by Laura Scott
“I know. But praying keeps me calm. I take it you don’t have the same experience?”
He gave a brief shake of his head and averted his gaze. “Nope. The only times I go to church are for weddings or funerals. And truth be told, in my line of work it’s more of the latter.”
She knew very well what he meant. Hadn’t she learned that firsthand? Her father had died in the line of duty, as had one of his colleagues. And on top of that, she’d lost her husband to a drunk driver on his third DUI offense.
Too much loss for one person to handle.
Since the last thing she wanted to think about was the dangers associated with Shane’s and Isaac’s respective jobs, she twisted around so she could see the road.
“Red lights in the distance,” Isaac murmured in his low, reassuring tone. “My team will be here soon.”
“Thank You, Lord,” she murmured.
“Amen,” Ben said in a small voice. Her eyes welled up with tears at her son’s sentiment. At that moment she was grateful she’d taken him to church every week.
“See, Ben? We’re safe now.”
“But, Mommy, I’m cold,” he whined.
“I know, sweetie.” She brushed her lips over Ben’s forehead. “Mr. Isaac’s friends will be here soon and then we’ll be able to get into a warm car, okay?”
“We’re hiding in a cluster of trees at your three o’clock,” Isaac murmured into the radio.
“Ten-four.”
“They’re not going to search the trees across the street, are they?” Leah asked, trying not to be too blunt, for Ben’s sake.
“No, getting you two to safety is our main priority.”
Once again she was glad she wasn’t out here alone. So far, Isaac had proved to be dedicated in his mission to protect her and Ben.
Maybe her brother had chosen wisely after all. Even though she never wanted to be married to a cop, especially seeing what her mother had gone through after losing her father, being helped by one who was determined to protect you wasn’t all bad.
The red lights grew brighter and soon she saw two sheriff’s-department vehicles park behind Isaac’s ditched Jeep. First one dark figure climbed out of the car, dressed in full SWAT gear, and then a second figure joined him. Within minutes, they made their way over to their hiding spot amid the trees.
“Hey, Isaac, what’s the deal? Haven’t you had enough adventure for one day?” the shorter of the two asked in a low voice.
“Knock it off,” he growled, not looking the least bit amused. “Listen, I need you and Caleb to create a wall of armor so that we can get Leah and Ben down to your vehicle. I’m fairly certain the shooter was on the other side of the road.”
“No problem. We’re ready.”
“Okay, Leah, I want you to slowly stand up, while keeping your head down,” Isaac instructed.
“Okay.” Rising to her feet was easier said than done, since her legs had gone numb. Plus Isaac hadn’t moved back very far, so there wasn’t a lot of room to maneuver.
But then Caleb, or was it Declan, reached down and helped her up. Isaac stayed behind her, while the other officer took Ben. Clustered together as one, they slowly moved across the muddy terrain, heading in the direction of the vehicles. When they reached the nearest one, Leah set Ben on the rear seat and climbed in beside him. One of Isaac’s friends brought over the booster seat and soon Ben was securely fastened inside.
“Stay here,” Isaac said in a low voice. “The windows are bulletproof, so there’s no reason to be afraid. We’ll be out of here soon enough.”
“Okay.” She couldn’t deny being relieved to know the windows were reinforced. But that didn’t stop her from searching the trees across the street, looking for any sign of the masked man.
Isaac spoke to the other two officers outside for a few minutes before he slid in behind the wheel. He cranked the key and blasted the heat. “We’ll be leaving in a few minutes.”
“Wh-what about y-your J-Jeep?” she asked, her teeth chattering as her entire body began to shake. Reaction from the night’s events had finally hit her, and she couldn’t seem to get her body under control.
“The guys will make sure it gets back to the station. We want the crime-scene techs to take a look at my rear tire. Not that there’s much left to examine.”
Leah gave a jerky nod, unable to trust her voice not to betray her. Isaac turned in his seat and pinned her with a direct gaze.
“I’m going to make sure you and Ben get someplace safe for the rest of the night,” he said in a serious tone. “Okay?”
“S-sure.” She could tell he was feeling bad about everything that had just happened, but none of this was his fault.
Of course, it wasn’t exactly her fault, either.
She suppressed another shiver, wishing she knew where her brother was. And couldn’t help wondering if she’d ever feel safe again.
* * *
Isaac inwardly winced when Leah wrapped her arms around her abdomen as if trying to keep herself from shaking.
He scrubbed his hands over his face, telling himself it was not a good idea to scoot in beside her to offer comfort. He’d managed to keep his distance from any romantic entanglements over the past few years, and this was hardly the time or the place to change his mind. Especially with his friend’s sister, no matter how beautiful she was.
Still, he wished there was a way to ease Leah’s fears. To let her know that she was handling this better than anyone could expect.
He shook his head at his foolishness and peered through the windshield. Having Caleb and Declan outside, trying to put the puzzle pieces together for him, didn’t sit well. He wanted to be out there in the middle of the action.
But Hawk was his friend and Leah was his responsibility, not theirs, though they’d both offered to help in any way they could.
As soon as he had his charges in a safe place, Isaac would need to find a way to get in touch with Hawk. Someone wanted Leah and Ben, and the only thing that made sense to him was that they needed some leverage to draw his friend out of hiding.
Hawk had mentioned that his cover was blown, and Leah and Ben were in danger. But from whom? What in the world was Hawk involved in?
“Isaac?” Caleb rapped on the window. “You need to come out here and see this.”
He lifted his hand to show he’d heard. He turned back toward Leah. “I’ll only be a minute, okay?”
She nodded, but didn’t meet his gaze. She looked so weary, as if she might keel over at any moment.
Guilt weighed heavily on his shoulders as he turned back and pushed open the driver’s-side door. He followed Caleb over to his Jeep, where Deck was standing with a flashlight trained on the rear fender.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Check this out.” Deck aimed his beam of light at the lower edge of the wheel well. “What do you think? Looks like a bullet hole to me.”
Isaac stared in shock as the implication of the small round hole sank deep. “The shooter took two shots at the tire,” he murmured slowly. “He must have missed the first time.”
“Yeah, but not by much,” Caleb pointed out. “And you both know how difficult it is to hit a tire on a moving vehicle. The average citizen could never pull this off. Our perp is a sharpshooter of some kind, maybe a sniper from the armed forces.”
“Yeah,” Isaac agreed grimly, turning to look up at his two closest friends. “Or maybe a cop, like us.”
Caleb and Deck exchanged grim glances and then nodded. “You could be right,” Caleb acknowledged. “It wouldn’t be the first time we encountered a dirty cop on the force.”
No, it wouldn’t. Isaac stared at the small round hole in the fender. Keeping Leah and Ben safe wouldn’t be nearly as easy if they had a cop or some other guy with military training on his tail.
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But failure was not an option.
THREE
Leah was relieved when Isaac returned to the sheriff’s-deputy SUV after just a few short minutes. “C-can we leave now?” she asked.
“Yes,” he responded shortly, as if he wasn’t happy about something. He put the SUV in gear and pulled out onto the highway. The silence stretched between them as Isaac drove, taking a series of turns that made her wonder if he was making sure no one was following.
The warmth from the heater finally penetrated her chilled body and she relaxed against the seat, feeling safe at least for the moment.
She peeked over at her son. Ben’s eyes had drifted closed, as he was no doubt exhausted after his crying jag. She was glad he was able to get some rest. “What did Caleb want to show you?” she asked in a low tone.
Isaac’s eyes briefly met hers in the rearview mirror. “Evidence.”
“Of what?”
There was another long silence. “A bullet hole located in the Jeep’s fender.”
She swallowed hard. Suspecting that the tire was shot on purpose and knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt were two different things. All because someone wanted to get to her and Ben? Why? What in the world had Shane gotten mixed up in? “We need to talk to my brother,” she murmured.
“I know. I tried to call him earlier, but he didn’t pick up, and there wasn’t a voice-mail box set up on his phone, so I couldn’t leave him a message. I’ll try again later.”
She was surprised to note it was only about ten-fifteen at night. For some reason, the hour felt much later. Or maybe it was just that so much had happened in such a short time. “Are we still going to the Forty Winks Hotel?”
Isaac shook his head. “No, I’ve decided to go to a different place Deck suggested. Both Caleb and he have used the Forty Winks before, and right now I’d rather go someplace with fewer ties to the SWAT team, just to be on the safe side. Deck has reserved two adjoining rooms for us.”
Adjoining rooms? She hadn’t thought much beyond getting to the hotel, but now realized she should have known that Isaac wouldn’t just leave her and Ben there alone. Of course he’d want to stay close at hand, especially after this latest close call in the Jeep. Two attempts to shoot them in less than two hours must be some sort of record. She was glad she wasn’t going to be totally alone. And having adjoining rooms would provide some modicum of privacy.
She watched the street signs, trying to familiarize herself with the area. Most of the Wisconsin-winter snow had melted, leaving a slushy, muddy mess in its wake. A quarter moon hung in the sky, but the stars were faint and difficult to see, no doubt because Isaac was driving them closer to the city.
Fifteen minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot of a place called the American Lodge. She thought the Forty Winks Hotel sounded better, but obviously she wasn’t in a position to argue. The Lodge wasn’t very big, but there were two stories. She leaned forward and tapped Isaac’s shoulder. “I’d rather be on the ground floor if possible,” she said. “Ben is at the age where he climbs everything, and I don’t want to risk him going over the balcony.”
“No problem,” Isaac murmured. He drew up in front of the lobby. “Stay here and wait for me, okay?”
She nodded and rested against the seat cushion, wishing she had a change of clothes with her. Her jeans were splattered with mud from their mad dash to the trees. Hopefully, Isaac would ask for some basic toiletries at the front desk.
Ben was still asleep in his booster seat and she wished she didn’t have to wake him up. After everything they’d been through, he deserved a little peace.
Isaac returned from the lobby with two key packets in his hand. He handed one to her and then drove around the side of the building. “We’re in rooms 10 and 12, last two on the first floor.”
“Okay.” She turned, released the seat belt and eased Ben out of the booster seat.
“Do you want me to carry him inside?” Isaac offered.
She hesitated, but then nodded. The adrenaline rush had faded, leaving her feeling shaky and weak. Her muscles felt sore, as if she’d run some sort of marathon rather than a short sprint to a grove of trees. She climbed out her side of the vehicle while Isaac opened the other back door.
He gently lifted Ben out of his car seat and carried him toward their room. Leah pulled the plastic key card out and unlocked the door. After flipping on the light, she stood back so that Isaac could set Ben on one of the two double beds, choosing the one closest to the bathroom.
The room was clean, but smelled a bit musty, as if it hadn’t been used in a few days. Still, she was grateful to be here.
“The clerk at the desk provided a few toiletries for us.” Isaac fished the items out of his coat pocket and set toothbrushes, toothpaste and a comb on the dresser. Then he crossed over to the connecting door. “I need you to leave this unlocked, okay? I’ll open my side, as well.”
She nodded wearily. “I understand. Thanks again, for everything.”
Isaac stared at her for a long moment, his dark eyes intense. The strange awareness between them unnerved her and she took a step backward, as if more distance would help. He looked as if he wanted to say something more, but then he turned and strode toward the door. “If you need anything at all, let me know.”
“I will.”
When the door closed behind him, she felt a momentary flash of panic. Ridiculous, since he was only going right next door. She crossed over and opened the connecting door, listening for sounds from the other room. It didn’t take long for Isaac to unlock and open his door.
“Are you okay?” he asked when he saw her standing there, obviously waiting.
She forced a smile, hoping he wouldn’t notice her blush. “Yes, of course. Good night.”
“Good night.”
She left a one-inch gap in the door before making her way over to Ben. Carefully, so as to not wake him up, she removed his winter coat, hat and shoes. She left his long-sleeved T-shirt and jeans on in lieu of pajamas. Setting the outer clothing aside, she bent over and pressed a kiss to the top of his head, thanking God once again for keeping her son safe.
Ben wiggled around, muttering something incomprehensible before burrowing into the pillow. She pulled the covers up over him and then made her way to the bathroom. She washed her hands and face, then dabbed at the mud splatters on her jeans with a soapy washcloth. She used the toothbrush and toothpaste, but didn’t bother with the comb, since her naturally curly hair would be better served with a brush. She went back into the room and sat on the edge of her bed, cradling her head in her hands.
She needed to get some sleep, but couldn’t make herself crawl in between the sheets. Instead, her mind whirled with questions. Where was Shane? What had he stumbled into? Was he hiding? Hurt? Or worse?
After a brief internal debate, she stood up and went back over to the connecting doors, tapping lightly to get Isaac’s attention.
“What’s wrong?” He leaped to his feet, instantly on alert.
“Nothing,” she quickly assured him. “I can’t sleep.”
Isaac nodded and sank back down on his seat. “I know. I tried calling Hawk again, but there’s no answer.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” she said with a frown.
“He knows how to reach me,” Isaac pointed out. “I’m sure he’ll get in touch soon.”
She stared at him for a long moment, trying to gauge his mood. “I feel like we need to do something to help him. Something more than sitting here.”
Isaac gestured to the chair across from him and then rubbed his hand across the shadow of his beard. “Do you have any idea what your brother is investigating?”
She sank into the chair, trying to remember anything Shane had said. “Not really. He doesn’t talk about his job very much. I know he was assigned a new partner abou
t four months ago, some guy by the name of Trey.”
Isaac’s eyes lit up. “Do you know his last name?”
She pressed her fingers against her temples, trying to remember. “Something like a tree,” she murmured, thinking back to the conversation she’d had with Shane. “Birchwood. Trey Birchwood.”
Isaac leaned forward. “What else did he say? Did he get along with Birchwood?”
“Shane mentioned Trey was from another district and that the guy was okay.” She shrugged and grimaced. “You have to understand that Shane didn’t ever say anything negative about his job. He kept all the dangerous details to himself.”
“Understandable that he wouldn’t want you to worry,” Isaac said. “But surely he would have said something if he had real concerns about his new partner.”
“Not necessarily,” she argued. “Shane glosses over everything bad because he knows I really don’t like the fact that he’s in constant danger.” Admitting her fears out loud wasn’t easy, but if it helped her brother, the embarrassment was well worth it. “When he mentioned his new partner, his tone was rather offhand. I wish I knew if there was some sort of rift between them, but I don’t because I never asked.” She was angry with herself now, although she certainly hadn’t known that she’d end up in danger.
Isaac held her gaze for a long minute and she tried not to squirm in her seat. “I take it you don’t approve of your brother’s career choice?”
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Did Shane happen to mention that our dad died in the line of duty?”
Isaac nodded. “Yes, he told me back when we were at Saint Jermaine’s.”
“Well, then you know that Shane went a little crazy after our dad died. That’s when he started getting into trouble. I’m pretty sure he got caught up in drugs for a bit, although he never admitted that to me. I know he was arrested, and thankfully, the judge sentenced him to Saint Jermaine’s rather than sending him to jail.”
