by Wendy Stone
"Did she tell you who this informant was, Lily?” Selena asked, looking imposingly tall next to the petite woman.
"No, I didn't think to ask."
"Damn her, doesn't she think?” Hawk gnashed his teeth together, standing up and pulling the pad of paper out of Selena's hand. “Let's go."
"Thanks ladies,” Brett said, hurrying after Hawk.
* * * *
Mackenzie groaned, her head aching, her arms throbbing. She tried to reach up and touch her head only to find she couldn't move. Opening her eyes, she blinked to clear her vision, finally able to focus on the man sitting across the room from her. “Who are you?” she groaned.
The man turned his head, facing her. He was a bland looking middle-aged man, soft around the middle, wearing gold rimmed glasses. “I had hoped you'd be out for a while longer,” he tutted, in a voice as soft as his middle. “I didn't want you to be awake during this, for your sake you understand."
Kenzie shook her head once more, trying to understand what was going on. “Why am I tied up? What do you want? Who are you?"
"I bet your head hurts, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hit you that hard. There's no reason for you to suffer."
"Then let me go,” she said, trying to move her head away from his hand as he touched her cheek.
"I can't do that. The boss decided that your lover has to die. That means he has to die. I know he'll come after you. I was hoping you'd stay unconscious. This is going to be painful.” He looked at her with a strange expression in eyes that were almost hidden behind coke bottle lenses. “I can hit you again if you'd rather?"
"Are you crazy?” Mackenzie struggled against the bonds holding her. She couldn't quite understand what he was saying. Why would he hit her again? Why had he hit her in the first place? The pain in her head kept her from making sense of what he was saying.
"As soon as Gideon Hawkins realizes you're gone, he will come looking for you. Then, I'll kill him and start a fire here. Your death will be blamed on the arsonist that you've been writing about. My boss will be happy and Gideon Hawkins will be dead.” He rubbed his hands together in glee.
"You are crazy.” Kenzie stared at the man in horror. Then a thought struck her. “He won't be here. He doesn't know where I am."
"Of course he does,” the little man said, turning his back on her and going back to the small window that overlooked the front of the building. “You have to tell people where you're going to be, he'll come looking for you."
"I didn't tell anyone where I was going,” she said stubbornly. “You're perverted little plan won't work."
"You didn't tell anyone?” He turned, squinting his eyes at her. “How could you be so stupid as to go after an anonymous informant and not tell anyone?"
"I just didn't have time.” She watched as he walked toward her again, his brows furled together. With a sudden and sharp cry, he jerked away from her, picking up the only other chair in the room he threw it against the wall.
"You fucking bitch!” he screamed.
Mackenzie flinched as the chair crashed into pieces, her eyes going wide. She watched him pace the floor, stopping only to look out the window. The entire time, he mumbled to himself, glancing at her as he turned to walk back.
Then he stopped, his head came up and he smiled. “It's easy to fix,” he said, speaking aloud to himself. “She'll call him."
"I won't,” Kenzie said quickly. “I won't put him in danger, not for anything."
The man turned, his eyes widening as his face turned red with rage. “You'll do as you're told,” he shouted in her face, picking up her purse. Dumping out the contents on the floor, he grabbed for the cell phone, opening it. “You'll call your office and tell them where you are. Then you'll call him. You'll tell him you need help, his help."
Kenzie watched as he scrolled through her phone book, stopping on the Monroe County Press. He pressed the send button. “You fuck me over on this and I'll make sure you feel so much pain, you'll beg for me to kill you."
"This is Ron.” His voice came out of the speaker on the small phone, loud and kind of tinny sounding.
She shook her head stubbornly, her mouth closed.
The man stepped behind her and she closed her eyes, waiting. She didn't have long to wait for he grabbed her finger, yanking it until it felt as if it would break.
"Hello? Is anyone there?” came out of the phone speaker.
"Okay!” she almost screamed, tears streaming down her face.
"Mackenzie? Is that you?” Ron said, his voice full of concern.
"Yeah, it's me, God dammit.” She looked up, seeing her captor with a small smile on his bland face. He waved his finger at her.
"None of that now,” he whispered, his finger over the phone.
"Where are you, Hunter? You've got people looking for you all over the city."
"I'm fine, Ron,” she said, trying to control the shaky sound of her voice. “I'm just finishing up with an informant."
"Give him the address,” the man whispered.
She did as he told her, seeing him fold the phone up right afterwards before she could say anything else.
"Now,” he said, with a smile that held a bit of the predator in it, “it's time to call Mr. Hawkins. If you try to warn him, Miss, you won't like what happens."
Tears blurred her vision and she shook her head, trying to clear it. “I can't,” she whispered.
"You will unless you'd rather..."
Her phone buzzed, vibrating in his hand. He checked the screen, chuckling when he saw who it was. “Well, well, he's making this easier for me. Now, no warning him, remember?"
He flipped open the phone holding it up to her ear.
"Mac? Are you there?"
"Y...yes,” she said, barely loud enough to be heard.
"Are you okay, baby?"
"I'm fine,” she sobbed, unable to stop. Her head felt as if it were about to explode and her heart was breaking.
"You don't sound okay, Mac. Are you crying?"
"No. I'm fine, really.” She looked up at her captor who was narrowing his eyes at her. “I'm down at the old Transom apartment buildings, the ones that are going to be demolished? I was supposed to meet an informant here."
"We know, honey. The address was on the pad of paper you wrote it on. Don't go anywhere. I'll pick you up and we can go get something to eat."
Kenzie shook her head, wishing she knew of someway to warn Gideon, someway that wouldn't end up getting her killed in the process. The thought of him dead was enough to have her stomach roiling and a fist wrapping around and gripping her heart. She saw the man start to close her phone and knew she couldn't let Hawk walk into a trap.
"No!” she screamed. “Don't come here! It's a trap!” A searing pain streaked across her cheekbone, her eye feeling as if it had exploded.
"You bitch!” he shouted in her face, spittle flying to land on her skin after he slapped her... “You'd better hope the phone disconnected before he heard those words or..."
"Or what?” Kenzie spat, staring up at him through tear filled eyes. She could already feel her eye and her cheek swelling. “Or you'll kill me even more? Give me a break."
"I know ways of giving pain that you've never even thought of, little girl,” he said, his eyes hardening. “Don't push me."
"You sound like you've been watching too many old action flicks.” She flinched back a little when he raised his hand once more but her eyes stayed steady. If she could keep him busy, if Gideon had caught any of what she'd screamed, if he didn't kill her before Gideon got to her, if...too many ifs.
"You sound like a little girl who's playing with things that are way out of her league,” he shouted back. He reached out and grabbed hold of her shirt, yanking on it hard so that it tore halfway off. “If I had more time, I'd show you that there are things in this world worse than dying, a fuck of a lot worse."
As if to prove his point, he reached into the ripped front of her shirt and lifted her bra encased breast in his hand
, squeezing it until his fingers sunk into the flesh. Kenzie tried desperately to ignore the pain, but it grew and grew until she fought her bonds, screaming in pain. When he released her, she breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short lived. He pulled up her bra so that the band dug into the top of her breast, exposing her nipple.
"With the right pair of scissors, I could nip that pretty little bud right off of there,” he growled, his face turning hard as he stared at her rosy nipple. He seemed enthralled by the marks his hand had made on her body, already welting and turning into bruises. He trailed one finger over the welts, ending by catching the nipple between his fingers and squeezing.
"Stop!” Kenzie cried, hating the way he seemed to be getting excited by her pain.
He sighed. “You're right. I have to be extra vigilant now. Hawkins could be here anytime and the boss is counting on me. Maybe after I kill him,” he looked into her eyes as he continued, “I'll bend you over his corpse and fuck you.” He laughed and turned back to the window, watching for his prey.
As soon as he turned, Mackenzie began struggling against the bonds that held her to the chair. He'd used duct tape, wrapping it around her wrists several times. She fought against it, a small bit of hope flaring to life as she felt it give just a little. Her phone was in reach, if she could get one hand free, she might be able to warn Gideon again, give him time to get the police here.
But it all depended upon getting her arm free.
* * * *
Hawk stared into the phone, slammed it shut then glancing over at Brett and said. “Something's wrong."
"Yeah, ya think?” Brett asked sarcastically, slamming his hand down on the dash. “That crazy son of a bitch has her."
"No,” Hawk said slowly. “No, I don't think it's the arsonist. She was trying to warn me. I think it's Tanelli's men."
"Tanelli? Isn't he that drug guy that Kenzie ended up almost being raped by?"
"Yeah, and he's looking for me because he thinks I double crossed him. Which of course, I did since he's a criminal and I'm a cop. He's tried to kill me twice now."
"He's tried to kill you twice and you let my cousin stay with you? You knew he was dangerous and still she stayed with you?! Dammit man, what's wrong with you?"
Hawk stared at him. He couldn't answer that because Brett was right. He should have sent Mac to someplace safe, someplace away from him. Now she was in one of Tanelli's goon's hands and it was his fault.
"Okay, get over it,” Brett growled. “We have to rescue her otherwise Dillon will have my hide. Got any ideas?"
"He's expecting me, let's give him me,” Hawk said after a minute.
* * * *
Kenzie squirmed in her chair, fighting with every ounce of her strength against the tape that was holding her still. She'd managed to pull off some of the duct tape over her mouth, by rubbing her face against her shoulder.
The man had walked out of the room after slapping the tape across her mouth, wagging his finger at her. “Now, don't ruin the surprise,” he whispered in her ear, chuckling inanely.
Her phone began to ring, sitting just out of her reach. She could see the front screen and saw Ron's name come up. Frustration thundered through her, making her struggle that much harder. “No! Don't hang up, Ron,” she begged, pulling on her tape bound wrists.
Just as she was about to give up, the tape stretched, giving her hope. “Come on, come on, come on,” she begged breathlessly. “Let...me... Go!"
She grunted heavily and pulled hard, her hand slipping out of the ring left by the tape. She used so much force, she almost fell from the chair. “Thank God,” she whispered, ripping the tape off her other wrist and reaching for the phone.
Before she could open it, or dial a number, she heard footsteps coming back toward her. Kenzie's eyes searched for somewhere to hide, seeing the only other door in the room and rushing toward it. She scooted through the door just as the one to the hallway opened, her captor walking in.
"It shouldn't be much longer, pretty girl, then you and I can get to know each other better. Of course, I'll have to kill you after that, but I don't think that should wreck our after...noon."
Mackenzie heard his rage in the last syllable of that word. Then the chair she'd been in flew across the room. His screams of rage were almost foul to hear, scaring her even worse. She moved away from the door, searching the room for somewhere to hide. There were no other doors, but the window had been broken out of the frame.
She ran to the window, staring down at the four story drop. A quick inhale of fear had her moving back away from the window.
"I'll find you bitch,” he screamed. “I'll find you and then you'll pay."
Kenzie's eyes were wide, but she started back toward the window determinedly. Pulling out a few stray pieces of glass, she ducked through the window frame, finding herself on a small ledge only about a foot wide.
"God Kenzie, if you get through this, you're going to ask to be transferred to obits,” she muttered, grabbing on to the side of the brick building. Her foot slipped and for a moment she thought she was dead, her arms wind milling out. She caught onto another brick, yanking herself back to the building, hugging the side with every bit of strength she had.
"Oh God, oh God, oh God!” she whined, closing her eyes tightly. Her heart beat with a frantic pace, knocking against her chest until she thought she'd be sick.
"Come out, come out wherever you are,” she heard her captor sing out, his voice even closer.
Kenzie forced her eyes open, forced her fingers to slide over a few bricks and her foot to slide a few inches. With her face pressed against that brick wall, she refused to look anywhere but at the next few bricks or down toward her feet, slipping along the wall.
She'd made it to the next window and peaked inside, her whole body shaking in reaction to her fear. The room was deserted, but the glass in this window was still intact and it wouldn't budge. She thought of kicking it in, but it was too close to the other window. He would hear her. There was no way he wouldn't. She'd just have to go on to the next.
Tears skimmed down her face, her head thudded with a sickening persistence, occasionally swirling with dizziness. She glanced down the small ledge, noting a chunk of the brick was missing about half way down to the next window. She would have to step over nothingness to get to the next window. A sob shook her shoulders and she barely kept herself from screaming.
"You shouldn't be out here."
His voice had the scream building in her chest bursting from between her lips. “Leave me alone!” she screamed.
"I can't do that Mackenzie. You're a witness.” He stepped out onto the ledge, his eyes barely glancing at the drop. “Come back now, if I have to follow you to catch you, you won't like what will happen next."
"No!” She turned, readying to kick out the glass. She over-balanced, her body tipping toward the drop. With a scream, she felt herself falling.
* * * *
Hawk pulled into the apartment complex, his eyes searching the different buildings. Slowing, he nodded at Brett who opened the door to the car and slipped out, rolling once on the concrete before getting to his feet. He took off at a run toward one of the buildings.
Gideon pulled into a parking spot, getting out himself and making a production of making himself visible. He waited for the sound of the rifle, waited to feel the impact of a bullet. There was nothing. “Where are you?” he muttered.
He scanned the buildings quickly, pacing once and going back to it. His eyes were squinting into the sun and the figures were only in profile, but he knew it was Mac and she was standing on a ledge on the outside of the building!
"Mac?” he hissed, frozen for just a second before he started running toward the building.
Brett saw him running and tore after him, looked up at the building and cursed soundly. “We've got to get to her before she falls."
They sprinted up the stairs, Brett on Hawk's heels. Breaking through a door on the same side of the building that Mackenzie wa
s standing on, they headed toward the window. Gideon was almost there when he heard a sound that stopped him in his tracks.
Mackenzie screamed.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Fourteen
* * * *
Her fingers barely grabbed the ledge as she fell, feeling the jerk on her arms as she clung frantically to the brick. Her feet kicked out into the open air under her, searching for purchase. Glass from the window she'd broken cut into her fingers and she cried out again.
"God! Help me!"
"Mackenzie!"
Gideon's voice was both a blessing and a curse. He was there, but then again, so was Tanelli's man, set to kill him.
"Don't come out here, Gideon. He'll kill you!” Her voice cracked on the last syllable. She felt her fingers growing slippery with blood, the pain almost more than she could stand. Risking a quick glance over her shoulder, she almost screamed again as she glimpsed the ground so awfully far away.
"Mackenzie!” Gideon yelled again, his voice getting closer.
"No!” she shrieked, hearing the crunch of glass and seeing Tanelli's man coming closer. With a strength she didn't know she possessed, she lifted herself slowly upward until she could hook her arm over the ledge, dragging herself over the glass. He was in front of her, peering in the broken window, waiting for Gideon to come close enough to kill.
With one more huge surge of strength, she pulled herself up far enough to grab his leg, yanking hard and sending him off balance. He screamed as he back pedaled, his feet hitting the edge of the ledge.
* * * *
"Mackenzie!” Gideon yelled, hearing her scream, his heart dropping into his stomach. She couldn't have fallen, she just couldn't. He wouldn't be able to stand the pain. Dropping all pretense of stealth, he barreled toward the room where the scream had come from.
"Don't come out here, Gideon. He'll kill you!"
Her voice gave him hope though he could hear the stress in it. “Mackenzie!” he shouted again. Pushing open the door to the room, he dived inside, rolling quickly until he was hidden by a half wall into a gutted kitchen. When no shot followed his outrageous dive, he peeked over the top of the wall. He could see the man standing in the broken window, the glass sparkling in the afternoon sun.