“He said the killers would probably come to his house and for me to get the children to safety and to take his laptop.”
“Anything else? Tell me everything.”
“He said to be sure to take Mary Grace’s Nativity set and Joey’s lamb. To pack some outfits, their underwear and to get out of the house.”
The children started to squabble. Lizzie sighed and hurried toward them. “What’s the problem?”
Mary Grace crossed her arms over her chest as she pouted. “Joey won’t share his lamb.”
The little guy hugged his stuffed animal and shook his head.
“You each have your special toys, Sunshine. You’re being so nice to let Joey play with your set, but you know how much he loves Lamb.”
“But Lamb’s sick. He needs to go to the doctor.”
Lizzie tried to hide her smile. “Why do you think he’s sick?”
Joey clutched the toy tighter and glared at his sister.
“Lamb has a tumor. I felt it. Just like mommy had.”
“A tumor?”
“Daddy said mommy’s sickness started with a lump inside her. It turned into a tumor. That’s what made her sick.”
“Oh, honey.” Lizzie wrapped her arms around Mary Grace.
Tears clouded the little girl’s eyes. “Daddy said not even Santa can bring Mama back. Why can’t he, Aunt Lizzie?”
“Your mama’s in heaven with Jesus.”
“Baby Jesus?”
She nodded. “That’s right.”
“Doesn’t she want to be with us?”
“Of course she does, Sunshine, but her time on earth ended. She still loves you and Joey more than anything. She’ll always love you, but instead of being on earth, she’s in heaven.”
Mary Grace wiped her eyes on her sleeve and sniffed. “Daddy said I have to be strong.”
Lizzie rubbed her hand over the child’s back. “You are brave, honey.”
Nick moved closer and pulled Joey into his arms. “Does Lamb have a boo-boo, Sport?”
The little guy fingered the lamb’s stomach near the seam in the stitching. He looked up with big eyes at Nick as if wanting him to help.
“I’ve had some medical training from the military,” Nick said, playing along. “Want me to check it out?”
Joey nodded.
Nick felt the hard interior. “Feels like something’s in there, Sport. I’ll take it out so Lamb can feel better. You hold on to him, okay? I’ll use my pocketknife and just pull a couple stitches loose.”
Nick opened the stitching ever so slightly and wiggled the hard lump out of Lamb’s stomach. “We’ll let Aunt Lizzie sew that opening closed when we get back to your house. Okay?”
The little guy nodded again.
“At least now your lamb feels better, and Aunt Lizzie and I have something to look at.” Nick held up the flash drive he’d removed from the lamb.
Her eyes widened.
“Shall we slip this into your brother’s laptop?”
Lizzie rummaged in the box of supplies and pulled out two small boxes of raisins. “Children, have a snack while Nick and I look at Daddy’s computer.”
Nick seated the flash drive in the USB port and hit the prompts to pull up the documents.
“Voilà,” he said when the file list appeared.
He found Barringer Products and opened the file.
What he read surprised him even more, but before he could tell Lizzie, the burner phone trilled.
Glancing down, his gut tightened. Burl’s name flashed on the call screen.
Raising the phone to his ear, he knew what Burl would say before he heard his voice. “Did you see them?”
“Four this time. In the van. They’re moving fast up the mountain, although the snow and slick conditions will slow them down. You want me to blow out a tire or two?”
“I want you to use caution and stay out of sight. Thanks for the warning.”
Nick ripped the flash drive from the port and handed it to Lizzie. “Put this someplace safe. It has all the information and explains what Zack was investigating.”
“Which was what?”
“No time. That was Burl who called. The killers are on the way up the mountain. Get the children. You need to escape out the rear tunnel and head down the hill to Cambridge. Remember Jean Simpson?”
“She taught English and drama when we were in high school.”
“That’s right. She lives on Main Street, in the heart of the downtown area. Follow the mountain road into town. Pass the square and the big church on the next corner. Jean’s house will be the third bungalow on the left after that second intersection. Tell her what happened and give her the flash drive. She’ll know who to contact. Now that we have evidence law enforcement will have no choice but to listen.”
“Do we have to leave again?” Mary Grace grumbled.
“I told you we wouldn’t stay here long. Get your Nativity Set and pull on your boots. Joey, you, too.”
Lizzie helped the children, her hands trembling.
Trying not to let them see her nervousness, she quickly ushered them into the tunnel. Nick picked up Joey and carried him, while Mary Grace ran next to Lizzie.
The escape passage was narrow and dark, but the Maglite provide ample illumination.
“Tell Jean everything,” Nick advised. “Don’t hold anything back. I trust her.”
“I can’t go alone. You’ve got to come with us, Nick.”
He shook his head “Not this time. I want to stop these guys once and for all.”
“But there’re four of them and only one of you.”
“I’ll hold them off so you and the children can get a head start down the mountain.”
They pushed through the narrow opening at the end of the tunnel and stepped outside, inhaling the crisp mountain air.
“Hurry,” Nick warned.
Once the children were buckled into their car seats, Lizzie held out the keys to Nick. “You drive. I’ll sit in the back.”
He grabbed her hand and shook his head. “I’m not going. You can do this. Tell Jean I sent you. Make sure the flash drive gets to someone in law enforcement, someone who’s not on the take.”
She shook her head. “I’m not going.”
“Lizzie, please.”
“Not unless you go with us, Nick.”
He hesitated for half a heartbeat then steeled himself to say what he needed to say to make her leave. “It was nearly time for us to go our separate ways, anyway. Be realistic. We didn’t have anything that would keep us together in the past, and nothing will now, either. It was nice reconnecting, but we’re not meant for anything long-term. I’m returning to Fort Rickman in a few days. You’ll return to teaching.”
“But—”
“No buts. You’ve got to save the children.”
She heard Nick, but she didn’t want to believe him. Except the harshness in his voice made her realize he was being totally honest.
How foolish to think Nick cared for her. He was only interested in the army and returning to Fort Rickman.
After climbing behind the wheel, she started the engine, wanting more than anything to run back to his arms and beg him to change his mind. But she had to shove those thoughts aside, even though the pain of never being in his arms again was almost too great to endure.
Lord, help me. She eased the SUV onto the path and started down the hill. When she finally glanced back, Nick was gone from sight.
Tears burned her eyes, and she blinked to keep them from blurring her vision. Twilight had settled on the mountain, and the path was slick. She had to get the children to safety.
When would this nightmare be over? Nick said Jean Simpson could be trusted, but Lizzie wasn’t sure who to trus
t anymore. Like a fool and for a second time, she’d wanted to give her heart to Nick, but he wasn’t interested.
Glancing back, her stomach dropped. The top of the mountain was obscured from view. What she had with Nick was over.
Forever.
She flicked her gaze to the children in their car seats. She had Mary Grace and Joey. They were all that mattered right now.
Getting them to safety.
Keeping them safe.
Please, Lord, let me do exactly that.
* * *
Nick’s heart broke as he watched the SUV disappear down the mountain. He’d seen the pain on Lizzie’s face when he told her they didn’t have a future together. He hadn’t lied, but that didn’t mean he wanted the words to be true. More than anything, he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. But she deserved someone better, just as her father had told him years ago. No matter how much Nick wished things could be different.
He hurried through the cave and climbed to the perch he’d found this morning on the rocks. He’d lie in wait for the four gunmen to defend the mountain and buy time for Lizzie and the children.
Would he be able to stop the killers?
Only God knew the outcome. Nick could use someone else on his side. He raised his eyes to the darkening sky.
Lord, I could use Your help. Cover me and get Lizzie and the children to safety.
TWELVE
The lights in town were bright as Lizzie drove along the snow-covered street and followed the directions Nick had given her. She passed City Hall and the big church on the next corner all lit up for Christmas, but when she pulled in front of the house Nick had indicated, it sat dark and abandoned-looking.
Unwilling to reveal her discouragement to the children, she drove farther down the block and spotted a small church on the right. People were flocking there, and twinkling lights glowed from the large tree outside. The windows of the church were inviting with their warmth, and she knew she would find help inside.
Taking a chance, she parked the car and asked a lady on the sidewalk if she knew Jean Simpson.
The woman pointed to the side door of the church. “Jean’s in the education center.”
Peering through the car window at Mary Grace and Joey, the woman smiled. “I just dropped off my children so they’d have time to get into their costumes. I’m going home to pick up my husband. We’ll come back for the service and the Christmas Eve program.”
“Program?” Lizzie asked.
“The live Nativity. Jean’s in charge. She’ll tell you where your little ones need to go.”
Lizzie unbuckled the children and headed inside where she was directed to the teacher she vaguely remembered, now in her late sixties, but trim and fit and with a welcoming smile when the threesome approached her.
“Nick Fontaine said you could help us.” Liz quickly explained what had happened, glad that no one was around to overhear.
“You must be cold and hungry.”
Lizzie shook her head. “We’re okay. Nick took care of us.”
“Of course he would.”
Lizzie knit her brow. “What do you mean?”
Jean took her hand. “He’s a good man.”
Nodding, Liz blinked back another volley of tears that threatened to reveal her true feelings.
The older woman’s gaze was filled with compassion. Turning to the children, she pointed them toward a table filled with plates of baked goods. “Get a cookie while I talk to your aunt.”
The little ones hurried to the table and eyed the assortment before making their selection.
“I don’t want to be presumptuous,” Jean said, her attention once again on Elizabeth and her voice low so the children couldn’t hear. “But it seems you care deeply about Nick.”
Painful as it was to admit the truth, Liz nodded.
“He’s always loved you—you must have known that—ever since high school.”
Lizzie shook her head. “But he left town without a word to me.”
“Because your father told him to make something of his life and had him promise to never return to Lassiter. Your dad was thinking of your future when he said Nick wasn’t good enough for you. With Nick’s family history, the truth in your father’s words hit him hard.”
Lizzie’s ears rang. Surely she wasn’t hearing Jean correctly. “Nick promised we’d always be together, that he loved me.”
Jean nodded. “And he did love you. Probably still does. Your brother broke into Lassiter High School that night to uncover grades that had been altered.”
Suddenly, Liz understood. “Harold Doyle.”
“Exactly. Zack was right about the administration doctoring grades, which is the reason I retired early. But he tripped an alarm, and the police arrived on-site that night. Nick has always been the type of guy who would do anything for a friend. Zack was on scholarship to college. He and Annabelle planned to marry. Nick knew your brother’s future would be ruined if he was arrested, so he made sure Zack escaped, which delayed Nick. The police apprehended him leaving campus.”
“Nick sacrificed himself just as he’s doing right now for me.” She looked at the children. “For us.”
Lizzie held up the flash drive. “I’ve got the information Zack uncovered that needs to get in the right hands. Lassiter police are on the take.”
“You can trust Cambridge law enforcement. In fact, the chief of police is here helping out.”
“My first concern is keeping the children safe.”
Jean nodded knowingly. “Sometimes hiding in plain sight is the best option.” She motioned for the children. When they drew close, she stooped down to Mary Grace’s level. “The girl who was supposed to play Mary is sick, and I don’t have a replacement.”
The child’s eyes lit up. “That’s who I am when Joey and I play with the Nativity set my mother made.”
“Then you’ll be perfect for the part.”
“What about my brother?” Mary Grace pointed to Joey. “He doesn’t talk.”
Jean’s smile was bittersweet. “But he has a lamb. He’ll make a wonderful shepherd.”
She gestured to a man in police uniform, who quickly approached. “Anything I can do to help, honey?”
Jean blushed as she introduced Lizzie to Chief Todd Carter and then pointed to a corner alcove. “You two can talk there while I find costumes for the children.”
Moving into the private area, Lizzie dropped the flash drive into the chief’s hand and quickly explained what had happened.
He listened attentively, nodded a few times and, when she was finished, he raised his cell to his ear. “Tracy, notify the deputies to meet me at the foot of the mountain ASAP.”
Lizzie thanked him, then hurried back to where the retired teacher was digging through a box of costumes. “Thank you so much, Jean.”
Lizzie hugged the children. “Stay with Ms. Simpson. I’ll get Nick, and we’ll be back in time to see you perform.”
“Are you sure?” Mary Grace asked.
Lizzie smiled and traced a mark on her chest. “Cross my heart.”
Satisfied, Mary Grace turned to Jean. “Can we get into our costumes now?”
Racing outside, Lizzie glanced at the mountain where Nick was fighting for his life. Now she understood why Nick had left town. Her dad knew he needed a shove in the right direction. If only he hadn’t added the comment about Nick not being good enough. He was exactly who she wanted, who she had always loved. If only Lizzie could get to Nick in time.
THIRTEEN
Lizzie drove past the Cambridge police amassing at the foot of the mountain, knowing she couldn’t wait for the captain to arrive. She had to help Nick. Accelerating up the mountain, she felt her heart stop when she crested the peak. Two men lay in the snow and two
more shoved Nick toward the utility van parked in the clearing.
Blood stained his jacket, and he favored one side.
Anger swelled within her. She wouldn’t let anyone harm the man she loved.
Seeing her approach, one of the two remaining gunmen stepped into the clearing and raised his weapon.
She floored the accelerator. The tires spun on the ice before taking hold.
The man jumped out of the path of the SUV, but not in time. The side bumper caught his leg and sent him flying. His head hit a boulder, and he collapsed in a heap. His weapon sailed through the air.
Lizzie jumped from the car and ran to where his gun landed and disappeared into the snow.
She dug frantically in the icy drift. She had to find the weapon. Sirens sounded in the distance, but all she could think about was saving Nick.
* * *
Nick had never expected to see Lizzie again. Telling her they weren’t meant for each other had been the hardest thing he’d ever done, next to the night he’d left Lassiter for good.
Now she had come back to him.
Only she shouldn’t be here. He wanted her safe and protected and not in the middle of a gunfight.
He’d fought for his life to give Lizzie and the children time to escape. He’d taken down two of the thugs and then had been wounded again in the side, where he’d been hit in Afghanistan.
Sirens filled the night. Help was on the way, but would it arrive in time?
The last man standing raised his weapon. Nick’s heart dropped, seeing the gun aimed at Lizzie as she knelt in the snow.
‘No,” he screamed. He lunged, grabbed the guy’s arm and struggled for possession of the firearm.
The thug slammed his other fist into Nick’s side. Air rushed from his lungs. His grip on the gun eased ever so slightly.
The guy jerked free. He staggered backward, holding the weapon.
Nick started to rise.
The killer aimed at Nick. His finger tightened on the trigger.
Lizzie screamed.
Holiday Defenders : Mission: Christmas Rescuespecial Ops Christmashomefront Holiday Hero (9781460341254) Page 7
