Page 55 of The Perfect Prey

“You mouthed it, you cruel bastard!”she cried out.“You know you did!”

“She’s up to something!”Haddonfield shouted, pointing at her.

His aggression made Officer Poulter take a small step back.It was all she needed.Now he was close enough.

In a flash, she swung her manacles over Poulter’s head and yanked back, tightening them around his neck.The remaining six guards in the room all pulled out their guns and pointed them at her.

“Put all your weapons on the ground now,” she instructed calmly, “or I snap Officer Poulter’s neck, and his little baby boy never gets to know his father.You know I’m capable of it.I’ve been trained to do far worse.”

They all stood there dumbfounded.But that wasn’t what she’d instructed them to do.It seemed that she’d have to up the ante.Ash squeezed the manacle chain tighter.Poulter coughed and began to gasp desperately.

“Do it now,” she ordered serenely, ignoring his failed gulps for air.“I know I’m not winning my case, so that leaves me with two options: escape or die.I’m cool with either.Do you think Mrs.Poulter will be equally cool if you make that choice for her husband?”

The guards all put their guns down.

“Good, now do the same with your radios.”

They complied.

“Now all of you pile into that broom closet and close the door.Be quick about it.”

The guards crowded into the closet.Once the door was closed, she turned her attention to Haddonfield.

“Jam a chair against the door so they can’t get out.”

“I won’t do it,” he protested.

Without hesitation, Ash swung her manacles hard to the right, slamming Poulter’s head against the wall.In the extended moment when he was dazed, she reached down and grabbed his gun before quickly re-tightening her grip around his neck.

“I know you don’t care about this guy, Mark,” she said.“But you should care about yourself.Because if you don’t do as I say, I will simply shoot you and ask one of the other inmates here to do the job.Now, are you more amenable?”

Haddonfield reluctantly went over and did as she’d told him, forcing the top of the chair against the door handle.

“Good, stay there,” she ordered before turning her attention to the still discombobulated Officer Poulter.“Officer, I need you to remove your key and undo my manacles.Can you do that?”

He nodded weakly.After several seconds, her hands were free.The manacles dropped away.But she held the officer close to her, the gun pressed against his temple.

“Good boy,” she said.“Now Mark, I need you to open the door to the transport area and tell anyone out there to back off because I have a gun to their colleague’s head.”

Haddonfield looked like he wanted to protest, but she cut him short.

“Remember,” she said.“You’re expendable.I bet any of your buddies will happily do the job if you have a bullet hole in your head.Now get moving.Time is running short.”

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX

“I’m willing to tell the head of courthouse security about your concerns,” Jessie promised Kat as they stood in the hallway outside the courtroom where proceedings in Ash Pierce’s case had just ended for the day.

“Why do I hear a ‘but’ in there?”Kat asked.

“Because there is one,” Jessie said.“I’ll do it because, despite everything, I believe in your instincts.ButI’m not sure everyone else will take your concerns as seriously.And I’m worried that if they think you’re a crank, then they won’t let you in the courtroom for the trial, which I know is important to you.”

“It is,” Kat conceded, “but making sure that Pierce doesn’t get away with whatever deception I know she’s planning is a higher priority.”

“Okay, how about this?”Jessie offered.“I have authorization to access the courthouse holding room and transport area.Let’s go back there and you can show me what about her behavior has you so rattled.I’m a professional profiler.I should be able to pick up on it too.”

“Fine,” Kat agreed, her tone increasingly anxious with each passing moment.“Let’s go.”

They stepped into the courtroom, where the bailiff was closing up shop for the day.

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