Garrett snatched the remaining pillow off the bed and lowered it for Pinkerton.
The dog’s tail whipped as he nosed it. Pinky was bounding for the door before Garrett got the command out.
“Stay and wait for Hagerty,” he called to Catherine as he raced after Pinky to the stairwell. She clattered down behind him in spite of his request. Catherine would not stand on the sidelines while her sister was rushing off on a fatal mission.
And it would likely be fatal if she found Stone. He outmatched her for desperation and cunning, and if she thought she could confront him that would be her deadliest mistake.
It was all he could do to hold on to the leash and keep on his feet as the bloodhound cannonball descended the stairs. The bottom presented a choice: the main lobby doors out to the parking area or the exit leading to the multilevel garage. Oblivious to the curious stares from those in the lobby, Pinkerton did not hesitate before he hustled to the primary exit. The automatic doors parted just in time to keep the dog from smacking into them.
They bustled into the slanting rays of the setting sun. The U-shaped drive was empty save for a valet handing over the keys to a man loading his wife and newborn into the back seat of a sedan.
Catherine spun around as Pinkerton sank dejectedly on his haunches. “She got into a car?”
“Unfortunately, yes. Pinky’s lost the trail.” He motioned the parking attendant over. “Did you see a woman leave a moment ago? Blond hair? Carrying a bundle?”
The valet pushed back his baseball cap and nodded. “Uh-huh. She was in a real hurry. Hopped into a cab about twenty minutes ago.”
Catherine blew out a breath.
“Which direction?” Garrett asked.
He pointed.
“Thanks.” Garrett dialed Hagerty. “Antonia’s in a cab, headed north. No indication of her destination.”
“Copy that. Over to me then. She hasn’t broken any laws, but we’ll try to stop her before this gets any worse, at least ask if she’ll share her plans.”
Garrett signed off. He patted Pinky and gave him a treat. The dog gulped it down and rolled onto his back, paws pedaling the air.
Catherine kneeled and supplied the dog with a satisfying tummy rub.
“You did your best, Pinkerton.” Her face was pale and he caught the sheen of impending tears. He touched her arm.
“I’m sorry, Catherine. We’ll find her.”
“Before she finds Stone?”
It was a question and a challenge all at once.
“I’ll do my absolute best. Security Hounds will also.” If you’ll allow it.
She stood, arms folded, staring at the pavement. “My uncle’s kidnapped and now Antonia’s run off. I don’t know what to do.”
She was so vulnerable, so small against the hulking building behind her and the growing shadows all around. He could not resist wrapping his arms around her. Her head rested on his chest and he enjoyed the weight of it. “Let’s go back to the ranch. Brief the family. Get something to eat. If you don’t want to stay there, I’ll help you find a hotel room.”
Her shoulders stiffened for a moment and before he had a chance to release her, she pressed her cheek against him. “I’m scared.” It was both a whisper and a plea.
His heart pounded and he pressed his face to her soft hair. “I know. I would be too. But you’re not alone in this. I—I know I let you down in the past, but my family is the best. You can trust them.” Even if you can’t trust me. “Besides,” he said when she moved away and swiped at her tears, “Pinky would be crushed to miss out on any more of your expert belly rubs.”
The faintest of smiles quirked her mouth. Victory.
Another fifteen minutes passed. With no further word from Hagerty, they headed for the elevator to the garage. Catherine lagged as if she was exhausted. They took it slow.
The doors opened at the first floor where Garrett had parked and they stepped out. Garrett’s skin prickled. He stopped Catherine with a finger to his lips. He reached for the Glock he’d been carrying in his side holster since they’d encountered Stone near the hiking bridge. His fingers touched the cold metal as the silent seconds ticked by. No sound of another car or footsteps, only the faint traffic noises from the street. He eyed the half wall of cement that separated the upward lanes from the downward ones. No sign of movement.
Pinkerton flapped his ears. No indication he’d noticed anything either. Pinkerton was strictly a tracking and trailing dog but he usually knew when someone was approaching before Garrett did.
Nothing.
He offered a smile. “Sorry. Nervous Nellie here, I guess.”
She didn’t answer, keeping pace with him as he hurried them toward his car.
He stepped to the passenger side, bumping into her as she did the same.
“Oh...sorry,” she said. “It’s been a long time since someone opened the door for me. I can get it myself.”
He wasn’t sure what to say to that. “My mom trained us to open doors unless otherwise instructed.”
“That’s sweet. Thank you.”
Sweet. He’d take it. Illogical how pleased he felt. With a flourish he reached for the handle again, thumb on the unlock button.
Pinkerton’s head jerked to the side.
From the shadows, a car hurtled at them.
The gray SUV stolen from Uncle Orson’s garage.
He had only a second to make out the driver—Stone, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. He roared up quickly, stopping so close there was not enough clearance to open the door and bundle Catherine inside.
“Underneath.” He helped her slide under his car with Pinkerton. He aimed and squeezed off a shot, which punched through the front window, off center.
Stone got out and ducked low behind his open driver’s door.
Pinkerton’s barks echoed and bounced through the cement space.
“Hold,” he commanded. Stay with Catherine. He prayed he would not have to shoot again, but he would do what was necessary to protect them.
“I just called Hagerty, Stone,” he shouted. “He’s on-site. You’ll be caught in moments.”
Stone grunted. “Where is she? Her room’s empty. Saw you tracking with the dog. Did she sneak out?”
“Who?” Garrett asked, stalling.
“You know who. Antonia.”
Garrett countered, “Why don’t you tell me where you’ve got Orson?”
Stone licked his lips. “Put your gun down and I will.”
“You fooled me once, Stone,” Garrett said. “Not going to happen again.”
“That’s rich but I don’t have time to go into it. I want Antonia, not Orson. He’s just the insurance.”
Garrett’s nerves snapped tight. “Did you hurt him?”
“Stop stalling. Where is she?” The dog barked louder. “I was in the parking lot. I saw her speed off in a cab. Catherine knows where she’s headed. Get her out from under the car.”
“You don’t want this to get any worse, Stone,” Garrett said. Pinkerton whined and wriggled, nails scraping the floor.
“My life can’t get any worse. I got nothin’ to lose and you’re going to tell me where to find Antonia or her sister’s gonna. One or the other.”
“You aren’t in the power position here. I’m armed, the cops are responding. You’re not getting anything from me.”
Stone grabbed something from his pocket, took several steps back and held it up. “Know what this is?”
His stomach dropped at the sight of the flash-bang grenade. It was a nonlethal weapon, but it would incapacitate them all. “Yes, I do,” he said slowly. “Where’d you get that?”
“Got it off the cop I decked when I escaped.” He continued to back up. “Don’t reach for the car door handle or I’ll blow it. Hear me?”
“Not smart. It will knock you out too.”
Stone laughed. “I’m not stupid, Garrett, like you and your cop buddies all think I am. I didn’t stay a free man for ten years by making dumb mistakes.”
Garrett spoke louder, sweat prickling his forehead. “You don’t need to do this, Porter. It’s not going to serve any purpose. We can’t tell you where Antonia is because we don’t know. The grenade isn’t going to change that fact. She took off.”
“No. You know where she went.”
“He’s telling you the truth,” Catherine called from under the car. “My sister was gone when we got here and I didn’t know anything about her plans.”
Garrett tried to push Catherine back with his foot. Remaining beneath the car was her best protection. “Stay under there,” he muttered low.
“You’re both liars anyway,” Stone said. Now he’d edged completely behind the car he’d arrived in, widening the distance between them.
Garrett shook his head, desperately hoping to hear Hagerty’s approach. “It’s the honest truth. You can check. I’ll dial the nurse’s desk right now for you. She’ll tell you Antonia left before we spoke to her.”
“Don’t bother.” Stone spat the words. “I guess we’ll do it the hard way. I’ll go to Plan B. A quick flash-bang and I’ll take Catherine as bait. Antonia will come to me to save her precious sister and her uncle. A nice tidy package. Better than all this chasing.” His smile was feral in the dim light of the garage. Where had the young man gone that Garrett had known? Or thought he had anyway.
“I don’t want to shoot you, Stone. Don’t make me do that.” He meant every syllable. It was the absolute last resort and he’d do anything to avoid it.
Anything but hand over Catherine.
Stone’s smile widened. “See that’s the thing, right? I thought I wanted to be a cop once upon a time, remember? You were giving me advice. I know cops are trained to look past the target, assess what’s beyond, make sure there’s no collateral damage. If you took a shot from that distance, it’d ricochet. Could hit some innocent visitor come to collect their car.”
“Now who’s stalling?” Garrett said.
But Stone was right. He could make the shot, but the light was dim and he could hear the elevator whirring, indicating someone might be stepping onto their floor at any moment.
A sound snagged his attention—another car coming, the whine of a siren louder and louder. Pinkerton joined in until the din was bouncing all over the garage.
Finally. The cops.
Stone heard it too. In one fluid motion, he leaped behind the cement wall.
Garrett had no time to react as Stone lobbed the grenade.
There was a bang so loud it slammed Catherine up against the underside of Garrett’s car before it dumped her onto the floor again. Vaguely she felt Garrett collapse nearby, his crumpled body making no noise as it fell. Pinkerton went still next to her.
Confusion, a splitting pain in her skull, the feeling that her eardrums had exploded... She tried to reach for Garrett but she couldn’t move. Her vision darkened, spiraling inward until she could see only a small spot, a pinprick of light. Had she been struck blind by the explosion? A piercing ringing in her brain deadened all her other senses.
Move, she told herself. Stone’s out there and he’s coming. You’ve got to get Garrett, Pinky and go.
All her effort produced no response except a slight curling of one hand. She was paralyzed. Her terror escalated rapidly when fingers wrapped around her ankle. She tried to scream, crawl, kick, but her body wasn’t working right.
From deep in her stupor she realized it must be Stone. He was maneuvering to get a better hold to pull her out. She tried to yank away, but she couldn’t fight off the effects of the explosion. From inside a thick cloud she felt Stone tugging at her arm. With the heavy dog on one side and Garrett’s body blocking his access, he only succeeded in moving her a few inches. She wanted to resist, to call out for help, but her mouth refused, her brain slow and sluggish.
Garrett hadn’t moved. Was he unconscious? Worse? Her pulse skittered.
The tugging continued. Now he’d snagged a fistful of her jacket. Inexorably, he was sliding her away from Pinkerton and Garrett.
Stone was going to take her and she was helpless to resist.
Despair clawed at the edges of her mind. Her father was dead. Her sister and uncle, gone. And now Stone would have her too.
Fight back, Catherine. Come on.
She managed to turn her head and with every iota of strength she could muster, she bit Stone on his wrist. He let go, but only for a moment. After he repositioned, he got one hand on her neck, careful to keep out of biting range.
New plan. She’d try to wedge herself against the tire as he pulled her out, making it as hard on him as she possibly could.
But then another sensation pushed through her stupor, a vibration through the cold floor. And then the grip on her ankle was suddenly gone. She blinked hard as her vision expanded in painfully small increments. The wailing in her ears abated. It required several calming breaths to reassure herself she was alive and still safe under Garrett’s car.
Garrett?
Was he okay?
Pinkerton?
She tried to move her hand, to find the dog’s furry side in the darkness, but she couldn’t. She was completely helpless, now at the mercy of whomever had arrived.
She prayed it was Hagerty. That he’d come in time to capture Stone. End the nightmare for her family.
But was it too late for Garrett and Pinky?
God, please don’t let them be hurt.
God? she thought in her haze. Her brain told her it was a wasted plea.
But her heart insisted.
God, help them, she prayed again. It was the first time in a long while that she’d prayed for anyone outside the tattered remains of her family circle. Somehow it felt right. She knew Garrett would think so too.
Hagerty’s worried face appeared around the tire. Her body shivered with relief. His lips moved, but she could not hear whatever he was saying. It was as if she was underwater. When he eased her from beneath the car, she saw Garrett had been placed on his back, another cop kneeling at his side. She could not see blood, but he was completely still. She suspected the noise had caused him to fall backward into the car and strike his head, like she had.
“Is he okay?” She felt her lips move but she didn’t hear anything come out. Hagerty did not react to her question. He was alternately talking urgently into his radio and speaking to the arriving medics.
Pinkerton was lying on his tummy between her and Garrett, stocky legs sprawled out at ungainly angles. His nose twitched and he stretched out a paw toward Garrett.
At least the dog was alive. He let loose with a howl that was so piteous, it actually penetrated her deadened ears. She understood the fearful question twined in Pinkerton’s agonized cry.
Was Garrett Wolfe alive or dead?
Hot tears left warm trails down her cheeks. A uniformed medic loaded Garrett onto a stretcher. Pinkerton lurched up and pawed at Garrett’s legs. The dog was trembling now, snaking his long pink tongue up to lick his master’s still face.
Hagerty helped a second medic load Catherine onto another and she was whisked toward the hospital that had just treated her sister.
Stone had won again, she thought until she corrected herself.
No. Thanks to Garrett, Stone hadn’t prevailed.
But he’d come close, so close, and this time he’d endangered anyone who might have been nearby in the parking garage.
When would it end?
She smothered her desire to cry.
Stone hadn’t won.
But if she didn’t find her sister soon, he just might.