Blood Ties (21 page)

“I could trip over him and not know it,” she muttered softly.

He could be right in the middle of everything
, Gabriel agreed as his twin returned to the roof of a building very near the edge of town, where she had one of the best vantage points possible—and three separate ways down.

“Normally I’d say there was a slim chance,” Roxanne told him. “But not this time. This bastard has balls enough for anything. Hell, he could be carrying a badge of some kind, or be tech support or EMS or one of the media; in all the chaos, who’s going to think about screening I.D.s to make damn sure everybody is who they claim to be?”

Miranda will
.

“When she gets back here, sure. But it’ll take way more time than I like to check everybody.” Roxanne raised her binoculars and studied the brightly lit center of downtown. Dozens of cops in various uniforms and nearly as many FBI agents, wearing windbreakers sporting the acronym prominently, were still moving about with clipboards and notebooks and the tools necessary to interview witnesses and collect and tag the evidence literally scattered over two blocks.

The media people remaining this late had been herded into one area at the north end of Main Street, held back from the cops and technicians working the scene by yellow crime-scene tape and several watchful deputies.

The part-time deputies, Roxanne had noted, looked more than a little shell-shocked, but they were clinging to training and doing their best to be professional in the face of chaos none of them could have been prepared to face working in this pleasant small town.

Picture-postcard perfect
. Gabe’s voice was wry in her mind.
The chamber might want to rethink the advertising
.

“Yeah.”

The muted roar of several portable generators powering the big work lights was the loudest sound in the otherwise unnatural quiet of the small town. It set Roxanne’s teeth on edge. She had the restless, skin-crawling uneasiness that warned her something darker than the night was prowling Serenade, and she had learned to trust that very human sense.

Yeah, he’s close. But I can’t quite get him. It’s almost like… there’s too much negative energy blocking me. Interference of some kind. Maybe the violence of the bomb. Or maybe something else
.

“Maybe just him. Right in the middle of everything, like you said. Why do I feel like he knows us a hell of a lot better than we know him?”

If he’s been watching long enough, he very well could. He must have found our tracker and ditched his car. Came back here with a different ride. And he’s probably been on foot since then, moving around
. We
won’t be finding him or his things in a motel room, not again
.

“Dammit. I wish Miranda would get back here.”

She’ll be here soon. In the meantime, whatever the other cops and the media are doing, the SCU agents are focusing where they need to. Identifying that staged shooter on the theater’s roof. Although…

“Although what?”

I’m beginning to wonder if that even matters, Rox. Five’ll get you ten when they I.D. the guy they’ll find he was a hunter out in the woods yesterday, maybe last night
.

“Because?”

Because those were the clothes he was wearing, because the backpack held minimal rations and camping gear, and because I don’t believe our guy had all that much time to get fancy
.

Roxanne shifted a bit to keep her muscles from cramping up but was wary of moving very much, even though it was dark.

“So he found an easy victim and just left him up here with the gun. Makes sense. But…”

But what?

“I sensed the shooter on that roof, Gabe.”

Sure you did
—
at first, before we got to the old theater building. But by the time we got there, you were already saying what you felt was different, odd
.

“Okay, but if I was sensing him because he’d been there, how’d he get off that roof so fast—and get himself positioned at street level at the corner of the courthouse blocks away?”

They knew he’d been there because he had left them a mocking bit of proof: a shell casing, standing neatly on end right there on the concrete—with a circle of red chalk around it just to make sure the dumb-ass police couldn’t possibly miss it.

Bastard.

I don’t know, Rox. I still doubt he took the chance of coming out the way he must have gone in, by the front door. Too many people would have seen him leave. Maybe he had a rope and managed to rappel down the outside of the building while we were inside. He could have come down in that little alley between the theater and the next building over. I doubt anybody would have seen him
.

“Maybe—though we didn’t find any sign a grappling hook was used, did we?”

No. But we weren’t really looking for that, were we?

“Point is, I shouldn’t have felt anything at all once the real shooter was off that roof, not if the dead guy was an innocent victim.”

Maybe you were picking up residual energy from the gun
, Gabriel offered.

“Yeah. And maybe it was something else.”

Like what?

“I don’t know. But the possibilities are scaring the hell out of me.”

F
rom another vantage point not so very far from where he was perfectly aware Roxanne watched, the sniper did his own sweep of the town, gazing through infrared binoculars of a highly advanced design, his lips pursing unconsciously as he noted the continued presence of numerous law-enforcement officers.

That wouldn’t make things easier.

Not that he cared. He loved a challenge. Besides, it was a not-unplanned-for development.

He changed the settings on the binoculars as he focused on the brightly lit few blocks around the heart of town, where most of the activity was centered. He spotted one individual in particular down there, tracked the methodical and professional actions with a critical eye, and waited for a moment of stillness and privacy to make contact.

Any trouble?

The response came back immediately, strong and clear.

Of course not. The I.D. is absolutely authentic and so am I. With all the new people here on the scene, nobody’s going to question me. They’ll never suspect a thing
.

BJ wasn’t so sure.
Maybe and maybe not
.

I’m telling you, they won’t expect this, especially if you keep doing your job. And he keeps doing his. Where is he?

You don’t know?

Don’t play games with me, BJ. If you aren’t keeping a leash on him, we’re all fucked
.

He’s occupied with his latest toy, all right? He’ll be perfectly happy for at least the next eight or ten hours
.

And he won’t be found?

Something else BJ wasn’t too sure of, but he didn’t allow even a tinge of doubt to creep into his response.
Not a chance in hell
.

Good. So we’re ready for the next step
.

We’re ready. Any preference?

With so many profilers around, we don’t want to go getting too predictable. I vote we take out a noncombatant
.

It was a possibility they had discussed. In fact, they had discussed just about every possibility either of them had been able to dream up.

Best to be prepared, always.

That’ll be easy enough. Whole town is crawling with them, even at this hour
.

So pick your shot. But wait. Until she gets back. Until she can see it happen. We need to keep her rattled and off balance
.

BJ considered.
Don’t know that I’ve ever seen her rattled
.

She needs to feel threatened, under attack
.

She doesn’t already?

Some. But not enough, because he’s not here yet
.

You’re sure?

Very sure. We can’t finish this, once and for all, until he’s here
.

Copy that
.

Now leave me alone for a while. I need to concentrate
.

Copy that
.

BJ closed the door in his mind with the ease of a lifetime’s practice and used his other senses as he continued to scan the busy little town. It wouldn’t be so easy this time, he knew, to take his shot and get away clean. Not even with night providing excellent cover. Because there were more people hunting him now, including the Wolf, who had already come too close too many times in the past twelve or so hours.

He really wanted to take out the Wolf. Both Wolves.

But that wasn’t the plan. Not yet, at least.

He swept the town again and then occupied himself for several minutes mentally going over his escape route, until he was sure there wouldn’t be a wasted motion or a wasted moment.

When he was sure the plan was solid, he went back to scanning the town, considering first this potential target and then that one, deliberately looking for something unexpected.

Something none of them would see coming.

And all the time he searched, he listened for the sounds of a returning helicopter.

Haven

B
ailey dropped her shoulder bag onto a chair and sighed as she studied John and Maggie Garrett. “Do you really think this is a good idea?”

“I think it’s a lousy idea,” John said without hesitation.

“I’m not crazy about it myself,” Maggie added. “But she’s absolutely adamant about it, Bailey.”

“She’s twelve years old, Maggie. Do you really believe she should be the one making the decision?”

“Yes. I do.”

Without showing much surprise, Bailey merely said, “And what does Bishop say?”

“You know what he said. He told you to come and get Ruby and take her to Serenade.”

“Serenade. Where a bomb went off and one of our people was shot. Where a serial killer dumped two of his victims and where a sniper—possibly the same serial killer—is at large, still armed and probably still pissed. Where the media is nosing around and way too many cops are tripping over one another, and the townsfolk are scared witless.
That
Serenade?”

“That Serenade.”

“Jesus, Maggie. I knew Bishop would go out on some pretty long limbs, but I never expected to see you on one of them.”

“There’s a lot at stake.”

“I know what’s at stake. And I know what Ruby is capable of. But she’s just a kid.” Bailey shook her head. “Look, ethics and morals aside, what about legalities? You two were appointed Ruby’s temporary legal guardians, along with Bishop and Miranda, while Ruby’s mother and those other weirdly passive church members are assessed by psychologists and social services. But there are rules about temporary guardianship, and I can’t believe any judge would think it’s a good idea to take Ruby to a town where we have an active investigation going on. Especially one that’s turned as violent as this one has.”

Her voice steady, Maggie said, “Ruby wants to go. One of her guardians will be there. We have legal permission.”

“Jesus,” Bailey repeated.

“Keep her safe,” Maggie responded simply.

Without pointing out all the difficulties in that request, Bailey said instead, “While she does what? And what does any of this have to do with her, anyway?”

From the doorway of the study, a very small voice said, “I have to be there. In Serenade. It’s important.”

Bailey turned her head to look at Ruby. “Why?”

“I can’t tell you that. I’m sorry, but I can’t. It could change the wrong things if I told you. It could make it all worse.”

“Did you tell Bishop?” Bailey asked directly.

“No. But… I think he knows why. Part of it anyway.”

Bailey looked at Maggie with lifted brows. “And that doesn’t make you curious as hell?”

“What do you think?” Maggie sighed. “But if I’ve learned anything in my life, it’s that people have to be free to make their own choices.”

“Agreed. People. Not kids. Kids need us to watch over them. We both know that.”

Shaking her head slightly, Maggie said, “In case you hadn’t noticed, Ruby is a very old soul.”

“I am,” Ruby offered gravely. “And I haven’t been a kid in a long, long time, Bailey.”

“Still.”

“It’s okay. I know what I’m doing,” Ruby said.

Her frowning gaze on the serious girl, Bailey said, “Ruby, it’s dangerous there. People have been killed. People have been… hurt. Badly hurt. It’s not a place where you should be.”

“I wish I didn’t have to go there.” Steady though her voice was, there was a forlorn note in it. “I wish…. But I have to.”

Maggie looked at Ruby for a long moment, seemed to hesitate, then said to Bailey, “The jet’s standing by. Galen will meet you at the other end and take you to Serenade. You’ll get there before dawn, and with all the commotion, chances are good nobody will even notice. There’s a house very close to the B&B where most of the team is staying. He’ll get you there safely and keep watch afterward. You’re to keep Ruby inside and out of sight.”

In clear protest, Ruby said, “But, Maggie—”

“That’s the deal, Ruby. You stay inside and out of sight. You obey Bailey. If there’s anything you need Miranda or the rest of the team to know, you tell Bailey and let her relay the information. But you do not go outside or even show your face at a window. And if Bailey or Miranda tells you it’s time to go, you don’t argue. Understand?”

Ruby nodded slowly. “I understand.”

“What about Lexie?” Maggie asked, referring to the absence of Ruby’s constant companion.

“I’ve given—She’s going to stay here with Cody, if that’s okay.”

“Of course it’s okay. But are you sure, honey?”

“I’m sure. She hates plane rides. She loves Winston, Reiko, and Archie,” Ruby added, referring to the three dogs belonging to the Garrett household. “And, besides, it’ll be… quieter here. So she won’t be afraid.”

“And you won’t have to hide her?”

“I don’t expect I’d have to. But…just in case. She should stay here with Cody. He’ll take care of her.”