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“Good, you should be afraid. Once I’ve finished with you, I’m going back to get rid of your boyfriend. Then me and my little angel are getting off this Godforsaken island.” His clammy hands closed around her throat. And began to squeeze. Both of her hands came up to pluck uselessly at his arms, as his grip tightened. And tightened.
She couldn’t breathe.
Her right hand left her throat and began to flail around wildly in the grass behind her head. Searching for a rock, a branch, anything she could use.
Her fingernail tinged against something metal. She reached farther back. No air. She needed air. Any second now, she was going to pass out.
Her finger brushed against cool metal. It was the butt of the gun. Evan stared down at her, giving small grunts of exertion as he pushed on her windpipe, his face going red with the strain of strangling her.
With the absolute last of her energy she stretched backwards. Her fingers closed around the gun. And she brought it up, pulling the trigger.
* * *
With Jessica on his hip, Reed hunkered in against the wall of the shed. They’d escaped from the cottage without any sign of Evan, but Reed wasn’t taking any chances. He was carrying a precious package, and he would do nothing to jeopardize it. Even though he wanted to run into the bush and search for Sierra. He couldn’t. Instead he was crouched next to the larger of the two sheds on Evan’s property, a few hundred meters away from the derelict cottage. He listened intently for a few seconds, then peered cautiously around the corner. No sign of movement. Sierra had done her job well, led Evan deep into the surrounding scrub. Away from him and Jessica.
Reed made his way to the small high window and took a quick glance inside. He nearly let out a whoop of joy. He’d been hoping against hope, and his wish had come true. They had moved his police vehicle and Sierra’s car and put them both inside the shed. Out of sight for a while. Of course they would be found soon enough, when the police started to swarm the area. But Evan would have planned to be well-away from here by the time that happened. And if his plan had succeeded, the Sergeant and his team would be finding Reed and Sierra’s bodies. He hugged Jessica tighter to him. Thank God they’d found her. Thank God Sierra had found her.
He made his way around to the front of the shed. Damn. Evan had padlocked the double doors.
“Hey, sweetie, I just need to put you down for a second. Is that okay? Can you stand up for me?”
She nodded at him, eyes wide.
“Good girl.” He put her down gently, laying the chain still around her ankle on the ground, and picked up a half-brick from a small pile of rubble beside the shed. “Cover your ears,” he told her. “I’m going to make some banging noises.” Which was a bugger, he hoped the noise didn’t attract Evan’s attention. With a couple of well-aimed hits, the padlock fell away, but Reed was too busy scooping Jessica up to be thankful. They slipped inside, and Reed went straight to the police Land Cruiser and opened the door. As he thought, Evan had smashed the police radio, but Reed had an ace up his sleeve. He kept a back-up cell stashed under his seat. He prayed to God it was still there, and still charged.
Putting Jessica onto the front seat, he rummaged around underneath, his fingers finally closing around the small phone. He turned it on and waited.
“Are we going for a ride in your police car?” Jessica said, voice still tremulous, but obviously impressed as she stared at the dashboard.
“I will take you for a ride as soon as I can.” He promised. “We can turn the lights and the siren on, too, when we do.”
“Thank you,” she whispered in awe, her face breaking into a smile. The first one he’d ever seen on this tiny little girl’s face. That smile broke his heart. Such a small thing to make this gorgeous child happy. After all she’d been through. He wanted to kill Evan all over again. Slowly.
The phone pinged to life and Reed’s stomach did a somersault of triumph. He was going to get Jessica out of this alive. Thanks to Sierra. But could he say the same about her?
He dialed 000 and spoke urgently into the phone.
* * *
The Sarge stood a few feet away from the Land Cruiser, his back to Reed, talking fast and furious into his phone. Yet another police car careened down the dirt driveway, lights flashing, and screeched to a stop in front of the cottage, joining the two others already there. Two officers leapt out of the car and made their way over to the Sarge, who put his hand over the phone and barked out some orders. Immediately the officers drew their guns and fanned out, searching for Evan. And Sierra. There was already another uniform stationed near the cottage, standing guard, gun drawn, eyes scanning the surrounding bushland. In case Evan came back. But Reed thought that was highly unlikely.
Reed sat in the back seat of the Sarge’s car, Jessica by his side.
“Your mum will be here soon,” he said quietly, trying to keep her calm. Her big, blue eyes had gotten wider and wider as more and more cop cars and police officers arrived, and she clung to his arm as if he might disappear at any second. Poor little thing, she probably didn’t have a clue what was going on, and he was the only solid thing she had to hold on to right now. He desperately wanted to get out of the car and run into the bush with the rest of the officers. To look for Sierra. It was killing him, not knowing where she was. If she was alive. Or dead. He had an urgent need to see those seductive lips curl up in that half-smile she seemed to keep only for him. The secretive one that said she remembered what they’d shared together the other night. How much she’d liked it. Her come-to-me-smile that drew him in. Made him want to land soft, butterfly kisses on the corners of her mouth.
Fifteen minutes after he’d made the 000 call, while he waited for Don and Eric to arrive, he’d heard a single gunshot. It chilled him to the core. Was it Evan? Had he shot Sierra? Killed her? Was he coming back for them? But there was nothing he could do about it. His only goal now was to protect the little girl, with his life if he had to.
After he’d made the call and directed Don to Evan’s farm, he’d taken Jessica and hidden in a thick bit of scrub behind the house and near the driveway, so he could see when Don arrived, but was also out of sight if Evan returned. Then they’d waited. Ten more agonizing minutes, before he heard the sirens, and saw the car speeding down the road. The look of relief on Don’s face was a sight to see, and probably matched his own when he ran out to meet them. Then he hopped into the car with the girl while Don and Eric swung into gear and called in the cavalry.
Where were they? Where was Sierra? And Evan? Another police car, a sedan this time, belonging to the mainland cops, raced down the driveway. Reed watched, only half-interested now. The rear door opened, and a slim, blonde woman stepped out. Jessica’s mother. Sweet relief swept through him.
“Look who’s here,” he said, gathering Jessica up in his arms and stepping out of the car, striding toward the mum, Heather, who broke into a run as soon as she saw them. She tore Jessica out of his arms and hugged her small body to her chest, completely ignoring Reed. Ignoring everything and everyone except the one thing that mattered more to her than the world.
“My sweet baby. My baby. You’re fine now. Mummy’s here.” Heather crooned the words over and over into her daughters’ ear still crushing her to her breast. Jessica burst into tears in her mother’s arms, tears of joy and rage and sadness. Reed’s throat thickened as he watched the scene unfold before him, his eyes prickling with heat. This was the outcome they’d all been hoping for. It was the whole reason he did his job. To make sure the innocent stayed safe.
Finally, Heather looked up, fixed her gaze directly on him. Tears streamed down her blotchy face, her eyes red.
“Thank you.” It was only two words, but she didn’t need to say anymore. Reed could see her unspoken gratitude etched into every line of her face. He took her by the elbow and led mother and daughter over to the Sarge’s car, helping her to step up into the four-wheel-drive because there was no way she was releasing her grip on her child.
