Christmas Undercover

by Hope White

  “Never give up,” she ground out. And she wouldn’t, ever, unlike the cops who’d given up on finding Dad’s killer.

  She dragged the chair into the kitchen, awkwardly opening drawers in search of a weapon.

  She found a multipurpose fork in a drawer. It would have to do.

  The door swung open with a crash.

  She spun around, aiming her weapon...

  At Will.

  “You’re here,” she gasped.

  He rushed across the small cabin. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” Will untied her and searched her face, as if fearing she’d been beaten up.

  Sara shook her head. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault.” He led her back to the fireplace, removed his backpack and dug inside. “Let me find—”

  The assailant charged into the cabin, wrapping his arm around Will’s throat.

  “Let him go!” she cried.

  Will tried to elbow the guy in the ribs but the assassin was too strong. Digging his fingers into the guy’s arm, Will gasped for air. Sara darted behind the guy and wrapped her arm around his neck. The guy slammed her back against the cabin wall, sending a shudder of pain through her body. She collapsed on the floor.

  He dragged Will outside and Sara stumbled after them. “Stop! Let him go!”

  He threw Will to the ground and stomped on his chest, over and over again. “You like that?”

  “Leave him alone!” Sara charged the assassin. He flung her aside, but not before she ripped the gun from the waistband of his jeans.

  He continued beating on Will, unaware she had his weapon.

  Sara scrambled to her feet. Aimed the weapon. “Stop or I’ll shoot!”

  The assassin was drowning in his own adrenaline rush, the rush of beating a man to death. She squeezed the trigger twice and the guy went down. She rushed to Will, who’d rolled onto his side clutching his stomach.

  “Will? Will, open your eyes.”

  He coughed and cracked them open. “That was...the guy who was after you?”

  “He was hired to find me, yes.”

  “So someone else will come—” he coughed a few times “—looking for you?”

  “Not tonight. He was supposed to take me to meet up with them tomorrow.”

  “Is he dead?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Will groaned as he sat up, gripping his ribs. “We need to check. If he’s not dead, we need to administer first aid.”

  She leaned back and stared at him, stunned by his comment. “He tried to kill you.”

  He pressed his fingers to the assassin’s throat. A moment later he nodded at Sara. “He’s gone.”

  Will coughed a few times as he scanned the area. “We can’t leave him out here. Animals.”

  She didn’t have a response for that, either, speechless that Will could show compassion for a man who most certainly would have beaten him to death if she hadn’t shot him first.

  She eyed the body.

  The dead body.

  She’d just killed a man.

  Her fingers tightened around the grip of the gun and her hand trembled uncontrollably, sending a wave of shivers across her body.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Will said, rushing to her. “Let’s get you inside.”

  She thought she nodded, but couldn’t be sure.

  “Relax your fingers,” he said, trying to take the gun away.

  Staring at her hand, she struggled to follow his order but couldn’t seem to let go.

  “Sara, look at me.”

  She took a quick breath, then another. With a gentle hand, he tipped her chin to focus on his green eyes. Green like the forest after a heavy rain.

  “That’s it,” he said. “Everything’s okay. You can let go now.”

  But she didn’t feel okay. Her hands grew ice cold and thoughts raced across her mind in a random flurry: her boss’s disappointed frown, her cousin Pepper’s acceptance into med school, the look on her father’s face when he savored a piece of coconut cream pie.

  A long time ago. Before...before...

  Her legs felt as if they were melting into the soft earth.

  She gasped for air...

  And was floating, her eyes fixed on the moon above before she drifted into the cabin.

  It was warm inside. It smelled like burning wood, not death. She was placed on the bed in front of the fire, but she didn’t lie down because she didn’t want to sleep, to dream, to be held captive by the nightmares.

  “Keep the blanket around your shoulders,” Will said.

  It was then that she realized he’d carried her inside. He pulled the blanket snugly around her, and poked at the fire. It flared back to life.

  He kneeled in front of her. “You’re probably going into shock, but you’ll be fine.”

  Those green eyes, brimming with promise and sincerity, made her believe that things would actually be okay.

  It only lasted for a second.

  Because in Sara’s life, things were never okay.

  “I’ll be right back.” Will squeezed her shoulder and left.

  That was when the terror of her life came crashing down on her.

  If she were a religious person, she’d go as far as to say she’d sinned in the worst possible way.

  She’d killed a man.

  She’d become like the monsters she’d sworn to destroy.

  Like the monster that killed her father.

  * * *

  Will clicked into overdrive. He tossed logs out of the wood container, rolled the body onto a tarp and dragged him across the property.

  A part of him was shocked, both by the murder of a stranger, and by his own reaction. He found himself more worried about Sara than the ramifications of this man’s death.

  It should be justified in the eyes of the law, since she’d shot him to save Will’s life. The guy would have surely beaten Will to death, leaving his children parentless. Will wasn’t sure Sara had had another option. The man was about brutality and death, and that was how his life had ended.

  But taking another man’s life was a sin, so after Will placed the body and weapon into the wood container, he kneeled beside it and prayed. “Father, please forgive us. In our efforts to live, we took another man’s life.”

  Guilt clenched his heart. He still couldn’t believe what had happened. But he couldn’t dwell on it, not while Sara was going into shock. He needed to tend to her.

  As he went back to the cabin, he noticed the man’s blood on his gloves. He took them off and dropped them outside the door. The sight of blood might upset her further. He stepped inside the cabin.

  Sara was not on the bed where he’d left her. He snapped his head around. “Sara?” His heart slammed against his chest. Had she left again? Was she wandering aimlessly in the mountains in a state of shock?

  “Sara!”

  The echo of his own voice rang in his ears. He turned, about to race out into the dark night.

  Then he heard a squeak. Hesitating, he waited to see if he’d imagined it. Another squeak drifted across the room. He slowly turned back. The sound was coming from under the bed.

  Will went to the bed and checked beneath it. Sara’s terrified blue eyes stared back at him.

  “He won’t see me in here,” she said in a childlike whisper.

  “No, he won’t. That’s a good hiding place.” He stretched out on his back and extended his hand. She looked at it. “Your hands must be very cold,” he said.

  She nodded. “Like ice-cycles.”

  “My hand is warm. May I warm the chill from your fingers?”

  Her eyes darted nervously beyond him. “What if he comes back?”

  “He won’t. He’s...�
�� Will hesitated. Reminding her she’d killed a man would not help her snap out of shock. “He’s gone.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “One hundred and ten percent.” The number he used with his girls.

  She eyed Will’s hand. He motioned with his fingers to encourage her to come out.

  “I’m only safe if I stay hidden,” she whispered. “He won’t see me in here.”

  That was the second time she used the phrase in here. Where did she think she was? Will suspected she might be drifting in and out of reality, the present reality mixed with a past trauma, perhaps? At any rate, he needed to keep an eye on her condition by making sure she was warm and comfortable. If she felt most comfortable under the bed, then that was where she’d stay.

  “Are you warm enough?” he asked.

  She shrugged.

  “How about another blanket?” He snatched one off a chair and placed it on the floor.

  Her trembling fingers reached out and pulled the blanket beneath the bed. “Thanks.”

  “Is there anything else I can do for you?” he said.

  “No, thank you.”

  He positioned himself in front of the fire. A few minutes of silence passed as he stared into the flames. The adrenaline rush had certainly worn off, because he was feeling the aches and pains from the beating he’d survived.

  Survived because of Sara. She’d saved him from an ugly, painful death.

  As energy drained from his body, he struggled to stay alert. Will needed to protect Sara, take care of her.

  He glanced left. Her hand was sticking out from beneath the bed. Was she trying to make a connection with him? He positioned himself on the floor and peered under the bed. She’d changed positions and was lying on her side, bundled up in the blankets.

  Bending his elbow, he brushed his hand against her petite fingers. She curled her chilled fingers around his.

  “Wow, you are warm,” she said.

  “Yeah,” he said, barely able to speak. This connection, the fact that touching Will comforted her, filled his chest with pride.

  “Do you have a fever?” she said.

  “Nah. The warm body temperature is a family thing. My girls run hot, too.”

  “Your girls.” She closed her eyes and started to pull away.

  Will clung to her hand. “No, don’t. I...I need the connection.”

  She opened her eyes. “You do?”

  “Yes.”

  “But I’ve been horrible to you. Accusing you of being an assassin, tying you up.” Her eyes widened. “Oh, my God, that’s why your wrists were bleeding. You had to cut yourself free.”

  She snatched her hand from his and rolled away.

  Well, good news was she’d returned to reality and was no longer caught up in some trauma from her past. The bad news was she blamed herself for whatever pain Will had suffered.

  He went to the other side of the bed. The fire didn’t light this part of the room so he couldn’t see her face, but he still tried to connect with her, there, in the dark.

  “It’s not your fault,” he said. “You were terrified and confused, and most likely suffering from dehydration.”

  “I gave you a bloody nose.”

  “I startled you.”

  “You were trying to help me.” She sighed. “I’m so ashamed.”

  “Why, because you were protecting yourself from men who wanted to harm you? You should be proud. You escaped. You survived.”

  “No, they were right. I don’t belong out here.”

  “Where, in the mountains?”

  She didn’t answer him.

  “Sara?”

  She rolled over again and he went to the other side of the bed. He bit back a groan against the pain of bruised ribs as he stretched out on the floor next to her.

  “Could you do me a favor and stay in one position so I don’t have to get up and down again?” he teased.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s not that bad. But the ribs are a little sore.”

  “I meant, I’m sorry for everything that’s happened.”

  “Sara, it’s not your fault.”

  “Yes, it really is.”

  Silence stretched between them, punctuated by the sound of the crackling fire. Will sensed there was more behind her words, but he wasn’t going to challenge her. He tried another strategy.

  “Thank you,” he said.

  “For what?”

  “For saving my life out there.”

  “You saved mine first.” She extended her hand again and he grasped it. Unfortunately it was still ice cold.

  “Do you want to sit by the fire to warm up?” he offered.

  “Maybe later.”

  He sensed she was still frightened and probably felt vulnerable. But the more he knew about her situation, the better he could help her.

  “Are you up to talking about what’s going on?” he asked.

  “Sure.”

  “Men are after you because you witnessed a murder?”

  “Yes. They want to know what I saw, and what I heard.”

  “Did you hear anything?”

  “Yes.”

  He waited.

  “I shouldn’t involve you further,” she said.

  “How can I help you if I don’t know what’s going on?”

  “I would never forgive myself if you, or your girls, were threatened because of your association with me,” she said.

  She was a strong, determined woman, and an honorable one, as well. He couldn’t fault her for that.

  She yawned and pulled the blanket tight around her shoulder. She hadn’t coughed in the past few hours, so he felt hopeful she wouldn’t come down with pneumonia.

  “Perhaps we should sleep,” he suggested. “To be fresh for tomorrow. We’ll need to hike a bit to find a cell signal.”

  “Okay, sleep sounds...good.” She yawned again.

  Although he knew sleep would help him function tomorrow, he doubted he could relax enough to drift off. He decided to brainstorm the necessary steps to get them safely back to town.

  As options whirled in his brain, exhaustion took hold, making his mind wander to other things like his girls, his latest work assignment, Megan’s death and the gray cloud of grief that hung over his house for so many months afterward. Could he have done something differently to help his girls adjust? No, ruminating about the past wouldn’t help him raise his girls with love and compassion.

  Sara squeaked and squeezed his hand. She must have fallen asleep. Will focused on the feel of her cool skin clinging to him, and decided he’d been given another chance to help someone.

  And he wasn’t going to blow it this time.

  * * *

  When Sara awoke, it took her a minute to figure out where she was, and whose hand she clung to.

  Will.

  Embarrassed, she considered pulling abruptly away, but didn’t. She wanted another moment of peace, and it felt so comforting to be holding on to him.

  He slept on his back, breathing slow and steady. She envied him for such a peaceful sleep. Since childhood she’d struggled with nightmares that often left her feeling exhausted in the morning.

  With a sigh, he blinked open his eyes as if he knew she was watching him. He turned his head toward her.

  “Good morning,” he said, his voice hoarse.

  “Good morning.”

  “Did you sleep okay?”

  It was then that she realized she hadn’t been plagued by nightmares. “Yeah, actually, I did.”

  “Good.” He eyed his watch. “It’s eight. We must have needed the sleep.” He stood and offered his hand.

  “I’m good,” she said.

  “Want me to make c
offee?”

  “That would be great.” Sara climbed out from beneath the bed and stretched. “Uhh,” she moaned. Her body ached from her fingertips to her toes.

  “Hey, easy there.” He went to her, touching her arm to help her sit in the chair.

  “I’m okay, just sore.” She looked up into his eyes. “Coffee will make it better.”

  “You got it.”

  A sudden pounding on the door made her gasp.

  FIVE

  “Where’s the gun?” Sara said, anxiety rolling through her stomach.

  “Outside in the wood container.”

  The pounding continued.

  Will grabbed a log from the woodpile by the fireplace and motioned for Sara to get behind him. But she was no weakling, and no matter what injuries she’d sustained, she wasn’t going to let Will fight this battle for her. He’d done enough.

  Ignoring the pain of her injured wrist, she also grabbed a log and got on the other side of the door. If someone broke it down, he was going to get an unpleasant welcome.

  The muffled sound of men talking on the other side of the door echoed through the thick wood. There were more than one of them? Not good. How had they found the isolated cabin? Then again, Bill had found it easily enough.

  Another knock made her squeeze the wood so tight a sliver edged its way into her forefinger.

  “Will? Will, you in there?” a male voice called.

  “Nate?” Will dropped the log and reached out for the door.

  Sara darted in front of him.

  “Nate’s a friend of mine, a cop,” Will said. “It’s okay.”

  She didn’t step out of his way. She trusted Will but didn’t trust the situation. It was too much of a coincidence that Will’s friend happened to be hiking nearby.

  “Sara, it’s okay,” Will said, touching her shoulder. “Trust me.”

  Maybe it was his gentle tone, or the sincerity of his rich green eyes that eased her worry. With a nod, she stepped aside, but didn’t drop the log.

  Will opened the door and shook his friend’s hand. “Man, am I glad to see you.”

  Nate was tall, like Will, with broad shoulders and black hair. He wore a heavy jacket and gloves. An older gentleman with gray hair stood beside Nate.