Capturing Kate, page 17
The man behind the counter was as old as the armor and as expressionless as the dummy. “Help you?”
Kate didn’t know what to say. “I need something. I think a friend left it for me.”
“Your friend gotta name?”
“Ella.”
“No bells.” He stared at her.
“I’m Kate? Ella’s friend, Kate? Eli? Um, following my heart?”
He didn’t blink. “You gotta claim ticket?”
“Yes!” She tugged at Sloan’s arm, taut. She could see him watching the store. “Yes, I have a number. I do. Can I give it to you?”
A stare.
“Okay. 1945.”
He pulled a package from under the counter, a manila envelope, with ‘1945’ scrawled on it, and Kate’s stomach lurched. But he put his hand on it when she reached. “It costs to do a private pawn. You want to buy this object, it’s for sale.”
“How much?” She glanced at Sloan.
“Five hundred dollars.”
“I—five hundred?” Her voice rose. “That’s—no, I need that.”
The man’s face didn’t move. “A thousand.”
Sloan’s voice was hard. He pulled out a badge and tossed it on the table. “FBI. Hand it over.”
“You gotta warrant?”
Sloan took the package. “If you make me come back with one, you’ll regret it.”
Still, he opened his wallet and tossed a few bills on the counter. The man took them, his gnarled fingers swifter than they should have been for their distorted joints.
Sloan rushed Kate back to the car and drove to an empty lot, then he ripped open the envelope. “Shit.” He got onto his phone. “Connor. I got it. Yeah, it’s got the info we need. I’m texting you right now.”
Kate glanced at the top paper. It was Ella’s recognizable scrawl, but the things noted made no sense:
Confidentialsales // .onion
blackops ~ cyber115236 ~ interrex
opt-in $5million USD in bitcoin, no escrow.
Final auct. Escrow through safecoin info to come later
Katie. Was in closet (will explain later) while Carlo in office. He was on phone, left room for a minute. I wrote this down from his email screen before running out. Looked important! God, I’m getting so brave. But think he might have cameras installed? Not sure but looks like new plaster on light fixture and is new weird sensor by top of door?
There was a sheaf of memos regarding water testing, a zip drive, and more of Eli’s medical documents.
“Fuck, yeah. Use the information to get into the opt-in site, then you’ll receive information about the real auction site. Get it to Matty so he can bid for it. Once he’s into the auction, he can launch his new stealth bot to track the location of the auction and the eventual buyer. This is fucking gold.”
“This is good?” Kate peered up at him when he hung up the phone, finished texting.
“Yes. Yes, it is.” He grabbed her into a fierce hug. “Kate, this is the information we were missing. Our guy on the inside was told he can’t be part of the auction after all—they don’t need him. Either they’re suspicious or just being safe. Either way, we needed him there to feed us information about the details and the winner. Now we have the information we need to enter the auction as an independent buyer, posing as anyone we want. Our guy Matt is a cyber expert. He’s the only one in the world who’s close to hacking the most secure onion sites, but he couldn’t find any evidence of this auction. This is why—it’s a direct peer-to-peer site; you can’t find it by searching. If we pass the opt-in, with this data we can enter the auction.”
“You have to pay five million dollars just to enter? What does no escrow mean?”
“Yeah, they want serious buyers only. No escrow means you can’t get your money back somehow if you’re not happy with the outcome. It’s a fee just to come play.”
“Um.” A thought occurred to her. “Your team can afford to buy in for that price?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“So what do we do now?” Her voice was uncertain. The adrenaline of the day was gone and she felt limp.
“Wait.” His voice was low. “The auction starts in less than an hour. It will be over in an hour, too. These things are fast. And then, if all goes well, our team will have the info they need and they can get Mancini and the others.”
“What if they don’t?”
“We’ll see. But until we know, Kate, I’m sorry, but I have to bring you into custody.”
Tears started to fall. “I just want to go home. You said once it was over I could go home.”
His voice was distant. “It’s not over yet. And you need to be questioned and debriefed.”
“I want to stay with you.”
“Not really. You just see me as the safest option, which so far I have been. The next place will be better.”
He started driving, but, stiffened up when he looked into the rearview mirror. “Shit. That’s not my team.” He hit the accelerator and the car lurched. “Kate, sit tight. We’re being followed.”
“What?” Panicked, Kate turned to stare, and saw a black SUV barreling toward them. “Sloan!” she screamed. “Go, go, go!”
Tires screamed and the car twisted violently as he jerked the wheel, spinning them around past the vehicle, and started driving in the other direction. He spoke into his phone. “Darren. I’ve got a tail with a shooter. Need backup. Get here, now.”
“Now you bring the SUVs?” screamed Kate, shaking.
“Do you know how to shoot a gun?” he asked, driving with one hand, rummaging in his bag with the other.
“Drive!” Kate shrieked, pounding the dash with her fists. “Faster!”
“Kate. Can. You. Shoot. A. Gun.”
“No! Maybe. It’s not hard, right? You just point and squeeze the trigger, right?”
“Good enough.” He handed her a weapon. “Take this. If you use it, shoot to kill. Don’t hesitate. Understand me?”
“No!” she yelled. “I don’t know how to use a gun!”
“It’s like you said. Point, aim, steady with your other hand, squeeze, nice and steady. Don’t lift your hand when you squeeze. Watch out for the recoil. Keep shooting until he stops coming at you. Don’t ask questions, don’t talk. Just shoot. The safety is off so don’t touch the trigger now.”
“How fast can your backup get here?” she wailed, but the answer was clear—not fast enough. The SUV was gaining on them, and when it sideswiped their car, both vehicles spun out, her stomach lurching and hanging in the air before slamming into her backbone, her whole body shoved into the seat by the centripetal force.
When she opened her eyes, the door swung open and something was beeping. Ding, ding, ding, ding. The ceiling light was on. Sloan’s hands, unbuckling her. “Kate! Get up. Kate. Wake up. Get out of the car, now.”
She forced herself to focus on his eyes, then behind him, to the other vehicle. “Oh, God, people are coming, watch out,” she started, and he grabbed her, ducked around the door, and pulled her to the other side of the car. Bullets rang out, the sounds muffled as they hit the metal. Thick, powerful sounds, though—damaging sounds. Heavy hits.
“Hold your gun.” Sloan’s voice hissed into her ear. “Remember what I told you. Right now, anyone who comes at you except for me is your enemy. You shoot without mercy to save your life, Kate. Tell me yes.”
“Y-yes.” She blinked hard, trying to stay sane.
“Sloan!” Footsteps crackled on the gravel and a feminine voice rang out. “I need Kate and whatever information you found in the pawnshop.”
Sloan didn’t answer but Kate gasped. “Allison?” She flinched and dropped the gun, jerked again, and accidentally shoved it under the car.
“Kate. Nobody is going to hurt you. We just need the information you found.” Allison’s voice sounded cheerful. “Sorry about the rough stop. You’re a sensible person, Kate. I could tell when we met earlier. So come on over and let’s get you home. Your mom is waiting back at my safe house, and your friend Lila. They’re so eager to see you.”
“M-my mom?” Despite Sloan’s warning, Kate half-stood. He yanked her back down. “Kate, no.”
“They’re safe and out of their minds with worry. Your mom had a slight heart attack but don’t worry, she’s all right. I know that once she sees you, it will help her recovery.”
“No!” Kate tried to stand again.
Sloan grabbed her arm. “Kate, it’s a lie. A trap. She’ll say anything to get you to come out on your own. Don’t go to her.”
“Your mom’s on oxygen and IV meds. She was pale this morning and having palpitations, but I know that once you’re reunited, she’ll be just fine. Come on out. I’ll take you to her.”
Kate stayed where she was.
“No? You’re not coming?”
Silence.
“I just hope we get back to her in time.”
Kate’s heart dropped. “Maybe you’re wondering what I mean?” Allison’s voice was even more peppy. “Well, she’s hooked up to another IV that’s on a timer. If we’re not back with you in exactly two hours, well, a valve will open and a new medicine will go into her bloodstream. Well, maybe medicine isn’t quite the right word. It’s a slow-acting toxin. Very painful, I’m told. We’ll take video, though, so you can see it. And we’ll tell her that it’s all your fault while she dies in agony.”
“Where is she?” Kate’s voice shot out. “I don’t believe you. You’re lying.”
“Video.” A phone skittered across the ground and started playing. A woman was lying in a hospital bed, an IV in her arm. Her eyes were shut; her face pale. “If you want, we can put it on YouTube.”
“That’s my mom!” Kate’s breath came faster. “Sloan! Allison. I’m going to kill you. What did you do?” Her voice trembled.
“Stop talking,” Sloan hissed, kicking the phone back. “She’s going to kill you if she gets you, and trust me, it won’t be nice. We need to get out of here. She’s trying to mind-fuck you.”
Allison held up the phone, and a voice rang out. “Katie? Katie? Where are you? Oh, baby, I need you. Please don’t let them do this to me!”
Allison kicked some gravel. “Oh, Kate, I’m so sorry. But we do what we have to, don’t we. Come out now and she won’t suffer further. It’s completely up to you. What power you have! My, my. Must feel so good. Maybe almost as good as fucking Sloan.”
“Why are you doing this?” Kate screamed.
But Allison just smiled. “That’s not your concern,” she remarked. “This is.” She held up the phone. “For the next two hours, anyway. Time limit! Tick, tock. Want to hear more?”
Kate leaned forward. Sloan grabbed at her sleeve, and the attack came from behind. Sloan’s body was covering hers, pushing her to the ground. “Down!” he shouted. “Kate.” Shots rang out, hitting the car next to her, so close that she felt the air wave from the bullets. Sloan shouted and groaned, grabbing his shoulder, then dived and rolled, turned and shot behind them. When he came back to her, panting, she stared, wide-eyed.
“Kate,” he ordered, raspy. “Your weapon. Use it. Now.”
“They shot at me,” she whispered, frozen.
“Kate! Snap out of it.” His voice was rough, his breath harsh.
She saw blood oozing from his shoulder, bright and thick. Ripped cloth, clotted. “Are you okay?” she sobbed. All the muscles in her body were pulling in different directions.
“I’m fine. Hold your weapon,” he groaned, and she saw sweat on his forehead.
“You saved me,” she said, unable to move.
“Kate, watch your back,” he hissed, raised his gun, and shot. A man fell, yards away, with a squish sound coming from his chest. Gurgles and gasps brought a red bubbly foam to his lips. Horrified, Kate stared, entranced, as the bubbles sucked in and out, in and out. He raised a hand out, beseeching, eyes glassy, and she saw the exact moment that life left his body. One second he twitched in agony, the next, he was an empty shell, his hand still moving, but nothing behind the mask. The horror of actual death froze her solid.
“Kate!” Sloan’s voice was weaker but emphatic. “Watch for Allison.”
Kate darted her head around just in time to see Allison come around the side of the vehicle. She was still in her khaki pants and white top and that neat bun. Her makeup was intact.
“Oh, Kate,” she said in a mock sympathetic voice. “What a stupid girl you are, fucking the help and getting all distracted by YouTube. No wonder you need a sitter.” She had a gun at her side, but she held it casually, as if it were a dog leash and the dog was meandering around, sniffing. Kate couldn’t take her eyes from the gun. Beside her, Sloan’s breathing became more labored. To her horror, he sounded like the red foam man seconds before death. He coughed, and blood trickled from the side of his mouth—but the gun. The gun.
“Oh, this?” Allison gestured, pointed the gun at Kate, then at Sloan, then back at the ground. “I’m not going to hurt you. I need the information from you. Where is it? What did you get?”
“I don’t know.” Kate shifted. Her gun was under the car. She stretched out her hand. “It’s under here. Please, I’ll give it to you, all of it, it’s an envelope. I don’t know what it is, just take it and don’t hurt me or Sloan. Please.”
“You can trust me.” Allison’s voice was soft. “I just want the envelope. We’ll trade. You give me the envelope, I won’t hurt you.”
“Okay. I’m getting it. It’s just a little dusty. Okay. Please don’t shoot me.” Kate eyed Allison, trembling.
“Good girl,” coached Allison, twirling the gun in her fingers. “Reach out slowly.”
Kate took a deep breath, wrapped her fingers around the barrel of the gun. With her index finger, she found the trigger. Beside her, Sloan lay gasping, his face gray, arm twitching sporadically.
“Here it is,” said Kate, her voice soft.
She pulled the gun out and aimed, but Allison was too fast. Pain pierced her stomach and she doubled over. It was fire, pure fire in her belly, a gasoline fire that burned hotter than the sun. The kind of fire that could burn in water. It was death fire. And as Allison came closer, the fear in her body increased along with the pain.
Sloan moved fast; a shot rang out and Allison was on the ground, gasping, moaning. The three of them were a sick orchestra of pain, and Kate figured the sounds would be stuck in her brain as long as she lived, whether that was a minute or a hundred years. But she needed to focus, because Sloan’s eyes were closed and Allison’s were open. Those pale gray eyeballs were focused on the gun, on the dusty road between Kate and Allison.
All Kate knew was that she had to get it first. It was the only thing in the world, more fundamental than oxygen. It was all. And some monumental burst of energy sang through her when she saw Sloan there, knowing he’d taken the previous bullet so she wouldn’t, seeing how gone he was. She dragged herself forward and put her hand on the barrel of the gun, and Allison’s head was right there. She raised her arm and brought the gun down on Allison’s temple like Sloan had told her, over and over, until Allison stopped coming and the gray eyes flickered shut. And then she lay back herself and faded into the fire licking behind her own eyes.
Chapter Seventeen
Her mom was thinner, aged, but the same woman, and Kate hugged hard, unable to let go. Her mom smelled the same as usual, of her basement where she hung clothes to dry, her laundry, and her own body. Kate buried her face in her mom’s shoulder, crying, laughing, reaching up to pull her mom down even though her entire body hurt.
Lila was there, too, later. Kate’s stepdad. Kate didn’t remember the order of things. All the events happened at once, in the same instant. She was the one with an IV in her arm. Her mom was fine. Her mom had never suffered a heart attack, never been in a hospital bed, hooked up to poison. It was all lies. Nobody had known she was missing until they received calls from the hospital. Lila’s hair was still purple. Mac visited, face worried. Sloan was there, too, hovering, a dark presence in a sling, giving orders.
She asked about Ella, but nobody knew anything. Then Sloan told her: Ella had been found dead in her home the day Kate was abducted; the coroner said reported natural causes. Sloan thought Ella had died the day Kate was kidnapped because there were no signs of torture. Kate didn’t know whether to be grateful for that on Ella’s behalf.
Eli was in foster care. He was continuing lead chelation therapy and might be adopted by some distant cousins in Montana. The medical documents that Ella had included? They were ones she’d never shown Kate—a report about intestinal surgery for Eli to remove a batch of lead BB pellets he’d swallowed. It was the lead in the BBs that had caused his seizure, although the lead in the water supply was still at levels higher than EPA limits. Ella must have kept that a secret for her own reasons. Kate would never know them. And she couldn’t process this right now; her sadness over Ella and Eli was pushed away as she dealt with her own immediate situation.
She met with FBI people she’d never heard of, including Sloan’s boss’s boss, and answered the same questions over and over from the bed. On video. Signed things, many times. Sloan had a lawyer for her; he made sure to be there during questioning.
Her stomach was bandaged and had a drain, which seemed perverse. She hid it under the blankets when anyone came, and hid the urine bag, too, by pulling a sheet down over the edge of the bed. She didn’t think people should be bothering her like this, but they were.
Allison was in a different hospital; she’d be transferred to a federal prison later. She hadn’t given a reason for what she did, wasn’t talking at all. They thought she might have been working for Mancini, but Allison was silent.
There would be no charges filed against Kate for attacking Allison, it was credible self-defense, although she needed to give several more depositions.
The nurses were wonderful. When she got too tired, all she needed to do was look over and someone was there, adjusting her drip, arranging her blankets, snapping at people to leave, let her rest.
