Chapter 41

Breath gusting in and out of her burning lungs, she sprinted through the trees, dodging boulders, leaping over half-buried roots, slipping on the wet, snowy ground. Her feet, clad only in thin cotton socks, were frozen, but she yelped as the sharp edge of a rock sliced her heel. A flashback of the footprints in the snow she’d seen so many months ago, blood smears marking the heel imprints, rose before her. A sob choked her throat.

She risked a glance over her shoulder and shuddered.

He was gaining on her.

Digging deep for strength, she ignored the burn in her muscles and raced across the snowy ground. She had to get away. But where to go? She was in a dense forest, miles from anywhere.

Snow-covered mountain peaks loomed overhead, and fresh snow swirled in the bitter wind and settled on the ground, concealing roots and rocks.

She stumbled and cried out. Her injured rib screamed in protest, the pain almost driving her to her knees.

“I’m coming for you, Candy Girl.”

His taunting voice chilled her to the bone, but she tamped down the paralyzing fear. She wouldn’t give up. Never. Pushing harder, pumping her legs, flying over the snowy ground, scrambling over downed trees, and tumbling down gullies.

A loud curse rent the air.

She glanced over her shoulder, and a spurt of elation flared.

Abraham lay sprawled on the snow. In the next second, he let out a roar and clambered to his feet. “Run all you want, Candy Girl.” His maniacal laughter filled the cold air. “You can’t get away. There’s nowhere to go.” He started after her again.

She couldn’t outrun him. She had to find somewhere to hide. Until what? Help wasn’t on the way. No one knew where she was. How long could she stay hidden in the frigid backwoods before hypothermia set in?

Fear eating at her insides, she ducked under a branch and raced into the forest, hoping to lose him in the trees. She swerved around a fallen tree and crawled over a deadfall, ignoring the sharp branches ripping at her clothes, gouging her skin.

His tortuous breathing, pounding feet, and angry curses grew louder.

A sob tore at her throat. She wasn’t going to make it. She’d tried her best, but her best wasn’t good enough. This was how she’d meet her end—hunted like an animal, chased to the ground. Once he caught her, he’d kill her. Not right away. He’d want her to suffer. But he would kill her. Of that she had no doubt.

A sob burst free, and tears blinded her. Her foot caught on a root, and she went down hard, landing on the icy ground with a thump. Pain spiked through her knee, and she moaned. She struggled to rise, to run, but her knee collapsed beneath her. She buried her face in her hands, not wanting to see his gloating smirk when he caught her.

This was it. The end.

“Police! Stop where you are. Now.” The sharp command rang out.

She lowered her hands and blinked. And blinked again.

Aiden stepped out of the trees and stood, his legs braced wide, a large revolver clenched in his hands and pointed at Abraham.

Abraham skidded to a stop, his wide-eyed expression of shocked surprise almost comical.

Aiden! He’d found her. A miracle had happened. Somehow, he’d tracked her down to this remote valley. The lump clogging her throat thickened, and her eyes burned.

His hold on the menacing-looking gun was steady, his steely-eyed gaze fixed on Abraham. “Hands up, asshole!”

Abraham glared, dropped the rifle, and turned. Roaring like a ferocious beast, he charged.

She screamed, and struggled to rise, but he covered the ten feet between them in seconds, grabbed her shirt collar, and yanked hard, hauling her to her feet, slamming her against his body.

His sour sweat gagged her, and she shoved against the hard wall of his chest, fighting to break free of his iron grip. His arm jammed her throat, cutting off her air.

“Let her go,” Aiden’s quiet command rent the air. He didn’t move, didn’t flinch, the gun in his hand steady.

Abraham laughed and tightened his arm. “Make me, Loverboy. That’s what they call you, isn’t it? I read all about your little mistake in Seattle.”

The pressure on her throat was agonizing. Stars burst behind her closed lids. She flailed, twisting, kicking, fighting for breath. The iron band on her throat tightened, and darkness beckoned, but she fought on, refusing to give in. The monster wouldn’t win. Not this time. She drew her right leg up and drove her heel back into his groin.

He emitted an oomph.

The second the unrelenting pressure across her throat eased, she sucked in a breath, and with a twist of her body, threw herself onto the ground, landing with a jolting thud.

A flash lit the air, followed by a deafening bang.

Abraham staggered a step, and then sagged onto the snowy ground, landing on his knees beside her. A pool of blood stained the snow beneath his thigh. He turned his head and met her gaze. “What have you done, Candy Girl? You’ve ruined everything. We haven’t closed the circle. I thought you understood.”

She swallowed bile and scrambled back from his insanity.

“I said, ‘hands up,’ asshole.” Aiden moved closer, the barrel of his gun pointed at the wounded man.

Abraham cursed, and his eyes burned hatred, but he slowly raised his arms over his head.

Aiden shot her a quick glance, and the corners of his mouth lifted in a brief, reassuring smile. Yanking Abraham’s arms behind his back, he cuffed the man's wrists and read him his rights. He nodded at her. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

“I’m fine.” Her throat burned, her body ached in a hundred different places, her knee was swollen, and the slightest movement set her ribs on fire. But she was free. She’d made it out of that cellar, and just like in the movies, the handsome hero had saved her. You bet she was all right.

A whinny sounded along with the thudding of a horse’s hooves on hard ground. A man wearing a battered cowboy hat rode into the clearing on a beautiful black horse. “I see you didn’t need my help, Detective.” His gaze switched to her, and he smiled and tipped the brim of his hat. “I gather you’re Candace.”

She nodded, trying to wrap her brain around the sight of a cowboy riding in on a horse.

The man on the horse grinned. “You must be somethin’ pretty special.” He nodded at Aiden. “This guy went through a hell of a lot of trouble to get here.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder to a small stand of trees where a gray horse was tethered to a branch. “Sally gave him quite a ride. Your man won’t be walkin’ straight for a week.”

She turned to Aiden. “You rode here on a horse?”

He rubbed his butt and winced. “I had to get here somehow.”

She opened her mouth to tell him how glad she was that he was there, but her voice was drowned out by the thundering roar of a helicopter.

The whup, whup, whup of the rotors filled the valley, resounding off the mountains.

The noise increased in intensity, and she covered her ears.

A blizzard of wet snow, pine needles, and dirt swirled as the large black helicopter settled onto the ground, rotors whirling, motor roaring.

The door opened, and six men, dressed in black combat gear and heavily armed, jumped out and swarmed Aiden and his prisoner.

Aiden stepped out of the crowd of armed men and crossed to her, a frown marring his handsome face. “You must be freezing.” Shrugging out of his suede jacket, he draped it over her shoulders. “This coat isn’t much, but it’s the best I can do right now. As soon as we get you on the helicopter, I’ll get you some blankets.”

She huddled into the jacket’s warmth and inhaled, savoring the comforting scents of leather, fresh air, and Aiden. “Thank you.” Tears stung her eyes. “Thank you for saving me.”

“You don’t have to thank me.” His eyes glistened, and his Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat. “I’m just glad we found you.” He swallowed again. “I don’t know what I—”

“Detective Farrell,” called one of the SWAT members. “We need you over here for a minute.”

Aiden leaned close and tugged the lapels of his jacket over her chest. “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back.” He turned and strode to the helicopter.

Detective Joe Breacher climbed out of the chopper. He hunched in his heavy coat, the thin strands of his gray hair whipping in the tumult of air. A smile wreathed his rugged face, and he strolled over. “Glad to see you, Professor.” He jerked his thumb at Aiden. “Loverboy was pretty worried about you. He took a risk not waiting for backup. I told him that riding a horse over that mountain in the middle of a blizzard to rescue the girl like John Wayne could end his career, but he wouldn’t listen to reason. He had to be the hero.” His smile widened. “Damn good thing he didn’t listen to me.”

She nodded, unsure how to take this new and softer version of Detective Joe Breacher.

His hooded gaze drilled into hers.

The roar of the helicopter’s throbbing engine and Abraham’s virulent protests faded into the distance, and a heavy silence settled like a blanket of snow in the air between them.

He stared off into the distance, fiddling with the buttons on his coat.

She’d hated this man for so many years, blamed him for not finding her sister, for not doing his job. But standing there in that remote mountain valley, with snow dampening his coat, his hair tangled, there was something vulnerable about him, something she’d never seen before.

He coughed and cleared his throat. “I’m real sorry about your sister. I’ve wanted to tell you that for a long time.” He shuffled his feet, digging furrows in the snow and blew out a breath. “I messed up. I should've called for backup that first day.” For the first time, he met her gaze. “I hope someday you’ll forgive me.” Sincerity shone from his faded-blue eyes.

“Thank you.” She swallowed over the lump clogging her throat. “I appreciate that.”

He nodded, coughed again, and turned to Aiden and thumped him on the back. “Well, well, well, partner. I see you pulled it off. Who would—” A frown creased his forehead. “What the hell?” He moved closer to the cuffed prisoner. “Abe? Is that you?”

Candace stood frozen, a spectator to the unfolding scene, her injuries forgotten in the rising tension.

Abraham, fighting his restraints and mouthing obscenities, ignored the detective.

“I asked you a question.” Joe’s voice rang with authority.

“What’s going on, Joe? Aiden asked. “Do you know this guy?”

Detective Breacher smoothed the palm of his hand over his windblown hair. “I sure as hell do.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe this.” He turned to Aiden. “He’s our perp? You’re sure?”

Aiden nodded.

“So that’s how Isaiah knew about the raid on the farmhouse.” Joe lunged at the prisoner and grabbed his collar. “You jerk! You told him, didn’t you? You told Isaiah we were coming for him.”

Abraham cackled. “You never were the sharpest knife in the drawer, were you, Joe? All these years, and you’re just figuring it out.” His laugh was cut off when the burly detective plowed his fist into his smirking face.

Candace bit back a gasp.

Breacher’s face turned purple as he let loose more blows.

Blood spurted from Abraham’s nose and mouth, dripping red onto the snow.

“What the hell?” Aiden grabbed Breacher’s arm and hauled him back. “Joe, stop! Don’t do this. He’s not worth it.”

Chest heaving, sweat glistening on his brow, Breacher shoved off Aiden’s grip. He adjusted his coat but stayed where he was.

The SWAT members dragged a bruised and bloodied Abraham into the helicopter.

“What was that all about, Joe?” Aiden asked, his eyes flashing fire.

Candace limped closer. “What’s going on, Detective Breacher?”

The detective wiped his brow. “I know that guy. He used to work at the Precinct in the mailroom. He was a kid then, eighteen years old at the most, but I remember him. He had a smart-ass comment for everything.” His breath gusted out in a white plume.

“He was the one who warned Isaiah about the raid.” Another wheezing breath. “I always suspected someone in the precinct told him, and that’s why Isaiah was able to skip out with your sister mere hours before the cops raided that farmhouse.”

She reeled back, wincing at the pain in her sore knee. “Abraham worked at the police station?”

Detective Breacher nodded. “He did until he got fired for leaking confidential information to the press.”

“So, he knew about the planned raid to rescue the Forgotten Five?” she asked.

He nodded again.

She struggled to wrap her mind around his astounding revelation. Abraham was the reason her sister wasn’t rescued with the other victims. His father was the one who killed Charlene, but Abraham was just as responsible, just as guilty. A primal rage filled her, searing her body, flaming out of control. Hot tears scalded her eyes. Her legs wobbled and she stumbled.

“Hey.” Aiden grabbed her and enfolded her in his arms, holding her close, pressing her head against his chest. “It’s over. We got him, Candace. We got him.”

And just like that, the wave of hatred abated, and she breathed deep, inhaling the cold mountain air and Aiden’s familiar masculine scent, listening to the steady thumping of his heart. She pulled back, sniffled, and met his gaze. Her heart flip-flopped, and comforting warmth spread throughout her body. “We did, didn’t we? We got the monster.”