Vibrations (33 page)

“Shut up! You’re making fun of
me,” Derrick shouted, jamming the butt of the gun into Nick’s chest. “You just
wait. You want to know where we’re going. Think about it. What do I really
want? Not your ugly ass, that’s for sure.”

Nick gasped for air from the
chest blow and wondered if he had enough strength to make one final move. He knew
what Derrick wanted and he couldn’t let that happen.

“Say it,” he screamed, spittle
shooting out as he yelled. “Tell me or I’ll blow off all your toes and make you
keep walking.”

“You want Whitney.” Nick spoke
calmly as he tried to gather some last minute reserves.

“Good job. Maybe you’re not as
dumb as you look. So since I only have you, and I want her, what should I do?”

“You’re gonna use me for bait.”

“Yup. But I don’t have to wait
for her to find us. She can probably read your mind right now. All you have to
do is call her.”

“I’m not gonna call her for
you,” Nick said hotly. Stepping back and using his whole body he swung his
elbow up into Derrick’s face.

The blow fell short as Derrick
ducked and Nick ended up on the ground. Derrick laughed and kicked his side. “Oh
yes you are, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Unable to move and unwilling to
comply, Nick was dragged by his feet the final few yards up the trail. Derrick
pulled him to his four wheeler and rolled him on to his stomach. After guzzling
down some water without offering any to Nick, he opened the duffel bag on the
back and pulled out a long length of rope. Nick watched him throw it over the
high limb on a tree and his heart sank. It looked like Derrick was getting
ready to hang him.

Derrick came back and untied
his feet, pushing him over to the tree.

“Lay down on your face.”

“Make me.” Nick wouldn’t give
this killer the satisfaction of looking as beaten as he felt.

“No problem.” Derrick smashed
the butt of the gun into Nick’s ribs and he fell to the ground. He tied the
long rope to the one around his hands and made him get back on his feet. He
pulled up on the rope until Nick’s arms were pulled up from behind and his
shoulders felt like they would pop. His right arm was on fire and his knees
started buckling under him.

“Not yet. You stay standing up.”
Derrick pointed the gun at his face and told him to stand.

“Nick. What’s happening? He’s
hurting you. Hang on, help is coming.”

Nick was praying he’d just pass
out so Whitney wouldn’t come running to help. The killer was smart enough to
know Whitney would feel his pain, but maybe not smart enough to realize how
close he was to losing consciousness.

“Is your girlfriend talking to
you tough guy?”

Nick shook his head. Derrick
slapped his face and the pain knocked him back. He almost fell, but the
pressure on his arms made him stand back up.

“Tell me the truth. I want to
talk to her. Whitney, can you hear me? If you don’t answer me soon, I’ll kill
him. Want to feel more of his pain?”

Whitney knew what he was doing
because she could hear Nick’s thoughts. “Nick. Tell him I hear him.”

“No.”

“Tell him, or he’ll kill you.”

“Let him. Just go. It’s over.”

“Thanks, but no. Tell him or
I’ll come down there. I can see you.”

“That’s what he wants. Just go,
before it’s too late.”

Derrick could see the
expressions on Nick’s face.

“She’s talking to you, isn’t
she?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Tell her I want her to
come back here, or I’ll kill you.”

“She already knows that, but
she’s not coming.”

“Tell her again. Tell her to
say something about me you wouldn’t know so I know you’re talking to her.”

There was a pause, and then
Nick answered.

“She says you’re a prick.” He
smashed Nick’s face again.

“She wouldn’t say that. Not
with your life at stake. Now tell me what she said.”

“
Nick, tell him. Tell
him he said I smelled nasty.

“She said…you told her she
smelled nasty.”

“That’s right. Your girlfriend
smelled like a toilet. Now tell her to come back here right now.”

Nick, tell him I’m coming. He
thinks I’m far away right now. It’ll give us time. Agent Hollerman is sending
help. They dropped some men by chopper and they’re heading up the mountain now.

“She said she’s coming. The boy
is sick, so she can’t bring him. She has to come all the way back now.”

“I told you she’d come to save
you. Isn’t that sweet? She can watch you die. I wonder just how nice she’ll be
to me with you hanging from that tree like that. I guess you’ll have to stay
alive a little longer. How’s that shoulder feeling?”

Derrick smashed the gun into
his shoulder and Nick’s legs gave out. He felt his shoulders ripping as he fell
toward the ground, and then the blackness took him from his nightmare.

Whitney searched through the
house again for something to use against the man that held her lover captive. She
found a couple of small kitchen knives and an ice pick. Her last search through
the bedroom closet turned up a can of pepper spray and the dart gun he had used
on her. She couldn’t find any darts, so she left it behind. She knew Nick was
passed out, and Derrick was waiting for her. She called Agent Hollerman on the
radio to make sure they were on the way.

“Roger, this is Whitney. Where
are you?”

“The men are on their way. Whitney,
we found the boy. Good job. Hang on tight. Don’t go anywhere.”

“He has Nick. I’ll keep you
informed.”

She shut off the radio before
he could answer. It was time to go. Nick was regaining consciousness and he
would be in danger again.

* * * *

Derrick had grown of waiting. “Whitney,
I know you’re close.” he yelled. “Better hurry before your boyfriend loses a
body part.”

“Nick. Tell him I’m coming.”

“Over my dead body.”

“It will be. I’m coming anyway,
so just tell him. No point in dying right before I show up.”

“She’s coming. She said she’s
close.”

“Good girl. She’s very obedient
right now, isn’t she? So tell me, how was it with you guys? Is it true what
they say about doing it with a gifted psychic? Come on, it’s just us guys right
now.”

Nick was propped up against the
tree. Derrick had released his arms from the rope. He wiggled his fingers and
toes to see how much damage was done. One of his shoulders was probably
dislocated and the other was aching from the gunshot wound. He tried to ignore
Derrick by closing his eyes and pretending to pass out again.

Nick opened his eyes when he
heard the sound of someone coming. “Please be the FBI,” he prayed.
When
he saw Whitney walk down the hill, his heart sank. He was helpless and Derrick
was crazed with anger and determination. When she walked into view, Derrick
told her to put her hands over her head. Ignoring him she rushed over and threw
herself on Nick.

“Nick. Are you okay? What’d he
do to you?” She was running her hands around his arms and back checking for
injuries. Nick felt a small metal object drop into his hands. Whitney continued
to fuss over him and he felt her open the object. It was a small knife, and she
was cutting the rope.

“Enough!” Derrick ripped her
away from Nick and jerked her to a standing position. He had a small gun in his
hand and he pressed it to Whitney’s neck as he came in for a kiss. Whitney held
herself rigid as he moved his hand over her body. She could see Nick had freed
his arms and was working on his feet. Whitney reached her arms around Derrick’s
neck and turned so that his back was facing Nick.

“That’s it baby. Show me what
you got.”

Whitney saw Nick get to his
feet, and at the same moment she lifted her knee hard into Derrick’s groin.

He let go with a scream,
dropped the gun, and fell to his knees. Whitney kicked the gun away and ran,
but she fell as Derrick grabbed the leg of her pants. Nick’s foot smashed into
Derrick’s jaw and Whitney rolled away from his reach. Derrick shoved back at
Nick and jumped to his feet again. He grabbed the gun before Nick could stop
him.

Derrick waved the gun toward
Nick and motioned for Whitney to come. He locked his arm around her neck and put
the gun to her head.

“Back to this again. This is
getting boring. I’ve lost my interest in you two. Ready to see her die, Mr.
Detective?”

Derrick was surprised when Nick
charged forward. He yelled for Nick to stop and managed to lash out with the
gun and connect with Nick’s head. Nick rolled a few feet away.

“Change of plans,” Derrick said
pointing the gun at Nick. “You go first.”

Whitney swung her arm around
and sprayed Derrick directly in the eyes with the pepper spray. His shot went
high as Nick rolled his body behind the ATV.

“Drop the gun Derrick!” a voice
yelled from the woods. Derrick dropped to his knees but didn’t drop the gun. He
was wiping at his eyes and moaning.

Teddy came out of the woods and
Whitney heaved a sigh of relief. She saw him moved cautiously to Derrick’s side
and reach to take the gun. Whitney turned to check on Nick just in time to see
him scream out Teddy’s name. She snapped her head around to see Derrick had
tackled Nick’s partner and they were wrestling for the gun.

“Stay here”, Nick said to
Whitney as he limped past.

He wasn’t fast enough because
the gun went off and Teddy stumbled backwards. The bullet hit him directly in
his chest.

“No!” Nick ran toward them as
Derrick turned, gun in both hands. Nick smashed down with his fist as he
collided with the smaller man. The gun went flying and they hit the ground
hard.

Suddenly Teddy was there
pushing Nick out of the way. He grabbed Derrick by the throat and smashed his
big fist into the prone man’s face again and again.

“I give up!” Derrick shrieked
as he tried to cover his face with his hands.

Teddy slammed his fist into his
face one more time and stood up. Derrick lay on the ground and pulled himself
into a ball.

Teddy reached behind his back,
but just as he pulled out the cuffs, Nick saw a flash of light coming from
Derrick’s direction. Nick’s hand found the gun just as the knife sliced into
Teddy’s leg. Nick fired twice and Derrick’s body want limp.

Nick and Whitney rushed over to
Teddy. Teddy pulled the knife out of his thigh and Nick applied pressure to the
wound.

“What about your chest man,”
Nick asked as he noticed there was no blood on the big man’s shirt. “I saw the
gun go off. Why aren’t you dead?”

“Lots of cushion,” Teddy
answered with a grin breaking through the pained expression he had been
wearing.

Nick opened Teddy’s shirt to
find a bulletproof vest.

“Smart boy,” he said, relief
evident in his tone.

“Even this big bear needs extra
help sometimes.”

About twenty minutes later the
rest of the rescue team came swarming into the small clearing.

“’Bout time.” Teddy groaned. “What
the hell took you so long?”

Agent Hollerman shook his head
at the complaint. “We couldn’t all go running into the woods without a plan big
man.”

Teddy’s forehead creased and
anger flashed in his eyes. “If I had waited for you these two would be dead.”

At first Hollerman didn’t
answer, and then he dipped his head in acknowledgement. “Sorry about that. We
came on the cabin and made our way down from there. You beat us by coming
around the back and walking right into them.” More members of the team came
straggling in as they talked.

The search and rescue team
carried Nick, Teddy, and Whitney up the hill on stretchers. From there they
received a bumpy ride in a Humvee to an open field where they were finally loaded
into a helicopter.

Whitney barely remembered the
rest of the trip as the fatigue had hit and she’d slept for most of it. She opened
her eyes in a hospital bed a few hours later as a nurse was patching her up.

“How you feeling honey?” The older
nurse gave her a concerned smile.

“I’ve been better. I’ve been
worse too. How are Nick and Teddy? They came in with me.” She started to sit up
but the nurse pushed her back down.

“They’re fine,” the older woman
said patting her arm. “They just took Detective Naylor out of surgery. They
removed the bullet from his leg and he’s doing fine. You just give me a minute,
and I’ll get the doctor.”

Once the nurse had finished
applying bandages to all of Whitney’s scrapes and cuts, she called for the
doctor. He told her she had a mild concussion, and needed to stay overnight for
observation. She checked on Nick that evening but he was still sleeping off the
anesthesia.

The next morning Whitney walked
into Nick and Teddy’s room to the sound of laughter. They were both in bed,
hooked up to IV’s, with a table in between them. Teddy was reaching for a box
of donuts someone had brought for him, but Nick was pulling the table out of
reach with his foot.

“That stuff’s not good for you.
You need protein to heal that leg.”

“Yeah, well all that cushion’s
why that knife couldn’t get very far. If it had hit your scrawny little butt it
would have gone straight through.”

Nick started laughing and then
let go of the table in pain. Teddy pulled it quickly back to his side and offered
Whitney a donut.

“Don’t make me laugh. Everything
hurts.” Nick groaned and smiled up at Whitney.

“Seems like you’re causing your
own problems here, detective Naylor,” she said with a serious face. His sad,
exaggerated puppy dog eyes were too effective and she laughed. “Maybe if you
stay still, and stop teasing him, you’ll get out of here a little sooner.”

She bent down to kiss him and
he gave another moan, this time of pleasure. Whitney tried to stand up, but
Nick held her close.