Blood Stained (29 page)

Lucy comforted the woman. "Thanks for sharing with us, Colleen. You know how important it is that we cover every possibility." She stood and beckoned to Jenna. They left for the study. 

"The kidnapper couldn't know Marty wasn't his. That makes three for three," Jenna said in a rush as soon as the door was closed. She took a breath, half jazzed with adrenalin and half terrified by the enormity of it all. "Three missing kids, all the product of rape." 

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Lucy called both Karen Harding and Colleen Brady down to the living room and sent Jenna to keep Olivia occupied in the kitchen. If what she suspected was true, the teen didn't need to be privy to her mom's secrets.

"I know this is hard," she said as both women took seats on the opposite ends of the long couch. They glared at each other as if opponents in a championship fight. Nothing like having both your boys' lives at the mercy of a kidnapper to make you wary. After all, a mother would do anything to save her child. But maybe not another woman's child.

"Time is short, so I'm going to be blunt," Lucy continued. "You both were the victims of a sexual assault seven years ago. And you both have ties to New Hope."

Colleen jumped, leaning forward, bracing herself on the slate coffee table. "Wait. You're not saying—" She turned to stare at Karen who was curled up, knees hugged to her chest, looking frail and vulnerable. "It couldn't be the same man. It just couldn't be."

"I think we need to explore that option."

"No," she persisted, shaking her head. "No. Her," she didn't use Karen's name, "attacker is dead. You saw him die. Four years ago. It's one of the reasons I brought Marty back home when Martin redeployed. I figured no town would be safer. The danger was gone." She gulped so loud, Lucy heard it. "Are you saying… Are you saying, Marty was kidnapped because I came back home?"

Lucy sidestepped the question. "Karen, you and your husband are both from New Hope. Did you return home seven years ago? You, too, Colleen. Any visits to your mom?"

"That summer," again it was Colleen answering, "was our tenth high school reunion. She probably doesn't remember me," another nod in Karen's direction, "but I remember her and Kurt. King and Queen of the prom. Again. But Martin and I still had a grand time." She touched her cheek, a soft touch as if remembering her husband's hand. "That's probably when Marty was conceived."

"Tell me about the reunion. Anything memorable?" Lucy looked to Karen, trying to get her to join in on the conversation, but she stared vacantly out the rapidly darkening windows. 

"Martin got into a fight. Guy I dated in high school. We went out twice, that's all. I wouldn't even call him a boyfriend since both times we were with a group of kids. He tried to hit on me. Clint was drunk, it was no big deal, I was handling it. But Martin, well, he's an Army pilot, testosterone was pretty much what he lived on."

"Clint?" Lucy pounced on the name. "Clinton Caine?" Adam's father. The long distance truck driver. A shiver shook her as shadows crowded the room. But she kept her voice calm. "Karen, did you know Clinton Caine?"

Karen froze, not even breathing for a long moment. Then she let out her breath and said, "He proposed to me. On the night of the prom. We'd never even talked before, but he said he loved me. Wanted to marry me. I thought it was sweet. Had a crush on me since second grade, always shadowing me around. Never daring to even talk to me before that. But," she closed her eyes, wincing, "but, Kurt and the other football players overheard him. They beat the crap out of him. He missed prom and never came back to school. Not even for graduation."

Two women, the objects of Clinton Caine's affection. Two men who ridiculed him. The perfect fuel to feed a grudge. Or obsession. And it explained why Caine took so many risks with Karen. He not only wanted to humiliate, but wanted to own every part of her. Steal her from Kurt. 

"Clinton Caine," Lucy murmured. She'd once met the man. Hadn't had a clue. Thought he was a loving husband and father. Grief-stricken. 

Adam said he wanted to bring his father back to New Hope. Maybe he'd succeeded. Too well. Maybe Caine had returned. Only now he was collecting his children. His trophies.

But what did he want with them?

She needed to see if Morgan Ames could also be one of his children, the product of another rape-abduction. If Morgan was involved with Deputy Bob's death, did Caine teach her how to kill?

Adam had lived with the man his entire life. Did that make him a victim? Or an accomplice?

Maybe killing was in his blood.

Chapter 31

Lucy was an adult. And a FBI agent. She could take care of herself. Marty, Darrin, and Sally couldn't. They needed Adam.

That's what he told himself after Dad gave him a gun and sent him and Morgan down the mountain to Darrin's house. They had Bluetooth earpieces so Dad could hear everything they did and talk to them. Well, talk to Morgan. Adam was too busy thinking to pay much attention.

He couldn't stand up to Dad. He couldn't even stand up to Morgan. Look what happened to Deputy Bob. He should have stopped it. He knew what was happening, but he just sat there and watched like a dope. Helpless, stupid, dope. That was Adam.

Would he let that happen to Lucy? His boot heel caught on a tree root hidden by the snow on the trail and he slipped banana peel style. Morgan's laughter cut through the air, silencing the birds. Even the wind hushed when faced with Morgan. She owned any space she moved through. Even if Adam stood in her way.

Especially if Adam stood in her way. 

Dad gave her a gun, plus she had her knife. And Dad whispered last minute instructions to her after Adam started down the trail, thought Adam too stupid to notice. Or suspect that maybe once Dad had what he wanted, he might not need Adam anymore. Just like in Cleveland.

Maybe Dad hadn't come back to save Adam. Maybe he'd come to silence Adam.

Adam pushed back to his feet, wiping the snow from his jeans before it could melt. The house was just ahead. Dad would be pulling the van around, ready to pick them up as soon as they had control of things.

"Should be just Lucy, Karen, sweet Olivia, and that red-haired girl," Dad had said. "Everyone else is headed over to the ransom drop. You have plenty of time, but don't waste it. I want to be long gone before anyone squawks to the cops."

The approach was simple: Adam in through the basement, Morgan at the front door. No one knew her. They'd open the door to her and that was all they needed.

They reached the end of the trees. Morgan did a little dance as she pulled her gun out and unzipped her coat so she could reach her knife easily. "You ready, big brother?"

No. Not at all. He still hadn't figured a way out of this. He needed to save Lucy and he needed to tell her where the kids were before he ran. New Hope wasn't safe for him. Not anymore. Not with the cops ready to shoot to kill and Dad and Morgan ready to go fishing.

With Adam as bait.

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Lucy rushed into the kitchen where Jenna and Olivia were making spaghetti for dinner. "Yesterday I asked you to locate Clinton Caine. Did you find him?" 

Jenna kept chopping tomatoes, not even looking up. "No. Sorry, it wasn't a priority, what with trailers blowing up and—" She dropped the knife and whirled. "Oh shit. You're not saying—"

The doorbell rang. 

"Lucy, is it Caine? Why? How?" Jenna sputtered.

"I'll get the door." Olivia headed down the hall.

"I think it's Caine." Lucy had her cell out to call Taylor. Adrenalin flooded her veins. She was right. She knew she was right. 

"Put down the phone, Lucy." The muzzle of a gun pressed against the back of her head. It was Adam. He drew her weapon, put it on the counter across from Jenna. "I said put it down."

She obeyed. 

Jenna was staring, back pressed against the cooktop. The knife she held just a few moments ago out of reach.

"Yours, too," Adam ordered Jenna. "And your gun."

Jenna slid her phone from her pocket, carefully set it on the counter. "I don't have a gun."

"Adam," Lucy said, her voice calm. She knew this boy, she could reason with him. He wasn't like his father. She may have been mistaken about Clinton Caine, but not about Adam.

She was staking their lives on it.

"Adam. I know it was your dad. And your mom. She was his partner, wasn't she?"

"Of course." His tone was wistful. "She loved him so much," he said in a singsong. "She could never say no to him."

"Adam!" A girl's voice called from the other room. "Bring your fish in. Stop fooling around."

"You heard her. Into the living room." Jenna backed down the hall, hands raised in the air. Adam prodded Lucy forward.

Lucy tried to think of a way to get to her backup weapon. "Is it just you and Morgan?"

"Yeah. How'd you know her name?"

"I know everything, Adam. I know you took the boys and Sally. Your way to get your father back. But now that he's here, now that he's made you kill—"

"I didn't, it wasn't me—"

"She killed for you. Take responsibility for your actions. Be your own man. Not your father's puppet."

He stiffened at that. "You don't know anything."

They entered the living room. The girl from the security tape stood near the open front door, the gun in her hand aimed at the three women cowering on the couch. 

"Good boy," she told Adam. "Red," she waved her gun at Jenna, "you sit over there." She nodded to the chair on the far side of the slate coffee table. 

Jenna glanced at Lucy, did as instructed. Then Morgan aimed at Lucy. "Now you," she smiled so wide, all her teeth showed, "you're coming with us. Adam promised you to Clint. A special fish to play with."

Lucy stood her ground. "No."

Morgan looked at her in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"I said no. I'm not going anywhere."

The girl considered her options. Then shrugged. "Fine. Adam, shoot her."

The muzzle knocked against the side of her skull as he trembled. She forced herself to breathe slow deep breaths, knowing he was almost there, almost ready to give up.

"I can't, I can't," he sobbed, throwing the gun down and collapsing onto his knees. 

Jenna lunged for the pistol as Lucy threw her weight down and pinned Adam to the floor, the couch between her and Morgan. 

Lucy drew her back up weapon from her ankle holster, but didn't have a shot. One of the women from the couch dove to the ground, plowing into Lucy, knocking her gun away. 

"Don't shoot him. He knows where Darrin is," Olivia cried, clutching Lucy's arm. 

"Everyone freeze. His gun might be not be loaded, but mine is," Morgan shouted.

Jenna aimed Adam's gun and fired. Nothing. Morgan laughed. "Told you." 

Lucy shook Olivia off and inched towards her weapon. Morgan shifted position and fired a shot into the floorboard near Lucy's hand, splinters spraying the air. Lucy used her body to cover Adam, twisting to keep Morgan in sight. 

Morgan tilted her head, a mad gleam in her eye. From where Lucy lay on top of Adam, she heard a voice murmuring through the Bluetooth he wore.

"No," Adam cried, not talking to them but to whomever's voice spoke in his ear. 

Morgan smiled. "He wants you." She aimed the gun at Olivia. "He says to take you. Just like he took your mother."

An unearthly screech emerged from Karen as she lunged for Morgan. Colleen threw herself on top of Olivia, tumbling them both behind the coffee table. Morgan fired again and hit Karen in the leg. 

Jenna caught Lucy's eye and made a diversionary move. Lucy sprang from the floor, hoping to catch Morgan off balance. She grabbed the girl's gun hand. It was a move of desperation, but when you had an active shooter you didn't sit around and wait for them. 

Jerking Morgan's gun into the air, she used her weight to twist the arm, keeping the weapon aimed away from her. Morgan anticipated her move and turned into Lucy's body, ending up with a knife to Lucy's throat, drawing blood.

Lucy relinquished her hold on the girl's other hand. She barely felt the burning sting of the shallow cut, but saw the red trickle of her own blood slip down the knife blade. The girl quickly repositioned herself with Lucy as a shield, the gun held steady at the base of Lucy's spine.

"Okay, maybe for once we don't get the fish. But we'll still get who we came for." Morgan pulled Lucy back, heading for the open door. Lucy had no choice but to comply. "Pull it shut," she ordered.

As soon as Morgan and Lucy stepped over the threshold and the door clanged shut with Adam, Jenna, and the others safely behind it, Lucy straightened, ready to make another move. That's when she saw the man. The man with the stun gun.

Everything sparked red as electricity jolted through her, disconnecting her brain from her body with the force of a pilot being ejected from his jet. Pain fired through her muscles and she fell to the ground. The man laughed as he grabbed her up in a fireman's carry.

"Adam's telling them he'll take them to the kids," Morgan said, listening to her earpiece. "Should I kill him?"

"No. Follow them. I want Adam." Even as he jostled Lucy down the steps and threw her into the back of a waiting van, the man sounded relaxed. As if he abducted federal agents at gunpoint every day. As soon as her body hit the floor, he grabbed her wrists and handcuffed them behind her. Her leg was twitching but she couldn't control any movements other than forcing her chest muscles to let air in and out. 

"See," he beamed at the girl, "I told you. You can have it all. You just need the balls to go after it." 

The girl ran off beyond Lucy's limited line of sight from her face down position. The man rolled her over. Lucy managed to blink her eyes into focus. Clinton Caine.

"Nice to see you again, Lucy. We have a lot to talk about. Like how you got my wife killed." He zapped her again with the stun gun and the world went black as her body blazed with pain.

Chapter 32

As soon as the door shut behind Lucy and Morgan, Jenna made her move. She scrambled under the couch, coming up with Lucy's backup weapon, and ran to the door, listening. Damn thing had no sidelights, only a worthless peephole, and this was the only wall in the room without windows.