High-Stakes Holiday Reunion

by Christy Barritt

  “Not yet,” she mumbled. She flipped through the pages. There, on the month of December, was an address. Who’s address was that? It was for a place about an hour north of here in Williamsburg.

  It might not be anything, but right now it was all she had to go on.

  She stuffed his calendar and some other random papers into a backpack. Then she turned toward Christopher. “I think this is as good as it’s going to get.”

  “Come on. Let’s get out of here before we test our luck.”

  Ashley grabbed his arm and pointed to the window. A shadow lingered there. “We may be too late.”

  * * *

  Christopher pulled Ashley back, tucking her behind a wall and out of the line of sight for any windows on that side of the house. His gaze darted about the house, looking for signs that anyone else was outside. He saw nothing, but still didn’t let down his guard.

  Slowly, he pulled out his cell phone. One of the guards outside answered. “Are you both still in your car?” Christopher asked.

  “We’re still here. Haven’t seen any signs of movement out here.”

  “We think someone is at the back door. It’s not one of you?”

  “No, sir. We can go check it out.”

  Christopher clenched his teeth. “Be careful.” He hung up and turned back toward Ashley. “How do you feel about guns?”

  “If using one is what I have to do, I’ll do it.”

  “Good, because as soon as we get out of here, I’m getting you one.”

  “My brother has one upstairs under his bed,” she whispered.

  He raised his eyebrows. “He does?”

  She nodded. “I always worried about him having it with David in the house.”

  “Why would your brother have a gun?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. He said something about everyone having the right to defend their home or something.”

  “You okay with going up there to get it?” His gaze flickered up the stairs. He hated to separate, but he had to go into this potential battle with every resource possible.

  Fear glimmered in her eyes for a moment, but she nodded, anyway. “If it means staying alive to find David then absolutely.”

  “I’ll keep an eye on things down here. Just stay low and stay quiet. No lights.”

  “Got it.”

  His throat tightened as he watched her creep toward the staircase. Please, Lord, watch over her. He knew there was only one staircase in the home. He’d already checked the upstairs once and found it safe. She should be okay running up there to get the gun and back.

  In the meantime, he had to keep his eyes open for the man he’d seen outside the home. Where had he gone? What exactly was he doing?

  The men yesterday had annihilated Christopher’s house without hesitation. The person outside the house now was quiet, almost stealthlike in whatever they were doing. Why the change?

  Ashley crept back down the stairs. Relief filled him. So far, so good.

  She handed him a metal-sided case. Carefully, he opened the box, pulled out the handgun and shoved the magazine in place. “Only put your finger on the trigger when you’re ready to shoot,” he whispered.

  Her hands trembled beneath his, but she nodded. “Got it.”

  “I want you to stay right here. If someone comes into the house, shoot them.”

  Her eyes were wide as she nodded.

  “I’m going to check out the perimeter. I’ll be right back.” He locked gazes with her. “Don’t come looking for me.”

  She nodded again.

  He stayed low around the edges of the house. He peered out windows but saw no one. Still, his heart pounded in his ears.

  His People. They weren’t a group to be messed with. How had Josh gotten himself entangled with them? And why did he really have a gun in the house? Josh had never seemed like the gun type, more like the intellectual pacifist. Had something spooked him recently?

  After he went around the entire house, he found Ashley again, still pressed against the wall and standing at full attention. “Did you hear anything?”

  “Only you.” Ashley shivered. “Did they leave?”

  “The guys are checking it out right now.”

  Just then, someone knocked at the door. “Agent Jordan, it’s me.”

  He opened the door, and a rosy-cheeked guard came inside. “There were definitely footprints on the deck. Three sets. We can assume one belonged to you, another to Ms. Wilson and the third to an unknown person. All three sets led through the snow and out the back gate. We didn’t catch anyone.”

  So someone had been here, most likely seen Christopher and Ashley inside, and left. But why?

  He leveled his gaze with Ashley. “We’ve got to go.”

  She didn’t argue. The guard drove them back to their SUV. Christopher checked it out for signs of tampering before they climbed in and locked the doors. A brief moment of relief filled the air. They’d made it this far.

  Ashley turned toward him, concern lacing her gaze. “What now?”

  He cranked the engine and pulled onto the street. “Now you go back to the Eyes headquarters.”

  She shook her head. “I have another idea. I want to go to the address I found on my brother’s calendar.” She glanced at her watch. “It’s only six-thirty. It’s not too late to show up somewhere unannounced.”

  “That’s not a good idea.” It sounded like a terrible idea, for that matter. Best-case scenario, the address was nothing except a random location that had nothing to do with this fiasco. Worst-case scenario, they were walking right into the hands of the men who were trying to kill them.

  “Do you have a better one?”

  He nodded, his jaw firmly set. “Yeah, I do. Taking you somewhere safe. That’s my idea.”

  She straightened beside him. He couldn’t see her gaze, but he imagined the indignation there. “Christopher, this is my problem, not yours. And it doesn’t matter where I am. I don’t feel safe anywhere right now. I can’t just sit around and be passive. I’ve got to find answers.”

  “The deeper into this we get, the lesser the chance I can keep you safe.”

  “I don’t want you to keep me safe, Christopher.” Her words came out faster and faster.

  “Then why did you come to me?” It was a fair question and one that he’d been tossing around since last night.

  “Because I need help.”

  “Why me?” He glanced over to catch a glimpse of her eyes.

  Her cheeks flushed and she looked away. “It’s complicated.”

  “I’d say we have time.”

  She squeezed her lips together and stared in the distance. “I really just want to concentrate on finding Josh and David now. You don’t have to come. You can walk away right now if you want to.”

  He shook his head resolutely. “I’m not walking away.” He was in too far. Plus, they still didn’t have that closure he’d hoped for.

  “Don’t say I didn’t offer.”

  “By the end of this, I want an answer from you. I want an explanation, Ashley, on why you came to me, of all people. I think I at least deserve that.”

  She nodded, her features strained.

  He started driving toward the address.

  EIGHT

  As they continued down the road, Ashley’s chest felt like a gigantic brick pressed on it. She had to tell Christopher the truth sometime. But she dreaded how he would take the news.

  In her mind, she’d tried to remember Christopher as someone who was so career-focused that he was heartless. But seeing him again, she knew that wasn’t true. He would have been a great father—loving in discipline, gentle in teaching and active in life.

  Guilt pressed in on her.

  If only things had been
different. A million times she had questioned her decision on giving up David for adoption. Maybe she should have kept him, gotten some kind of job that didn’t take a college degree and become a single mom.

  But she’d wanted her boy to have a stable home life, one with a mom and a dad. She didn’t want him to face the uncertainty of whether or not they’d have electricity or groceries. Nor had she wanted to depend on the government or her parents.

  Then she’d been in the car accident and had spent six months in the hospital trying to recover. Her brother had taken care of her baby in the process. When she saw how her brother and his wife had bonded with David, she knew what she had to do. She’d prayed about the decision and had peace when she decided to see if her brother wanted to adopt. Right now that choice seemed like the worst idea ever, though.

  “What are you thinking about?”

  Christopher’s voice pulled her out of her churning thoughts. She shrugged. “Not much.” Yet the truth was that she’d been thinking about everything.

  Did Christopher need to know about David? Did he really need to know? Maybe it would be better if she spared him the truth. But could she live with herself if she did?

  The lines used to seem so clear to her, but they no longer were.

  “My GPS is saying we’re almost there. This look familiar to you at all?”

  They’d headed north from Virginia Beach toward Williamsburg. They’d pulled off the interstate thirty minutes ago and were now traveling on the dark, snow-slicked back roads of the community. Occasionally they passed a store or a house, but mostly they passed trees.

  “No, this doesn’t seem familiar.”

  Finally, they pulled into a neighborhood full of large, brick townhomes. Ashley looked at the address again and pointed. “Right there.”

  Christopher pulled to a stop in front of the house. Two windows were lit, making it appear that someone was home. Ashley’s hand went to the door handle, but Christopher’s kept her in the car. She looked back at him. He’d gone from casual to all business in a matter of seconds. His eyes left no room for argument.

  “Be careful. If anything happens to me, run.”

  His words caused an ominous dread to form in her gut. Despite that, she opened her door. Her feet hit the crunchy snow that had been packed down by passing cars. She shook off any fear that threatened to grasp her and fell into step beside Christopher.

  She paused by the car parked in the short driveway as they passed it. Why did the vehicle look familiar? It was a burgundy luxury sedan. She shook her head, unable to place it at the moment.

  They reached the porch. Christopher directed her to stand to the side as he knocked. Ashley could see the tension in his shoulders, in the set of his jaw. Would this be another ambush attack? Would the next sound they heard be that of gunfire?

  Lord, watch over us.

  She’d been praying that prayer a lot lately. John 14:27 flittered through her mind. “Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

  Lord, I’m failing at that command. Forgive me. Help me.

  A moment later, someone pulled the door open. Quiet stretched for a moment. Ashley would take that over the sound of an automatic weapon. Still, she willed herself to remain to the side, out of the line of sight.

  “Can I help you?” A masculine voice came from inside the house. Why did it sound familiar, like she’d heard it before?

  “We’d like to ask you a few questions,” Christopher started.

  “Me? Why would you want to ask me any questions? And who are you?”

  She dared to glance over and satisfy her curiosity. She blinked at the figure she saw there. “Wally?” She stepped from the shadows.

  Wally Stancil’s eyes widened beneath his oversize glasses. He stood only a few inches taller than her five feet, six inches. His thinness only added to his small demeanor. “Ashley Wilson? What are you doing here? It’s been a while.”

  She shook her head, disbelief filling her. “I had no idea this was your house.”

  “And I had no idea you’d show up here.”

  “You guys know each other?” Christopher asked, slight annoyance across his face. “Can someone fill me in?”

  Ashley pointed to the man at the door. “Wally is one of my brother’s coworkers.”

  “Don’t forget to mention that we did go out on a date once also,” he added, his eyes sparkling as he pushed his glasses up higher on his nose.

  Ashley forced a smile. It had been one of the worst dates of her life. They’d had absolutely no chemistry, but she couldn’t quite convince Wally of that. Her lips twisted in a half smile. “Wally, this is an old friend, Christopher Jordan.”

  “Nice to meet you.” He waved his hand toward the inside of the house. “Get out of the cold. Come in and tell me what I can do to help you.”

  Ashley stepped inside, Christopher close behind. Wally led them to a living room off the entryway and offered them some coffee, which they both refused. Finally, they all settled across from each other on couches that faced each other. Wally flipped off the TV, where news coverage of the mall shooting was on.

  Wally pointed to the screen. “Did you hear about that? Some rough stuff. Not sure what’s happening in this world.”

  Ashley’s throat burned. “I heard. It’s just terrible. Did they catch the guys who did it yet?”

  He shook his head. “Not yet. They’re not sure how they disappeared. I guess there are four persons of interest all together. Three men and one woman. That’s all they’re saying.”

  “Scary,” Ashley muttered. She knew firsthand just how scary it was.

  “Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” Wally leaned toward them, curiosity showing in his eyes. “I don’t suppose you’re here to beg me to go out with you again?”

  Ashley smiled apologetically. “I’m actually trying to find out some information on my brother.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “Your brother? Josh? What about him?”

  She licked her lips, trying to figure out how to approach the subject delicately. “I know the two of you work together. I was hoping you could tell me if he’s been acting strangely lately.”

  Wally shrugged. “Not that I can think of. Is he okay? I noticed he didn’t come into work yesterday. I assumed he wasn’t feeling well.”

  “That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Christopher said. “Anything you might know would be helpful.”

  Wally’s gaze flickered back and forth momentarily before he shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t help. I know he’s been busy lately. We haven’t had much time to talk.”

  Ashley wasn’t ready to give up. “I saw your address was on his calendar. It looked like you’d gotten together recently.”

  Wally shifted in his seat but remained composed and calm. “We talked about getting together, but he canceled on me at the last minute. He said there was something he wanted to discuss, something about work. I never found out what it was.”

  Ashley leaned closer. “And you have no idea?”

  He shook his head again. “No, I have no idea.”

  “Exactly what kind of project was he working on at TechShare?” Christopher asked.

  “What kind of project?” He drew in a deep breath. “We were just doing some programming for a new computer processor the company is trying to develop. Nothing exciting.”

  “Is the new processor something that other companies were trying to get their hands on?” Christopher asked.

  Wally shrugged. “I suppose the product was competitive. I mean, technology changes so fast. Every company wants to be at the top of their game. TechShare is no different. We hadn’t been warned about any direct threats, however.”

  “Is there someone at the job who could speak directly to the matter?” Christopher asked.<
br />
  Wally’s bony shoulders again reached toward the ceiling. “I guess you could call our boss.” He grabbed some paper from the table and jotted something down. “Here’s his number.”

  Ashley took the paper and slipped it into her pocket as another thought formed in her mind. She raised her chin and glanced at Wally. “I have a better idea. Maybe I’ll visit him in the office.”

  He shook his head. “They don’t really smile on unexpected visitors.”

  “We’ll handle that. In the meantime, what’s the address?” Christopher pressed.

  Wally’s gaze moved back and forth between the two of them. Finally, he snatched the paper back and jotted down something else. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  Ashley didn’t know what that meant, but she nodded, anyway. They all stood, and Wally walked them toward the door. She wished she’d found more answers, but at least they had somewhere to go from here.

  * * *

  Streetlights flickered by, momentarily lighting the interior of the SUV, as they left the dark neighborhood. Ashley’s thoughts turned over and over, trying to make sense of things, trying to find answers that were just out of her reach.

  “So you really went on a date with that guy?”

  She pulled her lips into a tight line. “I did. There was a lot of pressure from my family. They kept spouting something about me having expectations that are too high.”

  “So they wanted you to settle?”

  “Exactly.” She’d grumbled about that very thing on many occasions, but no one seemed to understand her. “I went out with Wally just to appease them. But it was a horrible date. We had nothing to talk about. Nothing in common. And I couldn’t even fake being interested in our conversation or our food or anything, really.” The truth was: no one could compare to Christopher. She’d been on a lot of dates, but no one measured up.

  “He certainly seemed happy to see you.”

  Her lips pulled tighter.

  “And he’s certainly the opposite of me. Maybe you should give him another chance. Maybe he’s exactly what you need.”

  She scowled at him. “You’re funny. At least you think you are.”