The Awakening Read online

  Harry nodded and scribbled a note.

  “How’d ya meet?”

  “Work. I had a case that the DEA was brought in on.”

  “So, some kinda workplace romance or somethin’?”

  “Something like that.”

  “How long you two known each other?” he asked.

  Katarina took a breath and traded a glance with Liam before answering.

  “We met the day before my husband was murdered.”

  Harry had been scribbling notes, jotting down answers to his questions without looking up. When Katarina spoke, his pen stopped and he slowly raised his eyes to look at them. They both stared back, unflinching. After a moment, he looked back to his notebook without saying anything and continued writing.

  “Okay,” he said, putting the pen down. “Talked to Mister Vance on the drive over here. He wanted me to ask about the life insurance policy.”

  He was closely watching Katarina for a reaction.

  “The what?” she asked, brows knitting in confusion.

  “FBI found a policy in your house, ma’am. Half a million bucks goes to you if your husband dies any way other than suicide. As long as you’re married at the time of his death. They also found your divorce papers. US Attorney is puttin’ all that into evidence. Spinnin’ a tale that you wanted out. Wanted to be with your lover and decided to off your husband for the payday as a little partin’ gift for the two of ya.”

  Katarina’s mouth was open as she stared at Harry in incomprehension.

  “I didn’t know anything about a life insurance policy,” she breathed. “I had no idea.”

  He was intently watching her respond, then his eyes shifted to Liam. He let the silence stretch out before nodding.

  “Well, then, ma’am, we’d best figure out a way to prove that, ‘cause I know this US Attorney. Look up ball-buster in the dictionary and there’s most likely a picture of the little lady. She thinks she’s got her a dirty cop and she ain’t gonna back off without proof she’s wrong. So, how’s ‘bout you start at the beginnin’ and walk me through everythin’.”

  Thirty-One

  It was nearly four hours later before Harry closed his notebook and stood in preparation to leave. He’d gone through all of the evidence that was being used against her and with her help had created a timeline of events. The questions had seemed accusatory, overly probing and endless, but Katarina well knew they were only intended to help keep her from being convicted of murder. Despite all of her dirty laundry being aired in front of Liam, he’d steadfastly remained at her side, even when the video of her threatening Matt’s life was played.

  “Can I ask you a question, Harry?” Katarina asked as he was walking out the door.

  He settled the Stetson on his head and turned back to face her.

  “Ma’am?”

  “You think I did it?”

  “As I’m sure Mister Vance told you, it don’t much matter if you did or didn’t. Our job’s to make sure you have a proper defense.”

  “That’s not what I asked.”

  He eyed her for a moment. Calculating.

  “Why you give two hoots what I think?”

  “Because there’s a difference between working to help someone who’s guilty and working to help someone who’s falsely accused. I just want to make sure your motivations are in the right place.”

  He stared at her, then a grin spread across his broad face.

  “Well, ma’am,” he began. “I was a cop for close to forty years. Seen a lot of bad people go free, but not too many good ones gettin’ caught up by somethin’ they didn’t do. No matter what the media says, that just don’t happen all that often. But, if’n I was a bettin’ man, I’d put money on you bein’ in that second category. But, that there opinion and five dollars’ll git ya a coffee at Starbucks.”

  “Thank you, Harry,” she said, reaching out and touching his arm lightly. “And for God’s sake, please stop calling me ma’am. My name’s Katarina.”

  Harry reached up and touched the brim of his hat.

  “Night, ma’am,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.

  Katarina watched him walk down the steps before gently closing the door.

  “I’m exhausted,” she said.

  “He was thorough, I’ll give him that,” Liam said.

  Pouring fresh drinks, he led the way outside, lighting a cigarette once he was comfortably seated on the swing. Katarina sat sideways, leaning back on the opposite end’s arm and resting her feet in his lap.

  “Still want to be with me after seeing that video? That wasn’t my finest moment.”

  “Not good considering the circumstances, but the only thing you did wrong was doing it in front of your neighbors. He hit you like that, he needed a good scare put into him so he didn’t think it was okay to do it again.”

  She thought about that for a few moments while sipping her drink.

  “What now?” Liam asked, breaking the silence.

  “Huh?”

  “How do we prove you couldn’t have done this? That you’re being framed. It all revolves around your service weapon. It was taken from you before the murder, therefore you could not have used it to kill your husband. I think Harry’s probably a damn good investigator, but he’s going to hit a brick wall if he starts trying to poke around at the FBI.”

  “I’m an idiot!” Katarina suddenly exclaimed.

  Jerking her feet out of his lap, she sat up and grabbed her phone.

  “Harry,” she said when her call was answered. “The neighbor that provided the security camera footage of me threatening Matt. Is there any mention in the discovery from the prosecution of them being asked for footage around the time of death?”

  Liam watched her as she listened attentively for several minutes, then thanked him and disconnected.

  “Well?”

  “The FBI’s been to the house twice but there’s no answer. It’s the Gillams, directly across the street from me. Another neighbor told the agents they went to Europe on vacation.”

  “When are they coming back?” Liam asked.

  “He didn’t know, but the last time they were gone for almost two months. They’ve got family in Hungary or Poland or somewhere like that.”

  “That’s not good,” Liam said. “FBI thinks they’ve got their killer, and there’s a big pile of circumstantial evidence. Video of you going into the house or leaving around the time he was killed would be the icing on the cake, but not necessarily needed to convict you.”

  “And they’re not going to waste a lot of effort chasing it down, either,” Katarina said.

  “Any idea what kind of camera system your neighbors have?”

  “None,” she said, shaking her head. “Why?”

  “Because I’ve got a guy that can get into anything connected to the internet.”

  “You mean like a hacker?”

  “Exactly like that,” Liam said as he scrolled through his phone.

  “Is he a DEA tech or something?

  “No. Just a guy who happens to be a genius. He got busted a few years ago, coming back from Canada with a desktop computer stuffed full of meth. He’d been up there for a gaming tournament and claimed he’d won the PC. Said he hadn’t even unboxed it. Just tossed it in the car when it was time to come home.

  “I was working a rotation at the border with Customs and for some reason, I bought his explanation, but I was the only one that believed him. I let him go home like normal and we set up surveillance and caught two guys who broke into his house to retrieve the drugs while he was sleeping. Turns out he was just an unwitting mule and had no involvement. But if it wasn’t for me, he’d still be serving a long sentence. Ever since, anything I need, he’s more than happy to drop whatever he’s doing and help.”

  Liam found the contact he was looking for and waited impatiently for the call to be answered. He’d gotten no farther than a greeting when Katarina quickly reached out and grabbed his arm.

  “Not on the phone,” she said s
oftly.

  Liam looked at her for a beat then nodded in understanding. He talked for another ten seconds then dropped the connection.

  “Good catch,” he said. “I’m not used to having to worry about who might be listening.”

  “So, we’re going to see him?”

  “Tomorrow morning. He’s not home tonight. But you’ll have to wait in the truck. He doesn’t like strangers in his house.”

  Katarina got to her feet and took his hand.

  “Okay. Odd, but okay. And we’ve got a plan. Maybe tomorrow morning we’ll have video proving I didn’t kill my husband and this will all be over! But right now, I’m dying for some ice cream. Got any?”

  “No, not a big ice cream eater.”

  Katarina looked at him and a smile slowly spread across her face.

  “I’ll make it worth your while if you take me out for some.”

  Liam smiled back and after a moment threw back the rest of his drink and leapt up.

  “Okay, but none of that healthy shit. If I’m eating ice cream, give me all the fat and sugar that can be crammed in.”

  “I know just the place!”

  Thirty-Two

  It was a warm evening and people were out, enjoying the weather. After circling the block several times, Liam gave up and wheeled into a spot three blocks away from the ice cream shop Katarina had specified. They held hands as they walked past high-rise residential buildings, finally pushing into the crowded store.

  With oversized cups mounded high, they found seats at a scattering of tables on the sidewalk. Liam watched in amusement as she dug in, apparently delighting in the simple pleasure.

  “Ohhhh.”

  Katarina had quickly eaten several bites and paused, rubbing a spot on her forehead.

  “Brain freeze?” Liam asked with a laugh.

  “It’s not funny!”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “You were right. You are an asshole,” Katarina said, still rubbing the spot.

  “You’ve only scratched the surface,” he chuckled.

  They ate in comfortable silence, watching the parade of humanity pass by. Katarina finished first and without asking, took Liam’s bowl and polished it off.

  “That something I’d better get used to?” he asked with an arched brow and an air of mock indignation.

  “I do have redeeming qualities,” she said sweetly.

  Laughing again, he gathered their empty containers and tossed them in a trash can. She took his hand and they began slowly strolling towards his truck. It was dark, now, and being a weeknight, the streets had emptied as people settled in at home.

  Ahead, a man walked out of an upscale apartment building, turning towards them when he reached the sidewalk. Katarina frowned when she saw the burning eyes of a demon, then came to a hard stop when she recognized the human face. It was the man she’d watched kill the little dog!

  “What’s wrong?” Liam asked.

  He followed Katarina’s stare. The man stopped when he realized they were looking at him. For a few moments, no one moved.

  “Katarina?”

  Liam released her hand and put his on the butt of his holstered pistol. His attention was fully on the man as he opened some space from Katarina in case he had to fight.

  “Katarina! Talk to me!” he hissed.

  The man suddenly spun and ran. Before Liam knew what was happening, Katarina was in hot pursuit. With a curse, he raced after her, calling for her to stop. At mid-block, the man disappeared into a narrow alley and Liam was able to grab Katarina’s arm before she could blindly charge around the corner into darkness.

  “I have to catch him!” she cried, ripping her arm free and dashing into the alley.

  “Goddamn it!”

  Liam drew his weapon and followed. He could see her blonde hair, faintly glowing in the dark, but the man she’d been pursuing wasn’t in sight. Katarina began to slow and he latched onto her upper arm, this time holding tight enough to prevent her from breaking free.

  “What the hell?” he asked, eyes searching for the man.

  “I’ll explain---”

  There was the scrape of metal on pavement, then Liam was hammered across the upper back by a heavy pipe. Staggering forward, he pulled Katarina with him, pushing her so she was shielded from the attacker by his body. The man advanced, faintly visible as he moved to the middle of the alley and raised the pipe over his head to deliver another blow.

  Liam backpedaled, one arm sweeping to the side to make sure Katarina was safe as he brought his weapon on target with the other. The man began to swing his weapon and Liam fired two fast shots, both striking his chest. He paused in shock for a moment, then the pipe slipped from his grasp to clatter loudly on the pavement. A step back, then he collapsed to the ground and lay still.

  “Are you okay?” Liam called to Katarina.

  She was already at his side, supporting him as he sank to his knees in pain. Gasping for air, he kept the weapon trained on the unmoving man.

  “How bad are you hurt?” she asked, cradling his face in her hands.

  “I’m okay,” he said, but even he could hear the lie in his voice. “What the fuck was that all about?”

  Before she could answer, there was a guttural snarl from the direction of the man Liam had shot. Her head snapped around as a dark figure grew out of the body. It’s lower legs and feet were still one with the human. Burning red eyes glowed in the darkness of the alley.

  “Oh, my God! The head!” Katarina cried.

  Liam stared at the demon in incomprehension, his mouth hanging open. There was a growl that set the hair on his arms on end. He began to raise his weapon, but Katarina was directly in his line of fire. Before he could shout at her to move, she scooped up the pipe the man had dropped.

  Straightening, she swung with both hands just as the demon completely freed itself from the corpse and began to leap. As the pipe whistled through the air, it suddenly transformed into a flaming broadsword that bathed the alley in a searing blast of light and heat. Liam stared in shock as the burning sword cleaved the demon’s head. It crashed to the ground and he was left blind when the fire disappeared and darkness returned.

  He heard the sound of the pipe being dropped on the asphalt then Katarina was kneeling at his side. The stench of Sulphur and burning flesh was strong in the air.

  “Liam! Can you move? We have to go!”

  “What...”

  “Liam!”

  He took a breath, still seeing the arc travelled through the air by the burning sword. It was seemingly seared into his retinas.

  “What the fuck was that?” he shouted, on the edge of panic. “What---”

  “Now, goddamn it!” Katarina shouted, pulling him to his feet. “We have to go! I’ll tell you later!”

  With her urging, he stood and stopped to stare at the demon she’d killed.

  “I have to call this in,” he said numbly.

  “You can’t! We can’t be here!”

  “I just shot a man! And... you... what? What did you do? And WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING?”

  Katarina took a breath, her mind furiously racing as she tried to figure out how to make him understand. More calmly than she felt, she moved directly in front of him and put her face close to his. When his wild eyes met hers, she spoke in a soft voice.

  “That is a demon. The man was possessed. When you shot and killed him it was released, and I killed it before it could harm either of us or possess another body. Yes, it all sounds like the ravings of a lunatic, but you saw it with your own eyes. Now, do you really want to call this in and try to explain, or can we get the hell out of here?”

  Liam stared at her, then past her shoulder at the body on the ground. After several long moments he took a shuddering breath and nodded. Katarina watched him for a beat then stepped away and began searching the immediate area.

  “What are you doing?”

  “The brass. When it’s tested, it’ll flag you as the shooter.”

  “No,
it won’t. Personal weapon, not government issue. No ballistics or extractor marks on file.”

  “Thank God,” Katarina breathed, grabbing his hand and pulling.

  He followed her slowly, his feet dragging, but by the time they reached the mouth of the alley he had regained some composure. Holstering the weapon, he steadily moved faster until they were jogging by the time they reached his truck.

  “I think there’s something you forgot to tell me,” he said, once they were driving.

  “Didn’t forget. Just didn’t want you to think I was insane.”

  Liam glanced at her then shook his head.

  “At the moment, I’m not sure which one of us is crazier.”

  Thirty-Three

  They were almost to Liam’s house when Katarina suddenly sat straighter.

  “Turn around! We need to drive across the lake.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Your pistol.”

  Liam thought for a moment before nodding. He turned and they worked their way through the neighborhood until reaching the freeway. Merging into heavy traffic, he took the exit for one of the floating bridges that spanned Lake Washington and headed east. At the midpoint, he turned on the truck’s hazard flashers and pulled to the far right, nearly scraping the barrier that separated the roadway from the water.

  Keeping a close eye on the mirror so they weren’t rear-ended, he came to a stop and handed the weapon to Katarina. Her window was already down and she threw it hard, watching as it disappeared in the dark water.

  “Three hundred feet deep and a mud bottom,” she said. “It will never be found.”

  She raised the window as he accelerated to match the flow of traffic. Liam drove steadily, exiting to turn back towards Seattle.

  “How did...” he started to ask but couldn’t finish the thought.

  “I can see them,” she said. “Don’t ask me how, because I can’t tell you, but I can.”

  “Demons.”

  “Demons,” she said firmly.

  Liam took a breath and slowly blew it out.

  “The bible. Fire and brimstone and Armageddon and all that stuff. Actual demons.”