Run to You

by Lynne King

  “What the fuck! Where was Joey?”

  “I don’t know, in the can, I think.”

  “My orders were for him not to move from that friggin’ door. Tell him when I’ve finished with him, he won’t have anything to piss with. Now find that bitch and bring her to me.”

  “Sonny, she couldn’t have got far. There ain’t no place to run.”

  “Wait. You sure that cop’s not around?”

  “Sure, Sonny, the men have been watching. There ain’t no way he could have got through. Besides, Marie claims the girl was unaided.”

  “Cover every inch of the grounds. He’s hardly going to drive up the blasted driveway. Now get your ass out of here.”

  Jack cursed silently. How the hell did they know he was coming? If he thought for a second Liz could make it on her own, he wouldn’t feel so damn angry, but this was putting both their necks at risk. He could hear car engines roaring to life and from the sound of it, Valachi was the one issuing orders. Soon the grounds would be swarming with men; he wouldn’t stand a hope in hell. The subject of their panic soon became clear.

  “The stables, she must be in there. The barn door’s open.”

  Oh! Jesus, the crazy broad is going to try and escape by horse. He didn’t even know she could ride but there again, why should he. For all he knew she could be an excellent rider. Jack popped a fresh gum in his mouth and tried not to think what his sixth sense was telling him—that this was going to end badly.

  Liz could hear shouting coming from the house as she ran barefoot in the long grass, her feet landing several times on a flint that ripped into her soles. This was her only chance and if she didn’t make it, she had nothing to lose, seeing they were going to kill her anyway. She had heard Sonny Valachi murder Shaun and had been in the same room when he shot his uncle in cold blood. Whatever he had planned for her now didn’t involve leaving this place alive.

  Once she had decided, her escape from the locked bedroom had been spontaneous. The young Italian maid who had come into the room to take away her dinner tray found out too late that the missing knife from Liz’s tray was now up against her throat. She may not have understood English, but Liz recognized fear—the girl knew when to remain silent. From then on it looked as if someone from above was looking out for her. The fat guy who had meant to be seated out in the corridor wasn’t there, so she simply gagged and tied up the maid’s hands, locked her in the bedroom, and made a run for it.

  She had seen the stables from the window, set right back and away from the house which meant the floodlights didn’t quite reach it. By skirting round the cars and keeping well back, she might make it.

  Now as she came closer to the stables, she wondered what had possessed her to think she could get away on horseback. With the options she had, it seemed the only answer, seeing she hadn’t been educated in hot-wiring cars and she certainly couldn’t hope to outrun her assailants by foot. True, she had ridden as a teenager, but the last time she had been on a horse was six years ago and certainly not at night. Flinging back a gate to the first stall, a chestnut mare stood staring, the nostrils flaring open with her presence. There was no time to worry about the temperament of the beast as she grabbed up a saddle and harness and hurriedly strapped it on.

  Two men burst through the stable door. Liz, already mounted, kicked her heels hard into the mare’s flank, sending the horse careering past the two men, with her holding onto the mare’s neck for dear life. She could hear a car engine racing up behind, headlights beaming their way past as the horse galloped off across the fields. Beneath, Liz could sense the horse was beginning to feel panicked. If the cars got any closer, she was sure the mare would be out of control, with her limited experience of riding going against her. A white fence seemed to appear out of nowhere as Liz found herself soaring through the air. Forcing her head and shoulders forward, she clung desperately to the neck and mane. Fortunately the fencing wasn’t that high but it had Liz sitting back upright and pulling at the reins in order to slow her down. The thought foremost was another jump like that could leave her with a broken neck. The highway was now only a short distance, the headlights from behind were no longer lighting up the skyline, but by now Liz could see at the side of her that the cars had taken a different route and were going to try cutting in front. The scream rose in her throat, this was sheer suicide if she didn’t bring the horse to a stop. Finally she managed to control the mare and brought it to a grinding halt, the sweat pouring from its coat as she spoke soothingly into its ear.

  The cars screeched and came to a stop within a few feet of her. Two men got out of one of the vehicles, leaving the engine ticking over. Watching as they approached, Liz felt numb, the fear had drained from her and with it the fight. A hand reached out and, gripping her forearm, dragged her from the horse and pushed her to the ground.

  “You harm her and Sonny will cut your balls off,” his companion shouted.

  Grunting, he pulled Liz back up. “When he grows tired of you, then you’re mine.”

  Liz gave no reply.

  Sonny was stretched out in a heavily cushioned armchair when Liz was pushed into the living room. She met his gaze defiantly though the sight she presented was far from triumphant. Her white jeans were soiled with grass stains, her hair clung in tangled clumps to her face, and red stains started showing up on the cream carpet from her cut feet.

  Getting up, Sonny strode straight over and slapped her hard across the face. Immediately Liz tasted the blood where her tooth had caught her lip with the force. Still she glared back at him.

  “You sonofabitch.”

  Her gaze shot over to where that voice had cried out just as she witnessed a fist ram into Jack’s stomach, two men holding his arms back. Again the third man brought his fist back.

  “No,” she screamed, but the blow was struck again. This time the two men released his arms as Jack fell to his knees clutching his stomach. He didn’t stay in that position long and unsteadily came to his feet again, his face a ghostly mask as he looked across at Sonny.

  “You don’t like my form of punishment? It is for her own good. She was foolish endangering her own life and the life of a good thoroughbred.”

  “I’m sure she appreciates your concern for her welfare,” Jack retorted.

  Sonny let out a short laugh. “Let’s hope she shares the same concern for you. The decision is all hers.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  His finger reached out and touched the spot of blood on her lip and smeared it across her cheek. “Your detective here goes free unharmed with yourself, of course, or the alternative, he gets the crap beaten out of him while you watch. Afterward it will be only fair to put him out of his misery and as for you, by the time the ranch hands have done with you, you’ll be begging to join your boyfriend.”

  “You can’t do that,” Liz cried out. “He’s a cop. Others must be on their way.”

  That contemptuous laugh rang out again. “Correction, he was a cop before he threw in his badge and drove out here on a one-man vendetta. Now he is classed as an uninvited intruder. I will simply be protecting my rights as an American citizen.”

  “You won’t get away with it, you sonofabitch.” Jack lunged forward, his fists flying in all directions as all three men fought to control him.

  “Don’t mark his face,” Valachi shouted.

  Her screams bounced off the walls as Jack became overpowered, his torso held in a bear-like grip from behind while blow after blow was struck to his stomach and rib cage. “Stop it, stop it. What do you want from me? I’ll tell you, please, stop it,” she cried out.

  Sonny had hold of her arm, preventing her from rushing to Jack’s crumpled body. He gripped her other forearm and forced her to face him.

  “It was a rash move on my part, killing Connor or O’Riley to you before being handed the key, but then he shouldn’t have gone for his gun. See, my uncle was never meant to find out about our Paddy friend. It messed my plans up a bit and brought about
his departure a little sooner, but the games are over now. It’s time to hand it over.”

  The damn key meant nothing to her now. It certainly wasn’t going to buy her freedom or keep Jack and her alive. Valachi was behind the bank heist. She knew that now. What she didn’t know was whom Shaun had been speaking to on his cell phone before Valachi turned up. Maybe she would never know. Shaun’s first words when he answered his cell phone came into her head, “Tell him.” Whoever was on that receiving end was simply a go-between, and now the more she thought about it and the tone Shaun used, that person was female.

  “Do you want my men to carry on?” His eyes motioned toward Jack.

  “Remove your hands and I’ll retrieve it for you.”

  He released his hold on her and folded his arms across his chest, the corners of his mouth lifting as he watched her hand go inside the front of her blouse and camisole. The key was, surprisingly, still where she had placed it, in the bottom of her bra cup. Her fingers withdrew the key.

  Sonny’s smile widened. “What a resourceful woman you are.” He held out his hand.

  “It’s not much use without a box number.” She dropped it into his hand.

  He smiled. “A close-up photo of a numbered deposit box is not your usual holiday snap you store on your cell phone.

  “Seeing you have everything now and are going to kill us anyway, how did you know I still had the key?”

  “You trust too easily. If it’s any consolation, Lorraine genuinely liked you, but she likes me better.”

  Liz’s mind was reeling from the shock of his disclosure. “Trust no one,” she had said and for once she had been telling the truth.

  “Lock them both up.” He pushed her toward the fat man.

  The two men either side of Jack hoisted his body up by holding onto an arm wrapped around each of their necks and nearly lifting him off the ground, his feet dragging. He lifted his head, his gaze seemingly unfocused. Liz couldn’t be sure he wasn’t drifting in and out of consciousness.

  “Come on,” The fat man gripped her forearm.

  “You promised to let us go,” she fired at Sonny, knowing how futile her words were.

  “Yeah, sure, once I check this key is not a phony like the last one.”

  Those words were not the least bit comforting. He had no intention of letting them go. They were going to die—she had simply delayed the process.

  Reid stared back at Sonny as if he was mad. “I can’t do it. Count me out on this one. I don’t want to know.”

  Sonny stood up. Strolling over to the French windows, he looked out into the clear night. When he finally spoke, a menacing tone filled the air.

  “What you’re saying is that you want out. Correct me if I’m wrong?”

  “No,” Reid fought back. “I just can’t get involved in the murder of a fellow cop.”

  “Don’t tell me you’ve grown a conscience all of a sudden,” Sonny snorted.

  Nervously Reid shifted on his feet. “I’ve never been prone to that weakness, as you should know by now. Haven’t I done enough? I got the cell phone back—nothing leads back to you. Jesus, this is all getting out of hand. Saunders kills Gandini using O’Riley’s gun and then gets shot by one of your men, fine, I can make it work, but now you’re talking about a cop’s homicide. The Feds, IAD, you name it, they’ll be on this like a rash.”

  Sonny stood back from the window and then slowly turned around, his dark gaze resting on the detective.

  “You work for me now. I own you body and soul. Don’t ever question me again.” He paused to allow the full impact of his words to sink in. “All that is required from you is your sworn testimony of what events led up to the killing of Detective Willis. How in the line of duty you had to stop Saunders before she did the same to you.” He spoke as if addressing a courtroom, pacing in front of Reid, his hands behind his back. “How you turned up here after getting a report of a shooting. Saunders had already shot Gandini and Willis was in the process of trying to take her in. They argued and she grabbed his gun and shot him at close range. Her prints will be the only ones found on the gun.”

  “How am I to explain his earlier beating?” Reid’s hand was unsteady as he lit himself a cigarette.

  “Misunderstanding with the ranch men when he first turned up acting crazed. You arrived flashing your shield and Saunders was still holed up in my uncle’s study.” Sonny poured himself a shot of bourbon. “Want one? You look like it’s needed to steady those nerves.”

  Reid shook his head and drew heavily on his cigarette. “Questions will be asked, like what Saunders was doing here in the first place.”

  “Don’t you think that hasn’t occurred to me?” Sonny hit back. “With what I’m about to provide, you could end up being promoted.” Sonny went on to relay where most of the stolen goods from the bank heist could be found.

  “As the police have never been able to ascertain what and how much has been stolen, they would have to accept that was it. “The rest is up to you. Make sure you keep me out of it. O’Riley and Saunders were in it from the beginning and acted alone, a regular Bonnie and Clyde. He killed his partners and then she killed him with his own gun. You can play around with forensics, switch it. You’ve done it before.”

  Pouring himself another shot of bourbon, he downed it and then put the bottle away. His gaze was on Reid now as he continued, “She then ran to my uncle, thinking she could do a trade-off. Willis was simply a poor obsessed sucker she used to keep the law off her ass.” Sonny walked over to the door. “Hell, make up what you like, but keep me the fuck out of it,” he said over his shoulder as he pulled open the door.

  “Okay, if there’s no other way, you better be somewhere else with witnesses.” Reid lit another cigarette.

  Sonny had paused in the doorway. Not bothering to turn around he let out a small laugh. “That’s where I’m heading.”

  Liz watched as they released Jack’s arms and kicked him in the back of the knees, causing him to sprawl forward into the room. The two men stood aside from the doorway and then she was pushed into the room, the door shutting behind with the sound of a key being turned. Jack started rising to his feet.

  “I’m okay. I know when I’m beaten. It’s best to stay down and conserve one’s strength for when the odds are more in my favor.” He waved her assistance aside and stood up. Stretching his back, he smiled and threw her a wink. “That’s not saying I don’t hurt like hell all over and no doubt have a cracked rib or two.” He gently took her into his arms.

  “Jack, after what I did, stealing the key back, and what I said. Why did you come back for me?”

  His thumb came up and gently touched the cut on her lip. “Because this is all down to me. I should never have got you involved.”

  “I did that myself, remember.” Her gaze locked into the blue intensity of his and in that moment she knew what he wasn’t able to put into words. His mouth came down on hers and in the passionate tenderness of his kiss, the emotion he conveyed went far deeper than lust. Finally, when they parted, his fingers came up and as he smoothed back her hair, he smiled. “Has that answered your earlier question?”

  The door flew open and two men stepped in, one holding an automatic in his hand and pointing directly at Jack. Motioning for him to move forward, he pressed the muzzle into the back of his neck. “One false move and it’s over, the woman too.”

  “Yeah, I think you’ve made your point,” Jack muttered.

  The same man from earlier grabbed Liz’s arm, forcing her to follow closely behind. They were taken down the stairs and along the hallway. Then they came to a stop outside the door leading into the study. The fat man pushed the door open and then stepped aside. Jack felt the muzzle jab into his nape.

  “Move.”

  Jack stepped into the oak-paneled room. In front of him was the antique desk and slumped over it was the lifeless body of Gandini, still seated in the leather recliner. Dark discoloring seeping into wood cast a pathway from beneath his torso—confirmat
ion of a violent death rather than natural causes. Jack heard Liz’s sharp intake of breath as she came into the room after him and then movement caused him to glance over to the window area. Jack felt every muscle in his body tense up as he clenched his teeth, repressing the rising tide of aggression from spilling over.

  “Reid.” He spat the name out. Whatever personal reasons he had for disliking the creep, it had never occurred in his wildest suspicions that he was on the take. He wanted to kill the sonofabitch right there and then. All the time Reid had been informing of his every move, so they were always one step ahead. That’s how Gandini found out about O’Riley so soon and Valachi had to take him out before it led to him. Valachi was the one behind it all. Why he wanted to rob from his uncle and take him out as well was the question that bugged him now.

  “I’m sorry, Jack, it had to come to this,” Reid said.

  “Yeah, not half as sorry as I am,” Jack retorted. “Tell me, what do you get out of this? Being on the take is one thing, taking another cop’s life and there’s no turning back. Valachi must really have you by the balls if he’s got you doing the killing now.”

  “You’ve given me no choice. You were out of your depth the moment you latched on to O’Riley’s piece of tail. I’m here simply to tie up loose ends.”

  “Come on, let’s get this over with,” said the one holding the gun to Jack’s neck. “Sonny wants this done quickly. The old man’s been dead a couple of hours now, and questions will be asked, so cut the old buddy crap.”

  “We’ve never been buddies,” Jack remarked. “Still, if you want to change your mind, Reid, I’m willing to put in a good word for your defence. Think about it.” Jack hated having to plead like this, but faced with the prospect that any minute Reid was about to sanction their murder, it was a last-ditch attempt to try and reason with the creep. “How long will it take for Valachi to consider your services are no longer required? There could be a day when the benefits no longer outweigh the risks.”