Caging a Copycat - Chapter 18
Silas shouldered out of the SUV, weapon drawn.
Rain cut through the headlights and compromised his vision. He scrubbed a hand down his face as he scanned the scene. No movement. Nothing to suggest this was the location Dr. Lara Farell had brought her latest victim. His gut said otherwise, but every minute he wasted was another minute Olivia didn’t have.
“Come on, Liv. Give me something.” He tightened his grip around his weapon. A low rumble rippled across the sky as he rounded the hood of the SUV. She was here. She had to be. Silas maneuvered through the first row of old steel drums, each more worn than the one before it. Overhead security lights reflected off wet asphalt but didn’t loosen the knot of apprehension in his gut. “I know you’re here, Dr. Farell. I know what you’ve done."
No answer.
He forced one foot in front of the other. His slacks and suit jacket had soaked through, weighing him down, but it was nothing compared to the heaviness he’d carried all these years. Olivia had beat the odds once. She could do it again.
A deranged scream cut through the constant tick of rain.
Silas spun to face the oncoming threat. Too slow. A flash of red hair was all he saw before the killer shot from the shadows. A fist arced into his temple. Lightning and pain flashed across his vision as momentum thrust him to one side. A kick to the nerves running the length of his forearm loosened his grip on his weapon, and his sidearm fell from his grasp. He swung his elbow back as hard as he could and landed a hit.
Dr. Farell’s head snapped back. She stumbled a step but recovered faster than he’d expected. Fisting his coat in both hands, she hauled her heel up and kicked him square in the gut.
Air crushed from his lungs, and he fell back into a wall of stainless steel drums. The top row swayed above him, threatening to crash onto him. The outline of his weapon took shape in his peripheral vision, but the killer caught sight of the gun in the same moment. Silas braced himself against the wall of drums and dove.
They hit the ground at the same time.
His heartbeat thudded hard behind his ears as Dr. Farell shoved to her feet, his weapon in her grip.
“I’m supposed to give you a message before I kill you, Agent Hart.” Dr. Farell leveled the barrel of his weapon between his eyes. “Charles Daggett says hello.”
Movement registered from behind his attacker a split second before Dr. Farell dropped to one knee. The killer turned to take aim, but Olivia rocketed a strong right hook into the killer’s face. The gun fell from the therapist’s grip as she collapsed to the pavement. Out cold. “He can tell us himself.”
Silas struggled to catch his breath as he got to his feet. “I totally could’ve taken her.”
“Yeah, it definitely looked like you had the situation under control.” A smile tugged at one corner of her mouth as Olivia stumbled forward. Right into his arms.