Hitman's Creed - 27

 

"I should have gone with them; I have things I have to do at home," Joey's mother said as she watched Harv's car pull down the lane.

"Absolutely not," Glenn told her firmly. "Even though your house is as safe as I could make it, if he doesn't want to be up close and personal and if he has a decent gun he could shoot you through one of the windows."

"So we're not really all that protected after all," she replied with a worried glance at Joey.

"You're safe from him getting into the house, which he did when he beat then shot Miss Nye. I think he likes proving that he has control over the situation that way. However if he finds that he can't get inside I have no doubts that he'll come up with another solution to his 'problem'. And he is going to be furious that Mary managed to escape his clutches."

"Do you think he suspects she got in touch with us?" Joey asked.

"Let's put it this way, he's not a stupid man. He managed to avoid capture for the last seven years, even after he took Mary prisoner. Given how close to here they were when she got away he'll probably at least consider that she might try to find you all."

Joey nodded slowly then frowned as he thought of something. "Isn't it a bit odd that she wasn't able to get away from him until they were almost here? Maybe," his frown deepened, "maybe he let her go. Maybe he's brainwashed her so badly that even though she's free she's still under his control. If he thought that mom would take her in then he'd have a way to get into the house with no problem."

"You're going to make a good cop one day," Glenn replied a bit wryly. "That never even occurred to me."

"I can't believe that child would do such a thing," Joey's mother stated, but her tone of voice said she wasn't all that certain.

"She is young, and vulnerable and obviously terrified," Joey pointed out, "the perfect subject for someone like father to manipulate."

"We have to warn Harv!" She looked panicked as she took her phone from her purse.

"Allow me," Glenn said, holding out his hand for the phone. She hesitated then gave it to him once she had dialed the number. As soon as Harv answered, Glenn told him what they were thinking then said Harv should bring Mary back.

Joey listened to Glenn and when he'd hung up said, "She could let him in here as easily as at our place."

Glenn smiled tightly. "She could if we don't keep a good eye on her, which we will. If that's his scenario then she must have some way to communicate with him so he'll know that she's with you two. Ergo, you all are going to remain here, at least for the next twenty-four hours. We might as well make things as easy as possible for him. Or at least he'll think it's going to be easy."

"And if it isn't the scenario? If she actually did manage to get away from him on her own?" Joey asked.

"Then we all get a good night's sleep, and come up with a plan in the morning," Glenn replied with a brief smile.