by Thorn, Lacey
Blake didn’t want to hurt Ally, but what the hell was he supposed to say? Sure come on down and use your super woo-woo powers while the cops and firemen all gather round and watch the show? Fuck! He didn’t know what to do. He looked over her head at Shep and Shep looked just as surprised by what Ally had just told them.
“You don’t believe me,” Ally said and went to turn away. Blake grabbed her and pulled her naked body against his.
“That’s not it at all,” he assured her. “It’s just that I can’t let anyone on the scene right now. Even Gil and Ben, who are the detectives assigned to this case, won’t be allowed to enter yet. I have to do my job first. It’s not about you. It’s about the job and making sure that there are no mistakes.” He tilted her head up to look at him and placed a kiss on her brow. “In my job mistakes can get you killed. Trust me?”
Ally nodded but inside she didn’t know what to think. Was it really about his job or was it about her being a freak? She felt Shep move up behind her while Blake hurried to dress. Blake pulled her close and kissed her until she melted against him before setting her aside.
“I’ll be gone for a while, so why don’t you try to get a few more hours of sleep.” They both glanced at the clock that was showing two-thirty in the morning. “I’ll be back later and Gil and Ben will probably be with me. We’ll talk then and I’ll see what I can get for you.” He glanced down at her and hugged her against his long length one more time. “It’s going to be okay. We’re going to get this guy.” With that he turned and hurried out of the bedroom.
Shep pulled her back against him and leaned down to nuzzle her neck. “Feel like sleeping?” he queried.
“No,” Ally whisperd. She was too keyed up right now to fall back to sleep.
“Good,” Shep said. “I know exactly what you need to help you relax.” His grin was wicked and Ally caught her breath at all the possibilities that presented themselves in her head.
Two hours later, Ally was dripping sweat and every muscle in her body was screaming for a break. Shep had been right—this was exactly what she needed.
“Don’t stop now,” Shep told her. “You’re just getting your rhythm down.”
Ally laughed and sat on the mat anyway. Blake’s basement was a fully stocked home gym. He had Nautilus equipment, free weights, treadmills, a rowing machine, medicine balls and even an exercise ball. But what she really loved was the corner that was filled with boxing equipment. That was where Shep had brought her. He had suited her up with tape and gloves and put her to work with a kickboxing dummy. She had no idea how he knew that was what she enjoyed the most, but he did. And it was the best workout she’d managed in a while. Now she was deliciously boneless and content to just lie on the floor.
Shep dropped down beside her. “Feeling better now?”
“God, yes,” Ally moaned. “How did you know just what I needed?”
“I didn’t,” he laughed. Hell, all he had wanted was to toss her back into the bed and fuck her into exhaustion. But he knew that she wouldn’t be as interested without Blake there to participate as well. He liked Ally and he’d enjoy her body as long as she and Blake were willing to share it with him, but he knew that she wasn’t the one for him. She was meant for Blake and it made Shep happy to know that his friend would finally find some happiness. If anyone deserved it, Blake was that man. And from what Shep had learned about Ally recently it seemed like she could use a little happiness in her life as well.
“You want a hot shower now?” he asked. When Ally looked up at him with her big green eyes full of questions he couldn’t help but grin. “By yourself. I won’t join you unless you really beg and plead and maybe if you throw your naked body at me.”
Ally giggled and then smiled softly at him. “You’re a great friend, Shep. Blake’s lucky to have you.”
Shep sighed, thinking how much it sucked at times to be such a great friend. “I’d like to be your friend as well, Ally. If you’ll let me.”
“I’d like that too,” Ally replied.
“Good.” Shep rose to his feet and pulled a groaning Ally up beside him. “Then let’s get you showered and dressed and we’ll make some coffee. Then we can talk.” He looked into her eyes so that Ally would see just how much he meant what he said. “I believe you, Ally, and I want you to tell me everything that you know about this Messenger.”
Ally nodded and let Shep guide her back up the stairs to the bedroom. Maybe she had finally found someone who would not only believe her but help her as well.
Chapter Nine
Blake was tired, hot and sweaty, wondering where the hell the day had gone. It was already six o’clock in the evening. Gil and Ben had arrived at the scene shortly after he had and they had all spent most of the day working with the task force assigned to these fires. By the looks of them they felt the same way. Now the count was up to four. Four fires with the same accelerant used, the same burn pattern, the same macabre outcome for the victims. They had to find this guy soon and stop him before he killed again.
The heavy scent of burned flesh and hair clung to him, or maybe it was just that he couldn’t forget that smell. It was so much stronger than the smoke. The again, maybe it was just that the scent of smoke was a given in his job and the smell of burnt flesh was something a fireman never wanted to smell. Also one he would never forget.
“It’s exactly the same as the last scene, right down to the material under the bed and the match on the porch.” Blake stopped in front of Gil and Ben and shook his head. “One victim this time.”
“Yeah,” was all Gil said but they all knew that it was still one more than should have happened. “You heading back to your house now?”
It was an easy question, except for the little fact that they knew that Ally was there waiting for him. Blake gave a weary sigh. It was time to find out what she knew about the pyromaniac who was killing people in Legacy. No matter how much he didn’t want her involved in this, she was. No matter how much he wanted to ignore the things she had done to help the police in the past, he couldn’t. But more importantly, no matter how much he wanted to pretend otherwise, he was in love with her and that changed everything.
It had finally dawned on him when he had first seen the curled body of the woman on the bed, or what there still was to see, that she could be anyone. The woman from the diner, someone he saw in the gym or passed at the grocery store. They had seen a picture in the front room of her and she had been young and beautiful. For some reason it had made Blake think of Ally and what he would do if something like this happened to her. It would devastate him, cripple him and leave him an empty shell. He had sworn after his ex-wife had destroyed his life and walked away that he would never give another woman that kind of power over him. But the heart was a foolish organ, forgiving and accepting.
“Yeah, I’m heading back. You guys want to follow me there?” It was a silly question since they all had the same thing on their minds. Talking to Ally and maybe getting some answers that would point them in the right direction. Maybe she would provide the break they were looking for.
“We’ll be right behind you,” Gil stated with a glance at Ben, who nodded and turned away without a word. Blake thought maybe Ben was feeling just as protective of Ally. It was the least she deserved from him. But when the time came it would be Blake who she turned to for support. At least he hoped so. He’d make sure that he was there to give it.
* * * * *
Ally and Shep were sitting at the kitchen table laughing and chatting like old friends when the three men arrived. Ally was wearing a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt and she looked so cute sitting there in her bare feet with her long hair in a ponytail and no make-up. Shep wore only a pair of jeans with the top button open.
The jealousy slammed into Blake and he almost stumbled. It would never have bothered him before what Shep would do with a woman while he was gone. But this time was different. Ally was different. Blake didn’t like the idea of Shep having sex with Ally when he wasn’t
there. The only thing that kept him from losing it was Ally’s bright smile and the way she was focused only on him.
“You’re back. If you want to hit the shower, I’ll bring you a cup of coffee.” Ally smiled at him and he wondered if she realized what she had just disclosed to the other men in the room about their relationship. It wasn’t like they hadn’t guessed as much, but she had just confirmed everything.
“I’m afraid that the shower will have to wait ’til after we all talk. But the coffee sounds good.” Blake dropped a kiss on her head, showing his possession in that simple gesture. He wanted them all to know that she was his and that meant if they hurt her or made her upset then they would have to deal with him as well. Ally was no longer on her own and it was time she knew it.
Ally stood quickly and went to the coffee pot. She took three more cups down and poured them full and set them in front of the men at the table. She grabbed the pot and refilled both her and Shep’s cups, then turned back to the counter and busied herself making a fresh pot. She could feel their eyes on her and knew what was coming. This was why she had traveled to Legacy in the first place. It was time to put her skills to use and see if she could reconnect with the man who killed her family.
“He killed again.” It wasn’t a question that she asked as she turned back to the men watching her. She had known when Blake left that morning that The Messenger was striking again. Shep reached out and squeezed her hand and she caught sight of the tightening of Blake’s jaw. Was he jealous? Did he think that she and Shep had spent the rest of the morning in bed making love? She wasn’t sure how she felt about all of this right now and it would all have to wait anyway.
“A young woman about your age,” Gil said softly and Ally closed her eyes.
“There is almost always a woman involved.” She spoke softly then opened her eyes. “I’ve only known of one fire he set that was two men. They were both gay.”
“So he has a thing against women?” Ben asked.
“He has a thing against sin,” Ally corrected softly. “And he sees women as the original bearers of all sins.”
“Wow, so this guy believes that all sins start with the woman?” Ben looked surprised by this.
“He calls himself The Messenger. He feels that he has been sent to earth to carry out God’s plan of redemption. So The Messenger cleanses the sin from people with fire.” Ally looked really sad for a minute and Shep reached out to squeeze her hand again. She had told him earlier about her mother’s death while they were talking.
“Why fire?” Blake asked sharply and they all glanced at him. His glare was directed firmly at the linked fingers of Shep and Ally. Ally tried to pull her hand free but Shep just grinned at her and tugged until she was leaning against his chair.
“The Messenger believes more in the Old Testament God. You know, fire and damnation. The vengeful God?” At their nods she continued. “He sees it as a way for them to atone for their sins by facing the fires of hell. If they walk out, then they were pure and God protected them. If they burn, then they have now earned their way into heaven through his intervention.”
“That is sick,” Gil stated matter-of-factly. “What else do you know about him?”
“I know that he quotes scripture all the time, including at the scene. He blesses the victim before he sets the fire.” Ally closed her eyes trying to remember the things she had picked up on so many weeks earlier. “I know that he usually follows his victims home from somewhere before he kills them. He gets into their homes while they’re out and sets the scene up.”
“How does he do that?” Blake wanted to know. He had to know how much she knew about the way the room was.
“He places old rags and newspapers, magazines, whatever is available in the victim’s home under the bed. He places a special pillowcase under their cases to help them sleep better.” She looked up at them all. “He laces it with chloroform.”
“Holy shit,” Ben muttered. “No one knows about that.”
Blake and Gil shared a look. That was another thing that they had managed to keep out of the press. No one knew about the pillowcases laced with chloroform. “What else do you know?” Blake demanded.
“He is an ordained minister from the internet. He’s very proud of that fact as he sees it as having God’s official seal of approval.” Ally was trying to remember anything else that she could.
“Unfortunately, that won’t narrow it down any. Anyone can get ordained over the internet nowadays,” Shep shrugged his shoulders.
“He leaves a sign that he has been there on the front of the house somewhere. On a porch if it is available, or sometimes the doorstep.” She locked her eyes with Blake’s. “It is a long match like the ones people use to start a fire in their fireplace. He leaves it so that you will know that he has been there.”
“Why does he leave it?” Ben wanted to know.
“Because you have to know that he has been there and saved another soul. How else will the world know of his good deeds?” Ally had that sad look again. “He killed my mom and her lover Tory.” She looked defiant, waiting for the same response she always met when she spoke of her mother. But none of them seemed surprised by it. Or even concerned.
“No questions? No comments about my being the daughter of a lesbian?” Ally demanded.
“Hate to break it to you, toots, but your mom wasn’t always a lesbian,” Ben told her. “She and your dad met and fell in love. Then they met Tory and she became the third in their relationship. When your dad died, Roni and Tory never wanted another man so they just stayed with one another.”
“How do you know all of that?” Ally wanted to know.
“I heard my mom and dad talking about it one day,” Ben admitted. “It was bad enough that your mother had hooked up with a man and not married him, then accepted another woman into the relationship. But it was a carnal sin to remain with the woman after your dad died.” He looked at Ally sadly. “At least before they could tell people that she was controlled by the man in her life and had no say in what he did. But with your dad gone and Roni staying in the relationship it made it seem that your mother wanted to be with Tory.”
“She did,” Ally stated with pride. Her mother had been happy with Tory, very happy. And Ally had been surrounded with love and acceptance by the two women who raised her.
“But they couldn’t accept that, Ally. You know how Preston and Virginia St. John are.” Ben practically sneered the names of his parents, showing his own dislike of them. “He sent a man to talk to your mom once. Shortly after that is when she changed your last name to Samms.” He looked up at Ally and smiled. “Sam was your dad’s name.”
“I know,” Ally said softly. Her mother had told her all about her dad and what a wonderful soul he was. He was searching for his little brother who was in the service somewhere. It seemed that her uncle was under the impression that her father was dead. Ally didn’t know the entire story, having only listened to the things that her mother and Tory shared with her. After the fire, she no longer had any pictures of him either. She had lost everything in that fire. And everyone.
“I need something from the scene of the fire,” Ally said firmly, getting them back on the subject at hand. “I need to reconnect with The Messenger so that we can find him and stop him.”
“What do you mean?” Gil asked.
“I need to touch something that he held, something that he left his emotional imprint on. I’ve already connected with him once before so I’m sure that I can again. If I’m lucky then I can get inside his head and find out where he is, see what he sees. But I need something that he has touched first. I need that connection.” Ally looked at Blake, somehow knowing that he would be the one to get her what she needed. And that he would stay with her while she did what she had to do.
Blake got up and left the room only to return instantly with what looked like a Ziploc bag. “You mean something like this?” he asked and held it up so that everyone could see the match inside.
�
��Shit,” Ben muttered, while Gil gave an outright, “Fuck!”
“Are you sure?” Ally asked, knowing how much he risked by bringing her such an important piece of evidence.
“I can’t let you keep it, Ally, but I can let you use it for what you need to do.” Blake held the bag out to her but refused to release it when she reached for it. “Are you sure about this, honey? No one is going to think any less of you if you don’t want to do this.”
“I will,” Ally smiled sadly. “I will.” She took a deep breath and tried to center her thoughts. She held the bag against her chest and closed her eyes. “I’m not sure what, if anything, will happen when I hold this in my hand. Maybe nothing. Maybe I’ll only see bits and pieces.” She opened her eyes and looked straight at Blake again. “I may connect with the victim instead. I never know. The important thing is to remember not to touch me while I’m seeing. No matter what I say, don’t touch me. You’ll sever the link and I won’t get all that I can.” She let her gaze roam to include everyone. “Do you all understand?”
She waited until they all nodded their agreement before locking eyes with Blake again. “No matter what I do or say, Blake.”
“I promise.” Blake pulled her into his arms and held her tightly for a brief moment. They both seemed to need it.
Ally grabbed a chair and pulled it away from where they all surrounded the table. She placed it in the corner and sat gingerly in it. She took several deep cleansing breaths and closed her eyes trying to center herself on the task ahead of her. This was it. The moment she had been waiting for. This was her chance to stop the man who had killed her family. With trembling hands she opened the bag and slowly reached inside.
The scent of smoke filled her nose and the room took on a hazy shadow. It took her a moment to realize that it wasn’t another fire but something else entirely.
“He’s at a bar. Sitting at a table along the back wall keeping watch over the flock.” His words, not hers, but that was how it was when she was linked. She could see what he saw, hear what he heard, feel his thoughts and emotions as if they were her own. It was scary at times how deep the link could and did go.