“Whatever you’ve heard about me over the radio is a lie. I didn’t kidnap anyone.”
“It’s true,” Holly said from behind him. “Mason Webber tried to kill me. Blake interceded. He saved my life.”
Gabriel glanced at her then back at Blake, and nodded. “Mason, huh? Can’t say I’m surprised.”
“I heard a rumor that you’re upset about the corruption in the department. That’s why I came to you. I’m undercover, working as part of a joint operation between the DEA and Department of Justice. I was sent here to ferret out the corruption and determine how high it goes and how it connects to the drug manufacturing ring operating out of Northshore.”
Gabriel sighed then moved toward the sink in the kitchen. He poured himself a glass of water and Holly noticed his hands shaking, no doubt from the adrenaline of having a gun shoved in his face.
“I’m sorry about all this,” Blake said, obviously noticing it, too. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
Gabriel gave a small laugh. “I’ll admit when I saw you I thought they’d finally sent someone to kill me.”
“They? Do you know who is in charge of the operation?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Will you help us?” Holly asked him. “We need to get out of town but all the roads are blocked.”
He nodded and set down his glass. “They’ve got the town locked down looking for you.” He glanced at Holly. “You’re Jim Mathis’s wife, aren’t you? He was a good cop.”
“Thank you for saying that,” Holly said, her heart warming at the memory of Jimmy.
“Why is Mason after you?” he asked Holly.
“I thought he was obsessed with me, but now I believe he found out my husband was investigating him and was only trying to find out if Jimmy had told me anything about him. I guess he’s decided it doesn’t matter and he’s trying to cut his losses. I should have filed charges against him for harassment months ago, but I’d hoped it would go away on its own.” She sighed and glanced at Blake. “Now I know it wouldn’t have done any good anyway. Chief Waggoner is just as dirty as Mason.”
Gabriel’s eyes widened. “The chief?” He shook his head as if absorbing the new information. “I should have known. That’s why none of the reports of Mason’s activities ever brought any consequences.” He sighed and looked at Blake. “How do I know you’re not feeding me a line? How can I believe you?”
Blake handed him a card. “Call this number and ask for Matt Ross. He’s my DEA contact. He’ll fill you in on the investigation.”
Gabriel glanced at it then reached for his phone and stepped out of earshot to make the call.
Holly watched Blake wearing a circle in the old shag rug, but she was feeling optimistic. She touched his arm, wanting to reassure him. “I think this was a good call. He seems like a decent guy.”
“Hopefully, he can help us.” He placed his hand over hers and she felt a spark of electricity. She glanced up to see if he’d noticed it, too, and found his blue eyes gazing longingly at her. “I’m sorry I got you into this,” he said, his voice low and deep.
She shuddered at the timbre of it but rushed to reassure him.
“You didn’t. You saved my life today. Twice.” She felt the sudden urge to fling herself into his arms and find comfort in his embrace. But she tamped down that feeling and took a step away from him, breaking the connection. She had to remain on alert and that meant reigning in her emotions, especially in front of someone she was depending on to get her through this.
Gabriel reappeared from the kitchen. “You checked out. How can I help you?”
“We need to get out of town. Any suggestions?”
“Well, the roads may be blocked, but you could go across the lake. I have a boat docked at the marina. They might not be able to monitor the entire lake.”
Blake glanced at her and Holly nodded. That was the best idea she’d heard in a while and hope bubbled anew. “We’ll try that.”
Gabriel removed a set of keys from a hook by the door. “It’s at the Bridge Bay Marina, slip eighteen. I’ll drive you.”
“That’s not necessary,” Blake said.
But Gabriel wouldn’t hear of it. “I insist. I want to make certain you make it out of town safely. I’ve been working secretly with Mayor Banks to try to clean up the force. We had no idea the Feds were already involved. It’s good to have someone else on the side of justice.”
They loaded into his SUV and headed toward the lake.
Holly sat back and found herself praying they would make it. It was still her instinct to go to God with her troubles, but she wouldn’t allow herself to. God had let her down too many times. She had only Blake to depend on now.
Gabriel turned into the marina and cut the engine.
Blake pulled out his gun and reached for the door handle. “Let me check it out first to make sure the coast is clear.”
He got out and disappeared down the pier. Holly watched him anxiously. Her nerves were on edge, but with a hopeful excitement for a change. If they were able to reach the boat and make it across the lake, she might finally be able to put this nightmare behind her. She wished she had Jimmy’s journal with her to hand over to Blake. She could trust him with it now. He could pass it along to his DEA friend and perhaps some good would come from Jimmy’s final investigation. She smiled, liking the thought that he was still reaching out, still helping the fight for justice, even from the grave.
“You’re smiling,” Gabriel said. “Something funny?”
“No, nothing. I was just thinking that a few hours ago, I didn’t even know Blake. Now, I’m ready to hand over my husband’s last possession.”
“His possession?”
“A few days ago, I found a journal Jimmy had been writing about corruption he suspected Mason was involved in. He was investigating the drug ring.”
Gabriel let out a long breath. “I had no idea. Do you think that’s what got him killed?”
A shiver ran through her. She hadn’t let that suspicion become a conscious thought since finding the journal. “I don’t know,” she rasped, choking on the emotion that suddenly overtook her.
He seemed to have noticed he’d upset her. “I found the circumstances of his death suspicious, but I haven’t looked into his case. I shouldn’t have said anything. That was insensitive of me.”
“No, it’s fine. I know now that Mason is capable of murder. Until a few days ago, I trusted what the police told me about Jimmy’s death. Now I just don’t know what to believe.”
Blake reappeared at the window. “Everything seems clear. Let’s go.”
They got out and headed down the dock until they reached slip eighteen. Gabriel tossed Blake the keys then bent to untie the boat as Blake and Holly climbed aboard.
Pounding footsteps on the dock grabbed Holly’s attention. She turned to see Mason running toward them. Terror ripped through her. “He’s here!” she cried, causing Blake to turn.
“Watch out!” he shouted.
Gabriel stood and turned just as Mason raised his gun and fired. Holly screamed again as Gabriel slumped over then fell off the dock and into the water.
* * *
“Start the boat!” Blake hollered as he leaped over the edge of the boat onto the dock. He pulled his gun and fired as Mason ducked for cover. He knew he needed to get Holly to safety, but he couldn’t leave Gabriel to Mason’s hands. He peered into the black water where Gabriel had fallen, but saw nothing. He would have surfaced if he could have. Given the way he’d slumped when Mason had shot him, Blake doubted he’d even been alive when he hit the water.
The roar of the boat’s engine was music to his ears, but before he could get back to Holly, Mason tackled him from seemingly out of nowhere. They hit the dock together and the gun slipped from Blake’s hand. He grappled for it but c
ouldn’t reach it before Mason grabbed him and tried to wrangle him into a choke hold.
He sneered as Blake struggled to break the hold.
“You’re dead!” he snapped. “I will rip your heart out.”
“You...don’t...have...to do this, Mason.” Blake’s words came out in spurts as he struggled to keep conscious against Mason’s grip.
He snorted. “The last man who threatened me had an unfortunate accident while responding to a burglary call. And I liked him better than I like you.”
Blake was stunned. Was he talking about Holly’s husband? Holly had said he’d died in the line of duty. If Mason was telling the truth, Holly would be devastated.
Suddenly he heard the clank of something hard and felt Mason’s grip loosen. Blake pulled away and saw Holly swing a crowbar at Mason’s head. It hit him hard for a second time and the man went down.
Blake grabbed her hand then his gun and ran back to the boat. They had to get out of there, and now.
Mason crawled to his feet and started firing wildly as Blake and Holly dove onto the boat. Blake rolled to the console, shifted into gear and opened up the engine, glancing back to be sure Holly stayed down. She was thankfully hugging the deck of the boat as they roared away.
From the dock, he could hear Mason hollering after them.
When they were out of range, Holly looked up at Blake, her own turmoil-filled emotions shining in her green eyes. “He killed Gabriel,” she said.
Blake nodded. His jaw clenched hard but he ducked his head to hide his rage. It wasn’t right that Mason could wreak such havoc on other people’s lives.
His mind retreated to the men he’d lost in battle in Afghanistan. He didn’t know Gabriel as well, but they’d both been fighting on the same side. “I know.”
Holly stood and leaned against him, wrapping her arms protectively around him. He stiffened at first, till he felt her pounding heart and her ragged breath echoing his own. He relaxed, and returned the embrace as best he could while steering the boat. It felt right, even though he wasn’t sure if she was trying to reassure him or to comfort herself. It didn’t matter. He supposed they both needed it now.
“Thank you, Holly,” he whispered, surprised to find his voice choked with emotion. He tried to concentrate on driving the boat, but she wasn’t going to let it go.
“Have you lost people before?” she asked him.
His whole body tensed at her question. The sway of the boat and the dark night provided good cover. He’d lost too many people. “Before I was a cop, I was an Army Ranger. One night, my team was ambushed. All but six of us were killed.”
“Oh, Blake, I’m so sorry.”
“It was a while ago, but it still hurts.” He paused a beat. “Then last year...” He hesitated. She didn’t really need to know the awful details of Miranda’s death, but something inside him wanted him to share with her the loss he’d felt. “My fiancée was murdered.”
She gasped and tightened her arms around him. “I’m so sorry, Blake. I know how terrible that kind of loss is.”
It was true she knew about losing someone she loved and, if Mason was to be believed—and Blake did believe him—her husband had also been murdered by a madman.
A distant, low buzz grabbed his attention. His head jerked in the direction of the choppy noise—growing louder each second—and he scanned the dark water. He adjusted his direction and tried to coax more speed out of the older vessel, but he soon spotted a light headed their way. Another boat.
Suddenly a spotlight flickered on and he identified the sound of a speedboat engine gaining on them with each second.
“It’s him,” Holly cried, and Blake knew she was right. And he wasn’t alone. Several others had joined him.
“Take the wheel,” he said, pulling the gun from his belt. “Keep going as fast as possible.”
“Can we outrun them?”
Shots rang out and hit the boat.
“Get down!” Blake screamed, pulling her to the floor. The approaching vessel sped up, coming straight at them. He braced himself for the impact. It rammed them and tossed the boat. He reached for her hand then grabbed for something to hold on to as the boat arched and nearly capsized. For several, horrifying seconds, he envisioned them going over.
Then, suddenly, capsizing wasn’t their biggest problem. Mason lit something on fire and tossed it over. It landed only inches from Holly. Blake smelled gasoline and knew Mason meant to burn them up.
“We can’t stay here,” Blake told her. “Our only hope is in the water.”
She nodded and he helped her slip over the side. Blake slid in beside her and grabbed her hand. “Stay close. We can’t get separated.”
“Which way is the shore?” she asked, scanning the horizon. “Can we make it to the other side?”
He shook his head. “No, it’s too far. We’ll never make it. We need to head back to the town shore. It’s that direction.” He motioned then pushed off and began swimming. He heard the water rustling beside him and knew she was keeping up just fine. The roar of the engines and the colliding of the two boats had made the water rough and choppy. He stopped and glanced back. Gabriel’s boat was now ablaze and those on the other boat were searching the water with the spotlight.
“Don’t stop!” Blake told her, pressing her to continue. “We have to keep going.”
She reached the bank first and climbed up, grabbing hold of a low-hanging branch to pull herself out of the water. Blake was right behind her, crawling onto solid ground. Gratitude rushed through him that they’d made it safely to shore, but he knew their journey hadn’t ended. They were still trapped in Northshore and on the run.
He stood and looked back at Gabriel’s boat, which was already low in the water. Mason and his men were shouting at one another and their voices lifted across the waves. They were searching for them.
Blake grabbed her arm. “We should get out of here. It won’t take them long to figure out where we are.”
She nodded and followed him, but she was soaking wet and the Arkansas night was unusually chilly. She shivered and Blake slipped his arm around her for warmth. They needed to go somewhere they could get dry and warm.
Holly was tense beside him. He felt the energy flowing off her in waves. His instinct was to reach out for another embrace—pull her into his arms and reassure her that everything would be fine. He surprised himself. He hardly knew this woman. Why was he having thoughts like this? So he was stunned when she leaned into him for warmth and he had to wrap his arms around her and pull her close.
“Where are we going?” she asked him.
He had an idea of someone else they could turn to for help. “We need to find a place to lay low for a while and dry off.”
“It won’t be easy. Two people, soaking wet, traipsing through town? We’re bound to draw looks.”
They would have to be extra careful. They had no vehicle and now Mason had just upped everything by strongly implying he had killed a fellow police officer. When Blake had seen Gabriel slump forward and fall into the water, horror had rippled through him—Mason was a murderer and he was surely going to find them and attempt to finish what he’d started.
FOUR
Holly shivered from the chill in the night. She was soaked through and through. She leaned into Blake’s large frame, thankful for his arms blocking the wind. They’d left Blake’s vehicle back at Gabriel’s house and the police had surely towed it by now. She didn’t know what they were going to do. All she could do was trust Blake.
He tightened his hold around her and she sank into the comfort of his arms, astonished by the way her pulse quickened at the masculine scent of him. Stop it. She was just being foolish. She was cold, wet and terrified—of course she would find comfort in the arms of a strong, protective soul.
She couldn’t trust
her emotions. She hadn’t had such thoughts about any man except Jimmy since they’d fallen in love. Even when her friends had encouraged her to get out and start dating again, she’d refused. The desire to meet someone and fall in love again had been the last thing on her mind. So she was surprised by the intensity of her feelings toward Blake.
He led her stealthily toward town, avoiding populated areas and watching out for cars passing by. Once, he pulled her down so fast into a ditch that her arm was still sore. She rubbed it and tried not to complain. When you’re running for your life, you don’t worry about minor inconveniences and troublesome aches. She was fortunate to have Blake with her. Where would she be without him? She knew the answer. She would be dead in the parking lot of Northshore Medical Center.
He stopped and crouched behind a row of bushes, looking into the town square. “We’ll never make it anywhere on foot. We have to steal a car.”
“Steal a car?” Holly gasped.
His face flushed. “Borrow a car. I don’t like it, either, but we have little choice. We have to get somewhere safe and dry before the police spot us.”
“Have you ever stolen—er, borrowed—a car before?”
He shot her a glance that answered and silenced her. “I wasn’t always a cop,” he told her then scanned the area. “I’m going to go check out that pickup parked at the curb. Keep a lookout, but when I wave to you, come running and get inside.”
She nodded and looked around. Her hands were shaking from the cold. She hated the thought of stealing someone else’s car, but Blake was right. Mason had left them little choice and, surely, if the owner knew the circumstances, he would understand.
What would she do if she did spot someone approaching? Panic shot through her. Blake had left her to watch, but she had no idea how to alert him. Should she whistle or do a birdcall like she’d seen on television? She needed the “Survivor’s Guide to Running for Your Life.” She grinned as she realized Blake could easily write it. I’m so tired, I’m loopy.
Thankfully the only people she spotted were across the square, gathered outside the coffee shop, talking. They weren’t looking this way and no one else seemed out and about. She checked again then let her gaze settle on Blake, who was already inside the pickup.
Mission Undercover Page 5
