The McKays Box Set - To Kill For, Blood Sport, Hard Time & Gang Land

by A. J. Carella

  “Watch where you’re going, will ya!” she heard as she walked into a man coming out of the bathroom, the collision nearly knocking her off her feet. He was huge, over six feet tall and nearly as wide by the looks of it. He was scowling at her angrily.

  Kat held up her hands. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

  “No kidding.” He sneered before walking away and out of the front door.

  It was an accident, dumbass, Kat thought as she watched him leave before heading into the bathroom.

  Twenty

  He was still slightly nervous around Finn and held Kat’s hand tightly, but he seemed to understand now that he wasn’t a threat. Sitting Daniel at his desk, Finn crouched down on his haunches in front of him, bringing himself down to his level.

  “Daniel, you’ve been so brave so far and we’re all really proud of you. I’m afraid, though, that I need to ask you to be brave for a bit longer. Do you think you can do that for me?”

  He watched as he looked up at where Kat was standing just behind him with her hand on his shoulder as she nodded at him encouragingly.

  “Yes,” he answered in a quiet voice.

  “Okay, I’ve got some pictures in a book that I want you to look at. All I want you to do is point if you recognize any of them, okay?”

  Standing up, he gently turned Daniel’s chair to face the desk and opened the book of photographs that was sitting in front of him.

  The tension was palpable as the only sound in the room was of the pages of the book turning. After turning several pages, Daniel silently pointed to a photo. Finn didn’t speak as he silently took a note of the number in the top right hand corner of the image, nodding encouragingly at him. It took several minutes for him to go through the book and by the time he had finished, he had pointed to seven images.

  “Thank you, Daniel.” He looked at where Kat was standing with one hand on Daniel’s shoulder and could see she was as shocked as he was by the number of pictures he’d pointed out. “Daniel, were all these boys there when you left?” he asked gently.

  Daniel shook his head and opened the book again. Quickly flicking through, he pointed to two photos. “Only them.”

  “Okay Daniel. You’ve been fantastic.” He could see that he was starting to get distressed now, though. “We’re all done here.”

  He turned to Kat. “Did you get those property records okay?”

  She nodded. “Yep. They’re in the trunk of my car and I’ll start going through them as soon as I can. Is there anything in particular you want me to look for or am I just looking for anything unusual?”

  He thought about that for a moment. “To be honest, I don’t know. Anything that stands out, trust your gut Kat. You know what you’re doing.”

  “Okay, well I’ll let you know if I find anything. For now, though, this little guy is worn out and it’s time I got back.” She gave Finn a small smile. “Let me know if there’s any news.”

  Twenty-One

  It was early afternoon by the time they pulled up in front of the house. Jamie’s car was parked outside and Kat was pleased that she was home early for a change. Since taking over the family business, she was working hard, long hours to prove herself and Kat worried that she may overdo it. Today, though, she was pleased she was there because she needed to unload. It had been an emotionally exhausting day, for her and Daniel, and she needed to let off some steam.

  Gently telling him to go and watch some TV, she went looking for Jamie, finding her in the kitchen making some fresh coffee.

  “Hey, you’re home early,” she said, sliding onto a kitchen stool and resting her arms on the countertop.

  “Yeah, I couldn’t seem to focus with everything that’s going and thought maybe you might need me here. Coffee?”

  Kat nodded gratefully. “Please.”

  Nothing more was said as Kat watched Jamie prepare the coffee, finding the simple actions comforting. She was so proud of her; she had come such a long way since she had come back to them and looking at her now, you would never believe she had suffered so much.

  Placing a mug in front of Kat, Jamie hopped on to the stool next to her. “So tell me about today.”

  So she did. From the moment they left this morning to when they got home, Kat told her everything. As she talked, she found some of the tension leaving her shoulders. It was good to get it out. “The hardest thing is not being able to do anything! All those poor kids out there somewhere and we don’t know where.”

  “How did Daniel do?”

  “He was amazing. He picked out the pictures of the boys he recognized. The worrying thing is that some were there with him, but then they just disappeared and never came back.” She took a deep breath. “But he handled it really well. He seems to be coping, but its early days. It could be that it hasn’t all really hit him yet.”

  “And how were things with Finn?”

  Kat could see the concern on Jamie’s face. Not long after she’d told Finn her secret she’d also told Jamie, who had been incredibly supportive. She’d been scared that she would judge her for what she’d done but she hadn’t. Instead she’d encouraged her to talk about it and was always ready to listen. She shrugged now in answer to her question. “Strained I think is the best way to describe it.” She sighed. “I know I’ve no right to expect anything from him, but I’d hoped he might have been ready to talk about it by now.” The truth was, she’d hoped for more, maybe even a future together, but the fact that he was dating someone told her that that was never going to happen and it was something she was just going to have to learn to accept.

  “Do you want me to talk to him?”

  “God, no. No, this has to come from him.” And if it never did, that was something she was going to have to accept, too.

  Jamie stood up. “Okay. Well I’m sure you’re both hungry because I know I am so why don’t you go and spend a bit of time with that gorgeous boy in there and I’ll rustle us up some dinner.”

  Kat checked her watch. “Okay good idea. We need to eat early tonight because Daniel’s got his first appointment with his therapist today. We’ve got to be there at seven.”

  “Couldn’t they have seen you during the day?”

  “Absolutely, but it would have meant waiting for at least two weeks for an appointment. This way, he can be seen right away. I don’t want to leave it any longer than I have to. He’s got so much to deal with.”

  “Your right, it’s definitely best to get him seen right away.” Jamie started opening cupboard doors. “I’ll fix us some pasta, that’s quick. Now go sit down and relax. I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

  Gratefully, Kat did as she was told.

  Twenty-Two

  Finn sat looking at the pictures that Daniel had picked out. He’d hoped that he would pick out one, maybe two. He’d never dreamed he would pick out seven. Out of the seven, only two had still been there when Daniel had escaped. The other four had all been there with him at some point, but not recently. There were also many, many other boys that had been there, and were there, but whose photos were not in the book. Still, it was somewhere to start.

  Taking the two photos that he’d chosen out of the book, he turned them over. Sam and Adam. By inputting their full details into the computer, he was able to view their missing person reports. Both boys had been reported missing within the last six years. One, Sam, had been reported missing just over two years ago. He’d been visiting the mall with his grandmother when she’d lost sight of him. He hadn’t been seen again since. The other boy, Adam, had been reported missing nearly four years ago. This time, he’d been in the park playing with a group of friends and their mothers and somehow he’d vanished. Apart from both vanishing within the last six years, they were both of roughly the same age. Sam had just turned seven and Adam vanished shortly before his seventh birthday. The similarities ended there, though. Geographically, they were over five hundred miles apart and both boys came from very different backgrounds.

 
In each case, the families had been looked at closely but there had never been any indication that they’d been involved.

  Making a note of the contact details for the police departments handling each of the cases, he contacted them. He was in luck and managed got get hold of the original investigating officers in both cases and he explained why he was interested in their cases. Happy to help, both officers agreed to send a copy of their case files to him by overnight mail.

  Finn wasn’t sure what he hoped to find but maybe now, knowing that they were in fact connected and not separate incidents, something might jump out at him.

  Sandy, the department receptionist, office manager and general organizational guru popped her head around the door. “I’m off, Finn. See you in the morning.”

  Surprised, Finn checked his watch and realized that it was after five. There was nothing more he could do tonight and he’d planned to cook for Sally that evening before this case had landed on his desk. He considered calling her and putting it off but decided not to. It would do him good to get away from the office for a bit and he enjoyed her company, so it might take his mind of things for a bit.

  When he’d told Kat that he needed time to process the bombshell she’d dropped on him, he’d meant it. He certainly hadn’t set out to meet someone and start dating.

  Putting the book aside, he left the office. It felt good to think about something other than the case for a bit as he thought about what he was going to cook for dinner on the way home. He knew the contents of his fridge were limited and he hadn’t had time to go to the store in days, so it would take a bit of creativity on his part. Checking his fridge when he arrived confirmed his fears. Steak and baked potatoes it would have to be.

  The doorbell rang just as he was taking the potatoes out of the oven. “Perfect timing,” he said as he let her in. “I’m afraid it’s nothing fancy.”

  “Believe me, when you’ve just worked a shift like the one I’ve had you could feed me a bag of hay and I’d be happy.” She laughed. “Smells good, whatever it is.”

  The evening was dry and clear so they took their food out onto the deck to watch the sun go down as they ate.

  “Much better than a bag of hay, thank you,” she said when she’d finished and pushed her plate aside.

  “So, tell me about you and Kat McKay.”

  Finn paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, at the hospital the other day, there was a definite vibe between you. History?”

  He decided to be honest. “Well yes, but not in the way you think.” He put his fork down. “We dated in high school.”

  “And she’s still not over it?”

  “No, it’s not like that.” She listened intently as he told her all about what had happened with Jamie and what had ultimately brought Kat back into his life. He drew short of telling her about Kat’s secret; that wasn’t his to tell and it would feel like a betrayal to share it with anyone else.

  “So what made you pick this area of the country to work in?” He turned the tables on her. Though they’d been on a few dates, she’d shared very little of her own life before arriving here.

  “You mean besides the bright lights and non-stop city life?” she chuckled. “I don’t know, really. It seemed like a good idea at the time and now,” she looked into his eyes, “it seems like an even better one.”

  “So you don’t have family around here?”

  She laughed. “Why, do you want to meet them already?”

  He pulled a face in mock horror. “Gosh no,” he chuckled. “It just seems a bit of an odd place to choose. Most people haven’t even heard of Brecon Point.”

  “I get the best of both worlds here. I get to be the friendly town doctor some of the time, and the ER doctor the rest of the time. What’s not to love?”

  “It must be hard, though, moving to a new town where you don’t know anyone,” he persisted.

  “Like I said, best of both worlds.” She stood up. “So, are you going to show me this car of yours then?”

  I guess that’s the end of that conversation, Finn thought as he stood up to take her through to the garage.

  Twenty-Three

  The dark road stretched ahead for miles with nothing to break the monotony. It got dark early at this time of year and it was only just past six p.m., but being completely surrounded by darkness gave the feeling that it was the middle of the night. Daniel was asleep on the back seat so there wasn’t a sound in the car other than the wheels turning on the road. She didn’t want to turn the radio on as she didn’t want to wake him. They were on their way back from his first therapy session and it had clearly drained him as he’d fallen asleep almost as soon as she’d driven out of the center’s parking lot.

  The therapist was one that was recommended by CPS and she had seemed very warm and welcoming. She’d insisted that Kat wait outside while she talked to Daniel alone, so she’d sat in the waiting room anxiously, hoping it was going well. She had no idea what had been said, but when Daniel had emerged at the end of his session and the therapist had asked him if he wanted to come again, he had said that yes, he would.

  A sudden flash of light in the darkness made her close her eyes briefly and she looked around, confused as to where it was coming from. Looking in her mirror, she realized that while she’d been lost in thought a car had appeared on the road behind her and it appeared to have its high beams on. Idiot, she thought as she adjusted her mirror so that the glare didn’t blind her.

  The bump when it came shocked her. What the hell? Checking her mirror again, she realized that the car she’d seen behind her had sped up and was now inches from her trunk. Had he just hit her? As she watched, it sped up and hit her car again, the jolt harder this time and throwing her forward against her seatbelt.

  “What’s happening?”

  The impacts had woken Daniel up and he was now looking out the back window fearfully.

  “I don’t know, honey.” Whatever was going on she knew one thing for sure. It wasn’t good. She was on a deserted stretch of road, after dark, with a child in the car being rammed by God knows who. Putting her foot down, she sped up, keeping an eye in her mirror as she pulled away. Whoever was driving the car, though, matched her increase in speed and was quickly right back to where he was. Shit. Shit. Shit.

  Keeping one hand firmly on the wheel, she reached over to the passenger seat with the other. She’d put her purse there when she’d gotten in the car and now, sliding her hand inside, she rummaged round for her cell. She quickly found it, her hand touching its smooth surface and took it out. One handed, she dialed 911 and held the phone to her ear. Silence. A quick glance at the screen told her that there was no cell service. Dammit! The next jolt made her lose her grip on the phone and sent it flying onto the floor. She knew that whatever happened she just had to keep going; she had no idea who was in the car or why they were doing this but if she stopped there would be no getting away from them, whatever their intentions were. This thought had no sooner entered her brain when the car was hit again. This time, though, they had inched alongside and hit the car sideways. “Hold on!” she screamed as they were pushed into a spin. There was nothing she could do except hold on to the steering wheel as the car spun out of control, leaving the road and crashing into a ditch that ran alongside. The car teetered on two wheels for a moment before settling back on all four wheels with a crash and a grinding of metal. In shock and breathing heavily, she just sat for what seemed like an age before quickly turning in her seat.

  “Are you okay, honey?” she asked Daniel, visually checking him over for injuries. Thankfully, he had none, though he was clearly terrified. Scrambling for her belt, she quickly undid it but before she could get out of the car the back door was flung open and a pair of arms reached in.

  “What are you doing?” she screamed as she saw them reach for Daniels belt. “Stop!” Flinging her door open, she leapt from the car only to be grabbed from behind by another pair of strong arms
that quickly wrapped around her and held her tight. “Let go of me! What are you doing? Stop!” She struggled against the arms as she watched the other man pull Daniel out of the car. “Nooo!” she screamed again as she watched him being dragged out of the ravine and up towards the road.

  “Kat!”

  The scream cut to her core and filled her with renewed strength. Bending her knee and raising her leg, she kicked back with all her strength and was rewarded by a satisfying crunch as her shoe made contact with bone.

  The man cried out in pain, his arms releasing her as he clutched at his now shattered kneecap. Without looking back, she scrambled up the bank towards where Daniel was now being forced into the back of the car that had rammed them. The man pushing him into the car was standing with his back to her as he pushed Daniel into the back seat and with a hard kick, she struck the back of his right knee which immediately gave way, causing him to drop to his knees. Her years of training in the LAPD kicked in and she lashed out again, this time connecting with the side of his head as he was kneeling, the blow sending him flying onto his back where he lay motionless.

  “Daniel, come on honey, quick!” she shouted to him where he sat cowering in the back seat of the car.

  He didn’t move fast enough, though, and the driver of the car reacted quickly, throwing open his door and getting out. As he stood up, his eyes met Kat’s across the roof of the car and recognition hit her. She’d seen him before! “You’re the guy from the coffee shop!”

  Moving quickly, she reached into the back seat and grabbed Daniel by the hand, pulling him towards her. It was all the time he needed, and before she could get him out of the car the driver was by her side. The stab of pain in her neck was completely unexpected and immediately she felt her knees give way before crumpling onto the ground beside the open door. She stayed conscious long enough to see his big hands reaching down toward her before her world went black.