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"He records his kills. Makes me record them. Today, he was bringing a victim home and said he was going to do the recording." Her voice cracked several times while trying to tell him.
Riggs blinked as it set in. "He was going to make you murder someone?"
Tears streaked her cheeks. She swiped at them and nodded. "I'm going to end him," Riggs growled.
"Then go." She encouraged, to his surprise. She must have seen the shock on his face because she added. "He's a serial killer and insane. There's no humanity left in him."
Riggs pulled out his firearm and offered it to her. "You know how to use this?"
"Are you forgetting where I spent most of my life?"
He was impressed with the bit of sass he heard in her tone. "Then if he comes through that door, start shooting and don't stop until he's on the floor. Dead."
"Got it." She accepted the gun with one hand and grabbed his wrist with the other. "Please don't die."
"Not today."
"Promise?"
"I do."
"Then go."
He squeezed her hand, wishing he felt comfortable enough to embrace her. But he didn't. What she'd been through might have her shying away from physical contact unless she initiated it. He didn't want to do anything that would cause her distress, so he settled for the squeeze.
"I'll be back."
"I know."
For a split second, it floored him. There was conviction in her voice. She believed he would be okay. She had that much confidence in him. It gave him back a healthy dose of confidence he'd lost when injured.
And that was enough to send him out of the door on the trail of the man who'd brutalized the woman he loved.
As soon as he crossed the threshold, he heard it. Not everyone would have recognized the sound. Only those whose duty sometimes required inflicting pain to achieve a needed result. Riggs hurried in the direction of the sound.
It didn't take him long to find the source. A stand of trees separated the small section of woods from the clearing leading to the lake. There was Gunner, leaning back casually against a tree.
Two feet away from him was Josh. He was also backed up to a tree. Only his position was anything but casual. His left hand was stretched up high above his head. A Ka-bar pinned his hand to the tree.
Riggs cut a glance at Gunner, who shrugged. "You said he was yours. I was just rounding him up for you, boss."
Riggs might have rewarded the comment with an evil grin if it had been a regular mission. But this was no mission. This was one hundred percent personal.
He walked over to Josh. "Where's your phone?"
"Eat shit."
Riggs's expression rearranged into one that clearly communicated the insult didn't touch him. He reached over to give Josh's left arm a tug.
The resulting howl was followed by the man's body sagging, adding further weight, which caused the blade to slice more.
"Where's your phone?"
“Pah—pah—pocket,” Josh managed to stammer.
Riggs patted him down and found the phone in his back right pocket. "Passcode?" he looked down at the phone as he spoke.
When there was no response, Riggs looked up only with his eyes. "Your hand aside, you can't imagine how many ways to cause pain the military taught me. I'm guessing you don't want me to demonstrate them."