Witness Protection: Hide and Seek

by Dukes, Ursula

  "Tell Donna I'm so sorry." She choked out the words through her sobs, and then took off running down the hallway.

  "Hank, that was too much," Cole said before going after her.

  Hank leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Donna was his world, his life. Without her, he had nothing. Just as Madison needed protection, so did his wife and it was up to him to see that she got it. Even if it meant forcing Madison out of their lives for good.

  ****

  By the time Cole caught up to her, she was leaning against the car, panting and sobbing uncontrollably.

  "I don’t think that I'm invincible." She turned to him and fell into his arms.

  Her body let go and the sobs came on stronger and harder than she'd thought possible. Her head was pounding and her stomach hurt.

  Cole held her so tight, she hoped that he would never let go. She buried her head in his chest and let the tears flow while Cole tried soothing her as best he could.

  "He's just upset. His wife is in the hospital and he doesn't know how to fix it, that's all. He loves you, they both do. You know that right?"

  Madison's sobs quieted as she looked up into his face with a glance that told him how she felt being near him again.

  His arms tightened around her and his eyes darkened with desire as her own, clouded with emotion.

  "So much has changed," she whispered. "Maybe too much."

  Cole slammed his hand against the car door.

  "Dammit Madison, don’t say that things have changed just because of what Hank said to you. He's upset. I told you that."

  Madison lowered her eyes and stared at the ground. Cole pulled her to him once more, he held her as close as he could without hurting her. She felt his hands run up and down her back and it felt good.

  "Come with me." There was urgency in his voice and for a moment, she didn’t understand.

  Then it dawned on her, she took a step back and looked up at him.

  "To West Virginia? Cole, have you lost your mind? I can't do that."

  He took a step closer. "Give me one good reason why you cant."

  While she stood there thinking of a reason, Cole thought about what losing her would do to him. He put himself in Hank's place, what if Madison was his wife? Wouldn’t he go through great lengths to protect her? Of course he would. And being a marshal would have had nothing to do with it. He did it before, because that was his job, and he'd do it now because nothing else mattered more to him, than keeping her safe.

  We're supposed to protect the ones we care about, he thought to himself. And you not only care about Madison… you love her.

  Madison tried hard to think of a reason not to go to Summerbridge with Cole. There was no one back home in Maine. Zoe, Helen, and George would be gone the entire summer and she had no close friends to speak of, none that would miss her anyway.

  But what would Zoe think? And Helen and George? She didn’t want them to think that she was running away, abandoning them for her own selfish needs.

  Needs that have not been met in over a year, she silently contemplated. Was it time to move on? She'd have to go back to Maine eventually, but not until this whole business with Castillo and his hit men was taken care of. She couldn’t put her family's lives in danger, she wouldn’t. Maybe it would be better for everyone if I did go to Summerbridge.

  She remembered the conversation she'd had with Donna earlier in the day.

  You did not give him all that you had honey. You let him borrow it. And now it's your turn to reclaim it for yourself. You've got to live in the moment. You have nothing to feel guilty about, you're a human being, and it's alright to want to feel again.

  "Cole, what would I do…?"

  The ringing of his cell phone interrupted their conversation.

  "Hold that thought," he said and answered the call.

  She watched the expression on his face turn from calmness to rage as he listened to the person on the other end of the line.

  "Fucking bastard," he cursed. "Listen; meet me at my place in an hour. Yeah, she's with me and I'm not letting her out of my sight. Oh and send someone over to the hospital to keep an eye on Hank and Donna too."

  "What's going on? Who was that?" Her voice raised in fright.

  "Deputy Faith. He just received a call from a marshal over in Redmerrow Oklahoma. Juan Hernandez was found dead in his home, the police think it was a hit. They're sending a couple guys over to Riverbend to interview Castillo."

  Madison stood unfazed and stared off into the night sky.

  "This is never going to end is it? I suppose that I'm next, right? Maybe I'll let his goons find me and we can end this once and for all."

  "That's not going to happen. You're coming with me right now. We'll go pick up your things from Hank and Donna's. Then, you're coming back to my place. Deputy Faith is going to stop by so we can figure out what we're going to do.

  And right now, it would be in your best interest not to argue with me."

  Madison shrugged her shoulders. "I'm too tired to argue with you," she said. "Besides, I'm much more pliable when I'm tired." She sighed heavily.

  A smile tugged at the corner of Cole's mouth. She must be really tired, he thought to himself.

  ****

  When they reached his house, Cole could see Faith standing in the driveway. He was leaning against his pick-up truck and talking on the phone.

  Madison was fast asleep in the car, her head resting against the passenger side window. He stared at her a minute as he contemplated carrying her into the house. When she stirred, he decided against it.

  "Are we here?" She asked, her voice quiet.

  He gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "Yes," he said and paused a moment before helping her out of the car.

  Madison stretched and yawned while Cole grabbed her luggage out of the car.

  She smiled at Deputy Faith before allowing Cole to lead her into the house.

  Both he and Deputy Faith glanced over their shoulders before shutting the door.

  "You need to rest. We're leaving early in the morning. I'll show you to your room," Cole said and motioned towards the guest room.

  After he got Madison settled, he came out of the room and shut the door quietly behind him.

  Faith handed him a beer.

  "Did she agree to go with you?" Robert asked.

  "I didn’t give her a choice."

  "For how long?"'

  "However long it takes."

  "Did you tell her that?"

  "No I didn’t. Look, she's been through enough. I figure I'd let her decide," he said and took a swig of his beer.

  "What about the job? I thought you told them that you were divorced. What do you think they're going to say when you show up with a woman?"

  Cole shrugged his shoulders. "I'll tell them that we've decided to work it out, that's what I'll tell them." His tone solid and his gaze confident.

  "It's none of their business anyway."

  "I hope you know what you're doing," Faith said and finished up his beer.

  Cole cocked his eyebrow and gave his friend a questioning look. "I hope you know what you're doing? This from the man who just one day ago told me that Madison's coming back here was more than a coincidence."

  Robert nodded his head. "I know, I know. I just meant that with Castillo being back in the picture, I hope you know what you’re doing, that's all. And I'm sure that you are, because she can't go back to Maine. He'll just send some of his goons up there to kill her.

  Going to Summerbridge with you is the best chance that she's got at staying alive.

  Listen, I've got an appointment at Riverbend tomorrow. I'm going to try and figure out what Castillo is up to. In the meantime, I want you to be careful buddy, you got that? Castillo is back in business and I don’t want you or Madison getting hurt. You call me if you need anything, anything at all. And good luck with your new job."

  With that, the two men shook hands and patted one another on the back.

  Cole lo
oked at his watch and took note of the time, it was almost two a.m.. They'd have to be up in a few hours. He wasn’t sure if he'd be able to get any sleep, not with Madison sleeping in the next room.

  She'd thanked him, said goodnight, and kissed him on the cheek.

  He wanted to tell her then, everything that he wanted to do to her, but he was unsure of her reaction if he tried.

  She'd lost her husband over a year ago and her feelings were still raw. There were times though, like when they kissed and when she'd wept in his arms that he thought she was ready to move on.

  He leaned against the doorway and watched her as she slept. Her eyelids fluttered and her mouth held the slightest hint of a smile while her chest moved slowly up and down. He wondered if she was dreaming, and if so, did her dream include him?

  Chapter Fourteen

  They came for him in the night. A guard allowed two men to creep into his cell. Salvador was sleeping so soundly, that he didn't hear the heavy cell door sliding along its metal track.

  One man held a large, calloused hand over his mouth, while the other went to work on making Salvador unrecognizable.

  A guard stood outside the cell, making sure that no one witnessed what was going on. Soon, Salvador's eyes were swollen shut, several of his teeth were knocked out, his skin was bruised and bloodied, and a lump, the size of an orange, had begun to appear just above his left eyebrow.

  When they were finished, one of the men, the larger one, slipped a grand into the pocket of the guard before exiting the cell.

  ****

  Cole sat in bed with his hands behind his head. Castillo had waited patiently for three years and was now ordering hits on those who turned against him. He didn’t share with Madison the details of Juan's death. His tongue being cut off in particular would have sent her over the edge. The stakes have changed for Madison. Her life, which should have been getting easier, has once again been turned upside down.

  He also neglected to tell her about the one bedroom cabin that he purchased after he accepted the job in Summerbridge. Guess I'll be crashing on the couch, he thought to himself.

  The couch, floor, it didn’t matter as long as Madison was with him and felt safe.

  Although the cabin was located in the woods of West Virginia, it wasn’t that far from town. He needed a little seclusion, a place of refuge. A place where he could forget about the atrocities that human beings inflict on one another.

  Besides that, when he'd purchased it, he wasn’t anticipating having any visitors, especially not Madison. But, at least she was used to living out in the woods, and there was a lake within walking distance on the other side of the cabin. She'd be completely isolated, which meant that it would take him longer to get to her, if something were to happen.

  He would have to make sure that nothing did happen.

  He wondered what she would think of being alone, surrounded by almost 20 acres of land.

  It was still inconceivable that she was going with him. He knew that keeping his emotions in check would probably be easier said than done.

  He didn’t want to have to worry about Madison's safety while he was on the job. No matter how small the town was, danger seemed to follow her everywhere and he would have to keep a level head.

  His first order of business as the new sergeant would be to inform his two patrol officers that there was a hit man on the loose. And that there was the strong possibility that eventually, he or she would make their way into Summerbridge. He would also tell them to be extra vigilant when newcomers came into town and that if they felt the slightest bit of apprehension towards anyone; they should report it to him immediately.

  An hour had gone by and he was no closer to sleep than before. He decided to check on Madison. Before his feet hit the floor, headlights from an approaching vehicle flooded into his bedroom.

  Immediately, he reached for his weapon and after a quick check on Madison, made his way stealthily to the front door.

  His body relaxed when he saw that it was his ex-wife Lisa, standing in the doorway.

  He glanced at the clock on the wall. "Hi," she said and edged her way inside.

  "Funny," he said. "I don't remember inviting you in."

  "Relax, I just came to say goodbye, that's all."

  Watching her he said, "And I suppose that your cell phone is broken? Do you have any idea of what time it is?"

  "My cell is working perfectly fine. Oh, but I almost forgot, you never were one for spontaneity were you?" She snickered.

  He felt the resentment begin to rise, but held his tongue. The sooner she got whatever it was that she'd come there for out of her system, the sooner she would leave.

  He just hoped that his ex-wife barging in did not disturb Madison.

  Madison was already awake. She heard the slamming of a car door, but remained frozen in the bed. She knew that her safety was Cole's first priority. When he poked his head inside her room, she pretended to be asleep. It was obvious that the late night visitor had nothing to do with her. But that didn't stop her from climbing out of bed and tiptoeing towards the door.

  Leaning an ear against the door, she slowly opened it. There was a faint light coming from the kitchen that streamed into the hallway.

  She could hear the tension in Cole's voice as he spoke to his ex-wife.

  "What do you want Lisa?"

  "Well, I heard through the grapevine that you were leaving for West Virginia in a few hours, and I wondered why you didn’t tell me."

  Cole sighed heavily and held up two fingers.

  "Two reasons. Number one, I didn’t tell you because it's none of your business. And number two; we're divorced now, so I don’t have to tell you anything, anymore."

  Lisa stared at him in stony silence.

  "Now that I've answered your questions, I'd like for you to leave."

  He nudged his head towards the door.

  "Don’t let it hit you on the way out." His tone was tight with anger.

  Lisa took a step towards him. "Oh, come on now. I didn’t come here to argue with you. I simply wanted to bid you farewell, safe journeys, and all that good stuff." Her voice was so full of sarcasm, that he wondered how she managed to keep a straight face.

  Cole leaned against the kitchen counter and folded his arms across his chest.

  "Okay, well you've said it. Now get out."

  Madison shook her head in wonderment. Cole was trying his best to get her to leave, and so far, it wasn’t working. She was amazed at how calm he was.

  "I'll leave, but I just wanted to tell you something," she said, her eyes held his angry gaze.

  "I'm pregnant."

  Cole couldn’t hide his look of astonishment. Besides her infidelity, their inability to agree on having children was another reason why they'd decided to divorce. He'd wanted children, but she told him that there was no way she would raise a child on her own. His wife had given him an ultimatum, find a more stable job that would keep him home nights, or continue working as a marshal and grow old alone.

  When he took an out of town assignment the following week, she told him never to bring up the subject of having children, ever again. And he didn’t. Now she was standing in front of him, rubbing it in his face.

  "That's right. Jeff and I are expecting. He's been great. I'm barely three months and he's already doting over me." She patted her flat belly and smirked.

  "Congratulations. Now get out."

  Lisa's lips curled into a tight smile. "Come on now Cole, don’t be that way. You had your chance with me and you blew it. You blew it because you put your job before me. You blew it because you put that witness… Madison before me!"

  Cole quit leaning against the counter and stood up straight, his anger palpable.

  His jaw tightened as he spoke through clenched teeth.

  "The only thing I blew was almost eight years of my life being married to you. Now, get out."

  There was no hesitation in his steps as he took her by the elbow and walked her to the door. />
  When she turned around to say something, he closed the door in her face. He thought about slamming it, but didn’t want to wake Madison.

  When she heard the front door close, Madison scrambled back into bed. She knew that Cole would come and check on her, but wasn’t sure what his reaction would be if she told that she'd heard every word. And she was okay with that, because at the moment, she was at a loss for words.

  When he slowly opened the door to the guest room, and saw her sleeping soundly, Cole breathed a sigh of relief. Madison hadn't heard a thing. She slept through it all.

  His feet felt sluggish as he made his way back to his bedroom. He sank onto the bed and covered his face with his hands. The news that he'd just received caught him off guard and felt like a kick to the gut. He wanted nothing more than to be a father and that son of a bitch Jeff, who'd lain down with his wife was going to get the chance.

  He lay down and released an audible sigh. There was no sense in stewing over it. What's done is done, he told himself.

  Time to get over it and move on. I've got far more important things to think about than my cheating ex-wife.

  "Good luck to you both," he whispered before falling asleep.

  ****

  While Madison showered and dressed, Cole put her luggage into his truck and made a last minute check around his rental property. He'd gone ahead and moved his furniture, along with all of his personal items to West Virginia weeks ago. He was lucky that the beds came with the place. He'd gone ahead and had a brand new one delivered to his new residence.