Stanton took the drawing. His heart raced and his guts tightened up like a fist. “Slim Jim, this girl’s life is in danger. We’re getting her into protective custody right now. Send some uniforms to her house. Her family’s in danger too.”
Nehor Stark bounded up the stairs to the second floor, his flame resistant suit swooshing as he jumped up the top three steps. He kicked in the first door on his right. It was a bathroom. He tore down the shower curtain and looked in the tub. He pulled open the drawers underneath the sink so violently they broke. He bashed his fist into the mirror and it broke in a spiderweb of cracks.
The next room was the master bedroom. He pulled the covers off the bed and kicked over the mattress. He noticed a sound in the bedroom and thought a dog or other family pet was in there with him but then realized he was grunting like an animal. He kicked over the dresser and ripped the closet doors off before rummaging through the clothes inside.
“Where is she!” he screamed at the top of his lungs.
Nehor went through the next bedroom and tore it apart. There were photos and drawings on the walls and he ripped them down, glass shattering into hundreds of pieces on the soft, white carpet. He ran down the hall to the next room, another bedroom. He tore curtains away and shattered the plasma TV against the wall, mumbling, “Where is she?” to himself.
He tore their clothes off the hangers and ripped them apart. There was an echoed screaming and he knew it was his own.
Finding nothing in any of the rooms, he bounded down the stairs and to the kitchen. He opened several drawers, dumping their contents on the floor, and finding the largest kitchen knife he could, he went to the living room.
Gagged and tied together with polyester rope, the Richardsons were crying and squirming underneath the tight grip of the ropes. Hal Richardson, the father, had a large wound on his head that was pouring blood over him, soaking the portion of rope around his chest a dark crimson. He appeared faint, like he could pass out at any moment. Nehor went instead to Katie, the mother, who he had left untouched.
“Where is she?” he said, placing the tip of the knife against her throat.
Katie shook her head.
“Your whole family is going to die and I’m going to make you watch. If you tell me where she is maybe I’ll decide to let all of you live and just take her. Is that a deal?”
Katie broke down, her head lowered, tears streaming down her face. She nodded.
“Good,” Nehor said, reaching over and taking out the cloth that had been stuffed into her mouth. “Now where is she?”
“She’s down the street at a neighbor’s house.”
“Which neighbor?”
“Are you going to harm them?”
“No,” he said, frustrated, “now which fucking neighbor?”
“Six doors down. The Taylors.”
He pulled the knife away. “Thanks.”
Nehor jumped to his feet and went to the three red canisters that lined the wall on the south side. He began emptying the remnants over the floors and tracing a pattern into the hallway.
“Why are you doing that?” Katie cried. “You said you would let us go?”
“Did I? I don’t remember.”
She screamed as he finished the hallway and came inside, pouring the clear liquid over her two children and her husband. He went to retrieve another canister when he saw movement outside in front of the house. It was a police cruiser.
He stood frozen, staring out the window as two police officers got out of the car. They could be going anywhere, he thought. Then they walked up the yard and to the front porch, ringing the doorbell.
He didn’t move. He didn’t even breathe. He couldn’t survive going back to living in a cage. He would die here then, with this family and the two officers. He would set the fire such that it would cause an explosion as soon as the officers got through…no. No, why should he do that when there was a perfectly good backdoor?
Nehor glanced to the family as he ran past them. Briefly, he considered slitting their throats before leaving and he took a step toward them. As he did so, one of the officers pounded on the door and said, “San Diego PD, please open the door.”
Nehor’s face twitched in anger. He threw the knife as hard as he could at Katie, the handle hitting her in the head and causing her to scream. He laughed so hard he nearly fell over.
He ran out the backdoor into the dwindling evening light. He jumped into a neighbor’s yard over their fence and then ran to the street where Amber’s car waited for him.
CHAPTER 40
“This is fucking bullshit!”
Stanton ducked a can of cola as Tabitha threw it at him. He approached her and grabbed her arms, sitting her down on the couch provided in the lounge. He stood over her as she folded her arms and sat back, anger raging in her face.
“It’s for your own safety. And if you throw anything at me again, you’ll be sitting in a cell instead of in the lounge.”
“Good, I don’t give a shit. Put me wherever you want, faggot.”
“It’s almost six o’clock. Is your family all going to be home at this time?”
“Fuck you.”
He bent down, looking her in the eyes. “Tabitha, I’m trying to save your life and the lives of your family. Now please, it’s very important. Is your family going to be home?”
She scoffed. “Yes.”
There was a knock at the door. Childs opened it and stepped inside. He shut the door behind him so no one could hear and walked over, glancing down at Tabitha before turning to Stanton.
“The family’s at Scripps right now. They’re safe but they were found tied up in the living room.”
Stanton looked to Tabitha and her eyes went wide as she realized which family they were talking about.
“He came to my house?” she said quietly. “That guy came to my house?”
Childs said, “He almost killed your family. Jon Stanton just saved your life. Maybe a thank you is in order instead of throwing shit at him.”
Childs turned and left as Tabitha stared blankly at the walls before tears ran down her cheeks. She put her hands to her face and began to cry. Stanton sat down next to her and calmly waited until she was ready. A moment passed before she leaned over on his shoulder. He let her cry it out and when she had regained control of herself he stood up.
“I’ll take you to your family.”
They drove in silence all the way to the hospital and Stanton parked in handicap parking before walking her to the ER. Her family was gathered in the same room, the father in a bed with a bandage around his upper skull. The rest of the family sat quietly until they saw Tabitha. She ran to her mother and they hugged and began crying. Stanton stepped outside the room.
A uniform was outside sitting in a chair. He was reading a Rolling Stone and not paying attention to what was going on in the room. Stanton leaned down in front of him so he could see his eyes.
“The man who’s after this family, he won’t care that there’s a policeman outside the room. Do you understand?”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t let them out of your sight. If they want to go home, tell them they can’t yet and that they’ll have to sleep in a hotel. Don’t even let them in to get clothes. He may have wired the house with explosives.”
“I won’t let anything happen to them, Detective.”
“I know you won’t. Thank you.”
As he was already here, Stanton decided to visit Gunn. He went up to his floor and walked into the room without knocking. Gunn was lying in the bed, staring up at a television that was blaring a game show, something set in a classroom with Jeff Foxworthy as the host. Stanton pulled a chair next to the bed and sat down. Gunn didn’t move or say anything.
After a long while, he finally said, “Did you bring me anythin’?”
“Like what?”
“Like some beer? I can’t get any booze in here.”
“You know I wouldn’t buy that for you.”
“I know. Just thought I’d ask.” He turned and looked at him. “You look like shit, Johnny. You gettin’ enough sleep?”