Closing The Gap (Dangerous Pasts, #1) (25 page)

N
ausea crawled up into Josh’s throat as he fidgeted in the back of the cab traveling on the 101.  He’d phoned Lake, Roberts and Summer multiple times since he’d hailed the cab, with no response from any of them.  Something had gone wrong.  In a full blown panic because he couldn’t get a live person on the phone at the farm, he’d called Dustin and told him to get over there now and bring back up.  Josh felt elated when his phone finally lit up but the reprieve became short lived.  Dustin’s name appeared on the caller ID.

“Josh, its Dustin.  We’re on our way to the Harrison place and will be there within two minutes.  I hate to tell you this but right after you called me, a 9-1-1 call came in from a Mexican lady.  We could barely understand her.  Her speech sounded frenzied and her English was unclear.  We made out something about a fire, someone might have been shot and they needed an ambulance.  Every available man is headed there now.  How far away are you?”

“Five minutes.”  Josh leaned over his knees and put his head between his legs.  That bastard had shot Lake again.  What if she didn’t make it or lay mortally wounded and he couldn’t get there in time?  His life would never be the same.  What if he didn’t get to say goodbye?  Now that he’d found what he’d unknowingly spent his whole life searching for, he could not go on without her.  His future appeared in her eyes.  Fear surrounding the unknown outcome got so intense he wanted to scream.  He found it harder and harder to drag oxygen into his burning lungs.

“Josh, I know you.  You’re going to want to rush in there but you have to stay outside the police perimeter.  Even you’re not tough enough to stop a madman with a loaded weapon.  Let us handle this.  If he’s still armed, my orders will be to shoot to kill and then this will be over.  We’re getting the EMTs inside as fast as possible to ensure the safety of everyone there.  Right now, we’re not sure how many people are on the premises.  We can’t have you putting yourself in danger and distracting law enforcement from getting a clean, safe shot to take this guy out.”

As he pushed the end button and the cab approached Lake’s front gate, Josh considered Dustin’s advice and hoped his mind and body would remain controlled so he could follow through with those orders.  Praying had never been his thing but he sent positive thoughts out into the universe and promised God he’d hit his knees if he got to the farm and found every person safe.  Except one.  That bastard had to go. 

Smoke billowed up from the barn area and about five squad cars and a fire truck were parked outside the security gate.  The gate had been mowed down with a SWAT vehicle so the officers could enter the driveway.  He threw a hundred dollar bill to the driver and told him to keep it as he grabbed his duffle bag and jumped out.  After he slammed it into the ground, he rummaged through it and pulled out the hard case that held his hand gun.  He no longer cared what Dustin said.  He’d stop at nothing to get inside and to do that, he needed to be armed.  Once he made it past the blockade, he’d use the back way around the barn to get to the front yard.  God only knew what he would find once he got there.

Josh shoved the gun inside the waistband of his jeans with the safety on and jogged towards the rear of the property.

“Sir, you can’t go in there!  This is a secured area.  Sir!  Sir, fall back or we’ll have to cuff you!”  Josh could’ve have cared less.  He just ran fast with the least sound possible. His legs were long.  They’d never be able to tackle him before he got to Lake.  If they wanted to stop him, they’d have to shoot him in the back.  He came around the barn and loped half way to the house when he stopped cold dead in his tracks, aghast at the scene that appeared before him. 

Roberts lay prone, flat on his back on the sidewalk, bathed in a pool of bright red blood.  Lake knelt beside him as she heaved enormous sobs.  She kept both of her palms flat against his stomach in an attempt to stop the massive bleeding as she rocked back and forth.  Shock and horror haunted her green eyes and tears saturated her face. 

Lily stood beside both of them like a life size bronze statue.  If that mare moved a muscle, it wasn’t perceptible.  Josh guessed she’d meandered over to the area because of her bond with Lake and horse sense that Lake needed her.  Unfortunately, she presented a sizeable impediment to anyone attempting a kill shot.  Huddled in an outside corner of the barn under an overhang were Summer, Chad and Juan as they peeked out at the scene.  Terror rested on the sultry, summer air.  Josh glanced over to them and lifted his index finger up to his lips as he grabbed his gun from his pants and released the safety. 

Josh spotted that pathetic mother fucker about twenty yards from the sidewalk, ambling forward towards Lake and Roberts.  He looked like Satan incarnate.  Josh doubted someone that looked that maniacal existed outside of Hollywood.  Dark brown hair stood straight up all over his head.  Dirt and soot covered his face and hands.  His brown eyes appeared dead and held zero emotion, not even anger or spite.  Josh noted with alarm that Buck’s gun hand remained steady so he gazed out over the property trying to find Dustin.  Finally, he noticed him on the patio with an assault rifle trained on Buck who continued to make himself a moving target.

Josh crept a few yards to take cover behind a tall cactus and trained his ears towards the sidewalk in an attempt to overhear any indication of Buck’s next move.  Too many bushes and landscaping rocks along the path provided cover for Buck.  Josh couldn’t take a shot without the possibility of a carom hitting Lake or Lily.  He couldn’t get a clean shot right now and prayed that Dustin would be able to get one first.  For the love of God and all that was holy, Roberts needed to get to a hospital or they were going to lose him and Josh would never forgive himself.  He alone had put Roberts here in harm’s way.

Lake let out a wail that sounded like her insides were being wrenched from her body.

“Oh, my God!”

“God’s going to sit this one out, bitch!”

Buck advanced on them, his gun trained on Lake’s head. 

“Just shoot me.  Kill me.  I don’t care anymore!”  As she sobbed, her voice wavered which made her actual words hard to decipher.  “Please, just let the police come in and save Ryan.  He didn’t do anything to you.  He doesn’t deserve this.”

“You spread your skinny legs for him, whore, so he has to go.  You, crouched there, bawling like a baby as you watch his life blood ooze from his body is like my own personal Normal Rockwell painting.  Hell, I couldn’t have planned it any better.  I love a gut wound, don’t you?”

“Wh – wh – what?”  Lake could barely get the syllable out past the tears that were forming a puddle on her upper lip.  “Ryan is my friend.  I’ve never slept with him.  He’s just here trying to help me.”

“Don’t try to bullshit me, skank.  A very reliable source informed me that you suck the dick of famous NHL powerhouse, Josh Adams.  But then again, you’ll swallow for anyone.  Won’t you?”

“Buck, this isn’t Josh.  This is Ryan Roberts.”  Lake whimpered.  Buck heard and understood the sincerity in her voice because he spun around and pointed a soot blackened finger at Summer.

“Cunt, listen up!  Is that Josh Adams or not?  Remember, your pathetic life and that of your repulsive sister depend on the accuracy of your answer to this very important question.”  He continued to wave the gun around his head.  His expression turned stormy as he awaited her answer and hoped Lake hadn’t been honest with him so he could pull the trigger.

Summer’s firm voice rang out.  “Buck, that is retired NHL center Ryan Roberts.  An incredible man and friend to all of us.  Josh Adams is from Chicago where he’s a color man for the Blackhawks.  He went back to Chicago for work but he is due back today.  I would swear on my father’s grave.  That is not Josh.  Please, I beg of you.  Let Ryan get help.  He’s not the one you want.  In fact, let Lake go to the hospital with Ryan.  You can take me.”  With that Summer stepped forward onto the walkway to keep Buck distracted so Josh could take a shot at him.  Josh admired her courage.

“What?  That is not Josh Adams?  How come I saw you together with him at the Cheesecake Factory and he held your hand and gazed into your eyes like a lovesick fool?”  Buck’s facial features drooped.  “Josh Adams needs to die too.  You need to die together!  It
has
to be that way.  It’s the way I’ve planned it for weeks!”  He brandished the gun loosely in every direction as he lamented about what had gone awry.  As he concentrated, he scrunched his forehead and his lips moved as he mumbled to himself.

Buck turned back towards Lake and seemed to calm.  “That’s okay.  I still have the two of you.  Josh can wait until next time.  Let’s get this over with and then Ryan can go out in the ambulance and you two can go out with the coroner.  I wouldn’t want to see an NHL superstar die on my watch.  Cunt, go stand over by the whore!”  He motioned with his gun for Summer to walk towards Lake.  She still knelt by Ryan, drenched in his blood.  There weren’t many inches of her pale skin not covered in red. 

At the exact moment that Summer strode along the sidewalk towards Lake, careful to give Josh time to fire if he had a shot, Alfred flew through his doggie door.  Lily spooked at the sudden movement and shied ten feet to the right which caused Buck to become even more agitated.  The little dog barked and snarled with his fangs bared.  He galloped full speed towards Buck as fast as his short legs could carry him.

“That fucking little bastard!  I’ll kill him!”  Buck turned forty five degrees towards the dog and raised his gun as he aimed at Alfred’s racing body.

Josh saw Dustin lift his gun and try the scope again but his finger didn’t move on the trigger to fire a shot.

Lake screeched ‘
NO
!’ at the top of her voice and sounded as though the air had been ripped from her lungs.  Her eyes never left Alfred and her hands never left Roberts.  Thank God for that small bit of composure because if she fainted now and moved her arms, the clot would break and he would bleed out.

Summer turned towards the dog and commanded in an authoritative voice.  “Alfred, hup!” 

The dog soared through the air towards Summer and hurled himself right over a brittlebush lining the sidewalk as if taking a three foot jump.  Buck’s first shot missed him and caromed into the side of the adobe barn.  Josh could tell Buck’s anger escalated as his frantic movements increased, just like Dustin had warned him.  Buck turned back towards Lake and pointed the gun at her head.  Just as he squeezed the trigger, Dustin fired his assault rifle and hit Buck in the elbow which altered the trajectory of his shot.  It struck Lake on the left side of her head and she fell forward, on top of Roberts.

After watching her get hit, Josh lurched forward over his shoes.  He folded his body in half and puked all over the rusty, rocky desert dirt.

As Buck turned to locate the source of the shot, his face now reflected one solitary emotion.  Fear.  Dustin needed to take him out. 
Now
.  If he didn’t, Josh would.  Josh watched Dustin approach Buck as if in slow motion and the agent’s eye never left the scope of his weapon.  Josh looked at Buck’s face and noticed his brown eyes had glazed over.  The fear had gone and resignation had taken its place.  Buck gently lifted his own gun to his temple and pulled the trigger.

“B
abe, you need to wake up now.”

Josh sat next to Lake’s hospital bed, and reminded himself that physically, she’d be alright.  That fact was a true blessing and he thanked God every moment of every day for the miracle.  Since Dustin’s shot had hit Buck right as he’d pulled the trigger of his Glock, the bullet had traveled off target and only grazed Lake in the temple.  She’d suffered a minor flesh wound. 

Her doctor had explained to them that the extreme stress over Roberts, along with the gunshot wound causing further trauma and blood loss, had put Lake into a psychiatric state called Catatonia.  A conscious coma with full brain activity.  Her eyes were open but she didn’t move or respond to normal stimuli.  The doctor didn’t know how long it would last but was confident she would come out of it.  He just didn’t know when.  She kept the silent torment locked tightly within her own mind.

Josh had kept vigil by her bedside for the past five days and nights, being spelled by Summer and Lance to use the restroom and get coffee and food.  His concern mounted each day as he noticed Lake losing weight she couldn’t afford to lose.  She had to snap out of this.  He continued to grasp at straws for ideas on how to get it done.  A man of action, it perturbed him that he could not fix this and fix it now.

Even a visit from Roberts last evening, hadn’t produced a reaction.  Roberts had pulled through surgery with flying colors.  The bullet hadn’t hit any of his major organs and after a minor bowel repair and transfusions, he just remained weak from the blood loss.  He’d be released from the hospital later today.  Roberts planned on recuperating for a few more days in Lake’s guest room with Summer playing nurse.  Then, when he was cleared to fly, head home to The Keys.  Josh knew he wanted to get back to his life and his band as he often mentioned how much he missed his brother Ben and his parents.  The guilt rode Josh hard.  Roberts needed to get back to his life.

Summer spent a lot of time with Roberts in his room since Josh wouldn’t leave Lake’s side.  She insisted that the poor guy had taken one for the team and stepped up in a big way so she wanted him to have companionship while he recovered.  They’d spent hours together as they talked and played cards.  Josh wouldn’t be surprised if something more developed between them.  They were both so much alike.  As if he’d been conjured up by an illusionist, Roberts pushed through the door in his flannel pajama pants, white t-shirt and slippers.  Josh grinned at him, happy to see him up and about and not using a walker or a wheel chair.  He appeared to be on the mend.