~~~
“Three down, how many to go?” Ethan asked as they walked to the car.
“Six. The next one’s about twenty minutes away.”
“That’s a short distance in this county. It’s unusual to see so much flat, undeveloped land. Everything is out in the open.”
“That’s what happens when you grow crops, I suppose. Pretty soon, all of this land will be thick with corn, wheat, soybeans, whatever else they grow around here.”
“I’m sure it will look different, then, but it will still be flat. There’s no cover, he can see us coming too easily.”
“I don’t like it, either. But we can’t very well go in hot, unless we’re positive that the house belongs to Grant. We have no choice but to march right up to the front door, and hope that someone is there to answer.”
“Seeing the kids playing outside of the first two properties was a stroke of luck, I suppose. But we were much too exposed on the second two. It’s the same for Chloe and Monique. Grant could open fire on any of us, without warning. This is not an ideal situation.”
“Good thing we’re wearing these handy-dandy vests, then. If he shoots, and manages to hit one of us, the bullets will bounce right off.” Jeri grinned at Ethan’s expression.
“Not exactly, as you well know. And what if he shoots us in the head? We should be wearing helmets, like SWAT.”
“And scare some unsuspecting family to death, showing up at their house? I don’t think so.” Jeri shook her head. “You’re right, this isn’t ideal, but it’s the best we can do to find Aubrey, under the circumstances.”
~~~
“It’s a lovely kitchen.” Aubrey moved awkwardly, in no small part due to the spiked collar encircling her neck. Her muscles were also stiff from so many hours of inactivity.
“I’m so glad that you think so.”
Graham stood directly behind her, so close that she could feel his body heat. The six-foot length of chain stretching from her collar to his wrist band clinked together whenever they moved.
“What would you like for me to prepare?” Aubrey glanced around carefully, looking for anything she might use to knock him out. She hadn’t counted on being leashed to him like a dog, but she would deal with that when, and if, she managed to disable him.
“Something simple, I think. We’ve both had a trying day.”
“I can check the pantry for soup, if you like. And we can have a salad, if you have the ingredients.”
“That will do, for tonight. You’ll find everything you need in the pantry, and in the refrigerator. Pots and pans are in the drawer by the stove, and the dishes are in the cabinet beside the sink. I’ll sit here and watch, while you work.” Graham positioned himself at the breakfast table, after moving it closer to the center of the kitchen.
“I’ll make the salad first.” Aubrey held onto the chain as she moved, trying to keep it from pulling on the collar. The spikes had not yet pierced her skin, but she could feel them digging into her neck.
“I hope that the collar is not too uncomfortable. It will only be necessary until you prove that you intend to behave.”
“I told you, I will not try to escape. I love my family too much to put them in danger, Graham.” Aubrey spoke softly as she removed lettuce, carrots, and cucumbers from the fridge.
“You always were smart,” Graham nodded approvingly.
“I need a cutting board, and a knife,” Aubrey told him, opening drawers as she searched.
“I’m sure you will find what you need.” Graham was unconcerned about her having a knife, he could easily overpower her with one swift tug on the chain.
“I’ll wash the veggies, then sit at the table with you to make the salad.” The butcher knife Aubrey held was too large to use on a salad, but it was the perfect size to put Graham out of commission. If she could only get close enough to sink it into his chest.
Before this moment, Aubrey would not have thought herself capable of killing another human being. But now, with her life, and her family’s lives, on the line, she didn’t give it a second thought.
This must be what they mean by survival instinct, she reasoned, running water over the lettuce. I’ll have to catch him off-guard, but I’ll only have one chance to do it.
God, she prayed, give me the strength I need to get out of this mess, please. Her silent prayer went unnoticed, as she had her back to Graham. He didn’t see her close her eyes, didn’t see her make the sign of a cross, quickly, over her chest. The fact that she wasn’t Catholic didn’t matter, making the cross felt right. After all, she was asking God to help her kill someone.
No, she corrected, I’m asking God to help me save myself, and my family, the only way I see possible.
“I didn’t realize that cleaning vegetables could take so long,” Graham’s droll comment broke into her thoughts.
“Almost finished,” Aubrey replied, reaching for the carrots.
“I must say, this is quite a different experience for me,” Graham smiled to himself. “I’ve never watched anyone prepare food before, unless you count the time that your daughter brought her laptop into the kitchen. You were making some kind of pasta, I believe. Perhaps you’ll make the same for me.”
Aubrey felt anxiety wash over her at Graham’s casual remark. Knowing that he watched her family, intruded on their private time together, gave her shudders from head to toe.
“Do you remember what kind of pasta?” Aubrey struggled to keep the conversation civil. It was wholly in her best interests to make Graham believe that she was resigned to their arrangement.
“No, but I can review the footage, let you know.”
Aubrey didn’t know why, but the fact that Graham kept the recordings, could re-watch them at will, elevated the creep factor of his voyeurism.
“These are ready.” Aubrey placed everything in a bowl, stacked it on the cutting board, and walked to the table. She chose the seat to the right of Graham, so that her dominant hand was closest to him.
“That’s a large knife for chopping vegetables,” Graham observed, still completely comfortable with his superior position.
“It’s for the carrots, they’re difficult to cut,” Aubrey explained as she emptied the bowl. “You seem to know a lot about my life, why don’t you tell me about yours.” She wanted to ingratiate herself to him. Having him speak about himself seemed like a good way.
Graham looked at her for a moment, then smiled. Things were moving along better than he had hoped.
“Certainly, what would you like to know?”
“What do you do for a living?” Aubrey thought she’d found a neutral topic.
“I have several lucrative businesses. One of which is selling video footage to like-minded connoisseurs.” Graham watched carefully for Aubrey’s reaction.
“Do you mean that you make money from selling videos of my family to strangers?” Aubrey stopped tearing the lettuce and stared at him.
“Relax, my dear. I never sold footage of your family, not yet. My clients prefer something not quite as wholesome. Now, if your daughter ever left the laptop open in her bedroom, I could probably obtain video that would please my customers.”
“You’re a digital peeping Tom, but worse. Selling videos of young girls, what, getting dressed, undressed? That’s beyond sleazy, Graham.”
“You would be surprised what these young girls do, when they think no one is watching,” Graham grinned. “Think whatever you like of me, but this one enterprise has increased my wealth, many times over.” Graham decided not to share the side of the business that brought in the real money. Selling views to a murder had proven more profitable than he had ever dreamed possible.
“So, it’s okay, as long as you’re making money? But you were already wealthy, Graham. Why do you need to exploit the innocent, just to make more money?” Aubrey tried to monitor her tone, to keep it civil, even though she was disgusted inside.
“My family’s wealth began to dwindle, thanks in large part to my father’s cons
ervative investments. After he died, I knew that I had to do something to prop things up. Thanks to my long-term infatuation with you, I knew a little about surveillance. I simply expanded my knowledge, and soon my new business was booming.”
Aubrey refused to let herself feel responsible for Graham’s perverted actions. In an attempt to move away from the topic, she purposefully changed the subject.
“I’m sorry to hear about your father. I know how difficult a parent’s death can be. Is your mother still alive?”
“Yes, dear Belinda is alive and well, thank you. I must say, she would be very happy to know that I’ve finally settled down,” Graham laughed. “The old bat’s been fixing me up for years, trying to get me to marry, and produce offspring.”
“You never wanted children?”
“Heaven’s no!” It was Graham’s turn to shudder. “I can’t see the appeal in changing dirty diapers, wiping snotty noses, or anything that relates to caring for a child.”
“It is a lot of work,” Aubrey tried to sound sympathetic. “But it can also be very rewarding.”
“Not for me,” Graham glanced down at the cutting board. Noticed that Aubrey had picked up a cucumber and some strange looking tool. “What’s that?”
“It’s a peeler, for the cucumbers, and the carrots. Unless you prefer to eat the skins?”
“No, however you prepare it will be fine, I’m sure. As I said before, this is all very new to me.”
“So, you’re not a cook, do you have any other hobbies?” Aubrey held her breath, hoping he would not tell her more about his perverted businesses.
“You have been my only hobby, sweet Aubrey. For as long as I can remember.” Graham’s eyes glinted with amusement. “Now that I have you with me, all of my free time can be devoted to you.”
Aubrey couldn’t contain the shudder that ripped through her body.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“It’s Anna,” Jeri told Ethan as she answered the phone on speaker.
“Hi, Anna, you’ve got us both.”
“Hi, guys, I think I’ve found something useful, finally. I crossed checked the accounts used in the cash transactions for purchasing the properties, and I found a link to Grant.”
“That’s more than useful, Anna. What’s the address?” Jeri sat up straighter with excitement.
“I’m sending it to your phone now, but you have to know that it’s not a direct link. The account from which the payment was made came from a bank in England. The account in England received funds from the same bank in Samoa that we know Grant uses. It’s not a direct link, but it’s a link.”
“That’s close enough for me,” Ethan told her, pulling the car off to the side of the road. “Good job, Anna. Thank you.”
“It’s what I do,” Anna’s smile came through the phone. “Anything else you need?”
“Yes. Call Nate, see if he can finagle a warrant, based on this new information. Maybe he can use international banking laws to get us in the house.”
“Be sure and tell him that we’re not waiting on the warrant, but it would be a nice touch,” Jeri added.
“Got it. Be careful, guys.” Anna disconnected.
“Where is it?” Ethan asked, eager to move.
“About half an hour from here, if you drive the speed limit.” Jeri glanced up at him and grinned. “I’ll call Monique. She and Chloe can meet us there. We may need backup.”
“Good idea. We need an aerial view of the property, I’ll get it.” Ethan reached for his tablet. “It looks like the house is set at least a mile from the road. Tell them to meet us at the end of the drive. Someone had the good sense to plant trees along the property line, so we should have adequate cover.”
“See any trees near the house?” Jeri asked, waiting for Monique to answer.
“A few. Can’t tell how large they are, though. The good news is that it will be night soon. Hopefully, he’ll never see us coming.”
~~~
“Why are you making so much? It’s just the two of us, after all.” Graham found it fascinating to watch Aubrey work, in person. He loved the way her hands moved as she expertly peeled the vegetables.
“I suppose it’s a habit for me to make a large salad. It will be good tomorrow, we can finish it then.” Aubrey sent him a slight smile, praying that it didn’t tremble. Holding her fears inside, trying to act normal, while peeling carrots wearing a silk peignoir, with a spiked collar around her neck was taking every ounce of courage she possessed.
“Yes, I suppose.” Graham frowned slightly. He’d heard of leftovers, but he’d never actually eaten them.
“It will stay fresh, trust me.” Aubrey picked up the butcher knife to chop the carrots. Every nerve in her body tingled at what she knew had to be done. Nothing short of a mortal wound would do. Anything less than death would only make him angry. But how to do it? Plunging it into his chest was her best bet, but she would have to use all of her strength to send it deep. She couldn’t risk the knife hitting bone, stopping before it reached his heart. Or his lung. She supposed either would do.
~~~
“I can’t believe that you beat us here,” Ethan told Chloe as she and Monique joined him and Jeri.
“We were closer,” Chloe explained, with a grin.
“This one drives like she’s on a race track. Or the Autobahn,” Monique explained.
“Hey, we’re here. That’s what matters,” Chloe shrugged.
“Right,” Jeri agreed. “Pull up an aerial on your tablets. Let’s make a plan.”
“Are we sure that Grant is in there?” Monique asked.
“As sure as we can be. Looks like there’s a cluster of trees, to the left of the garage,” Jeri pointed out.
“And not much in between that point, and the property line,” Ethan remarked sourly.
“We can follow the boundary line, until we’re across from the garage,” Chloe showed Ethan the enlarged image. “There’s good tree cover till then, and I doubt that he’ll see us if we approach from that side of the property.”
“Good plan,” Ethan nodded. “Once there, we split up. We’ll go to the back, you both go to the front.”
“We go in quiet, but hot,” Jeri told them. “The element of surprise is our best chance at taking him in without incident.”
“I have a lock-picking kit in my bag,” Monique offered.
“Why am I not surprised?” Ethan smiled. “I happen to have one as well. Once inside, we clear the rooms, quietly, until we find Grant.”
“Yes, even if we find Aubrey, remain silent. We can’t tip him off that we’re here,” Jeri added.
“Wouldn’t a techie like Grant have a surveillance system?” Monique asked.
“Yes, that’s very possible, but we can’t let that stop us. Once we cross the threshold, we move fast, and as quietly as possible. Remember, never go off on your own.”
“Okay, that’s it. Are we ready?” Ethan looked at each woman’s face. “Let’s go and get this bastard.”
~~~
“Why are you chopping so slowly?” Graham noticed Aubrey’s hesitation as she cut the carrots.
“I told you, carrots are hard,” Aubrey tried to smile, but her stomach was in knots. She had to make her move soon, the carrots were nearly chopped. If she didn’t do it now, she didn’t know when she would get another chance.
If he would only stop watching her so closely. It seemed that he was enthralled with every move she made. She had to divert his attention, somehow. Getting a better grip on the knife, she looked up, hoping Graham’s eyes would follow.
“You wouldn’t want me to cut myself, would you?”
Graham’s eyes did follow hers, but the glazed look of longing she saw there rocked her to the core.
“No, my dear. I wouldn’t want you to cut yourself.”
His meaning was clear, too clear. Taking a deep breath, Aubrey tightened her grip on the knife.
A millisecond before she raised it to his chest, a long, low beep sounded throughout the
house.
Startled from his instant daydream, picturing Aubrey on his table, he immediately stood, sending the chair crashing to the floor.
“It seems that we have uninvited guests,” he growled softly, jerking Aubrey’s arm, pulling her towards him.
The knife clattered to the floor, her one opportunity, lost.
~~~
Ethan and Jeri heard the beep only seconds before Chloe and Monique. All four recognized the sound as that of an alarm.
Jeri and Ethan reached the edge of the kitchen first, saw Grant backing toward a door, holding Aubrey by the throat.
“Stop, Grant! Or we’ll shoot!” Jeri demanded. Both she and Ethan had their guns trained on Graham.
“I don’t think that you will, Ms. Forbes,” Graham drawled, much too confident for the circumstances. He was using Aubrey as a shield, with both hands covering her neck.
Terrified, Aubrey stood absolutely still. The chain linking her to Graham hung behind her. Graham’s grip was firm around her neck, but managed to keep the spikes from penetrating her skin.
“Why is that, Grant? Are you under the impression that we care whether you live or die?” Jeri asked, unable to see the chain, or the collar, from her viewpoint.
With a flourish, Grant dropped his hands from Aubrey’s neck. The sudden movement sent the chain swaying, enough to cause several of the spikes to pierce Aubrey’s skin.
Her scream stopped Chloe and Monique dead in their tracks, as they eased to the kitchen doorway behind Grant.
Jeri and Ethan didn’t so much as look their way. Grant and Aubrey had their undivided attention.
Blood trickled down both sides of Aubrey’s neck, heading for the silky fabric covering her shoulders. In an instant, Aubrey grabbed the collar with both hands, trying to pull it away from her throat.
“It’s quite simple, Ms. Forbes, Mr. Barnes. If you kill me, my dear, sweet Aubrey will also suffer with my fall. I’m sorry to tell you that the spikes are long enough to sever her carotid, especially if I turn the collar like this.”
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