Watching them, Thaddeus could tell they were good friends. The way they talked and laughed, even ate and drank, conveyed their fondness for each other. That was good. Jana needed a friend, especially during such a stressful time.
Jana wouldn’t admit to that, and continued to claim there was no problem. But Thaddeus didn’t buy it. She had to doubt her safety after all that had happened. She was playing it tough, acting like it didn’t matter, and trying to convince him that she could rely on herself.
That was fine. It didn’t mean that Thaddeus wouldn’t be there when something happened—as it surely would. He’d kept his eyes and ears open but hadn’t observed anything alarming in the restaurant. He’d been ready for action, just in case, but was glad that it had been a pleasant getaway for Jana, an evening without incident.
It had gone well, but Thaddeus didn’t like being in a public place. There was too much opportunity and he couldn’t keep eyes on everything. His primary focus was Jana. So long as he didn’t take his attention off her and maintained appropriate awareness of his surroundings, he could head off trouble—or so he hoped.
He’d counted the two drinks Jana had ordered. Not that much. She shouldn’t be tipsy, and she seemed to be walking straight. The alcohol might impair her, but not enough to affect her driving. He’d been glad to see her eat, as that would help.
Thaddeus would have preferred to escort her into the Jeep and drive her home. But short of forcing her into his vehicle, that wouldn’t work. She still wasn’t looking at him or acknowledging his presence. That was something he was used to. Often clients forgot that he was there; he was supposed to fade into the background anyway.
Jana lifted her hand and pointed toward her truck. Before she could click to unlock the doors, Thaddeus grabbed the key fob.
“What the—”
Thaddeus held up his hand, staring at the truck. He’d spotted a flicker of silver by the front wheel well. “Stay back,” he said, then edged forward. He pulled a small flashlight from his pocket and squatted by the car, without touching anything.
Just as he’d thought, it was duct tape, just an edge of it sticking out. Thaddeus got on his back and shined the light underneath the car. His pulse sped up and he shifted into danger mode.
Quickly, he got up then took Jana’s arm. He waved the flashlight toward the restaurant. “We need to move back.” He spotted another couple headed for their car that was parked near the truck. “Excuse me,” he said. “But you need to wait.”
The couple hesitated, wondering who he was.
“I’m in the security business,” Thaddeus said. “That red truck is rigged with a car bomb. I’m about to contact the authorities.”
The couple looked stunned and froze in place.
Jana’s eyes widened. “How do you know that?”
“I had a hunch. And it’s lucky I acted on it. I found the contraption, right under the wheel well.”
Jana looked shaken. “Oh my God.”
Thaddeus held tight to her arm and made the call. A car bomb required a special detail with equipment to disarm it. He didn’t have that on hand, so needed to get law enforcement on the scene.
After hearing that her truck was set to explode, Jana hadn’t resisted him. She stood close with her arm through his. “Thaddeus…this is really bad. I could have… My truck might have…”
“Yes, I’m aware.” Thaddeus had seen plenty of explosions. He had a vision of Jana pulling open the door to her truck and triggering the detonator. What came next he didn’t want to think about.
Jana closed her eyes then pressed her forehead against his sleeve. He felt her trembling against his arm. “If you hadn’t been here… I dread to think.”
Thaddeus hated seeing her traumatized, but she was alive and well. That was what counted. He’d headed off disaster, but he’d need to stay more alert. He shouldn’t have allowed Jana to drive alone, no matter how mad she was. It wouldn’t happen again.
Chapter 6
Jana’s truck had nearly exploded and killed her in the process. Her heart was still pounding hard; she couldn’t seem to calm down. It had been so unexpected, so terrifying.
Trembling, she leaned against Thaddeus. He’d saved her life, and almost lost his while doing so. She was grateful that he’d been there, and clung to his strong arm for support.
She couldn’t believe that, minutes before, she’d shunned his protection. It hadn’t seemed real that a killer was after her. But it certainly did after coming so close to getting blown to bits.
Jana shuddered, and Thaddeus put his arm around her. “The authorities will arrive soon. I’ll stay here to keep cars from entering the lot. You go inside the restaurant, where you’ll be safe.”
The last thing Jana wanted to do was leave his side. Thaddeus and safety seemed connected. If she moved away from him, anything might happen.
But that wasn’t rational. Jana knew it, even though she felt differently. She nodded and pulled away from his arm. “I’ll go and tell the manager. He can keep people from coming out.”
Jana walked through the parking lot, a bit wobbly but determined to take action. Doing something made her feel more in control. It was likely that she was in shock, as her perceptions were weird. It was as though she was walking through water or something.
At the entrance, Jana bumped into Coley. She grabbed her arm and headed her back inside. “You can’t go out there.”
“Why? Where’s your bodyguard? What happened?”
Jana told her quickly about the car bomb, ignoring Coley’s gasp. “We have to find the manager and ask him to keep everyone inside.” She hugged her friend. “I’m okay; don’t worry. Stand by the door and don’t let any customers leave.”
Then she went in search of the manager. It didn’t take much explaining. The bomb alert would be easy to verify with the police. The authorities would arrive and take over.
Jana was just glad to be in one piece. She wrapped her arms around her waist, telling herself that she was fine. She was alive and breathing.
What she really wanted was to feel the powerful arms of her bodyguard around her. She hoped she didn’t have to wait too long, although every minute seemed like an eternity.
The restaurant was buzzing with the noise of customers eating and talking. Most didn’t realize that anything had happened. The manager posted staff at the door to instruct people to wait, due to an emergency.
Then uniformed police entered, with Thaddeus following, and took over. Jana breathed a sigh of relief. She wanted to get away, to go home, and forget what had happened.
Thaddeus stood close and Jana introduced him to Coley. She should have done so earlier in the evening. She should have done a lot of things. But now wasn’t the time to think about that.
Before the bomb squad could dismantle the bomb, the lot had to be cleared. Customers and employees were guided to their vehicles. Officers directed them carefully out of the lot. Names and phone numbers were noted, so contact could be made later.
Coley was reluctant to leave. “I can stay with you.”
“You should go,” Thaddeus said. “It’s the safest thing. I’ll be taking Jana home, as soon as she answers a few quick questions.” He glanced at the officers dealing with the public. “Any further interview will be at the station in a day or so. I need to get Jana out of here, so she can recover.”
Coley hugged Jana then Thaddeus. “I’ll call…soon.” Then she left.
Fortunately, the interview with authorities was short. There wasn’t much Jana or Thaddeus could tell them. It piqued the officer’s interest that Jana had hired security. She’d need to come in for further questioning.
The Ram truck wasn’t going anywhere. The bomb squad wasn’t going to rush standard procedure. Once the explosive was deactivated, the police would inspect the vehicle and dust for prints. Likely they’d impound it.
Thaddeus took Jana’s arm and guided her to the Jeep. She was so glad he was driving, because she didn’t think she could. Unex
pected sadness swamped her, but she resisted crying. That wouldn’t have been so embarrassing. After all, she’d almost died.
Jana looked over at her protector. He might have died, too. Or someone else might have. And it would have been her fault for not listening, for not heeding clear warning signs. She’d been aware of trouble, and deep inside, she had been afraid.
But that wasn’t something she liked to admit. She was strong, independent. And she didn’t need anyone looking out for her. Only she’d taken that too far.
There were times when accepting another’s backup and support was smart. And this had been one of those times. Until the source of the danger was located and fully handled, Jana planned to stay close to Thaddeus. He’d proven that he had abilities and skills that she didn’t—like detecting a hidden car bomb.
As the Jeep rolled along, Jana stared at the headlights shining on the roadway, feeling a little lost. She was under attack. That was a fact that she could no longer deny.
She reflected on the evening’s events and anger rose inside her. The more she thought about it, the madder she got. At first, she was mad at herself. She should have seen it coming, should have behaved differently.
But that didn’t mean that she deserved to die. Blaming herself wouldn’t solve anything. Someone had planted a bomb in her vehicle, for God’s sake. She had a difficult time understanding that. What sort of person would do that?
How dare they threaten her life? It wasn’t fair. Jana closed her eyes. She had a headache, so she rubbed her temples. Looking over at Thaddeus, she said, “Whoever did this is not going to get away with it.”
“Definitely not,” Thaddeus said. “The psycho is on my bad side, a move that he will live to regret.”
When Jana got home, Eva was sitting by the fireplace having a cup of tea. “Amma…”
Her grandmother opened her arms and hugged her granddaughter. “Has something happened?”
Jana looked up at Thaddeus. “You tell her. I don’t think I can get the words out.”
Eva listened, increasingly horrified as the story unraveled. With tears in her eyes, she touched Jana’s cheek. “I’m so glad that you’re unharmed. I don’t even want to think…” She looked up at Thaddeus. “Thank you.”
Thaddeus nodded. “Your granddaughter should get some rest, and you should too. I’ll be here, so you’ll be safe.”
Eva stood up and Jana put her arm around her. “I’ll walk you downstairs.”
Once her grandmother was relaxing in her room, Jana went up to bed. She felt suddenly exhausted. But even when she slid under the covers and nestled against her pillow, she didn’t feel the least bit drowsy.
Her anger had subsided, replaced by fear and anxiety. She was scared and on edge, so couldn’t sleep. It felt like she had myriad problems, but she realized they were all tied to the trauma. She had only one problem, and that was to find out who wanted her dead.
Jana tossed and turned, unsettled. The incident stuck in her mind, almost as if replaying on a loop. She couldn’t forget how terrorized she’d been, and still was. And she couldn’t put aside that someone she cared about had been a hairsbreadth from fatal injury.
She did care about Thaddeus. He was a good man. And not just because he’d saved her life. He just was. If something had happened to him, she wouldn’t have forgiven herself. She tried to make sense out of the experience or figure out if she could have done something differently.
But since Jana didn’t know why anyone would want to kill her, she had no clue how she might have brought the situation on herself. Another person didn’t arbitrarily kill another. It was motivated by an evil urge, one she struggled to come to grips with.
What happened had been intended. That part was driving her crazy. Who was it? And why was the person vindictive toward her? If she knew, then she could fix this horrible situation. But as it was, she was helpless.
But she wasn’t alone, thank God. She had a bodyguard and he was rapidly becoming a friend. Intense danger tended to push people closer. She felt closer to Thaddeus than anyone else in the world right then.
He was going to help her. Together, they would unearth the perpetrator and stop the insanity. Having him with her increased her confidence. She’d envisioned herself as tough, even invincible. Clearly, she wasn’t as entirely self-sufficient as she’d thought. And she couldn’t think of anyone she’d rather lean on than Thaddeus.
*****
The next morning, Jana sent a text to Alton to let him know that she wouldn’t be in. She skipped the reason why, preferring to tell him of the hair-raising event next time she saw him. It wasn’t news that should be relayed over the phone.
It had been a rough night. Jana had tossed and turned, finally falling asleep well after midnight. When she’d drifted off, nightmares had disturbed her. She’d had flashes of violent scenes, losing someone she loved, and worse. The scenes had been disjointed and made no sense. But they had clearly mirrored the trauma she hadn’t yet recovered from.
She didn’t think she would recover until the culprit was caught. But she needed to get away. She had to get some space and a chance to think. So much had happened; she needed to regain her balance. A long, hard ski run was what she craved.
During any upsetting period of life, Jana had found solace on the snowy slopes. Skiing calmed and centered her, something she badly needed. She dressed for a day on the mountain then went downstairs.
Eva had a church fundraiser that morning, so had left early. Jana had the kitchen to herself yet didn’t want to waste precious minutes preparing food. When Thaddeus came in, she said, “I need to blow off some steam. We’re going to Northstar…at Tahoe.”
Thaddeus didn’t respond.
“You’ll have to rent equipment. We’re going skiing.” Jana handed over a cup. “Here’s some coffee. We’ll grab food on the way.”
*****
That seemed like a good idea to Thaddeus. He understood reactions to trauma. He’d witnessed the fear and anxiety that resulted from battle. Civilian life harbored dangers as well. The best thing Jana could do was get away for a bit. He noticed the circles under her eyes, revealing that she hadn’t slept well.
An added advantage was that Jana would be on a back slope, far from her home or work. It would make protection easier. Although Thaddeus would stay sharp anyway. Staying safe required taking nothing for granted.
He’d reported the previous evening’s near-miss to his boss. Travis was concerned and offered backup. If he needed it, Thaddeus would let him know. There wasn’t much to go on yet. Hopefully, out on the slopes he’d have a chance to get to know Jana better.
He needed to ask her some questions and try to trace the origin of her trouble. Away from daily pressures, he’d have a better chance of getting the answers he needed. Also, he liked the idea of whisking her away from danger to let her relax.
He hated seeing her traumatized. Even more, he hated who was doing this to her. But that would have to wait. First, Jana needed to regain her balance. She must be disoriented from such a shock. That she’d reacted with anger, once she’d had a few minutes to reflect, had been a good sign.
She was mentally tough, as well as physically. That didn’t mean she was expected to deal with any more horrendous incidents. Thaddeus would keep her safe, but he’d also endeavor to put an end to this fiasco, as soon as possible.
The trip to the resort was beautiful. The road wound through snowy hillsides and towering pine trees. The air was fresh and brisk. Thaddeus looked forward to getting into the outdoors and cross-country skiing. It was a skill he’d developed as a youth.
Northstar’s alpine ski area offered miles of scenic trails. Jana didn’t need a trail map, as she’d frequently skied there. Cross-country had been the original way of traveling on skis, invented well before the downhill variety. There were no ski lifts involved, just the rhythm of skis moving gracefully across the winter landscape.
Since it was more about taking in the landscape than hurtling downhi
ll, there was a chance of passing a coyote, a mountain beaver, or a nocturnal flying squirrel, a species at home in the cold climate. It was rare to see a black bear, but it could happen. Topping one of the hills, Jana pointed her ski pole toward the left, and Thaddeus spotted a white-tailed jackrabbit.
When a light snow began to fall, Jana sped up, heading for cover. After hours of skiing, she had probably worked up an appetite. Thaddeus sure had, and he could do with some hot food. He needed to refuel and take a break to enjoy the views from a different perspective.
He’d made sure that no one had followed the Jeep, and an analysis of the situation at the resort reassured him the place was secure. It was quiet and tranquil. Plus, being that high on the mountain made it tricky to sneak up. Anyone approaching could be spotted when they were still far off.
Jana suggested lunch at a nearby lodge where she’d eaten before. She guided Thaddeus over to the restaurant, then shed her skis. He did the same and followed her inside. Mountain dining hadn’t looked so good.
The place had floor-to-ceiling views of the Sierra Nevada range. The gorgeous lodge offered a variety of dishes, served in a luxurious family-style room. When Jana ordered a craft beer, Thaddeus made an exception and had one too. One thing about cross-country: it burned calories like a furnace. That included the small amount of alcohol he’d imbibe.
Jana took off her parka and draped it over the back of the chair. She had a pink and blue sweater underneath, which accentuated her curvy figure—not that Thaddeus was looking. He shrugged out of his knit scarf and coat, then rubbed his hands together.
There was a fire blazing in the stone fireplace, radiating welcome heat throughout the room. Thaddeus looked across the table. “Feels good in here.”
“It’s very toasty,” Jana said, then looked around. “I love this place.” She gazed toward the oversized windows. “Just look at that view.”
Thaddeus was looking. Jana’s cheeks were flushed with color and she was enjoying herself, which gave him immense satisfaction. He imagined what she’d be like when life returned to normal. He’d like to know her then.
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