by Mayer, Dale
“Right. Go easy. The guys should be there in minutes.”
“They’d better make that seconds.” Markus hung up. He put his phone away and hopped to his feet. “Come on, we’ll take her outside and lay her down on the back of the truck.”
“No, we shouldn’t move her,” Bree cried. “What if she has a neck injury?”
He hoped not but…glancing around the basement, he found kindling stacked up beside an old heater stove. “Grab me a couple of the towels over on the dryer.”
Within seconds he had a rough splint wrapped around the woman’s neck and shoulders. With Bree’s help he had her loaded into his arms and was carefully moving up the stairs. The reminder of the arsonist had been enough to raise his blood pressure. Until these women were out safe, he wasn’t going to rest. At the top of the stairs, he let her go first to open doors. At the front door, he said, “Wait. Turn the handle and let the door stand open for a moment.”
She looked at him. Her face thinned as she realized someone could be waiting for them outside. “Should we go out the back door?”
He considered the idea then shook his head. “They will already know we’re here. If someone is going to shoot us, they’ll do it when we’re out far enough to not rush inside the house again and before we can make cover of the truck.”
Her face paled.
“It’s going to be okay,” he said calmly. “Two of my team are on the way. With the door open a crack I can see them when they arrive.”
She took a deep breath and opened the door then ran back to the hallway.
Chapter 20
She couldn’t imagine her life being this way. Dear God, she wanted this over. She waited, her breath caught in the back of her throat as she watched Markus peer into the night. There was only silence from the darkness outside. Why did shit like this happen at nighttime?
Why never in broad daylight with the birds singing? The only thing moving outside were the damn predators.
She watched his face, but it had locked down, the angles sharper in the off light. They’d left the light to the basement on and it threw a small halo, but at the front door the effect had dimmed to almost nothing.
“They are almost here. They’ve just turned onto this street.”
And then she heard a vehicle slowly drive up to the house. Her breath rushed out. “Did you warn them? They might get shot?”
“They know,” he murmured. “They are ready.”
How did anyone get ready to be shot? Never mind, she really didn’t want to know. Markus used his boot to open the door wider. He stopped again and listened. Her muscles tensed for the race to the truck.
With a nod to her, he stepped out onto the front porch and waited for her to join him. He was always looking out for her. At his side, they quickly walked to the truck and the two men waiting for them. She recognized both men from the crowd of faces she’d seen earlier at Markus’s side. Evan and Chase both looked hard, dangerous and pissed.
“Bad night,” the tall blond said quietly when they reached him. He opened the back door of the new vehicle that held a bench seat. With the other man’s help, Markus laid Doris carefully on the seat. Bree clambered up to sit beside her. The doors were shut, closing them in. And for the first time, she could take a breath and relax slightly.
She reached a hand down and stroked Doris’s arm. “Easy girl. You’re going to be fine now.”
At least she hoped she would be. So much pain and destruction. For what? What the hell was going on? And why?
She stared down at her hands. She should have gotten a cellphone after the bank, but she hadn’t the energy for more shopping. It would go on the top of tomorrow’s list of things to do. She considered her meager bank account. A phone might have to wait until she was home.
Funny how home was sounding appealing to her more and more. Still, she had a lot of logistics to work out.
No, really she didn’t. She just had to commit to that path and the rest would come. She could stay with her father until she found a job. Or create one for herself. She knew her industry. Several people in the business to talk to. Maybe even to discuss options with. Just the thought of going back to that world made her tired.
There had to be a solution.
She’d been doing fine with money before she’d been diagnosed. She knew that her medical history would make several companies pause before they’d hire her.
Setting up her own business, and doing what she could when she could, would be the best. She didn’t need much. And it wouldn’t be long before she could make decent money again. But she didn’t want to do so at the cost of her health. Like before.
“Bree?”
She spun around to see Markus holding out a takeout cup. “Coffee?”
“Really? Where did you get that from?” she exclaimed in delight, noting that one of the men held a cardboard holder with several other cups. “Thank you.” She accepted the cup. “Oh it’s so nice and warm.” She beamed at them.
Markus shot her a hard look, then jumped in the truck and turned on the engine. The men shut all the doors. Instantly heat blasted toward her.
Lord, she hadn’t realized how cold she’d become. Sitting on the edge of the seat, beside Doris, she curled up in a ball and waited for her bones to get the message that the cold freeze was over. She could hear the men talk.
Hugging her coffee, she breathed in the potent aroma and thanked her lucky stars for keeping her safe.
Or rather, Markus for keeping her safe.
*
“She’s really cold, isn’t she?”
Markus nodded, swiveling to check on Bree’s progress. “She’s way underweight and can’t keep warm. The little bit of food she eats is expended instantly to keep her functioning and warm.”
“Damn. I want to run out and buy her a meal,” Evan said, trying to study Bree in the back of the truck.
“I already have and want to do it all over again,” Markus admitted.
“How sick was she?”
“She’s not giving details but if I had to hazard a guess I’d say uterine cancer.”
“Shit,” Even whispered. “That’s a tough one.”
Markus could feel his buddy’s side long glance.
“She’s an interesting woman,” Evan added in a neutral tone. Too neutral.
“She is.”
There was a heavy silence. Finally Markus, curiosity driving him, asked, “What’s wrong?”
Evan hesitated. Chase snorted. “He wants to know if you’re keeping her.”
Evan shot him a dark look.
“What, it’s true. After watching Cooper you’re all over the idea.”
“And what if I am,” Evan protested. “That doesn’t mean I can’t see the lay of the land here. She’s all about Markus. You guys need to send me in to do the damsel in distress rescue thing next time. Then maybe they’ll look at me first.” He smirked, but it quickly fell away. “Although maybe it should be Levi’s turn next.” He stared at Markus. “But all joking aside, that’s not what I’m talking about right now.”
Markus frowned. “So what are you talking about?”
“It’s just well…it seems harsh to say but…and I mean it in the nicest way…”
“Jesus, Evan, spit it out,” Chase snapped.
“You already lost someone you loved. Are you up for someone else who is battling a major disease? One who could die from it in the not so distant future?”
“Battled…” Markus corrected.
“Yes, but we also know that it can come back – too damn easily.”
Chase sucked in his breath. “That’s rough.”
“And that’s why I hesitated to bring it up. She’s a lovely girl. She’s seriously into Markus and he’s into her, but he had a hell of a time after he lost Fiona, and to go through that again…”
“And yet she could be completely fine now.” Chase glanced over at the back of the truck.
In the distance the ambulance sirens sounded.
�
�I’m just wanting you to think about this, Markus.”
Markus gave him a lopsided grin. “I already have. The thing is, when you’ve loved and lost, it does make it tough to move on. But when you do you also realize you wouldn’t have missed out on those years even if they were damn short. I’ll never regret having Fiona in my life… Bree’s in remission, and she’s had her uterus completely removed. That doesn’t mean the cancer won’t return in a different section of her body, but there’s also no reason to think it would. In her case, it’s an organ that they could completely remove. If she could get her strength back she’d be doing wonderfully.”
“Right. That’s the way to look at it. Stick to being positive.”
“And know that bad shit happens to good people and that no matter how many precautions we take, there’s no guarantee of any of us living to a ripe old age,” Markus said calmly.
“Especially us,” Chase said with a short nod of his head. “She could be getting the worse part of the deal.”
“At the moment, there is no deal,” Markus said. “So the discussion is moot.”
“No, there is a deal. It’s just whether you are prepared to go forward and accept the gift right in front of you.” Evan turned to face the ambulance barreling toward them. “If you decide you aren’t – let me know.”
“Don’t be holding your breath,” Markus snapped. Evan was a good man but lighthearted and a great lover of women. Not a bad thing but not someone for Bree. He didn’t understand what she’d been through. Whereas, it was something Markus could understand completely.
At least they were both facing the same future, and if they were willing that was a unique meeting ground.
One he felt better to have with her than anyone else.
Chapter 21
It was in the wee hours of the morning before the ambulance left. Bree turned to Markus and whispered thank you. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and tucked her up close. She knew she didn’t have to explain. He could have sent her to the hospital with the ambulance. Lord knew she wasn’t feeling good, but there was little the hospital could do for her and they had patients with real needs to deal with. Not exhaustion issues like she had. She also knew she was limited to what she could expect in terms of healing if this didn’t stop. She couldn’t afford to not work but she needed a week in the sun. Or two.
Like that was going to happen. Unless she went to her father.
She snuggled closer to Markus. She’d love to spend a week in the sun with him, but they were a hell of a long way away from that.
“Markus,” Chase called out.
Markus swiveled but didn’t release her. “What?”
“We’re doing a full sweep of the neighborhood right now.”
“Right.” Markus gave a clipped nod. “I’ll drop Bree off at the police station and join you.”
“We’re taking both trucks so we’ll follow you.”
Markus lifted Bree up into the passenger side of the truck they’d been driving in and walked around to his side.
“What if I don’t want to go to the station?”
“Do you have anywhere else to go?” he asked. “You can’t come with me and I can’t look after you. So the next safest place is the cop shop.”
She didn’t agree but didn’t have a better solution. The thought of not having him around didn’t make her feel better either.
They were at the small building within minutes. There was a light on. Of course there was, but here it was akin to saying no one was home. Markus walked up to the front entrance and pulled the door open. He ushered her into the small open room with a wooden railing separating a counter from the desks into the back.
And the room was empty.
Evan walked in behind him. “Is there anyone here?”
Markus walked to the office and checked all the rooms. “No, it’s empty.”
He and Evan exchanged a look that had her wincing. “It’s not supposed to be empty, is it?”
“Not normally in a scenario like this. It would be the central hub.”
“In order to be central it has to have people on the outskirts, remember? It’s why so many people live here. Little law and few problems. They usually solve the problems themselves. Now, however…”
She took a seat on the wooden bench against the wall. “Go, I’ll be fine here.” She lay down and tucked her hands under head. “I’ll be asleep in no time.”
Chase called out from the front yard, “Let’s go.”
Frustration on his face, Markus leaned down and gave her a hard kiss. “Stay here. If anyone comes, hide until you know for sure who it is.”
She nodded, but inside she was feeling bereft already. “Or I could stay locked in the truck,” she said hopefully.
“No, you could be seen.”
“I could be here too,” she said dryly, waving him off. “Go. There are no good options. At least the cops will come back here eventually. Not sure what I’m supposed to do then, but whatever.”
He stood undecided in the middle of the room, obviously hating to leave her. She loved that about him. Then he was a very lovable man. A good one. “You are needed. Go save the world,” she said in a low voice and closed her eyes. “I’m warm, I’m safe. I can finally sleep again.”
“Be here when I come back.” The only sound after that was heavy footsteps as he walked the long porch and stepped off.
She waited until she heard both trucks drive away before she tried to sleep. She was tired. But there’d been so much going on she didn’t know how to stop the nightmare of events circulating and recirculating over and over again. If that mental hamster wheel would stop, she’d be out in no time.
But instead, questions continued. Why here? Why now? What were these men after? Were they just pissed at their little protest having gone wrong and made a quick change up in their schedule or plan? Or was the protest just noise to divert attention from something much more serious?
It was all too bizarre. This might be a small town, but there were still tens of thousands of people here. And that had to count. She didn’t want anyone else hurt.
The light overhead was pissing her off too. She hopped up and walked over to shut it off. The moon was low in the sky, barely visible with the clouds. There was an otherworldly glow to the night.
The sleepy peaceful town image had been blown out of the water now. She’d never get the mirage back into the box. And maybe it didn’t matter. She’d enjoyed the time she’d been here, but she was ready to move on.
Lying back down on the bench she closed her eyes and resolutely tried to sleep. Surely, given that she was warm and safe, she’d be able to drop off quickly.
After a few moments, she could feel her poor body relax into a peaceful rest. Sleep just around the corner.
Until she heard footsteps on the porch outside.
Instantly awake, she froze remembering Markus’s warning. If anyone came, she was to hide.
But hide where?
She sat up and stared out at the room. Her choices were limited. It was either inside a small office or under the desk. Damn it. That was no choice at all. If they were expecting to find her here then neither location provided any help. If they didn’t know she was here then maybe…just maybe she’d be good.
She chose the desk on the far side as it faced the office. Just as the door opened, she skidded underneath.
*
Markus swept down past the second house on the alley. The cops were here – both of them. And they were running the center communication, but no one was counting on them. His unit was used to handling this. But there were a lot of neighborhoods to cover.
As far as he was concerned these were men with an agenda, only no one knew what they were up to. But after taking down Boomer and Doris, kidnapping three women, and shooting Jake, they meant business. And of course then came burning the diner to the ground. There was a personal note to that part that had him questioning what was really behind all this. Did they know Boomer? Had he been a
part of this and pulled out or had he just had the misfortune to serve one of them undercooked eggs?
Markus had seen too much shit in his lifetime to be surprised at any triggers anymore. People were walking time bombs, and what sent one off would be nothing to someone else.
It kept life exciting.
He crouched and slipped along the back of the one house and around. “Clear,” crackled the communicator.
“Clear here.” He moved on. They’d completed a sweep on one neighborhood. Two more were in progress. His thoughts returned to Bree. He knew there were only poor options as to where to stash her, and so far the ones they’d tried hadn’t worked out so well. Now he needed to collect her from the station and convince her to come home with him.
They had another few days here then they’d be going home providing this problem was cleared up first. The focus of the training had shifted given the circumstances. Reality was a bitch but she was a wonderful training ground.
It was also important to stay flexible and adaptable. They’d had several training sessions go south lately, but they’d adapted and learned. So who could complain?
He went in low, swept the area, and moved on. Wash, rinse, and repeat.
They moved fast from one neighborhood to the next.
He moved in an organized manner as part of the larger unit.
Two hours later, nothing.
He wasn’t happy.
They were assessing which of the other neighborhoods to clear when Mason whispered in his ear, “Markus. Shadow’s tracking someone heading toward the station. It’s still empty. The police are beside me. You are the closest.”
His blood froze. “Shit.”
“Easy. No way of knowing what we’re looking at this time. Keep your head.”
“My head is clear but damn it to hell. That’s where I stashed Bree.”
And he was moving as fast as he could toward the building where Bree sat all alone.
Chapter 22
Bree couldn’t see what the man was doing – if anything. The room was deserted. She’d had no belongings to worry about leaving behind, but she also had no exit. Something she hadn’t considered when she’d chosen this hiding place.
