Under Fire, page 26
My world made an abrupt turn, leaving me feeling momentarily disoriented. Huish didn’t know I’d been taken prisoner with the girls, but somehow Levine did.
Levine was within arm’s reach, close enough that if I aimed the gun toward him, he’d see and react before I could finish.
“Take it,” I said, smiling at Levine.
As he reached for the gun, I made a fist of my left hand and hit him in the face. I wasn’t as strong with my left hand as with my right, and since being shot in that arm I was even weaker, but I put in hours of practice with it every week, and I intended to make that count. My blow hit him hard enough that he staggered back. I pointed the gun at him.
“Autumn, what are you doing?” Levine’s voice was wounded.
“Commander, pick up your gun and give me some help.” I spoke too late because the commander was already halfway to my side.
“Autumn,” Levine moaned. “Why?”
“You knew I took the girls. I didn’t tell anyone, so the only way you knew it is if you had someone from the mortuary reporting to you.”
Levine’s face turned ugly and his hurt little boy act vanished. “You’ll pay for this, I swear. Both of you.”
“One more minute and he would have had us both disarmed without a shot fired,” Huish said, bringing Levine’s arms behind his back. “No telling what he would have done then.”
That explained why Levine hadn’t shot the commander immediately. In the role he was playing for me, he would have had to at least try to convince the commander to give up. If he’d shot too soon, he wouldn’t have been able to disarm me nearly as easily as he almost had. Of course, the whole charade wouldn’t have been necessary if his men were here. I hoped they weren’t off chasing Shannon somewhere.
“Where’s Shannon?” I demanded of Levine. My hand holding the gun shook.
“Easy.” Commander Huish pried my fingers from the 9 mil and pocketed the weapon.
I brought my fists up instead. “Where is he!”
“Dead,” Levine spat.
I felt as if he’d punched me in the stomach. Shannon and I had run out of time. My brain refused to process the idea.
“Don’t believe him,” Huish said. “Shannon called me after he’d had a run-in with these guys. He’d been shot, but he was still alive and free. I told him you’d escaped but were refusing to tell me where you were.”
“Why did his GPS stop working?”
Huish made a face. “I believe he said something about not wanting you to track him here. He was a little busy staying ahead of those guys, or I’d bet he’d have tried to call you himself after he talked to me.”
Shannon had probably checked my icon and seen that I’d turned on my GPS and was heading his way. “Then he’s still alive,” I said.
“He was before I found him again,” Levine taunted.
“Shut up.” Huish waved his gun. “You’re just stalling. Forget it, Levine. Your thugs aren’t coming. Why do you think they left you to deal with Ms. Rain here alone?”
Levine shrugged. “If either of you think you’ll make it out of here alive, you’re sorely mistaken.” He grinned at me, as if everything had been a big joke. “Up until now I’ve played Mr. Nice Guy, but there’s too much at stake here to have my operation compromised.”
“We’ll see about that,” Huish said.
Levine dipped his head as if in a signal, his smile deadly. “Look around you.”
Men stepped out from the trees, some I knew—Kirt, Dale, and Tiny. Only Harrison, the driver of the van I’d stolen, seemed to be absent from those who’d been at the mortuary. I wondered if that was because he’d finally wised up, or if he was simply occupied elsewhere. With the newcomers was the man who’d shot Cody and another man I didn’t recognize.
All of them had guns. We were surrounded.
“Looks like you didn’t find the mortuary before they escaped,” I said to Huish as he dropped his weapons into the snow.
“Remind me to dock someone’s pay,” he muttered.
Still wearing his sling, Kirt holstered his weapon and sauntered over to stand in front of me. His left fist lashed out, catching me in the stomach. I curled forward, gagging.
“That’s for the girls,” Kirt said.
“You forget I also saved your wasted life,” I retorted, bringing up my hands.
Kirt made a fist again, his lip lifting in a sneer. “Bring it,” he taunted.
I grinned. This would be almost too easy. Like Cody, I wasn’t above hitting his wounded shoulder, and I knew from experience how much pain Kirt was going to be in.
“That’s enough,” Levine said, his voice calm.
Kirt stepped back, dropping his fists. “Yes, sir.”
Sir? He’d called Levine sir? Ridiculous. Even with the change in Levine’s demeanor, he didn’t command that kind of respect. Except, I guessed, from these men.
“Besides,” Levine added, “what happened at the mortuary is ultimately your fault, Kirt. You were in charge. You owe me.” He sounded as though he was speaking about the weather, the casualness lined with something hard that made a shiver crawl across my shoulders.
“I’ll make it up to you,” Kirt promised. “I’ll make my outfit the best you’ve ever seen.”
“Good. We need to move out. The trucks are ready to go, but we’re down a few men, so between the trucks and the cars, we’ll all need to drive. I don’t think the commander here notified anyone, but I don’t want to take chances. In fact, I’ll call the sheriff’s office myself and make sure no one has been alerted.”
“What about them?” Kirt tilted his head toward Huish and me.
“Tiny and I’ll hold them until the others come back from disposing of that detective.” Here Levine’s eyes met mine, and I saw nothing that resembled the friendly, awkward man I’d seen earlier today. “Once we’re sure that’s cleared up, we’ll take care of the commander and move out. Ms. Rain, however, is coming with us. Her unique ability will be useful in our future deals.” His eyes bore into Kirt. “That means hands off unless I say otherwise.”
So, I was still useful, which didn’t make me feel any better. Because of me, Levine might learn of an intended double cross. Or know in advance how much a buyer was willing to pay. There were hundreds of different scenarios in which he could use my talent, none of which allowed me any kind of life. I’d met a mobster once who’d wanted to permanently take advantage of my skills, and though I’d escaped that fate, I still owed the guy one reading of an imprint. I often couldn’t sleep at night worrying about it. Working for Levine would be even worse.
I was tempted to make a break into the woods, to fight until I couldn’t move any more. Two things stopped me. Shannon was somewhere out there, and Cody was still in that little house. If I was going to get free, it had to be in one piece so I’d be able to help them.
“Move!” Levine barked. His men jumped into motion, sprinting across the snowy clearing like wild rabbits, leaving the commander and me with Levine and Tiny. Unfortunately, Tiny had cuffed Huish with his own cuffs and was taking great pleasure in making sure my hands had little circulation with a length of rope I knew he’d rather be wrapping around my neck. At least my hands were in front of me.
How long had it been since I’d called Paige? Not long enough, I feared. She’d still have to find the right dirt road, which wouldn’t be easy, even with my GPS location. The best I could hope for was that Levine would leave Cody here and that she’d find him in time.
Levine marched us across the clearing to the middle building where the cars were parked. Beyond that, in the largest building, I could see lights peeking from under the tarps and a semi emerging from the huge doors. I didn’t believe it would make it down the snow-packed road, but they’d apparently driven it in.
Levine followed my gaze. “Wasn’t quite ready to act as a storage facility, but the tarps worked in a pinch. But thanks to you and your detective friend, we may now have to find a new place.” He spoke mildly, but there was controlled anger under the words, and I knew he intended to make me pay for the loss.
I didn’t intend to stick around that long.
“I don’t blame you, really,” Levine added. “You were just doing your job. I knew it was only a matter of time until you found something with an imprint that pointed at me.”
“So you decided to kidnap me.”
His smile made my skin crawl. “Better working for me than against me. I tried to prevent you from finding certain imprints, but we saw how well that worked at Kirt’s.”
“You warned him, didn’t you?” spat Huish. “And I bet you cleaned out his place before we got there.”
“His and Millard’s, though Millard didn’t actually live there. I’ve been diverting information away from the sheriff’s office for a very long time.”
No wonder Huish and Greeley hadn’t made progress in Jenny’s investigation. Huish looked furious enough to attack Levine despite his cuffed hands.
“Calm down, commander,” Levine said. “I’m the one with the gun.”
The semi had reached our location, Kirt at the wheel despite his wounded arm. “Hey, boss,” he called, rolling down the window. “I forgot to tell you. I found a lead on the girl. It was in the information you discovered from the sheriff’s office last week—the old artist’s new properties.”
Levine nodded. “Find her. But only once the truck is safe.”
My head whipped to Levine. “Do you mean Jenny Vandyke? If you know where she is, you have to let her go! She’s just a little girl.”
Levine regarded me, amusement flickering in his expression.
“She’s not just a little girl. She’s payback. She’s retribution. She’s insurance against a future double cross. And she’ll also fetch a fine price on the market.”
“You’re sick,” I said.
He shrugged. “I’m also very, very rich.” He gave me a warm smile. “Who knows? You may become accustomed to the life.”
I let the disgust in my eyes say it all.
“If you don’t have Jenny, why exchange the boot?” Huish asked.
Levine grinned. “Interesting question. I handled the boot, and I was worried I’d left something for Ms. Rain to pick up. But I also didn’t want you finding the child before we did.”
“You’re scum!” growled Huish.
Levine laughed. The change in him was amazing. From shy boy next door to confident drug runner. Killer.
While we’d been talking, Dale had attached a vehicle to the back of the semi. His face, illuminated by the moonlight and the rear lights on the semi, looked ghoulish. They should have taken him to a doctor after the damage I’d done to him. When he finished, he got into another vehicle and drove away. We watched the semi follow his path across the snow, scraping its sides against the trees as it headed to the adjoining road.
Two men gone, which left Levine, Tiny, and the other two who’d been sent to the far building. I tested my bonds. Too strong. I wasn’t going anywhere.
“Inside.” Levine waved his gun toward the middle building.
I could do nothing but precede him to the door and, when he opened it, go inside.
Chapter 22
This building was almost warm compared to the outside, despite the concrete floor. A wood stove burned in the middle of the room, its black exhaust pipe snaking up through the ceiling. After the bright moonlight in the clearing, the place was dark, though I could make out boxes of supplies and bedding. Someone had been staying here, had maybe hoped to stay a long time. Would they really give it up now? Unless they captured Shannon, there was still a chance they’d have to. It wasn’t a complete win for our side, but it was something.
“Wait.” Levine ordered. “Search them.”
Tiny felt the pockets of my borrowed jacket and grinned at me as he emptied first my phone and then the half dozen full magazines. “So that’s where they went,” he said.
“They made a nice collection.” I lifted my chin.
“Sure they did.” He spun me around, slamming my face against the door and began patting me further, obviously enjoying himself.
An imprint came through the skin of my cheek. Immediately I knew who’d left it. I knew who’d looked out the small opening at eye level in the door only minutes ago.
Shannon was alive! It was the only thought of my own I could manage as the strong feelings in the imprint overtook me.
Relief at seeing Autumn unharmed. She was tied, looking more angry than scared. That’s my girl, I/Shannon thought. Was Levine going to put her in the truck? I’d follow it if he did. Maybe the back doors were open, or the doors to the car that thug was hooking to the back. Calculating the steps to the semi. How long would I have to be in the open? They had guns, which unlike mine, were loaded.
But no, the truck moved on, and Levine was coming this way with Autumn.
Need to hide. Agony surged through my thigh as I pushed off the door.
The imprint ended, and Tiny pulled me away from the door, though not before I saw a second semi stopping outside. No one emerged from the cab to hook up a vehicle to the back as Dale had with the first truck. Whether that was good or bad, I couldn’t know.
Shannon was here, and I knew he’d act before Levine killed the commander and drove me off to wherever he was heading.
I had to be ready to move when Shannon did. Hopefully soon, before Kirt found Jenny. I tried not to dwell on that too much because somehow it involved Cody.
“Levine, think what you’re doing,” Huish urged, as Levine turned on a light that looked like a lantern but operated on batteries.
Levine straightened. “What I’m doing is a favor for you, commander. Think of it this way. You won’t have to see your wife die or your son overdose. You won’t care at all about them where I’m sending you. I might even give your son a job. What do you think of that?”
“I’ll kill you!” Huish lunged, but Levine punched him in the face, and he staggered back, knocking over a stack of supplies as he fell.
As if on cue, the outside door reopened. Detective Greeley loomed in the doorway, looking odd with his wavy hair matted to his head.
Huish grinned at Levine from the floor. “You really think I’m stupid enough to have come alone? Where do you think the rest of your guys went? We’ve been picking them off one by one.”
As Greeley edged further into the room, Huish’s grin faltered. “Where are the others?” he asked Greeley.
Greeley shook his head. A sinking feeling began in my stomach. Was Greeley in on it too?
The detective moved further into the room, and now we could see that his hands were behind his back and he was bleeding from a wound in his shoulder. The man who’d shot Cody was behind him, holding a gun to Greeley’s neck.
“This deputy and his buddy tried to stop our truck,” Greeley’s captor said. “But don’t worry. They learned their lesson the hard way.”
Levine began chuckling. “I was beginning to think you’d failed me.” His barbed tone made it clear that failing him would have been fatal.
“You stinking bit of slime!” Greeley snarled at Levine. “I suspected you were involved, but I still can’t believe you’re actually working with these scum.”
So that was what Greeley had been hiding, the suspicion that his friend and partner wasn’t all he seemed to be.
Levine barely spared him a glance. “No hard feelings, partner. Don’t take it personally.”
“Your thugs just killed Greg out there!” Greeley bellowed. “How’s that for personal?”
“Maybe it will help to know that I’m not really Billy Levine. I just took his place when he was transferred here.”
“That means you’ve been lying to us for two years!” Greeley’s voice rose an octave. “When I get my hands on you, you’ll wish you were dead.”
“Gag him.” Levine ordered before turning to some files and shoving them into a box. “I’ll need these but we’ll torch the rest. We won’t be able to use this place anyway, not until we’re sure how much the sheriff’s deputies know. The insurance will pay us more than it would cost to upgrade the buildings anyway, and the fire will do us the added benefit of disposing of the commander.”
I tried to catch Huish’s eye, but he was glaring at Levine as Tiny hauled him to his feet and tied a dirty rag over his mouth. I squinted into the darkness, looking for Shannon. Where was he? Had I imagined the imprint?
No. He was here, and I knew he wouldn’t leave.
The imprint told me he had no bullets in his gun. By gun I didn’t know if that meant the backup he normally carried or the weapon he’d said he was going to borrow from the sheriff’s office to replace the Glock they’d confiscated after the shooting at the hospital. Either way, I knew he’d have a 9 mil, because that’s what he liked best. A few of the magazines I’d confiscated were 9 mil, and I didn’t know if any might fit his gun, but it was worth a try. Maybe I could lean over the box where Tiny had set them and pick out those that looked to be the right size.
I stumbled forward, bumping into the box and sending the magazines skittering to the floor. I groaned. So much for that plan.
Levine stopped shoving papers into his box and turned to me. “Tiny, maybe we should give Ms. Rain something to relax her. I’ve got exactly the thing in one of these boxes.” He smiled at me. “Can’t guarantee you won’t have a headache when you wake up, but that can’t be helped. Ah, here it is.” He glanced over at Huish. “Would you like some too? Ha! Sorry, commander. I’m kidding. It’s too expensive to waste on a dead man.”
Tiny grinned and lumbered toward me with a needle.
That was when Shannon rose from the shadows behind Levine. He’d tied a cloth around the top of his thigh, and drying red stains covered the front of his jeans. It looked like an awful lot of blood. Remembering the pain from the imprint, I wondered how he was still on his feet.
Before Shannon could strike, Levine turned his gun toward him, warned perhaps by a sound or some innate sense of self-preservation. I dodged Tiny and his gun, bringing up my tied hands and swinging them into Levine’s shoulder. Not exactly something taught in my martial arts class but good enough to send his bullet wide.
