by Laura Scott
“Mitch, it’s Marc. I need to borrow your buddy’s car. Call me at the following number as soon as possible.” He rattled off the number for his new phone then disconnected from the call and glanced over at her.
“Here...this is what Vince looks like.” She held out the drawing and Marc quickly crossed over to take it. “Mitch is another one of your brothers, right?”
“Yeah, I’m sure he’s at work, but hopefully he’ll call me soon.” He raked his gaze over her sketch. “This is great, thanks. I’ll send this to Miles, see if he can dig up something on this guy’s real identity.”
She shrugged, holding on to the door frame for support. “What about Jamison’s tattoo? Was your task force able to find out anything about it?”
“Sit down. You need to stay off that ankle.” He gestured toward the small round table she’d abandoned earlier, so she hopped over. “We ran the tattoo through the FBI criminal-investigation database but didn’t come up with anything specific. Why?”
“Images from that day keep rolling through my mind. It seems like the design might mean something.”
“Try not to worry about it,” he suggested. “I’m here to keep you safe.”
A flash of irritation made her grit her teeth. “It’s obvious Jamison’s accomplices want to silence me once and for all. Don’t you think it’s better if we figure out who they are before that happens?”
He leaned forward, capturing her hands in his. “Kari, the task force has been working the case for weeks since Jamison’s arrest, even before that, from the time the first bank was robbed. So far, we having nothing that indicates the tattoo symbolizes a gang.”
“What else do you know about Jamison?” she asked, drawing strength from the warmth of his hands. “I wonder if the Samurai tattoo indicates he has a Japanese heritage.”
“Yeah, we have considered that, but the information doesn’t help us much. We checked into the Japanese gangs in Chicago but they don’t use the samurai symbol—they use dragons.”
“I guess that makes sense.”
“I think we’re better off focusing on the leak within the task force,” Marc added, releasing her hands.
“Is it possible one of them has a tattoo?”
He shrugged. “Not that we’re aware of. To be fair, it’s not that difficult to hide one.”
“Figures,” she lamented with a sigh. Her gaze fell on a slip of paper where Marc had written out five names, and she quickly figured out they were the other members of the task force.
Detective Steve Young, Detective Jason Wu, Detective Monique Barclay, Agent Angela Wright and Agent David Hermes.
Was Wu a Japanese name? Or Chinese? Did it matter? Anyone could get a Samurai tattoo.
Marc rose to his feet. “I’m going to fax a copy of your drawing of Vince to Miles. I’ll be back shortly.”
“Sure.” Kari swallowed the urge to snatch the sketch and tear it into little pieces as he left the motel room. A cold blast of air made her shiver.
Being alone in the motel room made her feel on edge. They’d been on the run for what seemed like forever instead of just over twenty-four hours.
Today was Thursday. There had already been two attempts on her life in the past twenty-four hours. In less than five days, she’d have to testify in federal court against Terrance Jamison.
Days that would seem like a lifetime.
She closed her eyes and prayed. Lord, please guide us to safety.
* * *
Marc used the tiny motel business center to send the fax to Miles’s home office, then made his way back to his motel room. Light snowflakes drifted in the air, melting into tiny drops of water the moment they hit his skin.
He’d parked the car behind the building, so that it wasn’t visible from the road. He’d also backed it in, so that they could get away quickly if needed.
There was a nagging itch along the back of his neck, warning him that they wouldn’t be safe until he got rid of his car. Anyone from within the task force could easily find out what he was driving. The snowy weather was hardly a deterrent.
For a moment his gut tightened at the thought of his family being in danger. He didn’t like it any more than he liked the fact that Kari was the ultimate target here. He’d prefer he be the one they were after because he knew he could take care of himself.
Of course, most of his family worked within some sort of law enforcement, except for Mike, and he was a private investigator with a license to carry a weapon. To make a move against any of them would be foolish.
No, he had to believe his family was safe. His brothers and his sister at the DA’s office wouldn’t give up without seeking justice.
Although he was forced to admit that despite their efforts, his father’s murderer was still out there somewhere.
Marc paused at the door, turning back to sweep his gaze over the motel parking lot, making sure the same vehicles from when they arrived were still there. They were, and no new ones had joined them, either.
Opening the door, he stomped the snow off his feet and let himself in. Kari was still sitting at the small table, but she’d opened his computer and was doing some sort of search on the internet.
He crossed over to see what she was doing. She glanced up at him. “I tried a search on samurai gangs, but came up empty.”
The corner of his mouth kicked up in a smile. “Yeah, we can’t assume there is any connection between the tattoo and the Japanese people.”
She grimaced. “You’re right. I just thought...” Her voice trailed off.
“I know you’re trying to help, but maybe you should leave the investigating to me.”
“There’s no reason I can’t lend a hand.”
Marc wasn’t sure what to say to that, since there really wasn’t anything she could do to help, but his new phone rang, so he quickly answered it. “Callahan.”
“It’s Miles. Where are you?”
Marc’s body tensed at the tone of his brother’s voice. “At a new location, why? What’s going on?”
“I picked up a tail.”
Marc clenched his free hand into a fist. “When? After you left us at the Ravenswood Motel?”
“No, I went from the motel to work, but noticed the tail when I left. Took me a while to get rid of it, too.”
Marc swallowed hard. “They found us at Ravenswood. We just barely managed to get away.”
His brother muttered something incomprehensible under his breath. “I don’t like it,” Miles said. “I didn’t see any indication I was being followed on my way to drop off the phones. There wasn’t a lot of traffic... I’m sure I would have spotted a tail.”
“I’m not blaming you,” Marc assured him. “Besides, it doesn’t matter—we’re safe for now. I’ve left a message for Mitch. I want a different set of wheels and you know he’s housing his buddy’s truck in his garage while the guy is overseas.”
“Yeah, borrowing Garrett’s truck is a great idea. Did Mitch call you back?”
“Not yet.”
“I’ll see if I can reach him. Could be that he ignored your call because of the strange number,” Miles said. “I agree with you—the sooner you get a different vehicle, the better.”
“Thanks. And Miles? I faxed a drawing to your home office. The guy was going by the name Vince Ackerman, his age roughly in his late twenties or early thirties. I couldn’t find anyone by that name in the area, so it could be that he’s using an alias.”
“You think he’s involved?”
Marc hesitated. “Not sure, but I’d still be interested in finding him even if he’s not.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks. Be careful, Miles. I don’t like the fact that you’re being watched.”
“Don’t worry, I can take care of myself. I’ll aler
t the rest of the family, too, just in case. I’ll be in touch.”
Marc disconnected from the call, not liking the turn of events one bit. Once Mitch brought him a different car, he’d make sure to stay far away from his family. No sense in dragging them into his mess.
“Is Miles okay?” Kari asked softly.
“He’s fine.” Logically, Marc knew that his brother was a good cop, a savvy detective. Still, it made him uneasy knowing that he’d dragged his brother into danger. “As soon as I hear from Mitch, we’ll get out of here.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “We’re not staying the night? Didn’t you pay for the rooms already?”
“No, we’re not staying overnight and I don’t care about the money. We’ll find somewhere else to go once we have alternate transportation.”
Kari looked as if she was about to argue, but then nodded. “Okay. Sounds good.”
Marc gathered what little they had, mainly their coats, his computer and Kari’s drawings, into a small pile on the table. He slid the sketch Kari had drawn of him into his pocket. A bit of sentimental foolishness? Maybe. But he didn’t take it back out, either.
Staring at his phone waiting for Mitch to call didn’t make the phone ring any faster, so he continued his internet search. Kari sat next to him, and he tried not be distracted by her cranberry-vanilla scent.
Why did she smell like home?
“How well do you know the task-force members?” she asked.
It was a good question. “Not very well at all,” he admitted. “I did work with Detective Steve Young in the past, but the other two detectives I barely know at all. I know the other federal agents, but Angela Wright is new to the Milwaukee office, so this is the first case we’ve worked together. Hermes has been around for the last couple of years. He’s a bit of a hot dog, always trying to show off, but I can’t imagine him, or any of them really, getting caught up in something like this.”
“I didn’t think Vince would up and leave me, either, taking all the money out of our account with him, but he did. Sometimes we don’t know people as well as we thought.”
“Yeah, I know.” Marc didn’t like it, but he had little choice but to accept the facts as they were. “It’s clear that someone with inside information is involved, so that means either my boss, or one of these task-force members is the leak.”
“Where do we start?”
He stared at the names on his list, trying to imagine which one was hiding a secret life, a criminal connection. His phone rang, startling him. “Callahan.”
“I hear you’re in trouble,” his brother Mitch said, getting straight to the point.
“Yeah, you could say that. I need to borrow Garrett’s truck until Monday afternoon. My witness is testifying first thing Monday morning, as soon as they pick a jury.”
“No problem. Where do you want to meet?”
Marc knew he was blessed to have such a supportive family. “I’m about fifteen minutes east of Madison. How about we meet at the outlet stores in thirty minutes?”
“I should be able to manage that,” his brother agreed.
“Might want to bring Miles along. I’m not sure using my car is a good idea.”
“Okay, see you in a half hour.”
Marc was glad to be able to move, to take the next step in assuring Kari’s safety. He shut down the computer, then held up her coat so she could slide into it.
“Thanks,” she murmured, drawing the edges close to zip it up. He wondered how much longer she’d fit in normal clothes, then reminded himself that her wardrobe was hardly his concern.
He shrugged into his own coat and then tucked the computer under his arm. He left the room keys on the table, then held out his arm so she could lean against him as they made their way through Kari’s room toward the door leading outside.
Before opening the door, he peered through the window, glancing at the parking lot. Nothing had changed, except the snow was falling faster now, collecting on the parked cars and covering the asphalt. “Let’s go, but stay to my left, okay?”
They left the motel, moving slower than he liked, keeping close to the building as they rounded the corner to the back. His car was also covered in snow, and once Kari was safe inside, he quickly cleared the windows before joining her.
She didn’t say much as he drove away from the motel, although he could tell she was watching the road behind them for any sign of the SUV. He hated knowing she was so afraid.
He headed for the interstate, but they were on the freeway for barely ten minutes when bright headlights gained on them from behind. Marc tensed when he realized the vehicle was an SUV.
The same one as before? How was that possible?
He hit the gas, determined to put distance between them. At three o’clock in the afternoon, it was still light out, but visibility wasn’t great because of the snow.
“Gun!” Kari shouted. Sure enough, he could see the narrow barrel of a gun poking through the passenger-side window just like it had earlier.
“Hang on,” he said, pushing the speed limit as much as he dared.
“Not again! Please, Lord, not again!”
Kari’s desperate cry stabbed like a hot poker in his gut. He’d promised to keep her safe.
He couldn’t bear the thought of failure. Of losing another witness.
A pregnant witness.
SIX
Kari couldn’t believe they’d been found again so quickly. She mentally braced herself for more gunfire, wondering if this time the bullets would find their mark.
Crack! Crack!
This time, the car didn’t swerve, giving her the impression that they hadn’t been hit. Marc was doing his best to get away, but the roads were slick with snow and she could tell from the side window that the black SUV was closing the gap behind them.
Suddenly, she was overcome by a wave of fury. The heavy-duty scraper he’d used to clean off the car was lying across the floor at her feet. She grabbed it, then released her seat belt.
“What are you doing?” Marc hissed. “You need to stay buckled in.”
She ignored him, kneeling now on the seat and then reaching behind to hit the button to open the sunroof. She shoved the ice scraper up through the opening. Hanging on to the handle she threw it against the wind directly at the SUV on their tail with every bit of strength she possessed. It sailed through the air, then found its mark.
Thwack!
Her mouth dropped open in shock when she saw the windshield of the SUV morph into a spiderweb of cracks, enough that it must have affected the driver’s ability to see as the car swerved wildly on the road and then dropped back.
As she slid back down into her seat Marc stomped on the brake, cranked the steering wheel hard to the left, and drove through an opening in the median. Instantly, they were headed in the opposite direction on the interstate, leaving the SUV behind.
“I can’t believe you risked your neck like that,” he said as he took the first exit to get off the freeway. “But I have to admit, that was incredible.”
“I was just so mad,” she said, as if that explained everything. “I wanted them to go away and to leave us alone.”
His smile faded. “I checked for some sort of tracker, but maybe I missed it. I don’t know how else they could have found us so quickly. We were barely fifteen minutes away from the motel.”
“At least we weren’t stuck there, like last time,” she said with a weary sigh. “God must be watching out for us.”
“I guess I can’t argue with that,” Marc agreed, much to her surprise. She’d noticed that he didn’t lean on prayer the way she did; granted he’d wait for her to finish praying, but he never participated. Yet it sounded as if his family was close and attended church regularly. She wondered what happened to make Marc turn away from faith. “W
e can’t get rid of this car fast enough.”
“It’s great that your brothers are willing to help out.”
“Yeah, I’m fortunate to have them.” He glanced over at her. “They’ll protect you, too, Kari. If anything happens to me, I want you to call one of my brothers.”
She frowned. “Nothing is going to happen to you. Or to me.”
“I know, but humor me. Take my phone and enter their numbers into yours, just in case.”
“Fine.” She didn’t like it, but it gave her something to do while he drove. He was staying off the main highway now, and the less traveled country roads were more treacherous, slowing their progress. “Should we stop and try to find whatever is on the car?”
“I considered doing that, but since I couldn’t find it before, not sure I want to try again. Besides, their current ride is out of commission, thanks to you, so I think it’s better to just get to the outlet mall. It’s not that far.”
When she finished entering his brothers’ numbers, she set the phone back in the center console. The rush of adrenaline faded, leaving her feeling shaky and queasy.
All this stress couldn’t be good for the baby.
She took several slow, deep breaths in an effort to calm her racing heart. Closing her eyes, she tried to imagine the sound of the ocean, waves lapping at the shoreline. Feeling better, she opened her eyes and tried not to get discouraged by the continual onslaught of snow.
“The mall is five miles up ahead,” Marc said in an encouraging tone. “We’re almost there.”
She nodded. “Great.”
“Are you all right?” he asked as if sensing her inner turmoil.
“Yes, although I’ll be better once we’re truly safe.”
He frowned, glancing at her midsection, before turning his eyes back to the road. “You’re not having any cramping or other problems, are you?”
“Nothing like that,” she assured him. “Just trying to relax, that’s all.”
He nodded and didn’t say anything more until they reached the outlet mall. In spite of the snow, there were a shocking number of cars in the parking lot, die-hard shoppers desperate to snag a few good deals before Christmas. Off to one corner she could see a large, dark-colored truck parked right next to a smaller cherry-red Jeep.
