Christmas Witness Protection (Protected Identities Book 1)

by Maggie K. Black

  But if that side of Noah’s life was filled with frustration and darkness, spending time at the country house with the family was filled with all the excitement and joy of the impending holidays. He helped Lizzy bake cookies and Drew put up Christmas lights around the house. They built more snowmen and a series of tunnels and forts. Between Lizzy’s enthusiasm and innocence, and Drew’s quiet and intense creativity, Noah quickly realized just how deeply he’d missed them both.

  No, it was that last part of the equation he found one of the biggest challenges—watching over Holly as she healed. Being there, day in and day out, seeing the frustration burning in her face as she painstakingly followed Anne’s instructions to do nothing for as much of the day as possible. He found himself pacing while she slept, waiting for her to reappear at the door. It was like something inside him kept tugging his heart, mind and attention toward her and he didn’t know why. He sat with her in the den, with the lights low, telling her stories about his cases, his childhood, what it had been like to grow up in a fostering family and the various foster siblings that had come through his life. He told her stories that made her laugh and stories that he’d never told anybody, because she told him listening to his voice helped her relax.

  He enjoyed sitting beside her at the family dinner table, watching as she slowly drew his nephew out in conversation, enjoyed listening as she played dolls with Lizzy. On the second day, she sat with Drew for hours as Noah’s shy nephew showed her the drawings and designs in his film school portfolio, of monsters and fantastical creatures, and then sketched both the Ghoul and the Wraith as she described them the best she could from memory. Noah sent the sketches to Seth, who ran them through the database, but got no hits. Liam, Mack and Jess sent them dozens of pictures of potential suspects—both law enforcement and criminal mug shots—none of which Holly recognized, either. Then, when Anne signed off on it, Noah and Holly started going for short walks in the snow around the farmhouse, bundled up with hoods over their heads, shoulders occasionally bumping, as Holly got back her full health.

  He liked her company more than he’d ever liked anybody else’s. He liked how she listened to people. He respected her inner fight and drive, and how she never complained.

  Corporal Hildegard “Holly” Asher was an impressive, interesting, determined and tough-as-anything person—and he knew he had no right being attracted to her the way he was. She was vulnerable and in his protection. Showing any interest would be an abuse of power, ungentlemanly and wrong. It wasn’t like she could easily walk away if she didn’t feel the same way about him. Plus, if her story about her parents had taught her anything, it was not to believe in whirlwind romances. If he told her how he felt now, it would put her in an unforgivably awkward and uncomfortable position. He would not, could not, do that to her. Sure, maybe some real and lasting romances started in situations as awkward as theirs. But not for him and not with a woman like Holly.

  These were the thoughts that tumbled through his mind as he walked slowly around the house three days after the attack. The sun glittered off the fields of endless white, so bright it almost hurt his eyes. Holly walked beside him, shrouded in a large coat she’d borrowed from Anne, the hood with a fake fur trim that hid her face, so that only her nose and keen eyes shone through.

  “Any news from the team?” she asked, as they strolled slowly side by side.

  She was no doubt thrilled to be able to get out of the house and walk, even though he could tell that she wanted to break into a sprint.

  “Nothing concrete,” he said. “We’ve looked over all the pictures they’ve sent. Law enforcement is stretched to the max trying to relocate witnesses, but it’s like trying to evacuate a sinking ship while simultaneously building new lifeboats. Even if we did relocate everyone, none of their new lives are going to be as secure as the stolen ones. And the amount of information in each witness file going up on the auction block would still give criminals complete data on everything we know about each one, and a great head start in finding them again. The bigger problem is some witnesses feel so upset, angry and betrayed about authorities letting this happen that they’d rather take their lives and safety into their own hands.” He paused and looked at her. “How’s the headache?”

  “Almost nonexistent when I’m lying still and moving slowly,” Holly said. “But it shows up like a swift kick when I move my head too quickly. How’s Seth doing?”

  Noah liked the way she asked questions. They were sharp, direct and pointed, even when she had an aching head and was moving slowly. There was something about having her around that made him a better cop.

  “Frustrated,” he answered. “He’s watching online as the auction ticks closer and closer and isn’t able to stop it.”

  Holly sighed. Noah imagined she knew the feeling.

  “When does the auction go live?” she asked.

  “Noon on Christmas Eve.”

  “We’re going to find them,” she stated. “I don’t know how, but we’re going to find Snitch5751, catch the Imposters and stop the auction before anyone gets hurt. I have faith.”

  Noah smiled and looked up to the cloudless sky above. Do I have faith, God? It had been more than seventy-two hours since Elias had been killed, and they still didn’t have a solid lead.

  “What are you going do once this is all over?” he asked.

  She stopped walking and turned toward him. “You mean when I’m fully healed from the concussion, the auction has been halted, Snitch5751 and the Imposters are all behind bars and I’ve testified against General Bertie at the inquiry?”

  “Yes.” He chuckled. “After all of that.”

  “I’m going to redeploy,” she said. “I’m heading back into whatever war zone the military sends me. I knew from a really young age that I was put on this earth to serve others. It’s my calling and my passion.”

  They were standing so close that a braver or more foolish man might’ve tried to reach out and take her hand. An even bolder and more foolish one might’ve even asked if he could kiss her.

  “Do you regret going into witness protection?” he asked.

  The question seemed to spread out into the wintry air between them. Wisps of dark hair brushed her face as she looked into his eyes. And he knew without a doubt she was the most interesting person he’d ever met.

  “No,” she said softly. “I don’t. Because as much as I resented having to do it at first, I know I did it for the right reasons. I had a responsibility to stay alive to testify. And...”

  “And?” he asked quietly.

  “And while I wish with every fiber of my being that I didn’t have a concussion, hadn’t missed the shot at the Ghoul and could remember the Imposters’ faces, I don’t regret being here, in this, with you.”

  “I’m glad you’re here, too,” he said.

  His hands bumped against hers. Then slowly, cautiously, he felt their fingers begin to link.

  His phone began to ring just then. Noah stepped back, pulled his hands away and reached for it, heat rising to his face as if somehow the person on the other end of the line could read his mind and tell what he was thinking. He glanced at the screen.

  “Hi, Seth.”

  “Hey, how’s my favorite detective doing?” the hacker asked.

  “Not bad,” Noah said. “What’s up? Everything okay?”

  “Yeah,” Seth said. “How soon can you be here? The false leads I’ve created for Holly are getting a lot of attention and I haven’t found the Imposters yet, but I think I might’ve found out exactly where Snitch5751 was when he messaged the Imposters.”

  EIGHT

  Holly watched as Noah stepped back and took the call. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Had that really happened? Had she just come close to blurting out to Noah that she was attracted to him? Had she really stood there in the snow, holding his hand like they were teenagers, when there were so many mo
re important things going on? She turned and walked a few paces, gazing toward the wintry horizon and hoping Noah would think she was just giving him privacy for his phone call.

  Help me, Lord. I don’t understand my heart or my mind now. All I know is they’re tugging me toward this man I’ve just met and am only starting to get to know.

  She turned back and looked at his strong, handsome form silhouetted against the sky.

  He ran his gloved hand over the strong lines of his jaw. “Okay, I’ll see you there.” Noah clicked off the phone and turned back. “So, as you likely heard, that was Seth. Long story short, he thinks he might’ve figured out where Snitch5751 sent his messages to the Imposters from. But it’s raw data and he’s still processing it. He’s hoping by the time I get there he’ll have something more concrete for me.”

  Relief flooded his face. He glanced to the sky and she watched as the words Thank You, God moved across his lips. Then he turned back to her. “I think we’ve got a lead, and I’m going to go check it out.”

  “We’re going to check it out,” she said.

  He’d already taken two steps toward the house when the sound of her voice made him stop. “No, I’m going. You’re staying here. You were in an accident and you’re still recovering from a concussion.”

  “Yes, and I’ve been recovering.” She crossed her arms. “Anne said I was okay to go on short drives.”

  “Around town!” His hands flew up in the air. “To get coffee! Not to go see someone in witness protection about locating a pair of cyber terrorists!”

  “Who is sitting in front of a computer in a safe house!” She mimicked his gesture, as if they were both fighting an invisible enemy that had suddenly materialized between them. “Please, Noah, I’ve been stuck doing nothing for seventy-two hours. I’m the only one of us who’s seen the Imposters, so I’m the only one who will recognize them if they run into you.”

  Noah’s head was shaking. She knew what he was about to say.

  Couldn’t he see how much she needed to get out of the house and do something, even if it was just sitting in a truck for half an hour and listening to whatever intel Seth had dug up?

  “What if the Imposters spot you and try to kidnap or kill you?” he argued.

  “Then you’ll be there to have my back!” she said. “You think I’m going to be safer here without you?”

  She watched as his jaw clenched and his eyes rose to the sky. The long pause that followed was punctuated only by the whistling wind and her own chattering teeth.

  “Yes!” Noah said finally. “I think you’ll be safer here alone then coming to see Seth with me. Because I think the Imposters don’t know you’re here. I think they’re much more likely to find you if we go out in the world. So I think you’re wrong. Totally wrong.”

  Was she? She’d thought she’d been pretty convincing, actually.

  “What do I have to say to convince you?” she asked.

  “I don’t think you can!” Noah said. Then as she watched, his shoulders fell. “But I also recognize that you’re a soldier. You’re clearly plenty tough and strong enough to handle yourself. You’ve got a better sense of how your head is feeling than I do, and you’re not a prisoner here. As you know, the fact that you didn’t report into witness protection and get assigned a new officer after Elias died means technically you’re not even in witness protection anymore! So I don’t actually have any right to tell you what to do.”

  Wow. She rocked back on her heels.

  For a long moment he didn’t say anything. Neither did she. What could she say? She’d been gearing up for a fight and he’d just dropped his hands and stepped out of the ring.

  “Thank you,” she said at last, not knowing what else to say. “Trust me, I’m not about to do something stupid or risky.”

  “I believe you.” He crossed his arms. “Even though you climbed out a window.”

  “Three days ago!” She cut him off. “Before I realized I had a concussion, and then saw a doctor and took three days’ prescribed rest!”

  “I’m not fighting you on this,” Noah said. “Just because I don’t think you’re right doesn’t mean I don’t think your points are valid. I actually agree that leaving you isn’t ideal, either.” He blew out a long breath. “Okay, here’s what I want to do. I want to ask Anne if she’s okay with it. If not, we’ll find another solution. I’d also like you to take it slow and not push yourself past the breaking point. If anything dangerous or even suspicious goes down I’m turning around and bringing you back here, okay?”

  She nodded. Yeah, all that was fair. And he was actually being nicer about it than she probably would’ve been if the tables were turned.

  “Also, you’re going to need a disguise. Not a makeshift Seth disguise. An actual good one.”

  “Deal.” For a moment she was even tempted to reach out and shake his hand.

  “Good,” he said. “Because I would really hate it if something bad happened to you.”

  “I’d hate it if something bad happened to you, too.”

  A flicker of that smile she was really growing to like turned up the corners of his lips again.

  “Right. Then we first go talk to Anne. After that we’ll see what we can do to make you look less like yourself.”

  They started back toward the house.

  Noah seemed resigned when Anne cleared Holly to go, with pretty much the same restrictions he had placed—like paying attention to her symptoms, taking it slow and resting if the headache came back. Then Noah led Holly upstairs and knocked on Drew’s door. The young man opened it and Holly realized it didn’t actually lead to a bedroom, but a stairwell leading up to an attic room above. Drew’s eyebrows rose in an expression that reminded her of his uncle.

  “Holly needs a disguise,” Noah said. “Something simple that makes her not look like herself. I was wondering if you had something she could borrow.”

  Drew’s lips turned up quizzically and a smile crinkled the corners of his eyes. “All right, come on.”

  They followed him up the stairs and came out in a long space with slanting walls. She gasped. It was a workshop. Elaborate masks of alien creatures and animals smiled, snarled and stared at her. Jars and tubes of paint and an array of brushes spilled across a large table.

  Holly pressed her hand to her lips. She knew Drew wanted to get into movie special effects makeup and had seen the pictures in his portfolio. But she’d never imagined he was capable of anything like this.

  For a long moment Drew just stood there with his arms crossed, somehow managing to look both a lot older and younger than seventeen at the same time. Then he turned to his uncle. “Give us twenty minutes?”

  Noah nodded. “Sounds good. I have some phone calls to make. Don’t make her look like a goblin or an elf.” He glanced at Holly. “Meet you downstairs.”

  When he’d left, she frowned at Drew. “Tell me he’s not going to leave without me,” she said.

  “He wouldn’t.” The youth shook his head. “Uncle Nah is a really good guy.”

  He pulled a stool over to the table and waved her toward it. She sat.

  “Why do you call him Uncle Nah?” she asked.

  “It’s my dad’s nickname for him.” Drew shrugged. “No-Nah. I think it goes back to when they were teenagers, because he tried to stop him from doing anything fun.” His shoulders rose and fell, like he wasn’t committing to either side of the argument.

  Caleb. Even after all the time she’d spent in the house she didn’t know much about him, including why he wasn’t home with his family for Christmas.

  “I think you’re better off with extensions than a wig,” Drew said. “Wigs fall off, and extensions can last for days. It’s what movies use for more serious stunt work.”

  “Sounds good.” She’d never had long hair and never wanted it. And it wasn’t like Noah was about to be okay
with her doing anything that would remotely qualify as a stunt. Still, anything was better than another wig.

  “All I’ve got is special effects movie makeup,” he said. “It’s a lot thicker than regular makeup, but applied the right way it can be even more effective than a fake nose or plastic appliance. Again, those tear and fall off, too. My mom will no doubt have clothes you can borrow. And I have some contacts that will change the color of your eyes.”

  So she really was going to look nothing like herself.

  She watched as he busied himself setting up the hair extensions.

  “Your work is incredible,” she said.

  “Thank you.” Again, she noticed that although his lips were slow to smile, pride hovered behind the guarded shield in his eyes.

  “You’re Corporal Hildegard Asher, aren’t you?” he asked. “I’ve been following the inquiry into General Bertie online.”

  Her heart stuttered a beat. “You haven’t told anyone, have you?”

  “Of course not.” Drew rolled his eyes. “The internet says you’re somewhere in British Columbia, eloping with some guy named Smith and going to England?”

  She snorted. “Don’t believe everything you read online.”

  “Lizzy’s apparently telling everyone at church and preschool that you’re marrying Uncle Nah,” he said. “And Mom just told me you needed help. Is that why you’re here? Because people want to hurt you for telling the inquiry Bertie gave weapons to people overseas?”

  She nodded. “It’s a lot bigger than that now. But yeah, that was the start of it.”

  He opened another drawer and started pulling out various pots of makeup, heavier and brighter than anything she’d ever worn before.

  “I had problems with some kids at school,” he said, again not quite looking at her. “Really bad stuff. Everybody knew it was happening, but nobody would admit it.” He shuddered as if trying to shake off the memory. “But my mom would notice bruises and stuff, because she’s a doctor, right? Then she’d go in and raise a fuss. And finally one kid came out and said yeah, I was being hurt. And it was hard to explain, but it was one of the best moments of my life, right? Because the bullying was out there. It wasn’t hidden anymore. And I figure what you’re doing is really brave. Because everybody loves General Bertie. People talk about his service record and huge charity Christmas parties like he walks on water. And you’re pointing out he made mistakes. And that takes guts.”