know.” She shook her head. “How could he survive? You can still see the fire from here.” Jessie fought to hold herself together.

  “In your dream, did he die?” Dylan asked her.

  “No, but there was no explosion either.” The wail of sirens was getting closer. Sanders had called in the blast.

  “Listen with your heart. Matt is stronger than you think.” Dylan gave her a gentle nudge. “Let’s go find Matt. But carefully!”

  Dylan was right. Matt was still alive, and they had to find him. He could be injured. The acrid smell of the burning wood mixed with the stink of sulfur was strong in the air. Thick black smoke made the night seem darker.

  “Will Radar be able to pick up Matt’s scent with all the smoke in the air?” she asked* Frank.

  “I don’t know.” Frank shook his head. “We’ll see how he does as we get closer. We’ll find him, Jessie, don’t worry.”

  Dylan motioned for them to stop. “There’s a vehicle ahead. Stay back.” The agents checked it out and gave them the all clear. Two agents remained with the van in case the suspects returned.

  After walking several minutes more, they rounded a curve. Ahead, it looked like a war zone. What was left of the mill smoldered, and small fires burned among the broken boards. Shattered timbers and shingles littered the ground. How could he have survived? Roth had expected them all to be killed in the blast, Jessie was sure of it. He would have taken out Matt along with Sanders, Dickerson, and those who had been tracking him if Amir and the angel hadn’t stopped them.

  The angel and Amir had saved them. Jessie stopped. The scene in front of her was overwhelming. The air was oppressive, and there was an eerie silence except for the crackle of the burning building. Then, gunfire erupted, and Jessie dove for cover.

  Chapter 44

  Matt opened his eyes. The sound of gunfire was too close for comfort. The blast had sent him flying, and things were still a blur. Could he sit? He pushed rubble off his upper torso and managed to lift his body into a sitting position. He cleared the debris off his legs and moved them. They worked, but whether they would hold him upright was another question. He would know soon enough. Damn, everything hurt. Each breath was agony. He crawled over to a nearby tree. Holding on to the trunk, he pulled himself to a standing position with his one good arm. The pain that hit him made him briefly dizzy. Something had broken for sure. He rubbed his eyes with his good hand and blinked, trying to clear the image. The light temporarily blinded him.

  Rapid pops of gunfire erupted. It was close, too close. Matt took cover behind the tree. He grabbed a wooden slat from the ground and used it as a crutch. The tree helped to hold him upright. He could see a shadowy figure running toward him. The man fired off a round as he ran.

  If only he would come a lit
tle closer. Come on, man, just a little more. Matt waited, bracing himself against the tree and swung the plank full strength like he was swinging for a home run. It cracked against the shooter’s head with the solid sound of a base hit, and the man staggered to his knees. Slamming the man’s hand against the tree with what little strength he had left, Matt grabbed the gun and held it on him. A few more bursts of gunfire sounded before it was silent.

  “Don’t move.” The man froze on hands and knees. “I’d be happy to shoot you for what you’ve put me through tonight.”

  “Hell, you’re supposed to be dead.” The man lifted his face to look at him.

  “You move again, and you will be.” Matt couldn’t see the man’s face in the shadows, but from his size, he was sure it was Roth. “This night might turn out okay after all.” He bared his teeth in a grin. Give me just one reason not to shoot you.” He hoped someone got here soon; he wasn’t sure how much longer he could stand.

  “You’ll never make it. I can see you sweating.” Roth laughed hoarsely.

  “Shut the hell up.” Matt’s legs were shaking. “If I go down, you’ll die first.” His shoulders wanted to sag, and the hand holding the gun trembled.

  Radar rounded the tree, pulling Frank with him. “Matt’s over here. Jessie, over here.”

  “Hi, big fella, help me keep an eye on him.” The dog growled at Roth and Matt handed the gun to Frank before his legs buckled. Jessie tried to soften his impact as he dropped hard to his knees and knelt beside him.

  “Hi, sweetheart; it’s good to see you.” He grimaced as fresh pain spiked through him. “I wasn’t sure if I’d ever see you again.”

  “I never doubted you for a minute.” She brushed the tears from her eyes. “It’s all in night’s work for you. I see you got your man.”

  “I did. Hold me, would you?” His head dropped back against her arms. Jessie saw the light moving in and around Matt as she held him. He would live.

  “Frank, where are you?” Dylan called out.

  “Over here, we need some handcuffs and an ambulance.” Frank waved to him. “Matt’s alive, and he captured one of the suspects.”

  “I’ll be damned.” Dylan cuffed Roth. He radioed Sanders to tell him the news. “How are you?” He squatted down beside Matt.

  “I’ve been better, but I’m glad you’re all here.” Matt closed his eyes. “Take care of this scum, will you? I can’t wait to question him.” Matt squeezed Jessie’s hand. “What happened to the rest of them?”

  “Three are dead, and Sanders has the other one.” Dylan motioned for the paramedic.

  “Let’s take a look at you, Chief.” One of the medics held a light while the other inserted a drip line. “We’ll get you on your feet in no time, sir. The hard part will be to get you out of here to the ambulance.” Several of the officers lined up to help.

  ****

  By the time, Jessie had talked to the doctor and gotten to his room, Matt was sound asleep. She pulled the chair over by his bed and laced her fingers through his. He didn’t stir, and she didn’t want to let go. “I came close to losing you.” Her eyes roamed over the contours of his face, and her finger traced his lip with a feather touch. “I don’t know how you survived.” Jessie kissed his forehead. “A narrow escape is how the doctor described it.” She sighed. “How did you do it, sweetheart?” she whispered.

  Frank and Dylan walked into the room. “No ordinary day at the office,” Dylan said. “How is he?”

  “Sleeping and hasn’t stirred. Did you talk to the doctor?” Jessie glanced at them.

  “Yes. The doctor wants to keep him for a couple of days. I already know he’s going to fight it. He’ll want to question Roth. He’s lucky to be alive, and we’ll make him stay put.” Dylan leaned against the wall.

  “What else did he tell you?”

  “He has a couple of busted ribs and a broken collarbone. Painful, but not life threatening.”

  Jessie winced. “Painful is right. Is there anything else?”

  “He had one blow too many to his head this week. He has a concussion and will have a nasty headache for a few days. With his proximity to the blast, his hearing might be jacked up for a while. Add to all that the bruises and cuts from falling debris—you can see where I’m going with this.”

  “I can. I’m grateful he’s still with me.” She glanced at his sleeping face. “Where’s Tom?”

  “He’s at the station with Sanders. Tom still can’t believe they got in Matt’s house to get him.”

  “None of us know how they did it without one of us hearing him,” Jessie replied.

  “Roth hasn’t said much, but the other guy is singing like crazy. We had to get an interpreter. Once he got to the station, the suspect said plenty.”

  “What have you learned so far?” Jessie asked.

  “The idea was to use Matt as the bait to get the agents tracking them to the mill in time for the bomb to go off while they were near. They never thought Matt would get away—he was in a bad way when they left him.”

  “They didn’t account for Amir stopping us from moving forward.”

  “True, And the suspect said that some really scary things happened to them in the woods. I guess that’s why he’s talking. He’s afraid those demons are going to come after him again. The man was freaked. Honestly, I can’t wait to hear the rest of the story.” Dylan checked his text messages.

  “Sounds like our ghostly friends helped.” Jessie yawned. “I still wonder how they were able to carry Matt out of the house without us hearing them.”

  “The suspect was surprised no one put up a fight. They were ready to start shooting if anyone came out of their room.” Dylan shifted from one foot to the other. “The one having the hardest time is Tom. He thinks he blew his assignment, and there’s no talking him out of it.”

  “Maybe we weren’t meant to hear. One or all of us would be dead if we had.” She ran her hand through her hair. She had no idea if it was a mess. “How’s Radar?”

  “He’s good to go. Matt’s face lit up when he saw Radar. Matt was about done, and we arrived right on time.” Frank rubbed his chin.

  “I’m going take Frank back to get some rest. Tell Matt that his theory is proving to be right. We’re only beginning to scratch the surface of their main plan.” Dylan squeezed her shoulder. “I’ll be back later, if you want to go home to rest.”

  “I’m not leaving. I want to be here when he opens his eyes.” Jessie walked them to the door.

  “I figured you might. The doctor ordered something for pain and sleep. He’s going to be all right.” Dylan gave her a brief hug.

  “I know, but it was close, and I don’t want to let him out of my sight for a while. Be sure to fill Katie in on the details. I turned my phone off.” Jessie went back to Matt’s bedside.

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  The nurses checked his temperature and blood pressure with the change of the hospital shifts, and Matt slept through it all. At some point, Jessie did, too.

  ****

  “Good morning, beautiful.” His hand pushed her hair out her face. “You didn’t need to stay here all night, but it was nice to open my eyes and see you.”

  “I must look a mess.” She attempted to straighten herself.

  “Well, that would depend on how you define mess.” He grinned. “You’re one mess I wouldn’t mind waking up next to every morning.” He reached for her hand. “Could you kiss me? My movements are a little clumsy and tend to make me groan.”

  “I’d be honored to.” She leaned over him and kissed him, careful not to bump him.

  “You call that a kiss?” He wrapped his good arm around her and pulled her close. “I want a real kiss.” He proceeded to show her. “Now, I’m good.”

  She blushed, fanning her face. “You’re something, to coin a phrase from you. How do you have the energy?”

  “I’m alive, and happy to be. You haven’t seen anything yet. If you don’t want to embarrass a nurse when she walks in on us,
you’d better go home and come back rested. I have plenty of surprise moves. I’m alive, in love, and damn happy to see you.”

  Jessie smiled. “I’m happy to see you, too.” She kissed him again.

  “I don’t want to put a kibosh on this heartwarming scene, but you’re about to be joined by several agents and officers.” Dylan chuckled as he stuck his head in the door. “Although I was touched by the display, they might razz you a bit.”

  “See you later.” Jessie grabbed her phone and left the hospital room.

  “She’s a keeper.” Dylan sat in the chair by Matt.

  “She is what kept me going last night.” Matt glanced at his friend’s face. “I know you get it.”

  “I do.” Dylan tugged on the collar of his shirt.

  Matt adjusted his position and groaned. “I swear last night I had help getting my hands free.”

  “You’re going to hear many things in the next hour that boggle the mind.”

  “Like what?” Matt studied his friend’s face.

  “We would have all been at the mill when the bomb went off, but Jessie saw Amir ahead of us giving a sign not to move forward. I know there’s more to the story, but she’s not telling it. And Sanders let her stop us. Good thing! I’m still shaking my head over that one, and it’s the tip of the iceberg. Eat your breakfast.” Dylan stood as the nurse brought in his tray. “You’ll need your strength for what you’re about to hear.” He gave Matt a mock salute. “I’ll be back. I need to grab some coffee.”

  “Before you leave, thanks for keeping Jessie safe for me. I never realized until last night how afraid I’ve been of losing her.”

  “We all had someone looking out for us last night. Now get better so you can marry that girl.” Dylan chuckled and left the room.

  Matt finished his breakfast and laid his head back. No one needed to tell him it had been a strange night. He was alive, and he couldn’t begin to describe what had happened to keep him in one piece. He didn’t know how the kids had endured all the times the weapon had been used on them and whatever else was done to them. He winced when he changed positions. All he knew was that the strength to keep fighting had come from deep inside him. Reba was right—it had been there when he needed it.