Why was it alwaysblood?
Whose blood?
“Pete? Tell me what’s going on.”
Another step toward Miriam. Miriam shifted instinctively toward the door. Her eyes met Madison’s. The fear in her face was something Madison would never forget. Another step.
Newcomb just stood there and smirked. Like he knew something. This man had always come across as almost invisible. Lazy. He never seemed to do anything.
So why was he in there with Pete?
Another step.
Madison reached behind Miriam. Her fingers wrapped around the lockbar.
She shoved it open, then knocked Miriam into the hall. “Go. Find…Dom. And send him to me.”
“No. She’s not going anywhere.” Newcomb grabbed Madison and yanked her close.
“Go! Run! Miriam, go!”
Miriam ran.
Madison knew this wasn’tright.
These men had no business in the vault. Madison stepped between them and the door. It didn’t do any good. The younger man ran out—after Miriam.
Madison screamed.
But Newcomb had her by the arm, and she couldn’t get away. “Let me go!”
“I’m afraid we can’t do that. Pete, shut the door.”
Pete did exactly as he was told. “I am sorry, Madison. I never wanted it to come to this.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I…I don’t know. I’m in too deep.” He looked at Newcomb. “I think we all are.”
93
He’d shot Pete.Right in front of her.
She didn’t know if Pete was alive or not. She didn’t know if that monster had caught Miriam. She didn’t know about…Lila. She had seen Lila Dodson in a pool of blood by the back garage entrance.
Madison was trying not to panic. To not focus on theblood.
And to do what she had to do to survive.
Madison stayed right where she was. There wasn’t really much room for her to move. He’d secured her hands with zip ties. Just like Kimball had tried with Steve Wilson.
This was just like that night. Eerily so. Only…she was alone with him now. “Why did you take me?”
“Because you were the most expedient. With what Bo has done and Pete—Pete was becoming a problem. I need out of here. I am…I always have contingency plans...I was not going to get caught in the lab for those fools in Major Crimes to find.”
She wasn’t under any illusions here. She was dead as soon as she did whatever he wanted. “What? I’m not feeling too cooperative, at the moment. Considering what you did toMiriam and Lila. Where is that guy taking Miriam, anyway? Why did he want her so much?”
Newcomb just sort of hummed to himself for a moment. “Bo and that girl have met before. When he realized she was spending so much time in Finley Creek lately, it rekindled…a passion he had for her. He is merely acting on that.”
