Cold Terror

by Susan Sleeman

  “I heard about Nick’s passing. I’m sorry for your loss.”

  “Thank you, but about the sheriff…” She’d always had a single focus, and that hadn’t changed either.

  “I’ll call him while the doc checks you out.”

  “Sheriff Blake Jenkins?”

  Gage nodded. “I forgot you must know him from the reconstruction.”

  “Yes, David knows I’m doing a project for Blake, but not what. I only work on it after David goes to bed. I don’t want him to know about the project or the attack.”

  “I have a child, too, so I understand, and I’m sure Blake will as well.”

  She blinked a few times as if processing the news that he was a father. “Please come back so I know you talked to him. Please.”

  He nodded.

  “Thank you.” She sighed out a long breath like she was deflating.

  Her pain split his heart. He couldn’t just stand there and do nothing. A simple squeeze of her hand was okay, wasn’t it? He took a step forward, but the doctor, a short male in blue scrubs, entered the room with Maggie, preempting him. Probably a good thing. A touch from him might very well add to her distress.

  “If you’ll excuse us, Gage,” Maggie said.

  He nodded, but kept his focus on Hannah. “Before I go, you should know I checked on David. He’s hanging in there, but he wants to see you.”

  “I can make that happen,” Maggie offered.

  Gage nodded his thanks and left to make his call before he succumbed to Hannah’s tortured gaze and rethought his plan to take her hand. He looked around the busy space, trying to find a spot where he could keep an eye on both Hannah’s and David’s rooms. He found a corner out of the way and dug out his phone that he’d retrieved from David. Gage dialed his high school football buddy, Blake Jenkins, the elected county sheriff for the past six years. He’d captained a strong team in high school and was a well-respected sheriff now.

  When he answered, Gage kept his voice down and recounted the little he knew about Hannah’s attack. After Blake promised to arrive soon, Gage came to his feet to wait for the doctor to finish his exam. Seemed like hours before he stepped out with Maggie. The pair immediately entered into a hushed conversation sending Gage’s concern skyrocketing. Maybe he shouldn’t have told David that she would be okay.

  Gage hurried to her open door and peeked into the room. The lights were dimmed above her bed, likely due to the head injury. Still, her eyes were clear as they met his. He approached her bed, but her sudden tentative expression slowed his feet.

  “Did you reach the sheriff?” she asked.

  He nodded when what he wanted to do was ask if she was seriously hurt. For her sake, he needed to cool his worry and wait for her to volunteer the information. And even though he wanted to ask for additional details about the attack, he’d wait until Blake arrived to keep her from having to tell the story twice.

  “Blake’s on his way.” He made sure to smile. “He knows not to speak in front of David.”

  “Thank you.” She frowned.

  He’d expected a smile in return. “What is it?”

  “I don’t have hypothermia, which is a good thing, but the doctor ordered an MRI for the head injury. Depending on what they find, I may have to stay overnight.” Tears glistened in her eyes, and she shifted to track Maggie as she stepped back into the room.

  “David’s on his way,” she said, then met Gage’s gaze with a stern look. “I see you didn’t take my advice and get changed. I’ll grab some scrubs after I get Hannah ready for transport for her MRI.”

  Hannah’s focus changed to Gage. “If I have to spend the night, what am I going to do with David? I don’t know anyone in Cold Harbor.”

  “I can take care of him,” Gage said before thinking about it.

  A look of pure horror crossed Hannah’s face. “You? No. No.”

  With Blake on the way, she’d likely realized she didn’t want Gage to hang around any longer. He deserved her response, but man, it hurt.

  “I could call my friend Rachel to come from Portland,” she added.

  “Why do that when you couldn’t ask for anyone better than Gage to watch your son?” Maggie unhooked a lead wire. “He spoils his daughter rotten.”

  Hannah’s mouth opened and closed as if searching for how to respond.

  “I can arrange for a bed for David in your room,” Maggie offered. “And to make sure you get your rest, Gage can spend the night to keep an eye on David.”

  “Sure,” Gage said, but he doubted Hannah would agree.

  “But your daughter and wife,” she protested. “They must need you.”

  He wasn’t going to let her use that as an excuse. If she didn’t want him around, she would have to come right out and tell him. “My wife passed away three years ago, and I have a live-in nanny who will keep an eye on Mia.”

  Hannah nibbled on her lip, her eyes narrowed.

  “Look.” Maggie hooked the IV bag on the edge of the bed. “You can trust Gage. He’s the best.”

  Hannah’s eyes narrowed even more, and Maggie looked confused.

  No confusion for Gage. He got it. He could read Hannah’s mind without any trouble. He’d flaked on her before, so why should she trust him now?

  3

  Gage left, and Hannah ignored Maggie bustling about and reflected on the doctor’s diagnosis.

  “You have a small bleed on your brain,” he’d said. “We’ll need to keep you in the hospital so neurosurgery can check on you throughout the night.”

  The diagnosis she could handle, but a night spent with Gage in her room? With the man who’d been unable to commit to her—worse yet, had taken off instead of committing? How did she handle that? Handle him?

  On the one hand, she was glad for his protection. On the other, she’d spent the last few years purposely not depending on a man, and in only a few hours, she’d come to totally depend on Gage.

  She sighed and closed her eyes.

  Why, God? What’s your plan here?

  She sounded like a broken record, repeating the same question since Nick’s death. He’d gone hiking. Climbing. Alone. She’d warned him to take a buddy along. But no. He was a SEAL. He didn’t need anyone’s help to make a simple climb. That was how he’d approached everything in life. He didn’t need anyone but his team. And that included her. His attitude had severed all trust and hindered the communication in their marriage.

  And now, here she was relying on another man who had similar tendencies. Ironic?

  Not funny.

  But then, not much had been funny in her life of late. Trying to make a living to support David and still stay home with him for the last two years had been a challenge. Sure, they had Nick’s life insurance, but she’d only dipped into that for emergencies and tried to save the rest for David’s college fund. He’d start kindergarten after Labor Day and that would make it easier for her to work, but freelancing for all the law enforcement agencies in the Portland area didn’t provide steady income or benefits to supplement the meager ones she received from the navy.

  At least the doctor hadn’t found any issues with David, and he was being released. She didn’t know what she’d do if he’d suffered any permanent damage.

  She heard the door creak and flashed open her eyes to find Gage entering with Sheriff Blake Jenkins. Gage still wore his soggy running pants and long-sleeved knit shirt that stretched tautly across a muscled chest and arms.

  How she’d once loved having those powerful arms wrapped around her. Who was she kidding? She’d liked being in his arms at the beach, too.

  He gave her a quizzical look, and she realized she’d been staring. She shifted her attention to Blake who was just over six feet tall, muscular, and fit like Gage. Blake wore a button-down shirt with a leather jacket and jeans. In the event that David entered the room, Hannah was thankful the sheriff had arrived in street clothes.

  He stepped over to the bed and offered a kind smile. “You’ve had quite a night.” />
  Hannah didn’t know what to say, so she started to nod, but stopped when a dagger of pain pierced her skull. “I have.”

  “I saw them readying David for release, so I’ll get right to it before they bring him to you.” Blake took out a small notepad and pen then pulled up a chair. “When you’re ready, go ahead and tell me about the attack.”

  Hannah took a few deep breaths and let the memories she’d been stifling play out in her mind. “I was working on the reconstruction. My back was to the door. I like to listen to music when I work and had my headphones on. I was totally focused on the project. In between songs, I heard the floor creak but didn’t think anything of it as that cottage makes noises. In hindsight, it must have been my attacker creeping up on me.”

  “Was the door locked?” Blake asked.

  “Yes. I have no idea how he got in.”

  “I dispatched a deputy to the cottage, and hopefully we’ll figure that out.”

  “I assume the creep is long gone.”

  Blake nodded. “He must have had a boat—did you see it?”

  “Yes, it was a small aluminum fishing boat with bright blue oars, but I set it adrift. Maybe he swam for it.”

  “Or he drowned,” Gage said.

  “Is it wrong to say I hope so?” She couldn’t believe she’d just wished someone had died. “I know it’s wrong of me to want anyone to die, but I’ll bet he survived. He was crazy strong and could probably figure out a way to stay alive.”

  Blake frowned. “I have deputies patrolling the waterfront. If he landed and ditched a boat, they’ll find it.”

  “FYI, if you’re hoping to find DNA or prints on the boat you should know he wore latex gloves.”

  “DNA and prints?” Blake smiled. “Your work has obviously taught you about investigations.”

  She nodded, but couldn’t smile with him.

  “And the attack itself?” Gage asked. “You said he snuck up behind you.”

  “He clamped an arm around my neck and squeezed.” Careful not to disturb her IV, she wrapped her arms around her stomach. She was looking for comfort and protection, and she hoped self-soothing like this would keep her from seeking that comfort from Gage.

  “I was nearly blacking out when I got my hands on my needle tool,” she continued. “It’s exactly like it sounds. I stabbed his arm until he let go. I also have a hammer in my tool kit so I grabbed that and slammed it into his skull. He went down hard and lost consciousness long enough for me to get David and flee. My attacker came to just as we were leaving.” She tried not to think about the cold anger in his eyes when he came to, but the memory came unbidden and sent a shudder over her body.

  “Can you describe him?” Blake asked.

  Her stomach clenched. “He wore a ski mask, and I have no idea what his face looked like. He had dark brown eyes. And he’s a big guy. Like Gage’s height. Six-twoish. And I think he was limping. At least it seemed like it when he ran for the boat.”

  “Could be important…or not.”

  “How’s that?” she asked.

  “If it’s a permanent limp, it could help ID him, but he could have simply hurt himself.”

  “Makes sense,” she said, but she hoped it did indeed help find him.

  “How much do you think he weighed?”

  “I’m not good at judging that, but he was really built. Like Gage. All muscles.” She glanced at Gage who was eyeing her with the same unabashed interest he’d displayed often in their past, and heat crawled up her neck and over her face. Trouble was, she liked seeing the interest in his eyes back then and now, but he’d bailed on her and she’d never go down that path with him again.

  “Did he speak?” Blake asked.

  “He asked me if I thought he wouldn’t find out and said he wouldn’t let me destroy him. I have no idea what he meant, but maybe he was speaking of the reconstruction. Like if I finished the project, we’d recognize the woman, and he’d be caught.”

  “If that’s the case, then he likely took the skull with him. I’ll follow up with my deputy.” Blake tapped his pen on his notebook. “Can you think of anyone who might have a reason to want to kill you?”

  “Me?” Her mind raced over the past, grasping for anything. A nugget. Smaller even. Anything that could help locate her attacker. “I can’t think of anyone.”

  “What about someone from another investigation where you did a reconstruction or drawing?” Gage asked.

  Could someone really want to kill her? “I don’t know. I mean, this is all so surreal and no one comes to mind. But I can hardly think. My mind is muddled. The pain. The shock of everything. I just…I don’t know.”

  “What if your drawing of a suspect resulted in an arrest, and the suspect is seeking revenge?” Gage asked.

  She considered his question for a moment. “I suppose that’s possible, but again, nothing comes to mind.”

  Gage’s narrow-eyed focus remained on her. “With what your attacker said, that theory would make sense.”

  She couldn’t begin to acknowledge that someone wanted to kill her for any reason, much less a reason that wasn’t connected to the skull. “He’d want to stop me from finishing the reconstruction, that’s for sure.”

  “Both theories are valid,” Blake said. “We could be looking at someone from your past or someone related to my investigation.”

  His phone chimed, taking his attention. He peered at the screen, then looked up. “My deputy found a boat with blue oars. Looks like it was secured in a cove down the shore a bit.”

  “This guy survived, then.” Gage’s eyes darkened.

  “Oh, no! Before he took off, he said this wasn’t over. He’s going to come back, isn’t he? Find me? Kill me?”

  Gage’s fingers curled into tight fists. “Not on my watch, he won’t.”

  She looked at him and recalled the fierce protector she’d known. She’d always felt safe with him. Always. And her heart thrilled to hear he still wanted to keep her safe. But could she trust that? Trust him?

  “I should never have convinced you to work on the skull,” Blake grumbled.

  “Hey.” Hannah changed her focus to Blake. “Don’t think that way. I chose to do the reconstruction, and I still plan to finish it.”

  “If your attacker didn’t take the skull,” Gage added.

  “Right, but if it’s still at the cottage, I’m glad to finish it. I’d take it to Portland, though, where this guy isn’t likely to find me.”

  “He knows who you are, Hannah,” Blake said. “It won’t be hard for him to find out where you live.”

  “What? Right. Right. I suppose he does. I didn’t think of that.”

  Gage crossed his arms and widened his stance as if setting a line. “Once you’re released, you’ll stay at the compound with me until your attacker is behind bars.”

  She opened her mouth to argue, but he held up a hand, stopping her. “Don’t worry. We won’t be alone. My daughter, Mia, and her nanny live in the main house and the rest of my team in cottages.”

  She shot him a questioning look. “Team and compound, seriously? Exactly what have you done since leaving the SEALs?”

  “Right, you wouldn’t know. I started my own business. An injury ended my SEAL career, and I couldn’t find work I’d enjoy. That’s when I discovered other guys with injuries that took them out of the military or law enforcement. Being married to a SEAL, you know how we all reacted to such a thing.”

  Boy, did she. “It would be worse than death.”

  Gage rubbed his right forearm and stared at the wall. Could this be where he sustained that injury he mentioned?

  He shook his head and blew out a breath. “Anyway, I couldn’t sit around and feel sorry for myself forever. So I gathered a team of these guys together and started Blackwell Tactical. I have five other professionals on the team and fifty acres where we train law enforcement officers. We also provide protection services for people in distress.”

  “That’s the perfect solution while we look int
o the attack.” Blake flipped his notebook closed as if he was closing the discussion, too. “Gage’s compound is highly secure. And you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone better to fend off this attacker and keep you alive.”

  She supposed Blake was right. Gage was well qualified, but what Blake didn’t have any insight on was how a simple look from Gage stirred up feelings she’d thought were long dead. The way her heart fluttered around him. The way she had to remain in protective mode while in his company. If she wasn’t, she’d find herself falling for a man who’d left her in a lurch once, and she had no reason to believe he wouldn’t do so again.

  In a hallway restroom, Gage tugged the hospital scrub top over his head. He was glad to be dry, but the cotton shirt felt like it would rip at the seam if he so much as flexed his shoulders, and he wished his associate would get here soon with the things he needed to spend the night.

  Spend the night. Crazy. Pure craziness. There he’d been—minding his own business—out for a nightly jog along the cove like he did every evening to clear his head. And then, Hannah and her son suddenly barreled into his world, making it all topsy-turvy. He tried to make sense of seeing her again and the emotions spinning through his body.

  Even if they didn’t have a past, what man wouldn’t react to her? She was a beautiful woman. Fiery red hair that even after a dunking in the ocean looked soft, swirling around her face. Sparkling blue eyes. A round face that lit up when she smiled—which, granted she wasn’t doing tonight—but he still hadn’t been able to quit staring at her.

  “Enough,” he muttered and tossed his wet clothes into a plastic bag.

  He left the restroom to pad down the quiet hallway. He felt vulnerable and foolish without his usual clothes, but at least he was warm and dry. He rounded the corner to Hannah’s corridor. A large man, maybe six two, two-twenty pounds with a solid frame and wearing jeans and a hoodie pulled over his head stood outside her door. His hand rested on the handle.

  Was he leaving or entering the room? And who was he?

  Hannah said she didn’t know anyone in town, and this guy matched the build of the man she’d described as her attacker. Plus he certainly looked like he possessed the strength to put those bruises on her neck.