Mercy (The Guardians Series 1)

by Wendy Saunders

  Olivia could feel her heart pounding in her chest, in her throat, in her ears. Her whole body felt like it was on fire as sweat poured from her, drenching her hair and making her clothes cling to her damp skin. As her mind cleared her eyes focused sharply on Walcott. He had his back to her and was once again staring out of the window.

  The door to the cabin suddenly burst open, Walcott spun around raising his weapon and training it on the open doorway as he inched closer to Olivia. Charles Connell strode through the door with all the concern of a man out for a Sunday stroll.

  ‘Thomas,’ he spoke calmly, ‘you do like to do things the hard way don’t you?’

  His eyes dropped to his daughter who was taped to a chair, her swollen face bleeding and dripping onto a police issue jacket several sizes too big for her.

  ‘Tommy, Tommy,’ he tutted slowly shaking his head, ‘I believe I made myself very clear what would happen to you if you harmed my daughter.’

  ‘I’m not scared of you Charlie,’ he growled aiming his gun at him and pulling the Mojo bag from under his shirt and clenching it in his fist, ‘you can’t use your magic on me this time.’

  ‘I’ve no need to waste my magic on you, I could kill you with my bare hands if I wanted to, besides…’ his smile was cold, ‘I didn’t come alone.’

  Walcott suddenly felt the barrel of a gun pressed firmly to the back of his head. His eyes widened as he glanced across to the old shabby mirror on the opposite wall. It was cracked in one corner and it needed re-silvering but he could still make out the tall slim white haired man behind him. Where the hell had he come from? There was only one door and he was facing it.

  ‘Put the gun down Tommy,’ Charles told him firmly.

  ‘I could still kill you; I really don’t care if I die.’

  ‘I believe you, but believe me when I tell you Davis will have a bullet lodged in your brain before you can even pull the trigger and I will walk out of here with my daughter,’ his voice was low and menacing, ‘I win…you lose.’

  ‘You son of a bitch,’ he growled as he lowered his weapon and it clattered harmlessly to the floor.

  ‘So I’ve been told.’

  He glanced over Walcott’s shoulder with the barest nod of his head and Davis smashed the butt of the gun down, knocking Walcott out cold.

  Charles moved closer to Olivia and crouched in front of her. Slowly and carefully he moved a lock of damp matted hair from her eyes, taking in the injuries to her face.

  Olivia watched him silently, her eyes clouding with pain and confusion as she looked into the eyes of a man she hadn’t spoken to in over twenty years.

  ‘Daddy?’ her voice was a croaky whisper.

  ‘Hello Jelly bean,’ he stroked the line of her nose the way he used to when she was a child and her heart clenched painfully.

  Her eyes blurred with tears.

  ‘Don’t,’ she shook her head and pulled away from his touch as if it burned, ‘why? Tell me why?’

  He pulled back and the glimpse of her father was gone and a much colder version stood in his place.

  ‘Why what?’ His head tilted slightly, ‘why did your mother have to die? Or why did all those men have to die?’

  Her mouth fell open at the callous disregard with which he spoke of them all.

  ‘Did you feel anything?’ she whispered, ‘when you killed them?’

  His eye flickered.

  ‘You were too young to understand at the time but you will understand soon.’

  ‘Understand what? That you only kept me alive because you needed my blood to unlock the devil’s trap?’

  That got a reaction from him and he took a step back.

  ‘Charles,’ Davis turned from the window, ‘we’ve got company.’

  He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

  ‘You will understand and I’m sorry but there is no other way,’ he whispered, ‘some things you have to see for yourself.’

  She pulled back and stared into his eyes.

  ‘Charles,’ Davis called again more urgently.

  Suddenly Olivia felt a sharp scratch at her neck and once again everything went dark.

  ‘You didn’t have to do that,’ Charles turned to look at Davis as he placed the syringe down on the table.

  ‘They are tracking Walcott; we can’t have her telling them we were here. By the time she wakes up we’ll be long gone.’

  Charles looked back down at Olivia.

  ‘Charles,’ Davis grabbed his arm, ‘we’ve come too far too stop now, we’re so close, we have to see this through.’

  Charles nodded as he turned to scoop Walcott’s gun off the floor. Flipping open the barrel he dropped the bullets into his palm along with the round in the chamber and shoved them into his pocket, before dropping the gun to the floor.

  ‘Ready?’ Davis asked.

  Charles nodded as Davis placed his hand on his shoulder and once again Charles felt that curious sensation of weightlessness. With one final look at each other they walked straight through the back wall of the cabin, as if it weren’t even there, and disappeared into the woods.

  Thomas Walcott opened his eyes groggily and pushed himself to his knees shaking his head. The sound of sirens blared close by. He hauled himself to his feet and grabbed the gun he’d dropped. He saw Olivia still strapped to the chair unconscious but as he spun around he realised he was alone. Charles was gone; he’d slipped through his fingers again. He roared in anger and aiming at Olivia he pulled the trigger several times.

  Nothing happened and throwing the gun in fury he heard it smash through a pane of glass. The sound of the sirens was getting louder, and knowing he didn’t have time to do anything about the unconscious woman he yanked open the door and disappeared into the woods.

  Chapter 25.

  Theo looked down at Olivia, lying so still, surrounded by beeping monitors. He smoothed her hair back from her bruised face, noting the welt at her forehead, her swollen cheek and her split lip. The skin of her jaw was already turning a dark shade of purple and looked suspiciously like fingerprints. His fist clenched involuntarily with helpless rage. Her throat was covered with a white sterile dressing although patches of blood had already begun to seep through and he could see bruising spreading out from underneath the surgical tape holding the dressing in place. He took her hand gently unable to ignore the bruising banding her wrists.

  ‘Has he moved yet?’ Erica whispered as she walked into the hospital room holding a bouquet of flowers.

  ‘Nope,’ Jake replied as he stood watching them with folded arms and an inscrutable expression.

  ‘The Mayor sent these,’ she set them down on a nearby table; ‘she said she’d be by to see Olivia once she’s awake.’

  He looked at her silently.

  ‘This is not her fault Jake.’

  ‘I didn’t say it was,’ he replied tightly.

  ‘You didn’t need to, I can see it written all over your face,’ she frowned.

  ‘Well I don’t need to say it then do I?’ his gaze turned back to Olivia and Theo.

  ‘How’s Olivia anyway?’ she sighed.

  ‘Louisa says she’s stable, we won’t know what he drugged her with until her bloods come back. Her wounds are mostly superficial and should heal quickly and her vitals are good, so there’s nothing to do but monitor her and wait for her to wake up.’

  ‘How’s she doing?’ Mac strode into the room.

  ‘Still asleep,’ Jake replied, ‘Have you found Walcott yet?’

  Mac shook his head.

  ‘We’re searching the woods, and keeping an eye on his house and credit cards. He has to surface sooner or later.’

  ‘You’d better hope you find him before I do,’ Theo turned to look at him calmly, ‘because if I get my hands on him, I’m going to kill him.’

  ‘Is he serious?’ Mac turned back to Jake.

  Jake shrugged.

  ‘I might just help him,’ h
e replied.

  ‘Christ,’ Mac scrubbed his hand over his face, ‘what a mess.’

  ‘Will you lot shut up and go away, some of us are trying to sleep,’ Olivia murmured.

  ‘Olivia,’ Theo turned swiftly back towards her.

  ‘I’ll go get Louisa,’ Erica disappeared from the room.

  ‘Olivia,’ Theo repeated softly, ‘look at me,’

  She opened her eyes slowly, her gaze slightly glazed as she tried to focus on his face.

  ‘Hey,’ she whispered reaching out and tracing the faint indentation at his chin, ‘you didn’t answer your phone.’

  Frowning in confusion he cast his mind back to earlier. Erica had said that just before Olivia was taken she had left her alone and gone outside because she was trying to call him and Jake.

  ‘Jake lost his signal and I forgot to charge mine,’ he caught her hand as it traced the stubble at his jaw absently and pressed her palm to his cheek. ‘I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me.’

  ‘It’s not your fault,’ she murmured as the memories of her last few moments of consciousness began to surface. ‘Theo.’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘I saw my dad,’ she whispered painfully.

  ‘Your father was at the cabin?’ Mac interrupted stepping closer to the bed.

  Olivia’s eyes turned on him noting his face and uniform and shut down, her gaze becoming instantly guarded.

  ‘No more questions,’ Louisa breezed easily into the room, ‘until I’ve checked my patient. I’m sorry Captain Macallister but you’ll have to wait.’

  Olivia’s gaze shifted to her friend as she moved to the side of the bed and checked the ribbon of paper attached to the monitor.

  ‘Hey sweetheart,’ she smiled as she leaned over the bed, ‘how are you feeling?’

  ‘Like crap,’ she croaked, her hand moving to her neck and finding a dressing covering most of her throat.

  ‘Your throat’s pretty bruised,’ Louisa’s expression hardened, ‘that butcher wasn’t too gentle with the syringe.’

  ‘Sit up,’ Olivia whispered struggling to rise.

  ‘Hold on,’ she raised the bed and both she and Theo grasped her gently under the arms helping her up, as Erica passed them a couple of plump pillows which she tucked behind her gently.

  ‘Thirsty.’

  Theo poured her a cup of water from a nearby pitcher and held the straw to her lips so she could take a sip.

  ‘Thank you,’ she replied, tiredly slumping back against the pillows.

  Louisa took a small torch from her breast pocket and checked her pupils.

  ‘Well looks like you’re going to be fine,’ Louisa told her, ‘most of your injuries are pretty minor with a lot of bruising. We were a bit concerned about that knock to the head but we ran a CT while you were out and it turns out you do have a brain, so it’s all good.’

  Olivia managed a small smile.

  ‘We’re still not sure exactly what he gave you; it must have been some kind of sedative so you’re going to feel pretty sleepy until it wears off completely. We’ll monitor you for the next twenty four hours and then you should be okay to go home.’

  ‘How long have I been here?’ Olivia frowned.

  ‘Several hours already,’ Theo replied.

  ‘Where’s Beau? You shouldn’t leave him at home on his own, he’s only a puppy.’

  ‘Relax,’ Louisa replied as she scribbled some notes on Olivia’s chart, ‘he’s fine. He’s in the staff lounge being spoiled rotten by my interns.’

  ‘Oh,’ she smiled, ‘okay then.’

  ‘Olivia,’ Mac stepped forward, ‘I know you’re tired but I really do need to ask you a few questions.’

  ‘Me first,’ she replied, her eyes narrowing.

  ‘Shoot.’

  ‘Where’s Walcott?’

  ‘We haven’t found him yet,’ Mac admitted, ‘unfortunately for us he grew up in those woods, he knows them better than just about anyone. It may take us a while to find him; he has no food or supplies. He can’t hide out in the woods indefinitely, especially with the weather turning. Sooner or later he’ll surface and trust me we will find him.’

  ‘Why should I trust you?’ Olivia snapped crossly, ‘look what happened last time.’

  ‘I know you have no reason to trust me Olivia, but I really am on your side here.’

  She sighed and shook her head, she knew it probably wasn’t the guy’s fault but she’d really had enough of cops and Thomas Walcott in particular, but she wasn’t stupid enough to ignore the situation. As long as Walcott was on the loose she was in danger, so whether she liked it or not she needed the police on her side.

  ‘Fine, ask,’ she shrugged.

  ‘Why don’t you start by telling us what happened?’

  ‘I was down in the parking garage, waiting for a ride home,’ she glared at Mac pointedly, ‘Erica went outside to make a phone call. I heard a noise and the next thing I knew I woke up in a small cabin in the woods with Thomas Walcott for company. You know he was crazy before, but now he’s almost completely unhinged. He’s convinced the body you found today was James Talbot.’

  ‘His lover?’ Mac clarified.

  ‘Oh, you know about that?’ she replied with some surprise.

  ‘Jake told me.’

  ‘Did he,’ her gaze locked on Jake’s.

  ‘So he’s confused?’ Mac pulled her attention back.

  ‘It’s like he’s getting the past and present mixed up. The victims then and the victims now are all the same, he’s also getting me mixed up with my father. At one point he was convinced I killed James, he couldn’t seem to reconcile that I was a child at the time. He sees me as I am now, but back then, if that makes sense. He’s completely lost touch with reality. He was using me as bait.’

  ‘Yeah we pretty much figured that,’ Mac scratched his chin thoughtfully.

  ‘The cabin was the one him and my dad and James used to hang out at, with my mom, when they were kids. He knew my dad would find him there, he planned to kill my dad and then put a bullet in my head, his words not mine,’ she added dryly. ‘He said he couldn’t trust the system, he’d have to take matters into his own hands. He pretty much planned to keep me alive long enough to get to my dad, then he’s going to kill me.’

  ‘That’s not going to happen,’ Mac shook his head. ‘I’ve assigned an armed guard to watch you at all times until Walcott is in custody.’

  ‘Not good enough,’ Olivia replied, ‘I want Jake.’

  ‘Sorry I can’t do that, I need him. The department’s an absolute mess; I need him on the murders. He seems to have a remarkable level of knowledge on the case seeing as he wasn’t actually assigned to it,’ he cast a dry glance at Jake.

  ‘I thought someone should actually be investigating the murders since Walcott seemed to be busy amusing himself by stalking Olivia.’

  ‘Exactly, that’s why I need you; you seem to be the only one in the department with a brain.’

  ‘As flattering as that is,’ Jake’s eyes narrowed, ‘I need to know Olivia is going to be safe.’

  ‘She will be,’ Mac answered, ‘how about two armed guards brought in from outside. We’ll borrow a couple of guys from the county sheriff’s department.’

  ‘Okay done,’ Jake nodded.

  ‘Uh, when you two are quite done deciding my life for me,’ Olivia frowned.

  ‘We just want you safe,’ Mac turned back to Olivia, ‘you said you saw your dad at the cabin?’

  ‘Yes I did.’

  ‘What happened?

  ‘I didn’t really hear much of what they said, I was pretty drugged up,’ she shook her head.

  Actually she’d heard every single word but they didn’t need to know about that. She certainly couldn’t mention magic in front of Captain Macallister or he’d think she was crazy too. She’d have to tell Theo and Jake later when they were alone.

  ‘My dad wasn’t alone though, he had
the pale haired man with him; he called him Davis.’

  ‘The man the Feds think helped him escape Morley Ridge.’

  ‘That’s right.’

  ‘Okay I’ll run the name Davis and see what we come up with,’ Mac replied, ‘although if your father is the killer we’re now into uncharted territory.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ she frowned.

  ‘The murders stopped after the fourth victim in 1994 the body they found this morning was victim number four. After this we have no idea whether there is going to be any more bodies or if the murderer will go to ground again.’

  Unfortunately Olivia did know. If Theo’s premonition was right there would be five murders, the last one would have his heart removed and it would take place after the first snowfall. But there was no way to explain to Captain Macallister how she knew that.

  ‘I’m going to head back in, give you a chance to rest,’ Mac turned to Jake, ‘Deputy Gilbert?’

  ‘Jake,’ he replied, ‘I’ll meet you back at the station.’

  Mac nodded in agreement before slipping quietly from the room.

  ‘Okay Olive,’ Jake turned back to her, ‘what didn’t you want to say in front of the Captain?’

  ‘Walcott knows how to cross my protection lines; he knows I’m a witch.’

  ‘How?’ Theo frowned.

  ‘He’s knows I’m a witch because my dad is and my mom was. As for crossing the line he had a Mojo bag. His grandmother was a Hoodoo woman, she taught him her secrets which means he can counteract some of my power. I’m not sure how much as Hoodoo isn’t my specialty. I just don’t know enough about it.’

  ‘Damn it,’ Jake swore.

  ‘There is something else,’ she breathed heavily, ‘it’s about my father.’

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘He said something to me, before they knocked me out,’ she hesitated, ‘I asked him flat out why he killed mom and why the others had to die and he said that I would understand soon.’

  ‘I don’t like the sound of that.’

  ‘Neither do I,’ Olivia shook her head.

  ‘I hate to say it Olive,’ Jake breathed heavily, ‘but it’s starting to look more and more like your father is the killer.’