Chapter 1

Mackenzie stepped out of the Waterwheel bar into the Seattle night and took a deep breath.  Stars twinkled in the clear evening sky, and the crisp air carried a tang of salt from Puget Sound, only a handful of steps away.  She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, hoping it would sweep the cobwebs from her brain.  A ten-hour workday, followed by drinks and appetizers with co-workers, had left her exhausted.

After three glasses of wine over the past two hours, a smart woman would call a Lyft or an Uber.  But her apartment was only a handful of blocks away.  She hadn’t gotten her run today, so she needed the walk.  She could be in her penthouse before the rideshare showed up at the Waterwheel.  The final push to walking?  The thought of standing outside the bar, on the now-deserted street, made her shiver.  Safer to walk through an actual neighborhood.

Slinging her bag crosswise over her shoulder, she walked north from the bar toward her condo.  She’d walked home from the Waterwheel before, since her co-workers favored the dive bar beside the water.  In the summer, they’d sit on the patio in the back, watching the lights from the boats floating past them.  But in late-November, the air held a bite.  She pulled her jacket more tightly around her and walked faster.

She was halfway home when she heard the steps behind her.  Her heart sped up, but she didn’t turn to look.  Instead, she glanced at the window of a darkened store and saw a man behind her.  Twenty feet away.  Wearing a hoodie with the hood pulled low over his eyes.  Not running, but definitely walking faster than her.  Trying to catch up to her?

Her heart stuttered and slammed against her chest.  She fumbled in her bag for the pepper spray.  She’d never had to use it, but she wanted it in her hand.  Just in case the guy behind her wasn’t merely hurrying to get home to a spouse, a girlfriend or a boyfriend.  After the disturbing incidents she’d had recently, she was a firm believer in ‘just in case’.

She walked faster, trying to put space between her and the man behind her.  To her horror, she heard his footsteps speed up, as well.  Mackenzie’s eyes searched the area frantically, looking for another person.  No one else was on the street at ten o’clock on a Tuesday.  All the smart people were already home, relaxing in front of their TV or preparing for another workday.

She picked up her pace but didn’t break into a run.  That would signal fear.  Worry.  Exactly what a predator would use to his advantage.  Was there another bar or restaurant on her way home?  A place she could go where there would be more people?

A quick mental inventory told her the answer was no.  There were only homes and apartment buildings between here and her condo.  The two houses she’d just passed had been dark.  So was the one coming up.  People who had to work the next day were likely already in bed.

She picked up her pace, knowing that she was too far from her condo to get there before the hunter stalking her caught up.  She thought about approaching a home with lights on inside and ringing the doorbell.  But the guy behind her would be on her before the residents could answer their door.

As she hurried along, she calculated her next move.  If she’d been wearing a pair of her running shoes?  She might be able to outrun him.  But those shoes were sitting in her condo.  Useless.

As she walked, she heard another set of footsteps.  Without turning around, she judged they were behind the guy trailing her.  Did the second set of footsteps belong to someone who lived in the area?  Or did the guy following her have a buddy?  Did they work together to herd their victims into a trap?

As she broke into a jog, she glanced down at her vial of pepper spray.  She knew how to use it — open the lid, point the nozzle and push the button.  Easy, unless her hand shook.  Unless she fumbled it.  Unless the guy behind her managed to knock it away from her.

Her fingers tightened on the cylinder.  No matter what, he wouldn’t get the chance to snatch it away and use it on her.

That fear had her breaking into a sprint.  She wasn’t going to play it cool.  Wasn’t going to pretend the man behind her was someone merely walking home from work.  She was running toward her condo as fast as she could.

The footsteps behind her accelerated, as well.  He was running full out toward her.

Holding her bag close to her body so it didn’t bounce and throw off her stride, she ran as fast as she could.  Legs pumping.  Breath sawing in and out.  Heart battering against her chest.

Three more blocks before she was home.

His footsteps were getting closer.

She put on a burst of speed, but the bag was awkward and heavy.  Slowing her down.  She couldn’t ditch it.  All her identification, her credit cards, as well as sensitive papers from work were in that bag.  She wasn’t going to make this guy’s job easy, she vowed.  If he wanted her bag, he’d have to take it.  And risk her pepper spray.

Maybe he didn’t want her bag.

The thought terrified her.  Glancing down at the pepper spray, she flipped the cap open.  Let her finger hover over the button.  If… no, when, the guy caught up with her, all she had to do was aim the nozzle and press the button.

“Bitch,” a voice yelled.  Way too close.  He grabbed her bag, tugging heavily on the strap.  His scent was stale and acrid.  As if he hadn’t bathed or used deodorant today.

Knowing she was going to fall, she spun around to face him.  His fist tightened around the strap, and he tried to yank it away from her.  When he realized he couldn’t loosen her grip, he reached for her jacket, his hand curled into a claw, and tugged.  Tried to pull her to the ground.  His other hand fumbled in his pocket.

He pulled out a small oblong tool.  Pushed the slide, and a blade extended.  Oh, my God.  A boxcutter!

It seemed to happen in slow motion — he extended his hand toward her neck.  His fingers tightened around his lethal weapon.

She raised her arm to protect her neck at the same time as she sprayed the pepper into his face and eyes, while shielding her own eyes.

The fine mist hissed out of the cylinder, hitting his eyes.  Screaming, he dropped the boxcutter.  It rattled against the sidewalk as he slapped his hands to his eyes.  Rubbed furiously.  That seemed to make it worse, because his screams became more high-pitched.  He stumbled in circles, digging his fingers into his eyes.  “You fucking bitch,” he screamed.

The boxcutter was too close to him.  He could grab it and keep swiping at her.  She kicked it away, just as the guy behind him arrived.

He curled one leg behind the screamer’s legs.  Swept it forward, and her attacker fell to the sidewalk.  The second guy was on him immediately.  He dropped to the sidewalk and pulled out a piece of plastic.  Wrapped it around the guy’s ankles and tugged.  It brought his ankles together and held them tight.

Then he stood and studied her, taking care to keep some distance between them.  “Are you okay?” the guy asked her.  “Did he hurt you?”

She drew in a shuddering breath.  “I… I think I’m okay.”

His gaze swept over her.  Froze when it reached her arm.  “You’re bleeding,” he said.  He reached for her arm, then let his hand drop.  “Did he cut you?”

She frowned.  “He swiped the boxcutter at my throat.  I put my arm up to block him, but didn’t feel him cut me.”

He extended his hand but didn’t touch her.  “May I take a look?”

She took several steps away from him, watching him the whole time, her fingers tightening around the pepper spray.  “Don’t come any closer.”

The guy, tall and muscular with dark hair and eyes, pulled his phone out of his pocket.  “I promise I won’t.  Okay?  I’m just gonna call 911.”

She shook her head.  “I can call them.”

He nodded at her arm.  “You’re dripping blood everywhere.”  He looked behind her, then said, “There’s a house with a porch.  Why don’t you sit there while I call the police and finish securing this guy?”

Mackenzie looked down at her arm and saw blood dripping onto the sidewalk.  There was already a spreading puddle, dark against the gray sidewalk.

She twisted her arm and saw that her jacket had been cut.  In the streetlight, blood glistened on the dark fabric.

Her stomach lurched.  She stumbled back a few more steps and felt uncoordinated.  Clumsy.  Off balance.

“I’m going to take your other arm, okay?” the guy said.  “I don’t want you to fall down.  Let’s walk over to that porch.”

She wanted to decline his help, but she was dizzy.  Nauseous.  So she didn’t jerk away when he took her elbow.  He supported her as they walked the handful of steps to the porch, then he eased her onto the step.

“You want me to help you take off your jacket and wrap it around your arm?” he asked.  “See if we can stop the bleeding?”

He was trying to be helpful, but what did she know about this guy?  He’d come up behind the man who’d attacked her.

“No,” she managed to say.  “I’ll do it.  Please call 911.  Get the police here.”

“Will do.”  He studied her face, as if looking for a sign of how she was doing.  “My name is Diego.  Diego Lopez.  Can I ask your name?”

“Mackenzie,” she said, stuttering.  “Mackenzie Stone.”

“Okay, Mackenzie.  Can I call someone for you?  A family member or a friend?”

God no.  Not her family.  Her two best friends were out of town.  And she would not, could not call a co-worker.

He must have seen her hesitation, because he said, “I’ll call one of my friends.  You’d probably like a woman here with you.”

Gripping his phone, he glanced toward the man on the ground.  “I’ll make sure that guy’s secured first.”

He stood up, tapping 911.  As he headed toward the guy on the ground, Mackenzie heard Diego say, “There’s been a mugging.  A woman was injured.  Cut on her arm.”  He gave the street address of the house where she was sitting.  Ending the call, he dialed again.  Murmured something, then said with a smile, “Thanks, Julia.  See you soon.”

Shoving his phone into his pocket, he crouched beside her attacker.  Diego was asking him something, and the guy was shaking his head.  Vehemently.  Then he said something to her rescuer, and Diego stood up.

“Sorry, buddy, but you’re going to be a guest of the Seattle PD for a good long time.  I’ll make sure you don’t get bail.  But look at it this way… you’ll get three squares and a bed.  Pretty sweet deal if you’re really homeless.”  Diego put another plastic tie around the guy’s wrists as he struggled to resist them.  Mackenzie watched Diego pull it tight, then he stood up and returned to her.

“You use pepper spray on him?” he asked.

She nodded, showing him the capsule,   He smiled when he saw it.  “Looks like you had good aim,” he said, nodding at the guy lying on the sidewalk.  Mucous poured from his nose, and tears streamed down his face.

“You have any water in that bag of yours?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she said, pulling out the water flask she took to work every day.  “Not… not much left in it,” she managed to say, her voice guttural.  Raspy.

He took it and shook it.  “It’ll help.”  He opened the bottle and poured it over her attacker’s eyes.

The idiot reached up to rub his eyes again, and her rescuer knocked his joined hands away with his foot.  “Don’t rub your eyes, you idiot.”

When he got back to Mackenzie, he said, “I saw that guy following you and didn’t like the way he was skulking behind you, so I followed him.”

“Thanks,” Mackenzie said, clutching her bag like a shield.  Her arm had begun to throb.  “You… you probably saved my life.”

Diego shook his head.  “You stopped him with that pepper spray.”  He frowned.  “I was too far away to tell if he was trying to cut the strap of your bag.  You think he was?”

She shook her head, shivering.  “He didn’t try to cut the strap.  He grabbed the strap, but I think it was to keep me from running.  He went right for my throat.”

“Jesus H. Christ.”  He stared at her, his expression horrified.  “You’re right.  If you hadn’t had that pepper spray handy, and known how to use it, he might have killed you.”

Her whole body was shaking now.  “Thank God you were behind him.”  She wrapped her good arm around herself and rocked.

Diego crouched in front of her.  “The police and an ambulance should be here any minute.”  He reached for her, but when she flinched, he snatched his hand back.

He studied her, sympathy in his gaze.  Then she heard the sound of sirens approaching.  More than one.  Getting closer.

A moment later, a squad car pulled to the curb.  In the distance, she heard a second squad car.  Much farther away, she heard the wail of an ambulance.

A woman climbed out of the first squad car and approached Diego and Mackenzie.  Stepping to Mackenzie, she crouched in front of her.  “I’m Detective Redmond,” she said.  “Are you the victim?”

Mackenzie nodded, the motion jerky.

“Are you all right?” Redmond asked gently.  “Did he hurt you?”

Mackenzie nodded at her arm.  She’d managed to get her right arm out of the jacket and wrap it around the wound.  “Yeah.  He cut me with a boxcutter.  He was aiming for my neck, but I put my arm up to block him.”

“Jesus,” Redmond said.  She looked over her shoulder.  “The bus should be here soon.  The paramedics’ll take a look at it.  In the meantime, what’s your name?”  Redmond pulled out a notebook.

“Mackenzie,” she said.  “Mackenzie Stone.”

Redmond sat on the step beside her.  “You okay with me here?” she asked.

Mackenzie shrugged one shoulder.  All she wanted was to go home.  Forget this nightmare.  “That’s fine,” she said.

“Can you tell me what happened tonight?” Officer Redmond asked.

Mackenzie told Redmond how she’d decided to walk home because she knew it would be faster than waiting for a rideshare.  Told her when she’d heard the steps.  That she’d walked faster, but the man following her had sped up, too.  Then she’d heard another set of steps, which turned out to belong to Diego.

At that, Redmond turned to Diego.  “Why did you follow Mackenzie and the perp?” she asked.  “Do you know one of them?”

Diego shook his head.  “No, ma’am.  I’m a security agent, so I watch everything.  Habit.  I was heading back to my hotel, which is in the opposite direction, when I noticed Mackenzie and that guy following her.  I didn’t like the way it looked, so I followed them.  Saw the guy close in on Mackenzie.  He reached toward her, and I saw the glint of metal in his hand.  She lifted her arm to protect herself, then pepper-sprayed his eyes.”

Detective Redmond turned back to Mackenzie.  “That your version?” she asked.

Mackenzie nodded.  Cleared her throat.  “Yes.  If it hadn’t been for Diego?”  She shivered.  “I don’t know what would have happened.”

The second squad car arrived, and a man called out, “This the guy, Diana?”

She looked over at him.  “That’s the one.  Tried to cut this woman’s throat.”

“Jesus.  I’ll load him up.”

“Great.”  Redmond turned back to Mackenzie.  “And then what?”

“Diego called 911.  Then he put the plastic strips around that guy’s hands.”  Her own hands were shaking uncontrollably, she realized.  She tucked her good arm around her waist to try and hold herself together.  Blinked her eyes to keep the sudden tears from falling.

Swallowing them down, she continued, “He’d put them around his ankles as soon as he got here.  I wrapped my jacket around my arm to try to stop the bleeding.”

Another car screeched to a halt at the curb behind the two squad cars.  A woman with dark blond hair jumped out and ran up to Diego.  “You okay, Diego?” she asked, watching his face.

“I’m fine, Julia.”  He nodded at Mackenzie.  “This is Mackenzie Stone.  She’s the one who was attacked.  Said she didn’t have anyone to call.  That’s why I called you.  Nice to have a friendly face when you’re being questioned.”

“A friendly female face,” the woman said.  Then she turned to Mackenzie.  “Hi, Mackenzie.  I’m Julia.  Julia Stewart.  I’m a friend of Diego’s.  You want me to sit here with you?  I promise I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

Mackenzie nodded, her gaze shifting between Diego and Julia.  Julia looked vaguely familiar, but she had no idea where she might have met the woman.  She didn’t recognize Diego, either, but he’d called his friend to come and sit with her so she’d be more comfortable.

He might look tough.  Dangerous.  But he had a kind heart.

Diego turned to Detective Redmond.  “The guy who attacked Mackenzie said he was homeless.  Said he asked her for money and she pepper sprayed him.”

“He said that?”  Mackenzie sat up straighter.  “That lying son of a bitch.”  She leaned forward.  “There are two things wrong there.  First of all, he didn’t ask me for anything.  Just tried to cut my throat with that boxcutter.”

Redmond nodded.  “So noted.  What’s the second thing?”

“He isn’t homeless.”

Detective Redmond, Diego and Julia all looked at her.  “How do you know that?” Redmond finally asked.

Mackenzie pointed toward his shoes.  “Those black shoes he’s wearing?  Those are OnCloud Trax Waterproof shoes.  I know, because I have a pair.  Those shoes cost more than two hundred dollars.  No way a homeless guy has a new pair of $200 shoes.  Unless he stole them.  And the shoe stores that I know?  They keep them chained to the display table.  Pretty hard to steal locked down shoes.”

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