Line of Fire

by Rachel Ann Nunes

  “Huish has a son on drugs, you know,” I told him. “And his wife’s cancer is back. Tonight I heard him say something on the phone to someone about giving him more time to pay something.”

  Levine’s mouth gaped. “You don’t think he’s responsible, do you?”

  “Maybe. I won’t know for sure until I talk to Shannon. There has to be a reason he came here.” I’d finished wrapping Cody with the strips of the first torn sheet and began ripping another.

  “How’d you get here anyway?” Levine asked.

  “I followed Shannon’s phone’s GPS signal. But then his stopped. Have you seen him?”

  Levine shook his head. “No.” He paused and then added with a grin, “Boy, would he be annoyed to find me here alone with his girl.”

  “Not when he hears how you helped us.” I started wrapping another sheet strip around Cody.

  “Stop. I’m not a mummy.”

  “You might be one soon if I don’t get you warm,” I retorted, but I was pleased that his voice seemed stronger now.

  “So Huish and Greeley don’t know you’re here?” Levine asked.

  Caution made me say, “I’m not sure.” I shook out two more sheets, a quilt, and a white crocheted bedspread I’d found in the chest and spread them over Cody.

  Levine helped with the bedspread. “I hope they don’t guess that you might be on to them. Not until we find out what’s going on here.”

  Satisfied that Cody was as comfortable as I could make him, I arose. “So what now?” I was glad to have Levine’s company, even if I’d rather have Shannon’s. “I’m starting to think it’s weird that the thug who shot Cody hasn’t come after us yet.”

  “Maybe he and his buddies are busy with Shannon.”

  I frowned, growing more anxious by the moment to find Shannon. “We’d better call for backup.”

  Levine considered a moment. “Call who?”

  He had a point. We were outside the jurisdiction of the Salem police, and anything we called in to them would be referred to the sheriff’s office where Commander Huish would be waiting.

  “The FBI,” I said. “Agent Cross. Do you have her number?”

  “I have the computer in the squad car. We can get it there.”

  “Let’s go, then.”

  “Maybe you should stay here,” Levine said, half apologetically. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “Yeah, you should stay,” Cody echoed.

  “What? You were so hot to have me leave before. I’m going.” I would make sure Levine called an ambulance. “Anyway, I’ll be back. Just stay under those blankets.”

  I didn’t look back at him as I left. If something happened, I didn’t want the picture of him lying alone, huddled under ancient bedding, to be the last memory I had of him.

  Levine went outside ahead of me, but I stopped at the door and retraced my steps.

  “Miss me already?” Cody said, opening one eye. His forehead glistened, and I hoped that wasn’t a bad sign.

  “Something like that.” I pulled off one of my knit gloves and worked it onto his larger hand before putting the .45 into his hand. “Just in case,” I whispered as it vanished beneath the covers.

  “You still have that gun from the guy who shot me?” he whispered.

  I nodded, patting my side where Levine’s jacket hid the bulk.

  “Keep it close. Don’t trust anyone.”

  As I stole from the little house, that was the memory I carried with me—Cody giving me advice.

  I half expected to be shot as I left the house, but there was no cracking of bullets or whizzing of a silenced gun. What I found instead surprised me more. Several yards away, Levine and Commander Huish were facing each other, pistols drawn.

  “Put it down,” Huish was saying. “You’re caught. You can’t get away with it now. I don’t want to shoot you.”

  “You put it down,” Levine said. “How many you got here with you, huh? I don’t see your pet Greeley.”

  My borrowed 9mm was in my hand before I realized it. Both men looked at me.

  “He’s behind all of this,” Huish barked. “Get back. He’ll shoot you.”

  Levine shook his head. “Don’t believe him, Ms. Rain. You said it himself that he needs money.”

  “How did you get here?” Huish demanded. “Tell her that. Better yet, I’ll tell you. Detective Martin followed him here and then sent me directions when he was sure.”

  Levine shook his head. “No, Martin called me. If he called you, where are all the other deputies?”

  “I wanted to check it out first. Detective Martin wasn’t sure.”

  They both sounded convincing, and I didn’t know which one to believe. “Put down your guns, and we’ll talk about this,” I said. My right hand with the pistol wavered slightly, but I didn’t dare support it with my bare left hand.

  “I’m not sure I can do that,” Levine said. “He might shoot me.” He sounded scared and more than a little surprised.

  “That’s right,” Huish answered. “I’ll have to shoot him because there’s no way he’ll put down his gun. He doesn’t want to go to prison. Don’t buy his little innocent boy act. He’s been playing us for months.”

  “You got it all wrong.” Levine lowered his gun, tossing it gently into the snow. “There. But keep your gun on him, Ms. Rain, because I can’t believe he won’t shoot.”

  My eyes went to Huish, who lowered his gun. “I’m going to cuff him, now. Don’t shoot.”

  “Don’t let him cuff me.” Levine looked toward me, almost pleading.

  “You should have told me you were coming here,” Huish said to me, ignoring Levine. “If Shannon hadn’t told me where he was, this loser might have hurt you.”

  “So why didn’t Shannon call me himself?”

  “He tried several times, but no one picked up. That was before you called me, though, so maybe you didn’t have your phone.” Huish had taken out his cuffs and was nearing Levine.

  “Stop,” I told Huish. “Don’t move.” I pointed my gun at him. “Drop your gun on the ground. That’s it.”

  Levine edged toward me. “Good job. Now give me your gun. I’ll cuff him and call for backup.”

  “Don’t listen to him,” Huish said, a desperate note entering his voice. “He’s the leak! I have proof that he replaced the boot—probably because there was something on the real one that identified him. Then Detective Martin saw him leaving the office tonight when he was supposed to be tracing something for me. Leaving with confidential files, I might add. Martin followed him here, found the drugs, and called me. I think Levine’s also been working with the Salem police, pretending to be involved in an underground investigation so he can float under their radar. He’s in charge of this whole mess with the drugs.”

  I looked at Levine, who shook his head. “That’s the way it happened, but he’s the one who replaced the boot and stole the files.”

  “I’m going to kill you!” growled Huish.

  “See?” Levine took another step toward me. “He’s even more angry because you saved those girls. You’ve got to believe me.”

  “What are you even talking about? What girls?” Huish asked.

  My world made an abrupt turn, leaving me feeling momentarily disoriented. Huish didn’t know I’d been taken prisoner with the girls, but somehow Levine did.

  He was within arm’s reach, close enough that if I aimed the gun toward him, he’d see and react before I could finish.

  “Take it,” I said, smiling at Levine.

  As he reached for the gun, I made a fist of my left hand and hit him in the face. I wasn’t as strong with my left hand as with my right, and since being shot in that arm I was even weaker, but I put in hours of practice with it every week, and I intended to make that count. My blow hit him hard enough that he staggered back. I pointed the gun at him.

  “Autumn, what are you doing?” Levine’s voice was wounded.

  “Commander, pick up your gun and give me some help.” I spoke too lat
e because the commander was already halfway to my side.

  “Autumn,” Levine moaned. “Why?”

  “You knew I took the girls. I didn’t tell anyone, so the only way you knew it is if you had someone from the mortuary reporting to you.” I wondered how soon his backup arrived there after I took off. I hoped the sheriff’s deputies had also appeared to take them into custody.

  Levine’s face turned ugly and his hurt little boy act vanished. “You’ll pay for this, I swear. Both of you.”

  “One more minute and he would have had us both disarmed without a shot fired,” Huish said, bringing Levine’s arms behind his back. “No telling what he would have done then.”

  That explained why Levine hadn’t shot the commander immediately. In the role he was playing for me, he would have had to at least try to convince the commander to give up. If he’d shot too soon, he wouldn’t have been able to disarm me nearly as easily as he almost had. Of course, the whole charade wouldn’t have been necessary if his men were here. I hoped they weren’t off chasing Shannon somewhere.

  “Where’s Shannon?” I asked Levine. My hand holding the gun shook.

  “Easy.” Commander Huish pried my fingers from the 9mm and pocketed the weapon.

  I brought my fists up instead. “Where is he!”

  “Dead,” Levine spat.

  I felt as if he’d punched me in the stomach. Shannon and I had run out of time. My brain refused to process the idea.

  “Don’t believe him,” Huish said. “Shannon called me after he’d had a run-in with these guys. He’d been shot, but he was still alive and free. I told him you’d escaped but wouldn’t tell me where you were.”

  “Why did his GPS stop working?”

  Huish made a face. “I believe he said something about not wanting you to track him here. He was a little busy staying ahead of those guys, or I’d bet he’d have tried to call you himself after he talked to me.”

  Shannon had probably checked my icon and seen that I’d turned on my GPS and was heading his way. “Then he’s still alive,” I said.

  “He was before I found him again,” Levine taunted.

  “Shut up.” Huish waved his gun. “You’re just stalling. Forget it, Levine. Your thugs aren’t coming. Why do you think they left you to deal with Ms. Rain here alone?”

  Levine shrugged. “Believe what you want. But if you think either of you will make it out of here alive, you’re sorely mistaken.” He grinned at me, as if everything had been a big joke. “Up until now I’ve played Mr. Nice Guy, but there’s too much at stake here to have my operation compromised.”

  “We’ll see about that,” Huish said.

  Levine’s smile was deadly. “Look around you.”

  Men stepped out from the trees, some I knew—Kirt, Dale, and Tiny. Only Harrison, the driver of the van I’d stolen, seemed to be absent from those who’d been at the mortuary. I wondered if that was because he’d finally wised up, or if he was simply occupied elsewhere. With the newcomers was the man who’d shot Cody and another man I didn’t recognize.

  All of them had guns. We were surrounded.

  “Looks like you didn’t find the mortuary before they escaped,” I said to Huish as he dropped his weapons into the snow.

  “Remind me to dock someone’s pay,” he muttered.

  Still wearing his sling, Kirt holstered his weapon and sauntered over to stand in front of me. His left fist lashed out, catching me in the stomach. I curled forward, gagging.

  “That’s for the girls,” Kirt said.

  “You forget I also saved your wasted life,” I retorted, bringing up my hands.

  Kirt made a fist again, his lip lifting in a sneer. “Bring it,” he taunted.

  I grinned. This would be almost too easy. Like Cody, I wasn’t above hitting his wounded shoulder, and I knew from experience how much pain Kirt was going to be in.

  “That’s enough,” Levine said, his voice calm.

  Kirt stepped back, dropping his fist. “Yes, sir.”

  Sir? He’d called Levine sir? Ridiculous. Even with the change in Levine’s demeanor, he didn’t command that kind of respect. Except, I guessed, from these men.

  “Besides,” Levine added, “what happened at the mortuary is ultimately your fault, Kirt. You were in charge. You owe me, and you will pay.” He sounded as though he was speaking about the weather, the casualness lined with something hard that made a shiver crawl across my shoulders.

  “I’ll make it up to you,” Kirt promised. “I’ll make my outfit the best you’ve seen.”

  “Good. We need to move out. The trucks are ready to go, but we’re down a few men, so between the trucks and the cars, we’ll all need to drive. I don’t think the commander here notified anyone, but I don’t want to take chances. In fact, I’ll call the sheriff’s office myself and make sure no one has been alerted.”

  “What about them?” Kirt tilted his head toward me.

  “Tiny and I’ll hold them until the others come back from disposing of that detective.” Here Levine’s eyes met mine, and I saw nothing that resembled the friendly, awkward man I’d seen earlier today. “Once we’re sure that’s cleared up, we’ll take care of the commander and move out. Ms. Rain, however, is coming with us. Her unique ability will be useful in our future deals.” His eyes bore into Kirt. “That means hands off unless I say otherwise.”

  So, I was still useful, which didn’t make me feel any better. Because of me, Levine might learn of an intended double cross. Or know in advance how much a buyer was willing to pay. There were hundreds of different scenarios in which he could use my talent, none of which allowed me any kind of life. I’d met a mobster once who’d wanted to take advantage of my skills. I’d managed to escape that fate, but I still owed the guy one reading of an imprint. Though my condition had been that my reading wouldn’t lead to anyone’s death, I still awoke some nights worrying about it.

  I was tempted to make a break into the woods, to fight until I couldn’t move any more. Two things stopped me. Shannon was somewhere out there, and Cody was still in that little house. If I was going to get free, it had to be in one piece so I’d be able to help them.

  “Move!” Levine barked. His men jumped into motion, sprinting across the snowy clearing like wild rabbits, leaving the commander and me with Levine and Tiny. Unfortunately, Tiny had cuffed Huish with his own cuffs and was taking great pleasure in making sure my hands had little circulation with a length of rope I knew he’d rather be wrapping around my neck. I was relieved that at least my hands were in front of me.

  How long had it been since I’d called Tracy? Not long enough, I feared. She’d have to jump through hoops to get help without calling the sheriff’s office. The best I could hope for was that Levine would leave Cody here and that she’d find him in time.

  Levine marched us across the clearing to the middle building where the cars were parked. Beyond that, in the largest building, I could see lights peeking from under the tarps and a semi emerging from the huge doors. I didn’t believe it would make it down the snow-packed road, but they’d apparently driven it in.

  Levine followed my gaze. “Wasn’t quite ready to act as a storage facility, but the tarps worked in a pinch. But thanks to you and your detective friend, we may now have to find a new place.” He spoke mildly, but there was controlled anger under the words, and I knew he intended to make me pay for the loss.

  I didn’t intend to stick around that long.

  “I don’t blame you, really,” Levine added. “You were just doing your job. I knew it was only a matter of time until you found something with an imprint that pointed at me.”

  “So you decided to kidnap me.”

  His smile made my skin crawl. “Better working for me than against me. I tried to prevent you from finding certain imprints, but we saw how well that worked at Kirt’s.”

  “You warned him, didn’t you?” spat Huish. “And I bet you cleaned out his place before we got there.”

  “His and Millard’s, t
hough Millard didn’t actually live there. I’ve been diverting information away from the sheriff’s office for a very long time.”

  No wonder Huish and Greeley hadn’t made progress in Jenny’s investigation. Huish looked furious enough to attack Levine despite his cuffed hands.

  “Calm down, commander,” Levine said. “I’m the one with the gun.”

  The semi had reached our location, Kirt at the wheel despite his wounded arm. “Hey, boss,” he called. “I forgot to tell you. I found a lead on the girl. It was in the information you discovered from the sheriff’s office last week—the old man’s new properties.”

  Levine nodded. “Find her. But only once the truck is safe.”

  My head whipped to Levine. “Do you mean Jenny Vandyke? If you know where she is, you have to let her go! She’s just a little girl.”

  Levine regarded me, amusement flickering in his expression. “She’s not just a little girl. She’s payback. She’s retribution. And I intend to give my partners their satisfaction.”

  “You’re sick,” I said.

  He shrugged. “I’m also very, very rich.” He gave me a warm smile. “Who knows? You may become accustomed to the life.”

  I let the disgust in my eyes say it all.

  “If you don’t have Jenny, why exchange the boot?” Huish asked.

  Levine grinned. “Interesting question. I handled the boot, and I was worried I’d left something for Ms. Rain to pick up. But I also didn’t want you finding the child before we did.”

  “Scum!” growled Huish.

  Levine laughed. The change in him was amazing. From Barney Fife or shy boy next door to confident drug runner. Killer.

  While we’d been talking, Dale had attached a vehicle to the back of the semi. His face, illuminated by the moonlight and the rear lights on the semi, looked ghoulish. They should have taken him to a doctor after the damage I’d done to him. When he finished, he got into another vehicle and drove away. We watched the semi follow the car across the snow, scraping its sides against the trees as it headed to the adjoining road.