Seized By Darkness Read online

  She had to get as far away as she could first.

  Through the glistening windshield, thirty miles ahead, the New York skyline reminded her of a snow globe she’d once purchased while on a middle-grade school trip to the Museum of National History. The glow from the city’s many lights sparkled around the building rooftops in a huge arch.

  The Novokoffs would assume she’d head north on RT 278 and then into New York because she was somewhat familiar with that route, having accompanied Gorgon into the city on occasions. Instead, she turned onto RT 202 and raced south. Within miles, she headed west on the smaller RT 23.

  Each town the road cut in half had fewer stop lights. The fast-food chain restaurants diminished, replaced by family owned businesses. Not familiar with the two-lane road, Nicole drove the speed limit and remained alert to every traffic sign. She couldn’t be stopped by a local cop and have her plan foiled.

  A Medivac helicopter crossed the sky in front of her. Its red lights were a sign of hope in a sea of darkness.

  Leaving the next town, Nicole checked her rearview mirror, again. She hadn’t noticed anyone following her, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t pick up a tail at any corner. She wasn’t sure how far west the Novokoff family’s connections reached.

  The next hour seemed like thirty while Nicole traveled along the rain washed RT 94 to RT 80 West and made her way into Pennsylvania by crossing the Delaware Water Gap Bridge. The car’s dash clock now said the time was one AM. The rain had stopped. Luka still slept. She had to get Susie out of the trunk. She hadn’t dared stop before this to check on the girl.

  Nicole picked an interstate exit that had no signs for a rest area, restaurants or gas stations and drove up the ramp. Parked at the stop sign, she noted darkness surrounded her. Under her headlights, large trees covered the swells of the mountains surrounding them. She chewed her bottom lip, wondering which way she should take. There wasn’t a building in sight in either direction. Turning the wheel, she headed south.

  The roads became unmarked as she followed her sense of direction and continued to take road after road, south and west. Spying a pull-off into a wooded area ahead, she maneuvered the car off the road.

  In front of the car, beady eyes glowed and shifted toward her. She hadn’t seen a possum in years. The long-nosed creature scurried into the underbrush before she opened the car’s door. Cool air and sweet freedom cradled her in their arms.

  The wind swirling through the tree tops reminded her of the sound of the ocean off Cape May. She took a moment to breathe in the fresh air before she hurried to the rear of the car and opened the trunk. The storage light clicked on and flooded over Susie’s deadpan face.

  Nicole’s heart caught. She prayed the child hadn’t died, caused by inhaling the car’s fumes.

  “Hey.” She poked the girl’s shoulder.

  Susie stirred and Nicole exhaled the breath she’d held. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here.”

  She laced her arm under the child and helped her into a sitting position. Behind her, the purr of a car’s engine grew louder, and then a beam of pure white light searched the area before finding them.

  ~~

  Chapter Four

  Lightning ripped across the restless, murky sky in front of the descending helicopter.

  US Marshall William Haus grabbed the panic bar. “Damn it to hell.” Air escaped his lungs in one gush at the craft teetering to the side a mere fifty yards above the marked landing site next to the PA State Police barracks.

  “Bitchin’ wind.” The pilot’s curse, grimace and the fact he fought to control the bird didn’t bolster Will’s belief that the jockey trip from New Jersey was going to end well. He knew without turning around and confirming his hunch that Chase Hunter and Aden Nash, two members of his C.U.F.F. force, smirked at his angst. Instead, he squeezed his eyes closed and braced for an impact to write home about. Maybe.

  Damn. He hated to fly in choppers. God knew his fear and was screwing with him again.

  The copter jarred true and Will jerked right in his seat. Between a slit of eye, he peeked out the window and saw the building below steadily grow larger.

  The moment the landing rails kissed the wet tarmac, he ripped off his seat belt, shouldered the door open, and jumped out of the whirly bird. With his worn boot heels planted on the ground, he drew a breath. He’d survived the flight. Now he could again concentrate on his job, ‘catching the bad guys’.

  From the corner of his eye, he saw the chopper’s rear door slide open. Chase jumped from the craft while Aden hesitated, catching his scowl.

  The frustration over tonight’s bust going sour curled Will’s fingers into fists. He glanced over his shoulder. His men wore solemn faces, which was a good thing. If they cracked even one joke over his helo phobia, he might lose restraint and sucker punch one of them. He wanted to hit something or someone real bad.

  “We had Novokoff,” he yelled, venting his anger over the sound of the chopper’s blades whacking the air above him.

  “We’ll get them, boss.” Aden jumped to the ground and Will kept a watchful eye that the man didn’t stand to his full height.

  “If we had arrived ten minutes earlier, we would’ve caught the bastard with his pants down and maybe cracked this ring apart,” Chase hollered around Aden’s chest while they stalked as a trio toward the State Police Barracks.

  “Try to raise Kyle again,” Will ordered Aden who had already fished his cell out of his pocket and checked for a signal in this rural setting. “I want to know what the fuck happened? A freakin’ year’s worth of work down the drain.” Will pressed a hand to his burning gut. How many more young lives would be lost until he had the opportunity to nail Novokoff’s ass to the wall again?

  The last words he heard from Kyle, aka Peter, one of his people who had infiltrated the mafia’s ring, was an urgent cry to back off. Since then Kyle had dug in and had gone silent. What the fuck had happened? Hell had to have broken loose in the Novokoff’s world for Kyle to cry ‘WOLF’ in the last moments before they’d infiltrated Gorgon’s home.

  “We dropped into a freakin’ dead zone,” Aden stated. “There’s no goddamn service.”

  “Keep trying.” The cell Aden carried was one of two they had that Kyle would respond to. Gary had the other. Their cells displayed on Kyle’s phone as the Russian owned whore house, in case Novokoff’s men checked Kyle’s calls. Technology was wonderful until the bad guys caught up.

  A state trooper, bearing the ID tag of M. Balliet, greeted them a few yards beyond the chopper’s blades. “Captain just went into the interrogation room with the suspect,” the officer shouted over the chopper’s whine down. “And your partner is also inside.”

  Balliet fell into step next to Will. The kid didn’t look old enough to shave much less be a cop.

  “Why is the captain talking to her?” Will worked with Ebberts before. He knew the captain was thorough, but taking down the Novokoffs was his case and Will wanted his Ts crossed too. One misstep could mess up a conviction.

  “The suspect didn’t want to give up her fingerprints,” Balliet answered.

  “Why didn’t Ebberts order them taken? She was found with the girl,” Chase asked over Will’s shoulder.

  Balliet shrugged. “The woman looks like she’s been roughed up a bit. Cap thought he could calm her down. Get her to offer them instead of forcing her.”

  “She drugged up?” Aden who also walked behind the cop leaned into them.

  The cop’s neck arched back as he stared up over his shoulder at Aden. He stumbled and Will caught his arm. “I know. He’s tall. Comes in handy at times.”

  Balliet’s Adam’s apple dipped before he responded, “Nuh. I don’t think so. No alcohol on her breath either, but she sure seems real nervous.”

  Will caught his gaze. “You find her?”

  “Yes, sir. I caught a glimpse of her car’s tail lights as she turned into the road leading to the water authority. No one goes back there at this time night.
At least no one with business there. With all the shit we’ve heard about terrorists and bio-warfare, I thought I should check it out.”

  Will dipped his head in a quick nod. “Good job.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  The prior day’s blistering sun and the recent cool rain caused steam to rise in swirling waves from the tarmac.

  The officer matched Will’s slightly longer stride for stride while they stalked up the path from the landing pad to the building’s entrance. At the last second, Balliet rushed ahead of Will, by a step, and yanked open the glass door in time for him and his men to pass through without breaking their gaits. Then they followed Balliet down the hall illuminated by bright fluorescent bulbs and into a room where Will found Gary, his right hand man, waiting.

  “It’s about time.” Gary turned from the two-sided mirror. “You guys stop in AC without me again?”

  “Hell yeah,” Chase chirped, flashing Gary his dimple. “We didn’t want any old married fart slowin’ us down.”

  “Tell him, boss.” Aden chuckled, blowing on his cell. “The slots were hot.”

  “Don’t get him started, guys.” Will headed for the two-way glass while Gary, Chase and Aden continued their never-ending debate over the advantages and disadvantages of being married. Balliet was right. Someone had roughed the woman up. Her rushed make-up job did little to hide the damage. Under the bright lights, he could see the tint of black and blue markings on her cheek bone and the purple rimming her eye. Her red lower lip was way too puffy to be considered just plump. She was a looker nevertheless.

  “Aden, you get that signal yet?” Will broke into the friendly squabble behind him without taking his eyes off the auburn beauty.

  “Workin’ on it.”

  “Work harder. Let me know the minute you hear from either Kyle or Jolene. Chase.”

  “Yes, boss?”

  “Talk to Balliet. Go over everything that he saw and his conversation with the suspect. Find out word for word, if anything, that Susie Lakes said to him.” He hooked a thumb toward the woman on the other side of the glass. “And then find her car. If it’s here, take a look around. Don’t touch anything though. Make sure no one else does either. I want our forensics team to go over the vehicle ASAP.”

  “Got it.”

  Before the door closed behind his men, Will said to Gary, “How’s Susie Lakes?”

  “Alive,” Gary answered, stepping up to the glass. “She’s at a near-by hospital. Mercy Hospital. I have two agents standing guard over her. Her parents have been notified and they’re no doubt already in the sky, courtesy of the FBI.”

  “Good. I love happy endings. Just wish there were more of them.”

  “I hear you.”

  “What about the other kid?”

  “This one says he’s her son. He does call her mama. We took his prints and are running them through Lotus. Lucy is on trail. She’ll text as soon as she has the info. If he’s in the system, we’ll know soon.”

  “Lucy is the tech-guru. If any information can be found on the kid, she’d find it.” Turning to Gary, Will pointed to the two-way mirror. “Did the captain get any answers from her of why Kyle called off the operation?”

  “Nothing yet. He just went in a few minutes ago. He’s keeping her on edge for us.”

  “Is she who I think she is?”

  “Yeah. I pulled Gorgon’s folder the moment I got Ebberts’s call. Thumbing through the pages I found a couple of pictures. We have Gorgon’s mistress.” Gary held up a picture of the woman and Novokoff together. Gorgon Novokoff’s one arm was around her slim waist and he was pointing at something off in the distance with his other, covering her face from her button nose down. “She’s partially hidden in the photos but I’m pretty sure it’s her.”

  Will had seen the photos before. The woman’s head was always lowered and her entire face or profile hidden by body guards or the Russian mafia prince.

  “You think Gorgon found the radio chip Jolene planted in Susie’s jacket?”

  “No. If he did, he would’ve cleaned up real quick by killing the kid and having his men dump her body. I’m sure he wouldn’t have sent her away with his mistress.” Will shook his head. “No. Something else went down. Have you been able to get a hold of Kyle on the other line?”

  “Negative. He’s not answering his cell.”

  “Damn.” Will had hoped Kyle had checked in with Gary while he was in flight. “How about Jolene?”

  “Nothing from her either.”

  Will trapped his hands in his back jean pockets and studied the woman, who according to his informants, was Gorgon Novokoff’s mistress, Katrina. He’d seen the pictures of her sent via Kyle’s cell phone, but the bits of snapshots hadn’t done her justice. She stood about five-foot six. Her short skirt and form fitting tank top did little to hide her curves and legs that went on forever. Her toes, peeking out from the crisscross leather bands of her sandals, were painted a pale red, as were her nails. Katrina’s auburn hair curled about her shoulders in shiny waves and when Gorgon’s woman looked into the mirror opposite him, her misty-coated eyes reminded him of seasoned acorns against ice.

  Her pale skin was a tale tell sign that she didn’t spend a lot of time gardening. Novokoff had kept her under wrap. Her complexion was flawless except for the bruises on her cheek and under her eye. A tiny mole sat on her upper lip. Susie Lakes and Katrina had that feature in common.

  Will twisted the intercom knob on the wall next to the glass and sat back on his heels, watching her body language as he listened in on the conversation between the captain and the Russian woman.

  Ebberts sat at the square table filling the room’s center.

  “Damn it. I want to see my son.”

  Katrina was trying to pack her tone with strength but her voice had a slight hiccup. She dropped her gaze from Ebberts time and again. She was afraid to make direct eye contact.

  “We don’t know if the boy is your son.”

  Katrina lurched forward like a lioness and slapped the table, surprising Will.

  “He’s my son. He has told your men he is.”

  He had to give Ebberts credit. The older man hadn’t flinched at her show of fury.

  “It is not right you do this— to hold us.”

  Ebberts held her hot glare, relaxed back onto the hardback chair and hit her with a smirk.

  Katrina blinked. Tears laced her lashes as she eased back from the table. She snagged her sweater from the chair’s back and stuffed her arms into the sleeves as if she was done with Ebberts and had the option to leave the room in a huff.

  “You were found with a kidnapped girl. I think we have plenty to hold you,” Ebberts said.

  With her arms folded across her chest, she kept the table between her and the senior officer, and side-stepped to the back wall of the tiny cubicle. Shivering, she pulled her light sweater close over her breasts.

  “I told your comrade. I found her.”

  “And you put her into your car’s trunk. Why would you do that?”

  “She is sick. With a fever. I didn’t want my boy to get sick.”

  Ebberts chuckled deep in his throat and sat forward in his chair.

  “Nice try, but I’m not buying that story. You know what I think?”

  Katrina’s spine straightened. Will saw fear surface in her brown eyes. She knew Ebberts could charge her with kidnapping and take her son away.

  “I don’t think you had anything to do with Susie’s abduction, but I think you know who did.”

  “You’re a crazy man. I know nothing of this kidnapping.”

  The door behind Ebberts cracked open and another officer stuck his nose into the room. “They’re here, sir.”

  “Good. I’m done with her anyway,” the chief answered without taking his eyes off the Russian.

  Katrina’s eyes widened. “Who is here?”

  “Who do you think?”

  Katrina kept her gaze latched on Ebberts while she backed up against the wall. “
I— I don’t know.”

  Her strong façade slipped away and she withdrew into herself.

  “What do you make of her?” Gary laid down the file he’d read and came to stand next to him.

  “Not sure. Her dialect… She’s not Russian like I thought.”

  “Maybe American born Russian?”

  Will shrugged. “Maybe.”

  “The kid looks like her. I think she’s telling the truth about him being her son. We can order DNA just to be sure, but that is going to take weeks. She acts scared shitless at being separated from him.”

  Will chortled. “Maybe she is scared to death at being caught dumping a kidnap victim.”

  “True.” Gary nodded and a moment later shook his finger at him. “What I don’t get, if Gorgon didn’t find the chip, why would he pull Susie off the market, take her home and then send her off with his mistress to be discarded in the woods? You think he’s that quick?”

  Will shook his head. “Gorgon takes his time with his victims. He likes to control them. You know that.” He looked back to Katrina, zeroing in on the bruise on her cheek that had become more visible by her wiping away tears. “Maybe he didn’t send them away.”

  “Are you thinking she took Susie on her own? Why would she do that?”

  “Maybe she didn’t like that Novokoff brought the girl home. He hasn’t before, at least not while under our surveillance.”

  “So you’re thinking Katrina was getting rid of the girl to protect her turf. Okay, I’ll buy that, but Gorgon wouldn’t just let her walk.”

  Will’s instincts made him jiggery. Some huge development was storming and he needed to know what the fuck it was. “Maybe he didn’t. We need to know what happened at Gorgon’s tonight.”