“Of course.” Not wasting another second, Noah disappeared through the door, with Maggie cradled safely in his arms.
Knowing she would be taken care of, Eric was free to start assessing the scene. They’d need to get a forensics team out here ASAP, but he could at least look around until they got there.
Unlike the rest of the house, the space down here was immaculate. It had been completely re-done, and from the looks of things, the work was recent.
The home’s original stone walls had been covered in drywall. Painted a blinding white that reminded him of hospital walls.
Other than the gurney equipped with makeshift shackles, the only things in the entire place were the IV stand and an empty, metal tray.
The kind used in a hospital.
“Our guy’s a doctor.” He looked to Riley. “I’d bet money on it.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Look at this place. All this, along with the precise way he cuts into his victims. The level of intelligence we suspect the killer has...it all fits.”
“Great.” Riley sighed. “So we only have about a million suspects to comb through in order to find him.”
She was right. It wasn’t much to go on, but at least it was a start.
By the time the sun was rising, every inch of the death room—as Eric now thought of it—had been processed.
Crime scene techs had taken hundreds of pictures and dozens of swabs. They’d also wrapped the metal gurney and cart in plastic and were transferring it back to the lab for a more thorough examination.
The entire team, along with Derek, had gone straight from the farmhouse to the hospital where Noah had taken Maggie.
She was still unconscious, and the doctors were working frantically to determine which drug or drugs she’d been given, but she was alive, and her vitals were stable. That had to be enough, for now.
When Eric mentioned placing a guard outside her door, Noah had quickly volunteered for the job. The man’s overprotective attitude toward Maggie—which still struck Eric as a bit odd—but Riley trusted him, so Eric had agreed.
He also had Derek run a quick background on the guy, just to be on the safe side. To say the man was well-trained would be an understatement. The guy was former Special Forces and had more blood on his hands than the man they were hunting.
The only difference? The kill notches on Noah Killion’s belt had been government sanctioned.
With a man like that watching over Maggie, Eric could walk away at ease, knowing she’d be safe.
An entire night had passed by the time he and Riley were pulling into the secured parking lot at her apartment complex. The rest of the team had gone home for some much-needed sleep, something he and Riley also desperately needed.
Putting the car in park, he turned toward his partner. She hadn’t said a word since leaving the hospital, and he knew it was because she was scared for their friend.
“We found her, Riles.” He placed a hand on her leg. “We got to her in time, and she’s going to be okay.”
“You don’t know that.” Riley brought her exhausted gaze to his. “We still have no idea what that bastard used on her. What he did to her...”
Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, but then she blinked, sending a silver streak down one of her soft cheeks.
“Hey.” Eric reached up and thumbed the droplet away. “Maggie’s as tough as they come. And she’s alive.”
Riley’s expression hardened. “Only because he allowed it.”
“That’s right. If the asshole wanted her dead, he would’ve killed her while he had the chance. But he didn’t. He kept her alive for a reason.”
“That’s what scares me.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and reached for the door. “It doesn’t make any sense.”
As they both exited the car, Eric kept a watchful eye on their surroundings. It would be just like the bastard to strike now, when he thought their guard would be down.
It’s not down, motherfucker. I’m right here, and I’m ready for you.
