ALSO BY KENDRA ELLIOT

  COLUMBIA RIVER NOVELS

  The Last Sister

  The Silence

  In the Pines

  MERCY KILPATRICK NOVELS

  A Merciful Death

  A Merciful Truth

  A Merciful Secret

  A Merciful Silence

  A Merciful Fate

  A Merciful Promise

  BONE SECRETS NOVELS

  Hidden

  Chilled

  Buried

  Alone

  Known

  BONE SECRETS NOVELLA

  Veiled

  CALLAHAN & MCLANE NOVELS (PART OF THE BONE SECRETS WORLD)

  Vanished

  Bridged

  Spiraled

  Targeted

  ROGUE RIVER NOVELLAS

  On Her Father’s Grave (Rogue River)

  Her Grave Secrets (Rogue River)

  Dead in Her Tracks (Rogue Winter)

  Death and Her Devotion (Rogue Vows)

  Truth Be Told (Rogue Justice)

  WIDOW’S ISLAND NOVELLAS

  Close to the Bone

  Bred in the Bone

  Below the Bones

  The Lost Bones

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Otherwise, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Text copyright © 2022 by Oceanfront Press Company

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  Published by Montlake, Seattle

  www.apub.com

  Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Montlake are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates.

  e-ISBN-13: 9781542039277

  Cover design by Caroline Teagle Johnson

  CONTENTS

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  16

  17

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  1

  “Dr. Powers! Can you come out here?”

  Henry Powers frowned at the alarmed tone in his nurse Julie’s voice. The two of them had stayed late at the island’s urgent care clinic, patching up a pair of ten-year-old twins who had taken a tumble down a cliff face after daring each other to scale it. One boy had two broken fingers, and both were covered from head to toe in abrasions. The other twin had three loose teeth and had been jealous and sulking that his brother was the first to break a bone.

  Their mother had rolled her eyes at the rivalry.

  The family had left ten minutes ago, and Julie was at the front desk, typing up their notes. Henry wondered if the twins had returned with a new issue, creating the urgency in Julie’s voice. In the third exam room, Henry threw the last of the bloody gauze in the biohazard bin and then tossed in his gloves.

  I hope I didn’t miss something on one of the boys.

  He’d worried about head injuries, but surprisingly, the twins’ heads had been abrasion-free. The loose teeth were the only injuries Henry had found above the neck.

  Henry headed down the hall to the waiting area, crossing his fingers this wouldn’t take another hour. His fiancée, Cate, was barbecuing salmon at home, and he was starved.

  “What—” Henry broke off as he stepped into the office and stared at a pistol aimed at his face.

  “You the doctor?” asked the man holding the gun, its barrel three feet from Henry’s eyes. The man wore a black mask, only his mouth and eyes visible.

  “There are no narcotics here,” Henry said calmly as his heart tried to beat its way up his throat.

  Two masked men were in the office. Julie sat in the chair near her computer, the second man behind her with a gun pressing against the back of her head. Her eyes were wide, and she appeared calm, but suppressed anger sparked in her glare.

  The two men were tall and in shape. Both were dressed in camouflage pants, black T-shirts, and heavy boots. But desperation hovered around them. Their eyes were visibly bloodshot, and dirt caked their boots and pants.

  Stay calm.

  “We’re not here for drugs,” said the one with the gun on Henry. His heavy, thick eyebrows filled most of the mask’s eyeholes. “We need you to come with us. Grab an emergency kit.”

  “What’s the emergency?” Henry asked, refusing to jump at the command and tamping down an urge to grab or knock Eyebrows’ weapon out of his hand. Henry had a sense that the men were far out of their comfort zone holding weapons on him and Julie.

  How can I get them to leave?

  “Just do it!” ordered Eyebrows, tightening his grip on his pistol. “Bring supplies for a gunshot wound,” he added.

  “Gunshot?” repeated Henry. Apprehension crept up his spine, and he wondered if the men had already shot someone. “If someone’s been shot, you need to go to a hospital. An emergency kit isn’t going to be enough.”

  “I told you we should take the nurse instead,” snapped his companion. He had a rough smoker’s voice. “We can control her better.” He took a handful of Julie’s long hair and tipped her head back, moving the gun to her temple. Julie’s fingers whitened, gripping her chair’s armrests.

  Alarm shot through Henry. “I’ll put together a kit,” he said rapidly. “But the more details you give me, the better I can prepare. Where were they shot?”

  The smoker pulled Julie’s head back farther and trained his weapon on Henry. “That’s none of your fucking business.”

  Henry’s gaze bounced from one gun’s muzzle to the other, two black holes staring at him.

  Better on me than aimed at Julie.

  “He means where was he shot on his body, you idiot,” said Eyebrows. “Right here,” he told Henry, touching near his waistband. “Two days ago.”

  In the gut. Intestines. Bacteria. Infection.

  “What is his condition now?” asked Henry. “Did the bullet go all the way through?”

  “He’s got a fever,” said the smoker. “He won’t eat or drink, and there’s an exit wound on his back, so I assume it went through. The bleeding’s mostly stopped, though.”

  Worry accented the smoker’s words, but when he mentioned the bleeding, his tone lifted, and he held Henry’s gaze, as if hoping Henry would agree that was a positive sign.

  Give them hope.

  “That’s a step in the right direction,” Henry said. “But he really needs to be in a hospital.”

  “No,” stated Eyebrows.

  “But what if—” the smoker began in a pleading tone as he looked at Eyebrows.

  “No hospital.”

  The smoker stopped talking, but his mouth formed a hard line.

  Dissension between them. Smoker is the one to press.

  “You’re describing a fatal wound,” Henry said, looking from one man to the other. “It probably went through an intestine, which is full of bacteria. He’ll probably die if you don’t get him to a hospital.”

  “Scott—”

  “Shut up!” Eyebrows snapped at the smoker.

  Eyebrows lifted his weapon an inch, refocusing on Henry. “If he dies, you die.” He moved his weapon to point at Julie, holding Henry’s gaze. “But I have no problem killing her right now. I suggest you start packing.”

  Julie’s dark eyes flashed as they met Henry’s, her hair still in the smoker’s grip.

  Henry nodded. “I’ll pack.”

  Not good.

  2

  Cate pulled into the clinic parking space next to Henry’s truck, noting that Julie’s little car was also present. She sighed. Henry had hired more help, but it seemed like he was always the doctor on duty when patients made them stay late. Her calls and texts to his phone had gone unanswered, so she knew he was swamped with patients.

  Cate grabbed the two containers of salmon and green beans that held enough food for five people. She’d brought him dinner at the clinic many times and knew to bring extra. She shut her vehicle door and headed toward the back entrance, glad Henry had installed good lighting. It was late, and the sun had set hours ago. She went up the steps and opened the door.

  A medical-facility odor greeted her. A combination of disinfectant and bandages. She closed the door and started down the hall, passing empty exam rooms. The building was eerily quiet. “Henry?” she called.

  She heard thumping ahead. Curious, Cate strode into the office and nearly dropped the dinner.

  “Julie!”

  The nurse’s arms and legs were bound to her chair with duct tape, and another piece covered her mouth. Julie’s eyes were wide, and she tried to speak behind the tape. Cate tossed her food onto a counter. “Are you okay?” Cate peeled back a tiny corner of the tape on Julie’s face and then paused, meeting her gaze. “This might hurt.”

  Julie’s words were indecipherable, but Cate was pretty sure she said, “Fucking get it off!”

  The nurse screwed her eyes shut as Cate slowly removed the tape.

  Where’s Henry?

  Cate’s heart pounded from the adrenaline flooding her

system.

  “They took Henry!” Julie blurted out. “Two men with guns!”

  Henry. No.

  Cate’s fingers shook as she pulled out her phone. “Are you hurt?”

  “No.” Julie jerked her shoulders, pulling at her taped arms. “Call the police and then cut me loose.” She jerked her shoulders again. “Fucking assholes,” she muttered.

  Cate dialed Tessa directly. Her best friend was a county deputy and would know the fastest way to get a search activated. “How long ago did they leave?” Cate asked Julie, waiting for Tessa to answer. She switched her phone to speaker and set it on the counter so she could tackle Julie’s bindings.

  “It’s been almost two hours. Two men.” Julie rattled off descriptions. “They were dressed in camo and black T-shirts. Black ski masks. Both tall. Probably six-one or -two. Glocks.”

  “Why? Drug seekers?” Digging in a drawer, Cate found a pair of scissors. Her hands were still shaking as she sliced through the tape, trying not to cut Julie.

  What did they want with Henry?

  “No. Someone they know was shot, and they wanted medical help. They threatened to shoot me if Henry didn’t go with them.”

  “Hey, Cate.” Tessa answered the phone call, her voice filling the small office.

  “Tessa, I’m at the clinic. Julie was tied up, and she says two men with guns forced Henry to go with them a couple of hours ago.” Cate repeated Julie’s descriptions as her mind shifted into fast-forward, worrying about Henry and debating her next actions. She freed Julie’s arms, and the nurse took the scissors to cut away the duct tape from her legs.

  “Hang on,” Tessa said. In the background, Cate heard her radio another deputy, Bruce, to get to the clinic immediately. “Bruce is twenty minutes out,” she told Cate. “I’m at home, so I can be there in ten. Do you have a vehicle description?”

  “No,” said Julie. “But they said something about a boat. I don’t know where it’s docked, but I got the impression they were leaving the island right away.”

  More talking in the background.

  “I’m sending Bruce to the marina at Harlot Harbor instead of the clinic,” said Tessa. “And I’ll call Kurt to check the marina at Bishop Bay. Henry has cameras at the clinic, right?”

  “Yes,” Cate said in unison with Julie.

  “Pull up the video. I’ll be there ASAP.”

  Eight minutes later, Tessa Black strode in the front door of the clinic. She wasn’t in uniform, but she’d put on a vest and her duty belt. “What do you got?”

  Cate’s friend was in work mode. Both of them had spent many years in law enforcement. Tessa with the Seattle Police Department and Cate with the FBI. But the two had eventually returned home to tiny Widow’s Island in the Pacific Northwest, drawn back by family and possibly something more intangible. Tessa was now engaged to Cate’s brother, Logan.

  Her heart now beating normally, Cate had also moved into work mode while pulling up the clinic video. She’d left the FBI months ago, unable to deal with particular stresses of the job, and now ran a bookstore and bakery. But her mind had effortlessly shifted into a mental FBI zone.

  Find Henry.

  “We’ve got video of them coming in and then leaving through the front entrance,” said Cate.

  “Show me.”

  Julie started the footage on the computer screen again, and Cate stepped back to give Tessa more room. She had already watched the footage five times and had strong opinions about what she’d seen, but she wanted to hear Tessa’s take first.

  The video had color but no sound. The first man entered, his face covered with a mask, and Cate agreed with Julie’s guess about his height. He quickly scanned the room, then gestured behind him, and a second man appeared. They looked like twins. Same build, same height, same mask, and dark clothing. They strode forward, determination in their steps.

  “No fear,” murmured Tessa, her gaze locked on the screen.

  “None,” agreed Cate.

  They vanished from the camera’s view.

  “I’d heard the front door notification ding,” said Julie. “But I was typing with my back to the waiting area. By the time I turned, they were in the office. They moved fast.”

  “They clearly knew where they were going,” said Tessa. “Did you see any men of their size come in earlier today? Maybe just to look around?”

  “Cate asked me the same thing, but I didn’t notice if it happened.” Julie’s voice cracked, and Cate set her hand on her shoulder.

  “We can review video from the entire day,” said Cate. “Maybe yesterday too.”

  “If they cased the clinic, I think they would have done it today,” said Julie. “They were in a hurry. They wanted help tonight. I can’t see them waiting from yesterday to get help. Their friend or whoever sounded like he was in bad shape.”

  “Show them leaving, please,” requested Tessa.

  Cate steeled her stomach. The first time she’d watched them march Henry out the door, she’d nearly vomited. Julie started the second video. One man walked to the door, his weapon at his side. He opened it and glanced outside and then gave a jerk of his head for the other to follow. Henry appeared. He was in navy scrubs with a light-blue medical gown wrapped around his head. The gown’s arms were tied around his neck, and its strings were knotted to keep it in place. A makeshift hood. His hands were duct-taped behind his back. The second man walked behind him, one hand on Henry’s shoulder to guide him and a large duffel assumably with medical supplies in his other. He’d tucked his pistol into his camo pants at the small of his back. Henry tripped over the doorsill, and the second man grabbed his upper arm to steady him.

  Tessa blew out a breath. “Again, please.” The three of them silently watched again.

  “I think the first man’s name is Scott,” said Julie. “He was the one in front as they left. The other man had said his name and was immediately cut off.”

  “Any accents?” asked Tessa.

  “No. The other had a heavy smoker’s voice, though.”

  “Did you smell cigarette smoke?” asked Cate.

  Julie tipped her head to one side as she thought. “No. But they did smell like they hadn’t showered in a few days. Their pants and boots were dirty.”

  “Maybe living rough,” said Tessa. “I requested both marinas to pull up video for the last few hours. Kurt and Bruce will let me know what they find.”

  “At least no ferries until midday tomorrow,” said Cate. “If they’re leaving the island, it will have to be by private boat.”

  “Boating in the dark,” Tessa said grimly. “Not the smartest move.”

  “None of what they’ve done is smart,” said Cate. “Except wear the masks.” She rubbed at the back of her neck.

  Is Henry all right?

  “They move with confidence . . . how were they when they confronted you in the office?” asked Tessa.

  “The same,” said Julie. “They had me turned around and a gun at my head before I could think.” She paused. “The only time I saw doubt or uncertainty was when Henry told them to get the injured guy to a hospital. He’d been shot in the stomach and was running a fever. The second man—not Scott—seemed to waver and want to go to the hospital.” Julie glanced at Cate. “Scott said that if the other man dies, he’ll kill Henry.”

  Nausea threatened Cate again. “Can Henry save him, Julie?” she whispered, knowing it was an impossible question to answer.

  The nurse blanched. “I don’t know. His condition sounded critical, but who knows what was actually going on with him.”

  “Why on earth wouldn’t they take him to a hospital?” asked Tessa. “Why risk a kidnapping instead?”

  “Because they were more worried about how the man got the injury,” Cate said slowly, her mind trying to find logic in the situation. “Gunshot injuries have to be reported, and . . .”

  What did I read the other day?

  “Hang on,” she muttered as she started to do a search on her phone.

  Gunshot.

  Cate touched a link on the screen, held her breath, and read. A piece of the puzzle clicked into place. “Armed bank robbery,” she said. “Two days ago. Three robbers. Authorities believe that one of them had been injured by gunshot.” She paused. “They killed two employees during the robbery.” Her stomach turned over; Henry was with very dangerous people.

  “Where?” asked Tessa.

  “Seattle. My former stomping grounds. The story had caught my eye because if I had still worked for the FBI, the case could have ended up on my desk.”

 

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