He wanted to kill Annie and Mike.
Thoughts started to roll through his mind. He couldn't fly to Florida. He could drive, although that would be a huge detour and time gone he couldn't get back.
It would be so worth it.
Annie and Mike settled their fight with a kiss at the door. Gabriel followed Annie out of the apartment and into her car. He climbed in next to her.
He watched Annie carefully. She never walked within twenty feet of him in the lab. All she did was sit in the corner and mix batch after batch of Cocktail. Gabriel had moments of violence in the lab, times when he lashed out at anyone around him. He gave Albert a black eye once, had his hands around Ronald's throat.
If he knew then what he knew now, Annie would have been a target.
He tried to shake free of the violent thoughts taking control. He had killed people, and there were people left to kill. Annie wasn't one of them.
There was a bigger picture here.
He knew what people would call him. Psychotic. Serial killer. Disturbed. Delusional.
Gabriel knew the truth. He had to save the world.
But he now had a second goal for the day. Make sure Annie didn't carry Albert's secret.
And contact her husband Donnie.
He slid back to his body as Annie stopped at a red light. He needed to get some distance from her, before the murderous thoughts returned. It was a waste of Cocktail, but he would just have to live with it.
He lived with a lot of bad things. Wasting Cocktail was at the bottom of the list.
He stayed still in his motel bed until the nausea passed.
He grabbed the book from the nightstand he'd taken from Kelly's house. There were four names crossed off, people he'd already killed.
More blood needed to be shed.
But he had to find Albert's secret, his information.
He ran a finger over Kelly Rierson's name. He wondered if he was truly done with her. Maybe he needed to keep an eye on her.
So many goals, so little time.
Chapter 19
Mason stirred the Hamburger Helper on the stove and went back to the living room. The documentary on World War II still played on the television, while Lucy ran laps around the apartment.
He poured a glass of iced tea and stared at the calendar on the refrigerator door. It was Wednesday, and he still had no idea what to do for a date with Kelly. He didn't even have the day and time planned out yet.
She had to work Friday, so that day was out of the question. He didn't understand why she continued to work.
Maybe for the same reason he did.
He stared at Saturday. That seemed like a good day. He wrote a question mark on the calendar and ran through ideas in his head.
Dinner and a movie? Traditional, but perhaps not a bad idea. Shoot some pool? He definitely wouldn't mind seeing her leaned over a pool table.
He shook his head in frustration. Over the past few weeks they spent time together and learned more about each other. They even hugged and slept together. Now that he decided to put a label on it, a date, his nervousness was coming back.
“Relax. She's in to you,” he told the calendar. “Be yourself.”
The phone rang in the living room. It was Brian.
“Hey, give me some good ideas for a date.”
“I need you to come to me. Right now.”
Mason gripped the phone a little tighter. There was no humor in Brian's voice. He was all business.
“I'm guessing you don't mean in my Jeep?”
“No.”
“Give me thirty seconds.”
He turned the stove and television off. He turned the stereo on, Wagner filling the apartment. He slipped his Bluetooth over his ear and clipped his cell phone to his belt.
He laid down on the couch and concentrated on Brian Lowdry.
The apartment faded away.
Mason knew where he was before his other senses caught up to his mind. The familiar neighborhood and street, the same cars lined up along the sidewalk.
He was outside Kelly's house.
His eyes fell on Brian. His best friend had the hood to his car open, and leaned over the engine.
“I'm here,” Mason said, looking at his hands as he approached his friend. “What's up?”
Brian had a similar Bluetooth looped over his ear. He spoke while keeping his eyes on the engine.
“I've had squad cars patrolling the past few days. Got a call thirty minutes ago about a Trailblazer that's been in the same spot most of the day. You see it back there? A few houses from Kelly's?”
Mason looked down the street and saw the Trailblazer. Dark green with tint on every window. Maryland license plates.
“You think they're watching Kelly?”
“I have no idea. I ran the plates. They don't exist. For all I know, they could be Feds trying to round up a bomber. But that's why I called you.”
“Okay. I'll be right back.”
Mason walked down the street toward the Trailblazer. He looked at Kelly's house as he passed by. Her car was in the driveway. The living room lights were on. He didn't see her moving through the house. She was probably in the basement.
“I'm guessing you don't really have car trouble?”
“Good guess.”
Mason pushed his way into the Trailblazer through the rear door. He crawled across the back and pushed through the back seat.
He sat behind two men. Both wore dress shirts and ties. The driver was an older man, maybe in his fifties. He was balding, with white hair on the sides and back. The passenger was younger, clean shaven with a handsome face, a long scar on his left cheek.
They both had shoulder holsters with guns.
Neither one said a word to each other.
Mason described the men to Brian. Mason had a hard time believing these men were the ones who broke into Kelly's house.
“They don't sound like mafia,” Brian said. “But they're not with me.”
“What do they want with Kelly?”
“Maybe nothing, Mason. We can't jump to conclusions. Just because Albert-”
“Whoa. Wait a minute.”
The driver tapped the passenger on the shoulder and pushed the key into the ignition.
“I think they're getting ready to take off.”
Brian sighed into the phone. “I doubt it's a coincidence then that Kelly is getting into her car.”
Mason stood up and poked his head through the roof of the Trailblazer. He turned and found Kelly's house. He had trouble seeing her driveway through the neighbor's fence. Finally, he saw her car backing out onto the street, Kelly behind the wheel.
The engine of the Trailblazer roared to life.
Mason sat back down in the seat. The Trailblazer pulled into the street, about ten car lengths behind Kelly.
“They're following her,” Mason said. He tried to stay calm, but he was afraid for Kelly. Two men behind her with guns couldn't be a good thing. “What do we do?”
“You stay with them. I'm gonna stay behind a little, make sure they don't catch on to me, if they haven't already. I can have backup ready in minutes. Where is Kelly going?”
“I don't know. She doesn't tell me everything. We just pulled onto Route 100.”
Mason looked back and forth between driver and passenger. They still didn't speak to each other. No idle chatter, no listening to the radio, no talking about how hot Kelly was. Nothing at all.
Kelly left Route 100 and pulled into a shopping mall, the Trailblazer not far behind. She parked as close as she could to the door, while her followers parked a few rows over.
“Mason? Where are you, buddy?”
“We're at the mall. They're still following Kelly.”
“Have they said anything? Dropped any clues about who they are?”
“They haven't said a word. They haven't even coughed. It's freaking me out.”
“Okay. I'll be there soon. Just keep watching.”
The two men covered their guns
by wearing sharp jackets and followed Kelly into the mall. Mason left the two men and jogged to catch up to her. He kept a sharp eye behind them, never losing sight of her pursuers, who stayed just far enough behind to not arouse suspicion.
The mall was crowded, which made Mason feel better. Surely, whoever the two men were, they wouldn't try anything in a mall.
At least he hoped they wouldn't.
He walked through people as they passed by Kelly. He smirked as he noticed men looking behind them at the gorgeous redhead.
Kelly turned into a music store. Mason stayed at the front for a moment, watching the two men. They walked into the store as well and browsed an aisle of CDs a few rows over from Kelly, barely even looking at her.
Mason walked through the aisles and shelves to get to Kelly faster. She smiled as she picked up a CD and examined the front and back. He looked over her shoulder to see her selection. Her familiar scent was heaven to his nose.
The 50 Greatest Pieces of Classical Music.
“Oh wow.”
“What's up?” Brian said.
“She's buying me a present.”
“Focus, Mason.”
“I am. They're not making any moves. Just watching her in the store.”
“I don't think she's in any danger. If they wanted to hurt her, they could have done it long before today.”
Mason winced at the thought.
“But she's tangled up in something,” Brian said. “She might not even know it.”
“I don't like this, using her like bait.”
“She's fine. We simply have to keep our eyes open. You're better at that than anyone.”
He followed Kelly as she paid for the CD and left the music store.
Kelly stopped at the food court and bought a hot dog and fries. The two men sat ten tables away and pretended to study their cell phones. They still didn't say a word to each other.
Mason watched her as she ate. She pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and studied the CD she bought. She smiled again to no one in particular and pulled her cell phone out of her purse. For the first time, he saw the pepper spray in between a compact and a money clip.
The two men perked up and watched her closely.
His Bluetooth beeped in his ear, signaling an incoming call. He had a guess who it was, but didn't want to risk missing anything by sliding back to his body to answer it.
Kelly licked her lips as she listened to Mason's voicemail greeting.
“Hey, Mason. It's Kelly, uh, Kell. I was just calling, seeing what's going on. Give me a call later. I'm out running around right now. I miss you.”
She hung up and shook her head.
“Great, Kelly, nice message,” she muttered. “Why don't you tell him you dream about him too, while you're running your mouth.”
Mason smiled. “Damn.”
“What's going on?” Brian asked.
“Nothing. I'm focusing here.”
“I'm at the mall. I have some guys scattered around. Where are you?”
“We're in the food court.”
“Alright. We'll keep our distance. You still with her?”
“Right next to her.”
“Yeah, I'll bet you are.”
Kelly threw her trash away and left the food court, her pursuers still behind.
What were they up to?
Mason thought Kelly was leaving the mall, but she had another place in mind.
She turned into a lingerie shop.
Mason narrowed his eyes as he stood next to her. She browsed through what he thought was thong underwear, but it was almost too small to tell.
“Holy hell.”
“What? Where are you? Is Kelly okay?”
“We're at the lingerie store.”
Brian paused. “Lisa doesn't go there for me. Lucky bastard.”
“It might not be for me.”
“I doubt it's for your ferret.”
Kelly picked out a few thongs and several short negligees. She disappeared into a changing room.
The temptation was almost too much. He paced in front of the door. He could hear Kelly stripping her clothes off four feet away.
Mason saw the two suits. They sat at a bench right outside the store.
“They're still there, shadowing our every damn move.”
He gasped when he saw the younger of the two men reach for his cell phone. It looked liked he was talking to someone.
He needed to hear that conversation.
He took a few steps forward. He froze when a man stopped in front of the two suits and stared at them.
Mason only saw the back of him. Completely bald, with scars on the top of his head that put Kelly's to shame. He wore blue jeans and a white tee shirt.
Mason doubted he was police backup.
The scarred bald man turned around and peered into the lingerie shop. As a woman left the store, a bag in her hand, the man turned and sniffed her, putting his nose right to her neckline near her breasts. She didn't make a move to shove him away. She continued on like he wasn't even there.
The bald man turned back to the store, a huge smile on his face.
He froze when he saw Mason watching him.
They locked eyes. They could see each other.
The bald man's eyebrows lifted in surprise, his mouth opening slightly.
Mason was just as shocked.
He locked a picture of the bald man away in his mind. He looked to be in his early forties. Dark eyebrows. Fair complexion. Average height and build. His nose was slightly crooked, no doubt broken a few times.
He smiled at Mason, then gave him a simple wave.
He pointed at the door behind Mason, then raised his thumb, like he was aiming a gun.
His squeezed his trigger finger.
The message was quite clear.
He bent his knees and jumped. He didn't lift a few feet in the air, then fall back down.
He flew upward, toward the roof of the mall. Mason ran out of the store to watch him. The bald man looked down and gave another wave before passing right through the roof.
Mason knew gravity wasn't a concern when out of his body.
That wasn't what surprised him.
“Holy shit.”
“Mason?”
The suit hung up his cell phone. They both stood from the bench together.
“Brian, I gotta hang up. Something's going down. I gotta call Kelly.”
“Mason, wait-”
He slid back to his body. Not even the music in his apartment helped calm his nerves. He held in the two key on his cell phone, Kelly's assigned speed dial number. He kept as still as possible to keep the nausea at bay.
He concentrated on her name as the phone rang. She answered as he appeared in the middle of the lingerie shop.
The two men were talking to one of the employees.
“I'm sorry, ma'am, we need to lock this store down,” the older suit said.
“Mason?” Kelly said in his ear. “I was just thinking about you. Is it okay if I call you back in a few minutes?”
He pushed his way through the door into the dressing room.
Kelly stood there checking herself in the full length mirror on the wall. She tried a few different angles as she held her cell phone to her ear. Mason's jaw dropped to the floor. She wore her jeans, but her shirt was sitting on the bench.
She wore a nearly transparent negligee over her black bra that stopped just below her hips. It fit her like a glove, hugging her fit body. She lifted her hair and practiced a sexy pose, very successfully. The mirror wasn't helping Mason's focus, as he could see every inch of her.
“Dear God.”
“Mason? Are you okay?”
Sweat started to bead on his head. He wasn't sure if it was the nausea or the sight of Kelly.
“Kell, you need to get dressed. Right now.”
She instinctively put her arm across her breasts. She looked up and searched for any hidden cameras.
“Are you...watching me?”
Mason pushed his head through the door. The two suits still argued with the employee running the front register.
He breathed a sigh of relief as a police officer walked into the store.
He pulled back in to look at Kelly. Her face was red as she slipped her shirt back on.
“Stay here, in the dressing room. Don't hang up, okay? Stay on the phone with me.”
She continued to look at the ceiling. “Where are you? This is creeping me out.”
Mason left the dressing room. As he drew closer he could hear the officer addressing the two suits.
“How are you guys doing tonight?” The officer kept his voice even with his hand near his weapon. “Do you mind if I see some identification?”
“Officer, we don't really have time for this,” the older suit said.
“You'd better make the time.”
The young suit lashed out at the officer. He connected with a punch to the officer's throat, dropping him to his knees. The employee at the register screamed.
Mason watched as employees marched from different areas of the store to the register, curious about what was going on. Other women poked their heads from the dressing rooms.
Kelly's hand shook as she held the phone. “Mason-”
“In five seconds, you need to leave. Stay to the left side of the store. Don't run. Walk, and don't stop for anything. Head back to the food court.”
She reached a hand out to grab her lingerie.
“Leave the sexy clothes.”
She pulled her hand back.
“How are you doing this?”
“Just trust me, Kell. Leave now.”
Kelly left the dressing room, her bag from the music store swinging as she walked. She did exactly as Mason said. Her eyes drifted to the scene at the register. A younger man wearing a suit was restraining a police officer with his own handcuffs. His partner was dragging a half naked woman by the arm out of the first dressing room.
“Don't look,” Mason said. “Just keep walking.”
She turned after leaving the store toward the food court. The traffic was heaviest going in that direction. Mason stopped for a moment to see one of the suits continuing to search every dressing room while the other pulled the metal gate down in front of the store. They had maybe a few minutes before they realized she was gone.
“Mason, I've only been this scared one other time in my life. You can guess when that was.”
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