Chills & Thrills: Three Novel Box Set (74 page)

CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE

Jeanine knew she had to make a move. The girls were hungry. They’d eaten the last of the Top Ramen stocked in the pantry. Oliver was almost out of formula and the diapers were gone. She’d been using towels and a pair of safety pins she found in her aunt’s bedroom. The little guy was miserable and between the whining, the crying, and the hopeless feelings, Jeanine was close to losing it.

She’d parked the kids yet again in front of the TV and began flipping through channels, searching for a cartoon. She’d caught a glimpse of CNN earlier and was shocked to see she was wanted for questioning in Melanie’s murder and suspected of kidnapping Baby Oliver. How was she was supposed to get out of this mess?

The sun was setting, and she knew she’d run out of options. Jeanine had to go to the police. She had to take the risk.

“Hey girls, Mommy is going to go upstairs and pack.”

“Are we leaving?” Chloe asked.

“Yes.”

“Good. I’m bored,” Taylor said. “And he stinks.” She pointed at Oliver.

Chloe giggled. The simplicity of youth. If they only knew the kind of trouble they were in. If they only knew it was likely they’d be placed with social services if caught until Jeanine could prove her innocence to the cops. And that was a good outcome, comparatively speaking.  She looked at her blue-eyed girls and didn’t know if she could do it. She did not know if she should take the risk and leave the cabin.

What choice did she have? They couldn’t stay here and starve to death. She made her way up the stairs. Jeanine had just finished putting the girls’ things into the pack when she noticed how quiet it had become down stairs. When it came to kids, silence was rarely a good thing.

She hurriedly slung the pack over her left shoulder and Oliver’s diaper bag over her right. She grabbed a couple more towels for Oliver and then quickly made her way back down. Suddenly, one of the girls cried out, “Mommy, help! There’s a bad man!”

Jeanine dropped the bags with a thud and leapt over the last four steps to the landing below. A man stood in the middle of the living room. He was dressed in a suit and tie. He had graying sideburns and could have been a businessman, if it wasn’t for the large gun pointed at Chloe’s head. Taylor was on the ground next to her sister with her head bowed between her legs. She was sobbing. Fortunately, the baby had drifted off to sleep.

“Mrs. Horner. Hello. So nice to meet you. I’m Peter Redding.” He had a bag over his shoulder and with his free hand, pulled out a roll of duct tape and tossed it to her. “Your husband is a stupid man. Tried to trick me. But he is not a good criminal. I have people everywhere and the man he tried to kill, well, it didn’t quite work out as planned.” He glanced at the kids. “I don’t like children much. Tape their mouths for me, or I’ll kill them.”

She fumbled for the tape and it fell to the ground.

“Pick it up.”

Jeanine bent down, hands shaking, and grabbed the thick, silver role. How had he found them? “W-what do you want?”  What did he mean Ryan had tried to kill someone and had messed up?

“Shhh. No time for questions now. We have to work quickly. If I’m right, your husband should be here soon to join the party.” He chuckled warmly, sending chills down her spine. “Too bad for you and the little ones here that his little ruse didn’t fool me. Now get to taping, Jeanine.”

She bent down in front of Taylor first. “It’s going to be okay, honey. I promise. We’re just playing a game.” She knew the guy was sick enough to pull the trigger at any moment. She figured the best chance they had was to follow his orders and pray Ryan saved them, if he truly was on the way.

“Get the fucking tape on the kid, Jeanine. Now.”

Tears welled in Taylor’s eyes as Jeanine put tape over her mouth. Jeanine tried not to cry. She needed to be strong for the children. She had to figure out what to do.

“Okay. Now tape her hands and feet together.”

“No!”

Redding sighed dramatically. “Jeanine, I don’t have much patience. You’re a smart lady

and you have cute kids. You might just live if you follow the rules.”

She taped Chloe’s mouth and gently bound her hands and feet. Jeanine looked up at Redding. “Can you put the gun down now?”

“I don’t think so. Do the infant.”

“He’s asleep. He could suffocate!”

“Do you think I care?”

“Please don’t make me do that,” Jeanine begged.

“I could pull this trigger real easily, Jeanine.” He waved the gun menacingly towards the sleeping child on the sofa.

With trembling hands, she placed the tape as gingerly as possible over Oliver’s mouth. To her surprise, he didn’t stir. She prayed he would stay asleep.

“Okay, kids! Everyone take a seat on the couch. We’re going to wait for your daddy to come home.”

Redding took the tape from Jeanine, tore off a strip, and placed it across her mouth. But before he could get her hands, she took one of the safety pins in her pocket, pressed it open, and stabbed it towards his face as hard as she could. It caught him on the check, just below his eye. He cried out in pain and jumped back, out of reach. Jeanine quickly raised her leg and with a sharp upward jerk, kicked him square in the balls. Redding grunted and grabbed himself. She tried to kick him again but he’d moved out of range.

“You fucking bitch!” He screamed, swinging out with his right hand and punching her hard across the jaw. Jeanine fell back onto the floor and Redding began kicking her in the ribs as she lay on the ground. He placed a foot on her and held the gun to her head.

“I don’t like aggressive women, Jeanine,” he grunted. He turned her around, tearing off another piece of tape while keeping his knee in her chest. She could hear the muffled cries of the children next to her. Redding deftly taped her hands together and then bent down to do the same to her feet. Jeanine closed her eyes and prayed for a miracle. Suddenly, Redding lifted off of her, and there was a loud commotion.

Jeanine rolled to her side and spotted another man on the ground with Redding. Then she heard the sharp retort of a gun. Her eyes focused and she realized the other man was Ryan. And he was bleeding. He’d been shot by Redding who was now standing up and coming back towards her.

CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR

Julio and Kelly rented a Jeep and drove it up the coast to Brightman’s new home. The turquoise water and sandy white beaches seemed totally inappropriate considering the task at hand. But she couldn’t help but gaze admiringly at the gorgeous setting. She’d always wanted to visit the Caymans but this wasn’t quite they way she’d imagined it happening. The sun was slowly sinking down over the ocean. It was almost eight o’clock and dusk was fast approaching.

“Just follow my instructions. We want to have a nice conversation with this guy, okay? I don’t know what kind of security he has, but I’m not terribly worried.” Julio said.

“Why’s that?”

“I’ve got a plan.” He glanced over at her, grinned, and then focused back on the road.

Twenty minutes later, Kelly was standing in front of two large double doors. She rang the bell. Christine Wood, the former ER nurse, opened the door, a glass of champagne in her hand. She took a step back, a surprised look on her face. Kelly smiled broadly, “Hey, Christine!”

“Dr. Morales?”

Kelly pushed her way in. “Crazy, huh? I heard you two love birds moved down here and since so many doctors seem to be going on vacation, I thought I deserved one, too. So you on the payroll?” She winked at her.

Christine shook her head. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Oh, okay. Is that how you want to play it?” Kelly glanced around at the lavishly furnished foyer. “My, my, my. They paid you, or should I say Pierce, better than me. I am jealous.”

“Um. Uh…”

“Speaking of, where is Pierce? Looks like the two of you are celebrating. I want in on it.”

Christine backed up and called out behind her, “Um, Pierce. We have company.”

Kelly took in the brightly decorated room and waited patiently for Brightman to show. She heard the slap-slapping of flip-flops behind her and quickly turned to see the man himself enter the room. Pierce’s shocked expression mimicked that of his girlfriend.

“Morales? What the hell!?”

Kelly frowned petulantly, gesturing at the surroundings. “You know, I knew those asses from Frauen ripped me off. You end up in a fancy villa in the Caribbean. Pearson gets sent on a Mediterranean vacation—and, by the way, he hasn’t been seen or heard from since. Think he pissed them off like Hamilton did? Poor Joe could be fish food for all we know.”

Brightman darted a glance at Christine and then back at Kelly. “Jesus, Morales. You’re nuts! I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t you?” Kelly asked, looking at him skeptically.

“Yes, don’t you?” Julio slipped silently into the main foyer through a rear entrance, his gun pointed at Brightman. Kelly quickly slipped hers from her purse and turned to Christine. “I’m a federal agent, Dr. Brightman. We know you were receiving kickback from Frauen Pharmaceuticals and were involved in a plan to push harmful drugs at unsuspecting young women via women’s clinics across the U.S.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t!” He was shaking his head vehemently.

“Right. Look, we have a line on your bank account here in the Caymans, and the reason no one has heard from Pearson recently is because we’ve got him in federal custody and he’s singing like a bird. Frauen and its clinics have been under investigation for months. Your place is surrounded by federal agents. It’s time to man up and do the right thing, Brightman.”

Brightman glared from Julio to Kelly and back again. “I want my attorney.”

“Of course you do,” Julio replied.

Julio reached into his back pocket with his free hand and walked over to cuff Brightman. Suddenly, the sound of crashing glass echoed throughout the house. “Take cover!” Julio yelled.

Kelly dove behind a couch as she realized they were being shot at.

CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVE

Ryan was trying hard to breath. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Jeanine struggling to get closer to him. But Redding got to her first. Ryan tried to open his mouth. Speak her name. But he couldn’t.

He glanced towards Chloe whose terror-filled eyes were full of tears. Taylor was next to her sister, lying prone on the floor and shaking silently. There was also a baby, red-faced and trying to scream…to breathe, with tape over its mouth.

It was over. Ryan was certain. He closed his eyes, praying the end would come quickly for them all. Then he heard a shot. And a loud thud.

Across from where he lay, he opened his eyes. Gem Michaels standing next to a dark-haired man he did not recognize. The man held a gun in his hand. On the floor next to him lay Peter Redding. Dead, in a growing pool of his own blood.

CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX

Glass was everywhere. Kelly didn’t know where the shots were coming from. Julio was with her, behind the couch. “They got Brightman,” he whispered. “I think he’s dead.”

Christine, screaming, had run upstairs.

“Oh my God.” Kelly’s hands shook.

“Listen, stay low. The shooter is out by the pool. I think there could be two of them. Get ready, Doc. Shoot to kill, cuz they are. You go to the right in the kitchen and try to get a lock on anything that moves out there. But stay the fuck down.”

“What about you?”

“I’m going out there.” With that, he stood and started running towards the shattered glass, his gun firing.

Kelly darted into the kitchen and dove down behind a large butcher block, near the sliding glass doors. When she poked her head up, she could see a body on the ground outside. She heard a splash and saw two people fall into the pool. One was Julio. What to do now?

She sprinted through the open doorway towards a man on the ground, struggling to get up. His gun was close by. Kelly grabbed it, and kicked him hard in the ribs, trying to keep him down.

As she neared the pool, she could see the other guy had Julio under water. Kelly screamed and aimed her gun at him. The guy glanced up but didn’t seem phased that she was pointing a loaded weapon his way. “Stop, or I’ll shoot!” She yelled. But the man ignored her, and she could have swore he had a smirk on his face. “Fuck you, you stupid…!”

Something inside of Kelly snapped. She aimed, pulled the trigger, and fired. The guy flinched off of Julio and slowly slipped under the water, a dark trail of blood spiraling up behind him. Julio was gasping and coughing by the side of the pool. When he caught his breath, he came over and wrapped his arms around her. “You did good, Doc.”

Kelly stood there shivering as distant sirens approached the estate.

CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN

Tony turned his phone on as soon as the plane landed in Los Angeles. He was praying Kelly had called. She hadn’t. He’d taken a huge risk flying to New York with Gem, not knowing what had happened to Kelly, but he also knew Gem was going to go on her own, and his gut told him she could be in danger. He also couldn’t sit still waiting to find more news on the doc. Eric had been in surgery for half of the evening the night before and too groggy to answer any questions that morning, so Tony had left it to Simmons and had prayed the entire flight home Kelly had been found.

There was a voicemail from Simmons. “Hey, man, Linden wants to you to get your ass here as soon as you land. He wants a detailed report because the shit is starting to hit the fan. The feds are here and climbing up his ass. They all want to talk to you. I also have news about Dr. Morales. Oh, and Eric Sorensen is awake and doing well.”

Tony turned to Gem as they walked slowly towards the plane exit. “The feds are at the station and they want a report. I think you better come with me.”

“You got it.”

He nodded and tried to stay calm. But once they were in his car, he placed an emergency light on top of the sedan and sped past traffic. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gem hanging on for dear life. She was a sport though, and didn’t say a word.

They arrived at the station and were greeted by Simmons, Linden, and two federal agents—Karen Ross and James Denae. Denae was tall, blonde, blue-eyed. His partner, Ross, was petite with short brunette hair and engaging hazel eyes. She shook Tony’s hand.

Linden looked pointedly at Gem.

Tony responded before Linden even had a chance to ask the question. “She’s been involved from the get-go. Listen, the rogue chemist from Frauen, the guy was there because they’d threatened his family, contacted her via e-mail and provided her with some key information to look into. She has a lot to contribute to the story. Everything you thought you knew about the Petersen murders in San Diego three years ago is wrong. All of this is tied together and this lady here knows more than I do.”

The agents looked at each other and nodded. The small group headed towards a large conference room at the back of the station. One they were seated with the door firmly closed, Gem started talking, beginning with Ryan Horner.

She paused briefly, “Speaking of Dr. Horner, have you guys been in touch? That poor family has been through hell.”

“Yes,” Ross replied. “We just received word that Dr. Horner is out of surgery and in stable condition. His wife is with him and we have field agents standing by to take their statements. That’s why we’re here with you…to provide the loose ends so we can piece it all together. We’ve already initiated a federal investigation. The Horners will be taken into protective custody until we can be assured of their safety.”

Gem nodded feeling relieved the family was finally safe and continued with her story. When she finished, the agents turned to Tony for his statement. When he got to Kelly and her involvement, he stopped. “Listen, what do you know about Dr. Morales? Is she okay? Has she been found?”

Denae looked at Linden. “He doesn’t know?”

Linden shook his head, “No.”

“Know what?” Pazzini looked from the agents to his boss.

“She was located in the Cayman Islands. Dr. Morales took out a doctor named Brightman. And a couple of Redding’s henchmen.”

“What? What do you mean she “took them out?” In the Caymans? What the hell!?” Tony tried to keep from shouting as Gem reached out and touched his shoulder.

Linden quickly filled in the blanks. “She was with a former agent, Pazzini. It’s how the feds got involved. Apparently Julio Velasquez worked for the government in special ops for over a decade.” He looked over at Ross who nodded slowly.

“Yes. Former agent Velasquez was injured and decided to go into the private sector doing some security work. He was also a friend of the injured nurse, Eric Sorensen. Eric was the one who facilitated the contact between Dr. Morales and Velasquez.”

“Go on,” Tony said.

“Velasquez still has some contacts and he used them to trace Brightman to the Caymans. Dr. Morales and Velasquez confronted Brightman at his home. Seems he’s been on The Brotherhood’s payroll. Anyway, things got heated, then some fellows from The Brotherhood showed up on the scene. Velasquez and Dr. Morales managed to kill off the attackers. Brightman was killed in the melee,” Ross said. “We’re still looking for the other doctor, Pearson, for questioning. He was last seen on the French Riviera. We’ll find him, dead or alive.”

“She and Velasquez are on a chartered plane and headed back here. They are due to arrive in about two hours.” Ross glanced at her watch. “Around six-thirty.”

Gem squeezed Tony’s arm. “I told you. I told you she would be okay.”

Tony sighed and nodded. He finished giving his statement and shook the agents’ hands.  They stood and Denae turned to Linden and Tony.

“We would like a debriefing with Dr. Morales, Velasquez, and a couple of other folks tomorrow morning. May we use the facilities here?” he asked.

“Of course,” Tony replied, and then walked out of the station and into the parking lot. He drove her to her car. Gem glanced at her watch. “Six o’ clock, Pazzini. You’ve got just enough time to make it to LAX.”

He smiled. “I’m on it!”