Authors: Rayven T. Hill
Web of Justice (27 page)
That was why he’d run. Jake threatened to kill him.
Either way, he was pretty sure he and Ms. Krunk would come out of this whole thing all right in the end.
Friday, 11:58 a.m.
ANNIE TURNED HER head as the faint whine of police sirens sounded off in the distance. Backup would soon arrive, and armed officers would take over the hunt for the fugitive. Before long, the entire area, extending for many blocks in all directions, would be sealed off and systematically searched.
Jake was peering through the driver-side window of a parked car. He returned to where Annie was standing. “The guy’s completely disappeared.” He shrugged. “He could be anywhere. Maybe even hopped the fence and took off the other way. We might as well go check on Lisa and let the cops roust him out.”
Annie called Hank’s cell and notified the cop where they would be. Hank was at the front of the property, several units away, and he hadn’t seen any sign of the fugitive. “I’ve called for more officers, and I’ll brief them when they arrive, and then I’ll join you,” Hank said. “I want to take Izzy into custody ASAP. I’ll worry about Carter later. He can’t get far.”
“We’ll meet you there,” Annie said.
“Oh, and tell Jake not to shoot anyone if he can help it. We don’t need any more of a mess.”
Annie chuckled. “I’ll tell him.”
They hurried back to the unit where Lisa was waiting. Jake had lagged behind to peer over the fence, and Annie reached the building first and stepped inside.
She stopped short, and her eyes popped at the sight of Lisa sitting on a wooden crate, Carter crouched beside her.
Something was terribly wrong.
A strong arm wrapped itself around her chest and a voice hissed in her ear, “Don’t move.” She felt the muzzle of a pistol digging into her temple and she froze.
Carter sprang to his feet. “Don’t do it, Izzy.”
Annie stared in confusion. The brothers were in cahoots, but why was Carter now buddying up with Lisa? Something didn’t make sense.
Izzy kept the pistol firmly to Annie’s head and dragged her away from the doorway. “Don’t say a word,” he whispered.
Carter dashed toward them, stopping ten feet away, a wild look in his eyes. “Do it, Izzy,” he said in a hushed voice.
The truth hit Annie. Carter wanted her and Jake dead, and he was using his brother to take the blame for everything. And it seemed like he wanted to keep his involvement a secret from Lisa. That meant he had no intention to harm the newswoman. He had a thing for her, and that was why he’d been so eager to make sure she was safe earlier.
Jake stepped inside the building and took in the scene immediately. He raised the rifle toward Carter, then stepped aside and swung it toward Izzy. “Let her go.”
“What’re you gonna do, shoot me?” Izzy said in a scoffing voice. “You’ll end up killing your own wife.” He gave a mock laugh. “And if you miss, then I’ll kill you both.”
“Then let her go and take me,” Jake said.
“No way,” the gunman said. “I’m gonna kill you both, starting with you.” He gritted his teeth. “Now, drop the rifle or I’ll kill your wife first.”
Jake hesitated a moment and glared at Izzy, then looked into Annie’s eyes and let the rifle clatter to the floor.
Izzy turned the pistol toward Jake and tightened his finger on the trigger. Jake took a quick step sideways. A bullet whistled past his ear and smacked into the concrete wall behind him.
“Stay still,” Izzy shouted.
Lisa jumped to her feet and dashed forward, stopping beside Carter. She raised her chin. “If you kill them, then you’ll have to kill me too.”
Izzy turned the rifle toward Lisa. “If that’s what you want.”
“No, Izzy,” Carter said. He took a step and put his arm around Lisa’s shoulder.
Izzy breathed heavily in Annie’s ear, then spoke in a shrill voice. “I have to kill them all.” With a trembling hand, he moved the pistol toward Jake, then back at Lisa.
“Not Lisa,” Carter yelled, tightening his grip on her shoulder and drawing her closer.
“She’s evil. Evil. Evil.”
Carter released his grip on Lisa’s shoulder and stepped in front of her, reaching a hand toward his brother. “Izzy, calm down.”
Izzy’s extended gun hand shook along with his voice. “Kill her, Carter. Kill her,” he screamed.
“No.”
“It’s your job, Carter. It’s your job.”
Carter held out his other hand in pleading and spoke in a calm voice. “No, Izzy.” He ran over toward Jake and picked up the rifle, then moved a safe distance away and aimed it at his brother.
“Are you gonna shoot me, Carter?” Izzy’s voice was manic. His gun hand twitched and jerked, his other arm tightening around Annie’s chest, almost cutting off her air.
Carter held the rifle steady. “I’m not gonna shoot you if you do what I told you to do.”
Annie watched the scene in horror. She was caught between two gunmen, and Jake stood by helpless.
Izzy emitted a screech, then spoke in an ear-piercing voice. “You always tell me what to do. No more. No more. You killed Mother and those girls.”
“Shut up, Izzy.” Carter took a step closer, now five feet away. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“You wanna blame it all on me,” Izzy screeched. “But no more.” The pistol exploded, once, twice, three times, and Carter sank to the floor. “No more.”
Annie looked in horror at Carter as a pool of blood formed underneath his prone body. He’d taken three shots to the chest. No one could survive that.
Izzy gasped for air and expelled it, taking short, rapid breaths, in and out, in and out, his arm around Annie in a smothering embrace.
“Drop the gun.” Hank stepped in the back door and took up a firing stance ten feet away, his weapon aimed at the killer. “Drop it now.”
Izzy turned to face him and moved his weapon back to Annie’s temple. “Never,” he screamed. “Never.”
Jake retreated and edged over toward Lisa, and the two of them watched helplessly.
“I won’t miss,” Hank warned. “If you wanna live, drop the gun and let her go.”
Izzy said nothing, his breath rasping in Annie’s ear.
Hank moved in a few inches and spoke in a soothing voice. “We know you didn’t kill those girls. Drop the gun and we can sort this out.”
“No.” Izzy’s voice was hoarse now. “No.”
Hank moved in a few more inches. Annie knew he was an expert shot, but he wouldn’t take a chance and fire with her almost completely blocking the killer’s body. And Izzy was determined.
But she had an idea.
Her arms were trapped by Izzy’s grip, but she could bend them at the elbow. She raised her right hand, her fingers extended, and spoke. “Five seconds.”
“What’re you talking about?” Izzy asked. “I want you to shut up.”
“Nothing. I’m nervous.”
Hank looked at Annie’s hand, then upward to her eyes, and gave a slow nod.
Annie braced her feet and tensed her muscles, then closed her fingers, one at a time. As her hand tightened into a fist, she pushed with her legs, spun her body, and leaned forward as much as possible.
Hank’s gun fired and Annie felt Izzy’s grasp loosen as he tumbled to the floor. His gun hit the concrete, and Annie spun around as Hank moved in, keeping his weapon trained on the killer.
Izzy lay on the floor, blood flowing from a wound in the side of his head. His face was twisted in pain, and he glared at Hank with hatred in his eyes.
“Don’t move,” Hank said. “The next shot’ll be through your forehead.”
Jake dashed forward and put his arms around his trembling wife, holding her close as they gazed at the killer on the floor.
The shot had knocked the madman down, but unlike his brother, he was going to live.
Friday, 12:46 p.m.
JAKE STOOD BACK and watched two ambulances pull away. One carried the body of a vicious killer, zipped up securely in a body bag, while the other vehicle conveyed a madman who’d killed but one person—his own brother.
He found it hard to have sympathy for the elder brother. Carter had been nothing more than a conniving psychopath. Strangely enough, Jake felt an odd compassion for Izzy. The man was not a cold-blooded killer like his brother. He was sick and needed help, but his sociopathic brother had manipulated him, and had partially contributed to the man’s crazed obsession.
He glanced over at Lisa. She’d found a red-and-green scarf somewhere and had wrapped it around her head like a Christmas bonnet. The newswoman almost looked like her old self again. She and Annie stood shoulder to shoulder not far away, watching the proceedings. Jake wondered how long their newfound camaraderie would last. He suspected Lisa would soon be up to her devious tricks, always in search of that one elusive story.
In fact, Jake had overhead a terse conversation she’d had with her cameraman, insisting he get here ASAP. She had a story to tell, and it couldn’t wait.
When Hank came over toward Jake a minute later, Annie joined him, leaving Lisa waiting for Don.
“King’s not gonna be too happy he missed this,” the detective said, a crooked grin splitting his face. “He was a little late for work today, and I had to go on an errand without him.”
“It might straighten him up,” Jake said.
Hank chuckled. “I doubt that.” He turned and looked at Annie. “I hope you realize, that was one of the hardest shots I’ve ever had to take. Not because of who I was aiming at, but because of who was standing beside him.”
“You can chalk it up to all your time in the range,” Jake said. “But you might need more practice. You only nicked him.”
Hank shrugged. “That’s what I was aiming for. The furthest point away from Annie. I didn’t want to hit her, and I didn’t want to kill Izzy. We’re gonna need him to fill in some of the blanks.”
“If he talks,” Jake said.
“He will,” Hank said. “According to his doctor’s report, Izzy had been taking medication for years. His serious mental illness was rekindled when he stopped taking it. He’s gonna have to be locked up for good, but once they get him back on his meds, he should be all right.”
Annie changed the subject. “Have you talked to Amelia lately?”
Hank laughed. “Is that a loaded question? There’s gonna be a ton of paperwork to do, but once I get this all wrapped up, I plan on spending some quality time with her.”
“And?”
Hank paused. “And … we’ll see how it goes.”
Typical guy
, Jake thought.
He can’t share his feelings
. But Jake could tell by the look in the cop’s eyes, he was going to ask Amelia to marry him before long. But then, Annie knew it too. Hank was the only one who seemed to have no idea what his future held.
Jake winked at Annie and she returned a knowing smile, then turned back to the crime scene.
The Channel 7 Action News van had pulled up, and Don was climbing from the driver seat.
“I’m not in the mood for an interview right now,” Annie said. “How about we sneak out the back way and disappear?”
Jake grinned. “Sounds good.” He turned to Hank. “We’ll drop by and give our statements later.” He grabbed Annie’s hand, calling over his shoulder as they walked away, “Have fun with Lisa.”
They ducked down the alley between two buildings. Jake stopped and pulled Annie toward him, holding her in his arms. He stroked her hair, gazing down into her eyes.
“I could’ve lost you back there,” he said with a faint frown. “Seeing you in such danger reminded me how much I love you.”
She tugged his head down and kissed his frown away. “It worked out okay.”
“Yes, it did. And you were the hero once again.” He gave her a teasing look. “You’re making me look bad.”
Annie looked up into her husband’s eyes. “You’re still my hero,” she said. “And you’ll always be my hero.”
###
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Rayven T. Hill
Blood and Justice
The First Book in the Series
When sixteen-year-old Jenny James goes missing, and the local police are unable to find her, the girl’s frantic mother hires private investigators Jake and Annie Lincoln to search for her daughter.
When the body of Jenny’s boyfriend is discovered, the mystery of her disappearance deepens. Shaken out of their comfort zone of Internet searches and poring over public records, the couple soon find themselves facing the frightening possibility they are looking for the latest victim of a serial killer.