Bound By Shadows (The McAllister Justice Series Book 2)

by Reily Garrett

  She kept to the side and peered through the darker shadows, making out a dock at the bottom of a rocky slope. Twenty yards of craggy boulders and outcroppings would take her to the water’s edge where moonbeams pearled the water gently sliding to the sandy shoreline as far as she could see. To her left, someone had carved the stone into crude, narrow stairs to the dock, not a direction to venture. The boat which had brought the unknown merchandise was gone.

  One stealthy step. Quiet. Forward. She listened for soft footfalls. Uneven footing meant a slow descent over large, slime-covered stones. Each measured tread a test when lichens coated rock surfaces and clefts. Once again, her stomach threatened revolt when she needed all her senses aligned and geared for escape.

  Scrub brush yards from the shoreline was too low to offer camouflage and usually harbored snakes and other creatures she’d prefer not to meet since a startled gasp could pinpoint her location. To see better, she’d have to expose herself. Her current view offered no evidence of another presence, no telltale furtive footsteps, quiet breathing, or mumbled threats.

  It’s now or never. If I move fast and there’s someone around, they’ll spot the movement and give chase.

  On the other hand, she’d never held aspirations of ninja skills. If she crept slowly and someone remained near the entrance, she still wouldn’t have a chance to escape. Without specific knowledge of the tunnels, she had no idea how many other entry points existed, much less their location.

  In the end, depletion of energy relegated the choice to slow and stealthy. She sent up a prayer she’d live to see her parents and brag about her adventure. Twice, she slipped on the craggy boulders in her bid for freedom. Behind and above, a grassy incline sloped upward to a small crest extending fifty yards parallel to the shoreline. Once away from the entrance, she dared to glance back at the wretchedness she’d escaped.

  The gaping black mouth watched her, mocked her efforts, and waited for her return. Night concealed its menaces within the shadows, but the tunnel cloaked bloodcurdling stalkers that devoured all hope while spewing desperation and hopelessness. It breathed terror as easily as she took in quiet gasps of oxygen. The tunnel’s entrance looked like a snake’s mouth with outcroppings for fangs, the whole ready to swallow its prey.

  Forward. Never backward.

  When she’d scrambled to the slope’s gentler angle, she maneuvered upward until reaching the top yet kept her body low to present a smaller target. The breeze was a little stronger at the ridge, its tug pulling at the snarled disarray of bloody hair. In the distance, a tree line offered concealment while sheltering its own murky secrets. Above that shadowy refuge, the soft glow of city lights beckoned her to move, and she prayed they originated from Portland.

  Slow deep breaths purged nausea. After surveying her surroundings again and finding nothing more threatening than a few gulls, she set out across tall grasses toward presumed safety.

  Chapter Three

  “Hey, cabbage counter. Thought I’d call and give you an update on your girl. Things got a bit out of hand.” The ensuing, entangled conversation would decide the number of people destined to die. Not that it mattered, Hale had plenty of time and enjoyed his naughty pleasures.

  “What the hell? You’ve held her for twenty-four hours? Why is she still in the country?”

  “Hold onto your shorts. My contact docked a few hours ago. The rich bitch won’t be seen again.” Hale softened his tone, amused as much by temporarily accepting a subordinate position as keeping the third and silent partner nameless.

  “Then what’s the problem, roadrunner?”

  The newly adopted moniker fit, suiting his expanding business. Profits had increased exponentially since trading girls for cash. Losing one was intolerable, not to mention costly. It seemed he needed to hire better help.

  “Our newest acquisition turned out to be a feisty bit of fluff. We took her ’cuz she’s a fresh arrival from across country. A little shutterbug that’ll fetch a fine sum. Unfortunately, she escaped, but we did get her camera with the pics she inadvertently snapped of my team.”

  Still so much better than my day job.

  “Does anything trace back to you or just the tunnel?”

  The unspoken back to me irritated more than losing the merchandise. “Just to the tunnel. They’re cleaning up and scouting new locations as we speak.” Hale shook his head, deciding on a new course of action. Leading a damning trail to his partner held a wonderful irony but came with inherent risks. Cabbage counter was anything but stupid and might share the wealth when confronted by police.

  “Good. Clean up your mess and our business together is finished. I’m anxious to move on.”

  “We’ll get the photographer. Since society dames aren’t Ning’s stereotypical choice for selection, he’s a bit nervous. She smells of power and refinement. Both he and the Asian want to dump her body and forget the money.”

  “No! I didn’t sign up to have her murdered, just humiliated and used for service.”

  Hale rolled his eyes at the arrogant prick’s attitude. Cabbage counter had little respect for the operation’s scope, comically thinking himself master manipulator in a private scheme. “You’ll benefit either way. She’s out of circulation.”

  “I draw the line with killing.”

  “After what you’ve done to her? Really? I heard stories...”

  “No. And that’s my final demand.”

  One fatal decision decided, Hale had tested the waters to dictate survival rates of others involved. Sometimes you have to remove the Hydra’s head to allow for new growth.

  “And Hale? Don’t call my office again.”

  “All right, but I need information. You have contacts in the right places. Use them and find out if the bitch who escaped us surfaces. Her name is Kaylee Tate. She’s from Pennsylvania. We can pick her up if she heads back to her rental, but I want to know if she makes it to the cops or hospital first.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Tell my girl I said bon voyage and she won’t be missed. Give her a black eye for traveling.”

  “Actually, I’ve got a nice video for your viewing pleasure.” Hale grinned with the thought of the socialite’s upcoming shock. His would be the last face the society bitch saw.

  “You can drop the DVD off at my home. After that, we’ll have no further contact.”

  “As you wish. Pleasure doing business with you.”

  “Just make sure you clean up your mess. I don’t want a convoluted trail leading back to me. Oh, and one of her ex’s is a private dick by the name of Caden McAllister. I’ve wanted to stick it to that bastard for a long time. Use him if you can.”

  “Damn, you really are a sick fuck. I like the way you think.”

  Chapter Four

  “Hey, Caden. Who pulled you out of the gutter?” Matt dropped his dog’s leash to allow the familiar meet and greet, filling the police station’s wide lobby with the animal’s low woofing while observing the welcome exchange of affection.

  “Your girlfriend. She says hi, by the way. Oh, and she’s too tired to see you tonight. She should be less sore in about, um, a week.” Caden smirked at his brother, their familiar comradery drawing chuckles from the desk sergeant trying to look busy behind the glass partition.

  “Cute. I see becoming a private dick hasn’t helped your attitude in the least. Still the man-whore.”

  “Seriously? I’ll have you know I’ve turned—”

  The opening of the lobby’s heavy glass door ushered in a shot of cool, brisk air along with a battered and bloody urchin sporting a ripped shirt, jacket, and jeans, the latter soaked to the knee. Despite the bulk of hair pulled back, loose strands clumped with blood stuck to a filthy face.

  Squishy steps carried the disheveled ragamuffin forward while a jaw already turning reddish-purple and streaked with blood opened and closed several times. No sound issued forth. Crimson smeared the victim’s outstretched hands and streaked the filthy, blonde hair hanging in tangles before disappearing under the shirt
collar.

  “Help. He’s gonna kill her. Oh God, He’s probably already done it.”

  “Whoa there, young man. What kind of squabble did you find?” Caden lunged forward to steady the stumbling youth while Matt grabbed the dog’s leash.

  An audible sob camouflaged the shudder as Caden steadied the victim with a hand at each elbow. The delicate bone structure within his grasp confirmed his first mistake.

  “I’m not a man.” Anger and disgust dropped the speaker’s pitch to a husky growl.

  “Sorry. Obviously not, hon. Tell us what’s going on. Here, let’s get you back to where you can sit.” Caden helped the slim girl navigate the path to his brother’s office. Nodding to one of the officers en route, he asked, “Johnson, can you grab us a blanket?”

  “You wanna take her straight to the ER?” One of the three detectives in the squad room stood to help but backed off at the victim’s raised hand.

  “No. No hospital. We have to go find her. I promised.”

  “Let’s start at the beginning. What’s your name?” Once in the office, Caden guided her to a chair opposite the large desk before taking the nearby seat. “Jeez. You’re shaking. You need some carbs in your system to counteract shock.”

  Matt closed the door before taking his seat, his dog whining but remaining by his side. “I’ll have someone bring something in while we talk.” Murmured words issued the directive over the phone before he settled back in his chair.

  A momentary pause. The haunted gaze took in her surroundings before locking onto Caden’s face. “Caden? Caden McAllister?” Her expression was a picture of open-mouthed confusion.

  Caden leaned back to take in the bundle before him. Despite the dirty face, crystal clear eyes reminded him of sea glass washed up after a storm, just as they had years ago.

  “Kaylee? What the hell’s going on?”

  “Kidnapped. Held underground in a tunnel.” Shaking fingers supplemented her plea in meaningless gestures.

  “Hell, I didn’t know you’d moved back.” Caden wanted to wrap her in his arms but wouldn’t initiate contact until knowing the extent of her ordeal. “All right, hon. Let’s start at the beginning.” As Caden listened to the twisted tale of horror, a glance at his sibling, an unspoken offer to help, was accepted. Four years of police work along with two as a private investigator gave him a variety of contacts and informants from which to draw.

  Disjointed words tumbled from a mind caught in a nightmare with her descriptive descent into a labyrinthine horror. Minutes later, an officer brought in a blanket and protein bar. The latter, her uncoordinated fingers failed to unwrap.

  Caden removed the wrapper and eased the confection into her grip before draping the blanket around her shoulders. Having something to do with her hands added purpose and seemed to help order her thoughts.

  “I was sitting at a café drinking hot chocolate and watching the sunset. Suddenly, my head felt funny, and my tongue felt—thick. I don’t remember anything after that until I woke up in an underground cage.” Repetitious motion of her free hand became the outlet for a mind unable to cope.

  When words degraded to sobs with the reasoning behind leaving the other woman behind, Caden offered a tissue from Matt’s desk and shifted his chair closer. Careful not to force contact, he offered his hand. Years ago, he’d helped her out of a scrape. This time, he was too late.

  Her grip betrayed a desperation barely held in check. “I couldn’t fight him. He was too big, and the drugs made me fuzzy.” Wide-set eyes pleaded for amnesty.

  “Listen, Kaylee, you did the right thing. The only course you could’ve taken and survived. But we need to take you to the hospital and get you checked out. They’ll—” The grip on his hand clutched tighter before she cut him off, willing him to understand.

  “No. We have to go find her first.” Her other hand, also covered in scrapes and dirt, fisted around her snack.

  Matt’s grimace signaled what Caden already knew, but Kaylee hadn’t yet processed. The other girl was already dead or moved to another location.

  After a recent near-death experience, Caden understood how Kaylee was feeling. Time would help her process and adjust. “Hon, you need to catch a mental breath, let your mind catch up with events.”

  “I’m fine. Clear headed, and ready to go.”

  Not likely. Caden watched as she released his hand, folded her candy wrapper and placed it neatly inside the pencil holder on Matt’s desk. Mental shock.

  “Yes, we clearly see that,” Matt offered sympathetically.

  After dampening his handkerchief from Matt’s water bottle, Caden gently wiped some of the crusted bloody streaks from her face before placing the cloth in an evidence bag provided by Matt. A small gash on her scalp and a bloody nose were minor injuries compared to what she’d suffered.

  “We’ll search for her, but we first have to make sure the drugs in your system don’t need to be flushed or counteracted.” Confirming she hadn’t been sexually assaulted meant Caden felt more comfortable circling her shoulders to impart whatever strength she’d accept.

  “I—I know I have to file a report, but I want to find her first. I think she was a runaway.”

  “We can talk on the way to County Memorial. I’ll stay with you and wait while they collect evidence. Once you’re cleaned up, you’ll feel better prepared to face the rest.” Depending on the specifics of her trauma, merely giving a statement would deplete her reserves and leave her exhausted or unconscious.

  Dealing with victims had never been Caden’s forte but flashbacks of his childhood friend, scrawny yet fortified with the determination of a salmon swimming upstream, forced him into a protector’s role. She hadn’t yet mentioned her twin, Reese, or her parents.

  Conviction twinned with vulnerability in her tight yet battered frame, an oil and water mix that compelled him to delve deeper into the mystery of Kaylee Tate.

  “You said you hit him with a rock, so some of that—you might have his DNA mixed with your blood. We need to collect evidence to sort this out.” Matt suggested.

  Dawning struck as she plucked at her shirt. “Oh shit. Gross.”

  “Kaylee, is there anyone we can call for you? Reese or your parents? You’ll need to stay with someone for a bit.” Ten year’s absence had changed her physical appearance, but her eyes, her eyes still held the same conviction.

  “Reese died last March. My parents are still in Pennsylvania, and I don’t want them to know yet. The bastards got my keys and wallet, but my driver’s license is outdated so they won’t know where I’m staying now.”

  “Okay, all right.” Caden remembered being fresh out of college, wanting a new start, and determined to take on the world. It seemed they had much in common.

  Matt shuffled his notes together and swiveled to face his computer. “I’ll have the desk sergeant check missing reports. We’ll start on this end while you take Kaylee to the hospital.” Brisk efficiency in organization stemmed from years in the detective and K-9 divisions. The plan was already in action.

  “Kaylee, do you think once you’re cleared by the doc you can get us close to the tunnel where you came out? That maze runs for miles underground with many access points. Since your pant legs are wet from trudging through tall grass and weeds—well, a trail through wet terrain is more difficult for dogs to track.” Caden helped her from the chair, steadying her with a hand at her elbow.

  “No. Maybe. I’m not sure. I waited till dark to leave, afraid they’d spot me.”

  “I know things have changed since you moved away, but what’s the first thing that looked familiar to you?” A starting point away from the city smells and all the foot traffic might help his brother’s dog pick up her scent.

  “I’d used city lights for my initial direction then just stumbled through the woods. The first thing I remember other than trees and briars was an ice cream shop. There was a big waffle cone advertisement attached to the storefront. I was so hungry, but it was closed.”

  “Flet
ch’s Cream Dream down on Wooton Avenue, I know the place. It’s not far,” Caden advised.

  When Caden met her gaze, Kaylee’s anguish equaled a punch to the gut. Despite the misery etched in her hunched shoulders and the shifting of her wary eyes, she held an honest beauty mingled with pain that wouldn’t let him look away. “Okay, we have a place to start.”

  “Figures you’d know it. Take her out the side exit so we don’t cross her scents. I’m gonna see if Damien can track her from the station. Maybe we’ll run across someone who saw something useful.” Matt collected his K-9’s leash.

  She’d stumbled over the words when replaying events of how a bastard had dragged her from a metal crate, but her gaze was steady and strong. Her grip on his hand had been unbreakable, and she’d never flinched from his proximity. The shock and violence of her responses manifested as he’d expected.

  Outside, the deep breath she took reminded him of a distance swimmer breaking the surface. With any luck, her subconscious would connect the traumatic event with the reaction and allow her to begin processing the ordeal, perhaps recalling other details. Shaking legs threatened her stance until he helped support her.

  “I can’t stop shaking. I think it’s finally sinking in that I’ve escaped.” Tremulous lips betrayed her vulnerability in a weak smile. “Can I hold onto you for a minute, Ca?”

  Without hesitation, she stepped close and wrapped her arms around his waist, holding tight.

  “It’s just your body releasing all the pent-up energy from your ordeal. Reminds me of when you and Reese went up against the school hoodlums.” Four years older, he’d been impressed with how the two had stood side by side, just as his four brothers did when confronted by any threat.

  “Those three would have pulverized us if you hadn’t come along.”

  “Nah, I think you might have gotten banged up a bit, but you both were scrappers. You’d have gotten the better of them.”