No Greater Hell (Lost and Found, Inc. Book 4)

by Jerrie Alexander

  The second he heard the lock set, he closed the fake pantry door and carefully entered the hall. He flattened himself against the wall and silently moved toward Nate’s office.

  A gunshot cracked through the silence. Jake squashed the urge to bolt into the open and run to Nate’s office. If Garza had fired the shot, he was on full alert too.

  Jake paused at the end of the hallway before cautiously stepping into the open. The office area was empty. He paused, listening for the sound of footsteps. A soft moan from behind Nate’s desk drew his attention. Jake stepped to the corner of the desk and found Nate pushing himself upright.

  Blood trickled down Nate’s face just in front of his ear. Jake knew better than to hover.

  “Good to see you. The girls are in the safe room.” Jake kept the Berretta facing the open area of the offices while extending his free hand. “Need help getting up?”

  “Fuck no.” Nate pulled himself up using the corner of his desk. He blinked rapidly.

  He picked his gun up off the floor, pulled up his shirt, and wiped his cheek. “I should have made that motherfucker as a phony sooner. The second I did, he nailed me.”

  “Ready?” Jake asked.

  “Yeah.” Nate moved next to Jake.

  Step by step, they made their way out of Nate’s office. Jake snagged a roll of paper towels from a tote full of cleaning utensils and ripped off a handful. He handed them to Nate. “Two inches over and that wouldn’t be a flesh wound.”

  “Yeah. Dazed me for a minute. Fucking room keeps spinning.”

  “Kay called the gate. Gary may be dead. She’s calling the cops once the safe room door is locked.”

  “Shit. Gary was a good man.” Nate looked out the window to the parking lot. “The shooter is still here.”

  “Yeah. He came to kill. He’s not running.” Jake handed over the fax.

  “That’s him.” Nate wiped the blood from his face, smearing it but not stemming the flow. He dropped the towels. “This son of a bitch dies today.”

  Nate stumbled and Jake grabbed his arm. “You sure you can do this?”

  “I am.” Nate’s growl would have been funny under different circumstances.

  “Then let’s split up,” Jake said.

  “Okay. I’ll go upstairs and you take the bunkhouse. Be careful. It will take a while for the cops to get here.”

  CHAPTER 27

  Holly called 911 and tried to explain the situation succinctly. She gave the operator the address and the information that a killer was on site. But she didn’t remain on the line as instructed.

  Kay was pacing back and forth in the small space. Adrenaline was probably pumping through her veins at record speed and Holly was worried about her.

  “What kind of maniac actually comes to the compound like ours to kill somebody? He’s insane.”

  Holly struggled to appear calm. “Your blood pressure is probably too high. Try a couple of deep breaths.”

  Kay was staring at the thick door. “I heard the gunshot. So don’t pretend you didn’t.”

  “Of course I heard it. But freaking out won’t help. There’s nothing we can do but wait.” Holly’s heart was racing and her nerve endings were screaming, but she concentrated on her friend. “Come sit in the lounger. Let’s get you off your feet.”

  “I have to pee. This baby is sitting on my bladder.”

  “Go. Where is Marcus? Why isn’t he here?”

  “Chris needed his help at the shelter this morning.” Kay closed the door to the bathroom. “Call him.”

  Holly dialed Marcus’s number and waited.

  “Good morning, what’s up?”

  “The killer is in the building.”

  “I’m on my way.” Marcus had never cared for small talk.

  “Kay and I are in the safe room. I called the police.”

  “And?”

  “Jake went to find Nate, and we heard a shot just as we closed the door.”

  “You two stay put.”

  Holly disconnected. She was the one pacing now as she waited for Kay. She’d been in the bathroom a while. Holly knocked on the door. “You okay?”

  The door opened and Kay stood there wearing her blouse and a towel wrapped around her waist. Tears rimmed her eyes. “My water broke.”

  Holly wrapped her arm around her friend’s waist. “C’mon, let’s get you to the couch.”

  Once Kay was resting, Holly ran to the closet, threw open the door, and grabbed a blanket, pillow, and a small stack of clean towels. Kay groaned again.

  “You just relax and breathe deeply. Everything will be fine. This is just the beginning of your labor.” Holly helped Kay clean up and then eased her back down. She elevated Kay’s feet with the blanket and pillow.

  “I can’t do this. I want Nate with me when the baby is born.”

  “I know, sweetie.” Holly wet a washrag and wiped Kay’s face. “Stressing doesn’t help.”

  Kay moaned. Her head lifted with a contraction, and Holly suddenly feared this baby wasn’t going to wait.

  “The police and Marcus are coming. So let’s concentrate on your breathing.”

  “But the pains are coming too fast.” Kay moaned, pulling her knees to her chest.

  “I’m calling the paramedics.”

  “Don’t call anybody. If the killer is still here, a lot of innocent people will die. Besides, I read first babies take their sweet time.” A contraction hit, doubling her over again. “But maybe not mine.”

  “Babies can’t read a calendar and don’t know if the time’s convenient or not.” Holly dialed 911 again. “I have a pregnant woman in labor and need an ambulance stat.”

  Holly explained an active shooter was on site, and that the police had already been called.

  “I’m sorry, but the police will hold the ambulance off site until it’s safe for the paramedics to enter.”

  No way was Holly telling that to Kay. “We’re in the safe room.”

  “I need you to stay on the line,” the dispatcher said.

  But judging from her contractions, Holly needed to devote her attention to Kay, so she disconnected the call.

  “Breathe through the contraction. That’s it.” Holly wiped Kay’s forehead again.

  “What if Nate was shot? What if he is injured and needs me?” Kay’s eyes were filled with a mixture of fear, pain, and grief.

  “Jake will take care of Nate. You have to trust in him. Besides, I can feel it in my bones. Nate is just fine.” Holly tried hard not to show her concern, but it ate at her insides.

  “Help is on the way. I know this is hard but please try to relax.”

  “I wish Nate was here.”

  “The police can take over the search with Marcus and Jake. Nate can go to the hospital.”

  Kay spoke through gritted teeth. “This baby isn’t going to wait. I have to push.”

  “Don’t push. Do your breathing exercises.”

  “You are going to deliver this baby.” Kay gave a weak smile.

  “No. I’m a nurse. You need a doctor.”

  Kay screamed. The sound ripped through Holly. Help had to get here soon. “The baby’s coming, I can feel it. I have to push.” Kay drew her knees to her chest, her face contorted with agony. “I have to,” she cried.

  A sense of calm came over Holly. It was time to take command. She shoved the coffee table out of the way and crawled on the couch between Kay’s knees. Holly started talking, keeping her voice even and relaxed.

  “That’s it, breathe. We’re not going to panic.” She prayed the cops and paramedics would hurry. “Look at me. No, don’t close your eyes, look at me. Do not push, do you hear me? Do not push.”

  Holly ran her training through her mind over and over. She’d been timing the intervals between contractions. They were coming hard and getting closer.

  “The baby’s coming,” Kay gasped. Another pain hit and her face turned blood red.

  “Then we’ll do this together.” If she had to deliver this baby, well…so b
e it.

  “Oh, God.” Kay’s voice reached a higher pitch with each contraction. Her head went back, and her knees came up tighter to her chest.

  “I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.” The baby had crowned and Holly knew it was time to take action. “Looks like we’re having a baby.”

  ****

  Jake slowly opened the door to the bunkhouse and crept inside. Knowing Holly was safe, he moved with purpose. No man would harm her. Not while he was alive.

  He turned left and walked quietly down the hall. He entered each room and ensured it was empty before moving to the next.

  The room he’d been assigned was next. The bed remained a tangled mess of white cotton. The top sheet reminded him of when he’d tossed it carelessly to the floor. Holly’s face filled with passion flitted through his mind. He picked up the sheet and tossed it on the bed.

  From the corner of his eye, he caught movement from his right. Shit. He’d allowed himself to be distracted.

  “I knew you’d brought her here.”

  Jake started to turn.

  “Don’t move. Toss the pistol on the bed.”

  “You only have a few minutes before the cops arrive.”

  “Toss it now! It takes less than a second to pull the trigger.” He moved closer, shoving the nose of the gun into Jake’s back.

  Reluctantly, Jake complied. His mind raced. The opportunity would come, and he’d take that gun away from this bastard.

  “We’re going to the office area, and you’re going to take me to Holly.”

  “Fuck you.” Jake protested because it was expected. He’d let the bastard think he was going back inside only under protest. Nate would end this before anyone else was hurt.

  “I’m perfectly willing to kill you.”

  The gun was shoved harder into Jake’s back. He grunted as if in pain.

  “Walk ahead of me. Slowly.” The pistol pressed against the base of Jake’s skull.

  “Fine. But I have no idea where she is. I told her to hide when we heard the gunshot.” Jake followed instructions. This time, he didn’t try to hide his footsteps.

  “I’m not stupid. Stop trying to attract attention.”

  “What you are is a sorry excuse for a human being. A bastard who kills for no reason has no right to live.”

  “My brother deserved to live.”

  “Then you should have taken better care of him.”

  “Shut the fuck up.”

  “That’s what this is about. Your guilt. You let your brother down. His death is your fault.” The back of Jake’s head exploded with pain. He stumbled but stayed on his feet.

  “Move.”

  They entered the office area through the side door. Jake turned right, leading the bastard away from the safe room. He listened for sirens but heard none. Making the bastard mad was dangerous, but it was a chance Jake had to take. Nate would hear them arguing and kill the bastard where he stood.

  “I didn’t tell you to go this direction. Go upstairs.”

  “There’s nothing but living quarters.” Jake was happy Garza wanted to climb the stairs. He’d find Nate waiting at the top.

  Halfway up, Jake saw Nate facedown. Hate boiled through Jake like hot lava as they stepped over the body. Was his friend dead? They searched every room and found no one just as Jake had known they wouldn’t. Nate hadn’t moved when they walked downstairs.

  He turned left, away from the safe room. He had to stall until help came or he could distract Garza for just a second.

  “I didn’t tell you to go left. Turn around. Let’s see what you didn’t want me to find.”

  Jake led the way down the hall to the coffee machine. “Would you like a cup? It makes all kinds. Just select a pod and I’ll drop it in.”

  “Cute. What’s behind that door?”

  “The pantry.”

  “Open it.”

  “It’s empty.”

  “An empty pantry? I think not.”

  “Open it yourself.”

  A second blow to his head sent him to his knees. Darkness engulfed his brain, but Jake fought to stay conscious. A losing battle.

  He was aware of the pantry door opening. A loud knock sent shards of pain through his head. He could not give into the darkness and let the bastard get to the women.

  “Open the door. I have one dead and another with seconds to live. Come out or I’ll kill him.”

  Jake tried to stand. Holly would never put Kay at risk, but he couldn’t take a chance.

  “Open the door now.” Garza’s crazed behavior got worse by the second. His voice had escalated to a scream. Nate was dead. There was no one left to help.

  The safe room lock clicked. Holly stepped out and slammed the door behind. Jake blinked rapidly, willing his body to respond.

  “Don’t kill anyone else because of me.”

  “Then walk calmly to my car. I have plans for you.”

  Jake had to act now while Garza’s focus was on Holly. Jake rolled to his belly and pushed up onto his hands and knees. He reached up to grasp the edge of the counter, but instead, he pulled open a drawer. Extending his arm, he dragged himself to his feet.

  As he stood, his eye caught the handle of a knife. Memories shot through his mind at record speed as he picked it up by the tip. He turned, the knife left his hand, and the blade found its target. Only the handle protruded from Garza’s left rib cage.

  “Nice hit.”

  Jake whirled to see Nate propped against the door facing with his gun pointed at Garza’s head. Together they watched the bastard fall to the floor. His eyes went vacant and blank.

  The entire mess was over. Jake slid to the floor. “I didn’t know I could do that.”

  Holly was shaking all over. She pointed to the safe room. “Nate. Hurry.”

  He stumbled into the wall, shook his head, and said, “I’ve got this.”

  Nate dragged the body aside, keyed the lock on the door, and opened it to the sound of a baby crying. In the distance, dueling sirens harmonized with the newborn.

  Jake took a deep breath and extended his arm to Holly.

  “Your pupils are dilated.” She looked at the back of his head. “You’ll need an MRI and a few staples.” She tucked his arm over her shoulder.

  “I’m fine.”

  “Let me be the judge of that.”

  “Garza had a thing for heads. He nicked Nate’s and clipped mine a couple of times with the butt of his gun.”

  She took a stack of napkins from the counter and pressed them against his head. “This is one bloody mat of hair.”

  “Alice will be happy if they cut it all off.”

  “I’ve never been so scared.” Tears broke and trickled down her cheeks. She turned into his arms.

  Sirens screamed loudly. Help had arrived.

  “We need to get out front and talk to the police.”

  “You sit. I’ll go,” she insisted. “You’re injured.”

  “I’m fine. It will take more than a couple of taps on the head to kill me.”

  “Police,” someone yelled.

  “Back here,” Holly called out. “We’ll go together.”

  “We can do that. The baby?”

  “Mother and baby are fine.”

  CHAPTER 28

  Holly appreciated Marcus taking the lead when the Dallas Police demanded answers. He’d contacted Dalton, who’d given names and telephone numbers of the FBI and the Connersville Police Department for corroboration of their story.

  Holly broke all the local speed limits getting to the hospital only to learn that Jake had been whisked away, under police escort, into one of the examination rooms. Then he’d had been taken for an X-ray.

  One of the duty nurses in the emergency room confided that Nate had sustained head trauma and lost a lot of blood. Holly had no doubt he would recover quickly. His love for Kay and Kevin would drive his need to get on his feet. He and Kay would be allowed to share a room.

  Holly hoped she hadn’t overstepped her boundar
ies by calling Dallas Police Department Detective Tomas Mendez. Tomas had been a friend long before the agency had been formed. His affection for Kay was acknowledged by everyone but him. As a group, they’d been through a lot together, and she knew he’d come without asking questions.

  She turned to see Tomas walking down the hall to the waiting room. He smiled as he crossed the room. Holly met him, giving him a grateful hug. “I hope you don’t mind me dragging you into this. I really just needed a friend.”

  “You’d have been in trouble if you hadn’t called.” He slipped an arm around her waist and walked her to a couch by the window. “Nate kept me in the loop just in case he needed backup. Everything will be fine after all the loose ends are tied off.”

  He held her hand while they talked, allowing her to bring him up to speed without interruption. She began with her first encounter with Angel Garza.

  “Guilt does funny things to people. From what I understand, he’d promised his brother that he’d take care of him.” Tomas studied her for a moment. “Nate says you and Donovan have reached détente. Are you sure that’s wise?”

  “I don’t know where this is going. Our relationship has been like a seesaw, up and down, all over the place. I know how I feel, and the rest is up to him now.”

  “I understand the crime scene unit cleared your apartment.”

  “I haven’t been inside my apartment since Ivan Garza ransacked it.”

  “Want me to go with you?”

  “For the time being, I’ll stay with Kay. I promised I’d help with the baby.”

  “How is she?”

  “Great. The baby is beautiful.”

  Tomas looked away for a second. “How about I go nose around. See what I can learn.”

  “I’d appreciate that.”

  Holly reread the same paragraph in a magazine a couple of times before putting it back on the rack.

  “Ms. Hoffman?” The nurse behind her spoke softly.

  Holly turned and braced for news about Jake. “Yes.”

  “Mr. Donovan wanted you to know that he’s fine. There’s no concussion, but he has a nice row of staples. He’ll have a headache for a few days.”

  “May I see him?”

  “A detective is with him, but he said to tell you he’d be out in a minute.” She smiled and backed away.