Ellie blinked. That was…definitely not the reaction she’d been expecting. Especially from Harold Fortis. She turned to her boss, noting a few more gray hairs mixed into his brown curls than last time. “Thank you. I’ll admit, the past few days have been rough, but it’s part of the job.”
“Constantly getting dragged into cases involving your own kidnapper isn’t in any part of the handbook that I’ve read.” Chief Johnson braced his palms on the desk. “Fortis is right. You deserve a medal, along with some time off to enjoy it.”
In her lap, Ellie’s hands balled into fists. Was that what this was all about? The two of them had teamed up on her? Conspired in some misguided attempt to convince her to agree to a vacation?
She chose her next words carefully. “I’d love to take some time off here soon, but it’d be a waste of vacation days if I took them before Kingsley is behind bars. There’s no way I’d be able to relax, not until we catch him.”
Ellie pretended not to see the look her boss and the chief exchanged. Chief Johnson sighed, his chair creaking as he leaned back and folded his hands behind his head.
“Detective Kline, I know it probably seems that way right now because of everything you’ve been through these past few months. Partly because your adrenaline kicks into overdrive when you’re stressed, so you end up walking around amped up all the time, even when you’re about to collapse on your feet. You won’t do anyone any good if you end up sick or on psych leave for chronic sleep deprivation.”
If the criminal in question were anyone but Kingsley, Chief Johnson’s lowered brows and stern countenance might have cowed her into submission. But Kingsley was the person behind all of Ellie’s stress, so she squared her shoulders instead. “For my sake, I hope we find that monster soon, because impending breakdown or not, I won’t stop until he can’t hurt anyone ever again.”
Chief Johnson rubbed the crease between his eyes and groaned. “Fortis, can you talk some sense into her?”
Ellie fought the indignant burn beneath her ribs and shifted to face her boss, preparing to tell him not to waste his breath.
“I’m sorry, Chief, but I’m going to have to side with Kline on this one.”
“I don’t…” Ellie stopped when Fortis’s statement registered, sitting there like a fool with her mouth dangling open for the second time since she’d entered the office. Either the sleep deprivation had already kicked in and triggered auditory hallucinations, or her boss had just backed her up. At the moment, she was leaning toward hallucinations. That seemed the likelier of the two scenarios. “I’m sorry, can you please repeat that?”
“Sheesh, no need to sound so surprised,” Fortis grumbled before shrugging his beefy shoulders. “I might not have started out as your number one fan—”
“Or even my five hundredth fan.”
Fortis ignored Ellie’s muttered interjection while Chief Johnson stifled a suspicious-sounding cough. “—but despite that rocky start, you’ve turned out to be the best cop in this department. When you don’t allow that reckless streak of yours to screw things up, that is.”
Her boss glared at Ellie when he tacked on that last bit, stealing a little of the wind from her sails. Not enough to keep her chest from puffing up, though. Fortis didn’t believe in coddling his detectives or handing out idle praise. A compliment from him was more valuable than ten from someone else. “Thank you, sir.”
Fortis stared her down for a long, hard second before jerking his head in a curt nod. When he spoke next, his voice was gruffer than usual. “Don’t make me regret this.”
“I won’t.”
He met her bright smile with a scowl before grunting and focusing on the chief. “As much as it pains me to say this…if anyone’s gonna bring Kingsley in, it’s her.”
Chief Johnson studied them both with his head cocked to one side like they were part of a particularly fascinating display at the zoo. “Okay, I guess that’s settled then. Detective Kline can continue working for now.” He tapped a finger to his chin, and his lips began to twitch. “Although, if she’s as good as you say she is, Detective Fortis, then maybe she should throw her hat in for your job soon.”
Oh boy, he’s done it now. Ellie cringed while she waited for her boss to respond to Chief Johnson’s jab.
To her relief, Fortis just laughed. “Hey, that works for me. Kline can have my job all wrapped up in a big, shiny bow…right after you hand me yours.”
4
“Mama, help me! Please, Mama! Please!”
Katarina Volkov raced through the empty hallways, turning down corridor after corridor as she chased her daughter’s high-pitched screams. “Bethany! Where are you, baby?”
Heart pounding, she threw open the first door, only to find an empty room. No furniture, nothing on the white walls. The wooden floors were bare too…and dark.
“Mama, help!”
Katarina raced to the next room, but Bethany wasn’t there, either. Somewhere in the distance, a discordant rumble kicked off. The noise grew louder and louder with every footstep as she sprinted down the hall, each one intensifying an impending sense of doom. Katarina felt like a thousand scorpions were crawling across her skin with their tiny feet, curling their stingers in anticipation of a strike.
“Harmony? Bethany?” At the very end of the hall, the last door waited, glowing a bright, pristine white. Her baby was in there. She had to be. The rumble grew in volume, shaking the walls, the floor beneath her feet. Wordless, but somehow, Katarina understood anyway.
Hurry, or you’ll be too late.
Frantic, Katarina sprinted toward the room. When she was only steps away, she spotted the blood. A rivulet of red snaked down the white wood like a river.
The rumble turned into a primal drumbeat. Too late.
Too. Late.
No. No! “Hang on, baby! I’m almost there!”
Katarina gasped as she pushed through those final steps and shoved the door open, her hands coming away wet
