Badger Page 8

She groaned. When Erick read off the phone number, she dialed and ordered five large pizzas. She hung up and turned to the men. “Delivery in twenty-five.”

  They nodded absentmindedly.

  The coffee had finished dripping. She poured herself a cup, then pulled out several other mugs. What about the two men tied up? Somehow she’d gone from being terrified to feeling sorry for them. She wasn’t sure there was a happy ending for either of them. Particularly if they’d been blackmailed into doing this by her brother. That would really suck. On the other hand, if Paul had actually killed somebody, then how could she not want him to pay for his crime?

  As she poured five more cups of coffee, not wanting to look too closely at why she was pouring coffee for the two kidnappers, she glanced out the window. “Badger?” she called out in a harsh whisper.

  “What’s up?” He came to her side.

  She pointed out the window. “Somebody’s skulking around my backyard.”

  Instantly the two men at the table got up and spread throughout the lower floor, slyly peering through windows. “What does your brother look like?”

  “Small. Thin. He’s about five nine. Always had a frail look. Women seemed to love it. I never quite understood the attraction myself.”

  “When you say frail, what do you mean? Slim, lean, pretty boy?”

  “That wouldn’t have been fun in prison,” Cade said quietly from her right.

  She stared at him. “I never considered that,” she said in a low tone. “Maybe he took that time to bulk up. I don’t know. I haven’t seen him in forever.”

  “The guy skulking around out there didn’t look familiar?”

  “I didn’t have a chance to look that closely. He’s dressed in black pants, a dark sweater, and I think he had something over his head, but I don’t know for sure. He disappeared into the bushes on the left side of the property.”

  Cade and Erick slipped outside via the garage door.

  Badger spoke as he pushed her from the window. “Stay away from where you can be seen. Go sit down at the kitchen table.”

  She pulled a chair around in front of the two kidnappers, then placed two cups of coffee there for them.

  Bud picked up a cup and smiled. “I really thank you for this. My hands are freezing after being tied up.”

  She glanced over at Badger and then back at Paul. “Do we let his hands loose?”

  Badger walked over to stare down at Paul. “That’s a good question. With his hands loose, he can cause a lot of damage.” Badger opened his jacket so Paul could see the weapon in his shoulder holster.

  Paul’s face went ghostly white. He shook his head. “I’m no threat to you.” He turned to Kat. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for your brother in the first place.”

  “Maybe her brother,” Badger said. “We have to keep an open mind here.”

  Paul shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. But, if I get a chance, I will disappear, because the last thing I want to do is time for murder.”

  Kat could understand that.

  “Let him have a cup of coffee while we see what the hell’s going on outside. The man skulking around has the benefit of the encroaching darkness.”

  She turned to Badger. “We have to watch out for the pizza delivery guy. That’ll add another element here that I don’t really want to go sour.”

  “Nobody’ll touch my pizza. Don’t you worry about that.”

  She knew he was joking. But, at the same time, she wasn’t sure just how effective a joke it really was. If something went wrong, it could just as easily be an innocent delivery guy who ended up dead.

  Badger did a quick sweep through the house. He didn’t want to leave the kidnappers alone, even tied they could have tricks up their sleeve. And once free it was just too easy for them to overpower Kat. That was the last thing that would happen on his watch. Every time he moved, he kept a close eye on Paul. His story sounded feasible, but Badger had heard more sob stories in his life than he’d believed were possible to exist. Everybody had an excuse; everybody had a reason for what they’d done. The fact was, they’d still done wrong. And that wasn’t something he ever wanted to pit against Kat.

  She sat across from the two men, the look on her face sad, as if contemplating what had brought her brother to this point. Their uncle had been murdered. And the brother was after the coins—potentially. At least that was a viable motive. As Badger swept through the kitchen and came back on the other side of the living room, he asked Kat in a low voice, “Any chance your brother killed your uncle?”

  She stiffened. Then, as she understood the ramifications of the question, she winced and said, “I don’t know. It’s possible. Like Paul’s brother, Jackson, they start off with a certain crime, but it seems like jail changes them. The next crime is a little bit worse, and the next one is worse again. Just like Paul himself.”

  Instead of getting mad, Paul just nodded. He glanced at the coffee in front of him. “I know this probably isn’t a great time, but I’d really like some of that coffee.”

  She went to stand up, but Badger said, “Don’t move.”

  She shot him a look of resentment that made him smile.

  Badger motioned at Bud.

  He’d been sitting quite happily, sipping from his mug. At Badger’s nod, he lifted Paul’s cup and held it to his lips.

  Paul took several big sips and then sat back, more on the happy side. “You make a mean cup of coffee, ma’am.”

  “I do indeed. Lots of late nights, studying. Lots of late nights, working.”

  Paul looked over at her. “What is it you do?”

  “I guess you didn’t feel the need to research your victims?”

  At that he looked shame-faced and focused on the floor.

  She shrugged. “I’m a prosthetic designer. I build arms and legs and hands for the men and women who have lost them, usually in war, but often in car accidents. Sometimes limbs wasted away from disease. Diabetes patients being a prime example.”

  The two men stared at her in surprise.

  “And the three men helping me today all have prosthetics I’ve built. So they have a vested interest in keeping me alive.”

  Paul and Bud shared a glance and looked over at her. “I’m sorry. You do offer valuable services for people. I can’t imagine the kind of work you do.”

  “I did twelve years of schooling to get this far. It’s a little hard to imagine it all just being snuffed out because my brother is a piece of shit.”

  “Are you a doctor?”

  She nodded. “Yes, and I’m an engineer. I was one of those smart teens.” At the look on their faces she laughed. “Yeah, I was the one always in the library when everybody was out partying. Every time everybody took off from class to go smoke in the bathroom, I was the one studying and listening to the prof so I could get through the exams in half the time. I graduated at fifteen. Had my engineering degree before twenty, and I was a doctor before I hit twenty-six.”

  All the men just stared, their jaws slowly dropping.

  She chuckled. “I do what I love because it gives me a chance to help these people. All the men here had their body parts blown off while they were in service to our country. It’s a little hard for them to stomach guys who just break in and kidnap people for no reason.”

  “I know it’s not much of a defense,” Paul said, “but I was being blackmailed.”

  “Because you committed murder.”

  Badger winced. He’d been listening to the conversation, keeping track of everybody’s facial expressions, looking for any sign of deceit, betrayal, something that would nudge him to a decision one way or another. But, so far, the men looked sincerely interested and possibly completely abashed at what they had done. Badger chuckled. “Yeah, when you picked a victim, you probably didn’t realize how many people were here to support her. It’s because of her I get to walk the way I do.”

  Both men glanced down at his legs. Bud said, “There’s no way I would have known.”

  “That’s because she does good work.”

  She rolled her eyes. “In many ways the men are better than they were originally. Their new legs have titanium and special gears to make the joints work properly. They are a cutting-edge design,” she said with pride. “I’m really proud of the work I’ve been doing for them.”

  Badger could tell the kidnappers were desperate to see his leg. But he wasn’t about to do a show-and-tell.

  Paul spoke up. “Is that why Cade wears a glove?”

  Badger nodded absentmindedly. “And you might think it’s weaker. But I’ve got to tell you, it comes with a bionic punch.”

  Both of the men looked at each other again. Bud said, “Wow. That’s really cool.”

  “It’s really cool, but it takes a ton of work.” Kat smiled. “Still, it’s what I like to do.”

  “Then I’m really sorry we caused you any trouble,” Paul said. “I’d like to get my hands on your brother, if he’s the asshole yanking my chain.”

  “You might just get that chance.”

  The two kidnappers looked at Badger, but his gaze was caught on somebody skulking against the hedge. As he watched, Cade came up behind the intruder, threw a choke hold on him and dragged him back onto the property. “Cade just picked up our stalker.”

  Badger opened the garage door to let them in. Within seconds they had the struggling slim form of another male slammed down onto a chair, shifted to sit against the living room wall. Paul and his buddy were moved over to join him. Badger pulled the hood off his head. “Kat, come and take a look at this guy.”

  She gasped. “Teddy, what the hell are you doing?”

  He glared at her and, in a hissing voice, said, “Hey, sis. Too bad you didn’t die like you were supposed to.”

  “And why’s that?”

  “Because of course you inherited that shit from Uncle. He always told me that I would get them.”

  “I didn’t even know he had them much less that I was getting them,” she snapped. “How the hell did you know he had them?”

  “Because Marge showed me. When she first married him. She’s been telling me about them ever since.” His tone was sarcastic, as if she already knew.

  She stared at him. “They were married for what, three, four years?”

  He shrugged. “Haven’t you figured it out yet? Marge was Ethel’s nurse. The whole time Aunt Ethel was dying, Marge was on the scene. As soon as Aunt Ethel died, Marge was right there. She learned about the coins a long time ago.”

  “How did you know her?”

  “Because I was there at the hospital a lot more than you were. You were always at school or at a seminar or too damn busy.”

  “Are you telling me that you sat at the hospital with Marge?”

  He shrugged. “I knew Marge’s son. He’s a druggie. And he talks a lot. So I knew who made decisions in the hospital. When she married Uncle, I figured we would all do much better if he was dead.”

  She stared at him.

  Badger could see how difficult this was for her. He walked over and sat beside her, his hand on her shoulder.

  She swallowed hard and said, “Did you kill Uncle? Are you the one who broke into the house and shot him?”

  Her brother sneered. “Why should I tell you anything?”

  “Well, you’re already up on charges for extortion and blackmail and perpetrating a murder for hire,” Badger said calmly. “You might as well tell us the rest of it.”

  Instead the punk ass—who looked more like a kid who never grew up—turned and glared at Badger. “I don’t have to tell you jack shit. I don’t know who the hell you are. You’re obviously trying to get cozy with my sister. Would figure she’d pick somebody like you. Big and brawny but no brains. She never could handle any competition in that area.”

  Beside Badger, Kat straightened in outrage. He squeezed her shoulder. “Sounds like your sister is one of those smart brainiacs, and maybe you’re the one who couldn’t handle the competition.”

  “I’m just as smart as she is. I just didn’t care enough.” He sneered and glanced around at the two men tied up. “What a bunch of losers.”

  “How is their situation any better than yours?” Kat asked. “You’re my prisoner now too.”

  Just then a shot rang out, and the kitchen window right in front of Kat’s head exploded.

  Chapter 7

  Kat screamed as she was slammed to the floor. Badger lay fully on top of her, his weapon out. Her brother had been tossed to the floor at the same time, and Erick had a knee to his back, and a weapon held against his head.

  Then more shots followed. Each seemingly targeting something specific. One was aimed at her hot water heater in the kitchen, now flooding the floor. Another hit her fuse box on the other side of the kitchen door inside the garage and sent sparks flying, erupting in a small flash of fire that burned itself out quickly. She waited to see if her electricity went out. Two more shots passed through the same kitchen window facing her backyard to travel across the kitchen and into her living room, then exiting the big picture window there, which took down most of it in the process. Now the shooter could just walk in through the busted floor-to-ceiling window.

  In a harsh voice Badger asked, “Who the hell is outside?”

  Her brother laughed.

  Badger leaned down and whispered in her ear. “I’ll get up and go look. I want you to stay right here.”

  She nodded, and his weight came off her. She watched as he bolted across to the garage door, taking a closer look. Cade was already searching for the shooter through the windows, then followed Badger out to the garage. The two kidnappers in the chairs looked terrified. She crawled forward until she sat beside them on the floor.

  Bud whispered, “What the hell did we get ourselves into?”

  “I don’t know, but it looks like its heading south very quickly,” she said quietly. She studied the front window and their position. “I’m worried you guys are in the line of fire if the shooter fires from the front yard.”

  Bud looked at her. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to lie sideways.” And he dumped his chair backward. He lay on his back now, his legs up, then he rolled over once more, so he now lay sideways on the floor.

  She glanced at Paul. “I’m not sure what to do with you. No matter which way I turn you, it’ll hurt.”

  He said, “Don’t worry about it. Sideways is best. I’d rather be hurt than be dead.”

  Together Erick and Kat lowered Paul’s not-insubstantial weight until he was lying sideways on the floor, still tied to the chair.

  She turned to see Erick tying up her brother. In the kitchen she pulled zip-ties from one of the drawers on the right. She crawled back, handing them to him.

  He looked at them, and his face beamed. He put several together and tied Teddy’s ankles and hands. She had also retrieved a dishcloth from one of the bottom drawers. She tossed it Erick’s way, and he stuffed it in her brother’s mouth.

  Her brother gave her a glare, and she just shrugged. “You’ve already ruined my day. I really don’t want you doing more damage.”

  With that Erick disappeared, just like the rest of his friends. A pair of kitchen scissors were on the counter beside her. She grabbed them. Did anyone ever have enough weapons in a situation like this? Unfortunately her brother saw her. His smirk said much about how effective he thought she would be. Still, as long as he didn’t consider her a danger, he wasn’t likely to do anything to call attention to her. It was just the kind of thing he did.

  She held the scissors in her hands. If she got a chance, she had a special surprise she’d been trying out in her prosthetic. There was an advantage to no one knowing what she carried.

  Five minutes passed with no change. Ten minutes passed with no change.

  She turned to the two men lying on their sides. In a low tone she whispered, “Did either of you hear anything?”

  “No,” Paul muttered. “And I really hate the waiting part.”

  “Now I’m really worried about the pizza.”

  Paul looked at her incredulously.

  “I meant the pizza delivery man,” she corrected herself. “I don’t give a shit about the pizza.”

  “I kind of do,” Bud said in a light attempt at levity. “I have to admit to being pretty damn hungry myself.”

  Just then she heard a vehicle approach. “Shit.”

  What the hell should she do? Would the shooter let the pizza delivery guy walk up on his own? She crawled to the front door, stood and peered through the security peephole. Sure enough, it was the pizza delivery guy. At least one in a pizza uniform. Surely not the shooter in disguise. Not with Badger, Erick and Cade after him.

  She sighed. She’d given her credit card over the phone already. Technically she was buying dinner for everyone. How the hell did that work? These assholes should be paying. But at least she didn’t owe the delivery guy anything other than a tip. She checked her pockets and found a couple small bills.

  When the doorbell rang, she opened the door, passed him the cash and grabbed the pizzas. She quickly shut the door and locked it behind her, then smirked at her missing picture window. She watched as he got in his vehicle and drove away.

  When he was finally gone from sight, she let out a deep breath. “Okay, one less person we have to worry about.”

  Now she had to get to the kitchen safely with all the boxes. Crouched low, she avoided as many windows as possible. When she got to the table, she straightened enough to place the pizzas on its surface. And then she crept past her brother again to check on the two kidnappers.

  “Okay, pizzas are here, but I really don’t think we should be distracted by eating right now.”

  “Stay down and stay quiet,” Bud said. “I think I hear someone.”

  She made her way to the door that led to the garage, careful not to slip in the water. All three tied-up men were tucked out of sight enough that, if the door opened, they couldn’t be seen. She wanted to make sure she wasn’t either. She sat on a pretty dry spot on the floor behind the door and waited. And waited. She pulled her phone from her pocket and sent a text. Just before she hit Send, she wondered if it would cause a kerfuffle. Did they all remember to turn their phones on Mute? Worried, she chewed on her bottom lip and then decided to hit Send after all. As soon as she pushed the button, she had second thoughts. But it was too late. Her phone responded almost instantly. It was Badger.

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