Page 56 of Knight's Fall

Judah nodded. “I have an idea. You bring equipment? If not, we need to make a stop before we head up.”

“We’ve got everything we’ll need. Come take a look.” BB led Judah over to the SUV as Cole and Sam came out of the hardware store.

Cole’s expression was grim as he updated them. “The store owner confirmed everything he told Judah. He did remember something since he talked to Judah. Malcolm came in a second time. Willie wasn’t there. His wife was and told him about this odd man who bought some supplies. Willie sort of waved it off as nothing. That’s why he didn’t think to mention it when Judah asked him. His wife said Malcolm bought some rope, a hunting knife, bait, packing tape and plastic sheeting. He told her he used it to spread on the floor when he cleaned his fish so it was an easy clean-up when he was done.”

Wings turned away. He was overwhelmed with feelings of terror and anger. The more they learned, the more scared he was of what Courtlyn was having to endure. Everything was taking too long and moving too slow. She’d already been with this killer longer than she should. If they got to her in time, they could save her life, but they couldn’t save her from the trauma or the pain.

“Let’s head out. I don’t want to waste any more time if this guy is not our assassin,” Jay ordered.

Wings clenched his fists as he fell into step with his teammates. He didn’t know what they’d find, but he was certain of one thing.

“He’s our guy.”

∞∞∞

Courtlyn jerked awake when the door creaked open. Her eyes were drowsy, but since she’d not seen anyone since she first woke up in the room, she was anxious to see who was coming in the door.

Her first thought when she saw the man walking casually inside was why had a high school science teacher kidnapped her. He wore a pair of khakis with a plain navy golf shirt and brown boots that were dressier than the ones Wings often wore. His mousy hair was longer on his neck, and the receding hairline made his forehead his most prominent feature. His brown eyes were dark and knowing, and his thin lips were stretched in a friendly smile as if they had met up at a café. He was about her height with an average build that appeared solid but not as muscular or defined as Wings.

“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.”

He continued a leisurely pacing back and forth in front of her. Her already stiff neck protested when she turned her head to follow him. She tried to push the cobwebs from her mind, but fatigue pushed through to muddle her thinking.

“I don’t understand.”

“Don’t play pretend, Courtlyn. It only insults us both. You can act like it’s not there, but we had a connection. It was palpable from the first time we met. That’s why I kept coming back. That’s why I kept asking for you. Don’t tell me you didn’t feel flattered by that. Especially when I picked you over your hateful colleague. You felt special. You felt seen, probably for the first time in your life. I understand that.”

“We’ve met before?”

He paused to stand in front of her. “Now, that disappoints me. I was certain our bond was strong enough that you would be able to see who I really am.”

She shook her head and bit back a groan at the pain that shot down her neck and between her shoulders. “I don’t…We haven’t…”

Then her mind started to piece together the meaning behind his words, but even then, she thought she was imagining things. Then like a dam that started to crack before bursting open, the memories flooded her mind.

She gasped as she finally remembered what happened and how she got here — wherever here was. She squinted her eyes, focusing on the man, and realized he was who she thought he was. He looked different, younger, but his voice and his mannerisms spoke the truth.

“Malcolm,” she whispered. “Why?”

He closed the distance to kneel in front of her. He leaned close, his breath fanning her skin. His finger brushed her cheek, and she jerked her head away in disgust. Then his finger trailed over the swell of her breast, and she yanked against her bonds, wishing they would give so she could slap his hand away.

“Fight all you want. Scream all you want. No one’s around to hear you. No one’s coming to rescue you. You belong to me now. You are mine to do with however I see fit.”

It took a great amount of effort, but she worked up a pitifully small loogie and spat it in his face. He drew his arm up and back handed her with enough force to knock her chair to the floor. Her shoulder connected with a thud, and she howled at the pain radiating down to her arm, which suddenly wasn’t so numb. She blinked away the onslaught of tears and glared up at him from her awkward position.

Malcolm’s smile only widened as he stood. He withdrew something from his waistband at his back, and her eyes widened. He held the large hunting knife in front of him and pressed the tip lightly against a finger on his other hand. He twirled the blade as he stared down at her.

“This…is going to be fun.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

“Booby trap.”

The Alpha Team called out those two words repeatedly as they approached Malcolm’s cabin. He’d covered his tracks better than they expected, and if anyone tried to get the drop on him, he made it damn hard for them to succeed.

Wings grew more anxious with each obstacle they uncovered. He shut down his brain to anything but the mission. Otherwise, he would be consumed with imagining what Courtlyn was going through.

The cabin was in their sites, but Jay held them back while he and Judah conducted a perimeter check. They threw up a finger to mark each booby trap they discovered, and Wings was ready to rip the guy to shreds for setting so many traps. He supposed the precautions were what kept Malcolm from being caught, and any other time he may have appreciated the man’s tactical thinking. Right now he just wanted to hold Courtlyn in his arms, to feel her heart beating against his chest.

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