Page 54

Noelle had just strapped on a ballistics vest outside the BearCat when she heard the first gunshot come from the house.

Her hands stilled in shock.

I’m too late.

The commander was at her side, holding a spare helmet with a mic and headphones, which he had been about to hand her. “Report!” he shouted into his mic.

Noelle took the helmet and thrust it on in time to hear two voices say they couldn’t see what had happened inside the home.

“Adam is calling,” came Squires’s voice through Noelle’s headphones.

The commander’s hard gaze met Noelle’s. He signaled to his team in the BearCat, and they all exited the vehicle.

“Adam, what just happened?” Hillyer asked, his voice clear inside her helmet. “We heard a gunshot.”

“Noelle is late,” said Adam with fury in his tone. “Now she’s got five minutes until I shoot another. Oh. And if I see a weapon with her, she’s dead on sight.”

“He hung up,” reported Hillyer.

“I need to go,” said Noelle, fighting to keep her voice even. “Call him back. Tell him I’m on my way.”

Who did he kill? The brother-in-law? One of Katie’s sisters?

“It was quiet in the background of the call,” Hillyer pointed out. “And he didn’t say he killed anyone. Possibly there is a bluff going on.”

“ Tell him what I said. ” Noelle handed her pistol to the commander, who reluctantly accepted it.

“Blue-six. Has there been any movement with the blinds at the front of the house?” asked the commander into his mic.

“Blue-six. Negative. I have a clear view of the front.”

“We’re going to escort you,” the commander told Noelle.

“No,” said Noelle. “If he looks out the front windows, it’ll be to check on my progress.

Since he said no weapons on me, he won’t be happy to see your officers, and he’ll kill every person inside.

” She looked down the snowy driveway, the house out of sight.

“I’ll keep my mic on, so that you’ll know what’s going on.

Wait until I’m in the family room, and I’ll try to get him talking in there,” she suggested. “Move in then.”

The commander considered her for a long second and then pushed her mic up, nearly tucking it under her helmet. “Say something.”

“Something.”

“We can still hear you. I’m hoping he doesn’t realize your helmet has a mic and speakers.” He handed her a shield. “Good luck.”

Noelle hefted the heavy SWAT shield and started down the driveway.

“Noelle!”

She looked back.

Max had stepped out of the RV, and he held her gaze for a long moment. “Give him hell,” he said.

Her lips trembled into a half smile, and then she continued her journey.

I can’t look back again.

The home came into sight as Noelle rounded a curve of the driveway. It was as described. White farmhouse. No cover of any sort near it. The scene was quiet and calm. A winter wonderland. It didn’t look like a place where an execution had just occurred.

Again she wondered whom Adam had chosen to shoot. Her stomach churned as she wondered fearfully what kind of disaster she would encounter inside.

She studied the barn to the west of the home, unable to see any hint that Blue-six was there with his sniper rifle.

But she did spot two trails coming from the east where the snow had been broken. The trails led to the house. Her heart lifted with hope.

Two people.

Lucia must have made it this far.

But Noelle had no idea what had happened next to her sister. Adam had given no clue as to Lucia’s status.

“Blue-six. I have eyes on Marshall,” said the sniper through her headphones.

He’s got my back.

A small sense of relief touched her. The sniper could watch the front of the house for any movement until she went through the front door. Then she was on her own.

Maybe Adam will show himself before I get there.

Adam had proved beyond a doubt that he was willing to kill. The sniper had been given permission to take a shot to stop the threat that Adam presented to his hostages and the officers. Noelle felt for Blue-six. He would have to make a life-or-death decision in a split second.

The sniper wouldn’t shoot to wound. Adam would still be a danger to everyone with a gunshot in his leg or arm. Being knocked down wouldn’t take away his ability to fire a gun over and over.

Noelle continued her progress toward the home. One snowy step after another. Her situation felt surreal. The sky was bright blue, and a cheerful sun peeked over the trees far beyond the home.

I might be walking to my death.

Her legs shook, and she strode more forcefully, trying to ignore the ache in her arm from the heavy shield. This was not the time to let her fear dictate. She thought of her grandfather, and she knew he would be proud of her. She’d built her ethics and integrity on his examples.

He would make the same decision I did today.

Ahead she saw a flicker at the blinds. “The blinds moved,” she said.

“Blue-six, copy.”

She’d known Adam would watch for her. The family was most likely too scared to move since he’d shot one of them, and that would give him confidence. Maybe too much confidence.

She lifted her arms away from her body, her shield arm not even coming close to the height to which she could raise the other arm, and continued to move toward the house. “Adam, I’m not armed!”

She reported, “The blinds moved again.”

“Blue-six, copy.”

Noelle reached the steps, which led to a traditional farmhouse front porch, and stopped. She paused, scanning the windows. “Adam, do you want to open the door?” she asked loudly.

A second later it was opened by a young woman with a strong resemblance to Katie. Her stance was stiff, her countenance full of terror. Several feet behind her, Noelle saw someone move in the shadows.

He made her open the door while he stays back.

“Are you Kendall or Kristine?” Noelle asked.

“Kendall.”

“Katie is safe,” Noelle whispered to her, and Kendall’s face brightened.

“Get your ass up the stairs!” Adam shouted from far back in the room.

The relief in Kendall’s eyes vanished at the shout, and she took a jerky step backward.

Noelle slowly moved up the stairs, her steps heavy. “He’s too far inside,” she said softly for the SWAT team.

“Blue-six, copy.”

“Leave that thing outside,” ordered Adam.

Noelle set down the shield on the porch.

“Place your hands on your head and walk in backwards.”

She turned and gazed out over the smooth blanket of snow broken by only her footsteps and the two other trails that led to the house.

Her hands on her helmet, she inched backward into the home until Kendall could close the door.

She turned the lock with a loud clack and faced Noelle.

In the dim light, she noticed Kendall’s eyes were red and puffy.

“Blue-six. Marshall is in the house. No eyes.” The voice was quiet in her headphones, but she worried Adam would hear it.

“On your knees,” said Adam.

Noelle knelt, and he used one hand to thoroughly search under her ballistics vest and everywhere else for weapons.

“Get that helmet off.”

Noelle’s hands shook as she fiddled with the strap under her chin, knowing she was losing her one connection to the outside world.

“Hurry up!”

“Hang on. I can’t see the latch under my chin,” she stated, hoping the team would cut all sound to her speakers but leave on her audio. The fastener clicked open, and Adam yanked it from her head.

“Get up. Lead her back,” he told Kendall.

The young woman passed by Noelle, who turned to follow her, getting her first sight of Adam, who pointed a gun her way. He kept his distance, her helmet in his other hand. “Why are you doing this, Adam?”

“Shut up.” He hung back and then followed.

Kendall led her down the hallway to the family room. All the blinds were drawn, and the other three members of the family were on the sofa. All were gagged and their hands tied.

No one is shot.

What about Lucia?

“ Where’s Lucia? ” Her voice cracked.

“I’m right here.”

Noelle spun around to see her youngest sister calmly standing in the kitchen with a can of Diet Coke in her hand. No gag. No bound limbs.

She’s okay. But . . .

“Lucia,” Noelle said, trying to steady her voice. “I don’t understand. What’s going on?”

Her sister looked at Adam, who said nothing. He tossed Noelle’s helmet onto the floor in the kitchen like it was garbage. “Get rid of that,” he told Lucia.

“Why is everyone else gagged and sitting on the sofa?” Noelle quickly asked, hoping the mic on the helmet picked up her voice. “Did they talk too much for you?”

“ You talk too much. Gag her and tie her.” He motioned at Kendall.

Lucia eyed the helmet on the floor and then picked it up and stared at it in her hands. Then she smoothly deposited it in the garbage can under the kitchen sink as if she tossed junk in there every day.

Can the team still hear me?

Something caught Noelle’s eye. She looked up and realized that Adam had fired a round into the ceiling, leaving a neat hole. The threats had been a bluff; Hillyer had been right.

Adam wanted me inside. Why?

“You didn’t shoot anyone,” Noelle stated.

“Nope.” Adam grinned. “But the day’s not over yet.”

Kendall approached her with a short length of narrow twine in her shaking hands. “Can you turn around?”

Noelle ignored her. “Last night in my house, you were petrified of Adam,” she said to Lucia. “He shot Savannah right in front of you. Why the fuck are you listening to him now?” Her sister didn’t answer. She slowly took a sip of her drink as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

Her eyes aren’t focused.

Yesterday Lucia had been highly agitated and unable to hold still, her eyes full of terror about what Adam might do in Noelle’s kitchen. But today ...

She’s drugged.

“I said tie her up!” yelled Adam.

“Please,” Kendall begged with tears in her eyes. “Help me do what he says.”

“Fuck him,” said Noelle. “What did you give Lucia?” she asked Adam as she took several steps toward her sister, studying her intently.

“No closer!” shouted Adam. He lunged forward, his gun leading.

Noelle halted, lifting her hands to show she was done, but never took her gaze from her sister. Lucia gave her a weak smile and blinked several times as she tried to focus.

“I gave her what she wanted,” said Adam. “What she’s always wanted from me.”

Does he mean . . . ?

Noelle examined her sister and let her mind roll through the hundreds of times Lucia had been anxious or deep in depression.

The days when she’d talk a million miles a minute and the days when she was silent and couldn’t get out of bed.

How Adam had always been so concerned about Lucia’s emotional and physical state.

Lucia had always lived near Adam.

Noelle suddenly knew.

He’s been giving her drugs for years. He wasn’t concerned. He was simply watching what the drugs did to her.

“I see you figured it out,” said Adam. “And you call yourself a detective.”

Noelle recalled how he’d asked in the past if she needed “a boost.” And he’d asked more than once.

“You couldn’t see what was going on under your own nose,” continued Adam. “In your own family. Even in your own house.”

There weren’t drugs in my house.

Noelle sucked in a breath.

White powder on his car seat.

Derrick’s volatility.

Her husband had been up and down the last year of their marriage. Derrick would make love to her, telling her how much she meant to him, and then another day tear her down with his words, call her names, and grab her arm in anger. Over a matter of months, she’d grown deathly scared of him.

Suddenly she saw the truth.

Adam was supplying Derrick with meth.

He was high the day he died.

Noelle looked at Adam, standing next to a sofa full of tied-up strangers. He wore an odd smile as he watched her, and she ached to wipe the smug look off his face.

“It looks like you’re thinking hard about something, Noelle,” Adam said in a playful tone. “I wonder what that could possibly be.”

I’m finally remembering that day.

In her gut, she knew that truth was breaking through.

Suddenly a crash of shattering glass sounded from the front of the Amidons’ home, and then something hit the floor behind her. The room abruptly exploded with sound and light and smoke. Noelle dived forward and took Lucia to the floor in the kitchen, covering her with her body.

Flash-bang!

Shouts and stomping boots came from the front of the house, and more glass shattered as the family room slider burst. Muffled screams sounded from the Amidons.

“Gun! Gun! Gun!”

A single shot sounded, and a deafening rush of shots followed it immediately.

Noelle pressed Lucia into the floor. “It’s okay. It’s okay,” she repeated over and over into her sister’s hair, knowing what the mass of rapid shots meant.

“He’s down!”

“Check him and cuff him!”

“Got him! Clear the house.”

Her heart pounding out of her chest, Noelle rolled off Lucia and faced the family room.

Adam was crumpled on the floor, part of his skull missing.

Blood spatter covered the wall where he’d been standing, and SWAT frantically worked over him, applying medical aid, but Noelle could tell there was no point. Adam was dead.

The Amidons had slid off the couch and to the floor, crying and leaning on each other as SWAT members tried to calm them and cut their bonds.

“Noelle?” Suddenly Max crouched in front of her, wearing a helmet and vest. “Are you hurt?”

“No.” She couldn’t say more, overcome with a dozen different emotions at the sight of the concern and relief in his eyes.

I’m so glad to see him.

Lucia had sat up and was staring in confusion at the brown puddle spreading from her Diet Coke can.

“It’s over,” said Max as he touched Noelle’s hand. “Adam won’t hurt anyone again.”

“I know.” But she was watching Lucia.

Part of this isn’t over.