“Just the van, but there’s no movement in the surrounding area. He’s no doubt inside.”
Claire’s throat was tight. She was driving toward a man who wanted to kill her. Who’d spent years planning it. Who’d murdered at least four women—maybe five, if Vivi didn’t survive. Who’d possibly been there the night Lily died.
Her hands tightened on the wheel.Focus on the anger, not the fear. Wolf’s voice in her head.Get angry.
Shewasangry. Furious. Derek Sullivan had destroyed her sense of safety. Had invaded her privacy for months. Had taken Vivi—a woman who’d done nothing but try to help.
Her cell phone rang. The ID readWolf. He was staying off the comms so the others wouldn’t hear.
“Claire.” His voice instantly calmed her. “You don’t have to do this.”
“Yes, I do.”
“I can’t lose you.” His voice cracked slightly. “Not after last night. Not after...”
“You won’t lose me.” Her voice was steady. “I’m coming back. We both are.”
A pause. “I’m holding you to that.”
“I know.”
The cabin appeared through the trees. Small, weathered, isolated. No other structures for miles. The black van sat outside, empty.
Claire parked fifty yards away, as instructed in Derek’s message. She breathed in for four counts, held it, breathed out. Killed the engine. “In position,” she said quietly.
“Copy,” Wolf’s voice. “We’re already in position. Hawk has overwatch. You’re not alone.”
“I know.” But it felt like she was. Felt like she was fourteen again, walking into a nightmare. She opened the car door and stepped out. The mountain air was cold, pine-scented. Peaceful.
She purposefully did the breathing exercise again, thinking about Wolf out here. It was peaceful, but…lonely, too.
Her chest had a mind of its own. She couldn’t draw a deep breath. She’d confronted killers before. Walked into dangerous situations. This time was different. This time, it was personal.
The cabin door opened before she reached it. Derek Sullivan stood in the doorway. The monster. “Claire.” His voice was warm, friendly, just like it had been all those times at work. “Right on time. I knew you’d come. We’ve both been waiting for this, haven’t we?”
A lump formed in her throat. Her legs turned to jelly. “Where’s Dr. Montgomery?”
“Inside. Alive for now.” He gestured. “Come in. We have so much to talk about.”
Claire didn’t move. “Let me see her first.”
Derek smiled. “You’re not in a position to make demands. But...” He stepped aside.
Through the doorway, Claire could see Vivi bound to a chair and gagged. Her eyes were alert. She jerked her chin toward something on the other side of the open door. Blinked twice.
“Satisfied?” Derek asked. “Now, get inside, or I’ll slash her throat.” He flashed a hunting knife.
All the air whooshed out of her lungs. But Claire walked forward past Derek and into the cabin. The door closed behind her with a sound like a tomb sealing.
The cabin was small. One room, mostly. A kitchenette in one corner. A jacket hung on a hook near the door. Wood was stacked in the small fireplace. The chair where Vivi sat was in the center. Nearby was a table with rope and zip ties.
Vivi’s eyes darted to the right again. Claire turned and froze. Photographs—dozens of them—were taped to the walls.
All of Claire.
Claire at her apartment. At the Bureau. At the grocery store. At a restaurant with colleagues. Photos spanning months. Maybe years. Her entire life, documented. Watched. Stalked.
“Impressive, isn’t it?” Derek said behind her. He locked the door. “Five years of work. Five years of getting close and earning your trust. Watching you live your life, completely oblivious.”
