Rainey spent the next several hours planning. She tackled one problem at a time. Finally she concluded there was no other way, but to take a leap of faith with Katie. She sent detailed emails to several people with instructions on what to do. Rainey had to convince Katie they could have a life together. This was a step in the right direction. She trusted Ernie to make it all happen. Rainey didn't have time to take care of things personally; she had a killer to catch and another to see strapped to a gurney with a needle in his arm.

Once the email was sent, Rainey switched gears. She went into the closet, taking down one of the heavy boxes from the top shelf. She carried it to the living room and emptied its contents onto the coffee table. Reflexively, she checked the security camera feeds on the TV and then immersed herself in the world of Dalton Chambers. She reread the bulletins from the House of Holy Redemption and then set about looking for some clue to the code in which it was written. Somewhere in that pile on the coffee table was the key to catching the UNSUB. Rainey just had to find it.

At one a.m., the clue remained elusive, but her tired eyes blurred the words beyond recognition. Rainey had resisted getting reading gla.s.ses, but her age was beginning to catch up with her. She also didn't think she could stand to listen to another word from the interviews she had playing in the background. Rainey had enough of Dalton Chambers' perversions for one evening. She petted Freddie, who had curled up beside her on the couch.

"The eyes are the first things to go, little man. I guess I am getting old. Come on; let's go to bed. We'll try again in the morning."

Rainey checked the security cameras, again, reconfirmed that all the doors and windows were secured, and took Freddie into the bedroom with her. She locked and bolted the bedroom door, took the still loaded shotgun out of the gun safe, along with her father's .45 pistol, and placed them by her bed. She crawled between the sheets, hoping that she would be able to sleep there without Katie. She needed a good night's rest. She lay there for a few minutes, before reaching for her cell phone on the nightstand. Rainey hit a few b.u.t.tons and placed the receiver to her ear. She got Katie's voicemail and knew Katie was looking at the phone, refusing to answer.

When prompted, Rainey simply said, "I wanted you to know, I really do love you. No matter what happens, I needed you to know that. Good night, Katie."

Emotional and physical exhaustion finally caught up with Rainey. She fell asleep, and woke almost seven hours later, the most she'd slept in days. She may have dreamed, but she was too tired to remember. Rainey was thankful for that, sure that Dalton crept about in her mind while she lay slumbering. She put on shorts and a tee shirt and went to the kitchen. She consumed some juice and one of the breakfast cookies Katie forced on her when Rainey didn't want eat. Rainey hadn't run in a week and was in desperate need of a good sweat, but she wasn't going unprotected. She stopped at the gun safe, putting on her shoulder holster and a windbreaker to cover the Glock. She zipped her cell phone into a jacket pocket and stepped into a gorgeous Carolina spring morning.

Once she had a.s.sured the deputy that his presence wasn't needed anymore, he drove away. It took a while to get moving, but once she was warmed up, the running relaxed her. She took the well-worn two-mile trail through the woods that she and her father cleared for her, back in high school days. After she went away to college, he kept it cut back so she could run it when she was home. It was one of the things she was going to miss when she moved, but that decision had been made last night. Some of Rainey's anxiety diminished when she finally decided to commit to a life with Katie. Still, parting with the only real home she'd ever known was going to be hard. Rainey took in her surroundings, and was reminded how lucky she was to have had a place like this in her life. She vowed she would come back and run this trail, if the new owners would let her.

When Rainey rounded the final bend, she saw what appeared to be a piece of paper stuck on the side of the last tree, before the path broke out of the woods. As she grew closer her strides slowed, until she stopped abruptly, a few feet from the tree. Someone had printed a picture on computer paper and stapled it to the tree. The paper was damp from the morning dew and curled up on the edges, but it had not been there long. Rainey took a step closer, unable for a second to see the image in the photo or read the sentence typed below it. A cloud moved above, allowing the sun to penetrate the shadows. Light spilled across the trunk of the tree. The image came into focus. Rainey sprinted toward the house as fast as she could, punching numbers into her cell phone as she ran. Danny picked up on the first ring.

"Hope you got some rest last night and are in a much better mood," he said, jovially.

Rainey bounded up the steps to the cottage, saying breathlessly, "Danny, move Katie and her family, now! He knows where she is and he's watching her."

"Why? What's happened?"

"He left me a message. He took a picture of Katie and her family in their backyard. It had to have been yesterday. Her sisters were in the picture."

Danny grasped the seriousness of the situation immediately. He turned from his phone and spoke, "Roger, get over to Katie Meyers parents' home. Tell them to pack an overnight bag and then bring them here... Move! Curtis, go with him!" He spoke again to Rainey, "Where did you find the picture?"

Rainey answered, while she fumbled with the key, trying to get into the house. "He stapled it to a tree on my running trail. There was a message typed under the picture."

"I'll send a tech team out there to collect it. What did it say?"

Rainey closed the door and rearmed the alarm. With her back against the door, she slid down to the floor, the panicked breathing beginning to subside.

Danny waited for her to catch her breath and asked again, "What was the message, Rainey?"

Rainey repeated what she read. "It said, 'I thought she was in a safe place.' He watched the newscast."

"Rainey, Katie is safe or I would have known about it. I'll go on and call her now and explain what's happening. You wait for the tech team. I'll take care of Katie and her family and then I'll call you." He paused, and then asked, "Are you okay? Do you still want to go through with this thing tonight?"

"I want this over with," Rainey spat, the anger and fear for Katie's safety welling up, before she said, "I'm ending this tonight, one way or another."

"Calm down, you need to get your head on straight, or I'm not letting you go in there."

Rainey did not hesitate when she said, "Try and stop me!"

Chapter sixteen.

The crime tech unit arrived and took the picture back to the lab. Rainey busied herself cleaning her gun and cooking lunch. She hadn't had a hot meal in days, so she warmed up some frozen ravioli from the last batch Katie made. Danny called back after a while, exasperated. It seemed he had a taste of the Meyers women, and what Rainey was up against in dealing with them, especially Katie.

"d.a.m.n, Rainey. How do you get a word in edgewise?"

Rainey laughed. "I take it your conversation with Katie did not go well."

"I've never been so tongue tied in my life. She should have gone into politics. Katie could teach them a thing or two about debating."

"I guess you lost," Rainey said, concerned, but still amused.

"I guess you knew today was the big party for Mr. Meyers. Those women are not budging. I did get them to agree to more security and to leave at the conclusion of the party."

"Well, at least you got them to move out for the night. I've never won a single concession from one of them, most especially Katie."

"Rainey, that woman is a little ball of fire, way too hot to handle. Are you sure you're up to it?"

"You know, Danny, when we were kids we did things we knew we weren't supposed to do, because the joy of doing it was worth the punishment we took later. Some things are just worth the pains you suffer. Katie is worth the trouble."

Danny softened his tone. "I hope it all works out for you, Rainey. I really do. I wasn't sure this relationship would last, but you two are like moths to a flame. You belong together."

Rainey smiled into the phone. "Yeah, well, if I get burned, I'll remind you that you said that, while you're telling me, I told you so."

Danny's voice was hushed when he asked, "Are you ready, Rainey?"

She knew what he meant. Was she ready to go get this guy? Was she prepared to spot him? Had she thought of everything?

"Katie's safe, right?" Rainey asked.

"They'll be staying in the Center City Hotel, a block from the Sheriff's Office. In addition to the deputy on duty now, I sent for another female agent to stay with her. She's about to graduate and I think you'll like her."

"You put a trainee on protective duty? What makes you think I'm going to like her?"

"You recommended her for the job." Danny's laughter filled the air, just before he hung up the phone.

Rainey had written so many letters to the agency on behalf of applicants, she spent the next several hours trying to guess who the trainee could be. Danny wasn't going to tell her. He enjoyed knowing something she did not and watching her squirm while she tried to figure it out. She would no doubt find out soon enough, if things went the way Rainey wanted. If they could catch this guy, the first thing she was going to do was go get Katie.

She took a long, soaking bath, and mulled the question over. The bruise on her shoulder was beginning to show hues of yellow and variants of purple, the deep black beginning to fade. The warm water relaxed her. She got out after an hour, combed through her hair, and waited for it to dry. Rainey hung out on the couch looking at Dalton's correspondence, still searching for the key to the code. She called Ernie to make sure she got the email and the files Rainey reviewed, as promised. She checked in with Mackie, who wanted to come on the stake out, but Rainey convinced him a man of his stature was not good for undercover work. People were bound to notice him. All afternoon, no matter what she was thinking about or doing, in the back of her mind she played out the coming evening's events. At six o'clock, she repacked Dalton's files and tapes in the box and put it back in the closet. Then she went to get dressed.

"He's coming for you tonight," she said, to her naked image in the mirror. Her eyes travelled down the white scar. Flashes of memory from that night flooded her mind. She let the box lid fly open and remembered the terror and the pain, but it did not make her weak. It made her stronger. Rainey used those memories to fuel her fire. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, tracing the scar with a fingertip. Rainey knew a new fight for survival was imminent. This time she was ready.

Her father's voice echoed in her head. "See him coming, Rainey. n.o.body can get you, if you see him coming."

"I'm banking on that, Dad. Stay with me. I might need you."

"Always," came the reply.

Rainey slid on her favorite boots. She could run in them and better yet, she could fight in them. A properly placed thick wooden heel could do a lot of damage. She already had on blue jeans and a black tank top. To accommodate the tech equipment and hide her weapon from view, she had to wear her jacket. Being inside the hot, packed nightclub necessitated she wear as little as possible underneath. She let her chestnut waves hang down over her shoulders. On the outside, she looked like many of the women that would be innocently wandering the bar, looking for a good time. There was nothing innocent about Rainey's intentions.

Rainey made sure Freddie's food and water bowls were filled. The sun wasn't down yet, so he was still off exploring the grounds. Rainey checked the holster clipped to the belt at the back of her pants. She pulled the Glock from the holster, just to make sure it was in the proper position. Holstering the weapon, she put on her jacket, giving the cottage one last sweeping glance. The days here without Katie had been long and lonely. Maybe it was time to start over. She left the cottage knowing tonight could be the beginning or the end.

She stopped at the back of her car, opening the gun safe in the trunk. Rainey suspected she would be in or near her car when the UNSUB made his move. She took out the Sig and Beretta 9mm's and slipped full magazines into them. She loaded the Mossburg shotgun with nine sh.e.l.ls, racked one into the chamber, and added a tenth. Rainey started to pick up the Taser, and then left it behind. She had no intentions of taking this guy in. She closed the trunk and opened the driver's side door. She put the Sig under her seat, the Beretta in the console, and laid the shotgun on the floor in the back. Someone was going to die tonight, Rainey hoped it wasn't her, but she was going down in a blaze of gunfire if she did.

Rainey thought about calling Katie again, and then realized she would be in the middle of her father's party. She'd call her later, before she went in the bar. Rainey didn't want Katie saddled with the memory of how their last conversation ended, if indeed it was the last. She drove to the judicial building, listening to a Jason Mraz CD Katie had given her. When the song "I'm Yours" played, Rainey sang along and meant every word. It was her turn to win some or lose some. Rainey may have taught Katie to protect herself, but Katie taught Rainey a lesson or two about living life like there's no tomorrow.

Her mood was surprisingly upbeat, while James hooked up his surveillance gear.

"So, James, when I go to the bathroom, are you going to turn this thing off?"

James continued working, as he answered her question, "If you need a moment of privacy, just say so. I will kill the video feed. I'll have to leave the audio on, so you can tell me when to reactivate the camera."

"That's great. Everybody will hear me pee."

James smiled up at her. "It won't be the first time we've listened to someone go to the bathroom. Trust me, peeing is my least concern."

The hubbub around her ceased, while the team went over the plans once again. Danny and Paula would stay in the van with James. Their job was to watch the people watching Rainey. Roger, Eric, and Curtis would split up and join the uniformed cops at both the front and back entrances. Detective Robertson reserved a table on the balcony where she could see most of the floor. She would also be carrying a signal booster for Rainey's equipment. The other women would go in as couples stationed around the bar. Rainey was covered like a blanket.

She knew the UNSUB wasn't going to take her in the bar, it was the ride home she worried about. Danny planned to follow her with the surveillance van, but it was still risky. The goal was to identify the suspect inside the bar, and pressure him into giving himself away. That was Danny's plan, anyway. Rainey's plan was to get him to follow her home, where she would dispense with him in short fashion. No trial, no jail time, no serial killer fans of his to come after her. No, this time she wouldn't be aiming for a leg.

At nine o'clock, Detective Robertson and the others left to go to the bar. Rainey was to follow an hour later. Danny remained behind. He would ride over in Rainey's car with her. Rainey paced around the room and fiddled with the earwig James gave her.

"You know this is going to be useless with all the loud music," she complained.

Danny, who didn't look up from his computer screen, said, "We've used that model before in loud settings. We got them after you left the Bureau. They work very nicely."

Rainey ignored him and stuck the earwig in her pocket. She continued to pace. Danny called her over to his computer. He pointed at a satellite image on the screen.

"Brooks sent me the winter satellite images for the area around your house. It makes it easier to see the farm paths into the woods that connect to the road you'll be driving. Make sure you are aware of their locations. Now that the leaves have come in, he could hide in there and come out at you unexpected."

Rainey glanced at the screen. "Most of those paths have chains or gates across them to keep people out."

Danny looked up from the computer. "You just watch those paths. Anybody can get a bolt cutter."

"I got it, Danny. I could drive that route with my eyes closed. I know what to look for."

"Let's get him before it goes that far. Come on, it's time to go."

"Give me a minute, will you? I need to call Katie."

Danny stood and put his hand on Rainey's arm, as she reached for her phone. "I'd advise against that. I talked to the agent with Katie when they moved the family to the hotel. It seems Katie and her sister Helena had quite a bit to drink at their father's party. Nothing good could come of you calling her now."

Rainey thought about it and decided Danny was right. If Katie was still mad, the alcohol would definitely free up her tongue. Rainey didn't need Katie's stinging retorts in her head right now.

"Okay, let's do this," she said, heading for the door.

Danny hesitated to move. He stopped Rainey at the door by saying, "I know you're going to kill him if you get the chance. Just make it righteous, Rainey. Don't give me a reason to lock you up."

"It will be a clean shoot," Rainey said, smiling. "Don't I look scared for my life?"

"No, you look h.e.l.l bent on someone dying tonight," Danny said, still not moving.

Rainey opened the door. She turned back to Danny. "Well, then your job is to make sure it isn't Katie or me."

The area around the bar was packed with cars. Rainey was lucky Roger had staked out a parking place for her, in the lot next to the bar. She and Danny got out of the car and went their separate ways, he to the van at the end of the alley and Rainey to the front entrance. She slipped in the earwig and checked the feed.

"James, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Rainey."

The LCD sign above the entrance flashed the Feme Sole logo, interspersed with the announcement that all proceeds from tonight's door went to the families of Lisa Jones and Kim McNatt. From the looks of things, the lesbian community was more than willing to support their own. The line at the door disappeared around the corner.

"Okay, folks, let the show begin," Rainey said, as she stepped through the line and walked up to the front door.

One of the girls taking up money and stamping hands was the same one Rainey saw yesterday. She nodded at Rainey, beckoning her to come on through. Rainey wasn't trying to hide who she was. It was a good thing, too. Heads all around the front room started to turn, as women poked each other and pointed. The lounge area was covered in lesbians of all sizes, shapes, ages, and colors. Women were draped on the staircases, leaning against the walls, eating at the tables, and crowded around the bar. Music poured over the balcony, thumping so loud, Rainey could feel it against her chest. Rainey took a second to let her eyes adjust to the darkness of the room and the flashing multicolored lights above her head. A thick haze hung in the air, not from cigarette smoke. Theatrical effect machines pumped artificial fog from the rafters. Laser beams sliced through the atmosphere, spilling over from the dance area beyond the doors.

Rainey scanned the room. She recognized one of the couples against the wall, as cops from Sheila's team. Rainey heard voices in her earwig. She pushed it down further in her ear in time to hear Sheila's comment.

"Agent McNally, we have a problem. If you'll check the feed on the door, just before Agent Bell entered the bar, you will see what I mean."

Rainey covered her mouth with a fake cough. She asked, "What is it, Sheila? I'm making my way to the doors now."

"Don't come through the doors, yet," Sheila said, quickly. "Stop at the bar and get a drink. You're going to need it."

Rainey moved toward the bar, saying, under her breath, "Why? Who's in there, Cookie Kutter?"

She heard Danny exclaim, "f.u.c.k me."

"Come on guys, who is it?" Rainey implored, not worrying about people seeing her talking to herself anymore.

Danny spoke hurriedly, "Rainey, get out of there. I'm coming in."

"What the h.e.l.l, Danny? I'm not afraid of Cookie Kutter."

Sheila b.u.t.ted in, "Listen to him, Rainey. Walk away."

"Who the f.u.c.k is it? Tell me now, or I'm coming through those doors... Danny?"