by Regan Black
“There was a red dot on your chest,” Caleb’s voice shook.
He glanced at Alex, caught the nod. He’d had no idea he too had been a target. He pulled his son close, looked over the boy’s head to Bethany. She nodded, started to speak, and then pressed her lips together as if the outcome would be different if she gave her fears a voice.
Matt had known Alex for most of his career and he’d never seen his friend quite this rattled. Both men understood the complexity of painting all three of them at once in a public park. It hardly mattered that no shots had been fired. The implications had been loud and clear. They were alive, only because someone had allowed them to get away.
The terror of it had been too real and Matt was sure that had been the point. After this, he had to wonder if getting nicked by the bullet at Bethany’s house had been an accident, a mistake on the shooter’s part.
“Goes without saying that whoever started this has my full attention,” Matt said. “And I’m done with being half a step behind.”
“Amen,” Alex muttered.
“First we need a safe place,” Matt said, thinking out loud. “I won’t have them in harm’s way again.”
“Caleb and I could go—”
Matt nipped that suggestion with an oath. “I will not allow the person responsible for this sick stunt to divide and conquer this family.”
Over Caleb’s head, her rounded eyes and mouth were almost comical. Better if she’d just accept he was staking his claim. Caleb burrowed closer, shamelessly seeking comfort from Matt while still holding his mom’s hand.
“Your condo building is ideal,” Alex said, getting back to the most critical issue of safety. “Controlled access, good observation locations and emergency egress options.”
“Works for me.” Matt wondered if a surveillance team would find evidence that he’d been watched by others who’d been involved with this attack on his way of life.
“I still don’t understand why we’ve been targeted,” Bethany murmured.
“Every action is a clue,” Matt said. “Safe location decided. What’s next?”
Alex’s gray eyes glowed with anticipation. “Once we’re set up in the condo, we get to work.”
* * *
He disconnected the update call and downloaded the video that had come through via an email.
Oh, the spotters had done an excellent job documenting the entire attack. The man running this crew had chosen well and proven himself worth every penny. The most impressive point logistically was how swiftly the marksmen had found positions to tag all three of the eventual victims. The woman was less important to him, but seeing how much she mattered to Major Riley, it could be worth it to adjust the initial plan.
The more torture he could inflict on anyone named Riley, the better.
He flipped a switch, and a painting on the interior wall of his office slid aside to reveal his full timeline. There were notes, paths based on expected results, options and contingencies. Did he have the time to make Matt suffer, and thereby cause General Riley to suffer?
He came around the desk, teeth gritted against the pain that speared from hip to shoulder with every step. Worth it. The reminder of what was at stake kept him focused on the ultimate prize.
He stared at the picture of General Riley, top center of the board. As nice as it would be to torture Riley’s oldest child, he couldn’t see that it would cause the general enough pain to alter the timeline. He made a note, just in case that scenario changed. The woman was the mother of Riley’s only grandchild.
Returning to his desk, he let the video play again. Oh, this was almost as good as being there. This video marked the best minutes of his life since the disaster. He let it run, hit Replay again and again.
The panic, the unadulterated helplessness on Major Riley’s face filled him with a bittersweet joy.
“Yes, look all you want, Major. Use your training and your tools. You won’t find me.” He was protected behind layers not even the Military’s top experts knew to look for. Yet. His anonymity wouldn’t last. Wasn’t designed to.
He would pull back the veil himself soon enough. Because when General Riley’s world was in shambles and everyone he loved destroyed, he wanted to look the general in the eye and make sure he understood just who had inflicted so much misery.
Then he would end it. For both of them.
He made a few minor edits to the video and then uploaded it to the cloud storage he’d set for the team. Picking up his desk phone, he punched two numbers and waited.
“Sir?”
“The new video is ready for distribution.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Move toward the next stage at will.”
“Yes, sir.”
The line went dead and he dropped the receiver back into the cradle. That was the loyalty, the willing obedience men like General Riley wished for.
And yet, he was the one who had the devoted followers, not the general. He alone commanded the enthusiastic men and women eager to carry out whatever order he uttered. Leaning back in his chair, he closed his eyes, imagining the final moments ahead for Major Riley and his holier-than-thou father.
Chapter 7
Bethany didn’t breathe easy again until they reached Matt’s condo without further incident. Although the drive had taken only a few minutes, to her panicked mother’s heart, it had felt like hours. Matt and Alex made phone calls to their superiors and she didn’t pretend to understand all of the information exchanged. It seemed she walked a tightrope between useless tears and blind rage.
They were safe now, just as Matt had promised. While she and Caleb changed into casual clothes, Matt and Alex had hauled a poker table out of a closet and set it up at the far corner of the living area, near the balcony doors. Relieved and delighted to be safe, her emotions kept circling back around to vengeance. She wanted a clear target and a chance to reclaim control over this spiraling situation.
She let Caleb settle with Matt’s video game system. Still shaking, she didn’t put any restrictions on his choices, but she was secretly pleased when he chose the animated racing game they’d played last night rather than one of the first-person shooters she’d noticed in Matt’s collection.
It took all of her willpower not to hover over him, to keep her hands to herself when all she wanted was to touch him, to reassure herself they were safe and whole. Due to the angles in the park, she hadn’t seen any laser sights on her baby, only Matt’s reactions. Inexplicably, that made it worse. When she closed her eyes, she saw the fleeting shock on his face, giving way in a blink to flat-out protective determination. She’d heard him shouting orders, watched him leap into action to shield Caleb.
Then, before she’d been able to process the crisis, the red laser sight had settled on Matt and she’d waited, a scream of denial lodged in her throat, a prayer for his survival beating wildly in her heart. In those interminable moments, she was sure he’d be killed in front of Caleb. In front of her.
The rest was a blur with Alex bodily moving her behind some semblance of shelter and being escorted to the escape vehicle. What had happened to the MPs? she wondered belatedly. How had a leisurely walk in the park turned into such a nightmare? She swiped at the stinging sensation in her nose. The danger had passed and this wasn’t the time for tears.
From the kitchen, she watched Caleb game, the color coming back into his face slowly as the wholesome distraction took the hard edge off their ordeal. Seeking her own distraction and some proactive way to push aside the lingering fear that followed her like a cloud, she took a full inventory of Matt’s pantry and assembled a grocery list.
As promised, chicken parmesan would headline the menu tonight, along with salad and the requested garlic bread. The items needed for dinner topped her list. Greek chicken wasn’t her only culinary accomplishment, contrary to her son’s teasing.
Still, she wanted to do something special, a personal way to express her gratitude to both Alex and Matt for saving them all.
“The grocery list is ready,” she said.
Matt looked up and in his eyes she saw a reflection of her own tightly leashed worry. He might have only been a hands-on father for a few days, but there was no longer any doubt in her mind about his commitment or dedication to the role.
Alex nipped the list from her hand. “I’ll make sure this gets handled right away.” He read over it and looked up again, smiling. “Garlic bread. You remembered.”
It was the lighthearted break she needed. “Thanks.”
Alex reviewed the rest of the list and gave Matt a little shove. “She’s a keeper, man.”
Matt, his eyes locked with hers, nodded. “I’ve always thought so.”
His molten gaze sent a bolt of need through her system. Residual adrenaline, she told herself before she crawled into his lap. Memories of their brief, hot encounters in college, of his ropy muscles and sexy smirk as he teased her flashed through her mind. With that look in his eyes, she was sure being in his arms again would be exponentially better now that they’d both matured.
She licked her lips and his eyes tracked the movement. If she didn’t find some self-control soon, she’d be kissing him again, heedless of Caleb and Alex.
“Let me know if either of us can help you,” she said, eager to withdraw to a safe distance again.
“Hold on a second.” Matt snapped his fingers and Alex gave him the grocery list. Watching her, he tipped his head toward Caleb, a query in his dark eyes.
She nodded, though she wasn’t precisely sure what he was asking this time. It didn’t matter. She owed him the benefit of the doubt, not just as the first step in making up for her earlier outburst, but because he was Matt. He’d never push or prod Caleb, never ask him to cope with a situation he couldn’t handle.
The realization felt incredible. It was the first time in her life she felt as if she had a true partner in this parenting adventure.
“Hey, Caleb?” He walked over to the couch. “I need a hand.”
Caleb paused the game immediately and set the controller aside to give Matt his full attention. Bethany felt a twinge of envy over the instant obedience.
“We need someone to send in this grocery order so we can eat tonight. You text faster than the rest of us combined.”
“Probably.” Caleb replied with a smirk, though it hadn’t been a question.
Matt chuckled as he did something with his cell phone. “Here, use my phone.” He handed it over. “The app is easy to navigate and my credit card is preloaded for checkout. If you have any issues, just ask.”
“It won’t be any problem,” Caleb promised.
“Appreciate it.” Matt walked back over to join Alex at the computers.
Bethany could see the difference the request made already. Matt was including him and empowering him. The small task meant he was part of the team, contributing in a way that mattered. Whether or not he saw through the effort, the concept of teamwork would be familiar to Caleb and restore his sense of control, despite the chaos at the park.
As Matt passed by, she caught his hand, gave it a little squeeze of gratitude. She was starting to see what her choices had denied all three of them. Could she ever make it up to the two of them?
“Make sure that garlic bread is in the cart before you place the order,” Alex said.
“You got it, Uncle Alex.” Caleb glanced up and she saw the happiness edging out the fear and stress in his gaze. Her heart swelled with still more gratitude to the man who’d put it there.
While they waited for the grocery delivery, she let Caleb school her on a few of the more challenging tracks with the promise that, once the supplies arrived, he’d take on the role of sous chef for the evening.
To her son’s great delight, she let him have a soda as they started by making dessert. “Cookies again?”
His enthusiasm lifted her spirits immensely. “Your dad’s favorite, in fact.” She used the dad word deliberately, planting that permanence into Caleb’s head, in addition to affirming the relationship Matt deserved to have with his son.
“Chocolate chip?” Caleb asked.
“That’s his second favorite.” Chocolate chip had been bumped to second place when she’d shared the snickerdoodles her mother sent in a care package. “He might have a new favorite by now. Regardless, we’re making a batch of both.”
“Why?”
“We have plenty of time.” And it would keep her busy. Much like Caleb and his games, she needed a happy distraction. “And we don’t know what Alex prefers.”
“You should’ve asked.”
“You’re right,” she agreed. “Next time I will.” Working from the recipe she’d pulled up on her phone, Caleb mixed the cinnamon and sugar in a bowl and then helped her by adding and clearing away ingredients for the snickerdoodle dough.
Together they shaped the cookies and rolled them through the cinnamon sugar. Matt only had two cookie sheets and one cooling rack, but they managed.
When the last of the snickerdoodles were in the oven, she washed the mixing bowls and utensils so they could start on the chocolate chip cookies.
“Will you tell me how you and Matt met?” Caleb said as the mixer blended the butter and sugars.
“You just heard that story the other day.”
He hitched a shoulder and a frown tugged at his mouth. “I know. I thought maybe I’m just remembering it as lamer than it really was.” Though he gave it a valiant effort, the grin broke through.
“Brat.”
“I get it from you.”
“Hmm.” With the dough blended, she had him stir in the chocolate chips, purposely ignoring how many of the chips wound up in his mouth.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me you went to West Point?” he asked.
Taking the finished snickerdoodles out of the oven, Bethany placed them on the rack while he picked more leftover chocolate chips from the bag. “Because I didn’t finish. It’s about honor,” she said. “They take the honor code very seriously at West Point.”
Getting pregnant wasn’t exactly in line with the honor code and expected behavior. Cadets were taught to demonstrate single-minded focus and commitment to the academy system. If she’d taken the offered leave of absence in order to return, she risked someone finding out the baby was Matt’s. Not to mention missing out on most of Caleb’s first three years. Changing schools was the best of her options, and she didn’t harbor regrets over taking that road.
“You can get in trouble if you fail to report another cadet violating the honor code,” she added.
“That’s intense. Quit stalling and tell me the story again.”
If he needed the story again, it was the least she could do. “We were in the same class block,” she began. “I appreciated his contributions in class and agreed to form a study group with him and a few other cadets later that first week.”
“A weekly group date,” he said thoughtfully. “Smart move.”
She chuckled. She hadn’t looked at it as a move back then, but she supposed it could have been. “Move or not, it was practical. The classes were demanding.”
“It was a move.” He pointed at her. “You knew it. You’ve got the mushy face.” Caleb made a horrible, exaggerated moonstruck face.
“Well, it’s a good memory,” she said defensively.
“Uh-huh.” Caleb pounced on the beater she’d set aside while she dropped cookie dough onto the baking sheets.
“You did ask.”
He rolled his eyes, though he didn’t backpedal. “How could you even tell
each other apart in the uniforms?” At her look, he tilted his head toward the living room. “I saw the pictures. Everyone looks the same.”
He couldn’t be more wrong. Matt’s smile, the stern, square jaw and ever-ready glint of humor lurking in his brown eyes stood out. His confidence radiated like a beacon, whether he was at parade rest or striding down a hallway. “You just learn, I guess,” she evaded.
Caleb snorted and reached to grab a snickerdoodle from the cooling rack. She nudged him back with her hip. “You’ve had enough cookies and cookie dough before dinner.”
“Not me.” Alex had come into the kitchen for water, completely unnoticed. With an unrepentant grin, he swiped two cookies from the rack, popping one into his mouth. “Mm. Appetizer,” he mumbled, walking out.
“Real appetizers will be ready in just a few minutes,” she called after him. “Time to pick up the pace,” she said to Caleb. “Call it—cookies or appetizers.”
“Cookies!”
“No sneaking the dough.”
He laughed as he took over dropping cookie dough onto the baking sheet. “When did he ask you out?” Caleb queried. “On a real date, I mean.”
Bethany gave him a quick glance as she washed pears and sliced them into thin wedges for the antipasti platter. This too had been asked and answered over that first dinner as a family. Maybe the shock of the drive-by had blurred the details. Or maybe, she wondered with a fresh concern, he had a different reason.
With her maternal intuition in high gear, she proceeded to wrap paper-thin prosciutto around cheese and the pear slices and told him again how Matt had arranged everything so it felt like they were on a private date, even though they’d been surrounded by all their friends.
She knew Caleb was listening intently, taking it all in as he dealt with the cookies going in and out of the oven. Who did he have his eye on? Maybe Andrea or Tina would have an idea, or know who to ask. Better not to intrude on his privacy just yet, she decided. At not-quite-fifteen, he couldn’t get into too much trouble between his school load and soccer practice.
