Authors: Wendy Stone
"Hunter, she'd chew you up and spit you out,” Hawk muttered to Brett as he seemed spellbound.
"Yeah, but what a way to go,” Brett sighed. He shook his head, giving her hand one last kiss before returning to business. “We're looking for Mackenzie. Have you seen her?"
Selena took a deep breath, watching as both men's eyes went to the daring neckline of her dress that barely contained her ample curves. “She was in the staff meeting that got out just two minutes ago. She should be at her desk. I was just heading to mine. It's over there,” she said, standing on tip toe and letting her hand rest against Brett's shoulder as she pointed out a desk on the far wall.
"I'll have to remember that,” Brett said with a wink. “But for now, do you think you could find Mackenzie for us? We need to talk to her."
Her hand fluttered to her throat playing with her necklace. “I can page her for you, if you'd like."
She turned to the nearest phone, bending slightly at the waist to pick up the receiver and giving every male eye in the room a wonderful view of her long, tanned thighs as the hemline of her dress rode dangerously close to the border.
"If you're looking for Kenzie, she left just a couple minutes ago."
Hawk turned, seeing a tiny, mouse like woman standing in front of him. “Do you know where she was going?"
"No, she was on the phone and then took off out of here like the place was on fire."
Selena almost stomped her foot at the interruption. “Thanks so much, Lily,” she said to the waif-like figure.
"No problem, Selena,” Lily grinned, enjoying the gorgeous woman's pique.
"Now what do we do?” Brett growled.
"You're the private dick,” Hawk pointed out. “Do some detecting."
Mackenzie stood outside the abandoned apartment building, staring up at the broken windows and graffiti covered walls. “God, Mackenzie Hunter, you are completely nuts."
Once more she glanced down at the piece of paper that she'd written the information on. “Okay, this is the right address. Let's go.” She slipped the paper back in her bag, reaching deeper to turn on her tape recorder and to check again that she had her cell phone and pepper spray handy.
Pushing aside the door that was hanging by one hinge, she stepped out of the warmth of the sun and into the darkness of the boarded up building. A squeak to one side had a squeal erupting from her lips, and she jerked backwards, her hand going to her chest as a rat the size of a small dog stared at her.
"Go away, beast.” Her voice shook and she forced herself to take a deep breath, carefully skirting around the rat and heading deeper into the building. She checked the first door, pushing it open and staring into the dusty motes that floated in the slight breeze coming in one of the windows. “This could take all day."
Someone or something moved above her, causing a clatter of pipes and the sound of rapid footfalls. Kenzie jumped, barely holding back the screech that came to her lips. She moved from the open door, yanking out her bottle of pepper spray and holding it cocked and ready in her hand. “Hello?” she said softly.
The stairs creaked noisily when she rested her foot on the first tread. “This is nuts. God, Mackenzie, you could be in bed right now having multiple orgasms and eating Hawk alive. But no, you have to have a career, you have to be in the lime light. You have to climb those stairs, so just do it for God's sake."
She let out a small moan, finally shifting the pepper spray to her other hand and grabbing hold of the banister. It seemed to shudder in her hands, wiggling dangerously. Carefully taking one tread at a time, she started up the stairs.
Three treads from the top, the wood shifted and she threw herself forward, her arm scraping against an exposed nail. “Damn!” she cried, turning over to sit on the top step while she checked on the wound. It was raw and ugly, bleeding sluggishly. Reaching into her purse, she grabbed a wad of tissues, holding it to the wound. She jerked and her hand opened, her pepper spray bouncing down the stairs to land at the bottom.
Mackenzie looked down the hall that she could see from where she was sitting. There was another flight of stairs heading up and doors closed all the way down the long hall. “Hello? Is anyone there?"
She rose, rubbing her hip that had taken the brunt of her fall. “I'm here alone, like you wanted,” she called. “You can come out and talk to me."
"Up here,” a ghostly sounding voice said from the floor above her and this time she did screech, slapping her hand over her mouth to stifle the sound.
"Can't you come down here? I don't trust these stairs."
"No, you come to me if you want to know what I do.” There was a small spat of giggles that left Kenzie feeling even more nervous than she was before.
Taking a deep breath, she dropped the tissues back in her bag, pulling it more securely onto her shoulder. “I think you should know that I told my boss I was coming here. If I don't come back, he'll send the police.” She grabbed the old railing once more, using it to pull herself up the rickety staircase. “So don't try anything...hinkey."
The stair treads groaned and creaked with every step she took, the railing shook under her hand. She could see feet clad in black motorcycle boots at the top of the stairs. “I'm coming up,” she said.
"Hurry up,” the voice said, and the boots moved, stepping back to the shadows.
"Come out where I can see you,” she called.
There was no answer but for a gust of wind that blew dust down around her. She reached the top step, rubbing her eyes to rid them of the grime. A hand dropped to her shoulder and she jumped, turning around quickly and blinking up at the figure above her.
Her scream echoed throughout the empty rooms, only to be cut off abruptly as his hand came down over her mouth.
"There's nothing here,” Brett said in disgust after searching through Kenzie's desk once more. “If she got some kind of message telling her to go somewhere, I don't see it."
"She's still not answering her cell phone either,” Hawk growled, flipping his closed and shoving it into his jean pocket. “Where the hell would she have gone?"
"Are you two still here?” Selena purred, coming up behind Brett and letting her hand rest against his shoulder. “I thought for sure you'd be gone. Oh, I know, you were waiting for me.” She squeezed Brett's shoulder, rubbing her hip against it and the chair he was sitting in.
"We still have no idea where Kenzie's disappeared to,” Hawk said, disgusted. “You'd think she'd let someone know, especially since her apartment's been trashed."
"You two really are helpless aren't you?” She pushed Brett just hard enough to get him out of Kenzie's chair then sat down herself. “Mackenzie told me that you're a private detective and you're a narc cop. I can't believe neither of you figured this trick out.” She grabbed a pencil out of the cup on the desk, picking up the pad of paper that sat next to Kenzie's phone. Using the side of the pencil lead, she slowly and carefully shaded over the area of writing, bringing up an address.
"Here you go.” she said, a silky satisfaction in her voice.
"Are you two looking for Mackenzie?” Hawk looked up to see a mousy waif like woman standing over them. “I rode with her down the elevator. She got a call from an informant who said he had information on this arsonist and where he was going to strike next."
"Did she tell you who this informant was, Lily?” Selena asked, looking imposingly tall next to the petite woman.
"No, I didn't think to ask."
"Damn her, doesn't she think?” Hawk gnashed his teeth together, standing up and pulling the pad of paper out of Selena's hand. “Let's go."
"Thanks ladies,” Brett said, hurrying after Hawk.
Mackenzie groaned, her head aching, her arms throbbing. She tried to reach up and touch her head only to find she couldn't move. Opening her eyes, she blinked to clear her vision, finally able to focus on the man sitting across the room from her. “Who are you?” she groaned.
The man turned his head, facing her. He was a bland looking middle-aged man, soft around the middle, wearing gold rimmed glasses. “I had hoped you'd be out for a while longer,” he tutted, in a voice as soft as his middle. “I didn't want you to be awake during this, for your sake you understand."
Kenzie shook her head once more, trying to understand what was going on. “Why am I tied up? What do you want? Who are you?"
"I bet your head hurts, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hit you that hard. There's no reason for you to suffer."
"Then let me go,” she said, trying to move her head away from his hand as he touched her cheek.
"I can't do that. The boss decided that your lover has to die. That means he has to die. I know he'll come after you. I was hoping you'd stay unconscious. This is going to be painful.” He looked at her with a strange expression in eyes that were almost hidden behind coke bottle lenses. “I can hit you again if you'd rather?"
"Are you crazy?” Mackenzie struggled against the bonds holding her. She couldn't quite understand what he was saying. Why would he hit her again? Why had he hit her in the first place? The pain in her head kept her from making sense of what he was saying.
"As soon as Gideon Hawkins realizes you're gone, he will come looking for you. Then, I'll kill him and start a fire here. Your death will be blamed on the arsonist that you've been writing about. My boss will be happy and Gideon Hawkins will be dead.” He rubbed his hands together in glee.
"You are crazy.” Kenzie stared at the man in horror. Then a thought struck her. “He won't be here. He doesn't know where I am."
"Of course he does,” the little man said, turning his back on her and going back to the small window that overlooked the front of the building. “You have to tell people where you're going to be, he'll come looking for you."
"I didn't tell anyone where I was going,” she said stubbornly. “You're perverted little plan won't work."
"You didn't tell anyone?” He turned, squinting his eyes at her. “How could you be so stupid as to go after an anonymous informant and not tell anyone?"
"I just didn't have time.” She watched as he walked toward her again, his brows furled together. With a sudden and sharp cry, he jerked away from her, picking up the only other chair in the room he threw it against the wall.
"You fucking bitch!” he screamed.
Mackenzie flinched as the chair crashed into pieces, her eyes going wide. She watched him pace the floor, stopping only to look out the window. The entire time, he mumbled to himself, glancing at her as he turned to walk back.
Then he stopped, his head came up and he smiled. “It's easy to fix,” he said, speaking aloud to himself. “She'll call him."
"I won't,” Kenzie said quickly. “I won't put him in danger, not for anything."
The man turned, his eyes widening as his face turned red with rage. “You'll do as you're told,” he shouted in her face, picking up her purse. Dumping out the contents on the floor, he grabbed for the cell phone, opening it. “You'll call your office and tell them where you are. Then you'll call him. You'll tell him you need help, his help."
Kenzie watched as he scrolled through her phone book, stopping on the Monroe County Press. He pressed the send button. “You fuck me over on this and I'll make sure you feel so much pain, you'll beg for me to kill you."
"This is Ron.” His voice came out of the speaker on the small phone, loud and kind of tinny sounding.
She shook her head stubbornly, her mouth closed.
The man stepped behind her and she closed her eyes, waiting. She didn't have long to wait for he grabbed her finger, yanking it until it felt as if it would break.
"Hello? Is anyone there?” came out of the phone speaker.
"
Okay
!” she almost screamed, tears streaming down her face.
"Mackenzie? Is that you?” Ron said, his voice full of concern.
"Yeah, it's me, God dammit.” She looked up, seeing her captor with a small smile on his bland face. He waved his finger at her.
"None of that now,” he whispered, his finger over the phone.
"Where are you, Hunter? You've got people looking for you all over the city."
"I'm fine, Ron,” she said, trying to control the shaky sound of her voice. “I'm just finishing up with an informant."
"Give him the address,” the man whispered.
She did as he told her, seeing him fold the phone up right afterwards before she could say anything else.
"Now,” he said, with a smile that held a bit of the predator in it, “it's time to call Mr. Hawkins. If you try to warn him, Miss, you won't like what happens."
Tears blurred her vision and she shook her head, trying to clear it. “I can't,” she whispered.
"You will unless you'd rather..."
Her phone buzzed, vibrating in his hand. He checked the screen, chuckling when he saw who it was. “Well, well, he's making this easier for me. Now, no warning him, remember?"
He flipped open the phone holding it up to her ear.
"Mac? Are you there?"
"Y...yes,” she said, barely loud enough to be heard.
"Are you okay, baby?"
"I'm fine,” she sobbed, unable to stop. Her head felt as if it were about to explode and her heart was breaking.
"You don't sound okay, Mac. Are you crying?"
"No. I'm fine, really.” She looked up at her captor who was narrowing his eyes at her. “I'm down at the old Transom apartment buildings, the ones that are going to be demolished? I was supposed to meet an informant here."
"We know, honey. The address was on the pad of paper you wrote it on. Don't go anywhere. I'll pick you up and we can go get something to eat."
Kenzie shook her head, wishing she knew of someway to warn Gideon, someway that wouldn't end up getting her killed in the process. The thought of him dead was enough to have her stomach roiling and a fist wrapping around and gripping her heart. She saw the man start to close her phone and knew she couldn't let Hawk walk into a trap.
"No!” she screamed. “Don't come here! It's a trap!” A searing pain streaked across her cheekbone, her eye feeling as if it had exploded.