by Debra Webb
The grating sound echoed again and she jerked out of the trance she’ d lapsed into.
She had to find Jazz.
She grabbed the phone and jumped into her car.
“ Ryan,” she snapped as she started the engine.
“ Lieutenant Ryan, how nice to finally hear your voice.”
A wave of nausea rolled over Kayla. She didn’ t know the voice. That alone told her this was no friendly call.
“ Who is this?”
“ I’ m surprised you haven’ t guessed by now. You seem to have figured out everything else. And here I thought that you would be a bigger problem than Christine and Betsy.”
Carl Bradford?
Fury obliterated her fear.
“ Where’ s my daughter, you son of a bitch?”
“ Now, now, is that how you were taught to speak at the police academy? I know you weren’ t taught such crude language at Athena.”
“ If you hurt her, Bradford, you’ re dead.” Her voice cracked with the mixture of rising hysteria and shuddering fury. “ Know that right now. I will kill you if you harm her in any way.”
The thought of what he and Reagan had done to Rainy twisted in Kayla’ s chest like barbed wire. She squeezed her eyes shut to hold back the tears burning there.
“ Perhaps, but you see, Lieutenant, I’ m the one holding all the cards, so let’ s not waste anymore time exchanging meaningless chitchat.”
“ What do you want?” She went completely numb with the exception of the rage roiling inside her.
“ As if you don’ t know. Please, don’ t patronize me, Lieutenant. I have no patience for such trivialities. Follow my instructions precisely and you might see your daughter one last time before she joins your dear friend Rainy.”
Kayla restrained the clawing desire to scream at him. To reach through that phone and break his sick neck. “ Tell me what you want me to do,” she said with a sudden, unexpected calm. The abruptness of it made her dizzy. For the first time in her life the idea of taking someone else’ s life appealed to her like the thirst of blood to a vampire. She was going to kill this man. Whatever it took, he was dead.
“ Ah, now that’ s more like it. I’ m sure you’ ll recall that there’ s a special place you girls used to go. Meet me there and I’ ll allow you and your daughter to die together. Come alone, Lieutenant Ryan,” he cautioned, “ or else I will have no choice but to cut her tender throat on the spot. I think you know I won’ t hesitate to do so.”
A single click punctuated his final threat.
Kayla stared at the phone, her heart sinking all the way to her feet. His intentions were crystal clear. He wanted her as well as her daughter dead. Kayla for what she knew, Jazz for simply being her child… for being Kayla’ s entire life.
She couldn’ t let him get away with this.
The only question was, could she risk going in alone? There would be no objectivity… her ability to reason was already greatly compromised.
But could she take the chance and call for help?
Kayla rammed the gearshift into drive and rocketed onto the street. She had to assume that someone would be watching her. Quite possibly Dawn O’ Shaughnessy. Or that her cell was bugged or locked into some sort of monitoring system.
Kayla would have to do this another way.
When she arrived at the main entry gate of Athena Academy she paused for the guard at the guard shack though she knew he recognized her vehicle.
She stretched out her hand to him, her wallet open, displaying her driver’ s license as ID.
“ You didn’ t need to stop, Lieutenant.” He looked at her wallet, confusion marring his brow.
Oh, but she did. She kept her wallet thrust at him until he reluctantly accepted it. “ Do you have a cell phone I could use for a few minutes, my battery is dead. I’ ll only be an hour or so. I’ ll drop it back by on my way out.”
“ Sure.” He passed her wallet as well as his cell phone to her. “ Just remember I go off duty at four.”
Kayla managed a brittle smile as she drew the two items into the Jeep with her. “ I’ ll be back in a flash,” she promised. Anyone watching her would not realize she’ d just picked up an alternate means of communication.
She eased forward, her heart pounding like a drum in spite of the relief gushing through her. With a few flicks of her fingers she’ d entered a number. She held the phone to her ear as discreetly as possible while she maneuvered the road that would take her to the foothills of the White Tank Mountains.
“ I need your help.” She gave the location and an abbreviated version of the situation. “ Approach with caution.” Then she disconnected. She couldn’ t afford to say more. There was no time to devise a plan. Chances were help wouldn’ t even arrive in time. But someone had to know she and her daughter were in danger. However Bradford intended to cover up their disappearance, she didn’ t want him to succeed.
She tightened her fingers on the steering wheel. She’ d either just made the biggest mistake of her life or she’ d saved her daughter’ s life. There was no way to predict which just yet.
Kayla didn’ t know how Bradford knew about this special place. She and the Cassandras had gathered here when necessary for private consultations. Rainy had made them all promise to never speak of this special place unless it was to call a meeting there.
But that had been years ago… when they were kids. Kayla hadn’ t even thought of that spot in years. Obviously Rainy hadn’ t either, since her final call to the Cassandras had been for a meeting at Christine’ s bungalow. But then, they were much older now. A warm living room with a comfy sofa was far more appealing than a scrub of brush in a thicket of trees in the dead of night.
Her heart wrenched at the idea that her daughter was out there… scared to death… wondering why this was happening to her. Kayla would make that bastard pay for this.
She could only assume that one of Bradford’ s cronies, such as Nurse Stone, had kept track of where the Cassandras went, even when they didn’ t know it. Maybe even with a tracking device like the one Hadden had dug out of Kayla’ s back.
She prayed the guard wouldn’ t find her actions suspicious. She’ d driven through that gate enough times without stopping in the months since the guards had been posted. All the guards recognized her. This one had likely noted the direction she’ d taken. But then, he also knew that she was investigating Christine’ s shooting. He probably wouldn’ t consider anything unusual under the circumstances.
The gate and the guard were all well and good, but the fact of the matter was that there was simply no way to protect five hundred acres of academy property from intruders. Bradford had gotten in. He definitely wouldn’ t have come in through the gate.
Of all people, she knew how easily someone could slip in and out of Athena if he or she really wanted to. Wasn’ t that why no one had ever learned what happened to Marion Gracelyn? Years from now would others still be wondering what happened to Christine Evans? To Kayla and Jazz? Without a small battalion of soldiers it would be impossible to guard every possible access to school property.
Bradford could have a whole team of thugs out here.
She refused to think the worst until she’ d assessed the situation. She couldn’ t do it. Focus on the next step, she told herself. Do this one step at a time and pray help arrives in time. Bradford would likely have someone monitoring dispatch at the office. Calling her partner had been out of the question. She could only hope Bradford hadn’ t thought of the option she’ d utilized.
When the service road ended, Kayla parked her Jeep and got out to make the rest of the journey on foot.
The White Tank Mountains towered over the valley where Athena Academy ruled. The freestanding range of mountains rose sharply from its base, offering deeply serrated ridges and inspiring canyon walls. Folks loved walking those slopes, climbing to those peaks. Kayla had always equated the mountains with peace and serenity, a monument to all her people believed in.
B
ut there was nothing peaceful or serene here today.
As she crossed the wash trail left behind by the infrequent heavy rains, she thought of how the bedrock revealed by the flash floods looked as barren and defeated as she felt just then.
She didn’ t care that this fragile desert landscape of cholla, ironwood, and creosote had always given her a safe feeling of being home.
None of it made her feel safe and welcome today.
Her daughter was out there, held by a madman.
The only thing she wanted was to make sure his black heart stopped beating here and now.
Her skin prickled and Kayla drew her weapon. She slowly scanned the open landscape but discovered nothing. She wondered if her shadow had followed her here. Why not? This was what she’ d wanted. To lure Kayla to her death or to find the right moment to execute her. But now it had gone too far. Kayla had learned too much and had outwitted her pursuer, leaving Bradford feeling desperate.
Desperation was a bad thing. It caused people to do things they wouldn’ t otherwise do. Taking Jazz had been an extreme measure but one that assured him that his orders would be followed.
Her fingers tightened around the butt of her weapon. Maybe she wouldn’ t ever know who had commissioned Bradford and Reagan to carry out these heinous crimes, but she would end Bradford’ s participation. Officially Reagan was dead of a heart attack but he could have been murdered. Maybe she could beat it out of Bradford before she killed him.
The need for revenge for what he’ d done to her daughter this very day… for what he’ d done to Rainy all those years ago… sang in Kayla’ s blood.
As she neared the base of the mountains she slipped into the thicket of trees, used the patches of thick growth to move toward the larger copse of trees where she and her Cassandra sisters had met so many times all those years ago.
It wasn’ t until she’ d gotten within thirty yards of her destination that she saw Jazz. She sat on the ground. Her hands appeared to be bound behind her back.
A new flash of white-hot rage surged inside Kayla.
A man who must be Bradford stood over her daughter, holding court and seemingly alone. But she knew better. The bastard would have backup around here someplace.
As she watched he surveyed the landscape, looking for her, she surmised. He would know she was close if by no other means than the passage of time. She’ d driven straight to the campus. He would be expecting her about now.
She crouched down and moved from one rock outcropping to another, used bushes, trees, whatever was available for cover as she journeyed closer to her target. The sun warmed her back, making it hard to remember that it was almost Christmas. That her daughter would forever associate this terror with Christmas gave Kayla all the more reason to want to wring the breath out of him.
Bradford appeared to go to no particular trouble to determine her whereabouts. He looked around now and then but nothing more.
Additional measures were definitely in place. No way would he be so nonchalant otherwise.
The thought fully evolved into Kayla’ s mind at the same instant the cold hard muzzle of a weapon bored into the back of her skull.
“ On your feet, Ryan.”
Kayla didn’ t have to turn around to identify the voice.
Dawn O’ Shaughnessy.
Kayla had never known anyone else who could sneak up on her like that. The girl was good.
She stood slowly, careful not to make any sudden moves.
“ Lose the weapon,” Dawn ordered.
Kayla pitched her piece into the grassy stand a few feet away. She would have fought to keep it under other circumstances, but with Jazz’ s life at stake she wasn’ t taking any chances. “ I guess you decided not to give any thought to the information I passed along.”
She had hoped Dawn would be moved by the realization that her associates had murdered her mother. Clearly that had been wishful thinking.
“ Don’ t talk.”
She nudged Kayla in the back to get her moving. Her heart fluttered wildly as she journeyed closer to where her daughter waited like a lamb bound for slaughter. Seeing her so terrified turned Kayla inside out. She could scarcely bear to look. But she could not turn away.
Jazz suddenly turned her gaze in that direction, as if sensing her mother’ s nearness, and Kayla almost lost control completely. Tears streamed down her baby’ s face. Her mouth had been taped shut. Kayla gritted her teeth and promised herself again that Bradford would die today.
“ Well, I see our guest has arrived.”
Kayla’ s gaze shifted to his. Tall, trim, with silver hair and gray, piercing eyes. Those damned eyes seemed to look right into her soul. He gave her the creeps.
“ This gives new meaning to the term private practice,” Kayla mused aloud. “ Is this why you closed your practice in Phoenix? Afraid someone would see you for what you are? Hiding is much more becoming for scum like you, Bradford.”
“ Enjoy your final moments,” he suggested with a broad smile. “ I know pretending you’ re in control makes the situation more tolerable for you, Lieutenant.”
“ You don’ t know anything.” She flung the words at him like poison darts, wishing like hell that’ s all it would take to end his rotten life. She crouched down and drew her daughter into her arms. Jazz shuddered, sobbing against her. Tears spilled past Kayla’ s lashes. Why did Jazz have to be caught up in this? She wished Mike had been the one who’ d taken her. The thought had entered her mind when she’ d first realized Jazz was missing. Then Bradford’ s call had come.
“ I love you, sweetie,” she murmured. “ It’ s gonna be all right.”
“ For God’ s sake, Ryan, don’ t lie to the child!” Bradford sneered.
Jazz shook in her arms. Kayla clenched her jaw to keep from responding. Instead, she sat back on her heels and gently peeled the tape from her baby’ s mouth. She pressed her finger to her trembling lips when she would have spoken.
Then Kayla pushed to her feet. With her eyes she told Jazz to stay put. She smiled down at her child one last time before turning to face Bradford.
“ Do you really think you’ re going to be safe with me out of the way?” Kayla challenged.
Bradford chuckled. “ Why, of course. The others are far too busy with their lives well away from Athens to bother with continuing this useless pursuit.”
Oh, he just didn’ t know. The Cassandras had backed Kayla up every step of the way. All that she had gleaned regarding Rainy’ s murder and Athena Academy’ s involvement had resulted from their joint effort.
“ Just tell me why,” she ventured. Turning the question into a challenge he wouldn’ t be able to refuse she added, “ if you know the details, that is. I’ m certain you played only a small role in all this.”
He acknowledged her remark with a nod. “ Clever, my dear. But remember, I’ ve studied the behavioral sciences my entire career. I know what makes you tick. You believe you can goad me into telling you what I know.” His head moved side to side. “ I’ m afraid you’ ve overestimated your power of persuasion.”
She shrugged. “ You’ re going to kill me anyway, why not indulge my final wish. I want to know why you did this to Rainy.”
He brought the palms of his hands together and pressed his fingers to his lips. “ Ah, sweet Rainy. She was absolutely superb. Perfect in every way. Far superior to the rest of you.”
Kayla didn’ t rise to the bait, she simply listened, all the while hoping the second part of her plan would fall into place soon.
“ The sperm donor was equally perfect. An amazing specimen of the male species.”
“ Unlike yourself,” Kayla suggested.
Fury contorted Bradford’ s face. “ This is precisely why you should be dead already.” He flicked a glance in Dawn’ s direction. “ If someone had done their job as ordered this meeting would never have been necessary.”
So Dawn was supposed to have killed her. Interesting that she hadn’ t. Kayla banished the distracting t
hought.
“ Think about it, Bradford,” she persisted. “ Even if you kill me, even if none of my friends return to Arizona to hunt you down, what about Christine Evans and Betsy Stone? They know what you’ ve done.”
Bradford smirked. “ Do you really think I would allow any loose ends? Christine will not survive the day. I’ ve already arranged heart failure.” He sighed. “ Tragic. And wholly unnecessary. If you hadn’ t showed up at her home she would have died as planned. I’ d calculated it out to the last detail. It was so shamelessly simple.”
“ I have your prints, you know,” Kayla pointed out. “ On the wineglasses and the bottle you stuck under the sink.” She was the one shaking her head this time. “ You really should have put that bottle of red wine in the fridge. And the glasses— ” she shrugged “ — why didn’ t you just take them with you? Not a good move.”
Anger lit in his gray eyes. “ I’ m certain I can arrange for that evidence to disappear as easily as I took care of Betsy Stone.”
Kayla felt a prick of panic. “ Betsy Stone is in protective custody.”
“ Even those in county lockup are allowed access to legal counsel. She didn’ t even argue when I insisted she swallow both cyanide capsules. I was long gone before she seized— shock likely delayed the usual immediate physical response. Poor thing. I’ m sure the autopsy will reveal an abrupt yet painful ending to her pathetic existence.”
Panic fluttered in Kayla’ s stomach. Betsy was dead. Christine would be as well if Kayla didn’ t survive this encounter. She had to keep him talking. She needed more time.
“ You still didn’ t tell me why. Who came up with this foul scheme?”
He scoffed. “ Foul scheme? Really, Lieutenant, I would have thought someone such as yourself considerably more knowledgeable. Science is never foul or scheming, it simply is. Without science where would we be?”
“ I know you didn’ t come up with the master plan on your own,” she tossed out. “ Dr. Reagan was no better than you, just another minion following orders. What was the point? Black market babies? Genetics?”
Bradford’ s face suddenly cleared of any and all emotion. “ I’ m afraid that this stroll down memory lane has become quite tedious.”