Hidden (Jacobs Family Series Book 1)

by Vannetta Chapman

  Ben didn’t look as if he agreed with her decision, but neither did he argue.

  So she turned, and she walked back the way they had come. But not exactly the way they’d come. Her mind was torn between all they’d done and all they would need to do. Her heart was hurting from what she’d seen.

  And so she forgot to let Ben lead them out of the forest.

  She didn’t think to retrace their steps.

  She was careless as to where she placed each foot.

  Forty-five

  Ben knew he and Clay would have to go back into the cabin. There was no way he was bringing Sayeed. The man should still be on leave in his opinion. He definitely did not belong in the field. Of course, he did know more about explosives and combat than Clay, so perhaps they could set up a live feed. Sayeed couldn’t risk another injury this soon though.

  No, he would need to bring Clay. And they would have to go back into the basement, gather as much evidence as possible, and look for clues as to where Drogan was and what he had planned next. They’d also have to set up a twenty-four hour guard around Dana, or move her. From the tongue lashing he’d received and the way she’d pulled rank, he knew she wasn’t going to easily accept either recommendation from him.

  His mind was so completely preoccupied with all he would need to do, he slipped and forgot his current duties. Or that’s what he would tell himself later. He should have never let Dana lead, not knowing Drogan was an explosives expert.

  The instant he heard her foot contact the mine trigger, he recognized it for what it was.

  Launching himself through the air, he knocked her to the ground and rolled, covering her body with as much of his own as possible. The explosion in the clearing behind them sent a low rumbling through the ground beneath them.

  Ben felt her heartbeat beneath him as he held her tight. Tendrils of smoke filled the air, stinging his eyes. But there were no flames, no secondary explosions.

  Pulling back slightly, he dusted the leaves and dirt from her hair. He tried to see her face, but she was cowered in the fetal position.

  “It’s over, Dana. Are you okay?”

  She lowered her hands slowly and stared up at him with an expression that would haunt him as long as he lived, even if he lived to see his great-grandchildren. She didn’t speak, but she sat up with his help, nodded her head, and looked around as if dazed.

  “Did I hurt you?” he asked.

  “No, no. I don’t think so.”

  He pulled the pack off her back, found the water bottle, and uncapped it.

  “Is he here?” She’d begun shaking and couldn’t hold the water when he offered it to her.

  “I don’t think so. Here, drink this.” He held it to her lips, pressed her hand to the bottle. Recapping it, he knelt in front of her and rubbed her arms. “You stepped on a mine, Dana. It was a remote detonator. I’m surprised we didn’t hit it on the way in. He’s not here.”

  She looked at him in disbelief.

  “Do you understand me? If he were here, he would have ambushed us. He wouldn’t have blown up his own place.”

  She nodded slowly, relief flooding into her face.

  “I’m going to go back and look.”

  He started to pull away from her, but she staggered to her feet.

  “I’m coming with you.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah. I was… rattled a little. I’m better now.”

  Ben walked over and picked up his rifle from where he’d thrown it, inspected the stock and firing mechanism, then chambered a round. “We’re good.” He shouldered his pack and led the way back into the clearing.

  What had been a cabin was now a pile of logs. One part of Ben’s mind wanted to give Drogan credit, for there were no flames escaping from the structure, only smoke from the settling debris.

  Dana moved a step closer until her arm brushed against his. “What if we had been inside when that happened?”

  Ben turned and looked in her eyes, saw the fear and exhaustion there. Setting his weapon on the ground, he pulled her into his arms.

  “I am so sorry.” Her words tumbled out as the shaking once again consumed her body. “You were right. I was thinking of myself. I have to think of what he could do to the Mifflins, to the town.”

  She pulled back and stared up at him, tears running down her cheeks. “I was so scared, Ben. When I saw those pictures and realized he’d been watching me. For years. Now all that evidence is gone.”

  Throwing herself against his chest, she clutched him to her, as if he might disappear like the smoke was dissipating in the early afternoon air. Ben brushed her hair back from her face. Rubbing the tears that had escaped with his thumbs, he tilted her face, forced her to look at him.

  “Anyone would have been upset to see what was downstairs, Dana. Please don’t be so hard on yourself.”

  She finally met his gaze, and he read there her insecurity, her need.

  “We’re going to make it through this, sweetheart. Together, we will. Okay?”

  “Yeah.” She sounded doubtful, but managed a weak smile.

  So there in front of the smoldering ruins, he dipped his head and kissed her gently.

  “Do you believe me?”

  “Yeah.” Stronger this time.

  Switching the rifle to his left hand, he laced his fingers with hers. “Let’s go home then.”

  Forty-six

  Dana slept most of the way back to Taos. She woke with a start, imagining she was trapped in Drogan’s dungeon. Ben’s hand on hers calmed her, brought her back to the warm sun, filtering through the Chevy’s windows.

  She smiled at him, pulled out her phone, and called the office. An hour later she’d showered, changed clothes, and was back at work. The emergency meeting she’d called included Ben, Clay, Cheryl, Sayeed, and Red. She would have included everyone, but it was Saturday. The strain was beginning to show on her staff.

  She saw the surprise on Ben’s face when she told them everything. Also saw approval, and finally understood how much it meant to her. The realization sent a shiver down her spine.

  Once she had to stop and reach for her glass of water, but she never broke down. She didn’t leave out a single detail. In the end, she’d recognized the wisdom of Ben’s words.

  The most important thing was catching Chance Drogan before he hurt someone. Her pride, any violation she had suffered personally, was secondary.

  Clay’s face had grown redder as she spoke. By the time she finished describing all they had found, she could tell he was struggling to contain his anger.

  “Where will you stay until we catch him?” Clay asked.

  Dana reached again for her glass of water, drank more than half of it to buy herself time, then set it down carefully. “I’ll stay in my home.”

  “That’s not acceptable.” Clay turned to Ben. “You were there. How would you assess the situation?”

  Everyone turned to Ben. Dana had to fight the urge to rebuke Clay, to remind him she was in charge. Instead, she decided to trust this man who had now saved her life twice.

  “I’m not comfortable with Drogan’s fixation on Dana, and I wish we could have retrieved more evidence from his bunker. As it is, we only have a few photos of the maps and workbench.” He paused, looked directly into her waiting eyes as she sat at the head of the conference table. “If Dana feels safe staying in her home, I’d say it’s her call.”

  Dana let out the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.

  “I don’t believe this,” Clay muttered.

  “Are you sure, Dana?” Cheryl had been sitting back silently, but now she leaned forward.

  Red continued stroking his beard.

  Ben had to raise his voice to be heard over the group. “If it’s okay with Dana, I recommend we install a perimeter security system around her house and another field around her lot. I also want to do a sweep of her car twice a day.”

  Everyone turned to stare at him. Dana wanted to reach for her glass of w
ater, but suddenly, she didn’t trust herself. She had known the danger was real. Hearing Ben’s ideas emphasized how real and immediate the danger was.

  “We should also follow up on this lead about LuAnn’s cousin, Angela. Maybe Drogan is confusing Dana with this person from his past.” Clay started a list on his laptop.

  “Dana.” Red placed his hands on the table in front of him. She hadn’t noticed before how large they were, but he splayed them out and stared at them, as if they might hold the answers. When he looked up at her, she read a fatherly look in his gaze that made the lump in her throat grow again.

  She hadn’t thought she could cry any more today, and she didn’t want to—not here. Not now.

  “I know you value your privacy, and you’re an independent and capable woman. Would you mind though if we kept someone with you at all times? Except when you’re home, of course, then you’d have Ben’s security system. You’re an astute person, but one pair of eyes can’t see everything. We can’t risk losing you. We need you around here.”

  “It wouldn’t be forever.” Cheryl’s voice was soft, reasonable. “Just until we catch him.”

  Dana swallowed past the lump in her voice. “Everything you’ve recommended sounds reasonable.”

  Clay’s face relaxed, but only marginally.

  He and Ben left to design and implement the security system. Cheryl went to work on the photos they’d brought back. Red volunteered to send encrypted messages to the rest of the staff, updating them on what had happened.

  Dana sat in the empty conference room and knew she was near a breaking point. Each time she teetered on the edge, Ben was there to pull her back. But she couldn’t always depend on Ben Marshall. She had to find a way to handle the curves life threw at her on her own.

  Her thoughts, as usual, drifted to Erin. She longed to call her sister, hear her voice, but it was already past midnight in Texas. Better to wait until morning.

  On second thought, maybe she’d wait until this little mess was cleared up completely. They had long ago made a vow not to lie to each other, and Erin was bound to ask questions she didn’t want to answer right now.

  A small voice in her heart whispered, “What if you don’t have that long?”

  But she pushed it away, rose from the table, and went back to work.

  Forty-seven

  Dana was surprised how quickly it became routine.

  She would rise in the morning, take her shower, and phone the office to tell them she was leaving. They would disarm her alarm system remotely. Backing out of her driveway, it never took her long to spy her bodyguard.

  Usually, it was Sayeed, but some days it would be Red or Cheryl. Once she’d been surprised to look in her rearview and see Captain’s customary scowl. Rarely was it Ben, but then he saw her home each evening—no matter how late she worked.

  The rest of her staff rotated three-hour shifts during the night.

  As she pulled into the parking lot on Wednesday morning, Ben waited beside his Chevy.

  “Morning, boss.”

  “Marshall.” Stepping out of her Honda, she straightened her white blouse. Looking up, she saw Ben hadn’t moved. In fact, he was still staring at her, goofy grin firmly in place.

  “Well. Are you going to…” She waved her hand at the car.

  “Huh?” He pulled his attention away from her and stared at the car, as if trying to figure out what was wrong with it.

  “The wand? You’re supposed to wand the car.”

  “Right. I’m on it, boss.” He immediately began to walk around the car, glancing up and grinning at her every few steps.

  “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you enjoy this.”

  “Can’t deny a man his toys.” He winked at her as he moved toward the front of the vehicle.

  “How do you think Drogan would have gotten within a hundred feet of my car? I can’t get near it without permission from one of your goons.” She leaned against the driver’s door and crossed her arms, doing her best to look pouty.

  Ben pretended to wand her, then placed one arm on either side of her. “You seem more magnetic than usual, Miss Jacobs. Want to confess now?”

  Dana slapped him in the stomach with the back of her hand as Cheryl walked out the back door of the office.

  “Is Marshall giving you trouble again?”

  “As a matter of fact he is.” Dana glanced back over her shoulder as she walked away from the car. “Someone needs to take that wand away from him.”

  “We caught him using it on the copier machine earlier. The man’s passionate about his work.”

  “That’s one word for it.”

  “I can hear you,” Ben called from under Dana’s car.

  “We were hoping you could,” Dana hollered back. “Cheryl, tell me some good news, like you found Drogan eating donuts at the local shop.”

  “Sorry, no. We did find something interesting in those photos though.”

  Dana followed Cheryl back inside, discussing what progress the night shift had made. Sayeed had been the one to discover the places designated on the map created a path across the town. Perhaps the locations weren’t important in and of themselves, but the route could be a key. The locations might even be used as drop-off or pick-up points.

  Sayeed met her as soon as she walked into the main room. He looked exhausted, but pleased with the work they’d done.

  “We didn’t notice it at first because there are so many locations, and they appear quite random,” Sayeed explained. “Plus our greatest fear was they might be targets.”

  “But who would target a chicken place?” Ben had joined them by this point and was sitting on top of the back table, staring at the mock-up of the map they’d created.

  “Exactly.” Sayeed adjusted the sling his arm rested in. “It occurred to me last night to consider a different scenario. Where he might be using the points as a grid across Taos.”

  “Fallback positions?” Dana accepted the mug of coffee Red pushed into her hands.

  “Possibly. Or prearranged spots to store things.” Sayeed studied the map. “We can’t really know.”

  “But we could set up cams.” Ben stood and paced in front of the map. “It would take some work, but it’s not unrealistic.”

  Dana looked at the board, then at her small, early morning group. “There are over one hundred locations on this board.”

  “True, but this is the first time we have been ahead of him,” Cheryl pointed out.

  “Not necessarily. He knows we were in the cabin if he knows it blew up.” Dana sipped the coffee, even though her stomach was already tumbling.

  “Possibly. But remember how hard a time we had finding that door? I think Drogan considers himself to be a pretty smart guy.” Ben hopped off the table, paced back and forth in front of the board, and finally plopped into a chair, interlacing his fingers behind his head. “I think there’s a good chance he’ll believe kids or hunters set off that explosion. And on the off chance he thinks it was us, he’ll doubt we were smart enough to find the secret basement. In fact, we almost didn’t find it. I might not have if you hadn’t spotted the recessed door.”

  Dana felt her cheeks warm at his praise. “We do have a limited budget. And we haven’t proven Drogan is still a threat to the area, but I’ll petition to regional for the extra supplies to put in detection devices at all locations.”

  She looked at Sayeed and Ben. “How long would it take you to install them?”

  The two men ducked their heads together and scribbled figures on a pad.

  “If we went in full force, we could do it in thirty-six hours,” Sayeed said.

  Ben sat up straighter and gave her a long look. “I think it would be better to slow down a little in case he’s watching. After all, he can’t be everywhere, and a man has to eat.”

  Dana set down her cup, then cocked her head at him. Perhaps he had used that wand a bit too much.

  “What I mean is, make it look as if we’re casually walking into these places.
Pick up a piece of chicken, order a burger, have some pizza. It might add another day to the installation process, but it lowers the odds of Drogan realizing we’re on to him.”

  Dana stood up. “I should have your answer by noon. In the meantime, draw up plans to move forward with this.”

  She went to her office, shut the door, and closed the blinds. She intended to immediately write the e-mail to regional.

  Then her tremors started.

  She stared at her left hand as if it belonged to someone else. Placing her palm firmly down against the coolness of her desk, she rubbed it with her right hand. Why was this happening? She was sleeping. Things were going reasonably well. She felt confident they would catch Drogan—eventually.

  And there was the rub.

  How long would it take?

  How many nights would she have to be put to bed by one of her staff?

  How many mornings until she could jog again?

  And what if he found a way through the layers of security?

  She was no safer than she’d been as a child.

  Pushing the thought away, she pulled her wireless keyboard toward her. Resolutely, she opened a new message, determined to do whatever was necessary to keep up the calm demeanor everyone needed to see from her.

  But her hand continued to betray her, refusing to cooperate with the keys. She tucked it under her leg to still the shaking and pecked out the message with her right fingers.

  Forty-eight

  Ben had realized he was in over his head the moment he threw himself on top of Dana in the woods. Had she been killed, had she died on his watch, he wasn’t sure how he would have forgiven himself.

  Over the last three days, he’d come to accept his need to see her smile each morning. This morning’s embarrassing scene in the back lot was a prime example. He kept tabs on all the feeds each night and knew she was fine, but seeing her drive in healthy and whole—well, it gave him a sense of satisfaction like he’d never experienced before. He felt as if he could breathe again when he saw firsthand that she was safe. Monitors and audio feeds didn’t provide the same reassurance.