Fugitive at Large

by Sandra Robbins

  TARGETED

  When bounty hunter Jessica Knight interrupts a convenience-store robbery, walking away isn’t an option. Especially when the robber—a violent fugitive wanted for murder—chooses Jessica as his next target. To make matters worse, the detective digging into the case is Ryan Spencer…her former partner. As they investigate this new crime together, Jessica and Ryan find connections to the double homicide that ended their partnership. If they can put the pieces together in time, an innocent man will be freed. But if they’re too late, their own murders will be the killer’s next crimes.

  Bounty Hunters: Finding justice one fugitive at a time

  “Jessica, yesterday I thought I was going to a store to make sure my brother was okay. Since then, what was thought to be a robbery has snowballed into something that appears to be much deeper. I have to find out what’s going on.”

  “How are you going to do that?” she asked.

  He thought for a moment before he responded. “I think I’ll take a few days’ leave and poke around on my own. See what I can turn up.”

  She pushed out of her chair. “Well, I wish you luck. Let me know if I can help in any way.”

  He stood and faced her. “You can. How about working with me for a few days?”

  She stared at him as if he’d lost his mind. “You can’t be serious.”

  “I am. After all, Lee Tucker is a fugitive and you’re a bounty hunter.”

  She stared into his eyes without blinking. “Ryan, I don’t know…”

  He reached for her hand and clasped it in his. “Please, Jessica. It’ll be like old times. The two of us working on a case. What do you say? Want to be my partner again?”

  Sandra Robbins is an award-winning, multipublished author of Christian fiction who lives with her husband in Tennessee. Without the support of her wonderful husband, four children and five grandchildren it would be impossible for her to write. It is her prayer that God will use her words to plant seeds of hope in the lives of her readers so they may come to know the peace she draws from her life.

  Books by Sandra Robbins

  Love Inspired Suspense

  Bounty Hunters

  Fugitive Trackdown

  Fugitive at Large

  Final Warning

  Mountain Peril

  Yuletide Defender

  Dangerous Reunion

  Shattered Identity

  Fatal Disclosure

  The Cold Case Files

  Dangerous Waters

  Yuletide Jeopardy

  Trail of Secrets

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com.

  Fugitive

  at Large

  Sandra Robbins

  Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

  —Ecclesiastes 4:9–10

  To Fran for all her encouragement

  Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  DEAR READER

  EXCERPT FROM SMOKESCREEN BY JODIE BAILEY

  ONE

  Being caught in a convenience-store robbery wasn’t what Jessica Knight had expected when she stopped to get a soft drink. But from the panicked voices at the front of the store she thought that was exactly what was happening.

  “What do you think you’re doing, man?” Fear and disbelief combined in the shrill voice that drifted toward her from the direction of the checkout counter.

  “I said give me the money in the cash register.”

  “Please, mister, just take it easy with that gun before somebody gets hurt.” Jessica recognized the frightened voice of the young man who’d waited on her the past few times she’d stopped at the store.

  “I’ll take it easy when I have the money. Now put all the money in that bag,” the robber snarled.

  As of yet, the thief had no idea she was in the store, but that was about to change. She carefully closed the open door of the soft-drink display case and unzipped her heavy jacket. Her fingers curled around the gun holstered at her waist as she pulled it free.

  Her mind whirled in indecision. What was her greatest chance of stopping the robbery in progress without anyone getting hurt? Shoot first and hope for the best, or try to talk the guy into surrendering his weapon? Whatever she decided, she had to act before somebody got shot or, worse, killed. It was time to make a move.

  So much for staying hidden at the end of the aisle. She took a tentative step toward the front of the store. She knew the layout as well as she did that of her own apartment. The potato-chip display at the end of the aisle wasn’t going to offer much protection from a bullet once she stepped into view. Better to surprise the thief before he had the chance to take a shot at her.

  She gripped the gun with both hands and tiptoed farther forward, conscious of being absolutely silent. At the end of the aisle, she took a deep breath and peered toward the cash register about fifteen feet away. Behind the counter the pale clerk kept his eyes on the robber as he pulled bills from the cash register and stuffed them in a bag he held. The robber kept the gun trained on the young man as he reached up and pulled the ball cap he wore lower on his forehead.

  A customer, possibly a college student from the campus nearby, stood in front of the counter with his hands raised. His fingers trembled. Scared out of his wits, no doubt. The hammering of her heart told her he wasn’t the only one frightened.

  The clerk swallowed hard and pushed the bag across the counter toward the gunman. “That’s it unless you want the coins, too.”

  The robber shook his head. “No. That’ll do just fine.” He raised the gun and pointed it toward the clerk, who raised his hands and backed away.

  “Leave him alone,” the young customer said. “He did what you asked him to do.”

  The thief smiled. “Yes, he did.”

  He stared at the clerk for a moment before he reached for the bag. The moment his fingers touched the bag, the clerk took a step back and dropped to the floor behind the counter. Clutching the bag of money, the gunman whirled to face the customer and pointed the gun at him.

  The young man lowered his hands and put them out in front of him as if to shield his body from the gun’s blast. “No. Please, no.” His whispered plea sent chills through Jessica.

  The robber smiled and shook his head. “You shouldn’t have stuck your nose in where it doesn’t belong.”

  He raised the gun and pointed it toward the young man’s head.

  Jessica’s hope that she could do something to keep anyone from being hurt evaporated. The intent of the robber was plain. He meant to kill the young man standing at the counter and possibly the clerk also.

  She took a deep breath and stepped out into the open. “Drop your gun, or I’ll shoot!” she yelled.

  A surprised look flashed on the robber’s face, and he jerked the gun away from the customer and aimed it at her. Before she could move, the sharp crack of a bullet exploded next to her, and the smell of barbecued potato chips filled the air. She ducked and fired at the gunman before he had the chance to get off
a better-aimed shot.

  A scream of pain poured from the robber’s mouth. He dropped the gun and the bag of money before he grabbed for the side of his head. Jessica could see a trail of blood running down the man’s cheek and realized her bullet must have grazed his head.

  She took a step forward, and the man stooped to retrieve his gun. She raised hers higher and stared down the barrel of the weapon. “Don’t even think about it, mister.”

  He cast a wild-eyed stare from her to the customer. Then he grabbed the young man and shoved him toward her. She braced for the impact, but the boy’s full weight slammed into her and knocked her backward.

  The robber, blood still trickling from his head, turned and ran out the door before she could regain her footing. Jessica caught a glimpse of the young customer’s fear-filled eyes before she darted around him and sprinted after the fleeing gunman.

  The clerk peeked up over the top of the counter as she sped past. “Call 911,” she yelled over her shoulder.

  As she stepped onto the sidewalk outside the store, she saw the thief run toward the open passenger door of a waiting car. He jumped into the car, and it peeled away before he had the door closed. She lowered her gun and stared at the car’s license plate. As she muttered the numbers on the plate over and over, she pulled a notepad with an attached pen out of her pocket and jotted them down in an unsteady hand.

  When she walked back in the store, the clerk was leaning against the counter, his face in his hands. The bag containing the money lay on the floor where the robber had dropped it when he fired the first shot. The customer stood in front of the cash register, his face pale and his body trembling. His hand clutched a cell phone, and he glanced down at it. “I called 911.”

  Jessica glanced at the clerk, and he bit down on his lip. “I was shaking so hard I couldn’t get my fingers to work.” He sagged against the now-closed cash register and shuddered. “Did he get away?” he mumbled.

  “Yes. Someone was waiting outside in a car.” She grasped the young customer’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Are you okay?”

  He straightened to his full height and nodded. His gaze drifted to the gun still in her hand and then back to her face. His lips moved, but no sound emerged from his mouth. He cleared his throat and looked at the gun once more. “Who are you? A police officer?”

  She stuck her gun back in the holster and shook her head. “Not anymore. I used to be. Now I’m a bounty hunter.”

  His eyes widened and his mouth gaped open. Jessica tried to suppress the smile that always accompanied the surprised first reaction of many people when she told them her profession. She knew what the next question would be, and he didn’t disappoint her.

  “A woman bounty hunter?”

  She sighed in resignation. “Yes, believe it or not. There are women who take on this job, and I’m proud to say I’m one of them.”

  The clerk shook his head in disbelief. “I’ve been seeing you come in here for a while, but I never would have guessed you were a bounty hunter. Are you like that guy on TV? You know, the one who tracks down fugitives who’ve skipped bail.”

  She shrugged. “A bit like him. I don’t have tattoos like he does, though.”

  The two young men smiled.

  “Well, whatever you do for a living,” the customer said, “I’m glad you were here today. You saved our lives.” He stuck out his hand. “My name’s Jamie.”

  She grasped his hand and shook it. “And I’m Jessica.”

  The clerk gave a shaky laugh. “And I’m Richard.”

  He started to say something else, but before he could, sirens wailed outside and tires squealed as a car came to a stop. “Sounds like the police have arrived. That was fast,” she said.

  She stepped toward the entrance to meet the first responders and had almost reached it when the front door burst open. A man bolted inside, then skidded to an abrupt stop, the surprise on his face reflecting her own. Neither one of them spoke for a moment, and then he drew in a rough breath.

  “Jessica?”

  Her eyes wide, she took a step back and shook her head. This couldn’t be happening. Ryan Spencer. Why hadn’t she expected him to come? After all, the store was in the precinct where he worked. Where she’d worked when they’d been partners four years ago. Her fingers curled into her palms, and she swallowed.

  She hadn’t spoken to him in four years and hadn’t seen him in nearly a year. The last time she’d laid eyes on him had been when a man broke into her apartment determined to kill her best friend, Claire Walker, who happened to be staying with her at the time. Ryan had answered the call. They hadn’t talked that night. And now here he was again. Not changed a bit, and still as handsome as ever.

  His dark hair fell across his forehead just as she remembered. And as she knew he would, he reached up and raked it back as he did every time he was nervous. His gaze drifted over her again. He started to speak, but she beat him to it.

  She cleared her throat, lifted her chin and stepped forward. “Hello, Ryan. Since when does a detective arrive at a crime scene first?”

  He glanced at the young man next to the checkout counter. “I was only a block away.”

  “So you thought you’d beat everybody else to the scene.” Her lips curled into a sneer. “Why does that not surprise me?” She glanced over her shoulder at the clerk and customer who still stood at the checkout counter, then returned her gaze to the detective. “Then don’t let me detain you. I’ll go see about that soft drink I was about to purchase when all the excitement started.”

  She turned to leave, but he reached out and touched her arm. “Wait, Jessica. I wanted to thank you.”

  She turned around and frowned down at his hand on her arm. “Thank me? For what?”

  He released his hold on her. “The dispatcher said a woman in the store prevented the robber from shooting a customer. I wanted to meet that woman and thank her.”

  Something in the way he said the words made her uneasy, and she narrowed her eyes. “It was nothing, really. I’m glad I was here to prevent it from happening.”

  He shook his head. “You’re wrong. It wasn’t nothing. Not to me anyway.”

  “I don’t understand,” she said.

  He pointed toward the young customer. “That college kid you just kept from being murdered is Jamie Spencer. He’s my brother.”

  * * *

  Ryan felt a quick stab of disappointment. Jessica’s startled look told him she’d had no idea Jamie was his brother.

  Her eyebrows arched, and she glanced toward his brother, who had a big smile on his face. “Th-that’s your Jamie?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. I guess you never got to meet him when we were working together.”

  The surprise he’d seen on her face moments ago vanished at his reference to their former relationship. “Working together?” she muttered. “I guess you could call it that.”

  He started to say something else, but Jamie called out to him. “Ryan, how did you know about this?”

  Ryan glanced past her and smiled at his brother. “Sally Douglas took the 911 call, and she notified me. I was only a block away.”

  He glanced back at Jessica, and a slight smile pulled at her lips. “Sally’s still taking care of everybody, huh?” she asked.

  He nodded. “Yes, and she likes Jamie. I guess I’d forgotten that you never did meet my brother. He was fifteen when he came to live with me.”

  She darted a glance at Jamie and then back to him. “Of course I knew about him, but I never saw him. At the time, you said he was going through a rebellious phase, and you thought I might want to wait to meet him. And then we...” She hesitated. “We...”

  “We ended our partnership,” he finished for her.

  Her eyes clouded, and she pursed her lips in a look of distaste. “Not we. You.” The words
hit him like barbs. “You were the one who ended it.”

  She still couldn’t see the truth. Or maybe she’d never wanted to see the truth. At any rate, what difference did it make now? He took a deep breath.

  “I guess we still have differing opinions on that,” he said. “But that happened four years ago. We’ve both come out of that bad time no worse for wear. At least you look like you have.” He glanced over her, then back at Jamie. “At any rate, I still want to thank you for saving my brother’s life. I’m sure he’s very appreciative, too.”

  She waved her hand in dismissal. “I’m just glad he wasn’t hurt. Now, why don’t you go tell him how glad you are he’s okay. I’ll wait for the officers to arrive and give them my statement. I’m sure they’ll let me know if I’m needed later on.”

  She whirled around and strode to the back of the store. The potato chips that covered the floor crunched under her feet as she disappeared down one of the aisles. He stared after her for a moment, and then he sighed and turned toward his brother.

  Jamie straightened from leaning against the cash register as he approached, and Ryan enveloped him in a big bear hug. “Are you okay?”

  Jessica reappeared, a soft drink in her hand, and walked past them toward the front door. She didn’t glance at them as she passed, but Ryan couldn’t tear his eyes off her.

  Jamie drew his attention when he spoke. “Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks to Jessica. I saw you talking to her. Did you thank her for helping me today?”

  “I did. You’re lucky to be alive. These convenience-store robberies don’t always end this well.”

  Jamie grinned and glanced in the direction Jessica had gone. “It might go better if there were more customers like her in the stores. Did you know she’s a bounty hunter?”

  Ryan nodded. “Yeah. She was a police officer before that.”

  “I know. She told us. Did you know her then, Ryan?”

  He hesitated before he answered. He’d thought he’d known her then. But could anyone say with certainty they knew another person? He thought she would understand why he did what he did, but he’d been wrong.