Kate’s piercing scream had shifted his focus. He took aim at her, determined to destroy her heart as she’d destroyed his. He fired, but she’d pivoted. The bullet had sliced her leg. When she dropped, he fired again, but this time he was more nervous and his hand shook. The bullet cut across her face. Blood gushed, and he’d thought he’d killed her.
He ran. Though when he stopped to catch his breath nearly a mile away from the scene and slid into his father’s car, his body was alive with fear and a triumphant rush he’d never experienced.
He’d never expected to be so excited or to enjoy the thrill of the kill.
Later, after his arrest, he learned she was alive and that he had failed. In the courtroom, she’d been very precise when she testified against him. Mitchell had railed his frustration at the sentencing hearing, but Kate hadn’t spoken a word.
Over the last seventeen years, he’d followed her work after she joined the FBI. She kept a low profile, but he paid close attention and made it a point to track her development. What case she was solving. Though he wanted to hate her, he took pride in her wins. She rose through the ranks and was one of the best agents in the country. She liked to chase killers, so he’d decided to become the ultimate killer.
He watched as she dressed in her blue slacks and white shirt. He liked the way the fabric clung to her breasts. But the pants and matching jacket were too dark and heavy for her small frame. When the time came, he would ask her to dress differently.
She paced the room. His call had upset her. Made her restless. She wanted to go for a run, but wouldn’t dare in the dark.
He traced the outline of her body on the screen and smiled. “Come and get me, Katie. Find me. You know you want me.”
She studied every corner of the room as if searching. For an instant, she stared toward the window. She thought someone was looking through the window, never realizing the camera and microphone were hidden in the grate.
Those pale-blue eyes cut into him. And he recoiled before he reminded himself she couldn’t see him.
She thought she was smarter than he was, but she underestimated him. That would be the first lesson she would learn from him.
“Are you worthy of what I’ve planned for you, Katie? Are you up for the challenge? I hope you are, because I want a good fight before I checkmate you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
San Antonio, Texas
Thursday, November 30, 6:00 a.m.
When Kate moved from her room down the center hallway of her mother’s home, she was careful to be very quiet. Her mother had never been an early riser, and she didn’t want to wake her. Avoiding the part of the floor that always creaked, she went into the kitchen. Opening cabinets, she was comforted to know her mother still kept everything where she remembered it. Retrieving the bag of coffee that had always been her father’s favorite, she made a strong pot and toasted a bagel. She selected a mug that said “Texas”—it had been hers in high school.
Sitting in silence, she ate as she checked her phone for any updates from Agent Nevada. No new texts. Not good. Drexler remained on the loose. With an altered appearance, he might easily slip through the cracks. Nevada had theorized he was headed toward Texas, but Drexler could be in Arizona and over the Mexican border or have turned north to make his way to Canada. Once out of the country, he could vanish into the wind.
She curled her fingers around her bracelet. She traced the W and the faded paint. She’d promised Sara he would not escape. And she never reneged on a promise.
She rinsed off her plate and set it in the sink, then took one last swig of coffee before pouring the remains down the drain. Using paper from her notebook, she wrote a note to her mother. She took extra care with her handwriting, wanting her mother to see without realizing it that she had it all under control. Nothing was further from the truth. But she was good at pretending.
She checked her watch. There was time to drive by Rebecca Kendrick’s place of employment and see if there was anything the officers had missed before Mazur arrived. Chances were there wasn’t, but she couldn’t breathe in this house. Couldn’t think.
As she closed the front door behind her, a dark SUV pulled up in front of the house. She hesitated, reaching for the gun clipped to her waistband.
When the man rose to his full six foot four inches and stepped out of the shadows, she recognized Mazur. He locked his car with his key fob and moved toward her. He was dressed in khakis, a white shirt, and dark tie.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Your brother, Mitchell, called me.”
“Why?”
“He said you might get up early and do something stupid like go for a run.” His gaze swept over her. “Or maybe return to a crime scene alone.”
“How does Mitchell know about you?”
Mazur shook his head. “So where were you headed?”
“I planned to visit Rebecca Kendrick’s place of employment again but expected to return in time for the autopsy.”
He moved toward her a step.
“We can go together.”
Her 9 mm rested securely on her hip. “I’ve no intention of getting myself killed.”
He jangled keys in his hand. “No one ever does. My vehicle awaits.”
“You make me sound reckless,” she said, falling in step beside him.
“Call ’em like I see ’em.”
“I’m not reckless. But I’m not afraid to take calculated risks.”
The front door opened, and the porch light clicked on. Her mother opened the screen door, and huddling in a blue bathrobe and worn Uggs, asked, “Did you think you could sneak out, Katie?”
“I was coming back, Mom.”
Her mother studied Mazur. “Looks like Mitchell rallied the troops.”
The tone of her mother’s voice caught her attention. And then she understood Mitchell’s early-morning call to Mazur. “Did you call Mitchell?”
“I texted him,” her mother said. “I heard the phone ring, and then I heard you start pacing. I knew something was wrong.”
Aware that Mazur was watching, Kate walked toward the porch. Mazur followed. She glanced up to warn him to stay back, but he shook his head.
He extended his hand toward her mother and introduced himself. “Detective Theo Mazur, ma’am.”
“Sylvia Hayden,” she said, studying Mazur. “You’re my daughter’s San Antonio police partner, right?”
He flashed a grin that was charming. “We’re working together on this case.”
A smile teased her lips. “You don’t sound like you’re from Texas, Detective Mazur.”
“Chicago, ma’am. Been here six months.”
“How do you like it?”
“Mostly hot.”
Her mother laughed. “Chicago’s too cold for me.”
Mazur winked. “The cold builds character.”
“I say the same about the heat.” Her mother tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
If Kate didn’t know her mother well, she’d say she was flirting. She wasn’t sure if she was mortified or amused. “We have to go, Mom.”
As Kate kissed her mother and moved to turn, her mother captured her hand and met Mazur’s amused gaze. “Take care of Katie.”
The grin dimmed. “Yes, ma’am. I’ve a daughter of my own. I know what worry feels like.”
Kate could have pointed out she’d been an FBI agent for seven years and was quite capable. Although her colleagues and family would never believe it, she understood all too well the significance of emotions and their overwhelming effect on logic.
Kate kissed her mom again on the cheek and pulled her hand free. “Go see Aunt Lydia.”
“I’ll be on the road by nine.” She pressed a key in Kate’s hand. “I had the locks replaced a few months ago, so you’ll need this. You’re always welcome. Come and go as you like.”
“Thank you.” She glanced at the shiny brass key. “Why
’d you have the locks changed?”
“A few break-ins in the neighborhood. Time to upgrade.”
“Was your house broken into?”
“The back door was ajar one afternoon. I couldn’t remember if I locked it or not. Nothing was missing or disturbed, but better safe than sorry.”
Kate hugged her mother. “Be careful.”
“And the same to you.”
Kate left her mother standing on the steps of her family home, remembering that when she’d left for her freshman year of college, she’d felt such a sense of relief, she hadn’t glanced back.
This time she did look back and nodded to her mother, who waved and smiled just as she had done a million times when Kate had been young and their family was still whole.