by Tanya Stowe
Jared shouted. “Stay out of the way!” But his shout was too late. He lost precious minutes as he dodged around the startled, angry group.
“Call the campus police. Tell them where we are.”
One young woman was already on her phone. Jared saw her nod as he passed. He’d lost ground on Heiser and had to turn up the speed.
The man dodged in and out of a temporary, standing art exhibit. For a moment, Jared thought he’d lost him, but then he appeared at the edge of the clearing, headed for some buildings. If he got inside, Jared would lose him for sure. He sped up.
Workout or not... I can’t keep this up much longer.
In the distance he heard the whine of sirens. Thankfully, they were close. Heiser heard them, too, because he paused. Once again, he changed direction, made an immediate ninety-degree right turn, and disappeared around the corner.
Not sure what might be waiting for him, Jared slowed. Unholstering his gun, he edged out until he could see around the building. Heiser was not lying in wait. He had run ahead of Jared about fifty feet, toward another cluster of buildings that looked like dorms. A rabbit warren of rooms in which to get lost.
Taking a deep breath, Jared holstered his gun and began to run again.
Heiser had to cross a main thoroughfare to get to the dorms. Men ran from opposite ends of the road, converging on the large common area divided only by the street. Apparently, Kopack’s men and the campus police had determined Heiser’s escape route and followed. They ran, yelling and clearing pedestrians out of the way. But cars continued to shoot across the street. Jared came to the curb and waited for two to pass. Heiser had only one escape route...straight ahead.
Heiser jogged a step before he stopped short. Another group of security men and police appeared from between the buildings in front of him.
The assassin was trapped. Jared drew his gun, his gaze fixed on Heiser. Across the street, the assassin looked at him, gave him a mock salute then stepped right in front of an oncoming municipal bus.
Jared shouted. The bus screeched to a stop. But not soon enough.
* * *
Sassa stood to the side of the check-in desk, clutching Keri as close as she could. A female professor Sassa knew snatched up her three-year-old before saying a few quiet words to Julie, the director of the child-care center. Spinning, she gave Sassa a silent, icy glare.
Sassa didn’t blame her. Her daughter’s presence here in the center had endangered innocent children, a calamity she wouldn’t allow to happen again. Keri wouldn’t return to the center until this was over.
Still, the fearful and angry glances from some of the parents hurt. They struck down deep, to an old hurt.
Sassa had once been the ideal teenager, the one who would go far. The whole small town of Kingsburg had been behind her, cheering her on, taking pride in her success as if it were their own. Their pride had made her downfall even more difficult. The disappointment and discouragement she’d seen in their faces had doubled her own feelings of failure. The angry look of her coworker brought all those feelings back.
Keri wiggled in her arms and rubbed her eyes. It was close to her dinnertime and she needed a diaper change. Her skin was also a little hot to the touch. Was that tooth bothering her again?
Sassa bounced her in her arms, trying to soothe her, and glanced at the door. Jared still wasn’t back. Why hadn’t he returned? What if he was hurt?
Her heart started pounding and she spun to face the back door and the fence he’d disappeared over. She closed her eyes.
Please, Lord. Don’t let anything happen to him. I need him.
Her eyes flew open. How was it that she had come to rely on another man? How had she let that happen?
Keri whimpered again. Sassa felt like whimpering, too.
She had fallen hard for Erik, the popular, fun-loving boy everyone adored. It hadn’t mattered to her that he had no faith life or even that he had little respect for hers. She had no idea how much it would come to matter or that Erik couldn’t live without that adoration. In fact, he craved the attention that came from being attached to the most popular girl in town. He craved it more than his love for her and their soon-to-be-born child. But when the attention disappeared, and the hard work of married life began, Erik had fallen apart. It wasn’t long before he’d gone in search of the attention he needed. He found it in bars and casinos.
The stress of their life had caused Sassa to lose their child. Shortly after, Erik ran away, headed to Las Vegas and new territory. Sassa went back to school, determined to get on with her life. But Erik came back, begging her to forgive him.
She gave him a second chance. After all, it was her Christian duty, right? Besides, she still loved him. Or rather, she loved the man she knew he could be if he followed the Lord’s path for him. She felt she owed it to that man to give him a second chance at life.
For a while, things had gone well. They had the marriage Sassa had always dreamed of, but soon, she recognized the signs of restlessness. The need to be adored returned. Sassa realized her love for Erik would never satisfy that need. It would never be enough. Only the Lord could satisfy that kind of bone-deep need and Erik refused to turn to Him.
One morning, she’d woken up and Erik was gone. Her bank account had been emptied and she was pregnant with Keri. She’d given up the childish wish of a happily-ever-after and clung to the Lord. It was inconceivable to her now that she’d become dependent on another man, another man who couldn’t place his life in the hands of God.
But Jared was just a friend, the partner she needed in this desperate situation. She wasn’t—wouldn’t fall in love. He’d been so much help to her, always by her side, anticipating her needs, and lifting her up when she was down. He’d promised her they would be great partners and he was right. She’d never had a friend like him, let alone a partner, and these were extraordinary circumstances. She needed all the help she could get. There was nothing wrong with needing a good friend in this intense situation.
She bounced her daughter and shifted her to her other arm just as the last parent picked up their child and left. The director of the child-care center walked toward her. Julie and Sassa had started working for the university about the same time. They were both single moms and had developed a bond. Now Julie’s face was wreathed in worry.
Sassa lifted her hand. “You don’t need to say anything, Julie. I completely understand, and I’m so sorry.”
Julie grasped her hand in both of hers. “Don’t apologize. How could you know? But I have to protect the other children.”
“Of course. I understand completely.”
Julie squeezed her hand. “What will you do?”
Sassa took a deep breath. “Try to survive.”
“Don’t say that!”
Her friend’s heartfelt cry moved Sassa. Tears blurred her vision, but she blinked them away. “It’s all right, Julie. Really. I have wonderful protection. You saw what happened. They’ll take good care of me.”
She sounded convinced...more convinced than she felt. Her world kept shattering, piece by piece. Safe place by safe place. Was there no stopping the Black Knights?
Just when she felt her strength and her convictions slipping, the front door opened. Jared came through, followed by Kopack and other agents. She was so relieved, she hurried toward them. Jared spied her across the room and moved to her in two long strides. He reached her and pulled her into his arms. Startled, she looked up. He wore an expression she couldn’t define. Was it fear or shock? Maybe both.
Filled with trepidation, Sassa leaned into him. “What is it? What happened?”
“He walked in front of a bus, Sassa. Heiser stepped in front so he wouldn’t be captured. I was right across the street and I couldn’t stop him. No one could.”
Horror was written in his features. Heiser’s actions had struck him to the core. Tension rippled throu
gh his body, making it stiff.
“You can’t blame yourself, Jared. You did all you could to stop him.”
He shook his head. “That’s what worries me.” He pulled her closer, tucked her beneath his chin and whispered, “We can’t stop them. They’re killing themselves to serve their cause, Sassa. How can we protect you and Keri from that kind of madness?”
The tautness in his body was for her and Keri? Did he really care that much? Looking up, she met his gaze. Something in his brown eyes, a tenderness she hadn’t seen before, warmed her. It melted all of her fear. In his arms, she felt safe, sure that he would protect them. Madness could not stand against what she saw in that look.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into him, pressing her cheek against his chest. She could hear the hard pounding of his strong heart. A heart like that would stop at nothing. Right now, she was certain it beat for her.
Jared ducked his head and buried his face in her hair. He kissed the top of her head and held her close. Everything inside her shattering world stilled. All at once, life balanced and righted itself.
It would be all right. They would succeed. Together they could do it.
Keri whimpered again and wiggled against Jared’s tight hold. Jared lifted her into one arm but kept his other around Sassa. That strong arm was around her daughter, holding and cherishing the most precious thing in her life. And one more hard thing inside her melted. She felt nothing but certainty.
“Come on. Let’s get you and Keri home where it’s quiet.”
He guided her over to Kopack, deep in discussion with his second-in-command. Jared marched up to the man with a purposeful determination. “I’m taking Sassa back to the lab. We need to regroup before we do anything else and I think you need to double her guard. I want two more men with her at all times.”
Agent Kopack looked up with frowning features. “I’m not sure we have two men to spare.”
“Then find them. I’ll get some special agents sent out here from the border patrol. Or better yet, get some municipal officers. They know the area best. We need their knowledge.”
Sassa eyed Jared as he stood up to Kopack. At first, the agent seemed irritated by Jared’s commanding tone. So far, Jared had deferred to the lead FBI agent. This new, demanding Jared startled them both. Kopack seemed to resent it. Sassa loved it.
The only people who’d ever stood up for her were Sam and her parents. Having this man do it, a man like Jared, made something open inside her. That feeling bloomed like a flower.
After a long while, Kopack’s frown disappeared. “You’re right, De Luca. We need more men. The Black Knights are determined to accomplish their goal or die in the effort. We won’t forget that again. I’ll see about getting more local and county police involved. Send for your extra agents. We need all the help we can get.”
Jared nodded and started to turn with Sassa still tucked in his arm. Kopack stopped them. “By the way, De Luca, I appreciate how you handled yourself a while ago. That was quick thinking. If you hadn’t stopped Heiser, he would have taken the baby. I may have said a few things earlier...” He paused. “Anyway, I’m glad you’re on the team. I won’t forget that in my report to Washington.”
Jared’s reaction to Kopack’s comment was so strong, Sassa felt it. The tension eased out of Jared’s body and a pleased grin swept over his features. That grin made Sassa’s heart drop to her toes. Kopack’s compliment meant a great deal to him. Too much!
Of course it meant a lot. A positive report to Washington could put Jared on course for the high-profile job he craved. Kopack’s good opinion meant everything. Sassa and Keri were incidentals, the means to an end...a job well done that would put Jared on the fast track to his dream.
Everything that moments ago had blossomed inside her wilted.
All Jared’s knowing looks, the half smiles of understanding, the concern, the protection, the nice words about partnerships and working well together had created a hope inside her...a hope that was bound to disappoint. Hadn’t she learned that with Erik? Wasn’t that the lesson she vowed never to forget? And yet, here she was, half in love with another man who had no faith in God and dreams and ambitions beyond the simple life she desired. Because no matter how kind and thoughtful Jared seemed right now, eventually his needs would outweigh hers and they would carry him away. The need to succeed, that ever-reaching desire, was greater than anything else in his life. She and Keri could never compete.
She had to remember that, had to put a stop to all the foolish emotions trying to come to life inside her. Right here. Right now.
Reaching up, she pulled Keri into her arms and slipped away from Jared. She grabbed the diaper bag from behind the counter and headed for the door.
Jared was close behind but she didn’t slow or wait. She marched out the door, her armor back in place.
She wouldn’t forget again. There could be no partnership...no safety tucked beneath his arm. Ever.
FIVE
Jared stood to one side of the lab table watching Sassa and her three assistants work an experiment. Wearing her lab coat and protective eyewear, Sassa carefully inserted her hands into the gloves of the sealed, glass container. After the close call with Keri, they’d returned to the lab and Sassa had opted to get back to work instead of taking the evening off. The old, driven Sassa had returned. Determination filled every muscle in her body, so much so, she even moved as if her muscles were rigid.
At first Jared thought the threat to Keri had renewed her protective senses. But as time wore on and she refused to allow him to help with the infant, he knew something else was wrong. She’d built the wall between them again...just when he thought they were beginning to trust each other. So what happened? Was it the kiss?
He hadn’t meant anything by it. It was simply an honest, emotional response to his experience. Rage had carried him across the campus in his chase after Heiser...until the man had stepped in front of the bus.
The smile of victory he’d shot Jared just before the bus hit, still haunted him. Only then did he remember he was chasing a madman driven to stop at nothing. Jared had returned to the child-care center, shaking inside, not only with awareness but relief. If Heiser had reached Keri...
Even now Jared shivered thinking of it. The kiss he gave Sassa was born of shock, thankfulness and relief. Nothing else. Surely she knew that?
He admired Sassa. She was an amazing mother. The life she was trying to provide for her daughter was a good one. Jared wished he’d had that kind of life with his mother. If his mom had half of Sassa’s determination and work ethic, they might have made it.
He also understood Sassa’s determination to stand on her own two feet. How many times had his grandfather stepped in to bail them out? His mom had never seen it as a hand up for Jared’s benefit. Instead, she used it as a crutch to continue living the life she chose...until she drowned in a cesspit of her own making.
Sassa would never let that happen to Keri. Never. And Jared would never do anything to interfere, harm or stand in the way of that purpose. He only wanted Sassa to survive so she could succeed...so they could both succeed. Was that so wrong?
Of course, he found her attractive. She bemoaned her curves but they made her soft and womanly, took all the sharp edges off. Some men might be intimidated by her brains, but he found intelligent women endlessly fascinating. He’d married one. Jessica was intelligent and strong. He waited for the cringe of pain that came every time he thought of Jessica. But it didn’t come.
I am healing. Or maybe a petite blonde with fierce strength and an occasionally caustic mouth has something to do with it.
Certainly, since he’d met Sassa, he’d learned a woman could have an amazing career and be an amazing mother, too. It took strength and hard work, but some women could do it. Maybe Jessica had known all along that she didn’t have that kind of courage. That’s why she’d chosen the pa
th she had, the easy one without children and without him.
That thought made him even more determined to help Sassa...if she’d allow it.
For two long days after Keri’s attempted kidnapping, Sassa wouldn’t let him help with the baby, even when she was her most fussy...and she’d done a lot of fussing. Sassa said she was getting a new tooth and just needed her mother. So last night, as he’d watched from his cot through the glass partition of Sam’s office, Sassa had juggled and rocked Keri in her arms, clacking away at the computer with one hand. She hadn’t turned off the lights until very late. Then early, before daylight, she was up. The computer screen’s bluish glow over the lab had woken him. Obviously, she’d come up with a new idea because as soon as Keri went down for her morning nap, Sassa had the assistants preparing a new test.
Now he watched as she carefully dropped a chemical onto a clear plate of glass and waited. No one around the table moved. All four pairs of eyes were fixed on the tiny plate. The tension in their features sent anticipation rushing through Jared. His muscles tightened...just as Keri began to fuss.
Sassa shot him a frustrated look. Jared simply nodded and rushed to the office. The baby had pushed herself into a sitting position and was rubbing her eyes. The minute she saw Jared, her little arms reached for him and her little lips puckered.
A rush of affection flowed through him. He’d committed himself to protecting Sassa and Keri for Sam’s sake. But now that he knew them, now that he’d held little Keri in his arms, he could not imagine going on with his life if he failed them. Saving Sassa and Keri had become more important to him than his own life. His white-hot rage when he chased Heiser had proved that.
Please...if anything happens to them... Jared’s words faded off into nothingness.
Funny. Those thoughts started out sounding like a prayer. He hadn’t prayed in years. But before every meal and at bedtime, Sassa paused and prayed out loud with Keri. Those moments must have brought back memories of his grandfather’s plain words and fierce faith. He’d been such a prayer warrior.
