Safe House Under Fire

by Elisabeth Rees

  David held out his hand. “And I have to confiscate your cell phone until further notice. I want all devices which emit a signal.”

  “What?” Astrid’s mouth dropped open as she turned to Lilly. “Really?”

  “No arguments, Astrid,” Lilly said, slipping the cell from her daughter’s jeans pocket, unplugging the earphones and handing it to the agent. She then unzipped Astrid’s backpack and took out her iPad. “You can have them back later.”

  David took both devices in his hands. “I never said that.”

  “But it’s important to her,” Lilly protested. “Teenagers live their whole lives on social media, you must know that.”

  “Phone signals are easy to track, even when they’re not connected to the internet. If Astrid wants to log into Smartchat, she can use one of our specially encrypted devices.”

  Astrid burst out laughing. “What is Smartchat? Is that like Snapchat for old people?”

  He ignored the ridicule. “I’d rather you didn’t log into any online accounts for the next few days, but if you really feel that it’s necessary, then you can look but not interact.”

  “I can’t post anything?”

  “Certainly not. No comments, no messages and absolutely no selfies.” He put the phone and iPad into a drawer of the hallway dresser. “We’ll leave these here until you get back.”

  “How will I keep in touch with Noah?”

  “You can’t,” David said. “I need a promise from you that you’ll contact nobody while we’re in the safe house. You’re under my rules now.”

  Lilly began to bristle with irritation. Astrid was her daughter and her responsibility, and David should have let her relay all this information, rather than lay down the law himself. It was very clear that this FBI agent didn’t rate her parenting skills very highly, and she found herself feeling undermined by his intrusive behavior.

  “Make the promise, Astrid,” she said, trying to wrest back control. “It’s only for a little while.”

  Astrid groaned. “I promise.”

  “Okay,” David said. “Let’s go.”

  Lilly noticed her daughter’s face become ashen as they approached the open front door, where Goldie stood, waiting to escort them to the car.

  “We’ll be okay, won’t we, Mom?” Astrid asked. “This crazy guy wouldn’t be stupid enough to try and hurt us while we’ve got two bodyguards, would he?”

  Lilly wasn’t sure whether to tell the truth—that she simply had no idea—but she decided that a small lie was the best approach.

  “He wouldn’t be that stupid, honey,” she said, putting an arm around Astrid. “We’re in the hands of trained experts here.”

  “You’re clear to get in the car,” Goldie said, as they stepped out into the cool and breezy afternoon. “Both in the back seat, please.”

  The day had now taken on a new hue, one of danger and malice. The scenery beyond Lilly’s home was exactly the same as before, but the neat suburban houses and leafy trees now hid something sinister and strange. This world no longer felt like hers. It was alien somehow, and she wasn’t enjoying the sensation. Somebody had invaded her haven of peace and contentment.

  Goldie opened the back door of the black SUV in the driveway and Astrid climbed inside, murmuring appreciatively at the plush upholstery and gadget-laden dash. They were unused to luxury in their daily lives.

  “Lilly, Lilly, wait up.” She looked up sharply to see Mr. Peters hurrying around the fence that divided their front yards. He was carrying a brown box, saying, “I have something for you.”

  Goldie and David immediately switched to high alert, placing their hands on their weapons and scanning the area.

  David rushed to her side. “Who is this man?”

  “It’s my neighbor, John Peters. I’ve known him for thirteen years.”

  David quickly pulled out his badge and held it out front, keeping Mr. Peters at arm’s length. “Sir, can I ask you to remain where you are and state your business?”

  Mr. Peters appeared puzzled to be met with such a command. “Um... I have a package for Lilly.” He peered at the badge. “Are you from the FBI?”

  “Put the package on the ground,” David ordered, pocketing the badge and drawing his gun but keeping the barrel pointed down.

  Mr. Peters obviously wasn’t sure how to react. “I didn’t do anything wrong,” he said. “The delivery guy said he couldn’t get an answer from Lilly’s house so I signed for the package on her behalf.” He looked between Lilly and David. “That’s okay, isn’t it?”

  “I told you to put the package on the ground,” David repeated, louder this time. “Now.”

  Mr. Peters reacted in an instant, placing the box on the ground as if it were suddenly red-hot.

  “Now step away from it,” David said. “Where did the delivery guy go after you signed for this package? Did he have a vehicle?”

  “I didn’t check, but he was wearing a uniform and he had a clipboard. He looked very official.”

  “Where did he go?”

  “I don’t know. I’m sorry but I didn’t think to take notice.” By now Mr. Peters appeared genuinely afraid, concerned that he might have inadvertently done something wrong. “The label on the box says it contains drapes and cushions.”

  David glanced at Lilly. “Did you order home furnishings?”

  She racked her brain to recall any recent online purchases. “I don’t think so.”

  “Get Astrid out of the car.” David said, before turning to Goldie. “We need to get them back in the house and call the bomb squad.”

  Fear flooded Lilly’s body. “You think it’s a bomb?”

  “We have to take every precaution,” he replied. “It might be nothing, but let’s be cautious.”

  Astrid slid from the car and stared at the cardboard box on the driveway, its beige, boring exterior seemingly innocuous.

  “It’s just a package,” she said, walking toward it. “Why are you guys so worked up about a cardboard box?”

  “No, Astrid,” David called. “Stay away from it and go back inside.”

  Lilly grabbed hold of Astrid’s sleeve. “Come on, honey, let’s do what he says.”

  Astrid shook her head in disbelief. “I can’t believe you’re all terrified of some drapes and cushions. Mom probably ordered them and forgot.”

  But then the box began to beep, slow at first but quickly building, like an alarm clock working its way up to a crescendo.

  “Go, Go, Go!” David yelled, pushing Lilly and Astrid toward the house. “Everybody clear the area.”

  Lilly clutched Astrid’s hand and ran to her front door, stumbling over the threshold and falling into the hallway. She just managed to pull her daughter into an embrace when a flash of light burned her eyes. The sound of the explosion came a split second later.

  And then there was silence.

  THREE

  Lilly lay on the floor in her hallway, clutching Astrid as tightly as she could. The overpowering smell and taste of smoke was stinging her throat and she made a futile attempt to waft the fumes from Astrid’s mouth.

  “David,” she called. “Where are you?”

  “I’m here,” he said, his dark silhouette filling the open door. He came to kneel next to her, his hair tousled and his skin grimy but apparently otherwise unscathed. “Are either of you injured?”

  Lilly held her daughter’s face in her hands. “You’re okay, aren’t you, honey?”

  Astrid nodded. “It really was a bomb,” she said shakily. “He was right.”

  “It was instinct,” David said. “You learn to be wary of everything in this job.”

  He pulled his radio from the clip on his waist and spoke quickly and clearly into it, requesting the police and an ambulance. All the while, he kept a firm hand on Lilly’s arm, pressing her down to the floor.

&n
bsp; “Who’s the ambulance for?” she asked. “Is Goldie hurt?”

  “She’s fine,” he replied. “We managed to shield ourselves behind the car, but Mr. Peters took some shrapnel to the leg. It was a crude homemade bomb, packed with shards of metal, designed to inflict maximum damage. His injury isn’t life-threatening, and Goldie’s tending to his wounds now. I need the two of you to go into a locked room until backup arrives. There’s a chance that Henderson is watching the house.”

  Lilly thought hard, struggling to focus. “The only room with a lock is the bathroom.”

  David lifted her to her feet. “Go there, lock the door and wait for me.” He took his gun from its holster and handed it to her. “Do you know how to use it?”

  “Yes.”

  Having grown up with a father who loved hunting, Lilly was experienced in handling all types of weapons, but since Astrid’s birth, she’d decided against keeping one in the house. Taking care of a child involved making tough decisions, and she took each one seriously, weighing the risks before choosing the option that was the most nurturing.

  “Shoot if you need to,” David said, helping Astrid to stand. “I’ll be back in just a few minutes.”

  David strode through the front door beyond which Lilly saw a plume of thick black smoke rising from behind the car. The windshield of the SUV was shattered, embedded with many silver fragments from the bomb, creating an almost beautiful spiderweb design.

  “We gotta get into the bathroom, Mom,” Astrid said, heading down the hallway. “We should do what he says.”

  Lilly followed, pleased by her daughter’s sudden conversion to following David’s rules. When they had both entered the bathroom, she slipped the lock into place and pulled the wooden cabinet across the door. It wouldn’t offer much in the way of resistance, but anything was better than nothing.

  “Okay,” she said, placing the gun in the sink and checking that the small window was securely fastened. “I think that’s all we can do for now.”

  Astrid had slid to the floor and was sitting on the striped shower mat, her knees pulled up to her chest. Lilly dropped to her level and drew her into an embrace.

  “I know this is scary,” she said. “But we’re in safe hands. Everything will be fine.”

  “You don’t know that for sure,” Astrid mumbled into her mom’s sweater. “They’re just empty words.”

  “David and Goldie are trained FBI agents and they know what they’re doing.”

  Astrid pushed Lilly away to pull a tissue from her jeans pocket. Rather than use it, she crumpled it inside a clenched fist. “They couldn’t stop the bomb though. It blew up right outside our door.”

  “David prevented you from going near it, didn’t he? He kept you safe.”

  “But what about the next time, or the time after that?” Astrid was working herself into a highly anxious state. “He can’t stop every single danger. He’s not a superhero.”

  Lilly lightly held Astrid’s chin between her thumb and forefinger, the way she used to when Astrid was a toddler. “We’re also being protected by someone who is like a superhero.”

  “Oh, come on, Mom, not this God stuff again. The Bible is just a fairy story, like Lord of the Rings.”

  Lilly’s heart was still hammering in the aftermath of the explosion and she took a moment to try to calm it before speaking.

  Placing a hand over her chest, she said, “God is way better than Gandalf.”

  Astrid laughed and Lilly was pleased to feel some tension lift.

  “Are you sure about that?” Astrid said with a smile. “Because Gandalf is awesome.”

  “I can promise you that God is stronger than a billion Gandalfs,” Lilly said, remembering how Astrid adored The Lord of the Rings books when she was in middle school and insisted on having them read to her every night. “He’s stronger than you can ever imagine.”

  Astrid’s smile faded. “I hope you’re right, because we need somebody special to help us now. I’m frightened, Mom. I want everything to go back to how it used to be.”

  “It will, sweetheart,” Lilly said, stroking her daughter’s creamy unblemished cheek. “I give you my word.”

  But in an instant, the mood changed. Astrid jumped to her feet, screaming and pointing at the window, where the outline of a head could be seen peering through the frosted glass. Lilly grabbed for the gun and aimed it toward the danger.

  “Who’s there?” she called. “I’m armed.”

  “It’s Noah,” a voice called back. “I’m looking for Astrid.”

  Lilly lowered her weapon and leaned against the wall, breathing a sigh of relief. Noah was Astrid’s boyfriend, a sweet kid from two blocks away who doted on her and showered her with compliments. She reached up and opened the window, seeing Noah’s mop of curly hair come into view.

  “You need to leave,” Lilly said. “You might have noticed that there’s a serious situation going on here. It’s dangerous.”

  Noah craned his head to peer round Lilly and catch sight of Astrid. “I was worried when you called to say you were sick, so I skipped lunch to come check on you.”

  Astrid walked to the window and put her fingers on the ledge to stand on tiptoe. “I’m okay, but I have to leave town for a few days and I’m not sure when I’ll be coming back, so you’ll have to get used to life without me for a while. I’m not allowed to contact you. The bossy FBI guy took my cell phone.”

  “Lunchtime is almost over, Noah,” Lilly said, pulling Astrid away from the window. “Leave via the backyard and head straight back to school. Promise me you’ll do that.”

  Before Noah could reply, the bathroom door flew open and the cabinet was flung across the room, hitting the wall and spilling its contents. David stood in the hallway, gun raised, his features fixed in concentration. Noah instinctively ducked down below the window, shouting, “Don’t shoot.”

  “Who’s this?” David said. “I heard a scream.”

  Lilly’s words came out in a rush, trying to relay as much information as possible, “It’s Noah. He’s not a threat. He’s just a kid.”

  The sound of numerous sirens could be heard heading their way and David holstered his weapon, narrowing his eyes at the skinny boy who was rising from his hiding place, deep dimples on his cheeks created by his sheepish smile.

  “What are you doing here?” David asked harshly. “Why aren’t you at school?”

  “I came to check on Astrid because she’s sick,” he said, his brown eyes darting around the room awkwardly under the scrutiny of undeniable authority. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know what was going on.” He scratched his head. “What is going on?”

  “Astrid and her mom are in a dangerous situation at the moment and they need to go away for a while,” David said. “We’d hoped to keep it under wraps but it looks like that’s now impossible.” When Noah opened his mouth to speak, David reached up to the window handle. “Don’t ask any questions. Go back to school and Astrid will contact you when it’s safe, but that might not be for quite a while.”

  Noah leaned his head to shout through the narrowing gap of the closing window, “I love you, Astrid.”

  David turned to Lilly with a frown. “Is he Astrid’s boyfriend?”

  “Yes.”

  “You let her have a boyfriend?”

  Lilly placed the gun back in the sink, comforted by the sirens that had screeched to a halt outside her home. There was now a heavy police presence in the vicinity and Henderson would surely be long gone.

  “Astrid is almost sixteen years old,” she said. “She’s old enough to make these types of decisions for herself.”

  “You said earlier that she’s still a child.”

  “Yes, technically she still is a child,” Lilly said, suppressing her annoyance. “She’s at that difficult in-between age, where she’s not yet an adult but deserving of a little freedom.”
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  David’s eyebrows shot up so comically high that Lilly almost laughed in spite of the situation.

  “Astrid’s not yet wise enough to know which boys have decent morals,” he said. “I’d strongly advise you to reconsider allowing her to have a boyfriend.”

  “I’ve known Noah since he was tiny,” Lilly said, thinking back to his baby curls and cute dimples. “His mom is an old friend and his family are good people. Noah and Astrid have a really sweet and innocent relationship, and he would never hurt her. Ever.”

  “You can’t be sure of that.”

  “Well,” Lilly said, folding her arms. “Of course, I could wrap Astrid in cotton balls and keep her locked away in a closet until she’s twenty-one. Or I could live in the real world and take a chance that everything will work out okay in the end.”

  “Now you’re mocking me.”

  She ran her fingers through her hair. “I don’t mean to be unkind, but you’re a little intense, and you’re making judgments based on assumptions. Astrid is rude sometimes, but she isn’t as immature as you think.”

  “She’s fifteen. She is the dictionary definition of immature.”

  Astrid coughed. “I’m right here, you know,” she said with a small wave. “I can hear every word you’re saying.”

  Lilly suddenly realized how inappropriate it was to discuss Astrid’s character and failings in front of her. It was wrong, yet it pained her to admit that she was actually enjoying this interaction with David. Yes, he was stubborn and maddening but he was taking an interest in Astrid, showing concern for her well-being and being more of a father than Rylan had ever been. Lilly felt herself drawn to him because of it, and a flicker of attraction somehow sparked into life. Here was somebody with whom she could really, truly talk about the difficulties of raising Astrid. It was just a shame they weren’t on the same page.

  Astrid came to stand between them. “It’s weird to hear you guys arguing about me when a bomb just exploded outside our house and Mr. Peters is bleeding on the driveway.” She shrugged. “And I thought I was meant to be the immature one.”