Pressing the gas pedal down harder, I blew through a red light, thankful that there was no one else on the road. I was gone now, not driving, not thinking, just letting my gut and the rage control. It was the only way to win this game, and I was going to win.

You wanted to break me, well, congratulations, you broke me. And you are going to regret it.

Chapter 43.

WHEN I TURNED OFF at Delaware Avenue, I turned my lights off. There were no streetlights so I could keep to the shadows. Drawing next to the curb, I parked. I would hoof it from here.

Number 1123 was second from the last home. I could tell from the blue dumpster sitting in its yard, filled with beams and junk from the renovation. It was two stories, and didn't have any lights on. I spied one on the porch that might have a security sensor, and decided to go in from the back.

I'd have the element of surprise. But I'd need more than that. I took my gun from my purse. It fit comfortably in my hands. Sliding out the clip, I checked it and made sure it was full. And then I put ten more bullets in my pocket and tossed the box of sh.e.l.ls on the front seat. Unless there was an army in the house, that should do the trick.

I drew in a breath. This was it. I could either wait for the police or go on alone. If I went in, did I have what it took to finish the job?

I glanced at my phone. It blinked the time, constantly getting smaller. 14:01. 14:00. 13:59. 13:58. I snapped the clip in the gun and released the safety. Angela's face was in my mind. I couldn't wait another second.

Chapter 44.

AS I CREPT AROUND the block, guided by moonlight, old buried memories threatened to surface and I didn't want to think about them right now. But it's funny how the mind works, like a trigger board, one thing touches another and sends a signal and memories once forgotten flood the circuits.

I peeked over the nose-high back fence. There were no outside lights at the back of the house, only a concrete porch and cracked sliding door. There were no cars parked on the front driveway and I wondered if I was even at the right house.

But then, through the window, I saw a shadowy form go from one room to the other. It moved quickly through the darkness, not even turning on a light.

That was when I started to sweat.

Forcing the fear down, I harnessed the anger inside me. I had to do what I had to do. Pushing on the wooden gate, it opened with a dull creak. I tiptoed across the lawn and to the door.

Before I lost my nerve and threw up on the gra.s.s, I grasped the handle and shoved the sliding door sideways. It gave way. It either had a b.u.m lock or I was really strong.

I smelled it before my eyes adjusted to the light.

Blood.

Hang on, Angela.

I moved forward slowly with my gun down to the right holding on to it with both hands. I was shaking, and adrenaline coursed through me.

There was a gutted kitchen to my right, with broken cabinets and holes where appliances used to be. I could see a formal dining room behind it. There was a door in front of me, which I figured led to the bas.e.m.e.nt. And there was a media room to my left, with wires and cords still sticking out from the wall. I went toward the bas.e.m.e.nt door and pushed it open. The stairs leading down were dark but a little light was coming from the bottom giving me hope. This had to be the right house.

I made myself breathe. In and out. I couldn't even hear my footsteps. Before I turned the corner, I tensed up.

I hesitated, and then rushed through with my gun raised.

That was when I saw her. Tied with her hands behind her back to a wooden support post and her head down. Under her feet was a pool of blood.

I lowered my gun and ran to her.

"Angela ...are you-"

At my voice, her eyes flew open. She cried and mumbled into her gag. Instant tears swelled in her eyes. I grabbed her to me, emotions roiling so strong I could barely handle them. "It's going to be okay. Don't worry now, everything's going to be okay," I crooned.

Gently pulling her face up, I reached to undo her duct-taped mouth. Suddenly, her gaze landed on something behind me. Her eyes widened and she gave a m.u.f.fled scream.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him. He rose from the corner like a shadow, where he'd been watching. I gasped and turned, raising my gun. But he came at me fast. His eyes glowed in the wan light.

There was no time to fire off a shot. He batted at the gun with his fist. After years of training, my response was instinct. I blocked the blow and countered with one of my own. I braced my elbow, and struck him in the knee joint.

With a cry he doubled over. I charged up with my shoulder, hitting him square in the mouth. I felt a tooth break into my skin. But then he raised a hand and struck me across the cheek, throwing me off balance.

I landed on my side. "You're both going to die now," he said.

Not today. I grunted as I shifted my weight and brought the gun up to his face. "Goodbye," I said, then squeezed the trigger.

But either my shot was off, or he moved quicker than bullets. He flew out the door faster than I could fire again. The gunshot resounded through the room. I tasted gunpowder in my mouth. Full of anger, I shot again at the door.

Then I turned to Angela. Her body had gone limp and her eyes were closed. Bile rose in my throat. "No," I groaned.

Dropping the gun I lifted her head up with both hands and tugged the duct tape off her mouth. Putting two fingers to her neck, I checked for a pulse and listened for breath.

"Come on," I whispered. "Come on."

If she didn't make it, I don't know if I would.

But then I felt it. Her throat pulsed to life. It was weak but still there.

"Hang on, Angela!" I said as I unwrapped the tape from her hands, and then laid her on her back. Once I started talking, I couldn't stop. "You've got lots more medals to win. I've never told the other girls this but you're way better than either of them. You're something special." I tugged at the tape on her legs but it wasn't coming off. "You've got a big life to lead, and you have to take Ca.s.sandra and Jessie with you. They love you so much. And so does your mama. You have to start treating her better, you hear me?" I finally made a tear in the tape and ripped it off.

My hands were covered in blood. There was so much blood! Where was it coming from? I searched her body for the wound, and found it on her lower ribcage. A big cut with a knife, and it was oozing blood and water.

I pulled my shirt off and pressed it to the wound.

"You stay with me, Angela girl." I took out my phone to dial 9-1-1. "I'm gonna get us some help."

Chapter 45.

"MISS-MISS, WE CAN take it from here." A paramedic took my arm and pulled me away from Angela. I stumbled back and Detective Monroe grabbed me.

They'd come with the full SWAT team. Without a sound. All I saw were flashlights glowing on the end of big guns before they surrounded me. If Detective Monroe hadn't been there, I'd have been handcuffed and accused.

I watched as the medics worked on Angela to stabilize her, and they soon had her in the back of the ambulance and on her way to the hospital. "Where are they taking her?" I asked a medic standing by the pool of blood.

"St. Luke's.She's lost a lot of blood. We gave her something to stop the bleeding." He looked gravely at the blood, then back at me. "She wouldn't have survived for much longer. Good thing you came when you did."

"You mean the wound wasn't new?" I asked. Detective Monroe leaned in to listen.

"No, it looked to be a few hours old." He wiped his hands with a disinfectant cloth, then handed me a clean one.

A few hours old. That was probably around the time Mandy and Rick called the police.

I shuddered. The Williams' knew every one of our moves.

"Thanks." My head was spinning and I sat down on a wooden sawhorse. Forensics teams were appearing, and Detective Ross was telling them where to go and what to do. It was just a flurry of words and noises.

She was alive, I found her, and if I'd been even fifteen minutes later she'd be dead. I was so angry that I had to force myself to think about my surroundings so I would not fly into a fit of rage. He used me, was playing me, and I felt like a puppet on a string.

Detective Monroe finished a phone call, and then turned to me. "The medics are on their way to the hospital, and they say they've stabilized her. They think her attacker gave her blood thinner so she'd bleed out faster."

I curled up my lip. "It was Hank Williams, not just some attacker."

Detective Monroe put his hands on his hips and sighed. I braced myself for the inevitable scolding.

"Sarah, what you did was a gigantically stupid decision."

I didn't think gigantically was a word, but I wasn't going to mention it to him.

"But-" he hesitated, and his mouth twitched through his frown, "-but you did good. You saved her life."

I hugged myself, hunching over, suddenly feeling cold all over.

"Hey!" he said. I looked up quickly. He had a sober look in his eye. "Don't you ever do that again, you hear me?"

My whole body felt like mush, and weariness enveloped me. "I hope I never have to do anything like that again," I said.

Chapter 46.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY idea where he might go?" Detective Ross asked me. We were at the police station, and they were filing the report and taking my statement.

"You mean Hank, or Glen? No idea," I said. "But once you find him, there'll be enough evidence on him to put him away for a long time. You should find more in that creepy bas.e.m.e.nt. I know I made him bleed when I hit him. And I think he lost a tooth."

Detective Monroe nodded and jotted the note down.

I was ready to be done. My nerves were raw and the fluorescent lights made my eyes hurt.

Taking another sip of water, I pulled the blanket they'd given me closer around my shoulders. At least they'd given me a comfy office chair instead of one of those c.r.a.ppy, plastic chairs they usually offered.

We were in Officer Monroe's office, and had been there for the last hour as I'd relayed my story.

"Anything else you want to tell us?" Detective Ross asked. His face stilled. He'd been looking at me all night as if I was hiding something. But I wasn't. Except for the fact that I'd gone into the house ready to shoot Williams.

"Just that ... just that I'm thankful you-" I looked at Monroe, "-told me to go see Solomon and learn how to use a gun."

I suddenly wished I could tell Solomon about all of this. Wished it so badly it surprised me. I'd just met him but already he seemed like a significant part of my life. Or ... he might be, one day.

Monroe nodded. "It worked out, didn't it?" Ross frowned, but turned away.

"Can I go home now?" I asked in a tired voice.

"Yes." Ross stacked his papers. "I think you can. If we need anything else we'll call you. And we know where to find you."

Even though it came from a policeman, the words were disconcerting. I wish it wasn't so easy to find me. I stood up to go and when I got to the door, something came to me. I looked at my hand, and then looked down. There were numbers still there, from when I'd written Hannah's license plate down.

I should tell the police, tell them I thought Hannah was involved, and that she might lead them to Hank.

"Yes?" Monroe asked, noticing I was still there.

I closed my mouth, thinking hard. In an instant, a plan filled my head so big and fleshed out it must've been there all along.

"Nothing," I said with a weak smile. "Have a good night, gentlemen."

And then I walked down the hall, away from all the desks and paperwork and laws. It was time to venture out on my own. I'd seen what the law had done to Hank the last time they'd tried him. I couldn't trust it again.

He'd broken me. I came about as low as anyone could be.

But now I was rising, a new person. And he was going to have to deal with a Sarah Steele he'd never seen before.