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Thefury surged through him, a firestorm ignited by the memory of Annie's cruelrampage. He couldn't allow this woman to escape unpunished, not when she had socasually extinguished the life of that small creature. It was in these momentsthat he most acutely felt the weight of his mission, the sacred duty he hadbeen chosen to fulfill.
"Sucha senseless waste," he murmured under his breath as he trailed behind her,his eyes narrowed and focused. "You'll learn, my dear. Oh, how you'lllearn."
Throughthe narrow hallway, he watched her walk ahead, hugging herself, her shoespadding against the carpet, a staccato rhythm that echoed the pounding of hisheart.
Thiswoman would pay for what she'd done.
And so,he followed her.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Fiona'sheart pounded in her chest as the dim glow of streetlights flickered across thewindshield. The warm summer night air filtered through the open windows,bringing with it a sense of unease that settled in the pit of her stomach. Shesat in the passenger seat of Jake's car, her hands nervously twisting the edgeof her blouse as they approached the hotel where Bradley Caine, the primesuspect in their case, was apparently staying.
Jake hadput out an APB and made some calls, and they'd tracked Bradley to thislocation. He'd checked in here using his real name and credit card. They hadn’tbeen able to locate him at the museum, so there was a chance he’d escapedbefore the lockdown and fled back here. Although with so many faces back at themuseum, part of Fiona worried that they’d somehow let him slip through thecracks.
"Areyou okay, Fiona?" Jake asked, his eyes flicking between her and the roadahead.
"Idon't know," she admitted, swallowing hard. "I just have this...feeling. Like Bradley really is the killer. But what if he’s not here?”
Jakenodded, gripping the steering wheel tighter. "Trust your instincts.They've rarely led us astray before. We’ll check out the hotel, and if he’s nothere, we’ll keep looking.”
As theydrove, Fiona had reviewed Bradley's file in the FBI database. Her fingers flewacross her tablet, tracing down page after page of information. One significantdetail caught her attention: Bradley had an ex-wife named Annie who had,according to him, run away. The police never filed a missing persons report forAnnie, but Fiona couldn't dig up any information on what she did after that.The woman had no family and, apparently, no friends who had rallied for her. Itseemed as though Bradley was all she'd had.
"Jake,I found something odd in Bradley's file," Fiona said, her voice tense."He had an ex-wife named Annie who supposedly ran away years ago. Butthere's no trace of her anywhere. It's like she became a ghost."
"Ormaybe," Jake suggested, his voice darkening, "Bradley killed her andgot away with it before he began his most recent killing spree."
Fionashuddered at the thought. It only served to deepen the sense of dread that hadbeen building since they'd first started tracking Bradley.
"Whateverthe truth is, we need to find him before anyone else gets hurt," Jakesaid, determination lacing his voice.
Fionanodded, her resolve strengthening. She was determined to bring Bradley tojustice for Annie and the other victims.
"Let'sdo this," she said, reaching across to squeeze Jake's hand as they pulledup to the hotel.
Thehotel's dimly lit lobby loomed before them, a stark contrast to the warm summernight outside. Fiona's heart raced as she and Jake hurried through the slidingglass doors, their footsteps echoing off the polished marble floor. Bradleycould be somewhere in this very building.
"Stayfocused, Fiona," Jake murmured, his voice steady despite the adrenalinecoursing through both of them. He approached the front desk with authority,flashing his FBI badge to the startled receptionist. "We're looking forBradley Caine. Which room did he check into?"
"Uh,yes, Agent, um..." The young woman fumbled with her computer, her fingerstrembling slightly as she typed. "Mr. Caine is in room 614."
"Thankyou," Jake said curtly, snatching the keycard from her hand. He turned toFiona, his eyes narrowing with determination. "I want you to wait here inthe lobby in case he tries to make a break for it. I'll go check the room."
Fionahesitated, nerves fluttering in her stomach like trapped birds. She wanted toinsist on going with him, but she knew he was right; they needed to cover allpossible exits. Swallowing hard, she nodded. "Be safe, Jake."
"Always."With a reassuring smile, he disappeared down the hallway towards the elevators,leaving Fiona alone in the cavernous space. She held her breath and preparedfor the worst.
***
Jake'spulse thundered in his ears as he took the stairs two at a time, leaping up tothe sixth floor of the hotel. Every muscle was taut, prepared for whatevermight come. He had been chasing leads on Bradley Caine for what felt like aneternity, and now, finally, he stood on the threshold of what could be his lastchance to apprehend the suspect.
"Room614," he panted, pausing for just a moment to catch his breath beforecontinuing down the hall. The carpet beneath his feet seemed to swallow anysound he made, heightening the sense that he was an intruder in this world ofsilence. As he drew closer, he couldn't help but feel the weight ofanticipation bearing down on him.
"Heregoes nothing," he muttered under his breath, pulling the keycard providedby the hotel from his pocket. With barely a hesitation, he slid it through thelock, hearing the satisfying click as the door unlocked. In the next instant,he had his gun drawn, ready for anything that might come.
Thedoor clicked open with a soft hiss, revealing the dimly lit hotel room. Jakestepped cautiously across the threshold, gun at the ready. The air was staleand heavy as if it hadn't been disturbed in days. His eyes narrowed, scanningthe space for any sign of life.
"BradleyCaine!" he called out, his voice firm yet hushed. "This is Agent JakeTucker, FBI. I just want to talk."
