"Have You Seen Her?" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rose Karen)

Chapter Thirty-six

Saturday, October 15, 2:20 A.M.

The gun was shiny, almost too perfect to be real. But it was very real. And pointed in her face.

"You've caused enough trouble for my son, Miss Marshall. It's time to go."

Jenna looked down the barrel of the gun to the face of the woman she'd last seen wearing a god-awful nightgown. "Mrs. Lutz."

''Mother" Josh said from behind her, angry.

Jenna heard hysterical laughter and vaguely realized it came from inside her own throat. "You're going to help him," she said, incredulous.

"I am his mother. That's what mothers do. Not being a mother, you wouldn't understand. Joshua, take the path to the car. We pulled off as the main road has been closed by the police."

Police, Jenna thought, her knees going weak with relief. Steven.

Mrs. Lutz was frowning at Josh, who hadn't moved. "Run along, son. I'll take care of her."

Jenna shook her head, hardly able to process what she'd heard. "You're going to kill me now?"

"Without fanfare. A simple bullet in the head and both my sons' problems will be solved."

Jenna looked into Nora Lutz's eyes, realizing she was seeing true insanity. "Like you solved all the problems in Seattle?"

Mrs. Lutz's lips bent in a tight smile. "My Rudy was innocent. Any jury would have said so."

"Any jury didn't have a chance. You paid someone to set Neil Davies up, didn't you?"

She lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. "My Rudy was innocent."

"Because your Josh is guilty as hell," Jenna returned, enraged and helpless.

"My Joshua is a sick boy who will get help. You are a bothersome insect who will be a bother no longer. Into the barn, please."

Jenna stared. "You've got to be kidding. If you're going to shoot me, it will be right here. You're insane. Simply insane."

Mrs. Lutz cocked the trigger. "I am armed," she corrected in a calm, genteel voice. "Simply armed. And if I have to shoot you here, I will."

Jenna watched as Mrs. Lutz's arm rose steadily, as if in slow motion. She's going to kill me. Right now. Steven will find me dead. It's too late.

Mrs. Lutz's arm had reached the top of her arc when she flicked her eyes sideways, the gun following. There was a flash of light, two deafening blasts in rapid succession. Then the sick thud of a body hitting the ground. A big body. Steven. No.

With a hoarse cry Jenna spun around, only to see the body on the ground was Neil's. A sick combination of relief and panic coursed through her and she took a stumbling step, falling to her knees next to Neil. But with her hands still tied behind her she was unable to help him. Unable to stem the dark stain spreading on his thigh. He lay bent at the waist and writhing, his face contorted in agony. He clutched one hand with the other and Jenna could see another stream of blood gushing from his right hand. He'd been shot twice, leg and hand. But he was alive.

"That felt remarkably cathartic," Mrs. Lute said from behind her, her voice dry. "Get up, Miss Marshall, or the next one will go between his eyes. And I promise you I'm a very good shot."

Neil looked up at her, his eyes glazed with pain. "Do it, Jenna. Do what she says."

"Oh, to hear those words from your throat after all this time," Mrs. Lutz said, her tone now amused. "Get up, Miss Marshall. Now."

Jenna pushed herself to her feet, trembling from a combination of shock, fear, rage, and utter helplessness. Kelly lay dying inside and Neil lay at her feet, his blood spilling onto the ground.

"That's very wise, Miss Marshall. Now, Josh, go to the car. Dr. Nelson is waiting for you."

"No, Mother. I won't."

You go, Josh, Jenna thought, another hysterical laugh threatening to break free.

Mrs. Lute heaved an impatient sigh. "Joshua, I found the pills under your mattress. I know you haven't been taking them for months. Now go to the car and let Dr. Nelson help you."

"He'll dope you up so you can't think, Josh." Jenna said desperately. "He'll dope you up so you won't be smart anymore."

Mrs. Lutz shoved the gun against her head. "In the barn, Miss Marshall. Joshua, in the car."

Jenna stumbled, the gun at her temple, trying to think of something, anything she could do. Then she heard another click and the voice she'd feared she'd never hear again.

"Put the gun down, Mrs. Lute," Steven said calmly, "and Josh will not get hurt."

Pure relief coursed through her, leaving her shaken. "Steven" Jenna said, wishing she could say everything else that rushed to her lips, but Mrs. Lutz shoved the gun harder into her temple.

"You won't shoot my son," Mrs. Lutz said evenly. "You'll just take him to jail and I'll get him out I, on the other hand, will shoot her with very little compunction. So what will it be, Agent Thatcher? My son or this woman? Decide quickly. I have very little time and very little to lose."

Jenna held her breath, knowing Steven was behind her, knowing he wouldn't, couldn't let a killer go. Knowing Kelly lay inside the barn, her life in the balance. "Steven, Kelly's inside," Jenna said, knowing he needed the full score. "She's alive."

"I have more than one bullet, Agent Thatcher," Mrs. Lutz said, with that same eerie calm. "And I will do anything to save my son. Drop your gun and kick it over to me."

After a pregnant pause, Jenna flinched at the sound of gunfire as Steven released his round.

Into the air. Followed by the soft thud of a blunt object hitting the ground. Mrs. Lutz's gun left her temple and she heard the rustle of clothing as the insane woman retrieved Steven's weapon.

"Take your son," Steven said. "But let the women go."

Jenna cried, "Steven, no-" and stopped when the gun ground into her head once again.

"Into the barn, Dr. Marshall," Mrs. Lutz commanded.

"But you said-" Jenna's protest was cut off when Mrs. Lutz pushed her. Jenna stumbled and fell into the barn, scraping her face on the wood floor, unable to break her own fall. Fueled by sheer instinct, Jenna rolled and Mrs. Lutz's shot narrowly missed her head.

Shaking her head clear, Jenna saw Steven rush forward, only for Josh to grab Steven around the neck and pull him backward, away from the barn. Jenna scrambled to her feet as Mrs. Lutz took aim and again Jenna let her instincts rule. Her leg shot out and around and the gun flew, landing harmlessly against the far wall. She came down on the balls of her feet and kicked again, this time striking Mrs. Lutz mid-torso, hearing a crack as Josh's mother's skull hit the floor, seeing the woman lay there, stunned.

Breathing hard, Jenna looked over to where Josh had Steven pinned to the ground, straddling his chest, his hands around Steven's throat. Steven's hands were around Josh's wrists, the two engaged in silent struggle. Steven was strong, but Josh had the advantage of youth and the strength of insanity. Josh was killing Steven.

Not today, Jenna thought. I need my hands. She ran to the table where Kelly lay tied, her eyes open, but unfocused. Jenna fumbled for one of the knives with her tied hands and slid the handle under Kelly's body as the girl blinked and struggled to speak.

"Just lean on it, honey," Jenna begged. "Don't let it slide."

Jenna leaned back against the sharp edge of the knife and tried to cut her bonds.

And felt the knife slide, the sharp tip nicking her own wrist. Pain pricked and blood flowed and Steven and Josh still struggled. So Jenna repositioned the knife and tried again, leaning backward to work the blade against the rope.

And this time the blade stayed put as Kelly somehow summoned enough energy to lean on the knife. "Good girl, Kelly." A few jerks and another deep nick and Jenna's hands were free. She grabbed a mask, knowing it was filled with the powder that would make Josh powerless in less time than it took to count backward from ten.

She ran to where Steven was still locked in struggle with Josh, his brown eyes wide, his face mottled red from exertion and lack of oxygen. Standing behind Josh, Jenna wrapped the mask around his face and pulled like hell. Ten, nine, eight… Just a few seconds more.

But Josh fought hard, dropping his hands from Steven's throat and grabbing at Jenna's hands behind his head. She hung on and counted as Steven pulled Josh's hands from hers.

"Seven, six, five…" she muttered, then cried out when Josh dug his fingernails into her wrists, ripping at her already abraded skin. Just when she thought Josh would break free, an arm reached around her and pressed the mask across Josh's mouth. Neil. His hand dripped blood, but still he used the flat of his arm to hold the mask in place, forcing Josh to breathe the ketamine.

"Four, three…" Jenna whispered and Josh slumped to the ground. Steven rolled onto his side, drawing in great gasps of air, and Neil collapsed behind her with a weak groan.

For a moment no one said anything, their labored breathing the only sound.

Steven pushed himself to his knees and looked at her through the sweat pouring in his eyes, his heart beating so hard he thought it would break free from his chest Her hair was gone, she had a new purple bruise covering the side of her face and her wrists were smeared with blood. But she was alive. And still the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

"Are you okay?" he rasped out, choking on each breath he forced down his sore throat

She nodded. "You?"

"I've had worse." He grabbed his radio. "Officer down. Neil's been hit"

"What about Jenna?" came Lennie's crackling voice. "And Kelly Templeton?"

"I'm fine," Jenna said. "Kelly needs an ambulance and quickly."

Steven lurched to his feet. "Three ambulances." He stumbled into the barn doorway and saw Nora Lutz's unconscious body sprawled on the floor. "Make it four."

His radio rattled. "Steven, it's Liz. Where's Josh Lutz?"

Steven looked at Lutz's motionless body with disgust. "He's alive. We can Mirandize him when he comes to." He dropped to one knee and cuffed Nora Lutz, thinking it ironic how the silver of the cuffs clashed with the diamond bracelets she wore on both wrists. Let's see what your money will buy you this time, rich bitch, he thought, then rolled to his feet when Jenna limped into the barn.

Jenna grabbed his arm, her hands smearing blood on his sleeve, her eyes frantic. "Seth?"

"He's alive," Steven assured her and watched her relax. "Allison figured he'd taken you to the cemetery to talk. She found him unconscious and called 911. He has a headache, but he's alive. You need to sit," he said, wanting to take her face in his hands but was afraid he'd hurt her.

She shook her shorn head. "I want to cover Kelly before the paramedics come."

She wanted Kelly to maintain some semblance of dignity, he understood, so he shrugged out his jacket, tossing it on the ground, then unsnapped his holster and unbuttoned his shirt. "My shirt will be softer than my coat," he said, then refas-tened his holster against his bare skin.

Jenna hesitated, clutching his shirt in her bloody hands. "I have so much to say to you," she whispered. "I don't know where to start."

Steven took her face in his hands, as gently as he could. He had to prove to himself she was whole. He placed a kiss on her forehead, a half inch from where the stubble that had been her beautiful black hair began and felt her shudder. He looked down into her incredible eyes, so very grateful she was still alive. Nothing else seemed to matter. "Do what you need to do for Kelly." He cocked his head, hearing approaching footsteps. "Hurry and cover her and I'll tend to Neil. The cavalry's here."