outside.”
Bobby’s brows bunched. “Loomis? What the hell was he doing there?”
“I don’t know.”
“How many?”
Rocky shook her head. “How many what?”
Bobby grabbed her, lifting her to her toes. “How many bodies did you leave behind?”
Rocky struggled to stay calm. “Six.”
“Are you sure they’re dead? Did you see their bodies?”
She hadn’t, and she should have. She should have watched Granville kill each one and dump the body in the river. Truth was, Rocky had found she had a weak stomach for murder when the rubber hit the road. But Granville was a sick bastard and if he’d done nothing else, he’d killed them all. “Yes, I’m sure.”
Bobby’s grip loosened and Rocky’s feet hit the ground. “All right.”
She swallowed hard, still feeling the pinch of Bobby’s knuckles against her windpipe. “The girls we left behind can’t be identified. We’re safe, unless Granville or Mansfield decide to talk. That is, if they got caught.”
Bobby let go, pushing her away. “I’ll deal with them.”
Rocky stumbled, quickly catching herself. “But what if they did get caught?”
“I will deal with them. Mansfield’s not the only cop I have on my payroll. What else?”
“I made sure we left no documents. Granville hadn’t shredded them.”
Bobby scowled. “Sonofabitch. I should have killed him years ago.”
“Probably.”
Bobby leaned in close and murmured, “I could kill you now. With my bare hands. I could snap your neck in two. And you’d deserve it. You totally fucked up, Rocky.”
Again Rocky’s blood went cold. “But you won’t.” She forced her voice to be steady.
“And why won’t I?”
“Because without me, you wouldn’t have access to the chat rooms and all the ‘pretties’ we have in the pipeline would be lost. Your supply would dry up faster than spit on a fryin’ pan.” She leaned up on her toes until they were chin to chin. “And that’s bad business. So you won’t kill me.”
Bobby stared at her, then laughed bitterly. “You’re right. And you’re lucky. Right now, I need you more than I hate you. But it’s a real close call, kid. One more fuckup and I’ll take the chat room hit. I can find someone to replace you, and the base business will keep me flush enough to stay afloat until I build a new pipeline. When we get to Ridgefield, you get these girls cleaned up. I have a client coming over tonight. Now get in.” Bobby got behind the wheel, cell phone in hand. “Hey, Chili, it’s me. Gotta a coupla jobs for you, but they have to be done fast. Like, in the next hour.”
Rocky could hear Chili’s rather boisterous protests when Bobby held the cell phone at arm’s length with a wince.
“Look, Chili, if you don’t want the job, that’s fine. I’ll find someone else . . .” Bobby smirked. “I thought so. I need you to torch two houses for me. Usual pay, usual way . . .” Bobby’s smirk flattened. “All right. Double. But I want them both burned to the ground, nothing saved. Nothing should remain.”
Dutton, Friday, February 2, 4:15 p.m.
“Alex.” Luke rushed the door when Alex Fallon stumbled out of the bunker into the sunlight, covered in blood. “She’s hit. Corchran, get the medics.”
Alex pushed Luke’s hands away. “Not me. Daniel’s been hit. He’s critical. He needs to be airlifted to a level one trauma center. I’ll show you where he is.”
Luke caught her arm as she went back through the door. “He’s alive?”
“Barely,” Alex snapped. “We’re wasting time. Come on.”
“I’ll radio Larkin to have the chopper coming for the girl wait for Vartanian,” Corchran said, motioning for the paramedics. “You go.”
Alex was already running back through the bunker. Luke and two paramedics with a squeaky gurney followed. “Bailey escaped,” Alex said when he caught up with her.
“I know,” Luke said. “I found her. She’s alive. In pretty bad shape, but she’s alive.”
“Thank God.
Bobby’s brows bunched. “Loomis? What the hell was he doing there?”
“I don’t know.”
“How many?”
Rocky shook her head. “How many what?”
Bobby grabbed her, lifting her to her toes. “How many bodies did you leave behind?”
Rocky struggled to stay calm. “Six.”
“Are you sure they’re dead? Did you see their bodies?”
She hadn’t, and she should have. She should have watched Granville kill each one and dump the body in the river. Truth was, Rocky had found she had a weak stomach for murder when the rubber hit the road. But Granville was a sick bastard and if he’d done nothing else, he’d killed them all. “Yes, I’m sure.”
Bobby’s grip loosened and Rocky’s feet hit the ground. “All right.”
She swallowed hard, still feeling the pinch of Bobby’s knuckles against her windpipe. “The girls we left behind can’t be identified. We’re safe, unless Granville or Mansfield decide to talk. That is, if they got caught.”
Bobby let go, pushing her away. “I’ll deal with them.”
Rocky stumbled, quickly catching herself. “But what if they did get caught?”
“I will deal with them. Mansfield’s not the only cop I have on my payroll. What else?”
“I made sure we left no documents. Granville hadn’t shredded them.”
Bobby scowled. “Sonofabitch. I should have killed him years ago.”
“Probably.”
Bobby leaned in close and murmured, “I could kill you now. With my bare hands. I could snap your neck in two. And you’d deserve it. You totally fucked up, Rocky.”
Again Rocky’s blood went cold. “But you won’t.” She forced her voice to be steady.
“And why won’t I?”
“Because without me, you wouldn’t have access to the chat rooms and all the ‘pretties’ we have in the pipeline would be lost. Your supply would dry up faster than spit on a fryin’ pan.” She leaned up on her toes until they were chin to chin. “And that’s bad business. So you won’t kill me.”
Bobby stared at her, then laughed bitterly. “You’re right. And you’re lucky. Right now, I need you more than I hate you. But it’s a real close call, kid. One more fuckup and I’ll take the chat room hit. I can find someone to replace you, and the base business will keep me flush enough to stay afloat until I build a new pipeline. When we get to Ridgefield, you get these girls cleaned up. I have a client coming over tonight. Now get in.” Bobby got behind the wheel, cell phone in hand. “Hey, Chili, it’s me. Gotta a coupla jobs for you, but they have to be done fast. Like, in the next hour.”
Rocky could hear Chili’s rather boisterous protests when Bobby held the cell phone at arm’s length with a wince.
“Look, Chili, if you don’t want the job, that’s fine. I’ll find someone else . . .” Bobby smirked. “I thought so. I need you to torch two houses for me. Usual pay, usual way . . .” Bobby’s smirk flattened. “All right. Double. But I want them both burned to the ground, nothing saved. Nothing should remain.”
Dutton, Friday, February 2, 4:15 p.m.
“Alex.” Luke rushed the door when Alex Fallon stumbled out of the bunker into the sunlight, covered in blood. “She’s hit. Corchran, get the medics.”
Alex pushed Luke’s hands away. “Not me. Daniel’s been hit. He’s critical. He needs to be airlifted to a level one trauma center. I’ll show you where he is.”
Luke caught her arm as she went back through the door. “He’s alive?”
“Barely,” Alex snapped. “We’re wasting time. Come on.”
“I’ll radio Larkin to have the chopper coming for the girl wait for Vartanian,” Corchran said, motioning for the paramedics. “You go.”
Alex was already running back through the bunker. Luke and two paramedics with a squeaky gurney followed. “Bailey escaped,” Alex said when he caught up with her.
“I know,” Luke said. “I found her. She’s alive. In pretty bad shape, but she’s alive.”
“Thank God.
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