Chapter 40

 

Joey forced himself not to speed — much. The GPS on his phone led him to the rendezvous point. Paul and Tara-Lynn sat in the back, quiet and pale. Not a good idea. Dare they trust Patrick?

He flicked the turn indicator and pulled into the parking lot. A gleaming Porsche sheltered beside the metal building. Joey cut through a puddle and pulled up to the car from the opposite direction.

The Porsche’s window powered down. Joey opened his, and matched Patrick’s glare with his own. Accusations clogged his throat.

Patrick’s looked past Joey to the rear seat. His frown eased. “Did you phone the police?”

Paul had made the call while Joey drove. Now he spoke through his own lowered window. “They’ll follow from here. No sirens.”

Joey pressed his lips together. The boy was scared, but he sounded determined.

Patrick nodded. “I swear I didn’t know this would happen. Lear will be furious that his goon bungled picking you up. If I take you in as a captive, we can get close enough to attempt a rescue.”

Joey stiffened. “Or delivering Paul is part of the plan and you get a reward.”

“He’ll have to trust me.” Patrick’s eyes burned into Joey. “What are your intentions toward Carol?”

“Excuse me?”

“Answer the question.”

Joey felt Paul and Tara-Lynn listening from the back seat. “I want to be her friend. More, if she’ll let me.”

Patrick nodded. “She trusts you. Treat her well.” He held Joey’s gaze. “You had the guts to walk away from drug ties. I couldn’t. But I will kill Lear before I let him hurt her. Tell Carol I’m sorry. And that I cared.”

A rustle in the back seat made Joey glance in the rear-view mirror. Paul gave Tara-Lynn a quick kiss and opened his door. “I believe him. You two, pray. I’ve got to go.”

Paul ran around the vehicles and jumped into Patrick’s car. The Porsche shot away. Joey wheeled around to follow and saw two unmarked cars ease away from the side of the road. He tried not to hear Tara-Lynn’s sniffles from the back seat.

 

~~~

 

Lear strode across the warehouse room to meet his henchman. Carol couldn’t make out the words, but the man’s hesitant stance spoke worry. The drug lord seemed to swell.

A brief conversation sent the other man scurrying toward the windowless door Carol assumed led deeper into the building. Lear shoved his hands into his pockets and strolled back to the chairs in the middle of the floor. “It seems your son declined the invitation.”

His tight voice belied his casual stance. So did the fist shapes in his trouser pockets. “Which means he will be the messenger, and you the message. Hopefully not a significant reduction in my bargaining power.”

Carol blinked at her captor, but she didn’t really care what he meant. Paul was safe!

Lear peeled the stocking mask from his head. He pulled a black comb from his pocket and tidied his hair, then flashed a chilling smile. “With no witness, I might as well have an unobstructed view.”

His henchman approached, carrying a briefcase. Lear dragged the other chair a few feet away from Carol, and the man set the case on it. Lear twiddled the combination dials and lifted the lid.

The array of syringes and vials made Carol’s mouth go dry. She strained against her bonds. The man stepped nearer and pushed up her sleeve. He ran a finger across the corded muscle in her elbow crease, then snapped a rubber tube around her bicep and pulled it tight.

Carol tore her eyes away and met Lear’s over the man’s shoulder. The satisfaction in his face froze the plea on her lips. He inhaled deeply and turned to study the case. “Now, what would be best? And how much for her weight? No point wasting any.”

It sounded more like musings than actual questions, and the man playing nurse didn’t answer.

Carol prayed for help with her eyes open.

Nobody even knew she was in danger, tied up here in some God-forsaken warehouse. What did she expect, a lightning bolt to fry these two? An angel with a sword?

She bit her tongue to hold back a scream. Lear seemed the type to want her awake to experience his torment, but if Carol went hysterical she had no doubt he’d clout her. No matter how bad it was, she had to see it coming.

Carol shook her head. She was still controlling what little she could. God, help me be brave. I’m not in control but I choose to believe You are. Look after Paul. I trust you with my son.

Tears trickled down her cheeks, but suddenly Lear’s meaning came clear. He’d wanted to do this to Paul! With her watching. A wave of cold swept Carol’s body. Thank God Paul was free!

Lear’s “message” must be death, or he wouldn’t have unmasked. Still, gratitude flavoured Carol’s tears. It wouldn’t be Paul. This would be hard enough for him, but he’d have Tara-Lynn, maybe Joey. He wouldn’t be alone.

Carol glared at Lear, and his smirk slipped. He handed a vial to his helper. “This one, I think. She’s a bit heavy, so be sure to use enough.”

The man selected a syringe from the case and fitted a needle to the tip. He eyed Carol, then loaded the syringe from the vial and held it to the light.

Behind them, the door to the cavernous loading garage banged open. Carol glanced at Lear in time to see him pull the mask back over his head. She swivelled her neck but couldn’t see who had entered.

“What do you mean, bypassing me on this?” Patrick’s voice. Behind her, not from Lear. Carol had never heard him so angry. The footsteps came nearer.

Lear shrugged. “You sounded a touch reluctant, Pat. But by all means, join us. And introduce your friend.”

Patrick strode into view. With Paul.

Carol couldn’t stop a moan.

Paul gave her a sick smile, but Patrick focused on Lear. “I wasn’t backing out, just asking for more time. I thought I’d been given it.”

Carol’s mouth opened, but she found no words. Nausea swept her and she fought tears.

Patrick pushed Paul aside and advanced on Lear. “It’s a good thing you left me out, so I could clean up after the B team botched their pickup. Lucky for you the boy called me. He thought this was a rescue mission.”

Swift as a hunter, Patrick stepped behind Lear and threw his arm around the drug lord’s throat. Lear’s body arced backward. From the crook of Patrick’s other arm, Carol assumed he held a weapon.

Carol’s brain hurt, trying to process what was happening. Patrick still wouldn’t meet her eyes. He glared at Lear’s henchman. “Sit on the floor. Away from the case. Paul, get your mother out of here.”

Lear’s eyes burned through the mask. “You’re dead.”

Patrick’s face could have been carved from marble. “They leave first.”

Paul’s hand on Carol’s arm made her jump. His other hand gripped a knife. “It’s okay, Mom. Hold still and I’ll cut you loose.”

The cool blade slid between Carol’s skin and the rope. She looked up at Patrick. “Why?”

Patrick continued to stare at the man on the floor. Lear spoke, his voice constricted by the arm across his throat. “Pat’s been my errand boy for a few years now. I should have realized he was too squeamish for more than deliveries.”

Patrick’s elbow jerked Lear’s chin higher. “Pat-rick. Carol, I’m truly sorry. I lost the fight to save the first woman I loved. It won’t happen this time. I hope you can forgive me.”

His eyes met Carol’s at last. A blur in her peripheral vision resolved into Lear’s henchman launching at Patrick. A gun roared, and Lear crumpled. Patrick turned the gun on his attacker and the two men shot simultaneously.

Both fell.

Paul cut the last rope and pulled Carol to her feet. She clutched him blindly, then staggered toward Patrick.

“Mom, come on!”

Carol dropped to her knees at Patrick’s side. Blood pumped from a hole in his chest. Patrick’s eyes fixed on hers, bright and aware. She pressed both hands over the wound.

Blood slid under her palms. “Patrick, your cell — which pocket? We’ll phone 9-1-1.”

“Too... late.” The gurgle in his voice made Carol shiver. “For... give?”

She held his gaze, willing him to stay conscious. “I don’t understand what you did, but I forgive you. Thank you for rescuing me. Rita would be proud.”

“And... you?”

“I’m proud of you, too. You saved my life.”

Patrick’s cold lips barely responded to her kiss, then stilled. The light left his eyes, and Carol’s filled with tears.

Paul tugged her shoulder. “We’ve gotta go! Garraway said get out fast.”

Blindly, Carol stood and let her son pull her from the room. They fled through the loading garage and out into the rain.

A swarm of police officers surged for the building, but only two figures stood out to Carol — Joey and Tara-Lynn, running toward them.

Carol fell into Joey’s arms, sobbing.