Runner's Moon Trilogy Megabook Series (32 page)

He slipped out of the room, moving in the same silent way that she could when she was in the woods. Roni scrambled out of bed and hurried to her closet for a sundress. She couldn't help but notice the sense of warmth and caring that had permeated her home had suddenly shifted. Now a noticeable air of protection hovered above it all.

She had never felt safer or more loved.

445

"What have you got?" DeGrassi demanded as he joined Tayson and McCormick. They were in the labs when he had arrived after a quick stop at his apartment to shower and change into a clean set of clothes.

McCormick glanced up from where they were bent over the lab tech's shoulders, peering at the man's computer monitor.

Another computer casing sat to the side with its inner workings exposed. Couplings led from the hard drive to the police computer. "Did Morocco and Morrisey show?"

"Yeah. David's practically sitting on her front porch.

Sheeram's at the back of the house. If Cowven comes anywhere near the place, they'll spot him." He gave a nod at the computer. "Anything new?"

It was Tayson who spoke up. "You better believe it. The more we dig, the more we find. This guy's going to get the death penalty, or I'm hanging up my badge." He straightened to look directly at DeGrassi. "Can you believe the sorry sicko took pictures of his vics with his cell phone and emailed them to himself? We may not have any physical evidence from the crime scenes or the bodies to tie him to this, but he's been real nice and gave us enough other stuff to make our case.

The D.A.'s office is falling all over themselves to get this bastard into court."

DeGrassi spared a glance at the screen, at the thumbnails of the pictures Cowven had taken as trophies. For a split 446

second, his spine froze as he envisioned Roni in one of those photos among the slideshow. Then he smiled. Unless the Cutter changed his M.O. and his choice of weapon to an AK-47 or something grander, there was be no way the maniac could get close enough to her to even put a scratch upon her.

For the first time, DeGrassi wondered if he would ever see his life partner in full battle mode, using her talons like the deadly weapons they appeared to be. Just the thought of seeing her disemboweling Cowven with a downward slice of one hand was enough to get his dick swelling eagerly in response.

"So where do you want me? At Cowven's apartment?"

McCormick shook his head. "We already have his place and his sister's place under surveillance."

"Any other relatives here in town?"

"Not that we know of. Mother died some years back. No girlfriend that we can figure, either. We need you to help us track down where he might be holed up."

That was the lab tech's cue. Grabbing a few sheets from the printer nearby, Barnsley shoved them at DeGrassi.

"Cowven's been using his ATM card as recently as this morning. That's when I left you a voice message on your cell."

A glance at the sheets confirmed DeGrassi's suspicions.

"The guy's remained in our neighborhood, and no one's been able to spot him?"

Tayson shoved another piece of paper at him. This time it was a photostat of Cowven's driver's license and photo. "His car is a two-tone blue over black Impala. Plates read Omega 447

Paul Charlie six six two. The car wasn't at his apartment, so we're hoping he's still using it. Or if he's dumped it, we'll find it and get a clue as to where he might be. Let's just hope he hasn't commandeered another vehicle. I'm calling in all available men to start help combing the streets. Maybe we'll get lucky and spot him. You have an unmarked car and an aversion to wearing a suit. That's why I want you to join us in the hunt."

"Do we have any idea why this guy started killing? What's his trigger?"

"That's not for us to worry about right now. Our job is to get him behind bars ASAP, then the psychologists can spend all the time they need to get inside his head," Tayson said, turning back to the screen.

"We're still trying to figure out if Cowven took the job at the employment agency in order to feed his thrill, or if he got the idea while he was working there," McCormick added. "The man's date of hire is only a few weeks before his first known kill."

"So ... what did he do? Take the job to follow his pattern of victims?" Tayson commented. "That's sick!"

DeGrassi crossed his arms and chewed on a thumbnail.

"This guy hits randomly. There's been no pattern to when he kills. Just where."

"I agree," Tayson acknowledged. "And now we know why.

When the vic shows up at his office, she's dead less than a week later." He squinted at DeGrassi. "When did you take Tarakon over there?"

"Yesterday."

448

Yesterday? Had it been only yesterday when his whole world was jerked out from under him? Had it only taken a single day for his life to change from a future of loneliness and unfilled satisfaction to one of overwhelming warmth and love, and the heart-pounding scent of sweet maple syrup?

DeGrassi mentally shook himself, catching the tail end of McCormick's last comment.

"—no time to waste."

"Sorry, Wade. Deep in thought. Repeat that?"

"I said that Cowven knows we're on to him. So he's either flown the coop, or he's going to go for that Tarakon woman as soon as he feels it's clear. Either way, we need to hit the road now. There's no time to waste. Thom, you take the lower southeast quarter from the woods to Rachet, this side of the railroad tracks down to the loop. Evan and I will work Rachet over to the interstate on the southwest side."

"Got it." He turned to hurry for the exit.

"Oh, and DeGrassi!"

He halted long enough to catch Tayson's parting remark.

"If you spot the guy, call for back-up. Don't try to vigilante him alone. Got that? We've dragged him out of his comfy spot, so there's no telling what he may do or how he may change his M.O."

DeGrassi threw them a grin they were well familiar with.

"Don't worry. I'll leave enough of him for your guys to mop up," he promised, then he slipped out the back door.

449

Around seven, DeGrassi pulled into a Quickee Pik for gas and a soda. He had been patrolling his section for about an hour and a half when he noticed the gas gauge was glowing, signaling he was about a gallon away from walking.

While he filled up, he gave Roni a call to see how things were going. Over in the west, the sun was beginning to drop behind the trees. Before too long, she would be able to take on her human guise if she needed the protection.

Roni answered before the first ring. "Thomas?" She sounded somewhat out of breath.

"Good guess. Or was it?" He found himself smiling, and that realization made him smile even wider. Geez, how was it the sound of her voice could perform magic on him?

She laughed softly. "A little bit of both hope and knowing.

What's going on?"

"I was calling to ask you the same thing. Are the officers still there?"

"Yes. Still parked on my porch and driveway. One of them knocked on the door to see how I was doing. I just answered through the door without opening it." There was a rustle of movement before she came back on. "Sun's going down."

"I know." His eyes went back to the brilliant orange sunset. "Soon?"

"Soon. I can already feel myself adjusting. As soon as the last of it is below the trees, I'll be able to switch. I thought 450

maybe then I can take something cold out for the men to drink."

"That would be nice. Anyone else come by that you know of? Any other phone calls?"

"No. It's been a rather dull day. I packed what empty boxes I had. I'll have to get a few more. I also made the last of my fruit into a salad for supper. Thomas? I'm going to need to go to the store pretty soon for more groceries, but I'll need to go to the bank first for some money. And ... I have to be honest. There's very little in savings. I spent most of what I earned renovating this house in exchange for the low rent payment."

"How much are you going to need?"

"Can you spare me twenty?"

"Twenty? Honey, you couldn't buy bananas for twenty bucks!" Another thought came to him. "Roni, have you ever had to go hungry?"

His answer was in the deep sigh on the other end of the line. "Not like I was forced to when I was on the ship. There have been days when I couldn't drag myself out on the streets. But like I told you earlier, when I got hungry enough I went back to hooking." She paused, then added, "Have you had anything to eat since brunch?"

"I take it I won't be able to lie to you."

She giggled. "Nope. I may not be able to smell a deception when you're this far away from me, but I can still hear it in your voice. Where are you now?"

451

"At the Quickee Pik over on Palermo filling up the car. I was going in for a soda when I decided to call. Or ... did you want me to call and I just picked up on that vibe?"

"Would it freak you out if I said yes to the latter?"

"T'korra, I would believe just about anything by now. Let's split the difference on this one and say we both wanted this call." DeGrassi chuckled. As he watched, the sun finally gave its last wink of the day and disappeared below the trees.

"Bingo. Sunset."

"And once again I'm human," Roni confessed. "Think I'll take some iced tea out to your fellow officers. How much longer do you think you'll be?"

"I'm afraid this is the long haul, honey. We're in this until we get Cowven. And I won't feel comfortable until I know he's behind bars. When he's caught, I'll give you a ring. Or maybe I should just crawl into bed and surprise you."

He was rewarded with a genuinely happy laugh. DeGrassi felt his heart melt at the sound. "I miss you, Thomas."

"No more than I miss you, Tiron. Once this whole mess is cleared up, we're leaving the city."

"And going where?"

"It's a surprise. But I promise you'll love it."

"Lots of trees?"

"How about a whole national forest?"

She squealed delightedly. Suddenly, DeGrassi was hit with inspiration.

"T'korra, have you ever thought about applying for a job with the park ranger service?"

"What's that?"

452

DeGrassi made a quick mental note to check into it for her.

He didn't recall seeing a computer in the cottage where she could look up the information on her own. "I'll get you some data. But it's sort of like being a law enforcement officer for the forest."

"You mean they pay you to take care of the trees?"

"And watch out for poachers, and campers involved in illegal activities, and wild animals encroaching on campsites.

Those are just a few things. You'd be spending all your time on the job in the woods."

By this time he could tell her excitement was overflowing.

The air was practically sizzling between them. "Oh, Thomas

... I can't believe this is all happening! Is it really possible?"

"Feeling blessed?"

"More than blessed!"

He could hear her trying to calm herself and curb her enthusiasm. The urge to do what he could to help her was a steady pulse in his veins, like a second heartbeat. "I love you, Tiron. Is there a way to say 'I love you' in your language?" he murmured into the cell.

"Vliat, t'kor. It means 'you have me.' It's all you need to say," she whispered.

"Vliat, t'korra. Get ready to spend the rest of your life with me. I'll call you around ten. That's when Morocco and Morrisey are supposed to be replaced."

"I'll be waiting. Be careful, Thomas."

"Don't worry. I have every reason in the world now to be careful," he reassured her and ended the call.

453

The pump had stopped on its own long ago. After replacing the nozzle, he went to get a cold drink. A minute later he was back on the streets, searching for the Crescent City Cutter.

Seven became eight o'clock. Eight dragged toward nine.

DeGrassi knew he needed to take a short break and give his eyes a chance to rest. Hitting the men's room wouldn't be a bad idea, either.

Coriddio's Pizza loomed at the end of the block. Pulling into the parking lot, DeGrassi grabbed the driver's license photostat and went inside to do a spot check. No luck, but it never hurt to try. One never knew when you would get lucky.

DeGrassi walked back outside to his car and reached for the door handle—

Thomas!

A flood of freezing cold swept over him. Every muscle went into instant paralysis as Roni's voice screamed inside his skull. His heart went into overdrive, pounding so hard and fast that his head began to swim.

Thomaaaaaas!

A horn blared behind him. The sound shocked him back to the present, and for once DeGrassi gratefully glanced back at the irate driver. Jumping into the car, he jerked on the wheel, turning the vehicle back onto the roadway with a squeal of tires. Once he got the revolving light mounted on the dash, DeGrassi fumbled for the cell tucked in his front pants pocket.

Roni's voice continued to call out to him. Her desperation and terror threatened to rob him of his sanity, but he fought his own suffocating fear that wanted to overwhelm him, wanted 454

to keep him from thinking clearly. Wanted to keep him locked within its numbing grasp.

Automatically, his fingers punched in the number to the house. The call went straight to the answering machine, sending a shudder jerking through his body. He could still hear her, or feel her, or whatever the connection was between them that was stronger than anything he had ever experienced before in his life. He knew she was in mortal danger, but damned if he could explain how he knew. The car almost took the corner on two wheels as he punched in Tayson's number by feel.

"Vice. Detective Tayson."

"Evan! Get an extra squad car over to Tarakon's place now! Possible eleven ninety-nine!" Without waiting for the man to acknowledge him, he hung up and tossed the cell into the passenger seat so he could have both hands on the wheel. If Roni was in trouble, that meant whoever had her had managed to take down the two officers protecting her.

Morocco and Morrisey were seasoned veterans. If Cowven was behind this, the man was more dangerous than they had originally given him credit for.

The cabin could not have been more than twelve, perhaps fifteen minutes away at the most. Tonight it felt like thirty, even when he pounded on the horn and plowed through each intersection as safely as he could.

Before the Mares subdivision was within sight, Roni's screams died away. The loss of her mental voice in his head was worse than knowing she was in danger. Either she had given up, or she was no longer able to call out to him. Or 455

dead, a ghostly whisper echoed in his head. DeGrassi floored the pedal.

Protocol demanded he snuff the lights before he turned down her street. The little cottage was hidden in the shadows cast by the big three-story mansion a few dozen yards away.

He started to pull up behind the other unmarked vehicle sitting in the driveway when instinct forced him to swerve up and over the curb. The car leaped into the air when it hit the concrete edge, jarring him so violently the seat belt left a bruise across his sternum. DeGrassi jerked the wheel to the left, narrowly avoiding hitting the open car door on the driver's side.

In the moonlight, he saw a flicker of movement at the tree line directly ahead of him. As he had done the night before, he threw the headlights straight into the middle of it.

Two large, white, gelatinous-looking blobs were slowly oozing their way into the woods. Dangling between them with her arms cuffed inside a silver tube slumped Roni in her Ruinos form. Her head was rolled forward, her body limp. She was unconscious, which explained why he had lost that thread of connection to her.

The blobs paused for just a moment as they determined the threat level of the lights. Their hesitation bought DeGrassi the extra time he needed. Slipping out of the car, he popped the trunk and hurried back there to grab an extra clip for the Sig Sauer holstered under his arm. Shoving the ammo into his pants pocket with one hand, DeGrassi reached into the trunk for his Remington 870 pump action shotgun with the other. The shotgun was legal issue, but he had added a tube 456

extension, allowing for five shells plus one in the chamber instead of the usual three.

For a split second, his hand wavered over the box of hollow-point slugs for the Sig. The lethal twelve-gauge rifle shells could stop a car with one well-placed hit, but he knew he needed something that could do more damage.

A quick glance around past the front of the car confirmed the fact that the Arra were taking their sweet, slow time heading back into the woods. They showed no fear, no hesitation, and no sense of expediency. They believed they were indomitable. Although Roni had not described the race that had kept her kind imprisoned, DeGrassi's gut reaction after seeing them was as if someone had placed a photograph inside his mind for him to keep on file.

He ripped the cardboard lid off the box of double aught buckshot and began loading the gun from the bottom as he left the car and started jogging toward the area where the Arra had disappeared with their unconscious cargo. With my woman and life mate. The slide action cocked as smoothly as oil on glass.

Mere yards inside the woods he saw them. Their bodies emitted a soft luminescence, as if they were made of something phosphorescent. Tracking them was like following two humongous glow-in-the-dark blobs of Play-Doh. One of them glanced back at him, as if judging whether he might be dangerous. DeGrassi froze and waited to see what it would do. Almost casually, the thing raised a podlike arm and pointed a little, round, shiny disk at him. DeGrassi's training took over, and he leaped to one side just as a thin blue bolt of 457

light streaked his way. A second bolt hit the strand of birch trees he was hiding behind. For a handful of seconds he felt a numbing sensation, like a tingling in his arms and hands, which he managed to shake off. DeGrassi cursed himself for his stupidity. It was some kind of disabling ray. They had probably used it on Roni, which would explain why she was out cold.

"Let's see how well you like a little taste of your own medicine," he mumbled as he aimed between two slender trunks and fired. The pea-size lead shot hit the Arra holding the little disk, puncturing the creature like a fist in a pillow.

White matter sprayed outward like a volcano erupting pus.

There was a shrill, painfully high shrieking sound as the creature dropped its end of the silver tube. DeGrassi rammed another shell home and fired almost instantaneously. This time, one entire side of the creature splattered the trees behind it with steaming ichor. The thing folded and sank to the ground.

The second Arra dropped Roni and began to come toward him. It held a thin, pencil-shaped instrument, all silvery and shiny. From the way the creature was pointing it in his direction, DeGrassi knew it also had to be a weapon of some kind. Just in case it also gave off some kind of ray, he kept the strand of trees between him and it. The Arra began to circle around for him. Snorting loudly, DeGrassi headed the other way.

This was too easy. The blobby thing was slow. Too damn slow. It had no feet or legs. In the thick brush, it had to ooze its way through or around or over or between wherever it 458

wanted to go. Watching the Arra trying to get to him was almost laughable.

He took a second to search for where the thing had dropped Roni. The bright beams from the car's headlights barely penetrated this far, and there wasn't enough moonlight to easily make out her body lying nearby, especially with her natural camouflage coloring. But somehow he was able to see a slight stirring in the tall grass near where the remains of the first Arra lay in glowing shreds.

"Roni! Are you okay? Can you talk, t'korra? Speak to me, woman! Roni!"

There was a loud rustling sound beside him. DeGrassi instinctively crouched and moved back.

He blinked. In the dim light he squinted at the sight of the Arra making its way around the thin strand of trees, and he blinked again. It looked like it was coming around on the right side—