Read Once More (Mercy Heart #1) Online
Authors: Madeline Rooks
The ride to Marc’s was agonizing. In the time it took to travel from the hospital, Clem had already come up with fifty different scenarios of what had happened that would make Katelyn not answer his calls, each one more frightening than the last.
Angel, you have to be there.
Devastation didn’t even begin to describe how his existence would be without her.
Pulling up to Marc’s home, Clem jumped out before Stuart could come to a complete stop and raced to where her car was parked on the street. Stuart joined him in moments, checking over the vehicle. “Damn, her purse is in the front seat.”
Clem ran his hands through his hair and looked wildly at Stuart, and then the car, and then back at Stuart. “Wh-what does that mean?”
Stuart hesitated, looking away from his boss before he continued. “I placed tracking devices in her car and her purse. As of this moment, her phone is powered off. We can’t track her, Clem.”
Pacing back and forth in Marc’s yard, Clem tried to maintain his composure, failing miserably. Finally, he stopped and pinned Stuart with a glare. “What do we do now? You are the damn expert. Tell me what we have got to do.” When Stuart just looked at him with dread in his eyes, Clem lost it in a combination of yelling and sobbing. “Don’t look at me like that! Don’t you fucking look at me like that!” Grabbing Stuart by the lapels of his jacket, Clem yanked him forward, staring him directly in the eyes. “I will not lose her. Do you understand me? I don’t care how much it costs. I don’t care what we have to do. We have technology and manpower and whatever the hell else I can buy at our disposal. Find. Her.”
Forcing Clem to release his jacket, Stuart stepped back. “First, you’re going to have to calm down. I don’t want anything to happen to Katelyn either. But we don’t know what situation we’re facing or who we’re up against, and if you lose your shit that won’t help her either. Let’s check over Marc’s place and then go to hers. Call your geek squad in Jersey and see if he can dig up any dirt on Marc.”
Taking several deep breaths, Clem finally whipped out his phone and dialed Nate while Stuart circled the house with his gun drawn.
The phone rang just once before Nate answered, speaking rapidly. “Boss, I was just getting ready to call you. I knew something was fishy with those credit balances. I checked through the programming and it all looked like it was on the up and up. But when I reviewed actual scanned documents I found a pattern. Apparently, Mercy Heart scans all correspondence, including envelopes. The envelopes with refund checks in them all have different names, but they have all been going to the same address. 2532 East Birmingham, there in Fayetteville. Does that mean anything to you? Is that some kind of group home or halfway house?
Exasperated with Nate drawing focus away from Katelyn, it took Clem a few moments to catch up. Exhaling, he ran his hand through his hair. “What? 2532 East Birmingham? How the hell should I know what that is?”
Hearing Clem’s side of the conversation, Stuart looked down the street, and then walked to the neighboring house, checking out the front door. “Hey Clem, did you say 2532 East Birmingham?”
Confused, Clem walked over to Stuart with Nate still yacking in his ear. “Yeah, why?”
“Because we are on East Birmingham. And this house here next door to Crawford’s is 2532.”
Clem stood dumbfounded for a few beats, and then, remembering he had Nate on the line, he spoke once more. “Nate, did you hear that? The house next door to Marc Crawford is the house those checks are being sent to.”
Speaking to Stuart, he continued. “He is having them sent to his neighbor’s house and then cashing in on the errors.” Speaking again to Nate, he went on. “How is he doing this? Get me everything you can on this guy.”
“Sure thing, boss.” With the click-clack of computer keys going in the background, Nate spoke. “No social network accounts. Triathlon competitor. Police database shows this guy is a model citizen. Not even a parking ticket on his record. Never been married, no children. Grew up outside of Dallas. Parents are both deceased. No siblings. Degree in accounting and an MBA, both from the University of Texas. He rents that house on Birmingham, which seems odd for a professional guy. Maybe he wants to be able to skip town easily.” Nate grew silent for a moment, with just the sounds of typing coming across the line. “He does own a cabin, about an hour away. Give me a little more time and I’ll look into his financials.”
“Text me the address. Let me know when you find out how he has been pulling this off.” Ending the call, Clem held his phone out, anticipating Nate’s text and ready to call whatever reinforcements they could drum up. “Nate says Marc owns a cabin, about an hour from here. He is sending me the information.”
* * * *
Katelyn heard a noise she couldn’t distinguish. It sounded far away, and then closer, and closer still. The sound was familiar, almost comforting. In her still fuzzy state, she couldn’t put her finger on what it was. Willing her eyes to open, the afternoon sunlight streaming into the room made her head hurt even more. Lifting her hand to block the sun out, she realized her wrists were bound with rope. She closed her eyes once more before getting up the strength to open them and take in her surroundings.
She lay on a soft bed that was covered in a down comforter. The room, though sparsely decorated, was well kept and free of dust and clutter. Sitting up, she winced as the exertion caused pain to radiate through her skull. She started to stand, but her legs weren’t quite able to hold her just yet. Out the window, only trees were visible from her position on the bed. She tried to remember what had happened before she passed out. She remembered driving to work, and she could recall texting with Clem.
Oh, Clem!
Did he even realize she was missing? He must be worried sick. He told her this would happen, that someone might hurt her. She grimaced at herself, wishing she had listened to Clem and allowed him to protect her. Now, she didn’t know if she’d ever see him again, or if she’d even make it out of this situation alive. It’s possible no one even knew she was gone. She’d have to try to make it out on her own, and fight for her own survival.
When she could get up the strength, she stood gingerly, holding the bedpost until she could steady herself. Going to the window, she was devastated to see that the house was built into the side of a mountain. It was a steep drop out the window. There would be no way for her to escape this way.
Looking down at her wrists, she knew she’d have to get the bindings off in order to have a better chance of escape. Crossing to the dresser, she opened each drawer, looking for something to cut the rope. In one of the top drawers, she found a picture frame that had been placed upside down on some clothing. She pulled it out, turning it over to see a portrait of a man with a teenage boy who was holding a fishing pole, dangling a large fish at the end of the line. Upon closer inspection, she realized that the individuals in the photo had to be related, and that the boy in the photo was a young Marc Crawford. In shock, she brought her hand to her mouth as she remembered she’d been at Marc’s home when she was attacked. How could she have been so wrong? Clem told her Marc could be the one behind the accounting issues and his attack. Never in a million years would she have believed it. Tears welled in her eyes as she tried to wrap her head around this betrayal.
A noise behind her caused Katelyn to turn towards the door. As it opened, a sob escaped and her legs almost gave out at the sight before her.
“Ah, you’re awake. Time to join the party.”
Walking down the hallway, Katelyn was shocked at what had just been revealed to her. A man she had always considered a dear friend was following close behind, the hard barrel of his gun pressed to her back.
“Why are you doing this? What am I doing here?”
John Sheridan spoke in the quiet voice she had always found so calm and comforting in the past. “My plans have been uncovered. You are part of my exit strategy.”
Exit strategy? What on earth was he talking about?
“I – I don’t understand, John.”
“Your boyfriend has been asking too many questions. If he doesn’t have it figured out already, he will very shortly.”
The adjustments. John was behind it. If anyone had told her John was the one embezzling from the hospital, she would have as vehemently denied it as she had when Clem had accused Marc.
As they entered the living room, Katelyn gasped when she saw a hopefully just unconscious Marc laying on the couch. She ran towards him, frantically cupping his cheek and forehead and then running her hands down his arm, coming to a stop at the pulse point at his wrist.
Anger rolled through her. Incensed, she couldn’t stop herself from shouting. “What did you do to him, John? How much did you give him?”
John turned towards the kitchen area and sat at the table. “Plenty. He doesn’t need to be awake for this.”
The sinister sound of his voice gave Katelyn chills. She wasn’t sure how this was going to end, but she knew it wasn’t going to be good for her or Marc.
From down the hall, Katelyn heard a door open and a toilet flushing. Just when she thought things were at their worst, the bottom dropped out of her world. She had the fourth person identified before she saw their face. The sound accompanying John’s accomplice gave them away. Katelyn had been hearing that sound for the past two years. Still, seeing Margaret come around the corner was a shock that Katelyn couldn’t prepare herself for. “M-Margaret? How…how could you be involved in this?”
The look on Margaret’s face was no different than the smile Katelyn had been finding comfort in for the past few years, but at this moment it meant something completely different. “I’m no spring chicken. All of this new technology is above my head. John’s plan gives me the chance to retire on a beach somewhere, instead of working in Fayetteville till I die.”
“But…we’re friends – “
Margaret shook her head. “No, you’re my boss. You are pleasant to work for, but when it comes to picking between you and me, I’ll pick me every time. I have worked a long, hard time, with nothing to show for it. I’m ready to take it easy.”
Standing, Katelyn rushed towards the older woman, her blood boiling in anger. “At what cost? Marc’s life? My life? How can you be so evil, so heartless?”
John’s voice boomed out over both of them. “Enough! Margaret, go start the car. Things will be wrapped up here very soon.”
Margaret backed away, grabbing the keys from the counter, but Katelyn couldn’t miss the guilt on her face.
Defeated, Katelyn buried her face in her hands, though her arms were still bound. Crying softly, she didn’t turn to John as she spoke. “How can you do this? You didn’t just steal from the hospital. You stole from patients.”
Grumbling, John stood and came towards her. With the gun pointed at her, she couldn’t help but back up until she bumped into a column separating the kitchen and the living room. Swiftly, he grabbed some rope off the table, speaking as he tied her to the column. “It was amounts so small that no one missed it or even knew it was coming to them. I had planned on ending it soon, but then McKinley and your boyfriend came into the picture and he figured out something wasn’t right. I’ve covered my tracks, so they won’t link it back to me. Now to just tie up these last remaining loose ends.”
He said the last part as he tied the final knot in the rope, securing her tightly to the column. Checking his handiwork, he took a few steps back and bent over to check on Marc before he leveled the gun on Katelyn once more.
Desperate to stop what she was sure was his next move, Katelyn began to plead with him. “Please! Don’t do this! Just leave! I won’t say anything, and I will make sure Marc doesn’t either.”
Leaning over her friend, John checked Marc’s pulse and looked up with a smirk. His reply sounded just like the man she had always looked up to, but his demeanor was so eerily calm, so unruffled she felt sick to her stomach. “I’m certain Marc won’t be saying anything ever again. As for you, I can’t live like that, always looking over my shoulder. I’m sure you understand.”
Looking at her friend, silent tears ran down her face. “Marc? He’s….he’s dead?”
“Don’t worry. You’ll be joining him soon enough.”
As he lifted the gun higher with his finger on the trigger, Katelyn shut her eyes, resigned to the fact that this was it, the moment her life was going to end. She flashbacked to all the good times, and a few regrets, like walking out on Clem so long ago instead of taking the leap. She missed out on so many good years with him, and just when they had found each other again, she was going to miss out on so much more. She should have told him she loved him, that she always had, when she’d had the chance.
Suddenly, the sound of glass shattering was followed by John stumbling backward, but not before he gave the trigger on his gun a final squeeze. As he landed in a heap on the floor, the front door burst open, and two men clad all in black and ski masks barreled through. The first man went directly to John, checking to make sure that he was no longer alive. The second man turned towards her, yanking off his mask to reveal it was Clem.
“Katelyn, baby! Shit, she’s been shot!” Backing away, he yelled out the door, “Katelyn’s been shot!” He ran to her side as Stuart came through the front door, assessing the situation before joining Clem beside Katelyn. Her body drooping, Katelyn was unresponsive to their prodding. Stuart and the other man began cutting her free. Once she was loose, Clem caught her and scooped her up into his arms. “Baby, everything is going to be okay. You are safe. Please, angel, just open your eyes.”
Stuart assessed her wound. “There is an entrance and an exit wound. It’s not lethal, but I’m sure it hurts like a bitch. She must be in shock.” He grabbed a towel from the kitchen and applied pressure to the wound, but still she did not respond. Looking up at Clem with fear in his eyes, Stuart swallowed before he continued. “Or, they drugged her with whatever they gave Crawford.”
It took everything Clem had in him not to panic. “Let’s get her to the closest hospital.”
Stuart nodded. “Marc needs medical attention as well. I will get him and then we’ll get out of here. The other guys will wait with Margaret and John’s body until the cops show up.”
Clem carried Katelyn to the SUV, climbing in the front seat with her across his lap. Stuart had Marc in a fireman carry over his shoulder, and then he effortlessly laid him down in the backseat. He checked his pulse once again before climbing in the driver’s seat. “We’ve got to get him to a hospital. I don’t know what they dosed him with, but his heart rate is thready.” Clem only heard half of what he said. He was still stroking Katelyn’s face, cradling her limp body close to his, speaking softly to her in hopes that she would react. It may make him a heartless bastard, but Clem couldn’t care less about Marc. If it came between choosing him or Katelyn, Clem wouldn’t hesitate. The thought of being without her scared the shit out of him. He knew what life without her was like, had lived in his own personal hell for the last seven years, and he’d be damned before he’d do it ever again. He needed her to wake up. Needed to make sure she knew how much she meant to him. And he needed to do whatever he could to make sure she felt the same for him. He’d spend the rest of his life earning her love, every single day.