Page 32 of Kidnapping of a Myth

“I don’t want to move my hands. I’m fine.”

The sheriff stared at her as if debating whether to force the issue, but then the sirens’ blare broke through the stillness. Minutes later, an ambulance skidded to a halt, EMTs leaping out before it even parked, and within seconds they expertly took control. Bel, Griffin, and Gold watched transfixed as they worked, and with practiced efficiency, they loaded the Deputy into their vehicle.

“He should be fine,” one of the EMTs said as they readied to leave for the hospital. “From the looks of it, nothing major was hit.”

“Thank you,” Griffin said. “Keep me updated.”

“Will do.” The EMT closed the doors, and sirens blaring, the ambulance raced down the lane.

“Are you both okay?” Griffin turned to his detectives, and with blood-soaked arms and sickened expressions, the women nodded.

“He was waiting for us,” Bel said, her voice unsteady. “He planned this, just like everything else. He’s going to kill everyone who comes for those boys.”

“You saved my life,” Gold whispered, holding her stained hands out before her as if her limbs were no longer attached to her body. “I was standing right where that gun was aimed. I... I almost died.”

Bel leaned over and pressed a comforting kiss to Olivia’s cheek as the woman shook. Then she finally looked into the trunk and came face to face with the barrel of the gun. It sat atop a specially constructed stand, and its trigger was attached to a wire that connected with the trunk’s lid, ensuring it would kill anyone who opened it. Thankfully, she’d tackled Gold in time, her warning enough to cause the deputy to shift, but if she’d been even five seconds later, her partner would have gotten a bullet to her chest.

“It’s why he left it out in the open,” Bel said. “He wanted us to find this car. Us or Wendy.” She turned to Griffin, the slick blood on her fingers flashing images of Eamon’s exposed lungs through her memory. “We need to change our approach. This isn’t a kidnapping. This is a game. One where he plans to eliminate all the players, so we have to assume everything is a trap. That everything is trying to kill us.”

In reality, what they needed was Eamon and Ewan involved with their investigation, and Bel whirled to where she dropped her phone at that thought. Eamon had been on the line when the gun went off. He was undoubtedly panicking as he feared the worst, but when she looked down at her screen, she saw the call had disconnected. She should text him to let him know she was alive, but her fingers were a morbid mess.

She opened her mouth to ask Griffin for help, but movement caught her eyes, silencing her voice. It was subtle, the shifting foliage only visible to her, but as she focused on the shadows, Eamon came into view. The trees hid him from the others, but he stood there all the same, staring at her with horror tensing his muscles. Their eyes locked, and then his gaze dipped to her arms. When he registered the blood, the shadows enveloping him darkened with his rage. With his fear. With his hatred for what dared touch the woman he loved. It was as if even nature bowed to his emotions, and with a predatory snarl, he lifted his nose into the breeze. He inhaled deeply, and it was like watching a mountain crumble before her as he realized it wasn’t her blood. His gaze returned to hers, his death-black eyes still full of concern, and by the way his hands twitched, she knew a war was raging inside him. She could tell by the pain contorting his grimace that he wanted to storm over to her, to capture her in his embrace and carry her back to the house to remain under his protection, but he also understood they were toeing the line between the mortal and immortal realms. This was her job, her boss, her partner, and she wouldn’t allow him to steal control from her. So he stood, tense and feral, as he studied her.

“You okay?” Griffin asked, stepping beside her and placing a palm gently on her back.

“Yeah, my phone,” Bel said, unsure how she missed Eamon vanishing, but the dark man was gone, leaving only trembling leaves in his wake. “It’s brand new… and my hands.” She heldher bloody fingers out as if she needed to explain, but she wasn’t thinking straight. Eamon had been blown apart. Michael had nearly drowned. A deputy had been shot, and her partner had almost died in the attack. It was too much to process, and it took all her willpower to keep her emotions under control.

“It’s all right. I got it.” Griffin picked up the cell and tucked it into her pocket for safekeeping. “Come on, let’s get you two cleaned up. I’ll have the techs meet us outside so they can collect your clothes and evidence. We don’t need the family to see this, and then we’ll talk about how to move forward. This is unlike any case we’ve seen in Bajka, and may God strike me down if this madman kills someone on my watch.”

“Money,” Bel said, and Griffin glanced at her like she’d lost her mind as he eased his truck back onto the dirt road. “These traps cost money,” she explained. “Whoever Peter Pann is, he has a lot of experience in weaponry. He had access to drugs, explosives, and tech beyond what normal criminals can obtain. I’ve been wondering if he’s ex-military, and now I’m thinking he has a large funding because planning this took significant time and cash.”

“Are you suggesting someone paid him to do this?” Griffin asked.

“I don’t know,” Bel answered. “That or he’s well off himself. Either way, years of skill, training, and finance went into this crime. He’s been arrested, but his traps are still in play, which means he designed this to exist with or without him. We’re dealing with a professional, and I think we need to look into Pann’s financial situation. This money had to come from somewhere.”

For the secondtime in as many days, Bel handed her clothes over to be bagged as evidence. On their return trip to the mansion, Griffin called the lab to request they dig into Pann’s financials, and when they parked, the techs collected the evidence from the detectives and then helped them sneak into the guest bathrooms so as not to alarm the Darling family.

“Thanks for the clothes,” Olivia said as she exited the bathroom. The women were thankfully close in size. Bel was slightly taller with a more muscular frame, but her clothes fit Gold well enough.

“After yesterday, I thought it best to bring a few changes,” Bel said as they headed back downstairs.

“What happened yesterday?” Gold asked. “Griffin won’t say much, and you won’t say anything, but I’m not stupid. I saw the aftermath of those traps. I saw what The Tinker did with the car trunk today.”

“Olivia…”

“Why won’t you tell me?” her partner pressed. “Why do I have this horrible feeling that you almost died? Especially after how you reacted at the car.”

“Yesterday was stressful, that’s all,” she lied.

“Okay… but you know if something was wrong, you could talk to me, right?”

“I know.” Bel wrapped her arm around her partner’s shoulders as they arrived on the first floor.

“I’m just looking out for you,” Olivia continued. “After everything with Abel, I don’t want to throw you to the wolves and pretend you’re fine because the therapist cleared you to return to work.”

“You’re a good friend.” Bel smiled, squeezing her affectionately. “I was nervous when Griffin hired you. Not because of your resume, but because I cared deeply for the man you replaced. I think my old partner sent you to me, though. I promise, if I need you, I’ll tell you, and I’m glad you’re here now. But please don’t open any more trunks.”

“I wasn’t planning on it.” Gold smirked. “I’ll be in the kitchen with the others.” She disappeared down the hall, and Bel moved into the living room’s entrance. Cerberus lay on a nest of fluffy blankets and pillows in the middle of the floor, but it was Michael’s location that made her smile. The ten-year-old’s head rested on the pitbull’s chest as he watched TV, and he periodically would slip a piece of beef jerky out of the bag resting on his belly, take a huge bite, and then push the rest into her dog’s mouth.

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