Risky Shot (20 page)

He shifted so that he was straddling her. He sat her stomach and smiled as his hands closed around her throat. Dani stopped clawing at his hands and extended her first two fingers together. She jabbed as hard as she could into the base of his throat. Chad fell back grasping his throat and coughing to catch his breath. Dani wriggled out from under him and hit the wall. Using it as a support, she stood up and grabbed the nearest object she could find. She threw a framed picture at him. He deflected it to the side and glass shattered all around him.

He stood between her and the door. She had to make it around him and her desk to be able to get out of the room. She took a deep breath and pushed off the wall trying to make a dash to the door. Chad lunged forward from where he sat on his knees. She felt his hand clamp down on her ankle. She fell forward and the left side of her head hit the corner of her desk. Her teeth broke through the inside of her lip as she landed hard on the floor.

“You stupid bitch! Do you really think I would let you escape?” he laughed.

Dani pulled back her free left leg and looked back at him. He was smiling again. Kicking as hard as she could she hit him right in the mouth. Blood started pouring out of his mouth where she split his lip. His grip loosened on her leg and she tried to crawl free. Chad just laughed again. The sound was of pure evil. Her hair stood on end as she lost her focus and blind panic took over.

He laughed again as he stood up. She made it to her knees before he struck again. Her head was jerked back. His hand tangled in her hair as he pulled with all his strength. She fell backwards and landed against his legs. Tears streaked her face as she tasted blood pooling in her mouth. She felt his arm slide across her throat and squeeze. She instinctively lowered her chin and managed a breath of air. She took another gasp of air and focused. Miles had held her the same way and shown her how to get out of it. Chad had slipped his arm around her throat too high and she was able to block some of the pressure to her throat.

“It’s just too bad Kenna isn’t here to enjoy this with us,” Chad said as his lips brushed against her ear.

“Why does Bob want me killed? I didn’t see anything?” Dani spat out a mouthful of blood.

“You saw Kenna and me. And Kenna told you about what she saw. You’re a loose end. An end I am going to enjoy tying up.” He pressed up against her back as he squeezed her breast hard. She sucked in a deep breath and reminded herself to stay calm. It was getting harder and harder to do, though. She could feel the panic turning her stomach into a hurricane and clawing its way upward.

“What happened to the girl?”

“Which one?”

“You mean more than one girl has been killed by you and Bob?” She just had to keep him talking. Miles said the FBI was outside. Where were they?

“One for every poker game.” The panic burst through. She clawed at Chad’s arm and kicked for all the she was worth. He pulled his arm tight and she choked and gasped for breath. “I like it when you’re feisty. It will make what comes next even more fun.”

“What happened to the women? How have they not been found?” She shoved the panic down and remembered Miles had told her to breathe and look around for her options to defend herself. During the struggle, her purse had overturned and was about eight feet in front of her. If she could just get to it, she might make it out alive.

“They’ll never be found. Senator Bruce’s men take the bodies out to some swampland that Bob owns outside the city and dumps them. It’s a little too far for me to take you to join them, but I am sure I will find a nice abandoned farm to bury you on.”

Dani took as deep breath as possible. She kept her eyes on her bag. Chad moved his mouth along her ear and Dani made her move. In one smooth motion she moved her leg behind his and shoved with all her might while twisting away. Chad was pushed backwards to the ground as his knee collapsed She jumped away from him and dove forward. Her hand slid into the purse. She felt him getting up as she scrambled for the gun. Panic caused her vision to narrow as her hand kept coming up empty. Chad laughed and her panic literally blinded her. Finally, her hand felt the cold hard steel of her gun. She wrapped her hand around the gun, switched off the safety, and pulled the gun out. She was too panicked see where she shot. She kept shooting until the magazine was empty.

She didn’t hear the glass shattering or the footsteps pounding down the hall. She just kept pulling the trigger over and over until a gentle hand pushed the gun down and slowly took it out of her hands. She blinked through the blood and tears streaming down her face and looked into the worried eyes of Dinky.

Dani felt Dinky lay her down on the leather sofa in the lobby. She turned her head away from her office and stared at the brown leather cushions on the couch. She heard Dinky radio in for help. Her body started shaking and she was so focused on trying to stop it that she jumped when Dinky’s hand touched her shoulder.

“Are you okay, Dani? Let me look at the cut on your head.”

“Is he dead?” She knew she had already asked that, but she couldn’t get the image of a bloody Chad staggering out from the office with a gun drawn. Or worse, if he had simply vanished. She didn’t think she could handle looking over her shoulder for the rest of her life. “Please, just go make sure he’s still there and he’s still dead.” Her body shivered and she curled up in a ball to keep warm.

“Dani, I am sure he’s dead. But, I will go look again if it will make you feel better.”

“Please Dinky. I just need to make sure he’s really dead.” She heard Dinky stand up and walk into her office. Less than a minute later, she heard footsteps come back. She knew it was Dinky, but her body broke out in sweat. She couldn’t stop this irrational feeling that Chad was still coming to kill her. She clawed at the couch trying to hide herself in it.

“Dani. It’s just me. It’s okay. I can tell you he is definitely dead.” Her heart slowed down and she released her death grip on the couch. She tensed again when she heard glass crunching by the door.

“Dammit Dinky. You should have waited for me. What happened? Is she okay?” Noodle walked through the broken glass door and flipped the deadbolt.

“She’s in shock. She also took a nasty hit to the head. Chad Taylor is back in her office with ten rounds in him. What about the FBI agents?”

“They’re dead. Each took a shot to the head. Red is out there placing all the calls.”

“Has he called Agent Parker?”

“Yes. He’s on his way. He told us not to call the coroner or ambulance until he gets here. I will call him and let him know Miss De Luca is injured and Chad is dead.” He turned and she heard him walk toward her. “Miss De Luca? Agent Parker is on his way. I will get an EMT here now to look at your head. How are you feeling?”

Dani closed her eyes. She didn’t want to talk to any of them. She just wanted to sleep. Her eyes popped open when she felt someone grab her shoulder. She screamed and tried to jump away.

“Danielle. Danielle. Shhh. It’s just me, Noodle. You are injured, Miss De Luca. I don’t want you falling asleep until the medics can look at you. They are on their way. Just keep your eyes open. Can you do that for me?”

She nodded, but groaned at the pain shooting through her head. She felt Noodle brush her hair back and turn to Dinky. “Go back to the kitchen and see if you can find a towel. She’s losing a lot of blood.”

“Those men are dead because of me.” Tears welled in her eyes and started cascading down her face.

“What men?” Noodle asked as he gently began to brush back her hair and examine her wound.

“The FBI agents. And, Noodle, there were so many more women. All those poor girls. But I know where they are. I know and I can’t get their pictures out of my head. Those faceless victims tossed aside like garbage.” She felt the coolness of the leather as she hid her face in the leather and cried for those poor women and for the FBI agents and their families.

“Shh. It’s okay. It will be all right,” she heard him whisper.

She jerked her head back when she felt a cold pack placed on her head. “What is that?”

“Some frozen vegetables Dinky found in the freezer. I want to slow down the bleeding. Head wounds can be dangerous if the bleeding isn’t controlled. How did you get this gash on your head?”

“I tried to escape and he grabbed my ankle. I fell forward and my head hit the corner of my desk.”

Noodle was pressing the veggies wrapped in a washcloth hard against her head when she heard sirens and shouts coming from the street. As if they were three avenging angels with white halos and Easy Spirit wings, the Rose sisters descended on the office. They surrounded Dani, pushing Dinky and Noodle out of the way. In hushed tones, they worked, never asking Dani a question. Her body, once racked with chills, started to warm as Lily wrapped her in a heavy patchwork quilt. A cup of hot tea was placed to her lips and Violet gently urged her to drink. Daisy raised her head slightly and a pillow was placed under her. She had to remember to tell Kenna that she was right, the Roses were fairy godmothers.

Dani’s head continued to feel as if it were about to explode and she couldn’t stop crying. But, as the Roses surrounded her and police flooded the office, she felt safe. At least the body shaking chills had stopped.

“It’s okay, child. The ambulance will be here soon. They are coming from Lexington. Oh, bless your heart, you’ll be okay. It will take a while, but you’ll start feeling better soon. I called your parents and Mo. They will be here soon. Just take a sip of tea, dear.” Lily told her as a tea cup was pressed to her lips again. She took a sip and coughed as she felt liquor burn and then soothe her sore throat.

“Lily Rae! Please tell me you did not just give this child some bourbon in that tea.”

“Of course I did Daisy Mae! After what she’s been through, a good shot of bourbon will be a great help. Look at those bruises along her neck.” Dani felt her shirt pushed away and heard the gasps from Daisy and Violet.

“Well, don’t just sit there Lily Rae, pour some more of that in the tea while those officers aren’t looking.” Dani wanted to laugh at Miss Violet, but a sob came out instead. Tears rolled down her face, this time in thanksgiving.

“Okay. Everyone, I need this area cleared. If you are nonessential personnel, please head outside to control the crowd. Thank you.” She heard Cole usher people out and walk over to her. “How are you doing Dani?”

“I don’t know,” she rasped out. She felt as if she were outside her own body, floating above it. The sounds from the street seemed far away. She had kept her back to the office so she only caught glimpses of the people coming and going.

“I know this is hard, but I need to know what happened.” Cole stepped past the protective barrier the Rose sisters had put up, placed his hand on her shoulder, and turned her towards him. “It’s really important, Dani.”

“I know it is.” She opened her eyes and saw Cole’s blurry figure through her tears. She tried to sit up, but she felt dizzy and a sharp pain played pinball in her head.

“Danielle! Get out of my way. Danielle!”

“Mo!” She held out her hand and relief washed over her when he grabbed it. His face was pale and drawn. He touched the gash on her head and cursed in multiple languages. She only caught the ones in English and Italian, but their creativity tugged a smile out of her lips. “I’m okay, Mo. Just got the sense knocked out of me.”

“Mo, the EMTs are on the way. Before they get here and try to take her to the hospital, I need her to tell me what happened,” Cole told him. When Mo nodded his understanding, Ahmed stepped up next to Cole and whispered to him.

“What is it, Ahmed?” Dani said as she took another sip of the tea to help keep her voice.

“If you are up to it, we can get a better description of what happened if you show us. I will cover the body. Do you think you are up to it?”

“I’ll need help standing.”

While Mo helped her up, the Rose sisters clucked and scolded Cole and Ahmed. Her head spun so violently that she thought she would throw up. She took in a couple of deep breaths and waited for the worst of the nausea to stop. Ahmed, having escaped the lectures of the Roses, came to her other side.

“I am sorry, Danielle. But you’ll remember more and we’ll have to ask fewer questions if you can walk us through it." He and Mo guided her through the lobby. Before she could make it through the archway, she heard her father outside yelling in Italian at an officer.

“Cole. Have the officers let her parents in. I am sure Paige will be here soon. They’ll want to see her to make sure she’s okay.”

Cole agreed and went off to leave orders on who to allow into the office. “It’s okay, love. You’re safe. I know this will be hard, but I will be right here with you. I will never leave your side. Ever.”

“Oh, Bella!” Her mother raced across the room with her father close behind.

“It’s okay, Mama, Papa. I am alright.”

“You told me she was safe. What happened? How did he get to her?” Her father was livid. He yelled at Ahmed as if he was responsible for what happened.

“Papa! It’s not his fault. Chad killed the two FBI agents who were watching me.” Tears welled again in her eyes. How could she possible have any more tears in her?

“Tony. Two families lost their loved ones while we still have ours. Let us thank God that we do not share their sorrow.” Her mother had superpowers. When she placed her hand gently on her husband’s arm, Dani could see her father’s blood pressure drop.

“You are right, my dear, as always.” He kissed her mother and then placed a soft kiss on Dani’s cheek. “Do you want us to go with you?” he nodded to her office.

“No, Papa. Mo and Ahmed will go with me. Let me just get this over with.”

Dani forced her legs forward. Her vision focused on the door and everything else in the world dropped away. Soon, the only sound she heard was the thumping of her heart as it sped up. Ahmed had thrown a black police blanket over Chad's lifeless body. She told herself to not look at him, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away. She pictured the predatory smile on his face as he lay there, waiting to jump up and attack her again. She was about to walk over to the body when Ahmed released her arm and stepped in front of her.