Even if his time inside had softened him, he was ex-forces and well trained in survival techniques.
She stood. She needed a minute alone to digest what he’d told her.
‘Okay, I’ll take—’
‘Sit back down, Stone. We’re far from done.’
The drama involved in her return to the station made more sense as she realised something.
She sat back down. ‘They have no idea where he is, do they?’
Woody hesitated before shaking his head. ‘He feigned chest pains on the way to the cemetery, and they stopped the van to administer first aid.’
Kim shook her head in disbelief at the naivety. ‘Overpowered them both?’
‘One is in intensive care and the other has a serious concussion. Onboard cameras caught most of it, but they obviously didn’t catch which way he went. There was a report on the lunchtime news, so he’s not going to be free for long.’
Kim raised an eyebrow. The man was resourceful. He’d think nothing of murdering an entire family for a good meal and a bed for the night.
She’d been completely ignorant of the whole situation in the Welsh countryside; no phone, no television, no news. She was glad to be back in spite of the circumstances.
‘Okay, sir, I’ll—’
‘They don’t expect him back, Stone.’
He let the meaning of his words settle between them before continuing. ‘Before he left, he gave all his possessions away to other prisoners.’
‘He doesn’t mind getting killed in the process of what he aims to do,’ she said.
‘I’d say he expects it. There’s only one thing he feels that strongly about and that’s you.’
‘Enough to carry out a suicide mission?’ she asked.
‘Looks that way.’ He folded his hands together in front of him. ‘You need to disappear for a while; go and stay with a family member.’
‘Got none of those.’
‘Friends.’
‘Got even less of those.’
‘Someone who can stand to be around you for long periods of time?’
‘Nope. Sorry. I got nothing.’
‘Come on, Stone. There has to be someone, somewhere you can go to stay out of the way for now.’
‘Sir, there’s no one, and even if there was, I wouldn’t go. I have a job to do and he’s not going to chase me out of it.’
‘The job is no good to you if you’re dead, Stone.’
‘Absolutely, sir, but I don’t plan on getting dead any time soon. I’ll be extra careful, and I’ll even let Bryant follow me home if it’ll help.’
The end of her sentence was met with a knock at the door.
‘One minute,’ he called.
‘You won’t even consider taking a leave of absence until he’s safely behind bars?’