Protective Custody

by Lynette Eason

  Up front, she saw that one of the paramedics had his fingers on Grady’s neck while Mason looked on. She shot him a frantic look. The grim shake of his head didn’t encourage her. But she didn’t have time to think about that now.

  Once out of the car, she rummaged in the side pocket of the backpack until her fingers closed over the device that would ease Christopher’s asthma. Then she had to find the boy’s sister.

  Quickly, she made her way back to Christopher and pushed the inhaler into his hand. He placed it between his lips and pulled in two quick puffs. Almost immediately, color started seeping back into his cheeks.

  “Where’s Lindsey?” Nick repeated Carly’s question.

  “Back there,” her brother said. “She’s scared.”

  Nick planted a kiss on the boy’s head, and Carly sprinted in the direction Christopher had indicated. The area he’d come from looked trampled, so she followed the path and almost stumbled over the body that lay in front of her.

  Getting on her radio, she called for a paramedic, but knew it wouldn’t do any good. The man had a bullet hole in his chest and one in his stomach. And that was just what she could see.

  “Lindsey?” she called. “Where are you, honey? It’s all right. You’re safe now.”

  Nick’s voice joined hers. “Lindsey?”

  A whimper behind the bushes to the right of her pulled Carly in that direction. Nick shifted Christopher and tromped right after her. “Stay back,” she told him in a hushed voice. “No way.”

  “Look, Lindsey hasn’t come out. Maybe there’s a reason for that.”

  She wouldn’t have thought it possible, but his face paled even more. “You think…”

  “That someone has her and is keeping her from coming out? I don’t know. Just let me check it out, will you? Keep Christopher at a safe distance.”

  Torn, indecision twisting his features, he finally nodded and backed up a few steps to shelter Christopher behind one of the other bushes.

  But he kept his eyes trained on her.

  Carly kept her gun ready, not knowing what lay beyond the bush in front of her. She just prayed no one on the other side sent a bullet through it. She had no protection. But she didn’t have a choice: she had to get to Lindsey.

  She could hear movement behind her and turned to see two other officers ready to come to her defense. She gave them a thumbs-up and they nodded their willingness to let her continue to take the lead.

  With one hand clutching her weapon, she reached with the other to shift the bushes so she could see behind them.

  What she saw made her gasp. She scanned the area and, seeing no immediate threat, holstered her gun. Turning to the officers behind her, she motioned for them to search the area. “Nick, come here.”

  Lindsey sat on the ground, knees pulled to her chest, forehead resting on them. She had her arms wrapped around her legs and was rocking back and forth, crying without making a sound.

  “Oh, Lindsey.” Carly dropped beside the girl, her throat swelling with unshed tears. “It’s okay, darling. Can I put my arms around you?”

  Still Lindsey didn’t answer, just stayed in her tight little ball, rocking. Carly heard Nick come around the bush, Christopher still gripped in his arms. His breath left his lungs in a whoosh. He went to set the boy on the ground, but Christopher wouldn’t let go of his neck. “Chris, I need to check on your sister.”

  “No.” The child buried his face in Nick’s neck.

  Carly rested a hand on Lindsey’s arm, and when the girl didn’t shrug her off, she slid her hand along the back of her shoulders until she had an arm around her. Then, in one smooth move, Lindsey released her legs to wrap her arms around Carly’s waist. Her sobs broke free, and Carly let her cry.

  Heart breaking for the girl, she looked up at Nick. The furious expression on his face stunned her. Pure rage glittered down at her. In her heart she knew he was regretting his decision to place his children’s safety in her hands.

  She couldn’t blame him. Guilt hammered at her. She should have done something. Stopped all this from happening…somehow.

  But how? Her mind raced. How?

  She couldn’t come up with an answer. And right now, they needed to get to the car and get somewhere safe. She pulled the girl to her feet just as Mason arrived, diverting her attention from Lindsey. She didn’t release the girl, just motioned for everyone to walk toward the car.

  Carly shot a look at Mason, who had his gun drawn and his eyes roaming their surroundings. “Maria? Grady?”

  “Both are still alive. No one can tell us what happened here yet, though.”

  “I know what happened.”

  Christopher’s outraged little voice made Carly blink. Mason looked at Nick then said, “Tell us when we get in the car, little guy.”

  But Christopher talked anyway. “The bad man shot the car bunches of times. Mr. Grady said a bad word, and then Ms. Maria told us to get down on the floor and pull our backpacks on top of our heads.”

  Lindsey’s sobs had stopped. Now the girl shuddered, hiccupped and sniffed. Carly finally got a good look at her face. She, too, had some superficial wounds. A few looked like they may have come from tree branches. A bruise on her right cheek was already forming.

  Christopher said, “Then the car rolled and hit something hard. I was really scared.”

  “I know you were, Chris, but you’re doing great,” Nick encouraged him. Reaching the car, Mason continued his surveillance as Nick, Carly and the kids slid inside.

  “Then the bad man came up to the car, and Ms. Maria shot him and he fell down. Then me and Lindsey climbed out of the broken window in the back and ran into the woods to hide.”

  “Is that all?”

  “No.” His eyes teared up, and he balled up his little fists. “The bad man followed us even though he was bleeding a whole lot. He grabbed Lindsey, and she screamed. Then he put a gun near her head and said something to her, but he whispered it and I couldn’t hear what he said. Then he coughed and walked funny. He even ran into a tree. But then he disappeared. Then you called my name, and I came to find you.” He glared in the direction that the man he’d just described had gone. “I wish I had a gun. I’d a shot him for scaring Lindsey like that.”

  Carly watched Nick blink several times then swallow before he could speak. “You’re a good brother, Chris. Thanks for telling us what happened. Now, let’s get the paramedics to check you out, okay?”

  Nick wanted to kill someone. With his bare hands. Then he felt guilty for the feeling. God, I need You. I need Your calming presence, Your wisdom and the strength to do whatever it is You would have me do.

  He paced the floor of the safe house where they’d finally arrived two hours ago. The paramedics had declared the children relatively unharmed, other than a few bumps and bruises from being tossed around inside the car. But neither had hit their heads or claimed to have any pain. He’d watch them closely over the next few hours, and if anything developed, he’d get them to the nearest hospital. So far, other than being traumatized by the incident, they seemed fine physically.

  Carly now walked the exterior perimeter while Mason plowed a path through the interior. The kids were finally asleep. Debbie had supper waiting for them when they arrived, and they filled her in on the details of the day.

  Nick called Wayne Thomas, Debbie’s father, and asked him to take care of a few things since he was going to be out of commission for the next few days. Nick had a decision to make and needed to be able to think without worrying about the distraction of his job.

  Wayne had blown out a sigh. “Nick, take this pressure off your shoulders. Let me have the case. I can rearrange my schedule and do this for you.”

  And for the first time in his life, Nick had seriously considered giving in. The vision of Lindsey’s terrified huddle in the woods wouldn’t leave him. She still hadn’t said a word to anyone. And Christopher had had a hard time letting Nick go tonight.

  “I…I… Let me think about it, Wayne. I do
n’t want to do anything to put you in danger, either.”

  Wayne had laughed. “Look, Nick, you’ve got two small children to take care of. Debbie’s a big girl and understands the situation. She can just move in with me and let the marshals do their job here. At least Christopher and Lindsey wouldn’t be targets anymore. I’d hate to think what would happen if…”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Nick sighed. “Let me sleep on it tonight. Giving in to these people is wrong. So wrong I can’t even…” He paced from one end of the room to the other. “But putting Chris and Lindsey through this isn’t right, either. I’ll get back to you.”

  “Sure, Nick. I got you.”

  Nick thanked God every day for the friendship he had with Wayne. Nick cleared his throat. “Talk to you soon.”

  He’d hung up then checked on the kids. Both had been asleep. Now he felt the need to check again. The back door opened and Carly came in, her brow furrowed, deep in thought.

  Nick let her think. He couldn’t talk to her at the moment. She caught his eye before he could turn down the hallway. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes. I’m just going to check on the kids.”

  He felt her eyes on his back all the way down the hall.

  Christopher lay sacked out on his back, snoring gently, his breathing deep and even, thank goodness. No hint of the wheezing that had been there earlier. The grip on the stuffed dog he was never without seemed tighter than usual, but for the most part, Christopher looked peaceful, untroubled by nightmares.

  Soft steps took him to the room next door. Lindsey lay curled in a fetal position, her arms wrapped around a pillow, clutching it to her stomach. In her sleep, she flinched and frowned.

  Nick stepped closer and laid a hand on her arm. He bowed his head and whispered a prayer. “Lord, please place Your healing and peaceful touch on Lindsey. Give her rest. Chase the bad memories and thoughts from her mind.” He kept his hand there and felt Lindsey give a small sigh and saw her brow smooth out.

  “How do you do it?”

  Nick jumped at the whisper behind him. Carly. He turned to look at her. “What do you mean?”

  She had her eyes on Lindsey’s more peaceful form. “How do you keep your faith in the midst of all of this? Why do you keep turning to a God who seems to have His back to you?”

  He walked toward her and placed a hand on her arm. The little ripple of awareness that surged through him caught him off guard. But he had to admit, he liked it.

  And that set off even more ripples. Ripples of a different sort. Warning signals that said, “Watch out, this woman could be a danger to your heart.” Clearing his throat, he said, “Let’s go into the den.”

  She turned and led the way. While Debbie packed up the leftovers from supper, Mason sat at the kitchen table working on the laptop, searching for information on the man who’d been killed this afternoon. Nick walked into the kitchen and said, “Thanks for supper, Debbie.”

  The young woman smiled and gave a half-hearted chuckle. “No problem. What else am I going to do with my time? I guess I could have taken off for Europe or gone with Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson, but…” She shrugged. “I don’t want to bail on the kids.” She rubbed her hands together, and Nick clasped them between his.

  She’d been there when his niece and nephew needed someone the most. She and her father. He gave her a gentle push toward the hall. “Get some rest, Deb. I’ll listen for the kids tonight.” He wouldn’t be surprised if one of them had a nightmare.

  Debbie smiled and raised up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “Sure, Nick. Good night.”

  A ringing phone shattered the quiet, and Debbie gasped. Fishing in the pocket of her jeans, she pulled it out. Carly snatched it from her and clicked it off, then pulled the battery from it.

  She and Mason exchanged looks.

  “What?” The poor woman looked scared stiff. “I…I saw the number. It was my dad.”

  “You can’t have your own cell phone here. We can get you an encrypted one, but until then, this one has to stay dismantled.” Carly slid the phone into the kitchen drawer to her left. “I hope you understand.”

  Concern stamped on her pretty face, Debbie nodded. “Yes, that’s fine.” The frown lingered, and she looked like she wanted to say something else.

  “What is it?” Carly prompted.

  “I just…I hate to admit it, but I felt safer with the phone. I mean, what if I’m with the children and something happens?”

  “That’s why we’re here, Debbie. You won’t have a need for it.”

  “Well, it’s just…”

  “It’s like a security blanket, huh?” Carly asked knowingly.

  Debbie blushed. “Yes, exactly. Stupid, huh?”

  “Not at all. I understand, but I still can’t let you have it.”

  Debbie’s lips tightened. Then she shrugged. “All right, that’s fine, but could someone call my father to let him know we’re okay? I’m sure he just wasn’t thinking when he called my cell. And the fact that he got hung up on is going to scare him.”

  “I’ll do it,” Mason volunteered. “Or better yet. Here.” He handed her his encrypted phone, and Debbie gave him a weak smile.

  “I’ll just go in the bedroom and bring this back to you when I’m done. I’m really sorry, Nick. You know I wouldn’t do anything to put you or the children in danger.”

  She blinked back sudden tears, and Nick patted her arm. “Don’t worry about it, Deb. You didn’t know.”

  “Okay,” she whispered. “Thanks.”

  Nick watched her leave and then turned to find Carly studying him, a funny look on her face. “What?”

  “You don’t have a clue, do you?”

  “Clue?”

  She bit her lip and shook her head. Turning to Mason, Carly asked, “Anything?”

  Mason looked up from his task and shook his head. “Not yet. I’ll find what I’m looking for, though.”

  Carly settled on the couch and looked around. The house plan was a simple one. Open and airy on the inside, nondescript on the outside. Situated on the outskirts of town on a little farm, the windows covered, shutting out the darkness of the night.

  And any prying eyes.

  Nick sat on the other end of the couch and leaned his head back against it. He stared at the ceiling, wishing he could just go to sleep and shut out the world. But since that wasn’t an option, he waited for Carly to start.

  It didn’t take her long. “What is it, Nicholas?”

  “You said I didn’t have a clue. About what?”

  “Debbie.”

  “Ah. Well, that’s not totally true. I have a small clue.”

  “That she’s completely in love with you?”

  His lips curved in a rueful smile. “No, she’s not.”

  “Nick…”

  “It’s not love. Infatuation, maybe. A little hero worship or something like that. But not love. She doesn’t know what love is yet.”

  “And you do?”

  A pause. “Yeah. I do.” He shut his eyes. “Love is patient. Love is kind. It doesn’t envy, it doesn’t boast. It’s not proud or rude or self-seeking or quick to anger. It doesn’t keep track of wrongs…”

  “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” Carly finished the quote.

  Surprised, he looked at her. “You know your Bible.”

  “First Corinthians 13. I had to memorize it one year for camp. I’ve never forgotten it.”

  “I thought you didn’t believe in God.”

  Carly sighed. “I believe in Him. I just don’t understand Him. Don’t even think I like Him very much.”

  “Why?”

  Carly shifted, obviously uncomfortable with the turn in the conversation. “I don’t know. Maybe I’ve seen too much, become disillusioned. I don’t understand why He lets things happen the way He does. Why the bad guys seem to win more than the good guys.” She gave a self-deprecating smile and shrugged.

/>   He raised his brows. “I have a feeling it’s a lot more than that. But I know what you mean, and I understand where you’re coming from. I’ve seen a lot on my end, too.”

  She studied him. “But it didn’t happen to you.”

  “Oh, yes, it did.” Was now the right time to explain? Would she hear him, really hear him?

  Interest lifted a brow, and she leaned forward. “But you still have your faith. You still pray to a God who let you down.”

  Nick reached out and snagged the fingers that absently worked the fringe of one navy blue pillow. They stilled at his touch. “God didn’t let me down. I just had to come to the realization that I’m not going to understand everything this side of heaven. Trying to understand the mind of God is exhausting. Trust me, I’ve been there.” He intertwined his fingers with hers and studied her hand. Strong fingers with short, blunt-cut nails. Soft hands that could soothe with a touch….

  Stop it, Nick, he ordered himself. Lifting his gaze to connect with hers, he saw the pink in her cheeks, and the longing in her eyes grabbed his heart. Longing for him? Or for the God she’d decided had let her down?

  Not wanting to ask, he said, “But I do believe Him when He says He loves me. I believe He’s who He says He is, but…” He looked away and swallowed hard. “I’ll admit it’s not always easy. Sometimes I really have to work at it. To remind myself of the times I’ve felt His presence, seen His hand working when I didn’t understand the circumstances.”

  She drew in a deep breath and said, “I thought you’d be really mad at me after what happened today with the kids.”

  Her change of topic startled him. “Mad at you? Why?”

  Her throat bobbed, and she spread her hands. “I didn’t keep them safe. I saw the expression on your face at the scene of the accident… You were furious.”

  Blinking, he recalled the emotions going through him when he saw Lindsey in the woods. He squeezed her fingers. “No, Carly, I wasn’t mad at you. I was mad at me.”

  She froze. “You were?”

  “Yeah. Because I’d been so stubborn about moving to a safe house.” Remembered fear shuddered through him. “I was the one who put my kids in jeopardy, not you.”