The Braille Club Reborn (The Braille Club #4)

by J. A. Kerr

  “Fuck,” he screamed and banged the steering wheel, aware of the number plate technology the police used. He stopped and pulled off the fake plates he’d stuck on when he rented the car and threw them inside. He drove around for a while until certain he didn’t have a tail and then went straight to the garage. Hurrying, he unlocked the roller shutter and drove the car inside. Did Guy Walker think he could take him on? Well, fuck him, Nick would finish what he started. He turned the engine off. He would leave the car at the airport as planned. He would put the fake plates back on so the police could find it quickly. Let them think he’d got out of the country. When they picked up his trail again, which of course they would, the decoy journey to the airport would buy him time. They would spend days scanning CCTV while Nick was on his way to France via the Euro tunnel. When he was there, he could decide where to go next—Germany, Italy, Spain…or maybe all three.

  He laughed out loud. Now his car was out of sight, the police had no way of finding him. Nick grinned as he thought of the police tailing the wrong target. The biggest hurdle would be moving Anna into the wheelchair and pushing her up the slope. He cursed, wishing he’d put the freezer in the cellar but it wouldn’t fit through the door. He’d had no choice but to leave it on the top floor. He went downstairs shivering as the temperature dropped further. Fuck, he thought, it was cold. He looked around the room. He would use the leftover supplies to cover Anna’s body in the freezer. It wouldn’t hide her if someone was looking there to find her. But, on first glance, the food would serve its purpose. He loaded the purchases back into the bags and lugged them upstairs. There were more in the room where Anna was but he’d get them after he’d moved her.

  He put another set of gloves on, force of habit made him err on caution as he took the key and unlocked the door. Unlike footprints that could be washed away, fingerprints lasted longer. He pulled the booties from his pocket and slipped them on. The door lock, although new, was already beginning to rust, and he struggled to turn the key with his damaged hand but eventually it gave and he stepped outside. Standing, he listened for any signs of pursuit but all was quiet. He carefully picked his way up the slope. The police would take time to find Anna, there were a lot of units in the estate. He’d parked the car at an intersection on purpose away from the garage as a precaution and now he was glad. If by some remote chance they did find the garage, then both he and the car would be long gone.

  When he found nothing to obstruct the wheelchair and heard nothing of note, he opened the cellar door and stepped back inside. The air was damp and dank and he was glad of the hooded jacket he wore. He moved quickly and stopped when he neared his possessions. The protective bodysuit was lying where he had left it, along with the booties, voice distorter and mask. He shoved them into a bag. He would burn them once he’d dealt with Anna. Due to the chill, he was glad the protective suit was adding to his warmth. He frowned as goosebumps ran over his body. He really had no choice now. He had to do it. Guy Walker had to pay. Taking a deep breath, he got ready to face Anna Dunbar and, at last, embrace his revenge.

  Chapter 53

  The Braille Club Reborn

  Anna

  Anna’s earlier strength had faded. All she could think about was her thirst and her pain. Her mouth and lips were parched, her throat dry and scratchy. The water was long gone. Her limbs lay by her side—useless—she didn’t have the strength to lift them. Her body was on fire but somehow strangely numb. She was slipping in and out of consciousness; no longer able to remember how long she’d been lying on the floor. Her fever was in control. She would have cried except her dehydrated body had no tears to give. Please, Anna thought, someone help me.

  She would die. He wasn’t coming back. Her fear and anger had turned to resignation. She had waited for her abuser, tense and afraid, but now felt nothing except regret. She would never be a mother. This regret was the strongest and the biggest surprise. It was greater than her desire to make senior partner or visit the Great Wall of China. All this time spent in denial. She told herself she didn’t want domesticity but now, as her life faded, she would do anything to have it. To trade. This was not the way she thought it’d be. Her thoughts were jumbled and unclear but it all came back to Siena Harrison. If only Guy had distanced himself from her and his employers. Siena had her own bloody husband! Why did she need Anna’s man? She put everyone including her own children in danger because of Nick Waters. Why take Anna and not Siena? Anna’s fevered mind seethed with the unfairness of her situation. She had so many regrets. If only she had spent more time loving Guy instead of fighting him. If only she’d split with Robert when she had the chance, instead of enduring the charade their marriage became. If only she hadn’t left the flat that night in search of Guy. So many regrets but she blamed the Harrisons for everything, especially Siena. She wouldn’t have been alone if Guy wasn’t always at their bloody club.

  An anguished sob escaped her. She was so angry with them and with Guy. He had failed her when she needed him most—after her split from Robert…had he been supportive? Had he fuck! Anna remembered his preoccupation with the events at Harrison’s. Sure, she was shocked too but Niven Fraser was nothing to Guy and yet he felt responsible for her circumstances. He didn’t feel guilty about leaving Anna alone, night after night, while he worked to keep Benedict’s club going. Where the fuck was Benedict? Oh yes, he was working from home to be closer to his wife and kids. They were his only priority. Anna could see why Siena was drawn to him—he was dangerously handsome. But he only had eyes for his wife, thought Anna spitefully. Just when things looked like they were changing for the better with the appointment of a new manager at Harrison’s—the twins had been abducted.

  Anna barely saw Guy after that. Yes, they moved in together but she had never felt more alone. Guy’s constant preoccupation with the criminal case and his obsession with Nick Waters left no room for her. He was there but absent. What should have been a wonderful addition to their relationship was the opposite. Anna knew she wasn’t being rational but fuck that, she raged. Where had being rational got her? Nowhere! She had become invisible. Irrelevant. She no longer registered on Guy’s radar. Anna realised she was still clutching the shoe and laughed. She had discovered it lying beside her. How could she defend herself with a shoe heel? The idea was ridiculous. A murderous rage took control and she imagined burying it into her abductor’s face, over and over. The fantasy calmed her as images of him, holding his face in agony, played through her mind. Moving her head resulted in excruciating pain so Anna had learned to keep it still. The pain competed with her thirst. She felt herself drifting off and welcomed the respite. She hoped this time was the last time…

  Chapter 54

  The Braille Club Reborn

  Guy

  “Guy, you understand, I can’t have you with my officers.”

  Guy said nothing. He understood. He’d had to send Benedict home. They’d fought about it but Guy had won because DI Clark’s demand was non-negotiable. Guy was on thin ice, too, and was only there because he was an ex-copper. However, like Benedict, he was a civilian now. DI Clark and his team would work with Evan. Together, they would co-ordinate the operation. Experienced officers had been drafted in. Everyone was aware of the delicacy of the task. They had to let Nick Waters lead them to Anna but act quickly to save her. A lot was at stake but they had no choice but to rely on the one remaining GPS tracker.

  With the app loaded onto their mobiles they could all see the red dot moving around. The green dot was stationary. Chances were Waters took his jacket off and left it behind in the hotel. If he changed his shoes they would be in trouble but, so far, so good.

  DI Clark had arranged the media to broadcast a witness appeal to the public regarding Anna’s disappearance. If Waters was watching, he wanted him to think the police had no new leads.

  “The media release has been televised. We hinted organised crime is behind her disappearance. A possible revenge attack.”

  “Will he buy it?” said G
uy.

  “I don’t see why not? If we are to have any chance of finding Anna alive we must ensure her abductor feels secure in the knowledge the police are looking elsewhere.”

  “Nick Waters is too smart to fall for that,” said Guy uncertainly.

  “It’s our best option.”

  “Evan thinks he’s waiting until dark,” said Guy.

  DI Clark pulled on his jacket. “Possibly but I need to go.”

  Guy nodded. There was no comforting reassurance from the officer. No promise of a happy ever after. He’d spoken with Evan earlier and again now. He was on speaker phone.

  “DI Clark, this is your show now. I specialise in finding people, it’s what I’m good at, but with an ongoing police investigation, I’m happy to let you guys take over. I’m sure you are very capable.”

  There was a pause before DI Clark spoke. “I want us to work together. You know as well as I do, Evan, it’s all about manpower. The more bodies we have the better.”

  As an ex-officer himself, Guy knew police resources were often limited. Their heart was in the right place, they always got the job done, but it all took time. Time was the one thing Anna didn’t have. They needed to move fast.

  “I agree,” said Evan, “but felt I should give you your place.”

  “Thanks and I appreciate it,” said DI Clark.

  Guy cocked his head. “Have you worked with the police before?”

  Evan paused. “Purely on a consultation basis for time sensitive investigations. But I cannot discuss previous cases, Guy.”

  “I understand,” he said.

  “This is what I think we need to do,” said Evan.

  Guy’s faced tensed. “Tell us.”

  The plan was agreed and now DI Clark and his teams were heading out to meet up with Evan. Guy wanted to scream at them to hurry up.

  “Let me look at the data on the pen,” he pleaded.

  “I’ve got it covered, Guy. Mick is excellent. If there is anything, he’ll find it,” said DI Clark.

  Guy felt useless. “Okay.”

  He watched DI Clark stride across the office. His walk purposeful. He hoped to God he didn’t blow it and, by default, any chance they had of finding Anna alive. Filled with nervous energy, he moved over to where Mick was sitting.

  “Any luck with the address?”

  The big man looked up. “Loads of data here, I’m afraid, and a lot of it is encrypted.”

  Guy frowned. “If it’s encrypted it’s important.”

  “Yes, I’m working on it now. Just a matter of finding the right software to unlock them.”

  “Anything I can do to help? I used to handle IT cases before I retired.”

  Mick smiled. “Yeah I know…you’re a legend around here but, no, I can handle it.”

  Guy sighed. He might have known that bastard would use encrypted files. The address was in those files, he was sure of it. He wanted to push Mick aside and try for himself. His phone bleeped.

  Evan: I’ve sent you the app. Upload to your phone.

  Guy did as Evan requested. The red dot was on the move. Waters had left the hotel. Glancing out of the window he could see it still wasn’t dark. Anxiety surged through Guy. This was it. Torn, he didn’t know what to do. There was no guarantee Waters was going to Anna. However, if he got the address of the garage it was a guarantee of finding her. He paced up and down the room. Guy’s agitation increased as the hours ticked by. His gaze flicking from his mobile phone to Mick. He hoped the pursuit was subtle. Nick Waters would spot anything out of the ordinary. Mick’s mobile rang making Guy jump. He saw Mick pick it up and answer.

  “No, boss. Still trying to crack the encryption. Yes, I realise that. Okay.”

  He saw Mick stand. “I’m going for a piss.” He sounded annoyed.

  As soon as he was out the room, Guy slipped in front of the unlocked screen and got to work, he didn’t have long. His fingers flew across the keyboard.

  “Come on. Come on,” he muttered impatiently.

  He tried different things but nothing was working. Frustrated, he chewed his fingernails. The encrypted file format was familiar. He was about to give up when he remembered an old encryption programme from a previous paedophile case. He tried that and, like magic, the files unlocked. Racing through them, he put in numerous search words—garage, premises, room rental, but nothing came up. He racked his brains and then, on a whim, typed in Siena. The files shifted and, as he clicked on the images of Siena, he shivered. He flicked through them quickly and almost missed it but went back. There it was. The picture he was looking for—the garage. ‘Garvy’ was just about legible from the old peeling sign. Guy quickly entered the name into the search bar. The rental documents flashed onto the screen and with them the address. He was close to the location. He jumped up and barged past Mick as he was coming through the door.

  “Hey,” said Mick, but Guy didn’t stop. He carried on down the corridor. Breaking into a jog, he swore as his legs screamed when he tore down the stairs. His heart was pumping furiously. That fucker was keeping her right under their noses. He was breathless when he reached his car. Pulling the door open, he climbed inside, gunned the engine and put the garage postcode into his sat nav. He could see the moving red dot. Putting the car in gear he pressed down hard on the accelerator.

  Chapter 55

  The Braille Club Reborn

  Nick

  “Fuck,” Nick screamed, enraged as he thought of the tracker.

  He steadied himself, it wasn’t too late but he still wondered how they did it. He could recall nothing significant. Someone had planted the devise on him. How? He didn’t know, but the game would soon be over he realised. Sweating, his breath coming in rapid bursts, he tensed, expecting the police to rush through the door at any second.

  Fuck them, he thought and viciously kicked the door to the small room open. The heat rolled over him. He had forgotten to switch the heater off and was unsure if this was good or bad. He flicked the light on. The bulb was dim but he could see the room clearly. The smell was worse—sweat, urine and damp all mixed together. He sniffed for one particular scent—death. Moving inside, he could see she hadn’t moved much. Anna Dunbar’s face was deathly pale like a mask, her eyes closed and her lips blanched of all colour. Her brunette hair was matted and tangled. Her neck was badly swollen. The flesh looked bruised and angry. Her body was no longer on its side. She was lying on her back and her legs were straightened. He stepped closer trying not to breathe in the putrid air. He noted the empty bottle of water beside her.

  Maybe he’d got it wrong. How had she reached for the bottle? What did it matter? The sedative was in the water, if not dead she was unconscious. He pulled the syringe from his pocket and took off the cap. He would have laughed at his ingenuity had the police not outsmarted him. In the end, it was all for nothing. Nick knew the net around him was closing. They were coming for him and it was all her fault. Nick turned, hoping she was already dead. Her chest didn’t seem to be moving. Another thought struck him. The syringes were the only weapon he had. He should find something else. The garage was bound to have tools or something lying around he could use.

  The thought of capture and prison had bile rising up and into his mouth. He gagged and spat the mouthful out. He would not go back there. They would have to kill him first. He stepped closer to Anna Dunbar.

  A sound behind him made him spin around. Standing there, his face twisted with hate, was Guy Walker in the flesh.

  “Drop it,” said Guy.

  “I don’t think so,” said Nick smiling. “Do you know what this is?”

  “Put it down. It’s over.”

  “For you maybe…I don’t think she’s breathing.”

  Nick saw Guy’s gaze flick to Anna and fear pass over his face but he didn’t move. He was blocking Nick’s only route of escape.

  “Get out of my way.” Nick put his hand in his pocket and slipped the cap off the second syringe. If he could fool Guy Walker into believing he was no longer
a danger by putting the syringe in his hand down, then he might have a chance. The element of surprise was not to be underestimated. He could stab Walker with the needle and pump the morphine meant for Anna into him instead. Yes, he suddenly thought, this was fate. He got to settle the score in person.

  “The police are on their way. There is no means of escape. You’ll be surrounded in less than five minutes.”

  Nick took a step closer to Anna. “I don’t think so. I found your little device and planted it on another car.” He watched Guy’s eyes widened in horror. “No one is coming. It’s just you and me.”

  Guy’s mouth set in a grim line. “We found your pen. You dropped it while you buried two children alive.”

  Nick froze. I knew that pen would ruin me, he thought and gave a bitter laugh.

  “We heard your sick notes and opened your encrypted files. You’re going back to prison for life this time.”

  Nick giggled before he regained his composure. “Prison wasn’t so bad,” he said, smiling at Guy.

  “Do you know what they do to child abductors in prison? You wouldn’t have your safe little set-up anymore. You’ll be a nonce.”

  “I didn’t touch those kids,” snarled Nick.

  “Who will believe that? You’ve got hundreds of images of them.”

  “Shut up,” Nick snapped, stepping towards Guy.

  Guy’s hands clenched into fists. “Why don’t you put that down and fight like a man?”