That had been their first major fight. She’d broken up with him, unable to abide with a man who’d lied to her. He’d been contrite, sent dozens and dozens of flowers, shown up at her job so often she’d gotten a warning, and somehow she hadn’t processed the reality that his behavior had crossed over to stalking.
She’d even gotten back together with him. The knowledge made her wince.
“Lucy—I mean, Abby Lou? Are you all right?”
Jason’s voice, which seemed as if it was coming from a great distance. Focusing on the here and now, she slowly nodded. “I’m...yes. I’m fine.”
She needed to process everything before she told him what had happened. She wasn’t ready for a barrage of questions, not yet, not until she sat down and took stock of what had happened in the past. Only once she’d done this would she be able to make a decision as to where she needed to go in the future.
One thing she did know now. A man like Russell would never let her go. If he wanted her dead, he’d stop at nothing until she’d been killed.
More than anything, she felt grateful to Jason’s friend Rick. She wouldn’t be alive right now if he hadn’t gotten her out of Kabul. Russell would have made it look as if she’d perished in the bombing.
Which explained why Rick had gone into hiding. He knew the truth and Russell was aware of that, which meant Rick was another loose end that needed to be tied up.
“Are you sure?” Jason asked, taking her arm. “You seem a million miles away.”
“I had another memory,” she told him, keeping her tone light and upbeat. “I’ll tell you about it once we’re back in the cabin. For now, let’s enjoy this day and our hike.”
Though his gaze searched hers, he finally nodded. “Let’s do it.”
They’d made it halfway up the mountain when they heard the sound of a snowmobile. Due to the way sound echoed off the peaks, it was difficult to pinpoint the location.
Jason turned a full circle, listening intently. “I can’t tell where it is, but either way, it’s too damn close.”
“Should we head back to the cabin?” she asked, as a chill that had nothing to do with the snow snaked up her spine.
“No. I brought my pistol this time.” The grim set of his jaw told her he meant business. “I’ve about had it with this guy, whoever he is. Let’s get back to that group of trees where we can see the cabin. As long as we stay hidden, we should be able to take him by surprise.”
Moving as fast as they could in snowshoes, they headed toward the trees. Though Lucy’s legs ached and burned, she managed to keep up.
Meanwhile, the snowmobile engine continued to roar. They’d barely made it inside the sheltering group of trees when it cut off.
“Just as I thought,” Jason muttered. “He’s killing the motor so we won’t hear him as he approaches the cabin. If we were inside, we most likely wouldn’t have been able to hear him at all.”
Heart pounding, she nodded. “Just so you know, this person is most likely after me.”
“Explain,” he demanded.
“Not now.” She kept her gaze trained on the cabin.
“Yes, now.” The hardness to his voice was new. “Give me enough information to help me help us.”
Turning, she finally looked at him. “Russell wants me dead. That’s why Rick got me out of the country.”
“We already know this. What’s new?”
“I mean, Russell won’t stop searching for me until he can view my cold, dead body. Rick too. He’ll want to clean up all loose ends. Anyone who knows what he did will have a target painted on their back.”
Jason nodded. “Agreed. But even so, Russell has no idea you’re here. How would he even find you?”
Since he had a valid point, she didn’t have a fact-based response. “I don’t know,” she said. “It’s a gut feeling I have.”
Instead of immediately discounting that, Jason nodded. “Okay. I’ve learned to trust gut instincts. Let’s see what happens and we’ll go from there.”
They waited, the absolute silence both beautiful and nerve-racking.
“There.” Jason pointed. “About three hundred or so yards from the house. Headed toward where we built that snowman. He’s wearing all white, so he blends in with the snow.”
Squinting, she struggled to locate the man. “I don’t see him.”
“Watch for movement. The only thing visible is his sunglasses. They’re even white, though the lenses are black.”
Finally, she saw him. Wearing snowshoes, the stranger moved with purpose toward the cabin.
“I can safely bet he’s not going to knock on the front door,” Jason declared darkly. “And since it’s probably the same guy who tried to set the cabin on fire, I imagine he’s going to try something else.”
She watched with bated breath as the man approached the cabin. He went directly to the front porch, stepping up and removing his snowshoes before knocking on the door.
Jason pulled out his pistol. “No matter what happens,” he ordered. “You stay here. Understand?”
Slowly, she nodded.
“Promise me.”
Though she had a feeling she’d regret it, she promised.
When no one answered the door, the man stepped back. For one second, Lucy thought he’d turn around and leave, but he didn’t. Instead, he went back, knocked again and waited. Then he tried the door handle.
“I locked it,” Jason murmured. “Though it’s fairly easy to pick a lock like that. The dead bolt will be only a little more difficult. I’m thinking next time I go into town, I’ll buy a second dead bolt.”
Sure enough, the man got something out of his pocket and worked on the lock. It didn’t take him long at all before he’d picked it. He then went to work on the dead bolt. A few minutes later, he’d succeeded.
Jason cursed as the man pulled out a pistol and opened the door. Looking left and then right, he slipped into the cabin and closed the door behind him.
“Wait here.” Jason took off for the cabin. Lucy watched, terrified as he cut across the broad expanse of snow, totally exposed in his dark blue parka. Luckily for him, the intruder must have been busy going through the cabin, because Jason made it to the side of the house unscathed and undetected.
Forcing herself to breathe, she waited to see what he’d do next. She figured he’d go crashing into the cabin, which scared the hell out of her. She wasn’t sure what she’d do if Jason got shot.
Instead, he hunkered down on the porch, hugging the wall in between the door and the window. Then he whistled, not a warning sound, rather the noise made by a man without a care in the world. Lucy thought he somehow managed to make it sound as if it were farther away.
Jason’s plan worked. The intruder busted through the front door, moving fast. Jason jumped him the instant he appeared on the porch.
A shot rang out, the sharp report echoing into the distance. Lucy’s blood ran cold. She squinted, eying the two men rolling around in the snow on the porch, looking for blood.
Only her promise to Jason kept her from going closer. Heart pounding, she stayed in the shadows of the trees, hoping she’d soon see a sign that Jason had gotten the upper hand.
Finally, Jason stood while the intruder remained motionless at his feet. He squinted up in Lucy’s direction, but gave no signal that it was safe for her to come down. Instead, he disappeared inside the house and then returned with a length of rope. He tied up the stranger’s hands and feet before lifting him under the arms and dragging him inside.
When he’d finished, Jason came outside and motioned to her to join him.
She hurried down the slope as fast as she could in snowshoes, using her poles to keep from losing her balance. As soon as she reached the front porch, she undid the latches and stepped out of her gear.
Rushing inside, she went straight to Jason. “Were you shot?�
��
“It’s nothing,” he replied, despite the wet circle of blood on his jeans. “Flesh wound, nothing more.”
“How do you know?” she demanded. “You haven’t had time to check it. Let me see it.” As if she knew anything at all about gunshot wounds. Still, damned if she was going to let him bleed to death if she could do something to help.
“It’s fine.”
Aware how stubborn men could be, she couldn’t take his word for it. “Let me see.”
The intruder snickered. “Yeah, let’s make sure I didn’t nick an artery or something.”
“Shut up,” both Lucy and Jason said at the same time.
“Is he secure?” Lucy asked. When Jason nodded, she gestured toward the bathroom. “Please let me take a look at your leg.”
Shaking his head, Jason did as she asked. Once in the well-lit bathroom, he undid his belt and gingerly attempted to lower his jeans. But when he reached his wound, the bloody material stuck to his skin, making him wince.
“Let me,” she said, gently moving his hands away. Grasping the material, she concentrated on working it away from the wound. Jason sucked in his breath, but didn’t say a word as she finally separated his bloodstained jeans from his wound.
Once she did, she helped him step out of his jeans and then grabbed a washcloth. Wetting it down and wringing it out, she began to gently clean the blood from his leg. Now that she was closer and could see it better, she realized Jason was right. The bullet had grazed the outside of his thigh, cutting him, but even that didn’t appear to be too deep.
“Told you,” he said, grinning. “I think I’ll survive.”
She nodded, continuing washing the blood off. “Where do you keep your disinfectant, antibiotic ointment and bandages?”
“Under the sink.”
She retrieved everything she needed. Pouring a little hydrogen peroxide into the bottle cap, she prepared to use it to clean the wound. “This might sting a little.”
“Okay.” He held himself perfectly still while she got the sore cleaned up, put ointment on it and then used the largest bandage she could find to cover it up. “There you are. Good to go. You’ll just need to get a clean pair of jeans. I’ll soak these in cold water to see if we can get the blood out.”
“Thank you.” Pressing a quick kiss to her lips, he took himself off to his bedroom to change.
After she placed the bloody part of the jeans in the sink, she ran cold water and left them there to soak. Then she took a deep breath and returned to the living room, where their captive waited.
* * *
Either the intruder had been hurt worse than they’d realized and was unconscious or he’d somehow managed to fall asleep. Jason’s heart skipped a beat when he saw that the other man wasn’t responsive.
A moment later, Lucy joined him in the living room. “Is he okay?” she whispered. “Or did he get shot too?”
Jason admitted he wasn’t sure. “He didn’t complain of any pain. Plus, there’s no blood.”
Hearing them, the other man’s eyes slowly opened. They were an unusual light blue-gray color. He glared at them, first at Jason, and then included Lucy in his stare.
“If you’re going to kill me,” he drawled, “hurry up and get it over with. If not, then cut me loose. I’ve got better things to do than sit around all trussed up like a pig going to slaughter.”
“Start talking and we’ll see. First up, tell me why you’re after her.” Jason demanded.
“Her?” the stranger asked, his expression as blank as his voice. His gaze drifted to Lucy before landing back on Jason. “I don’t even know who she is. I came here for you.”
Stunned, Jason managed to hide his shock. “I don’t believe you.”
“And I don’t care.” A hint of exhaustion mingled with pain had crept into the other man’s tone.
“Explain why.” Jason knew their captive might refuse to answer. Still, he needed some sort of logical explanation for any of this to make sense.
“I’ve been told you witnessed something you shouldn’t have over in Kabul and that you have photographic evidence. My job is to make sure none of that ever sees the light of day.” He sighed. “Clearly, I’ve failed. Unless you want to untie me and let me finish the job.”
Jason ignored that. “Are you working for NCIS?” he asked, letting his expression reveal his disbelief that the military agency would openly attempt something like hiring a hit man. Of course, who knew. Maybe stuff like this went on behind the scenes all the time.
“NCIS?” A short, bitter laugh accompanied a shake of his head. “The military? Not hardly. I’m a private contractor.”
“In other words, an assassin,” Lucy put in. “Why not just call a spade a spade?”
“A private contractor,” he insisted. “I don’t go around killing people for money unless I have to. Mostly what I do is retrieve information. In this case, I wasn’t given a choice.”
“NCIS sent me a subpoena,” Jason said, just to see the other man’s reaction. “Clearly they’re aware of whatever the people who hired you are trying to cover up.”
The intruder simply stared, his expression revealing nothing.
“Which means,” Jason continued, “they’ll eventually have their hands on the information you were sent to eliminate.”
“Not if I destroy it first.” Considering he’d been tied up, he seemed surprisingly confident. This made Jason feel slightly uneasy. Maybe there were reinforcements expected any minute. Just in case, he kept one hand on his pistol as he told Lucy to arm herself. Once she had, he continued baiting the captive.
“I’m assuming you’re here to get my photography files,” Jason continued. “Do you seriously believe that I wouldn’t have backed them up? Even if you killed me and then you burned this entire cabin down—that was you, wasn’t it?—the information is still out there in the cloud. For all you know, I could have an automatic fail-safe that sends it out to someone if I don’t check in.”
“But you don’t, do you? People like you are far too innocent and trusting. It would never occur to you that someone like me would come after you.”
That statement brought a flash of anger. Jason took a moment to get himself back under control. “You don’t know anything about me,” he said, his voice tight. “I’m a photojournalist who specializes in war zones. I’ve spent the last eight years of my life learning up close and in person about the atrocities of which people are capable. Don’t try to characterize me with that kind of BS.”
The stranger blinked and then inclined his head in acknowledgment. “Look, I was just hired to do a job. I’m to take you out and then destroy everything you own. I didn’t know about the woman and I don’t care if you backed up whatever it is they’re so worried about. I only get paid if I accomplish what I was hired to do. If I don’t, they’ll send someone after me too.”
They. Jason pounced. “Who’s they?”
Clearly realizing he’d already said too much, the other man kept his mouth closed. Once again, his eyes narrowed, the hostility palpable.
“You know I should kill you,” Jason threatened. Behind him, he heard Lucy gasp. She didn’t understand that he was bluffing. “But instead, I’m going to call the sheriff and have him come get you.”
“Go ahead.” Though relief flashed in his gaze, the intruder kept his tone bland.
“Won’t the people who hired you come looking for you?” Lucy interjected, her eyes worried. “I mean, earlier you made it sound like you were pretty much dead if you didn’t complete your job.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never been in this situation before.”
“Maybe if you cut a deal, they’ll give you protection,” Lucy continued.
“You watch too much TV,” the captive said, though some of the hardness in his expression had softened. Lucy had that effect on people.
&n
bsp; Jason went to her and kissed her on the cheek before he went to the phone to make the call.
After phoning Sheriff Jeffords and letting him know he’d caught the man who’d attempted to burn down his cabin, Jason kept his pistol out while he waited for law enforcement to arrive. While he hadn’t mentioned on the phone the man’s declaration that he’d been hired to kill Jason and why, he would. Hopefully, bond would be set high enough that this clown wouldn’t get out any time soon. Especially since he’d made it clear he’d continue to try and finish his job. Jason would inform the sheriff of that and if he needed to testify before the judge, he’d get himself into town and do that too.
Since the roads still weren’t plowed, the sheriff would have to use the large snowmobile he owned personally. He’d warned Jason it might take a little bit for him to get home and retrieve it, and then he’d need to pick up one of his deputies on the way. He’d hook up the sled trailer and use that to transport the prisoner. Jason had explained he completely understood and, since he wasn’t going anywhere, he’d wait.
Her gaze flitting between their captive and Jason, Lucy appeared nervous. Jason went to her and, without taking his weapon off the intruder, pulled her in for a hug. She whispered in his ear that she planned to hide in the bedroom as soon as the sheriff got there. He kissed her cheek again, letting her know it would be a little while and why.
She nodded. “Part of me hates that I still feel like I need to keep myself hidden,” she said.
“Then don’t,” he told her. “He made it perfectly clear he’s after me, not you.”
“That’s because the people who hired him don’t know I exist,” she whispered. “Or assuming they’ve guessed I’m alive somewhere, at least they don’t know that I’m with you.”
“Don’t worry,” he said with more confidence than he felt. “We’ll get to the bottom of this. I promise. No matter how long it takes.”
The intruder must have heard Jason’s last few statements. He snorted. “Good luck with that,” he sneered. “You have no idea what kind of people you’re up against. And you, lady.” His gaze landed on Lucy, sweeping over her in such a way as to infuriate Jason. “I’m not sure what your story is, or why you’re with pretty boy here, but if you want to stay safe, I suggest you get as far away from him and his trouble as you can.”
Snowbound Targets (HQR Romantic Suspense) Page 19
