CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
‡
Brody listened in abstract detail to every single piece of information relayed to him over the radio he’d absconded from one of the security details. He listened in on the blow by blow description of what was taking place on the elevator’s video feed. It was as if the scene was unfolding right before him, and he was helpless to do anything to stop Remy from being hurt by this psycho.
This was why he hated fieldwork.
The feebleness of not being able to eliminate his designated enemy.
The vulnerability exposed at allowing a life to be taken mere yards from the fight.
And not just any life. Remy’s life. How could someone so inexplicable have such an impact on his life within a week?
He’d climbed four sets of stairs as fast as possible, arriving at the elevator bank with a crowbar in hand courtesy of the security guard downstairs. It hadn’t taken long to pry the doors apart, or to gauge the depth of how far he’d have to jump to the access point. It was Calvert’s voice over the radio that stopped his progress, as well as the thick elevator cables jerking in motion.
“Proceed to the basement! I repeat, all security personnel proceed to the basement!”
“What the fuck happened?” Brody asked into the radio as he tossed the crowbar to the floor and made headway for the ladderwell. Once again, he found himself leaping from one landing to the next, taking God knows how many steps at a time in his attempt to reach the basement level. Pride swept through him that Remy had managed to stem off any sort of fatal attack from Varan thus far, though it hadn’t ended in the manner he’d hoped. “Remy has a firearm. I didn’t hear a shot in the elevator shaft.”
“She didn’t take one, at least as far as we could tell.” The male voice coming across the radio no longer belonged to Calvert. “It looked as if she had everything under control, but he just snapped. She managed to start the elevator, but they somehow ended up in the basement.”
“What’s in the basement?” Brody veered around the corner where the stairs started to descend even farther from the lobby of the hospital. He wanted to know what he was facing before he opened the door ahead of him. “What’s in the fucking basement?”
“Um, nothing,” came the nervous reply. “The morgue was moved out of the hospital a couple of years ago. They have a separate building now. Renovations had started in order to add on some more labs, but the money problems stopped construction around six months ago.”
Brody turned the volume down on the radio. He clipped it to his belt before drawing his weapon. He wasn’t taking any chances that a random noise would give away his position. Two seconds was all he allowed himself to even out his breathing. He then ever so slowly turned the handle and pulled the door gradually toward him, giving himself time to search out any sign of a presence…whether it be Varan or Remy.
Brody lodged the side of his sandal underneath the heavy door to keep it open as he slowly peered around the corner. A long, dank corridor greeted him, though there wasn’t a soul in sight. Where were they?
He didn’t react at all upon hearing the faintest of rustles behind him, already sensing it was Calvert pulling up the rear. No doubt Keane and Royce would be in attendance soon. This type of situation had all hands on deck.
Brody signaled that he would enter the hallway first. He released his leather sandal from underneath the strip of the door before cautiously entering the passageway. The slightest of echoes could be heard, which also included the closing of a door some distance down from their position. It could only mean either Remy was running for her life, though he couldn’t hear running footsteps, or it could mean Varan thought he was guaranteeing privacy for his kill.
Brody used a forward motion of two fingers to indicate it was clear to advance, cautiously yet quickly making his way down the dim corridor.
This was it.
One way or the other, Varan’s killing streak ended here and now, though the man didn’t know one thing—Brody wasn’t going to allow Remy to be the last on his list.
Varan was going down for the crimes he had committed and never paid for.
*
Remy thought about entering one of the side rooms, but the large area in front of her held many places for her to seek shelter. The basement seemed to be undergoing renovations and there were semi-permanent workbenches in the middle of the massive open space, some even including cabinets underneath. The moment she had caught sight of David’s silhouette, she ducked down against one of the counters.
Where was he now?
She strained to hear the slightest of sounds, but only her uneven breathing seemed to ricochet within her ears. The muscles in her knees were beginning to cramp up from kneeling against the tile. She relieved the pressure by shifting her weight and using the support of the cabinets to creep alongside the length of the workbench.
If only she could reach the other side.
“I should have known the demon was too strong to allow us to truly converse.” David’s voice startled her, causing her to stop where she was and press her palm over her lips in order to silence her desire to scream. She swung her gaze to the left, but didn’t see him. He was still walking down the same path she’d already taken, but he was close—too close. “Come out for me, Remy. Come out and let me save your eternal soul.”
Remy used David’s voice to drown out any sounds she might make in changing positions. She moved quickly, staying low enough to avoid being seen from the other side of the workbench and trying not to cough on the dust from the small wood shavings that had been left behind during the construction. There was no doubt that her bare feet had acquired a splinter or two, but she didn’t stop until she’d made it to the other end of the elongated counter.
She settled back, keeping her feet underneath her in case she needed to make a quick getaway. She shouldn’t, though. He was the other side of the room, most likely deciding whether or not she’d gone into one of the smaller offices. She looked around for some type of weapon.
It was then she realized her mistake.
Remy glanced up to find a round mirror positioned in the top right corner against the wall. David was staring directly at her with her black high heel in one hand and carrying his knife in the other. He must have picked up both from the elevator floor before following her in here.
“Remy, please stop fighting me,” David encouraged, holding the black leather of her shoe against his cheek as if it were his tiny lover. The dark color morphed into red, taking her back to that fateful night when she’d lost her sister. Remy blinked rapidly to stay here in the present. “You need me to save you from the seed of the devil who is controlling you. Even the demon inside of you knows he can’t win. I am anointed by God himself.”
Remy used the laminate wood as leverage to push herself up, never once wavering her gaze. What had the psychiatrists said over and over during his trial? He was schizophrenic. He heard voices in his head, following their every directive. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that one of those voices was urging him to kill some stupid demon fantasy.
David must have thought there was an evil spirit within her? Well, she’d give him one.
“You found me, David.” The confused expression on his face didn’t slow her down a bit. Remy was done hiding. She was done running. All the grief and anger over finding her sister lying in her own pool of blood resurfaced, almost bringing Remy to her knees. Almost. She forced herself to take a step forward using the deepest voice she could muster. “You found me, David. But I won’t go quietly.”
“Wh-why are you talking to me now, demon?” David stuttered, taking a step back. He shook his head as if to clear it. “You never talked to me before.”
“Are the voices inside your head telling you to kill me, David?” Remy asked through her swelling throat. The damage he’d done was finally starting to settle in, but she refused to back down. “Did you know the demon wasn’t inside of Anna at all? She was sweet, and you killed an innocent victim. She was pure. You drained the life of a young girl who had done nothing to harm another living soul.”
“Stop it! You’re lying!”
“I’m not,” Remy baited him incessantly, wanting David so off balance that it would give her the upper hand. She pushed aside her rising fear and kept taunting him with anything and everything she could think of. “You’re a murderer, David. Your mother would be ashamed of what you’ve become. There was never a demon inside of those girls, and there isn’t one inside of—”
“Yes, there is!” David practically roared out in his anger. His face once again turned a shade darker as rage consumed him. “It’s inside of you now. I can see the demon in your soulless eyes and hear him in your poisoned words. Even he sees it. He told me! Yes, I see it, too. Yes, I know what to do!”
Remy hadn’t counted on David moving so fast, but he rounded the counter and was no more than eight feet in front of her. She had no weapon in her hand, but she refused to allow him to kill her while she cowered in fear like all the others.
Her only advantage was to be the aggressor and to shake his sense of power over her.
Remy charged him, closing the distance in record time and trying to grab the knife from his hand. Her momentum did cause him to stumble backward, but she lost her footing in the sawdust on the floor. She managed to grab hold of the countertop, but she instinctively knew she wasn’t fast enough to evade the blade about to sink deep into her chest as he charged at her.
Only that wasn’t what happened.
Half of David’s face disintegrated into a red cloud of mist as his blood sprayed into the air. His body jerked ever so slightly once again as he collapsed to the ground, never releasing his hold on the knife or her heel as he landed in a heap at her bare feet.
For some reason, the sound of multiple gunshots came afterward.
“Remy, are you hurt?”
Brody’s Hawaiian shirt came into focus before the ringing in her ears started to dissipate. His words barely cut through the buzzing that was slowly fading, but that was fine. Her mind was still trying to come to terms with what she’d just witnessed and how quickly the situation had changed from her own death to his ultimate demise. She’d survived, but…
It was Remy who was standing here—not her sister.
The monster who’d hurt her sister was gone.
The monster who’d brutally murdered and tortured her sister was gone.
The monster who’d taken her sister away was gone.
But her sister hadn’t magically risen somehow.
Her sister would never be here again.
Remy’s heart shattered all over again, but instead of allowing the pain to crush her into a million pieces, she forced herself to concentrate on the various vibrant colors of Brody’s shirt. She even reached out and ran trembling fingers over the deep blues, yellows, and greens of the effervescent flowers. She breathed…in and out.
She was still here.
She was alive, and Anna would want her to live her life as Anna would have lived hers.
Was it possible that these pulsating colors and animated imprints were alive underneath her touch? Remy finally understood Brody’s need to wear such a wonderful collage of images during his everyday existence.
“Remy, answer me,” Brody demanded, running his hands up and down her arms before finally cupping his palms around her face and forcing her to look at him. “Are you all right? Did he hurt you?”
“Yes,” Remy whispered, answering figuratively more than literally, though her throat was now sore and her cheekbone was becoming quite sensitive. She was referring to the fact that nothing would ever erase the pain David Varan had imparted on her life the day he killed her sister. “But I’ll live, Brody. I’m here with you, and I want to experience everything life has to offer with you.”
It was clear that Brody was deciphering her meaning. Once he understood the connotation, he drew her into his warm embrace with a loud exhalation of relief. Remy didn’t think she’d ever been held so tight by someone in her entire life. It was beyond comforting, just as it was remarkable.
“I blame you two,” Townes muttered, stopping Brody from replying to her declaration. Remy pulled back, though Brody kept his body between her and the one on the ground. It turned out that Keane and Royce were walking down the corridor with what appeared to be a half-dozen or so police officers. They were both raising their hands in mock surrender at the accusation, though they were shooting her concerned looks after spotting the aftermath of such a conflict. “Help Brody clean this mess up and then get back to your stations. I want Moss as easily eradicated as this stupid son of a bitch.”
“What does Townes mean?” Remy asked, grateful to think of something other than what had just transpired or the fact that David lay dead four feet from where they were standing. She hadn’t realized her teeth were chattering until she followed up her question with another inquiry. “Why would this be Keane and Royce’s fault?”
Brody wrapped an arm around her shoulder as he guided them back the way she’d come, eventually steering them around the long island. She didn’t argue, knowing his intentions were to prevent her from seeing what was left of David. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done, but she wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. That type of evil shouldn’t exit, and she was grateful that no other woman would ever have to suffer under his sway again.
“It’s a long story and one I’m sure you’ll get a kick out of over dinner tonight. That is, if you can still eat after that blow to your cheek,” Brody said with sympathy, though her stomach heaved slightly at the thought of food. Why was she still so cold? “I’ll formally introduce you to Royce after we’ve had a doctor look you over. He’s a good guy, though he doesn’t always pick up the right kind of breakfast donuts. I take that back. He can be a prick more often than not.”
“I heard that.”
Brody and Remy were already headed toward the exit, where the corridor would lead them straight back to the elevator. She rested her head against his shoulder as they walked side by side, wondering if she could get Brody to take the stairs instead.
“You know, I’ve heard that when someone goes through something traumatic like we did today, they shouldn’t be left alone for any extended period of time,” Brody continued to talk as if Royce hadn’t said a word. Remy liked where this conversation was headed as she continued to soak up his warmth. “It so happens I’m all alone on this huge estate while my teammates are out in the field mucking through the dirt. I could use some company.”
“Those itty-bitty alligators aren’t cutting it, huh?” Remy retorted, suddenly having to blink away the tears that stung her eyes. She couldn’t control her emotions, and that was something she couldn’t handle. “I hate this.”
Brody stopped walking right when they would have reached the door, pulling her with him as he leaned up against the wall. He held her close, allowing the sobs to finally escape her as the finality of the situation finally hit her. Why did it feel as if she’d lost her sister all over again? Brody had been right. She’d replaced Anna with her murderer, and he was the last tether she’d had left to her.
Only now she had so much more.
“Decide to live, Remy.”
Another uncontrollable sob came over Remy as she could have sworn she’d heard her sister’s voice. She’d spent so much time living in the past, that she’d never experienced the present, or so much as thought of her future.
“…and there’s this terrific line of Hawaiian shirts that would look great on you.” Brody had been talking this entire time, and some of his ramblings were just now starting to sink in. He’d been talking about flip-flops versus high heels and shorts instead of skirts. The thing of it was, she could actually get used to that type of attire given half a chance. “Did I mention I saw these sunhats for sale over in Cocoa Beach? They—”
“I never thought I’d fall for the Magnum PI type,” Remy interrupted him, though she had to clear her throat a couple of times to get the words out. She was still in her bare feet, so she had to tilt her head back in order to look up him. Even she couldn’t mistake the affection within his dark gaze. “I think I’d like to try out those sunhats though, Brody.”
Remy had almost let it slip that she was falling in love with him, but they now had time on their side. She’d wait for a better moment to share something of that magnitude. She didn’t want to tarnish it with what pieces were left of her past smeared across a cold cement hospital floor.
No, she wouldn’t do that. She could easily picture them sitting on the deck with cold umbrella drinks in hand and wearing matching aloha shirts when she made such a statement.
Remy had come to realize something very important—time often offered distant illusions of the past that faded into the starry night’s sky, but it also presented hope for the future with each beautiful sunrise at dawn.