Leslie Tentler - Midnight Fear

Southwest Washington, D.C.

T he muffled cry meant the woman was still alive. Reid Novak tightened his grip on the Glock braced in front of him and moved cautiously forward, his eyes searching the shadows of the abandoned factory. Above him, anemic moonlight filtered through grime-streaked windows set in crumbling brick.

Another distorted sob. They were close. His adrenaline soared and he felt his heart pound.

He sensed more than heard his partners presence behind him. Although FBI agent Mitch Tierney looked like defensive line material for the Washington Redskins, he possessed a surprising stealthy grace. He moved into Reids line of vision, the barrel of his powerful firearm leading his stride.

Blood splatter, Mitch noted in a rough whisper. He jerked his jaw downward to point out the trail of drops. Partys already started.

Together they inched to the blackened doorway, acutely aware of the rotted wood floor beneath them. Reid looked at Mitch in the tide of darkness, a voiceless communication occurring between them. Then he removed his left hand from the Glock and raised three fingers, giving the count.

One. Two. Three.

He turned the corner, Mitch covering him as he burst into the room.

FBI! Reid made a sweeping arc with the gun, his eyes straining to find human form. His breath clouded in the biting cold. The cavernous industrial space held the rusty odor of mildew.

Jesus. There, Mitch growled.

Faint light from a far window barely illuminated the victim. Her mouth had been covered with duct tape and her hands were bound together as if in prayer. The large knife being pressed against her throat glinted silver. Already, the womans white blouse was torn and streaked with blood. Joshua Edward Cahill stood behind her, the planes of his face submerged in shadow. He clutched her against his chest.

Drop the knife, Joshua. Reid kept his voice calm, moving closer.

Ill cut her throat!

The woman made a mewling sound as he pressed the knife harder. Her eyes grew large and rolled back in fear. A thin line of crimson appeared on her pale throat. Despite the frigid air, Reid felt a drop of perspiration roll down his back.

Damn it, Mitch snapped, lurching forward. Reid halted him.

Look at me, Joshua.

Go away!

You know I cant do that. Step back and let her go.

So you can send me to prison? Someone told you wrong, Agent Novak. Im a paranoid schizophrenic with poor control of impulsive behavior . His derisive tone sounded as if he were quoting from a psychiatrists notepad. Im not a moron.

No one has to die.

Right. Joshuas voice cracked as he took a step toward the floor-to-ceiling window, dragging his captive with him. She struggled until another nick with the knife made her freeze. Reid knew that three stories below lay the icy Potomac, snaking along the ground like a black ribbon edged in snowdrifts. He stood about ten yards away now, his gun still trained on the shadow that was a U.S. senators son.

We can take you to Dr. Lauderbach, he bartered. You trust him, right?

Lauderbachs an asshole.

As he dipped his head into the wash of moonlight, Joshuas dark eyes appeared beneath a shock of ebony hair. He glared at Reid and tightened his hold on his hostage. The woman was in her early thirties, blonde, with legs clad in dark tights beneath a plaid skirt. Shed lost one shoe somewhere in her nightmare. Panting, her cheeks puffed in and out behind the gunmetal-gray tape concealing the lower part of her face. Reid looked into her tear-filled eyes and tried not to look there again. To do so would be to lose his objectivity, something he couldnt afford.

So what do you want, Joshua?

I want to see my sister! I want to see Caitlyn!

Well get her for you, man, Mitch offered, the sagging hardwood planking emitting a groan beneath him. Reid feared his partner might go crashing through to the next floor. Youre lying

Mitch advanced a step. Well send a unit for her. Have her here in fifteen minutes. But youve got to give us something. Give us the woman

Joshuas voice rose, steeped in panic. You step back! Ill slit her goddamn throat!

Mitch did as orderedno easy task, Reid realized. His partner was wired, his big shoulders hunched under the navy Bureau jacket like a cat ready to spring on its prey.

Caitlyn took my journal, didnt she? Joshua cut his gaze to Reid. Betrayal burned in his eyes. She gave it to you.

That doesnt matter

It does to me!

Reid tensed as Joshua dragged his captive closer to the window, coming to a stop only when his back met the filthy glass. Where were the sharpshooters? There should be a helicopter overhead by now. The trickle of blood pooled in the collar of the womans blouse. Reids mouth went dry. Joshuas hostility was escalating. They were running out of time.

Caitlyn gave me the journal, he acknowledged. She cares about you. She wants you to get help.

Hearing this, Joshuas face crumpled. He sniveled and scrubbed a hand over his eyes but didnt remove the one that held the knife to the womans throat. Reids index finger remained poised on the Glocks trigger. Could he get off a clear shot? The woman made an effective shield. If his bullet missed its mark by even an inch

Joshua muttered under his breath, his words rippling with vulgarity and promises of violence. In his peripheral vision, Reid saw Mitch closing in again. His partner apparently sensed the same build of energy around them, hinting at the growing doom.

You said nobody has to die. Joshuas dark eyes glittered.

Nobody does

What if I want to? He let out a high-pitched sob. What if I want to end it right now?

Joshualisten to me. Dont.

The crack of rotting wood filled the room.

Fuck!

Reid saw Mitch fall through, his legs disappearing into the hole that had opened up in the floor. His gun skittered away as his arms flailed to gain purchase on the remaining planks.

Joshua struck. The knifes cold metal flashed across the pale throat in a fierce move, with Reids gun discharging a fraction of a second later. He barely noticed the weapons kick that flared pain into his wrist. Struck in the shoulder, Joshua fell backward into the window, crashing through it in a burst of shattered glass.