Bring the Heat (21 page)

Then he came to a name that stopped him cold: Violet Johansson. As he recalled, a cold, hard bitch who was anything but the pretty flower she was named after. Violet was a dangerous criminal, a crack addict and drug runner Austin had arrested numerous times. The last time was enough to get her sent away for a long stretch.

Sitting back in his chair, he remembered that Violet was mean as a snake. The word on the street was that she'd cut the balls off a man who hadn't paid for his cocaine delivery, and then cut his throat. They'd found the man—the rumors about what she'd done to him were true—but had never been able to prove she'd done it. No, it was the drug charges that got her, and that wasn't nearly enough.

Picking up the phone, he made a call to the warden of the prison where Violet Johansson had been incarcerated. Fifteen minutes later, he hung up, grabbed the file, and jogged to the conference room, heart in his throat. He burst into the room, startling the exhausted detectives inside, who were instantly on alert.

“Violet Johansson,” he said, slapping the file on the table. “Dangerous repeat offender. She died in prison after a fight with another inmate. And she was pregnant. The baby didn't survive.”

Shane let out a curse. “This could be the link we're looking for. Who was the father?”

“She wasn't married, but her common-law husband
was a guy named Douglas Bristow. I didn't have any dealings with him, never met him. The warden said he was extremely loyal, never missed a visit. He was also enraged when they informed him of her death.”

“Motive,” Chris said. “He snapped when she died.”

Austin nodded. “He vowed to get revenge for her death, but the warden didn't put much stock in the threat. If he'd just picked up the phone . . .” There was no point in agonizing over that now.

Shane's gaze was sympathetic. “All of us in law enforcement get threatened constantly. It's easy to tune it out. Criminals are always running their mouths.”

“Yeah,” Austin agreed. That didn't make it hurt any less. “Anyway, Douglas has a minor record. Seems he left the heavy-hitting stuff to his lady.”

“You got an address?” Danny asked. “A photo or description of him?”

“No, I came straight in here after I got off the phone.”

Excitement shone in Danny's eyes as he woke up the screen on the laptop they'd been using. Austin and the others gathered around as he began a search for a current address. It took a few minutes of perusing city and county records, but the lieutenant got a hit.

“I think I found him. He's got a place just outside the city limits.”

Austin noted the address. “It's out in the country a ways, but not too far. Let's check it out, but I want to find a picture of Bristow first.”

Thanks to arrest records logged online, the mug shot was easy to find. And when Danny pulled it up, Austin sucked in a sharp breath, reeling in shock.

“Goddamn! That's Chandler, the bartender from the Waterin' Hole! That's what he
said
his name was.”

“Well, he lied,” Chris said. “He's probably been watching you all this time.”

“Yeah. He started with a man who looked like me, then escalated to a woman who hit on me. Then he graduated to stalking the people I care for. He almost killed Taylor, and now he's got Laura.” Rage boiled inside him, and his soul demanded justice. He had to find her.

“Everybody grab your vest, and let's move. We have a snake to catch.”

•   •   •

Just a few last threads. She moved her wrists quickly, hoping she didn't slice her skin on the rusty blade, and the ropes were cut at last.

Rubbing her wrists and hands, she coaxed the circulation back into them. The pins and needles had barely started to abate when she heard the slam of a door from somewhere above.
Shit
.

Pushing to her feet, she wasted no time moving a large box underneath the window. Then she scrambled on top of it; it was sort of flimsy, but it would hold her weight well enough. Immediately she went to work unlatching and lifting the window. It was old, and perhaps had never been opened. Sweating with the effort of trying to force it open, she was considering breaking it when finally it started to inch upward.

And none too soon. Footsteps crossed the floor overhead—and the door to the basement opened. The clang
of the killer's shoes coming down those stairs was the most frightening sound she'd ever heard.

“What the fuck?” he shouted, and took the last of the steps at a fast clip.

With a last shove, the window gave and she hoisted herself up. She was halfway out when she felt him grab her leg and try to drag her backward. Kicking, she managed to shake free temporarily and get in a good hit, hopefully to his face. His howl of pain gave her a spurt of satisfaction as she emerged on the other side and fell onto the grass.

Gathering herself, she turned and saw his enraged face in the window. He was simply too large to fit through. She took off running, having no idea where she was or where she was going. The house was totally surrounded by rolling, forested countryside. Just before she lost sight of the house, she looked back to see that his face had disappeared from the window. He was coming after her.

She ran as fast as she could, watching out for logs and holes hidden by foliage so she didn't twist an ankle. As she fled, she scanned the area for any sign of another house, somewhere she could beg to use a phone, get some help. There wasn't anything. She was completely alone.

Except for her pursuer, whom she could now hear crashing through the woods behind her. He shouted something, but she didn't care what. She kept moving.

A few steps later, a
crack
sounded from behind. A searing pain tore through her right shoulder and she stumbled, falling to her hands and knees, crying out.
Her entire shoulder and arm felt as though they'd been lit with a torch. Looking down at herself, she was shocked to see the front of her blouse stained with red, and she touched the growing wetness with shaking fingers.

He
shot
me. Oh God
.

The killer was closing in. His maniacal laugh drifted through the trees, getting her up and moving again. If she stopped, she was dead. And so was her child. This lunatic would deliver her body to Austin without one smidge of remorse.

A ridge with a cliff loomed ahead, and her heart sank. She could try to skirt it, in which case she'd probably get caught. Or she could go up. She opted for climbing. Maybe she could send a shower of rocks down on the killer's head.

Heart in her throat, she ran for the base of the
ridge.

Austin and his men parked their two unmarked cars a short distance down the road from Bristow's house.

This place really was in the middle of nowhere, nothing but forest all around, bisected only by the old rutted gravel road. Keeping to the cover of the trees, they approached cautiously, guns pointed downward but at the ready.

All appeared to be quiet at the house. Interestingly, however, there was a truck parked at the side of the structure with the passenger door open. Austin and Danny crept up to peer inside while the others kept an eye on the house and started looking into windows.

“Groceries,” Danny said, pointing to the few plastic bags that had been left inside on the seat. “Something interrupted his task of unloading them.”

Leaving them, they joined the others. Chris had found a side door not far from the truck that was unlocked, probably the route Bristow had been using to unload the groceries. This was confirmed as Austin carefully eased the door open and looked inside. The other bags were sitting on a small table in the kitchen.

They stood for a moment, listening. No sounds reached their ears, and the house had an empty feel.
Still, they had to search everywhere. Austin moved forward and motioned the others to follow.

Creeping out of the kitchen, he moved about a small living room, noting the signs that the house had been occupied. Magazines and newspapers littered the coffee table, along with a couple of fast-food wrappers. Austin walked over to the newspapers and his pulse sped up as he motioned for the others to take a look.

The papers were the issues that reported the killings, from Blankenship on to each victim. They were arranged in order by date, front to back. This was definitely their guy. Forensics would prove it. If they could find the knife he'd used on Blankenship or the gun he'd used on Taylor, even better.

“Bedrooms and bathrooms are clear,” Tonio said.

Shane spoke up. “Hey, guys? There's a door off the kitchen. Looks like it leads to a basement.”

Austin hurried past them all. If Laura was being held here, this was where she would be. He practically ripped the door off the hinges in his haste to get downstairs. At the bottom, however, he was met with an empty room.

Wait
. Not quite empty. On the floor near a lawn mower that had been tipped on its side were some ropes that had been sliced through. And there was a big box sitting under an open window.

“She escaped,” he said, hope warring with rising fear. “He came home, realized she was gone, and went after her. We have to find them—now.”

Quickly they jogged back upstairs and headed outside, around the house to the open window. Austin
directed them to fan out and search straight back from the house, reasoning that she'd be inclined to get as far from the house as possible. Beyond that, he had no idea where she would go. The countryside out here was vast, but Laura was smart and resourceful.

Hang on, sweetheart. I'm coming for you
.

Austin wasn't sure how long they'd searched before he finally started to see signs of broken brush, as though one or more people had passed that way. He was no expert tracker, but it seemed obvious. A few yards later, he spotted something dark on the leaves.

He knew what it was even before he knelt to examine the splatter on the leaves and the ground. His gut rolled with sickness. “Blood.”

“Could be
his
,” Shane said.

Nobody really believed that, but nobody contradicted him. Moving on, they picked up the pace.

Up ahead, a wall of rock loomed, giving them two choices: go around the ridge or over it. Just as Austin decided to skirt the ridge, he spotted Laura and Bristow. And his heart almost stopped.

“Oh Christ.” The words came out as an agonized moan.

She was climbing up the rock face, Bristow in pursuit a few yards below her. Crimson stained her right shoulder. Her progress was steady, but Bristow's was faster. Austin knew the murderer could have shot her as she climbed and been done with it, but the bastard wanted to toy with her. That must have been the only reason he hadn't killed her as soon as he abducted her.

Austin had too much ground to cover in order to
reach her, and not enough time. His gun was heavy in his hand as he ran, trying to gauge whether he had an opening to shoot Bristow if necessary. The bastard was closing in on her, though. By the time Austin got within firing range, Bristow would be too close, and he couldn't risk hitting her.

When he reached the base of the ridge, he tucked the gun into his holster at his waist and started to climb. The rock face wasn't straight up, and there were handholds and footholds, but the going was still plenty strenuous. He knew he'd feel every single one of his forty-two years tomorrow.

“Better climb faster,” Bristow taunted her from above. “I'm gonna yank your ass right off there and watch you fall.”

He'd do it, too. Austin's blood ran cold and he pushed faster. Angling his head back, he scanned the area above him just in time to see Laura finally heave herself over the top. His relief that she'd made it was short-lived. Bristow reached the top seconds later and disappeared from view as well.

With a curse, he climbed as fast as he dared. When he reached the top, he flung himself over and rolled to his feet, searching for Laura. She was sprinting toward a waterfall, Bristow hot on her heels. As Austin ran, the killer caught her in a flying tackle, taking her to the ground. Then he flipped her onto her back, pulled a fist, and punched her in the face.

“Bristow!” Austin shouted. The murdering bastard looked up just in time to see Austin barrel into him, taking him to the ground.

The fight was vicious, neither man willing to lose. Bristow's own gun had skittered across the rocks, and now he was determined to get to Austin's. They rolled, delivering hard punches and kicks, and Bristow finally managed to slam his fist into one of Austin's kidneys, taking his breath away.

Before he could stop him, Bristow grabbed his gun. Austin seized the other man's hands and a life-or-death struggle for the weapon was on. Bristow's dark eyes seethed with hatred as he gazed down at Austin.

“Just die already, murdering cop!”

“I didn't kill Violet! I arrested her! She got in a fight in prison and died, and I'm sorry about that.” Breathing hard, he fought to turn the muzzle toward the other man's body.

“You kept coming after her! If you'd left her alone, she'd still be alive!”

“You break the law, you go to jail, and she knew that.”

“You killed my woman and child, and I killed yours. An eye for an eye. But I'm not done yet.” His lips twisted into a snarl. “After I finish you, I'm going to shoot your pretty lady in the head.”

“No, you're fucking
not
.”

He was done talking. If Bristow overpowered him, he was dead—and so was Laura. He couldn't let that happen. Using every ounce of his strength, he started to turn the muzzle toward Bristow's chest.

“Douglas Bristow, hands in the air!” Shane yelled.

Backup had arrived, but Austin's nemesis wasn't
giving up. He sneered down at Austin and continued to fight for control.

“Bristow, release the weapon! Hands up!”

“Let go of the gun or I'll have to shoot,” Austin hissed.

“Fuck you.”

Bristow tried once more to turn the weapon back on him, and Austin had no choice. With one last burst of strength, Austin turned the muzzle and pulled the trigger. The gunshot echoed through the hills, the silence eerie as it died—along with the light in Bristow's eyes.

The man toppled over, crimson spreading over his chest. Shaking from exertion, Austin checked his neck for a pulse. There wasn't one. He couldn't have said he was sorry.

“Austin?”

At the sweet sound of Laura's voice, he pushed to his feet and stumbled over to her. Then he dropped down and gathered her into his arms. She tried smiling up at him through her split lip, and reached up to touch his face.

“You came for me.”

“I always will, sweetheart.” His voice choked with emotion.

Her face was pale as she stared at him, eyes glassy. She'd lost too much blood, he thought. They had to get help up there somehow.

“Somebody call the paramedics,” he ordered, throat tightening. He couldn't lose her. Not now, after all this.

“Already on it,” Tonio told him.

Using his thumb, he wiped the blood from her lip. “You're going to be fine, okay? I'm right here.”

“Our baby?”

“He'll be fine, too.” Tears blurred his vision. “I'm so sorry for how I reacted. Please forgive me.”

“Shh. I do. Know you were scared.”

“I am, but I want you and our baby. Don't doubt that.”

“Good . . . love you . . .” Her lashes drifted shut.

“I love you, honey. So much. Laura?” To his horror, she went limp in his arms. A sob escaped his chest and he watched helplessly as his world fell apart. Again. “No—please don't leave me. I won't survive this—I
won't
.”

“Cap, help is on the way,” Chris said gently, crouching beside him. “The wound is through the shoulder, no vital organs located there. She'll be okay.”

“What about the baby? I can't lose another child. I won't.”

Chris's eyes widened. Belatedly Austin realized he hadn't told anyone about the baby Laura was carrying. They'd barely had a chance to discuss things themselves.

Chris laid a hand on his shoulder in support. “I have to believe the baby will be fine, too. I just can't imagine that fate would be that cruel twice. You have to believe that, too.”

Turning his attention back to Laura, he nodded, hardly aware of the tears that had escaped to stream down his face. He had to think positive. She and the baby would be fine. They had to be.

If they weren't, his friends could go ahead and bury him right next to the ones he loved.

•   •   •

The wait was damn near unbearable.

For over two hours, Laura had been in surgery. He'd called his mom and dad as soon as he'd arrived at the hospital, telling them not to come until he knew more. Of course, his parents were the people Austin got his stubbornness from, and they arrived a few hours after his halting phone call.

Right now he was grateful for their support. His men from the station were fantastic, but nothing could replace family.

When he'd told his parents about the baby, they'd been surprised at first, to say the least. Understandably, they were concerned that he wasn't ready to go through a new pregnancy, anticipating a child once again. What they really wanted to know, and weren't asking, was whether he was on the rebound from his loss and trying to replace the child that had been cruelly taken from him.

His answer was a firm no. His folks were relieved and didn't bring it up again. They seemed happy for him, and he knew they'd warm up to the idea of a grandchild again, too, in time. Austin wasn't the only one who needed to heal.

“Son,” his dad said, nodding toward the double doors.

Austin shot to his feet at the sight of the doctor who walked through wearing clean scrubs. When the man smiled at him, he almost fell to his knees.

“Captain Rainey?”

“Yes. How's Laura?”

The doctor stopped in front of him. “She lost a lot of blood, but she and the baby are just fine.”

“Thank God!” He sagged and his dad was right there behind him, along with Austin's detectives. “When can I see her?”

“She'll be in recovery for a bit while they get a room ready. Could be a couple of hours. Don't expect much out of her today in the way of being coherent, but tomorrow should be a much different story. We'll watch her for a couple of days, and if the wound is looking good, she can go home.”

“That's great news,” he said, relief draining what little energy he had left.

“Just make sure she gets plenty of rest for a couple of weeks, and don't let her do any heavy lifting.”

“Oh, I'll make sure—don't worry.”

The doc shook his hand. “I'm so glad things turned out fine. I'll have a nurse come and get you when she's in her room.”

“Thank you.”

Once the doctor had gone, Austin turned to his team. “Thank you, guys, too, for everything. I don't know what I'd do without you.”

“Damn,” Chris said. “I'm missing Taylor's smart-ass comments right now. This is where he'd say we need a group hug or something.”

Austin chuckled in agreement, along with the others. “How's he doing, by the way?”

Shane spoke up. “He's improving every day. I'm going by to see him before I leave, give him an update.”

“I'll go by, too,” Austin said. “This evening.”

The guys said their good-byes and drifted off to go home and pass out. Austin envied them, but there was nowhere else he'd rather be than at Laura's side.

Eventually he convinced his folks to go get some rest as well. They left with a promise to return tomorrow. Finally a nurse came and said Laura was in a room on the third floor. Heart pounding, Austin followed the directions to the room and eased quietly inside.

His girl was lying on her back, hair spilling around her like black ink. She appeared so frail and vulnerable when he knew she was anything but. She'd escaped a killer and led him on a merry chase through the hills, and had climbed up a cliff to try to evade him. She was one of the most courageous people he'd ever met.

Settling into the chair next to her, he wrapped his fingers around hers and let his head fall back, his body relax. Sleep deprivation and the knowledge that she was safe finally took their toll.

In moments, he was out like a light.

•   •   •

A gentle buzzing noise woke her from a deep sleep.

Her first thought was that somebody was outside using a Weed eater on the lawn. But no, that wasn't quite right. The sound was closer. Like, in the room with her. Snoring.