by Scott Pratt
Lukas glanced around, taking in his surroundings, desperately looking for some way out of his predicament.
“Before I go,” Dolan said, “I want you to know I learned in the Citizen’s Police Academy that a cop’s worst fear is to be shot with his own gun, and I have to say this Sig Sauer Legion of yours is a nice piece. Expensive, well-made firearm. I think it’s fitting that you should wind up on the wrong end of it. Goodbye, Lukas.”
He raised Lukas’s pistol and pointed it straight at the center of his chest. Lukas saw the flash, felt the searing pain as the bullet struck him in the chest, and fell backward into freezing, black water.
Chapter Forty
Brooke heard the shot as it echoed through the trees. It sounded as though it came from the direction Lukas should be heading. What the hell? Was Lukas in trouble? Had he killed Dolan? She waited, hiding in the trees behind snow covered branches. It took every bit of restraint she could muster not to run for the cabin. It was only thirty yards away. Smoke was coming from the chimney. Someone was in there.
Something moved behind her. She spun and noticed a branch bobbing up and down from snow that had fallen to the ground. The wind? No. She was in an area that was relatively sheltered from the wind. “Hold it together.” She continued watching the cabin and the surrounding area.
She heard footsteps approaching from the ridge where Lukas was supposed to be. She leaned against the tree until she saw movement. It was Dolan. Fear gripped her. Where was Lukas? The shot she’d heard earlier suddenly took on ominous possibilities. “My God, Lukas, where are you?” Dolan trudged through the snow moving closer to the front of the cabin. It was now or never.
She emerged from the trees with her Glock in hand.
“Hold it, Dolan. That’s far enough. Take another step, and I’ll drop you where you stand.”
Dolan stopped. He was holding what looked like Lukas’s gun in his right hand.
“Brooke,” he said. “It’s good to see you. Lukas sent his regards, right before I shot him with his own gun.”
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Lukas was dead? He couldn’t be. She refused to believe Dolan.
“Drop that weapon and lace your fingers behind your head,” Brooke said. “Do it. Now, Dolan!”
“Don’t think so,” Dolan said. His left hand slid into his coat pocket and he pulled out a small, black plastic object that looked very much like a bob for keyless entry to modern cars. He pushed a red button on the device and held it in. “Guess what this is?” he said. “It’s a detonator. Have you ever heard of a dead man’s switch, Brooke? I just pushed the button. The button just armed a little vest I have on Sierra. If I let go of this button for any reason, that vest explodes. There won’t be anything left of her.”
Brooke felt a wave of terror run through her. She wasn’t sure what to do. She decided to stall. “You’re lying. Where is she?” Brooke said.
“Sleeping inside. Don’t worry, she won’t wake up anytime soon. I’ve made sure of that.”
Dolan raised the Sig Sauer and pointed it at Brooke’s head.
“Time to make a decision, Mommy,” he said. “Drop your weapon and come inside with me or listen to the explosion that blows your precious Sierra to bits.”
“I want to see her,” Brooke said. “Prove to me that she’s alive.”
“First of all, you’re in no position to be dictating terms. Secondly, you reneged on our deal. You were supposed to come alone. That makes me angry. So, what do you say we do this old school? I’m going to count to three. If you haven’t dropped your weapon, I’m going to start shooting and release this button. You’ve seen me shoot. You know I hit my target.”
Brooke’s mind was whirling. If he was telling the truth and she shot him, the vest would explode, and Sierra would be killed. Was she willing to take that chance? My God, where was Lukas? Was she alone on this mountain with this maniac?
All her training had told her to never surrender her weapon.
Never.
“One,” Dolan said.
She needed more time. God, she needed more time.
“Two.”
Lukas, where are you? She couldn’t risk Dolan blowing up Sierra.
She dropped the gun.
Chapter Forty-One
The freezing water had a numbing effect that decreased the pain in Lukas’s chest. He was sure he had a broken rib, maybe worse, but the icy water would slow the bleeding if there was an open wound and keep swelling to a minimum. His immediate problem was that he was handcuffed and sinking into a black abyss.
When Dolan shot Lukas, he must have had no idea Lukas was wearing the ghost vest. Otherwise, he would have shot him in the head. But center mass was always what was taught, and Lukas figured Dolan had used his Citizen’s Police Academy training to aim for center mass. As it turned out, the damned vest worked.
His military training kicked in as he sank downward. He knew from his distance to the shoreline that the chances were good the water wouldn’t be more than fifteen, twenty feet deep at the most. He didn’t lose consciousness, not even for a second, probably because the water was so brutally cold. When he reached the bottom, he kicked his way to the surface. Memories of the pool exercises from when he was going through the pipeline at Lackland Air Force Base came back to him.
Surfacing, he took in a long, life-conserving breath. He took a quick look around but didn’t see Dolan. He’d worried that Dolan would still be there to make sure Lukas was dead.
As he sank a second time, he arched his back, curled his legs, and worked his cuffed hands over his boots until they were in front of him. Reaching the bottom, he kicked off once again. He angled toward his right, changing directions to surface under the dock. He wanted to make certain he remained undetected and to keep a barrier between himself and Dolan in case Dolan was still there.
He slowly surfaced and listened. The only sound was the wind rustling through the trees. He struggled into a modified breast-stroke, pushing through the cold water and finally onto the shore. He hurriedly removed his handcuffs with the key from the ring in his front pocket.
Lukas knew it wouldn’t be long before he became hypothermic. He stripped off his jacket, shirt, and vest, leaving him bare-chested. Next, he took off his boots and socks. He put the boots back on, knowing they would provide some much-needed body heat once they drained completely. He checked his chest, which was throbbing, and found a nasty bruise but minimal bleeding.
He reached down to his ankle where he kept a Glock 42 backup. Thankfully, it was still there. Dolan had missed it.
Dragging himself to his feet, Lukas began to hurry toward the cabin. He hoped he wasn’t too late.
Chapter Forty-Two
Brooke sat in a chair in front of the fireplace, her hands bound with thick black zip ties.
The cabin would have been cozy under different circumstances. Quilts and afghan throws were draped over the back of the various chairs and couches. A fire was burning in the fireplace, warming her back. Up and to her left was a loft. Was that where Sierra was? Dolan disappeared down a hallway and answered her unasked question as he came back with Sierra in his arms. He’d set the detonator down on a table in the kitchen right after he’d bound Brooke.
“I didn’t lie about the detonator. I’ve disarmed it. See? You made the right choice. Now, here’s our baby girl. Sleeping like she doesn’t have a care in the world.”
Brooke’s throat tightened. She could see Sierra was breathing, but she could also see the vest. It looked like one of those suicide vests used by terrorists. There were four pipe bombs in the vest’s pockets, all attached by wires.
“Say goodbye, Mommy,” Dolan said, and he turned and disappeared back down the hall. When he returned, he went to the kitchen table, grabbed a chair, and walked over to within five feet of Brooke. He turned the chair around backward and sat down.
Brooke needed to buy time. Maybe Lukas had survived and would show up. Maybe the FBI team would arrive sooner rather than later. Could she stall him that long?
“I understand your hatred for the hookers,” Brooke said. “You were killing your mother. But why me?”
“You really don’t know? You don’t have any idea? You’re a single mother who neglects her child for her job. You’re a whore to it, like the others were to men. How much time has your child spent alone while you were out chasing me? Where were you when I took her? That alone proves my point, doesn’t it?”
Brooke immediately felt a pang of guilt. There was some truth to what he was saying. But he was clearly psychotic, and she needed more time. She needed to keep him talking, maybe stroke his ego a little. “So, you killed the women to save their children? Is that how you look at it?”
“I killed them because they deserved killing. I’m going to kill you because you deserve killing and because you and Lukas were trying to stop me from doing my work. He’s gone now, and you will be soon. I imagine you probably have some more friends on the way. The vest I have on Sierra should give them pause. And if it comes down to it, I’ll hold our baby girl in my arms as I blow us both to hell. Neither of us will feel any pain. But I can’t say the same for you.”
Brooke knew that Dolan was in control, at least for now. She couldn’t see how this could end well for either her or Sierra. Lukas was her only hope, and if Dolan was telling the truth, he was dead. She had to buy more time. “What about Pam and Gabriele?” Brooke said. “What did they do to you?”
“Pam was collateral damage. Gabriele betrayed me. Look, I’m not a monster. I’m for justice, just like you. Can’t you see that? And remember this. You wouldn’t be where you are now if you’d just left me alone and allowed me to do what I needed to do. I’d never heard of you until you started chasing me.”
“How did Rodney fit into the picture?” Brooke said. “You almost had us fooled there. The way you set that scene up was… well, it was smart. I have to give you credit.”
“Rodney was just a pawn. I needed help luring women, staging bodies after I’d killed them, things like that. I met him at the hospital when he came into the ER trying to get drugs. It was easy to find him after that. All I had to do was keep feeding him morphine, and he’d do anything I asked. I even let him have a little fun with Lukas’s pet Razzy before I did away with him. Addicts are ultimately unreliable, so I had to put him down. And you’re right, I almost pinned everything on him. But you and Lukas had to interfere.”
“So, now you kill me and maybe Sierra and yourself, then what? You’ll just be remembered as another nut job. You’ll be in the news for two days, and then you’ll be forgotten. You strike me as someone who would want more.”
“Shut your mouth,” Dolan said. “Time to have a little fun.”
Dolan stood up and walked over to Brooke. He picked up a hunting knife that was lying on a coffee table just to his right.
Brooke’s skin tingled. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. He stepped close to her and ran the blade across her left arm beneath the elbow, cutting her just enough to make her bleed. She flinched but refused to cry out. Next, he cut the straps on her Kevlar vest and pulled it off. He breathed in deeply, like an animal trying to catch a whiff of prey. He cut off the buttons on her shirt. She tried to look him in the eyes, but he turned away. Was it a weakness?
“Look at me, Dolan,” Brooke said. “If you’re going to torture and rape me, at least be man enough to look me in the eyes.”
“Who said anything about raping you?” Dolan said. “I’m not a rapist.”
“Ahhh,” Brooke said. “Now I get it. You’re impotent. Can’t get it up?”
Dolan, who was still behind her, slapped her hard across the side of her head. Her right ear began to ring.
“So, I’m right. You’re nothing but an impotent coward.”
Dolan touched the knife to Brooke’s side and placed his arm around her neck, pulling her up from the chair.
“This impotent coward is about to show you what real pain is,” Dolan said. He pushed her a step forward, and suddenly, the front door burst open. Brooke turned her head to see a snow-covered, shirtless Lukas, holding a gun. His teeth were chattering, and his hands were trembling. Brooke couldn’t believe her eyes. He was alive. She watched the gun in his hand and wondered if he could shoot well enough in his condition to hit Dolan. She looked around, looking for an edge, something to help.
“Back away from her and drop the knife,” Lukas said.
“Why the hell are you still alive? You really are a pain in my ass.”
Brooke winced as the knife edged under her ribs. She could feel blood soaking through her shirt. At least she knew Sierra was safe, at least for now. And Lukas was alive.
“I suggest you drop that weapon before I put this knife in your girlfriend’s liver,” Dolan said. “From the looks of you, you couldn’t hit anything anyway.”
“Are you willing to bet your life on it?”
“Are you willing to bet hers?”
Brooke could see that Lukas was suffering. Hypothermia was setting in now. His lips were blue and his skin had a ghostly pallor to it. It was now or never.
“Go ahead, Big Boy.” Brooke slammed her right foot down onto Dolan’s instep as hard as she could as she said it. She twisted to her left and dropped with all her weight. She felt a searing pain in her right side as she fell and knew the knife had pierced her. She heard half-a-dozen deafening gunshots as she hit the floor. The chair she’d been tied to broke and came apart under Dolan’s weight. Brooke strained against the pain and looked toward the door where Lukas had been. The acrid smell of gunpowder stung her nostrils. The air was thick with blue gray smoke. She gathered herself and rolled over. Paul Dolan was lying on his back. His eyes were open, staring at nothing.
Lukas was standing over her almost immediately. He helped her to her feet. He took the knife Dolan had dropped and cut the zip ties. She threw her arms around him and gave him a fierce but brief hug. The pain in her side caused her to moan.
“Brooke, you’re bleeding.”
“I’m fine. I need to get to Sierra.” She almost ran down the hall to the room she’d seen Dolan take her daughter into. She burst into the room. Sierra was lying in the middle of a large bed surrounded by stuffed animals. She appeared to be sleeping peacefully.
“He put an explosive vest on her,” Brooke said to Lukas. “There’s a detonator on the kitchen table, but I don’t know anything about these things. I don’t want to remove it and take a chance on setting it off.”
Brooke felt Sierra’s pulse. It was slow but steady, and her breathing was shallow. She wanted to take her daughter into her arms and never let her go. Tears were starting to well up now, but she had to keep herself together. The nightmare wouldn’t end until she knew Sierra was safe.
Brooke felt Lukas’s presence as he walked up behind her. She turned. He was holding up a vial.
“I think she’s been sedated,” he said. “It’s Lorazepam.”
Brooke turned her attention back to Sierra and ran her fingers gently through her daughter’s hair. “Is it dangerous? How much do you know about it?”
“It can be dangerous, but not if it’s given in the right dosage. Dolan was a nurse, so he most likely knew how much to give her. Her color is good, but we need to get a bomb tech in here to remove the device and then get her to a hospital. You, too. Turn around.”
He lifted Brooke’s shirt where blood was seeping through the fabric. He walked to the bathroom that adjoined the room, emerging seconds later with a wet rag. “Hold pressure on it. It’s doesn’t look life-threatening, but it’ll need stitching.”
“I thought you were dead,” Brooke said.
“Dolan took it. It’s on the kitchen table next to that detonator.”
Brooke stayed with Sierra as Lukas went for the phone. The moment was interrupted by sounds coming from outside the cabin. Brooke followed Lukas as he hurried out of the room and walked quickly toward the open front door. She heard a commotion and then shouts from someone outside the cabin claiming to be with the FBI. The feds had arrived. Brooke breathed a deep sigh of relief and hurried to the front door, holding up her badge.
“Dolan’s dead,” she yelled. “Please tell me you have a bomb tech and an EMT with you.”
After a brief argument, the agent in charge convinced Brooke to go to the command vehicle for first aid while a bomb tech worked on Sierra.
“What happened?” Brooke pointed to the ugly bruise on Lukas’s chest.
“We’ll talk about it later.”
Brooke’s eyes were beginning to tear up. The adrenaline was fading, and shock was starting to take over. She looked up into Lukas’s eyes as he moved closer. He placed his hands on her face, wiped a tear away, and gently kissed her on the forehead.
Brooke noticed a parka hanging on the driver’s side mirror of the idling FBI command vehicle. She picked it up and put it over his shoulders.
“Thanks,” Lukas said. “I’m freezing.”
Just then an EMT came into view from the road that led to the cabin carrying a small child in a blanket toward a waiting ambulance. The vest had been removed.
It was almost over.
Chapter Forty-Three
It had been more than a week since Lukas’s encounter with Dolan on the mountain. He was having nightmares, which was something he wasn’t used to. He dreamed that he was drowning in cold, black water. He would wake up soaked in sweat and wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep. It was good that he was off on vacation, because he didn’t know how he’d make it through a work day on as little sleep as he was getting.