A Merciful Death (Mercy Kilpatrick #1)(101)

“Not surprised.”

They reached the door to the inside of the house, a faint light shining through the crack at the bottom, and listened. One voice was in the house and the other sounded as if it came from outdoors.

“That sounds like Levi!” Shock took her breath.

“How would he know to come here?”

“He probably heard from Eddie that we were going to check out Toby’s story. If he’d left my parents’ house at that point, he would have beat any law enforcement who responded when I called later for backup.”

Or did he already know Craig would be here?

She gripped her weapon and slowly opened the door. It swung out into an area near the boarded-up back door of the home. Mercy swallowed hard, remembering her first tour of the old house. And the fly-covered body in the bed upstairs.

“This is none of your business, Levi!” Craig shouted from the floor above them.

It is Levi.

“It’s all over, Craig,” her brother yelled from outside. “You need to let Rose go.”

“Your brother has to know we’re here somewhere,” Truman whispered. “He couldn’t miss my Tahoe parked on the road.”

“Fuck off, Levi!”

“I’m calling the police!”

“Go ahead! Your other sister already ran off with her tail between her legs. I’m sure she’s rounding up every cop in the county to come here.”

“You haven’t done anything yet! Let Rose go before they have a reason to come in shooting.”

Craig laughed. “You think they don’t know I killed those preppers? They’re going to fry me.”

“They don’t have proof,” Levi argued. “But if you hurt Rose, they’ll definitely know. Release her before it gets worse for you.”

Craig hasn’t said Rose is dead. Mercy drew strength from that. Rose’s silence was almost worse than her screams. Almost.

“So you can back out on our deal?” Craig yelled.

“Our deal was that I didn’t tell anyone that you were at my parents’ house that night. I’ve kept my word.”

Mercy winced. That wasn’t quite true anymore.

“And my end of the deal was that I don’t tell them where you buried the body. Sounds like we’re still even.”

“Hurting Rose will wipe out our deal,” Levi shouted.

Craig laughed. “Oh, she’s already been hurt.”

Levi was silent. Mercy could imagine his rage. Hurt, not dead. “We need to get upstairs,” she whispered. “He’ll be distracted talking to Levi.”

Truman nodded, and she led the way to the stairs. She stepped on the edge of each stair, close to the wall, praying they didn’t creak. The direction of Craig’s voice told her he was in the room overlooking the front yard. The one with the boarded-up window with the slit for spying on visitors. Where he’d shot Truman.

Does Craig really believe we left?

She glanced back at Truman. He’d recovered from his trip through the tunnel, but he hunched his right shoulder in a way that told her his ribs were in pain. His knees and hands were as muddy as hers, and she assumed she was covered with the same layer of powdered earth. He looked as if he’d been caught in a dirt storm.

They reached the top of the stairs and turned toward the boarded-up window room, where Craig continued his conversation with Levi. They paused before reaching the open door.

“If you’ve hurt Rose, I’ll tell them you confessed the prepper murders to me.”

Mercy recognized the escalation in Levi’s tone; he was nearing a breaking point.

“Sounds like you’ll be ratting me out then,” Craig hollered. “I can’t have that!”

“Where’s Rose?” Truman whispered. Mercy glanced down the hall. Every door was open. Was Rose locked up somewhere else?

A whimper made the hair on her arms raise. Rose is in the room with him.

Truman nodded; he’d heard it too.

“Goddamn you, Craig!” Levi shouted.

A shot was fired from outside, and the sound of wood splintering came from the room.

Her weapon leading, Mercy ducked her head around the door frame and saw Craig lunge toward the boarded window—which now had a fresh bullet hole—and fire back at her brother. Rose was at his feet, naked, curled up in a fetal position, blood staining the old carpet beneath her. His back is to us. She nodded at Truman, took a deep breath, and they both stepped into the doorway.

Craig leaned against the boarded-up window, firing at Levi.

Rose raised her head, nearly unrecognizable through a layer of blood. “Mercy?”

In a split second, Mercy realized Rose’s face was covered with cuts.

Craig spun around, his gun pointed at her and Truman.

Mercy emptied her magazine as Truman did the same, and her ears rang from the rapid gunfire.

Craig collapsed, and Truman dashed to Rose as Mercy lowered her gun, rattled by the sight of the bleeding man on the floor.

It’s over.

She’s alive.

Rose sat up and leaned on Truman as Mercy rushed to the window. “Levi, don’t fire! Craig’s down!” she shouted before she peered through the slit.

Her brother was on the ground. Motionless.

Mercy couldn’t breathe; she stood glued to the window, willing her brother to get up. “Levi!” she screamed. She couldn’t move away.