Extreme Measures (12 page)

Her mind tried to register that Matt was talking to her, but she didn’t want to listen. She would never understand her brother’s way of thinking, and the hard truth was she had to face the belief there would be no reasoning with him. The words on the wall weren’t written by a man in control of his sanity, which made him all that more dangerous.

She covered her mouth with one hand and dropped to the edge of the bed again. “He’s been murdering people on his way to me, and here I’ve been thinking we could talk just like we used to. How stupid am I?”

“This isn’t your fault, Erin.” Matt hadn’t lost the ability to follow her line of thinking.

“Anyone who gets between him and me is going to end up dead.” Her lungs cramped with the effort to breathe. Just a few days ago, she’d been pouring coffee and baking scones. Now, she’d crashed headfirst into the knowledge that her brother intended to end her life. The two worlds didn’t mesh.

Matt dropped to his knees beside her, taking hold of her hands. “Stop it. Where was that earlier faith you had in me? Don’t lose it now. You don’t have any control over Stuart, and his thoughts and actions aren’t your responsibility.”

She wanted to believe that, had to believe it if she were to survive this. “You said I didn’t even know if Hal was alive. Do you think he is?” At that moment, she had to trust him not to lie to her.

He didn’t even blink at the question. “I’m not sure.”

She recognized the hedge, pushed him for more. “He’d only be alive if his captor thought he would be useful, right?” Why was it she could remember things like that? Things that terrified her to remember.

Matt winced. “You remember too much about my job.”

“Not as much as I’d like.”

The ringing of his cell disrupted the conversation. Matt answered quickly. “Billy Chambers? Why does that name ring a bell?” He cursed immediately in response to Jacob’s reply on the other end of the line. “He has to be the guy with Hal.”

A part of her wanted to cling to every word, to glean every single bit of knowledge she could from the conversation, but another part wanted to shut it out, to pretend none of this was real. For a few blissful moments, she closed her eyes and emptied her mind, thinking of nothing.

Then Matt touched her shoulder, and reality came crashing back. “A couple of units from the local police are here. They’re going to be right outside the door.”

Her gaze snapped to his. “You’re going somewhere?”

“Highway Patrol just found your brother’s cellmate. He’s alive but in critical condition. I need to go talk to him, see if I can get some information out of him. You’ll be safe here. Just stay put and don’t answer your phone.” He dropped his hand, took two steps toward the door then returned to her side. “Where is your phone?”

With a sigh, she handed it to him, her hand clinging to his a little longer than necessary.

He squeezed her fingers. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I promise.”

She drank in the strength in his gaze. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

He gave her a wink and touched a finger to the tip of her nose. “Do that. You know how good I am at my job.”

The response brought a smile. “And how modest you are about it, too.”

With a grin, he walked to the door, pausing to add, “Don’t give the guys out here any trouble. They have my number.”

Arlin had intended to throw him under the bus. Stuart had seen it in his eyes the second he’d caught sight of all those cop cars. The little bastard was going to blame all those dead bodies on him and squeal to get a deal.

The second Stuart realized the police weren’t surrounding them, he’d changed his game plan, found the closest secluded spot he could, and took care of Arlin. For all his bravado, the sniveling coward had begged for his life.

Stuart smirked and cranked up the radio, relishing the memory of Arlin’s groveling. He’d never expected to be on the receiving end of Stuart’s gun, had always thought Billy was going to save him. One quick bullet to the brain had brought such peacefulness that Stuart wished he’d done it earlier.

Now, he could get on with his plans, use what little time he had left to take care of the unfinished business he had with Erin. A white slip of paper pulled his gaze to the passenger seat, and he snatched it up. Just a phone number. A slow smile spread across his face. Billy Chambers’ phone number, no doubt.

Stuart crushed the paper. Billy might know where to find Erin, but he didn’t know how close Stuart was. That would work to his advantage. So he’d need two bullets instead of one to finish things. Didn’t make him no difference. He wasn’t going back to prison anyway.

He stomped on the accelerator, passing the Charleston City limits with a grin.

Chapter Nine

“He’s in and out of consciousness so I don’t know how much information you’re going to be able to get out of him,” the doctor warned, snapping the clipboard shut.

Matt inclined his head toward the two agents approaching on the right. “I appreciate the chance anyway.”

“You Giles?” With a swimmer’s build, the shorter of the two men looked like he could take down a tree trunk. His suit coat stretched tightly over his biceps as he extended one hand. “I’m Agent Walker, and this is my partner, Agent Donahue.”

“Good to meet you.” Matt shook both men’s hands and indicated the door of the ICU with a jut of his chin. “The doctor says we can talk to him, but he took a bullet to the brain. He doesn’t even know how the guy’s managed to hang on this long.”

“Our supervisor filled us in on the details of this case. You just tell us what you want us to do.” Donahue’s stocky build and crew-cut reminded Matt of his drill sergeant when he was in the Marines.

Matt checked his watched. Only twenty-five minutes had passed since he’d left Erin, but it felt like much longer. “I can handle this if the two of you wouldn’t mind heading back to the hotel.”

The partners exchanged glances, but it was Walker who spoke. “We’re more than happy to talk to the suspect if you’d like to go be with Ms. Prescott.”

Damn. Matt didn’t have to guess how much Jacob had shared with their supervisor. “Thanks, but since you’re here more often than I am, you know this city better than I do. She’ll be in good hands with the two of you.” He didn’t add ‘in case something happens’ because his mind wouldn’t allow it.

Nothing was going to happen to Erin. She was safely tucked away. Stuart couldn’t get to her. He continued the self-talk into the ICU.

The man lying on the white cotton sheets didn’t look like a career criminal with a rap sheet as long as a butcher’s table, but when his glazed eyes fixed on Matt’s face, they revealed the truth.

“Arlin Murphy, I’d like to ask you a few questions.” No sympathy. Matt wouldn’t give the man what he didn’t earn. He’d put himself in this position. “Where did you last see your cellmate, Stuart O’Malley?”

The man’s bony arm twitched, and his eyes rolled back. For a moment, Matt thought he’d lost his chance, but Murphy croaked out a response.

“Off the interstate.” Each word came out on a labored breath. “Some back road. Bastard shot me. Doc says I’m lucky to be alive.”

Matt didn’t know that he’d call it luck. “Does he know where his sister is?”

“In Charleston. Coffee shop.” Murphy coughed and sputtered then groaned.

“What about Billy Chambers?” Matt had to wonder why the man was being so cooperative, but he wasn’t about to ask.

Another cough followed a giggle. “He’s with Erin.” He wheezed and managed a slight shake of his head. “Shouldn’t have left her.”

Blood running cold, Matt stared down at the man’s bandaged head. Impossible. Erin was safe. Protected. Chambers couldn’t get past the police and had no way of knowing what hotel she was in. Could be the morphine talking.

“Do you remember the car? What’s Stuart driving, Murphy?”

“Shouldn’t worry about the car, Agent Man.” The bravado was fading from his voice. “Pretty little thing is gonna die tonight. That’s the plan.”

“What plan? Is it Stuart’s plan or yours?”

The next giggle was weaker. “Bye-bye, pretty little Erin. Whichever way the wind blows.”

The slurring words had Matt leaning in closer. “What does that mean?” His fingers itched to snag hold of the checkered gown the man wore and haul him up off the mattress.

When silence followed, Matt held his hand up over Murphy’s mouth, cursing when he felt only the faintest of breaths escaping the convict’s thin lips. He’d get no more information out of him.

The monitor began a steady beep, and someone swept the curtain back. Matt got shoved back to make room for the staff as they worked feverishly to save the life of a man who thought nothing about taking another life.

He didn’t bother watching. He’d seen enough death to recognize when it was looming around the corner. A doctor called time of death before he reached the double doors.

The line in the hotel room went unanswered, forcing Matt to contact the Columbia field office to be patched through to Agent Walker’s cell phone.

“Walker.” The agent’s gruff voice brought a measure of relief.

“It’s Giles. Have you made it to the hotel yet?”

“Negative. Stuck in traffic.”

Heart accelerating, Matt increased his pace to a run. “Make it an emergency. I’ll be right behind you.”

“Something we should know about?”

“Arlin Murphy said O’Malley’s already made it to Erin. I don’t think he’s found the hotel, but he’s closing in.”

“Copy that. We’re putting a rush on it.”

Matt rang off then called Jacob. “O’Malley’s in town.”

“Yeah, I know. I just got off the phone with the mayor.”

“I thought we had three days.”

“So did I, but the Chief of Police had a different view of things. The mayor wants to put the city on alert.” Jacob’s chair squeaked. “And not just about O’Malley. Two serial killers in his city is something he thinks his constituents need to know about.”

Matt reached the car, clicked the unlock button on the key fob. “And the chief? What’s his take?” He slid behind the wheel and started the engine immediately.

“You know he serves the mayor.” Expelling a harsh breath, Jacob called out to his administrative assistant. “Get me the Charleston City Chief of Police on the phone. Tell him I’m speaking directly with one of the agents on the ground.” He returned his attention to the conversation. “I’ll see if I can buy some time, but the second they start plastering O’Malley’s picture on the TV is when we lose our chance. He’ll go underground.”

“I don’t think so.” Matt navigated the car out of the parking lot and into the heavy Calhoun Street traffic. “He’s been on the run since he broke out of Attica. He’s not going to let a smaller city like Charleston stop him, not when he’s so close.”

“Yeah, I guess you got a point. Okay, the chief is on the line. Keep me apprized.”

Once he made it to the interstate, Matt took to the emergency lanes with the siren whining and the blue light flashing atop the dash. His instincts buzzing, he could literally feel Stuart closing in. And he’d made it clear over the past forty-eight hours that he had absolutely nothing to lose.

Matt tugged at the necktie threatening to choke him. Criminals like Stuart were the worst kind. They wouldn’t go back to prison and didn’t mind taking out anyone who stood between them and freedom. And if they had something extra, like a medical death sentence, they wouldn’t stop until they’d achieved their goal.

His head began a slow throb. He called the local police department, asked to be patched in to the officers on duty at the hotel. An interminable wait followed, though it might have only been a few seconds by the time one of the officers answered.

“This is Agent Giles. Is Erin Prescott still secure?”

“She hasn’t left the room, Agent, and we haven’t left our posts.”

Still wasn’t enough. “Would you take the phone to her, please?” He drummed his fingers on the seat beside him, impatience torturing him.

“Matt?” Erin’s soft voice had his shoulders slumping. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.” He didn’t know how he kept the edge out of his voice. “I just wanted to touch base with you. I’m on my way back. You okay?”

She hesitated before replying with an even softer, “I’m fine. Were you able to talk to Stuart’s cellmate? Did he give you any information?”

“Not much. He just died. I’ll talk to you more about it when I get back.” He wanted to continue the conversation, if nothing else just to hear her voice, but now that he knew she was still safe, he needed to shift his focus, look under the next rock where Stuart might be hiding.

“Why do I hear sirens?” She didn’t sound any more eager to let him go.

Matt shut them off immediately. “Just covering some ground.”

Erin sighed. “You don’t ever use your job as a way to cut corners, Matt. Why were you rushing back?”

He cursed under his breath “Look, we’ll have to talk about this in a few minutes. I’ve got to get back into traffic. I’ll see you soon.” His thumb hovered over the End Call button, giving her a chance to reply.

“Stuart’s made it to Charleston, hasn’t he?”

Damn. She was too smart for her own good. He’d wanted more time, a chance to tell her himself in a way that would reassure her. “Yes.”

Her breath hitched, but otherwise, her response was calm. “There wasn’t any reason to keep it from me, Matt. I was going to find out eventually.”

“Yeah, I know. I was just hoping to wait for the eventually.” He injected a note of teasing into his voice, hoping to ease the anxiety she was hiding.

“He’s not going to hurt me.”

Matt tightened his grip around the steering wheel. Was she kidding him? She couldn’t seriously think, after everything she’d heard and seen, that her brother wouldn’t harm her. He was in Charleston for one reason and one reason only.

“Matt?” The soft call of his name tempered his anger.

“Look, I know you want to believe that Stuart can still be reached, that deep down inside a part of the brother you knew still exists, but—”

“That’s not what I meant,” she interrupted.

“Oh. What did you mean then?”