Fugitive Trackdown

by Sandra Robbins

  It happened so quickly Adam didn’t have a chance to react. One moment he was yelling at Claire for taking on a job she obviously wasn’t qualified for, and the next he had scooped her up into his arms. He gazed down into her face and saw her bite down on her lip.

  “Are you in pain?” She nodded but didn’t say anything. He stood there a moment, trying to decide what to do, and then she shivered. “Are you cold?”

  “Yes.”

  He turned and walked around the cabin to the front door. It still stood open. He carried Claire into the house, kicked the door closed behind them and looked around. A fire warmed the room, and a couch faced the fireplace. He set her on the sofa and knelt in front of her.

  “Let me take a look at that ankle.”

  She flinched from his touch as he began to pull her boot off. “No, really. I’ll be okay. I just need to get home.”

  He stared up at her. “Why do you always have to be so independent? You may need to go to the hospital. I need to see what your ankle looks like.”

  She exhaled and leaned back against the cushions. “Then do it. I don’t think I’m in any condition to fight you right now.”

  He tried to hide the smirk that pulled at his lips. “It’s good to see you can be sensible sometimes.”

  Adam slipped her boot and sock off her foot. He frowned and sucked in his breath at the sight of how swollen the ankle was. He touched it lightly, and she groaned. “That hurt.”

  He sat back on his heels and stared for a moment before he stood up. “I’m sorry. I think we need to get you to a hospital.”

  Claire shook her head. “We need to get after those men. I had a hard time finding Peter, and I don’t want to lose his trail.”

  “I’m afraid we already have. We’ll have to rethink what’s to be done. The first thing is I’d like to talk you into letting us find Willis for you.”

  “Your sister is my best friend. I’m not going to impose on her family to help me out when I can’t pay them.”

  Adam sat back on his heels and stared at her. “Claire, we would never think you were imposing.”

  “Maybe not, but I can’t do it.”

  He sighed and rose to his feet. “I will give you credit for one thing, though. You found Willis. A lot of bounty hunters are never able to find the guy they’re looking for. How did you know he was here?”

  Her face flushed, a sign that his compliment hadn’t gone unnoticed, and she smiled. “I remember hearing your dad talking to you one time about being a bounty hunter. He said you had to research your fugitive until you knew everything about him. I found out that Peter likes to gamble in Tunica and that his family had this cabin nearby. I asked around about him and finally spotted him at a blackjack table in one of the local casinos. I followed him back here tonight and was just about to take him into custody when your guy showed up.”

  Adam pushed to his feet and glanced around the cabin. “Well, we’ve lost both of them now. But as long as we’re inside the Willis cabin, we should take a look around.”

  Claire started to stand, but she groaned and sank back to the sofa. “I can’t. See if you can find anything that might help us.”

  He pointed to the room just off the living area. “This looks like it could be his bedroom. I’ll look in there.”

  She nodded and patted the couch. “Okay. I’ll wait right here.”

  Adam walked into the room and looked around. A lamp on a bedside table cast a glow across the room, and he glanced around to see if Peter Willis might have left anything behind. An open suitcase sat on the floor against one wall, and he squatted down beside it. A few rumpled clothes that looked as if they were ready to be laundered lay inside. Rising, he walked across the room to the closet and opened the door. Two pairs of pants and three shirts hung there. One thing was evident. Peter Willis hadn’t taken enough clothing for an extended trip.

  Adam walked back into the living room and glanced at Claire. She sat up straighter on the couch. “Did you find anything?”

  “No. He had very few clothes.”

  She frowned. “But that doesn’t make sense. If he was planning to disappear indefinitely, why didn’t he bring enough clothes to last for a while?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe he had clothes stashed somewhere else.” Adam glanced at the coat rack on the wall just inside the door and the leather jacket that hung there. He walked over, rammed his hand into the pocket, and pulled out a cell phone. He held it up for Claire to see. “Well, well. Look what Peter left.”

  Claire sat up straighter on the couch and motioned for Adam to bring her the phone. “Maybe we can find out where he’s been by looking at his recent calls and texts.”

  Adam nodded and sat down next to Claire on the sofa. “I was just about suggest that.” She scooted closer and watched as he scrolled through the calls. He frowned as he stared at the phone. “There are several calls to a number in the Middle Tennessee area code and more to a number in the Smoky Mountain area in the eastern part of the state. These other ones are all to a number in Memphis, probably his wife.”

  Claire stared down at the phone for a moment before she glanced up at him. “Why don’t you call the ones we don’t know and see who answers?”

  Adam started to call the first number but stopped. “We can do this later, Claire. Right now we need to get that ankle taken care of.” He let his gaze drift over her once more. “Do you think you can stand?”

  “I’m sure I can.”

  She placed her hands on the cushions on either side of her and pushed up. She made it halfway to a standing position before she cried out in pain and toppled forward. Adam caught her before she fell to the floor and scooped her up into his arms once more.

  He tightened his grip around her and shifted her in his arms. Then he looked down at her and chuckled. “You don’t have to be brave for me.”

  She glared at him. “I wasn’t trying to be brave. I thought it was better.”

  “No matter what you thought, we need to get that ankle checked out. I’ll take you to the hospital in my car. Then I’ll get my brother, Lucas, or Jessica to come back with me tomorrow to pick up your car.”

  “I don’t think that will be necessary. I think by tomorrow I’ll be able to drive.”

  He quirked an eyebrow and smiled. “Whatever you say.”

  Adam glanced around the cabin to make sure he wasn’t leaving anything behind before he headed across the room. He stopped at the front door, and Claire reached up and switched off the light. Juggling her in his arms so he could reach the door knob, he turned it and pulled the door open.

  Before he could take a step, a rush of air exploded next to his head, and wood splintered on the door facing. Claire screamed and buried her head in his shoulder as he staggered backward and kicked the door closed.

  Another bullet struck the front door as Adam landed on the floor with Claire on top of him. In one swift move he rolled over and covered her with his body. He heard her sob and felt her tremble as he continued to shield her from the gunfire that shattered the cabin windows and streaked over their heads.

  Adam had never felt so helpless in his life, but there was no way he could make it outside to confront their attackers without being shot down. His mind raced to find a solution as the barrage grew heavier, but nothing came to mind.

  He and Claire were at the mercy of someone who wanted them dead, and they might very well succeed in their mission. All he could do at the moment was lie still and try to protect Claire and hope that no stray bullet found its mark.

  TWO

  Terrified, Claire tried to lie still, but she couldn’t control the fear that shook her body. She jammed her fist in her mouth, but it only softened her crying a bit. She closed her eyes and said a prayer as the bullets continued to strike the front door and the window next to it. She cringed benea
th Adam as the shattered glass hit the floor.

  When would it stop? Surely they had to run out of ammunition at some point.

  Adam pressed his mouth to her ear and whispered, “Don’t be afraid. You’re going to be all right. They should get tired of this soon.”

  She didn’t respond but wondered if he really meant it or if he was only trying to comfort her.

  Then just as suddenly as it had started, the shooting stopped. Neither Adam nor Claire moved for a minute or two. Then he slowly raised his head, cocked it to the side and frowned as he listened. “Do you think they’re gone?” she asked.

  “Maybe,” he said. “I’m going to get up and check. Don’t move until I get back.”

  He crawled away from where she lay to the front door and stopped as he pulled his gun from its holster. Then slowly he reached up, grasped the door knob and pulled the door open. He waited, as if expecting a bullet to strike, but nothing happened. After a minute he crawled out onto the porch and disappeared from her view.

  The eerie silence sent new chills through Claire. She listened for any sounds outside but heard nothing. The minutes ticked by without Adam’s return, and a feeling of panic began to grow in her mind.

  Had their attackers left? If so, where was Adam, and why didn’t he come back? A new fear flashed in her mind. What if they had knocked him out? Or worse yet, stabbed him, and he was lying in the yard bleeding to death.

  The more she imagined what was happening outside, the more frightened she became. She had to find out where he was.

  She crawled to the front door and hesitated a moment before she pushed up on her good leg and peeked out. No sign of Adam. Taking a deep breath, she hobbled onto the front porch and leaned against the railing.

  Which way would he have gone? Earlier, Peter’s car had been parked on the left side of the house, and she faced in that direction. Holding on to the railing, she hopped on her good foot until she’d reached the far end of the porch, but she couldn’t see around the edge of the house. She leaned over the banister and tried to peer around the side of the cabin, but it was no use. Before she could straighten up, a hand clamped down on her shoulder. She screamed and whirled to face her attacker.

  * * *

  Adam reached out and grabbed for Claire as she toppled backward, but she slipped from his grasp and hit the porch with a loud thump. Still holding his gun, he leaned over and glared down at her. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  Claire grabbed her ankle, massaged it with both hands and gulped a deep breath. He couldn’t tell if it was fear or anger behind the look in her flashing eyes. “I was coming to check on you. I was afraid they’d killed you or something.”

  He tried not to smile at her remark, but it was impossible to keep a straight face. His mouth twitched from a frown into a grin, and he cocked an eyebrow. “Or something? Is that worse than being killed?”

  The teasing tone of his voice appeared to pacify her some, and a small smile pulled at the corner of her mouth. She rolled her eyes and swatted at the hand he held out to help her up. “Never mind that. I was coming to check on you.”

  “Then I suppose I should thank you, but I believe I told you to stay where you were until I returned.”

  She nodded. “Yes, you did, but I’m sure you remember I’ve never been very good at taking orders.”

  He stuck his gun back in his holster and shook his head. “No, you never have been.” He squatted down beside her, and his gaze raked her. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine. Are they gone?”

  He nodded. “It looks like it. We can leave now.”

  She sat up and stared at him. “Do you think Peter and James came back?”

  “I suspect they were the ones. Who else would want to shoot us? But this makes no sense. James Lester doesn’t have a history of violence. Why now?”

  Claire’s face warmed, and she stared down at her clasped hands. “It could be because of what I told them.”

  He leaned closer. “And what was that?”

  She took a deep breath. “That my father knew Peter had killed a man and that he was involved in some illegal activities. And I was going to see that he was brought to justice.”

  Adam’s eyes grew large, and his mouth gaped open. “Why would you tell him such a thing?”

  “Because it’s true, and I intend to do it.”

  “But, Claire, he was going to kill you because of it, and it looks like they came back to finish the job.”

  “Maybe they just wanted to scare us. At any rate, they might have gotten tired, or maybe they ran out of ammunition, or they thought no one could have lived through such a barrage. Who knows? But whatever the reason, they’re gone now.”

  Adam sighed, reached down and picked her up again. “We’re not going to figure it out right now, so we’d better get you to that hospital. Hopefully this time we can get to the car.”

  She stiffened as his arms tightened around her. “I really don’t need to go to a hospital. If you’ll just take me home...”

  “Save your breath, Claire,” he interrupted. “We’re going to the hospital to see what a doctor says. And from the looks of things, you’re in no condition to argue with me.”

  She clamped her lips together and glared at him as he carried her down the porch steps. He glanced around once more before he headed through the forest.

  She didn’t say anything as he plodded through the thick growth of the woods and ducked under low-hanging branches, but he couldn’t help thinking about how close she had come to death tonight. If he hadn’t been there, she would now be lying next to the cabin with a bullet in her head.

  Adam’s arms tightened around her at the thought. She shifted in his arms, and he loosened his grip. She didn’t have to say the words aloud. It was almost as if he could read her mind. She might be grateful to him for saving her life, but she would never forgive him for what he’d done. The best thing he could do was go home after she got medical attention and chalk Claire Walker up to one more mistake he’d made in the past.

  * * *

  Claire sat on the edge of the exam table and stared down at the elastic compression bandage on her ankle. A pair of crutches leaned against the edge of the table.

  A knock on the wall outside the curtained-off exam cubicle caught her attention and she straightened. “Who is it?”

  “Claire, may I come in?” Adam called out.

  “Yes.”

  He pushed the curtain aside and stepped into the small exam area.

  “The doctor says you can leave now. Are you ready to go?”

  She sighed and nodded. “I guess so.”

  He frowned at the resignation in her voice and stepped closer. “What’s the matter?”

  She pointed at the bandage and then the crutches. “How am I going to be able to go after Peter Willis if I can’t even walk on my own for at least thirty-six hours?”

  He raised his eyebrows and shook his head. “I’d say catching up to Willis is the least of your worries right now. Try to remember you’re lucky to be alive.”

  He walked across the room toward her and reached out to help her down from the table. She pulled back and grabbed for the crutches. “I can handle this.”

  He raised his hands and backed away. “Okay, if you say so.”

  Claire leaned on the crutches as she slid off the table onto her good leg and then slipped the crutches under her arms. Holding her injured ankle up, she took a step toward the door. “See,” she said, “I can do it by myself.”

  He stepped around her and opened the door. “Yeah, I know. You always were an independent kid.”

  Her knuckles turned white as she tightened her grip on the crutches. “I’m not a kid anymore, Adam.”

  “I know,” he said. “But this decision you made about going after
a bail jumper doesn’t sound too adult to me.”

  “Sometimes life can cause you to take desperate measures.” She pushed past him and into the hall.

  He followed behind as she slowly made her way out of the ER and into the parking lot. Outside the ER door he stepped up beside her and pointed toward his car, which sat underneath one of the streetlights. “I moved the car from the entrance to that spot over there after I got you inside. If you’ll wait here, I’ll go get it so you won’t have to walk with your crutches.”

  “No need for that. I can make it,” she said. She took a deep breath and headed toward the car.

  “I don’t mind, Claire.”

  “I know, but I need the practice of using these crutches.”

  He sighed. “Whatever you say.”

  She kept her eye on the car as she inched her way toward it. It hadn’t seemed so far when she’d first spotted it, but the distance seemed to grow with each step. When she finally reached the car, he held the door for her to climb inside before he closed it and went around to the driver’s side.

  He glanced at her, but she pretended not to notice and preoccupied herself with finding the radio station she wanted. When she’d settled on one, she turned up the volume and leaned back in her seat. The sound of a Christian rock song filled the car.

  Adam didn’t say anything until he pulled onto Highway 61 and headed back toward Memphis. Then he reached over and turned the volume down. “Not much traffic tonight.”

  “No, but the casinos in the area are probably filled,” she said.

  “I guess so.” When she didn’t answer, he shook his head. “So much for small talk,” he muttered under his breath.

  After a few minutes Claire reached over and turned the music up louder than before. After a few minutes she glanced over at him. Every time the drumbeat boomed, he winced. As he rubbed the back of his neck and exhaled, Claire directed an innocent look at him. “Too loud?”

  “A bit,” he said. She reached over and turned it down some. After a few minutes he twisted the knob to silence the roar of the rock band. “I didn’t tell you I called the local police while you were being examined. They sent an officer to the hospital, and I gave him a rundown on everything that happened at the cabin tonight. I had the license number for the car James was driving, and he said he could find out Peter Willis’s. They have a BOLO alert out on the two cars and will let me know if they find them.”