by C. K. Raggio
Gombeski looked over at him and smiled. He returned it. She was good looking, but he wished she were Cassie. He clenched his jaw and focused on the trail. What was wrong with him? He’d never lusted over anyone like this. Especially once he’d already slept with her.
Footsteps crunched down the path toward him. He got his legs under him and stared at the slight bend of the trail. He glanced at Gombeski with a finger to his lips.
A young family of five ambled up it. Shaking his head, Rick sat back down. The father picked up the youngest child, hefting her onto his shoulders.
Rick was surprised at the amount of people at the park. He didn’t know much about Ohio, but he guessed the lack of snow was unusual this time of year. People must’ve been taking advantage. Just what his team needed.
His ear bud beeped. Hill said, “It’s about four PM. The park closes an hour after sunset. If Steven’s going to make a move tonight, it should be soon. If not, we’ll call it a night at six PM and regroup. Everyone read that?”
“Logan copies. Area one quiet so far, we haven’t seen a soul besides our own guys.”
Rick exhaled. Thank God. He wanted to catch Steven as much as everyone else, but putting Cassie in the mix? It wasn’t sitting right with him. “Area two, we’ve had a few families and singles, but no males on their own.”
“Copy,” Hill said. “Same here. Over and out.”
Two more hours left. Rick stood, stretching his legs on the darkening path. He took a breath, fogging the air. A bush to his right rustled.
He pulled out his pistol and put a hand up motioning for Gombeski to do the same. She moved in behind him, and they listened before taking a measured step.
A branch snapped ten feet to their right. He raised his gun, his eyes penetrating the thick tangle of bushes. Something brown flashed in the brambles and his heart tacked on an extra beat. Was it the dog?
He took aim.
A rabbit darted out, scurrying across the trail. Gombeski let out a sigh.
Damn it. He rubbed a hand over his face. A nagging energy made him think of Cassie. He wanted to check on her. See for himself that she was all right.
His headset beeped. Hill’s voice was tense. “Officer down. I repeat officer down in area twelve. Be on the look out for a male wearing a black hoodie and camo pants. He took the officer’s headset. Use other means of communication.”
Area twelve wasn’t far from Cassie. His phone buzzed before he could dial. Cassie’s whispered voice crackled. “We heard a noise across the trail and Kennedy went to check it out. He’s been gone five minutes. I couldn’t get him on the headset.”
Rick’s adrenaline spiked. Fuck!
“We’re on our way, Cass. Let’s move!” Gombeski tore onto the trail right beside him, calling Hill’s phone and telling him to get to Cassie.
“Rick?” Cassie whispered.
“Cass, stay quiet.” His breath came out in huffs as he scrambled up a hill and through a tangle of trees. Gombeski’s light steps were still behind him. At least she was keeping up. “Are you well hidden?”
“Yes.”
He imagined the map in his head. Around the lake, take the second trail on the left, and a quarter mile down. Cassie should be on the right side. His mouth went dry. The dogs! They may know her scent. If Steven was in the area… “Hang tight, I’m on my way.”
Panting as he powered up a hill, sliding on frosted leaves, catching himself, running again. Gombeski’s footsteps fell a bit farther behind. Shit, he couldn’t get too far ahead of her, but he needed to get to Cassie.
“Rick?”
His chest constricted. What the hell was the matter with her? “Cassie, I said –”
A dog growled through the speaker. “Hurry the hell up.” The phone clicked. He’d lost her.
CHAPTER 42
The cell phone slipped from Cassie’s hand, knocking against a rock at her feet with a crack. Her body went rigid. The dog stood only a few feet away, staring straight at her, lips wrinkling with a snarl.
She steadied her breathing. Her pulse pounded on, relentless. Steven and his other dog probably weren’t far behind. If she panicked, she was dead. “Easy boy.”
The dog growled louder. He was a lot smaller than the two dogs that had been killed. His tan coat had rust undertones to it. His eyes black as a starless night. Two unblinking holes focused on her.
She released the lock on her holster. It made a quiet click. Her heartbeat boomed in her ears as she tried desperately to keep her movements slow and even.
The dog bared its fangs. Its muscles quivered and it crouched down like a tiger. Tawny-colored hairs on it belly brushed the ground.
She gripped the gun in her holster as the dog gathered his legs under him. Leaves and dirt flew in the air. Cassie raised her gun. Time seemed to slow. Foamy tendrils of saliva hung from white fangs. She squeezed the trigger. It exploded, the noise ringing in her ears.
The dog crumbled. Something slammed into her back. She fell face first onto the frozen ground. Her teeth knocked together. Wind blew from her lungs and her gun flew from her hand. She lay with frosty leaves plastered to her cheeks, fighting to catch her breath, her weapon just out of reach.
Footsteps moved around her. The heavy weight on her back had her gasping. She stretched her fingers toward her gun. Felt the cold steel through her gloves. A black hunting boot stepped on her wrist. She winced and yanked it back.
A hot breath panted against her neck. A cold wet nose against her skin. Her nerves began to go haywire. Where was Agent Kennedy? Where was Rick? She wheezed, struggling for air. The dog’s nails dug into her spine. Her vest didn’t seem to be doing anything to protect her.
“Cassandra. What are you doing here?” Steven sounded amused, like he was smiling.
Of course, he would enjoy this. She swallowed down the panic. Stay calm. Rick isn’t far, he’ll be here soon. The dog shifted above her, laying more of its mass into her back. She bit her tongue to keep from crying out. There was no way in hell this guy was going to get her to beg for anything.
She tried to look up at Steven, but couldn’t see past his knees.
He moved to the other side of her. “Another dog down. Honestly, that one was trouble from the start anyway. You did me a favor.” He patted her head.
“Now what I really want to know is how you knew I’d be here?” He chuckled. “I guess I know the answer. You found the notebook. Impressive, since that lake isn’t even on the maps. I dug it myself. I know you guys aren’t the brightest, so I’m thinking somehow Gary knew about it.”
He circled around her. The dog’s hot breath moved closer, hovering over the nape of her neck. She shut her eyes and prayed for a way out. Thick, slimy drool dripped onto her skin. She sucked in whatever air she could through her open mouth.
The distant sound of frozen leaves cracked under footsteps. Seconds ticked and the sound grew louder.
They didn’t sound close enough to save her. She struggled under the weight of the dog, wanting to yell out, but the words stuck like tar in her aching lungs.
Steven stooped down in front of her face. “Damn. You are lucky, aren’t you?”
His eyes were red rimmed and crazed. She would’ve loved to spit in his face, but the dog’s teeth scraped her neck. Her mouth dried up like chalk dust. He caressed her cheek with his gloved hand.
She focused on him, trying to push all her hatred and disgust through her pupils. He sneered at her. “I wish this could turn out differently for us. I would’ve loved to hear you scream my name like your partner did.”
Tears glazed her eyes and she fought them back. This fucking piece of shit. She wanted to tear him apart.
He stood up.
The dog gave a low grumble and its teeth sank into her nape. A sharp pain dueled with her anger. She couldn’t struggle, the dog was too heavy, and lack of oxygen was making her weak, groggy. This was it. He was going to have the dog rip her throat out. This was how her life would end. She waited for Steven to give t
he dog the go ahead, eyes wide open.
“Watch her,” he said to the dog. It immediately jumped from her back and moved around, putting its nose to hers. She took in a mouthful of air. Oxygen pumped back in her veins. Her eyes darted to the form of Steven as he slipped into the forest.
“Cassie!” Rick’s voice was close. “Cass, where are you?”
She took a breath to yell out for him and the dog’s teeth slashed her cheek. Warmth oozed down her chin. Shit.
“Cassie!” Rick appeared through the bushes.
The dog’s attention broke off of her and settled on him. It took a step away from her toward the trail. She looked around for a branch, a rock, anything. She shifted to look over her other shoulder. Then she felt the weight of Rick’s gun at her ankle. Thank God.
The dog took another step away.
Cassie rolled onto her side, reached down and grabbed the steel in her hands. A whistle blared, echoing in the trees. The dog pivoted toward her, jumped, landing at her feet, facing her.
She flipped onto her back, raising the gun as the whistle sounded again. The dog snarled and leapt at her jugular. Gazing into its black eyes, she fired.
The dog’s agonizing scream cut off after only a beat. Brain, blood, and bone rained down, pelting her a moment before the beast landed on top of her.
Rick sprang through the bushes. “Are you hurt?” He shoved the beast off her chest and crouched down.
She shook her head and he helped her up to a sitting position. Then he wrapped his arms around her quivering body. Cassie felt her mind slipping. Shock. No, not now. They were so close. He was here. More footsteps up the trail. Snap out of it!
“Logan! Sanders!” Hill yelled.
“Over here.” Rick kept her body wedged against his.
She felt his body trembling in time with hers. “I’m fine.” Her teeth chattered in disagreement. “Go get Steven. He ran that way.” She pointed into the woods. He hugged her again, leapt to his feet and took off at a sprint.
The pain in her chest subsided as Hill directed agents to follow Rick. “Did you find Kennedy?”
Hill frowned. “Steven slit his throat and his dog killed another officer in area twelve.”
She thought of Izzy. Steven had now killed three of their people. This needed to end.
Hill eyed the gore dripping down her cheeks.
“You okay?” he asked, helping her up.
She grimaced as she struggled to her feet. “Yeah, most of it’s not mine.” She looked from one dead dog to the other. The first had been a clean hit to the head. The second at point blank had gone through the dog’s nose. Half his face was missing. Steven had been right, she was lucky, or at least she had a lucky shot.
Shaking out her legs, she nodded at Hill and they took off into the trees. The trail dead-ended at a parking lot. Rick ran toward them, scowling, his breathing shallow. “I never even caught a glimpse of him. We need to spread out and search. Get the helicopter in the air.”
Cassie’s heart dropped. She’d thought for sure Rick would’ve had him. Where could he have gone? She squared her shoulders. “He couldn’t have gotten far, we’ll find him.”
Rick grabbed her hand. “You’re with me.”
~~~
They searched the woods for hours in groups of four. They brought in three helicopters, dogs, and more men. The dogs finally found Steven’s trail, then lost it at a storm drain.
Cassie gawked at the cement pipe, littered with cans and trash. Cracked and covered in vines, it looked like it hadn’t been used in years. “Where does this lead?”
Hill’s hands balled into fists. “Why the hell wasn’t this on the maps? Didn’t any of you guys know about this?” He looked accusingly at the park rangers they had called in.
The three men glanced at one another, red faced. “I – We didn’t think about it. This hasn’t been used in years, it was supposed to be filled in the year the map was made –”
“Where does it lead?” Cassie swung around and bared her teeth at them. She could rip every one of their stupid heads off. How could they not tell them about this?
“To Route 91.”
“Okay, where on Route 91? Is there anything there?”
“What do you mean?” one of the rangers stammered.
She took a breath. Obviously she had to speak slower. “Where does this storm drain come out on 91? By a gas station? In the middle of no where?”
The youngest of the three shut his eyes. “It comes out a few hundred feet from a mall.”
She locked her knees so she wouldn’t fall over. He had probably grabbed a car by now. He could be long gone. She couldn’t figure out if she wanted to curl into a ball on the ground or scream until her lungs exploded.
Hill yanked a radio from his pocket. “What’s the name of the mall?”
“Mall of Ohio.”
Hill headed back the way they’d come. “All units, I need you to be advised, suspect is armed and believed to have used a storm drain to escape. All units to Mall of Ohio on Route 91. Suspect was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and camouflage pants.”
Cassie trailed behind him, Rick at her side. He grabbed her hand and she grabbed back. Her whole body felt numb. They’d lost him. How could they have lost him?
He ran a finger across her cheek and she flinched. “We need to get you checked out. You’re covered in blood. I know most of it isn’t human, but that gash on you cheek isn’t looking pretty.”
Not trusting her voice she didn’t answer. They fell into a frustrated silence as they walked back to the parking lot.
~~~
“Nothing.” Hill slammed the phone in its cradle. “No cars reported stolen at the mall.”
Rick wanted to smash his head into a wall. He couldn’t believe they had lost him. It could take hours for someone to come forward that their car was stolen at a mall.
He watched as EMTs surrounded Cassie, busy patching up the numerous scratches on her neck and back. They’d wanted her to go to the hospital to get the gash on her cheek stitched, but she'd refused. Insisted they butterfly it instead.
“You’re going to need a rabies shot too,” the female EMT told her.
“Not now. It can wait.” Cassie thanked the EMTs and pulled on a shirt an officer handed her. She rose stiffly to her feet.
Thank God she was okay. He never would’ve forgiven himself if something had happened to her.
Hill put his head in his hands. “This isn’t looking good.”
Rick tapped a pen on his knee. “No use thinking about missed opportunity. We need to move on. Figure out where Steven will go next.”
Cassie held an ice pack against a red welt below the gash on her cheek where her face had hit the ground. “He knows Gary gave up the location of the notebook.” She sat next to Rick. “He probably won’t risk going to any of the parks now.”
“Yeah,” Rick said. “I think he’s running scared. We killed all of his dogs and have his little collection of heads from the cooler. Maybe he’ll head to Atlanta. Hill, have you heard any news from the agents about the kennel down there?”
“Just that the owner of the property, Josh Meyer, is away on business. The workers are all checking out. They don’t seem to know anything. And we haven’t found anything other than German shepherds in the kennel.”
Cassie tossed the ice pack on the table, her cheek multiple shades of pink and red. “What about Susan Tanner? Her body was never found.”
“No,” Hill said. “Just her head.”
“Steven’s mother started all of this by molesting him,” Cassie said. “Then Susan, the love of his life screws him over by shacking up with his BFF. He kills her…”
Rick nodded. She’s on to something. “Keep going.”
“It’s just that, he’s been carrying her head around with him for what? Over fifteen years. Seems like she was a security blanket for him, just like the dogs were. Do you think he may try to head back to wherever he left her body? Try to get another piec
e of her?”
Hill grinned. “That’s a very good possibility. Where’s her body though?”
Cassie picked a twig from her hair and tossed it into the trash. “Gary said something about how Steven loved Susan even after he caught them in his woods. Maybe there’s a reason why Steven chose to kill most of his victims at parks. There are miles of woods between Steven’s house and the ranger cabin we found the last two victims in.”
She was good. Rick smiled, he was proud of her. “Gary may know more about Susan’s death than he thinks he does. He’s probably gotten a lawyer by now. I’ll have Hank set up a meeting.”
Hill headed for the door. “I’ll tell the pilots we’re on our way.”
Rick turned to Cassie. There was nothing more he wanted to do at that moment than take her in his arms. Feel her body pressed against his. He’d thought she was gone. That Steven killed her or abducted her. He could’ve tortured her like he did Izzy. Rick took a breath. Nobody was looking, but he couldn’t. Instead he put a hesitant hand on her thigh. “He could’ve killed you. He had your gun.”
She squeezed his hand. “Luckily he didn’t know I had another one. Shooting me would’ve been too easy.” Her forehead wrinkled. “Or maybe he doesn’t like guns since his mother forced him to shoot her with one.”
“You’re probably right. Guns would take him back to that day, make him feel powerless.”
She gingerly touched the bandages on her cheek. “I think his plan was to have the dog watch me long enough for him to get away. The whistle was an attack command. He figured whoever was coming up the trail after me would stop and try to get the dog off of me, rather than go after him.”
He couldn’t take his eyes away from hers. She was beautiful, strong, and tough. Crap, I'm completely falling for her.
Hill coughed, staring at Rick’s hand as he walked over. Rick’s first impulse was to snatch it away from her. Fuck it. There was no hiding how he felt about her.
CHAPTER 43
Swirling gray clouds outside the window of the Learjet matched Cassie’s mood. How could she have let Steven get away? She should’ve insisted that Kennedy take her with him. That they stuck together. The man hadn’t said more than two words to her, but he still had a family, people that loved him. She was his partner, no matter what she shouldn’t have let him go off alone.