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Bones was asleep when Maddock returned to their room. He opened one eye, glanced at the clock, and sat up straight. “No freaking way! You and Lina?”
“No comment,” Maddock said.
“So you didn’t hook up with her? Let me guess, you sat around playing bridge and talking about your feelings.”
“As a matter of fact, we did hook up.” He felt his cheeks burn as Bones let out a hearty laugh.
“It’s too easy with you, Maddock. But way to go. She’s hot.”
Maddock didn’t reply. He sat down and began removing his shoes.
“Dude, don’t tell me you feel guilty.”
“No, it’s just not appropriate. We’re colleagues.”
“Right. Colleagues.” Bones flopped back down on the bed.
“So, how was your night?”
“Good, not great. We had fun, but it turns out they’re sisters and they had this crazy idea that their friendship was more important than one of them getting to know me better.”
“You gotta hate that,” Maddock said with a laugh. “Oh, by the way, we got a weird warning from a nun.” He filled Bones in on the burnt man. His friend agreed it was weird, but felt it was far too late at night to try and figure it out. Maddock couldn’t disagree. Exhausted, he undressed and was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.
What seemed like only seconds later, he realized with a start that his smartphone was ringing. Groggily, a confused dream involving Lina wearing a nun’s habit still fresh in his mind, he snatched up the phone from the nightstand beside the bed and accepted the call. Before he say hello, a familiar voice rang out.
“Maddock, it’s Lina. Are you there?”
The urgency in her voiced snapped him awake. “Yeah. Sorry, I’m half asleep. What’s wrong?” He looked at the time on the phone. It was one o’clock in the morning. Something must be wrong.
She lowered her voice to just above a whisper. “There’s someone outside my appartamento. I’m not sure who it is, but he seems suspicious. He’s just skulking about.”
“He hasn’t tried to break in or anything?”
“No. I don’t suppose I can say for certain that it’s my home he’s interested in, but he keeps looking this way, then looking around. I called the polizia but no one has arrived. The person on the other end of the line reminded me that it was not against the law to walk down the street at night.”
“We’ll be right over. Just stay put and stay on the line.”
Bones was awake now, and had inferred from Maddock’s side of the conversation what was happening. He sprang out of bed and hastily dressed.
“What do I do if he does try to get in and no one is here?”
Maddock had managed to dress while talking on the phone, and now he and Bones rushed out into the hallway, headed for their rental car.
“One option is to see where he tries to enter. If he tries to come in through the front, you can go out the back, or vice-versa. The other option is you go into a closet or bathroom and secure the door handle to something solid using a coat hanger or something like that.
“All right.” Lina took a long, deep breath. “It’s probably nothing. I’ve just been anxious lately. Probably letting my imagination run wild. I’m sorry if I’m wasting your time.”
“It’s not a problem. We’ll be there soon.”
The roads were nearly deserted this time of night and they made good time, with Maddock driving above the posted speed limits but not recklessly so. They didn’t need any more encounters with local law enforcement. As he drove, he kept Lina updated on their progress by speakerphone.
They were only a few blocks from Lina’s place when she let out a gasp.
“He’s not there.”
“The man who’s been watching your place? Maybe he left.” At least, that was what Maddock hoped was the case.
“But he disappeared so suddenly. I only turned away for a moment and then...”
They heard a cacophony through the phone speaker—a crash followed by a single scream.
“Lina!” Maddock and Bones shouted. No reply. And then the call ended.
Maddock floored it and the car accelerated with a screech of rubber. Bones pointed out Lina’s building up ahead on the left, and Maddock pulled the car up to the curb a few doors down. Bones was out of the vehicle before it had come to a complete stop, in time to see a compact Fiat streaking out of sight, the lights blinking off just before it made a right turn onto a road that led out of the residential neighborhood.
Bones made a move like he was ready to jump back in the car and chase after them, but Maddock waved him away. “I’ll follow them. You go inside and check on Lina. Maybe she’s hurt.” He turned and looked in the direction of Lina’s home and saw the door begin to open. Instinctively he cut the engine, turned out the headlights, and told Bones to get back inside the car. The latter was unnecessary. His friend had recognized the situation and quietly slid his bulk back into the small car.
A man emerged from the first-floor apartment. Maddock recognized him as one of the priest’s underlings. He lit a cigarette and gazed in the direction the Fiat had gone. After a few seconds he slowly turned and looked in the direction where Maddock and Bones were parked. The two slid down until they could barely see over the dashboard, an easier task for Maddock than it was for Bones.
“When he turns around again, I’ll go after him,” Bones said quietly. “I’m sure he knows what’s up with Lina.” He paused. “What if she was in the Fiat? We’ll need to know where they’re taking her.”
Just then, three more men emerged from the apartment. The last closed the door behind him.
“They don’t look like much,” Bones said. “I think we can take them.”
“If even one of them is armed, we’re screwed,” Maddock said. Besides, these guys look like grunts, heavies. Who’s to say they know anything?”
“So what do we do, then? Follow them and hope they take us to Lina? Assuming someone has taken her.”
“Small town, empty roads, I don’t think we could follow them without being noticed.”
“And if they know they’re being followed, they definitely won’t lead us where we want to go.” Resignation hung heavy in Bones’ voice.
“I’ve got an idea. We’ll lay a trap for them.” Maddock punched up Lina’s number and then they watched as the men turned and went back inside. The answering machine picked up.
Maddock shot Bones a knowing glance before saying into the phone, “Hey Lina, sorry to call in the middle of the night, but I’ve just found something you’ll want to hear about. I’ve made a major breakthrough. Listen, do your permits cover the cave system outside of Mendicino? Specifically the southernmost, the one closest to the river? I’m sure hoping they do. As soon as you get this message, give me a call no matter what time it is. We need to get on this right away, before anyone else finds out. Call me.”
Maddock ended the call and waited. Seconds later, the men returned to the street. Excitement shone on their faces as they hurried away. As soon as they disappeared around a corner, Maddock and Bones dashed to Lina’s apartment. It took only a few seconds to confirm their fears. Lina was gone.
“What’s the plan?” Bones said.
“You up for a run?”