Watching her critically, Ryker performed another slow, predatory circle.
“It’s not enough,” he said, when he came around front again. He shoved her back against the van and pinned her right shoulder with his left hand. A wicked looking knife appeared in his right hand. “Please don’t move. This can be a delicate procedure.”
Shock kept Ann very still as Ryker sliced off the sleeves, turning her blouse into an awkward vest. Finding his familiarity with a knife disturbing, she held her breath until the knife finally went away. Ann would never tell Ryker, but she really, really hated knives. Guns she could handle. They made loud noises, did some damage, and sometimes killed innocent people, but at least, they were impersonal about the destruction they wrought. Knives, with the exception of versions specifically designed for throwing, were all about getting close to the victim.
“There. Much better.” Ryker picked up Ann’s hands and dropped them immediately. Snapping his fingers, he said, “I almost forgot. I have a gift for you. I had it stolen from evidence just for you.” Reaching into his right pocket, Ryker plucked out a silver bracelet. He held it close so she could see the initials etched into each of the six delicate charms.
Rachel’s bracelet.
The sight of it sickened Ann, an effect Ryker was surely striving to achieve. Rachel and Jon could be dead by now. She struggled to breathe normally while worry gnawed at her. Tremendous effort went into not giving Ryker the satisfaction of tears.
“I took the liberty of threading some fishing line through it to make you a necklace,” Ryker informed. He stepped close, invading Ann’s personal space, and gently tied the makeshift necklace in place. His warm breath brushed her right cheek.
The necklace felt like a lead weight, but Ann wanted to cling to it as a talisman of hope, a symbol of her friend’s thoughts reaching out to protect her.
God, save us.
Ryker toyed with the necklace, pretending to admire the charms. Once satisfied, he straightened and cleared his throat.
“Well, on to business then. We’ll be back, Jack.” Ryker picked up Ann’s hand and tugged. As if another thought had occurred to him, Ryker suddenly squeezed Ann’s hand, turned toward Malia and Jack, and said, “I changed my mind. Jack, take the girl to the workroom. We’ll join you shortly.”
“Workroom” sounded like a euphemism, but Ann didn’t want to dwell on what it might be. Sometimes the imagination could be crueler than reality. Ann really hoped the place was a storage room for holding tools to make happy things like toy boats and children’s desks. She jogged to keep up with Ryker’s swift pace, trying to steel her thoughts against angles he could attack. Her defenses failed when he led her down a few hallways to a walk-in freezer and showed her the cold corpse of the real Chief Finney, still in full dress uniform.
“Naturally, I had to shoot him,” said Ryker. He beamed like a kid showing off his frog collection. “It was the only fitting death for such a man, but I took care of him afterward.”
I’m sure that was comforting.
“How did he find you?” Ann asked, trying to divert her attention elsewhere than the corpse. Bodies came with the job, but one blue with frost crystals from being stuffed in a freezer was new. It took her a few moments to see where the bullet had gone through his neck.
“He was a relic from a past age, Annie. In one of our conversations, he challenged me to face him like a man. Of course, I agreed.”
“But you didn’t play fair.” Ann shivered from the cold and longed for her abandoned suit jacket as goosebumps covered her arms.
“I might be dead if I had,” said Ryker. He wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders then rubbed a hand down her left arm. Resting his chin on her right shoulder, he added, “Then, we would never have met, and that would have been sad.”
Dipping her shoulder and turning to put space between them, Ann asked, “Where is the man who plays Chief Finney for the rest of the world?”
“Closer than you think.” A delighted smile filled Ryker’s face.
Something about the way his eyes took in the surrounding space, told Ann the truth. Once again, she felt shock, surprise, and revulsion wrestling in her gut. Twisting farther away from Ryker, she cast her gaze from one large black bag to another.
Bodies!
In a daze, Ann walked from bag to bag unzipping until she found what she was looking for. Forcing down her revulsion, she reached out and touched the only face not covered in ice crystals. He looked like the picture hanging in the Edinboro police station. A faint pulse met her frigid fingers.
He’s alive!
Even though the man had helped Ryker by becoming the public image of Chief Finney, he didn’t deserve to hang in a freezer until death released him.
“Annie, meet Gordon Sykes, a rather brilliant actor.”
“Why would you kill him?”
Ryker shrugged.
“I was getting tired of that cover. It’s time to move on. Nothing ever lasts. Now come, we need to get to the workroom before Jack harms young Malia.” Taking Ann’s arm, Ryker tugged her toward the freezer’s exit. “He’s served his purpose, but I promise he won’t feel much pain.”
Once free of the ice box, Ann leaned against the outside of the freezer.
“You can’t keep this up forever, Ryker.” She concentrated on not throwing up.
He chuckled.
“Is that supposed to be followed by a plea to let everybody go and change my ways?” The amusement disappeared, replaced by disappointment. “I expected better of you, Annie.”
“I’m not sure you can change your ways,” Ann replied, surprised to realize she actually believed that statement. She wondered what happened to the notion that God could change anybody’s heart and that nobody could move beyond redemption.
“Better. Care to enlighten me on this breakthrough?” Ryker’s good mood returned.
“You see everything as a challenge. It’s not a mindset ready to accept peace.”
“There may be hope for you yet, Annie.” Ryker took hold of the handcuffs and set off again.
The “workroom” turned out to be a basement set even lower than the underground garage. It looked like a television studio with prop-filled shelves crammed into every corner and painted backgrounds waiting to be wheeled into place. A small section had been fashioned to look like a medieval dungeon. Another section had the austere look of a dentist’s office.
“Sorry about the mess,” said Ryker. “Our game has left me short of staff.”
“Why did you want Rachel and Jon?” Ann had wanted to ask the question as soon as she set eyes on Ryker but had lacked the opportunity until now.
He ignored her question.
“Why isn’t she in chains?” Ryker demanded, waving at Malia and glaring at Jack.
Jack had a handgun pointed at Malia, but he looked like his mind was a million miles away.
Malia answered for Jack.
“Because they’re here, and he would rather escape than die with you.”
“That can’t be!” Ryker screamed. He knocked Ann to the ground with an explosive display of violence and pressed a knife to her throat. “How did you bring them?”
Chapter 39:
Unexpected Ally
Ryker’s Base of Operations
Elk County, Pennsylvania
“I led them here with this,” said Malia Ayers, holding the tracer beacon out so Ryker could see if he bothered to look. She tried to sound calm, but she broke out in a sweat trying to keep him from killing Mrs. Duncan. Grappling his anger was like trying to box with a tiger. She put the tracer away and focused on Ryker.
“Kill her, Jack!” shouted Ryker.
Jack reached for Malia, pointing the gun to fulfill Ryker’s wish.
“Run, Jack,” commanded Malia. She broke her concentration long enough to step close to Jack. Ignoring the gun, she touched his outstretched hand and filled him with the urge to flee. Pain flared through the wound on her right arm as it split open, causin
g fresh blood to stain the white bandages.
Uttering a strangled cry, Jack dropped the gun and sprinted for the stairs. He got midway up before he cried out and tumbled down backwards. That hadn’t been part of Malia’s plan, but it would keep Jack out of the way.
“Jack?” called Ryker, momentarily distracted.
Mrs. Duncan seized Ryker’s knife hand with both of her bound ones and fought to keep the blade away from her throat. Ryker struck out with his free hand, grasping her shoulder and squeezing hard.
Malia rushed forward to help, but suddenly, a tiny, silver dart struck Ryker’s right arm. Tuned to his emotions, Malia felt the prick of the dart’s entry and a warm, tingling sensation flowing from the impact point. Feeling faint, Malia struggled to break the connection. She dropped to her knees and cradled her head. When she looked up again, she saw Reuben picking up Ryker and carrying him over to the dungeon set.
After chaining the man in place by the wrists and ankles, Reuben stepped back to admire his handiwork.
“Bet you didn’t see that coming,” said Reuben to Ryker.
“He’s your friend?” Lacking the strength to shout it, Malia murmured the question to her sister.
He has agreed to aid us in this cause.
It was neither a confirmation nor a denial.
“Please don’t touch that gun, Agent Duncan. I would much prefer to talk,” said Reuben. He pointed a sleek silver handgun at Mrs. Duncan who had worked her way over to where Jack had dropped the gun.
Malia directed her Gift at Reuben but felt only cold determination.
***
Ann couldn’t identify the gun Reuben pointed at her, but she gathered it was the cause for Ryker’s current state of unconsciousness. Her chances of reaching the real gun—her gun—which Jack dropped on his sudden, unsuccessful flight, were probably fifty-fifty. Talking seemed a safe enough request. Ann rested her hands on her bent knees.
“All right, Reuben, I’m listening.”
“Did Nadia send you?” asked Malia. She knelt on the floor several feet from Ann, closer to where Reuben had strapped Ryker to the wall.
Anger flashed across Reuben’s face.
“Nobody sends me anywhere.” He shook his head, sighed, and muttered, “You’re right.” Facing them and drawing his shoulders back, he said, “I am a sociopath, but with help, I’m becoming a better man.” He gestured widely to emphasize his statements. “You may ask why I bothered helping you today.” He shrugged and walked over to pick up Ann’s gun. “And I honestly couldn’t tell you. Guess I needed the change. Anyway, you’re welcome to Ryker. If you search the place, I’m sure you’ll find plenty of evidence to keep him locked up for a long time. I only ask that you don’t let some idiotic jury let him off on insanity, or I’ll have to come back and kill him. That would be annoying.”
“Were you sent to protect me?” asked Malia.
Reuben’s features softened.
“I think it’s safer to say, you were sent to protect me from me.”
“Traitor. Backstabber. Lying—”
“Whoops,” said Reuben. He flipped a switch on his dart gun and fired another silver needle at Ryker, striking the man in the chest. “Go to sleep, boss man.”
“Any chance you’re going to remove these?” Ann asked, holding up her bound hands.
Reuben looked apologetic.
“Sorry. If I free your hands, you’ll try to capture me. Then, I might accidentally kill you, and things would get messier. I’d much rather you wait for the coming help while I make myself scarce. Can I answer any other questions for you before I go? I feel like I owe you that much.”
Ann couldn’t help liking this odd young man. He had just saved her life, and he had absolutely no reason to do so unless he spoke some truth. Still, she had a job to do regardless of her feelings.
“Are you a danger to people?”
“It depends on which people you mean. I used to be a danger to everybody, but I’ve a new purpose in life.” An insistent beep came from his pocket. “Oh, and before I forget, I’ll take down The Keres Legacy website and fix your phones on my way out, Agent Duncan.”
“My phone was tossed in the park,” Ann replied. “What was wrong with it?”
“Nothing to worry about. We fixed it so that calls went to voicemail. Your family’s houseline got the same treatment, but I’ll fix that too. I promise.” Reuben checked the thing beeping in his pocket and turned it off. “I really must be going. Be careful with him. The drug has a rare side effect in some people.”
“What’s that?” wondered Malia.
“They gain an unreasonable amount of strength for a short time,” said Reuben. “I’m sorry, Agent Duncan, but it’s safer for me this way.” With that, he turned the dart gun on Ann and fired.
She barely felt the sting of the dart striking her right shoulder before she started falling.
***
“Malia, please warn the agents what I said about Ryker,” Reuben called. He unloaded the handgun he’d prevented Mrs. Duncan from getting and placed it on the ground. “I’ll leave the magazine over by the door.”
“Where are you going?” asked Malia, torn between going to Mrs. Duncan and following Reuben.
“To carry on the crusade elsewhere,” said Reuben solemnly. “It’s been a pleasure working with you. Greet Varick for me, and give this to Agent Duncan to deliver to Agent Lawson.” Reuben tossed a small object at Malia. Then, folding his right arm across his chest, he bowed, smiled, and dashed toward what looked like a solid wall. Pressing on a brick, he opened a secret passage.
Malia shoved the object into her pocket without studying it and ran to the entrance in time to hear it click shut. She pressed the bricks around the one he used to open the passage.
Nothing happened.
“You’re letting him go?” Malia asked Nadia.
He has kept his end of the agreement. You are safe for now. Please awaken Agent Duncan and show her the captives. Hopefully the danger has passed, but I will not count the mission a success until you both leave that horrid place.
“Why didn’t he kill Ryker?” asked Malia, thinking it a far easier solution than this mess.
Killing Ryker would not have stopped the trafficking.
A few more questions occurred to Malia, but she hesitated to even think them.
You may ask your real questions.
“Did you know he would go after Mrs. Duncan?”
Not until it was too late. I cannot control people’s minds, Malia. I can give them suggestions, but people like Agent Duncan do not alter their courses because of danger.
“How did you meet Reuben?”
That is not my story to tell. Ask Varick someday.
“How many did we save today?”
Another shipment is inbound carrying eight and there are eleven occupying the holding cells. The agents should be able to track fourteen more to recent buyers.
“Is it enough?”
The answer depends on your perspective. In the eyes of the world, it will never be enough. In the eyes of those saved this day, it is everything.
Footsteps approached.
Please wake Agent Duncan now.
The urgency in Nadia’s thought spurred Malia into action. She raced back to Mrs. Duncan and removed the handcuffs. Placing one hand on the woman’s forehead and another below her neck, Malia forced her hands to channel one feeling: cold.
Mrs. Duncan’s eyes flew open, and her whole body shivered.
“What was that?”
“Sorry, you were unconscious, so I shocked you,” said Malia.
“Using what?” asked Mrs. Duncan. She squinted up at Malia.
“Cold. Nadia said I should wake you. Other agents are coming.”
“I see you took off the handcuffs too. Thank you.” Her eyes asked how Malia had managed that without a key.
“You’re welcome, Mrs. Duncan,” replied Malia. “I think Ryker still has your key.” She didn’t bother explaining the lock-picking aspect
of her Gift.
“Please call me Ann. It’ll make me feel younger.”
Nodding, Malia allowed herself to be pulled into a hug. A lot of humans needed the sign of affection as a physical indication of a bond. Malia wasn’t sure if she fit in that group, but she had been taught many ways to bring people comfort. She could have accomplished the same reassuring effect through her Gift, but she had learned that sometimes easy answers were indeed the best ones.
The SWAT team rumbled down the stairs, shouting orders as they went. Their guns swept toward Ann and Malia before identifying them and swinging away. Two men went to release Ryker from the chains, thinking him another victim.
Remembering the task Reuben had delegated to her, Malia pulled out of the tight hug.
“Wait! He might be—”
She never got to utter the word dangerous.
Ryker snapped the chains off the walls like they were twine and slammed them into the SWAT members’ helmets. Both men collapsed in heaps. Dropping to his knees with sickening speed, Ryker drew a dagger from his ankle and reached for the nearest man.
Shouts went up from everybody, except Malia. She drove every distraction from her mind, focused on Ryker, and pushed on his emotions with everything her Gift could offer. He froze with the knife poised in midair.
The split-second was all the other SWAT guys needed. They unloaded their weapons into Ryker. With the close connection Malia had forged with the man, she might as well have been standing in front of him. She felt each bullet rip through his body. After that brief but intense pain, darkness was a welcome relief.
Chapter 40:
Reunion and Reflection
Davidson Residence
Fairview, Pennsylvania
“I don’t know how you did it, Mom, but thank you,” said Julie Ann Duncan, pulling another seven layer dip from the refrigerator.
“It doesn’t take much effort to throw a party, dear,” answered Carol Davidson. “Besides, the Tylers brought most of the food. They said the whole town tried to bury them in good will.”
The Keres Case (Heartfelt Cases Book 4) Page 28