15 Seconds

“I’ve got him, Carrie.”

Chapter Seventy

Sonovabitch…

Vance leaned against the window, smoking, and suddenly caught sight of Henry Steadman, not forty yards away, hiding in the woods.

Well, whaddaya know…

Vance was a man who could read you the name off a dog’s collar at a hundred yards at night, while Steadman probably wouldn’t know what breed it was if it was sitting on his lap. But there he was, nonetheless-Vance was sure of it-peering at him.

How the hell did he find his way here…?

Vance put out the smoke, went over to the storage closet, and unlocked the door. It was dark and damp in the cramped space, and the girl was both surprised and clearly frightened. She came out kicking and scratching at him. My, my, such a pretty little thing.

“What’s going on? No, get off of me!”

“No whimpering now, darlin’,” Vance said, pinning her arms. “You’re gonna get to see your daddy just like I told you. Only a little sooner than we thought.”

“Daddy!”

Her eyes stretched wide in surprise and Vance could see that she was just about to shout his name, so he hit her across the chin and her cute little eyes rolled backward, a stream of blood coming from her lip, and when she sagged in his arms, he picked her up, rolled off a length of heavy tape, and stretched it tightly across her mouth.

“Now scream all you want, angel. But your time’s up. This time it’s for real!”

He placed her down against a table, and grabbed the length of rope he had especially measured out, and wrapped the girl’s wrists, hog-style, so they were bound in front of her, and then sat her up, a leg on each side of the feeder bench of the circular saw, looping the rope through the winch on the blade’s axle and then tugging, making sure it was all tight.

He pulled the starter pedal over to where he’d propped her, slumped forward, and gave it a test run with a little pressure.

The jagged blade whirred and came to life.

Perfect.

He went back to the window and peered out again for Steadman. He didn’t see him right then. Which didn’t matter. Didn’t matter how he got here or who he brought along.

Or how many of them there were.

He was ready for them all.

He had separated all the chaff from however much wheat his poor life was ever going to produce. This is all for you, honey, he’d said to Amanda. I did what I said I’d do. I brought them all to their knees. For you. I punished them all who took away what was yours. Your life to live out. Your innocence. I took care of it, darlin’, the only way I know how.

I took care of it for you, Amanda.

He heard the girl moan slightly and start to come back to consciousness. Then he picked up his phone and punched in Steadman’s number.

You want to play it out, Vance thought with a smile, staring out at the trees, listening to the phone ring. He checked his gun.

All right, then, let’s play it out.

Chapter Seventy-One

I tried Carrie twice-but she didn’t pick up. Maybe she was going through a stretch with no reception, which was easy out here in the boonies.

But just as I hung up, my own phone rang.

I was about to say, Carrie, listen…! When I saw the caller ID: Hallie Steadman.

It was him.

I let it ring, nervous that control of the moment had been wrenched from me, not certain what I should say.

Then I realized: He doesn’t know I’m here! He’s calling to tell me where to go. I had the advantage after all.

And I was going to hear my daughter’s voice again!

I pushed the green button. “Yes.”

“Hey, Doc, how’s the weather where you are?” Hofer said with a chuckle. “I said I’d be back in touch. So I’m ready for you now. You want your little girl, don’t you?”

“Let me talk to her,” I said. “You touch a hair on her head, and I’ll kill you myself, Hofer. Put her on.”

“In a minute. In a minute…” he replied. “So where are you now? I think it’s time we meet up again.”

“Doesn’t matter where I am,” I said. “Put Hallie on.”

“Well, I hope you’re not too far away,” Hofer said with a drawn-out sigh, “ ’cause you’ll miss all the fun. It’s starting now, Doc. As we speak. I was sure you’d want to hear…”

“What?” I felt my insides gnash together with alarm.

“Yeah, you heard me. Now. Here, say something to your daddy, honey. He wants to hear that you’re okay… If you can even hear her, over this damn saw…”

I heard a chilling, whirring roar start up that sounded like nails being ground up and spit out.

“Daddy!” Hallie’s voice came on. “He’s going to kill me, Daddy! Daddy, you have to help me, please…”

“Hallie, you just hold on!” I shouted back, my guts wrenching. My fingers wrapped around the metal pipe.

“Hear her, Doc?” Hofer came back on. “She’s saying you better get here quick, ’cause all the fun…” The saw blade started to whir again, and Hofer elevated his voice above it. “It’s happening now!”

I almost lost it, hearing Hallie’s cries. I couldn’t wait for Carrie anymore.

She would be too late.

“Hey,” Hofer said, almost cackling, “don’t you want me to tell you where we are?”

I didn’t need to know.

It was happening now!

I ran. I clicked off the phone and grabbed the pipe, rage and desperation and fear all jumbled up inside me.

I sprinted out of the woods, heading for the shed’s door.

I had no idea what I might have to face in there. If Hofer had a gun, he could just blow me away. I figured I had one thing going for me and that was the element of surprise. If I was even figuring… I wasn’t thinking of anything except saving my daughter.

Then I heard her scream.

I yelled out, “Hallie! God help you if you’ve hurt her…” Tears flashed in my eyes.

I reached the door, my mind and blood a rampage of wanting to kill him. I bolted through, rearing the pipe