the whole time, pushing the heat of the woodstove around the torture chamber. And his mind had been in a haze of pain, not exactly on full speed. “How long was I gone?”
“ Three days.” The captain’s jaw clenched. “We were looking for you. Harper and Chase never went home. The rookies too. We were looking for you every hour of every day.”
“ I know. That kept me hanging on.” A small cough sent stabbing pain through his midsection. “He knew who I was. He had a trap set up.”
The captain swore, which was usually the worst of his temper. He was, for the most part, pretty even-keeled, not the type who got off on tearing his men down just to show who was boss. Although, at the moment, he didn’t look too happy with Jack.
“ I told you being obsessed with a serial killer was a dangerous hobby,” he snapped.
He had. But Blackwell went way beyond a hobby. This went back to Shannon. But nobody needed to know that.
Machines beeped around them, various hospital noises filtering in the open door as Jack thought of all the people he’d looked for in the past, the ones he hadn’t found in time. He figured Bing might be thinking the same. Except now Jack knew exactly how those victims had felt, what his sister had gone through before she’d died fifteen years ago.
Bile rose in his throat. “How bad is the damage?”
Bing waited a second before he answered. “Nothing to come crying to me about. Four broken ribs, blood loss, some internal bleeding, some burns, hypothermia, and a concussion, some nancy-ass lacerations barely worth mentioning. I pretty much figure you’re only here to get out of mandatory overtime.”
“ When are they letting me out?”
“ Some frostbite here and there,” Bing went on. “I’m going to overlook it this time, but you’ve got to stop parading around buckass naked. You’re scaring well-meaning citizens.” He kept his tone as light as his words, but concern filled his eyes.
“ I want to get on the case as soon as possible.” Jack drew a shallower breath, testing if that might circumvent some of the pain. Not really. “You think you could pull some strings for me here?”
“ We’ll take care of Blackwell.” The captain gave him a hard look.
Jack hardened his own gaze. “Blackwell is mine.” He’d been after the man for most of his career. He wouldn’t allow himself to think how close he’d come to having him.
“ You’re lucky to be alive. One of the broken ribs punctured your lung. If the Price woman hadn’t been there, we’d still be looking for your body.”
Price woman. For a second, he didn’t understand; then more memories trickled back. The grave. There’d been a woman—a possible connection. He knew Blackwell now as he’d never known him before, and with an actual lead… “I want this case.”
“ Your body, Jack.” Bing surged to his feet, his voice tinged with anger and exasperation. “Do you understand what I’m saying? You were that close.”
He’d been closer than his captain thought. He remembered that light, the floating feeling, the out-of-body sensation. He remembered someone being there with him on the other side, how he had reached out to that presence. But it hadn’t worked. Apparently, he hadn’t been ready. The pain had returned. Then he saw the woman.
The Price woman. “ I want to talk to her. She has to be in with Blackwell. How would she know where to find me? He sent her to check on me. Or she got nervous.”
Bing shook his head. “She’s a damn artist. I’m not saying I like her, but she’s not a criminal. You have to stop thinking about this. You’re on medical leave. And you’re officially off the case.”
Jack swore a blue streak.
“ Forget Blackwell, dammit,” Bing growled, but when he continued after a moment, he lowered his voice again. “You’re losing perspective, Jack. I’m telling you this as a friend.”
He had no friends. All he had was his badge and his mission to see Brady Blackwell
“ Three days.” The captain’s jaw clenched. “We were looking for you. Harper and Chase never went home. The rookies too. We were looking for you every hour of every day.”
“ I know. That kept me hanging on.” A small cough sent stabbing pain through his midsection. “He knew who I was. He had a trap set up.”
The captain swore, which was usually the worst of his temper. He was, for the most part, pretty even-keeled, not the type who got off on tearing his men down just to show who was boss. Although, at the moment, he didn’t look too happy with Jack.
“ I told you being obsessed with a serial killer was a dangerous hobby,” he snapped.
He had. But Blackwell went way beyond a hobby. This went back to Shannon. But nobody needed to know that.
Machines beeped around them, various hospital noises filtering in the open door as Jack thought of all the people he’d looked for in the past, the ones he hadn’t found in time. He figured Bing might be thinking the same. Except now Jack knew exactly how those victims had felt, what his sister had gone through before she’d died fifteen years ago.
Bile rose in his throat. “How bad is the damage?”
Bing waited a second before he answered. “Nothing to come crying to me about. Four broken ribs, blood loss, some internal bleeding, some burns, hypothermia, and a concussion, some nancy-ass lacerations barely worth mentioning. I pretty much figure you’re only here to get out of mandatory overtime.”
“ When are they letting me out?”
“ Some frostbite here and there,” Bing went on. “I’m going to overlook it this time, but you’ve got to stop parading around buckass naked. You’re scaring well-meaning citizens.” He kept his tone as light as his words, but concern filled his eyes.
“ I want to get on the case as soon as possible.” Jack drew a shallower breath, testing if that might circumvent some of the pain. Not really. “You think you could pull some strings for me here?”
“ We’ll take care of Blackwell.” The captain gave him a hard look.
Jack hardened his own gaze. “Blackwell is mine.” He’d been after the man for most of his career. He wouldn’t allow himself to think how close he’d come to having him.
“ You’re lucky to be alive. One of the broken ribs punctured your lung. If the Price woman hadn’t been there, we’d still be looking for your body.”
Price woman. For a second, he didn’t understand; then more memories trickled back. The grave. There’d been a woman—a possible connection. He knew Blackwell now as he’d never known him before, and with an actual lead… “I want this case.”
“ Your body, Jack.” Bing surged to his feet, his voice tinged with anger and exasperation. “Do you understand what I’m saying? You were that close.”
He’d been closer than his captain thought. He remembered that light, the floating feeling, the out-of-body sensation. He remembered someone being there with him on the other side, how he had reached out to that presence. But it hadn’t worked. Apparently, he hadn’t been ready. The pain had returned. Then he saw the woman.
The Price woman. “ I want to talk to her. She has to be in with Blackwell. How would she know where to find me? He sent her to check on me. Or she got nervous.”
Bing shook his head. “She’s a damn artist. I’m not saying I like her, but she’s not a criminal. You have to stop thinking about this. You’re on medical leave. And you’re officially off the case.”
Jack swore a blue streak.
“ Forget Blackwell, dammit,” Bing growled, but when he continued after a moment, he lowered his voice again. “You’re losing perspective, Jack. I’m telling you this as a friend.”
He had no friends. All he had was his badge and his mission to see Brady Blackwell
Similar Books
The Night Watch
Sarah Waters
Center Stage
Bernadette Marie
Behind the Yellow Tape: On the Road With Some of America's Hardest Working Crime Scene Investigators
Jarrett Hallcox, Amy Welch
Revenge
David Pilling
A Dose of Murder
Lori Avocato
Revenge of the Geek
Piper Banks
Natalie Acres
Sex Retreat [Cowboy Sex 6]
Saved by the SEAL
Diana Gardin
Longarm and "Kid" Bodie (9781101622001)
Tabor Evans