“That fast?” Whitney gaped at the screen. “But the police haven’t found even a hint of his whereabouts.”
“We aren’t the police.” Pride filled Alex’s voice. “We’re a cut above.”
“As a former deputy, I can attest to that,” Trey said. “This team has resources and contacts we never had as a deputy.”
“I concur,” Riley weighed in.
“Then thank you for taking this assignment on such short notice,” Whitney said.
Gage waved a hand. “It’s what we do. Step in when people are in crisis and help them sort it out. And if they’re in danger, we make sure they’re safe.”
She nodded as if this was normal, but it wasn’t normal at all. These men and women were exceptional and modest at what they did. And they were here for her. All of them. Even the two who weren’t on the call, she suspected.
Her heart swelled with gratitude, and those tears that never seemed far away since Vanessa died threatened to fall again. She looked up and took a long breath.
Thank you for looking out for me and the kids. For letting me meet this team.
“I’ve gotten video files for the resort,” Alex’s voice startled her. “I’ve reviewed most of them with no leads, but I’ll finish them tonight. I don’t expect to see much of the actual shooting due to the blizzard, but maybe I can catch Percy or our victim earlier on.”
“If you confirm he’s there, let me know so we don’t waste resources trying to find him,” Gage said.
“I’ll text you when I finish going through the files. Then, if Sam and I are freed up with the PPB officers standing guard tomorrow, we’ll begin the day by interviewing guests and staff. We can show them a picture of the deceased to see if they recognize him or have seen him around. And we’ll also ask their permission to do a detailed room search. Might be pointless, as if the killer is in the group, he’ll most likely have disposed of his weapon by now.”
“The PPB officers can help us with these searches,” Sam added.
Gage nodded. “Sounds like you have a solid plan. Let me know if you need any additional resources.”
“Not sure how you can help other than with information since there’s no way in or out of this place.”
“We can provide moral support,” Eryn said.
Trey circled his arm around Eryn’s shoulders. “And my sweet almost-wife is very good at that.”
The others made gagging noises and started laughing.
Whitney appreciated the change in mood as things had gotten so heavy in her life lately and on the whole, she was a happy, fun-loving person who enjoyed laughing.
“Okay, as much as I want to join you all in mocking Trey,” A grin slid across Alex’s face. “We need to get Whitney and the kids moved. I’ll wait to hear from you on the officers, Eryn, and then tomorrow we’ll do an update on our progress.”
His teammates started to say goodbye and wish them well.
Alex leaned forward to disconnect the call.
“Just a minute, Alex,” Gage said, his tone sharp.
Alex sat back, and Whitney leaned forward as she didn’t want to miss whatever Gage was going to say.
“Something’s off with you tonight. Don’t know what it is and don’t care unless…” He locked gazes with Alex. “Unless you let yourself get distracted and underestimate this killer. Then we need to have a talk.”
Alex curled his fingers into fists and remained locked in on Gage. “Don’t worry. There’ll be no need to have a talk. I’ll protect this family and everyone here with my life. You can count on that and so can they.”
11
Alex packed up his clothes and supplies from the bathroom. The sheets and towels were fresh from the morning, and now, the room with double beds was free for the family who he was starting to care for deeply to move in.
Gage’s warning words came back. Alex wouldn’t let his boss or Whitney and the kids down. He would keep his head. No matter the way she turned it just by walking into a room, much less sitting next to him in her bedroom. He’d had to work doubly hard just to concentrate on the call and that’s what Gage was picking up on. His boss didn’t miss a thing.
Get a grip, dude, or you will fail.
He shouldered his tote with more force than necessary and went into the living area. Isaiah and Whitney sat on the sofa, a sleeping Zoey resting on Whitney’s chest, and Isaiah’s head propped on her shoulder. Zoey wore adorable reindeer fuzzy footie pajamas and had a small blanket tucked up next to her chin. Her soft blond curls contrasted with Whitney’s dark hair, but otherwise he could have mistaken them for mother and daughter.
An instant mother. Just like that. One day single and on her own, the next day responsible for two children. That had to be a huge shock. In all of this, he didn’t ask or even wonder how she was handling it. And on top of it, a killer, someone she once trusted and likely had even come to love over the years, was hunting her down.
A need to care for them coursed through Alex. He’d never felt such a protective desire in his life, and it left him feeling like the very floor was shifting under his feet. Fearful, too, of the heavy responsibility. Sure he’d been on missions to rescue and protect others plenty of times in the past, but it had never felt so deeply personal before.
And he’d never shouldered the majority of the weight on his shoulders.
If only the pass was open and reinforcements could get through. But there was no if only in this situation, only what was—a roadblock. A big, dangerous roadblock. Mounds. Piles. Mountains of snow blocking what Alex needed most. Help.
The theme in his life of late. Something he’d been dialoging with God about. With all his teammates pairing up and getting married, Alex was starting to see how empty his life was. So he’d been consciously trying to change that. To think about dating. Not that he’d succeeded in moving forward. He kept hitting walls, mountainous walls in his heart, and he had been finding every which way around them. Now he had to face them square on. Did God orchestrate for him to meet Whitney and the kids so that he’d be forced to face his past?
Well, it was clear God did want him here to protect them. There was a killer here, and no way out for any of them. And right now only God knew why.
If He changed His mind, He could move mountains to affect the change. Could do anything He had a mind to. Problem was Alex had come to believe that God wanted him to learn something while blocked by the mountains in his life. Maybe that’s why he was finding himself literally hemmed in.
Maybe he had to change so those mountains could move.
Still, God was here with them. That Alex knew, and he couldn’t rely on his skills alone. He needed God’s help. He stood for a moment and lifted his head. Tried to think positive and focus on what he did have at his disposal.
Thank you for putting PPB officers here. For Sam being here. For her skills and the ease in working with her. Give me the wisdom to coordinate all of our efforts. To stay vigilant and do the right thing to keep this family and everyone at the resort safe.
Feeling more optimistic, he continued around the sofa and set his bag on the floor. “The room’s all set.”
Isaiah got up and stared up at Alex. His eyes were narrowed, and he gnawed on his lower lip. Man, oh, man. The poor kid. He was wearing fear like a boa constrictor, clinging and strangling him.
What had happened to make his suffering worse?
Alex could hardly look at the boy without hugging him and promising that everything would be okay now. He swallowed and forced a smile. “S’up, bud?”
“Aunt Whitney told me Dad might be here. Might be wanting to hurt her and take us.” He rubbed his head in nervous little strokes.
Alex rested his hand on Isaiah’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, bud. But you don’t need to worry. I’m here with you and so is Sam. We’ll keep you safe.” Alex felt like he was lying to the kid, because he couldn’t make a promise like that. No one could. Still, he couldn’t leave the boy feeling this distraught—he would never sleep.
“See?” Whitney said. “That’s what I said. We have the very best person looking out for us, and we’ll be fine as long as we listen to everything he tells us to do.”
Isaiah started to rock back and forth on his feet, and his focus landed at Alex’s waist where he’d strapped his holster to his belt. The boy’s eyes went wide, and he stared up at Alex. “Are you going to kill him?”
What? Oh, man. Alex shoved a hand into his hair. How did he answer that loaded question? If Percy attempted to hurt them, Alex could indeed end up killing him, but Alex sure wasn’t going to tell Isaiah that.
He took a breath, eased it out, and prayed for an answer that would comfort Isaiah not hurt him more. “I never want to use my gun. Never. But you need to know that I’ll do whatever I have to do to keep the three of you safe.”
Isaiah stood silent for a long moment then suddenly gave a firm nod of his head. “Thank you.”
Seriously? This kid kept surprising Alex. He was acting so grown-up. So worldly-wise and he was only nine. With one swift, thoughtless act by his father, Isaiah had been forced to grow up. Alex knew the feeling. Knew from the day his mom checked out of his life.
“I got your back, bud.” He held out his hand for a fist bump.
Isaiah reciprocated. He looked like he wanted to say something, but then picked up his suitcase and headed for the bedroom.
“You’re good with him,” Whitney said as she tried to scoot to the edge of the sofa.
“Let me take Zoey for you.” Alex’s emotions were stripped bare from Isaiah’s terrible situation—loving his dad and probably hating him at the same time. Add Whitney’s compliment to that, and Alex wanted to run the other way. Forget facing and feeling all the pain and heartache. Just slip back into the joking façade he was comfortable with.
He pushed the thoughts away and scooped up Zoey’s warm little body. She didn’t wake but shifted to snuggle against his chest and plugged her thumb into her mouth. She reminded him so much of Faith when she’d fallen asleep in his arms on the day he’d discovered their mother.
He just stood there staring at Zoey’s precious face surrounded by blond curls. The innocence of a baby with none of the world’s hurts written on her heart. None of the devastation or danger. None of man’s sin against other men.
“Don’t worry about waking her,” Whitney said. “She sleeps through everything.”
“I’m not.”
Whitney picked up their suitcases and paused to stare at him. “Is something wrong?”
He didn’t know what to say. Didn’t know if he could trust his voice. He swallowed hard. “It’s not fair. These kids losing their parents like this. But then, life isn’t fair, is it?”
A shaky breath escaped between her lips as she shook her head. “We can never know what God’s purpose is in anything, but yeah…yeah…I’m struggling with this. I’ve always believed the verse that says He brings good from a bad situation, but…” She shook her head harder. “I’m wrestling with figuring out how that can possibly happen here.”
“I thought the same thing when my mom swallowed that bottle of pills,” he said bluntly. He was testing her by the way he blurted out the way his mother died. He had to find out what she was made of.
He watched and waited for her gasp or offer a horrified look that his mother killed herself. After all, that’s what most people did, and he felt like a freak growing up.
She set down the suitcase, rested her hand on his arm, and stared up into his eyes. There was no horror there. No shock. Just compassion. And impossible understanding of his pain.
“That must have been doubly hard,” she whispered. “Losing her and knowing she left you on purpose.”
Of course, Whitney would be kind. Compassionate. He was learning that about her, and it was a quality he always sought in people. That’s why he loved his team so much. They were all big tough guys who would deny having any emotions until the cows came home, but each and every one of them cared deeply and wanted to right the world’s wrongs.
Gage was the catalyst for that attitude, and he drew like-minded people to work with him and join their team. It was an honor to know, work with, and call each of them friend.
“I’m sorry you had to go through such a life-altering trauma,” Whitney continued, her hand still resting on his arm. “But it’s allowing you to connect with Isaiah. I can see how much you’re helping him, and I can’t ever repay you for the invaluable gift you’re giving him.”
Heat flooded his face. He never could accept a compliment. He didn’t know why, but it almost bothered him.
“God finding the good from bad, I guess,” he redirected.
She squeezed his arm and let go. “I like that you’re so humble, but please accept that you’re helping him and that I appreciate it. You deserve someone to appreciate you.”
How had he gotten into this deep of a discussion with her?
He held Zoey up. “We should get her to bed.”
Whitney looked hurt at his sudden change of topic, but he’d been flooded with so many emotions in the past two days that he couldn’t deal any more. He hadn’t connected with anyone like this since his mother died, and everything was all jumbled up with that. Point-blank, he didn’t know how to handle it.
He headed for the bedroom. Isaiah had turned back the sheets and was in his pajamas sitting in the bed. “She can sleep with me.”
Alex glanced at Whitney to be sure that was okay. She nodded. He laid Zoey in the bed. Her hair covered her face, and he gently moved it away.
He wanted the best for these kids. Besides keeping them safe, he wanted to help them adjust. Especially Isaiah.
He held out his fist again. Isaiah met it with his. “’Night, bud.”
“’Night.”
Alex nearly fled out of the room and found Sam in the kitchenette making a cup of tea.
She looked up. Watched. Assessed. Evaluated. “Want something?”
Yeah. Understanding of what in the world was going on with him. He needed to get it together because if he didn’t, he would be distracted. And distraction led to errors that he couldn’t afford to make.
12
Alex hoped to wake up to sun streaming through the window, but when he looked outside he couldn’t see more than a few feet through the swirling snow. And the forecast said temperatures had dropped ten degrees overnight. If their shooter had escaped, he was facing even more extreme conditions.
Alex closed his computer from reviewing the last of the resort’s video files and cupped his hand around a warm coffee mug. He’d stared at the computer screen until three a.m. and then tossed and turned on the sofa until six and started reviewing files again.
“Good morning,” Whitney said from behind.
Her warm voice washed over him, and he was unreasonably happy that she’d finally gotten up to join him. He swiveled slowly to savor that first look at her this morning. She was wearing a pine-green sweater that brought out her beautiful eyes and her soft, creamy complexion. She looked fresh and well-rested, a sweet smile on her face.
He returned her smile and hooked an arm over the back of the chair. “You look like you slept well.”
“I did. Surprised me. I must have been exhausted from the stress. What about you?”
He shrugged. “But that’s not unusual when I’m on a protection detail.”
Her smile evaporated. “I’m sorry about that. I wish it could be different. I can’t begin to tell you how grateful I am for your help.”
“Glad to do it.” He gestured at the kitchenette. “I made coffee if you want some.”
“Thank you.” She crossed the room, and he watched the subtle sway of her hips and very long legs in dark jeans. She glanced over her shoulder. “Once the kids get up, I’ll order room service, but if you’re hungry, you don’t have to wait for us.”
“Sam grabbed breakfast for us at the restaurant about an hour ago.” He glanced at his watch. “Our first interview is in fifteen minutes.”
> “What time is it?”
“Quarter to eight.”
“Oh, wow. That’s late for me.” She poured the coffee. “I guess I really did need to sleep.”
“I used the time to review the final video files.”
She poured creamer into her mug. “And?”
“No sign of Percy in any of them. The cameras caught John Doe entering the lodge two days ago, but it didn’t record him anywhere after that. Not a surprise. They don’t have many cameras inside other than at the front desk, and he doesn’t show up on those videos. Means he never registered or checked out.”
“What about your gun runner? See anything interesting with him?”
Disappointed, he shook his head. “None of the guests seem to be up to anything unusual. And I didn’t see our target meet with anyone in a public space.”
“That’s disappointing.” Stirring her coffee, she came near him, and the cheerful mood she brought into the room earlier had disappeared.
He tried not to frown. She seemed discouraged about the lack of progress, and he wanted to alleviate her concern. “Investigations are a step-at-a-time kind of thing. There’s never an easy answer. It’s really trial and error, so don’t get down with every lack of a lead. This is normal.” He gave her a half-grin. “It’s not like on TV or in the movies where obvious clues lead straight to the suspect.”
She smiled at that. “I’ll do my best to stay optimistic.”
The SAT phone rang from the table, and when he saw Gage’s name, he grabbed it. “Morning, Gage.”
“Yeah. Hey, listen, I wanted to see if you saw Percy in the videos.”
“No sign of him.”
“Okay, then let me update you on what we know so far.”
“Whitney’s with me. Let me turn on speakerphone so she can hear, too.” He pressed the button. “Go ahead, Gage. What’s new on Percy?”
Whitney’s expression perked up, and she came closer.
“Eryn and Piper have been working with a contact at the Marshal’s Service.”
Cold Pursuit Page 10
