Protecting Her Daughter (Wrangler's Corner)

by Eason, Lynette

  “I’ll stay back, just start looking.”

  Clay started following the tire tracks. Lance kept glancing first one way then the other. Aaron knew he was looking for a sniper. He had to admit that spot between his shoulder blades itched, but he hoped if the man who had Zoe was working alone, he was occupied with her, not parked on a hill waiting for someone to show up.

  The tracks led to the barn.

  He took one step and heard a muffled cry.

  *

  Zoe let out another scream as Alexander hauled her to her feet. He’d tackled her before she’d gotten too far. Desperation clawed at her. She kicked out and caught him in the chin. His fist cracked against her cheek. She dropped to the ground. Pain rocketed through her and for a moment the world spun. He dropped beside her and his hand gripped her upper arm.

  “Zoe!”

  She froze. Alexander froze. Then cursed. He planted the weapon against her head. “Make one more sound and I’ll kill you right here.”

  She trembled, but stayed quiet. Then she heard them. Voices moving toward the barn. Alexander’s harsh breathing echoed in her ear. She had to get away from him. But how? Still on the hard, cold ground, she could feel him waiting, his tension level near the snapping point. She pulled her leg up toward her hands.

  Thankfully, he didn’t seem to notice her movement as he kept his attention focused on the voices. Slowly, so slowly, she pulled the leg of her jeans up revealing the weapon still strapped to her ankle.

  The sound of feet moving closer had Alexander’s muscles bunching tighter. As well as his grip on her bicep. Just an inch farther, and she could wrap her fingers around the butt of the gun. She shifted. “Be still,” he snapped. She stilled. If he looked down her body, he’d see the gun in plain sight. But he didn’t. As soon as she obeyed, he turned back to the approaching men. He moved the barrel of the weapon from the side of her head and aimed it at Aaron. Her breath caught.

  “Tracks end here,” she heard Clay say softly. “There’s the white Cadillac.”

  Aaron spun, his eyes probing. Lance did the same.

  And Alexander adjusted his aim.

  “Watch out!”

  At Zoe’s cry the three men ducked behind the Cadillac, and Alexander gave a roar of fury even as he brought the weapon around to slam it against the side of her head. But she was already moving, bending at the waist to get the gun from the holster, and he caught her with only a glancing blow to her shoulder.

  She had her bound hands wrapped around the gun. She pulled it from the holster as Alexander turned his weapon back toward the men. The crack of his gun made her ears ring, but she didn’t stop. She rolled and placed her muzzle against Alexander’s thigh and pulled the trigger.

  He cried out and dropped his weapon. Zoe rolled to her knees and pushed herself to her feet even while Alexander was scrambling for the gun. She stepped forward and planted her weapon against his temple. “Move and it will be the last thing you do.”

  “Zoe!” Clay hollered.

  “Over here! Behind the barn!” The shakes wanted to set in, but she held strong. Aaron would be here in just a moment then she would be able to break down. Alexander glared up at her even while he clamped his hands around his wounded leg. Without a word to her, he reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out the roll of duct tape.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, breathless and trembling. “It’s over,” she said.

  Instead of answering her, he pulled a long strip off the roll and started wrapping it around his leg and she realized he was making a tourniquet. Zoe backed up, the weapon still on him. With a grunt he ripped the rest of the strip and dropped the tape to the ground. He sat there, shoulders heaving, his features pale.

  She continued her backward journey never taking her eyes from Alexander.

  Clay and Lance rounded the corner of the barn, weapons raised. “Police! Freeze! Show your hands now!” Clay’s harsh orders went ignored. Alexander didn’t move.

  A loud crack broke the air and dirt and snow spewed up from the ground beside Alexander. Zoe saw the flash come from the trees bordering the property. Who was there? Another officer?

  She had no more time to wonder as Clay and Lance ducked back around the corner and Alexander surged to his feet and came after her. Zoe let out another cry and pulled the trigger. The bullet caught the man in the upper shoulder and he spun but didn’t go down. He lunged around on his good leg and limped after her.

  Zoe back-pedaled and turned to run, but her right foot came down on a large rock. Her ankle twisted and with a cry she tumbled to the ground unable to break her fall with her hands still taped together. Her weapon flew from her fingers, the air whooshed from her lungs.

  In the distance a gunshot sounded and she jerked. Expected to feel a burst of pain, but nothing. Then a body slammed into her and she went to the ground one more time.

  She felt a prick against her neck. “Now, if you move again,” Alexander panted, “this heroin will make you one dead junkie, are we clear?”

  She felt the warmth of the blood from his shoulder wound against her back. She almost nodded and thought better of it. “Yes,” she whispered.

  Aaron, Lance and Clay appeared once again. Lance and Clay held their weapons ready as they took in the scene. She saw Aaron’s hope slide from his face and horror take up residence.

  “Get up,” Alexander demanded. Zoe climbed painfully to her feet as did her very pale-faced father-in-law. “Tell them to back off now.”

  “Don’t come over here, Aaron! He’s got a syringe full of heroin he’s threatening to inject me with. Back up, please.”

  Aaron blanched then stayed still. Lance and Clay stopped, but held their guns aimed in Alexander’s direction.

  “Good,” Alexander whispered. “Now all I want is to get out of here. I’m going to use you to do that, understand?”

  “Yes.”

  “We’re going to walk around the barn and toward the car.”

  She started in the direction he ordered, and he limped along beside her, his breathing heavy against her ear. Once they rounded the side of the barn, she stopped and he stumbled against her. The needle pierced her neck, and she winced and pulled away. His grip on her arm tightened. She stared at the line of police cars and law enforcement officers parked in the yard. Aaron, Clay and Lance came into her line of sight from the other side of the barn. They were able to slip behind the cruiser to use it as protection in case other shots sounded. Zoe couldn’t help but wonder who else was out there in the woods shooting. A sniper with the police department? Had the person meant to hit Alexander? Or had he been aiming for Zoe and just missed?

  “Alexander, you’re trapped,” Clay called. “Let’s end this now before anyone else gets hurt.”

  “The house,” Alexander told her. “Go to the house.”

  Zoe didn’t like the fact that he was completely ignoring Clay. He really thought he was going to find a way out of this. “Who shot you, Alexander?” she asked, her voice shaky and weak.

  “A sniper, probably. A lousy shot if you ask me. Call your sniper off, Sheriff, or I’ll make this a murder-suicide. You want that on your conscience?”

  “It wasn’t a sniper, Collier,” Clay called. “We didn’t have anyone up in the trees.”

  “Like I’m supposed to believe that?”

  “It’s true. If it were one of mine, you’d be on the ground dead, a bullet in your brain, not your shoulder.”

  *

  Zoe cleared her throat and caught Aaron’s eye and saw the intense worry in the lines of his face. Clay stood next to him as well as Lance. All three of them, as well as the other law enforcement officers, watched them. Zoe knew Alexander was either going to try and use her as a hostage to negotiate his way out. Failing that, she felt certain there would be a murder-suicide. With a sick certainty, she knew that if it came down to getting caught and going to prison or dying, he’d choose to die.

  She was going to have to do something.

 
“You messed up, Zoe. Bad. Now Sophia is going to die,” he told her.

  She kept walking, her brain groping for any kind of way to get away from him. She knew he had enough of the drug in the syringe to kill her quickly. It would have an almost immediate effect. She’d feel sleepy, pass out and forget to breathe. And unless there was immediate medical attention, she’d die. But once she was in the house, she had almost no hope of surviving.

  “Please, Alexander,” she whispered. Begging him was futile, but she could hope for a distraction.

  “Shut. Up.” He leaned heavily against her. He turned her to face the deputies as he passed, shifting so he never had his back to them. Aaron took a step toward them. Clay pulled him back. Alexander stumbled. The needle went into the back of her neck. She cried out and tried to pull away from him.

  “Zoe!” Aaron’s cry spurred her. She spun into Alexander’s grip, felt the syringe fall from her. Two shots rang out. Alexander fell at her feet.

  She felt the effects of the drug and realized Alexander must have pressed the syringe. Dizziness hit her, she relaxed and fell to the ground and let the sensations sweep her even as darkness claimed her.

  SEVENTEEN

  Aaron paced outside Zoe’s hospital room, his prayers for her never ceasing. Clay and Lance were also there working on paperwork even as they waited for Zoe to wake up. Clay stood at the nurse’s station pounding on his laptop. Lance walked up and clapped Aaron on the shoulder. “She’s going to be all right. She just fainted. The doc said there was very little trace of the drug in her system. Only slightly more than what was on the needle when Alexander pulled the liquid into the syringe.”

  “But there was some. He did manage to press the syringe before we stopped him.”

  “Yes, but not much.”

  “It might not matter,” Aaron said. “It could still send her back into her addiction.”

  “I know,” Lance said softly. “But she didn’t pass out because of the drug. The doctor said she passed out due to the stress of the situation, and she really only needs to sleep and heal. We’ll be thankful she didn’t suffer any worse than some cuts and bruises.”

  “True.”

  “And we’ll just pray that she doesn’t even notice the small amount of the drug.” He cleared his throat. “The good thing is Nina and Gregory didn’t have any idea of what Collier was doing. They’ve got their lake house on the market to sell and are determined to help Zoe in any way they can.”

  “Zoe will be glad. She and her in-laws weren’t super close, but she’ll be relieved to know they didn’t want her dead.”

  “Sophia is with them. I talked to her a little bit and told her that her mother wanted to see her real soon. She sounded happy. I let Nina tell her about Zoe being in the hospital.”

  “Can you send someone to pick Sophia up? She’ll be the first face Zoe wants to see when wakes up.”

  “I’m way ahead of you. Nina’s driving her here herself.”

  Aaron nodded. “Great. Did you find the jockey?”

  “Yes. He had a single gunshot wound to the back of his head. A hiker found him just outside of Knoxville in a wooded area. It’s amazing he was found this fast. He was really off the beaten path.”

  Sadness filled Aaron. The man had brought about his death with his own greed, but Aaron thought the punishment didn’t fit the crime. Cartee had wanted the horse, and Alexander had used that desire to fuel his greed. Definitely sad. “What about the shot that came from the trees and hit Alexander in the shoulder? That wasn’t one of your guys?”

  “Nope. Parker made his way up there after the shot and found the shooter. It was Jedediah Mason. Parker shot him before Jed could get off another shot. He’s dead.”

  Aaron closed his eyes for a brief moment. So much death. And it was so senseless and unneeded. “What was he doing up there?”

  “Trying to shoot Alexander apparently. Before he died he said something about no honor among thieves. Alexander had backed out on paying him.”

  “So he was going to kill Alexander.”

  “Yep.”

  “How’s Ginny?”

  “Hanging in there. She woke up and was able to tell Clay what happened.”

  Ginny had been found not too far from her wrecked vehicle with a bullet in her side. “She pretty much verified the evidence they gathered at the scene. And the school phone records traced back to her cell. She was the one who called the school and pretended to be Zoe.”

  Aaron winced. “Okay. Then what?”

  “She’d arranged to meet Alexander and give him Sophia. He’d deposited ten grand in her account to pay for her sister to be able to stay in her home.”

  Aaron sucked in a breath. “Collier did his homework, didn’t he?”

  “He did. After he learned where Zoe was, he started investigating into the pasts of all of us on the police force to figure out which person might possibly be open to his schemes.”

  “And he discovered Ginny’s weakness.”

  “Yep. She said he called her and told her he knew Zoe was in trouble and was worried about Sophia being caught in the middle. He asked her to help him at least get Sophia away from everything. When she hesitated, he told her he knew about her sister and was willing to help her if she would help him.”

  “So she met Collier and gave him Sophia. Why shoot her? The money was already in her account. It’s not like he could get it back.”

  Lance shrugged. “I figured it was because he didn’t want any witnesses. But she said she changed her mind and refused to hand Sophia over to him.”

  Aaron blinked. “You believe her?”

  Lance nodded. “Yes, I do. She was weeping and begging my forgiveness.”

  “So he shot her.”

  “Shot her and left her for dead. He destroyed the cruiser’s radio and took her cell phone. She said Brian Cartee was there, too.”

  Aaron sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Man.”

  “Yeah. Ginny said she played dead until Alexander, Brian and Sophia drove off. She hated to just let them take Sophia, but figured if they knew she was alive, she wouldn’t have the chance to let anyone know who Sophia was with. When they were gone, she managed to walk until she passed out. She rolled down into the ditch—the reason it took so long to find her.”

  A nurse stepped out of the room and smiled at Aaron. “Mrs. Collier is awake and asking for two people. Aaron and Sophia?”

  “I’m Aaron. Sophia’s on her way. May I see Zoe?”

  “Of course.”

  She stepped aside, and Aaron slipped through the open door. The room was dark so he opened the blinds then turned toward the woman who’d come to mean more to him than breathing itself. “Hey.” He stepped up to the bed and took her hand.

  “Hey,” she said. “Where’s Sophia? Is she all right?”

  Her fear nearly undid him. “She’s fine. Nina’s on the way right now bringing her to you.”

  Tears filled her eyes and dripped down her temples. Aaron grabbed a handful of tissues from the box on her end table and dried the wetness. “No need to cry. Really, she’s just fine.”

  “Oh, thank you, God.”

  “Yes.”

  She sniffed. “I’ve been so angry with Him.”

  “Who?”

  “God. First my baby was diagnosed with diabetes, then Trevor was killed and I felt so guilty.”

  He sat down beside her. “Why? Why guilty?”

  “Because he didn’t deserve me. He deserved someone so much better.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “I loved him, but I loved him because he was…safe. Solid and secure. I’ve always felt guilty that I didn’t love him…more. And then he was killed and I never had the chance.”

  “He was what you needed at the time.”

  “Oh, yes, he was definitely that.”

  “Was he happy?”

  She smiled, a sad little curve of her lips. “Yes. I can honestly say he was happy. We had a good life and he loved Sophia with his whole heart.” />
  He gripped her fingers. “I don’t think you give yourself enough credit. You’re amazing.”

  She gave a half laugh, half sob. “Amazing? No, not really.”

  He leaned over and kissed her. When he pulled back she was staring at him. “Do you trust me?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  He smiled. “I like that there wasn’t any hesitation there.”

  “How could I not trust you? You’ve put your own life ahead of mine.”

  “Just like you did with Sophia.”

  “Of course.”

  “So if you would do that for your child, then don’t you think God would do that for you?”

  She paused. Then nodded. “Yes, he would. He did. He sent his only son to die for me.”

  “Exactly. So don’t bash yourself. You are made in His image, and He felt you were worth dying for. That makes you amazing.”

  She looked down at her hands. “I never thought about it like that,” she whispered. “I’ve never thought I was worth much of anything. My parents didn’t think I was worth fighting for. My brother didn’t think I was worth hanging around for, and I guess I’ve always wondered why Trevor loved me like he did.”

  “Was Trevor a Christian?”

  “Yes.” She smiled. “He was.”

  “Then he saw what I see, what God sees. A beautiful woman, inside and out. A mother who loves her child enough to die for her. A woman who puts others above herself. Don’t you see that?”

  Red flooded her face, and Aaron hugged her. “No, not really. But I guess when you put it that way…” she mumbled against his shoulder. She leaned back. “I just felt so…betrayed by God. I’d struggled to get clean, to get my life on track and I know He was there with me every step of the way. And then I got mad at Him when Sophia developed diabetes, three years ago. Then Trevor died, and it’s just been a hard year.” She gave a small shrug. “And then I met you and knowing what your family has been through up to this point and seeing their faithfulness has been a real eye-opener. I want that kind of faith, as well.”

  “You have it.”

  “Well, I’m definitely working on it.”

  “We’ll work on it together if you’ll let me.” He paused and took a deep breath. “I love you, Zoe.” She gasped and stared up at him. He shrugged. “Call me crazy, but I do. I’ve known you were the one for me from the time we met at the diner.” He tapped her chin and her mouth shut with a snap. “I can see I’ve shocked you. You don’t have to say anything, but I wanted to tell you what’s in my heart. I don’t want you to leave, but if you feel you have to move back to Knoxville, I’ll follow you. I can set up a practice anywhere, but I just don’t want to lose you. Unless you want me to get lost.” Uncertainty filled him, her stunned expression keeping him from being able to breathe.