by Sharon Dunn
Natasha laid the cash on the counter.
The clerk turned and grabbed two key cards from a box marked with their room number. She sat the cards on the counter and locked eyes with Natasha. “So unusual to be checking in on Christmas Day.”
Natasha’s heart fluttered as she tensed. She knew the woman was just making small talk, trying to be friendly, but the less information the desk clerk had, the safer they would be. Just in case the hitman saw their car parked at the hotel or was somehow able to find them and started to ask questions.
Landon stepped forward. “We were delayed in getting here.” A true but vague answer.
Natasha’s stomach growled. “I don’t suppose there’s room service, is there?”
“Normally yes, but the restaurant is closed today. There is a convenience store open about three blocks up the street.”
Landon grabbed the key cards and handed one to Natasha. He pushed the door open.
This time he sat behind the wheel. “I hadn’t thought of it until now, but this car is really distinct. If he’s trolling by the hotels and sees it parked, he will know we’re here.”
“What can we do? There is no place to hide it.”
“We can park it far enough away, so he won’t connect it with this hotel,” Landon said.
“That would mean walking out in the open,” she said. “And what if we need to get to it quickly.”
“True,” he said. “there are not good choices here.”
He circled the parking lot that adjoined the hotel finding a space behind a larger van so the car was at least concealed from someone driving by on the the street.
They got out and walked to where their room was. “We’ll just have to stay alert. I’ll make sure you’re safe inside. And I’ll go get us something to eat,” Landon said.
They walked up the stairs that led to the room. “Stay inside, with the door locked. Don’t stand in front of the window. I’ll be back as quickly as I can. Don’t open the door unless you hear my voice.”
Natasha stepped inside, closed the door and clicked the dead bolt into place. After shutting the curtains, she sat on the bed and stared at the wall, listening to the ticking of the clock. The room was clean but most of the décor looked as though it was twenty years out of date. She dared not turn on the television because she didn’t want to miss Landon’s knock.
She rose from the bed and pulled the curtain back just a sliver to peer outside. Still no sign of another human being. She found the Bible in the nightstand and turned to the Christmas story in Luke. She became so absorbed in the power of the words that when a knock sounded on the door, she jumped.
She waited.
“Natasha, it’s me.”
She rushed to the door and twisted the dead bolt. He held two grocery bags. “Not much of a selection.”
“I’m starving. I could eat almost anything,” she said.
He stepped inside. “That’s what I have. Almost anything.”
She closed and locked the door. After placing the grocery bags down, he sat at the table and started to pull the food out. Christmas candy, some herbal tea packets, microwave popcorn. He held up two boxes. “I thought you might want something warm. Hot dogs and nachos.”
“A feast for a king.”
“Yes, indeed, a feast for a king. Our king.”
She retrieved her coat from the bed where she’d left it when she’d taken it off. She felt in her coat pocket for the carved nativity her grandfather had made. It fit in the palm of her hand. She sat opposite Landon and placed the nativity between them. “This is what matters at Christmas, anyway.”
Landon nodded and bowed his head to pray. “God, we thank You for the true gift of Christmas. Your son.”
“We thank You for this feast and company to share it with,” Natasha said.
“Amen.”
Both looked up at the same time. A sense of bitter sweetness washed over her as she gazed into Landon’s eyes. She knew from experience that the life you took for granted could be ripped away at any moment. To cling to anything but a faithful God was folly. She reached her hand across the table, placing it on top of his. “I’m going to miss you.”
He nodded. His Adam’s apple moved up and down.
Unable to bear the sadness she saw in his eyes, Natasha looked away. “Let’s dig in.”
After she ate the hot dog and half the nachos, her hunger pangs subsided. She heated hot water in the coffeemaker for the herbal tea, which they sipped while taking turns reading the Christmas story from the Bible.
Landon held up the Christmas candy. “Don’t forget we have dessert. And the popcorn is for when we watch television. I’m sure there are a ton of Christmas shows airing.”
“Let’s see what we can find to watch.” A sense of satisfaction filled her. She had everything she needed to make Christmas feel like Christmas right here in this room. Too bad it would all be gone tomorrow.
* * *
As Landon turned the chair by the table so he could face the television, a sense of finality sank into his bones. In less than twenty-four hours, he’d be saying goodbye to Natasha. He clicked through the channels until he found a show they both remembered from their childhood. Natasha arranged the pillows around her on the bed.
Landon tossed her one of the Christmas candy bars. “Enjoy.” The levity he injected into his voice sounded false.
Once the show was over, Natasha yawned. “Are we taking shifts keeping watch?”
He clicked off the television. “I’ll take first shift. You get some rest. I’ll wake you when I can’t keep my eyes open anymore.” He scooted the chair back by the window, taking his gun out and placing it on the table. He pulled the curtain back a sliver and checked the parking lot and the street. There was almost no traffic.
After washing up in the bathroom, Natasha got into bed and pulled the covers up around her. When her breathing changed, he knew that she had fallen asleep.
Landon stayed alert for several hours, checking out the window and pacing the floor. He finally sat back in the chair, feeling his eyelids growing heavy. When his head jerked, he realized he’d nodded off.
Natasha stirred. He stared at the red numbers of the clock on the nightstand. Only a couple more hours and they’d do the handoff. Might as well let her sleep. He catnapped and continued to pace the room.
He woke her an hour before they needed to meet with the marshal. She sat up and smiled then looked at the clock. “You never woke me.”
“I figured you needed your sleep,” he said. “If you don’t mind keeping watch now, I’ll take a quick shower and that will wake me up.”
She pulled the covers back. “Sure.” She placed her feet on the floor and stood.
“The marshal should have texted us by now.” He picked up his phone. “Looks like the food court in the Northway Mall. Makes sense. Lots of post-Christmas shoppers around.” He couldn’t hide the sadness from his voice.
He got up from the chair. She stepped toward him on her way to the window. He reached his hand out and held hers for just a moment. They exchanged a look that was filled with anguish. “We’re almost there.”
“My new life.” Sorrow washed through her words.
He retreated to the bathroom. The lukewarm shower revived him. When he came back in the room, she handed him a paper cup with steam rising from it. “Thought you might want some coffee. I put cream and two sugars in. Hope that’s okay.”
“That’s perfect.” He took the cup and sipped, enjoying the warmth and sweetness.
Natasha checked the window one more time. “Still not a lot going on out there.”
She sat and finished the coffee she’d prepared for herself. He walked over to the table, set his cup down and picked up his gun so he could return it to the holster.
They both finished their coffee.
In silen
ce, they put on their coats and hats. He kept his gloves in his pocket, knowing he would not be able to shoot a gun with them on.
Landon opened the door and studied the parking lot and the area all around it before stepping to one side. “It looks clear. I’ll go first.”
She fell into his arms. “Landon, I’m afraid. He was able to track us all the way. Why hasn’t he made an appearance? Do you think we were finally able to shake him?”
He relished being able to hold her one more time. His hand brushed over her soft auburn hair. “It seems like he would have come after us by now if he knew where we were. But we can’t assume we are in the clear.”
She pulled away and gazed into his eyes. “We shouldn’t keep Marshal Henderson waiting.”
He nodded. They left the hotel room and hurried down to their borrowed vehicle. Landon checked the car and underneath it, as well, for any signs of a bomb or sabotage. The hitman’s MO was to shoot at them but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t change tactics.
Though he could hear the traffic one street over, the hotel parking lot was still all but abandoned. He glanced over his shoulder at the window of their room. Movement in the window of the room above caught his attention. His heartrate accelerated. “Get down.”
The shooter had been waiting for them to be in a vulnerable place. Natasha hit the concrete and scuttled to the front bumper of their car. The rifle shot went through the back tire. Same old tactics. Making it impossible to for them to escape in the car.
He crawled around to meet her. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “He must have tracked us through the marshal. I told you there were snitches.”
“This is our chance to take him out. There is only one way in and out of that hotel room.” He pulled his phone out. “I’m going to call the police.” He pressed in three numbers. “They won’t get here in time. We have to be outside that door, ready to catch him when he tries to run.” He handed her his gun. “I’ll be target practice for him while you sneak up there.”
“Landon, no. I don’t want to lose you.”
He kissed her. “It’s the only way.” He placed his hand on her cheek.
She nodded. “I don’t like it.”
“I’ll run out. Wait until his focus is on me. He’s looking through the scope of a rifle. Move from car to car. He won’t see you if you are careful.”
She took the gun and put it in her waistband.
Landon glanced up at the window, which was open, though he could not see movement anymore. He picked a car to run toward, knowing he would be exposed for a couple of seconds, and bolted.
The shot came so close to his head, it felt like his skin was stinging. Staying low, he slipped between two cars and peered at the window. Though he couldn’t see Natasha, he had to assume she was on the move.
His heart squeezed tight and he realized his fatal error when he saw movement above the room where he’d glanced. The sniper wasn’t in the hotel room above them. He was on the roof.
He feared he had sent Natasha into a deathtrap.
* * *
Though the rifle was muffled by some sort of silencer so it wouldn’t draw attention, Natasha had picked up on the first shot fired at Landon. She prayed the bullet had not found its target.
She ran from car to car until she was within ten feet of the bottom row of hotel rooms. A second shot was fired. From her hiding place, she lifted her head. She hurried and pressed against the wall of the hotel. The shooter would not see her beneath the overhang created by the balconies above her. She caught a flash of movement in the parking lot. Landon. Another shot was fired and he disappeared around a car.
She raised her head as a realization sank in. The hitman was on the roof. She hurried around to the front of the hotel where she and Landon had checked in. When she entered the lobby, there was no one around. She glanced everywhere. There had to be stairs that led up to the roof.
She ran one way and then the other until she found the door marked “Stairs.” She bolted up them, praying that she wasn’t too late. Praying that Landon wasn’t bleeding to death in the parking lot. The hotel was three stories high. She came to the exit door and pulled her gun out. She eased the door to the roof open, trying not to make any noise.
When Natasha looked out, she saw the shooter lying on his stomach, the rifle poised. In the corner was Marshal Henderson, tied and gagged. That last text message had probably not even come from him, she realized.
In the distance, she could hear sirens. The hitman pulled back. In a second he would be packing up his rifle and preparing to run. He might even shoot the marshal before he left. This was the moment.
Natasha stepped out. “Step away from the rifle.”
His back to her, the man did not move.
“Do it now.” She fired a shot, aiming for the man’s hand. He trembled. The shot must have grazed him.
She kept her sights on him as he turned to face her. She looked into the face of the man who had been trying to kill her for days. He had wild eyes and a scar across his forehead.
“Too late,” he sneered. “Your boyfriend is dead.”
Natasha felt like she’d been punched in the stomach, but she held the gun steady. The police had arrived in the parking lot below. The shooter, with his hands raised, would be fully visible to them. It would just be a matter of minutes before they were up here.
In her peripheral vision, she could see the marshal moving, though both his legs and arms had been bound. She dared not take her eyes off the hitman or let her guard down, though, inside, she felt like she was collapsing. Landon was dead. He’d given his life for her.
Two police officers arrived on the roof and sprinted toward the hitman. One pulled out a pair of handcuffs while the other kept his weapon aimed. Satisfied that the police had it under control, she ran over to untie Marshal Henderson. Once he was freed, she gave him a hug. “I am so glad to see you.”
The marshal was a man old enough to be her father. “Natasha, so sorry for the dust-up. I didn’t expect to be ambushed when I pulled into the hotel parking lot.”
“So our meeting place wasn’t at the mall?”
The marshal shook his head. “He jumped me and took my phone. I had intended to meet you at this hotel. He must have followed me.”
“Yes, we were able to shake him outside of Anchorage.”
One police officer remained on the roof while the other escorted the restrained hitman toward the stairs. Marshal nodded toward the remaining officer. “I’ll clear things up with the police. You’re not going to make a statement. I need to get you out of here to the safe house. I’m impressed you made it all this way. Didn’t you say someone was helping you?”
The chasm of pain she had pushed aside hit her now like a sword through her heart. She couldn’t even form the words to explain to the marshal all that had happened. She hurried to edge of the roof and looked out at the parking lot. She couldn’t see Landon’s body anywhere. Her eyes grew moist. She closed her eyes and placed her hand on her chest.
“Come on, Natasha, we need to get going,” the marshal said.
She looked all around the cars. “We need to go down to the parking lot.” She has to at least make sure Landon’s body was taken care of.
A voice came from the other side other roof. “No, you don’t.”
She whirled around. Landon. Joy surged through her as she ran to be in his arms. “The shooter said you were dead.”
“Well, he lied.”
He held her. She breathed in the scent of his neck and rested her cheek against the soft wool of his shirt.
“This must be the man who helped you,” said Marshal Henderson, stepping toward them.
Landon pulled away but drew her into a sideways hug. “I’m Landon Defries.” He held his free hand toward the marshal. “I’m a state trooper.”
“Glad she had your he
lp.” After shaking Landon’s hand, Marshal Henderson turned to Natasha. “It’s still a danger for you to be out in the open like this. We need to go.”
Natasha glanced up at Landon as despair overtook her momentary joy. “I know.”
Landon looked over to where the man who had chased her across the country was now headed down the stairs. “I need to go help make sure this man stays in custody.” He leaned a little closer to her. “I’ll make sure they don’t know the whole story. Take care of yourself, Natasha.”
“Thank you for everything.” She felt a tightness through her chest that made it hard to breathe.
He touched her cheek. His features communicated a deep and unspoken tenderness.
This was the way it had to be. They both knew that.
He turned away as tears rimmed her eyes. This was the end of the line for them.
As the marshal escorted her off the rooftop to his waiting car, she was sure she had never known such intense sadness.
TWENTY
Natasha stood on the tarmac of a private airport outside of Anchorage, where a small-engine plane waited to take her to her new life. First to Vancouver and then on a commercial flight to Wyoming.
It was New Year’s Eve, but she wouldn’t be doing any celebrating.
Marshal Henderson offered her a fatherly hug. “You take care of yourself. I’ve taken every step to make sure you won’t be found again. We are going to find the source of the leak.”
She stared at the ground. “I just need to make sure I stay out of the news.”
“In addition to the pilot, I’ve got a law enforcement man aboard for your protection.”
Fear fluttered through her. “Are you sure he can be trusted?”
“He’s been vetted.”
She wasn’t so sure about that.
“You’ll be fine. Have a good flight,” the marshal said. “Take care.”
She turned and stepped toward the stairs that led up to the airplane. She carried only a small overnight bag, which contained her new ID and some clothes and toiletries the marshal had gotten for her...and the tiny carved nativity.
