by Kaylea Cross
Those livid brown eyes spewed accusation at him, her fingers trying to pry his hand free from her face. Vince held that hate-filled stare as he kept his palm clamped across her nose and mouth, his dick flaring to life in his tactical pants.
Three seconds later her eyelids fluttered. Her clawing fingers slowed, then fell away from his hand. Her head lolled, then her body went slack. He caught her, threw her over his shoulder and stepped back into the stream of people flowing out of the building.
“Medical emergency,” he barked, shouldering his way through the crowd. “Move aside.”
The frightened mass of humanity slowly parted, the people he passed barely glanced at him and his prisoner. Elation pumped through him. This was even more perfect. There would be cameras, but his face was hidden and by the time anyone got around to analyzing the footage, he would be long gone.
And so would Nina Benitez.
Vince rushed through the crowd, carried her through the police cordon toward where the emergency vehicles were parked, lights flashing. But he veered right and crossed the area of lawn beside the parking lot instead, heading for the deep shadows and concealment offered by the thick shrubbery bordering the next building.
Nina remained limp, completely deadweight as he hurried through the shaded area, excitement ripping through him. He turned right at the narrow alley that ran alongside the building and headed straight for the campus maintenance vehicles parked at the end.
Pulling a keyfob from his pocket, he unlocked the second car on the right and glanced back.
The alley was deserted. No one was following them. No one had any idea what he had done, or what he was about to do.
He had to kill her, but not here. Not when he might be seen, and he had the perfect spot picked out. A place he hadn’t used before.
He opened the trunk and loaded Nina into it, then quickly bound her wrists behind her before shutting the lid. A glance back reassured him that no one had seen him.
He’d done it. His plan had worked.
This time he was going to dispose of the body properly. He couldn’t risk leaving any evidence behind.
He refused to lose everything now.
Chapter Nineteen
Tate was in the middle of adding notes to a robbery case on his computer when his phone chimed with an incoming text. Seated at his desk, he picked it up and went cold all over when he read Rylee’s message.
Clapp Building under lockdown. Hiding with Nina in her office. Have you heard anything?
Shit. “Avery!” He shot from his chair and strode through his open office door as he replied to Rylee. No. Hang tight. Looking into it now.
Avery stuck her head out of the office next door, frowning at him. “What?”
“Rylee says Nina’s building is on lockdown. They’re hiding in her office. Find out what’s going on.” He wanted answers, and would get them faster if they both looked into it individually.
Worry filled her expression. “On it.”
She disappeared back into her office and Tate called Greg on the Missoula force. “What do you know about the lockdown at UofM?” he said as soon as Greg answered.
“Reports of an active shooter, maybe more than one. Tactical teams are en route.”
“Is the threat credible?”
“Yes, though nothing’s been verified. The threat’s isolated to the Clapp Building right now, but the entire campus has been locked down for security reasons.”
Dammit. “Nina and Rylee are both in Clapp right now.”
“Oh, man, I’m sorry.”
Yeah. Fuck. “I’m heading down there now. Can you alert whoever’s in charge so I don’t have to deal with security and red-tape bullshit when I get there?”
“Do you one better—I’ll go and get you cleared now, then wait for you.”
“Thanks, man.” He just wanted to get down there and find Nina and Rylee.
“You bet. I’ll keep you posted with any updates.”
Tate ended the call and texted both Nina and Rylee as he hurried to the staff room. They both would have done lockdown drills at some point over the years, but it was totally different when facing a real threat.
Lock the door. Stay in the office. Get on the floor, stay away from the door, walls, and any windows. Be quiet.
The three officers taking a break inside the staff room all stared at him as he burst in and turned the TV to a Missoula news station. A breaking news story about the situation was already being broadcast.
Cell phone footage from someone in the mass of frightened people running through a hallway. Another one showing people pouring out of the Clapp Building, their faces panicked.
The situation looked like total chaos. People were funneling out the door in a disorderly stream, some breaking away from the officers trying to sort them into an orderly line, and veering across the grass while other officers rushed over to try and herd them back into line. He didn’t spot either Rylee or Nina in any of the videos.
Avery rushed in behind him. “Nobody can confirm whether there’s a shooter or not, but that’s what was called in.”
Tate nodded. “I’m heading down there.” He turned away and headed for the door.
If there was a shooter on campus he wanted to be there in person, and make sure Nina and Rylee got to safety as soon as possible. Neither of them had responded since his last text, and his mind was filled with all the bad things that could either have or be happening right now.
“I’ll come with you.” Avery was right beside him as they exited the building into the bright September sunshine.
“Gimme those,” she said, snatching his keys from him as they jogged to his truck. “I’ll drive, you keep trying to contact Nina and Rylee.”
While Avery drove, Tate constantly checked his phone for updates and alerts while watching more video footage being broadcast from the campus. The tactical teams were on site now. No one knew if anyone had been injured.
The ride was tense, with the news on the radio and Tate manning every update he could get on his phone. Greg was on scene.
Tate’s phone rang. His heart leapt, hoping it was Nina or his niece, but it was Mason. “Hey, can’t talk—”
“There’s an active shooter at UofM.”
“I know. Avery and I are already on our way down there.”
“You want backup?”
“I appreciate the offer. Keep you on standby?”
“You got it. You need anything, just call.”
“Will do. Gotta go.” They were twenty minutes out of Rifle Creek when Rylee’s number suddenly showed up on his call display. Tate snatched the phone up to his ear. “Rylee?” he said urgently.
“Yeah, it’s me. I’m okay,” she said, her voice a little shaky. “The police evacuated us from the building, and now I’m outside. They’re still searching the building.”
His heart slowed a fraction. “What about Nina?”
“We got separated during the evacuation, but she’s okay too.”
Then why hadn’t she responded? “She’s still not answering her phone or returning texts.”
“I saw her put it into her pocket in the office. Maybe she’s just busy talking to the police.”
Maybe. “Keep an eye out for her, will you? Let me know if you see her.”
“Of course.”
“Was anyone hurt?”
“I don’t think so. At least, I haven’t heard that anyone was shot. There are some minor injuries because of people trampling each other trying to get out of the building, and someone tried to jump from a second story window to escape. What’s going on? Did they say the shooter’s still inside?”
“No, I haven’t heard anything. I’m on my way there with Avery right now. We should be there in twenty minutes. I’ll text you once I get there. Until then just do what the police tell you and stay vigilant. Is there any cover near you?” Because of him and Tala, she definitely knew the difference between cover and concealment, and how to use both.
“Yes, ther
e’s a concrete retaining wall maybe fifty feet away.”
A short sprint if she needed to use it. “You know what to do?”
“Yes. You should have seen Nina, she was so calm. When the lockdown happened, she went out and herded a bunch of people into her office, then covered the window and laid on the floor in front of us with a fire extinguisher, ready to blast anyone in the face if they came through the door.”
Tate closed his eyes, picturing Nina doing just that. Putting herself between her students and a potential shooter with nothing but a fire extinguisher to defend them with.
He would have given anything to be able to wrap her up in a hug right now, keep her safe and tell her how proud he was of her. That he wanted her all to himself, and a future with her.
“Uncle Tate? You still there?”
He opened his eyes and stared at the road as Avery sped past a slow-moving car on the highway. “I’m here.”
“Love you.”
“Love you too, kiddo. I’ll be there soon.”
“She all right?” Avery asked when Tate lowered his phone.
“Yeah. She hasn’t seen Nina outside, though.”
“We’ll find her.”
Tate nodded, lost in his thoughts. This thing between him and Nina was still new, but it was real and intense. He’d been holding so much of himself back from her, and for what? She’d been open with him, made herself completely vulnerable while he hid what was going on inside him.
That wasn’t right. He wanted the chance to make things right.
A few minutes from campus, he sent her one more text.
I’m almost at campus. Please let me know you’re okay. Worried about you. Why wasn’t she responding yet?
The entrance to campus was completely blocked off by emergency vehicles. Campus security had already set up a secure perimeter, not letting anyone in or out.
Avery had to park a long way away from Nina’s building because of it. When they finally got to the perimeter Greg was waiting there for them with Rylee.
Tate pulled his niece into a fierce hug, thankful she was okay. She and Nina had both been through too much these past few weeks. “You all right?”
“Yeah, just…that was scary.” She peered up at him. “Any word from Nina yet?”
“No.” And that bothered him. Something had to be wrong.
“Team’s just finishing clearing the building now,” Greg said. “Still no reliable sighting of the shooter.”
Tate released Rylee with a kiss on her forehead. “Stay here near the officers while Avery and I go find Nina. I’ll meet you back here.”
Rylee nodded and gave him a little push. “Go.”
Tate, Avery and Greg ducked under the perimeter tape and headed straight to the mobile command post parked a block from Nina’s building.
She still hadn’t responded to him, and he was getting antsy. “Rylee said she and Nina were separated when they evacuated the building. A cop was escorting her,” he said to Greg.
“We’ll take a look at the security feeds and see if we can find her that way.”
Tate and Avery showed their badges to the cop guarding the mobile command’s door, then they went inside it with Greg. “Can we see the video from the second-floor hallway in Clapp?” Greg asked the woman seated at one of the computers after showing her his ID.
“Sure.” She pulled up the link. “What time frame?”
“As soon as the tactical team starts evacuating the offices,” Tate answered, leaning in.
The woman backed the feed up and hit play. Tate watched as the officers began emptying each office one by one down the hallway. He spotted Rylee as she came out of the third one.
“There she is,” Avery said, pointing to Nina as she came out the door a few seconds later.
She had her hands on her head, was heading for the exit with everyone else, then a cop came up and took her by the arm. Tate’s attention sharpened. There was no reason for the cop to be touching her. “What’s he doing?”
“Escorting her,” Greg said.
Why was he holding her arm, though? She was complying with procedure, wasn’t hysterical or combative. “Follow them.”
The female officer kept the video playing until Nina and the cop walked out of camera range. “Can you track them after this?” Tate asked, anxiety building in his gut.
Something was wrong, he felt it. She should have responded to him by now.
“Yep, just gimme a sec…” She typed a few commands and clicked on another camera.
The new feed showed the mass of people being herded out the ground-floor exits. He caught sight of Rylee first, then the tall cop farther back, his hand still around Nina’s arm.
He pulled her through the exterior door. Tate lost sight of her for a few moments as the crowd flowed around her and the cop, but it looked like she’d stopped dead just outside the door and was staring up at him. Then the cop veered right and pulled her into the shadows.
Tate squinted to make out the shadowy shapes in the background, thought he saw the guy’s hand move up toward Nina’s face. “What the hell?”
He lost sight of them again for a few seconds. And when they reappeared, the cop was striding through the crowd with Nina draped over his shoulder like a rag doll.
“Oh my God,” Avery said, and called over one of the superior officers.
An alarm blared in Tate’s head. “Back that up,” he said tensely. He and Avery leaned in closer as the woman replayed the last few seconds of the video.
“There,” Tate snapped, hitting the cop’s image on screen with his finger. “Right there. You see it?” The bastard’s hand definitely came up to her face. Had he fucking hit Nina?
“Yeah,” Avery muttered, watching intently.
The crowd obscured the view once again, and Nina appeared over the cop’s shoulder moments later. “Again,” Tate said, rage pulsing inside him.
He watched the snippet again, Avery tense beside him. “Stop,” he commanded, staring at a tiny bit of something light-colored that appeared to be in the cop’s hand. “Can you zoom in?”
When the tech did, the blood drained from Tate’s face. “He fucking drugged her.”
Avery met his gaze, her face full of shock, then she and Greg immediately left. Presumably to get help from whoever was in charge.
Tate turned back to the monitor, not wanting to believe what he’d just seen, but unable to refute it. “Can you follow them?” he asked, his heart pumping hard. He wanted to reach through the screen, rip Nina away from the cop and beat his face in.
“I’ll try.” The tech tried various feeds, but only managed to catch a glimpse of them as the cop carried Nina down an alley beside one of the buildings.
Tate watched in horror as the cop unlocked a car and opened the trunk. He inhaled sharply as the asshole put Nina into it, pulled her phone from her pocket, and tossed it behind the row of parked vehicles before shutting the trunk.
“Motherfucker,” he snarled, curling his hands around the edge of the desk to keep from punching something. Raw fury exploded inside him.
Nina hadn’t been ignoring him. She hadn’t responded because she’d been abducted and locked in the trunk of a goddamn car.
“Did he take her?” Avery said, voice taut with anger and disbelief as she appeared beside him again.
Tate nodded, jaw tight. “Yeah. Trace that plate number,” he ordered the tech, never taking his eyes off the screen as the cop got into the driver’s seat and appeared to pull of his ski mask.
“Tracing,” the woman said, typing fast.
As they all watched, the car reversed, turned, then drove down the alley and out of sight. Tate’s pulse picked up. No, no, no…
He was aware of a small crowd gathered around them now, and the buzz of voices, but all he cared about was finding that vehicle. It wouldn’t get through the police barricade or the perimeter. Would it?
“It’s a campus-owned vehicle,” the tech said. “And it has a LoJack.”
Yes! “Trace it.” He whirled to speak to everyone around him. “Stop that car. Don’t let it out of campus.”
“On it,” a male officer said, and got on his radio.
Shit, what if they were already too late? The video in the alley had been taken at least fifteen minutes ago.
“Where is the suspect vehicle?” a deep, stern voice over his shoulder demanded.
Tate looked over his shoulder to see Greg standing next to an older cop who was clearly the officer in charge.
The female tech gave her superior an apologetic look. “I don’t know, sir, I can’t access the LoJack system from—”
Tate ignored them both, instead dialing someone at Missoula PD who could do it, even as Greg was on his own phone with someone.
Tate stepped past Avery and outside into the bright sunshine, panic and fury eating at him. Nina needed him but in order to help her, he needed to find her.
“I need you to track this plate involving a kidnapping at the University of Montana,” he said after identifying himself. “I just watched the suspect put a woman into the trunk and drive off.” Not just a woman. Nina. And he couldn’t handle the thought of anything happening to her.
“Got it,” the man said. “Hang on.”
Tate’s fingers were numb around his phone as he waited, a terrible feeling of helplessness invading him. Then Avery stepped out into the daylight, her face grim. “The driver made it through the perimeter seven minutes ago.”
Tate cursed and broke into a run, heading for the spot where he’d left Rylee.
“They’ve got an alert out,” Avery said, running beside him. “He won’t get far.”
He’d already gotten too far. And it was killing Tate not to be in pursuit right now. Nina had been unconscious, but when she came to, she would find herself trapped in the darkness.
Rylee was waiting in a patch of shade at the perimeter where he’d left her. “What’s wrong?” she asked, jumping to her feet in alarm.
“Someone took Nina.”
Rylee gasped and turned into Avery as his partner slid a comforting arm around her. “What do you want to do?” Avery said.
The local cops were tracking the LoJack signal now. “He’s almost ten minutes ahead of us, and I’m not gonna sit here on my ass and trust the locals to find him in time.”