Against the Odds

by Tori Carson

  “Your brother encouraged that theory. It would have given him access to your trust fund,” Sid explained. “What did you do next?”

  “I was so freaked out. I had no illusions that my brother was a nice guy, but I hadn’t thought he was capable of murder. When I saw a police officer on the street I thought the nightmare was over. I begged him to make sure everyone was out. Instead he threw me into the back seat and drove me to the warehouse district. He parked down some alley. I almost convinced myself I’d entered The Twilight Zone. Sometimes, I don’t think I ever left it.”

  “Which warehouse? Was it one of yours?” Sid sounded intrigued.

  She shook her head. “I was so scared. I had no idea where I was or what to do, but my fight or flight instinct was in full swing. When he came to the back door to open it, I kicked out with both feet as hard as I could. He hit the building and I took off running. I heard him yelling behind me, but I didn’t slow down until I was several blocks over. Eventually I went up a fire escape and sat on the roof of a building. Once the sun came up, I planned how to get out of town.”

  “Are you sure it was a cop?”

  Great, she’d probably just offended the only possible ally she had. “He was in uniform and driving a cop car.” Okay, that came out pretty damn snarky.

  “What’s on the laptop?” Sid changed directions with his questioning, throwing her off guard.

  “Not enough. Just copies of emails and screencaps from social media sites, messages, that sort of thing. He’s pretty brazen, especially on Twitter.”

  “How do you have access to his emails or messages?” Sid’s voice had taken a softer tone again.

  “He hasn’t changed his password, or not significantly, in all these years. I’ve found several accounts that I know are his.” She watched him carefully as she let go of another secret. “Once I tried sending the information anonymously to the FBI. If they’d acted on it, they could have saved twenty-one women. He calls them bolts, like bolts of fabric. Since all the manufacturing is now done overseas and bought in significantly larger quantities than that, it wasn’t hard to figure out. But instead of stopping him, they showed up on my doorstep, searched my apartment and I was back on the run again.”

  Her head was pounding and her arm, under the cast, was itching, small inconveniences in the big picture, but just one more reminder of her current predicament. She had no idea where her purse was, and if she found it chances were Sid wouldn’t allow her to root around inside it for Advil. No matter how good his arms felt, he was still some sort of cop and she was still his prisoner.

  “Was it Cheryl Teague was talking about?” She wished her voice had sounded stronger. Appearing weak was rarely beneficial.

  “I’m afraid so. We still don’t know if she was working with them or just collateral damage.”

  She snorted. “Yesterday I would have said collateral damage but then you found her computer password-protected. I don’t know what to think now.”

  Alexa moved off Sid’s lap and sat at the far end of the couch. Taking comfort from his touch seemed like a foolish habit to get into. “So what happens now?” she asked softly.

  “I’m going to get you some Advil,” Sid told her, before standing and walking to the door.

  She looked at him sharply.

  “You keep rubbing your temples. I figured you have a headache. I’m also going to talk to my boss and get us the hell out of here.”

  * * * *

  Sid pulled up outside Alexa’s apartment with Sammy and Teague in tow. It pissed him off to have babysitters, regardless of the fact that they were his two best friends. The chief hadn’t been amused with his disregard for policy. He was lucky to have walked out of there with his badge and gun in place and Alexa on his arm.

  “Stay here. We’ll only be a few minutes,” Sid told his friends.

  Alexa had shied away from Teague and remained silent since they’d gotten into the black NBIA Suburban.

  As Sid held the door for Alexa, Teague added his two cents. “Yeah, I know your idea of a ‘few minutes’. Don’t take all day, man. We’re supposed to meet up with the detective handling the toss job on your place in less than a half an hour.”

  Sid flipped him off as he and Alexa went up the stairs to her apartment. “Are you doing okay?”

  Alexa nodded as she searched in her purse he’d returned to her.

  “Are we okay?” he asked softer, slightly surprised he’d voiced his real concern.

  She faltered on the steps and shot him a quick glance before answering. “You can drop the pretense, Sid. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”

  “I’ll tell you what I know… You didn’t kill anyone, Alexa. The murders were a crime of opportunity and rage. It doesn’t fit your personality at all. Your brother had a good attorney and he used your disappearance to muddy the investigation, but his luck is about to turn.” Sid carefully considered how to phrase his thoughts. “Alexa, I’ve got your back. You’re not alone anymore. We’re going to see this through together.”

  One quick nod was the only response he received, and frankly her silence was killing him. He’d never felt like he had so much to lose.

  He took the keys she pulled out of her handbag and opened the door for her. After a quick look inside, he was relieved to see everything was neat and orderly. Apparently Hackman hadn’t uncovered her address yet. Probably because Cheryl hadn’t known it to give him. It was only a matter of time though. “Grab your get away bag. You won’t be back here for a while,” he ordered after they’d entered the apartment.

  Without saying a word, she went to the closet, shoved a wood panel out of the way and removed a duffel bag. She carried it into bathroom, unzipping it as she went.

  Sid watched her kick the door closed then heard another one open. He assumed it was a linen closet because he had the only exits in sight.

  Alexa gasped and something dropped to the floor.

  Instinctively, Sid pulled his Sig Sauer from his shoulder holster. “Alexa?” he shouted. His heart rate doubled when she didn’t respond.

  A moment later, the door swung wide and Hackman nudged Alexa into the room. He had a gun shoved against her temple and his arm across her chest, locking her beside him.

  Son of a bitch. He should have checked the apartment before he let her out of his sight. Damn it. “You don’t want to do this.” Sid tried to reason with Hackman.

  “I don’t want a problem with you, Townsend. Do as I say and we’ll all walk out of here in one piece,” Hackman told him.

  That he knew Sid’s name didn’t bode well. That Sammy and Teague were parked right outside was their ace in the hole. If Sid could stall long enough they’d have help. “Let her go.”

  “Not happening. This girl is pure gold. You’re not just another sorry-ass bolt are ya, honey? I learned that from the files on your desk.” Hackman snickered. “Did you know your boyfriend here is a cop who plans to arrest you for murder?”

  “Sounds better than what you have planned for me,” Alexa shot back.

  “Life sucks, honey. Get used to it. So, Townsend, since you clued me in to her true value, I’m feeling generous. If you put down your weapon and kick it to me, I’ll let you live. What’s it going to be?”

  Sid knew Teague and Sammy would be watching the door and would respond as soon as Hackman left the apartment. “Just don’t hurt her.” Sid bent down and slid his pistol straight toward Alexa.

  As soon as Sid’s fingers released the grip, Hackman turned his weapon on Sid.

  Alexa screamed, “No,” and tried to pull Hackman’s arm away. The bullet’s impact spun Sid around. He couldn’t breathe, and it felt like his chest was on fire. He crashed into Alexa’s coffee table, tipping it over as he hit the ground.

  He forced air through his aching lungs and reached for his second pistol tucked into the small of his back. As he scrambled to face Hackman, he heard three shots ring out and a body hit the floor.

  Oh God! He turned, expecting the wor
st, but instead Alexa sat on the ground with Sid’s Sig Sauer in her hands. Hackman had a hole in his throat and was slumped against the wall bleeding out.

  Just as he reached Alexa, Teague and Sammy came through the door with guns drawn. “Check out the rest of the apartment, make sure it’s clear,” Sid ordered, afraid of any more surprises.

  Alexa sat staring at Hackman. Her hands were shaking so badly, Sid was afraid she’d hurt herself. “It’s okay, baby,” he whispered as he carefully pried her fingers from his weapon. He pulled her into his arms, turning her away from the gruesome sight. “Thank you, Alexa. You saved my life.”

  “We’re clear,” Teague yelled out.

  Sammy caught Sid’s attention. He motioned that Hackman was dead and that he was going call it in.

  “I couldn’t let him kill you.” She began to sob. “You did what he asked and he still tried to shoot you.”

  “He did shoot me.” Sid pulled back and showed her the hole in his shirt and the marred area on his vest.

  Alexa’s eyes grew wide and her hand covered her mouth as she whispered, “Oh my God.”

  “It hit the vest, baby. I’m okay.” He smiled. “If you hadn’t reacted, he would have killed me.” Or kept trying anyway. He wanted to ease her conscience if possible.

  Blood from Hackman was seeping across the tile nearly to Alexa’s shoes. She drew her legs back and tried to scramble away. Sid picked her up instead and carried her past the body. The apartment was so small there was no place he could take her to shield her from the sight.

  “The local PD is going to be here any minute. We need to get her someplace safe. Finish packing, Alexa.” He urged her into the bathroom to finish getting her things as he made the phone call to his boss.

  Once he’d reported in, he returned to her.

  “Sammy, the old man is going to text you with an address to a safe house. Get her there ASAP.” Sid turned to Alexa and cradled her head in his hands. “Go with Sammy, baby. I promise he’ll keep you safe. I’ll be there just as soon as I can.”

  “I want to stay with you,” she pleaded with tears in her eyes.

  “The local cops can’t know you were here, baby. They’d ask too many questions we just can’t afford to answer right now. Trust me, please. Sammy’s a good guy. He’ll keep you safe.” He waited impatiently, knowing every second counted now.

  From the doorway, Sammy took a good look at the stairwell and surrounding area before he motioned Alexa to follow him out.

  “Alexa?” Sid stopped her. “Promise me you’ll stay with Sammy until I can get there.”

  She gave him a quick nod then started to leave.

  “No, say it out loud.” He was suddenly panicked that if he let her leave now, he’d never see her again.

  “I promise, Sid.”

  Chapter Ten

  Alexa sat huddled in the back of the large SUV as Sammy drove her to the safe house.

  “Was that the first time you’ve ever had to kill someone?” Sammy asked, ending the silence.

  “Yeah.” She didn’t want to talk about it. Talking about it made it real.

  “Hackman was a straight-up killer, Alexa. He knew Sid was in law enforcement. To someone like Hackman, that meant Sid had to die. Only one of them was walking out of that apartment. Personally, I’m glad it was Sid.” Sammy kept watching her in the rearview mirror.

  “How long have you worked with Sid?” Alexa had to change the subject before she started crying again.

  “We were in the Marines together, did our graduate studies at Quantico, received our yellow bricks together too. But that’s not what you really wanted to know, so stop hedging and just ask,” Sammy urged her.

  No it wasn’t, but even that little bit of information hit her hard. Sid had a master’s degree and she hadn’t even finished high school. The differences between them were greater than she’d thought. A few years back she’d bought forged papers so she could take some college courses, but that was a far cry from graduate school.

  Sammy seemed willing to talk and she decided to take advantage of it. “Sid used a cover story when we met. I don’t blame him. I wasn’t upfront with him either, but I don’t know how much of it was real and how much of it was a lie.” Somewhere along the line, she’d fallen for Jacob. It was stupid considering how little she actually knew about the man. She hadn’t meant for it to happen, but there was no denying the way she felt.

  “You want to know if he was playing ya?” Sammy glanced back at her. “That’s not Sid’s style. He’s always been a little too by the book for that. If he told you he cares for you, he means it.”

  “I’m pretty sure he took riding lessons and rented a horse to arrange our first chance meeting,” Alexa pointed out as they circled the same residential block for the second time.

  “Actually, it was my rig. I can’t tell ya how much fun it was to teach him how to ride. I honestly worried he wouldn’t be able to walk the next day.” Sammy laughed. “He was determined to make a good show of it.”

  Sammy turned down an alley and parked the SUV. “Look, Alexa, I need to hop that fence and get the keys. I really don’t think you’re up for that.” He sighed as if he wasn’t pleased with his options. “I’m going to lock the doors. If you take off, the alarm will blare and I’ll have to chase your ass down. I’m not in the mood so do me a favor and just sit tight.”

  “I’m not going anywhere. I’m tired of running,” she answered honestly.

  Sammy took the keys and locked the doors before jumping over the fence.

  Alexa knew she should run. Odds were good she’d end up in jail when all this was through. She got the impression from Teague he’d like to personally lock her up and throw away the key.

  It didn’t matter. She didn’t have the energy to outrun her past any longer. She was exhausted both mentally and physically. Alexa leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes. Foolish. All she could see was Hackman and that huge gun of his pointed straight at her face. She shivered. She’d been so afraid of what Sid would do. Her death didn’t matter. In some ways, it would’ve been a relief, but she knew Sid wouldn’t allow that to happen without a fight.

  She couldn’t live if Sid were injured or killed because of her. Danny, her brother, was never going to stop searching for her. She had no idea why he hated her so much. A couple of years back he’d had her declared dead, granting him full access to her trust fund. She’d hoped he’d leave her in peace, but that hadn’t happened.

  Alexa jumped as the locks unlatched and Sammy took the driver’s seat. He didn’t say a word as they slowly left the alley and pulled onto the street. Nearing the third house on the block, Sammy aimed a clicker out of the window. He then pulled the SUV into the garage, closed the door again and exited the vehicle.

  After finding Hackman hidden in her apartment, she was a little hesitant to walk into a strange house. That fear galled her. She’d let it run her life for so long now. She grabbed her satchel and followed him in through the kitchen entrance.

  “Stay here. I’m going to check the rest of the house,” Sammy ordered.

  As she waited, she wondered, if she managed to evade jail, would she still be forever on the run, always looking over her shoulder? What kind of life was that?

  “All clear,” Sammy yelled from the back of the house.

  She didn’t know what that meant, but there wasn’t any sense of panic in his voice so she assumed everything was fine and took a seat on the couch.

  When Sammy came back into the room, he took a seat opposite her. For a few awkward moments, she sat staring at her hands while she felt Sammy’s eyes scrutinizing every inch of her.

  “Say what’s on your mind,” she demanded, unable to take the silence any more.

  “Sid’s going to take the fight to your brother’s doorstep. Where do your loyalties lie, Alexa?”

  Surprised by his question, she lifted her chin and met his gaze. “Not with Danny, if that’s what you’re afraid of.” She didn’t trust the NBIA though
either. Teague didn’t seem to care that she was innocent. He seemed more concerned with closing a case than finding justice. As far as she could tell, he figured she was wanted for murder, therefore, she was guilty of murder. If only life were that black and white.

  “That wasn’t the answer I wanted to hear,” Sammy told her solemnly.

  “What do you want from me?” She refused to lie just to make him feel better.

  “Sid and I have been through a lot together. I’ll always have his back whether he thinks he needs it or not.” He continued to stare at her without even blinking.

  If she’d had something to hide, his behavior would have unnerved her. “I’m glad. He’s a good guy. And if he’s going after my brother, I hope he has a loyal army at his back.”

  “Do you love him or is he just a convenience?” Sammy asked, pulling no punches.

  She snorted in the most unladylike fashion. “None of this has been convenient.” Alexa had no intention of discussing her feelings with anyone except, possibly, Sid. It didn’t feel right to share those details with someone else.

  “You didn’t answer my question,” Sammy pointed out.

  “That’s between me and Sid. I’ve only known him a short time and most of that was full of lies and cover stories.”

  “I don’t know if Sid ever mentioned it or not, but I’m part Native American. My people believe in soulmates. Listen to your heart, Alexa. It knows the truth.”

  That was the first time Sammy had mentioned his heritage. “Not to be flippant, but how would I know what the truth is? I’ve never felt real love before. Betrayal is the only thing I’ve ever found. Considering all the lies between us, it doesn’t seem like Sid is any different.”

  “Don’t let your head or logic get in the way. Love is never logical, but if your instincts aren’t telling you Sid is the one, then don’t play around with him.” Sammy grew very solemn. “You don’t want me for an enemy, Alexa, and if you harm Sid, I’ll be your worst nightmare.”