by Dana R. Lynn
“Were you able to talk with Karl?”
He shook his head, his eyes continuing to roam their surroundings as they walked. Bethany walked between Tyler and Bethany, holding on to their hands. “No. I left a rather generic message telling him we were fine and heading east.”
“I hope they are okay,” she commented. He nodded but didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to. She saw his mouth tighten. He was as worried as she was.
“We need to find a place to stay for the night,” Tyler said, his gaze still scouring the horizon.
Annabelle felt her shoulders slump. She was beyond exhausted. “I’m open to suggestions. I don’t know that we want to use a credit card. And I don’t think I have enough cash on me to spring for a hotel room.”
“I might have enough. But I don’t know if I’m comfortable with something as obvious as a hotel room, either.”
They walked for a bit longer. Annabelle muttered prayers under her breath. Just a place to sleep, Lord. Please. That’s all we need.
A few minutes later, she looked ahead and sucked in a breath. “How would that work?”
Tyler swung his head around to see what she was talking about. The grin that stretched across his face made her want to grin and laugh along with him. They were walking along the backyard of a house that had obviously been long abandoned, judging by the state of disrepair. That wasn’t what she was looking at, though. She didn’t think it would be safe to set foot inside the house.
The tree house, however, was another matter all together.
“Can we get up there safely?” Annie asked, her eyes glued to the little wooden house sitting majestically in a tree. It was perfect. It was also high in the air. She swallowed. Her gratefulness was dampened only by her fear of heights.
Tyler placed Bethany on the ground. His face considering, he walked around to the other side and ran his gaze up and down the tree in slow sweeps. “The ladder is still intact. We can take turns sleeping and keeping watch.”
“Daddy, are we really going to get to sleep up there?” Bethany was wide-eyed with excitement, practically bouncing on her feet. Suddenly the weariness had been replaced by childish excitement. Annabelle smiled. Apparently a tree house topped her daughter’s list of fun things to do. She eyed the tree house again. Sweat was starting to break out on her forehead. It wasn’t her idea of fun. She couldn’t see any other options, though.
Annabelle stepped next to Tyler and looked at the ladder. She wasn’t as convinced as he was. True, the ladder was still there. Mostly. It was made up of slats of wood that had been nailed to the tree. There were two large gaps, but it should be passable.
“I’ll go up last.” Tyler narrowed his gaze and tipped his head. His thinking pose. She remembered it well. “Annie, you go first. That way one of us will be at either end.”
He didn’t complete the thought. He didn’t need to. She was thinking along the same lines. That way there would be a parent at either end to assist Bethany, whose short legs might have trouble reaching the places where a board was missing.
“Oh, Annie. Are you going to be all right with this?”
So he had remembered her slight aversion. Okay, that was an understatement. She wouldn’t let that get in the way of finding a safe place to rest during the night. Instead of answering, she moved to the tree, inhaled deeply and said a prayer in her mind. Then she climbed the first rung.
Tyler’s hand dropped onto her shoulder. A tingle vibrated where he touched. “We can keep looking.”
She sighed. Then she set her jaw and climbed up the next rung. Then the next. The higher she climbed, the tighter her lungs felt. She ignored them. One more step, Annabelle. Take another step. By the time she arrived at the top, sweat was running down her back. She crawled off the ladder and onto the platform, gasping as she collapsed onto the wooden floor of the tree house. She took three calming breaths, then hauled herself to her hands and knees and crawled to the opening. Looking down, she slammed her eyes shut, fighting the swirling sensation behind her eyes.
You can do this. Focus on Bethany.
Peeling her lids apart, she looked down into Tyler’s blue-gray eyes. Tenderness and concern stared back at her. Somehow, she found steadiness there. Which was ironic, considering their history.
“I’m okay. I’m good.” She called down, “Bethy, come on up, sweetheart.”
Annabelle held her breath as her tiny five-year-old wrinkled up her face in the most adorable expression of concentration and began her ascent. Tyler was right behind her, ready to catch her. The little girl struggled with the first gap. Tyler steadied her as she breached it. Why hadn’t she ever noticed how strong he was?
Watching Tyler assist their daughter was surreal. She had thought the man didn’t care, but caring was steeped in every move he made. The gentleness and love in his expression as he watched over Bethany tugged at her heart.
Which was the real Tyler?
Her thoughts were interrupted as Bethany reached the top. Annabelle lay on her stomach and stretched out her arms, assisting her daughter over the top. Tyler surged up after her.
Annabelle sat up, exhausted. Tyler plopped down next to her and hauled her into his arms for a brief hug. For a second, she allowed herself to relax against him, inhaling the familiar scent of mint and Tyler. It was comforting. She had the urge to snuggle deeper.
What was she doing? She stiffened and backed away, giving him a forced smile, ignoring the disappointment on his face. And the pulse pounding in her ears. “I’m okay. Really. Thanks.”
For the first time she surveyed the inside of their lodgings and wrinkled her nose. A layer of dirt covered the floor. And a few leaves. Fortunately, the previous owners hadn’t left anything. She wished she had her phone still so she could use the flashlight app to check for any other inhabitants. Like snakes. She shuddered at the thought.
Bethany was over the moon. She ran from one corner of the tree house to the other, peering out the windows, almost bouncing in her excitement. “This is so cool! Tasha and Nikki are going to be so jealous when I tell them.”
If she tells them. Their situation pressed down on Annabelle again. Her daughter might never again see the twins. Or her grandmother and uncle. The knowledge latched on to her heart and tightened, like a fist. How did she explain that possibility when her little girl decided that she had had enough “adventure” and wanted to go home?
She pushed the worry from her mind. She just couldn’t deal with it right now.
“We need to get some rest while we can,” she whispered to Tyler.
He nodded. “You sleep first. I will stay awake and listen.”
She took her purse off and used it as a pillow. Then, stretching out an arm, she bade Bethany to stretch out with her. Her daughter snuggled close, resting her head on Annabelle’s outstretched arm. The sweetness of having her daughter safe and snuggled close overwhelmed Annabelle with gratitude.
“Thank You, Lord,” she whispered, then closed her eyes to sleep.
Next to the wall, she heard a faint “Amen.”
EIGHT
Bethany was making little sniffling sounds as she slept in her mother’s arms. He’d expected more of an argument from her when Annabelle had called her over to lie down. The day’s events had really tuckered out the poor kid. She didn’t make a single protest.
He leaned back against the wall of their tiny shelter, his mind going back to watching Annabelle climb the ladder. He had been filled with worry that she would fall or faint or something. And pride. Because no matter what she was afraid of, Annie was a fighter. She always had been. He hadn’t been at all surprised that she would put others ahead of herself. She had done that so many times in the past. Times he hadn’t always appreciated. He could admit that now.
When he had hugged her earlier, he had only meant to tell her how proud he was of her, and how sorry he was that she ha
d to do it at all. Those thoughts had melted away the moment she had relaxed against him. All at once, the memory of the years they had been in love overpowered him. Sadness that he had let life come between them seared into him. Not just life. His life. His choices. Choices that had robbed them of their love. Their marriage. And stolen his opportunity to watch his beautiful little girl grow up.
He’d missed so much. If they somehow survived this, he wanted the chance to be a part of her life again.
He’d destroyed his chances with her mother. He had known that, but the feeling had only been reinforced when she had pulled back out of his arms earlier. The cold that had made him shiver at the distance she put between them had nothing to do with the weather. The frustrating thing was he had been sure that she had felt something, too. But that was probably all in his mind.
Well, so what? The fact that his marriage was over in every way but legally came as no surprise. It was painful to admit it, but he did. He could still be a father, even if he couldn’t be a husband.
Enough. He needed to stop being so maudlin. They were in a tough pickle right now, and he needed to use his time alone to think it through. Somehow, contract killers had found their way to the safe house where the marshals had been operating. Then, they had been ambushed.
The question was how? He knew that the place and vehicles hadn’t been bugged. He remembered watching the marshals check everything for bugs. And he knew that the people employed to keep them safe had been thoroughly vetted. So the idea that one of them had been careless was ludicrous.
The marshals had also made it clear that everything was on a need-to-know basis. Karl hadn’t even told the other marshals where exactly they were headed, just in case. Thinking about them brought back the memory of the recent events. He couldn’t get the image of Rick slumped on the ground out of his mind. How was he? Had the police arrived in time to save him? And what about Karl and Stacy? Quietly, he said a quick prayer for their safety, feeling like a fraud. He had ignored God for so long, would He still hear Tyler’s prayers?
He pondered their current circumstances for a few minutes. He was so deep in thought, in fact, that he almost missed the sound of approaching voices. One of those voices he recognized. Jim. The man who had chased them earlier was near.
Moving quietly, he reached over and placed a hand over Annie’s mouth at the same time as he whispered, “Annie! Wake up!”
She jolted awake and jerked her elbow into his gut. He doubled over slightly. She was stronger than she looked. Bethany stirred, but didn’t waken. Annie moved his hand off her mouth, and then kept holding on.
“Tyler?” she whispered fearfully. “What’s—”
“Shh!”
She stilled. He could feel the tenseness of her body in the dark. She was listening. Her breathing was shallow and fast.
“Are you sure they came this way?” Tyler strained to hear the voices. The first man was obviously feeling out of sorts. “We’ve been walking and searching for hours. They have probably already been picked up by the police or the marshals by now.”
So, the marshals were still alive. Or maybe he was talking about different marshals.
“Quit your complaining,” a rough voice growled back. He knew that voice. Jim was standing right below them. “The man at the gas station said they had been through there. He recognized the kid’s picture. They were headed this way. We know that they were going east. We’ll just keep going and flashing the pictures around. Sooner or later, they are bound to mess up.”
“I told you that going through the woman’s house was a good idea. We got the pictures and we got the address for her mother.”
Annie shifted beside him. He could feel the concern radiating off her. These men had been watching her mother. He put an arm around her, to comfort her. It felt natural to have her in his arms again. She didn’t protest. Instead, she leaned into him. Her breathing grew harsh. Her shoulders trembled under his arm.
“It’s a good thing the man watching the mother’s house took note of the car that picked the woman up. But it would have been nicer still if we had an idea where they were heading.”
The voices grew farther away as the men continued their search.
By the moonlight filtering in through the opening, Tyler could just barely make out the outline of Annie and Bethany. Annie’s silhouette sat up, bringing her face into clearer focus. It was still mostly in shadows, but he could see the glint of her eyes. She looked mysterious. And angry.
“Those men, they were the ones who ransacked my house. And they were watching my mother? What kind of people are they, Tyler?”
He didn’t hear any blame in her voice. She didn’t ask him what he’d gotten them into. Although, he felt she would have had the right to ask that question. He was glad that some of her anger at him seemed to be dissipating. He also noticed that she hadn’t moved away from him.
“This is why I have to testify,” he murmured. “Men like that, men who would shoot someone in cold blood or threaten a child, they can’t be allowed to go free. It doesn’t matter how much we might fear them or what is happening.”
She was so still in the darkness, he wondered what she was thinking. When she spoke again, he could hear the steel in her voice. “We have to do the right thing. Even if it costs us.”
“Hopefully, this ordeal will be short, and we can return home.” Although he had no idea what would happen then. For now, he had to live each moment as it came.
“What should we do?” she whispered now.
Good question. “Well, we know that those two guys are still heading east, searching for us. If we keep heading east, then we might run into those dudes again. That would be a huge mistake. Probably fatal for us.”
Annie winced at his blunt words. “I don’t know where Karl was taking us, but we’ve been heading east most of the journey. I’m worried if we don’t go in that direction, how will we ever meet up with the marshals again? I’m sure that Stacy and Karl are still searching for us.”
If they were alive.
Frustration bit at him. All he wanted to do was protect his family and put Wilson Barco behind bars for good so that he couldn’t mess with people’s lives anymore. Why was that so hard to do?
They spent the rest of the night taking turns watching. He didn’t think either of them really got too much sleep, even if it was their turn. Near dawn, they both gave up the pretense and talked about their options.
“I think we have no choice but to head west. Or south. Definitely not east,” Tyler said, leaning his head back against the wall again. Man, he was so tired, he wasn’t sure if he was making any sense.
She bit her lip, bruising it. He fought the urge to lean over and kiss her. What was he thinking? Kissing? Really? With all that was happening, he needed to be clearheaded.
“I don’t know, Ty.” She pressed the heels of her palms against her temples. “It kind of feels like we are giving up if we head a different direction. Like we don’t think we have a chance of being found again.”
He hated to hear the defeat in her voice.
“If you have any other ideas, Annie, I would absolutely consider them.” He wasn’t being snarky. He was completely out of ideas. Annabelle had always been quick under pressure.
The horizon was starting to lighten up. They had made it through the night.
She blinked. Her lovely brown eyes widened. They sparkled with excitement. Just seeing that look come over her face was enough to send the adrenaline coursing through his veins. He knew what it meant.
Annie had a plan.
Annabelle could almost feel the excitement hopping off Tyler’s skin as he waited to hear her plan. She’d forgotten how much she’d missed having someone listen to her like this. Tyler had never tried to talk her out of things. No, he had enjoyed the way her mind worked.
When had that stopped?
“What
’s your plan, Annie?”
She was right. No one knew her like Tyler did. Or had. She shifted slightly. She didn’t have much of a plan, just an inkling of an idea.
“It’s like this,” she began, keeping her voice low so that she didn’t wake up Bethany. It took some effort, because she was feeling so nervous and excited at the same time. “Those guys, they know we ran. They even have an idea of what we look like. And it’s true we don’t have a phone. But what if we were to go into a store and pick up one of those phones that you pay for by the month? We could get a phone, hold a conversation about heading to a specific place in front of the clerk. That way, if they happened to go in there, they would be led off track. We could call Karl and tell him where we are and get a place to meet. Even if we have to leave a message again, he’d have a way to contact us. And it wouldn’t matter if we have to head in another direction, it will give them time to regroup and come for us.”
She could see he was considering it. “That should work. And if we keep to the side roads, and watch out for any traffic, it might just be workable.”
“Plus, we would have a way to call the police if we did get into trouble.”
They waited in the tree house for an additional two hours, just until the sun was up and Bethany had awakened. They ate quickly, finishing off a bottle of water bought from the gas station. Annabelle was torn between relief that they hadn’t seen anyone else and frustration at not knowing where danger could be lurking. She absolutely had no desire to encounter the men who wanted to kill her, her daughter and her husband. However, it was nerve-racking needing to keep up constant vigilance.
Climbing down the tree house was easier than getting the nerve to go up the thing had been. The fact that she had a case of cabin fever might have had something to do with it. All she wanted to do was move.
They started hiking, keeping themselves off the most well-traveled roads. The sense of adventure had long since faded. Even Bethany was quiet this morning. Every now and then the little girl would heave a sigh of giant proportions. As serious as the situation was, Annabelle couldn’t help but smile at her daughter. She was so cute when she was feeling the need to be dramatic.
