Dance Away, Danger (19 page)

Matt shivered. He was wet, sore and cold. Damn. What the hell had happened? He lay still and listened for clues. Snapping and crackling noises. The smell of smoke lingered in his nostrils. Wind whistled through...trees? Voices shouted in the distance—a man and a woman’s.

Walgren running them off the road, the ravine....

Tessa!

He shot upright. A sharp pain rushed along his spine in the opposite direction. His skull throbbed. Snow surrounded him, covered him. His duffel bag sat by his side. Something tumbled out from inside his coat. He reached for the object. The flash drive. Lola’s evidence against Walgren and the others.

A scream from the woods split his head.
Tessa!

He blocked out the pain in his body, as he had on so many battlefields, jumped to his feet, and ran in the direction of the voices.

“Shoot him!” he heard her cry.

He had no weapon. He’d left Tessa alone to defend herself. If Walgren hurt her, Matt would never forgive him. Or himself.

He ran faster, his arms pumping at his sides. No arguing continued, just fighting. Then Walgren talked, but Tessa said nothing.

He spotted Walgren’s dark coat up ahead.

Rage filled his every nerve when he saw Tessa’s body pinned under the cop’s arm and her feeble attempts to push free of him.

When he reached them, he slammed his foot into Walgren’s side. He released Tessa when his body whipped through the air, but she didn’t stir.

She needed him, but he needed to get the other man more. Matt stalked toward him. “I’ll kill you.”

Walgren patted the snowdrifts in search of something. His weapon? Matt yanked the other man to his feet and slammed his fist into him. Walgren tossed a few shots to his midsection, but they only fueled the white-hot fury burning within him. Matt threw punch after punch to the crooked cop’s face, gut, and sides. Blood spewed over the ground from the man’s mouth. With each blow, Walgren lost more energy until he slumped to the ground.

Cool, slender fingers wrapped around Matt’s wrist. “Stop,” a ragged voice pleaded.

Tessa stood beside him, alive and breathing and as beautiful as ever.

“Holy hell!” He jumped to his feet and hugged her close. As cold as a popsicle, she shivered in his arms, but she was whole and safe.

And he never wanted to let her go.

He pulled back and cradled her face in his palms. Her eyes were wet with tears she hadn’t allowed to fall yet. “Are you all right?” he asked.

She nodded and one rebel droplet sneaked down her cheek.

He kissed the top of her head. He hadn’t failed her, but he could have, and the pain of that guilt would have haunted him the rest of his days. Which was exactly why he hated responsibility. Not because he couldn’t do it, but because he might not be good enough.

“You guys think you’ve won?” Dave laughed, but it held no pleasure. “Your brother’s done for.”

Tessa stiffened. “What?”

Matt landed another blow to Dave’s chin, but the criminal only laughed harder. He groped around the ground and spat out blood. “Why do you think Pete didn’t come with me?”

A heavy stone dropped to the bottom of her feet. She traded quick glances with Matt. The intense worry in his brow mirrored her own. “We have to get to Jason,” she declared, but the car remained a ball of fire in the distance.

“Too late. It’s over. Me and the others will go down as heroes, your brother will be forever remembered as a criminal, and you two will rot in jail.”

With all he’d put her through, all he taunted her with, fury raced through her veins. She scrambled for Dave’s own weapon and pointed it at him.

“Tess, what are you doing?” Matt’s voice cut into the hollow sounds around her.

“If I’m going to jail, I’m at least going to do something worth being in prison for.”

Matt stood straight and eased his way to her side. “Don’t do it.”

Dave only laughed as he crawled backward toward the tree trunk. The effort must have cost him because he collapsed quickly and struggled onto his back again.

“Tessa.” Matt covered her hands with one of his and leaned closer. “You’re too good a person. Don’t let him win.” The heat from his palm strengthened her. Or weakened her. Hell, she didn’t know which anymore.

She blinked away some tears and allowed him to slide the gun from her grip.

“Chicken,” Dave said.

Pure, blind rage filled her. She stalked closer to him and pulled back her foot. A good kick to the family jewels would—

Dave gripped her other ankle and yanked it toward him.

Tessa yelped. She crashed onto the hard-packed snow, her head banging against the earth. The trees swirled together and pain inched across her skull.

Dave growled, shifted over her with a huge rock raised above his head. Something dangerous and scary glinted in his glare as the boulder he held started for her head.

“No!” She raised her arms.

Crack!

Dave’s body stilled for a fraction of a second and then fell on top of her. The rock clipped the corner of her head and landed with a thud in the snow. The weight of him crushed her, pushed all her breath out of her lungs. The back of his head quickly turned a deep red. The blood even leaked onto her.

Just as she shoved at his lifeless body, Matt pulled him off her. “You’re hurt.” He brushed his fingers against her hairline. She squinted.

“It’s nothing. I’ll be fine.” She waved him away. Yet, the scene around her still blurred and bile crested in her throat.

“Come on.” He tugged her to her feet. “We’ve got to get to your brother.”

****

Kyle Whittaker stood when he saw Pete Carparzo storming down the hospital hallway. “What’s up?”

Pete waited until some passing nurses were out of earshot before he answered. “Gerry’s dead.”

“What?”

“Rylan killed him.”

Damn. “And Walgren?”

He shook his head. “No idea. He took off after them and sent me to take care of Jason. Damn, our plan to frame Gage better not blow up in our faces.”

Whit held up a palm. “It won’t.”

“I really wish I hadn’t stopped smoking.” He pulled a toothpick out of his pocket, ripped off the cellophane, and chewed on the little piece of wood. “What about the girl who brought Jason in? She won’t be a problem for us?”

“I don’t think so. Once she knew he would live to face charges, she went home.”

“What’s next?” Pete peered toward the room where Jason stretched.

He clapped the younger man on the shoulder. “You go in and take care of business.”

“What are you going to do?”

Whit gave him a lazy smile. “I’m heading to the cafeteria for some coffee. I’ll get you one, too.” He started toward the stairwell.

“And Dave?”

He waved his cell phone over his head. “Calling him for an update.”

Whit had made sure he couldn’t be touched. By putting Walgren in charge, feeding the man’s inflated ego, Whit had been able to protect himself. If everything fell apart and Walgren and the others got found out, he, the honorable sergeant, would remain free and untouched. Yeah, the boys would give him up in a heartbeat. He had no illusions about that, but he’d wiped out any trace of his involvement. He might not have been able to make captain, but he’d found another way to prove his abilities. It wasn’t like he was hurting innocent people. Except Brian. His shooting had been an unfortunate necessity. But the payments he and the boys took came from hookers, for crissake. Worthless whores.

****

Jason kept his body still as he watched the conversation taking place right outside his hospital room. Whit and Carparzo with their heads close together and intensity in each of their faces. No, it didn’t completely convict Whit of being involved, but it didn’t exactly put him in the clear, either. So far Jason had been able to get enough evidence to convict his fellow officers, but the sergeant had managed to keep his nose clean and his hands out of every illegal activity Walgren and the others dipped into. If Jason had had a few more days to keep investigating, if he’d been able to meet with Brian’s widow, he might have the proof he needed to nail his superior for Brian’s murder.

Too bad none of it would matter soon. They’d find a way to get rid of him before his case even went to trial. Frankly, he was surprised they hadn’t tried already. Weak, injured, and unconscious most of the time, he’d been perfectly vulnerable. But Brenna had been sitting vigil for the man who’d kidnapped her, until he chased her away that morning. He’d disrupted her life enough. He couldn’t, in good conscience, allow her to stay and be his only ally. If it were possible, the stunned look she wore when he’d ordered her away had cut into his soul deeper than the frightened expression she’d held when she first opened her car door and found him in there. He’d make it up to her. Somehow. Someday.

Providing he could get his ass out of Whit’s line of fire. Yeah, Whit. His mentor, his surrogate father. What an idiot he’d been.

He wasn’t strong enough yet, but he had to do something to try to save his own life. He pushed the nurse button and prayed it didn’t take them an hour to respond.

Damn.
He should’ve hit the nurse button a lot sooner. With the hospital staff’s timing, Pete and Whit could be done with him before any of the staff even noticed his light was blinking. He scanned the room for anything he could use to hold them off until help arrived. Putting a nurse in danger wasn’t what he wanted, but his survival had to come first. Besides, he’d already kidnapped one victim. What would be so bad about putting someone else in the middle?

He rolled onto his side and yanked open the drawer of the bedside table. A box of rubber gloves, an extra towel, a handful of straws, and a plastic hurling dish.

Sweat gathered on his forehead. Pain morphed through his shoulder. Glancing up, he saw Whit watching him through the blinds in the window and then step away. Pete walked toward his room.

****

Tessa planted both her palms on the counter of the information booth in the hospital lobby. “My brother is Jason Gage. Where is he?” A call for some doctor filtered through the PA system.

The woman behind the counter tapped on her keyboard. “He’s in room 345, but he’s not allowed visitors.”

“Which way?”

The woman shook her head. “You won’t be able to see him. The police are restricting his visitors. He’s all right. He finally woke up, his fever is under control, and he should make a full recovery.”

“Where’s his room?” It took all Tessa’s restraint to keep from jumping over the desk and throttling her. “Fine. I’ll find it myself.” She shoved off the counter and headed for the elevators.

“Tess.” Matt followed and grabbed her arm. “Hold on a minute.”

“Jason’s life is in danger. We have to go.” She yanked from his hold and punched the up arrow. Immediately, the elevator dinged, the doors opened, and a bunch of people exited. When she started forward, he jerked her back. “If Pete and Whittaker are in the hospital, like Walgren said, they’ll put us in cuffs as soon as we get near your brother’s door.”

“It’s a chance I have to take. With or without you, I’m going up there.” She stalked into the elevator and pushed a button.

A swear word rushed through his lips, but Matt, her partner, didn’t let her down. He crossed into the box just as the doors closed.

****

Jason clenched his jaw, ignored the blinding pain spiking down his arm, and yanked open the second drawer. A pair of scissors wrapped in sterile paper caught his eye.

Scrambling, he grabbed them, ripped off the paper, and slid them under one butt cheek. Easy enough to get to, but hidden. With a ragged breath through his lips, he rolled onto his back. The discomfort in his shoulder eased, but not enough. The hospital had given him a pump to give himself morphine when the agony became too much to bear, but he needed a clear head. Besides, the anguish reminded him he was still alive. For the moment.

Where the hell was the nurse?

Pete pushed the door open and sauntered in like he owned the entire wing. He closed the blinds of the hallway window.

Jason punched the call button again.

“That’s not going to save you.”

“Maybe not.” But if someone could get their ass in there, it would buy him some time to formulate a better plan, and to gather as much strength as he could.

“Dave’s taking care of your sister and her boyfriend as we speak,” he began.

Jason cursed. But he couldn’t do anything to help them right at that moment.

Pete made a big show of glancing at his watch. “In fact, I’m pretty sure they’re either in police custody or dead. You know what’s going to happen, right?”