by Scott Pratt
“How can I help you?” she said.
“I’m Detective Stevens, and this is Detective Miller,” Brooke said. “As we were telling Ms. Ogle—”
“Yes, she told me you’re detectives looking for information about our customers. I don’t want to come across as uncooperative, but I’m afraid you’ll have to go through our corporate attorneys to get any of your questions answered or look at our records.”
“Can I have your name, ma’am?” Brooke said.
“It’s Gloria Winn, with two ns.”
“Mrs. Winn, we’re investigating a series of murders and the kidnapping of a five-year-old girl. We think the killer and kidnapper is most likely in this area based on information and evidence we’ve recently discovered. We need to know whether you have any information on a man named Paul Dolan. He also goes by John David Danson and Alan Atkins. He’s our suspect, and he has the child with him. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to withhold information about something so serious. We’re talking about a dangerous man and the life of a young girl.”
“Detectives, I’m terribly sorry, but like I said, we have a policy against giving out any information regarding our renters or owners. But I would be glad to provide you with our attorney’s name and number. Now, if there is nothing else?”
“Actually, there is something else,” Brooke said. “The child he has is my daughter, and I think she’s nearby, so here’s how this is going to go. We’ve identified ourselves as police officers and stated our business. We’ve told you the seriousness of the situation. It’s urgent that we find this man. So, having said that, you are now going to provide us with records regarding the people who own theses cabins.”
“Detective, are you threatening me?”
“I’m telling you that withholding information related to this case could put you in danger of being charged as an accessory after the fact and/or obstruction of justice. And I’m sure you don’t want the media to learn that you refused to provide information regarding a serial killer and kidnapper. Imagine how it’s going to look if something happens to that child and you could have helped but refused. Just show us the records. If he’s not here, we’ll be on our way.”
Brooke noted the incredulous look in the woman’s eyes. She was clearly not used to being talked to in such a manner.
“I’m not afraid of you,” she said. “Get out, or I’ll have my attorneys on you so fast it’ll make your head spin.”
Brooke stuck her finger within an inch of the woman’s nose.
“Listen up, lady. You have no idea the kind of shit I’m going to bring down on you. We’ll be back soon with a warrant. In the meantime, I suggest you call those attorneys you mentioned, because you’re going to need them. I look forward to slapping the cuffs on you myself. Oh, and when you finally realize the gravity of the mistake you’ve made, don’t bother asking for sympathy. You won’t get a damned bit from me. Ms. Ogle, do you have any information for us?”
The woman shook her head. Brooke handed her one of her cards.
“Call my cell if you think of anything,” she said. “Ms. Winn, we’ll be seeing you very soon.”
Brooke turned to leave. Lukas was in front of her. As she reached the door she gave one last look back. Ms. Winn had moved around the counter toward the door. She looked conflicted. She spoke before Brooke made it out the door. “We have an owner by the name of Alan Atkins,” Ms. Winn said. “But he’s a nice man. I don’t believe for one second he’s capable of the things you mentioned.”
“I don’t care what you believe,” Brooke said. “Where’s the cabin? Give me the address and tell me how to get there.”
“Number One Rhododendron Circle. Turn west out of the driveway. It’s less than a mile.”
Brooke turned and hurried outside to the Jeep. Lukas jumped in, started the engine and pulled out of the lot.
“You’re scary when you’re pissed,” Lukas said. “So what’s the play? Do we go in now or wait for Danny’s guys? They’ll scramble a SWAT team out of the Knoxville office, but it’ll take them a while to get here.”
“Call Danny and see what he thinks,” Brooke said. Brooke’s phone buzzed. She didn’t recognize the number. The screen said it was from an unknown caller.
“Detective Stevens.”
“You finally made it, Brooke.”
“Who is this?”
“Really? Come on now, let’s not play games. You know who this is.”
“Dolan! Where’s my daughter? Let me speak—”
“You can call me Alan Atkins if you want. I have to give you credit. I mean, you caught a couple of breaks along the way, but it looks like we’re finally going to get the chance meet in a more intimate setting.”
“I want to talk to Sierra!”
“Shut your mouth. Sierra and I look forward to seeing you soon.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Brooke could feel the blood draining from her face. Her hands began to tremble. A tingle ran down her back, and for a second, she was afraid she might not be able to speak. Lukas pulled the Jeep over to the side of the road.
“Brooke,” Dolan said. “Are you there?”
“I’m here,” she said, trying desperately to keep her voice from trembling. “Do you have any idea what I’m going to do to you if you’ve hurt my little girl?”
“Our little girl is fine. But she won’t be if you involve anyone else. If I see so much as a mall cop, you’ll never see her alive again. This is between you and me. Is that clear?”
“This is between you and your mother.”
“Shut your filthy hole! I swear to God, you dump the boyfriend and come alone or Sierra will suffer.”
“I’ll come alone, and I’ll bring hell with me.”
“That’s perfect. The devil is already here, and he has eyes everywhere.”
“Let me talk to my daughter,” Brooke said. “I want to hear her voice.”
The line went silent.
“That bitch Gloria Winn must have called him and warned him,” Brooke said. “It’s the only way he gets my cell number. It was on the card I gave to Clara.”
“What did he want?” Lukas said.
“He’s taunting me. He’s ready to kill me. He said he has eyes everywhere and that he better not see you or any other cop. If he does, he’ll kill Sierra.”
“Let me call Danny and get their guys in motion,” Lukas said. “In the meantime, you and I are going in.”
Brooke sat there watching the snow fall hard and fast. The wind had picked up and was blowing the snow horizontally in spots. The mountain roads were covered. Lukas put his phone on speaker after dialing Danny Smart.
“We know where he is,” Lukas said. He gave Danny the address. “How long before you can get a SWAT team up here?”
“What’s the weather like?”
“Heavy snow. Windy.”
“At least an hour. Can you hold on that long?”
“Not a chance. Brooke and I are going in.”
“If we come up there and find your bodies, I’ll be answering questions all the way to Washington. I’ll get the SWAT team mobilized. Just hang on. Our guys know what they’re doing. We can handle this and get Brooke’s girl back.”
“Can you guarantee her safety while we wait?” Brooke said.
“You know I can’t.”
“Then we’re going in. Now. She’s my daughter.”
There was a long pause.
“Hey Danny,” Lukas said. “Could you pull up some satellite photos and send them to my phone? I’d like to do a little recon.”
“Will do. You watch each other’s asses out there.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Lukas disconnected the call and looked at Brooke. Her face was flushed.
“Are you ready?”
Brooke nodded.
“Are you
sure?”
“Dammit, Lukas, I’m ready. Stop trying to coddle me.”
Lukas slammed the Jeep into gear and pulled back onto the road. It took less than five minutes to get to the street where Dolan’s cabin was located. Lukas stopped the Jeep about three hundred yards short of Rhododendron Circle and opened up the photos Agent Smart had sent. Brooke watched as he studied the terrain leading up to and surrounding the cabin.
“What are you looking for?” she asked.
“High ground. Some kind of tactical advantage. Dolan’s expecting you, but he has to know I’m coming, too. I’m looking for a way in that he wouldn’t expect.”
“And which way would that be?”
“The most difficult way.”
Brooke watched Lukas study the photos. She thought about what was about to happen and how she would handle it. Dolan wanted her alone. Was she up to this? She’d done a lot of things during her time as a police officer and detective, but killing a man wasn’t one of them. Could she kill him if she had to? Could she pull the trigger? She thought about Sierra, and the doubt went away. She’d blow his head off his shoulders if it got Sierra back unharmed. She found herself hearing her father’s voice: “Remember your training,” he’d always said. “Remember your training.”
She glanced over at Lukas, who was still looking over the photos.
“Come up with anything?” she said.
After what seemed like an eternity, Lukas said, “Looking at the way the terrain is laid out around the cabin, I have a plan. Tell me what you think.”
“Lukas, I’m not ashamed to tell you that I’m out of my league here. I’ve never been in a gunfight, never been in special ops in the military. Just tell me what to do.”
“He’s expecting you to come alone. And you will, to a point. I’m going to swing around to the right flank. It’s a difficult, steep approach and he won’t expect it. It’ll give me the high ground, a good vantage point to cover you. Give me a fifteen-minute head start to get into position, then walk straight up the drive. Utilize whatever cover you can. There are plenty of trees. By the time you get close to the cabin, I should be there, too.”
“What do we do when we get to the cabin?”
“We wing it.”
“You won’t let him see you? He made it clear he wanted me alone.”
“I hope the way I’ll be going in will surprise him and give us an edge. We’ll shift the tactical advantage from him to us. Are you good to go?”
“I’m good.”
“Then let’s gear up.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
The snow was coming down in a virtual wall now, which Lukas believed could give them at least somewhat of an advantage during their approach. They went to the back of the Jeep and started to assemble their gear. Lukas decided against his usual tactical ballistic vest and instead pulled out the new ghost body armor the department had issued to the detectives. It was t-shirt thin and unnoticeable. The shirt was made of Kevlar and was brand new to the market. Ghost body armor was relatively untested in the field, but Lukas felt like he would be able to move better since it was less bulky than the traditional vests. The way he would be going in, he needed as much mobility as possible.
Once he was ready, he helped Brooke into her gear and made last minute adjustments. While he worked, he maintained a steady conversation to help calm her nerves and assess her mental condition. She appeared to be doing well.
Lukas brought up the satellite photos of the area and moved closer, so she could follow along as he explained.
“Okay,” he said. “Like I said, you walk straight up the road to the cabin, using the trees for cover. Eventually, you’re going to come to a clearing where the cabin sits. I’ll be coming in this way circling around to the east. It’ll be a tough climb, but it’ll get me to the high ground with a good view of the cabin. I think it’s our best chance. Make sure you have easy access to your phone. Put it on vibrate. I’ll text you if anything changes.”
“Okay, got it.”
Lukas called Danny again and put it on speaker.
“Speak, Lukas.”
“Hey Danny, I have you on speaker. Give us a last-minute sitrep.”
“The situation is pretty much the same as before. We have a team scrambling. They’ll be there, but with the weather, it’ll take some time.”
“Any last-minute advice on Dolan before we go in?”
“It’s complicated, but the tactical version is less so. Dolan is a control freak, and he’ll want to maintain that control. He’s calculating and smart, and he’ll be ready. But I don’t think he wants a shootout. He’ll want to manipulate you. To taunt you and show you he’s won, rub it in your face.”
“What about my daughter?” Brooke asked.
“I think she’s alive. I could be wrong, but I think he needs her for bait and I think she’s safe for now. This is about you right now, Brooke. He’s using her to lure you in. If he gets you into a bad situation, be strong. Don’t let him dominate you.”
“You said he’d be ready,” Lukas said. “Any advice?”
“You’re only going to get one chance at ending this. Make the most of it.”
Lukas ended the call and looked at Brooke. She looked ready. He’d seen the look on the faces of his fellow soldiers during his years in the field.
“One last thing,” he said.
“Remember my training,” Brooke said.
“You got it. Let’s do this.”
Lukas began to climb while Brooke waited by the Jeep. He needed the head start because of the distance he would be traveling. He turned and looked back at Brooke as he went over the first ridge, wondering what destiny had in store. How would it play out? Would he ever see her alive again? Would he be alive? He was worried. Dolan was smart, and he’d had some time to plan. Lukas assessed the ridge, checked his gear one more time, headed down the back side.
The snow was a blessing in one regard and a hindrance in another. On one hand, it helped hide him. On the other, it made climbing the ridge slick and dangerous. He continued at a slow but steady pace, stopping periodically to check his progress on a topographical map Danny had sent him earlier. It was important that he get to the top of the ridge before Brooke approached the cabin. His shoulder ached as he climbed up a rock face, and he was breathing heavily. He glanced at his watch. Pick up the pace. He pulled out his phone and texted Brooke. The text told her he was moving slowly and to take her time.
He resumed his climb toward the summit of the ridge. As he grew close, he was tired and soaked with sweat. He reached what he thought was the top and cursed under his breath. False summit. In front of him was yet another rock face that would need to be quickly negotiated. He set his feet, dug his gloved fingers in, and pulled. It took nearly every ounce of energy he had to get himself to the top.
He saw the boots a fraction too late.
And then he saw nothing at all.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
When Lukas regained consciousness, he was being dragged. He looked up at his assailant, knowing before he saw him that it was Dolan. How could he have let this happen? Brooke and Sierra’s lives were at stake. Lukas was dazed, but he did his best to understand his situation. He was handcuffed. His head was throbbing. He figured he’d most likely been disarmed. He’d screwed up, made a mistake, and now he had to figure out a way to regain an advantage. Adapt and overcome. The mantra of a Special Forces operator. He tried to focus, but the blow to his head had left him addled and made it difficult.
The texture of the snow beneath him changed. He could see ice along the shoreline of a pond or lake. Was he being dragged onto a dock of some kind? When they reached the end of the long, wooden walkway, his captor dropped him. Lukas rolled over and sat up.
Dolan was looming over him.
“I’ve been watching you from the time you started up the ridge,�
�� he said. “Surveillance cameras. Remember the ones I used at Brooke’s? They’re hidden well, but a smart detective like you should have figured I’d have some kind of surveillance at my own cabin. I enjoyed those cameras. I’ve actually seen Brooke naked. Have you? The woman is built like a brick shithouse. I hope you got a chance to sample the goods, because I’m afraid this is the end of the line for you, Detective Miller. What’s that old saying? Life’s a bitch and then you die?”
“Screw you,” Lukas said. “While you’re out here gloating, she’s getting Sierra out of the cabin. And then she’ll come out and park a bullet in your brain pan.”
“You underestimate me, as usual. Stand up.”
“Go to hell.”
“Stand up or I’ll put a bullet in your brain pan, right where you’re sitting.”
Lukas struggled to his feet. He noticed that the pistol in Dolan’s right hand was his Sig Sauer. The blow to the head must have been worse than he originally thought. Now that he was standing, blood was running into his left eye, obscuring his vision. He tried to think of something, anything that would get him out of his situation. He decided to talk. He had to try to buy some time.
“I have a question, Dolan. What was your plan with Gabriele?”
“It was simple. I was going to have some fun with her, and then I was going to kill her.”
“And Razzy? Was that directed at me?”
“Razzy? You mean Kimberly Raznovich? You give yourself too much credit. She was just another whore that needed to be exterminated. But I knew her death would really ramp things up when she showed up at the mayor’s house. Not that I have anything against the mayor. I just thought it would be fun, and Rodney would do anything for a fix. She was a fighter, though, I’ll give her that. A scrappy whore. She actually thought she could get away from me. What a joke.”
“Joke’s going to be on you,” Lukas said. “The only way you’re getting off of this mountain is in a body bag.”
Dolan laughed. “Good for you, Lukas Miller. Defiant to the end. Well, as much as I’d like to stand here and trade threats and insults with you, I have other things to do.”