by C. M. Sutter
“Hey, guys,” I joked, “are you keeping my house safe?”
“Sure thing, Jade, and your mom and stepdad are inside with Jack and your sister.”
“Appreciate it. Everything been quiet in town today?”
“So far.” The cruiser’s radio squawked in the background, and Officer Wilkins dialed it down. “Sheriff’s department reports the same. Lieutenant Clark has been keeping us abreast of everything on the outskirts of North Bend.”
“Good to know. Come on in when the pizza delivery guy shows up. I ordered plenty for everyone.”
“Thanks, Jade.”
I patted the sill of the open car window. “See you in a bit.” I walked back to my driveway, got in my car, and pulled it into the garage. I lowered the overhead as I stepped into the mudroom.
“Hi, guys, I’m home.”
Spaz ran to me and circled my legs several times, causing static and a nice layer of cat hair on my dark pants.
“Hey, thanks a lot. Dumb cat.”
“Don’t call Spaz dumb.” Amber scooped up her beloved cat and nuzzled her face against his. He hissed.
I chuckled. “I told you he was dumb. Hi, Mom. Hi, Bruce.” I leaned over and kissed my mom’s cheek. Bruce only got a smile. Jack rose from the couch and walked to the table where the rest were gathered. I punched his arm. “Hey, partner. I hope you’re all hungry. Pizza should be here soon. I invited Wilkins and Finley to join us.”
“Oh, they’ve been so nice to us, honey.”
“That’s good to know, Mom, and they should be, it’s their job. Anyway, we need to have a serious conversation tonight. That’s the reason I wanted everyone here in one place, plus this house is very secure.”
The ringing doorbell interrupted my initial speech.
“I’ll get it,” Amber said.
“Are you paying too?”
“No, I don’t make the big bucks like you do.”
I chuckled. “Move aside, sister. I’ll get it, but you can lend a hand.” I opened the door to a deliveryman holding four large boxes of pizza. I gave him three twenties and told him to keep the change. I handed the boxes off to Amber and walked out to the sidewalk to get the officers’ attention. I whistled, and they flashed their headlights then exited the car. “C’mon, guys,” I said. “Grab some pizza while it’s hot.”
With everyone seated around the table and munching on pizza slices, I explained how serious the situation was. Max was somewhere in the area, we all needed to be on high alert, and with a good degree of luck, the nightmare also known as Max Sims would be over with by tomorrow.
“Jack, what do you know from the sheriff’s department side?”
“We have Highway 45 north and south coming into North Bend covered, and Highway 33 east and west covered too. Nobody matching Max’s description has entered the city via those routes.”
My mom rubbed her furrowed brow. “There’s a million ways to get into North Bend, Jack.”
“That’s true, ma’am, but we’re only so large of a department. North Bend PD is keeping the city streets under surveillance too.”
Officer Finley agreed. “North Bend has been quiet all night, and nobody has reported any disturbances, Mrs. Sommers.”
“Without going into too much detail, Mom, we’ve tracked Max to a motel on the northern border of Milwaukee County. The property is under heavy surveillance. His personal belongings were still in the room as of this afternoon. The officers have been briefed, and they know to apprehend him as soon as he returns.”
My mom sighed, clearly relieved. “That’s reassuring. We all know what—”
“Mom, please,” I interrupted, “just eat your pizza.”
I noticed Jack glance at the clock on the microwave. I looked over my shoulder and checked the time too.
“You did call Kate earlier, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, but I’ll call again. She should be heading back to the station anytime now.”
Jack pulled his phone out of his pants pocket and dialed. He nodded at me when she answered. I sucked in a deep breath and let it out quietly. I didn’t want everyone to know I was on edge.
“Hey, what’s your ETA? You better get here before I eat all the pizza.” Jack laughed. “Okay, I promise we’ll save you some. Sounds good.” He clicked off.
“When should we expect her?” I asked.
“Pretty soon. She said she had one more pass to do then she was heading back. Silver called her and said he was at the station.”
I tore off another piece of pizza and dug in.
Chapter 50
The phone alarm buzzed on the seat next to him. He opened his eyes and had to think for a moment. Max had forgotten where he was. He slapped at the phone in the darkened truck and silenced the racket. With a palm pressed into each eye, he gave them a thorough rub, a few blinks, and regained his focus. Max jerked his head to the left, then the right, and then a shoulder shrug to loosen everything up. He was ready to go. He reached down and grabbed the stripped wires from behind the steering column and tapped them together. The engine turned over. Max shifted into reverse and backed down the dirt path until he hit blacktop. With two right turns, he was back on Highway G and heading to the main entrance of the new Swedish store. The truck rumbled down the empty road as he looked to his right. He stared at the land that was once his farm. The acres of paved blacktop were where the house and barn once stood. An enormous three-story cement building with hundreds of parking spaces surrounding it took over where grass and fields used to be. The property now belonged to a Swedish company that catered to those wanting home goods and furniture. He seethed with anger and would have burned the place down if he’d had the tools to complete the job.
Max turned in at the main entrance and followed the four-lane street that was divided by a boulevard containing newly planted trees. All of the work vehicles were gone, and the large parking lot stood empty. He pulled in under the glow of a tall lamp and parked. He thought about the course of events that had turned his family farm into the joke of a megastore that was nearly complete. He had no home anymore, no place to call his own, and he was infuriated. She had to pay, Darryl said so, but that night, Max had damage to do.
A pile of building scrap caught his eye at the end of the lot. He was sure he’d find something in that heap of rubble that could break out every window and glass door already installed. He reached for the door handle when headlights caught his attention. A vehicle turned in at the entrance and headed his way. Max slumped down in the seat and waited, remaining as silent as possible. The vehicle stopped within feet of the truck. He heard a female voice read the plate number aloud, then she called it a 10-37. The radio crackled, and a male responded to the call, also in police code. Max smiled with anticipation. The night was about to get interesting.
He heard footsteps approaching. His hand was ready on the handle. With a forceful push, the door swung open, and she tumbled backward. Max was on her in a second and had her pinned to the ground.
“Well, good evening, deputy. What brings you out this way?”
She tried to reach for her sidearm, but it was impossible to move under his weight. She screamed at the top of her lungs instead. With a hard blow to the face, Max temporarily silenced her then rolled her over and grabbed her handcuffs. He secured her hands behind her back with a tight click. The back of her shoes scraped against the blacktop as he dragged her to an alcove, away from the light. He rifled through her jacket pockets and found her cell phone.
“I wonder who’s on your contact list.” Max scrolled through the names and stopped when he reached Jade Monroe. His belly laugh echoed in that large empty space. He couldn’t believe his good luck. “Let’s see what Agent Monroe is up to tonight. I bet she’s lounging on the couch with little sister and that scrappy fur ball.” He tapped Jade’s name and pressed Talk. She picked up in two rings.
“Hey, Kate, you better be pulling into the driveway, or Jack is going to polish off all the pizza. Just giving you fair warning.�
��
He breathed heavily into the phone.
“Kate? What’s going on?”
“Nice to hear your voice again, Jade, but Kate won’t be joining you or Jack for pizza tonight. Actually, she doesn’t look very hungry at all, and as a matter of fact, she’s napping as we speak.”
“Where are you? What have you done to Kate, you son of a bitch!”
“No need to be nasty. It’s just a game. If you wanna play, you have thirty minutes to find us or she dies, just like your old man did. Come and get me, Jade. I dare you.”
A click sounded, and the phone went dead.
Chapter 51
I threw my beer glass against the wall, and it shattered. “That son of a bitch has Kate! How did that happen? How did he get to her? What did she tell you, Jack? Did she say where she was?”
“She only said she was doing one more pass then heading in. She had to have talked to Silver because she knew he was at the station.”
“Hurry and call him. See if he knows where she’s at.”
Amber jumped from the table, and I spun toward her.
“Don’t even think about it. You aren’t leaving this house. Finley, Wilkins, stay here and restrain her if you have to. Nobody leaves this house except Jack and me. Got it?”
“Got it. Who do you want us to call, Jade? You’re going to need backup.”
“We need to know where he’s at first.” I looked at Jack. “Well? Where the hell is Silver? Why isn’t he answering?”
Jack put his hand up as if to silence me. “Silver, it’s Jack. Kate’s been abducted. When did you talk to her last?” Jack hit the speakerphone icon.
“Fifteen minutes ago. Jesus, Jack.”
“Think about that call. Did she give you her location?”
“No, she just said she was doing her final sweep on the south edge of town.”
I piped in. “Silver, it’s Jade. Has dispatch gotten any calls in the last five to ten minutes?”
“Hang on.”
The phone went silent. I was already strapping on my sidearm. “Wilkins, run out to your squad car and grab two vests.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He disappeared out the front door and slammed it at his back.
“Amber, if you want to be helpful, call J.T. Tell him Max is somewhere in the North Bend area and is holding a female deputy hostage. Keep him in the loop and tell him to let Spelling know. Tell J.T. that Jack and I are going after Max with the help of the North Bend PD and the Washburn County Sheriff’s Department. That sick son of a bitch is going down tonight!”
Silver was back on the phone. “Kate called in a 10-37 and rattled off a plate number. There’s nothing out of the ordinary on the vehicle. It’s a 1989 Chevy pickup registered to a Will Jones that lives on Thirteenth and Morrison in Milwaukee.”
“Stolen vehicle for sure. Shit, why didn’t I think of this earlier? Check the GPS on her cruiser. Hurry.” I looked at the clock—we had twenty minutes left. “We’re heading out. Call my cell the second you have her location. Amber, call J.T. now. Finley, call the PD and the sheriff’s department and tell them the last time Silver talked to Kate, she was on the south side of town. Give Jack the keys to your squad car too. We’re going to need the lights and siren.” Jack and I slipped the vests over our heads and cinched them tight. I dropped an extra magazine into my coat pocket, and we ran out the door. We jumped into the squad car and took off.
“Hit the lights, Jack. We don’t have a second to lose. What’s taking Silver so long to track her car?”
“Think about it, Jade. Kate was patrolling the south side of town, and Max just happened to be there. That’s quite a coincidence, isn’t it?”
“They’re at the farm! The megastore wanted more law enforcement presence during the building phase. Max went there for his sick sentimental reasons, and Kate just happened to see the truck during her rounds, so she went to investigate. That’s why she called in a 10-37.” I checked the time again. We had twelve minutes left. My phone rang. It was Silver. “What do you have, Aaron?”
“Jade, she’s at the megastore.”
“We’re turning on G right now. Get everyone out there. That bastard isn’t getting away this time.”
Jack squealed the tires as he made the right turn. I grabbed the dash and held on.
“Only a mile to go, Jade. We still have seven minutes.”
“Jack, you know Max has Kate’s sidearm. There’s a shotgun in her cruiser too.”
He gave me a concerned look. “I know, and I’ve been trying to think of the best way to cover ourselves and get Kate out safely. We have to determine where he’s stationed once we pull in.” Jack squeezed my shoulder. “Okay, we’re here. Take a deep breath, partner. I’m counting on you. Let’s do this.”
Chapter 52
Jack cranked the wheel and turned in at the main entrance. “Do you see him lurking anywhere?”
“Not yet, we’re too far back. Those parking lot lights don’t help. He can see us, but we can’t see him.” I shielded my eyes as we got closer. “Park on this side of Kate’s cruiser. The car should cover us if he begins shooting.”
Jack pointed. “The truck is parked on the other side of her car.”
I nodded. “I see it.” We were on high alert as Jack killed the engine on the squad car. Our eyes darted back and forth, left and right. We climbed out and crouched low. Jack positioned himself at the front of the cruiser, and I took the back.
I cupped my hands around my mouth and yelled. “Max Sims, show yourself. It’s time for you and me to do our little dance.”
Jack shot me a dirty look. “Are you nuts? Wait for backup.”
I heard sirens getting closer and looked over my shoulder. A sea of red and blue flashing lights were heading our way, but that wasn’t enough to keep Kate safe. I knew Max wanted me and would kill Kate if I didn’t step out into the light. I yelled again as cars squealed to a stop behind and around us.
“Max Sims, show yourself.”
An evil laugh sounded from the north side of the building. “Agent Monroe, you know how this game works. You show me yours first, then I’ll show you mine.”
Officers and deputies crowded around us behind the cars.
Jack pointed at the north end of the building. “He’s over there somewhere.”
Lieutenant Clark crouched low and scrambled toward us. I turned and looked back, my eyes welling with angry tears.
“How are you two holding up?” He put his hand on my shoulder.
I wiped my eyes and returned my focus to the building. “We’re good, boss, but it’s Kate I’m worried about.”
“What are his demands?”
“He hasn’t stated them specifically, only that they involve me. I’ll offer myself as a trade. I can handle him better than Kate can, and I’m sure she’s injured. I just don’t know how badly.”
Clark called out to five deputies to circle the back of the building from the south. “Stay low and in the shadows. I want this maniac surrounded, with no escape route.”
Another fleet of cars roared down the street. The North Bend PD had arrived with Chief Sanders in the lead. He climbed out of the unmarked cruiser and headed toward us.
“Chuck, what do we have?”
Lieutenant Clark nodded. “A sick son of a bitch that needs to be stopped. This ends tonight, one way or another. He’s holding a deputy hostage.”
“Shit. Guys, fall back in the shadows and find a spot to plant yourselves. He’s on the north edge of the building,” Sanders said.
Max’s voice yelled out again. “Let’s go, Jade. You’re taking too long, and I’m losing my patience. My trigger finger is getting itchy.”
I whispered to the group. “He definitely has Kate’s guns. That makes him even more dangerous.”
Clark spoke up. “Tell him we need proof that Kate is alive. Say you want to hear her voice.”
I called out my demands, and we paused to listen. A barely audible moan sounded.
“Kate, is that you?
”
“Yes, Jade, and I need help.”
“There, you have your proof. Now move out into the light so I can see you.”
I looked from Clark to Jack then back to Clark. “I have to do this. Kate knows the hostage situation drill. We’ve practiced it before. Same as you and I did, Jack, in the post office with Mariah and Mandy. Eye contact, a double blink, elbow to the ribs, then duck and roll out of their grasp on my nod.”
“Yeah, but a six-foot-four monster is a little different than a twenty-year-old girl.”
“We don’t have any other choice. I’ll distract him while your guys get positioned. If anyone gets a good shot, they should take him out. I’m putting my faith in you guys. I don’t have a mic and a radio, so I’m going in with my gun and nothing else.”
Chief Sanders radioed to his men. “Where are you stationed?”
“We know his general location, but we don’t have eyes on him yet, sir.”
Max yelled out. His voice was getting angrier by the minute. “Let’s go, Jade, or she gets a bullet to the head. Now!”
“Cover me, guys, and I need an extra gun.”
A rookie deputy handed me his sidearm, and I nodded a thank-you. I took off my jacket, placed the weapon in my holster so Max could see it, and tucked my own pistol into my waistband at my back. I walked out into the light with my hands up.
“There we go, now you’re coming around. Get closer. Keep walking toward my voice.”
I shouted in his direction. “I’m staying in the light, and I want to see Kate. Bring her out here, you coward. I want to see both of your faces.”
“Only after you drop your gun, Jade. I’m not stupid.”
“I’d beg to differ, but fine, I’m lowering my weapon. Now come out!” I slowly knelt and placed the extra gun on the pavement. I stood, my hands raised above my head.
A large figure moved in the shadows a hundred feet in front of me. He came out of the darkness and stepped off the sidewalk to the blacktop.