“Detective Jack Kinnaird?”
“Yes, speaking.”
“It’s Kelly from the Operations Centre. Just wanted to let you know that the team have located the suspect’s vehicle.”
“Where?”
“Up north. Nambour.”
“And the offender?”
“No sign, sir. Looked like the car had been abandoned. But they located a mobile phone in the trunk.”
The phone in the trunk confirmed their fears. “Okay, get the forensic team onto the car. Thanks for the call.”
Jack watched the man walk off with his dog. The man turned and gave Jack a thank-you wave, then returned to the task of making sure his horse didn’t escape again. Something bothered Jack. The groan from the tree branch rubbing against the old bus shelter still floated into his car through closed windows. Jack felt old too, he needed some sleep.
But something bothered him. The phone was found in the trunk of the car. Why the trunk? And the man with the dog?
It was him.
The phone, the dog. They were decoys. Both decoys.
He placed a call back to Kelly. “Kelly, it’s Jack here. I believe our suspect is in the vicinity of the new safe house. Could you organise some additional support urgently.”
“Will do.”
Jack was glad he’d made the decision to move the girls, but where was the man? He drove back to the safe house.
<°)))><
Watts stalked through the house. Empty. The curtains in the back bedroom were open, and grey light illuminated the room. He heard what sounded like a car door slam. He walked over to the window. The garden backed onto a cul-de-sac—a dead-end street. Two cars. People were getting into one. The redhead. They drove off. He kicked the wall in frustration.
Two men observed the car drive off. They turned and headed back towards the house. He saw the guns at their sides. Plain-clothes cops.
He walked through the house to the front, to a living room looking out to the street. Light flooded the room as a car pulled up.
He was trapped.
Well, gods, what do I do now?
55 – We’re going to get you
JACK PARKED THE CAR. The house sat in darkness. Good. The team must have left with the girls. He stared at the house and let out a yawn as the weariness returned.
Wait. What was that? He thought he saw a flash of light in the house. His heart picked up its pace. Maybe he was more tired than he’d thought. Or maybe there was someone in the house.
He drove off and parked a few houses away, and contacted the removal team.
“Proceed with caution. I think someone’s in the house. In the front living room.”
“Understood.”
He pulled his hand gun out of its holster, put on his communication equipment and made his way back to the house. He snuck up and took residence behind a wall in a neighbouring property to watch over the safe house. Night sounds filtered the air. His heart slowed down and his breathing relaxed. This all changed as a figure rushed from the side of the safe house and headed towards the front gate. It was the suspect.
“Hey, you!” The voice came from behind Jack.
He turned to see a stout man with his hands on his hips. The neighbour?
“Police Officer.” Jack showed his badge. “Please get back inside. We have a dangerous situation here.”
The man turned and rushed back inside. The suspect had disappeared—he would’ve been warned by the man yelling.
“He’s gone,” Jack said into his radio. “Probably heading down the street.”
“On it.”
Jack’s instinct was to chase the suspect. The wizard. He knew it was the wizard—he’d been carrying a weapon that looked like a crossbow.
He’d seen what the wizard could do with the crossbow. He needed to hide. Behind the tree? No. Too exposed. The brick wall would have to do. He crouched beside the wall, felt the coldness of the brick on his back, stared at the pistol held in front of him. His hands were shaking, and perspiration flowed down his cheeks.
Footsteps. Someone was coming. A shadow, then an arm came over the wall. The arm held a weapon. A crossbow.
A loud bang filled the still night. Jack heard a whining sound, and fragments of brick fell on his head. The arm was gone. Adrenaline kicked in. Jack jumped up and saw a figure running towards the parkland. He considered taking a shot, but the distance was too great.
“You okay, Jack?” the voice came over his earphone. “Had to take a shot, wasn’t sure what he was up to.”
“Thanks. You did good.”
