Max knew gunshots when he heard them.
He sat up in his chair as ER staff leaped into action, racing for the door, shouts erupting and breaking through the early-morning silence. He followed, pulled by deeply rooted obligation he couldn’t shake no matter how hard he tried.
The nurses and doctors ran full steam across the street to the prone figure in the parking lot. Max stopped for a moment, dread pooling thick and deep in his gut as he recognized the hair, the blazer, the weapon just out of reach.
“Jack.”
Max plowed ahead, dropping to the ground beside the detective as Jack’s eyes fluttered. His breath sounded wheezy, and as the medics pressed against the vest he still wore from earlier, Max felt relief.
“Max,” Jack coughed out. Blood pooled in the corner of his mouth, trickled down his face.
“Check his side!” Max yelled as he helped push Jack over. Someone ripped the Velcro free and pulled the vest aside. Blood saturated his white shirt.
“Side shot! Get a gurney over here!” A doctor yelled. “Do you know him?” he asked Max.
“Detective Jack MacTavish with Major Crimes. Jack, hang in there, buddy. Don’t you dare check out on me. Not today.” He tried to stay out of the way, but Jack flailed his arm at him, waggled his fingers. Max reached out, grabbed hold. Moved in. “Yeah, I’m here, Jack.”
“Allie,” Jack blinked so fast Max’s eyes hurt. “Mina... Allie. Find. Allie.”
His hold went slack.
“I’ve lost a pulse!” A nurse yelled as the gurney arrived. “Get an operating room ready, stat!”
Jack’s hand released his. Max backed away as he watched them lift his friend up and wheel him into the ER.
Max couldn’t move. He could only stare helplessly as the life of yet another friend hung in the balance. Blood coated the pavement, shell casings lay scattered and a red baseball cap sat nearby. Tread marks... He pulled out his cell phone.
“This is Delaney. Max? Is that you?” The jovial tone in the detective’s voice sliced through Max like a sword. “You and Allie make up already?”
“No, Cole, listen—”
“Man, you gotta give her another chance. She knows she messed up—”
“Cole, stop! Listen to me.” He waited an extra second. “Jack’s been shot. Across from the hospital. Allie’s gone, but I think Jack told me who took her. Mina? Does that make any sense?”
Cole swore. “Nicole’s mother. Stay where you are. We’re on our way. About Jack? How bad?”
Max looked to the ER door. “You’d better hurry.”
* * *
Allie blinked, expecting the sun, only to find her skull vibrating with pain. They were moving. She tried to angle her head, but every move she made caused more nausea. The space was dark, but she could see a thin strip of light across the top of the car’s trunk. Her breath came in short gasps, but she couldn’t open her mouth behind the tape. Her hands had gone numb thanks to the plastic cable cord tying them together. She kicked out and heard the denting of plastic and steel as she hit the side of the car.
Car. Jack’s car. His SUV.
Jack.
Anger surged. Mina.
Allie kicked again. She didn’t care if Nicole’s mother heard her. She wanted her to hear her, to come back here so she could do some damage, but instead of the car stopping, the music that had been playing softly increased in volume.
Think, Allie. Think!
She drew her hands up, ready to implement the escape her trainer had taught her months ago, but she stopped. That wouldn’t do her any good now. She needed to break free when Mina least expected it. When Allie had an advantage. Which meant she had to wait until Mina got to wherever she was taking her.
The car bounced over railroad tracks. Allie cried out as her head bounced against the floor. Where was Mina taking her?
Allie replayed every word spoken in her interrogation of Nicole. Nicole who had nothing left. And Mina, who was desperate to finish whatever she’d started. And everything with Mina, Allie knew, began and ended with Tyler.
Tyler.
Allie swallowed and focused on evening out her breathing. Mina was taking her to Tyler. It was her only play, her only option. It was what they’d planned to do with Hope.
It was what Mina was going to do to her now.
Except no one else knew where Tyler was, but they had clues, clues her friends had heard, as well. Dwelling on the what-ifs wouldn’t keep her alive; plotting how to get away would.
So that’s what she’d do. And put the rest of her faith in her family.
* * *
“Any word?”
Max couldn’t remember a time he’d seen so many people flood through a door at one time. The endless minutes he’d spent waiting for them had been as bad as watching that stupid countdown clock over the last two days.
Looking at Allie’s less-than-optimistic support system had him wondering if he was ever going to see Allie again, a thought that terrified him.
Lieutenant Santos followed behind Cole, Eden, Simone and Vince, along with Officer Bowie and Sergeant Tomlinson and a handful of other officers, who spread out around the ER waiting room.
“Jack’s being prepped for surgery,” Max told them. “Two hit his vest, broke a couple of ribs. The third went into his side.” He motioned to where the straps connected the vest. “He’s flatlined twice.” He knew because he’d been standing outside the door, watching.
“But he’s still alive,” Cole said. Eden smoothed her hand down his arm, her expression unreadable.
“What about Allie?” Max asked.
“We didn’t see Jack’s SUV outside so I’m assuming that’s what Mina took off in,” Vince said. “We should be able to track his GPS—”
“Unless she’s disabled it.”
“Did Jack even register it?” Eden asked. “He’s only had it a week or so. Cole?”
“I don’t know.”
“Mina’s not in her right mind. Never has been. The last thing she’s going to be worried about is a GPS tracker,” Simone said. “She had a plan for Hope. She’ll have one for Allie. This is about completing her mission.”
“What mission?” Eden spat. “Hope is out of her reach. Nicole’s in custody and facing multiple life sentences. Who knows what’s going on with her now?”
“So Nicole was involved?” Max asked.
“Up to her beady little eyeballs,” Vince said. “We need to find that car.”
“You won’t,” Cole said. “Simone’s right. She’ll have had a plan. Nicole said something about a trailer park in West Sac, near the river. They lived there. It’s where they buried Tyler. That’s what this is about. Tyler.”
“Because he killed Chloe?” Max asked.
“He didn’t mean to kill Chloe,” Eden said. “He meant to take Allie. It was always supposed to be Allie.”
“What are we waiting for?” Max couldn’t begin to fathom the amount of guilt Allie must be feeling at that revelation, nor could he just sit around and do nothing while Allie’s life was in jeopardy. “Let’s get the address and go!”
“We will. But there’s nothing stopping Mina from killing Allie the second she sees us,” Cole said. “We’re going to have to wait.”
“Until when?” Max demanded.
“Until dark,” Vince said with a slow nod. “Allie’s strong. She’s smart. She’ll hang on.”
“And she’ll know we’re coming,” Simone added. “First thing’s first. Let’s find that trailer park and go from there. Don’t worry, Max. We’ll get her back.”
“We’d better,” Max said, determined to make it happen. He appreciated Allie’s friend’s offer of a strained smile, the only thing he could cling to for now. “No way am I letting her out of this life before one of us wins that bet.”
* * *
The SUV stopped. Allie had lost all feeling in her arms and legs. It had been hours. At least she thought it had been hours. She’d forgotten how many times she’d fallen asleep and for how long. She was so hot. Sweat poured down her face, stinging her eyes. Her strength was gone. What she wouldn’t give for a sip of water, a breath of fresh air, anything to remind her that she was still alive.
That she still had a chance.
The music clicked off. The engine went quiet. The driver’s door opened and closed, and the latch on the hatch released. Fresh air swooped in. Allie choked, tried to inhale slowly, deeply.
She blinked into the darkness.
No lights. Nothing but pitch-black in front of her aside from the dim light cast by the taillights. What time was it?
Mina Goodale stood in front of her, her gray clothes as dull as the sallow tint of her skin. Eyes as dead as her son’s stared down at Allie, the woman’s jaw working overtime.
Allie didn’t cry, didn’t want to give her the pleasure of seeing that. She refused to give in. Not to the fear and not to this woman who was so far gone she’d murdered her other son.
Mina reached in and ripped the tape off Allie’s mouth.
She tried not to make a sound, but she failed. Her skin burned where the adhesive had stuck. Allie pushed herself up, tried to kick out her dead legs only to have Mina reach in, grab her by the front of her shirt and haul her out of the SUV.
Allie turned her head at the last second and took the brunt of the fall on her shoulder. Pain radiated through her entire body, but she welcomed it. She groaned, rolled over and gasped for air as Mina pulled out a knife and sliced through the tape binding her feet.
“Going to end this once and for all,” Mina mumbled. “Going to do what he should have done that first night and buried you so deep not even the Gods of the afterlife could find you.”
She left Allie on the ground as she returned to the car, pulled a shovel and flashlight out from the back seat.
A calm blanketed Allie as Mina returned. All that was left was her tied hands, and now that she was moving, she could regain enough circulation to snap off the restraints. Depending on how far she had to walk to her grave.
Mina grabbed Allie by her shirtfront again and dragged her to her feet. Allie gasped as her feet prickled to life. She stumbled to the side, leaned against the car before Mina shoved her forward and down a slope.
“Move. Straight ahead,” Mina ordered in a tone that made Allie wonder if she was salivating. Madness had overtaken her. She had only one thing in mind and she was going to make that happen no matter what it cost.
She had nothing left to lose.
Neither did Allie.
Mina clicked on the flashlight, and for the first time, Allie could see where they were, could hear the river rushing in the distance. Another field, only she could see trailers and RVs in the surrounding distance. She glanced behind her, spotted the tip-top telltale golden outline of the Tower Bridge. West Sacramento.
She’d been right.
Relief swept through her. “Tyler wouldn’t want this, Mina.” Allie tried to sound professional and reason this situation out; it was all she could do to try to play for time. “He didn’t mean to kill Chloe, which means he wouldn’t have killed me. You’re getting it wrong.”
“Stupid girl. My boy didn’t have it in him to kill anyone,” Mina said. “Would think you’d have known that given you were all he ever talked about. Allie and her perfect family. Allie and her perfect friends. He wouldn’t leave without you. So I said we’d take you with us. I told him to go get you.”
“You? You told him?”
“Always was as dumb as a sack of potatoes. Couldn’t even figure out what girl to take. He shows up with that Chloe girl and she’s crying and screaming and wanting to go home. Had to take matters into my own hands when he couldn’t get her to stop, didn’t I? Had to show him what to do. How to take charge.”
“You killed Chloe.” Tears pricked Allie’s eyes. It hadn’t been Tyler. And yet all these years he thought he’d been responsible. His own mother had let him believe he’d been the one to kill Chloe.
“Would have killed you, too, so didn’t matter who he brought. Didn’t expect to spend the next twenty years trying to clean up his mistake. Enough talking. There! I want you right there.”
“How do you know—” Allie’s foot caught on something solid. She pitched forward, landed flat on her stomach.
Mina walked over and flipped the plywood up and over. “A mother knows where her child sleeps. Get up.” She kicked Allie in the ribs.
Allie tightened her stomach muscles, absorbed the hit and rolled up. She scrambled away but not fast enough. Mina pulled out her knife again, and took less care slicing apart the cable tying Allie’s hands.
The blade nicked Allie’s wrists and set them to bleeding.
Allie pinched her lips together hard.
“I said get up.” Mina held out the shovel with one hand as she drew her gun with the other. “And don’t go thinking you can use this against me. I’d prefer you to die slow, but I’ll settle for quick.” She released the safety, cocked the hammer and aimed the barrel at Allie’s head.
Allie steeled herself and pushed to her feet, slowly, as slowly as she could as she counted the heartbeats of life she had left. The headlights from the SUV blinked dark, once, twice. She heard the faint rustle of footsteps.
She stood up straight, held out her hand for the shovel. Moved in.
“Now dig until you find him.” Mina circled around and backed up, kept the gun steady on Allie.
“Any idea how long that might take?” Allie asked as she jammed the shovel into the rocky ground. “I had other plans for the evening.” Nothing like channeling Eden when she was feeling desperate.
“Snide brat. Never did see what my boy liked about you.”
“Too bad you never let him tell you.”
Lights burst to life around them. Allie blinked as Mina turned and aimed her gun toward her attackers. Allie gripped the handle of the shovel in both hands and swung up and around. The dull thud of metal against skull echoed in the night as Mina went still.
The gun dropped from her hand as she fell forward, looking at Allie, her eyes glazed over.
Allie dumped the shovel. Maybe she shouldn’t have. She swayed on her feet.
The next thing she knew, a crowd swarmed around her, voices familiar, barely breaking through the dull roar in her ears. Simone was there, and Eden, and she heard Cole...
“Jack,” she whispered as hands guided her away from Mina Goodale’s body and Tyler’s grave. She kept her eyes pinned on the mother who had destroyed nearly every life she’d ever touched, and took an odd sense of satisfaction at the darkness pooling around her head. “She killed Jack.”
“Jack’s in surgery,” the distant voice told her. Max’s voice.
She looked to her side, found Max there, his hands gripping her arms as he pushed her toward the EMTs waiting beyond the line of lights. “He’s alive?” The hope she’d been tamping down surged.
“So far,” Max said and pushed her into the waiting paramedics’ hands. “Let them look at you, Allie. I want to know you’re okay.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered as gentle hands pushed her into the back of the ambulance. “Max, about Hope and earlier, you were right, I never should have pushed her. I just needed to know. I needed... Chloe.” She blinked and felt tears land on her cheeks. “She killed Chloe, Max. How could a mother do that to a child? Anyone’s child?”
He was right. The whys hadn’t explained anything. Not really.
“I don’t know. And you’ve nothing to apologize for, Doc.” Max bent down in front of her, gripped her hands in one of his as he cupped her face with the other. “We were both wrong and we’ve moved past it now. I don’t want you to give this another thought, okay?”
She nodded as she gazed at his shaggy hair, drawn face. She didn’t think she’d ever seen anything more beautiful in her life. “Shaggy.” The nickname escaped her lips before she realized what she was saying. She brushed her hand down his hair.
The surprise in his eyes broke through the shock. “Now that was just a lucky guess.” He grinned. “Unless someone ratted me out?”
“No rats,” Allie smiled as one of the EMTs moved in to check her pupil response and then her pulse rate. She was hooked up to a blood pressure cuff and then she heard beeps and whines. “You owe me a secret,” she told Max when he started to stand up and move away. “Something no one else knows about you.” She blinked. Her eyes felt heavy. She could feel the darkness pressing in, tempting her to surrender.
“A deal’s a deal.” Max stood up, bent over and pressed his lips against her ear. “I love you, Doc. Joe and Hope might have given me a fresh start, but being with you has given me a new life. You’re stuck with me.” He kissed her, his lips against hers, his glistening brown eyes looking into hers. “Now let us take care of you. And don’t worry,” he added when she grabbed hold of him, her heart swelling so she could barely breathe. “I’ll be there when you wake up.”
She smiled. He loved her. Max Kellan loved her. She wasn’t alone. Not anymore.
“I love you, too, Shaggy.”
His words were enough. His words were everything.
She closed her eyes.
* * *
Max stood aside as Allie was moved to the stretcher, an oxygen mask slipped over her face. His momentary panic at her passing out was quickly eased by the EMTs assurances she had done just that. Everything else was reading normal, but they’d take her to the hospital to be safe.
“I’m going with her,” Max stated and was told they’d let him know when they were leaving.
“You’ve had a busy few days.”
Max turned his head and found Vince standing behind him, pistol sticking out of the waistband of his jeans, an odd expression on his normally stoic face. “Almost makes fighting fires feel like a vacation.” He grinned. His sense of humor was returning, something that would no doubt be irritating everyone near and far sooner than later.
He looked to where Eden and Simone stood beside Cole and his lieutenant over Mina Goodale’s body. His grin faded. “I can’t even imagine what they must be feeling. All these years and to finally have closure.”
“There’s going to be an adjustment period for them,” Vince agreed. “They’ve been focused on this case for twenty years, since they were kids. Now they can start living again.”
“We all can.” And there wasn’t anything he wanted more than to start that life with Allie.
“Speaking of living,” Vince inclined his head. “What are your plans employment wise?”
“Nonexistent,” Max admitted. “Other than babysitter and chauffeur to my niece. I’m not trained for much outside the firehouse.”
“Not true.” Vince’s expression hardened. “Sounds like Allie was right about your confidence issues. I’d appreciate it if you worked those out before you came to work for me. I know a psychologist who might be able to help.”
“Work for you? Where? You mean at your bar?” He could think of worse things than slinging beer mugs and flipping...ugh. Max cringed. Burgers. Ever since he’d worked for a butcher in high school he didn’t do so well with meat.
“As a P.I.,” Vince said with what sounded like exaggerated patience. “I’ve been offered a couple of contracts from insurance companies and I’ll also be working for the DA’s office. I’m going to have lots to keep me busy, probably more travel than I’d like, but I could use someone on the team who understands fire and arson. You’re good under pressure and you follow orders. You also have keener instincts than most people I’ve worked with. I’d need you to get some certifications, of course, and it’ll take some study and time. If you’re interested that is.” Vince shrugged. “Something to think about.”
Max’s heart hammered in a way it hadn’t since he’d decided to become a fireman. It seemed too good to be true, working with people he liked and respected, doing something important and being close to his family. He ducked his head, pinched his brows. “I’m inclined to say yes, but there would be one thing I need.”
“Worst case is I say no,” Vince urged.
There was little Max liked more than a straight-shooter. “A flexible schedule. I need to stick close to home, to Joe and Hope. There’s going to be some adjustments for both of them, too. They’re my priority.”
“I’d have been disappointed if you’d said otherwise,” Vince agreed. “We’ll work it out. What about Allie?”
Max frowned. “What about her?”
“You have any plans for her?”
“Oh, I have plans.” Max’s smile was slow to spread. “And I might just need the rest of you to help pull them off.”