Fulfilling Promises (Red Starr, Book Five) (23 page)

“Damn it,” Devyn muttered, looking down at the end of the hallway.

Someone had left the back door cracked open, which wasn’t unusual on the weekends. People snuck out back to smoke things they really shouldn’t. Per the fire code, there had to be more than one exit, but that didn’t mean that it couldn’t lock when you tried the door from the outside. People left it open so they wouldn’t have to walk around to the front to get back in. She didn’t like it, so she routinely pulled the door shut on numerous patrons.

Devyn heard the heavy rain before she felt the damp wind on her face as she peered out. It was really coming down out there. It didn’t cross her mind as she reached for the doorknob that no one would have used this entrance to do their usual activity during this kind of weather until it was too late to react. A large black-gloved hand wrapped around her wrist and a deep-seated fear she’d never experienced tore through her.

“Oh!”

Devyn was yanked forward despite trying to spin around on the heel of her favorite pair of cowboy boots she’d put on earlier with her most comfortable pair of jeans. She wasn’t sure why those thoughts crossed her mind at a time like this, but visions of Trigger finding her dead in her favorite choice of clothing was foremost in her mind. He would have to identify her body, just as Isaac had done Joey. Why? Because she had no one else. And just like that, the man dragged her through the door and out into the warm rain with such force that she hadn’t even had time to yell for help.

Thunder clapped overhead and streaks of lightning lit up the dark grey clouds that were hanging overhead as if all the gods in the universe were angry. Rain pelted down over her as he wrenched her forward. She tried to grab the frame of the door for some type of leverage, but her hands were too wet and her fingers slipped off of the slick steel.

Devyn inhaled as much oxygen as she could manage and screamed. She made a screeching sound as loud and long as she could as she tried to resist being dragged forward, but the man was pulling her farther and farther away. Had anyone even heard her?

Fear and adrenaline mixed and she spun back around with every intention of fighting for her life. The man instantly blocked her attempt at hitting him, grabbing her wrist while losing hold of her other arm. She couldn’t even see who was trying to attack her since the hood of his black raincoat was covering his head and obstructing her view of his face with it covered in shadow. It was then that she realized the security cameras wouldn’t be able to identify him either. She had no choice but to fight for her life.

She tried to scream again, but she was too busy trying to get away from him. Could anyone hear her? Another clap of thunder boomed above them as if in answer. No one could hear her from out here.

Devyn wasn’t so stupid as to think this man was taking her away from here for any other reason than to kill her.
This
was who killed Joey and the others. Why was he targeting her? She continued to kick, hit, scratch with everything she had, but he jerked her forward once again with such strength that this time she stumbled.

He was able to swing her in front of him so he could wrap his arms around her middle, literally picking her up off the ground. Fear rushed through her that he might actually be able to take her away from here without anyone seeing them. She didn’t stop crying out for help as the grumbling sky continued to thwart her attempts of seeking rescue.

Rain continued to pour down over them, causing his hold on her to slip. Devyn wasn’t sure what made her do it, but she realized she needed to make a move fast. Images of Joey fighting in the schoolyard came back to her. She could do anything he could do…he’d always told her that. She believed him too.

Since Devyn wasn’t sure where he was trying to take her or how much time she had left, she brought her head forward with all of her might and threw her head back with a snap. She heard the crack of his nose before the sharp blow caused her to cry out in pain instead of fear. Damn, that hurt.

“Fuck,” the man muttered angrily, losing his grip on her and giving her an ounce of hope. She held on to that faith as she dropped to the ground and fell forward, her hands taking most of the impact. “You…”

Devyn couldn’t hear anything he was saying over the thunder above them and she barely registered the sting of the tiny rocks on the surface of the back alleyway as she scrambled to her feet. She couldn’t see him behind her, but somehow she knew he was trying to get her back under his control.

Devyn staggered a few steps forward before spinning around, understanding her best bet for escape was by getting back inside the bar. Maybe he was hurt enough that she would now have enough time to seek help. She was brought up short before she could make a decision.

The back alley light chose that moment to automatically come on and the only thing she saw was the glint of the beam as it glanced off of the blade of a very large hunting knife. The thunder faded while the lightning kept dancing in the sky and the raindrops continued to fall. Time seemed to stand still with both the killer and the potential victim at a standoff. What he didn’t seem to understand was that she refused to be a victim.

So Devyn did the only thing she could. She ran as fast as her legs would go.

‡

T
rigger made his
way back into the noisy bar from having a brief meeting with the officer assigned by Detective Chaisson to keep an eye on things at The Laughing Griffin. He’d decided to station himself outside the entrance to screen the patrons entering the bar. He was well aware of the amount of security inside.

The officer wasn’t staying to guard the two potential victims as much as he was patrolling the area. They’d spoken briefly outside underneath the awning, exchanging information. Trigger had let the officer know that Micah and Dalton were playing pool and would most likely be doing the same thing ’til closing time.

“Come on, boy,” Trigger called to Diesel, knowing the Shepherd wanted to be inside where it was nice and cool. The storm had hit hard and the rain had caused the humidity to rise. Amberton had become a sweatbox. With the way it was coming down out there, no one would be going anywhere anytime soon. “Let’s go see Devyn and tell her what Officer Archer said about tonight’s rotation.”

They’d both gotten as far as the high-top table that Gunny and Doc were still seated at when Diesel growled and took off at a dead run. There was no hesitation. He just bolted for the back door. His four paws scrambled on the hardwood floor, but it only took a second for him to regain his footing and simply vanish down the hallway. Something or someone had caught his attention and it wasn’t good. Devyn immediately sprang to mind and Trigger tried to think of when he last saw her. Adrenaline shot through his body as he withdrew his weapon and blindly followed his partner. Diesel would never steer him wrong and something had gone vitally wrong.

“Gunny, Doc!” Trigger called out as he ran straight away from where they were now pushing out the stools they’d been sitting on, already having witnessed Diesel’s departure. “Find Devyn!”

Old training kicked into gear and Trigger’s senses heightened in a way that only combat could teach a man. He heard the scrapes of the other chairs in the bar move as some of the patrons stood up. Isaac was asking what was wrong and reaching for his shotgun underneath the bar. Devyn’s office door to his right was closed, although he wasn’t sure she was inside. He couldn’t afford to check seeing as Diesel had gone past the stairs leading up to her apartment and directly outside the back door and into the rain. He needed to follow his partner.

Trigger stepped over the threshold and back out into the rain, although this time there was no awning to protect him from the harsh elements. Thunder was rumbling across the sky with the occasional streaks of lightning, letting him know the storm was finally subsiding. The heavy rain didn’t appear to know that quite yet though and was coming down at an angle that made it almost impossible to see twenty feet ahead of him…but Diesel had chosen to go right.

A silhouette suddenly emerged and Trigger’s heart stopped at what his eyes were trying to tell him. What the hell? Devyn ran forward and hit his chest with a force that would have knocked him backward had he not braced for the impact. He immediately wrapped one arm tightly around her while carefully scanning the area for whatever threat was out there. Diesel had been the first to sense it and now he was nowhere to be found.

“John, he has a knife. He grabbed me. I was just trying to close the back door and—” Devyn pulled back to look up at him. Her hair was soaking wet, drops of rain were hanging from her lashes, water was streaming down her face, and terror shone bright from her green eyes. He’d never seen her like this and none of those components stopped her from grabbing his shirt and pulling him forward. She was in full panic. “We have to find Diesel. He was the only reason the man gave up and ran. He was going to kill me, just like he did with Joey and the others. We have to find them, John. Diesel chased him and…”

“Go back inside,” Trigger ordered when all he wanted to do was look over every inch of her and make sure she wasn’t hurt. “Now!”

“No,” Devyn replied stubbornly as her teeth started to chatter. “He was here, John. The man who killed Joey and the others was right here and we have to find him before he hurts Diesel.”

“Diesel is trained for situations just like this, Dev,” Trigger replied curtly as he tried to disentangle himself from her. He couldn’t waste time. She finally let go of him and started forward anyway, giving him no choice but to follow her. They hadn’t made it three steps when a large figure materialized around the side of the building. The rain was finally lessening and visibility was becoming clearer by the minute. “Gunny, take Devyn while I search for Diesel. He’s tight on the killer’s trail, so he’ll eventually call out to me or make his way back.”

Devyn was still arguing, but Gunny somehow managed to convince her the right thing to do was allow Trigger to do his job. He took off at a light jog, glancing down the sides of the other buildings. He ran a hand through his hair to prevent the rain from hindering his view. Nothing. Worry edged its way into every pore of his body. Diesel should have returned by now or barked a signal of some kind.

Trigger was relieved to see Doc. He’d cut through to the other side of the street and was running parallel to Trigger. They cleared each and every alleyway, with no sign of Diesel or the man who’d tried to take Devyn. They were now entering a wooded area. Diesel would have physically had the man on the ground by now. What could have happened and just how far had—

There. The sound of Diesel barking and alerting Trigger and Doc to his location came through loud and clear. The Shepherd was to the left of them. Doc was close on Trigger’s heels, but he veered off to the right and took a flanking approach through the trees as they both headed in the direction of Diesel. The sight of the large brown and black dog instantly alerted Trigger to the fact something was wrong, but he took time to clear the immediate area to ensure any threats were neutralized.

“Good boy,” Trigger murmured as he knelt and rubbed Diesel’s wet fur. He emitted a small whine that cut straight to John’s heart. Doc joined them as they both stared over the ravine. It was more than apparent the perpetrator had scrambled across the wide rift, but there was no sight of him now. There was a damned good reason the offender had been able to get away and Trigger swore he now felt the same pain his partner was currently experiencing. “How bad is it, boy?”

Diesel rubbed his nose underneath Trigger’s hand, but that didn’t reassure him at all. He’d been able to spot the limp to the canine’s back leg immediately. Sure enough, Diesel had been cut in his hindquarters. The blood was still flowing due to the rain.

“It’s all right, buddy,” Trigger said reassuringly, doing his best to keep his anger down and not upset Diesel. The Shepherd had done his job and prevented Devyn from being taken…or worse…killed. He certainly hadn’t deserved to be stabbed. “Just take a breather and we’ll get you stitched up.”

“How bad is it?” Doc asked, kneeling as Trigger actually sat on the wet grass. He pulled Diesel over his legs and comforted him while trying to see the damage. They’d been on many missions and none had resulted in an injury of this nature. “I can go back and bring your Jeep around.”

Trigger didn’t hesitate to pull his shirt over his head, drawing his knife out of the sheath attached to his belt. He cut the fabric in thick strips until he had enough that would stem the bleeding. He then began to wrap the material tight around Diesel’s hindquarters at an angle, make-shifting a bandage. Diesel’s brown eyes looked up at him with complete trust and unconditional love.

“No,” Trigger said with a shake of his head and after he’d cleared his throat. It wasn’t easy to see an animal hurt, especially one so loyal he would give his life for others. Trigger holstered his knife and weapon before lifting Diesel into his arms so that he wouldn’t have to put weight on his back leg. “I don’t want to have him lie here in pain when I can just carry him. Go on up ahead and tell Isaac to put in a call to Boyd Dexton. He’s a retired veterinarian, but he’s the only one I trust with Diesel out in these parts.”