Hunted (21 page)

“I’m going to call Ashley. We need him looking for people who’ve ordered tranq guns,” said Rachel. “There can’t be too many of them.”

“Vets, farmers, zoos, big game hunters,” said Riley. “You don’t use a tranq rifle on a bloody pheasant.”

“You’re calling the police,” said Jules disapprovingly.

“I am,” replied Rachel, picking up the phone.

“They’re useless, they’ll only slow us down.”

“Do you know a better way to do a search on anyone whose ordered a tranquiliser rifle in the last seven years quickly?”

Jules had no answer.

Rachel punched in Ashley’s number, feeling a little breathless, her heart pounding. This could be just what they needed to find Ryan.

“Ashley, it’s Rachel,” she said the second he answered. “Could you come over right now? We think we’ve found something.”

After assuring her he’d be right there she hung up and turned to the others, Jules clearly very disapproving of her involving the police. The police were the hated enemy of most of her family but Rachel didn’t care what they thought, she’d do anything to find Ryan.

“If you don’t like it Jules you know what you can do,” said Rachel. “Ryan’s my priority, not your feelings.”

“This is your show Rachel. I just hope you’re doing the right thing. Sometimes law and order can really slow justice down,” she replied.

“I need their resources. I’m not discussing it any further. Now, is there anything else we can be doing?”

“We can start asking around the area, see who uses tranquiliser rifles,” said Battler. “No reason why we can’t get a head start.”

“Go for it,” said Rachel.

“You two stay here with her,” Battler told Riley and Jules. “Make sure she’s not on her own, just in case we’re wrong and this isn’t the serial killer.”

“You still think it could be Katia?” said Rachel calmly.

“No. Daniel Tebbs’s mum said after her son disappeared she and her husband thought someone was watching them. Some of the relatives of the other victims said the same. My guess is the killer uses the victim’s family to keep them in line.”

“That’s horrible,” said Beth, sickened.

“Think you two can work together?” Battler said, looking from Jules to Riley and back again. “If not we’ll stay and you can get out there.”

“We can handle it, can’t we?” said Riley, looking to Jules.

She shrugged. “I can if you can.”

“You’d better because there’s no room for petty arguments. If you can’t work together to bring Ryan home then you can both fuck off. I don’t have time for your shit.”

Riley had never heard Rachel speak so coldly before. He was seeing the gang boss in her for the first time. Not even when tracking down Alex had she been so hard faced, so determined. The only thing that mattered to her was finding her husband.

“We can handle it, can’t we Jules?” said Riley, forcing himself to look at the bitch. It took everything he had to do that without throttling her but he managed it.

Rachel assessed him coolly before nodding, acknowledging the effort he was putting in. “Good. While Battler and Bruiser get on with checking out the tranquiliser rifle lead you and Jules can look at that map and figure out where Ryan could be.” The doorbell rang. “I’ll deal with the police.”

She went to answer it, Battler and Bruiser following.

“Hello Rachel, I came as quick as I could…are you two leaving?” said Ashley when Battler and Bruiser hastily squeezed out past him.

“Sorry, lots to do,” Battler called over his shoulder, Bruiser giving a curt nod, both hurrying to get out of the way before he could question them further.

“Come on in Ashley,” said Rachel.

“Right, okay. Any news?” he said, stepping inside.

“We have turned up something,” she replied tightly, striding back into the house.

“Oh, full house,” he said as he followed her into the kitchen and saw everyone standing there.

“Detective Inspector Boyle, you remember my brother-in-law, Riley Cutter?”

“Yes I do,” said Ashley.

Riley nodded in acknowledgement.

“This is my sister-in-law, Jules.”

“Hello,” he said pleasantly.

Rachel’s eyes burning into her encouraged Jules to say, “hello.”

“And my best friend Beth.”

He eyed Beth with interest and she caught this. “Nice to meet you,” she said sweetly.

This made him smile and, realising how inappropriate this was, he dropped the inane grin and cleared his throat. Riley watched all this with a frown.

“Jules has come up with something,” said Rachel.

“Oh yes?” he said, turning to her.

“I think someone was waiting for Ryan in the trees outside the spa, they shot him with a tranquiliser rifle.” The words came out hard and staccato because Jules begrudged every one of them.

Ashley gave her an indulgent smile. “We’ve had our best scenes of crimes officers, forensics and seasoned detectives on the scene and they didn’t come to that conclusion.”

“Because I’m smarter than they are.”

“That’s a big statement.”

“I’m a big girl,” she replied with a gruesome smile.

Ashley raised his eyebrows.

“We thought you could do a trace, find who’s bought a tranquiliser rifle in the area,” said Rachel hopefully.

“I’m afraid I need more than the word of this lady,” he said, nodding doubtfully at Jules, “before committing valuable resources that might be better spent on other leads.”

Jules bristled with anger at her deductions being swept aside so easily. “I’m right,” she hissed through a tense jaw.

“And what makes you say that?” he said, as though talking to a three year old.

“The blood spatter was small, too small to be a knife or a gun. A small scratch indicating something that penetrated the skin but didn’t go in too deep. Battler and Bruiser found the spot where the shooter waited in the undergrowth, there was broken bracken, the foliage squashed down from where he’d been crouching. Ryan was shot, he went down and was then loaded into a van.”

“Why a van?”

“Because he’s a big man, it would have been easier and quicker to throw him into the back of that than bundle him into the boot of a car.”

“They?”

“There’s two of them. One to shoot from the trees, the other to drive the van.”

“There’s nothing to indicate…”

“I’m right.”

“There’s no evidence.”

“Fuck evidence, I’m right,” she said savagely.

“Jules,” said Rachel in warning. She turned her attention to Ashley. “Please listen to her, she knows what she’s talking about.”

“How? What are her credentials?”

“I track people for a living.”

“Jules,” repeated Rachel, eyes flashing anger.

She produced a card from her jacket pocket and brandished it at him. “I’m a private-sector bounty hunter,” she said while the others looked on in stunned horror.

Ashley accepted the card and frowned at it. “Bounty hunter?” he said doubtfully.

“It’s a real job,” she retorted. “Companies employ us for finding illegal immigrants but I’m freelance. You can run checks if you like, it’s all legit.”

He pocketed the card. “I will.”

Rachel stared at Jules in astonishment before shaking herself out of it. “Please Ashley, just look into it. So far you’ve turned up nothing to indicate where Ryan might be. This is all we’ve got. Don’t ignore it.”

She turned the full force of her best pleading look on him while raking her fingers through her hair and tousling it in a way he seemed to like.

“Alright,” he relented. “I’ll do what I can.”

“That’s not good enough Ashley. I need you to promise me.”

Unable to withstand the force of her will, he nodded. “Okay, I will.”

“Thank you,” she replied, relieved.

Ashley looked to Jules. “So, any other nuggets Miss Marple?”

“Yes actually,” she replied smugly. “You’re looking for two hunters who have got bored of hunting animals and are now after humans.”

“And how did you deduce that?” he said tolerantly.

“All the victims were relatively young, fit, healthy and well able to take care of themselves. The best of the best. Where’s the sport in hunting an old man with a heart condition and a wheeze?”

“Maybe fit young men is just his preference?”

“It’s
their
preference.”

“You really will look into it Ashley?” said Rachel, wanting to draw his attention away from Jules.

“I said I wouldn’t leave any stone unturned and I won’t,” he said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

“Thank you.”

On his way out Ashley glanced at Beth with definite interest, who gave him her best
come to bed
eyes, just to annoy Riley, not because she was interested.

Rachel watched Ashley drive off and gazed out into the garden and the boundary beyond. Ryan was out there somewhere, unable to come back to her and the knowledge tore at her heart. She hesitated at the door, praying to see him stroll up the drive, that seductive smile of his playing on his lips, his arms opening out to her in welcome. She would run into those arms and hold him again, feel his warmth seep into her, the warmth of life…

She blinked back tears when a shiver ran down her spine. Her eyes shot to the trees surrounding the garden, sensing someone was out there, watching her. Recalling what the relatives of the previous victims had said she slammed the door shut and locked it, hurrying back through the house to the others.

“You okay Rach? You look a bit freaked out,” said Beth, moving away from Riley, who had been attempting to hold her, and taking her friend’s hands.

“I just had the strangest feeling someone was watching me out there. I might be being paranoid,” she called when Riley made for the door.

“We’re taking no chances,” he replied. “Jules.”

“Right behind you.”

He threw a mistrustful glance over his shoulder. He didn’t like her being where he couldn’t see her.

“You okay?” said Beth when they’d gone.

Rachel planted her hands on her hips and sighed. “Holding up. Do me a favour?”

“Whatever you need mate.”

“Forgive Riley.”

“He held a knife to Jules’s throat,” she exclaimed.

“It was a momentary madness brought on by the trauma of the past. He realised what he was doing and he got over it.”

“It proved violence comes easy to him.”

“Course it does, he’s a soldier, but he can control it. He’s not Alex.”

“What if he is? What if I end up with another psycho?”

“Riley’s not like that and you know it. I would give anything to have Ryan here right now. Don’t push away the man you love and I know you do love him. Just be with him and be glad.”

Rachel made Beth feel petty and small, crushed beneath the might of her friend’s grief. “I’ll try but it was a shock. I’m not used to it.”

“Like I am you mean?”

Beth nodded. “That’s exactly what I mean. No offence, but it’s true.”

“Riley’s like Ryan. He’d only ever use it to protect you and your kids.” Her eyes filled with tears and she turned her back on Beth and gripped onto the edge of the sink, willing away the urge to break down completely and scream and shout and cry. She wanted to take the world by the throat and yell,
give me back my husband.

Beth’s arms went around her and Rachel clung onto her, permitting herself the indulgence of allowing a single tear to fall.

There was the sound of the front door opening and closing and Rachel straightened up, once again in control of herself, eyes cool and sharp. “Well?” she said when Riley and Jules returned.

“We couldn’t find anyone,” said Riley. “But we did find evidence of someone waiting in the bushes around your house.”

Rachel’s face drained of blood. She rushed to the phone.

“Who are you calling?” said Beth.

But she didn’t reply. “Battler,” she said breathlessly when he answered. “Drop what you’re doing for now. Go to my parents and bring them and the kids back here. Someone’s been watching the house. I want everyone together.”

After he’d assured her they’d do it immediately she hung up and rested her head against the wall, trying to control her breathing, which was threatening to get out of control. She’d survived every time they’d been in horrible situations like this before because she’d had Ryan. He’d always been there, even when she was with Danny. Now he wasn’t and she felt so much weaker for it. He was her strength and without him she couldn’t cope. She felt someone come up behind her, felt a warm hand on her back but she didn’t want them. She only wanted her husband

“Rach, you okay?” said Beth.

Rachel sucked in a breath.
Get a fucking grip
. Slowly she raised her head and forced herself to smile reassuringly at her friend. “Yeah, fine.” She could put on a front, that she could still do.