Killer Moves (18 page)

“You’ve always hated the gift, haven’t you?”

Davis was the only person she’d let get close to her and yet still he didn’t understand why she hated it so much.

“Yes. It’s hard to fit into normal society. It’s hard to explain, but I don’t want that for Ava.”

“I know that, love. But it is a gift. And if you didn’t have it then you and I would never have met, we would never have fallen in love, and we would never have made that beautiful child.”

“Yes, those are the only good things to come from it though. It scares me to think about how fragile the events of our life really are. It’s all a game of chance.”

“Maybe not. Maybe this is who we are meant to be. And maybe you and I are supposed to be together. Maybe this case was meant to be ours to solve.”

“I so wanted to believe we solved it the last time, but I guess, deep down, I’ve always known it wasn’t finished.”

“So, what do you do to make yourself happy in the middle of a reservation in the middle of a desert?” he said, trying to lighten to mood.

“I have Ava. She’s my life—was my life. I tried to hate you, Davis, but I couldn’t. I’m so glad you came for me.”

“Yes, I am too. I’m glad Ryan paid you that visit. Against my wishes, I might add.”

“Davis, why did you keep the apartment?” She lifted her head so she could look into his eyes. It was a long time before he could answer.

“When you left, well, in the beginning, I thought I might just go out of my mind.” His mouth twisted into a bitter smile. “God, Kara, you have no idea how much I missed you. Only Ryan knew how bad it got. And Rachel. Ryan kept me going. I ended up spending most of my time here. It helped. Being here where you and I spent so much time together. I felt close to you. Even after I bought the house, I couldn’t give the apartment up.”

“I’m so sorry. So sorry. I never realized you loved me too, Davis. I knew you cared about me, that you wanted me physically, but I never knew you loved me.”

He stroked the hair from her face and kissed her mouth. “Shh… It’s okay…I should have told you. I wanted to,” he whispered softly, and then Davis stopped trying to comfort her with words. His lips touched her body in all the familiar places once more. Just for one second she hesitated and then she too was struggling to touch him as well.

And for the first time, Davis actually believed this time would be different. He felt it in her touch. This time they had a chance at something permanent. This time he actually believed they could have a future together.

Chapter Nine

Sometime just before dawn, Kara finally slept. And as always, he came to her. His presence in her life had become more frequent and powerful than ever.

But tonight, there were no victims standing between them. Just Kara and the Angel.

She struggled to wake from the dream but couldn’t break his spell. With each kill, he’d grown stronger.

“You see me and yet you don’t know me. I’m close to you and yet you have no idea who I am. Who is the one with the gift now, Kara? I’ve grown stronger while you ignore your talents until they become atrophied. You aren’t much of a match for me anymore. You’re not making it a game, Kara.”

“What do you want? Why are you doing this?”

“I want to become the greatest of them all. After all, I am superior to all others, including your precious Davis Martin. No one can challenge my power, not even you, Kara. You’ll never stop me. Until I’m ready for this to end, it will keep on going, victim after victim. Rachel, Jessica, Ava, Davis…you.”

“No!”

“Kara?” She could feel Davis trying to shake her from the dream but the Angel wouldn’t let her go.

“He’s your greatest weakness, Kara. And you will be his ultimate downfall. I’ll make sure the girl pays for your crimes. You can rest assured once you’re out of the way, the child—your child—will become mine. I will bring her to death very slowly and you and he, wherever you are, will experience every single part of her pain.”

“Kara! Kara, wake up!” The authority in Davis’s voice finally freed her from the Angel’s hold. She sat up in bed, shivering from fear and dread.

This dream had been clearer than ever before and far stronger than all the others. It had proven there would be no avoiding this final showdown no matter how unprepared she was for it.

“What happened? You were screaming. I couldn’t wake you. God, Kara, I’ve never been so scared.”

Davis held her close. She felt safe in his arms. Safe enough to talk about him. For a long time she clung to Davis’s strength and prayed when the time came, she could remain strong for him. For Ava.

“It was him. Davis, he wants Ava. He’s coming after Ava.”

“Shh…I’m not going to let that happen, Kara. Don’t worry. I won’t let him hurt her or you ever again.”

“How are you going to stop it from happening? Whether Frankie is working alone or with this Alec person, he’s effectively taken you out of the game.”

“Yes.”

She knew she’d hurt him. Davis seemed to withdraw further from her. But Ava’s safety must be the most important thing to both of them.

“Davis, he knows Ava is your daughter. He’ll go after her because of us.”

“Sweetheart, I promise I’m not going to let anything happen to Ava.”

“We don’t even know where to look for him! Davis, it’s almost time for him to take his next victim.”

“Ava is safe, Kara.”

“I want you to check in with your dad.” She got out of bed and reached for her clothes. “Don’t tell me any of the details. Just do this for me, okay? Please, Davis. For my peace of mind.”

He sat watching her for a long time before giving in. “All right. I’ll call Dad right now.”

“Thank you.” She came back to bed and sat down next to him while Davis reached for the phone and then stopped suddenly.

“I don’t want to take any chances. This line could be bugged. I’m going to use the payphone down the street. Stay here.”

“Not a chance. I’m coming with you! Ava is my daughter too. If anything happens to her, it will be just as much my fault as yours.”

He drove to the corner store where the clerk directed them to the payphone located around the back of the building. He stood close to Kara as the clouds that threatened during the day gave way to predicted thunderstorms. He started to dial his father’s number then spotted the glazed look in Kara’s eyes. It was happening again. The Angel was trying to reach her.

“Oh God.” Kara closed her eyes and turned away.

“What is it?” he asked frantically.

“He’s close to her. I can feel her fear…”

“Where, Kara? Can you see where she is?” Davis tried to keep the panic from his voice.

“I don’t know.”

After the third ring, his father picked up.

“Are you okay?” Davis tried not to panic his father, but one glance Kara’s way told him she was worried to death. The Angel was taunting her with Ava’s safety.

“Yes. Everything’s fine here. She’s safe, Son. No one short of a large army is coming near that little girl.”

Davis brought Kara close. “Thank God. She’s fine. Dad, has anything out of the ordinary happened today?”

His dad seemed confused by the question. “No, nothing at all. They’re both okay. What’s this about, Davis? Do I need to be concerned?”

“Hang on a second, Dad.”

Kara shook her head. “He’s laughing at me. He never intended to go after Ava. It was just part of the game. He’s using her to get to me.”

Davis had to agree, but it was better to be safe than sorry. “Dad, look, I need you and your friends to do something for us. Hang on a second, okay.”

He covered the phone and answered Kara’s unspoken question. “We can’t be too careful. I’m moving Ava and Maggie just to be safe.”

“Tell me what you need, Son,” Davis heard his dad say.

“Take Ava and Maggie to a new safe house.”

“Where do you want us to go?”

“Don’t tell me. I can’t know anything about where you’re taking them, okay? Just use your cop’s instinct and get them somewhere safe. Then stay there, don’t tell anyone where you are and don’t use the phone. I’ll be in touch when things are safe again. Do you understand?”

“I do. Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of them for you.”

“Thanks, Dad. When this is over, I owe you and your buddies a steak dinner at the very least.”

“Are you kidding? This is the most excitement we’ve had since we retired from the force.”

Davis hoped he wasn’t making yet another bad decision by not taking Kara and going to protect their child. He’d never felt so torn. Would the Angel read Kara’s thoughts and follow them if he did? Or would he be expecting Davis to make this very move and track down Ava on his own. Dear God, he hoped he hadn’t just gambled their daughter’s safety by betting the Angel would go after another victim with the initials AM, just has he’d done with Jessica.

“Thank you, Davis,” Kara told him once they’d returned to the apartment.

“She’ll be safe. Those guys are the best. You could break through the security at Ft. Knox easier than you could get to Ava. Trust me, no one’s coming close to our daughter or Maggie. That’s the only thing about the case I feel good about. I just wish you’d let me take you somewhere safe as well. I have some friends who could help.”

“Davis, you know it wouldn’t matter. He’d find me. I’m as much a part of this game as the Angel is. We have to finish it together.”

That was what he feared the most. “What if I can’t protect you?”

She understood his fears better than anyone, and she knew the answer. Kara would be the one to have the final showdown with the Angel. It had been destined from the beginning. And it would be up to her to use the one thing she hated the most, her gift, to survive this thing.

She smiled and said, “We should try to eat. I’ll make us something while you talk to Ryan.”

Davis called Ryan’s cell repeatedly, but it went straight to voice mail each time. He tried the office number, but when the assistant picked up, he hung up without leaving a message.

“He’s not answering,” he told Kara when he joined her in the kitchen. “I’m hoping that’s a good thing. Maybe they’ve tracked the professor down.” He sat down at the table and rubbed his hand across his eyes. “God, I wish I knew what to do next.”

Kara knelt in front of him and took his hand in hers.

“I know it’s frustrating.”

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Yes, but I’m so glad you’re here with me. I don’t think I could make it through this again without you, Kara.”

“Davis, don’t give up. We’re going to find him.”

“I’m trying. I’m really trying.” Neither of them had much of an appetite but they tried to eat. They’d been working off adrenalin and coffee for so long it was hard to think clearly anymore.

As much as Davis wanted to forget about the case for a little while, he knew that would be impossible. The Angel had been bold enough to play games with Kara. He was growing more confident in his abilities with each kill. While Ava was safe, the Angel’s next victim was not.

“It’s time for him to take his next victim. AM. Who do you know with those initials?”

Davis got to his feet and began pacing around the room. Moving around helped him to concentrate.

“I’ve been thinking about that for hours now, but I can’t come up with anyone!”

“What about an acquaintance? Someone from your past. Someone you may not know as…well as the others. It could be someone you worked with in the past.”

He shook his head. “Nothing. I’m drawing a blank. I’m going to try Ryan again. Maybe something’s popped there.”

Kara cleared away their plates then joined Davis in the great room.

“Ryan, thank God, I’ve been trying to reach you for a while.” When Ryan didn’t say anything, he asked, “Has something happened?”

Ryan Anderson had never once refused to discuss evidence with him. Davis could tell something was wrong.

“What is it, Ryan?”

“Nothing. Not now…”

“For God’s sake, tell me. Whatever it is, I can take it.”

“I can’t. I have to go. I’ll call you later.” Before Davis could ask anything further, Ryan hung up.

“Anything?” Kara asked.

“No, at least nothing he could tell me. But he knows something. I could feel it. He sounded agitated and he never used my name. Something’s up.” He felt so helpless. He didn’t know how to handle being the Bureau’s number one suspect in the very crimes he’d once worked so hard to solve.

“Davis, something you mentioned earlier has been bothering me. You said Frankie took the entrance exam to join the Bureau. So what happened when he failed?”

Davis considered this for a moment. “Well, that’s just it. He didn’t fail. He met all the qualifications. In fact, he even attended the academy for a short time. He was there for almost a week and then he just disappeared. This was shortly before we found the first victim’s body.”