Franco stopped his squad car, completely blocking the exit as Perry slowed. Perry turned on his headlights, blinding Franco, whose face was twisted into a determined scowl as he glared at them.
“I don’t fucking believe it,” Carl said, his accent growing thicker. “What does he think he’s doing?”
“Get the camera out and start snapping pictures,” Perry demanded. “And then hold on tight. We’re going for a ride.”
Carl yanked the digital camera out of the glove compartment, pulling it out of its case quickly and holding it up in the air as they slowed in front of Franco.
“Smile pretty for the nice man,” Carl said, a sneer in his tone.
“Keep taking pictures,” Perry ordered, and accelerated, bypassing Franco’s squad car and running his own car over the curb and onto the grassy median toward the street.
“Oh, crap!” Carl yelled. “He got out and is pointing a gun at us.”
“Keep taking pictures,” Perry yelled.
“He’s aiming a gun at us!”
“Then take pictures and duck!”
A shot exploded into the night and Carl howled just as the car bounced over the curb and hit the street.
“Son of a bitch,” Carl swore, bouncing sideways next to Perry as he tried turning around and ducking at the same time.
“Come on, sweetheart,” Perry whispered, searching the street ahead of them for signs of the Suburban. “Tell us where you are.”
“How in the hell do you think you’re going to get away with this?” Kylie asked, her voice tinny through the speakerphone.
“Are you kidding?” John Athey laughed. “We’ve got the perfect setup, darling. You’ve got no backup, and your police lover is grounded. I saw to it. Kind of has its advantages when you can tell the cops in the town what to do. Not to mention a Suburban that can’t be pinned to anyone.” His laugh was sinister. “Got to love a car auction and then never registering the vehicle,” he added as if he were telling a good joke.
“You killed all those girls,” she accused. Kylie wasn’t laughing.
“Not your problem anymore.”
It wasn’t exactly a confession. Perry prayed she would get him to say exactly what they needed to nail the bastard to the cross right alongside Franco. He couldn’t believe this. Not in a million years would he have guessed John Athey and Franco were in this together. They did have the perfect setup.
Only one problem. There was no such thing as perfect, and Perry would see them both dead before the night was over if he couldn’t successfully pull off an arrest. First he needed to find them, and before Kylie got hurt.
“You’re wrong, John. This is my problem, and even more so now that I know you’re guilty. This is the same SUV that tried abducting Dani and I bet we’ll find where Perry shot at it. You’re Peter. You might as well admit it. I’ve got to take you down. Do you realize how serious a punishment you’ll face for this?”
“Are you seriously as dumb of a blonde as you come across?” John demanded. “You don’t get it, sweetheart. There is no one coming to save you. Do you think you can simply say, ‘You’re under arrest,’ and I’ll pull over?”
“There is someone coming to get me. He’s right on your ass as we speak. And I’ll give him the honors of slapping the cuffs on you.”
“What are you talking about?”
Kylie squealed and Perry gripped the steering wheel so hard the car swerved and Carl gave him a nervous glance.
“Keep it cool, man,” Carl said, his voice calm as he watched Perry.
“I’m cool.” Perry would take the bastard’s life with his bare hands. If the son of a bitch laid as much as a finger on Kylie…
“Don’t say a fucking word,” John yelled through the phone. “Not a goddamn word.”
“Why are we pulling into a car wash?” Kylie asked.
“I said shut the fuck up!” John bellowed so loud it distorted through the phone.
“Car wash. Car wash,” Perry repeated. “Where the fuck is a car wash?”
“Are you sure we headed the right direction when we left the bowling alley?” Carl asked. “There are several car washes up and down this street.”
Perry didn’t want to think they were losing her. John was right on one thing. There wasn’t any backup. He did hold the power to eliminate any help for Kylie. Or he did up until he made the mistake of messing with something Perry viewed as his. He would fight for Kylie’s life, and then he would fight for her. His sister’s words picked an odd time to pop into his brain, but he agreed with her advice now. Kylie was worth laying his heart on the line for. She would become part of their family, one way or the other.
As soon as he found her.
“If you’re wired…,” John hissed. “You fucking bitch. I was just going to make you disappear. No offense but you’re a bit too old for my tastes. But if you’ve screwed me, I swear to God the last thing that fucking cop prick of yours will hear are your screams as I torture you until you die. He can live with those memories while he rots in prison for the murders of all those girls.”
“You’re going to do that in a car wash?” Kylie asked. “That convenience store will have witnesses all over the place. And I bet the drive-through at McDonald’s across the street will offer at least one or two people who will see you, too. And why would Perry go to prison?”
Kylie screamed at the same time that the sound of flesh hitting flesh made Perry’s blood boil.
“McDonald’s,” Carl yelled. “We’re going the wrong way. McDonald’s is in the other direction.”
Perry pulled a U-turn in the middle of the street, forcing a couple cars to a screeching stop, and turned on his lights while gunning it. He hauled ass down the street, yelling at Carl to call Dispatch.
“Whatever it takes!” Perry demanded. “Get backup on the scene now. Tell them whatever you have to tell them.”
Carl didn’t argue or ask for advice on what to say but fumbled with his phone while the digital camera fell to the ground at his feet.
Perry focused on the golden arches when they appeared ahead of him and Carl. He saw the convenience store Kylie had mentioned and then spotted the car wash. There weren’t any sounds coming through the phone anymore, which made Perry’s blood curdle. He didn’t want to think about what John might have done to her to make her quiet.
Perry squealed to a stop in front of the car wash, slamming the car into park before it had fully stopped. He spotted the Suburban and the open driver’s-side and passenger door didn’t look good at all. His heart swelled into his throat and he trembled when he grabbed his gun, pulling it free as he climbed out and headed around his squad car.
“Cover me,” he yelled to Carl, and held his gun out, aiming it toward the ground, while he searched for Kylie. “Athey, where the fuck are you?” he yelled.
“Perry!” Kylie howled, her high pitch sounding full of fear and panic.
At least she was alive.
Perry ran through the stall, looking both ways on the other side of the car wash, until he spotted them at the edge of the lot.
“Stay right there,” John ordered, gripping Kylie against his chest while walking backward, the gun in his hand pointed at Kylie’s head.
Her hair was messed up and her expression looked panicked, but otherwise she didn’t look hurt.
“Are you okay?” Perry asked her, an overwhelming sense of calm hitting him. Something told him John wouldn’t kill her. It would be murder one, and there wouldn’t be any way out of it. Perry was convinced the man was too much of a survivor for that.
“I’m fine,” she said, also sounding too calm.
“Get back in your car,” John ordered, taking the gun from Kylie’s head and pointing it at Perry.
“It’s over,” Perry told him. “Franco is under arrest. The FBI has been contacted.”
As if to back Perry, sirens approached, growing louder by the second.
“Backup is here. Put down the gun.”
“Like hell.” John pushed Kylie forward, causing her to trip and fall to the ground.
Perry lunged for her just as the shot rang through the air.
