Good God. He’d searched through her belongings, and at a time she’d felt most vulnerable and trusted him to protect her. She clenched her hands in her lap, clinking the small chain on the metal handcuffs.
Evil bastard.
“I read your sweet ramblings, found the cookie entry, and knew I had what I needed to use against you.” He shrugged. So matter of fact. “From there, I hired an actress to impersonate you, told her it was some indie project on the dangers of social media. You were taken down with minimal effort.”
“Why did you do this?” she cried.
“Because you mattered to Seth, Harper. More than even he realized.”
And he wanted to hurt Seth. As much as possible.
“But Dillon, you’ve already won. You outsmarted them, the four of them.” She nodded as he straightened at her words. “That’s right. Nobody else had ever bested them like that. Now’s the time to go, get away, and you’ll be the guy they can’t catch.” Desperate, she searched for the right words. “Think about this. Take the chance now. You’re not a killer, Dillon.” She desperately hoped that was true.
Dillon allowed himself a small smile. “You know, it wasn’t easy finding the right actress to play you. As soon as I saw her in the flesh, I knew she was the one. Didn’t bother looking at the portfolio she brought with her.” He walked over to a heavy canvas tarp covering a large pile against the wall. “And now I’ve given her the perfect head shot.” With a flourish, he pulled back the tarp, revealing three bodies. At the front and facing Harper was the woman from the video.
Harper gasped at the woman’s lifeless eyes that seemed to stare back at her. A neat, dark hole marred the poor woman’s forehead.
“Sweet Jesus,” Harper whispered, as Dillon dragged the woman’s body by one arm a few feet to reveal a man behind her. Harper recognized his clothing. The same as worn by her intruder. “My God.”
“No loose ends. I put a lot of planning into making this project a reality. I won’t allow an ex-con to bring me down by bragging about how he made a quick grand.” He turned the male’s body over, revealing a red bloom over his chest. “I arranged for both of them to meet me here at different times, and then I formally terminated our association.”
Such clinical language. To Dillon, killing these people was simply running a line through on a checklist.
The third body was still partially hidden. Only a pair of female legs stuck out from under the tarp. Dillon gestured toward the body. “Shame about Rebecca.” He ignored Harper’s cry and kept talking. “I decided it was tidier all-around if she and I ended things in a more permanent fashion.”
The sweet blonde with the warm smile. She’d said hello to Harper. Had stood before her, alive, happy for the chance to get to know Dillon better.
Harper couldn’t slow down her racing heartbeat.
He’d killed. Three times.
A coldness seeped into her, threatening to take away her last shreds of hope.
But you’re still alive. She couldn’t give in. Hadn’t she just yelled out her love for Seth? A bittersweet joy swept away the coldness. If that was the last time… She swallowed down the heartache. No, she couldn’t let that be her ending. She wanted more time with Seth. And she’d fight to get that chance. The memory of the desperation in Seth’s face seconds before Dillon had pulled the trigger would haunt her forever. For now, it served as a motivator.
Seth would want her to stay strong. Be smart. Keep herself alive long enough for someone to find her or work out a way to save herself.
Harper clenched her hands, her fingers gathering up the material of her cotton apron. Her apron! A quick feel determined Dillon must have taken her phone, but there was something long and thin…Her Stylo sharpie pen.
If she was MacGyver, she’d find a Q-tip and a spare empty envelope and make a plane out of the three items, but she wasn’t. Nor was she stupid enough to attempt wrestling with a man when she was handcuffed and strapped to a chair. Even if she tried to stab him in the thigh with the Sharpie, there’s no way he’d be totally incapacitated. And that was too big a risk when he had the gun.
But the discovery strengthened her determination. Now wasn’t the time to give up.
* * *
Heath slammed on his SUV’s brakes and stopped behind Lincoln’s sedan rental, which was parked half a block from their target. Adam followed in behind Heath, then the two FBI Agents, McNally and Randall. A SWAT team was en route. Seth glanced at his watch. No fucking way the team would make it in time for the next deadline, which was in less than ten minutes. Heath had been forced to turn off his car’s police siren during the FaceTime session so as not to alert Dillon, but by some miracle they still made up time after the call.
Lincoln gripped his arm. “Adam called and updated me. You okay?”
Seth nodded, riding on adrenaline. All that mattered right now was Harper and getting her out safe.
The men joined their huddle. Adam dropped a bulging duffle bag at his feet and looked at Lincoln. “Tell us what you know.”
“The block appears to be vacant warehouses. No traffic in or out. Our target is made of two buildings. Both cement block. One has a roller door and loud music playing. The other building has two separate entrances. One metal, the other wood. There’s a section at one end of that building that has metal sheeting over two windows. There’s a couple of holes, big enough for a glimpse inside. I clocked Harper and Dillon.”
Heath spoke first. “Right. I’m assuming control until SWAT arrives.”
“You checked this with your Captain?” Randall straightened, his ill-fitting sports coat opening wide across his slight beer gut.