by Dana R. Lynn
He decided now was the perfect time to ask for a little divine intervention. They wouldn’t be getting out of this on their own power, that was for sure. It would be awesome if God listened this time. He shoved away the unworthy thought. It had been tough holding on to his faith after Tim had died in an ambush, leaving behind a widow and a small son. He had clung to God, though, trusting Him to bring him out of the danger and darkness intact.
He uttered a quick prayer. Sophie shifted beside him. He might have made her uncomfortable with his prayer, but they had more urgent matters than comfort.
“I don’t have a plan, not yet.” He chanced another glance in the mirror. Unbelievable. Who knew vans were that fast? “Right now, I’m open to suggestions.”
“First thing I suggest is that we get off the toll road,” she responded, taking him at his word. “Otherwise, we’re bound to hit traffic soon.”
She was right. They were bound to hit either construction or traffic from people going into the city. He needed to get off this road, and soon.
“I hope you don’t have any outstanding traffic tickets,” he remarked.
She tossed him a quizzical glance. “No. Why?”
He veered and headed for the exit, cutting off the second car. It was close. The driver hadn’t been expecting the move and jerked to the side. He jerked too hard and spun into the guardrail and then continued on past the upcoming exit. “You’re going to get one for not paying your toll.”
The sedan sailed down the exit ramp and through the E-Z Pass lane. He smirked when he saw that the van had come to a stop when a couple of tractor-trailer rigs boxed it in.
His smugness faded. They didn’t have a lot of time. Traffic wouldn’t hold their pursuers for long. And Larson now knew with absolute certainty which vehicle Aiden and the sisters were driving. They had to find a new car. Fast.
Celine sat up in the back seat. She signed something to Sophie.
“What is she saying?” he said. He was somewhat worried that she was signing and not using her voice. “Is she okay?”
“She’s scared.”
He knew the feeling.
The van hadn’t caught up to them yet. Up ahead was the turnoff to go to Levi’s house. Did he dare risk it?
Did he really have a choice? They couldn’t stay in the sedan that Sophie owned. They were a moving target in it. He knew that Phillip Larson had people on his payroll in at least three states. That was a lot of power to round up searchers. There were no other options. Decision made, he swung onto the back road, heading in the direction of the farm, the back end of the car swinging wide on the loose rocks. Sophie’s arm shot out as she braced herself against the dashboard.
“Sorry,” he muttered, even though he’d do the same thing again if the situation arose. Her safety, and the safety of the girl in the back seat, came before all other considerations. Thankfully, the weather was holding out. At least for now. The temperature had started to dip into the fifties, and he could see dark clouds invading the skyline, blocking out the sunlight.
Storms were headed this way. In more ways than one.
There were too many ruts and potholes in the road to miss. He wished he could slow down but didn’t dare. The uneven surface under the tires made the whole vehicle vibrate. He unclenched his jaw and flexed his shoulders, feeling some of the tension drain away. He relaxed slightly, knowing that they were no longer on the main road. Levi had always valued his privacy. Hence the house in a field in the middle of the country.
His cell phone vibrated. He looked at the screen. It was the chief again. He put it on speaker so he had use of both hands. “Hey, Chief, I have you on speaker.”
That was code for civilians can listen in.
“Right. Where are you now, Aiden? We have reports of a lot of movement at the Larson residence.”
Phillip was mobilizing.
“I’m off to see a friend to talk about transportation.”
She processed that. “Okay. I want you to keep a low profile for a day or so. I can’t go into specifics, but there has been intel that you are in a dangerous place.”
“I already know that, ma’am. Two vehicles were tailing us a few miles back. Lost them, but I don’t know for how long.”
“Understood. Check in every four hours or so, and let me know your status. Use my cell phone number and try to avoid contacting anyone else for the time being. The fewer people in the loop on this one, the more secure you’ll be.”
And the safer the Larson girls would be. He heard what she didn’t say. They were closing in on the breach and whoever had access to his data.
“As you wish. We’ll keep our heads down.”
He disconnected. For a moment he said nothing.
“What does she mean about you being in a dangerous place?” Sophie asked.
He wasn’t surprised that she had caught on. “It means that she has a good idea where the leak is coming from and that it’s from a source that leaves us all vulnerable.”
“So where can we hide that we won’t be found while they fix the situation?”
“I have no idea.”
He was a man who liked to be in control. But he had absolutely no control over this whole case anymore. His cover was blown. He had no backup. And he was the only person standing between the sisters and those who would kill them. Whatever actions he took could literally mean life or death for them.
Shifting his eyes to Sophie’s, he saw something in her bright gaze that he hadn’t anticipated. Trust. Despite all she’d been through, this woman had chosen to put her trust and her faith in him.
And that terrified him more than anything else.
* * *
Aiden had gone to a dark place in his mind. Sophie could see the wall he had put between them. She had no idea what was going on in his head; however, she believed God would protect them. For whatever reason, He had chosen to work through this man. She would trust, although it wasn’t easy. In pursuit of her career, she’d allowed herself to drift away from God. Something that never should have happened.
She peered at the shuttered expression of the man beside her. His prayer had surprised her, and if she was honest, it had made her uncomfortable. Prayer, she was ashamed to admit, had not been her instinctive response. She knew there was something dark in Aiden’s past; she could see the brokenness in him. Could sense it in the way he held himself aloof that he had wounds from the past that hadn’t yet healed.
Didn’t they all?
It had been a little under a month since the death of her parents and brother had shattered her world. In that short period of time, she’d gone from a single woman with a promising career as a commercial designer to a stand-in single parent for her devastated sibling. She’d taken time off her job on family leave to get Celine settled. It was the right thing to do, but the change had completely shifted her world and her priorities.
And now she was on the run from a man who wanted her dead. A man who was her own flesh and blood. It was difficult to wrap her head around.
Was she crazy to trust a total stranger when her own family was failing her? Possibly. She felt safe with Aiden in a way she couldn’t remember feeling in such a long time. She wished she could give him some comfort in some way. Her fingers twitched, longing to reach out and touch his arm in solidarity.
He’d think she was crazy.
Ruthlessly, she squashed the foolish urge. What had come over her? She was not one to get touchy-feely, never had been. Even hugging her family made her slightly uncomfortable.
She’d never be able to hug anyone in her family except Celine ever again.
Her eyes burned and she blinked back the sudden wetness.
“You okay?”
She wasn’t surprised that Aiden had noticed her sudden distress. Very little seemed to escape his notice. She was touched, and also wary. She shook her head.
“I’m good.” She changed the subject. “So, tell me more about this friend of yours.”
She shifted in her seat so that she could watch him better.
“As I mentioned before, I have a buddy from my days in the military. He’s gone off the grid, likes to keep to himself. But I know that he has a home in the middle of nowhere out here. I have no idea if he’s home, but he should be okay with us dropping by.”
That sounded like a good plan. Still, her stomach tightened up. She didn’t know this military buddy of his. And he didn’t seem to know much about what the guy was up to these days, although maybe he was just being stingy with the details.
Still.
She’d feel a whole lot better once she could assess whether they were truly safe with him. It was controlling of her, a part of herself she recognized, but her baby sister’s life was at stake. Cecile was the only one Sophie had left, and vice versa. She didn’t want to take unnecessary risks at this point.
“Are you positive we can trust him?” She didn’t want to insult him, but how well did he know this guy?
Aiden shrugged. “Well enough. You don’t go through war together and not develop a bond. Levi’s saved my life a time or two, and I’ve returned the favor.”
He stopped talking, and she knew that he’d locked the door on his private past. She wouldn’t be getting any more personal information from him. At least, not on this topic.
He made another turn onto a narrow gravel road.
Sighing, she turned to stare out the window. Each minute took them farther away from the populated towns. The distance between houses widened. The landscape she saw was covered with lush trees, grass and spring flora. As she watched, a doe grazing near the side of the road perked up her ears and raised her white tail. She sprang back into the trees on her long, graceful legs. Two spotted fawns followed close behind. She watched, fascinated. There weren’t many deer where she had lived for the past few years.
Aiden slowed.
“What are you doing?” Why would he slow when they were in danger?
He flashed an unexpected grin her way. Her pulse jumped.
“I’m waiting to see if she—” he nodded in the direction of the deer “—has any more friends.”
“Friends...” She snapped her mouth shut as another deer bounded across the road and dashed into the trees.
“There she is. They are rarely alone. And they don’t seem to recognize that running in front of cars is more dangerous than staying put.”
He resumed his previous speed. Less than an hour later, they slowed again. This time, Aiden turned onto a lane. Really, it was little more than a tractor path winding between a dense row of trees. Glancing up, she saw what appeared to be a small speaker hooked to a tree. She might have missed it, its color almost exactly matching the bark of the tree. Arching her neck, she looked around. It wasn’t the only one. She could see that several of the trees appeared to have similar devices attached to them.
Celine moved closer to the window to peer out. They moved silently down the path. It was so long that Sophie was ready to ask Aiden if he was sure they were going the correct route when the path suddenly opened up and she could view fields and a large barn. And cows. More cows than she had seen in her life.
“Oh, look at that cute house!” Celine blurted out.
It was straight out of a storybook. A little blue farmhouse. She blinked.
“I thought farms were supposed to have large houses,” she murmured. “That’s the smallest farmhouse I have ever seen.”
Aiden grinned, anticipation glowing on his face. “Isn’t it great? We built it, Levi and I.”
“You built it?”
She couldn’t help being impressed. No one in her family had ever built anything.
“Yep. After we got back from Afghanistan. Levi wanted his own place, something simple. He had inherited land that was vacant. We got a crew together, designed it and built it.” He lifted his eyes to meet Celine’s in the mirror. “Just don’t tell him his house is cute.”
She grinned at him and sat back.
Sophie raised her eyebrows.
“It’s not cute,” he insisted. “It’s a very rugged structure.”
She laughed and caught his gaze. Something electrical passed between them.
The pride was there in his eyes. And something more. A longing that had her own throat closing. She knew what it was like to want something you couldn’t have. What was it that he wanted?
“Sophie, can I borrow your phone for a minute? I want to let my chief know that we’ve found a place.”
She frowned. “What if your leak or mole is watching and sees the number?”
“That’s why we’re using your phone and why I’m calling my chief’s private phone. She has a phone with a number that only a few of us know.”
She handed him her phone, still wary. He took it and dialed quickly. “Hey, Chief. Yeah, we’re good. I’m not going to give you the details, but we’re hoping to find shelter off the grid for a few days at an old buddy’s place.”
She listened carefully. Aiden ended the call and she realized he hadn’t said where they were, or even named his buddy. Her tightened muscles loosened.
* * *
They tightened again when the front door opened. A man walked out of the house, suspicion shining through the scowl that scrunched up his face. Aiden continued to drive forward slowly. Sophie’s stomach cramped with anxiety. This man did not appear friendly. No, sir. He glared at the car. His legs were braced and his back straight, ready for an attack. She could see the soldier in his stance. His dark eyes were cold as he looked at her through the car window. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. She opened her mouth to tell Aiden they should leave, but it was too late. He had stopped the car and switched off the ignition. Pocketing the keys, he opened the door and started to get out.
“I’m scared,” Celine whispered, her eyes huge as she took in the soldier.
Aiden halted and pivoted slightly. Bending, he reached in, tapped the girl’s shoulder and waited until she dragged her attention back to him.
“Celine, it will be okay. I promise, no matter what happens, I will protect you and your sister. Okay?”
As he addressed Celine, there was a softness in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. His voice was velvet and steel. He meant what he said. He would protect them at all costs. A chunk of the ice that had formed around her heart since the death of her parents and Brian melted. She hadn’t even known how much she wanted assurance that he would see this through until he spoke. They needed a protector.
Shame bristled inside. She hadn’t turned to God when the trouble started. Had she grown so focused on her career that her instincts to run to her Father had faded?
Celine nodded at Aiden, and he resumed his mission to greet his former comrade.
The soldier still didn’t appear too welcoming.
As he stepped off the porch, she could see that his right arm was actually a prosthetic limb. Here was a soldier who had lost something in battle.
The two men stared at each other for three seconds, and then Levi’s face broke open into a wide grin. The joy in that smile was incredible.
“Aiden! I was beginning to think you’d forgotten me.”
“Not so. I was on a job. Deep cover.” The two men shook hands and slapped shoulders. “I need your help.”
Levi nodded his head. “Of course, of course. Whatever you need.” A line appeared in his forehead as he tilted his head. “Are you in trouble, say?”
Sophie blinked. She had never heard anyone phrase a question just that way before. Not only that. There was something different about the way Levi talked. He had a subtle accent that she couldn’t quite place.
Aiden glanced around, the frown on his face becoming more pronounced. “I think this is a discussion that we would be
better off having inside. It would be safer for everyone.”
Levi’s eyes flared wide. Whatever he expected his old friend to say, it apparently wasn’t that. To his credit, he didn’t argue. Instead, he stepped back and swung the door open with his uninjured arm.
“Ja, come in.”
Sophie felt her jaw drop open. She quickly closed her mouth, hoping that nobody had noticed. Now that she heard him speak some more, she realized why Levi’s voice sounded so different. The young man in front of them was Amish. She had never heard of an Amish man fighting in the military. Her minimal experience and knowledge indicated that the Amish were pacifists and would not fight even to protect themselves. But not only had this man fought in a war, he had lost his arm in combat.
Obviously, there was a story here. Well, whatever the man’s background was, she said a silent prayer that he would be able to help them. Their options were growing slimmer by the moment.
Her uncle was persistent—he would not give up until he found them. It was up to the two men now talking quietly in the middle of the room to protect them all.
FIVE
Sophie let the door swing closed behind her and Celine. Aiden was already moving through the room, peering out of the windows and pulling the blinds closed. Levi, she noted, caught what was going on and strode to the kitchen area, copying Aiden’s actions. Amish or not, this young man seemed to be aware that danger was lurking.
He wasn’t dressed Amish. Instead of the typical bowl-cut hairstyle, his sandy blond hair was cut short, only about an inch long all over his head. His one ear sported a small gold earring, and if she wasn’t mistaken, he had a tattoo peeking out from underneath the collar of his T-shirt. No, definitely not very Amish in appearance. But his voice and inflections still made her wonder.
Aiden completed his task and rejoined her in the center of the room. He kept silent until his friend joined him.
“As I was saying, we could use your assistance.” His voice was low, a deep rumble. She glanced at Celine, whose eyes were glued to his face, intense. She had not been able to hear his words. They were too low for her to catch them even with her cochlears on.
