Angel in the Shadows (5 page)

Chapter 5

The heavy curtain of snow lightened, then stopped, leaving a pale shroud that overlaid everything in this path. Darkness and fog were nearly complete, broken only by the bright lights of distant buildings making up the Manhattan skyline that beckoned her silently far across the black water. Thankful that there weren’t many people aboard the ferry at this hour, Madison made her way to the bottom level so she could look out over the water. She was cold but the lure of watching the shore approach was something she was never able to resist, no matter the weather. Hands clamped loosely on the icy, steel railing, she looked out over the inky stretch of water, knowing that soon she would be home. She would change her clothes, crawl into bed with her cat beside her, and forget everything about this night. Especially Seth Reynolds, she thought caustically.

Removing the clip holding her chignon in place, she shook her hair out, letting it spill loosely over her shoulders. The night had been long and stressful and she was exhausted. Her mind was filled with too many thoughts, none of them holding any real importance. Willing them away, she closed her eyes, letting the rocking movements of the ferry relax her. She could have probably fallen asleep had the cold December air been rushing over her, enveloping her as the ferry churned steadily through the Hudson River. Eyes closed, she relished the winter air and the gentle swaying until the sound of footsteps broke her idle mood. A couple were starting down the metal stairs that connected the levels of the ferry, their voices arriving before they reached the bottom. The woman’s voice was high-pitched, cracking with emotion and there was no mistaking it. Madison had heard it not even an hour ago. Of all the luck for Stacy to be on the same ferry as she was. Someone must really have it out for her. Madison didn’t recognize the man’s voice but as Seth had informed her, it was none of her business. She had to agree with him on that at least.

The last thing she wanted to do was run into Vance’s model of a girlfriend. Turning from the water, she moved around the outer wall of the ferry, planning to take the long way around. She heard the heavy double doors open just as she rounded the corner only to come up short. A mountain of wooden crates blocked her only way of escape.

Damn it! This night just keeps getting better and better.
Well, she wasn’t about to go back the way she came so she would just have to wait for Stacy and her friend to move on or for the ferry to reach the harbor. Pressing herself against the wall, the frozen metal penetrated her coat, chilling her. After a minute or two, she peered around the corner at the two people standing less than twenty feet from her. Standing near the railing, they were too deep in conversation to notice her, giving her an opportunity to study both them. The lower lights were dim but she could see the anger painted on Stacy’s face. Her bottom lip still carried Vance’s ‘love-tap,’ the bruise standing out starkly against her porcelain skin. The man standing next to her was tall with an athletic build, dressed completely in black. His features were fine, almost beautiful, with dark-brown eyes and a full, soft mouth. He was smiling at Stacy, a small dimple in his right cheek.

“I don’t know, Jason, he’s so angry. And secretive. He’s planning something, and I’m pretty sure it has to do with his chemical research.” Stacy’s lilting voice shook with emotion as she looked out over the water.

“Really? What makes you think that?” Jason asked, his voice smooth and calm.

From her hidden position, Madison saw his stance change sharply and harden as Stacy continued to talk. He moved in closer to her, his face stern and determined.

“I don’t know yet but I’m going to find out. If he thinks he’s going to knock me around and just expect me to put up with it, he’s got another thing coming.”

“I know just what you mean,” he said darkly.

Stacy started, looking at him curiously. You do?”

Quick as a rattlesnake, Jason reached out and grabbed her by one thin arm, pulling her to him.

“What are you doing? Let go of me!” Stacy exclaimed, her voice sharp with alarm.

The dark-haired man smiled wryly. “Sorry, babe, but I have my orders.”

“Orders? What are you talking about?” The alarm moved from her voice to her face, replacing the anger.

“Vance says you’ve outgrown your usefulness.”

Madison watched, frozen, not sure what was happening and not sure what to do. Should she jump out and help?

Absolute fear clawed at Stacy’s face, turning her blue eyes to the size of saucers. “Let go!” she demanded, trying to wrench her arm away.

With his free hand, Jason backhanded her, the slap rocking her head. Stacy’s eyes were dazed and she raised one pale hand to the red spot on her cheek

“You bastard,” she gasped weakly.

Jason chuckled, a low, evil sound. “I’ve been called worse.” Twisting her arm, making her cry out, he moved her so that she was pinned against him, her back to his chest. Sobbing hysterically, Stacy shook her head, fighting to get away but her struggles were useless against the man’s iron grip.

Madison’s gasp was drowned out by Stacy’s cries.

Jason placed his hands gently on Stacy’s head, holding her immobile. Then, lightning fast, he yanked her head to one side, and a sickening crack filled the air. Stacy’s struggling ceased and she went limp in his arms.

Shock rolled over Madison and her stomach heaved as it tried to relieve itself of the rich food she had consumed earlier. She covered her mouth, desperately trying to restrain herself from throwing up.

Jason stared down at the woman he held, brushing the chestnut strands of hair from her lifeless face. “What a waste. I should have taken my time with you,” he murmured regretfully.

Near panic, Madison knew the smartest thing to do was to stay quiet. She could wait for him to leave and then go to the police as soon as she reached the shore. But damn it, a woman had been killed in front of her. And who were the cops going to believe? An everyday photographer or a mega millionaire? She needed proof. Quickly, before she had time to change her mind, she moved, knowing she made a grave mistake even as she did it. Yanking the camera from the bag, she rounded the corner with it raised with shaking hands and snapped several pictures of the man in front of her, his arms still wrapped around the dead woman.

The flash of the camera caught the killer’s attention and he turned, staring intently at Madison. His eyes were black and filled with deadly purpose. Dropping Stacy’s lifeless body onto the floor, he started toward her.

Her intake of breath was sharp and painful and she turned to run. He was coming for her. There was no way she could outrun him but she had to try. Making a break for it, she sprinted toward the stairs. Her already racing heart felt as though it was going to explode from her chest. If he caught her, she was dead. But if she could just make it to the top where there were people, she might have a chance. She didn’t have to look back to know that he was right on her heels. She burst through the double doors, looking left and right. She would never reach the stairwell before he caught up to her. Ducking down behind the long wooden bench, she put her hand over her mouth, trying to quiet her rapid breathing.

Jason burst into the room and skidded to a stop. Madison knew she couldn’t just wait for him to find her but if she moved, he would be on her in no time. She was trapped. Taking big gulps of air, she fought off a suffocating panic. Her mind raced, trying to figure out what to do when she got an idea. Robert was going to kill her but she would rather face his wrath than that of the man on the other side of the room.

Holding her breath, she extracted the slim memory from the side of the Nikon that she still held in a near death grip. She shoved it deep inside her bra, the cold square of plastic pressing against her breast.

Closing her eyes for a split second, she opened them, throwing the camera as hard as she could in the opposite direction of the stairwell, careful to keep it below the level of the benches. It crashed against the steel floor, shattering upon impact. She jumped up from her hiding spot and was off like a shot, heading straight for the stairs, never looking back. Jason took the bait but cursed out loud when she exploded from behind the bench to his right and chased her running full tilt. Reaching the stairwell, she launched herself up the wide metal steps that led to the next level. But that was as far as she made it.

Halfway up the stairs, the sexy three-inch heels became her downfall and she tripped, her left ankle twisting sharply. The pain was razor sharp and immediate, making her cry out in a choked yelp. She went down hard, hitting her right knee solidly against the step, scraping flesh from bone. An ice-cold hand closed on her ankle yanking her down a few steps. Looking back over her shoulder, Jason was sneered up at her, victory on his face. Terror filled her to her very core yet a thread of survival instinct raised its head, making her react. Drawing her free leg up as far as she could, she kicked back hard, viciously, catching her attacker off-guard. The pointy heel of the shoe connected solidly with his face, ripping a long gash. Blood flowed as he howled; losing his grip and tumbling backward down the stairs.

Not wasting a second more, she darted up the remaining steps. Topping the stairs, she risked a glance behind her when she smashed into someone, knocking her off balance. Strong hands reached and grabbed her, saving her from a nasty fall backward. She only caught sight of the man for a second then she opened her mouth to scream, cut short when a hand slapped across her mouth, silencing her before throwing her into a small, dark room just to her left.

Madison fought to free herself from the man’s grip but his leather-clad hand was clamped tightly over her mouth, holding her in place. The heat from his palm sank into her face as she struggled to breathe. She was damned if she was going to give up now. Giving in to the feral nature that overcame her, she opened her mouth against his gloved hand, biting as hard as she could, feeling her teeth sink into the leather and through it. The coppery taste of his blood flooded her mouth almost making her gag but still she held on. Refusing to give in to her captor, she dug her teeth in even harder, grinding her teeth against the flesh of his hand.

Abruptly, the hand in her mouth was ripped away. She was spun around, striking the wall solidly with her back. Though she couldn’t see, she sensed the stranger closing in on her and she tried desperately to bring her knee up where she thought it might have the best contact. It was easily swatted away.

“Don’t do that, it only makes me grumpy,” her unseen captor said lightly. “Don’t scream and don’t try to run. If you do, he might hear you and then I’ll have to kill him.”

Before she even had time to register what he was saying, the room was awash in dim light.

She stared into the coldest, blue eyes she’d ever seen. No, it couldn’t be . . .

“Don’t scream.” he repeated, his voice as icy as his eyes.

Madison’s eyes widened and instinctively made a run for the door, her mouth open to scream. But he caught her around her waist easily, the muscles of her stomach flexing against his strong hands. She fought with everything she had but she wasn’t going anywhere. He pushed her against the wall, holding her there firmly, his hand on her mouth again. The black lace dress she wore suddenly felt too tight as she struggled to breathe. Her breasts strained against the material as she gulped air rapidly against the palm of his hand. She saw his eyes drop to her chest in momentary interest but then, just as quick, he adverted his eyes, swinging them upward to meet hers.

“I told you not to scream. Don’t do it again.”

The hard, flat edge in his voice took out any fight that she might have had left in her. She felt fear fill her veins and settle in the pit of her stomach like a block of ice.

“Now be quiet and I’ll let you go, understand?”

Not daring to believe that, Madison simply nodded slowly against his hands. The gripping pressure lifted as he slowly moved his hand from her face. Her breath was coming easier now that he no longer had her face covered and her eyes were burning with tears. Refusing to give in to that weakness, she blinked them back, letting her anger take over. That was much better than the tears. She didn’t want to die like this, in a utility closet on a ferry in the middle of the Hudson River. She didn’t want to die at all. This man had pulled her out of harm’s way but she wasn’t fool enough to think she was completely safe. She was trapped onboard with a killer. Or quite possibly two. She had no intentions of dying, but if she had to, she was going to go down fighting.

Once he’d decided to follow her, Seth took a few minutes to slip out of his plain, boring disguise. It didn’t take any time to remove the glasses and contacts. He could have changed his suit for something a bit stealthier but he didn’t want to take the time and chance losing Madison. On the ferry, he tried to keep her in his sight while staying out of hers. The less she was aware of him the better. She’d wandered down to the lower deck and he intended to follow but then he had caught sight of Stacy and Jason. Ducking out of the way, he cursed this unexpected interruption. It was stupid and risky to be here but now that he was, he was just going to have to stay out of trouble. But the fact that Jason was here was not a good indicator of things to come. There was only one reason for him to be with Stacy. Her number was up.

Jason Hughes was a hired killer. That was his only job. His pretty-boy face attracted attention and his charming demeanor allowed him to get in closer than most of Vance’s other cronies, making him very effective. After all, who expected death to come from the hands of someone that looked like an angel? As soon as they were out of sight, he made a call, letting Charlie in on this little development. Understandably, she wasn’t happy with this new information but ordered him to hold back on any action. Although he didn’t particularly care for Stacy, it seemed wrong to sit back and do nothing. He was sure he could do something to interrupt what was about to happen without drawing attention to himself.

He had just reached the top of the stairs when he heard a pain-filled scream followed by a heavy thump. Seconds later, he was nailed by a terror-stricken woman. And not just any woman. Madison. He caught her easily enough and without a second thought, he yanked her into the storage closet. She fought him like a wildcat, her fear and terror lending her a strength surprising for someone her size. Twisting and turning, she tried to slip out of his grasp. When that didn’t work, she did the only thing she could and sank her teeth into his hand. Her teeth were sharp and bit clean through his leather glove, slicing into his flesh underneath. He didn’t even register the pain and ripping his hand away, he assumed she would try to scream and run.