“There are three of you! Get them both!”
“Understood.”
“Call me the minute you have her.” The line went dead.
***
“Thank you for the ride.”
After the less than enjoyable lunch, Sara avoided any religious discussion, and managed to steer the conversation to other topics. This was their last day together. She wanted to make the most of it, even if it was unreal. Derry lived in a fantasy world full of fairy tales. If only his world was real, she’d move there in a heartbeat.
“I’ll tell you what, since you spent your time and money taking me up to Estes, I’ll make dinner as a thank you.”
Derry opened the door for her, and the two of them entered into his house. “You don’t have to, you know.”
“I know. But I’d like to.”
He dropped his keys on an end table and plopped down on the couch. “Are you sure you’re not doing this so I won’t offer to cook you something?”
Sara veered toward the kitchen table. “Throwing a TV dinner in the microwave is not cooking. It’s reheating.”
“Oh, it’s so nice to have a woman around the house to insult my lifestyle.”
Sara glanced over to see him smiling. “You think you have style now? You know, this is a one-time offer.”
“Okay, if you want to actually cook something, you won’t find much to work with in my kitchen.”
Sara ambled through the kitchen, opening cabinets. “Old Mother Hubbard found the cupboard bare.”
“Yeah, I need to go shopping.” He slowly rose. “Let me know what you need, and I’ll run to the store.”
***
Derry felt a little uncomfortable leaving Sara home alone. Her mood was bouncing all over the place. Something was definitely bothering her.
Was she the one who had moved the money? Crazy thoughts.
After glancing back at the house one last time, he made his way toward his car. Natalie came up just as he opened the driver’s door. He smiled at her. “Hey, what’s up?”
Natalie waited until she was up against the other side before responding. She was acting strange. Keeping her head pointed toward him, she shifted her gaze to the side and back. “Don’t look, but did you see that black car down the road behind me? It’s got two men in it.”
Derry shifted his eyes without pivoting his head. He hadn’t noticed it before. It must be the FBI, making sure he brought Sara home.
“Yeah, I see them.” He stayed calm.
“They’ve been there since I got home this afternoon. Do you think they could be the men after Sara?”
How much should he tell? “No, I doubt it’s them.”
“You sure? Maybe I should call the police.” Natalie was obviously nervous.
“I think it is the police.”
Natalie’s shoulders relaxed a little as her head tilted. “What?”
“Look, you’re going to have to trust me on this one. Everything will work out, I hope. The FBI just wants to ask Sara a few questions. Lamar told me they’re going to question Sara tomorrow.”
“Lamar told you this?”
“Yeah, but you can’t say anything to Sara about it. Promise? If she finds out, she could run, and I’ll get in big trouble. Lamar stuck his neck out on this for me.”
“I won’t say anything, if you’re sure it’s okay. Is this about the men who attacked her?”
“I think so.” Derry glanced once more to the black car. “Look, Sara’s inside, and I have to run to the store. Mind keeping her company ‘til I get back?”
“Sure, if you’re sure everything’s okay.”
“I hope so. Can you just trust me on this one?”
“I won’t say anything.” Natalie went into his house as he jumped into the car and headed to the store. In the opposite direction from the black car.
***
Derry returned to find Natalie and Sara in the depths of a conversation about men, marriage, and kids, all subjects he felt at a loss to discuss. Sara and Natalie grabbed the bags and moved into the kitchen together. Sara told him that she invited Natalie to stay for dinner. Kevin was finishing a job in the mountains, and wouldn’t be home until late.
The meal tasted great. Derry found Sara’s and Natalie’s conversation enjoyable and enlightening. Although he did notice that anytime Natalie mentioned God or church, Sara skillfully steered away from the subject.
When Kevin got home, Natalie left.
Derry moved to the opposite end of the couch from Sara, taking the spot vacated by Natalie. Their conversation went a different direction. She was interested in his childhood and what kinds of things he enjoyed doing. The evening and tension of the coming day quickly slipped away.
When they found they were starting to doze off, Sara rose from her end of the couch and headed for the back door. He followed. At the door, she stopped, turning to look up into his eyes. Holding up one hand, she placed it on his chest, stopping him.
“I’m going to walk you out.” Derry peered down into her brown eyes. He was lost in them.
“No, you’d better not.”
“But it’s dark out there.” He smiled, hoping to change her mind.
“It’s late, and you have work tomorrow. It’s hard enough to say goodnight here. If you follow me out, I’m liable to invite you in, and that would only—” She didn’t finish her thought.
Derry wanted the evening to continue. He wanted to spend just a few more minutes or hours with her. The morning would bring bad news. He wanted this night to last as long as possible.
She placed a hand on the back of his neck. Reaching up, she gave his lips a light, lingering kiss. Letting her hand remain on his neck, she dropped her head against his chest. He breathed in her fragrance. He closed his eyes, hoping the moment would last forever. Sliding his arms around her tiny frame, he pulled her a little closer. She let him.
After several short minutes, she pulled away. “I need to leave.”
He unwillingly let her go.
***
As she entered the guesthouse, she could still feel his lips on hers, his chest on her cheek, and hear his heart beating with hers. She felt the total and complete comfort of his arms around her.
She left the lights off. She wanted nothing to break the spell. Not yet. Remorse flooded her soul. She wanted to stay, to be with him.
She watched him through his sliding glass door as he stared at the guesthouse. Could he see her looking at him? She stepped back from the window. After a few minutes, he turned off the lights and disappeared.
Why was she running? Levy didn’t know where she was. Even if Russell saw her yesterday, they wouldn’t know what house she was in or what street she lived on. She could just hide out here a little longer. If she gave the money back, maybe Levy would forget all about her.
She moved to the couch and took a seat. It was late, but she didn’t feel sleepy. Snuggling into to a corner, she pulled a blanket up around her shoulders to take off the night’s chill.
Could this life become real? She wanted to believe it was possible. Could someone like Derry really ever love her, knowing her past? Could she really hide from Levy forever? She was willing to give back all the money to find out.
***
Ben jumped. His pocket was vibrating, waking him from a short, cold, uncomfortable slumber. He’d only meant to close his eyes for a minute. Grabbing the gate handle, he pulled himself up. He slid the phone out of his pocket as he shook the cobwebs out of his head.
“Yeah?”
“What took you so long?” Mike’s voice blasted his ears.
“I had the phone on silent. I didn’t feel it go off.” Ben heard about Ryan. No way would he tell Mike, he fell asleep.
“Did anyone come out of the back of th
e house? Use the alley?”
“No, I’ve been by the gate all night. No one came out.” How could they, with him asleep against the gate?
“Good.”
Ben’s shoulders shivered. The evening dew penetrated his shirt. “Hey, can I switch places with Jarred? My two hours were up a long time ago.”
“Shut up and listen. I’m sending Jarred around back. I want you two to come in through the back door. I told him how to open it quietly. I’ll come through the front.”
“It’s about time.”
Chapter 43
Crawling into bed, Derry felt like a traitor. He said nothing to Sara about Lamar coming in the morning. Was he leading her on? Letting her think tomorrow would be another day to spend together? In fact, he’d worked to keep the truth from her. What kind of lowlife was he? How could he have these feelings for her and still do nothing to protect her? To save her?
But Lamar was the closest thing he had to a father. How could he betray him?
But Sara— Sara was the woman he loved.
Did he love her? Really love her? If he did, how could he let this happen to her?
The questions that flooded his mind were so loud the first creak barely broke through. He stilled his breathing. Had the noise come from inside the house, or out? When the second grinding sound came, he had the answer. Someone was in his house.
That car.
They’re not FBI. The FBI wouldn’t sneak in.
They’ve found Sara.
Derry’s heart sank at the realization of his own stupidity. Lamar wouldn’t send a car to sit out front and watch the house. He trusted Derry more than that. As the creaks and shuffling noises grew louder, Derry reached for his phone. He needed to call Lamar. He needed to save Sara.
The floor groaned just outside his bedroom door. His time was up.
Tossing the phone aside, he quickly and quietly slipped out of the bed. Positioning himself behind the door, he waited.
He knew every sound this house made. He knew each squeak of the floorboards. The last sounds told him both men were close together and just beyond his door.
If he could take them out, he would have time to grab Sara and run for safety.
As his door started to move, he dropped down and readied himself.
The floor squeaked. The door stopped.
Thrusting upward, Derry slammed the door into the intruder, pinching the man between the door and the frame. Grabbing the door edge to steady himself, Derry brought his body around and smashed his knee into the man’s groin.
The man doubled over. Grabbing the intruder’s head, Derry slammed it into the door jam. He then grabbed the man’s shirt and flung the would-be assailant across the room.
Spinning back around, Derry saw the silhouette of the second man rushing toward him. He braced with one hand against the doorframe as he shot his foot out toward the man’s knee. His foot landed high and slid to one side. Not a good hit, but enough to make the target lose his balance. Lunging upwards, Derry’s elbow connected with the bottom of the man’s chin, followed by a palm to his chest.
The man fell back into the hall. Stepping forward, Derry reached for him as a flood of light assaulted his eyes. Derry spun around.
“Stop right there.” A menacing voice came from the end of the hall
Derry twisted around and crouched down. The man was big, and only a few feet away. Derry would have to hit him with everything he had to bring him down. Forcing every fiber in his legs to obey his command, Derry sprung forward. He needed to knock the man off balance before making a break for the back door.
The hall filled with an ear shattering sound. Derry felt searing pain as a bullet penetrated his skin and muscle, pushing his shoulder back. His body spun off course as the man knocked him aside with a fist.
***
Sara’s head bolted up. She’d fallen asleep on the couch.
What was that? It sounded like a gunshot. Where had it come from?
With the noise fading in her ears, she twisted her head around, looking for the answer.
She jumped to her feet and sprinted to the window. Glancing out, she saw lights on in Derry’s house.
Levy had found her. Had they killed Derry?
Sara’s heart ached. He couldn’t be dead. Not now. Not when she’d finally found someone who cared for her in spite of her past.
A tear started to form, but was quickly pushed away. She needed to find out if he was okay.
If they’d killed him, she had no choice but to run. If he was still alive— she had to save him, somehow.
This whole thing was all her fault. If she hadn’t been so greedy, if she had just left Levy’s money alone, if—
She slipped out of the guesthouse and edged along the perimeter of the yard, using the fence to conceal her movements. She worked her way around to Derry’s bedroom window. Peeking in, she could just make out shadows moving around. As she maneuvered for a better view, a blinding light hit her. She jerked back. Had they seen her?
She waited for a few seconds before trying again. Hearing the men talking, she recognized Mike’s voice. Slowly, she crept back to the edge of the window. Mike and Jarred carried Derry into the room and tossed him onto the bed. He tried to get up, but was shoved back down. Part of his shirt was soaked with blood. They’d shot him. He needed help, but what could she do against those odds? Nothing.
Sara moved out of their view, but stayed next to the window to listen.
***
Mike stood next to the bed while Jarred kept Derry pinned to the mattress. Ben stood to one side. “Where’s Sara?” Mike demanded.
“Who?”
Glancing at Jarred, Mike nodded. Jarred punched Derry in his wounded shoulder. Derry let out a painful scream.
“Cover his mouth next time. We can’t have the whole neighborhood coming to his aid.”
“If your gunshot didn’t wake them, already,” Jarred retorted.
Mike gave him a withering look, then turned to Ben. “Check the rest of the house.”
Ben left. Mike continued questioning Derry.
“We saw her come in with you, so playing dumb will only cause more pain. Where is she?”
“She left hours ago.” Derry held his wounded arm tight against his side.
Mike nodded again. This time Jarred covered Derry’s mouth before he punched him, muffling his scream.
“I can keep this up all night, but you won’t last that long. Tell me where she is. You’re bleeding badly. You need medical help. If you want to live, tell me where she is.”
“And I’m guessing—if I tell you—you’ll take me to the hospital.”
“Of course. We’re only after her, not you. Just tell me where she is, and this will all be over.”
“I’ll die first.”
“No, you’ll only wish you were dead.” Mike’s attention shifted to Jarred. “Again.”
After each hit, Mike questioned Derry with the same results. Eventually his body couldn’t take any more pain. He passed out.
Ben stepped back into the room. “She’s not in the house. She may have escaped to that shack out back when we came in.”
Mike moved to the window. “Both of you check it out.”
Chapter 44
Sara couldn’t watch, yet she did. With each blow her body tensed. With each muffled cry, Derry’s pain shot through Sara’s body. She wanted to run in there. Give herself up. But the only thing keeping Derry alive was Mike’s need to find her. She had to hold out, and find a way to save Derry.
Taking a quick look at Mike, she saw a slight smile on his face. He enjoyed inflicting pain. Her hatred for Mike grew as Derry’s agony increased. Someday, she would make him pay, but first she had to find a way to save Derry. She needed help. She needed Lamar. But she didn’t
have his phone number.
Sara shifted her attention to Ben reentering the room. He said something to Mike about looking outside, but she could barely make it out. She needed to get away—now. Glancing back at Derry one last time, she noticed his cell phone on the floor beside his bed, nearly hidden.
Mike stepped toward the window. Sara jumped back, out of view. He told the other two to go outside. She’d come back for the phone later.
She tore along the fence toward the rear gate, making it through the fence just as she heard a door open behind her.
“Did you see that?”
“See what?”
Sara hesitated on the other side of the fence, just out of their sight, and listened.
“Looked like something ran past the gate.”
“Could have been a dog.”
“Nope, it was too big. That was Sara.”
She heard them rushing toward the gate, and quickly surveyed the alley. It was dark. No light from the street made it back here. Other than a few nooks where some of the fences didn’t line up, there was no place to hide. She ran, hoping to make it to the street before her pursuers made it out of the yard. It was a long shot.
Running past the guesthouse, she noticed a narrow slit between it and the Knights’ fence. It wasn’t more than six inches wide, but it was enough.
Swiveling toward the opening, she lost her footing and slipped to the ground. Her hand found a few small rocks. She grabbed them as she sprang back to her feet. Rushing toward the crack, she spun her body sidewise and worked to conceal herself between the rough wooden fence and the forty-year-old unpainted siding.
Her first adversary came through the gate before she was fully cloaked.
She froze. His head turned toward her. Could he see her in the unlit alley? He looked in the other direction.
She tossed the rocks across the alley, hitting the fence and a plastic trashcan on the other side. Jarred tore across the pathway, and was over the fence in one leap. She heard Ben approaching the gate. She only had a couple of seconds to finish concealing herself.
Making her torso as flat as she could, she pushed her way in between the fence and the building, scraping both sides of her body. Some of the weeds she pushed over were as tall as she was. Fighting her fear of snakes, rats, and spiders, she pushed into the narrow chasm until she was deep enough to be hidden from anyone trolling the alley in search of her.
Fatal Transaction (Thriller & Suspense, Cyber Crime) Page 23