Although he had the expensive, casual look of Seattle’s tennis club, he was dead serious. He grabbed her elbow. “No, you made the mistake when you started sticking your fucking nose into my business.”
Grayce rolled to the balls of her feet, ready to chop her hand with a full force Tenkai move to dislodge his forearm.
His grip tightened. “Don’t try anything or you won’t see the poodle. And I won’t say it again. Get in the car.”
“Where’s Mitzi?”
“Gator has the dog. And if you behave yourself, it will be safe.”
She slid onto the passenger seat. She might have escaped by using her Aikido, but she couldn’t let anything happen to Mitzi.
“What do you want from me?”
“Why have you been following me?”
“Following you? I don’t even know who you are.” She sounded desperate, almost hysterical.
“Listen, this day will get worse for you if you don’t stop lying, bitch. Get me?”
“I’m not lying. I haven’t been following you.”
“Who was the solider with you in the jungle?”
“You were in the jungle?” The sensation of looking over the edge of a precipice hit her behind the neck and knees.
“All I have to do is call Gator, and he’ll hurt the dog. So start again and tell me the truth this time.”
“I want to see Mitzi before I tell you anything.” Grayce noted that he drove over the Montlake Cut and merged onto 1-5 south. She had left her phone in her purse with Mrs. Leary. She wondered how long it would take Mrs. Leary to call Hollie or the police.
“I’m not taking any chances with you fucking with my plans.”
“How could I interfere with your plans? I don’t know you or what you’re doing.”
She had been gripping the seat tightly, trying to master the primeval terror racing along her nerves.
He picked up one of her fingers and bent it backward slowly. Intense, agonizing pain shot through her hand. Her fingers were extremely sensitive. It was as if this madman knew precisely how to hurt her.
“Cut the bullshit. I’ve had enough of your type of manipulative snooping for a lifetime. If you don’t want the fucking poodle hurt, stop faking all the innocent crap.”
“Let me see Mitzi.”
“You want to see Mitzi?” He picked up his cell and showed her a picture of Mitzi—with a knife to her throat.
She felt nauseous. “How do I know that you haven’t already hurt her?”
“You’ll just have to trust me.”
“Where are you taking me?”
“So many questions. You never stop, do you? I’m taking you for a little show. You’re going to be impressed. Fireworks on Pier 69.”
“To the waterfront?” There’d be hundreds of tourists at the waterfront. Escape should be easy, then she’d call Davis, but what would happen to Mitzi?
“I’m not taking you to the goddamn waterfront.”
“Pier 69 is on the waterfront.”
“Fuck, you are just like my meddling mother. Treating me as if I’m some dumb shit. I know the location of Pier 69.”
She could feel his seething rage toward his mother, now directed toward her. And she was trapped in this car. Were they drug dealers? Grayce couldn’t remember much of what Hollie had said about Gator except that he was brutal and despicable. She had been right. Gator was her pursuer and had tampered with her brakes.
“You work for Gator?”
“That’s a joke. Gator works for me.”
“I don’t understand. I’ve only met Gator at Teen Feed when I was looking for a missing woman. What do you want with me?”
“Why was the solider with you in the jungle?”
Was it Angie that they wanted? Angie didn’t have any memory of where and what she had done. Had she gotten involved in something criminal? Whatever Angie had gotten herself into, Grayce knew this guy was deadly.
“I was looking for a missing woman, but I’m not involved with law enforcement. I’m a veterinarian.”
“I know who you are, Dr. Walters. The perfect Dr. Walters.” Again, the chilling sneer in his voice. “Graduated with honors from Cornell. Yes, I know all about you. And you just love meddling into other people’s business.” His perfect teeth, gleamed bright white, like out of a toothpaste commercial. “Now tell me who the solider was and why you were searching in the jungle.”
Their searching for Maddy had caused this disaster. They found only the map of Jack Block Park and kitty litter. Her heart thudded harshly against her chest with the dawning realization. This insane man was a terrorist and “fireworks” would be happening on Pier 69.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Davis kept watching the clock on the far wall. He was trapped in his second official Fusion Center meeting, which now was approaching three hours.
Grayce and Mitzi should be wrapping up their visit to Mrs. Leary. Since he’d discovered that Grayce’s brakes had been sabotaged, he monitored every minute of her day.
She had promised to text him when she had arrived safely back at her office where Nick Welby and Talley stood guard. Of course, Davis knew Grayce’s safety wasn’t the only reason Nick stationed himself in the front office.
Grayce had refused to have the sergeant accompany her to her appointment. Grayce had put her foot down. There was only so much protection that she could tolerate.
His phone vibrated during the meeting, just loud enough for the presenter to hear. He turned toward Davis.
“Sorry for the interruption. I’m on-call for the department.”
Grayce’s office number appeared. Not sure why she was calling instead of texting. He’d be able to call in fifteen minutes, during the break.
Finally, after an overly detailed description of the statewide Integrated Intelligence System, Davis went into the corridor and called Grayce’s cell. No answer. She was supposed to have her phone with her at all times. He dialed the office phone. Hollie didn’t pick up.
There was a recorded message on the phone. Alarm shot through him. Where was everyone? He dialed Nick’s cell.
The phone rang interminably. His heart hammered against his chest. The phone call from Grayce’s office had been less than thirty minutes before. What had happened in the short time that no one answered? Sweat pooled on his back, on his hands and under his arms. He recognized the smell of fear. His imagination went wild. He had seen too much not to consider all sorts of deadly possibilities.
He called Grayce again as he sprinted to his car. He wondered if he should call the police. Grayce would be infuriated if she were seeing a patient and the police arrived.
Why wasn’t Nick picking up his phone? What kind of bodyguard didn’t respond?
He drove furiously toward Grayce’s office, but he was twenty minutes away from Fremont.
He tried Nick’s cell one last time before he’d call the police.
He could barely hear the phone ringing over the roaring pulse in his ears as he waited for Nick to answer. Panic was edging into his body. He kept trying to reassure himself that there must be a simple, plausible explanation. His experience as an investigator had taught him to trust his gut. Grayce was in trouble.
He picked up the phone to dial 911. The sound of his phone’s ring startled him. It was Nick.
“Nick, what the fuck? Why haven’t you answered?”
“We’ve got a situation, sir.” Davis recognized the lethally calm voice that boded nothing good.
“What the hell does that mean?” He hated being talked to in that controlled manner.
“There is a bomb down on Pier 69, set to blow up the Port Commissioner’s meeting.”
“How the hell would you know that?” Davis’ back went up—his mind was spinning—he needed to put his feet on the ground.
“Hollie and I discovered in the World of Warfare game that something big was going to happen so we came down here with Angie. Talley discovered the bomb.”
“Where is Grayce?” Davis’ vo
ice got rougher as his lungs tightened in anxiety.
“We’ve been trying to call her at Mrs. Leary’s to tell her about the meeting and that we were leaving the office. She hasn’t picked up. Hollie said she’s terrible about answering her phone. We’ve been calling her for the last hour. She should be finished with her visit by now. I then tried to call you, sir. And you didn’t answer. And since we got down here, all hell has broken loose. The bomb squad is here, right now.”
“Where is Grayce?”
“I don’t know, sir. Hollie wants to speak with you.”
“Davis.” Hollie’s voice was tremulous, the tough-ass street kid long gone. Davis was unnerved by the dramatic change. “We can’t find Grayce. She isn’t answering her phone.”
Ugly, gross fear shook his body, as his adrenaline surged. “Give me Mrs. Leary’s number.”
“I don’t have the number with me. I know we were supposed to guard Grayce, but I thought she was fine. I’m so afraid something happened to her.”
“Calm down, Hollie.”
“Wait, Davis.”
Davis could hear Hollie speaking to another woman. He heard “Hunter Hines” and “military intelligence” and a shock quaked through him. He hadn’t been able to find anything about Hunter Hines. Everyone in the digital age had a footprint unless they were a covert or a criminal.
“Davis, you still there? Maddy, Angie’s friend, wants to talk with you. She has information. Here she is.”
“Sir, I’ll be brief. I’ve been working undercover with Hunter Hines, tracking the leader of an ecoterrorist group. He’s responsible for several bombing threats at military bases.”
Davis’ mind reeled with the implications of what Grayce had stumbled upon. “He planned the attack on Pier 69?”
“No, sir. It’s a member of his group, a Brandon Billow, but we think that’s an alias. He’s been working with a guy named Gator.”
“The guy who Grayce believed tampered with her brakes?”
“Yes, he is the same. I just notified Hunter of the bomb situation. He’s been tracking Gator. And sir, Hunter witnessed Dr. Walters get into a car with someone he suspects might be one of Gator’s associates. We don’t have an ID on him yet.”
“Why in the hell would Hunter allow Grayce to get into the car?” He knew the damn answer before he asked. If he were tracking a suspect, he’d want to glean as much information as he could before he called for backup.
“Sir, I know you’re an investigator and have FBI clearance or I wouldn’t be allowed to share this information. We’re talking about a terrorist cell in Seattle. Hunter is following Dr. Walters and has put the FBI on high alert.
“Grayce is a hostage and all he’s doing is following?” His anger spilled over, rushing into his entire being.
“We don’t know if this man is connected to Brandon Billow or Gator.”
“But you do know that Gator is connected to Brandon Billow who just tried to blow up Pier 69.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Give me Hunter’s number. Which way were they headed? Do you have an ID on the car?”
“You’ll have to ask Hunter about the car. I’ve been pretty busy here, sir.”
“Where are they?”
“1-5 south. Sir, Hunter Hines will protect Dr. Walters at all cost.”
Davis sped to the next exit to reverse his direction. He took the 45th street exit and raced down 1-5 south as he dialed Hunter Hines. The son of a bitch better pick up.
“Hunter Hines here.”
“This is Ewan Davis. I just got off the phone with Maddy.” Hell, he didn’t even know the woman’s last name. “You still have Grayce in your sight? I want backup called right now,” he barked.
“The FBI has been alerted, but I don’t want a major presence to alert the guy and spook him into rash behavior.”
“Do you have eyes on Grayce?”
“Yes, she is in the front seat and appears unharmed. No force was used when she got into the car.”
“What the hell?” Davis’ mind raced. What could’ve made Grayce get into that car?
“When she freely got into the car, I first thought you’d hired private security. It was only by accident I saw her. I was following Gator, but lost him when he went down an alley.”
“Where are you now?”
“I’m on 1-5 south by the 1-90 exchange. FBI is on stand-by waiting for the suspect’s direction.”
“I’m ten minutes behind you.” Or less, if traffic didn’t routinely back up in the downtown area. He drove eighty miles an hour, swerving around cars in every lane.
“Who is the guy who has Grayce?”
“I don’t know, possibly Brandon Billow with an altered appearance. He doesn’t match Maddy’s description. This guy is clean-shaven, has a military look to him. What is his connection to Dr. Walters?”
“I wish I knew. It makes no sense. All I have is that Grayce was set up and you and Gator were following her before the accident.”
“But why does this guy want Dr. Walters?”
“Hell, she was trying to help your mother. Everything else makes no sense. All I could find was that Gator was a lowlife thug, drugs, pimping, B and E. And, of course, your record has been swept clean.”
“You’re right about Gator. I have no idea how he’s connected to ecoterrorists, but I have a feeling he’s a gun for hire.”
“Do you have an ID on the car?”
“A black Lexus SUV registered to a Meryl Billow on Mercer Island. Haven’t been able to contact the owner, but I know that Brandon Billow is using his mother’s car.”
“Listen, he just exited to the West Seattle Bridge. I’ve got to call in the backup.”
“I’m headed to the West Seattle Bridge, and I’ll call you in less than five to find out where you’re headed. And man, you answer the phone.”
“Right.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Grayce kept her gaze on the road ahead, but out of the corner of her eye, she observed her captor. He looked like a regular guy, calm and in control, but she sensed his frenetic energy and how easily he could snap.
“I won’t ask again. Now talk.”
“I was searching for a missing woman on Beacon Hill.”
“There’s more to it.” He leaned over to take her finger and waited.
Her entire body tightened in expectation of the approaching pain. “I was helping a client find her friend. That’s all it was. Nothing else.”
“Don’t try to placate me.” He dropped her hand. “You’re just like her—always smoothing, always pretending.”
At first, Grayce thought she could reason with him. Now, she realized he was both delusional and paranoid. “Are you talking about Maddy?”
“You can’t stop, can you? Picking and prodding. Always trying to get everyone to do what you want. You’re not going to manage me.” He gripped the steering wheel tightly. His dark eyes had a strange blaze, as if he was in his own world that was ready to explode.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” Her voice had become soft and soothing, the same voice she used when she was wary of an unpredictable animal.
“My God, you talk just like her. Looking down your nose on those of us who don’t measure up to your superior standards. But today you’re going to be looking from my perch.”
Her heart struck sharp blows against her chest.
“You’re gonna get to look down on the whole city from the park.”
He needed Grayce to be part of playing out his fantasy. He wanted her to be impressed by his plan. In some weird, twisted way, he equated her with his mother.
“I’m not familiar with Jack Block Park, but I’m sure the views are spectacular.” She had succeeded with an out-of-control, vicious Sun bear at the zoo. She could handle this obsessed, mentally ill man.
“How do you know where we’re going?” His body stiffened, ready to strike.
She had made a huge mistake. Animals were much easier than people.
“Bitch, how do you know that we are going to Jack Block Park? Who else knows?” he exploded, his face red with rage, the veins bulged on his neck.
Grayce detected his musky smell, that of a cornered animal.
“When you turned off at Alki, I knew what park we were going to. There are no other parks at this exit.”
He drove and turned in front of the large park sign partially obscured by trees and bushes. They crossed railroad tracks. He stopped the car part way down, hidden from the traffic, on the access road to the park.
“You just said you weren’t familiar with Jack Block Park.” His ominous calm was more frightening than his rage
“I’ve never been to the park, but I know of its existence. I grew up in Seattle.”
“For lying to me, your stupid dog is going to pay.”
He dialed Gator. “Put your phone on speaker. And kick the dog in the head. I want Dr. Walters to hear the poodle suffer.”
“No, please. I’ll tell you. Don’t hurt Mitzi,” she pleaded desperately. “I found a map of Jack Block Park in a sleeping bag.”
His breathing deepened into aggressive surges. “You went through my sleeping bag?”
Never show your fear to a cornered animal. Fear breeds fear. “We didn’t know it was yours, and we were hoping it belonged to Maddy.”
“Gator, kick the dog.”
Mitzi gave a keening cry that tore away all shreds of Grayce’s composure.
“Brandon, do you want me to do it again?” Gator’s humorous voice thundered in the car.
His name was Brandon. She searched her mind, but didn’t remember meeting him.
“That’s all for now.” He turned toward Grayce. “Gator loves his job.”
His smile was toothy and fiendish. She would have remembered someone so cruel. She had never met him. He never planned to release Mitzi. She had to escape. He had used the devoted poodle to trap Grayce in his sick game.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Brandon drove a quarter mile on the access road in the isolated industrial area—an eerie landscape of Seattle’s maritime past, too far from the main road for Grayce to break away. The wind blew off Elliot Bay, carrying dust from the dirt road across the windshield. Railcars covered with graffiti sat on the seldom-used track.
The Grayce Walters Romantic Suspense Series Page 46