Witness Protection

by Barb Han

  Two years of training had her watching shadows, checking cars and searching strangers’ faces.

  At a house four doors down there looked to be someone in the driver’s seat of a small blue sport-utility. Could be nothing. A friend waiting outside for someone to run inside their house and grab something they’d forgotten.

  Being snatched from the grocery store parking lot two years ago had taught Sadie to fear what was out in the open more than anything in the dark.

  She squeezed Nick’s hand and inclined her head toward the parked vehicle. “Think we need to be worried?”

  “I saw that. We’ll keep an eye on him,” he reassured.

  Traffic on Interstate 75 was almost at a crawl, but picked up once they merged onto President George Bush Turnpike, heading west. Nick took the Dallas North Tollway exit, heading north to Parker Road. Once he exited there, he made a left. A small white building came up quickly on the left. To the right was a strip mall. Beyond those, the three towers that made up Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital of Plano stood on the left.

  “Did they say which tower?”

  “The second, I believe.”

  He pulled into the parking garage and found a parking spot on the third floor.

  “Doesn’t seem like we had any company on the way.” Thankfully, no blue sport-utility had followed them.

  “Nope.”

  And, yet, Sadie had an uneasy feeling.

  “You don’t look relieved.”

  Most likely her alert system was set to high beam again. “It’s probably nothing.”

  “Gut instinct has kept me alive more than once.” Nick scanned the parking garage as they walked toward the white building.

  An ambulance, sirens blazing, roared toward the emergency entrance.

  Sadie’s nerves were already stretched to their limits. The blare of the sirens caused her muscles to pull tighter with each step toward the elevator.

  She caught herself judging every person who passed by, evaluating their threat. Being outside in daylight had her feeling vulnerable even though she wore a disguise.

  Nick squeezed her hand reassuringly as they walked inside the building and to the elevators. He seemed to second-guess himself when he glanced at a metal door with a sign over it that read Stairs. “Let’s take those instead.”

  “What floor are they on?”

  “The third.” He pulled out his phone and thumbed through his texts as the metal door cu-clunked behind them. He stalled on the first step. “She’s in room three-fifteen.”

  They’d climbed one set of stairs when Nick’s cell buzzed, indicating a text. He checked the screen. “It’s from Riley.”

  Sadie’s pulse increased. “What did he say?”

  His eyes stayed on the screen for a long moment as though he needed a second for the words to sink in. He muttered a curse. “Men are in the room asking questions about me and he doesn’t like it.”

  “What? How can that be?”

  “Riley’s telling us to get out of here.” His jaw clenched.

  “Wait a minute. Isn’t this the break we need? Shouldn’t we call the police? Have them arrested? Or at least hauled in for questioning?”

  “For what?” He paused. “Asking questions in a hospital? If these guys are flashing badges, then local police aren’t going to touch them.”

  “What about the envelope we found in the warehouse last night?”

  “Inadmissible in court. We could go to jail for breaking and entering.”

  “Oh, right. I forgot.”

  “I need to check in with Smith. Let him know what’s happening. And he damn well better be prepared to send extra resources to make sure nothing happens to my family.”

  He’d already turned around and started back down the stairwell when the door to the first floor flew open. He froze and ended the call before Smith could answer, biting out another curse word under his breath—the exact one Sadie was thinking.

  Sadie followed Nick up the stairs as quietly as she could, fearing the people below would hear her heartbeat for how loud it hammered against her ribs.

  She heard the unmistakable click of a bullet being loaded in a chamber. She bit down a gasp, staying as close to Nick as she could manage as he ascended the stairs.

  Feet shuffled below, climbing closer. By the sounds of it, someone was in a hurry.

  She and Nick had two floors on whoever was chasing them, but they were gaining ground fast.

  Nick popped out on the seventh floor and immediately pressed the elevator button.

  Hurry.

  The elevator dinged and a set of doors opened. Nick rushed inside. “Get against the wall.”

  She pressed her back against the glass, saying a silent protection prayer.

  The stairwell door flung open.

  “This where they ditched?” a familiar-sounding voice asked. Did it belong to Burly?

  Nick jammed his thumb on the L button a few more times.

  Come on.

  “I don’t think so. I don’t see anyone. Maybe one up?” another voice replied. Steroids?

  The elevator door closed at the same time as the one leading to the stairs.

  “You know who that was, don’t you?” she asked.

  “I do. They sure have come a long way from the cabin to find us,” he said, staring at the screen on his phone intently.

  “My thinking exactly. Is it possibly they work for the agency?”

  “No. I’d know if they did. Those guys are hired.”

  She gasped. “You mean professional killers?”

  He nodded. “We need to get to my truck and I need to get ahold of Smith. But I want to see who else comes out of the front door before we leave.”

  The elevator stopped at the second floor. Sadie’s heart lurched to her throat.

  Nick drew his weapon, and hid it behind his leg. Sadie went shoulder-to-shoulder with him, frighteningly aware of how close the gun was to her own leg, in order to shield the weapon from view. Her body started to shake.

  Four or five people pushed in before the elevator doors closed again. A man in scrubs, two nurses and an older couple squeezed inside, making the small space cramped.

  The lobby was a welcomed sight.

  Nick walked quickly the few steps away from the elevator then broke into a run, not stopping until he was out the front door. He walked across the pathway to an uncovered parking lot and phoned Smith.

  “Meg’s in the hospital getting ready to have her baby. She had visitors. I need people on her, Smith. My life is one thing, but keep my sister safe.”

  Sadie only heard one side of the conversation, mostly Nick stressing the need to provide adequate protection for his family.

  He asked his boss to hold then checked a text message. “My brother-in-law says the men who stopped by gave names. They also claimed to be coworkers of mine.”

  By the time he closed the call, he’d relayed the message whoever visited Meg claimed to work with him said their names were Young and Turner.

  Based on Nick’s reaction, those identities didn’t sit well with his boss.

  “What did he say?” she asked as soon as Nick looked at her.

  “It’s impossible for Young and Turner to be here because they’re on assignment in Virginia.”

  “He’s sure they’re there? I mean couldn’t they say they were in one place but actually hop a plane and be here in a few hours?”

  “Yeah.” His gaze constantly shifted, scanning for possible threats. “But they didn’t.”

  “What makes him so certain? I mean it’s not as if someone follows you guys around checking out your every move.”

  “He knew because he’d just left them at breakfast. They had a meeting about the case they were working on. No way
could they eat with him then make it here in an hour.”

  “Then clearly someone is getting away with impersonating marshals. How can that happen?”

  “Jamison would have access to everyone’s personnel records. All he’d have to do is find men who looked similar and then have their credentials faked.”

  “And his association with Grimes would give him access to a variety of known criminals and channels. Men who would be good at pretending to be someone else when they needed to. Men who could fake government documents skillfully.”

  “Men who wouldn’t be afraid to kill someone to get what they wanted.” He finished for her.

  Shock wasn’t the word for what Sadie experienced. “Isn’t it pretty brazen of them to come to the hospital like this? I mean they have to know Meg and Riley are cops.”

  “Why not? They’ve already gone to prison and fooled guards. Killed a U.S. Marshal. They’re good at this and clearly comfortable with what they’re doing.”

  “What did Riley say to them?”

  “He told them I was driving in from Houston, and that I’d be there in two hours. He also asked them to stick around. He said they couldn’t get out of there fast enough. He had no reason to detain them, so he had to let them go.”

  “Not to mention his wife’s in labor, and he has no backup.” Sadie pointed out.

  “Even so, he would’ve done anything necessary to keep her safe. Even if that meant placing them under arrest.”

  “What was Smith’s reaction to the news?”

  “He has extra security coming. I’d like to stick around in case Riley needs me until they arrive.” Stress gave way to a long face.

  “I hate that you can’t be there for Meg while she’s in labor.”

  “Me, too. At least she has Riley with her. He said she probably wouldn’t let me come inside, anyway. Something about not wanting to scare me off ever having children.” His smile didn’t look forced, but faded quickly.

  “Who are we looking for?”

  “For one, I’d like to know more about the two men who seem to be behind us every step of the way.” He checked his messages. “Then there’s the pair of men wearing dark suits. Riley said they should stick out.”

  Sadie studied each person as they came out of the turnstiles.

  Five minutes passed before anyone fitting the description came out of the revolving doors of the main building.

  “Looks like we have them.” Nick switched his phone to camera mode and snapped a couple of pictures. “I’ll send these to Smith, and we’ll hope for a positive ID.”

  “You think they might be deputies?”

  “Could be. If Jamison sent them and they’re following his orders then it’s possible they might not even know what he’s really after. If they’re known criminals, they’ll show up in the database, and we’ll get a hit.” He sent the photos to his boss with a couple of clicks.

  “We haven’t seen Burly and Steroids. Where could they have possibly gone?”

  “It’s a big building with multiple exits. They could’ve gone out somewhere else, and we’d never know. Or they could be in the building. I should warn Riley.” He fired off a text to his brother-in-law.

  “Can’t he detain those guys?”

  “He needs to have probable cause.” He studied the screen intently.

  “Any word from Smith?”

  “Not yet. It could take a while to get a match.”

  “Should we wait here for backup?”

  “Let’s see where these guys go first. We might want to follow them. At least get a good look at the license plate.”

  The men walked to a white sedan.

  Nick repositioned. “Damn. I can’t get a good look at the plate. Too many cars in the way.”

  He crouched low and moved behind another car, trying to get a better position.

  Sadie saw a man in white shirt and black pants heading toward them. “Security’s coming.”

  The radio squawked.

  “Keep an eye on him.” He moved up another couple of cars.

  “He’s heading right this way, Nick.”

  He dropped to his knees and fanned his hands out on the ground, feeling around. “Can you see them, babe?”

  “Looking for something, sir?” the guard looked concerned.

  “My keys.” He felt around underneath a different car. “Dropped them.”

  The security officer bent down, placing his hands on his knees for support. He had to be close to fifty, and his belly prevented him from bending too far.

  Sadie pointed toward the key Nick had dropped moments before. “That it?”

  “Where?” He played the part perfectly.

  “There. Near the grass by the front tire.”

  “Look at that. Sure is.”

  The officer stood to his full height, which looked to be five-foot-ten, as Nick rose to his and offered to shake hands.

  “I’d be lost without her.”

  The officer smiled and nodded, shaking his head and walking toward the building. “I wouldn’t be caught dead admitting that to mine. She’d never let me hear the end of it. But it’s true.”

  Sadie turned in time to see the white sedan turn the corner onto Communications Parkway and disappear.

  Nick muttered a curse. “You didn’t happen to get that number, did you?”

  “Nope. I didn’t. And we wouldn’t be able to catch them at this point, either, would we?”

  He grumbled while he shook his head. “Not even if we ran to the truck. Besides, being in a hurry might cause us to make a mistake and be seen. Burly and Steroids might still be in the building.”

  It was most likely her danger radar overreacting again, but she didn’t like the thought of those men being anywhere near Nick’s pregnant sister.

  * * *

  THIS SITUATION COULDN’T get more frustrating to Nick. If they went inside, where he wanted to be to watch over his sister, they risked Burly and Steroids seeing him. Jamison’s camp had been led to believe Nick was nowhere around. His henchmen would be expecting him and Sadie to be on Interstate 45 heading north. They would most likely put some resources there.

  Riley’s knee-jerk reaction to throw them off the trail had been brilliant. Jamison wouldn’t be happy waiting around for Nick to show up at the hospital. He’d send resources to cut him off and dispose of him long before he had a chance to make it to Plano. Jamison’s life depended on getting rid of Nick and Sadie.

  Spreading out Jamison’s men improved Nick’s odds greatly.

  He pulled his cell from his pocket and informed Smith, so he could put resources on I-45. In exchange, he learned support should be arriving at the hospital any second.

  Glancing at Sadie, he could see how stressed this situation had been on her. He wanted to reach out to her, to be her comfort, to take all her fear and anxiety away.

  He hated that he couldn’t.

  Another part of him wanted to find Burly and Steroids, if only to force them to talk. He had a few other ideas of things he’d like to do to them, but jail sounded like a good enough option.

  Leaving Sadie alone so he could track them was a bad idea.

  Bringing her along wasn’t an option.

  He had no doubt if he was alone he would find them if they were still in the building. Two people would be harder to hide.

  Sitting and waiting was a bitter cup of tea for Nick.

  Yet, that was what he had to do.

  Once he knew Meg, Riley and baby were safe, he could leave. Stashing Sadie at the safe house was his best bet until he heard back from Smith. His men were zeroing in on Jamison, and it wouldn’t be long before they had a location.

  Until then, Nick would be better off in hiding, too.

  The last thing he wanted
to do was lead Jamison to Sadie. She was the only one who could identify him as one of her abductors. They needed her statement against Jamison to be able to make an arrest. He had another more personal reason for keeping Sadie safe, but this was not the time to get inside his head about what that meant.

  Without proof, Jamison would most likely get off scot-free if Nick and Sadie were killed. She was the only person who could identify him and put him away.

  It was bad enough they had to deal with an out-of-control marshal, but Grimes was another story. He had a vested interest in seeing Sadie dead, too. He also seemed hell-bent on making sure she was erased for good. Dead would do it.

  Nick’s cell buzzed. Smith’s name popped up on the screen. He showed it to Sadie before answering. “What’s the word, Chief?”

  “My men have arrived. It’s safe for you and ‘the battery’ to leave.” The boss must’ve realized Nick wouldn’t leave the grounds until he knew his sister was out of danger.

  “I appreciate this. You’ll keep someone here until she checks out in a couple of days?”

  “I’ll send someone home with them if it means you won’t worry. They’ll have twenty-four-hour security. You have enough on your plate right now without wondering if your family’s safe.”

  “What next?”

  “I’m in the process of trying to attain a search warrant for Jamison’s house. Sadie’s word and the bank account might just be enough.”

  “Jamison lives in Dallas, I presume.”

  “Right.”

  Nick would like to be part of the guys serving that warrant, but he suspected the place would be empty. “He’s smart enough to know better than to hide evidence at his house.”

  “I suspect you’re right.”

  “Doesn’t hurt to take a look, anyway,” Nick conceded. “Keep me in the loop.”

  “You know I will.”

  Nick ended the call. “Back to the safe house.”

  Waiting made him want to go insane. He also wasn’t thrilled by the fact he hadn’t heard from Lucy.

  He could see fear in Sadie’s eyes when she looked at him and nodded. His muscles tensed. She shouldn’t have to hide for the rest of her life. Just thinking about how afraid she’d been—how afraid she’d most likely be forever—stirred anger that pierced another hole in his armor.