âIâm not ready for this.â His voice caught on the last word as his fingers grasped the railing.
Kyra clasped Michaelâs arm, wishing sheâd been able to prevent Amy from running away this morning at the Pattersonsâ. But if Amy had stopped, the killer would have shot her in the back. âRemember, Iâm here for you. Weâll find your sister, and Iâll make sure sheâs safe.â
He pried loose his grip from the railing and peered toward her. âI appreciate your help. Iâve never had something like this happen to me.â
She was all too familiar with a person agonizing over the disappearance of a loved one. âMost people thankfully donât.â
âFlamingo Cay is a small town. Things like this donât happen here.â
âThey do now.â
A wave broke and rolled across the white sandy beach, the warm water bubbling around Kyra Morganâs feet before receding back into the Gulf of Mexico. The sun peeked over the tops of the palm trees behind her, flooding the day with light. Her favorite time, at dawn when all was still right with the world. Before her day began.
The screech of a seagull pierced the tranquillity. A momentary disturbance until everything went back to a calmness that sheâd needed after spending six straight years establishing Guardians, Inc. into a premier international company of female bodyguards. Drawing in a soothing breath, she relished the scent of the sea mingling with the sweet fragrance of the flowers her dad had planted right before his death a few years ago.
This was her time to rest and relax. One week in Flamingo Cay, Florida, where sheâd grown up. One week of no work. No emergencies. Noâ
A click and muffled pop invaded her tranquillity.
Sounds sheâd heard as a police officer.
She pivoted, her survival instinct kicking into play as she raced to her beach bag a few yards away. When she reached it, she plunged her hand inside and grasped the handle of her Glock while panning the house next door where the sound of a gun with a silencer going off had come from.
Another pop invaded the early-morning quiet. She started moving toward the noise. Every sense locked on finding the source of the danger.
Suddenly a young man burst out of the hibiscus hedge edging the neighborâs property, staggering toward her, his face clenched in pain. He clutched his stomach, blood pouring out between his fingers. Stopping, he fell to his knees, a plea in his eyes as they homed in on Kyra.
âHelp us.â
Us? Kyra glanced around as she covered the short distance to the young man. He collapsed to the sand, his eyes wide-open, giving her the dead manâs stare sheâd seen countless times as a homicide detective. She felt for his pulse and found none.
She pulled her cell from her shorts pocket and dialed 911. âShots have been fired at 523 Pelican Lane. One man downâdead.â
Another shot, coming from inside the house, sent a spurt of adrenaline through her veins. âHurry.â She disconnected, stuffed her phone into her pocket and ran toward the neighborâs back deckâthe sliding glass door was partially open. The house was up for sale. Sheâd noticed the sign out front when sheâd arrived yesterday evening. She hadnât thought anyone was living there.
Every nerve tingled with the threat of danger, but she couldnât get the young manâs plea out of her mind. Help us. Who else was in trouble?
As she neared the back that faced the water, she slowed, scanning the overgrown yard. The place had a vacant look to it, with no furniture on the deck. She ascended the stairs and crept toward the sliding glass door. Through it she looked inside. Totally empty.
When she stepped over the threshold into the living room, a large expanse of taupe-colored tiles, her heartbeat accelerated. She paused and listened for any noise that indicated where the killer was.
Silence.
Another pop echoed through the vacant house, coming from the hallway that led to the bedrooms. A scream cleaved the air. The sound of pounding footsteps racing down the corridor toward Kyra propelled her into action. She flattened herself against the wall, her gun up, her total concentration on the opening. Heart hammering against her rib cage, she waited.