Chapter Forty-one
Roman pushed the speed as much as he dared. The storm was fully formed by now. The rain lashed down and even on the highest setting, the wipers couldn’t keep up. It was dark enough that it might well have been the middle of the night. Branches and other debris littered the roads. Some vehicles had pulled over to the shoulder and sat, with hazard lights flashing, to wait it out.
“Looks like we’re going to beat the police,” Mia said. Her hand clutched the door and her eyes stayed glued to the road while they turned onto Scott’s street.
A tree limb blocked the lower section of Scott’s driveway but Roman simply swung wide onto the lawn. The SUV skidded but managed to gain traction on the saturated grass. They were around and back to the asphalt in the next instant.
When they swept up the incline and the house came into view, Eliza gasped.
“Oh my God. That’s Kerry’s car. What if we’re too late?” she wailed.
Roman aimed the Lexus for the back of the Honda Civic and pulled to a stop, blocking Kerry’s escape. They flung the doors open and leapt out. Overhead, lightning flared, and multiple earsplitting cracks sounded, while the crash of thunder happened almost simultaneously. The air was electric and goosebumps sprang up on Mia’s skin.
In the next second, everything went dark.
“Shit. The lightning must have hit a tower or wire and caused a power surge,” Roman said.
Roman dove back into the SUV, grabbed his phone, and turned on the flashlight function. Mia did the same. They were soaked to the skin before they’d jogged to the front door.
It was locked.
“I know the code,” Eliza said.
She pushed in between Mia and Roman, punched four numbers into the keypad, and the door clicked. Roman tapped her shoulder.
“Quiet. Kerry can maybe hear the sirens but doesn’t necessarily know we got here first. It never hurts to have the element of surprise on our side,” he whispered. Reaching behind, he eased his gun out from where he’d tucked it in the back of his pants. “Stay behind me.”
“I thought you were worried about Kerry seeing you,” Mia hissed to Eliza.
“I am. But I can’t just sit in the car and do nothing.”
Roman carefully opened the front door and aimed his flashlight into the foyer. “Wait until I’ve cleared the main floor,” he said.
Mia and Eliza stepped inside but shrank back until they were anchored against the wall by the door. Mia turned off her flashlight so as not to draw attention to their location while Roman slipped along the foyer and, sinking low, moved into the kitchen. She could see his light bouncing off the white cupboards and glossy tile flooring.
“I’ve found Scott. He’s in bad shape,” he called out.
Mia nudged Eliza’s arm. “Go outside and wait for the cops. Tell them what’s going on.”
“No. Scott’s hurt. He needs my help,” Eliza said, pushing off the wall and walking briskly toward the kitchen.
Mia jogged after her. “Be careful. We don’t know where Kerry is.”
“I can’t find a heartbeat,” Roman said.
The women dropped to the ground beside Roman. Mia turned her flashlight back on. Scott lay on his side. His skin was cool to the touch and his lips were tinged with blue. She rested a hand on his shoulder and reached out with her senses.
In her mind’s eye, she saw a single beam of light. It was a weak yellow color and very narrow. Barely more than the width of a pencil. She gathered herself and, using all her might, pushed out a wave of energy.
Beneath her hand, Scott took a gasping breath, then another. A few seconds later, one more. The light in her mind strengthened to soft white and the beam widened.
But there were no more breaths after that, and the light quickly began to dim again.
“I couldn’t find any signs of obvious injury so he’s either having some kind of cardiac event or he’s OD’ing,” she said.
Eliza let out a sob. “What? He’d never do drugs. Like ever. Scott’s all about clean living.”
“But Kerry likes using them. At least on other people,” Roman said, his eyes alert and continually sweeping the kitchen. “What the hell is that?”
He pointed to a small dark furry object. Eliza’s gaze flicked over briefly before returning to Scott. “Probably Kerry’s wig. She started wearing it a few months ago. Her real hair is red. Not as deep as Mia’s though. More like Scott’s color.”
Mia aimed her flashlight along the floor and studied the plastic containers littering the area by the sink. “That’s a lot of doses of Narcan. It should be more than enough to keep him breathing or .…” She paused and shook her head when the vision came. “No. Kerry emptied them so he couldn’t save himself.”
“We need to do something. We can’t just sit here and watch him die,” Eliza sobbed. “His hand feels like ice.”
“If we can keep him breathing until help arrives, he might make it,” Roman said.
“You mean mouth-to-mouth? I can totally do that. My whole family learned in case my dad ever had an allergy attack and the EpiPen didn’t work.” She pushed in next to Mia and quickly rolled Scott onto his back then gently laid a hand behind his neck and straightened his head. “There’s something sticky here.”
“Leave it. Let me see,” Roman demanded. He rolled Scott over again and, using his flashlight, studied the flesh-colored patch on the back of his neck. “Probably fentanyl. There’s a cut in the patch. It’s supposed to be time released but that stuff will be pouring into him right now.”
Mia clutched Eliza’s arm when she went to grab it. “We need to be careful otherwise you’ll get hit with it too.” She jumped to her feet and opened drawers at random until she found the food wrap supplies. “Here, use this Ziplock bag as a glove before you pull it off.”
Eliza did as instructed then quickly moved Scott to his back again, cleared his airway, and began assisting his breathing. Mia laid a hand on his heart, willing it to pump. After several breaths, she was rewarded with a thump under her palm.
“That’s good. He’s responding. Keep going. The sirens are pretty close now. The police will be here any minute and should have more Narcan. I’m going to find Roman, okay.”
“Go. I’ve got this,” Eliza said, her voice breathy.
Mia left her phone beside Scott so Eliza would have some light and crept silently through the main floor. No sign of Roman. Or Kerry.
She met Roman coming down the stairs. “The house is empty. She must’ve gotten away.”
“Yeah,” Mia said. “But on foot since her car’s still out front and so is our SUV and Scott’s Range Rover.”
Roman’s phone pinged and he glanced down absently then went still and studied the message.
“It’s from Scott. Must be automated.” He tapped the screen and began playing an audio file.”
There was some indistinct mumbling then Kerry’s voice said, “I’m not much of a drinker,” followed a few seconds later by Scott. “To three-day marriages.”
“Scott, you absolute beauty. Looks like that smart bastard managed to record everything that happened tonight with Kerry.” He squinted at the screen again. “And there’s a video file coming too.”
“But where is she?”
“Don’t worry. We’ll find her.” Roman grabbed her hand. “Come on.”
Back in the kitchen, Eliza was mumbling, “One, two, three, four and breath,” before bringing her mouth to Scott’s and filling his lungs with another lifesaving shot of air.
Mia checked his pulse and nodded. “A definite rhythm now. On the slow side, but still good news.”
“We can’t find Kerry in here so we’re going to extend the search outside. Make sure to tell the police when they come. Don’t want to get shot,” Roman said.
“Sure. Okay.” Eliza nodded distractedly and her eyes stayed on Scott.
Mia wondered if she’d remember. Scooping up her phone, she joined Roman on the far side of the great room. He flung the French doors open and the wind almost blew them back into the room. Items flew off the coffee table and all the drapes fluttered, making it seem like the room was inhabited by evil spirits.
They stepped out into the storm while behind them the cops pounded on the front door.
Together they jogged to the end of the yard and opened the gate. An asphalt path about two feet wide followed the edge of all the backyards. Beyond that was a large forested area.
“What do you think?” Roman asked, sweeping his flashlight up and down the path.
Even with the wind howling and the rain pummeling them, Mia was able to quiet her mind and go into herself. She breathed slowly and deeply. Her energy reached out, searching, searching before the vision finally came.
She blinked her eyes open as a lightning bolt streaked across the sky, seemingly directly above her head. The crack was deafening. When the thunder rolled through an instant later, Roman couldn’t help smiling to himself. Talk about surround sound.
“She went that way,” Mia said, pointing along the path to their left. “And she has a gun.”
They jogged forward, eyes scanning. The almost absolute blackness was eerie. It made it seem they were the last people left alive on the earth. A few tiny glows of light partially illuminated windows in several of the houses they passed, and it was a weird relief to Roman to know they weren’t alone after all.
Mia charged ahead for several paces then stopped short, skidding along the pavement. He grabbed her shoulder from behind to stop her falling. Her body was thrumming and the energy gave him a tiny jolt at the point where his hand made contact with her.
“What is it?”
“I think she doubled back and went into the woods. What’s on the other side of it?” she asked, leaning into him and bringing her lips next to his ear so he could hear over the storm.
Roman flipped his phone in his hand and brought up Google maps. She cupped her palms over the screen in an effort to shield it from the rain while he shifted the view and zoomed in.
“Looks like a commercial lot. Dunkin Donuts. Seven Eleven. A bunch of other stores,” he said.
They spun around and, this time walking quickly rather than running, retraced their steps along the path. Mia’s head craned to the left and she studied the forest. Finally, she stopped and pointed.
“I feel her energy going that way.”
There wasn’t a true trail to follow but the trees were smaller and sparser at the edge, and it was easy to slip into the forest. The ground squelched under their feet, the mud thick enough to sink into and spill halfway up their shoes. Layers of sodden leaves added a slickness factor, and Mia went down on her hands and knees. Her phone landed off to the side, the flashlight shining straight up.
“You okay?” Roman grasped her elbows and helped her up before retrieving the phone.
She didn’t answer, just continued trudging forward while wiping her filthy hands down the front of her jeans. Lightning crashed directly overhead and seconds later the bleachy smell of ozone hit their nostrils. The forest got thicker. Harder to navigate. Time and again, Roman grabbed onto tree trucks while fighting to keep his feet under him.
Mia stopped short and he rammed into her before wrapping an arm around her chest to save her from falling again.
“She’s close.” She angled to the right. “Let’s turn off the flashlights. We don’t want to give ourselves away.”
They walked carefully now, stopping from time to time to peer into the darkness. Every flash of lightning was both a blessing and a curse, for as much as they could see during the brief illumination, they were well aware they could also be seen. During the next flash, Mia spun and grabbed for Roman’s arm.
“She’s there. By the tree.”
Roman strained but couldn’t make out anything resembling a human form.
“I’ll take your word for it. We must be close to the strip mall. If she gets that far she’ll be gone. Likely grab someone’s ride and disappear into the night. Maybe she hurts someone too. We have to stop her. I’ll circle around and try to get out before she does. Block the escape route. You keep tailing her but stay back, okay?”
Mia nodded, but her expression was filled with doubt. He gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before slipping off to the side, using the trees for cover as he circled around. She watched him disappear into the dark, rain-drenched woods, her heart thudding not just from the chase but from the electric buzz of the storm and the danger of what was to come.
She turned her focus back toward Kerry. Through the rain and the shrouded darkness, Mia strained her senses, trusting the subtle pulls and vibrations that had never failed her. She edged forward, careful not to lose her footing again, her body tense and ready.
Another bolt of lightning sliced through the sky, showing her the tangled branches ahead. Just beyond was the outline of the strip mall. Terrifyingly close.
Mia saw Kerry again. She was crouched low, her small gun clutched in both hands, eyes darting wildly. She was soaked to the bone, her hair plastered to her face, looking more like a cornered animal than the cold, calculating murderer Mia knew her to be.
She inched forward until Kerry was less than twenty feet away. Near enough to feel the frantic energy radiating off her. A few seconds later, Kerry stood tall and began striding toward the back of the mall.
Another gust of wind swept through the forest and the thunder reverberated like cannon fire. Mia took a deep breath, steeling herself. She couldn’t afford to wait for Roman. Once Kerry made it around the building to the store fronts, there were too many potential victims at risk. Too many chances she’d make her escape.
She stepped out from behind the tree, her voice loud but calm. “Kerry, give it up. The game’s over. There’s no where to run.”
Kerry spun around, her eyes wide, and for a split second, Mia saw a hint of vulnerability peek out. Then her features hardened, and her lips formed into a sneer. She raised her arms straight out in front of her, hands steady despite the buffeting wind.
“I’m going to enjoy killing you so much. Roman too. Where is he?” Kerry shouted, the gun staying trained on Mia.
Mia held her hands up, palms facing Kerry, trying to project calm through the storm and the chaos. “We split up. He took the car in case you tried to use the road to escape. It’s just you and me.”
Kerry’s eyes darted to the right, towards the strip mall. Mia could sense her calculating the distance, weighing her chances. Just a few more steps and she could be gone. Mia cautiously inched forward, keeping her voice steady. “Think about it, Kerry. Even if you get away, you’ll never be free. You know that.”
“A couple of million will buy me lots of freedom,” she spat.
Another flash of lightning lit the scene, and Mia saw Roman emerge from the other side, his gun raised, pointed directly at Kerry. Kerry jerked in surprise, and she turned toward him, her pistol drifting away from Mia.
“Drop it,” Roman barked, his voice cutting through the thunder.
For a tense moment, time seemed to freeze. Mia’s breath caught in her throat as she reached across the distance with her senses and felt the rage bubbling in Kerry’s mind. She found no thought of surrender. Instead, the woman’s anger galvanized on Roman and she raised her arms again, turning her body slowly to face him.
To hell with that , Mia thought.
“Don’t you dare shoot him,” Mia yelled before rushing toward Kerry, her eyes fixed on the small gun.
Kerry had just enough time to swung back to Mia and squeeze the trigger before Roman shot her. The bullet tore into her shoulder, and she howled even as Mia tackled her to the ground. There was a brief struggle before Kerry was disarmed.
Roman pulled off his belt and quickly tied her hands together then whirled on Mia.
“What the actual fuck? Are you insane,” he screamed.
“No more than you. We were both standing there. She was gonna shoot at one of us. It made more sense for me to bait her and you to take her down.” She winced and rubbed her upper arm. “Man, she really dug her claws into me.”
He pulled out his phone and turned on the flashlight before marching up to her and roughly grabbing her arm.
“Let me see.” His hard expression morphed into concern. “That isn’t from her nails. You’ve been shot.”
“Please. It’s just a scratch.” She glanced down and her face paled when she saw the blood mixing with the mud and dripping off her elbow. “Oh my God, I was shot. No wonder it’s burning like hellfire.”
“Can you move your arm okay?”
Mia did a few testing circles. “Seems fine. It must have just caught the meat.”
“The bullet might still be in there.”
He attempted to wipe at the layer of mud on her arm, but she batted him away.
“If it is, we’re not going to do anything about it right now, standing in the middle of a forest during the storm of the decade.” She turned and gazed at Kerry who sat, head bowed over her cuffed wrists. “Come on. Let’s clean up this trash. Looks like you got her shoulder. I guess she’s going to need to be patched up, too.”
Roman’s hand fisted on the front of her shirt. He pulled her to him then held the flashlight beside her face and studied her eyes. His were clouded with worry and his lip quivered before he pressed them together in a hard line. Finally, he seemed satisfied by what he saw, and his arms came around her in a crushing hug.
“If you ever do that again I’ll shoot you myself,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.
“Ow. Too tight. You’re hurting my bullet wound,” she whined.
“I don’t care.” Despite his words, he released his arms.
Then he lifted his hands to cup her jaw and laid his lips on hers. She felt the raw need pouring off him along with the crushing fear. She pushed back love. And light. And comfort. He sighed against her mouth and eased away.
She smiled at him. “Hey, now I can say I took a bullet for you. Bet none of your other girlfriends stepped up in such a big way.”
The laugh burst out of him. “You’re right about that.” He paused and shook his head. “I declare the prenup officially off the table. Forever. All this time, part of me has been worried you weren’t all in on this relationship. I’ll never question you again.”
“Finally.” She lifted her injured arm away from her side and glanced down at it. “Okay, I’m not gonna lie. This is starting to really hurt. It better not leave an ugly scar, or our wedding pictures will be ruined.”
The rain had eased slightly during the past few minutes, but now another intense squall washed over them. He took her mud-covered hand and brought it to his lips.
“God, I love you so much. I can honestly say I’ve never been happier than I am in this moment,” he murmured.
She beamed at him. “Me either.”