“No, she’s not anywhere to be found,” I replied, slightly irritated that I had to discuss her with him.
“What about Coach Boots? Has anyone located him?” Knight asked.
“Police caught him on the first floor. He’s already being taken back to the station,” the officer informed us.
“What about the bomb threat?” Knight questioned. “Was anything found?”
“Not yet. The dogs and bomb squad are searching the second floor right now.”
“We didn’t see anything when we were up there, but that doesn’t mean that we didn’t miss it,” I said.
“Pappy, you copy?” Cap’s voice came through my earpiece.
“Yeah, what do you got, Cap?”
“Your girl talked to Claire. She was hiding from the coach. The phone cut out before Lucy could tell her where she was. That was a while ago, though. Claire couldn’t get through to us. I’d say it was about twenty minutes ago. Also, Becky just called in. The name on the house this morning? His full name is David Noah Emerson.”
“Noah. Fucking Noah. That was her date.”
“I ran his name by the police chief. He’s cousins with one of his police officers. He wasn’t on duty today. The chief called over there and got no answer, so he sent some officers over to check it out. The officer was knocked out and tied to a chair. Looks like Noah’s our guy.”
“Fuck. But where the hell is he? We’ve had all the exits covered. We’ve cleared every room.”
“What about the basement?” Graham asked.
“That was one of the first sections that was cleared,” the officer said.
“So, he could have gone down there after it was cleared,” Graham said.
“If he was posing as an officer? Yeah, he could have snuck down there. Nobody would have stopped him,” Derek said.
“How would Lucy have gotten down there?” I asked.
“The basement is located in the oldest part of the building in the southeast corner,” Graham said. “If she took the southeast stairs, it would have been easy to slip down that hallway into the old building. Nobody would have seen her and she might not have seen anyone.”
“So, we need to do another sweep of the building, starting with the basement,” I said.
“There are old tunnels down there. Not many people know about them. Before the school was built, there was an old shed that sat over where the basement is now. During Prohibition, the shed was used as a drop location for moonshine and the current basement was where the access to the tunnels was. I don’t think anyone’s gone down there since the school was built, but I have a map of the tunnels and where they let out.”
“Where’s the map?”
“In my classroom.”
“Chance, take him up to his classroom to get the map. We’ll meet down in the basement and start searching the tunnels.”
Chance and Graham ran for the building. I placed my finger to my earpiece. “Cap, did you get all that?”
“Yeah, we’ll be on standby. If you can give us a copy of the map, we’ll start getting police over to the exits of those tunnels.”
“10-4.”
Chance was back within minutes with the map and we quickly got it over to Cap to be copied. I looked over the map with Graham, trying to find out the most likely routes he might take. Cap, Derek, Chance, Gabe, Jackson, and Knight all stood by, waiting for a starting point.
“There are a few that are under other buildings spread sporadically throughout this whole area,” he pointed at a large area on the map. “Most of those are businesses or bars. I know a few of them have been closed off over the years.”
He went down the list and quickly marked off locations that were no longer open.
“These five,” he pointed at the map again, “lead out to fields and backyards. And then these access points have never been found. As far as I know, it’s been at least ten years since anyone went down in the tunnels and probably longer since it was accessed from the school.”
“Alright,” Cap said. “We’re going to break off into teams. I want the six of you to go into the tunnels and search out the access points that head off into fields. We’ll have people waiting on the other end to head off anyone that comes out of the tunnels. We’ll also inform all the businesses that police officers will be showing up in case those exits are utilized. We have no idea how communications in the tunnels will be, so no one goes off alone. Use your best judgement, but this guy is to be treated as a lethal threat. We try to bring him in unharmed, but Lucy’s safety comes first. Understood?”
We all nodded and Cap started rattling off instructions over coms to Cazzo and Ice’s teams. The six of us headed back into the school toward the basement. When we got down there, the lights were already on.”
“How the fuck are the lights on in this part of the building?” I asked as we descended the stairs.
“Generator, over there in the corner. It must power the older part of the building,” Gabe pointed out.
“You know, if Claire was here, she would point out that going in search of the killer in the creepy basement is what gets everyone killed,” Derek muttered.
“Thanks for that,” I snapped, not needing to hear his theories on murderers when my girlfriend was missing.
“Sorry, just pointing out the fact that this is exactly what would get most people killed in a book.”
“But we’re not in a book. We have fucking guns. Besides, what was the last book you read?” I asked Derek.
We scanned the room, looking for the exit Graham had told us about.
“I actually just finished a book with Claire. It was the romantic thriller She Can Run. It was definitely a chick book, but I’m telling you, it really gives you some insight into what chicks like to read about.”
“I don’t mind a good thriller, but I’m partial to books by Dan Brown,” Jackson said. “I like the mystery.”
Knight pointed to the far corner of the room where an old door with a hatch was located.
“I liked The Red Sparrow Trilogy,” Chance said thoughtfully, “but I prefer to listen to audiobooks. Especially when I’m working out. I like to get lost in a good book because I can’t stand how bored I get when I’m lifting weights.”
“Really? I like a good jam when I’m working out,” Gabe joined in. “I can’t get into-”
“Ladies, please,” Knight interrupted as we stood in front of the door. “Can we go catch the psycho and get the girl back or would you like to stand here and discuss your favorite books some more? I could order some tea and crumpets and we could have a little book club meeting.”
I watched as the others stiffened up, puffing out their chests and standing a little taller. Rolling my eyes, I turned back to Knight and nodded for him to open the door. “That’s gotta be it.”
He turned the wheel handle and gave the signal. I stood on the other side of the door, holding my gun up, ready to enter when he swung the door open. It was pitch black inside and we all flipped on flashlights and made our way into the tunnel.
✯✯✯✯✯
Lucy
I hobbled along behind David, starting to regret walking on my own. My ankle was throbbing more and more with every step. I had a feeling that he was irritated with me for holding him up and I almost asked to stop a few times, but he had a job to do and I didn’t want to stop him from doing it.
“Are you ready for me to carry you yet?” he asked. I sighed and nodded, not wanting to hold him up further.
“Okay, I give up.”
“Good. I don’t like to see you in pain.”
I wished that I could see his face, but he still had his police mask on and even if he didn’t, one flashlight wouldn’t illuminate the space enough. He hoisted me over his shoulder and I immediately wished I could just walk. It was so uncomfortable to be carried over his shoulder like this, but the trek through the tunnels was faster this way and my ankle was thanking me for the ease in pressure.
“How much further is it?” I
asked.
“We’re almost there. It should be just around that bend up ahead.”
“How come we didn’t take one of the other tunnels?”
“They’re closed off. This used to be used for moving moonshine during prohibition. A lot of the businesses have sealed off the access to the tunnels. You don’t exactly want employees wandering down here and getting lost.”
“No, I suppose not. I wonder why they don’t have tours down here. It would be pretty cool.”
“The city won’t allow it. They’re not sure of the integrity of the tunnels.”
“Should we really be down here then?” I asked, wondering if the tunnels were going to collapse on me at any moment.
“The alternative was to stay in the school with the guy that was after you. I thought this would be the safest route.”
“When did you contact the police?” I asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You said that they would meet us at the end of the tunnel, but when did you let them know that you found me and that we were going out this way?”
“Earpiece,” he said, tapping his ear. “They can hear everything I say.”
“Oh.” It was a logical enough explanation, but it still felt a little odd that we took this way out. If he had an earpiece, you would think that the police would have just sent in a few more guys to escort me out. Still, I didn’t want to argue with him. He did get me away from Coach Boots after all.
“Here we are,” he said, setting me down. “I’m going to open the hatch and then I’ll give you a boost up.”
“Okay.” I leaned against the tunnel wall and held the flashlight for him as he used all his strength to open the hatch. I could see his muscles rippling through his shirt and the perspiration dripping from his face. He had gone above and beyond to make sure that I got out safely. I was going to have to make one hell of a thank you basket for this man.
Finally, the door gave and he pushed the hatch open. After catching his breath, he made a step with his hands and lifted me up through the opening. I had to pull at grass and earth to pull myself up because I couldn’t use my foot to push myself. When I finally got out, the first thing I did was roll over and look up at the sun shining brightly in the sky. It was a relief after being in that dark tunnel for so long.
Wait. Where were the police? If they overheard him on the earpiece, they should have been out here already. They would have driven because they would know that I was injured, so where were they? I turned to see David hoisting himself up through the hatch and then he stood with his hands on his hips as he took a breath.
“Where is everyone?” I asked. I was getting more nervous by the minute. Something wasn’t right here.
“They probably just got delayed.”
“But we were down in that tunnel for at least a half hour. Shouldn’t they be here already?”
“Relax, it looks like someone left a car for us.” He pointed off in the opposite direction that I was facing and when I turned, I saw the car he was talking about. My brain was screaming at me that this wasn’t right, especially when he pulled the car keys out of his pocket. They couldn’t have left the car for him if he already had the keys. What the hell was going on?
“I think I want to call my sister and let her know that I’m okay. I had talked to her when I was in the building and I’m sure she’s worried about me.”
“I don’t have a phone on me.”
“Then, can I talk to whoever is on the other end of your earpiece? I’d just like to let them know to call my sister.”
“They’ve heard you and I’m sure they are already in contact with your sister.”
“Still, I’d like to talk to someone myself.”
He sighed and pulled the mask off his head. No. This wasn’t right. It was Noah. Noah, who I had gone out with on a date and Hunter had intervened when things got rough. I shook my head in disbelief.
“Noah, I don’t understand. What’s going on?”
“I just wanted some time with you. I’ve been watching you for a very long time. You know, some of the men you hang around with are all wrong for you.”
“Noah, where are the police?”
“Back at the school, I would assume.”
“They’re not coming?” I asked.
He shook his head. “You don’t need them. Even that guy that you’re obsessed with, the military one, he couldn’t even protect you when the bomb threat was called in. I’m the one that went in to save you.”
“Did you call in the bomb threat?” I had a bad feeling that this was all some twisted game on his part.
“How else was I going to get you away from your security detail? Those idiots should have been with you in the building. They couldn’t even protect you from the psychopath in the school.”
“Noah, I appreciate you coming to my rescue, but people are going to be worried about me. Maybe you could take me back and we can make plans to go out to dinner. I’d really like to thank you for all you’ve done for me.”
He smiled and shook his head. “There’s no need to thank me. When we get back to our house, I’m going to take care of you, like you should be. We’ll get you all healed up and then we can make our plans for the future.”
My heart beat wildly in my chest. I didn’t know what to do. Did I fight him? Did I go along with his plan? Right now I was safe, but if I tried to get away, what would he do? Would he get violent? Then again, if I did nothing, would anyone ever find me again? What would Hunter want me to do?
I tried to think, but there were just too many outcomes. I wasn’t sure what to do. Then I thought of Claire. She would tell me that the heroine should always fight back. That if the heroine got in the car, she would never be seen again. That sounded logical, but then I heard Hunter’s voice in my head, telling me that he would always come for me. Chances were that if I left something behind, a clue or something, that he would find it.
“Would you mind bringing the car closer?” I asked, hoping I could get a minute to myself. “That way I don’t have to walk and you don’t have to carry me.”
“I don’t mind carrying you.”
“I know, sweetie.” I swallowed the bile at having to play along with this, but the fact was that without being able to make a quick getaway, I would have to play along and pray that Hunter could find me. “But you carried me through the tunnel and I don’t want to wear you out. I’m sure I’ll need more help later.”
“Okay, pumpkin. I’ll be right back.” He leaned down and kissed me on the lips. I did my best not to cringe when his disgusting wet lips touched mine. He smiled and walked toward the car. I didn’t know what to do. If I ripped my skirt or shirt, he might notice. But I still had my phone on me. Sure, it was dead, but it wouldn’t be seen as easily out here. I slipped it out of my pocket and threw it down in the grass a few feet from me, hoping he wouldn’t see it when he came back. Hopefully, Hunter would find it. It wouldn’t lead him to me, but Hunter was good at what he did and I had to hope that he would at least find the phone and know where I had been. Maybe Reed Security could find me somehow. At least I wouldn’t be vanishing without a trace.
Noah pulled the car up next to me and I stood on one foot as he came around. He opened the door for me and I slid into the front seat and buckled myself in. He pulled something out of his pocket. A syringe.
“Noah, what are you doing?”
“This is to help you sleep. I want you to rest on the way.”
“No. Noah, that’s not necessary. I’m already tired. I’m sure I’ll sleep just fine without it.”
“Now, Lucy, be a good girl and give me your arm. This won’t hurt. I promise you, but you’re going to have it one way or the other.”
It went against every instinct I had to give him my arm, but I didn’t know what else to do. I was already in the car and buckled in. It’s not like I could fight back now. I wished more than anything that I had listened to Hunter more when I had the chance. I wished that I hadn’t wasted so much
time pushing him away. Especially now since I didn’t know if I would ever see him again.
Noah took my arm and plunged the needle in. It didn’t take long for the world to start to swirl around me. My last thoughts were that I hoped Hunter wouldn’t be too upset with me.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Hunter
“LOOK AT THE ground,” Derek said. “You can see where they were walking. This should make it easier for us.”
We walked through the tunnels, being careful to watch for where the footprints led. There were no disturbances in the dust other than their prints and it led us to just one access point.
“The tracks stop here,” Knight motioned. “They exited here.”
“Cap, we’re at access point four. That’s where the tracks stop.”
“Copy that. We’ve got Cazzo’s team at that access point. There’s nobody there.”
“Shit. He’s too far ahead of us,” I said.
We opened the hatch and Cazzo pulled us all out. I shook my head as I sat in the grass, pissed that we were too late.
“There are tire tracks that run this way, but no signs of a struggle,” Burg pointed out.
“So we have nothing to go on?” I asked.
“We’ll find her,” Knight said. “We just need to get back to Reed Security and regroup. We need information right now. Places he’s been, favorite vacations spots, anything that will give us something to go on.”
“Where’s his cousin? Is he talking?” Derek asked.
“He’s at the station,” Cazzo replied. “I would suggest we go talk to him now. The police are already scouring his house for evidence of where he might go.”
I started to follow the guys, but I turned back to the hatch one last time, hoping that Lucy wasn’t out there right now completely terrified. I hoped that she was holding it together and knew that I would be looking for her. The light glinted off something and I walked over to see what it was. A cell phone. I picked it up and knew that it was Lucy’s. She had left it behind for us. I tried to turn it on, but nothing happened. I wasn’t sure if we would get any information from it, but it was something at least.
Hunter: A Reed Security Romance Page 18