by Tanya Stowe
Sassa ran to the edge of the grave. Chekhov lay at the bottom, his head twisted at an odd angle and his eyes wide open.
The seemingly unstoppable man was dead. Done in by a vase of flowers.
The absurdity of it all hit Sassa and she almost laughed.
“Are you all right?”
The security guard appeared as stunned as Sassa felt. He looked down into the grave and shook his head.
“The police radioed me...said to be on the lookout for you two. I was at the back gate checking the lock when you drove in. They told me just to lie low and observe but then...” He looked at Sassa.
“He raised his gun and pointed it at you. I thought he was going to shoot you.” His words stalled.
Sassa gripped his arm. “He was. You saved my life. Thank you.”
They young guard’s eyes widened even more as shock seemed to overwhelm him. Sassa hugged him and they clung to each other...two strangers in a dark, cold night, fighting shock and glad to be alive.
Police lights flashed over the cemetery. No sirens announced their arrival, but it seemed a hundred white and blue lights filled the dark sky around them.
Lights again. Is that all I’m going to see tonight? Where are the men behind them?
Sassa felt like laughing again. Some part of her knew she was slipping into shock. Her legs trembled. Laughter bubbled up and tears finally fell. Hot, burning rivulets slipped down her cool cheeks.
The cars pulled to a stop. Agents and police tumbled out. Kopack’s voice barked orders. She’d never been so happy to hear his brusque tones.
The back door of one police car opened and a tall, familiar form stepped out.
“Sassa!”
Jared limped into the beam of the headlights. Sobbing, she ran forward. He held Keri in one arm and grabbed her with the other. He pulled her so close not even a breath could come between them. She buried her face against his chest and let the tears fall. Then she kissed Keri with wet, sloppy kisses. Her still sleepy baby ducked her head and tried to nuzzle into her mother’s neck. Sassa cried even more, amazed that she was alive, that they were safe and that her child was so very comfortable in this man’s arms.
Just like her mother.
Jared pressed his lips to the top of her head. Sassa stood on tiptoes, threw her arms around his neck and kissed him with all the love and thankfulness she prayed she’d live long enough to show him.
They stood amid agents and police officers rushing back and forth and barking orders while they clung to each other and kissed. Finally, Jared began to waver. He shuffled Keri into Sassa’s arms and stepped back to lean against the fender of the car.
Kopack appeared out of nowhere and grabbed his arm. “Over here!”
As EMTs arrived from the back of the caravan, Kopack met Sassa’s startled gaze. “He refused medical attention until we found you. He wouldn’t even let the policewoman take the baby.”
Only then did Sassa notice the blanket she’d wrapped around his leg was soaked with blood.
“Jared...”
“I’m all right, Sassa. Really...”
He collapsed into Kopack’s arms.
TEN
Sassa stopped outside the university’s administration building and took a deep breath. She hadn’t been back to these offices since her last difficult meeting with Dean Trujillo when he had all but fired her and sent her packing. Sam had overridden the dean then. But Sam was gone now and Sassa was headed to the dean’s office, fairly certain that this time he’d make good on his threat.
Since Chekhov’s death almost two months ago, she’d spent her days at her parents’ house under strict guard while the FBI rounded up the last of the Black Knights. Kopack had insisted that she not leave their protection until all the terrorists were captured. Chekhov’s suicidal rampage to find the formula had decimated the groups’ numbers. Only a few remained and had to be tracked down, which stalled the FBI’s investigation...and Sassa’s life.
Restricted to her family’s home all that time hadn’t been that bad. It had given her a chance to catch her breath, to heal and to figure out her next move.
Every day of the first month she’d spoken to Jared by phone while he recuperated in the hospital. Their phone conversations had felt distant and impersonal. They’d talked about Chekhov, his actions and the Black Knights’ final days. But nothing personal. So much hardship and danger lay between them, it seemed they didn’t know how to talk to each other without adrenaline pumping through their veins. Sassa had so much to say to him...how she was ready to put guilt behind her. How happy she would be if he could be content in her small town...with her.
But those were things that shouldn’t be said over a cell phone. So many unspoken words between them made their conversations strained.
When Jared was released from the hospital, he was immediately called to Sacramento. Then he traveled to Washington. He’d been gone two weeks now and Sassa hadn’t heard a word from him. Everything between them seemed unfinished. They had more to say...at least, she had more to say. But as the days passed and Jared’s time in Washington extended, she began to think he would never return.
He was where he always wanted to be, in the high-powered position of his dreams. Kopack spoke of Jared in glowing terms to anyone who would listen. Sassa was certain Jared’s superiors were taking the agent’s recommendations seriously. She began to think Jared would never come back and her words would remain unsaid.
She told herself it was best this way...best in order for her to move on. She owed Jared her life. She wanted to thank him in a more personal way than over the phone. But truthfully, this ending was probably for the best. If he came back, she might cave, might compromise her values and settle for being second place again. She couldn’t allow that to happen. She needed to be content with her life and her baby’s safety. For her own spiritual growth and happiness, she needed to be content with where she had landed.
When the FBI gave Sassa the all-clear signal, they packed up their equipment and left. The house and property felt empty once they were gone. Agent Lucero and the others had risked their lives to save hers; some had even lost their lives. She owed them much and struggled not to feel the “debt” she always felt when people cared for her. She spent much time in prayer.
Fortunately, her parents returned. The FBI had recommended they extend their stay with her brother while they concluded their mop-up operation. Finally forced to reveal the true situation to her family, Sassa’s mother was furious with her for keeping them in the dark about the danger. But, as usual, her father understood her reasons and supported her decision. Once they returned, Sassa spent several days enjoying her mother’s pampering attention and her father’s solid, dependable presence.
She wasn’t ready to return to her own home near the college campus. In fact, she hadn’t been able to walk across the grounds just a few moments ago without her gaze constantly searching the area. It would be a long time before she stopped feeling like someone was watching her. Except for her unresolved relationship with Jared and the call from Dean Trujillo, she would have been content to stay secluded in her family home.
The dean’s call had caught her off guard. She fully expected this meeting in his office would signal the end of her days at the university. That thought sent panic bolting through her body. The idea of losing her job, of not being independent, poked at the boundaries of her newfound calm. But she refused to give in to the emotion. She’d given her life over to the Lord again and now she clung to His promises. She was capable. She was independent and, most important, she was alive. Her baby and Jared were safe.
God was good. All the time.
She stiffened her spine and marched up the stairs to the dean’s office. To her surprise, she was showed straight in to see him.
He stood at his desk, barely glancing up as she entered. “Ah, Sassa. Right on time. Your usual punc
tual self.”
Punctual self. The dean complimented her? This meeting was starting off on a strange note.
His gaze darted down to his desk, fully aware of her surprise. “Well, I’m sure you’re eager to get on with your day. I won’t hold you any longer. You’ll be happy to know your position is secured. We would like you to continue your work in search of a cure for the pathogen.”
“Continue my work?”
“Now that you discovered the pathogen, of course we want to see the cure developed.”
Sassa shook her head. His use of “we” sounded far too casual. He glossed over it much too quickly.
But he didn’t give her the chance to ask any questions. “The grant awarded to Sam was scheduled to end in July, but there’s been an extension. We’ve received additional funding and in view of your recent rediscovery of the formula, the university council feels you should continue your work with the scientists in Washington.”
The Washington scientists. Now things were beginning to make sense. The border patrol had provided additional funding and, for some reason, had requested that she continue working with them. The university council must have pressured Trujillo into agreeing.
Oh, how that must have galled him! She studied his downcast features. He wouldn’t even meet her gaze.
She took a deep breath, not sure what to say, but she didn’t need to fret. Trujillo was anxious to end the interview and left no room for discussion.
He handed her a file. “This is the agreement. Inside you’ll find a new contract from the university and, of course, the terms of the grant. I’m sure you’re anxious to get started.”
Her lips parted. There was nothing else to say. She took the file, mumbled a thank-you and headed out of the office. Walking in a daze, she exited the building. She was ten steps from the building before reality hit and she turned back to stare up at the black windows of Trujillo’s office.
She had a contract securing her position. She was in charge of the research program. With numb fingers, she flipped open the file and skimmed the paragraphs. From the gist of what she read, it appeared the border patrol demanded she head up the program or they would take their grant to another university. The grant also secured positions for Matt, Libby and Jacki. Sassa inhaled slowly and raised her gaze to look across the campus at the lab building.
On the path ahead, a tall figure rose from a bench and began to walk toward her, leaning heavily on a cane.
Jared stopped almost five feet away and put both hands on the top of the cane. Classes had just ended. Students began to stream from the buildings, crossing the quad and swarming around them.
Sassa barely noticed them. All she could see was the healthy, handsome, dark-haired man in front of her. “Hello.”
“Hello.”
He gestured to the file in her hand. “How do you like your new position?”
She held up the file. “Did you have something to do with this?”
He shrugged. “Maybe. I wrote the report. I’m sure my admiration for you showed through. I couldn’t help but write about how brilliant you are, how you’re strong and brave and dedicated to your work.”
She shook her head. “I... I don’t know what to say except thank you.”
His smile faded. “You don’t need to thank me, Sassa. There wasn’t a word in that report that wasn’t completely true. What you did was amazing...not just for the department but for the world. Rest assured, if this university didn’t want you, many others would. Your future is secure.”
“That doesn’t matter quite so much to me anymore.” She ducked her head. Now was the time to say all those unspoken words. Now, before he went away. She tried to gather her thoughts, but they jumbled in her mind and jammed at her lips.
“I... I wanted to tell you...but I couldn’t do it over the phone. I said some pretty strong things about how you were trapped by your past...”
“All of them true.”
She studied his face, searching for some sign of resentment or pain. All she saw was a calm acceptance.
“Well, maybe. But I understood you so well because I had the same problem. I was trapped, too, and hiding my guilt behind a need for independence. You helped me to face that. I wanted to tell you...to thank you.”
He shook his head. “I had very little to do with it. You were doing what you always do, confronting the truth head-on.”
She gave him a slight smile. “Yes, I confront and you aspire.” The last word fell to a whisper as her heart dropped to her toes. Now was the time to say it all, to face more truth.
“I’m assuming they’re pretty impressed with you. I’m sure you can ask for any position you want now. They’ll give you your dream job.”
“They did.”
His words made her heart fall to the cement beneath her feet.
Here comes his goodbye. The words pounded through her mind so loud, she almost didn’t hear his next sentence.
“It’s the perfect job. Exactly where I want to be. Right here in Fresno, supervising their top-priority project.”
Warm shock swept over her. Not the bone-chilling fearful shock she’d been experiencing since the Black Knights came into her life, but a warm wave of tingling pleasure. It sparkled across her nerve endings.
“That’s...that’s not what you wanted. It’s not your dream job.”
A student bumped into her, pushing her closer to Jared. The young woman turned and apologized but Sassa barely heard the words.
Jared smiled and reached for her fingertips. “Like you, I had a lot to face. Now I know exactly what I want, and I have some pretty high aspirations. I want the girl of my dreams to marry me.”
Sassa shook her head. Those were not the words she wanted to hear. “I’m not the girl of your dreams. That’s your ex-wife. I’m a real, willful, sometimes snarky woman who makes people feel uncomfortable.”
“You’re right. You are a real woman, the kind who trusts in the Lord, stands by her man through thick and thin and fights for him. I didn’t realize how much I wanted that until I was lying beneath broken boards in a dark hole, watching the only real woman in my life walk away. I prayed and prayed for her to be safe until I could tell her how much I loved her.”
“You prayed?” Sassa’s words came out in a whisper.
“I did,” he said with a nod. “Right after my life flashed before me. I saw how everyone important to me had been guiding me to where I needed to be...just like you said. The policeman who pointed me to law enforcement. My grandfather’s faith and the bible verses that gave me—gave both of us—the courage to move beyond our guilt and fears. I knew then how much I was loved and how all those things and people were put in my life to help me in my most desperate moment.”
Sassa couldn’t think. Jared’s wonderful words resonated in her ears, but only three little words seemed to matter.
“You love me?”
“Of course I do.”
Still, Sassa couldn’t gather her thoughts.
Jared laughed and shook his head. “You’re going to make me do this the hard way, crippled leg and all.”
He dropped the cane to the ground and bent on his good knee. The students streaming past them slowed and began to stare.
Sassa’s careening sense jolted into place. She reached for his shoulders. “Stand up, Jared. These people are watching.”
“Let them. I can’t see any job, any future, without you by my side. You make me strong, make me want to be a better man, but still make me feel like I’m all I’ll ever need to be right now, right this minute. You bring out the best in me. You love with the strength of a titan, protect like a lioness and...you make beautiful babies. I want more. Will you marry me, Sassy Sassa?”
All of his wonderful words raced through her brain. She almost forgot they stood in view of Dean Trujillo’s office window and that he might be watching. Sh
e almost forgot the staring students. Her hand crept out and touched Jared’s cheek. She ran her fingers along his strong jawline as his wonderful words echoed through her mind.
Strength of a titan...protect like a lioness... You make me want to be a better man... Sassy Sassa.
Her thoughts stopped there. She gave a negative shake of her head. “Only if you promise never to call me Sassy Sassa again.”
Jared lunged to his feet and swooped her into his arms. “Not going to happen. I love my brilliant, fierce lioness. I wouldn’t change a thing about her.”
The minute his lips touched hers, Sassa forgot to argue. She didn’t even notice the cheering that erupted around them.
* * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from Fugitive Trail by Elizabeth Goddard.
Dear Reader,
I was fortunate enough to grow up in Southern California in what I considered one of its golden ages...the ’60s and ’70s. The state has probably had many “golden ages” but for me those years were especially great. It was the time of Jan and Dean, the Beach Boys, the Monkees, Walt Disney and a young Kurt Russell—he went to a nearby high school and I dreamed of meeting him at every football game. I never did, of course. I think he was into baseball.
We even had a local television broadcast of a beach party hosted by a radio DJ named the Reale Don Steele and a blond, teenaged bikini beauty named Kam Nelson. I grew up just twenty minutes away, never missed the show and dreamed about joining that party. It was an exciting time and I was right in the middle of the whirlwind.
Even though I lived less than a mile from the beach, every other weekend during the summer months we traveled to California’s Central Valley where we water-skied behind flat-bottom boats with engines that roared up and down the King’s River. I absolutely loved skimming across the glass-smooth water at a high speed. At night we sat on the sandy banks and looked up at a million stars. The cottonwood branches brushed the river’s edge and we inhaled the scent of ripe fruit from the orchards and vineyards around us. My life felt like one grand adventure!
