Target (A prequel Story)

  “I need the key. Kiera’s key. It would have been on a gold chain around her neck.”

  Caisey’s face flashed with surprise. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  Andrea turned to the window. She stared at the sidewalk and the trees as they blurred past, but all she saw was Kiera’s face. Pale. Lifeless.

  Emotion burst from her throat again. Andrea leaned forward and put her forehead on her knees. She needed Kiera’s key. She needed to see her sister happy again, even if it was only in the pictures she kept in storage. Otherwise all she would ever remember is what Sunny did to herself and the part Andrea had played in her sister’s death.

  Her phone rang, but she left it in her briefcase. The real world could wait until later. This place was a whole lot more scary and exhausting, a place where she needed constant protection from FBI agents, but at least she didn’t feel like the robot she usually was.

  It rang again.

  Andrea pulled it out to look at the screen. The number was blocked. Who would bother to restrict their number? Unless they didn’t want to be found.

  She swiped the screen. “Hello?”

  “Think you’re so smart, don’t you. Well, you’re not.” His voice sounded like pure evil, and nothing else. Nothing at all. “I can hear you laughing from here.”

  Andrea’s body jerked. Liam slammed on the brakes and pulled to the side of the street. “Give me the phone.”

  She looked up at Liam, but didn’t move.

  “Who was that?” The Chloroform Killer sounded ready to snap. “It doesn’t matter. I’m coming for you. No one makes a fool out of me.”

  The line went dead.

  Chapter 9

  LIAM WAS SO MAD he had to fold his arms to contain the urge to do something he shouldn’t. “When I tell you to give me the phone, you give me the phone.”

  Caisey stepped between them. They’d made it back to Andrea’s apartment, but only because it was closest to where they’d been when the call came in. “Let her be.”

  Liam didn’t need to be told she was having a rough time. It was plain on Andrea’s face that she was about to bolt somewhere she could lose it in private. “What were you thinking?”

  Andrea’s face was completely red. “I was thinking he killed my sister! If I want the chance to talk to him, that’s up to me.”

  “Liam—”

  “No, Case.” He pinned his partner down with a stare he knew was hard because he saw her flinch. “She doesn’t get it. You don’t understand a guy like that.”

  Andrea said, “He’s angry he got Keira and not me.”

  “And now he’s going to come after you again, try and finish what he started.”

  “Good!”

  Liam snapped. “No. It’s not good. How can you say that?”

  “You don’t want to arrest him? Now that Kiera’s gone are you going to leave me here, a sitting duck, waiting for him to come back and abduct me this time?”

  “Of course not.”

  “Then what’s the problem? You think I don’t want the chance to look my sister’s killer in the eye, even though it scares the ever loving crap out of me? I want to kill him right back for what he did to her.”

  “You think I’m going to let him get within ten feet of you?” Liam jerked his head, side- to-side. “There’s no way.”

  Caisey turned so her back was to him. “He’s right, Andrea. There’s no way that’s going to happen.”

  Andrea looked around Caisey, at him. “Neither of you can control the future. You can only put up safeguards. If he tries to take me again, you might not be able to stop it.”

  “You want to die?” Liam pushed Caisey aside and moved in close. “You want to go through what Kiera went through?” He swallowed the sick feeling.

  Maybe his boss would let him put her on a plane to Australia. But that wasn’t likely, not if they wanted to catch the Chloroform Killer. If he lost Andrea it would be so much worse than some nameless, faceless victim he didn’t know.

  “I’m not just going to sit here.”

  “You will if I tell you to. I’m in charge, and don’t forget that. I’m the thing that’s standing between you and an insane serial murderer who wants to kill you.”

  The noise that burst from Andrea’s throat was a mix of grief and frustration. She spun around and strode from the room. A second later her bedroom door slammed.

  “Good going, champ.”

  Liam’s head whipped around to his partner.

  Caisey’s eyes widened and she lifted her hands. “My bad. Yell all you want. But maybe this will penetrate, and I pray it does.” She pointed at the door Andrea had slammed. “That girl has nothing but her grief and helplessness. If she needs to get angry and rage about how she’s going to kill the killer the first chance she gets, then who cares? She needs to get it out, to feel like she has some control over all this. It doesn’t mean either of us will ever let that happen.”

  Liam pressed his fingers against his eyes. “I don’t want her to do something stupid.”

  “You really think she would? Andrea James is probably the most level-headed woman either of us has ever met.”

  “Or it’s just a front. You saw her family.”

  “Yeah, that was a train wreck.” Caisey shook her head. “I thought my lot were dysfunctional, but Andrea’s family takes the biscuit. The mom’s on another planet and the dad is seriously disconnected. Andrea’s holding herself separate from the whole world, avoiding relationships and living her narrow life of work and a boring apartment just so she’s not like them. I’m thinking Kiera was the only honest one among them. At least she knew she had problems.”

  Liam sighed. “So what do we do?”

  “Apart from everything we’re already doing? I already emailed Burkot about the trace on her phone. I’m waiting to hear back if we got anything.”

  “So we just hang around for him to make his approach?”

  “I hope it takes weeks. Andrea’s couch is way more comfortable than my old mattress.”

  Liam didn’t respond to that. “Did you ask about the key Andrea mentioned?”

  “I asked for the list of Kiera’s personal effects. If the necklace was there, we should be able to get it to Andrea. Although we’ll need to see what the key is for, first.”

  Liam nodded. When was his brain going to start catching up? “I’m going to run home, take some time. I’ll relieve you before dinner so you can go home to eat.”

  Caisey nodded, like she knew why he wanted some time to himself. Liam didn’t request concessions much, so she’d know when he did that it was important. “Sounds good.”

  Liam grabbed his backpack and opted to walk through the complex toward his apartment. He needed to clear his head, get a little distance from a frustrating woman who was tying him up in knots with her reactions to everything. He felt like crying and laughing at the same time. Crying for Andrea, growing up in that crypt of a house raised by the walking dead, her only solace a troubled sister bent on self-destruction. Laughing for the sake of helping her heal, watching her find strength in fighting for her own life and the legacy of her sister.

  Liam’s phone rang, the screen flashing with the five stars of his father’s rank. “Hi, Dad.”

  “Liam,” he yelled. “My plane just landed. I have some business in town, how about dinner?”

  Liam dropped onto his corduroy couch and closed his eyes. Why did his dad feel the need to bellow like he was commanding troops? Of course, Liam was going to drop everything on a whim. “I’m busy, Dad.”

  “Bah. Too busy to see your old man?”

  “I’m going to be working tonight.” It wouldn’t feel like work, eating dinner with Andrea and spending the evening with her. But he had to remember it was.

  There was silence on the line. A measured, weighty quiet that Liam was familiar with. “Maybe we could have lunch tomorrow?”

  The old man sighed. “No can do. I’ll be in meetings all day. I’m staying downtown. They’re putting me up in
some swanky hotel. Come by for dinner tomorrow, you can say hi to everyone.”

  “Everyone who?”

  “I brought my staff, didn’t I? They’re all excited to meet my son, the Special Agent. Especially Elaine. She’s my new assistant, you know. Graduated Harvard same as you.”

  “I’m not being set up, Dad. So don’t even bother.”

  “What, you’re not dating someone are you?”

  Liam squeezed the bridge of his nose. “Technically no, but that doesn’t mean I want to meet someone who lives in D.C. Or that I’m even in the market for a long distance relationship.”

  “Well, come by anyway.”

  “Dad.” He drew out the word, registering his displeasure. Why did he feel fifteen every time he spoke to his father? He was a grown man. When would that ever change between them?

  “Suck it up, son. I’ll see you at six.”

  **

 

  Caisey waited thirty minutes after the shower shut off before knocking on Andrea’s bedroom door. Not everyone got ready as fast as she did, but then she only pulled her hair back and didn’t usually bother with much makeup beyond mascara and lip balm.

  Andrea opened the door a crack.

  “Liam went home for a while, so it’s just me. Do you need anything?”

  She sighed. “A new life? A different family?”

  Caisey gave her a small smile. She wasn’t too good at empathy, but even she knew a soft touch was what Andrea needed, not yelling at her and telling her what to do. Sometimes Liam was such a man. “I have tea bags. You want a cup?”

  “That sounds great.”

  Caisey boiled the kettle and added sugar to Andrea’s mug. She only had skim milk in her fridge, so that would have to do. Caisey preferred full fat, because life was way too short to worry about calories. She just ran enough miles to break even.

  Andrea came out, walking slowly like it hurt to move. Caisey had felt that way after her dad was killed. Shot in the line of duty, there wasn’t a more noble way a Special Agent could go out. Even if it sucked they had to die at all. Senseless death was so much worse.

  She set Andrea’s mug in front of her. Andrea frowned. “This is tea?”

  “Yep.”

  “With milk?”

  Caisey sighed. “It’s not that herbal crap, if that’s what you’re asking. I buy these pyramid shaped tea bags from the specialty store. Try it, it’s really good. A proper English cup of tea.”

  Andrea smiled, but it didn’t brighten her eyes any. “Thanks.”

  “No problem. It’s not much, just tea.” What more could she do? She wasn’t really good at this part of her job. Caisey was better at running down leads and getting answers when people underestimated the short blond chick, never imagining she was packing a gun and a badge.

  On the fridge behind Andrea was a collection of papers. A weights and measures conversion chart, a menu for the local Greek restaurant and a magnet with a Bible verse on it.

  She looked at Andrea. “You’re a Christian?”

  Andrea nodded. “Not a very good one.”

  Caisey smiled. “Me either. I go to church, but there seems to be a disconnect between my life and how it is for other people who go there. The super-spiritual types, you know?”

  “I had a friend in college who went to all the meetings and Bible studies. I like the sentiment, peace and joy. Freedom. I just never seemed to be able to get it to sink in enough that I actually felt free.”

  “And then in the unlikeliest of places, you meet someone who feels exactly the way you do.” Caisey paused. Andrea’s face said she knew what Caisey meant. “Who else could that be, but God? I don’t believe in coincidences, or magic, or destiny, or any of that. Life is just too…raw.”

  Andrea took a sip of her tea and placed the cup back down. “I can’t live with no hope, that’s all I know. There has to be something good and it isn’t us. We’re too capable of awful, ugly things to be the source of goodness in the world. There has to be something more under the surface that we’re not seeing. Otherwise, what’s the point? There’s no way all of our trying to do good and pay it forward, or whatever, outweighs the atrocity even one single person is capable of.”

  Caisey studied her face, marveling that someone who had never seen half of what she’d seen could understand that there was no way the good in the world outweighed the bad. Unless there really was a fundamental good behind everything. Otherwise they were all lost, waiting for something more, something that would explain the whole confusing, ugly beauty of the world. Which made no sense, but it was what it was.

  Caisey didn’t get it any more than that. If there was something more to fall back on, something bigger than people or even the heights of goodness or even true love that so often failed, then it meant that—even for a second—she could let go and trust more than just herself. It had saved her life more times than she could count.

  Andrea took a deep breath and sighed. “Let’s talk about something else.”

  Caisey was willing to concede that, even if she was having an existential moment. People didn’t always appreciate it. “Sure. What do you want to talk about?”

  “Why don’t you tell me about Liam?”

  Caisey grinned. “Boy, do I have a story for you.”

  Chapter 10

  LIAM HEARD THE laughter before he even opened the front door. He juggled the sacks of Chinese food and got the door unlocked without dropping wonton soup all over Andrea’s entry mat. When he got to the living room, Caisey and Andrea were both doubled over laughing. Andrea sat up and swiped a tear from her cheek.

  Liam couldn’t move. He stood there while she laughed—her face completely open for the first time. She was beautiful.

  “Liam.” Andrea shot to her feet, an endearing blush staining her cheeks.

  He cleared his throat and glanced at Caisey, only to find she was giving him a look. Liam turned and strode to the kitchen. The last thing he needed was his partner giving him grief about Andrea. She knew it wasn’t appropriate when this was their assignment, so why did she persist in throwing them together? If she didn’t push, maybe he’d be able to spend time with Andrea without actually thinking about how soft her lips might be.

  “I’m going to head out.”

  Liam glanced back over his shoulder. “Fine.” He needed a quiet evening, and the only person he wanted to spend it with was Andrea.

  “Later.”

  He listened to Caisey leave and dished out the food.

  “Can I help?” Andrea’s cheeks were still stained with pink.

  “I got it. Where do you want to eat?”

  “The table is good.” She pulled open a drawer and got out two place mats. When they sat, Andrea kept her hands in her lap and looked up at him. “Do you mind if I say grace?”

  Liam didn’t begrudge her something that simple. His mom always prayed over her food and he actually sort of liked it. “Sure.”

  He listened to her voice as she spoke. The gentle words rose in cadence as she gained a rhythm that was like the chorus of a familiar song. She asked for protection for all of them and that the killer would be brought to justice. When she finished, she opened her eyes and gave him a small smile. “Thanks.”

  “No problem.” He picked up his fork, but didn’t take a bite. “You believe that God can do all that?”

  “Sure, I do. He’s God, isn’t He?”

  “But…does He really care that much? I’d think He’d be busy with all the famine and war, stuff like that.”

  Andrea took a bite of her food, chewing while she looked aside for a minute. “Jesus said God is like a shepherd who leaves his ninety-nine sheep to go search for the one lost one. He doesn’t just stick with the flock and write off His losses like we’d do, thinking at least He still has the majority. God pursues that one sheep and carries it home.”

  Liam didn’t know what to say. He’d never heard that before, or even considered that God cared about individual people. He’d figured it was mor
e of Him generally caring for humanity—the greater good in spite of earthquakes and floods and such.

  She smiled. “Thank you for asking me if He cares. I needed to remember that.”

  “You’re welcome.” He returned her smile, and opened his mouth to say something when a phone rang. Liam pulled his cell out, but no one was calling.

  Andrea had hers in her hand. “It’s the office.”

  She went to get up, but he put his hand on her arm. He’d rather she was close by than risk not being near her if something happened, especially when it was only for the sake of politeness.

  She sat. “Hello?” A frown creased her forehead. “No, that’s not right…I know. Yes, thank you. I appreciate you calling…I’ll be there as soon as I can.” She hung up. “My office was broken into. The security guard thought I might have left it unlocked, but I’m sure I locked my door when we left after lunch.”

  “You did.” He worked his mouth back and forth. “Did they call the police?”

  “I have to go and look at it so I can tell them if there’s anything missing.”

  “Okay. Grab your coat and I’ll call Caisey.”

  Andrea hesitated. “Do you think it’s him?”

  “Whether it is, or not, either way we need to know.”

  **

  Caisey set her fork down and sat back in her chair. Grams’ smaller portion of dinner was gone, and Jake was already texting. Jenna was still taking her ridiculously dainty bites. “Are you going to be done some time this year?”

  Jenna didn’t react. She was used to Caisey’s moods. Anyone would be after more than twenty years of best friendship. Jenna cut a tiny piece of potato into two miniscule pieces, put it in her mouth excruciatingly slowly and gave Caisey a sugar smile. “What was that?”

  Caisey growled. “I would like to get up from this table sometime this year, that’s what. Are you going to be finished before we’re fifty?”

  “Or before I’m one hundred.”

  Caisey shot Grams a smile. The apple didn’t fall far from that tree.

  Jenna rolled her eyes. “Gang up on me, why don’t y’all.”

  Caisey gagged.

  Grams shook her head. “We don’t use that word, dear. You know that.”