Lose Your Breath (Detectives Kane and Alton)

He took Annie’s hand and led her outside. “It doesn’t look good. Stay close and walk in my footprints. Don’t remove your gloves. Keep looking around. We’ll be exposed outside for anyone hiding in the woods or barn. Josie must be here somewhere. It looks like she put up one hell of a fight and could be hiding in the barn.” He led the way around the outside of the house. “Her phone is smashed, so she couldn’t call for help.”

“What was that?” Annie pressed closer.

Dave froze on the spot. A slow moaning sound followed by a thud came from close by. “Get behind me, close to the wall.”

Scanning the building, searching back and forth, he stiffened when the sound came again. Grind. Scrape, Thunk.

“Where is it coming from?” Annie looked at him wide-eyed, her teeth chattering from the cold.

Dave dropped his voice to just above a whisper. “The house. Move slowly. Try not to make a sound.”

They edged along the wall.

Grind. Scrape. Thunk.

He peeked around the corner and looked up. A window shutter was blowing in the wind, slowly opening before banging shut again. He looked at her. “It’s just a shutter. Come on, we’ll check the barn.”

“Shouldn’t we wait for the cops?” Annie tugged at his hand. “What if someone is still here?” She looked up at him and shook her head. “Okay, I know. One or ten, you’ll deal with them, but you’re not wearing Kevlar right now, so be careful, okay?”

Dave squeezed her hand. “Careful is my middle name.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Scanning all around the house with every step through the deep snow, Dave moved slowly, keeping close to the outside of the house. The old barn would be the best place for Josie to hide. The root cellar had stored many things, including his grandfather’s homemade wine collection and his grandmother’s preserves. He remembered the smell of the sacks of potatoes on pallets against the wall and the skins falling down from the big brown onions hanging in strings from the rafters. As the building came into view, memories of visiting on holiday weekends filtered into his mind. It was usually his job to go down into the cellar to retrieve any items his grandparents needed. Usually, a bottle of wine for dinner, or a quantity of potatoes. The place gave him the creeps. Even on a sunny day, the old barn creaked and moaned with the slightest puff of wind, and going into the root cellar and down the steps in the dark was an absolute nightmare.

Although he’d never admitted it to his parents, just walking into the barn set his nerves on edge, as if his early gut feeling was issuing a warning to run for the hills. At eight years old, he had to jump to reach the cord attached to the light at the bottom of the steps, which meant walking into pitch black. The normal number of critters lived down there and scattered away from the light. Cobwebs seemed to grow like ivy and hung down all over. It never ceased to amaze him how, even as he’d grown, the idea of walking into that particular cellar spooked him. Now for once he had a reason.

After looking all around, they dashed across the space between the house and barn, stopping at the entrance with their backs against the wall. Dave turkey-peeked inside and the hairs on the back of his neck rose at the sight of the open cellar door hatch. It was always closed unless someone was down there. Although, it could be bolted on the inside. A precaution, he figured if used as a storm shelter. If Josie had hidden there, she would have slid the bolt across to protect herself. He scanned the loft and bent down to peer under the old tractor, but apart from the wind and snow blowing inside, there was no movement.

“How long will it take for the cops to arrive?” Annie squeezed his fingers.

Dave led her inside the barn. “Maybe half an hour, maybe more. The station is miles away and, with the snow and all, it will take some time.” He stared at the open cellar hatch and back to Annie. “Get behind the tractor and keep watch. I’ll go into the cellar.” Unable to contemplate what he might find down there, he stared into her eyes. “I’ll need you to watch

my back.”

“Okay.” Annie moved into position. “Go, I’ll be fine.”

Dave pulled out his phone and accessed the flashlight. He moved toward the cellar, noting the small spatter of blood droplets on the cement floor. As he reached the hatch, he could plainly see someone had forced it open. A crowbar lay discarded close by. He shone the light down the steps and into the gaping black maw. All his old childhood fears ran at him like ghouls in the night determined to swallow him up with dread. He squared his shoulders. He’d faced death so many times, been confronted by impossible situations, and killed on command without fear clouding his judgement. He drew in a few deep breaths, watching the stream of steam from his mouth on the exhale, and dropped into the zone. His pounding heart slowed and everything came into sharp focus. This was his safe place, nothing bothered him, no emotions disturbed his thoughts. His control and resolve were unbreakable.

He pressed his com and started the video recorder on his phone. Dropping his voice to a whisper, he explained the situation to Terabyte and then started down the steps, avoiding the drips of blood. In one hand he held his Glock, in the other his phone. The string for the light came into view. It hung dirty and limp, covered in cobwebs. He tugged it and a dusty old light bulb flickered and went out. As he ducked under a low beam at the entrance, the stench of death slammed into him. Moving the light with slow deliberation he searched the floor and the light reflected in a large pool of blood. He gritted his teeth and moved closer as the legs of a body came into view. It was Josie, he recognized her snakeskin boots and froze midstride. His light moved over the spill of blonde hair, matted with crimson. There was so much blood. Her beautiful eyes had fixed in a death stare. Her face so pale and lips blue she was hardly recognizable as the vibrant woman he knew and loved. His defenses slid away and with his emotions naked, grief made him stagger. He slumped against the wall, unable to rationalize what had happened.

Minutes ticked by. The chilled air brushed his cheek, cooling the hot tears that he’d shed without noticing. A remoteness engulfed him in an out-of-body experience. As if he were seeing everything through a stranger’s eyes. He couldn’t be here, witnessing his sister’s murder scene. Fate couldn’t do that to him, could it? He reached for the zone again. Being out of control wasn’t an option. He gave himself a mental shake and held the phone steady, recording the scene as if Josie were a stranger. After holstering his weapon, he touched his com. “Terabyte, do you copy?”

“Copy.”

Dave straightened. He had to push his emotions to one side and, as first on scene, had to make a coherent detailed report. “I’ve found her. She’s dead. Her throat’s cut, multiple stab wounds. There are footprints all over and one of the kitchen knives from the house is on scene. I’ll send you the video file now.” He sent the file.

“Get out of there now. That’s an order. I’ll contact the cops again and tell them what’s happened. Where’s Annie? She’s your priority now. The killer could still be on scene.”

Dave moved the phone all around shedding light in every corner. “There’s no one here and she’s armed. I’m collecting evidence. This is a homicide.”

“Snap out of it and do as I say. You’re walking out of there right now.” Terabyte raised his voice. “You can’t be involved in the investigation. Turn around, go back, and protect Annie. Do it now.”

“On my way.” Dave stepped around the blood. He crouched down beside Josie and allowed his feelings to come back in a landslide of grief. He touched her ice-cold skin and closed her eyes. “I’ll find out who did this to you, Sis, and make them pay.” He stood and, with care not to contaminate the scene, walked out of the cellar forever.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Washington, DC