Chapter 46
“If you’re lost,” Adeline threatened, “I swear to God I’ll kick your ass.”
“I know where I’m going,” Clay groused.
She hadn’t taken his weapon. If they came up on Jamison, they would both need firepower.
She hoped like hell that wasn’t going to turn out to be a bad decision. Unfortunately, this whole night was leaning in that direction.
Her phone had buzzed a dozen times. Wyatt.
When she determined whether or not Clay was telling the truth, she would give Wyatt their location, or at least the general direction they had taken.
She sure as hell wasn’t going to have him dragging all of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department out here if this was some bullshit Clay had trumped up.
He didn’t appear to be drunk. Stone-cold sober, the best she could tell.
But she knew her cousin too well. This could be some sort of elaborate hoax designed to make her look bad or to scare the shit out of her.
If that proved to be the case, maybe she would kill him.
“That’s it.” Clay pointed through the trees to a small shack maybe fifty yards ahead.
“You’re sure?” The shack was dark. Moonlight filtered through the trees, making the outline visible in the near darkness. But she couldn’t see shit else. Singing River whispered in the background, the sound much quieter than in the summer and fall.
“I’m positive. That’s it,” he urged.
Adeline considered the options. It was best to go in under the assumption that Jamison was inside. “You move wide around the back. I’ll make my way to the front. Keep your eyes and ears open.” She sent him a hard look. “And for God’s sake, don’t shoot anywhere near my position.”
He nodded. “Got it.”
This still felt wrong. But maybe it was the whole idea of working with Clay. The last time she’d been involved with a member of the Cooper clan, Gage had ended up dead.
Some part of her kept screaming setup!
If there was any chance Prescott and Arnold were in there, she was seeing this thing through.
Clay disappeared into the darkness. Adeline did the same.
She hunkered low, moved through the saw grass and underbrush.
She wasn’t going to make being a target easy for either of those bastards.
She cringed at the sounds Clay continued to make.
Damn it. Did the guy not know how to move with any stealth?
Making scarcely a sound, she eased closer to the front of the shack. Anticipation seared in her blood, making her heart pump faster. There appeared to be a window on the side closest to her position, but it had been boarded shut.
When she’d reached the west side of the structure, she moved in close, flattened against the rustic wall.
She held her breath and listened. The cold night air stirred, rubbing the branches of trees together.
The constant hum of the river filled the air with its melody beyond that.
Clay muttered a curse, the sound carried in the darkness. Dumbass.
No sound inside the shack.
Keeping her back against the wall, she eased around to the front. The door didn’t have a knob or lock. Just a loop of rope hooked over a wooden dowel protruding next to the opening.
Still no noise other than those nature made. She crept to the left side of the door, reached across it and unlooped the rope. She held her breath. Still not the slightest noise inside.
Using her left hand, she slid her flashlight from her back pocket. She slammed the butt of the flashlight into the door, sending it flying inward.
No reaction.
If this place was deserted, Clay Cooper was so screwed.
She rolled her body toward the edge of the door opening, roved the flashlight’s beam over the interior.
The light pooled on a body.
Adeline froze . . . let the light linger there. Definitely female. Blond hair. Her pulse rate jumped into overdrive. Victim was breathing. But she hadn’t moved.
She shifted the light to the left.
Eyes, wide with fear, reflected the light.
The woman whimpered as best she could with the gag stuffed into her mouth.
Blond. Adeline studied her face. Cherry Prescott.
And she was alive. Relief flooded Adeline.
With one last look around the area behind her, Adeline moved into the shack.
“I’m Detective Cooper,” she announced. “I’m here to help you.
” Ignoring the desperate sounds Prescott made, Adeline checked the small room.
The smell of feces and urine were overwhelming.
Feeding bowls sat on the floor between the women.
At least he hadn’t left them here to starve.
Adeline, her weapon still palmed, moved to where Prescott huddled on the floor.
“Don’t be afraid. You’re gonna be okay now,” she said gently as she surveyed the woman for injury.
Then she moved to Penny Arnold who had started to move about.
“Ms. Arnold?” She scanned her for injury, as well. No visible injuries.
Arnold struggled to a sitting position and started sobbing.
Adeline inspected the shackles. Attached to a wooden support beam with a length of chain and a heavy-duty lock. She would need tools to get them loose. Or a key.
Time to call in reinforcements. Adeline knelt down, one knee on the floor, the other braced for rapid movement. She set her flashlight on the floor and pulled out her phone. She hit the call button. “I’m calling help,” she assured the two women now staring at her.
Prescott started to whine frantically.
“Hold on,” Adeline urged, “we’re going to get you out of here.”
The desperate sounds escalated. A creak splintered the air. Her weapon leveled, Adeline twisted at the waist to see if it was Clay.
Clay kicked her in the side of the head.
Addy lost her balance. Her phone flew from her hand and spun across the floor. She rolled to her back just as he moved over her. She kicked him in the crotch.
Clay howled.
She shot to her feet. Though he was still standing, he struggled to unfold his body.
“What the hell are you doing?” She rammed the weapon into the side of his head.
Clay laughed. “He’s coming.” He looked up at her, nodded knowingly. “He comes back every night about this time and you’re going to be here waiting for him. The problem is, you’re going to be dead already.”
“Funny.” She smirked. “I’m the one with the gun to your damned head.”
Clay groaned, straightened up. His right arm came up, and the business end of the weapon he’d been hiding between his legs leveled on Adeline’s chest.
“Well, well.” She took a step away from him. “You sure you know how to use that thing?”
He swung the barrel toward Prescott. “How about I shoot her right now and we’ll see who flinches.”
“You’re bluffing.” Adeline’s finger twitched with the urge to pull the trigger. She couldn’t kill him. Goddammit. Going down that road again was out of the question. But they had the proverbial Mexican standoff.
She could shoot him in the leg. Or maybe the dick.
He drew the hammer back. “Say goodbye to your big sister, Addy.” Prescott tried to scream; the sound came out strangled and muffled. “Now give me your gun or I’m going to shoot that pathetic bitch.”
Adeline placed her weapon on the floor and kicked it across the room. “You want it, you go get it.” She wouldn’t need her weapon to take care of this dumbass. All she needed was for him to put down his guard. Now that she was unarmed, he would.
Clay shifted the aim of his .357 to her. “In a minute. Now get over there on the floor with your sisters.” He snickered. “I always knew you couldn’t be one of us. Guess I was right.”
“Whatever you say.” Moving backward so she didn’t have to turn her back on him, Adeline kept her hands up. “What do you think you’re accomplishing here, Clay? You owe this guy something? Maybe he sucked your dick once?”
He laughed. “Have your fun while you can, Addy. This was all meant to be. I knew some psycho was watching you. The cops found your picture in his car. I just didn’t know he had anything to do with this until I came out here to see if this place was still standing.
” He gestured to Prescott and Arnold. “Then I overheard your batty old momma telling my daddy about how someone had found out the truth about you being adopted. When you showed up, I knew this was my chance to see that you got what you deserved.”
Adeline let the remark about her mother go, she would get him for that later. “Why don’t you let Prescott and Arnold go? This is really between me and you, right?”
“No way.” He shook his stupid head. “What I’m doing is getting you the hell out of my life for good.
You’re going to die tonight, cuz.” He smiled.
“That psycho brother of yours would never have gotten to you the way Henderson has been all over you. I just made his job a little simpler. Works out great for me, I get rid of you and nobody ever has to know I had anything to do with it. That keeps the old man off my back.”
“Well, aren’t you smart,” Adeline mused. “I guess everyone’s been wrong about you. You aren’t the stupid brother.”
His lips twisted. “At least I won’t be dead. It’s so sad,” he mocked. “The police will finally find the three of you and you’ll all be dead. Too bad, too sad.”
Adeline wondered briefly where the boy was as she eased over a little more.
She hoped if he wasn’t here that meant he was safe.
When she’d positioned herself in front of the women, she asked, “You’ve got me where you want me, Clay.
I guess you can go.” Time to use a little reverse psychology.
“You wouldn’t want to risk getting caught here if Wyatt shows up.
You know it’ll only be a matter of time before they find us. ”
He moved his head back and forth. “But he will get here first. It’s almost time.
He’s always on time.” Clay hitched his head toward the door.
“I’ll just hang around out there in the woods so I can see his reaction when he finds you here.
” He laughed. “I wish I had a camera. A bittersweet family reunion. Now sit,” he ordered Addy.