After Shock(12)

Lucy let the shakes devour her body, released herself to her tears. Snot poured from her nose, and she turned her face into her shoulder to wipe it clean. Closed her eyes for an instant, hiding her triumph.

Bastard wasn't all-seeing, all-powerful. He didn't know her mom had canceled her plans with Charlie to babysit Megan tonight. Her mom wouldn't be anywhere near her own home this afternoon; she'd be coming into the city to Lucy's house. Could she take the chance, send him to Mom's house?

No. Too risky-he obviously had someone following her. They'd know when she left for Lucy's place.

"Not your mom?" His tone was a strange mix of surprise and pleasure. "I'd actually thought you would have chosen her. She's old, already had her chance at a family, happiness. So it's Nick? Really?"

Nick. Yes. He was at the VA today instead of his private office. He'd be surrounded all day, and into the night since he had group. Protected by his patients, soldiers-young, fit, ready for action.

"Lucy? I need to know. Who do you want me to kill? Is it Nick? Megan? Or your mom?" The man sounded impatient, as if Lucy had been dawdling for no good reason.

Lucy rolled her face back up to the thin slice of sky, keeping her expression blank. Stray tears coated her eyelashes, coloring the world with rainbows as she blinked. Her face was numb, her body numb, and she used that to her advantage.

He leaned forward, his face blocking the sky, creating her world. Master of the universe.

For now. Bastard.

She buried her fury beneath the numbness. "Please. I gave you what you wanted. That's the real code. I promise." She was sobbing again, tears warming her frozen skin. "It's the day Megan was conceived. How could I make that up?" Again, the glint of satisfaction in his eyes. Good.

His gaze searched hers. Then he abruptly stood, towering over her. "Answer me, Lucy." He planted his booted foot over her injured one and shifted his weight down.

The blissful numbness vanished in a tsunami of pain, swamping all conscious thought. Lucy couldn't restrain her scream. It echoed through the small space, escaped into the empty sky so far overhead, then disappeared.

"Who's it going to be, Lucy? Who's going to die?"

He applied more pressure to her ankle. Lucy's body jackknifed upright, her shoulders straining against the handcuffs as another shriek escaped. He removed his boot. Her pants leg was shredded, the black fabric looking like soot caught in a mass of blood and mangled tissue. Nothing remained of her sock, and she swore she saw the glint of bone in the ugly gaping wound that extended from her shin down to her foot.

All this filled her vision in the time it took for her scream to consume all the breath in her body. She fell back, gasping.

He raised his boot high, ready to stomp down with all his weight.

"No!" she cried. "Nick! Take Nick."





Now

7:14 p.m.

Lucy closed her fist around the phone, but the nurse easily wrested it away. "Please. I need to talk to the FBI."

The nurse looked at her skeptically. "Deputy Renfew said he'd already called."

"And is waiting to hear back from the duty agent. My family is in danger. They may not have time."

The nurse squinted at Lucy, then the door, and finally nodded. "But I'll dial, and we keep it on speaker."

Lucy gave her Walden's direct number. When he answered, the nurse took over. "This is Mary Townsend, a nurse in the ER at Riverside Community Hospital. To whom am I speaking?"

"FBI Special Agent Isaac Walden. What do you need?"

Never had Lucy been so relieved to hear Walden's deep, soothing tones. She reached for the phone, but the nurse held it away from her. "Do you work with a Lucy Guardino?"

"Yes. She's my boss. Supervisory special agent in charge of our Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement squad. Why?" Concern edged his voice. "Has something happened?"

"Could you please describe her?"

Lucy rolled her eyes. She didn't have time for this nonsense. Walden responded with a thumbnail description of her, enough to satisfy the nurse, who finally handed Lucy the phone. Lucy held it close to her lips, straining to raise her voice loud enough to carry through the airwaves.

"Find Nick and Megan," she said. "And secure my mother-she should be at my house with Megan. Nick's at the VA. This morning I was abducted, and the man threatened my family. He has my administrator database code, so call Taylor and have him run a security sweep of the system and alert Clarksburg and Quantico." Her voice faded to a thin, raspy whisper.

"Are you safe now?" Walden asked.

"Yes." Lucy could barely manage the single syllable.

The nurse interrupted. "She has several fractures and severe damage to her left foot and ankle. The doctors are talking to Three Rivers about a transfer to get her to the surgical specialists she needs to save her leg."

Lucy grabbed the phone back. "Get my family to safety."

"On it," he assured her. "Can you describe any of the subjects?"

"I-" She paused, realizing that the nurse was listening to an admission of guilt. What the hell, it was self-defense, pure and simple. "I killed the man I saw. During my escape. A county deputy, Renfew, ID'd him as Lloyd Cramer. I don't know how many accomplices he has."

"Got it. Let me check on your family and tag this deputy as well as Taylor. I'll call you back soon as I have answers." He hung up.
 
 

 

Lucy sagged back in the chair, still gripping the phone like it was a lifeline. "One more call?" she asked the nurse in a meek tone. "My husband. Please?"

Walden had suitably impressed the nurse, who nodded. "Of course. No problem. I'm going to see if they're transferring you or not. Agent Guardino." She added the last in a tone of respect.

Lucy couldn't care less about the title or her medical care. All she cared about was reaching Nick. She called his cell, holding her breath until he answered. "Callahan here."

She couldn't respond right away: her heart felt as if it had leapt into her throat, swelling with gratitude. Nick was alive. He was okay.

"Hello?" he repeated, his Virginia accent leaking through. "Anybody there?"

"It's me," she said. "Lucy," she added, in case her hoarse whisper wasn't clear.

"Lucy, what's wrong?"

"Where's Megan? Have you seen or spoken with her or my mom?"

"There's a story." Country-western music in the background. He was in his car-the only place he listened to that radio station. "She conned your mother into letting her and Emma get a ride after karate from Emma's older sister. Only instead of going to Emma's house, they went to check on Zeke at the vet's. And then Emma and her sister left Megan there while they went to that damn movie."

Megan was alone? Panic parched her mouth. Before she was able to form any words, Nick continued, "Just picked up the little rug rat, and we're on our way home to have dinner with your mom. Say hi, Megan. It will be the last time you get to use a phone for a long, long time."

"Mom." Megan's voice carried through, lighting Lucy's heart with a joyous fire. "Tell Dad he's overreacting. I didn't mean to lie, not really. But I knew you didn't want me going to the movie, and I really, really wanted to see Zeke, make sure he was okay. And I asked Grams for permission-well, kind of-so there's no reason to ground me."

"We'll see about that," Nick said. "Anyway, what's up? Your voice sounds funny-don't tell me you got into a shouting match with those bozos in Harrisburg. Hey, Walden's on the other line."

Lucy chose her words carefully, not sure if Megan could hear her. "Nick. Don't go home. I never made it to Harrisburg. A man threatened me as well as my family-"

"Are you okay?" His voice changed, became razor-sharp.

"I'm fine. I had a little accident. They brought me to Riverside Community."

"We're on our way. What about your mother? She's waiting at the house."

"Walden's sending someone. He'll arrange an escort for you as well."

"Why? Thanks to Megan's escapades, no one could possibly know where we are, and if you're safe at the hospital, then we will be as well. I'll call Walden back, tell him to have your mom brought there."

Great. Just what she didn't need: explaining the events of the day to her mother. But he was right. There was no way her captor's accomplices could know where she was-hell, they probably didn't even know he was dead yet. With her family safe and Walden on the job, she could finally relax.

She glanced at her mangled leg. Thought about the kind of person who would turn a beautiful animal into a vicious killing machine. Decided he'd gotten what he deserved back in that barn. "Is Megan's puppy okay?"

Nick's laughter was better than any pain medicine the doctors had. "You big softy. Yes, he's fine. The vet said we can bring him home tomorrow."

Exhaustion washed over her, pulling her under like a riptide. "Okay. Good. I'll see you soon."

"Love you, Lucy-loo," he whispered before hanging up.

"Love you, too," she replied, even though the line had already gone dead.





Then

3:53 p.m.

Her scream died, burying Nick's name in silence. Dear Lord, what had she done?

Sobs shook her-real tears beyond her control. Nick would be okay, she promised herself. He could take care of himself, he was safe at the VA, he'd be all right.