Holiday Defenders : Mission: Christmas Rescuespecial Ops Christmashomefront Holiday Hero (9781460341254)

by Bailey, Jodie; Sleeman, Susan; Giusti, Debby

  Mr. Santori had forgiven him. Was it possible for Nick to forgive himself?

  * * *

  Lizzie woke to find Nick gone. She crawled from the sleeping bag, careful not to wake Joey. The coolness of the cave and the cloying scent of the musky earth surrounded her. Wanting to ensure Nick was okay, she headed to the entrance and blinked at the bright sunlight as she stepped into the clearing outside.

  The beauty of the new-fallen snow and the sparse landscape of pines and jagged rock greeted her. No wonder Nick loved the mountain.

  “Lizzie.”

  At the sound of his voice, relief swept over her.

  “You’re up early,” he said from a rock perch to her right.

  “And from the looks of the rolled-up sleeping bag, you didn’t rest at all.”

  “I’ve been checking the valley.” He held up the binoculars in his hand. “Everything looks calm this morning. They’ll probably wait until nightfall before they return.”

  “But you expect them to come back?”

  “I’m sure they’re still looking for whatever it was they wanted to find. Now that it’s daylight, let’s check Zack’s files again. We should have a few hours of battery life left on his laptop.”

  “The children will sleep for a bit longer. They’ll be hungry when they wake.”

  “I’ve got a small camp stove we can light. There’s enough draft in the cave and it’s large enough that we don’t have to worry about fumes. I’ll boil water for coffee and make something hot for the children. Instant oatmeal sound okay?”

  “Perfect.”

  After a quick glance at the valley, he lowered the binoculars and hopped down from his perch. “Let’s head inside.”

  He put his arm on her back, and together they walked into the cave where, good to his word, he quickly prepared instant coffee that provided warmth. Adding sugar and dried creamer made it more than palatable.

  The oatmeal filled a hole in her stomach, although it did little to ease the nervous anxiety she felt each time she thought of Zack. Did he have food and shelter and something warm to wrap his hands around?

  “Oh, please, God,” she whispered, surprised when Nick looked up.

  “I know you’re worried.” His gaze was filled with concern.

  She nodded. “I was thinking about Zack.”

  “I tried to call him this morning but didn’t get a response.”

  “Do they have him?” she asked, almost afraid to hear Nick’s answer.

  “He’s okay.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “I know Zack.”

  “You knew him years ago, before he lost his wife and became so reckless, despite his two children, who should make him be more cautious.”

  “Zack was born to be an investigator, Lizzie. His work gives meaning to his life.”

  “His children should come first,” she insisted.

  “And they do, but he has a job to do. For me, that’s the military. For him, it’s exposing corruption and righting wrongs.”

  “You mentioned the military.” She pulled in a ragged breath. “Aren’t you afraid when you go into combat?”

  “Of course I worry about what could happen. Everyone does. Anyone who says otherwise isn’t being truthful. My mission is to defend my country. To fight for what’s right, for freedom, for truth. I wouldn’t be able to look myself in the eye if I didn’t do my job.”

  Nick was telling her that he lived with danger and always would. Was this the way life would be if she were with Nick? Always afraid? Always looking over her shoulder?

  Lizzie shook her head ever so slightly. Why was she even thinking about a future with Nick? He’d just told her how important the military was to him. He had a job to do that didn’t include her. Was that why he’d left her behind all those years ago—because he’d known that he wanted to go serve his country, and that that would mean letting her go so his mission could come first?

  Mary Grace stirred. Her eyes blinked open, and concern momentarily clouded her face. She dug her hand into the sleeping bag, pulled her Nativity set free of the bedding and smiled at Lizzie.

  “Morning, Sunshine. We’re having a campout and a special breakfast.” Lizzie kept her voice light. “How about something warm to eat?”

  “My tummy’s hungry.”

  “I’m sure it is. Get up quietly so you don’t wake Joey.”

  Mary Grace climbed from the sleeping bag and gave Liz a hug. “When will Daddy come to get us?”

  “Soon, honey. I hope very, very soon.”

  If only Zack would think of the children and stop placing himself in danger.

  She glanced at Nick. He wouldn’t change, either, and she could never ask him to be anything other than the brave man he was. Nick was good and strong and determined to make a difference.

  She had to stop blaming him for hurting her in the past. He’d chosen a path that didn’t include her, but it was a noble and honorable path. She shouldn’t blame him for choosing it over her. As soon as the danger had ended, he’d return to Fort Rickman and the military. Future deployments and assignments around the world would take him far from Lassiter and far from Lizzie. That was the reality she needed to accept. No matter how much she wished their reunion could grow into a relationship, her time with Nick would be short-lived.

  She needed to steel her heart. Nick Fontaine would walk out of her life again.

  TEN

  Nick enjoyed watching Mary Grace eat breakfast. She followed the oatmeal with dried fruit and laughed when it stuck to her teeth.

  “I need to brush,” she said after swallowing the last bit of dried banana.

  “My mistake,” Nick said with a chuckle. “I forgot to include toothbrushes or toothpaste in with the supplies.”

  “Daddy says I need to set a good example for Joey.”

  As if hearing his name, the little guy opened his eyes. He looked as confused as Mary Grace had been when she’d first awakened.

  Lizzie moved closer and smiled down at him. “Morning, Joey. We’re camping out—it’s an adventure! Would you like some breakfast?”

  He nodded his head, sat up and smiled at Nick.

  “Hey, Sport. Did you sleep well?”

  Again the nod. He stretched his arms above his head and then reached for Lamb, still buried within the sleeping bag.

  “I set up a makeshift latrine at the end of the escape tunnel and hung a tarp for privacy,” Nick explained. “There’s a basin, bottled water and soap for washing up, if you want to take the children.”

  Liz herded them into the tunnel, taking the totes with their outfits. Once they returned with clean faces and hands and dressed for the day, Nick helped Joey with his breakfast.

  After eating, the children sat with their legs crossed on the thick down sleeping bags and played with their handmade toys. Mary Grace handed her brother the stuffed figure of Joseph and plopped Mary onto the back of the hand-stitched donkey.

  “Let’s pretend we’re going to Bethlehem, Joey. I’ll ride and you walk Joseph next to the donkey.”

  The two children hopped their figures over the sleeping bags and stopped at the stablelike carrier.

  “Knock on the door of the inn and see if there’s room for us to spend the night,” big sister instructed her brother.

  Joey pretended to knock and then shook his head. His wide-eyed, innocent expression revealed how totally immersed he was in the playacting. Even without talking, he seemed to have a childlike comprehension of what had happened more than two thousand years earlier.

  “The innkeeper said we can stay in the stable,” Mary Grace announced, always the spokesperson.

  “Some people believe the stables of old could have been caves,” Lizzie mentioned. Both children accepted the comment and glanc
ed around the stone walls of their own makeshift lodging.

  “Maybe just like this cave,” Mary Grace said with awe in her voice.

  Joey nodded and pulled Lamb closer to his heart.

  “Aunt Lizzie, can we ask Baby Jesus to bring Daddy here so he can play with us?”

  “Of course, honey, but he has a job to do, so maybe we should ask Jesus to bring him here when his work is done. Besides, I don’t think we’ll stay in the cave much longer.”

  The little girl pondered Elizabeth’s comment before adding, “Tomorrow’s Christmas. Let’s ask that Daddy can come back to us—wherever we are—in time for Christmas.”

  She reached out her hand to her aunt, who grasped it in her own and then, in turn, Lizzie stretched her other hand toward Nick.

  He didn’t understand.

  “We hold hands when we pray,” she explained. “I thought you might want to join us.”

  “Sure.” He stepped closer and took her hand, enjoying the feel of her soft skin and long, delicate fingers. “Praying is a good idea.”

  “Sunshine, why don’t you lead us?” Lizzie said.

  Joey placed the lamb on his lap and then took Nick’s and his sister’s hands.

  “Jesus,” Mary Grace began, her eyes closed tight. “Joey and I want Daddy to be with us for Christmas. Tell him to hurry. Thank You for loving Daddy and for loving us, too.”

  Joey nodded.

  “And Aunt Lizzie and Nick. Thank You for letting Aunt Lizzie have someone grown-up to help her. We love You, Jesus.”

  “Amen,” they all concluded, except Joey, who nodded.

  Nick continued to check the mountain road throughout the day. The children alternated between playing with their handmade toys and creating Christmas decorations with construction paper and art supplies Lizzie had packed in the tote. By midmorning, paper chains decorated the cave, along with cutout Christmas trees and wreaths. Nick took a turn with the scissors while Lizzie made peanut butter sandwiches for lunch.

  Later in the afternoon, Nick turned on the battery-operated radio he had packed with the supplies and adjusted the volume. “Time for the hourly news. Let’s see if the police are revealing any new information.”

  “More snow is forecast later today,” the announcer said, “with temperatures dipping below freezing tonight.”

  “Daddy wanted a white Christmas,” Mary Grace announced. “Mama loved snow. He said we can look at the snow and remember how happy it always made her.”

  “Your dad’s right,” Nick said, all too aware of the huskiness in his voice.

  His own mother hadn’t been interested in her son’s well-being. Instead, she’d run off with a drifter who’d promised her whatever she wanted to hear. No telling where he had dumped her and where she could be now. If only God had listened to his childhood prayers to protect his mom.

  If only God would listen to Mary Grace and Joey’s prayer for their dad.

  Nick glanced at Lizzie, who sat near the children and played with the cloth toys, surrounded by the cutout Christmas decorations. She was trying to be strong for the children, but he could tell that Lizzie was worried about her brother.

  So was Nick.

  Even more than that, he was worried about a utility van, and whether he could keep three special people in his life alive if the men returned to the mountain.

  * * *

  Even as Lizzie played with the children, her attention was on the radio. Inwardly, she was wound so tight she thought she might explode, yet she had to be strong for the children.

  “The police are still on the lookout for Zack Tate in connection with the killing of a Tyler man identified as William Arnold, a father of two. Mrs. Arnold says her husband planned to meet investigative reporter Tate in a late-night rendezvous. She admitted he seemed worried.”

  Nick turned to Lizzie. “Do you know the victim?”

  She shook her head. “The only person I know from Tyler is the school librarian I work with.”

  “Call her.”

  “She’s probably heard the news report by now.”

  “Tell her the truth. You’re not involved, and you’re worried about your brother. Find out what she knows about William Arnold.”

  Lizzie pulled out her cell and inserted the battery. She found the woman’s number once the cell activated.

  “Helen, it’s Elizabeth Tate.”

  “Where are you? Have you seen the news? Your brother, Zack—”

  “I know. That’s why I’m calling. I’m trying to figure out what’s going on. I haven’t seen Zack all night. Do you know anything about William Arnold, the man who died?”

  Silence filled the line.

  “Helen, I need your help.”

  “I know he has a wife and children who won’t have a father this Christmas.”

  Elizabeth nodded, feeling a sense of loss for the family, but also knowing she had to learn more about the victim. “Where did he work? Was he involved with law enforcement? Could he have gotten into debt or had his house foreclosed on? There must be something that was wrong, Helen. You’ve got to tell me what you know.”

  Elizabeth looked at Nick and shook her head.

  “I only know that he needed money,” Helen finally admitted. “You’re right about his house. It was in foreclosure. The bank had given them a few months grace period, but they have to move out by the first of the year.”

  “So money was an issue?”

  “I think they just got behind. He worked for a local company that was bought out a few months ago. The new owners brought in their own middle-management people. William was able to keep working, but he took a sizable pay cut and was put back on the production line.”

  “What’s the company?”

  “Barringer Products. I think BP partnered with a larger company that has something to do with government contracts.”

  Lizzie pulled the phone closer to her ear. “Do you know the name of the other company?”

  “I don’t have a clue. Everyone’s been fairly closedmouthed about the takeover. Some people made out very well in the sale.”

  “You mean folks who formerly owned BP?”

  “That’s right. The CEO was ready to retire so the sale was timed perfectly for him.”

  “Who bought the company?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Could you find out? My brother mentioned a whistleblower, which means there was something suspect going on.”

  “If the police question me, I’ll have to tell them the truth.”

  “I wouldn’t want you to lie.”

  “I’ll make a few phone calls.”

  “Hurry, Helen. I’m afraid time is running out.”

  ELEVEN

  Nick booted up Zack’s laptop and checked the battery power options to gauge how long they had to review the files. Once again he searched Zack’s documents, but found nothing about Barringer Products.

  Unable to make sense of the smattering of information on the laptop, Nick left the computer on a rock ledge and turned to Lizzie. “Could there be any other place that Zack stored his files?”

  “He liked to keep everything at his fingertips and on his laptop. I’m surprised he didn’t take it with him last night.”

  “Maybe he knew there might be trouble.”

  “If so, he shouldn’t have gone.” Lizzie glanced at the children, still playing with the toys their mother had made.

  Nick motioned to her. She raised her brow.

  He scooted back against an edge of rock that blocked his view of the children and secluded them as Lizzie stepped closer.

  The worry on her face eased, and she smiled, sending a barrage of emotion rolling over him. Even after all this time holed up in a dank cave, she looked fresh and bright. He took her
hand and pulled her close, thinking only of her eyes that burned into him and her mouth that opened ever so slightly. He couldn’t take his gaze off her.

  “I called you over to reassure you, but I’m not thinking of that now.”

  She leaned closer. “What are you thinking about?”

  “How my sprits lift when I’m with you. You make me optimistic and ready to conquer whatever faces us. We can do it, Lizzie. We can track down the corruption Zack was trying to uncover that will lead us to your brother.”

  “I told Zack that I didn’t need your help, but I was wrong. I didn’t know where to go or what to do.” She glanced around the corner at the children. “I don’t want to think about what could have happened.”

  “But it didn’t.” He pulled her closer, keeping his gaze on her face, on her smooth skin, on her lips. This wasn’t the time or the place, but he couldn’t help himself. He needed to hold her in his arms.

  He wrapped his hands around her and pulled her into his embrace. She stared up at him with a coy smile that made him think only of Lizzie.

  This was crazy—he knew he shouldn’t do this, knew she deserved better than him. But the longer he spent around her, the harder it was to resist the urge to hold her. Warmth spread through him, and he held her tight, rubbing his arms over her back and her shoulders, surprised by the feelings that exploded within him. How could he bear to walk away again from Lizzie when she was all he’d ever wanted? He started to lower his mouth to hers.

  The trill of her phone interrupted their almost kiss.

  She pulled back and shook her head. “Bad timing.” Reaching for her cell, she noted the name. “It’s Helen.”

  “What did you find out?” she asked as soon as the call connected.

  The seriousness of Lizzie’s expression worried Nick.

  “You’re sure?” Lizzie paused for a long moment. “Thanks, Helen.”

  She disconnected and gazed up at Nick. “Guess who bought BP?”

  Nick shook his head. “No clue.”

  “Doyle Manufacturing.”

  “So what’s the Tyler plant doing that caused one of their workers to contact Zack?” He glanced down at the laptop. “There’s got to be more information. Tell me what Zack said when he called you.”