by Mayer, Dale
"Was the pipe to give Julie fresh air or to talk to her, torment her?"
Surprise lit his face. "Possibly both."
Kali curled her lip. Yuck. Thankfully they were almost home. They pulled into her driveway moments later. Kali hopped out. Grant stayed in the car. Kali bent to look at him through the window. "Are you coming in?"
He hesitated. "I need to go to the office. But I'll be back in an hour or an hour and a half, at the most." Grant stared at her. "You be careful. Go in and lock the doors. This guy is a loose cannon. He could come after you next. Remember, the FBI has your house under surveillance, but if you leave here you'll be unprotected. Stay smart and I'll be back as soon as I can."
She wanted to put on a pot of coffee, fill her travel mug and head to the beach with Shiloh. Kali switched her gaze from Grant to her house and back again. "I don't have anywhere to go."
"Good. I'll return as fast as I can. I'll bring an overnight bag with me, this time." Grant reversed the car and headed down the road.
With a light heart, Kali ran to her front door. She'd have a house guest tonight. Kali laughed and ran the last steps.
Grant had no idea what he'd let himself in for.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Kali hummed in the kitchen as she waited for Grant's return. It had been a long time since she'd spent time cooking. She loved it, only cooking for one wasn't the same. She sliced onions and peppers, adding them to the cooking hamburger. Her spaghetti sauce recipe had been handed down from her great-grandma. She'd made several personal tweaks along the way, yet the essence had remained the same. She couldn't help but wonder what would her mom have thought of Grant? She'd approve, Kali decided.
Shiloh lay in a sunbeam running across the kitchen floor. They both needed the downtime today. Rest and relaxation was good for the soul. Even with everything going on, she felt happy. They'd found Julie alive, and Stan was improving and then there was her budding relationship with Grant. She had high hopes for tonight - if this asshole left them alone for that long.
Unfortunately, he was likely to be searching out his next victim right now. Kali turned and looked outside. The sun had slipped behind a dark cloud. She couldn't shake the feeling that this was the classic calm before the storm.
Better to not go there now. What would happen would happen. She'd deal with it.
Kali returned to the kitchen and her sauce. Grant should be here soon. She moved slowly through the mundane chores she'd missed out on recently - like laundry. Shiloh didn't appear to have the same sense of duty, as she lolled about around the house, watching as Kali worked.
Knowing the time was disappearing, Kali strode into her bedroom and quickly dealt with the clothes. As she started to leave, she turned to gaze thoughtfully at the bed. Checking her watch, she made a fast decision. Striding back over, she stripped the bedding off and made the bed up with fresh sheets. Better to be prepared and not have an opportunity than to have an opportunity and not be prepared.
Jamming the old sheets into the washing machine took another few minutes.
"Whew." Kali checked the room over. What had she missed? She headed back to the kitchen.
She walked around the corner. A hooded figure dressed all in black lunged for her.
Kali screamed. She spun and bolted back toward the laundry room. He grabbed for her arm, pulling her off balance. Pain streaked across her back. Kali stumbled, kicking wildly and heard him grunt. Freed unexpectedly, Kali screamed, "Shiloh, help!"
Shiloh barked and jumped. Kali didn't see anything else as she ran for the kitchen, bursting through the glass French doors, onto the deck, jumping the stairs two at a time.
"Shiloh," she screamed at the top of her voice. "Shiloh, come." The trees on the property weren't going to give her much coverage, only she'd take anything right now. She dared to look behind her. He wasn't following her. Shit. Kali stubbed her toe but didn't dare break stride. She could run ten miles without stopping, only right now, worry for Shiloh kept breaking her focus. She'd be running to catch up if she could. That she wasn't, couldn't be good.
She hid out in the woods and paused to catch her breath. Kali peered from behind a tree. Where was he? Kali closed her eyes and leaned into the tree. "Shit. Shit. Shit."
Her legs trembled in shock and she could hardly breathe. She took several deep shaky breaths. Think. Think stupid. What are you supposed to do now? Shit. Her cell phone. She slapped her hands over her pockets. There. Her fingers fumbled frantically. Finally, she managed to pull it free but struggled to punch in the numbers. She failed the first time and had to redial. She kept watching for any sign of him
"Hello."
"Grant," she hissed softly.
"Kali. What's wrong? Where are you?" he yelled. Fear leapt through the phone and raised her own panic level. She peered nervously through the brush. Where were Grant's men?
"He's here at the house." She buried the phone in her shoulder at his yell. "I'm hiding out in the back yard at the bushes by the beach access."
"I'm on my way. You stay put. Do you hear me?"
"Hurry." Kali couldn't stop the pleading tones. She didn't give a damn. She was scared, and being alone out here was the last thing she wanted. "Something has happened to Shiloh. Either he has her or she's hurt."
"I'm in the car. I'll be there in less than ten minutes. There are two men on surveillance duty - have you seen any sign of them?"
No and damn it, she'd expected them to come to her rescue. Had counted on it.
Instead she was alone.
Cut off. With no sign of Shiloh.
And terrified.
Swallowing hard, she said, "No. Hurry, this is going to be the longest ten minutes of my life."
"Just make sure you're still alive when I get there. If the bastard comes after you, run like hell."
"Don't worry I plan on it." She chewed on her lower lip, daring to peer around the tree. Her house sat silent and still. She searched the windows for any sign of movement...of life.
"Kali?"
"Shhh. I'm here." Kali pulled back behind the tree.
"Can you see him?"
"No." Her voice had dropped to barely audible levels. Kali scrunched up into a tight ball and sank under the branches more. "Hurry."
"Be there in a few minutes."
"Don't come alone." Kali's voice rose. Suddenly remembering, she dropped down to a hoarse whisper. "He's going to be waiting for you. I'm afraid he's hurt the surveillance team."
"I'm pulling into the driveway now. Stay where you are. Be there in minutes."
Kali's phone clicked off. She stared at it, then put it back into her pocket. The silence was eerie and unsettling. She couldn't stop looking peering behind her, afraid the asshole was going to pop up from nowhere.
It seemed like forever, yet was probably only three to four minutes before she heard the welcome sound of sirens in the distance. "Thank God. Please be okay, Shiloh. Please." Kali prayed for her best friend. Shiloh might be a dog to others, but she was family to her.
There. She peered around the tree, her head barely above ground. Someone was running toward her. Grant. She wanted to run to him but couldn't be sure of his identity. Her heart pounded. She peered through her hiding place.
"Kali." Grant yelled, his hands cupping against his mouth. "Kali, where are you?"
A noise behind Kali had her spinning on the spot, her throat constricting. The rustling sounded moved in Grant's direction. There. A flash. Another movement. A heavy rustling. Kali realized Grant raced toward her, his gun at the ready, just in front of the tree line. Exposed. An easy target. Shit.
Kali looked for the killer again. There, creeping up on Grant.
"No." Kali bolted toward Grant. She hit him in a flying tackle but he twisted at the last minute - just as a funny spit sounded.
Kali arched as her back hit the ground, tumbling into a mass of limbs. Men shouted and spread out into the wooded area.
Kali moaned and struggled to move.
"Kali. Are you alright." Grant rolled over and regained his feet. He bent down to help her up.
"I'm fine. That was a rough landing." She smiled up at him. "He's a lousy shot. Go."
"Thank God for that. He's taken out the two men watching the house. I've called for backup, but I have to find him." He cradled her gently, dropped a quick kiss on her forehead. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes, yes. I'm fine. Go. I need to find Shiloh."
"Wait for me at the house. The rest of my team should be here soon."
Nodding, Kali took off at a run toward the house. Worry for Shiloh dominated, her own injury forgotten. Maybe she was hurt, hiding somewhere. She burst into the house, calling out, "Shiloh?" Kali went from room to room, hating that she'd taken off without helping her friend. "Shiloh, where are you?"
Walking through the kitchen, she grabbed Shiloh's treat bag and walked into the bedroom, shaking it.
Kali stopped. She closed her eyes and reached out with The Sight. Where are you, Sweetheart? Shiloh? Kali could feel her. She was alive, but hurting. Shit. Kali broke into a run and headed to the laundry room. The closet was open. On the floor back in the far back corner lay Shiloh, curled up into a ball. She didn't make a sound when Kali bent down to touch her. Her fur was warm, except she didn't move when Kali touched her. Kali crawled into the closet and ran her hands over her friend. She stopped when she came to a sticky patch. She withdrew her hand to take a closer look. Blood.
"Oh, God. Shiloh.” Kali reached into the far back in the closet and slid her hand gently under Shiloh's chest and hips. Awkwardly she backed out, shuffling on her knees, half-dragging and half-lifting Shiloh. The dog whimpered.
"Easy girl. You've been shot." Kali was already punching in the vet's number. "Please answer." It took just a minute to inform them that she was on her way.
Keys. Where were her keys? Kali panicked until she located them on the fridge with her purse. She made it through the front door and ran ahead to unlock the back door on her car. As gently as she could, she loaded Shiloh into the passenger seat. Kali raced around to the driver's side. She hit reverse and tore out of the yard, gravel spitting behind her tires. Grant would be pissed. Too bad. Grant had his responsibilities.
Kali had hers.
***
Kali drove recklessly. Shiloh was dying. The tears that clouded her vision, hindered her driving. She brushed them away.
"Hang in there, Shiloh. It's going to be alright, girl, we're almost there." Kali ripped into the parking lot and drove up to the back door. She pulled the Jeep to a squealing stop and hopped out. There was a buzzer outside the back door. Pounding it several times, Kali raced to the passenger side. Shiloh hadn't moved.
Kali could lift her, but didn't want to cause more damage. Fortunately Dr. Samson raced toward.
"How is she?"
Kali stumbled in her reply. "I don't know. She's been shot, but I have no idea how bad."
"Move over. Let me get her." Dr. Samson stood well over six foot four and was built like a line backer. Kali didn't argue. She was just grateful he was here at all. An animal gurney arrived at his side.
Shiloh was quickly transferred into the operating room and Kali was left standing alone. She didn't want to leave the surgical room, only the assistants ushered her to a waiting room. Paperwork had to be done, and her vehicle needed to be moved. Tapping into the threads bleeding from the surgery area, Kali sent pulses of loving energy Shiloh's way. She had no idea if it would help, but figured it couldn't hurt. Shiloh was family and Kali had lost too many people already.
The wait was physically uncomfortable. Kali on the other hand couldn't lean back and she couldn't sit still. Her phone rang on the fifth lap around the small waiting room.
"Where the hell are you?" Fear and anger sliced through the phone.
"At the vet's. The asshole shot Shiloh. I had to take care of her."
"And you couldn't fucking call me? You know this killer is hunting, right? What the hell do you think I thought when I couldn't find you?" His roar hurt her ears. "I told you to stay at the house."
Anger of her own spiked. "Well you haven't caught him and look at how many people have died. Don't tell me how to protect my family, unless you think you can do a better job. And so far, you haven't."
Silence.
Kali cringed. She hadn't meant to be so harsh. "Look, I'm sorry, Shiloh is in surgery and...I just didn't think." Kali stopped her pacing and brushed her hair back off her face. "She's been in there for over an hour. I don't even know if she's alive." Pain stabbed through her heart at the thought.
His voice turned soothing. "I know this has been tough on you."
"And, no, you don't understand," she cried out, her voice breaking. "This is your work. This is the stuff you deal with all the time. I don't. I don't want to, either. I want this all to go away." Tears collected again in the corner of her eyes, and again Kali brushed them away. "He's hurt so many people. So many families damaged beyond anything. When will this stop?" God. Her emotions were a mess. She sniffled quietly, but Grant still heard.
"I'm sorry, Sweetheart. Stay close to Shiloh and I'll call you back in a little while."
Kali put her phone away. Every time she thought about him and his work, she felt confused and upset. Talk about double standards. Her work had put off more than one prospective date. Yet, she was doing the same thing to him.
They weren't dating though. Yeah, right. So what did one call it?
"Kali."
She twisted to find Dr. Samson waiting to talk to her. Kali hastened over to him.
"How is she?"
"I think she's going to pull through. The bullet did some damage on its way through but didn't hit any vital organs. We've patched her up. She'll need to stay here for a few days under sedation where we can keep an eye on her to make sure the bleeding has stopped."
Kali closed her eyes in relief. She swayed as every muscle in her body sagged.
"Here, sit down." Dr. Samson's concerned gaze stared down at her.
Kali smiled back at him. "I'm okay. Just relieved that she's going to make it."
"She's not out of the woods yet," he warned.
"She's a fighter, and if she's given a fair chance, she'll do her part to pull through." Her heart suddenly much lighter, she reached up and kissed the vet's cheek. "Thank you. Shiloh deserves to live. She's saved so many lives, I'm grateful you were here to save hers."
"We need Shiloh in this world. As long as she does her part and wants to live, then I'll do my part and give her that chance."
The two friends shared an understanding look. "Can I see her?"
He shook his head. "You shouldn't. She's covered in blood with tubes coming and going in all directions. She wouldn't even know you."
It took some convincing, but finally Kali headed back out to her car. She winced at the sun high and hot. She'd been through so much today, surely it was bedtime. Before getting into the car, she called Grant. "I'm on my way home. Where are you?"
"Searching your yard, I'll meet you at the house in five minutes."
"Glad to hear it. See you soon."
Her shoulder had stiffened to the point she doubted her painkillers could touch it. Kali figured she had less than five miles to where her bed waited. She drove slowly and carefully, not wanting anything else to go wrong today. She stopped at a red light.
Her phone rang. She snatched it from the holder. "Hello?"
The same horribly mechanical voice filled her ear. "You're too late...and now your lover is going to die." Laughter filled the Jeep's interior before being abruptly shut off.
Kali cried out in pain and horror.
The killer had Grant.
***
Clumsy, clumsy and clumsy again. So not acceptable. He'd have to work on it. He'd been off-stride all day. Last night's fiasco had festered inside all day. Rage had driven him all day. He thought he'd had the Julie stuff under control, but to learn that she'd lived through it had festered, eaten at him all d
ay.
Then he'd lost Kali in her own damn house. How stupid. His clumsy attempt to shoot her had just compounded it. By this time, he should have felled her several times over. He didn't even know why he'd brought the gun. It had been his father's at one time. Only he hadn't taught his son to shoot. Obviously. Shooting Shiloh had hurt but had given him an outlet for his rage.
He stopped and took a deep breath; he mightn't have pulled this last one off if God hadn't been on his side. With limited choices available, when the opportunity had presented itself, he'd taken it. That split second decision had left him short on time.