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The vehicle barely slowed at the corner.Instead, it hurtled around the turn so fast that Oliver expected it to go onto two wheels.Only, it didn’t.Somehow, the driver kept the car steady.
Tires still squealing, the vehicle disappeared from sight.
Oliver’s jaw locked.He’d noted the make and model of the ride.He’d get an APB out immediately.There had to be security cameras in the area.Street cams.They’d find—
“You let him get away!”Lark charged.
His head jerked back toward her.“You mean…I saved your life?”Because he had a quick flash of her standing in the middle of the road and lifting her gun toward the car.Didn’t she realize that even if she’d fired, the car would have kept coming?It would have barreled into her.The distance between them had been too short.
“That was the killer!If we’d caught him, my brother would be clear.”With one hand, she shoved against his shoulder.“Get off me!”
Slowly, he did.Oliver rose and then he reached down to offer Lark his hand.
She swatted it away.
“Lark…” He shook his head.“Protecting you is the priority.I don’t sacrifice civilians to catch bad guys.”He wouldn’t sacrifice her for anything.Though this was clearly not the time to tell her that fact.
She stared down the dark road.“He got away.”
But you’re alive.You’re safe.And I’m not letting you out of my sight again.
Light raindrops began to fall.
***
“I want the car impounded.I want it checked for prints inside and out.”Oliver pointed to Lark’s small SUV.“He was inside, so maybe we’ll get lucky and find something we can use.Though Lark said the bastard was wearing gloves and a ski mask.”
FBI Special Agent Jase Guillory scratched his chin.“Uh, not to speak out of turn…”
Oliver narrowed his gaze on the other man.
“But are we sure this wasn’t just some carjacking gone wrong?I mean, this area is known for that—”
“The area is also where another woman was abducted.I know you havenotforgotten about Amelia Wayne,” Oliver snapped back.
“And carjackers don’t usually bring hypodermic needles to use on their targets,” Theo Tutweiler announced as he joined Oliver and Jase.He pointed to the left.“Crime scene unit bagged and tagged the syringe they found near her car.But don’t get your hopes up.It was crushed to hell and back.”
Yeah, courtesy of Oliver’s shoe.He remembered stepping on something near the car and hearing the crunch.
“The rain is not helping.”Theo glanced up.The rain kept falling in a steady pattern.Light, but steady.Washing away evidence they needed.“The techs are gonna do their best.”His head lowered as he looked over to where Lark huddled beneath her umbrella as she talked to two uniformed cops.“She can’t give us much to go on.”
“The woman was fighting for her life.The bastard attacked her from behind.”Waiting in her car.Shit.“We always thought the women were abducted on their way back to their vehicles.The cars were found undisturbed, but, dammit, he could have been waitinginsidethe whole time.He pops up from the backseat while they are distracted.Shoves a needle in their throats—”
“Dexter style,” Jase murmured.
Oliver’s brows shot up.“Excuse me?”
“Oh, come on.”Jase chided.“You’re the horror buff.Iknowyou’re familiar with Dexter Morgan.You know, boss, the serial killer on TV?He was super big a few years ago, and I remember that he’d lurk in cars sometimes.Jab his victims with—”
“Etorphine hydrochloride,” Oliver finished.
Jase rocked back on his heels.“See, you do know the show.”
Yes, he knew it.And he also knew his tranquilizers.In the TV show, the main character had used Etorphine hydrochloride, or M99, to dose his victims.An animal tranquilizer, the M99 acted swiftly and could have a person slipping into unconsciousness within a matter of seconds.No wonder the writers had used it in their scripts.
“If he drugged them fast enough,” Jase mused, “they wouldn’t fight in the cars.They’d just slump forward.He could carry them out.There’d be no sign of a struggle.”
Oliver’s gaze returned to Lark’s car.The bullet hole in the back was clear to see.“There’s a definite sign of a struggle with her.”Because Lark had known that the killer might come after her.She’d been ready with her weapon.
