Against All Odds Read online

  Alex scrambled out of bed, throwing on clothes without paying attention to what he grabbed. Dirty, mismatched—he didn’t care.

  He called Zoey as he pulled on some questionable socks, but instead of ringing, it went to voicemail.

  Next, he called Nick. His friend the police captain would know what was going on. That went to voicemail, too. He was probably in the thick of it.

  Alex put on a Mariner’s cap and made a few more calls as he made his way out the door of his apartment.

  It seemed the whole town was ignoring their phones.

  On his way to his new-to-him little sedan, he called his future in-laws. The legal parents of his daughter who he’d given up for adoption when he was just fourteen.

  Valerie answered. “H-hi, Alex.” The tougher-than-nails woman was crying.

  He leaned against his car, horrible images filling his mind. “Where’s Ariana?”

  “Sick in bed.” Valerie sniffled. “She woke up with flu symptoms this morning.”

  Alex took a deep breath. “Thank God.” He’d never been happier to hear about anyone having the flu.

  Valerie continued sobbing on the other end.

  Alex readjusted his baseball cap. “What’s the matter?”

  “Zoey.”

  He bolted upright. “What about her?”

  Valerie sniffled again. “Zoey went to the school to pick up homework for Ariana. Nobody can reach her.”

  The words felt like a punch to the gut. Alex fell back against his car, struggling to breathe. His fiancée was at the school? The woman he’d loved since he was Ariana’s age? Zoey was the love of his life, and they were finally engaged. They had picked a date and were in the process of choosing a venue.

  He struggled to find his voice. “Zoey’s there?”

  “We don’t know that she actually made it. But nobody can reach her. Can you try?”

  A lump in his throat choked him. “I already did.”

  Valerie sobbed again.

  “Alex?” Kenji’s unstable voice came through the phone.

  “Yeah.” Alex hoped his soon-to-be father-in-law would tell him Valerie was mistaken.

  He didn’t. “If you hear anything from Nick, call us right away.”

  Alex’s vision grew blurry. “Yeah, of course. I can’t reach him either.”

  “I’m sure he’s busy.” Kenji cleared his throat. “I need to check on Ari.”

  “You’re not going to tell her about any of this, are you?”

  “Not a chance, but she does have a phone and a laptop, so she might find out. We can’t shelter her forever.”

  “Yes, we can. Ariana has the flu. She doesn’t need either of those things. The last thing she needs is to know about the shooting or her mom possibly being there.”

  “I know, I know.”

  “Then take those devices out of her room! Or I’ll come over there myself.”

  “Right now, she’s so feverish she doesn’t want to get out of bed. I don’t think she’ll be interested in her phone today.”

  Alex swore. “Is she going to be okay? Should I bring something? Take her to the doctor?”

  “You find our Zoey. We’ll take care of Ari. Okay?”

  “Yeah, sure.” Alex ended the call and ran his fingers through his hair. What was he supposed to do? Go to the school and see if she was there?

  It seemed like the only thing he could do. Valerie had said nobody could reach Zoey. That most likely meant they’d asked her coworkers.

  He took several deep breaths and cleared his throat. It didn’t help. Nothing would until he knew Zoey was okay.

  Maybe there was a good reason for her not answering the phone. She might be helping injured kids.

  Or her brain could be splattered across a wall.

  Stop!

  “Pull yourself together, Mercer.” How would he ever make it as a cop if he couldn’t think straight in an emergency?

  He was finally due to start the academy next month, but would he be in a good state? Only if Zoey was alive and well. Otherwise, becoming a cadet would get pushed aside indefinitely.

  Alex pulled out his phone to call his dad. His thumb hovered over the call button, but he ended up turning off the screen. With his family’s luck, either Macy or his parents were also at the school for some random reason.

  It wasn’t out of the question. Macy had clients that attended the middle school, and she’d visited them there before. Her parents had also gone there to share with classes about their careers. It would be the Mercer luck that all three of them had been there at the same time as the shooter.

  The miracle was that Ariana had been spared.

  If any of his family was also there, he didn’t want to know. At least not yet.

  He needed to get to the school. Once there, he could hopefully figure out what he needed to know. All he needed was to see Zoey alive and well.

  Alex drew in several deep breaths until he could finally see straight. Then he climbed into the car and drove like a maniac toward the middle school.

  Mess

  Alex had to park two blocks from the school. Given all the flashing lights, every cop in town was there. That explained how he’d avoided getting pulled over for his erratic driving.

  The parking lot was filled with people. He could see that from two blocks away.

  Alex ran the two blocks, terror gripping him harder with each step he took. He kept waiting for his phone to ring. But it remained silent.

  There was no way he would get near the building. Aside from it being roped off, people filled the grounds like balls in a kids’ ball pit. Firemen, medics, and cops wandered around, herding and helping others. Parents clung to one another, crying. A few people were reuniting with their children.

  Worst of all, people were recording the chaos. Cell phones captured parents in their most excruciating moments. Some TV cameras focused on the building, while others recorded interviews. It made Alex’s stomach turn. He had to look away before losing his temper.

  He didn’t see anyone he knew. Not Zoey, not Nick, and not anyone else on the force. There were plenty of officers bustling around, but most of their uniforms showed they were from other towns.

  It was too bad he wasn’t at least a cadet. Maybe, just maybe, they would’ve let him on the other side of the yellow tape. They needed all the help they could get, right? But he was just a regular citizen, so it didn’t matter.

  He pressed his way through the crowd toward the building. If he could find a police officer he knew, they might tell him more than what they were releasing to the general public.

  As Alex made his way through, he saw a parent he recognized. A friend of Ariana’s. Then another and another.

  Everyone was as desperate as he was. Hopefully, they would all be able to go home with their loved ones safe and sound, just shaken.

  His pulse drummed in his ears, drowning out the noise of the crowd. He wanted to run but felt as though he were walking through quicksand.

  At last, he reached the yellow line. Several officers stood on the other side, making sure everyone stayed on the correct side.

  Alex knew one of them. He pushed his way over to him. “Detective Garcia, can you tell me anything?”

  The detective stared at Alex for a moment before recognizing him. “Mercer. No, sorry. Can’t say anything.”

  Alex pleaded with his eyes. “Nothing?”

  “It’s an active investigation.”

  “Come on. I’m a future brother in blue, not a journalist.”

  Garcia gave him a sympathetic glance and stepped closer, speaking quietly. “If you have a kid here, go by the ambulances. That’s where they’re sending everyone.”

  “Is anyone dead?”

  “I can’t comment.”

  Alex stared the detective down.

  Garcia gave a slight nod, then turned away.

  Alex spun around, muttering a string of profanities. Who was dead? How many? Was Zoey among them? Any of his other family members?


  There were few things Alex hated more than feeling helpless, and with Zoey inside the building, they may as well have castrated him. If he could’ve gotten away with it, he’d have barged in and tried to find her. No, he would’ve found her, but not without getting himself arrested in the process.

  All the more reason to make sure he made it to, and through, the academy.

  Around back, everything was just as crazy as in front. Ambulances were parked all over the playing fields. Parents swarmed the area. Kids and teachers waited in lines for medical attention. And to give statements, no doubt.

  Alex scanned the area. He saw some of Ari’s friends and even her boyfriend, Scout. The kid looked like he would pass out any moment.

  Still looking for Zoey, Alex made his way over to the boy. “You okay?”

  He shook his head.

  “Are you hurt?”

  Scout tugged on his shirt. “I… I was going to the office to get something for my teacher. Then—” He shook uncontrollably, tears shining in his eyes.

  Alex put his arm around Scout’s shoulders. “What?”

  “I heard what sounded like a firecracker. Then blood spattered on the window.” He drew in a deep breath and shook harder. “It was the nurse. She died. Right there. Right in front of me.”

  Alex pulled him close and held him tight. He didn’t know what to say. Nothing could make it better. The kid had just witnessed someone getting their brains blown out.

  Scout sobbed, and Alex held him tighter. He tried to recall if he’d seen the boy’s parents in the throng of people in the parking lot.

  Finally, Scout pulled back. He looked up at Alex. “Do you know if Ari’s okay?”

  He nodded. “Home with the flu.”

  Scout stumbled forward, a look of relief on his face.

  Alex steadied him. “Have you seen the medics yet?”

  The boy shook his head.

  “Let’s get you over there.” Alex guided him over to a paramedic who was bandaging up a girl’s arm. “This boy saw what happened in the office.”

  The paramedic’s eyes widened. He told the girl to speak with a nearby officer, then turned to Scout. “What did you see?”

  Scout recounted the story, and Alex stepped away. He wandered around, looking for anyone else he knew.

  All the kids looked shaken, though none as bad as Scout. Maybe, just maybe, that meant the deaths had been limited. Perhaps it had only been the school nurse. But from the news stories he heard about, the shooters rarely left only one victim in their wake.

  Alex shook the thought from his head and continued wandering. One woman sitting in the back of an ambulance had blood splatter across her face and shirt. She seemed free of injury, though. It was probably the nurse’s blood.

  She’d been in the office. Maybe she’d seen Zoey.

  Alex’s heart leaped into his throat, and he sprinted over to her. “Did you see Zoey Carter? Ariana Nakano’s mom?”

  A paramedic grabbed Alex’s arm. “You need to leave.”

  He yanked his arm away and kept his focus on the woman. “Did you see Zoey?”

  “Go back to the front!” The paramedic squeezed Alex’s shoulder and glared at him. “Now.”

  Alex pulled away, then turned back to the woman. “Did you?”

  She shuddered, not making eye contact.

  The paramedic stepped toward Alex, again.

  “I’m leaving.” Alex stormed away, fuming. That woman might know if Zoey was okay. Would it have been so hard to let her answer the question? Just one question.

  Alex rounded the corner of the building and froze mid-step. He recognized a face in the crowd. It didn’t belong to a parent or a student.

  That was a face Alex could never forget. One that still haunted his dreams.

  Flynn Myer, the man who had abducted his daughter while Alex answered a work text. But Flynn was supposed to be in jail. No, he was in jail—without the possibility of parole.

  So, how was it that Flynn stood only feet away from Alex? Sure, he had longer wavy hair, tanned skin, and blue eyes, but he had the face. The changes would’ve been easy enough to make.

  Nobody else had that face.

  Trapped

  Ava opened her eyes. Not that it helped. It was pretty much just as dark as with her eyes closed.

  She had a headache. It squeezed her skull and made her brain hurt.

  Where was she? How had she gotten there?

  A flood of memories ran through her mind. She’d been in the bathroom. Dave had come in, bearing guns.

  Then he’d taken her to a janitor closet and put a smelly cloth to her face. That was the last thing she could remember.

  Now she was lying somewhere dark. She squirmed. And she was tied. Ropes dug into her arms, wrists, and ankles.

  Her mom’s ex-boyfriend had made sure she wouldn’t get out. Anger raged through her. He was as crazy as his stupid son.

  Ava’s stomach knotted. He’d better not try what his son had. She’d find a way to kill him, tied up or not. No way would she let him take advantage of her like Mason had.

  She squirmed and wriggled, unable to break free of the ties. Something dug into her side when she moved to the right.

  Where had Dave put her? That stupid jerk. And more importantly, what did he have in mind to do later? Also, what about the other kids at school? Had he killed anyone, or just shot the gun to scare everyone? If that was the case, it had worked and he’d gotten what he’d obviously wanted—her.

  She froze. What about Parker? He hadn’t gotten to Parker too, had he?

  “Parker? Are you here?” she whispered, not that it mattered. Her words came out a muffle because something covered her mouth.

  She should’ve seen that coming.

  Would her little brother survive an abduction? Sure, he played a tough guy, but it was more of a show for everyone else—to piss off their parents for splitting up and for kids at school to think he was cool. But the kid still liked building Lego models and playing babyish video games. He wasn’t even a teenager yet.

  If Dave had taken him, Ava would need to protect him. And why wouldn’t Dave have taken both of them?

  Her stomach dropped. What about Hanna? She was so little still. He wouldn’t take her, would he? Go to the elementary school with the gun?

  Ava would definitely have to kill Dave if he’d taken little Hanna. She just needed to free herself and get out of wherever she was. Take him by surprise.

  She squirmed all the more, ignoring the ropes digging into her skin, and rolled around as best she could. There wasn’t much room.

  Something rumbled.

  Ava froze, listening. It sounded like an engine.

  Had Dave stuffed her in a trunk? Could he get any more cliché?

  She fought all the harder, then lurched to the left as the car started moving.

  Ava screamed, for all the good it did. She could barely hear herself. If she could get her mouth free, she’d yell and yell, just to drive him crazy.

  He’d thought she was a brat when he’d been dating Mom. That man had seen nothing yet. He would regret taking her. Ava would make sure of that.

  Pursuit

  Alex’s nails dug into his palms as he stared at Flynn. Was he the shooter? Had he gone into the school after escaping jail to find Ariana, the one girl who had gotten away from him? He’d killed all the others, and now wanted to finish what he’d failed to?

  Not on Alex’s watch.

  He reached into his sweatshirt for his pocket knife and held it discreetly so that nobody would see.

  Then he marched straight for Flynn, the convicted child abductor and killer. Why else would he be hiding in the crowd, watching the hurt and scared children?

  He probably thought it was the perfect place to snatch one. If not Ariana, any other girl would probably do.

  Alex’s pulse drummed through his body. He’d fought this man before, he could do it again. Before he could take another kid or figure out where Ari was and take her onc
e more.

  With each step Alex took, he drew closer to the madman. He’d dreamed of actually finishing the guy off but never thought he’d get the chance since the man was on death row.

  How had he managed to escape? Shouldn’t the prison holding the state’s most violent offenders have escape-proof security? If a prisoner had gotten out, wouldn’t that have been all over the news?

  Flynn glanced Alex’s way. Their gazes locked.

  It took a moment, but recognition covered his expression. His eyes widened, then narrowed.

  What did he expect? Not to see Alex? He should’ve known Alex would be there. That he would be the first person to hunt Flynn down.

  He should’ve stayed where he had police protection and walls keeping him from the outside world.

  Now he had none of that, and since Alex wasn’t yet a cop or even a cadet, there was nothing stopping him from dishing out a little vigilante justice.

  Flynn’s eyes shifted to the left and right, but he couldn’t run. People pressed against him on all sides. He had no choice but to deal with Alex.

  He was trapped by a sea of parents. Others would side with Alex. Turn on a sick and twisted man who enjoyed hurting little girls.

  Flynn shoved a woman with platinum blonde hair, then forced his way past a balding skinny man, and ran toward the front of the school.

  Alex burst into a run. “Stop him!”

  Some people looked, but nobody moved. They were like deer in headlights.

  Alex ran faster, skidding on some gravel. He regained his footing, nearly dropping his knife in the process, and chased after Flynn.

  The criminal must’ve spent his life working out in prison. He was fast. Flynn rounded the corner and disappeared. He reappeared when Alex went around, too.

  Flynn was heading straight for the woods. They were still a little ways off, and Alex wasn’t closing the distance between them. If anything, the space between them was growing.

  “Stop him!” Alex’s voice was a little shrill that time. He didn’t care.

  Someone needed to figure out what was going on and tackle the man before he reached the cover of the trees.