Plain Retribution

by Dana R. Lynn

  “She is all right, jah?” Levi asked when he was finished. “She was not seriously hurt?”

  “She’s fine.” He hastened to reassure the man. “A little shook up, and I’d say impatient to get back to her normal schedule, but I’m doing all I can to find the guy responsible and keep her safe. We all are.”

  “That is gut,” the Amish man said simply, his calm demeanor firmly back in place.

  This was his chance, Miles realized. He rubbed the back of his neck, grimacing as he realized how warm it was. Great. He probably looked like a blond lobster. But he couldn’t waste the opportunity. He looked across at the other man. Levi was scrutinizing him. Yep. His nerves were showing.

  Get it over with.

  Clearing his throat, he plunged in. “Mr. Miller, Rebecca is determined to go to your wedding on Thursday.”

  The man’s face fell. “It is too dangerous?”

  Aw, man. “No. I mean, there are precautions we can take so she can still be there. She was going to ask if I could go with her. Just to keep watch over her, and get her out of there if it seemed necessary. I hope nothing will happen, but I don’t want to take a chance.”

  Why did he feel like a teenager asking a father if he could date his daughter? This was police business. He was doing his job. That was all. Except, it was Rebecca. And he’d never thought of any of the other people he’d helped in the same light as he did her.

  Levi was thinking, bobbing his head. “Jah. That could work. If you protect my little sister.” Here the man cast as stern a glance as any father ever had at the police officer. As if he knew Miles was developing stronger feelings for his sister. Which could be awkward.

  It was a relief to finally reach the conference room. He swung open the door, then stepped back to let Levi precede him into the room. Rebecca was flipping through one of the books she’d stuffed in her backpack.

  Miles rapped on the table and Rebecca looked up. Then, beaming, she launched herself into her brother’s arms. Levi returned her embrace, although he seemed a little uncomfortable. Probably wasn’t used to being demonstrative.

  “What are you doing here? I wasn’t expecting to see you before the wedding!” she signed. She repeated her signs, slower, when Levi didn’t understand her the first time around.

  “I was worried about you. I went to your apartment this morning. The door was open, so I went in.” The man hesitated.

  A wordless whimper escaped Rebecca’s throat.

  Levi made a calming gesture. “I didn’t see anything broken. Drawers and cupboards open.” He made a final sign, giving his hands one quick shake. “That’s all.”

  What? Why hadn’t he said something earlier about the break-in? Instead, they’d talked about his wedding.

  Miles said as much to him.

  The Amish man swallowed. “It is not easy for me to come to the police with my troubles, to report crimes like break-ins and robbery. When I came to see you, my worry was for my sister’s safety. I did not care about the break-in, I only wanted to know she was safe.”

  Rebecca backed up and shook her head, face ashen. Was she going to pass out? Miles took three quick steps to her side. She slumped back into her chair before he could touch her. He settled a hand on her shoulder, gave a gentle squeeze.

  “I’m here,” he signed when her eyes met his. “I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  “Someone was in my apartment, going through my things. How long can this continue?”

  He couldn’t ignore her distress. Nor could he follow his instincts and pull her into his arms. Not while standing in the police station in full uniform. And definitely not in front of her older brother. Especially knowing how strict the Amish community was about public displays of affection except between family members. He’d done some research once he knew there was a possibility that he’d be traveling into Amish territory for the wedding. It was pretty much what he’d expected. Except that the bride and groom would not kiss.

  The unbidden image of Rebecca’s face close enough to his to kiss blindsided him. He blinked. Shook his head. Can’t go there.

  Rebecca and Levi were both watching him.

  Great.

  He remembered Rebecca’s fear. That, he could deal with. “I think the person was just trying to find where you went. Now that the story about you being at my grandparents’ house has broken, we can’t go back there. But the chief told me an hour ago that Parker is out of the hospital. And the emergency at the center is about over. So we will have the manpower to protect you and anyone else involved wherever you decide to stay.”

  He brushed a strand of hair from her face. Her gaze found his and stayed.

  The phone rang, breaking the spell.

  Backing away from her, he answered the phone. “Officer Olsen.”

  “Olsen,” the chief said, his normal drawl a terse bark. Miles instinctively straightened and threw back his shoulders. That tone of voice never boded well. “Your DNA from the bubble gum at the crime scene came back. It belongs to a young man named Chad Weller. Details and a picture are being faxed to you right now.”

  “Weller? The license plates and car I reported today were licensed to a Nicole Weller.”

  “His ex-wife. He has a record of domestic abuse, but charges were always dropped before he could be brought to trial.”

  “Figures. Did he steal the car? And if he did, could the ex-wife be convinced to testify against him?”

  “That’s what I need you to find out.”

  “I’m on it.”

  He hung up the phone and turned to find Rebecca and Levi watching him. “That was the chief.” He related the pertinent details.

  “You could maybe find this man now, jah?”

  Miles sighed, rubbing his neck. He could really use a Mountain Dew right about now. “Maybe, but I don’t think it will be easy.”

  “I can bring Rebecca home with me. Then she could just stay for the wedding. That would be gut.”

  Uh, no, it wouldn’t. He might like Levi and all, but to trust him to take Rebecca forty-five minutes away in an unprotected buggy? Yeah, not happening.

  “I think I will bring her with me. I will bring her to your house tomorrow night before the wedding and we’ll both plan to stay. How about that?”

  Miles could tell Levi wasn’t happy about it, but he didn’t argue. Neither did Rebecca, which surprised him. He’d expected her to want to go and stay with her family right away. That’s what she had originally wanted. But that was before she was shot at and so ruthlessly targeted. He imagined she was worried about putting her family in danger with her presence.

  Lord, I don’t want to fail this woman. Please guide me. Help me to protect her.

  * * *

  It was almost four in the afternoon when Miles parked the cruiser in the driveway of the house belonging to Nicole Weller. Rebecca sat quietly, apparently lost in her own thoughts. He frowned. Something felt off. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

  Then he realized the house looked abandoned. The full garbage can was still up near the garage. The other houses on the street had their cans near the curb, empty. It seemed to be garbage day, but she hadn’t brought hers down. From where he sat, he could see at least three newspapers in the paper box at the side of the road. If he had a warrant to look, he’d probably find several days’ worth of mail in the box.

  “I don’t like this,” he signed. “Stay close, and do whatever I tell you without asking questions.”

  “I will.”

  They went up the three steps to the house. His hand slid to his waist and he removed his gun. Better to be safe.

  Nerves jangling, he rang the doorbell. No answer. Leaning to the side, he peered into a dark window. Was that movement?

  “Mrs. Weller, LaMar Pond Police Department. Do you need
assistance?”

  A muffled crash. Followed by a low groan. Someone was in pain.

  “Mrs. Weller, I’m coming in.”

  The door was unlocked. Shoving it open, he went in first, gun ready as he checked every direction for danger. Seeing none, he continued in, aware of Rebecca behind him. Nicole Weller was lying on the floor in her own blood. She was alive. Badly beaten. But alive.

  A quick prayer of thanksgiving. He used his shoulder radio to call 911. Then he kneeled by her side. Her lashes fluttered.

  “Mrs. Weller, can you hear me?” A groan answered him. “Mrs. Weller, can you tell me who did this to you?”

  He knew, but he needed confirmation.

  She sucked in a shallow raspy breath. When she spoke, he leaned closer so he could hear her. “Chad...so angry...tried to kill me.”

  In the silence that descended the harsh breathing of the injured woman was amplified. He closed his eyes as a wave of gratitude surged through his veins. This could have been Rebecca. But it wasn’t. And if he had his way, neither Rebecca, nor Nicole Weller, nor any other woman, would die at the hands of Chad Weller ever again.

  * * *

  The image of the injured woman stayed with Rebecca for the remainder of the day. She had returned to the Travis house, and as Miles had said, Parker was there to guard her. He seemed embarrassed at having failed her before, and was doubly determined to protect Rebecca at every moment.

  By Wednesday morning, she was ready to climb the walls.

  Miles was busy making sure Ashley and Nicole were both safe. It was both good and bad that they were in cities run by different departments, he’d explained to her. Good because LaMar Pond was a small-town force, and didn’t have the manpower to protect all those different women around the clock at the same time. But also bad, because it meant that they were more difficult to keep track of.

  Finally, it was time to go to her family’s house. Normally, she would have enjoyed the trip. This time she couldn’t. As she got into Miles’s car, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end.

  “What’s wrong?” he signed.

  “I keep waiting for someone to jump out at us with a gun.”

  He nodded. “I’m going to take a roundabout way to make us harder to follow. And I have alerted the local police in that area of the issue, plus sent them what we have on Weller. Which isn’t much. If he got into any trouble in high school, those files are sealed. There’s nothing from the time he turned eighteen until he married Nicole and she filed domestic abuse charges. He kept to himself. His last known address was near Cleveland. At present, no one seems to know where he is.”

  It seemed like he had thought of everything. But she still couldn’t shake the feeling dogging her that something bad was coming their way.

  They made it to her parents’ house without any mishaps. She should have been relieved. The large white farmhouse was bursting with joy and activity as her parents and her five siblings worked. And yet the ache in her stomach wouldn’t go away. She had to keep reminding herself to unwrap her arms from around her waist. When her mother asked her if she was fine in her halting sign language, Rebecca forced herself to paste a smile on her face and nod. Mam frowned, but let it go.

  Soon, the entire family was involved in wedding preparations. Most of the cooking would happen the next morning. But her family still had much to do to get ready for all the guests that would soon descend on them. Rebecca found herself doing whatever jobs she could that required very little communication.

  At one point, Levi asked Miles if he could help moving benches. She could tell he was going to refuse so he could stay near her.

  “I’m fine,” she signed to him. “I will be in here, with my family.”

  He didn’t look convinced, but finally agreed.

  Every few minutes, she’d go to the window to search for a mop of floppy blond hair. Once, she looked out and saw him standing with Levi, laughing. He glanced up and caught her eyes. The laughter stopped. Immediately, he signed, “Are you all right?”

  She nodded. “Just checking.” Her cheeks grew warm. Now he’d know how much she was relying on him. Knowing how he avoided emotional attachments, she wasn’t anxious to see his reaction. He surprised her, though. A warm glance caressed her face. Her face grew even warmer, although not with trepidation. “I won’t leave,” he signed. “I promise.”

  She nodded, then returned her focus to the room. Her sister Lizzy watched her, brows raised high. Great. Lizzy could never stand to be kept out of any secret. Her little sister was only sixteen, but looked so much more mature. Actually, now that she thought about it, Lizzy looked exactly like Rebecca had several years before.

  “What are you working on?” her sister signed to her.

  She looked over to where she had been doing some mending and noticed that her aunt had stepped in and taken it over.

  “Nothing.”

  Lizzy’s eyes lit up immediately. “Perfect! You can come with me. I need to take the buggy to Aunt Lavinia’s to pick up some things. We haven’t had time alone together in so long.”

  Rebecca bit her lip. The urge to go with her sister was strong. But for the two of them to go off alone, well, that wouldn’t be smart.

  Some of what she was feeling must have shown on her face. Lizzy sidled over to her gave her a pleading look, her sister’s blue eyes huge. She even batted her lashes for good measure. Rebecca held a hand over her mouth to cover lips that quivered with the urge to smile.

  “Please? You can dress in one of your old dresses and kapps. The person after you has never seen you in Amish dress. I doubt he knows where you’re from. And we are only going a mile away from here. We should be back in less than thirty minutes.”

  It would be nice to get away from the fear for a bit. And Lizzy was right. Chad Weller had never seen her in her Amish attire. Even his brother hadn’t—she’d been in Englisch clothes when she’d gone out that night with Holly and her friends.

  Holly. A hollow pang hit her in the chest.

  Unable to stand thinking about her dead friend, she nodded to her sister. “Just let me go change.” She ran up to her old room and found one of her old dresses and a kapp.

  “Are you ready?” Lizzy signed when she tripped back down the stairs.

  Reluctantly, she nodded. But her heart was heavy.

  Outside, she peered around for Miles. She could let him know where she was going. But she couldn’t spot him, and her sister was grabbing her arm and pulling.

  “Come on. I told Ruth to tell your friend where we were going.”

  Good. Their youngest sister could be trusted to do what Lizzy told her to.

  They hitched up the horse to the buggy. “I want to drive,” Lizzy signed. Naturally. It had been so long since Rebecca had driven one, she preferred that her sister take charge of the vehicle.

  The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Was someone watching her? Moving her head from side to side, she tried to see if anyone stood out. She didn’t even try to act nonchalant. What was the point? But she saw nothing suspicious. She was letting her fears get the better of her.

  Still, she clambered up into the buggy quickly.

  Lizzy climbed up beside her and gathered the reins in her hands. It was almost all Rebecca could do to keep from yanking the reins from her sister and making the single horse move faster. Not that they would be able to pick up any speed until they reached the paved road at the intersection. Suddenly, the half hour her sister had quoted seemed like a very long time.

  They arrived at the intersection without incident. The road was clear, so her sister moved the buggy out onto the paved road. That was when a car roared up behind them. It pulled into the left lane, as if to pass, then slowed to keep pace with them. Lizzy threw an irritated glance over her shoulder, then the color drained from her face. Rebecca fol
lowed her line of vision. The white car beside them was nothing out of the ordinary. Rebecca had never seen it before. But she had seen the man in the ski mask behind the wheel. She screamed as she saw the rifle being held in one hand. Pointing right at them.

  Rebecca reached out and jerked on the reins. The horse, startled, reared. Lizzy let go of the reins and covered her face, letting her older sister take control. Rebecca steered the buggy into the yard beside them. The car moved as if to slam into them.

  A semitruck crested the hill, heading toward them. The car shot ahead.

  The semi flew past.

  The brief feeling of respite ended as the car slammed on its brakes. A second car passed them and slowed, giving them a buffer. But a very small one. They only had a moment before the driver could reach them.

  Rebecca didn’t even bother signing. She clutched her sister’s sleeve and literally yanked her out of the buggy. Chances of outrunning the man were slim, but they would give it their best try. Giving up was not an option.

  Oh, why hadn’t she told Miles where they were going?

  You didn’t want him to tell you not to go. It was true. She had allowed her desire for a peaceful interlude with her sister to overcome her common sense.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the car door open, and a figure in black charged from the car. She froze briefly, terror taking hold. Only for a second. Then she grabbed her sister’s sweaty hand and hauled her as fast as she could toward the woods.

  A chunk of dirt flying up a foot in front of her made her stumble. He was shooting at them! She righted herself and flashed her eyes to her sister. Please...oh, please, let her be okay.

  She was. Terrified, but uninjured.

  Rebecca sent up a prayer to keep it that way.

  A tug on her hand pulled her to a stop. What was Lizzy thinking? Some madman was trying to kill them. They needed to run.

  She tried to pull her sister with her, but Lizzy dug in her heels and yanked on Rebecca’s hand until she was forced to turn. That’s when she noticed the blue and red flashing strobe lights reflecting on the trees.