Deep In Death: A Shelby Nichols Adventure

  Sean grabbed the phone from my hand and smashed it against the house. I turned to run, but he was too fast for me, grabbing my hair, and pulling it into his fist with an iron grip. I yelled but he clamped his arm around my neck and began to choke me.

  “You bitch!! You’ve ruined everything!”

  As I struggled for breath, he pulled me backwards into the house. Through the door, he dragged me down the basement stairs. My vision went dark before he released his grip and shoved me to the ground. Wheezing in deep breaths of air, I felt the cold manacle slip around my ankle and heard the snap as it locked shut.

  Sean straightened and backed away, shoving his hands through his hair and breathing heavily. He was thinking how much he wanted to kill me with his bare hands, but he didn’t have time. Not now that I’d called the police. He had to destroy everything or they’d arrest him and he couldn’t let that happen.

  A groan came from the other side of the room, and I glanced over to find Geoff, his arms manacled to the chains attached to the ceiling. Blood trickled from a gash in the side of his head. His feet barely touched the ground and his head rolled to the side. He groaned again and managed to get his feet under him, relieving some of the strain on his hands. With deep breaths, he lifted his head and glanced up, trying to figure out what had happened. Then he saw me with Sean and swore under his breath.

  “You won’t get away with this,” Geoff said.

  Sean sneered at him. “You don’t know anything. You’re just stupid. You’re the one who interviewed me about the woman I killed and you didn’t have a clue.” He snorted. “And now, you thought you could follow me and I wouldn’t know? That’s even more stupid.”

  He turned his gaze on me. “What were you doing upstairs Shelby? Did you see my trophies?” He huffed out a breath. “Good thing this basement is sound-proof or you might have heard something and run off. I wouldn’t have even known you were here, since your friend didn’t say anything. Now that was clever. Too bad it doesn’t matter since you’re both going to die down here. Because of you I have to burn this place down.”

  Anger radiated from him, and his fists tightened. He wanted to torture me so bad it hurt. If only he could hear me screaming, maybe some of his pain would go away. He took a step toward me, then stopped. He didn’t have time. Not if he wanted to get away. He had to burn this place down. No one knew it belonged to him, so there was no evidence tying him to anything. Once we were dead, and the house was gone, he could start over. He could kill as many women as he wanted, and no one would ever know it was him. He glanced at me, still burning with desire to choke me again.

  I held my breath, hoping he’d turn around and walk out. Even though he meant to burn the house down, I also knew that Ramos was on his way, and hopefully Dimples had heard enough to come too.

  Sean howled with frustration, then turned away and slammed the door behind him.

  I sagged as relief poured over me. I’d never been so frightened in my life, and it wasn’t over yet. I sat up and glanced at Geoff, hot remorse tightening my stomach. “I’m so sorry I involved you in all this. Are you hurt bad?”

  “Nah, just a bump on the head…and don’t be sorry. This is my fault. I let him get the drop on me. I feel like an idiot. The worst part is, he looks vaguely familiar, but I don’t really remember that guy, and he’s the killer.”

  “Don’t worry. We’ll be out of here in no time.”

  “How’s that possible?”

  “I told a friend where I was and he’s on his way.” I quickly explained Ramos’ phone call on the staircase, and in the process, happened to mention his name.

  “Ramos?” Geoff asked. His brows drew together. “You don’t mean the guy who works for Joey “The Knife” Manetto do you?”

  “Uh…yeah,” I said. “I think that’s the same one.” I tried to play dumb, but that only went so far.

  “How the hell do you know him?” Geoff couldn’t believe a nice woman like me could be involved with someone like Ramos. He was a hit-man. I couldn’t possibly know that…unless…

  “Um…well…it’s a long story.”

  Geoff’s eyes widened and he choked back another curse before shaking his head and sighing with resignation. “It’s all right. Don’t tell me about it. Not a thing. I don’t want to know.”

  “That’s probably best,” I agreed.

  Geoff closed his mouth on a snort. In his position, he could hardly complain if the famous hit-man came to his rescue. Good thing he wasn’t a detective anymore. But how did I know him? That was quite the puzzle. Maybe it had something to do with my premonitions? Hmm…if we got out of this alive, maybe he’d have to check it out, just for the hell of it.

  “I’m afraid Sean’s out there setting fire to the house,” I said.

  Geoff nodded. “Yeah. Let’s just hope your friend gets here first.” He panted a little and closed his eyes against the pain in his head. He was hurt worse than he’d said, but he didn’t want me to worry. The pain in his side from a couple of broken ribs hurt the worst, and he didn’t know how much longer he could hold up without passing out.

  My stomach knotted with worry. “Just hold on Geoff. He should be here soon.”

  Geoff tried to nod, but couldn’t move his head very well. He was thinking that even if Ramos got here in time, there was the big problem of the locked door, as well as getting us out of our manacles without a key.

  “Ramos is good with locks,” I said. “And I’m not sure Sean bolted the door.”

  Geoff’s eyes widened and he swore in his mind, thinking that I’d just answered his thoughts, almost like he’d said them out loud. That was a little freaky.

  I ignored Geoff and stood, hoping the long chain would let me reach the door. Sean had left so fast that I didn’t think he’d taken the time to lock it from the other side. I prayed I was right, but got to the end of the chain before I could grasp the handle.

  Stretching as far as I could, I managed to touch the knob with my fingers. Straining harder, I finally got my thumb around it and gave a short twist. The door opened, and I fell back, heaving in deep breaths. From the twinge in my leg, I knew I’d probably pulled a muscle, but at least the door was open.

  It also let me hear a little of what was going on upstairs, and I flinched. The sound of breaking glass and a faint smell of smoke tightened my chest with fear.

  “Did you hear that?” I asked Geoff.

  “Not really, but I can smell the smoke. At least we’re in the basement. The fire shouldn’t reach us for a while. That should give your friend enough time to get here.”

  Overwhelmed with fear, I could hardly nod my head to agree with him. I sat back down on the carpet and could barely see the bottom of the back door for the smoke gathering around it.

  “So what did you see in the attic? What did he mean by trophies?” He hoped I’d found something, but more than that, wanted to take my mind off our impending doom.

  “It was bad,” I began. “There were five bodies in the attic, one more than we thought. And they were sitting in chairs…with what was left of their mouths gaping open. I don’t know if they were still alive when he put them there, but it kind of looked like it.”

  Geoff cursed a blue streak in his mind. “That son-of-a-bitch! If he succeeds in burning this place down, all that evidence will go up in smoke.”

  As if on cue, the scent of smoke got stronger, and I felt the blood drain from my head. “Oh no! It’s getting worse.”

  Geoff swore out loud this time, and I heard the desperation behind it. Something inside me snapped, and I jumped to my feet, frantic to find anything that would get us out of there. The chain reached to the bathroom, so I hurried inside to search for any kind of tool I could find.

  Of course there was nothing useful, but I did find some towels, and wet them down in the sink. We could wrap them around our heads to help us breathe, right? At least it was better than nothing. A loud boom shook the house, and dust rained down over my head, making me cough. Dread tighte
ned my throat and my heart raced. The fire was spreading quickly now, and I didn’t know if anyone could get inside to rescue us. What if the fire blocked the stairs?

  The smell of smoke got worse, causing my eyes to burn. Taking the wet towels with me, I moved as close to the staircase as I could get, hoping to see if the way was clear. There was still light coming down from above, but I couldn’t get a clear view of the back door. Another crash sounded on the ceiling right above my head, and the light bulb popped, leaving us in darkness. I cringed back toward the wall and held a towel to my face. The fire was getting worse. It wouldn’t be long before the ceiling gave way and buried us.

  I glanced at Geoff, but could barely make out his shape in the dark. He could see me though, and regret poured from his mind. “It’s been nice to know you Shelby. I’m real sorry…”

  “Shelby!” Ramos shouted. “Shelby! Where are you?”

  Hope blossomed in my chest. “Down here!” I yelled. “Down in the basement.”

  The glow of a flashlight illuminated the stairs then came to rest on me. A rush of footsteps sounded, and then he was there, striding toward me. He held a fireman’s jacket over his head, and dropped the flashlight as he knelt beside me. “Thank God you’re alive. Are you tied up?”

  “It’s worse…I’m chained to the wall. We both are.”

  Ramos froze, glancing between us, his face distorted with dismay. I’d never seen him look like that, and all at once, I knew I was going to die. “You’d better get out while you can,” I said.

  “No. I can get you out. I know I can, just give me a minute.” He pushed a button and talked into the radio. “I found them in the basement, they’re alive, but they’re chained to the wall. I need help getting them out.”

  “Who is this?”

  “Get Detective Harris,” Ramos growled. “He’ll tell you who I am. In the meantime, get someone down here.”

  The smoke was starting to get thick, and hurt my throat. “I’ve got some wet towels ready. Can you give this to Geoff?”

  Ramos took a towel and hurried to Geoff’s side. After a quick perusal of the chains, he found a catch on the wall and undid it. The chains loosened from the ceiling, and Geoff slumped to the ground. Moving quickly, Ramos pulled the chains through the pulley and Geoff was free.

  A fireman appeared out of the smoke at the bottom of the steps in full gear and raised his visor. “There’s no time,” he shouted. “We’ve got to go now. The whole place is coming down.”

  “Here,” Ramos said, helping Geoff up. “Take him out. We’ll be right behind you.”

  The fireman took the weight of the chains over his shoulder while Geoff held the wet towel over his head and face, and they quickly disappeared up the steps. Ramos grabbed the other wet towel and wrapped it around his face, then handed me the flashlight. “Shine it at the lock.”

  As Ramos took a pouch out of his jeans pocket, I held the light steady. He was thinking he’d never picked this kind of lock before, but it couldn’t be too hard. He got out the tools he’d need and got to work, trying to find the catch. Suddenly, the ceiling where Geoff had been standing cracked and part of it gave way, sending pieces of burning rubble to the ground beside us. It filled the space with smoke and cinders.

  I lurched back and dropped the flashlight, choking on the smoky air. “Ramos…it’s okay. There’s no time. You have to go…I don’t want you to die.”

  His gaze caught mine. “I’m not leaving you.” He coughed, and shook his head. “I’m getting you out.” He was thinking he’d rather die with me here than leave me behind, so I’d better not ask him again.

  Tears streamed from my eyes and I found it hard to breathe. Ramos bent to his task, and I picked up the flashlight. I tried to hold it steady, but I was shaking and coughing so bad, it was moving all over the place. I closed my eyes against the burn, and held the towel tight, but the smoke was so bad I thought I might pass out.

  All at once the lock clicked open and my breath caught with relief. Ramos quickly threw the fireman jacket over my head and spoke into the radio.

  “I’ve got her. We’re coming up.” He secured the towel around his head and glanced at me, knowing that running up those stairs into a hail of burning debris might still kill us, but it was the only way out. “You ready?”

  “Yes.”

  With his arm around my waist, we ran to the stairs and started up. Water sprayed all around us, and I slipped on the steps, but Ramos held me firmly to his side. Within seconds we’d made it up and out the door, black smoke spewing behind us. After running several feet, both of us doubled over with coughing from the smoke. Taking deep breaths, I turned to look back at the house.

  Orange-red flames engulfed the entire structure, then suddenly, parts of the building started to collapse. The ground shook, and a fireman came beside us, quickly ushering us back even further. As I stepped back, I couldn’t pull my gaze away from the roaring inferno, and realized that we’d barely made it out in time. Just another minute or two and the whole thing would have come down on top of us.

  My throat burned and I couldn’t seem to catch my breath. Then my legs went weak, and darkness clouded my vision. As I slipped to the ground, Ramos caught me. He said something, but it sounded like he was speaking from far away and I couldn’t make out the words.

  Chapter 13

  Something cool pressed over my nose and mouth, and I struggled to open my eyes. Taking a breath, fresh air poured into my lungs and I finally felt like I could breathe again. I opened my eyes to find Ramos holding the oxygen mask to my face, and realized I must have fainted.

  “Better?” he asked.

  I nodded, grateful I wasn’t out long. On one knee beside Ramos, Dimples hovered over me, his eyes anxious and worried. After a few more breaths, I pulled the mask away and gave them both a feeble smile. Dimples sighed with relief and smiled back. Someone tapped his arm and motioned toward the ambulance. “I’ll just be over there if you need me,” he said.

  A paramedic held my wrist to check my pulse. “We should get her on a gurney and take her to the hospital,” he said to Ramos.

  “Where’s Geoff?” I asked, my throat raspy. “Is he all right?”

  “He’s fine,” the paramedic answered. “He’s in the ambulance…where you should be.”

  I glanced at Ramos. He didn’t seem to have a problem breathing. “What about him? Does he need to go too?”

  The paramedic frowned. “He didn’t faint.”

  I sniffed and that made me cough. Ramos put the oxygen mask back over my face and I gratefully took a few deep breaths. Feeling better, I thought I should stand up and walk over to the ambulance. “Help me up,” I asked Ramos.

  “Are you going to faint again?”

  “I sure hope not.”

  “Let’s give you a few more minutes, and then if you’re feeling up to it, I’ll help you up.” He was thinking that by then the gurney would be here and he wouldn’t have to worry about me fainting.

  “Chicken,” I said. He smiled, and even with a soot-covered face, he still looked good enough to melt my heart and warm my toes. Maybe that’s why I’d fainted. I decided I might as well relax and enjoy being held in his arms while I could.

  “So what happened?” I asked. “Did you get Sean?”

  Ramos’ eyes darkened. “No. He got away. I could have gone after him, but with you inside that burning house…it was a no-brainer. I had to break the door down, and by then the firemen and Harris had arrived. They were taking too long, so I grabbed a jacket and flashlight off the truck and came in to find you myself. Harris saw me do it but didn’t try to stop me.”

  “I wonder how the firemen got here.”

  “Apparently a neighbor saw Sean light it and called nine-one-one.”

  “Wow…that was lucky,” I said. After a moment I tilted my head so I could catch his gaze. “Ramos…thanks for not leaving me…I thought I was going to die down there. I would have if not for you.” Tears blurred my vision and a lump caught in my
throat.

  Ramos’ lips turned up in a half-smile, but he was thinking he’d never been so scared in his life. “Yeah. That was close. I think you owe me. So…maybe I deserve that kiss now?”

  I smiled at his teasing, grateful he wasn’t getting all mushy and sentimental. “If you’ll take it on the cheek… then yeah… maybe.”

  He snorted, thinking that when I got close he’d just turn his head. Then what would I do? That startled a laugh out of me, but it turned into a cough, and I had to hold the oxygen over my face to get my breath back.

  Dimples came back to check on me. He was thinking about the phone call I’d made to him, and how it had taken two years off his life. Good thing Ramos and the firemen showed up when they did, or I’d be dead for sure. He wanted to yell at me for scaring him so bad, but he also felt guilty that he hadn’t been able to answer his phone the first time I’d called. Next time I called, he’d answer no matter what, even if he was in a meeting with the police chief and the mayor.

  Watching me right now, holding an oxygen mask over my face, with my skin all blackened and streaked with tears was one of the best sights he’d seen all day. Somehow I’d made it out alive, which counted as some sort of miracle in his book.

  “How are you doing?” he asked.

  “Good,” I answered. “Thanks to you and Ramos. I guess I’ll have to make you some cookies or something.” Dimples smiled, and I grinned to get a peek at his cheeks with their whirling indentations. “How’s Geoff holding up?”

  “He’ll be fine. They’ll take you both to the hospital as soon as you can make it over there.”

  I was enjoying myself right where I was, so I asked him a question instead. “What can you tell me about Sean?”

  “We’ve got an APB out on him. We’ll find him Shelby, don’t worry.”

  I sighed and then coughed. My throat still felt raw and burned. “I found five bodies up there in the attic. Now they’re gone.”

  “It won’t matter. We can still get him on attempted murder.”

  “But it does matter. The families of those women need to know what happened to them.”