Gideon took a step back and Daisy wanted to scream, One more step back, just one more. Because the angle was almost perfect. But if Gideon moved forward, even a little, she’d hit him.
Carson smiled at Gideon and it was a terrifying sight. “On your knees, Reynolds,” he said quietly. “You’re going to die on your knees.”
Yes, Daisy thought desperately. Do it. Please. But she knew he wouldn’t. Gideon might drop to his knees for Mercy, but he wasn’t going to die on his knees. She wanted to run to him, but she stood there, holding position, waiting for the right moment. If Carson moved just a foot to the left, she’d have a clear shot.
And then, to Daisy’s shock, Gideon began to sink to his knees once again.
Carson laughed, the barrel of his gun following Gideon’s descent.
Daisy pulled the trigger.
Carson died laughing.
PLACERVILLE, CALIFORNIA
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 5:13 A.M.
Gideon fell forward on his hands and knees, sucking in as much air as he could.
“Are you okay?”
The question had come from Mercy, who had used Rafe’s belt as a tourniquet on his leg. She sat in the snow, Rafe’s head in her lap as she put pressure on the wound in his arm.
“Yes. That was too close.” He pushed himself to his feet, holstering his own gun and snatching Carson’s before checking for the bastard’s pulse. Satisfied when he found none, he pulled his own belt off as he walked backward to Rafe, his eyes seeking Daisy. She was in her father’s arms.
“She’s fine,” Frederick called out.
More than fine, Gideon thought as he made his way to Mercy and Rafe, acutely aware that Daisy had saved his life. Just as he’d expected she would. He could have shot Carson, but the man likely would have shot him, too. And if Carson’s bullet had felled Gideon first, there would have been no one to protect Mercy, Rafe, and Erin.
Actually, that wasn’t true. If Carson had shot him first, Daisy would have taken Carson out without blinking. But I like the way it worked out a whole lot better.
He crouched next to Mercy. “Are you all right?”
Mercy nodded. “Throat hurts. Otherwise, unharmed.”
He shuddered out a relieved breath. “Good. Use this on his arm,” he said, giving her the belt. “I’ll be back in a minute. I need to check on Erin.”
He jogged to Erin, dialing Molina as he dropped to his knees beside the detective, who was still gasping for air. He put the phone on speaker and set it on the ground. One-handed, he gently pulled at the Velcro that held Erin’s bulletproof vest together.
His boss answered on the first ring, and she was angry. “This better be good, Gideon. You have disobeyed every order—”
“You can do what you need to do later,” he interrupted. “For now we need to airlift Sokolov and Rhee. He’s got two GSWs and both are bleeders. Rhee was hit point-blank in the chest with gunfire. She was wearing a vest but she may have a punctured lung.”
“Already on it,” Molina said. “Daisy’s father called me once you’d engaged in the firefight. But that’s all I heard before a weapon discharged and Mr. Dawson hung up. What about Carson Garvey?”
“Dead. Daisy got him with a sniper rifle.” He tried to remove the vest, but couldn’t do it one-handed and his right hand hadn’t yet recovered enough dexterity to be useful. “Frederick!” he called. “I need your hands.” Then to his boss. “I need to go. We have wounded.” He ended the call and dropped his phone in his pocket.
He’d take his medicine when the time came. He’d do any and all of it again.
Frederick was already dropping to his knees on Erin’s other side. He pulled the Velcro straps free and lifted the heavy vest over Erin’s head. She nodded her thanks.
“Better,” she said, but she was still gasping. “Help Rafe.”
Frederick was spreading his coat over Erin’s body. “We’ll be back.”
Daisy was at Rafe’s side when Gideon returned and had covered him with a blanket. “I found it in Rafe’s car with a first-aid kit,” she said. “I don’t know if Erin has one or not.”
Frederick began ripping open the packages of gauze and capably packing Rafe’s wounds.
“You have medical experience?” Gideon asked him.
“No. Just lived three hours from a doctor for too many years,” Frederick said. “I learned the hard way. The good news is,” he told Rafe, “the tourniquets have stopped the bleeding. You’ll probably have stitches and then be back to causing trouble like Gideon.”
That made Rafe smile and Gideon’s heart eased a fraction. He’d come too close to losing too much, but they were going to be okay. He’d keep telling himself that.
Frederick seemed to have the first aid under control, so Gideon turned his attention to Daisy, tipping her chin. She was crying. “Adrenaline?” he asked, wiping her cheeks.
She shook her head, then closed her eyes. “I’ve never killed anyone before. I mean, I’m glad I did it and I’d do it again in a minute, but . . .”
“Daisy,” Rafe said hoarsely. “Thank you.”
Mercy smiled tremulously. “Yes. Thank you.”
“But it’s hard,” Gideon told her. “The first time and all the times after.”
Daisy sobbed harder. “He made you kneel,” she cried. “I’m sorry.”
Stroking her hair, Gideon laughed, the sound strange in the aftermath. “I knelt the first time because I knew he’d get off on me humiliating myself and be distracted enough so that Erin could take him down. That was my idea, so it was me manipulating him.” He leaned back to tilt her chin up again. “You know why I knelt the second time?”
She sniffled. “No. Why?”
“Because I knew you’d have him in your sights.”
Her mouth fell open. “Really?”
“Really. And you came through, just like I figured you would.”
“He’s dead?” Rafe asked, his breathing labored. “You’re sure?”
“Very sure,” Gideon confirmed. “It was a textbook headshot. But now we won’t know where he’d buried the rest of the victims.”
“They’re all here,” Mercy said. “There’s an abandoned mine shaft on this property. He brought them there.”
“The property belonged to Sydney,” Gideon told them. “So that makes sense.” He let Daisy go. “I’m going to sit with Erin until the medevac gets here.” He kissed her on the forehead. “Thank you, honey.”
She nodded, then held out her hand and he pulled her up. Together they walked to where Erin had pushed herself up on her elbows. “I’m glad you didn’t listen to me,” she said quietly. “Rafe would have died if we hadn’t had help.” She nodded at Carson’s body. “He might have killed us all.” She tilted her head. “Sirens. Thank God.”
The first vehicle to arrive was a black sedan and Gideon was unsurprised to see Molina get out of the back. She walked over to them, her gaze taking in the rifle propped against the Subaru and the killer’s body on the ground.
She stopped where Gideon and Daisy sat with Erin. “Special Agent Reynolds.”
Gideon nodded. “Special Agent in Charge Molina.”
Her jaw was tight and anger sparked in her eyes. “There will be consequences.”
“I know,” Gideon said simply. “But I’d do it again. Mercy is my sister. Rafe is my brother. And Erin, even though she really did try to keep us away, is grateful.”
Molina rolled her eyes. “We’ll talk tomorrow, Gideon. Daisy, well done. Thank you.”
Daisy blinked. “Can’t say that it was my pleasure, ma’am, but you’re welcome.”
Molina nodded, then sniffed at the air. “His burial ground?”
“Yes.” Gideon had been too revved up to smell it before, but he could detect the odor of death now. One of those bodies is Eileen. “We’re going to have to bring them out.”
Molina rested her hand on his good shoulder. “Someone will. But it doesn’t have to be you. And it doesn’t have to be now.” She looked up when the sound of helicopter blades got louder. “Call me tomorrow, Gideon. We’ll talk. Today, take care of your friends and yourself.”
THIRTY-TWO
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1:50 P.M.
“Do you need anything else?” Daisy asked as she plumped Rafe’s pillows. He had more color in his face than he’d had the day before, but he was far from back to normal.
His smile was a weary one. “I’m fine. Just tired. Need to sleep.”
He’d been released from the hospital that morning and—against all wheedling, nagging attempts by his mother—had chosen to recover at his Midtown Victorian rather than the Sokolov house, saying he’d never get any sleep at his parents’ house. The stairs would have made it impossible to get to his own apartment on the top floor, so he was using Daisy’s studio for the time being. Irina had moved into Rafe’s apartment so that she could be close and Sasha was just one floor above, so he wasn’t truly alone.
That left Daisy temporarily displaced, but she wasn’t upset by this. She was staying with Gideon, first at the Sokolovs’, but starting tonight at his house. Just for the time being. They’d go back to normal soon, but time with Gideon was what she needed right now.