“The game is coming to a close, and I am most definitely ahead. You must be sharper than you’ve ever been. Your lover’s life depends on your ability to find your way past the great sea god. Because if you don’t, if I am successful in my next venture, I will be forced to slit her slender throat.”
Delta felt Connie’s body stiffen at his words. “He’s a dead man. I swear to God, if it’s the last thing I ever do . . .”
“You have less than twenty-four hours to deduce the next level of play. Even if you do get beyond the Poseidon level, you must face the Laestrygonians, and you know what they’re famous for. Anyway, I do wish you luck as we round the bell lap, as it were. Which door is the tiger, Consuela? Choose wrongly, and you can kiss your sweetheart goodbye. Her life rests on your ability to out- think me. Thus far, you haven’t been too successful in that endeavor. Oh, I’ll admit you’ve come close, but close only counts in hand grenades and horseshoes. Isn’t that what one of your precious college boys used to always say to me after we got our exams back? Perhaps with higher stakes, you can find your way to success. Until the day we meet again,
adios, amiga
.”
Connie, Delta, Leonard, and the two other officers manning the monitors stared at the tape until it came to a stop. There were more emotions than atoms in the air, as each weighed the level of their own feelings and fought the silent battle within their spirit. For a long time, no one said a word. It was as if they were waiting for more—waiting for someone to tell them this was just a sick joke. Waiting for this miserable game to come to an end.
When the tape recorder finally clicked off, Connie swiped it up, dropped it in her pocket and turned for the door.
“Con, what are you doing?”
“You heard him. Twenty-four hours. There isn’t a second to spare.”
Reaching out and grabbing her just before she hit the steps, Delta pulled her back to the van, painfully feeling the pull of her stitches as she did.
Connie’s eyes had pinheads for pupils. “He’s fucked with me long enough. If it’s a showdown he wants, then that’s what he’s gonna get. And whether he touches her or not, I will track him to the depths of hell to take him out myself. If I have to, I’ll spend the rest of forever after that son-of-a-bitch.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Good. Then let’s get the hell out of here. Time is everything to us now.” As Connie stepped out of the van, Leonard opened his mouth to say something but stopped when Delta shook her head at him.
“Don’t.”
“She’s not running on all four engines,” he said quietly.
“Don’t underestimate her, Leonard,” Delta replied, stepping gingerly out of the van and taking the cane he handed down to her.
“She’s not thinking clearly.”
“No shit. Look, her lover’s life is in danger. She won’t do anything to risk that life and neither will you. You want something to do? Get one of your pals over to Gina’s work,” Delta paused to scribble the address and phone number down, “and see if anyone saw anything that can help us.”
“I don’t need you telling me how to do my job,” Leonard said, snatching the piece of paper up. “I want him just as much as you do.”
“If that’s true, then you’ll work with us, Leonard, no matter how bizarre our directions to you may seem. You either help, or get out of the way.” Delta turned around and took one step back into the van. “And I mean it. With us, or out of the way. Those are your choices. don’t mess with us, Leonard.”
“Taking this into your own hands will cost you your badge, Stevie. You know that, don’t you?”
“If I let assholes like Elson terrorize the people I love, then I don’t deserve the badge.”
“Have it your way, but I guarantee you’re on thin ice, and I can hear it cracking.”
“Yeah, well, if I hear anything, then it’s time to worry. In the meantime, I’ll be at Connie’s. Let me know if you get anything.” Delta stepped out of the van and grabbed her cane.
“Stevie?”
Delta turned.
“I really am sorry. I wish it didn’t have to be this way. You’re risking a lot goin’after this guy on your own.”
“There’s no other choice.” Delta hesitated a second before continuing. “You gonna report this?”
“You know I have to. But I don’t see why the Captain needs to know all the perticulers, if you get my meaning.”
Delta smiled. Leonard had a heart after all. “Thanks, Russ. I owe you one.”
“One? Try again, Stevie.”
“Okay, I owe you, period. Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me. I haven’t done anything. You’ve got twenty-four hours, Stevie. After that, I’m going to have to pull rank.”
Delta nodded. “After that, I won’t give a shit what happens, if Gina isn’t home with us.”
Leonard nodded. “Good luck, Stevie. I’ll keep in touch if my guys come up with anything.”
“Great.” Limping toward the car where Connie waited, Delta felt the chills roll up her arms and down her legs.
He had one of them.
He picked her up in broad daylight and carried her away. If he had done this to Gina, what was to prevent him from snatch—
“Get in!” Connie yelled, gunning the engine. “We’ve got to see if Megan’s all right!”
Jumping in the van, Delta grabbed her throbbing leg as she pulled the door closed. “You don’t think—”
“I think he’s a crazy motherfucker, and there’s no telling what he’s up to.”
Closing her eyes, Delta tried to get a feel for Elson. What would he do? Where would he go? In his need to show them up, what was his checkmate move?
Opening her eyes, panic ripped through Delta’s chest, spearing her heart with a fear she’d never felt before.
“Blow the lights, Con. He’s going after Megan, too.”
Before the car could come to a complete stop, Delta threw the cane out the door and jumped to the ground. Ignoring the searing pain shooting up her leg to the seat of her temples, Delta was in the elevator even before Connie had parked the van.
“Use the emergency override,” Connie said, running into the elevator just before the doors closed.
Wiping the sweat off her palms and from the back of her neck, Delta turned to look at Connie, who stood like an Indian in front of a nickel-and-dime store—arms crossed, legs shoulder-width apart, face frowning in anger. How much longer could Connie withstand the pressure? When would she blow? Returning her attention to her own fears and anxieties, Delta feared she might be in the same position as Connie now was.
Just how long would she, herself, be able to withstand the anger and fear of knowing Megan was being held hostage by Elson?
Delta shuddered at the thought.
She had nearly lost Megan once. She couldn’t bear going through that again.
Or could she?
Finally, when the ding of the elevator sounded, Delta pushed open the slowly moving doors and started down the hall.
“If he’s here . . .” Delta said, trying to formulate some kind of a game plan should they encounter Elson.
“He’s mine, Storm. You leave him to me.” Connie’s words were hard and without emotion.
“Keep him alive, Connie. You keep him alive until we have Gina back, you hear me? She could be anywhere, and we need to know where before you go and whack him.” Delta started to put her key in the lock, but the door suddenly creaked open.
“Back!” Delta whispered, dropping to her knees and pulling her gun out in one swift motion. “Stay here.” Slowly pushing the door open, Delta let her .357 Magnum lead the way.
The entry hall was dark, but dusk still filtered in through the living room window, casting an eerie, iridescent light on the dim pallor of the room.
As she rounded the corner, Delta felt movement behind her and reached back to feel Connie’s slender leg. As usual, Connie didn’t do as she was told and, instead, joined Delta in the near-dark apartment.
Once in the living room, Delta’s eyes rapidly searched for any clues or signs that whoever left the door open might still be there.
There was nothing.
Listening to her instinct, Delta knew they were alone in the apartment. She did not fear Elson’s presence, nor did she sense anyone else. Delta and Connie searched the entire apartment, from the closets to the deck, and still, they found no one. Reholstering her gun, Delta sat on the couch and rubbed her pounding temples.
“We’re too late.” Picking up the phone, Delta called the college bookstore at the university. If Megan wasn’t there, Delta didn’t know what she was going to do.
“This is Officer Stevens from the River Valley Police Department. Is Megan Osbourne in?”
“Let me check.”
As Delta waited, she impatiently drummed her fingers on the counter.
“No, Officer, she hasn’t come in. Does this have to do with the gentleman that came by to see her earlier?”
Delta’s heart raced. “A man came by to see Megan?”
“Yes. He said he had some news about her lost cat and wanted to see her right away. I thought—
“If Megan does come in, would you please tell her that something very important has come up and that she must stay at work until I come to get her. If anyone comes to see her, tell her not to leave under any circumstance. Do you understand?”
“Yes, but, oh, wait a minute, Officer. There’s a note here that says she’s called in sick for the day. Said it was a family emergency.”
“Thank you. Please be sure to give her the message for me.” Hanging up the phone, Delta turned to find Connie gazing out the window. “She called in sick. I’m going to try your place.” Dialing Connie’s phone number, Delta caught her breath when she heard a busy signal. “It’s busy. Let’s go.” Writing Megan a quick note telling her to call the moment she walked through the door, Delta walked over and hugged Connie. “We’ll find her. You have to believe that.”
“I know.”
Delta pulled away and locked eyes with Connie. She could tell by the look in Connie’s eyes that she was losing it. “Don’t you dare give up on her. Or me. I’ve never let you down, have I, Chief?”
Connie shook her head. “No.”
“And I won’t now. We haven’t even begun to fight yet, Con.”
“Fighting is something we know how to do. Getting a step ahead of that bastard is another story. I can’t believe I didn’t see it coming. How could I have been so stupid? You know, the sad part is, he’s right. My arrogance led to—”
“Shut up, Connie. I won’t stand here and listen to this shit. Right now, our women’s lives are at stake. We don’t have time to stand here berating ourselves for it. So pull yourself together.” Delta watched as her words changed the beaten look Connie had in her eyes to a look of determination.
“You’re right, Storm. We’ve got two things to do tonight: find Megan and Gina and kill Elson.”
Delta headed for the door. “Then let’s do it.”
After speeding through town and blowing every red light, they came screeching to a halt in front of Connie’s house. Parked out front were Megan’s car and a metallic blue Porsche, which Delta didn’t recognize.
“You know that car?” Delta asked Connie.
“Nope. And it would be just like Elson to drive up in a Porsche.”
Drawing her gun again, Delta waited for Connie to unlock the back door. Without a second’s hesitation, Delta slammed through the door and pointed her automatic at a tall gentleman wearing a tan smoking jacket. He was sitting opposite Megan, who was wearing a mixed look of surprise and outrage.
“What in the hell are you doing?” Megan asked, staring at Delta. “God, you’re here.” Striding over to Megan, Delta reached out and pulled Megan to her feet and held her tightly.
“Well, of course I’m here.” Wrenching herself free of Delta’s vice hug, Megan blushed. “Excuse me, Dr. Rosenbaum, but we’re usually not this demonstrative in front of people. You’ll have to excuse my over-zealous girlfriend.”
Turning toward the professor, Delta put her weapon away before shaking his hand. “Dr. Rosenbaum? The professor?” Dr. Rosenbaum smiled and shook Delta’s hand. “And you must be Delta.”
Delta nodded and introduced Connie. “Please forgive us for the, uh, unconventional entrance. We thought maybe . . . well . . . we just weren’t sure . . .”
“What she’s trying to say, professor,” Connie offered, “is that we were worried something had happened to Megan.”
Megan set her pen down. “Why didn’t you just call?”
“We did. The line was busy and . . .”
Megan looked intently at Connie. “What’s happened? Connie, what’s the matter?”
Delta blew out a heavy sigh. “Elson has Gina.”
“What?” Megan sat back down, visibly shaken.
Delta sat on the couch next to her. “He took her from work. We thought—”
“That he had me?”
Delta nodded. “Your apartment was unlocked. He tried to get you at work, but you changed your schedule.”
Megan stared at her hands. “I called in sick. I wanted to get Dr. Rosenbaum’s help just in case the racetrack thing didn’t work. I take it that it didn’t.” Fanning herself, Megan got up and got herself and glass of water.
“He probably stopped by here to get you, but Dr. Rosenbaum’s car must have discouraged him from trying it.” “Well, I’m glad I could be of some assistance,” Dr. Rosenbaum said.