Before the Dawn(60)

And he'd live to hunt Dawn another day.

You're afraid of me, Dawn. I saw it. You're afraid of me...

And you're afraid of him.

Just the way it should be.

Killing Dawn wasn't the point. If it had been, she would be bleeding out in the alley. She needed to suffer. She needed to fear.

He needed to finish the work that Jason Frost had started.

And when he was done, Dawn would be frozen and Tucker would be destroyed.

He'd left Jinx's phone behind deliberately. Placed it into position before he ran the opposite way. He wanted them to find all the pictures he'd left on that phone. Another part of his plan.

The plan had been so long in the making. He'd been so careful, and soon...soon he'd get the ending he'd wanted all along.





  CHAPTER TWELVE

"I'M GOING IN that interrogation." Tucker glared toward the one-way mirror. "That little prick in there saw the killer. He took money from him to take a shot at me, and he's going to tell me exactly who we are after." 

Dawn glanced between him and Anthony. The tension in the room was so thick it nearly suffocated her. The man in the ski mask had vanished, but the kid in the other room-the one with bleached-blond hair and too-pale skin who couldn't seem to stop shaking-he'd been arrested.

The guy didn't seem to get just how much trouble he was in. When you shot at an FBI agent, you didn't get to walk away. But the blond kept asking when he'd be let go.

No time soon.

Malone was okay, thank God. The cops had found him at his home. He'd left his phone at his office after he'd gotten the news about Jinx, and he'd gone on a serious bender. The uniforms who'd gone to his house had said he'd smelled like a case of cheap beer.

"The FBI has rank on this one," Tucker continued. "I want my run at him first, then you and your guys can have him."

Bowen stood beside Dawn, watching the scene unfold. He'd been silent, just as she had, though she doubted it was for the same reason.

The guy got to me. He'd scared her in that little alleyway. Because the things he'd said...Jason had said them, too. How had the guy known that? Those words had been burned in her memory. Word for word.

Anthony inclined his head. "It's your show, but I'm telling you now...that kid is as high as a freaking kite. His pupils are pinpricks, he can't stop shaking and I caught the dumbass singing a few minutes ago. I don't think he's going to be able to give us jackshit."

Dawn's gaze slid back to the glass. That was her fear, too. She could see all the same telltale signs that Anthony had just noticed. She knew he was right.

Anthony headed toward her. He paused at her side, and his hand came up toward her face.

She stiffened. "Anthony?"

He almost touched her lip, but seemed to catch himself. "I'm sorry you were hurt." And he shot a glare toward Tucker. "I was assured your safety was a priority."

Over his shoulder, she saw Tucker's jaw clench.

"I'm okay." Her voice was flat. She wasn't going to let any emotion slip out.

"It's obvious he's after her." Finally, Bowen spoke. "He was trying to lure her out to him. We have to be on guard, no more mistakes."

Tucker marched toward the door. "No more mistakes." His words were clipped but she knew his anger was directed at himself. He'd barely stopped long enough to get his arm checked out. The bullet had clipped him, but he hadn't seemed to care about the pain. An EMT had patched him up at the scene, and Tucker had been stoically silent the whole time. A few quick stitches, no anesthesia. And right back to work he went.

He opened the door and headed out. Anthony cast one last look at Dawn, and then he followed on Tucker's heels.

Dawn's breath eased out slowly as she moved for a better position in the observation room. She'd never seen that blond guy before in her life. His gaze kept darting around the room, not lingering for more than a few seconds on anything. And his fingers were tapping on the table. Tap. Tap. Tap.

"He is higher than a damn kite," Bowen growled.

Yes, he was.


      ///
       
         
       
        

"You sure you're all right?"

She bit her lip. She hadn't told Tucker about the man's words...mostly because the bastard had been talking about Tucker and it had just-

No. Fear had kept her silent. Stupid fear. "A few bruises, nothing more." Her spine straightened. She wouldn't give in to the terror again. She wouldn't.

She saw the door to the interrogation room open. Tucker stepped inside, with Anthony right at his heels. The blond took one look at them, and terror flashed on his face. He jumped to his feet, throwing out his hands.