Out of the Mist (Can't Help Falling Book 1)

by Lauren Giordano

  "What about Bernie? They gonna say I didn't have a choice then?" He shook his head. "Dandridge made me help get rid of the body. I'm an accomplice. Just like with Paul. Munoz killed him— and leaves me with the friggin' mess. Leaves me to deal with his widow." His anguished voice faltered. "That makes me just as guilty." His gaze met hers fleetingly. "Maybe more."

  "Who-" Julie was almost afraid to ask who'd attacked her.

  "Matias grabbed you. You showed up too early. He'd just killed Griggs-"

  "Why?"

  "Griggs was an idiot. He demanded a bigger cut. Ray had already bought the warehouse in your name. They set it up to look like your gig."

  His menacing chuckle sent a chill down her spine. "Then— you escaped. So, the moron tries again at the hospital. When Matias effed that up too, they all went ballistic."

  She should be dead. Rigid behind the wheel, Julie's heart iced over. If she hadn't escaped- Matt had been right— about everything. Tears choked her voice. "Why were they after me? I-I didn't do anything. I don't know anything."

  "Don't flatter yourself. When you started talkin' efficiency studies, they started makin' plans. No one messes with their operation." His voice was almost consoling as he handed her a rag. "Stop crying." His sigh was exasperated. "Dammit, pull over. You'll get us both killed."

  Julie swerved to the curb, fighting the despair threatening to crush her. Before she could think to open the door and run, Jonas had rounded the truck, gun pointed at her.

  Fishing a circle of rope from under the passenger seat, he quickly bound her hands and feet before shoving her across the seat. Breathing heavily from the exertion, he rested against the doorframe.

  "Here's the deal. I'm supposed to meet Dandridge at the docks. He's got a mother-huge yacht. They wait 'til dark, then zip out of the harbor and drop you overboard." He winced at her startled moan of fear. "I can't change what's done. God help me, I wish I could."

  "It's not too late-"

  "It is too late," he shouted, pounding the roof before he jumped in.

  Julie shrank from him, fear cascading in icy waves. Matt would never find her. He'd never forgive himself. He'd never know— she'd loved him.

  "I'll regret this," Jonas muttered. Fist on the wheel, he glanced at her, tears in his eyes. His hand hesitated on the key. "They're waiting."

  "Steve. . . please," she whispered. A weak flicker of hope sputtered to life. Had he changed his mind?

  He shook his head sadly. "I'm in too deep. I just want . . . Marie and the girls safe. The only way I'll know for sure is to end this myself."

  "No-"

  He turned to her, determination in his eyes. "They're drug dealers, Julie. With plenty of money. If they get away-" His voice cracked. "My girls— I have to end this. Tonight."

  "Not alone," she pleaded.

  Checking the mirror, he pulled away from the curb. "I'll stash you in one of these empty warehouses. Once I take care of Dandridge, I'll come back."

  Accelerating down the deserted street, he swerved into a parking lot. Staring at the abandoned building, Julie tried not to shudder. Every window on Building 2B was broken, the door hanging drunkenly from rusty hinges. In the rapidly fading twilight, the building loomed dark and cavernous. Inhaling the sharp scent of salt water, she heard it lapping against the canal walls. The realization finally hit her. No one. . . not even Matt would find her this time.

  ***

  Matt was on the expressway when he realized he'd missed a call. His heart vaulted into overdrive. Impatiently, he checked the rearview mirror and pushed it up to eighty. A minute later he was gripping the wheel, unable to breathe.

  Julie's words washed over him, surrounding him with hope. She still wanted him. As quickly as hope flared, an icy chill doused it. Her last words— spoken to someone else. . . Words spoken to Steve. Steve? His mother's words returned to haunt him. I saw Steve Jonas downstairs. A gray-haired man behind the wheel. . .

  His curse of frustration reverberated off the windows. Frantically, he dialed Leo.

  "I'm forwarding a call. Jonas is involved, too. There's construction noise in the background. Tell me where it is."

  ***

  Cutting the engine, Steve jerked the door open. "I ditched the SUV near Ray's condo. If the cops aren't stupid— they'll put it together." He grabbed a roll of duct tape.

  Julie eyed it fearfully. "I won't scream-"

  "Quiet," he ordered, dropping his voice. "Sound travels real clear over water. We're damn close to the boat. You yell— and they'll find you."

  She nodded, too afraid to acknowledge what lay ahead.

  Scooping her up, he hustled her inside, only setting her down to reach for his flashlight. "Damn, it's black as pitch in here."

  Propping her against a rusting column, he flashed the light around, the beam cutting a tiny path of light through the inky darkness. The long forgotten building seemed to groan when the wind rushed past jagged panes of glass. The eerie sound blended with the raspy noise of her breathing as it accelerated with panic. Julie tried not to think about the creatures holed up in there with her.

  Jonas disappeared in the gloom. A trickle of light from the red glow of sunset filtered through the door, a lone rectangle in an ocean of black. Julie heard the crunch of broken glass as muffled footsteps drew closer.

  "I don't suppose you can walk?"

  She tried to shuffle, but her ankles were tightly bound. "Sorry."

  Sighing, Jonas hoisted her up. Trudging through the darkness, he stepped gingerly over debris. "I found a chair for you." The rusted metal protested when he set her down. "Remember," he warned, "if Dandridge hears you— it's out of my hands. He'll kill you."

  Too dark to see his expression, his voice was laden with despair. "I'll be quiet." Julie tried to free her mind of fear. To concentrate on how best to help herself. An icy sensation shot through her hands. Soon, she'd lose feeling. "Can you— loosen the ropes? My hands-"

  She held her breath as he pondered her request.

  "I'll tie 'em in front so it don't hurt as much. But that's it," he added defensively. "I gotta go."

  Nearly lightheaded when he momentarily freed her tightly bound wrists, she studied his face. The tiny beacon of light cast shadows over his features. Would he come back for her? Or was it one more lie in an endless list.

  "Can I have the flashlight?" He hesitated only a moment before tossing it into her lap. She clutched it with her knees.

  "I don't know how long it'll last." Turning, Jonas strode away, disappearing in the dark as he headed for the sliver of light still visible in the doorway hundreds of yards away. His footsteps faded quickly as he left the building. Julie heard the truck gun to life, heard tires squeal on gravel and broken glass.

  A menacing stillness closed in on her. As jagged shards of fear formed in her chest, she released a shuddering sigh. With no one to hear, her wrenching sobs echoed, floating up to greet the whistling breeze.

  ***

  Chapter 17

  "Staties picked up a signal from the transponder we hid in Julie's bag. Signal's weak, but it's emanating from somewhere down on the docks," Mullaney reported.

  "I'm sure they ditched her bag." Matt swore in the thickening traffic, hope warring with desperation. "Have you left yet?"

  "We're ten minutes behind you. This thing is about to explode."

  "We?"

  "Your mother. . . insisted."

  Matt recognized his tone. Mullaney was wishing he could punch someone. "Put her on."

  "Matthew, I escaped a guarded apartment today." Her frosted voice indicated she was dealing with simpletons. "Do you seriously believe I can't do it again?"

  There wasn't time to argue. "Don't leave the van. Got it?"

  Mullaney's voice returned. "Your hunch paid off. The SUV was abandoned in Ray's lot, plain as day."

  "Why would-"

  "Jonas left us a message, Mattie."

  Steve was leaving a trail back to Dandridge. That meant he was wavering. But why?
More money? Or had he realized he'd be left holding the bag? The risk of a shootout had just escalated.

  "Dandridge blows town and leaves Jonas here to take the rap." Mullaney answered Madeline's muffled question.

  Matt shifted focus as he neared the industrial park. "Is everyone in place? Have we covered the bases?"

  "Finn's tracing the transponder. A local cop tailed the board member— Staunton to the docks. We think they'll use the boat, but we've alerted Logan security in case he tries for a flight out."

  Dandridge had enough cash for a private plane. There'd be no trip to Logan. If they lost them at the docks, he'd just disappear. "How long on the transponder?" Matt's grip tightened on the wheel.

  "Don't know."

  "What about Dandridge?"

  "We've got two teams in place at the marina." Mullaney's gravelly voice cut through the static. "We got another two teams on the harbor. Coast Guard is on standby, but if they get an emergency call, we're on our own. Statie's have a boat, too."

  "What else, Pop?" Sensing the electric tension in his friend, Matt swerved off the expressway, narrowly avoiding the concrete barrier as he flew down the exit ramp.

  "Our sources say Dandridge has been loading the boat all week."

  His heart sank. They were tying up loose ends— and Julie was one of them.

  "If we don't nail Viper today, we ain't gonna have another shot."

  ***

  Thirty minutes with no word. As dusk settled, Matt's agitation increased ten-fold. "Tell me we've got something from the transponder." The industrial park covered two square miles, littered with warehouses and shipping companies, many abandoned. A canal system linked the warehouses to the harbor. They could be anywhere.

  "The signal's spotty. It hasn't worked right since we planted it." Mullaney paused. "Dandridge is on his boat. He's left the marina. The Staties don't want him to bolt, so they're hanging back. Looks like he might be coming our way."

  "The state police? You're sure?" Relief coursed through him.

  "Finn ran a check on Jonas' vehicle. Blue Ford pickup." He rattled off the plate number.

  "What happened with Tori?"

  "We had someone tail her from KTec. They said she stopped for fast food and headed home." Mullaney cleared his throat. "The boys at the seventh precinct moved in on a storage unit a few blocks from Dandridge's condo. Evidence guys haven't counted it all, but we're up to twenty-six kilos and a couple million in cash."

  "Okay." His stomach weighted with worry, he couldn't experience joy over the haul. Not with Julie missing. "How will we find them?"

  "We'll work a grid. Finnie's got a team coming."

  Matt slowed his speed to glance at the cross-street. "I'm nearly there. Where do we meet?"

  ***

  Matt cut his engine after dead-ending near the canal. Dark, empty buildings surrounded him. Row after row, street after street. Cracking the windows open, he took a hit of briny salt air.

  Helpless as the flashback started, Pam's sightless eyes stared back, a half-hearted smile on her lips. Blindly, he scrubbed the memory away. Tonight wouldn't end that way. Pam had been controlled by her situation. Julie was strong. She'd fought him every step of the way. After several cleansing breaths, his stomach stopped heaving.

  She was there. Somewhere. He could feel it. He just had to find her.

  Precious minutes slid away while he sat in the dark. He tried Mullaney, getting no answer. Two blocks over, Finn and his contingent were working their way toward the docks. In his rearview mirror Matt watched the stealthy arrival of three cruisers, 10-40, lights out.

  He was tired of waiting— of searching for answers. And so damned sick of the clawing sense of dread. Switching his phone to vibrate, he slid from the car.

  Slipping into the shadows of the cavernous building fronting the canal, he moved closer to the water. Eyes adjusting quickly, Matt heard the roar of an engine snuff out and watched the outline of a powerful boat drift into the mooring a block away. The deck appeared empty. He listened for signs of activity but heard only waves lapping against fiberglass.

  Matt hugged close to the building. If he were Dandridge, he'd tie off and come ashore to wait— and set a trap. After analyzing Jonas' role in the scheme, he'd been unable to establish a scenario where Steve exited alive. Everything boiled down to Dandridge. Even Lambeth had been eliminated. The lawyer's greed took precedent.

  The scuff of footsteps made him freeze, the pattern cautious rather than hurried as they crunched closer before veering toward the moored boat. A heavyset silhouette moved through the darkness, blending into shadows as he neared the boat. Matt's pulse quickened. If Jonas was here- Julie couldn't be far.

  He angled toward the burly shadow. Conscious of the line of fire, he hung back, dropping down behind a scrap heap of steel beams and concrete. The old man's wheezing breath carried clearly across the distance as Jonas blundered closer.

  The guy had no cover. What was he thinking?

  "Dandridge— where are you, damn it?" Jonas' angry voice echoed off the building.

  Matt slithered to the edge of the debris, then heard a shot reverberate. Flattening himself into the sharp-edged steel, it scraped his arm. The muzzle flash had come from the stern deck. He hunkered down as answering shots were fired from the parking lot. Clutching his stomach, Steve groaned, staggering to the pavement.

  His phone vibrated against his chest. Matt fumbled to answer. "I really can't talk."

  "Where the hell are you?"

  "About a hundred feet from the boat. Jonas is down."

  "Damn you— stay down," Mullaney ordered. "Dandridge is pinned down on the boat."

  He winced at the deafening sound of another round of gunfire. "My mother-"

  "We're outta the way. This is gonna get ugly."

  "He knows where Julie is."

  "Magic, so help me, God— I'll shoot you myself."

  Sweat beaded on his forehead as Matt remained motionless, his legs twitching with the screaming desire to move. Steve was yards away . . . It was another five minutes before he heard faint shouts from the parking lot down the block and the roar of a police boat skimming across the waves. He rolled free of the debris pile, his phone vibrating.

  "Yeah?"

  "Move back toward the building and walk to the parking lot."

  "Steve's the only one who knows anything-" He silenced Mullaney's angry response by ramming his phone back into his pocket. The area around the boat was now bathed in artificial light. Several shadows had boarded Dandridge's boat and three people hovered over Jonas. He walked toward them.

  A cop grabbed his arm. "Hold it. Who're you?"

  "He's with us," Mullaney shouted from the parking lot.

  Matt's gaze never left Jonas' prone form. "Is he alive?"

  "He's losing blood."

  "Did he say anything?" His pulse ricocheted like a drum corps under his skin. Dammit, he couldn't die. Not yet.

  "He's mumbling about Marie."

  "What about Julie?" He pushed his way closer and saw Steve's waxen face, eyes closed. "Steve— where's Julie? Where is she?"

  "Back off. All's he said was 'Marie. To be Marie'. Keeps repeating it."

  Matt felt a sharp tug on his arm and tried to shake free. Mullaney jerked him away from the group huddled around Jonas.

  "Give 'em some room. They need to work on him 'til the ambulance gets here."

  He fought the panic crashing over him. "Pop— she's here somewhere."

  "Case you're wonderin', they pulled Dandridge off the boat. Everybody's in custody." Mullaney's face appeared exhausted in the artificial light. "We got a bunch 'a guys who're willing to search every last one of these buildings. I suggest we get started."

  Chastened, Matt fisted a hand through his hair. He wouldn't be the one to send Pop over the edge. "I'll drive back to the front and start there."

  ***

  Steve had been right. Sound traveled clearly over water. Julie heard the first shot as though it had been fired
just outside the building. Her chair scraped back when she jumped in fright. She tried to memorize her position in relation to the door she could no longer see. The flashlight was flickering.

  She was sick of waiting. To be killed. To be rescued. She'd picked at the knots binding her for nearly an hour. And gotten nowhere. "Enough."

  With a determined surge, she threw herself from the chair. The flashlight crashed to the floor and snuffed out. Landing hard on the concrete, pain shot through both knees.

  "No more waiting," she announced. "You can do this."

  Just because her hands and feet were tied didn't mean she couldn't crawl. It wouldn't stay dark forever. And when morning arrived, she'd be that much closer to the door. Eventually, she'd reach it and she'd crawl outside. . . or she would die trying.

  Wincing when she heard the rapid repeat of gunfire, Julie prayed they weren't heading her way. Glass shards littered the concrete, piercing her hands as she slithered over them. By the time she plowed into a steel column thirty minutes later, she'd lost feeling in her knees. But the pain roaring through her shoulder caused a sob of frustration. She had no idea how far she'd gone. No idea where she was going.

  Leaning back against the beam, Julie shivered on the dusty floor. In that moment, her existence wasn't terribly different than it had been a few weeks earlier. She was alone and she was afraid. Even before all the problems, she'd been uncertain. Afraid of making a mistake. Afraid of taking chances. Afraid she'd fail KTec. Instead, she'd failed herself.

  When Matt said he loved her— she'd iced over with fear. How stupid was that? The thing she wanted most— terrified her? All because he might leave? Everyone else had, her brain whispered. "He won't," she answered. "He won't."

  How could she demand trust from him when she didn't trust herself? With a renewed sense of purpose, Julie threw herself back to the floor. She tried not to think about pain. Or thirst. Or exhaustion. For maybe the first time in her life, she tried not to think at all.

  ***

  Matt retraced his steps to the entrance to the industrial park, flashlight in hand. Soon, the park would be flooded with light. Come morning, an even larger search team would be assembled. They'd find her, he was certain. But in what shape?