Page 42 of Dark Angel
Trying not to laugh, Beth shook her head. “Apprehensive maybe, because Ryder is an unknown. He doesn’t have our training. If he barrels into the forest all guns blazing, he’ll be risking our lives. We don’t know if the suspect is armed. He could be holding the girls at gunpoint for all we know. I don’t want him to slip through our net. This is why we should split up. I’ll hide in the forest and keep watch. You meet Ryder and circle around the suspect and move in slowly.”
“I’ve worked with Ryder for a time and he’s solid.” Styles blew out a long breath. “If you don’t have confidence in him, by all means hide and keep watch. We are more than capable of taking the suspect down.” He pulled up outside the motel and looked at her. “I’m still concerned about the legality of this bust. My worry is we only have a man walking in the forest. There’s no law against doing that is there? A judge will throw it out of court, saying what the kid said is hearsay. We don’t have any proof to suggest this man is one of our suspects, do we?”
Insights into human nature were something Beth had in spades. She gave Styles a direct stare. “Do you honestly believe Lucy will listen to what Angela says? Well, no she won’t. She’ll figure that Angela wants the Warlock all to herself. Just remember, these kids live in character. Lucy might be a warrior queen or whatever. She honestly believes she can take care of herself. She wouldn’t be worried about being in the forest alone.” She looked into his astonished expression and smiled. “Trust me, Lucy will be there. Angela will follow orders. She believes she’s on a mission… that’s another thing I discovered about the game.” She sucked in a deep breath. “The tricky part is stopping the suspect before he harms the girl.”
“There’s no way we’re using a young girl as bait.” Styles rubbed the back of his neck. “No way, Beth. He’ll kill her before we can get to him.”
Shaking her head, Beth glared at him. “What and spoil his fantasy? Killing to him is a process, like role playing, and he’ll want to follow the script in his head. For him it’s the same girl every time, so it must be perfect.” She sighed. “If she shows, we’ll watch her every step of the way. If he as much as moves in her direction, we’ll take him down. Do you honestly believe I’d risk the life of a child?”
“How do you know she’ll show?” Styles’ fists whitened on the steering wheel and behind her Bear growled. “I don’t like this, Beth.”
Astonished by his anger, Beth lowered her voice to just above a whisper. “I know because I studied the murders. He follows a pattern. Today won’t be any different. All we need to make the case is to have him meet Lucy in the forest. I have Angela on tape giving the place and time they were told to meet him. Who else would know? He shows up and takes one step toward the girl and we take him down.” She met his gaze. “You’re a tough guy and you trust Ryder. Just pull out that six-shooter of yours and aim. The suspect won’t be expecting you. He’ll most likely run away.”
“You’re batshit crazy.” Styles climbed out of the truck and stomped into the office of the motel.
Shaking her head, Beth turned to Bear. “We won’t allow anything to happen to Lucy, will we, boy?” She scratched the dog’s head and he licked her arm. “At leastweunderstand each other.”
A few minutes later, Styles emerged from the office and climbed back behind the wheel. Saying nothing, he drove to the end of a line of rooms, slid out, and opened a door before returning to get Bear. Trees surrounded the courtyard, offering privacy, and only one other vehicle was in the parking lot. Beth climbed out, grabbed the bags from the back seat, and carried them inside. The motel room was old and decrepit. Cigarette-tainted air from years gone by was the added bonus to the old musty smell, like a pair of slippers left at the back of a closet for years. The worn carpet had stains all over and some suspiciously resembled blood. Cigarette burns marked the tops of the bedside tables. It wasn’t a place she’d like to sleep, that was for darn sure. Juggling the bags in one arm, she pulled back the stained comforter to expose the sheets. At least they appeared to be clean, and she dumped the bags.
“You planning on sleeping?” Styles stood hands on hips staring at her, eyebrows raised.
Beth peered into the bags and selected her things before looking at him. “Me? No, but I’m not sitting on that filthy rag on the bed either. At least the linen looks like it’s been laundered this year.”
“Here.” Ryder handed her two sticks of chalk. “You should always carry chalk. The forests are dense and it’s easy to get turned around. Marking the trees as you go means you’ll always know the way back.”
Wondering if she’d stepped back in time, Beth stared at the chalk. “I usually use the GPS on my satellite phone, but thanks anyway.” She headed for the bathroom. “I’m getting changed. Call out when you’re done. I don’t want to walk in on you in your underwear.”
“Not a chance.” Styles rolled his eyes skyward. “Take your time. Ryder won’t be here for another fifteen minutes or so. He’s bringing helmets.”
Beth turned at the bathroom door. “Copy that.”
Dressed with her hair tied back, a shiver of excitement surged through her. Her fingers slid over the folded cutthroat razor in her pocket. It killed with efficiency and silence, but not today. She sighed and stared at herself in the mirror, allowing the dark side to recede. She prided herself on her skill and the mythical reputation of leaving no clues behind. That couldn’t happen surrounded by law enforcement, but she’d find an opportunity at some time to remove this predator from existence. For now, she’d allow the law to take its course, but the moment the Pied Piper was released on bail, it would be game on. She walked to the door and knocked. “You decent?”
“Yeah.” Styles looked up from the bed. He’d stripped it completely and shrugged. “I figured we’d need a clean place to sit and wait for Ryder.”
Beth stared at the door. “Oh, don’t tell me he’s coming in his cruiser?”
“Nah, he has his own ride. We’re not that stupid, Beth.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “You know I’ve done this before, many times. You seem to believe I’m a rookie in need of guidance. Trust me, I’m not even close.”
Sitting on the opposite corner of the bed Beth glared at him. “Good for you.”
“I’m going for coffee.” Styles stood and headed for the door. “Watch out for Ryder and have those aerial images ready so we can brief him.”
Beth took out her phone. “Yes, sir.”
The look he gave her could have melted glass.
FORTY-THREE
They arrived in the forest a little after three. It was fortunate that Ryder knew the area, having lived there for a spell as a child. They hiked through the forest, splitting up well before the clearing where the Warlock had set up the meeting. Beth had listened to both men discuss the plan of attack. Styles and Ryder would be on each side of the clearing, hidden well back in the trees. They assumed that the Warlock was coming from due east as the clearing was situated a short walking distance from the fire road. In their camouflage gear, they would be hidden, and unless he passed close by, they should go unnoticed. Beth shouldered her rifle and took her position behind a boulder. After getting the confirmation that the Warlock had gone past Styles’ position, she would head into the forest.
Beth’s gut feeling told her that the Warlock was basically a coward and once confronted by two armed men he would hightail it back to his vehicle. Inhaling the rich fresh scents of the forest, she slid through the tall pines like a ghost, stopping frequently in the shadows to peer ahead. It was cold and dark in the dense mass of trees. Underfoot the soil squelched, pressing scattered fall leaves into the mud. Small puddles of dark rancid water abounded, left behind from last night’s rain. Freezing like a statue, Beth heard him before he came into sight. Dressed in a long purple gown and wearing a pointed hat, he looked ridiculous as he crunched carelessly through the pine needles scattered over the narrow trail. It was obvious from his slow easy gait that he had no reason to be suspicious.
Heart pounding in her chest, she waited for him to pass out of view and then followed the trail to the fire road. His vehicle was just where she expected, and she walked around it a few times. She couldn’t risk walking away without disabling it. Pulling a knife from a sheath on her belt, she thrust it deep into one of the tires, grinning as air exploded in a hiss, tossing the leaves on the road in all directions. She turned slowly and headed back toward the clearing, to see what was happening. Before she got halfway there, Styles’ voice came in her earpiece.
“We have the suspect in sight.”Styles sounded tense.“He entered the clearing and is doing some type of ritual, walking around and muttering under his breath. He’s dressed in a purple cloak and a pointed hat. This guy is really going all out to convince the kids he’s a character in the game.”He sucked in a breath.“You were right about the girl. I can see her on the trail about one hundred yards away from the clearing and heading this way.”
Anticipation gripped Beth, and her stomach clenched as if she were being dropped from a great height. “Wait until he hands her a drink. We’ll have the drink and him as absolute proof he intended to do her harm. Don’t mess this up, Styles. We have one chance of catching this monster. I’ll have my rifle trained on him the entire time. One false move and I’ll take him down. I won’t let him touch Lucy. You have my word.”
