by Lisa Harris
Felicia.
She sat perched at the edge of a workout bench, wearing her prosthetic leg. But there was no time for him to congratulate her progress.
“Are you okay?” he whispered.
She nodded. “What are you doing here, Jonas?”
“My job.”
“So this is your job?” Ben asked, forcing Jonas to refocus his attention. “I’m guessing that the two of you really aren’t paramedics.”
“They’re marshals,” answered Kira, looking back and forth between the two. “They were at my house this morning.”
Jonas turned away from Felicia. “Tell me what’s going on, Ben.”
“One of you shot me.” He shook his gun toward Dr. Phelps. “And this nice man is going to fix it.”
“I’m a physical therapist,” the doctor said, holding up his hands. “Bullet wounds aren’t exactly my specialty.”
“He needs to see a surgeon,” Kira said.
“I’ll be fine.” Ben’s hand shook. “I’m still in charge, and here’s how things will go. The doctor is going to sew me up, then my friend and I will walk out of here with the doctor as our hostage.”
“You’re in no condition to leave,” Dr. Phelps said. “You’ve lost too much blood. You need surgery and the bullet taken out.”
“He’s right, Ben.” Jonas caught the terror in Kira’s eyes as she spoke. “Please listen to him. You need to go to a hospital. You’ll die if you don’t get help.”
“And we’ll go to prison if I do. He’s not on our side, Kira.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore,” she said. “They know who we are, and there’s nowhere to run.” She kept her gun aimed at the marshals, but her lip quivered a bit as she spoke.
“You’re wrong.” Ben’s jaw tensed. “There’s always a way out. That’s part of the challenge.”
Madison took a step forward. “Except this isn’t some video game where you can get another life. If you don’t get some help, you’re going to die.”
Ben swung his weapon at her. “Enough. I’m fine.”
“We’re just trying to help,” Madison said. “You’ve lost a lot of blood and you’re not thinking clearly. But we’re just a couple minutes away from one of Seattle’s best trauma units.”
“All I need is the doctor to finish stitching me up, and then we’re going.”
“Where?” Kira asked. “We can’t run anymore.”
Jonas weighed the interaction between the two fugitives. While Ben seemed to be holding out for a miracle, Kira clearly saw the reality of the situation. They needed to find a way to convince him that this was already over.
Madison took another step toward Kira. “I know this wasn’t a part of your plan, but we can make sure Ben gets the help he needs.”
Ben winced in pain. “Don’t listen to them.”
“We can get someone in here who can help,” Madison said. “Just let me make a call.”
“Help? Really? Before I know it, you’ll have a dozen officers breaching that door. Forget it.” Ben’s voice rose. “Put your weapons and cell phones on the table, and then Kira will pat you down.”
Jonas didn’t miss the authority in Ben’s voice, but his face had paled, and he was shaking even harder now. Still, they needed to keep things from escalating any further, because he had no doubt that if pushed too hard, the man was going to snap.
“Now!” Ben said.
“Okay—”
“No, it’s not okay.” Ben managed to stand up.
“Ben,” Madison said as they complied with the man’s orders. “Think through what you’re doing.”
“I already have.”
“I know you feel trapped,” Madison continued, her voice steady, “but if this ends with someone else getting hurt—”
Ben’s hands shook as he aimed his gun at Madison, his finger closing in on the trigger. “You don’t get it. I have nothing else to lose.”
The next few seconds played in slow motion before Jonas’s eyes. Ben’s gun went off at the same time that Felicia lunged off the bench, grabbed Kira’s weapon, and fired back at Ben. Her shot hit its target, but Ben missed his mark.
Jonas spun toward Felicia. A red splotch started spreading across her chest. He bridged the gap between them. “Felicia . . . No.” He knelt beside her. “I need you to stay with me. Madison, call 911.”
Ben had managed to get up and run out the door with the doctor, but all Jonas could think about was saving Felicia. “Stay with me. Come on. I’m so, so sorry.”
“No . . . you have nothing to be sorry about.” Felicia’s words were barely audible. “I’m the one who messed things up.”
“Jonas.” Madison had already wrestled Kira onto the ground and had her in handcuffs. “An ambulance is on its way.”
“I’ve got Felicia. Go after Ben. Now.”
TEN
Madison tried to shake the memory that flashed in front of her. She’d been in this situation before. Looking into the eyes of someone who was going to shoot her. Felicia had just taken the bullet that should have been for her. But Ben was running. Whatever hidden memory was trying to surface would have to wait.
She hurried out the door, where two officers stood six feet in front of Ben, who held his weapon against Dr. Phelps’s head. Felicia had put a round in his leg, which meant he would only be able to go so far, but he was running on adrenaline now. Probably not even feeling the pain of the second bullet. But if they didn’t stop him now, the doctor would be dead. Ben had already shot two people who got in his way.
He took another backward step toward his car. “Everyone needs to stay back, or I will shoot him.”
Madison moved forward slowly, staying far enough away to not intimidate him but close enough for him to know she wasn’t backing down.
The two uniformed officers moved in beside her, but she motioned for them to follow behind her.
“Ben . . .” She held up her weapon, knowing he was already spooked, and that he wouldn’t hesitate to shoot again if he was pushed into a corner. “I need you to listen to me. It’s over. There really is nowhere else to run, and you’re only making things worse for yourself. Just put an end to this before someone else gets hurt. Let the doctor go, and we’ll get you the medical help you need.”
The man’s hand shook. “I didn’t mean to shoot her, but you weren’t listening to me. No one listens to me.”
She took another couple steps, following him to his car. “I’ve tried to listen to you, Ben.”
“Have you? Because we both know it doesn’t matter what I do right now. No one was ever supposed to get hurt, but now you expect me to just turn myself in? And then what? All will be forgiven? I’m not stupid. The only way out of this is for me to run.”
“And then what? Are you prepared to run the rest of your life?”
“Trust me, that’s sounding a whole lot better than the alternative.” He was at the car now. “You don’t get it. I have nothing more to lose at this point.”
She looked for an opportunity to stop them from getting into the car or, if necessary, an open shot. But Ben kept the doctor between them.
As he and the doctor got into the car, Madison pulled out her phone and called Michaels.
“Where are you?” he asked.
“In the clinic’s parking lot, about to follow our suspect with two uniforms,” she said, running to the car. “Kira’s inside and handcuffed, but Ben took a hostage and is about to leave in the car they arrived in.” She gave him the license plate number. “He shot someone inside, Michaels. It was a friend of Jonas. Felicia.”
“Stay on his tail and keep me on speaker so I know what’s going on, but don’t take any unnecessary risks.”
Madison quickly started the car, then pulled out of the parking lot. She’d seen defeat in Kira’s eyes and thought they could talk them down, but she’d been wrong. She’d pushed Ben too hard, and Felicia had ended up taking the bullet for her. Anger bubbled as she gripped the steering wheel. If Felicia didn’t surviv
e, how was she ever going to face Jonas again?
Traffic flowed around her as she pressed on the accelerator, keeping her eye on the other vehicle. Ben was three cars ahead, while the patrol cars followed at a short distance behind her. The Toyota swerved to the right, then took a sharp turn.
Madison took a quick right, as they disappeared from view.
Where are they?
She heard the crash before she saw it.
“I’ve got eyes on our suspect’s vehicle,” she said. “It looks like the car ran off the road, jumped a curb, and hit a lamppost.”
“Approach carefully,” Michaels said. “The guy’s still armed and has the hostage.”
“Roger that.” She ended the call and jumped out of her car as two of the marked vehicles pulled up behind her. She signaled for the officers to follow behind her as they edged closer to the car, weapons at the ready.
“US Marshals,” she shouted, approaching the vehicle. “I want you both to get out of the car now with your hands in the air.”
She came closer, watching for signs of movement in the side-view mirror. The driver’s side door opened. Madison steadied her stance as the doctor slipped out of the car. She hurried up to the passenger side, but it was empty.
“Where’s Ben?” she asked the doctor.
“He’s gone.”
“What do you mean he’s gone? Where is he?”
“I don’t know.” The man pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, clearly terrified. “Someone tried to cut me off. I ran off the road, and then he jumped out of the car.”
“Are you hurt?”
“I don’t think so. Just shaken up.”
She called in for an ambulance, then signaled for the officers to follow her.
“Madison? Where are you?” Michaels said once he was on the line again.
She glanced around her and gave him the cross streets.
“Do you see him anywhere?” he asked.
“No, but he couldn’t have gotten far. Make sure law enforcement has descriptions of him. We’ll spread out and canvass the neighborhood.”
The streets were busy with both cars and pedestrians as she started searching for Ben. The older neighborhood was primarily made up of bottom floor storefronts, everything from sushi to Subway, and either apartments or office space took up the floors above. To her left was a narrow parking garage and a small park. Ben Galvan could be anywhere.
Red drops on the sidewalk caught her attention. She bent down to examine them. They definitely looked like blood. Were definitely still wet.
She pulled her phone from her pocket. “I just found traces of fresh blood.”
“Proceed carefully.”
She disconnected the call, then walked slowly past a vacant storefront with a FOR LEASE sign in the window, looking for movement. She tried the door handle. Locked. She kept moving down the street. He had to be nearby. After losing that much blood, this man was quickly running out of options.
“There’s an underground passageway fifty feet from here,” one of the officers said.
She knew there were hundreds of miles of tunnels and pipes laid out like a maze beneath the city. Some were used as tourist attractions. Others were used for workers to be able to stay out of the rain, forming an underground city. Many were tucked under hidden doorways that most Seattleites never even knew about. For a man on the run, it would be the perfect hiding place.
She stopped in front of one of the doors. There was blood on the handle. She pulled it open, then stared down the narrow staircase, her weapon out in front of her, senses alert. Paint-chipped walls pressed in next to her. Clearing stairwells and tunnels held numerous threats because of the blind spots they created. And she had no idea where Ben was or what was on the other side. She also had no idea how much training the officers behind her had.
She kept her focus on the bottom of the stairs, alert for any movement, as she signaled her approach to the officers. Speed wasn’t an issue in this situation. With little light and no cover, it was crucial to stay aware of their surroundings. Their main advantage was that Ben had been hit not once, but twice. It wouldn’t be long until shock took over and he wouldn’t be able to respond. Her goal was to eliminate the threat and make sure they didn’t open themselves to an attack.
She paused at the bottom of the staircase, cautiously clearing the corner in sections. Careful to make sure they weren’t being set up for an ambush. She signaled again at the officers, then slowly started navigating the narrow tunnel. A few lights flickered along the path.
Her stomach roiled when she noticed a body ahead of her. Ben was sitting slouched against the wall twenty feet down from the corner, his weapon beside him. She quickly approached him, kicked the gun aside, then knelt down in front of him to check his pulse. Rapid. He was alive, but his skin was clammy and there was a bluish tinge to his lips.
“He’s in shock,” she shouted at the officers. “Call a second ambulance. Now.”
Anger flushed through her. She wasn’t going to let him die. Not on her watch. He was going to live to pay for what he’d done.
She barked out orders to the other officers then called Michaels again. “We found Ben and have him in custody with an ambulance on the way.”
“That’s good news.”
“What about Kira?” she asked.
“I had her transferred here.”
“Wait for me,” she said, heading toward her car. “I’m coming back to the office now and want to be there.”
“That’s what I planned.”
She hesitated before asking her next question. “What about Felicia?”
“They are prepping her for surgery, but I don’t have an update on her condition other than it’s serious.”
“And Jonas?”
“He’s at the hospital with her grandmother. I told him he needed to stay.”
Forty-five minutes later, Madison pulled in front of the US Marshals building. Her hands trembled as she turned off the engine. She reached for the Americano she’d bought on the way, but caffeine wasn’t the only thing she needed. She hadn’t had time to process what had happened inside that clinic. And she wouldn’t for quite a while. The bullet that hit Felicia had been meant for her. The reminder set off a fresh wave of guilt and frustration, but it also drove home a deep sense of determination to ensure they finished their job and brought in the other two fugitives.
Michaels was waiting for her in his office. The chief deputy, who’d gone completely gray over the past year, waved his hand at the empty chair across from him and gave her his full attention. “I want to hear this from you. What exactly happened out there, and how are you?”
Madison sat down, forcing order to her jumbled thoughts. “It all happened so fast. Jonas and I were trying to talk Ben down. Things escalated. Felicia reacted and grabbed for Kira’s gun. They both fired their weapons. But that bullet . . . The shot he took.” Her voice cracked. “That bullet was for me, and Jonas has every right to blame me—”
“Hold on.” Michaels held up his hand. “If that’s what you’re worried about, I think you can give him more credit than that. We’ll take an official statement, but from everything I’ve heard today, both of you reacted exactly the way you were trained. It’s not your fault.”
Guilt continued to press against her chest. “I’m not sure that matters.”
“It has to matter, and if you can’t put your emotions aside—”
“No. That won’t be a problem.” She snapped her head up and caught his gaze. It didn’t matter how personal this had all become. She was going to play it out till the end.
“Good, because if it is, I’ll assign someone else to the case. I need you one hundred percent focused to find the last two fugitives.”
“I can do that. I’m ready to talk with Kira.” She started to stand up, but Michaels motioned her to sit back down.
“Before you do that, I asked Piper to do some profiling for us.” Michaels picked up his phone to call her in. “I thi
nk it will help to see what she found.”
A moment later, a young woman with shoulder-length brown hair and a pair of thick black-rimmed glasses dropped a file on the desk next to Madison’s coffee.
“Madison, this is Piper,” Michaels said. “She’s a criminal justice major and will be interning in our office the next few months.”
Madison stood to shake the young girl’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Piper.”
“You too, Deputy. I heard about Deputy Quinn’s friend getting shot. I’m really sorry.”
“We all are. It’s been a crazy start back to work.” She chuckled wryly. “What have you got?”
“Kira Thornton is the oldest of two children. Her father is the CEO of a tech company located here in Seattle. Her mother is a psychologist. Like her boyfriend, who clearly isn’t an ex, she has no criminal record. She dropped out of college after her freshman year and has been living in the houseboat ever since, a property owned by her family. Technically, she works at her father’s company, but so far I haven’t been able to pin down exactly what she does.” Piper coughed into her hand. “A call to the receptionist confirmed that she’s over social media and marketing, but the overall description was pretty vague. I got the impression that she didn’t come in regularly. On a personal level, though, she’s very active on social media, which seems to be where she spends the bulk of her time. She mainly posts photos of herself. She also loves to travel, and then there are quite a lot of photos of her doing extreme sports like rock climbing, skiing, cliff diving, and skydiving.”
“I’m impressed,” Madison said, glancing through the file. “And Ben, he’s clearly a risk-taker as well.”
“Definitely, but in my book there’s a huge difference between skydiving and robbing a bank.” Piper smiled. “Kira doesn’t seem to be short on cash. Her bank account has several thousand dollars, and she’s got half a dozen credit cards. None of them are maxed out, but they are well used.”
“It fits the pattern,” Madison said. “The robberies seem to be as much about the thrill as the money.”
Piper set down a second file. “I also have the crime scene photos you requested from the bank.”