Wanting (PAVAD) Read online

  “Where is what?” She pushed everything else he’d said out of her mind. She couldn’t deal with that right now, she couldn’t.

  “Don’t play around, Madeline. You know where it is.”

  “For the second time, I’m not Madeline. And I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Had Paige moved? Was she still alive? Carrie fought to keep herself from looking at her friend. If he thought Paige was alive and a threat to him, he’d hurt Paige. She had no doubt of that. This man was cold. She’d seen a few sociopaths in her work with PAVAD. Had watched several interviews Hell or Josh or Georgia had done with them. This man had all the classic signs. Which meant that he cared about nothing.

  She might have trouble reading emotions, but this man—this man felt no emotions.

  Maybe that’s what she needed to use? Cold, hard logic?

  She closed her eyes for a moment, to give herself strength, to compose herself, she didn’t know. She pulled in a deep breath, allowing him to lead her down the hallway. Toward the stairs. She ran over everything she knew about the building in her mind. “You don’t want to use these stairs.”

  “Why not?”

  “This is the main evacuation route for the upper dorms. It will be filled with kids. Stupid kids who will only freak out if they see the gun. Someone could get hurt. I don’t want the kids hurt. Do you? That would bring a lot of attention this direction. You know the police are on their way. And the fire department. I set up the system to ring them directly if the fire alarm isn’t silenced within four minutes of activation.”

  He paused, and she knew he was considering her words. He nodded. She tried not to let on how the small victory mattered. How it proved she could maneuver him. “So what do you suggest?”

  “The roof. There are fire escapes on this building and the two next to it. I assume you’re taking me somewhere to get it?”

  “So you’ve decided not to play stupid, then. Excellent. If your mother had been as intelligent, she may still be alive. I had no quarrel with your mother. I didn’t. You need to understand her death was incidental.”

  Red. That was what she saw for a moment. Red blood, red hair. The man standing over her mother demanding answers. This man. Carrie pushed those images away. She couldn’t afford to waver. Not now. “Was it? It wasn’t so incidental to me.”

  “No. I suppose it wasn’t. If she’d just given it to me, though. Cooperation. That’s what I expect. What I expected.” He pushed open the service door that led to the roof steps. Now was decision time. If he went up, she might be able to do something. To get away. Somehow.

  Chapter 73

  *****

  Sebastian’s knuckles were white on the steering wheel and his heart threatened to beat out of his chest. He looked at the man in the passenger seat. “I understand now.”

  “What?” Ed Dennis was just as tense, and Sebastian had no trouble seeing the worry in the older man’s eyes. Reynolds, Alessandra, and Dr. Bellows were crammed into the back seat. Ed Dennis had given his own security detail, headed by Agent Len, instructions to keep an eye on Carrie’s supposed half-sisters and their friend. Sebastian knew the other three agents would ensure they remained out of the way and safe. “What do you understand now?”

  “How Hellbrook felt when Stephenson had your daughter.”

  No one said anything else. The shelter was sixteen minutes from the PAVAD building. Sebastian made it in ten. He was out of the SUV before the engine had completely stopped. Dennis must have turned off the engine.

  The street in front of the shelter was chaos. The building beside the shelter, once a market of some sort, was in flames. Smoke obscured the area in front. Firefighters were working on containing the blaze, but little attention seemed focused on the shelter or the building on the other side of it. Yet.

  A group of teenagers stood in a huddle, watched over by the eagle eyes of three adults in their thirties. The three staffers Paige had mentioned? Sebastian grabbed the first one by the arm. “Where are Carrie and Paige?”

  The worker looked at him. Sebastian flashed his badge and repeated his question. The man finally answered. “We don’t know. All the kids are accounted for. It’s Paige, Carrie, and Calista we can’t find. We were inside in the dining hall and heard the explosion. We got the kids out.”

  “What about the gunshots? Where did they originate?”

  The man shook his head again. “We didn’t hear any gunshots. All we heard was the explosion next door.”

  “Explosion probably masked the shots. We need to get inside,” Alessandra said.

  Sebastian barely heard her; he’d had already taken off toward the building.

  He shoved a firefighter who tried to stop him out of the way, knowing one of the other agents would deal with the responders. His only goal was to get inside to Carrie.

  Chapter 74

  *****

  Perhaps going to the roof hadn’t been such a good idea? Carrie could barely see three feet in front of her and the smoke from the fire next door was choking her. “I can’t breathe.”

  “Nothing to worry about, my dear. We’re going to the fire escape.” He spoke so flatly, monotone, with just the smallest touch of a British accent.

  “That will work, but what about the firefighters? The police in the alley? On the street? You know they aren’t going to let us pass.” Reason with him. Reason. That was all she could do.

  “I think they will. I’m sure you have your badge. And I have Officer Thompson’s. We’ll stroll right through to your vehicle. Then we will get it.”

  He never referred to the it as what it was. Just the generic it. “Why do you need it so much?”

  “You know why.”

  “No. I don’t. It’s been so long…I can’t remember.”

  “The key unlocks the box, Madeline.”

  Madeline, again. Did she look that much like her mother? Or was he starting to suffer a psychotic break? Was it possible for a sociopath to suffer psychotic breaks?

  She knew they could. And remembered Hell and Georgia discussing the theory that sociopaths were just a subset of psychopaths. If there was truth to that, what was she facing? “What box? I don’t remember my mother ever having a box.”

  “The music box.”

  Her mother had had a music box. It had been on her dresser the day she died. Carrie loved that music box, and her mother had wound it up for her. It had been playing when the man slit her mother’s throat.

  Carrie could still hear the tinny sounds of the four-note song. It had been a simple quarter note progression—one, two, three, four. One, two, three, four.

  Ode to Joy; it had been Beethoven that the box played. Just like the pattern she tapped out with her fingers. Just like it.

  Because that’s what her mind had focused on while in the closet during her mother’s murder. The one, two, three, four, that had been such a part of her life since then. Because of this man. “What about the music box? I don’t have it. I haven’t seen it since that day.”

  “Of course you don’t have it. It’s in evidence lock up in Houston. Your father put it there, where I can’t get it.” Impatience and irritation were the first emotions he’d seemed to not be able to control. Could she use that? “But I will get it.”

  “How? Evidence lock up is rather difficult to get into.”

  “Not when I have you. Or your sisters.”

  “I don’t have sisters.”

  “This again? Your father is Kevin. He had four more daughters. Apparently he was incapable of male sperm. Two of your sisters are with the Texas State Police. You are my incentive for them. You and I are going on a little trip. I’ll simply send your father a message—he or his other daughters get me the music box or I kill you.”

  Simplistic. But flawed plan. “You think it will be that easy. Just send one of these ‘sisters’ in and they bring it out? What about chain of custody?”

  “Do you think that will matter to them? Kevin and his brood of brats are extremely family oriented. One t
hreat to you and they’ll be on their knees begging me to let you go. They’ll do anything.”

  “Odd reaction since I’ve never met them. Why would they care about me? Giving you that evidence would be throwing their lives away. At least their careers. They wouldn’t do that.”

  Chapter 75

  ******

  Kevin arrived at the shelter just short of seven. His daughter’s vehicle sat in the parking lot and he confirmed the plate number. It was now or never.

  He opened the glass door that held only a simple label of the shelter’s name and credo. What was Caroline’s affiliation with such a place? The desk was unmanned and he took a moment to look around. Simple. Utilitarian. Comforting in its simplicity. He could hear the sound of people coming through the hallway.

  Kevin started in that direction.

  The sound of a quick pop had his attention sharpening. An explosion quickly followed. Kevin dropped down and grabbed his piece as the sound of fire alarms split the air.

  Where was his daughter?

  And what in the hell was going on?

  People rushed by him, mostly kids. He hid his gun as best he could. He didn’t want to scare some kid. He grabbed the only adult woman he saw. “Where’s Caroline?”

  “Who?”

  “Caroline! Carrie. My daughter. Where is she?”

  She looked at him for a long moment. “Upstairs. She’s on the third floor, main server room working on the computers. Paige and Calista should be that direction, too. I gotta get these kids out of here!”

  “Call the fire department!” Kevin yelled as he headed toward the stairs he could just see beside the lobby. “I smell smoke!”

  “Already done!”

  Kevin headed up the stairs. He wasn’t leaving this building until he knew his daughter was safe.

  He cleared three flights of stairs as quickly as he could, calling his daughter’s name as loudly as possible.

  She wasn’t on the third floor, but a young woman was. Hurt. Kevin dropped to his knees beside her and rolled her carefully onto her back. That’s when he recognized her. The dark haired girl from Smokey Jo’s. The same girl he’d seen in those pictures in Caroline’s apartment.

  She moaned when he checked her pulse and dark eyes opened. Looked straight at him. She tried to sit up.

  “Shh. You’re going to be ok. Tell me, where’s Carrie? Is she hurt?”

  The girl started struggling, her arm lashing out toward his head. He grabbed skinny arms and pulled her to a seated position. “Listen, I’m not here to hurt your friend. I promise. But someone is. I’m after him. And have been since he killed Caroli—Carrie’s mother and step-father.”

  “Not her step-father. He was her father.”

  “No he wasn’t. I am. And I promise you, he won’t hurt her again.” He pulled the girl, no older than his daughters, to her feet. She didn’t weigh much at all. “You need to get out. The building is on fire. I’ll get Carrie.”

  “That’s not going to happen. Not without me. Carrie and I, we’re family. I’m not leaving here without her.” She wobbled, but she was up. Kevin doubted it was for long. “Let’s go.”

  He followed her down the hall, toward the back room. “You’re in no shape to help her.”

  “Shut up. I’m not leaving without my sister.” The girl shoved open the door, calling for Carrie. Kevin was steps behind her.

  She cursed and fell to her knees. Kevin saw what she had. A young woman, blonde, around the same age as this girl, was bleeding on the floor. Barely conscious. Mumbling about Carrie and the roof. Kevin pulled off his shirt and pressed it against the wound in the girl’s shoulder. “You need to get her out of here. The smoke is rising from next door. There aren’t any windows on this side of the building. She’ll suffocate if you don’t.”

  She was torn. He could see it. “Listen, we don’t have time for this. Get your friend out of here. I’ll get Carrie, and I’ll stop Rush. Go!”

  He gave her no choice. He left her there. She called after him. Kevin turned and went up instead of down.

  If his daughter and Rush were on that roof, he was not stopping until he had her back safe and sound.

  Chapter 76

  *****

  Sebastian barely saw the women coming down the stairs through the smoke filling the shelter. What had the explosion been that it would cause such rapid smoke? A shot of relief hit him when he recognized Paige and Calista. Both women were obviously injured, but alive. That gave him hope. But where was Carrie?

  “Paige! Carrie?”

  “Up. Lorcan, I don’t know. She’s up there somewhere.”

  “Get out of here. There are ambulances on the way. Dennis and Reynolds are outside! Go!”

  He started up the stairs. He’d find his damned woman and never let her go again.

  The building had four floors and he took precious seconds getting to the service doors leading to the roof. Thankfully this building was generic in layout, like so many other older city buildings. He had a good idea of the setup he’d find up there. But where was Carrie and what had the man who’d taken her wanted?

  What was he planning?

  ***

  She’d stumped him, questioning the logic of his plan. He paused. “Well, if they don’t deliver I will get rid of you and get the box some other way. Now. Where is it?”

  “It what? I’m not sure what you’re looking for.” She heard shouting. Her name. Shivers shook her. Sebastian. He was here somewhere. She knew it. “I don’t want to sound like a bad movie, but you won’t be able to get away with this. I have friends looking for me. Powerful friends. What do you plan to do about being hunted by one of the best—if not the best—FBI teams in the country? My boss, Agent Hellbrook, you met him at my apartment, remember? He is the best criminal profiler there is. And he considers me a little sister. And Sebastian…my boyfriend? Remember him?”

  “Tall, dark. The one I nearly hit the other day with my car? Yes, I remember him. So far, I’ve not been that impressed with either him or this Agent Hellbrook you mentioned. Come. Quit stalling.”

  He coughed, deep wracking coughs that she doubted were from the smoke. They were outside now, and the wind was blowing away from the shelter, taking the smoke with it. Was he ill?

  His body appeared lean but in good shape. He was smaller than Agent Stephenson, though. And Carrie had fought him. Not successfully, but enough that when he’d pushed her over the side of that cliff in South Dakota she’d been able to change the angle of her descent. It’s what had probably kept her from breaking her neck.

  Could she fight this man? He was only an inch or two taller than she was. And they probably weighed within forty pounds of each other. If he was unhealthy, that could even the playing field a bit. “Why did you wait this long to come for it?”

  “Simple. Jail puts a crimp in a man’s plans, I’m afraid. You can thank your bio daddy for that. He testified against me! His best friend. I can’t and won’t ever forget that.”

  “What did you do?” She’d just ignore every mention he made of this phantom father of hers. What did it matter if he thought someone else was her father? All that mattered was getting away from him and getting help for Paige and Calista.

  “That’s incidental. Now, over the wall there.” He pointed to the brick abutment between the shelter and the free therapy clinic next door. “Well take these stairs, my dear. Then it’s off to a better life for both of us.”

  Carrie had no choice. She started over the wall.

  The roof door slammed open and a man stood there. “Rush! Let her go!”

  Officer Thompson—whomever he was—grabbed Carrie and pulled her body in front of his. “Well, I wondered when I’d be seeing you again. Let me make the introductions. Caroline Marie Sparks, meet daddy. Kevin Beck. Kevin, this is Carrie. Your precious, long-lost, daughter. Say hello, won’t you?”

  Chapter 77

  ******

  “Let her go, Minton.” Kevin knew she was scared, it was in her eyes and the w
ay she stood. He took his first good look at Minton Rush in seventeen years. Minton had gotten skinnier, though he still had plenty of muscle tone. His face was more lined. Had prison or just aging done that? “She has nothing to do with this.”

  “Doesn’t she? I agree, she is quite incidental. But then again, she does have the key. Somewhere. I do need that key.”

  “I don’t have a key.” Carrie shook her head. She stared at Kevin; he resisted the urge to stare back. “I never did. I don’t understand what this man wants. Or even who he is.”

  “Rush and I grew up together. Went to the academy together. I thought we were friends. Until the lure of easy money got to be too much. He started taking kickbacks. I didn’t know about it. Not until it was too late. Your mother did, though. And was blackmailing him.”

  “My mother wouldn’t have done that. She was good.”

  “Good? Madeline was a rare woman, I’ll admit it, but good was not a descriptor for her. Cold and calculating. Out to get what she could. That’s why she left you, wasn’t it, Kevin? You were too good for her.” Rush laughed a cold, harsh sound.

  “My mother wasn’t that way.”

  “Caroline. Carrie.” Kevin kept his gun aimed at Rush, though he would never fire it. Not with Rush’s own weapon pointed at his daughter’s head. “Your mother did some things that weren’t right, but I have no doubt she loved you.”

  “How touching.” Rush pulled Carrie back toward the brick abutment. He stepped over, then jerked Carrie over the bricks. She went down on her knees. Minton grabbed her by the hair and yanked her back to her feet. “I don’t have time for this.”

  He pulled her across the roof of the therapy center. Kevin followed. “Let her go, Rush!”

  “Let me put this simply, Kev. Not without the key!”

  Carrie shook her head. “The key to what?”