Lone Rider

by Lauren Bach

  He glanced down at her hands. “You’re hurt.”

  She shook her head, oblivious of her own injuries, worried about the marshals. “We’ve got to help them. Call the police.” That’s when she noticed blood seeping down the side of his neck. “Grey! You’re bleeding.”

  He swiped the blood with one hand. The explosion had thrown him across the car’s hood. He’d rolled, avoiding serious injury. “It’s nothing.”

  Grasping her firmly by the shoulders, he eased her down to the ground. “Stay right here. Don’t move. I’ll see to the others.”

  Running to the front of the car, Grey checked the two marshals, glad to see both were moving, in spite of their injuries. One of the men was already on the phone, calling for assistance. Both had their weapons drawn as well.

  “It was a delayed charge,” the marshal who’d opened the door told Grey. The man winced, obviously in pain. “It triggered when the door opened. I spotted the wires right after you yelled.”

  Grey went cold at the man’s word. A delayed charge.

  Whoever rigged the bomb knew it would take a few moments for someone to unlock the door and get inside. He looked again at the blazing ruins, realizing no one inside would have survived.

  A noise caught Grey’s attention. He looked around, noticed a blue sedan driving slowly past the end of the street.

  The first marshal started swearing. “I don’t like this. Get the Marsh woman out of here. I’ll stay with Roger.”

  Grey was already moving toward Tess. As much as he hated leaving the two men, he realized they were sitting ducks on the street. Especially Tess. She was their target. He had to get her out of there.

  She struggled to stand as he approached. “Are they okay? Did you call for help?”

  Grey carefully grasped her by the wrists, tugging her close while bustling her away from the house. The cuts on her hands and knees needed attention, but would have to wait.

  His car was parked a short distance down the street and miraculously the windows were intact.

  “We can’t leave them,” she protested. “They’re hurt.”

  “Help is on the way.”

  “We can’t leave,” she repeated, pulling away.

  Grey opened the door, forced her inside. He knew by the threadiness in her voice she was traumatized. “Neither of them were severely injured. But someone knows where you are, Tess. I have to get you away from here.”

  He climbed in the car. In seconds they were racing away from the house. Grey watched his rearview mirror for the blue sedan. Or any other suspicious vehicle.

  Reaching across, he tugged Tess’ seat belt over her torso, snapped it in place. Then he floored it, zigzagging across four lanes of interstate. He took an exit, slowing to Mach 1 before climbing back on the interstate, two blocks west. No one followed. For now.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “If you hadn’t been there...” Tess shut her eyes, lowering her head, trying to block out the thought.

  Grey grasped her shoulder, shaking her gently. “Stay with me, Tess. Just a little bit longer.” He wanted her alert. Unconscious, she couldn’t tell him if the cramping started again.

  He pressed buttons on his cell phone, calling Barry Neilson. News of the explosion had already reached Barry. Grey gave a description of the blue car, and was relieved to hear backup officers had arrived on the scene.

  “How in the hell did they know where to find her?” Grey demanded. This was the second time confidential information about Tess had been divulged. He didn’t like it.

  “I’m working on that,” Barry said. “She’s okay?”

  Grey glanced at Tess. She was staring straight ahead, eyes glazed. “She’s got some superficial cuts. Nothing life threatening. Shock. I need to get her somewhere safe. Like--”

  “Wait,” Barry interrupted. “This isn’t a secure line.”

  Grey grew silent. Barry was telling him something. Over the years, he and Barry had worked out a series of code words only the two of them knew. Wait, was an alert signal. Grey thought over what Barry had just said. It wasn’t a secure line.

  “We got a leak?”

  “Looks that way.”

  That explained how they knew where Tess was staying. It also meant Grey couldn’t take her to the next safe house as the marshals had planned. Hell, he probably couldn’t take her to any of the Bureau’s safe houses. If Barry was right and they did have a leak within the system, the wrong people would know their every move.

  That left only one option. He would protect Tess himself, without letting anyone know their whereabouts.

  “You know what I’m thinking?” Grey asked.

  “I want contact every twenty-four hours,” Barry said. “And I need a full report on what happened back there.”

  “Any word on Bogen and Snake?”

  “Had a sighting north of here. They might be heading for the Canadian border, but we can’t be certain.”

  After Grey hung up, he reached over and squeezed Tess’ shoulder. She still looked pale but he knew that, unless it was an emergency, they couldn’t stop.

  “Can you make it a little farther?”

  She looked wary. “Exactly where are we going? I don’t think I trust your system anymore.”

  “Neither do I.” Grey glanced away from the road. He promised to take care of her and look what had happened. “I know this is asking a lot, but can you trust me?”

  When she didn’t answer, Grey explained his suspicions that someone within the system had purposely given out information on her whereabouts, that possibly there was more than one leak.

  “So what does that mean?” she asked. “I’m a walking target, aren’t I? I’ll be hunted the rest of my life. And the baby?”

  Her voice was husky with distress. Grey wished he could pull over and take her in his arms. But right now he needed to concentrate on getting as far away from Baltimore as possible.

  “You and I are the only ones who know where we are. No one knows where we’re headed, not even Barry, and I intend to keep it that way until the situation’s under control.”

  Tess contemplated his words. “What do you have in mind?”

  “The latest reports indicate Bogen and Snake are heading north. I think we’re wise to head south.”

  “Florida?”

  “Not that far. I was thinking about North Carolina. I went to grad school at UNC-Chapel Hill, so I’m familiar with the area.”

  The irony struck her. She was having his baby, and she didn’t even know his college alma mater.

  “Where will we stay?”

  “We’ll find a quiet motel, somewhere we can lie low for a few days. We’ll get some rest and talk.”

  She nodded. Talk. Rest. Hide. Would they ever have a chance to be normal?

  Whatever normal was.

  * * *

  By the time they reached the outskirts of Richmond, Virginia, Tess felt a little more at ease. With the convoluted route Grey chose, she felt certain no one could possibly be following them.

  And whether she wanted to admit it or not, she did feel safer alone with Grey. When she thought of what could have happened to her and the baby at the safe house... She offered yet another silent prayer of thanks that the explosion had not seriously injured either of the marshals.

  She rubbed her forehead. “Will we be stopping soon?”

  Her head hurt and her hands and knees stung where she’d picked out glass shards. The small first-aid kit Grey carried in his car proved woefully inadequate, but she didn’t complain. Her physical discomfort was nothing compared to her fear of being caught by some of Bogen’s friends.

  From the way she massaged her temples, Grey knew she had a headache. He had pulled off the road briefly outside of D.C. to satisfy himself again that the cuts she’d received didn’t require a doctor’s care. And to assure her that the laceration on his neck was indeed minor. She promised to let him know if she felt the slightest abdominal twinge.

  “We’ll stop at the n
ext exit,” he said.

  Grey found a small drugstore right off the highway and picked up first-aid supplies, including nonaspirin painkillers.

  “I’m sorry we couldn’t stop earlier,” he said when he returned to the car. He wrestled with the bottle’s childproof cap, appreciating it through new eyes. “The pharmacist said these are safe for pregnant women.”

  Nodding gratefully, she swallowed the two tablets he offered. Then Grey parked in a secluded corner of the lot and focused on her injuries.

  “This might burn,” he warned, washing her abraded knees with peroxide. Next he smoothed on a cream that numbed the pain.

  After he cleaned and treated all her cuts, he covered them with gauze. “You’re awful quiet. Sure you’re feeling okay? Any cramping or discomfort?”

  She shook her head. “I keep thinking about what would have happened if you hadn’t been there when we arrived. We would have gone straight into the house, and--”

  “The point is, you didn’t.”

  She looked at him, her eyes wide. “That’s twice you’ve saved me. First from Snake and the others, now this.”

  He could have drowned in the blue vulnerability in her eyes. Except he didn’t deserve her gratitude. She’d almost been killed. The Bureau had failed to protect her.

  He’d failed to keep her safe.

  Right now they needed to keep moving. That meant eating lunch in the car.

  “Still feel like that cheeseburger?”

  “No.”

  “You need to eat, Tess. You’ll starve the baby.” He hated using guilt, but if it got her to eat, he’d do it continually.

  She shot him a look. “That’s a low blow. But you’re right.”

  A few minutes later they were headed south once more, eating cheeseburgers from a drive-through. Tess sipped a vanilla milk shake. When she finished she yawned, feeling groggy.

  “That seat reclines. Why don’t you lie back and try to relax,” Grey urged.

  “I don’t know why I’m so tired all of a sudden.”

  “Traumatic let down.” He frowned. “The last two days have been hell.”

  The painkiller she’d taken earlier was starting to work. Easing her seat back, she stifled another yawn. “Well, maybe a few minutes wouldn’t hurt.”

  She didn’t awaken for two hours.

  * * *

  “Tess, wake up.”

  She felt a hand gently squeeze her arm. Twisting, she saw Grey bent over her, concern in his eyes.

  “How are you feeling?” His hand moved to cover her abdomen. “Any pain? Nausea?”

  Tess sat up, shook her head. Nothing hurt. In fact, she felt decent. Rested. And the feel of his hand there sent frissons of awareness over her, left her feeling...alive. Grateful.

  “How long before it’s safe to return?” she asked.

  He stretched his arm across the back of her seat, toying with her hair. “That depends on several factors, including how soon they recapture Snake and Bogen.”

  “What went wrong back there, Grey?”

  He looked at her troubled face, tempted to kiss the frown wrinkling her forehead. His first instinct was to blow off her question with a trite answer. Except she deserved more than that. She deserved an honest answer. The most honest answer he could give anyway.

  “I wish I knew. The more I’ve thought about it, the more other possibilities present themselves. Barry thinks we’ve got an internal leak. That could mean several things. Someone in the Bureau could be divulging confidential information. Which by the way, would be the easiest scenario to resolve. But since the U.S. Attorney’s and Marshals’ Offices knew where you were staying, it could be someone there.”

  And he couldn’t forget that news of her pregnancy had been leaked as well. He slid his hand under her hair to massage the tight muscles of her neck. “I’m certain we’re not being followed now, Tess. I hope you believe that. I’ll protect you and the baby with my life.”

  The baby. She touched her stomach. His baby.

  Funny. Except for morning sickness, she didn’t feel pregnant. Except when Grey touched her abdomen, something he seemed obsessed with of late.

  He watched her hands move across her middle.

  “Anything wrong?”

  “I’m fine,” she answered. “It’s just that, well, sometimes I feel completely ignorant about pregnancy and motherhood. Should I have felt the baby move yet? Should I be showing by now? God, I don’t even have a due date.”

  “Early April by my calculations. The first time we made love was July twenty-first. You had to conceive then.”

  Because it was the only time they didn’t use protection, Tess recalled, blushing at the memory.

  “Embarrassed?” Grey asked.

  She looked away momentarily, unsure. To admit shame seemed to reflect wrongly on the baby.

  She shook her head. “I’m not embarrassed. Insecure perhaps. I guess I’ll feel better when I’ve seen an obstetrician.”

  “As soon as we’re settled we’ll get you in to see one,” Grey promised.

  “Now? While we’re on the road?”

  “Why not? I don’t see any point in waiting. I realize it’s probably one of those mystical female things to choose the proper obstetrician.” He shrugged. “I’ve heard my sisters argue over it enough times.”

  She looked at him closely, his remark reminding her again of how little she knew of him personally. “Will you tell me about your family someday?”

  He nodded. “What do you want to know? The basics? My dad’s a retired railroad executive. He lives outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Mom died seven years ago. I’ve got two younger sisters. Beth Ann and Brittany.”

  “How old are they?”

  “They’re both twenty-seven.”

  “Twins? Don’t tell me they run in your family.”

  Grey chuckled. Okay, he wouldn’t tell her. At least not now.

  “Have you told them about the baby?” she asked.

  “I told my dad last night. I didn’t want him to read it in the newspaper. He sends his best.”

  She blinked. “Your father was happy?” Was Grey?

  His heart constricted. “Of course. My sisters are probably fighting over who will throw the first baby shower.”

  Tess squirmed, thinking about her mother’s reaction. “I’m sorry they had to find out this way.”

  “Have you talked with your family?”

  “I spoke with my mother this morning. She isn’t...happy.”

  Grey sensed her distress over her mother’s response, wondered if she had anyone in her family who’d welcome the news. Besides him. And he wasn’t family. “She’ll come around, sweetheart. I’m sure the news was a shock. Your family’s had a lot to deal with lately.”

  His understanding almost undid her. So did the endearment. Sweetheart. She felt herself succumb to his dark looks. There was no denying it. She was definitely drawn to Grey for reasons that had nothing to do with lust. Or the baby.

  She looked out the window, noticing for the first time where they were parked. WalMart. Several smaller stores and restaurants flanked the giant department store.

  “What are we doing here?”

  “Neither of us has anything except the clothes on our backs,” Grey pointed out. “I figure we can get everything from toothpaste to suitcases here.”

  Removing the key from the ignition, he reached beneath his seat and withdrew a large tattered envelope. Opening it he pulled out a large stack of bills.

  Tess noticed most of the bills were hundreds and fifties. “What did you do? Rob a bank?”

  Grey handed her several large bills, then crammed a large wad of cash into his pocket. “I learned long ago to be prepared for anything. Before we go in, we need to review a few things. We pay cash for everything. No credit-card purchases or bank withdrawals. Not even a telephone-card call. Second, we’re married. I’m John Taylor; you’re Jennifer Taylor. We’re on vacation. Home is Boise, Idaho. The less said the better.”

&nb
sp; She watched him check his handgun, then return it to his shoulder holster. With his jacket zipped it didn’t show. Knowing it was there made her shiver, reminding her this wasn’t the everyday shopping trip.

  He handed her a Cubs baseball cap. “Tuck you hair beneath this. I’ve got an overcoat in back you can wear, too. We don’t want anything to call attention to us.”

  When she nodded, he continued. “You need to stay by me at all times. And it’s critical you do everything I say, without question.”

  She looked doubtful. “Are you sure we’re safe here?”

  “Positive.” Needing to see her smile, he tweaked her nose. “But I’m still cautious.”

  * * *

  They hit the women’s clothing department first. “Think warm,” Grey advised. “They’re predicting another cold front.”

  She selected a pair of jeans, holding them up to her waist to check the length. With her bandaged hands and knees, she didn’t feel like trying them on.

  Grey moved closer, wrapping an arm around her waist. “Don’t flinch every time I touch you,” he mouthed in her ear. “We’re supposed to be married, remember?”

  She suppressed a shiver. She had carnal knowledge of this man. She carried his child. And still his slightest touch nearly sent her through the roof.

  “I’ll be more careful, John,” she whispered back.

  Grey looked at the jeans she clutched. “Shouldn’t we be looking at maternity clothes?”

  Tess tossed the jeans into the shopping cart. Maternity clothes? She hadn’t even thought of those. What would she look like nine months pregnant? Would Grey find her attractive then? Would he be around to see?

  “Right now my normal size is still baggy.”

  “Which is something I intend to rectify. You’re supposed to be eating for two, and you’re barely feeding one.” Grey reached forward and pulled several more pair of jeans in the same size off the rack. At her questioning look he shrugged. “Sorry. We’re in a hurry and I don’t want to shop more than once. What about those sweaters?”

  When they moved to the lingerie section the cart was half-filled. Grey deftly fingered a silky bra. Tess flushed, recalling the feel of those long fingers on her breasts.

  “What size are we looking for, darling? You’re not going to tell me you can still fit them in a 36D?” His whisper was evil.