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Hunting for his prey? Or did he have another plan in mind?
“Officers are fifteen minutes out.” Cole pulled his own weapon from its holster. “The stalker doesn’t know he tripped the alarm. Once he figures out Olivia isn’t there, he could leave. Or he may come here.”
“Either way, the best thing to do is take the fight to him.” Willie jerked his chin. “Go. I’ve got my family covered.”
Cole didn’t need any further encouragement. Willie was armed and capable. He’d do what was necessary to keep his wife and granddaughter safe. The sooner Cole caught the culprit, the better for everyone. He marched to the front door. “Lock this. And set the alarm.”
“Done.” Willie grabbed the door. “Stay safe, son.”
The blessing was said like a prayer. Cole slipped out onto the porch and waited for Willie to secure the house before he ran across the street. Darkness encased him. Thunder rumbled in the distance. A storm was brewing. It kicked up the wind, shaking leaves from the trees. The cold slid down Cole’s shirt collar. Goosebumps rose on his arms. He hadn’t grabbed a jacket before stepping outside.
Sticking to the shadows, Cole approached the side of Olivia’s house. There was a sliding glass door leading to the dining room. Curtains blocked his view of the interior. But this entrance was the safest and easiest way into the house. The new security system allowed it to be opened with a fingerprint. Cole’s was already programmed in. He pressed his thump to the pad, and the light changed from red to green.
Lord, be with me. Give me the strength and ability to catch Olivia’s stalker.
The glass door slid open silently. Cole’s pulse jumped as he used a finger to shift the curtain enough to see inside the room.
Empty. A floor lamp illuminated the space. There was no sign of the intruder. Cole entered the house, weapon leading the way. His gaze swung into the kitchen. Also empty. Nothing appeared disturbed.
He paused, listening for any unusual sound. Warm air blew from the vents in the ceiling. His pulse threatened to gallop out of control, but Cole took a deep breath to counteract the adrenaline racing through his veins. He loosened the grip on his weapon to keep his muscles from freezing up.
Using the wall as protection, he approached the hallway. It was dark. Three doors jutted off. One was a guest bedroom turned into a home office. The other was a bathroom. The last room at the end of the hall was the primary bedroom. Entering without clearing each room was potentially deadly. There was no way to know where the intruder was.
Cole hesitated. He wanted to catch Olivia’s stalker with every cell in his body, but he’d already bucked against his training by entering the house alone. The smart thing to do was retreat and wait for the Serenity police officers. But they were still ten minutes out. And likely were responding with lights and sirens on. The minute the intruder heard them, he’d take off.
No. Catching this guy was the priority.
There. A scraping sound drifted down the hall from the primary bedroom. Another followed. The intruder was definitely still here. Cole eased down the hallway on silent steps. Olivia’s bedroom was dark. A faint glow drifted from around the corner of the doorway, as though the intruder was using a flashlight on his phone.
Gun leading the way, Cole swung into the bedroom. “Freeze!”
The intruder jolted. He was dressed in all black and a ski mask covered his face. He held a cell phone in his mouth, the flashlight pointed toward an open dresser drawer. One hand held jewelry. The other a gun.
Suddenly, the intruder rushed him. Cole dodged a full-body tackle, but couldn’t avoid the assailant all together. His leg slammed into the corner of the nightstand and an elbow to the gut knocked the breath from his body. A lamp fell to the floor, crashing to pieces. Pain vibrated through him. Before he could get his bearings, the intruder took off down the hall.
Sucking in a breath, Cole shoved to a standing position. His ribs had been crushed against the wall and the man. They ached as he bolted down the hall in pursuit. “Freeze!”
The man paid him no heed.
As Cole exited the hallway, a bullet whizzed past his ear. It thudded into the wall behind him.
Instinct and training took over as Cole lunged for safety behind the couch. More bullets punched holes above his head. Sheetrock rained down on him. His heart thundered in his ears as he belly-crawled to a better position. He rose up quickly to get a bead on the intruder just in time to see the man slipping out the sliding glass door. Cole followed but stopped in the doorway. His gaze swung right and left. Sirens wailed in the distance. Too little, too late.
The man was gone.
Muttering an uncharacteristic curse, Cole dialed in to dispatch to update the responding officers. He quickly listed a description of the intruder while circling back to the bedroom. Forensics would do a thorough search. Cole didn’t want to disturb any evidence, so he used his cell phone flashlight to illuminate the room.
Dresser drawers hung open, clothes leaking out as though they’d been rifled through. Olivia’s jewelry box was tipped over. Some of the contents spilled onto the floor. Most of it was missing though. The closet door was cocked open. Shoes boxes had been searched and then discarded. Glass littered the carpet from the broken window.
Confusion knotted Cole’s insides. Was this a simple robbery? Had he been wrong to assume the break-in was connected to the threats against Olivia?
He turned and his heart stuttered. A butcher knife jutted from the center of Olivia’s bed.
Cole stepped closer, his anger growing as the words on the note secured by the blade were revealed by his flashlight.
Get rid of your new assistant. I don’t like him. He’s not right for you and seeing him with you makes me angry.
Don’t disobey me, sweet Olivia.
