The intruder turned and stared at the Good Samaritan. Without saying a word he fired. Red blood squirted from the man’s chest and onto the blue wool jacket he wore. He groaned, stumbled and then dropped to the ground.
Kelly screamed.
“Shut the hell up!”The shooter slapped her.
She couldn’t stop screaming. She shrieked until her voice was horse.
“Bitch.”
He struck her over and over, but she kept on yelling. Sharp pain radiated down the arm she held up to protect her face. She wrestled out of his clutch, turned to run, tripped and fell to the ground.
He pointed the pistol at her. She watched his trigger finger twitch. “Don’t shoot.” She flinched and braced for the entry of the bullet.
Brick tackled the man.
She hadn’t seen him arrive. She’d only seen the gun pointed at her, ready to fire.
He slugged the shooter. The guy grunted but still held onto the gun.
Brick tackled him. They rolled away from her and down a steep embankment toward the ski lodge.
Terrified, she ran to the edge of the road and watched. At the bottom of the incline they stood and exchanged blows.
The sky darkened as it snowed harder, making it difficult to see the men clearly. They both wore dark jackets and from a distance, it was hard to tell Brick from the other man.
One man pointed a weapon at the other. The guy without the gun charged and fought for it.
The report of handgun fire echoed in the mountains range.
One man dropped to the ground, attempted to get up but fell back and didn’t move again.
The other guy climbed up the embankment. If it was the killer she should run to the car and drive away. But if Brick was shot, she couldn't leave him to die alone on the grounds of the vacant ski lodge.
Her rapid heartbeat pounded in her ears. Transfixed, she stood waiting as stark terror filled her.
Chapter Twenty-six
As Kelly watched, Brick came up the steep slope. Relief surged through her as she ran to him. She wanted to hug him. But after the terrible scene at the cabin, she didn’t dare. She stopped just before she reached him.
“Are you all right?” he said sounding as if he really cared. He caught his breath and brushed the dirt off his clothes.
“Yeah.” Her face hurt and so did her arm, but she wouldn’t worry him. “Are you?”
“I’m good.”
“Is he—dead?” She cleared her throat.
“Yeah.” He swallowed and his lips tightened into a thin line. He stood up and stared at her.
She shivered under his gaze. “A stranger tried to help me and he was shot.”
She ran to the man and knelt beside him.
Lying on his back, his eyes were closed, but he was breathing. Tears of relief rolled down her face.
With the man's large callused hand in hers, she said, “Thank you for saving my life.”
He opened his eyes.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
He labored to breath and didn’t speak, but he squeezed her hand.
She said a silent prayer and continued to hold his hand.
A police car, with its siren blaring and lights flashing, drove up and parked. Brick walked toward the police officer who exited the vehicle. Another siren sounded and an ambulance came up the hill and parked near her.
“Excuse me miss,” a young paramedic said as he knelt beside her. “We’ll take over. It's okay. We'll take good care of him.”
She stumbled as she moved out of the way. Wiping tears from her eyes, she trembled. Snowflakes changed her pink T-shirt to white. She gave up trying to brush them away and instead watched the paramedic work on the man who saved her life. Dear God please help him.
Brick came and stood next to her. He took off his jacket and put it over her shoulders. “We can leave. Get in the Volvo. I'll arrange to get your car later.”
“I can’t. I have to be sure he's okay.” She nodded toward the wounded man.
Brick frowned. “The officer said we could go. I showed him my FBI ID and he accepted my story. Let’s get out of here.”
She didn’t respond, didn’t look at him.
“I gave them your name and address. If we stay around the authorities might want to ask more questions. I don’t want to tell them anymore than I already have. Right now, the police are concerned about getting information on the wounded guy. If we’re still here after they get it, they’ll turn their attention back to us.”
She didn’t move.
“Kelly, the paramedics will take care of the man. He’s in good hands. Please just get in the car.” His voice was calm but firm.
She stood feet planted in the snow. Depleted, she couldn’t move. She’d taken as much emotional trauma as she could tolerate. Shock It must be shock and she couldn’t seem to snap out of it.
“Damn it Kelly. If we don’t get out of here we’re both going to end up with our butts in the police station answering questions.” He leaned closer, “If you won’t think of yourself think of Carrie.”
She blinked and without a word, walked toward the Volvo.
***
Brick turned the car around and drove toward the cabin. The attacker had wanted her dead, a cadaver lying face down on the side of the hill, snowflakes her only blanket. Instead, some poor guy seeing her beauty was struck with the bad idea of being a Good Samaritan.
The Samaritan tried to protect her, but without expertise he’d nearly paid with his life. Brick would be eternally grateful to that man, without his intervention, Kelly would be dead.
He glanced at her with unblinking eyes and a taut expression. “I saw you drive away. A pickup truck parked in the pine grove above the cabin started after you. That truck led me to you.”
“I'm only alive because you followed.”
Their eyes met and undecipherable emotions flashed in her eyes. Did he dare hope she could forgive him for using her to get Johnny Vega’s information?
He drove in silence to the cabin. Then he overrode the new security system and parked in the garage. In the cabin, he watched her check the phone.
“No messages from Carrie,” she said and walked into the den and closed the door.
He could hear the sounds of the TV. It wasn’t loud enough to muffle her sobs. There was no point in going into the room. She wouldn’t be comforted by his presence. Standing by the door, he listened until he couldn’t bear hearing her sorrow.
He set the cabin’s alarm system and climbed the stairs to his bedroom.
In the dark, a vision of the man he’d killed sent a spasm of grief through him. He'd been forced to take a life today. Were family members waiting for the man that lay dead on the slopes of the empty ski lodge? The question hung heavy in his mind.
He remembered Kelly’s tears and her fear when the shooter pointed the gun at her. He groaned and pulled off his shirt and jeans and got into bed. Exhaustion racked his body but scenes of the day played in his head. The sound of the pistol firing rang in his ears and the sight of the man dropping to the ground dead was seared on his retina.
Finally, he slept.
The dream that had tormented him for years began to run. He fought the familiar nightmare and struggled to wake up. He couldn’t.
The noise of Annie's screams filled his ears. Again he experienced the body racking pain of bullets hitting his right knee, then the burn of a bullet grazing his temple.
As he fell to the floor, he turned to see Annie take a bullet in the chest. Blood red splatter made a pattern on her white blouse. Shock and disbelief shone on her young face as she dropped to the ground.
“No!” He shouted as he reached for her.
But this time it wasn't Annie. It was Kelly. Her white tank top turned red as her breathing squeezed her precious blood from her body.
She lay just out of reach and he watched her blood comingle with his on the white marble floor. She beseeched him with her hazel eyes, begging for his help, her red stained
hand out stretched to him.
“Kelly!”
He tried to wake up and shake off the nightmare. It wouldn't let go of him.
Blood dripped from his head wound and into his eyes as the nightmare continued. He wiped it away. Once more he attempted move toward Kelly.
No good, retching in pain he watched in horror as her beautiful young face grew pale. Each beat of her heart squeezed blood from her gaping wound. It dripped to the floor in rhythm with her breathing.
“No.” He gasped and sat up. His chest heaved as his rapidly beating heart slammed against his chest.
Where was Kelly now? He had to convince himself she was all right. He walked downstairs to the den and quietly opened the door. Asleep on the futon, a crocheted blanket covering her, she breathed normally. The muted TV sent light over her delicate features. He released his fisted hands, she was okay. He had to keep her that way.
He left the room, carefully closing the door behind him and entered the living room. The drapes on the window stood open to the pine grove that overlooked the cabin. This night there was no vehicle parked under the trees. He relaxed.
***
Nickels parked the black pick-up truck next to an empty lot near the cabin. His signet ring felt like ice on his finger. Another damned cold night. The view from this angle wasn’t as clear as from under the pines where vehicles had been parked for a couple of nights. Still, it was safer to move across the street, even if he couldn’t see as well. His partner was killed at the ski lodge, served the young kid right for letting someone get the drop on him. He’d never let that happen. The good didn’t die young. Men without talent died young. And he was one talented son-of-bitch. He scratched his cold hands and cursed the man who was protecting the girl.
***
The next day the sun came up but gave no warmth. A thin layer of snow lay on the ground glistening in the light.
The intruder had promised Kelly would die today. Even so, Lake Tahoe lapped at the shore just as it had for three million years, when it was formed by geologic faulting. Nature caused no ruckus at the thought of a loss of another innocent. Life carried on as usual.
She bathed and dressed as she did every morning. Strange how calm she felt, like a soldier, maybe she was becoming desensitized. Trauma didn't have the same effect it used to have on her. Because she didn't die yesterday, dare she hope she wouldn’t die today either?
The phone rang. Probably Brick’s boss with more bad news. She had a few choice words she wanted to say to him. She picked up the receiver in her bedroom.
“Hello.”
“Kelly is that you?”
“Carrie. Thank God! Where are you?”
“I’m in LA at the airport. I missed my flight. I’m trying to get another one. If there’s nothing today I’ll have to stay overnight.” Carrie said her voice annoyed. “What the hell’s going on?”
“Nothing.”
“Something’s wrong.”
“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you when you get here.”
“No. Now. I got your cryptic messages. Don’t go home. Why not?”
“Carrie, do you remember when I asked you to hide a flash drive?”
“Yeah, I’m still waiting for you to explain that one.”
“I asked you to put in the Thumb Dumb House.”
“Yeah, sounded screwy to me but I did it.”
“Good. The Thumb Dumb House was the only place I could think of that we both knew. I remember the day we gave the old mansion that nickname. Mom and Daddy were still alive. We had a lot of fun back then,” Kelly said wistfully.
“The old place is empty and run down Kell. Nothing’s the same as it used to be.”
“I know—never will be.”
“Okay what is this really about?”
“When you get to here, I promise I’ll tell you everything. But I’ve got to go to the Thumb Dumb House. But you need to know that someone is out to kill me.”
“What?”
“It’s true.”
“You’re talking crazy,” Carrie said. “I don’t like it.”
“I’m sorry. Please just come to the cabin ASAP.”
“This is mad. I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what you’ve done.”
“I met a man.” Kelly sighed. “I thought I was in love, same old stupid story.” She hesitated. “Johnny Vega was exciting. He's rich and handsome, but he's just pond scum. Anyway, I stole his flash drive. He took it from a government contractor and I was going to return it. Oh, it’s such a long story and safer if you don’t know. Carrie, just get here. I need to know you’re safe.”
“Now you’re a thief. Damn it. You never follow the rules.”
“It’s not really stealing. It’s—it’s so complicated.” She rubbed her forehead tried to ignore the ache forming over her right eye. “I had to hide the drive from Johnny. I won’t let him have it.”
“What’s on it?”
“I’m not sure.”
“I don’t have time for this nonsense. I’m hanging up.”
“Don’t. I know I sound crazy. I’m not. This whole situation sounds insane, it isn’t. FBI agent Ted Simmons asked me to take a flash drive from Johnny. Agent Simmons said it was important to the government. I was going to hand it over to him. Before I could, Simmons was murdered and now I don't know what to do or who to trust.”
“Just give it to the police?”
“No. The police and FBI have been infiltrated. I don’t know who I can trust.”
“My God Kell, you’re insane.”
“Before I met Johnny, I wouldn’t have believed me either. But it’s true.” She pushed her hair back and put the phone to her other ear. “You’ve got to believe me.”
“Don’t you hear yourself? You’ve gone bonkers.” Carries screeched. “Since Mom and Daddy died, I’ve tried to understand you and raise you to do what’s right. I just don’t know where I went wrong, but I obviously did. Now, you’ve gone off the deep end. You just stay in the cabin and don’t talk to anyone. Nobody, you hear me? Talk to no one. I’ll see you there in a day or two.”
The phone went dead in her hand. She didn’t get a chance to warn Carrie that she was in danger too. Her sister wouldn’t have believed it anyway.
Dear God, please keep my sister safe.
***
Brick slammed the receiver down on the kitchen wall phone. “Damn it!” He’d listened to the conversation and learned nothing. The Thumb Dumb house could be anywhere in the whole darned country. He wanted to retrieve the flash drive without putting Kelly in danger again, but he couldn't. She’d have to tell him where the house was located. And he knew she’d demand to go with him or she wouldn’t tell.
He wondered if she’d let him know Carrie had called. Or would she just try to sneak out of the cabin to get the flash drive on her own? He was consoled by the fact that her car was still on the mountain road at the Tahoe Donner Ski Lodge. The keys to the Volvo were in his pants pocket. But it would be just like her to, without a word, call for a cab and disappear.
He looked up when she entered the kitchen. Hair in a ponytail and dressed in white, she carried a pink fleece jacket.
Chilled by the reality that she could have died yesterday, he ached to hold her. She’d probably slap him if he tried.
“Morning,” Her voice was pleasant, but there was no smile for him.
“Hi.” A pressing question flashed in his mind. Who would be sent to complete the job of killing her?
He glanced at the jacket she held. “Going somewhere?”
She didn't answer. With a mug from the cupboard, she poured a cup of coffee and sat across the table from him, facing the window.
“About yesterday—how can I ever—” Her voice trailed away and moisture filled eyes. “I want to thank you. I don’t know how.”
He watched her try to come to grips with her confused emotions, conflicted feelings registered in her expression.
“You saved my life. I’ll never be able to repay you.�
�
“You don’t owe me anything.” He moved toward her and then stopped, afraid she’d flee.
“The water on the lake is rough today,” she said as she gazed out the window.
Darkness swirled beneath the foam and the waves crashed against the shore. He thought it was no more turbulent than his emotions.
Finally, she faced him again. “I got a phone call from Carrie. She missed her flight. She’s still in LA.”
“Did you tell her everything?”
“I tried. She thinks I’m crazy.” She shrugged. “I need to use your car. I’m going to get the flash drive.”
“You're not going alone.”
“I have to.”
“Don't you understand you could’ve died yesterday? Men have been paid to kill you!”
“I have to go.” She trembled. “I’m not going to let Agents Simmons’ death be for nothing.”
“Think of yourself. You’re still alive. Stay safe.”It was the wrong thing to say, but it needed to be said.
She glanced at him and he saw her anger.
“It’s none of your business.”
“Isn’t it? I know how you feel about me Kelly. You've made that clear.” He forced the bitterness from his voice. After all, she was the one who’d been used and was still being used. “But if anything happened to you and I could’ve prevented it, I couldn't live with myself.”
With her back to him, she stared out the window and didn’t respond.
“Let me protect you while you get the drive. When that’s done you’ll never have to see me again.”
The thought that he’d never see her again sent a grinding pain through him. But he’d suffered pain before and had learned to live with it. He could live with this too because it was best for both of them. But her death, when he had the ability to protect her, was something he couldn’t stand.
“And the FBI, what about them?” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“You're here to do your FBI boss’ bidding, but I'm here to do what Agent Simmons wanted whether it is what your boss wants or not. How do I know you won’t give the flash drive over to the wrong man? One of Johnny’s men.”
“God Kelly, I love this country. You can’t honestly think I’d do anything that would harm the United States.”
Shattered Rules Page 18