Wrongly Accused

by Laura Scott

  Noelle gasped when Brickner pulled the trigger on the gun. A shot rang out at the exact same moment Caleb hit the floor.

  “Silence!” Brickner roared. “Or I’ll shoot again and this time I won’t miss!”

  Noelle was shaking so badly she feared she’d drop Kaitlin, but Caleb came up to a low crouch and after a few minutes she realized he wasn’t bleeding.

  Caleb hadn’t been hit.

  But now, the odds of their ability to escape seemed even more impossible.

  * * *

  Caleb took several deep breaths, realizing he’d pushed Brickner just a bit too hard.

  But where was Declan? Why hadn’t Deck stopped Royce from coming inside?

  “Is everything set?” Brickner asked Royce, as if the shooting incident hadn’t happened. He was beginning to wonder if Brickner had some sort of psychological disorder the way he ran hot and cold in a matter of minutes.

  “Yes. Everything is ready,” Royce said, looking as if he were scared to death of Brickner. How had the captain gotten involved in all of this?

  “Good.” Brickner gestured at Caleb with his gun. “All three of you, get in the truck.”

  The black extended cab truck was parked over to the south side of the building. Caleb didn’t move, knowing that once they got inside the truck, their chances of getting away dropped considerably.

  “Why?” he asked. “Where are you taking us?”

  The expression on Brickner’s face reflected evil. “We’re going back to where this all started. Now get inside, or I’ll shoot you in the kneecap.”

  Caleb glanced back at Noelle and Kaitlin, his expression full of regret. “Let’s go,” he said softly.

  Noelle looked as if she might collapse, but she moved toward the truck with surprising strength. He would have taken over carrying Kaitlin, but he wanted to have his hands free, just in case. He still had the knife in his shoe. Maybe when Royce was driving he could use it to help them escape.

  “Move!” Brickner thundered, his patience obviously wearing thin.

  Noelle instinctively picked up the pace, and he followed close behind, protecting her as best he could. He almost wished that Royce would end up being assigned as their driver, because he was fairly certain that Brickner had completely lost his marbles somewhere along the way.

  Caleb took Kaitlin long enough for Noelle to scramble into the backseat. He gently set his daughter beside Noelle and then took the seat beside her, so that Kaitlin was safely tucked in between the two adults.

  Caleb closed the truck door and then quickly reached into his shoe for the knife. It was only a small pocketknife but it was better than nothing.

  To his dismay, both Royce and Brickner climbed into the front seats. Royce was the designated driver and Brickner sat at an angle where he could easily keep his weapon pointed at Noelle.

  Royce twisted the key, bringing the engine to life with a loud roar. He pushed a button on the dash and the garage door opened. Royce drove out of the building, and hit the button again to close the overhead garage door behind them.

  Caleb tried not to search for signs of Declan, because he didn’t want to tip off either Royce or Brickner that help was on the way. Or so he hoped.

  “Give up, O’Malley,” Brickner said. “There’s no one here to help you.”

  Caleb froze. Had he somehow given something away to Brickner?

  “We took care of your friend Declan Shaw,” Brickner said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “The three of you are on your own.”

  Caleb licked his dry lips, hoping, praying that Brickner was bluffing. Brickner knew that Noelle and Kaitlin were hiding at Declan’s house. Brickner must have assumed that Declan had been with Caleb at some point.

  Surely Deck was too smart to get caught in Brickner’s trap. Caleb wanted, desperately, to believe Brickner was just playing mind games with him.

  “Sit back, relax. We have a good fifteen-minute ride before we reach our destination,” Brickner said.

  “And where exactly is that?” Caleb forced himself to ask. “Where did this all start?”

  Brickner laughed, but it was not a pleasant sound. “Your house, O’Malley. This all started at your house. And that’s exactly where it’s going to end.”

  FIFTEEN

  Noelle struggled to keep calm, but she was shaking so badly she feared the men in the front seat could actually feel the seat move. She was losing hope that Declan would be able to save them. And with two armed men now, instead of just one, she didn’t know how she and Caleb could save themselves.

  She wished now that they’d made their move while they were in the garage with just Brickner there. Surely the odds had been better then?

  But it was too late to go back now. Noelle had been praying nonstop since this nightmare began and she’d continue until she took her last breath. The way things were looking now, she was praying that death would come quickly and without undue suffering.

  Especially for Kaitlin. She closed her eyes against the burn of tears. Facing her own death was one thing, but she couldn’t bear to think of the little girl dying tonight.

  “Why did you kill Jack Owens?” Caleb asked as the big black truck ate up the miles.

  “He was a loose end,” Brickner admitted. “Once we found you, we didn’t need him anymore.”

  Noelle wished Caleb would stop asking questions, because the more she heard the greater the fear that clawed at her belly. These men were not going to let them live. What was the point of knowing exactly what had transpired earlier? What difference did any of that make now?

  “Who botched the car explosion?” Caleb asked.

  Royce’s hands tightened on the steering wheel in a way that convinced Noelle that he was the one who’d set the bomb. She was tempted to cover her ears so she couldn’t hear any more, but realized that asking questions like this must be Caleb’s way of dealing with stress. To keep them talking.

  Maybe even to distract them.

  She took a deep breath and did her best to swallow the hard lump of fear choking her. She needed to stay strong. For Kaitlin’s sake.

  “Another mistake,” Brickner said tersely. “But there will be no more, isn’t that right, Royce? You’re going to get the job done this time, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, sir,” Royce muttered.

  An incredulous expression filtered across Caleb’s face and she knew that seeing his former boss like this, bowing down to Brickner’s authority, must be strange. The interaction between the two men wasn’t at all reassuring. Clearly, Royce was going to do whatever Brickner told him to do as the guy calling the shots. Why, she had no idea.

  “You see, Caleb, once we’re finished here tonight, everyone will believe that all three of you died in a murder/suicide,” Brickner said in a matter-of-fact tone.

  “Yeah, right. No one who knows me will believe that,” Caleb said. “Everyone knows my daughter is my life.”

  “Oh, trust me, they will believe exactly what we want them to. We’ve planted enough evidence to make it look as if you and the preschool teacher were having a hot affair even prior to Heather’s murder. And of course, she threatened to take your daughter away from you, so you had no choice but to kill them both before you tragically took your own life.”

  Noelle couldn’t bear to hear any more. The way Brickner talked she knew that he’d indeed have planted enough evidence to make the authorities and the media buy their story. And why not, when he’d had the captain of the SWAT team to add credence to his lie? She didn’t know why Royce was involved, and at this moment, she didn’t care.

  She glanced out the passenger-side window, but it was too dark to see much and what little she could make out didn’t look at all familiar. Even if she had the chance to run away with Kaitlin, she wasn’t sure where to go to find safety.<
br />
  The truck slowed as Royce turned into a ritzy subdivision. The houses weren’t packed close together the way they were in Declan’s neighborhood. She was shocked at seeing the high-end lifestyle Caleb once enjoyed. She found it hard to imagine what his life must have been like during the years he was married to Heather.

  Although looking at him now, with a grim expression etched on his face, she knew he’d give up everything he owned in a heartbeat if it meant keeping them safe. The knowledge made her feel a little better. Caleb was a different man now than what he’d been before.

  “Almost home,” Brickner said with fake cheerfulness.

  Caleb reached over to take her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. The resolute expression on his face caused her stomach to knot, painfully. This was it. Now that they’d reached their final destination, she was certain that Caleb would make one last attempt to save them.

  Or die trying.

  She shook her head, trying to tell him without words not to do anything foolish. But he only nodded, reaffirming her fears while subtly pointing to the small space on the floor behind the driver.

  She could tell exactly what he wanted her to do. Get Kaitlin down and out of the line of fire so that he could make his move on Brickner. She gave a small nod to indicate she understood.

  Royce turned the truck into a long, curved driveway in front of a large redbrick house with white trim and black shutters. Caleb’s house was located at the end of a cul-de-sac, tucked between several trees, a good hundred feet away from the road. It was surprisingly isolated and her hopes of being rescued plummeted even further.

  This was it. Noelle put her arm around Kaitlin while keeping her gaze focused on Brickner. She had to assume that Caleb would do something drastic during the time they were about to get out of the vehicle, especially the minute Brickner’s gun was no longer pointed directly at her, Noelle knew she had to do what was needed to protect Kaitlin. The child must survive no matter what happened.

  This is it, Lord. We are putting our lives and our fate in Your hands. May Your will be done. Amen.

  * * *

  Caleb gripped his small penknife in his right hand, waiting for the exact moment to make his move. Brickner was seated directly in front him, but he didn’t dare attempt to stab the guy while Marc’s gun was pointed at Noelle.

  Timing was critical. The second Brickner moved to get out of the vehicle he’d have to move his gun enough that Noelle wouldn’t be in the line of fire. That was the moment he needed to strike. He silently prayed for forgiveness for what he was about to do.

  Dear God, forgive me for my sins and give me strength to save Noelle and Kaitlin.

  “Okay, we’re going to get out of the car, nice and easy,” Brickner instructed. “The woman and the kid go first.”

  Caleb could see the stark fear reflected in Noelle’s eyes and wished he could reassure her. He tried to let her know that the plan was still to get down, and truthfully if Noelle and Kaitlin could safely get out of the truck they’d have a better chance at surviving if they could somehow crawl underneath the massive frame.

  Noelle’s gaze clung to his for a long moment as she moved slowly and deliberately, opening her passenger door and then sliding out until her feet were planted on the ground. She reached for Kaitlin and his daughter went willingly into Noelle’s arms. Noelle bent down to set Kaitlin on her feet and the way she had her head bent toward the child, as if peering down at the ground, Caleb could tell that Noelle had already figured out that she needed to get Kaitlin hidden beneath the truck.

  “Whoops, did you fall, Kaitlin?” Noelle asked, bending over Kaitlin as if she were helping the child when in fact she was practically shoving his daughter to her knees.

  The minute Noelle was ducked down and Kaitlin was safely out of sight, Caleb reached up and stabbed Brickner in the neck with his small penknife, hoping to disable the guy rather than trying to kill him.

  “Argh!” Brickner cried out in pain, and Caleb jerked at the sharp retort of Brickner’s gun.

  “Get down!” Caleb shouted, reassured when Noelle dropped down out of sight.

  Another muffled gunshot echoed through the night, and Caleb ducked, trying to figure out who was shooting. It was too dark to see much. Did Brickner have backup planted here for an ambush? Had Caleb stepped from one bad situation into a second, more deadly one?

  But then he saw Marc Brickner crumpled on the concrete driveway, blood soaking through his white shirt beneath his fancy suit.

  Caleb stared at his former teammate in shock. Who’d taken the shot at Brickner?

  “Royce,” Brickner whispered.

  Caleb frowned and leaned closer. “What did you say?”

  Royce was still in the driver’s seat of the truck. Was Brickner trying to tell him that Royce shot him?

  “Make him pay. Royce...killed her. Killed...Heather.” Brickner stared at Caleb as if willing him to believe. “Make him pay.”

  “Why?” Caleb asked.

  “He...wanted her...for himself...” Brickner managed. He coughed and then his eyelids fluttered closed.

  “Marc?” Caleb reached out to check Brickner’s pulse, but he already knew. His former teammate was dead.

  Caleb didn’t know if he should believe Brickner, although remembering how the guy professed to love Heather, he was inclined to go along with his theory. Besides, it made sense that Brickner had something to hold over Royce’s head, to get the captain to do his bidding.

  What better motive than to threaten to go to the police with the truth about Heather’s murder?

  Another gunshot echoed through the night and Caleb ducked down when he heard the shattering of glass. He instinctively glanced up, but the window in the car door above his head was still intact.

  “Don’t shoot! I give up! I give up!” Royce shouted in a panicked tone as he climbed out from behind the wheel. “Do you hear me? I give up!”

  “Toss down your weapon!” a familiar voice shouted from a cluster of trees. “Now!”

  Declan?

  Caleb lifted his head in time to see Royce toss his weapon halfway down the driveway and then lift both his hands in the air in the universal gesture of surrender.

  Almost instantly, three of Caleb’s former SWAT team members emerged from behind the trees on either side of the driveway. One guy swooped on Royce’s gun, safely taking possession of the weapon. A guy who looked like Isaac Morrison grabbed Royce and turned him around so that he faced the hood of the truck, pulling Royce’s hands behind his back in order to cuff him. He tensed, wondering if he was the next one to be arrested but Deck crossed over and slapped him on the back.

  “Nice work,” Declan said. “Stabbing Brickner like that was exactly what Isaac needed to get the guy in position to make his shot.”

  “I can’t believe you’re here,” Caleb said, feeling as if he were in a daze. “How did you know we were coming to my place? Why didn’t you meet us out at the garage?”

  “It’s a long story,” Declan admitted. “We managed to convince Royce to cooperate. In turn, Royce fed Brickner information that I was captured, too. I think Royce sensed his time with Brickner was coming to an end. He told us he believed Brickner was going to kill him.”

  “Really? You convinced Royce to turn against Brickner?” Caleb shook his head. “I’m shocked.”

  “We’ll have plenty of time to fill you in on the details, later.” Declan glanced down at Brickner. “Is he dead?”

  “I think so.” Caleb couldn’t drum up any sympathy for the man who’d killed so many. And in that moment, he didn’t care about what had happened. Deck was right. They were finally safe and that’s all that mattered.

  “Noelle?” Caleb called. “It’s safe for you and Kaitlin to come out now.”

  “Hey, Caleb?” Isaac called as he finished the job of c
uffing their former boss. “You better get over here. I think she’s bleeding.”

  “What?” Caleb frantically pushed past Declan and rounded the truck, where his heart nearly stopped in his chest when he saw Noelle’s body sprawled facedown on the driveway. He dropped to his knees and reached for her, desperately trying to feel for her pulse. “Noelle? Are you all right? Can you hear me?”

  Kaitlin was lying mostly beneath the truck, and when she saw him she began to cry. “Daddy, help Noa. Please help Noa!”

  “I will, sweetheart. Come on out now, you’re safe.” He reached out a hand to his daughter, silently urging her to come out from beneath the truck. “The bad guys are gone now. We’re all safe.”

  “Noa,” Kaitlin sobbed. She crawled forward and grabbed Noelle’s hand, giving it a hard shake. “Wake up, Noa. Wake up!”

  In the background Caleb could hear Declan calling for an ambulance. He closed his eyes and concentrated, thankful to feel the faint flutter of Noelle’s pulse. Relieved to know she was still alive, he gently turned Noelle over to try and find the source of the bleeding.

  “Isaac, get me some light!” he said urgently.

  Isaac pulled out his flashlight and aimed down on Noelle, who looked far too pale as she lay unconscious on the driveway.

  “Don’t die, Noelle,” Caleb muttered half under his breath. “Please don’t die.”

  “She’s hit just beneath her shoulder,” Isaac said, shining the light on the area. “Looks like the entry wound is on the front and the exit wound is in the back. You’ll have to hold pressure on both sides to stop the bleeding.”

  Caleb was already stripping off his shirt. “Come on, Noelle, hang in there. You’re going to be all right. Don’t give up on us, do you hear me? Don’t give up!”

  He placed his balled-up shirt beneath her right shoulder, using the weight of her body to help put pressure on the bleeding. “Give me your shirt,” he said to Isaac.

  Isaac stripped off his shirt and passed it over to Caleb. “She’ll be okay, Caleb. It’s just a shoulder wound.”