“He’s headfirst in that plate by now. Go on, get moving,” Katie said, to the smiling Rainey.
“You and your sisters played hell with your parents, didn’t you?” Rainey asked.
“It’s the art of misdirection. Now, go.”
Rainey went out the backdoor and around the side of the office building. She hunched over to avoid being seen, slipping into the back seat of Katie’s car undetected. Rainey was having so much fun the pain was worth it. Katie came out the front door of the office, making a show of saying goodbye.
“I’ll be back in a little while, Rainey. Bye.”
Rainey sprawled across the backseat, trying desperately not to laugh, because it hurt so much. Katie got in the car and they drove right by the cop.
Katie waved at him and said to Rainey, conspiratorially, “He’s got spaghetti hanging out of his mouth. He never saw a thing.”
From the back seat, Rainey replied, “I’ll remind you of these evasive maneuvers you’re so good at, when our son or daughter slips away from you.”
“Won’t happen. If my sisters and I haven’t done it, then it probably hasn’t been done, yet. I’m prepared for the worst.”
Rainey held her sides, fighting off a chuckle. “Oh, this is going to be fun, watching you wrangle a kid just like you.”
“That’s the same thing my father said,” Katie replied.
Rainey lost control of her laughter and gave into the pain, looking forward to laughing through the hurts with Katie, for the rest of her life.
#
Katie pulled her car to a stop in the shade of an enormous pecan tree and rolled all the windows down.
She told Rainey, “Now, you just sit here and relax. Here, take my phone.” She dug inside her purse, producing headphones. “You can listen to music while I’m in there. I’ll tell her you’re waiting, so I can get out of there fast.”
Katie had stopped to let Rainey get in the front seat, after they were clear of the cop. She took the phone from Katie, but left it on the seat beside her. Rainey just wanted to listen to the quiet. Her eyelids were heavy and she thought she would just nap while Katie visited with her friend. Rainey wasn’t being antisocial. She wouldn’t be good company in her current state. The sneaking around had drained her energy. Katie grabbed the box from the back seat.
“I’ll be right back. I can’t wait to see that guy’s face when we drive back up with you sitting in the front seat.”
Rainey smiled. “You’re really enjoying this.”
Katie stuck her head in Rainey’s window. “Yes, I like sneaking around with you.” She kissed Rainey on the cheek. “I’ll hurry, I promise.”
“No rush. I’m going to close my eyes for a minute. Take your time.”
Katie bounded off toward the front door of the old two-story farmhouse. The yard was swept clean of leaves and the buildings looked well kept. The big barn at the back of the property appeared freshly painted. Rainey noticed a newer model pickup truck with the logo for a lighting company on the door. It was probably a truck Dara used for her business. A silver sedan was parked next to it. A breeze drifted through the car. Rainey laid her head back on the rest and closed her eyes.
Her brief moment of peace was disrupted by Katie’s phone ringing. Rainey picked it up and saw Danny’s number on the caller ID. She dropped the phone back on the seat. Closing her eyes again, she listened to the breeze washing through the leaves of the ancient tree. The phone rang again. This time it was Ernie. Rainey wasn’t up for relaying all the events of the previous evening to a curious Ernie. She ignored the ringing until it stopped. She settled down again, just before the phone started to ring a third time.
“Oh, for crying out loud!” Rainey exclaimed, grabbing the phone up off the seat. It was Mackie this time. She answered, “Why is everybody calling Katie? Can’t we just have a day where we don’t talk to anyone else?”
“Rainey,” Mackie’s voice rumbled, “Danny is trying to reach you. He said you evaded the cop watching you.”
“Yeah, well, tell him to go fuck himself. I didn’t shoot that guy in the head.”
“That’s not why Danny is looking for you. They were going through the evidence and found a video on his computer of Howard with one of the victims. The camera was moving. Someone else was there. He had a partner.”
Rainey suddenly realized she did not have a weapon with her. The police had her Glock and Beretta. She told them where to look for the shotgun. The Sig was probably in evidence, after someone fished it out from under her smoldering seat. Rainey hadn’t thought to take a gun from the house for the first time in years. She had been too wrapped up in Katie’s escape plan and just didn’t think about it. Thinking the danger was over, she had relaxed, and now Rainey was in a panic. She needed to get both of the women out of the house and back home, where she could protect them.
“Mackie, I’m with Katie at Chelsea Thomas’ father’s house, the one with the big red barn roof, near where Ernie lives. I’m going to go in the house and get them both. I’ll take them back to the cottage. Meet me there.”
Rainey hung up, throwing the phone down on the seat. She moved as fast as she could in her condition, gripping her arm close to her injured side. The pain didn’t matter. Rainey had to get them somewhere safe. She knocked on the door. She saw Chelsea coming toward her through the lace curtains of the door window. Chelsea turned the handle, pulling the door open. She smiled at Rainey.
“Decided to come on in, huh?”
Rainey stepped into the hallway, speaking rapidly, as she did. “Where’s Katie? We have to get out of here. Grab your keys, lock up, you’re coming with us.”
Chelsea closed the door behind them. “Why, what’s wrong?”
Rainey’s eyes darted around, looking for Katie. “I’ll tell you on the way. Where’s Katie? We have to go, now.”
Chelsea looked alarmed. She pointed down the hall. “She’s back there, in the kitchen.”
Rainey started toward the open door at the end of the hallway. “Hurry up, grab your stuff. I’ll get Katie.”
Chelsea was right behind Rainey, when she asked, “What’s happened? Jared’s dead. What are you afraid of?”
Rainey reached the doorway, saying, “He had a partn…”
Rainey froze. Katie was seated at the kitchen table with Dara Thomas. Both women were tied to chairs. Dara had been beaten severely and was barely conscious. Katie was crying, blood trickling from the corner of her gagged mouth. Rainey turned quickly, coming face to face with a pistol, extended from the hand of Chelsea Thomas.
“Back up, Agent Bell. Don’t try to be a hero. I’m going to kill you. We can do it now or later, though you might want a chance to tell your precious Katie goodbye.”
“Chelsea, stop it,” Dara said, weakly.
“Shut up! I told you to shut up!” Chelsea screamed.
Rainey started running scenarios through her head. A seriously deranged woman was holding a gun on her. Negotiating strategies flew through her mind. What did Chelsea want, besides the obvious murderous intent? Chelsea was the kind of killer with a perceived injustice. Rainey had to keep her talking. If she could identify what Chelsea needed to talk about, maybe Rainey could stall her long enough to figure out how to get the three of them out of there alive. She backed away from Chelsea, hands in the air, submissive as she could appear.
“Chelsea, what do I need to do for you put down that gun?”
Chelsea was a pretty, petite blonde on every other occasion Rainey had seen her. Currently she had the look of a mental patient, severely in need of medication. She glowered out from under her brow, facial muscles slackened into a sneer.
“Put down your gun, Agent Bell. I know you never go anywhere without one. Katie told me. She’s been a fountain of knowledge as far as you’re concerned. You’re all she talks about, you know.”
“Chelsea,” Rainey needed to repeat the woman’s name, keeping her grounded in reality as much as possible, “I’m not carrying a gun today. The p
olice have my weapons. They took them last night.”
“Katie informs me you have a house full of weapons. You should know she’s worried about the baby getting hold of one of them.”
“Pat me down. I’m not wearing a weapon.”
“Pull your shirt up,” Chelsea growled. “Turn around.”
Rainey did as she was told.
“Now, pull up your pants legs. Let me see your ankles.”
Once again Rainey complied, showing both ankles, and then returned to standing with her hands in the air. She had managed to get closer to Katie, whom she could hear breathing fast on her left. Dara was coughing out blood and moaning now. The rope binding her to the chair was the only thing keeping her upright.
“Chelsea, I need to tell you the police will be coming, soon. Let’s resolve this before they get here.”
“You’re lying. You didn’t know I was Jared’s partner. You wouldn’t have come in here unarmed if you did.”
“You’re wrong, Chelsea. I would have come in here even if I knew you had a gun and I didn’t. I wouldn’t leave Katie like that.”
“Lesbian abominations, that‘s what you are. Just like my worthless sister.”
Rainey ignored the taunts. “I just told Mackie where I was. I’m sure Katie’s told you about Mackie. If I don’t call him back in a few minutes, he’ll bring the cavalry down on this place.”
Chelsea let out an evil laugh. “Then they’ll find a bunch of dead dykes when they get here.”
Rainey only gave Mackie a rough idea of her location. She needed to keep Chelsea busy long enough for him to realize something was wrong. Maybe he could figure out where they were. Rainey could only hope.
“Dara told me about your upbringing, how her coming out ruined the only good family you had known. She feels bad about that. She told me she was glad you moved back here, so you could be a family again.”
“I’m not her family,” Chelsea bellowed. “I share no blood with her. I came here to root out the evil she does and slay her and her kind. She is going to burn in hell for her debauchery, just like you and the perfect Miss Meyers over there.”
Logic and reason were of no use in Rainey’s bag of tricks. She tried another distraction. “Where does Dalton Chambers fit into all this?”
Chelsea brightened at the mention of Dalton’s name. “I’m carrying on his work, ridding the world of sinning women. Whores, lesbians, they all deserve to die. He helped me see the way.”
“And Jared, he was just your servant?”
“He was a tool, an instrument of God, sent to help me with my calling.”
“Jared did what he did to those women for you. He loved you and you killed him. How does that sit with your God?”
“He was a soldier in the war for morality. He knew I had to kill him. He knew he was too weak to take the torture the police would put him through.”
“Chelsea, I don’t know what you were told out there in Oklahoma, but the police don’t torture people. They’ll get you the help you need, if you just put down the gun. I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Chelsea’s evil laugh bounced off the old wooden walls. “You aren’t going to be around long enough to keep that promise. Get my sister on her feet. We’re going to the woods. I have a place prepared for you.”
Rainey didn’t move. Letting Chelsea take them to the woods would sign their death warrants. “What’s the plan, Chelsea? Did Dalton lay it all out for you? How do you expect to get away with this?”
“Oh, it’s genius really. I’ll escape the mad partner, while he’s chopping your heads off. At least, that’s what I’ll tell the cops. I’ll come out of the woods and direct the police to your mutilated bodies. Everyone will be so sad and nobody will suspect me. You didn’t.”
“That’s a lot of forensic evidence to hide. Are you sure you’ve thought this through? I think Dalton is setting you up to take the fall for all of this.”
“Then I’ll take my punishment and join him in heaven, where we will be as children of God, forever young, frolicking on streets of gold, while your souls roast in hell.”
Rainey forced a laugh. “Oh, Dalton has no intentions of joining you in heaven. He told me we were going to fry together in hell. I think that’s closer to true, don’t you?”
Chelsea’s face flushed blood red, aiming the gun at Rainey’s head. “Get her up. Move! You too, Katie, stand up.”
The sound of the front door opening startled Chelsea. Rainey hoped it was someone who could help them and not someone that would send Chelsea into firing away at all of them.
“Yoo-hoo, Mr. Thomas. It’s Ernestine, from down the road. Are you home? I’m looking for Katie Meyers. She’s a friend of your daughter Chelsea. I saw her car out front. Mr. Thomas, can you hear me?”
Chelsea aimed the gun toward Katie and whispered, “You say a word and Katie gets it first.”
Ernie’s voice grew closer. She was headed straight into a slaughterhouse, still calling out, “Yoo-hoo, anybody home? Chelsea?”
At the sound of her name, Chelsea turned her head toward the door. The instant Chelsea took her eyes off her, Rainey’s fight reflex kicked in. She flew at Chelsea, sending all her weight into the smaller woman, smashing her into the wall. The pistol flew from Chelsea’s hand and skittered across the floor in Katie’s direction, but Chelsea wasn’t giving up. With the strength of a madwoman she clawed at Rainey and kicked her in the ribs with her knee.
Instead of buckling her, the shards of pain brought forth a rage from the depths of Rainey’s soul. Combined with the time spent with her father, learning how to survive with her bare hands, it proved to be a nearly lethal combination. She slammed her forearm down on Chelsea’s throat, forcing an instant choking cough out of the smaller woman. Rainey leaned down harder, as Chelsea clawed at her arm, gasping for a single wisp of air.
Rainey bared her teeth. “When you get to hell, save Dalton a seat. He’s going to be right behind you. You sick twisted fuck!”
Rainey pushed down harder. The blood vessels in Chelsea’s eyes began to swell. Tiny spider veins appeared just below the surface of the skin on her cheeks.
“Rainey, let her up,” Ernie said, calmly.
Rainey held fast.
Ernie spoke again. “Rainey, it’s over. Let her up.”
Rainey suddenly became aware of the other people in the room, again. She let go of the gagging woman and crawled across the floor, picking up Chelsea’s gun. She stood up, tucking the gun in her waistband and ran to Katie’s side. She pulled the gag down and started untying Katie from the chair.
“Are you hurt, Katie?”
“I’m sorry, Rainey. I didn’t see it coming. I couldn’t warn you.”
“I didn’t see it coming either.” Rainey released Katie from the chair. “It’s okay, we’re all right now.”
Chelsea continued to clutch at her throat, sucking in air.
Ernie moved to Dara. “What is this child’s name?”
“Dara, Dara Thomas,” Rainey replied, still checking Katie for injuries.
“Dara, honey, wake up,” Rainey heard Ernie say, but she was too concerned with Katie to listen for a response.
Rainey dropped down on one knee in front of Katie. The jolt of hitting the floor doubled her over, wincing in agony. The adrenaline was subsiding and her body now remembered the pain.
Katie leaned over her, grabbing her shoulders. “Rainey, are you all right? Ernie, call 911. Rainey, answer me.”
Rainey couldn’t answer. She didn’t have the breath. She could only look up at Katie, helplessly. Katie’s expression of concern instantly changed to horror as her eyes locked on something behind Rainey. Recognition hit Rainey after her instincts had already taken over. Her hand was on the grip of the gun, before she even thought about it. In one move, she ripped the gun from her waistband, swung around and fired, at the same time another firearm discharged in the room.
Chelsea Thomas staggered, a large knife in her hand, poised to strike. A
pool of crimson formed on her blouse, where the two bullets entered her heart. She took one more step forward. Rainey saw the moment of recognition in Chelsea’s eyes, the second it dawned on her that she was already dead. There was a short intake of breath, and then she was suspended in motion, before dropping as if someone cut the strings on a marionette. Dalton’s puppet would dance no more.
The noise of the shots startled Dara awake. She screamed. Rainey looked over the table to see Ernie, still holding her revolver.
Comforting the frightened woman, Ernie said, “It’s okay, Dara. She’s gone. She won’t hurt you anymore.”
Katie slumped to her knees in front of Rainey. She put her arms around Rainey’s neck and started to cry. Rainey dropped the gun on the floor and held Katie. She heard Ernie calling 911.
Rainey whispered into Katie’s ear, “It’s okay, baby. We’re safe now. It’s okay.”
Through her tears, Katie said, “People keep trying to kill us, Rainey. Why can’t they just leave us alone?”
Rainey lifted Katie’s chin so she could see her eyes. She smiled down at the beautiful blonde that was hers and hers alone.
“You know what they say, ‘What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.’ We’re stronger today than yesterday, and we’ll be stronger yet, tomorrow. As long as I have you, I don’t care what comes. We’ll make it Katie, I’ll keep my promise.”
There was one beat of understanding between Katie and Rainey. One moment, when they both knew, beyond a shadow of any doubts either may have once harbored, whatever they encountered in the future they would go through it together. Time stood still. The room around them fell out of focus. All Rainey could see was Katie’s blue eyes… no sounds… and all was right with in Rainey’s world, once again…
… …
“Oh for Pete’s sake! Can we at least get out of the room with the dead body, before you two go all goo-goo-eyed?”
Chapter nineteen
Dalton waited in the hospital bed, chains draped around his waist and locked to the bed. When Rainey and Danny entered the room, the self-satisfied smile slid off his face. Dalton had been informed that he was being moved out of isolation, which he was happy about, but seeing Rainey meant his plan to kill her had failed. She smiled as she approached the bed, concealing the pain in her ribs with each step.
Rainey Nights Page 30