"Hit the lights. We don't know where Gedda is," Catherine said to Warrick, who promptly did just that. He pulled up in front of the house of one of Lily's neighbors, cut the engine and sat back.
"Is there anyway I can convince you to stay here?" His voice was mildly pleading.
Catherine sighed. "Not a chance in hell. I won't sit idly by while my mother is in danger."
"I didn't think so," he murmured, a hint of admiration in his tone. Warrick took Catherine's hand in his as he looked over at her. "Just promise me you'll be careful?"
"Of course," she replied, opening the door.
As she shifted to step out, Warrick pulled her back to him and kissed her, and she savored it for a moment before pulling back, staring at him inquisitively in the dim glow of the dome light that permeated the cool winter darkness. Instead of explaining himself, he simply got out of the car, and Catherine stared after him for a moment before doing the same.
They closed the doors quietly and met in front of the car. Her hand rested subconsciously on her gun, and Catherine thought for a moment before whispering, "There's a door leading into the kitchen on the other side of the house. I'll go in through there, you take the front door." She stared at him for a long moment before adding, "And for God's sake, be careful."
"Hey, hey. What did I tell you before?" Warrick's voice was a gentle whisper, and a hand came up to rest against Catherine's cheek. She looked up at him, barely able to make out his silhouette in the darkness. "I meant it when I said nothing would keep us from each other again. Nothing bad is going to happen once we get in there."
She nodded against his hand, then stepped back. "Okay. Let's get this show on the road," she whispered purposefully. After another lingering kiss, she walked around Warrick and headed for the back of the house.
Warrick crouched-his height was a minor disadvantage at the moment-and walked up the pathway that led to the front door. He peered in the window to the side of the door, checking for any sign of life.
Nothing.
Carefully, he turned the doorknob and pushed open the cherry wood door, making as little noise as possible in the process. He winced when the hinges creaked, but after a moment of waiting and getting no response to the sound, Warrick continued into the house. He shut the door silently behind him, the creak reduced to a momentary squeak this time around.
He moved slowly through the foyer, taking each step with caution. He made his way into the living room, where he saw Lily sitting in a rocking chair that was facing the wall. As he got closer, not only could he see that she was bound to the chair by her arms, but he could hear the distinct sound of vomiting from the bathroom.
Hurrying across the room to where Lily was tied up, Warrick kneeled in front of the woman and cringed. Blood was trickling from her mouth and nose, and her lip was swollen to twice its normal size. There was a small cut on her cheek, where Gedda had most likely backhanded her.
"Son of a bitch," Warrick muttered, trying his best to contain his growing anger. "Lily." She looked up at him. "Lily, are you all right?"
"Peachy," she replied, the irony in her tone not lost on Warrick. "Could you untie these things. They're starting to chafe."
He looked down at the bonds, assessing them momentarily. They were crudely tied, and they'd loosened quite a bit. He grabbed one of the knots and deftly untied it, moving on to the next one and repeating the process.
"Thanks." Lily was rubbing her wrists, which were raw. Warrick had a feeling that they hadn't started chafing on their own. Lily was a tough lady.
"Catherine's car is parked out front. Take my cell and call-"
The sound of a gun cocking cut Warrick off, and he dropped the cell phone in his hand on the floor. He lifted his hands in the air instinctively. "So nice of you to drop in, Brown."
"Let her go, Gedda. You've got me. She's useless to you now," Warrick plead, staring at Lily apologetically.
"I suppose you're right," Gedda said thoughtfully, and Warrick turned to find himself staring down the barrel of a gun. He ignored the memories that came to the forefront of his mind and forced himself to see Nick Gedda-not McKeen-holding the gun. He stood slowly.
Warrick sensed Lily's movement behind him. Gedda stared over Warrick's shoulder at her. "Go out the front door. And don't think I'll hesitate to kill you if you try anything stupid." He paused, then, "That includes calling the cops."
Lily left the house, and before Gedda had a chance to return his attention to him, Warrick sidestepped the gun and grabbed Gedda's arm. He tried to knock the gun from Gedda's grip, but Gedda's fist connected with Warrick's jaw first. The movement of Gedda's body twisting wrenched his arm from Warrick's grip, and Warrick had to act fast before the gun was aimed at him again. Warrick pushed Gedda back in the wall, knocking two paintings off the wall with a loud clatter.
But the gunshot was even louder.