Gideon took it as a good sign that she was becoming aware of her surroundings and also the people aiding her. She knew Larrsen was in the room and Paul was near. She was breathing on her own far better than she had been. Her mind seemed clearer.
I’m aware, Red. He won’t work on you until he knows he’s one hundred percent. He still needs to remove whatever Whitney did to your lungs. That’s a huge undertaking. After that, when you’re up to it, you and I will discuss it, and then you’re going to decide if you want help with your skin issues.
Her eyes searched his. He felt her moving through his mind. He didn’t attempt to keep anything Paul had seen from her. He wouldn’t keep anything from her again. If she wanted to look, he would let her. She even saw the moment when he’d declared to Mack that he would leave the team and go away with her.
I did this to myself? I took my memories from me?
He nodded.It makes sense. Think about your nightmares. It all fits. You protected yourself, Rory. Even as a child, you outsmarted Whitney. He thinks you’re dead because you disappeared and he couldn’t track you. That shield is beginning to fall apart, but if you want help, once we really talk about it, we have ways that will ensure he can’t find you.
Paul leaned over the bed. “How are you doing, Rory?”
“I’ll leave you to it,” Gideon said. “Come with me, Larrsen. I’ll fill you in on a few things.”
20
Wings folded, the red-tailed hawk sat very still on the narrow branch of the flowering dogwood tree, piercing brown eyes fixed on the two men across the street from her. She had been there for some time, watching dispassionately as the conversation became more and more agitated. One man waved his arms in the air and shook his head repeatedly. He was the older of the two and clearly disagreed with the younger man. At one point, he shoved his finger in the younger man’s chest, poking him belligerently.
The younger man stepped back, spit on the ground and walked to his car. The hawk unfolded her wings and took to the air, letting out a hoarse scream that lasted three seconds as it soared above the car. The raptor flew in the air for several minutes until the car made a left turn, and then she cried out a second time.
“Westlake is on the move,” Gideon reported. “He’s heading toward the harbor. Let me know when you’ve got him in your sights.”
“Copy that,” Abbott’s voice responded.
No one had returned to the warehouse, not even to retrieve Rory’s body. Forensics had stayed away from the building where she’d been held captive at the wharf, even when it became apparent no one was coming back for her. Mack’s people guarded the site to ensure it stayed pristine until Wilson could have his people meticulously look for evidence to convict the men who had kidnapped and tortured Rory. They didn’t want any word to get out over the police scanners to tip off their prey that they were coming after them.
“I couldn’t get everything they were arguing about,” Rhianna said. “Reading lips from that distance is difficult, and Carver kept turning his body, but he wanted to get Rory’s body and take it out to sea. He thought there was too much risk leaving it. Westlake wanted the rats to dine for a while.”
The shadow in Gideon grew darker and spread. It wasn’t easy allowing the cops to handle the men he considered evil. He could tell himself they would never make it to trial, to let Wilson arrest them first, but it was still difficult. The detectives needed that satisfying end when they’d lost one of their own. A GhostWalker could easily get in and out of a jail cell. No one would be the wiser when the four men ended up dead. Gideon would have an alibi. The GhostWalker team wouldn’t even be in San Francisco when the four turned up dead. Still, hearing the conversation Rhianna just reported made him want to hunt Westlake, not just be the eyes for everyone.
Stand down, Gideon. Stay in control,Mack cautioned.
Why would you think I’m not in control?he demanded.My middle name is Zen.
Rory’s little giggle in his mind was the most calming sound there was.The entire building is shivering, Mr.Zen.
You have nightmares, Red.Even sleeping right next to him, his arms tight around her, she woke nearly every hour terrified.
I’ll get over it.
You’ll get over it a lot faster knowing they’re gone from this world.
Her laughter sounded like soft musical chimes, breaking through the shadows threatening to consume him.You’re so bloodthirsty. I think you need to work on your meditation skills.
I’m so in love with you.He was. He didn’t care who knew. He wanted her to know. That was what was important.
Carver is on the move,Rhianna reported.
Come back to the fold,Mack ordered.
Gideon directed the male red-tailed hawk into the air to follow Carver’s car. The male was younger than the female. His eye color hadn’t yet gone all the way from yellow to brown. Another year and he’d be there. He was very reliable and a strong flier. Smaller than the female, as males were, he was very fast and could maneuver through tree branches at a high rate of speed. In this case, he cut straight through the sky, while the car had to follow the road.
Gideon followed the car through the cries of the raptors and reported the road he was taking to Abbott. It appeared as if Carver was heading toward the wharf as well, but from a different direction than Westlake had come. Carver slowed his car and pulled over to the side of the road when he got near a junkyard. Jacob and Javier had tracked the car Rory had been pulled into by following the scent of her blood.
“Carver is parked across from the junkyard where they abandoned the car used to kidnap Rory. It was stolen and the license plate muddied so it was unreadable. Forensics isn’t there yet, are they?” he asked Wilson.
“No, but the description of the car is out. We sent out the photograph that was captured on the camera across the street from thebar. It was blurry. We received a call from the worker at the junkyard saying they think they have the car there. It’s possible Carver got wind of the call. If he gets out of his car, let me know. I’ll have officers there immediately to guard the car, and forensics will be all over it.”
Gideon wasn’t certain how Wilson thought he was supposed to keep Carver from getting to the vehicle in the junkyard while they waited for officers to show up to stop him from touching it.
