The store’s phone rang, sounding loud in the tense atmosphere. No one moved to answer it. After several rings, the machine picked up. When the store’s message ended, a calm, firm voice spoke into the machine. “This is Lieutenant Jerod Schneid with the Sheridan Falls PD. Can you pick up the phone, please? We’d like to talk and find a peaceful solution to this situation.”
“Like hell I will,” the robber shouted at the phone, although the officer couldn’t hear him. He stalked around the store, his movements erratic and his eyes wild. “Damn police, trying to trap me. Sons of bitches aren’t getting away with that.” He tapped the gun to his forehead, continuing to mumble to himself.
Carolyn could only catch snatches of more swear words. At that moment, Jenna shifted her leg, catching the robber’s attention. He stalked toward her and held the gun to her skull. Carolyn pressed her lips together to keep from crying out.
“I told you not to move,” he spat. A bead of sweat dripped from his nose, landing on Jenna’s shoulder. She didn’t budge. Her face, turned toward Carolyn, was scrunched in fear, her eyes squeezed shut. After a minute, the robber moved away, walking between the display cases but cautiously avoiding the windows.
How much longer could this go on? Carolyn had to do something to end it. She felt responsible for everyone in the room, and having Austin there was unnerving. From the training she’d received through the security company, she knew the police wouldn’t come in for fear of causing injuries. They might be trying to pick off the robber with a sharpshooter, but the robber’s only appearance in the front window had been with her and Austin. He’d chosen his hostages wisely. The fact that the police now knew her son was in there would make them even more cautious.
The robber strode past her again, almost stepping on Austin’s outstretched hand, which still clutched the toy tractor. He was spinning the tires, focused on their movement. Thank goodness, the toy was distracting him from the terror around them. But she didn’t want him to attract attention. While the robber’s back was turned, she reached for Austin’s hand, easing it back. When Austin opened his mouth to speak, she quickly shook her head, signaling for his silence. She’d never been so grateful for a compliant child. He let her shift his position while she smiled at him, trying to convey that everything was okay—no matter how untrue that was.
The robber prowled past again, still muttering but seeming to ignore them for the moment. Austin chose that moment to glance toward Nina on his other side. She smiled as well, and without words, she and Carolyn each scooted a tiny bit closer to the boy, who was now resting his chin on the carpet and tracing its pattern. He seemed content for the moment, and Carolyn breathed a sigh of relief.
She moved her head a fraction of an inch to better see her employees. A soft sob reached her. Michelle, her junior salesperson, was hunkered down in front of a smashed case that had held wedding bands and engagement rings. Michelle was young, just twenty-two, with an infant daughter at home. Carolyn silently willed her to be silent, but another, louder sob rippled through the air. It caught the robber’s attention. He pivoted on one heel and strode toward Michelle. It was all Carolyn could do to remain still. She wanted to run to Michelle and protect her, but she couldn’t leave Austin.
Her body tensed as the robber stood over Michelle, putting his booted foot into her side. “Shut up. I don’t want to listen to your crying, you crazy b—”
The phone rang again. He looked around, his eyes wide and terrible. He clutched his hands to his ears, once again holding the gun against his own head before he strode across the room to the phone. He picked up the cordless unit and slammed it against a display case hard enough to shatter the glass and send chunks of the phone flying through the air.
Absolute silence fell again as the robber stood amid the debris, staring at a corner of the store as though mesmerized.
“Cameras,” he barked suddenly. “Where the hell are your monitors?”
“Behind the cashier’s desk in the corner.” Carolyn hadn’t hesitated to respond. It might be a way of getting the man out of the store and ending the hostage situation.
He looked toward the desk where all transactions were completed. A screen that flipped through the various cameras was mounted under the desktop. Another monitor was in her office, but she was reluctant to be trapped in there alone with him. And he’d probably refuse to leave the showroom and the other hostages.
“You,” he shouted at her, gesturing with the gun. “Get up and show me.”
With one last touch to her son’s arm, Carolyn got to her feet, keeping her hands clear of her body to indicate she meant no harm. He pointed her to the desk. She walked cautiously to it, feeling glass crunch under her feet.
“Down here,” she said, pointing to the monitor that was designed to be seen by someone seated.
“Take two steps back,” he told her before going around the desk to view the screen. He focused on it, but every few seconds his eyes swept the room, giving her no time to take action. She reviewed her childhood martial arts training, but making any kind of move put the others at risk. Her only hope was to outthink him.
“Alley out back?” he demanded of her.
“Yes, a narrow one.” One of the cameras was always focused on the alley and the store’s back door.
“Nobody out there,” he muttered.
That was a surprise. With as much police presence as there was in front of her store, they weren’t covering the back? They were, she decided, but they had stayed out of sight.
“I want you to let me out that entrance.” When she nodded her agreement, he raised his voice. “The rest of you—don’t move, or I’ll kill her.” He shoved the gun against Carolyn’s stomach as he spoke, to reinforce his point. “And don’t you try to pull anything either,” he threatened.
“I’ll help you leave,” she said, keeping her voice as steady as she could while her head spun with ideas. The new security system included a mantrap on the back door. To use that exit, a code had to be entered in a keypad. The glass door would open, admitting one person at a time. Once the glass door closed, another code was needed to open the steel door to the outside. If she could get him trapped in the space between the doors, he’d be stuck, and the police could capture him.
He snatched up the bag of stolen goods he’d dropped earlier and gave her another push with the gun. “Let’s go.”
She walked ahead of him out of the showroom, past the office and jewelry repair area, to the back of the store.
“Are you trying to trick me?” he asked when he saw the mantrap.
“It’s a security feature to make sure employees aren’t stealing,” she lied. “I’ll help you operate it. One person at a time can go through the first door. You put a code in here,” she pointed to the keypad next to the glass door, “and then you can get into that area. This door will close, and you’ll need a different code to open the exterior door.”
“Two codes. Got it.” He switched the gun to his left hand. “What are they?”
She rattled off the first code as he keyed it in. The glass door slid open.
“Get in,” he ordered.
“It won’t close if we’re both in there. It senses body temperature,” she explained.
“Get in,” he repeated, sticking his gun into her side.
She stepped into the small space with the robber tight behind her. This close, she could feel the heat from his body and smell his sweat. Nausea hit her, but she forced herself to be calm.
“What’s the other code?” he demanded.
“It won’t work,” she said in a calm tone.
“What is it?”
She gave him a series of numbers to key in, but the door remained open behind them.
“All right, get out and don’t touch anything,” he said, giving her a shove. As soon as he was alone in the small space, the glass door slid shut, and he hit buttons on the keypad to open the exterior door.
Ignoring his threats, she quickly keyed in an emergency over
ride code designed to trap someone between the doors. The code she’d given him was invalid anyway, but better safe than sorry.
He screamed at her, beating his fists against the glass. She stepped back, knowing he could no longer hurt her but still frightened by his erratic behavior. When he aimed and shot at her through the glass, she flinched, but the material was bulletproof. Instead of punching through and hitting her, the bullets seemed to be ricocheting off the walls. She saw a spray of blood, and he collapsed.
“Oh, God,” she whispered before turning to run back to the showroom. “He’s…not going to hurt anyone,” she declared, mustering her strength. She didn’t want to announce he was dead, but she suspected he was. “Anyone have a cell phone?” Jenna pulled one from her pocket. “Call the police and let them know we’re coming out.”
The mantrap had muffled the sound of the gunshots, or the police would have already entered. She wanted it to be clear when they opened the front door that the threat was over. She heard Jenna talking to the dispatcher before she let herself reach for Austin. She took him from Nina, hugging him to her and dropping kisses on his dark hair. Her actions were a comfort to herself as much as they were to him. He wasn’t crying or upset, but Carolyn started to tremble when the rush of leftover adrenaline hit her.
The police entered, guns still raised, to clear the store, but she couldn’t give them her attention since she was too wrapped up in the relief of knowing her son and everyone else in the store was safe.
“Carolyn.” A voice reached her, shocking her out of the moment. Zach? She lifted her head as he strode toward her. Blinking, she took him in. Was she hallucinating? How many times had she imagined him coming back into her life? The fantasy was always the same. He’d hold her, promising she was the reason he rose in the morning and nothing mattered but their love.
The sniper rifle in his hand dispelled the dream instantly. Time seemed to still as he made his way to her. Noise and confusion were all around them, but all she knew was him coming closer. She met his stark blue gaze, and their eyes held until Austin lifted his head. Zach stopped cold, staring at the boy and then at her. A shell-shocked expression froze his face.
She’d known this moment would come, that Zach would return home and their paths would cross. Oh, God, why today when she was already reeling from the robbery and being held at gunpoint? She didn’t have the strength left to confront him about their son.
“Where’s the perp?” a cop on her left asked.
“Through there.” She shook herself out of her distraction to point the way. “He’s caught in the mantrap. I think he’s…” She didn’t need to finish her sentence, as the police officers barreled past her. They’d soon see for themselves. She slipped the ear protection from Austin’s head, ruffling his jet-black hair. Could Zach doubt for even a second this child was his?
“Are you okay?” Zach had finally reached her. She glanced down at the weapon he carried as if it were an extension of him. “It’s secured. Carolyn…”
“I’m fine. Just a little shaken.”
“Mama,” Austin whimpered, sensing the tension.
“It’s okay, baby. Mama’s here. It was a strange game we were playing, wasn’t it?” She went for a soothing but cheerful tone. “Look how many people came to play with us.”
The child took in the number of officers in the room before resting his head against her shoulder. Zach stood nearby, watching them but saying nothing. For once, she was grateful for his silence. So many times she’d been frustrated by his taciturn exterior that covered the emotions he refused to reveal. Even in their most heated arguments, he’d retreat into himself like blinds pulled tight on a window, shutting her out.
Just as well now. She couldn’t discuss their son, not in this environment. Zach had had his chance to be part of Austin’s life and ignored it. So why did he look so stricken now? And why didn’t he leave her side? He must have something he needed to do. Everyone else seemed busy.
“You…both of you need to get checked out,” Zach said when paramedics came through the front door.
Her sister was right behind them. Charlotte was working at All That Sparkles part time while pursuing her MBA. She engulfed Carolyn and Austin in a hug. “I thought my heart would stop when I saw the message from the security company. I was sitting in class, and—”
“Let’s talk about it later,” Carolyn interrupted, tilting her head toward Austin. She needed everyone who surrounded him to be calm. She didn’t want this to be a traumatic experience for him.
“Right.” Charlotte tickled Austin’s tummy and gave him a smile. Her eyes flicked toward Zach, but she said nothing about his sudden reappearance.
The paramedics cleared Carolyn and Austin before checking her employees. Jenna had cuts on her fingers from picking jewels out of the shattered glass cases, but other than that everyone was fine. Once Carolyn knew everyone was okay, she looked around at the damage and the herd of law enforcement in her store.
“What a mess,” Charlotte said. “I’ll take care of calling the insurance company and finishing up here.” She waved at the police presence. “You and Austin go on home.”
“I think we will.” She was relieved her sister had suggested it. “Call me later.”
“I’ll drive you.” Zach pushed off the wall where he’d been leaning. For the first time, Carolyn noticed his uniform: black tactical pants and a black shirt with a security firm’s logo on the chest. That’s how he’d been there, she realized. When had he left the service?
“I…” She started to object, but her hands were shaking. It would be good to have someone take her and Austin home—someone who, despite their past, she could trust to keep them safe. “Thanks. I’d appreciate it.”
“We’ll take your car. I don’t have a child seat.” His eyes lingered on Austin’s face before he turned, walking ahead of her and seeming to clear the way.
3
“I’ve moved,” Carolyn said after he started her car.
She’d taken her time settling her son, the child Zach was sure was their son, in his car seat.
“Where to?” Zach managed to ask, but his mind was focused on one fact. He had a son named Austin. Which was his middle name. It was a hell of a thing to digest and not something he could ever have anticipated when the call came in to assist the local police with a hostage situation.
She gave him an address, one he recognized as being in the older section of town where houses had front porches, gingerbread trim, and big backyards. He remembered those houses because he’d been jealous of the kids who lived in them. Kids, he’d assumed, who had better lives than he and his brothers had after his mother left. Kids whose fathers didn’t alternate between being dead drunk and using their sons as punching bags. He should be happy that Austin was being raised somewhere nice, but somehow it felt like a slap in the face along with the one she’d given him by not telling him about his son.
He checked the mirrors to ease into traffic and caught a glimpse of Austin in the back seat. His head was tipped to the side, eyes closed. Asleep already. She’d heard Carolyn tell the paramedic that the boy was fourteen months old. He calculated back fourteen months, plus nine for her pregnancy. The math worked. They’d conceived a baby before Zach left on his last mission with the SEALs.
It also meant that Zach had missed over a year of his son’s life. Anger welled in him, and only the controlled calm he’d learned from years of watching and waiting as a sniper kept it inside.
He could wait and confront Carolyn when their son didn’t have a front-row seat to witness it. He’d seen too many such scenes himself as a kid: his parents sparring with each other until his father used his fists and the roar of his voice to end the argument. For years, Zach had blamed his mother for taking off on them, but as he’d gotten older, he realized she might have been driven by self-preservation. He still couldn’t figure how she’d left her kids, though. He’d been seven when she went to the grocery store and never came back. He and his younger
brothers, Colin and Alex, had banded together, somehow surviving their father’s drunken abuse until they were teens.
His home life had been shit until the Admiral rescued them, becoming their foster father and invoking his kind of tough love.
Thoughts of his childhood did nothing to soothe his anger. How could Carolyn, who knew about his past, think he wouldn’t want to be part of his son’s life? God, he was pissed, but he drove on in a silence she didn’t attempt to break either.
“The white house with green trim,” she said softly when they’d turned onto her street. “You can pull into the garage.” She hit a button on the visor.
He waited while the garage door rose. It gave him time to study the house. It was exactly what he always pictured on this street. Long, narrow windows faced onto a wraparound front porch. The front door and trim were painted the green of spring grass. The small front yard was full of summer flowers in pink and white. An idyllic family home and one she had not wanted him to be part of.
He parked in the garage. Without a word, she got out and lifted Austin from his seat. When she went to shoulder a bag loaded down with kid stuff, he took it from her and followed her into the house. She might not want him there, but he wasn’t leaving until he got an explanation. They entered the kitchen, which was cheerful, with white cabinets and yellow trim. Carolyn always did love bright colors in her clothes and surroundings.
“I need to take care of Austin,” she said. The boy was sleepily looking around the kitchen. “The paramedic suggested keeping his routine in place so he doesn’t dwell on what happened.”
“I’ll wait.” Had she hoped he’d leave? Not likely, with what was at stake between them. He was glad he hadn’t known the child being held hostage was his. It had been bad enough waiting helplessly outside knowing Carolyn’s life was being threatened.
“He needs to eat and have a bath before bed,” she explained. “You can go in the living room. It’s through there.” She pointed. “I’m not rushing on your account.”
The SEAL’s Surprise Son: The Admiral’s SEALs Book One Page 2
