Beyond that in the distance, the Chattahoochee River flowed through the green countryside. Halfway down the stairs, the sound of three siren blasts split the air. Pappas came close behind her, breathing heavily.
“That’s the one-minute warning,” he said. “After that, some gate opens and water comes pouring out, and it’s gonna be coming hard. Jack says we don’t enter the gate system or the culvert once the final siren starts.”
Beth nodded and started forward once more. At the bottom of the stairs, she came to a second chain link fence with an access door secured by a sizable padlock. Leveling her gun, she fired two shots into it, blowing the lock apart, then kicked the door open. Jack’ll have a fit , she thought. After another step, she froze.
“Listen!” Beth shouted.
A banging sound was coming from inside the room behind the spillway door.
“Sandra! Sandra Goldner, are you there?” Beth yelled. “This is the police. We’re coming to get you out.”
More banging.
“Hang on, lady,” Pappas yelled. “We’ll be—”
The rest of the detective’s words were lost as the last siren went off. Above the gaping doorway, a red light began to flash. With a vast roar, water came rushing out of the opening. Pappas grabbed for Beth.
“No!” she screamed.
Pappas tightened his grip as she fought to break free. In seconds, water pouring from Lake Lanier flooded the culvert, moving higher andhigher at an incredible speed toward a pipe at the opposite end. The two detectives stood there watching helplessly. Pappas finally released her, sick to his stomach. Twenty-six minutes later, the red light stopped flashing and the siren ceased its relentless blasts. The only sound now came from the wind and water moving beneath them.
Chapter 21
J ack Kale realized he was holding his breath. He slowly let it out. He’d been gripping the phone so tightly, his hand hurt. When the siren finally went off, no one in the room spoke. Burt Wiggins slumped into a chair, shaking his head. Jack felt like all the energy had been drained from his body.
Captain Kostner was the first to recover and took the phone from him. “Dan, you still there?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Pappas said. “Still here.”
“Any chance Ms. Goldner—”
“None. I saw her when the door opened. Bastard had her chained to a pipe.”
“What about Detective Sturgis?”
“She’s fine.”
“I’ll call the ME and get him rolling,” Kostner said. “Will you need forensics?”
“There won’t be anything left,” Pappas informed him. “That water came out of that hole like a freakin’ rocket.”
Kostner’s face lost a good deal of its color. He turned to Jack. “You agree?”
It took an effort for Jack to collect his thoughts and get the words out. “Someone still has to work the scene.”
Pappas apparently heard the comment and said, “I’m standing twenty yards away looking at it, and I’m telling you it’s a waste of time. Nothing could’ve survived that. Whatever was in there got blown away by the water.”
“I understand,” Jack said, “but—”
“Jack, it was strong enough to tear her clothes off.”
Jack explained, “There’s still the chain or whatever he used to secure her.”
“Beth and I can handle that.”
“You need to locate the killer’s entry and exit points and maybe a vantage point as well. One provides cover; the other searches.” His voice sounded tired even to him.
Beth Sturgis came on the line. “What do you mean vantage point?”
“Exactly what I said. First, do not assume you’re alone. The killer could easily have set a trap. Second, there’s been no ransom demand, so there’s a good chance he’s the type of freak to hang around and watch the show.”
“Crap,” Beth said, looking around her.
“In fact, I’d say it’s more likely than not,” Jack said. “Remember, he left clues for us to find at the farm. There was no reason for that.”
Beth said, “I’ll go down, Dan.
“That’s the one-minute warning,” he said. “After that, some gate opens and water comes pouring out, and it’s gonna be coming hard. Jack says we don’t enter the gate system or the culvert once the final siren starts.”
Beth nodded and started forward once more. At the bottom of the stairs, she came to a second chain link fence with an access door secured by a sizable padlock. Leveling her gun, she fired two shots into it, blowing the lock apart, then kicked the door open. Jack’ll have a fit , she thought. After another step, she froze.
“Listen!” Beth shouted.
A banging sound was coming from inside the room behind the spillway door.
“Sandra! Sandra Goldner, are you there?” Beth yelled. “This is the police. We’re coming to get you out.”
More banging.
“Hang on, lady,” Pappas yelled. “We’ll be—”
The rest of the detective’s words were lost as the last siren went off. Above the gaping doorway, a red light began to flash. With a vast roar, water came rushing out of the opening. Pappas grabbed for Beth.
“No!” she screamed.
Pappas tightened his grip as she fought to break free. In seconds, water pouring from Lake Lanier flooded the culvert, moving higher andhigher at an incredible speed toward a pipe at the opposite end. The two detectives stood there watching helplessly. Pappas finally released her, sick to his stomach. Twenty-six minutes later, the red light stopped flashing and the siren ceased its relentless blasts. The only sound now came from the wind and water moving beneath them.
Chapter 21
J ack Kale realized he was holding his breath. He slowly let it out. He’d been gripping the phone so tightly, his hand hurt. When the siren finally went off, no one in the room spoke. Burt Wiggins slumped into a chair, shaking his head. Jack felt like all the energy had been drained from his body.
Captain Kostner was the first to recover and took the phone from him. “Dan, you still there?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Pappas said. “Still here.”
“Any chance Ms. Goldner—”
“None. I saw her when the door opened. Bastard had her chained to a pipe.”
“What about Detective Sturgis?”
“She’s fine.”
“I’ll call the ME and get him rolling,” Kostner said. “Will you need forensics?”
“There won’t be anything left,” Pappas informed him. “That water came out of that hole like a freakin’ rocket.”
Kostner’s face lost a good deal of its color. He turned to Jack. “You agree?”
It took an effort for Jack to collect his thoughts and get the words out. “Someone still has to work the scene.”
Pappas apparently heard the comment and said, “I’m standing twenty yards away looking at it, and I’m telling you it’s a waste of time. Nothing could’ve survived that. Whatever was in there got blown away by the water.”
“I understand,” Jack said, “but—”
“Jack, it was strong enough to tear her clothes off.”
Jack explained, “There’s still the chain or whatever he used to secure her.”
“Beth and I can handle that.”
“You need to locate the killer’s entry and exit points and maybe a vantage point as well. One provides cover; the other searches.” His voice sounded tired even to him.
Beth Sturgis came on the line. “What do you mean vantage point?”
“Exactly what I said. First, do not assume you’re alone. The killer could easily have set a trap. Second, there’s been no ransom demand, so there’s a good chance he’s the type of freak to hang around and watch the show.”
“Crap,” Beth said, looking around her.
“In fact, I’d say it’s more likely than not,” Jack said. “Remember, he left clues for us to find at the farm. There was no reason for that.”
Beth said, “I’ll go down, Dan.
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