THE ALTER: A Psychological Crime Thriller by EJ Nesbeth Read Free Book Online Page B

desperation and lowered his hand towards his holster.
    Ava panicked at the silence, calling Ryan’s name again and again, but there was no answer. Suddenly, a gunshot blasted through the earpiece, followed by loud screeching tires and the sound of a collision. She screamed his name through the phone several times more, but all she could hear was a dial tone.
    Ava threw her phone onto the car seat. She trembled and her imagination went wild. She feared for Ryan and dreaded what might have happened to him. Somehow, she felt responsible for him and hoped that she was not too late to save him. She sped away aimlessly without a destination, without a clue as to where they might be. She had to save Ryan and hoped that somewhere along the way she would find a miracle.

CHAPTER NINE
     
     
    The rain was still heavy and Ava drove faster than she knew to be safe, yet not fast enough to find Ryan. The streets were well lit, but visibility was poor. Soon she found Ryan's car and pulled up behind it. It didn’t take her long to notice a flat rear tire, not punctured but slashed.  It was a trap and Ryan had taken the bait.
    Several anxious miles of search bore no fruit. Bret's car was nowhere to be seen on the streets or in the alleys. Her anxiety mounted and she was desperate for clues. She pulled up in front of Ryan's house. "Come on, think," she prodded herself. She was a woman who understood herself, her emotional nature, and how it sometimes countered her insight. She took a deep breath to calm herself, hoping for a better flow of ideas. It worked.
    She was convinced that Bret was behind the murders attributed to Dr. Williams. As far as motives go, Bret was the prime suspect in both cases. But where could he have taken Ryan, his next victim? Ava’s face lit up as she thought of the one place where the saga began and would likely come to an end.
    She sped off once again with greater urgency and even more distance to cover. She imagined Ryan frightened and desperate, but hopefully still alive. She also imagined herself going up against Bret. Physically, she was no match for him, but this petite woman knew better and preferred bullets over brawn. Still, they shared a brief history and she wondered if she was prepared to do what might be necessary to save Ryan, or at least avenge him.
    Sure enough, Bret’s car was parked outside of the old abandoned building and she pulled up quietly behind it. The car bore new dents on the side by the driver’s door as if it had crashed into a pole. The front appeared intact and fit enough to have taken them a few miles to this location.
    Ava hurried out of her car and dashed towards the unsecured entrance. The floor was already wet and she knew that it had not been long since the hardwood had been stained with rain and mud. She looked around, hoping for a clear trail while listening carefully for sounds of activity. The air had a musty smell which, coupled with the cold wetness, tingled her nostrils and tempted her to sneeze. She rubbed her nose and moved stealthily but swiftly down the corridor.
                  She stood at the base of an open stairwell and memories of Ryan’s related encounter with Dr. Williams began to flow. She could hear signs of activity coming from above and see a faint yellow light dissipating below. This had to be it, but there was no obvious way up and she needed a detour. She moved through the dimly lit hallway with gun in hand. Every corner had a potential surprise and her anxiety reached fever pitch.
    Soon she found another stairwell and slowly began to climb. The creaking steps inspired little confidence and threatened to betray her presence. Still, she kept her eyes and gun aimed steady above. She wondered what she would do if Bret suddenly appeared, but she also knew what he was capable of doing if he found her first.
    Ava’s head appeared, inching cautiously above the landing several floors up while she turned for a panoramic view of the hallway. The