by K. J. Dahlen
Sam frowned. "What are you talking about?"
John looked back at the barn. "There is no dead body in that hayloft. The barn is empty."
Sam looked at Cole, and Cole returned the look. Fear and dread filled him. Sam turned to Ethan. "Keep Wyatt with you and stay here. Don't leave or wander away from the lights."
"Where do you think you're going?" John stated as he tried to stop Sam. He reached out and grabbed Sam's arm.
Sam jerked his arm out of his grasp and turned around to head for the barn. He glared at the other man. He was about to give him a piece of his mind when Ethan interrupted him.
"What's happening?" Ethan wanted to know.
Sam glared at the other officer for a moment, then turned to look at the barn. Glancing back at Ethan, he informed him, "They can't find Tucker's body."
"What?" Ethan called out, shaken. He too looked at the barn. "But I saw him fall after I shot him. He has to be there"
Sam didn't say anything. He and Cole headed for the barn. They slowly climbed the ladder to the loft. They both had their guns ready, but when they peeked over the top of the ladder, they found the hayloft empty. Sam scrambled over the ladder and walked over to where Tucker's body had fallen. He pushed the hay around and couldn't even find a bloodstain.
Cole was moving around the perimeter of the loft looking for any sign of disturbance. He didn't find any. He rejoined Sam. "What do you think happened?"
Sam looked at the spot where he'd last seen Tucker. "I think your cousin is a very clever man," he said.
"What are you talking about?"
Sam looked at Cole. "He was counting on one of us shooting him. A cop shoots for the heart, nine times out of ten. Tucker was counting on that. He wasn't expecting his own father to shoot him, but lucky for him, Ethan took a chest shot."
"How was that lucky? It killed him, didn't it?"
Sam shook his head and squatted down to pick up a piece of link out of the hay. He held it up for Cole to see. "Tucker was wearing a vest. The bullet only stunned him. After we left, he just got up and walked away"
"Now what do we do?"
Sam walked over to the double-wide window at the end of the loft. Looking out at the scene below him, he thought for a moment. Turning back to Cole, he told the other man, "He's still here. He hasn't had time enough to get too far away. We have to find him before he gets away"
"Let's do it," Cole said.
"First we have to get everyone else out of here. I won't put them in danger," Sam said as he formulated a plan.
Cole nodded and headed for the ladder. When they joined the others, Cole found that his parents had joined the group.
Sam looked at them and stated, "He's alive and he's out there somewhere, hiding."
Ethan shook his head. "But I shot him. I saw him fall" Tears of regret welled in his eyes. This whole affair had left him befuddled and bewildered.
"He was wearing a bulletproof vest. He waited until we were gone, and then he just got up and walked away," Sam told them. He looked at John Sanders. "As officer on the scene, I am instituting my command. I need you and your people to set up a perimeter. Cole and I will look for Tucker and try to bring him in. I will also need all civilians moved out of harm's way"
Sanders nodded and, barking orders, turned back to his officers.
"I have enough men to help you search the farm," John said, turning back toward Sam.
Sam shook his head. "How many?"
John looked around. "Maybe around a dozen-once we've secured the location."
"Okay, but I have to warn you, you have no idea what this man is like. He'll kill each and every one of your men without hesitation if you put them in his way" Sam's words slammed his message home to everyone in the group. Joyce groaned in fear, and Sam turned to the others. "I need some officers to get everyone you can on Roger's boat and take them out to the middle of the river, where they'll be safe. Don't bring them back here until this is all over. Do you hear me?"
One of the cops moved forward and herded the group toward the river and the safety of Roger's boat.
Sam turned to John Sanders. "Are you ready?"
"We've got you covered-you apprehend him," John told him.
"Good. Get your men in place and let us do our job," Sam told him. He looked at Cole and asked, "Are you ready?"
Cole pulled out his gun and nodded.
They began at the barn. Sam hoped to pick up Tucker's trail, but if he left one, it wasn't in the tall grass around the barn. They couldn't even find any footprints. Sam turned to Cole and asked, "Is there any other way out of the barn?"
Cole thought for a moment but shook his head. "Not that I know of, but then I haven't been back here in years."
"Let's go back up to the loft. Maybe we'll find one," Sam suggested. Making his way back up to the loft, Sam looked around. The area didn't look disturbed, but they had to be overlooking something. He took one side and motioned for Cole to take the other.
Moving the hay around was tedious, but Sam wasn't leaving this barn until he found out how Tucker had gotten out. He moved the loose hay with his foot and checked everywhere he could. Cole was doing the same on the other side of the room.
"Sam, I found it!" Cole shouted. Sam turned and rushed over to where Cole was standing. Cole had uncovered a trapdoor hidden by the loose hay.
Sam reached down and grabbed the metal ring and pulled the door up. It led to another part of the lower barn. Sam looked at Cole. "I'm going down. You go around by the ladder and come down that way. I'll meet you there. If Tucker is still in the barn, I don't want to miss him."
Cole nodded and turned to leave. Sam looked into the darkness below him. He wasn't sure what, if anything, was down there, but he wasn't going to take any chances. He lowered himself and jumped the last few feet.
He crouched low and looked around. This part of the barn was in shadows, as all the windows and the big double doors were closed. When it had been a working barn, this must have been where the cows were milked. Sam eased himself over to the wall and began circling around it. He couldn't see very well in the dim light, but by the time he came full circle, he was sure that if Tucker had been here, he wasn't anymore.
He joined Cole in the main part of the barn. "Did you find anything?" he asked Cole.
Cole shook his head. "I checked the other room, and there was nothing there"
"Then I guess the only other way he got out was through the back. Come on" Sam motioned for Cole to follow him.
Sam and Cole went to the door in the back of the barn. With their guns ready, they slid the door open. Outside they found what they were looking for: a trail they could follow. Someone had forced their way through the tall grass. Following the trail, they found a bulletproof vest about fifty feet from the barn. Sam picked up the vest and checked for a bullet. He found one.
Sam looked at Cole and pointed out the bullet hole. Cole looked away. Tucker had outwitted them every step of the way, until now.
They followed the trail to the rear of the farmhouse. Sam opened the back door, and as they made their way inside, they split up and began to search the downstairs. Room by room they searched until they met at the staircase going to the second floor.
Sam led the way upstairs. When they reached the top of the steps again they separated and each took a side of the hall. Opening every door, they found no sign of Tucker.
Cole led the way back downstairs. They had one more place to look. In the sitting room, Cole lifted the trapdoor to the caves. Before they descended, Cole warned Sam, "Be careful. We can't use any lights, so the tunnels will be dark."
Sam nodded and waited until Cole disappeared, and then he followed into the darkness. They waited until their eyes became adjusted to the surroundings before they started down the tunnel to the cave beyond. It was slow going, but they finally entered the larger cavern.
Sam went to the smaller room where they had found the camping gear. The suitcase that had been there earlier was gone. Sam rejoined
Cole, and together they made their way to the cave opening.
The brightness of the sun hurt their eyes as they left the cave. Sam shaded his eyes and looked around. "How do we get back to the inlet?"
Cole grabbed Sam's arm. "It's just up around the next corner."
Sam nodded and edged his way to where the path turned right. Down below, they could see the boats, Tucker's houseboat as well as Jasper's black one. They didn't know which boat Tucker was on, so they would have to approach carefully. Sam ducked back behind the curve of the path.
"So, how are we going to do this?" Cole asked.
Sam peeked back around the bend and watched the boats for a few minutes. He turned back to Cole. "You'll have to take one boat and I'll take the other."
Cole nodded. "We should call the river patrol. They can block the entrance to the inlet."
"Good idea-call your dad and tell him to have Sanders call it in," Sam suggested as he handed his cell phone to Cole. "Have them stop any boat that comes out of this cove"
Cole placed the call while Sam kept an eye on the boats. He couldn't see movement on either of them, but that didn't mean Tucker wasn't on one.
"My father is getting Sanders on it. He said to hold off boarding either boat for about fifteen minutes. That would give the patrol time to get here," Cole told Sam as he handed the phone back to him.
"I guess I can wait that long. He doesn't seem to be in too much of a hurry to leave anyway," Sam said.
"One thing he isn't is stupid. He wouldn't have lived this long doing what he's been doing if he was," Cole remarked. "He thinks he's safe, tucked away here. Not very many people know about this spot. I'm surprised my dad knew about it."
"I think your dad knows a great deal more than you give him credit for," Sam said.
"I never had time to thank you for saving my life back there in the barn. I was sure Tucker was going to set the whole place on fire," Cole said.
"I think that was his intention all along. He isn't crazy, you know." Sam had recognized the look in Tucker's eyes. Very few men had it, but Sam knew what that look meant-nothing but pure evil.
Cole shook his head. "I'm not so sure about that. Did you see the way he looked when he said that he began enjoying killing all those people? I've never seen anyone look like that, or tell in detail what Tucker told us today" Cole shook his head.
Sam nodded. "I have. We had a case once, where we went up against a killer. Dan Thompson was his name. We found his latest victim burning in a pile of trash. Someone called in a tip that Dan had been burning trash for the last three days in a dry season. When we responded, we found he was burning a body. We didn't have a whole lot left to process, but we did identify the body. It was Mrs. Thompson. When we asked him why he killed her, at first he said it was because he couldn't stand her nagging him all the time. After we questioned him some more, he broke down and told us the truth. He just enjoyed killing. We found out later that he had killed seven other people over as many years, and that he'd burned their bodies as well. He had that same crazy look in his eye that Tucker did."
Cole shook his head. "I never knew he hated me as much as he does, or that he blamed me for Lady's death. It just doesn't make any sense"
Sam shook his head. "That was the excuse he used to pin his problems on someone else. He wasn't sincere. He was playing you"
"How do you know that?" Cole asked.
"His reasons didn't make any sense to me, and the gleam in his eye told me he wasn't telling the truth. When he started talking about why he killed, that's when he was being honest. There was a different look in his eyes when he talked about the murders. That was the real truth speaking."
Cole was confused. "What was the truth, then?"
Sam shrugged. "He just liked to kill. Sometimes it's nothing more than that. He used your guilt to make you think differently, but he just enjoyed killing."
Sam looked at Cole. "Are you going to be able to kill him? Can you forget that you're his cousin and kill him if you have to?"
Cole nodded. "I know I can. After hearing what I heard, I don't think that will be a problem. Like I said, he stopped being my cousin a long time ago. He won't get past me this time."
Sam nodded. "Okay, it's been about fifteen minutes, so let's go. I'll take Jasper's houseboat, and you take the other one. Be quiet and be careful. If he's not on Jasper's boat, I'll meet you onboard the other"
"Same here," Cole told him.
Keeping to the brush as long as they could, Sam and Cole made their way to the dock. The black houseboat was on the left, and Tucker's boat was on the right. Crouching low, Sam broke cover and made his way to the black boat. Cole did the same.
Each man quietly boarded his boat. Sam hoped Tucker would be aboard his. He was looking to confront the man who had killed his wife and taken his son hostage. Sam reached out and grabbed the handle for the door that led belowdecks.
Turning the handle, he opened the door slowly.
Tucker heard the soft thud of someone boarding the boat, and felt it rock slightly as someone stepped aboard. He listened intently as footsteps crossed the roof over his head. He had hoped for a little more time to make his escape. It had been his good luck that his father had shot him in the chest. His father could just as well have hit him in the head or shoulder. The blow had stunned him, causing him to drop like he'd actually been shot.
When he recovered from the blow to his chest, he'd found himself alone. The others had already gone down to the barnyard and he had heard every word they'd said. He had almost laughed out loud as he slipped down the trapdoor and made his way to the house. From there he'd gone directly to the cave. Collecting his things, he'd made his way to Jasper's boat.
He had decided to take Jasper's rather than his because, with a fresh paint job, Jasper's boat would be easier to pass off than his newer model. Now he was waiting for nightfall to make his escape. This cove was hidden and very few people knew about it, so he had counted on Cole not knowing about it either. When he heard the footsteps, he realized he had been wrong.
Tucker grabbed his knife and ducked down into the shadows. He waited for the door to open. Sweat beaded on his forehead and dripped down the side of his face. He watched the doorknob turn ever so slowly.
Sam hesitated before he opened the door. He could almost hear Tucker breathing on the other side. Crouching low, he slammed the door open and rolled inside the room. At first he couldn't see anything. The room was dark and the shadows hid most of the interior. After his initial movement, Sam froze. If Tucker was there, he didn't want to feel the sharp sting of his blade anywhere on his body.
Sam looked around from his position on the floor. He couldn't hear anything, and he was disappointed. He'd thought Tucker would be on this boat. He almost gave away his own position, and then something made him pause.
"Well, well, well, look who's come to play," Tucker whispered softly.
Sam followed the whisper and found himself looking into Tucker's dark eyes. His own eyes hardened into flint and he grabbed his gun a little tighter.
"So this is how it's going to end-you and me locked in mortal combat," Tucker said softly. "I often wondered about that"
"Only one of us will walk away from this," Sam assured him.
"Yes, I know," Tucker told him. "But you have the advantage-you have a gun, and all I have is a knife."
"You've always had things your own way before. You've always used the night shadows to escape before we knew what happened. Now the odds are against you," Sam said. Tucker stopped when Sam motioned him back.
Tucker raised an eyebrow at Sam. "Is that what you think? That the odds of my escape are out of my reach?"
"I know they are. Drop the knife or I'll drop you right here and now," Sam said quietly. He took a moment to cock his weapon. The sound echoed in the silence.
"You're going to have to shoot me to get this knife out of my hand," Tucker told him. He was counting on the fact that being a cop would make Sam want to take him in rather tha
n shoot him. Sam was a cop first, an avenger second. "I guess it's been there too long to give it up now."
"As long as you have it in your hand, I can shoot you in self-defense," Sam reminded him.
Tucker laughed out loud. "As a police officer, you have to take me in and let the court decide my fate. You won't shoot me"
Sam's fingers tightened on his gun. It would be so easy to fire it and let the chips fall where they may. No one could blame him-after all, this was the man who'd kidnapped his son and murdered his wife. He would make sure the knife was still in Tucker's hand when the proper authorities found his body. Sam was sure he wouldn't lose any sleep over killing him. A man like Tucker Briggs deserved to die. But Sam had to know something first. "What did you mean back in the barn when you asked if I didn't know yet what you were planning?"
Tucker grinned. "I already told you. I wanted to know if you were clever enough to figure out the game we've been playing. I've been playing the game a long time now, and I wanted to see if there was anyone out there who could get close enough to stop me. I've had others try and join in on the game, but you were the best one so far. You got the closest of any of them. Maybe none of them cared as much as you did."
Sam frowned. "This was just your idea of a game?"
Tucker chuckled. "Sure. Only one problem, thoughyou don't like to play games, do you?"
Sam raised an eyebrow. "I don't like to play with people's lives, if that's what you're saying."
"But that's the fun part," Tucker told him as he wet his lips with his tongue. "I picked you for this particular game because you were the best cop I'd run into over the years. I got tired of the way the others left the game, so I just gave you a little extra incentive by taking your wife's life before the game started-that's all. I wanted to see if you could stop me, and you failed."
"Oh yeah, then why is my gun pointed right at you? I don't consider that a failure," Sam pointed out. "And you're right about the incentive part. You murdered my wife and took my son. After that there was no way I wasn't coming after you."