Page 58 of Equalizer
“Sometimes crazy people make a statement,” Owen replied as his mind spun. Steven had tracked someone he thought might lead them to Humphries. Clearly, Humphries had found him—and taken vengeance.
“Not this time. Any other questions? I’ve got a mess to clean up,” the cop snapped.
Owen shook his head, and the cop strode off.
Harry returned. “It’s terrible,” he sobbed. “Who would want to kill Steven? He was a good guy.”
“Yeah, he was,” Owen said quietly. “Is anyone else missing? Steven mentioned a guy named Jed.”
“It’s still early. Not everyone works mornings,” Harry replied. “Jed’s one of the locals. I haven’t seen him today. You think someone here killed Steven?”
Owen weighed his answer. He didn’t want to put Harry in jeopardy by knowing too much, but he burned with the desireto avenge Steven’s death. Right now, fury carried him forward. Later, there would be time for grief.
“Not exactly,” Owen hedged. “But if any employees suddenly stop coming to work, it’s suspicious. They might have seen or heard something.”
“I’ll let the boss know if that happens,” Harry said. “Why would anyone do such a horrible thing?”
“Because some people are sick,” Owen muttered, as close to the truth as he could manage. “Will the show make arrangements for burial?”
“I don’t know,” Harry said. “The police took the body. No telling when we’ll hear back. And we’re not from Chicago…Steven was from out West, but I don’t think he had family.”
“Broken Bow, Oklahoma.” Owen pulled the place from memory. He felt numb. “No family.” He handed Harry his card. “If the show won’t cover his burial, contact me, and I will.”
Owen felt a sudden lurch as a vision overtook him. He felt surprise, then terror, and then nothing and knew Calvin was in trouble. His panic intensified when he couldn’t re-establish the usually constant vague awareness of his partner that Owen had come to take for granted.
“Are you okay?” Harry asked.
“No. I’ve got to go.” Owen ran back to his hired coach, ignoring the cop’s judgmental glare.
“Main public library,” he told the driver. “Fast as you can—someone’s life is in danger.”
Please be safe, Calvin. I never should have let you go alone.But Owen knew that as protective of each other as he and Calvin were, their jobs as government agents meant they couldn’t go everywhere together. Owen had trusted in Winston’s amulets for protection, but he feared that the madman who had killed Steven might have found a way around the magic.
“Wait for me,” Owen snapped at the driver, jumping out when the wheels had barely stopped turning. He hurried up to the front desk and managed a strained smile for the librarian.
“I’m looking for a man who would have come to view some of the special collections earlier this morning.” Owen gave Calvin’s description. “Have you seen him?”
She nodded. “Yes, but you’ve just missed him, I’m afraid. He wasn’t feeling well, and a couple of men helped him to a coach about half an hour ago. I’m sorry.”
Once again, Owen searched but his psychic connection failed to find Calvin.Please don’t be dead. Please, please don’t be dead.
Fury mingled with fear, and the need for vengeance kept Owen on his feet.
Humphries has Calvin.
Chapter 9
Calvin
Calvin woke slowly with a pounding head, tied to a chair in a warehouse. While there were a lot of storage buildings in Chicago, Calvin bet that this was the location Owen, Winston, and he had ridden past not long ago.
Bins, crates, and shipping containers lined the walls, stacked atop each other. The space felt vast and cold, but most of it lay shrouded in shadows. A few overheads and work lights illuminated the immediate area around Calvin, and he was glad he hadn’t come around in the pitch dark.
This has to be Humphries’s lab. Shit. How did I get here?
He remembered going to the library, a quick errand while Owen took care of other business. Calvin had gone back to the stacks to find a book. He sensed someone nearby and reached for his gun, knowing he was in trouble, but then felt a needle slide into his skin, and everything went dark.
How long have I been out? Do Owen and Winston know I’m missing yet?
