As his words faded, a flash cut through the blackness. Then Katie screamed and fell to the ground and out of sight.
Chapter Twenty-five
One bitch down. Two to go, and two easy ones at that. Carlisle had been his primary concern. He’d seen her shoot out on the range, and the bitch could out-shoot just about any man in the sheriff’s department. That was precisely why he had to take her out now. He wished he possessed her skill with firearms, because even though he’d hit her, the shot wasn’t fatal. Her moans let him know he’d missed his mark. He’d meant for it to be a kill shot. She’d shifted at the last second, and it had become a wound instead of a kill.
No matter. She was down, and that was all he needed right at the moment. Once he killed the other two, he could come back and put a bullet right between her pretty eyes. He wasn’t all that worried about the shots bringing anyone out. Around here, gunshots weren’t exactly common. They weren’t exactly uncommon either. With predators that threatened livestock, people used firearms now and again. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for cougars to cause havoc in the vicinity, and locals were known to use lethal force with the impressive predators.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are.” He taunted her as he stepped around the grill of his truck. Only silence met him. To his right Katie was down, and about twenty feet away the man was also down and unmoving. He loved it when a plan came together.
He swept his gaze over the cemetery, and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out where the other two were hiding, or attempting to hide anyway. Oh, a few of the headstones were big enough to hide a woman, but they weren’t there. No, his eyes were on the big weeping willow that had stood in the northwest corner for the better part of a century. Every time he came here he wondered how much longer it would stand guard over the gifts he brought.
He left the rifle at the truck and instead pulled the gun at his waist. Up close and personal, he liked the feel of the Glock 22. The gun had felt right the first time he held it, and it still did. It was a quick and efficient tool for the administration of his special brand of justice. He planned to administer that justice right now. They couldn’t blame anyone but themselves. They should have left things alone. The fact they decided to butt in meant they’d written their own fate. He was simply the one carrying out the sentence. Nothing personal about it. Pleasurable, yes. Personal, no.
The dry grass crunched under his feet as he walked between the headstones. “Come on out, ladies. It’s not going to do you any good to hide behind the tree. I know you’re there.”
The fact that neither woman made a sound didn’t particularly surprise him. They always thought they could hide from him. Through the years the women he’d hunted had tried it all. Running, hiding, silence, screams. None of it worked, and it wasn’t going to work now.
“Seriously, ladies, you might as well come out from behind that tree. It’s not going to do you any good to stay squirreled up in there.”
He came around the tree expecting to see the two women cowering in fear. Except that’s not what he saw. He stopped and tilted his head. What the hell were they doing? Both of them stood tall and straight and seemed to stare beyond him. No, that wasn’t it. They were staring behind him. Slowly he turned, and then he froze.
What the hell? How was this possible? Standing there beautiful and alluring as ever was his only true love, Alida. She was just as she’d been on that last day, her dark hair shiny, her long legs encased in snug blue jeans. Even the hooded sweatshirt he hated couldn’t hide her beauty.
He wanted to throw his gun aside and pull her into his arms. To touch her once more, to taste her kisses and feel the heat of her body pressed against his would be worth any price. A miracle had brought her back to him.
His rational mind was screaming that this was impossible. Despite what others might say, he wasn’t crazy. He knew right from wrong, alive from dead. She was dead. He’d strangled the breath from her with his own two hands. With the same shovel that lay in the back of his truck now, he’d dug the grave where her body rested. No way could she be standing in front of him, yet there she was.
He let the hand holding his gun drop to his side as he took a step toward her. He had to touch her, to know she was as real and solid as she appeared. As he reached out with his free hand, a shot shattered the silence.
A sharp pain sliced through his chest and the gun fell from his hand, landing with a thump on the ground. Alida faded away as his knees gave and he toppled to the ground. Where had she gone? How could she leave him like this? He loved her with all his heart.
“Alida,” he whispered as darkness began to crowd his vision.
“She’s gone and you’ll never see her again, you piece of shit,” Katie said. The last thing he saw before his heart stopped beating was Katie standing over him, her gun in one hand, her other pressed against her blood-soaked shirt.
*
The storm grew weaker until it faded away, replaced by clean air and the sound of the ocean gently lapping at the shore. The Watcher stood on the rocks jutting far out into the water and let the air blow softly across his skin.
The worst was over, and once more she had opened the door to heaven for the lost and, in some cases, forgotten souls. He sighed, and something like relief washed through his body. His faith in her was not misplaced. She was special, as he’d known she was the moment she came to this place. In her soul grace abounded, and in her he would find his own salvation.
Tonight she had found the lost, and in the days to come they would be reunited with those who’d searched for them, hoped for them, feared for them, and waited for the day they could bring them home. Evil had tried to stretch its wings and take more good souls to hell. She had spread her own wings and engulfed them all in her embrace of goodness. That was magic. That was faith.
With his eyes turned once more heavenward, he quietly prayed.
“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…”
Chapter Twenty-six
Thea caught Katie before she hit the ground a second time. “You are one crazy woman, do you know that?” she asked as she held her. “Crazy.” She said the last word with a sob.
“That bastard was going to shoot you. Couldn’t let that happen now, could I?” Her voice was weak, tired.
Thea kissed the top of her head. “You didn’t have to do that for me.”
Katie’s eyes fluttered and her voice grew weaker. “Yeah, I did. I’ve waited a long time for you, Theadora. I’m not losing you to some psychopath.”
Thea pressed her face against Katie’s hair and tears pricked at her eyes. “I don’t want to lose you either. He already took my sister. Don’t you dare die on me.” Her shirt was wet, and she knew it was soaked with Katie’s blood. “Please, don’t leave me,” she cried, her tears turning Katie’s hair wet.
Katie’s hand on her arm was cool. “I’m not going anywhere but I’m a little tired now.” Her eyes fluttered closed.
“No!” Thea held her close. “Stay with me.”
“Help is on the way,” Lorna called from where she sat on the ground with Jeremy.
In the distance Thea could see the flash of lights and hear the sounds of sirens. Her relief nearly brought on another round of sobs. Instead she pulled Katie closer and tried to share her warmth. “Stay with me,” she repeated over and over as she rocked her gently.
When the EMTs arrived and moved in to work on Katie, letting go of her was like losing a limb. The last thing she wanted was to be separated. Seeming to understand, the first responders let her ride in the ambulance when she told them she was Katie’s girlfriend. It was a bit of a stretch, but under the circumstances she didn’t feel one tiny bit bad. She planned to stay with her as long as she’d let her. They could sort out the girlfriend tec
hnicality later.
It was six hours before both Katie and Jeremy were in and out of surgery and finally in their rooms. Merry was with Jeremy now, while Lorna and Renee headed back to their hotel. Thea pulled a chair next to Katie’s bed and rested her head on the mattress. Her eyes closed and sleep took her into its needed embrace.
A hand on the top of her head made her shoot up. Soft laughter brought her up short. “It’s just me, beautiful.”
Tears came into her eyes again as she met Katie’s gaze. “You scared me,” she said. “Don’t do that again.”
Katie’s smile was the most beautiful thing she’d seen in a long time. “Scared myself, if you want to know the truth. I’ll try very hard never to do that again.”
This time tears flowed down her cheeks. “You kept your promise.”
“My promise?”
“You said you’d bring Alida home, and you did.”
Darkness flitted over her face. “I hoped for better.”
“Better was gone the moment she met that man. I’ll always love you for what you’ve done for my sister…for me.” Thea said the words that filled her heart.
Katie turned her head toward the window. “It’s my job,” she said neutrally.
Thea put her hand on Katie’s cheek and turned her face so their eyes met again. “Yes, it is your job, and you do it well. I get that, and it’s another thing I love about you. I love so many things about you, and we have a lifetime to share them.”
Katie’s hand came up to cover hers. “I’ve never met anyone who makes me feel like you do, and I was afraid you wouldn’t want to see me after this was over.”
Thea smiled and held her hand up to her lips. “If you think you’re going to get rid of me that easily, you need to think again.”
The radiant smile on Katie’s face made Thea glow inside.
Epilogue
It felt so good to be home, in her big house on the Pacific. Lorna would have to go back to Spokane in a few weeks for Alida’s memorial service but would have some time to recover before that happened. Thea wanted to wait until Katie was up and mobile, which wouldn’t be that long. The gunshot wound had been relatively minor, a through-and-through on her left side that missed anything important. Thank God for small favors.
It was still a little hard to wrap her head around all that had happened. One guy, supposedly one of the good guys, had killed her friend in the name of love. It was an old story that often ended tragically. If he couldn’t have her, no one could.
But she wasn’t his only victim. In some warped way he saw himself as an avenging angel set on a path cleaning the world of women he felt were unworthy. By the time the Spokane County Sheriff’s Department finished at the Wild Rose Cemetery, they uncovered the bodies of eleven victims, Alida one of them. With the murder of Vince, Chad’s total count was an even dozen…that they knew of. The very real possibility he could have killed even more gave her chills, and judging by what he’d said out in the cemetery she was afraid he had. They’d probably never know for certain because Chad wasn’t saying a word.
At least he wouldn’t have any more victims. Katie’s shot had been true to its mark, and the deputy sheriff turned serial killer was as dead as his victims. The only silver lining to this horrible situation was that one evil man had been wiped from the face of the earth. She didn’t feel bad about that.
The whole affair was a world changer for Katie. One colleague a serial killer, albeit a dead one now, another dead at said serial killer’s hands, and a really good IT Tech out of a job when his unauthorized surveillance of Katie was uncovered. Poor Brandon was really more misguided than evil. Unfortunately, his infatuation with Katie had taken him over a line that couldn’t be uncrossed.
All things considered, Lorna thought Katie was handling the entire episode with dignity and professionalism. Apparently so did the higher powers, for she was promoted to Vince’s job of undersheriff.
Lorna’s hair was still a little wet as she walked to the kitchen, and she had her mind on her training. Time was winding down, and her big test was coming up soon. She was looking forward to her race and to proving she could push through all 140.6 miles of the Ironman endurance test. Still, a few days of R&R here at home were an awesome treat. That trip to Spokane had taken its toll.
Even Jeremy looked better when he was able to relax in his own bed. As with Katie, the shot could have been far worse. A nasty wound in his thigh that was going to hurt for a while and require some physical therapy was the worst of it. All in all, though, both of them were lucky, really lucky. Oh, Merry would have to baby him a ton, and she sure as hell didn’t envy her. That was the price Merry got to pay for saying yes when her brother asked her to marry him.
That thought made her smile. Actually, she couldn’t wait for Jeremy and Merry’s wedding. She loved them both and was thrilled they were going to be parents. It also meant she was going to be an aunt, which was pretty damned exciting too. A child always brought light and happiness to a home.
Family, it was all about family. At the window she paused and stared out at the view worth a million bucks. Every time she looked out this window she thanked Aunt Bea for giving her this place. It was her salvation in more ways than one, which was why more and more lately she wondered if Jeremy should be the only member of the family to get married. She’d never thought about marriage before, but she did now, and she knew why: Renee.
The thought of Renee brought a smile to her lips, and she turned to head to the kitchen. Here at the old homestead, no later than 7:30 every single morning, she would find a pot of fresh, wonderful coffee in the kitchen courtesy of Jolene. She was an incredible housekeeper and would definitely be an even better mother-in-law.
She winged it into the kitchen and came to an abrupt halt. At the table sat Jolene, Renee, Merry, and Jeremy, all staring at her.
“What?”
If she didn’t know better she’d think she’d just stepped into an intervention. She didn’t have a drinking problem, didn’t do drugs, and wasn’t a gambler. So, what exactly would they be intervening?
Renee smiled. “Sit. We have something to discuss with you.”
Okay, so maybe this was an intervention. Gingerly she sat and accepted the mug of coffee Jolene brought her. “What? You guys are scaring me.”
Leaning into her, Renee kissed her. “No worries, love.”
“Okay, give it up. It feels like you’re all getting ready to send me into rehab.”
Jeremy laughed and then groaned. “Don’t make me laugh. When I move it feels like someone just poked me with a hot iron.”
“Tell me what you’re up to or I will poke you with a hot iron.”
Renee stroked her wet hair. “Here’s the deal. Remember how I told you I’d been made an offer on my Seattle property I couldn’t refuse?”
“Yeah…”
Jeremy jumped in, his voice excited. “We’re going into business together.”
“What?”
This time Renee’s voice was filled with energy and excitement. “While you were in Spokane, the three of us got to talking. We all have different skill sets and expertise, and we figured out they all work together. That’s when we came up with the idea to form the business.”
“Business? What business?”
“We’re going to rebuild the same business I had in Seattle, only do it web-based. I know the merchandising side, Jeremy is the business planner, and of course baby mama is our corporate attorney. It’s perfect, and we keep it all in the family.”
Jolene piped in. “I’m the corporate cafeteria.”
They all laughed and then quieted as they looked at Lorna as she asked, “So you all are going into business together?”
Renee’s face grew shadowed. “We thought you’d like our idea. Instead of three unemployed lumps living off your generosity, we all become contributing members of the household.”
“It’s a good idea,” Jeremy added. “Renee has a great client base and awesome products. Merry and
I have all the business skills she needs to make this big. We’ll all be working again, Lorna, not just you.”
Tears filled her eyes as she looked from one happy face to another. Renee took both of her hands. “If this doesn’t work for you, we don’t have to do it here.”
Lorna smiled through the tears. “I’m not upset.”
“You’re not?” Merry still looked concerned. “Why are you crying?”
“I’m just amazed. It’s like the old saying about making lemonade when life gives you lemons. That’s what you all do, and you have no idea how that inspires me. I love you.”
Renee hugged her tight and whispered in her ear, “I love you so much.”
Lorna returned her hug as she looked over her shoulder at Jeremy and gave him a smile she felt all the way to her soul. “You guys are going to kick ass.”
About the Author
Sheri Lewis Wohl grew up in Northeast Washington State and always thought she’d move away to somewhere exciting. Never happened. Now she happily writes surrounded by unspoiled nature, trying to capture a bit of that beauty in her work. No matter how hard she tries to write normal, though, it doesn’t work—something of the preternatural variety always sneaks in. When not working or writing stories filled with things that go bump in the night, she trains for triathlons, acts as a zombie extra in a SyFy series, and is a member of a K9 Search & Rescue team.
Books Available from Bold Strokes Books
Break Point by Yolanda Wallace. In a world readying for war, can love find a way? (978-1-62639-5-688)
Countdown by Julie Cannon. Can two strong-willed, powerful women overcome their differences to save the lives of seven others and begin a life they never imagined together? (978-1-62639-4-711)
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