No One Left To Tell

ago. But whatever would have happened, he'd never know. The harsh sound of his cell phone called for attention. In denial, he waited for the second ring to answer it.

'Yeah.'

'She's on the move.' The gruff voice of Bill Edwards yanked him from his misery. He stood and left Fiona sitting in the chair, confused by the look of concern on his face.

'You have the coordinates?' He listened intently and shut his eyes tight, trying to regain his focus. 'I'm heading out now. Get someone over here to take Fiona anywhere she wants to go. When I get on the road, I'll call you again, to feed me the information. Don't lose my SUV, Bill.'

He ended the call, his heart racing. Raven was on the move, even after promising she'd stay put.

'What's going on, Christian? Is it the case?'

'I've gotta go.'

'Please don't shut me out now,' she pleaded.

'What you did . . . hurt me, Fiona. You lied to me all those years. Every time you comforted me after one of my nightmares, every time I raged against the police, blaming them for what happened, you perpetuated the lie. I'm not sure I can live with that. I'm not sure I want to.' He stood and walked toward the door, leaving her behind. 'You severed the tie between us—not me. Having an attachment to you? It may come at too high a price.' He swallowed hard, knowing his cruelty hit a new low. But he had no time to ease her burden. Raven needed him.

'I gotta go.'

'Christian . . . please.'

Ignoring her, he ran into the pouring rain. The weight of it soaked his hair and clothes. He dashed to his car, hitting the keyless remote and fumbling for the cell phone on his belt. Turning the ignition, he pulled from the parking space and hit the new speed dial for Raven.

As it rang, he took a final look at Fiona alone in the waiting room, her face blanched by fluorescent lighting. She looked so small and frail. That image would haunt him, along with all the rest. And he deserved every ounce of guilt. Finally, he turned away.

'Come on. Pick up,' he urged.

Raven didn't answer. When his call rolled into voice mail, he left a quick message, trying to hide the concern in his voice. But something wasn't right.

His headlights caught the heavy drops bouncing off the pavement, his windshield wipers drumming a rhythm to match the cadence of his heart. Something felt terribly wrong.

Taking a deep breath, he steadied his mind, employing the techniques he'd learned long ago to calm himself. With only a brief glance, he punched a second number on his cell. Staring into the night, his eyes on full alert, he steeled his senses for the hunt.

'Talk to me, Bill.'

The streets were congested with slow-moving traffic. Rolling along at twenty miles per hour, Raven knew she'd be delayed in meeting Father Antonio, and being late always made her anxious. It couldn't be helped.

The storm robbed what precious little light remained of the day, and the pounding rain made visibility nonexistent. For a moment, she considered pulling over to let the storm pass, but opted against it. At least she was moving.

With the windshield wipers beating on high, she squinted through the downpour, tightening her grip on the steering wheel. The colorful lights of the city bled through the streaks of rain. Large drops pelted the SUV, making it hard to think.

She saw St. Sebastian's Church on the left and almost missed her turn. As she pulled into the side parking lot nearest the rectory, she parked the SUV, but kept the engine running. Father Antonio would not recognize the vehicle as hers, so she followed his instruction and flashed the headlights.

Nothing. She peered through the darkness, looking for any sign of life from the modest living quarters.

From the corner of her eye, she saw a man in the shadows, waving a hand and jogging up to her car from the right side. Although the hood of the man's coat covered his face, she thought he might be the priest judging by his build and stature. She narrowed her eyes and craned her neck for a better view. But as he drew closer, she saw the cross hanging from his neck and she unlocked the doors.

Suddenly, a dark shadow eclipsed the streetlamp behind her. A motion caught her eye, reflected in the side mirror. A man crept toward her car, too damned sneaky to be harmless. On pure instinct, she reacted without hesitation. Laying her shoulder into it, she shoved at her door, jamming the heavy hunk of steel into the man like a weapon. With the first strike, he doubled over in pain, his arms attempting to shield his knees. To make her point again, she pulled the door back for a second assault. This time, she used her leg to thrust into him.

As he fell to the ground, the man cried out, 'Shit! Stop that bitch.'

Grappling with her seat belt, she had only an instant to make her next move as the man writhed on the ground. Blindly, she pressed the clasp of her safety belt, then felt for the butt of her gun. But the passenger side door flew open and another man accosted her from the right, knocking the Glock from her hand into the shadows of the floorboard.

'What the hell?' she cried. Raven kicked and punched, fighting the man in close quarters. 'Chicago Police. Back off.' Her voice was loud and forceful, but her warning went unheeded.

A shrill ring broke her concentration. Her cell phone. Christian. It had to be him. Like a cruel taunt, his words of reason repeated in her head. Don't deviate from the plan. The image of Christian spurred her on. She couldn't let up now.

But as she fought the second man, the delay allowed her first assailant to recover. He lunged through the driver's side door, gripping her neck with a beefy forearm, choking off her air. The distraction didn't daunt her. Still fighting the other guy, she drove a heel into his head as he came in from the passenger side. Connecting with the kick, she caught a glimpse of him falling to the ground with a grunt. But she had a bigger problem. Caught in a headlock, her airway squeezed tight, she wheezed her next breath, quickly losing control. The bastard yanked her from the driver's seat, not letting up on the pressure. Rain pummeled her face, making it hard to see.

With very little effort, her assailant could snap her neck. She felt her arms and legs tingling, the numbness spreading. Shooting pinpoints of light played havoc with her eyes. Dizziness fogged her senses. Soon, she'd lose consciousness. If that happened, she knew it would be over.

With all her strength, Raven clenched her fist and stiffened her forearm, ramming her elbow hard into the solar plexus of the man behind her, just as she'd been trained. The first shot barely got the man's attention. The second time, he cursed with the damage she inflicted. His body felt like a brick wall. Her elbow quivered, deadened by pain. On the third punch, he loosened his grip around her neck and stumbled backward.

It was all the break she needed.

Raven spun and quickly shifted her hip behind him, then yanked his shoulders back with her right arm. His weight and momentum propelled him to the ground. As he lay stunned, she gripped his collar with her left fist to steady her target. Drawing back the heel of her right hand, she prepared to shatter his nose, driving bone splinters deep into his brain, dealing a deathblow. But a hard metal object shoved against the back of her skull.

It could be only one thing. She stopped cold.

A menacing voice captured her attention through the driving rain. His rock-steadiness told her he was in charge.

'You connect with that next shot and the last thing you'll see is your brains all over Krueger's chest. Personally, I could care less one way or the other. So you take your pick.'

The man named Krueger blinked twice, clearly unsure whether the man with the gun meant what he said. She, on the other hand, knew the ruthless scumbag meant every word. Deliberating her choices, she held firm to Krueger, a stubborn streak influencing her bravado. Raven knew she had little to think about. Attempting to recover, she drew cold air into her lungs. Her chest heaved with the effort, her throat raw. The chilling rain seeped under her open coat and through to her skin. Strands of hair stuck to her face.

It was over.

Raven loosened her grip and raised her hands high. Still kneeling, she waited for the next instruction, hoping the man holding her at gunpoint wouldn't shoot her dead on the spot. As long as she was alive, she had hope.

'Stay on your knees.' The man standing behind her laughed—a low, threatening sound. 'After all, you're