by Arianna Hart
“Never.”
“We had the police mobilized long before your mob hit the street. It won’t be long before they come back here. Too many of your guards know about it.”
Nadowny swore and took a step towards Mac with his fist raised.
Mac braced himself for the blow, but Nadowny stopped himself.
“Very clever, Mr. McDougal, but not clever enough.” He turned and began loading the van. “You think too small. I had much bigger plans. Have much bigger plans.”
“Besides stealing from the poor and addicted? How do you sleep at night knowing your money comes from junkies and prostitutes?”
“Very well. And I’ll sleep even better in the Governor’s mansion.”
Ah, so that’s where this was headed. He wanted to go for the big time. “I see. Campaigns are expensive, so you figured you’d finance it with drug money.”
“You fool, that’s only part of it. As Governor I could control so much more, expand my operation over the entire state. I’d have more points of entry for my goods and make millions. Billions! With guns, drugs, and phony artifacts coming in from South America from different venues, I’d have enough money to go for the presidential nomination in a matter of years. I’d be the next political darling and the city would love me for it.”
“Are you crazy?”
“Like a fox. After this riot, I’d make a tearful pledge to clean up the city. Once I took out the principle leaders in the confusion, I’d replace them with my men. They’d keep the violence down and pull in enough money to keep the gangs from infighting. I’d look like a hero.”
“Except you hadn’t planned on Carlos not telling you about me until I’d gathered enough evidence to bring to a judge. I was his main drug dealer long before I joined the gang. He didn’t send you my prints right away, did he? He waited so you wouldn’t know about the deal he had working on the side. The money he made from me, he kept, and I bet, used to buy more guns. Do you really think he was going to listen to you? I’ll bet he has people after you right now.”
Nadowny looked over his shoulder quickly before he caught himself. His face filled with rage as he faced Mac. “Shut up! Just shut up!”
Lord, please let someone be listening to the phone. Please have gotten this all on tape. If he had to die, at least let Nadowny get nailed to the wall as a result. Mac’s hope for rescue had diminished with every box the mayor loaded into the van. Either his call to Tom hadn’t connected and they weren’t hearing any of this, or they didn’t have the manpower to spare to help him. Either way, time was running out.
A flash of movement behind one of the boxes caught Mac’s attention. Was someone else there? And were they friend or foe?
“So how are you going to kill me? Leave me tied to a chair with a bullet in my head? Just another victim of gang violence?”
“That would be too quick. I want you to think about your folly for a long time.” Nadowny held a gasoline can in his hand and splashed it around the room. “It’s a shame to lose all these weapons and drugs, but they’ll keep the fire burning nice and hot for you. Don’t worry, you’ll pass out from smoke inhalation before you feel the flames licking at your feet.”
Mac saw another movement by the van. Sweat dripped down his back, even as hope rose in his chest. If it was a friend of Nadowny’s, he would have made himself known already, wouldn’t he?
“I think I’ll start the fire in the office. Must get rid of the evidence you know. By the time the fire makes its way to you it should be really cooking. And who knows? Maybe you’ll get lucky and get shot by one of the boxes of ammo exploding before the fire gets you.”
“One can only hope.” Mac had to keep his attention off whoever was by the van.
Nadowny laughed as he made his way to the office. As soon as he was out of sight, Mac felt hands fumbling with the plastic tie behind him.
“Crap, I need to get a knife, hold on,” Caitlyn said from behind him.
Chapter Twenty-three
Caitlyn felt Mac’s hands tense and heard his gasp of surprise, but she didn’t have time to reassure him. She thought she saw a knife lying on the floor of the van when she stole the keys, but it was dark and she was trying to be quiet, not take inventory. Scurrying as quietly as she could on shaking legs, she ran to the van and fumbled around in the dark until she found the utility knife on the floor.
“What the hell are you doing here? Where’s Tom? Is backup coming?”
“Don’t move your hands, I might cut them by accident. There isn’t much room here.”
“Would you answer me instead of worrying about the damn ties?” he hissed.
“Tom is busy rounding up the gang leaders with Miguel’s help. Liam was patrolling the streets looking for me, but is now arranging backup. I think they’re on the way. I left while they were still arguing over the best way to save you.”
Idiots. They were so preoccupied with who was going to do the rescuing they weren’t listening to what was going on.
“I take it someone answered Tom’s phone,” he said wryly as she cut through the bonds.
“Eventually. Come on, by the time we get out of here they should be on their way.”
“There’s a phone here somewhere, grab it.”
“Why? We’ll get another phone.”
“Because that one has all the pictures on it.”
The smell of smoke drifted towards her and panic churned in her gut. Caitlyn had a nice, healthy fear of fire after being a first hand witness to the devastation it could cause. She looked frantically around the room for the stupid phone so they could get out of there.
Mac shook his hands a bit as he stood unsteadily to his feet. Dried blood crusted over a cut by his eye and a bruise bloomed across his temple.
“What happened to you? You have blood on your face.” Caitlyn tugged at his hand to get him moving towards the exit, but Mac kept looking around the room.
“I have no idea. I got hit so many times trying to get out of the mob, it must have been from that.”
“Yeah, I saw you go down. I’ll bet you have a lot more bruises than what’s showing now. Would you come on? Let’s get out of here! What are you waiting for?”
“I’m not leaving without Nadowny. You go on and wait outside for me.”
“Are you out of your mind? Let the police get him, they’re on the way.” Caitlyn grabbed his hand again.
“No. He’s slipped away too many times, I’m not letting him escape.”
“He could have already left out another exit. He started the fire. With all the boxes in here this place will go up like kindling!” A shiver of fear slithered down her back.
“He’s not going to leave without the van. That has all his money in it.”
“Too bad for him, I’ve got the keys.” Caitlyn waved the keys in Mac’s face. “Now will you come on?”
“I’ll take those, thank you.” Nadowny pointed a gun at her and she froze on the spot.
It was the same type of gun she’d used on the guard. She knew exactly how much damage it could do, too. Bile rose in her throat as she remembered blood spraying everywhere and the body convulsing as it hit the ground.
Mac snatched the keys from her hand, drawing Nadowny’s attention to him instead. “You mean these keys?”
Caitlyn’s attention snapped back to the present as Mac threw the keys across the room into the jungle of boxes.
Nadowny let out an inarticulate scream and turned the gun on Mac. With a cry, she dove for cover. Bullets sprayed overhead, ricocheting wildly. Mac was behind another box and she couldn’t see him.
What should she do? If she tried to run, Nadowny would see her. If she stayed where she was, either he’d find her eventually or the fire would.
More shots rang out overhead. Sparks shot off the metal lights on the ceiling, and Caitlyn felt panic clawing its way up her throat. She had to bite her lip to keep from shouting in fear.
Caitlyn crawled slowly away from where the last shots were fired. Maybe if
she could get around him, she could knock him out or something. She still had the knife, but wasn’t sure she could stab him hard enough with the short blade to disable him. Slitting his throat was an option she didn’t want to consider except as a last resort.
Just the thought of taking a life in such a deliberate manner made her soul shrink in fear. She just didn’t have that in her. At least she didn’t think so. If it were Mac’s life on the line, she’d find the strength to do whatever it took to save him.
Bullets riddled the box to her left and she hunkered down with her arms over her head. Caitlyn had to bite her lip to keep a whimper of fear from escaping.
“You can’t hide forever. If I don’t get you, the fire will.”
“Yeah, but it’ll take your van with it,” Mac called from the far wall.
Nadowny shot in his direction and Caitlyn heard a rush of air as the gasoline caught fire.
“That was stupid. Now the whole place is going to go up in flames, including you.”
Caitlyn watched in horror as the area where Mac had been standing exploded. Where was the mayor? Where was Mac? She peered out between the boxes, trying to find an escape path before the flames spread to her.
“I don’t care. As long as you’re dead.” Nadowny pulled the trigger and waved the spray of bullets back and forth where Mac had been until the gun clicked empty.
Before he could reload, a crow bar flew out of nowhere and struck his hand, knocking the gun out of it. Mac charged Nadowny, slamming him in the stomach with his shoulder and wrestling him to the ground.
Punches flew as Mac pounded Nadowny repeatedly. Caitlyn crept closer to help Mac if she had to—or to pull him out before the flames got to him.
Mac’s face was distorted in fury as he pummeled his victim. He was so focused on beating the snot out of him that he didn’t notice Nadowny’s hand creeping down.
Almost in slow motion, Caitlyn watched the mayor pull a small handgun out of his jacket pocket.
“No!” she screamed and dove for Mac without thinking.
Her shoulder slammed into Mac’s chest, knocking him to the side. The bark of the gun deafened her as shooting fire tore through her other shoulder.
Caitlyn’s shout tore Mac out of the red haze he’d been lost in as soon as he had the mayor under his fists. He looked up in time to get bowled over by her and feel her body shudder as a gun fired.
“Caitlyn!” he screamed, shaking her.
“Nadowny… gun. I’m fine.” Her face was deathly pale and her breaths came in rapid pants, but at least she was still breathing.
Mac rolled her off him and flinched as he saw the dark blood pump slowly from her shoulder. Nadowny stumbled as he tried to stand. He fumbled around looking for the gun, which he must have lost when Caitlyn slammed into them. Rolling towards him, Mac used a scissor kick to lock up his legs and take him down.
The thunk of Nadowny’s head hitting the floor was drowned out by the roaring and crackling of the flames. The entire building was going up around them.
Carefully lifting Caitlyn off the floor, Mac draped her over his shoulder and bent to grab Nadowny by the collar. He hoped to God the thugs they’d knocked out and tied up before had managed to get out before they were burned alive.
Smoke billowed from boxes all around him, distorting his vision. Mac choked as a wave of heat blew past him. Where was the exit?
There had to be a way out of here. He turned his head back and forth and forced himself to think. Caitlyn’s life pumped out of her while he waited. There. To the left there wasn’t as much smoke.
Mac dragged Nadowny behind him as he wove through the maze of boxes towards the cooler part of the building. The bay doors were all open, adding oxygen to the flames growing rapidly behind him. If he could just get to the bays before the flames got to him—
His entire body ached, but he pushed it aside. Mac coughed and stumbled, but kept going. Nadowny started to struggle, but Mac ignored him. Just get out, just get out.
Heat chased him as he fought to carry Caitlyn to safety. The open doors acted like a chimney, drawing the smoke and flame out and over him. It would be a race to see what came first, the exit or exhaustion.
He would not give up. Nadowny’s foot caught on the edge of a box and Mac was tempted to leave him, but he couldn’t do it. “Move your foot or lose it,” he barked out and kept walking, dragging Nadowny with him.
The steep stairs of the loading dock beckoned him. Mac could hear sirens screaming in the distance. Already the first fire engines were pulling in behind the surveillance van Liam had been driving.
“Over here!” Mac shouted, lunging for the stairs, almost falling down them as he struggled with the extra weight he carried.
Tom, Liam, and Jim poured out of the van and ran towards him. Jim reached to take Caitlyn off his shoulder.
“No! I’ve got her. She’s been shot, we need an ambulance.”
“You’re falling over. Give her to me and I’ll get her to the hospital.”
Mac didn’t argue, but kept moving away from the building and across the street. Tom waved off his brother and hauled Nadowny up instead, freeing a hand for Mac. Jim stopped arguing and barked commands into his portable radio.
“How badly is she hurt?” Liam asked, worry clouding his eyes.
“Small caliber gun, close range, in the shoulder. I don’t think it hit an artery, but it’s bleeding pretty badly.”
She hadn’t moved since he picked her up, and he couldn’t tell if she was still breathing.
“Where’s the fucking ambulance?” he shouted.
“It’s coming, it’s coming.” Jim reached for her again, but Mac held him off and pushed his way through the crowd that had gathered to watch the warehouse go up in flames.
The three O’Tooles and Mac formed a phalanx and plowed their way through the people. Mac was ready to walk all the way to the hospital if the ambulance didn’t get there soon enough.
Before such a desperate action was necessary, the ambulance careened around the corner, lights flashing and sirens blaring. Jim yanked open the back doors before it had even come to a complete stop, hauling the stretcher out of the back and pushing it over to Mac.
“You have to let her go now. I’ll take it from here.”
Mac laid her gently on the stretcher, his heart in his throat. He couldn’t lose her now, he just couldn’t.
Medics pushed him out of the way, starting IV lines in her arms and slipping an oxygen mask over her face. Jim shouted orders as they strapped her to the stretcher and pushed it into the back of the ambulance.
The doors slammed shut and the rig pulled carefully out into the street. Mac wanted to shout for them to rush, to get Caitlyn to the hospital before it was too late, but he bit it back. They knew what they were doing and Jim would make sure she got the best care possible. The rest was up to God.
“Come on, the chief wants to make sure there are plenty of witnesses when he reads Nadowny his rights. Doesn’t want to take any chances of him slipping through the loopholes. We’ll go to the hospital as soon as that’s over with.” Tom pulled him out of the street and back towards the crowd gathered around the police cars.
“How can you be so calm? She’s your sister, for Christ’s sake.”
“Don’t you think I know that? Don’t you think I want to be inside that ambulance with her right now?” His jaw clenched and his face showed the angst he was going through. “But what good is it going to do her to stand around and get in the way while people who know what the fuck they’re doing work on her? I have to trust that Jim will do whatever it takes to save her while I do my job and make sure the bastard that shot her doesn’t get away.”
Mac knew he was right, but that didn’t make it any easier to deal with. All he could see was her ashen face, almost as white as the sheets she was laying on, as the stretcher pulled away. He’d do his job and make sure Nadowny didn’t get off on a technicality, but for the first time in his life his mind was anywhere but on t
he job.
News vans were already pulling into the area, and helicopters circled overhead like urban vultures, their noise adding to the confusion. Mac followed along in a daze. The adrenaline that had carried him this far had run out and he was ready to collapse where he stood.
“We found Carlos in his car with a bullet in the back of his head. Several other gang leaders are missing too. I expect the body count will go up as the day wears on.” Tom slipped his shoulder underneath Mac’s arm to prop him up.
“How much of Nadowny’s confession did you get over the phone?”
“All of it, pal . All of it. Even if it’s not admissible in court as evidence, it’s more than enough to convince the judge to let us search his records.”
“Good luck. Most of the evidence is going up in flames now.” Mac looked around at the fire fighters battling the blaze. They were in a defensive formation, not so much fighting the fire as preventing it from spreading to the surrounding buildings.
“I’m sure he left a paper trail. Swiss bank accounts or something. Don’t worry, we’ll find it and nail him.”
Mac was sure he’d care again when the shock and fear wore off, but right now all he wanted to do was find a quiet place to wait for word of Caitlyn.
Tom held him up as they made their way through the crowd surrounding the squad car. Liam snapped handcuffs on the mayor as the chief read him his Miranda rights from a card in front of him. They were taking no chances on a sharp lawyer getting him off because his rights weren’t read correctly.
Light bulbs flashed and spotlights shined on them as Nadowny was shoved unceremoniously into the back of the car. Mac’s cover was blown for good now. His face would be on every paper in the northeast, and around the world once the wire services got a hold of the story.
And he couldn’t have cared less.
The car pulled away with Liam driving and the chief in the back with the mayor.
“Let’s go to the hospital. We can take care of the rest of the stuff later.” Mac and Tom worked their way to the van. Every muscle, bone and tissue in his body ached and he couldn’t wait to collapse. His mind had gone almost blank and it was a struggle to stay upright.