Never Cry Mercy (20 page)

"It's OK, buddy."

His demeanor changed after he sniffed my hand. I stroked his head a couple times, turned his collar and held his tag to the light. "Dodge."

He cocked his head at the sound of his name, then resumed panting.

His owner was none other than Vernon.

"Son of a bitch."

I rose, glanced around the apartment. It looked exactly as I had left it, nothing out of place other than the broken glass on the floor. And that had happened moments ago.

"What the hell happened here, Dodge?"

I took a look at Dodge's tag again and punched the number into my cell phone. Was I calling in the cavalry? Or signing my and Reese's death certificate? The phone rang five times, then diverted to Vernon's voicemail.

My stomach turned, sank. The hotdogs I'd devoured were close to coming back up. I couldn't shake the feeling that both Reese and Vernon were in major trouble. I was no longer in a safe place. I flipped the mattress in Reese's bedroom. Underneath I found a .22. Not ideal, but it was easy to conceal and would prove lethal if I got close enough to a target.

I left some food and water for Dodge, then set out on foot to my next stop.

Chapter 49

Reese stared at the moon through the dirty window. It hovered low and wide in the sky. Moonlight filtered in and cast a faded white hue across the wide wooden floorboards. The walls stood barren and worn. An old wood burning stove was covered in a layer of dust. The cabin was devoid of furniture aside from the chair they had tied her to. She strained against the rope that secured her ankles to the chair legs. It seemed every movement she made resulted in the knots tightening. Her wrists were bound with thick plastic zip ties, the kind they used to secure HVAC ducts. The hard plastic dug into her skin.

She'd seen no one other than the man who abducted her and Vernon at gunpoint. The guy was a mystery to her. In all her time in Texline, she'd never seen his face. At the base of the stairs, he'd placed a hood over her head. Vernon too, she supposed. There had been multiple vehicles idling outside. As she was led to one, she heard Vernon cursing his handler. His words had grown more distant by the second.

They had started off on the highway, but after a few miles had gone off-road. The car dipped and bounced and swayed for several minutes before coming to a stop. From there, she was led inside and tied up. They had removed her hood and disappeared through the doorway before she managed to catch a glimpse of them.

And now she waited in a dim room. Alone. Unable to move. Unwilling to yell out for help. There was no point. It was better to save her strength for when she needed it.

Darrow had everything to do with this. He knew her secret, but she'd upheld her end of the deal and kept quiet. So why go through with this? The obvious answer was Jack. But he wasn't at the apartment. Why not wait for him to return?

Perhaps they had planned on waiting, but she had triggered an acceleration clause by calling Vernon. And perhaps they brought Reese and Vernon out here to keep them away. At least she assumed Vernon was out there. She hadn't seen or heard him since the truck pulled out of her driveway. Had someone remained behind, lying in wait for Jack to return?

She thought about what he had endured that day, and tried to think like him. At the first opportunity, he would have called her. And when he received no answer, he'd grow suspicious. The man had a sense for when danger waited around the corner. That was the only explanation for how he'd survived for so long. Where others used stealth and cunning, Jack preferred brute force. He took what he wanted. Survived through sheer force of will.

The door behind her scraped the floor as it opened. Two sets of boots hit the floorboards. One stopped behind her. Large hands wrapped around her shoulders, gently massaging up toward her neck, then back down to her arms. It made her want to throw up. The man said nothing. His heavy breathing was the only noise he made.

Darrow walked past, giving her a wide berth. She was bound, but he'd take no chances. That was how he had survived so long. That and having an army of idiots to do his bidding while buying off everyone he could in order to keep himself out of trouble.

Fucking weasel.

"Hello, Reese."

She said nothing.

"I suppose you're wondering why I've taken all these precautions."

"No, I think I figured that out on my own."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah," she said. "You're a low-life pussy who can't face a woman alone without restraining her."

Darrow leaned back against the wall, arms folded. He jammed his right foot into the wall, pointing his knee toward her. He laughed for a good ten seconds. Reese expected him to follow it up with a smack across her face, or some other threat. Didn't happen, though. Darrow appeared relaxed and in control of his emotions. And the situation.

"You know you're not just any woman," he said. "I mean, we've got NYPD's finest sitting here. Right? The files I reviewed back that up. One of their best detectives, until you passed away tragically when your car went careening over a railing into the river. The body was never found."

"That's a nice story," she said. "But I'm not that woman anymore. I run a bar now."

"Oh, I think you're more that woman today than you're willing to admit."

"No, because if I was, I wouldn't be sitting here right now. Vernon and I would have made it out of that apartment and shattered your world."

"That wouldn't happen."

"It would. And you know what? Maybe you're right. As I sit here, I find myself rediscovering Reese McSweeney all over. I'm tired of turning a blind eye for you and your band of idiots. I don't care if a damn terrorist learns my location. I'd rather take my chances with them than watch you defecate all over this town and this country."

"I don't doubt that, Reese. I'm just saying you and Vernon never would have banded together against me. After all, he's one of the reasons you're sitting here right now."

"What are you saying? You had him followed to my apartment? He's the one you wanted, I'm just collateral damage?"

Darrow smiled, nodded, and lifted his gaze to the man behind her. The guy's hands slipped off her shoulder. He stepped to the side, looked down at her.

"Son of a bitch," Reese said while trying to elbow him in the thigh. The restraints dug in deeper, causing her to grimace against the flash of pain. "Vernon? What the hell?"

Vernon continued to the opposite side of the room, took position next to Darrow against the wall.

"I thought you were on my side," she said. "Hell, you even let Jack out of jail."

"Appearances, Reese," he said. "We knew we were more likely to get information out of you if you believed I was on your side. Mind you, I knew Jack wouldn't ever be, but you're just so damn trusting, Detective McSweeney."

"How long have you known my name?"

He glanced at Darrow. "Since about the time he told me, which I guess was—"

"The same day I found out," Darrow said, spreading his arms wide.

"This whole time," she said. "So why now? What's changed?"

"You're friend, Mr. Noble," Darrow said. "He has the potential to be a major pain in our asses. We figure this is the only way to throw him off his game. Apparently, he takes chances he normally wouldn't when someone he loves is in danger."

Vernon's eyes darkened. He smiled. "And we know how much he loves you."

"Asshole," she muttered under her breath.

"What's that?" Vernon said, walking toward her, rubbing his palms together.

She said nothing.

He grabbed her jaw with his meaty hand and lifted her head toward him. She fought to look away. "Watch your tongue around here."

How had the man who'd been like a father to her turned on her like this? What was there to gain? She knew the obvious answer, but still couldn't understand how he could treat her this way after showing so much empathy all those years.

"Jack's only passing through," Reese said. "He doesn't want to be involved in anything you guys are up to. Christ, even after what you did the first couple days, he wanted nothing to do with it. He doesn't care."

"Why'd he stay around then?" Vernon said.

She avoided looking at Vernon. Though he'd been a father figure to her, his feelings were the opposite. She'd known for a while that the man had felt something more for her. She'd done nothing to encourage those feelings, and did her best to avoid responding to anything he said that potentially had a dual meaning.

"What do you think is going to happen now?" Reese said. "You've pushed him. He's going to respond. You don't know him and what he's capable of."

"Oh, I know him all right," Darrow said. "And I'm counting on him responding. Because that'll make it easier to kill him."

Chapter 50

I'd managed to remain out of sight for nine of the ten minutes it took to get to Linus's house. The sketchiest part had been crossing Main Street. It was lit up, but empty. Someone could've been watching, though. Didn't matter, I had to take the chance.

When I reached the house, only the minivan was parked out front. The GMC was busted up enough to be out of commission after smashing into Reese's car. The house windows were lit up, offering a view inside. I saw the two boys and the woman seated at the kitchen table. Had Linus made it home? Was he still out looking for me?

I climbed the wobbly privacy fence, waited there for a few breaths, then continued to the back. Each window offered a view of a different part of the house. The bedrooms were empty. No sign of Linus.

I pulled the .22 from my pocket as I neared the sliding glass door. There were three rounds in the magazine. I had to make each one count.

Spread out on the table between the blonde woman and the two boys was a board game. Couldn't make out which one. The older boy looked happy, the younger one pissed. Looked about right. Sean and I had gone to war over Monopoly I don't know how many times. Never could I remember both of us happy at the same time playing that or any other game. My misfortune was perpetually his gain, and vice versa.

I remained outside the door for a few minutes, standing far enough back that it wouldn't be obvious I was there. Finally, I made my move. The unlocked door slid open without resistance. I moved inside quickly and decisively, pistol aimed at the family.

Both boys looked up. Fear drowned their expressions. The woman pushed back from the table, sending the board game over the edge. She leapt up wielding a knife. Not your garden variety weapon either. After a quick glance I pegged it as a survival knife commonly carried by Air Force pilots. Nice piece. I figured she knew her husband was an asshole and always had it in the back of her mind that she might end up in a situation like this. Good to be prepared.

"Who are you?" she said, her voice trembling.

"Where's your husband?"

"Dead."

"What?"

"He died two years ago. I moved in with my brother a couple months ago."

Looking at the woman, it made sense. She was beautiful. Linus looked as though someone had taken a tree branch to his face when he was young.

"Linus," I said.

"My brother," she said.

"Where is he?"

"What the hell did he do now?"

"He tried to kill me."

"Too bad he failed." She placed herself between me and her sons, clutching the knife to her chest. "Boys, go to your room."

I remained by the back door, ready to duck out should Linus pop out with an automatic rifle.

Down the hall a door closed. Kids' bedroom, presumably. The woman licked her lips, held out an empty hand. "What's my brother into?"

"You don't know?"

She shook her head, said nothing.

"You and I must be the only people in town who have no idea then. Everyone else seems to know what's going on around here."

"I mean, I had an idea," she said. "But, you know, not like I could talk it up with him. If he kicked me out, I don't know what I'd do. My husband took care of everything. We had a great life in Dallas. At least, I thought we did. When he passed unexpectedly, I learned that we had almost two hundred thousand in credit card debt, and the house was in arrears. I lost the house, my credit, had no job, and we were forced to move into a ghetto apartment. Soon after, I couldn't even afford that. I got married so young. Never finished school or built a career."

She reached back for a glass of water, took a sip, then continued. "And my brother is a son of a bitch. He's actually my step-brother. Unfortunately, the only family I have left. Treats us like garbage. Beats my boys. Hits me."

"What if I could help you?" I said.

"How?" she said.

"There's an old weathered cabin in the middle of nowhere. Maybe thirty minutes from here. Cattle all around. Nothing else. He took me there. Any chance you know where it is?"

She narrowed her eyes. Was she thinking or plotting? The woman could lead me right into a trap. I'd already fallen for her story. Was it just that? A story? My read on her was sketchy and I couldn't get a good feel for her true intentions.

"I don't know," she said.

"All right," I said. "Is there anything—"

"But I did find this map one day when I was snooping around." She turned and walked to a desk, leaving her knife on the table. The writing desk looked like it was at least sixty years old. She started to lift the rolling top.

"Hold on," I said. "I'll take it from there."

She gave way to me. I pulled out the weathered map, unfolded it. The creases were worn so thin I feared the paper would split if I moved it too quickly. It covered a few hundred square miles, showing Texline, a few other towns, and the major roads in between. Handwritten in pencil was the word 'ranch.' I traced the route east out of town, then a couple small roads. Then off-road. I closed my eyes and recalled the journey there and back. What I saw on the map fit. Once I left pavement, it could be as simple as picking a line and riding it. That potentially posed problems, though. I could run into trouble with ditches, streams, hills, and possibly small cliffs in the way. None of that mattered until I had a vehicle.