Run, River, Run

by C. F. Francis

  A brief glimpse in the dresser’s mirror told her she needed to clean up. Her face and hair were a sight. The bandage on her cheek didn’t help. With some fresh clothing in hand, she made her way to the hall bathroom and downed some pain relievers. The place was quiet. The stillness bothered her, which made little sense. She was used to silence, but after last night, the silence was unnerving. Before she’d conked out, she heard Kevin moving about. Now there was nothing. Had he left? Was she alone? Why should that bother her? She brushed her teeth, ran a comb through her hair then she ventured out to check the condo.

  The last thing she expected to see when she entered the living room was a shirtless man on her balcony doing push-ups. She recognized Shayne’s pirate, Troy. He grabbed his shirt off the railing, wiped the sweat from his face and chest. The guy was ripped. His chest and abdomen resembled plates of armor. Just because he was married didn’t mean River couldn’t appreciate the sight. She recalled Kevin’s broad chest after he’d cleared the sand from her eyes. She suspected the men were all calendar material.

  “I hope I didn’t disturb you.” Troy stepped into the living room, pulling his t-shirt over his head and ending the show.

  “No. Actually, it was so quiet, I came out to see if Kevin—I mean if anyone was here.” Did he catch her slip of the tongue?

  “He left to catch forty winks. He’ll be back later.”

  “Is it necessary to have someone with me all the time? Seems over the top.” For the most part, both Kevin and Troy had stayed out of her way. She suspected the others would as well, but she was used to being on her own even under the worst of circumstances.

  “For the time being,” Troy answered. “Once we get some pieces of the puzzle put together, we’ll reassess.”

  “I need to discuss fees with Steve.” She wasn’t a pauper. Far from it. Her mom and dad had invested well. When she turned twenty-one, she’d had access to an obscene amount of money in her opinion. She’d used a small portion of it to get her graphics business up and running, but once off the ground, it had generated more than enough to support her comfortably.

  “This is off the books,” Troy told her. “A favor.”

  “A favor? For whom?” she asked, a small tremble in her voice.

  “Kevin asked for help. We’re a team. We’re family.”

  “I’m neither,” she reminded him.

  “You will be,” Troy smiled.

  What? This was a strange group. “I’ll talk to Kevin and Steve. In the meantime, thank you.”

  “It’s our pleasure.” Troy made his way to the breakfast bar and grabbed a plastic sack off one of the stools in front of it. “I’ve got a few things here to increase your security a bit. I didn’t want to take the chance of disturbing you while I worked, but I’ll get started on it now.”

  “What sort of things?” River asked. She drew a line at cameras inside her unit.

  “Trip alarms for the sliding glass doors and windows. A camera at the front door. Nothing invasive.”

  “And things I should have had all along.” They were all smart ideas which she’d overlooked. Troy, kindly, did not remind her of that fact.

  “I started a pot of coffee and there are some bagels in the bag on the counter, if you’re interested.”

  “After I freshen up,” she said, making her way slowly toward to bathroom.

  “Make the water as hot as you can stand,” Troy shouted as she closed the door.

  River had been too distracted to move her personal care products to the other bathroom after the incident with the snake. Rather than do it now, she used the toilet bowl brush to poke under the sink and move the shower curtain before getting in the tub. She then happily followed Troy’s suggestion and turned the bath into a steam room, flexing her sore muscles under the hot, streaming water.

  She stayed in the shower until the water began to cool. It wasn’t a miracle cure, but she was less stiff by the time she’d finished. After inspecting the cut from the rock on the beach, she opted to leave it be and let Kevin decide if it needed another bandage. Her stomach fluttered when she thought of seeing him again. Damn.

  “How’s it going?” River asked when she returned to the living room. Troy was at the slider, muttering under his breath.

  “It’s not,” Troy answered. “The drill wasn’t fully charged, and I don’t have the charger for it. One of us will have to finish this later.”

  River shrugged. “I won’t be any worse off than I was yesterday.” She headed for the kitchen. It was after noon and she’d skipped dinner last night and hadn’t had breakfast. Now her stomach was objecting to the missed meals.

  “I managed to make some improvements before the drill died on me,” Troy said, gathering his tools. “The camera is set up for the front door. I’ll link it to your computer and phone, then show you how it works. We’ll also be upgrading your alarm system. Your system is decent, but it could use more bells and whistles under the circumstances. We’ll get that hooked up to your phone, too.”

  “After we eat something.”

  Instead of a bagel, she warmed up enough leftovers for the two of them. It was closer to lunch time than breakfast. River asked him how he’d met Shayne while they shared the meal. It was a casual question, but the answer was anything but normal. Shayne had survived an explosion and the people behind it had come after the remaining witness. Troy joked he’d been saddled with keeping the contrary woman safe at the time, but it was obvious he worshipped her. His emerald green eye sparkled when he talked about his wife.

  “I have to get to the bank,” she told him after they’d cleaned up the luncheon dishes. “The stones I need to finish the jeweled mask are in a safety deposit box. I won’t be gone long.”

  Troy checked at his watch. “Where’s the bank?”

  “It’s a local bank on Periwinkle Way. Why?”

  Troy gnawed on his bottom lip. “Okay. Let me see if I can arrange some back-up,” he said, pulling his phone from his pocket.

  “That isn’t necessary.”

  “Yes, it is. I can’t go into the bank carrying a gun and you’re not going in there alone.”

  “If you drive me there, I can run in and out,” she suggested as an alternative, but Troy was already on the phone.

  Thirty minutes later she was in the bank with Kevin at her side. Troy had followed in his truck and was currently waiting for them in the parking lot. It was all very cloak and dagger. River felt cornered and manipulated, at the same time feeling comfortable with a couple of men watching her back. Crazy. She was simply going crazy.

  “I appreciate your coming to help,” she conceded to Kevin, as they pulled out onto Periwinkle Way. “Did you get some rest?”

  “Enough.”

  “Would you like to see the stones?” she asked. Traffic was at a standstill. Not unusual on the main thoroughfare through Sanibel during season.

  “Sure.”

  River opened her purse and retrieved a velvet pouch. Inside the pouch were numerous small plastic sleeves, each containing a stone. “They’re only semi-precious stones, but I didn’t want to leave them at home. These are tourmalines.” She held up several plastic bags so he could see them as traffic came to a stop. “They come in all colors, but these will go perfectly with the design. The center piece is the aquamarine.” She slid the other stones back in the pouch and held up the larger one.

  “That’s an aquamarine?” Kevin asked, turning his attention back to the road as traffic began to move.

  “Stunning, isn’t it? I was so lucky to find it.” River put the stone back in the pouch with the others then dropped it into her purse.

  “How do you get your materials? Where are they shipped?”

  “All my transactions are done online using my LLC. I have a virtual post office box and I don’t receive shipments to my door. They go to a shipping store in California who, in turn, forwards the packages to another store in Fort Myers. I pick them up there.”

  “You’re pretty thorough,” Kevi
n said.

  “Dan and I worked through a skip tracer to figure out how to best disappear. So far, everything seems to have worked the way it was intended.”

  “Until yesterday,” Kevin reminded her, pulling into a parking space near her unit.

  “I still have a hard time believing it’s connected to things in North Carolina. It doesn’t fit the pattern.”

  “You said the knife attack is what prompted the move to Florida?”

  “As much as I wanted to stay, it seemed prudent to leave, at least for a while. Besides, my aunt and Dan were constantly fretting over me. We developed this plan, hoping the authorities would eventually find the asshole and I could go home.”

  They waited while Troy parked across the lot, then trotted up to the passenger side door. “You guys ready?” He looked at River, then Kevin.

  “Let’s do it.” Kevin reached for the glove box and pulled out a handgun. He slid out of the driver’s seat while Troy held the door open for River.

  “Did you bring a charger for the drill?” Troy reminded him.

  Kevin reopened the driver’s door. “Almost forgot. It’s behind my seat.”

  As soon as River’s feet hit the ground, something whizzed past her ear. Almost instantly, she was on the pavement with Troy covering her from head to toe. “Sniper,” he yelled.

  “It came from that stand of trees,” Kevin shouted.

  River didn’t know what trees he was talking about because she couldn’t see a damn thing but the asphalt under her nose.

  “You okay, River?” There was no stress in Troy’s voice, which calmed her a bit.

  “I think so.” The air had been knocked from her lungs when she hit the pavement. Now River was pressed to the ground by a large man. Her breathing came in shallow breaths. As if reading her mind, Troy lifted some of his weight off of her.

  “I’m going to get up slowly. As soon as you have room to move, scoot or roll under the truck. Get to the middle and stay there until one of us gives you directions.”

  River had no intention of arguing. Debating the issue would only put them in further danger. Troy rolled to his right as he lifted his weight off of her, doing exactly what River feared, making sure she was shielded. She quickly scooted under the vehicle. As soon as Troy had his feet under him, he sprinted to the other side of the truck.

  “Did you see anything?” Troy asked Kevin.

  “No. I was assessing the walkway and staircase.”

  Troy made a quick, succinct call.

  “Rick is on his way with back-up. What do you think, Kev? Move her now or wait?”

  “Do what is best for you.” She raised her voice to be heard from her hiding place. They were at risk because of her. They should leave her here, but she knew they wouldn’t. “I won’t be responsible for anyone getting hurt. I won’t have any more deaths on my conscience.”

  The decision didn’t have to be made. The sound of sirens grew louder as the emergency vehicles closed the distance. River shimmied her way toward the driver’s side of the truck. When neither man moved to let her out, she got the message and stayed put. She angled her head to peer through legs as sturdy as tree trunks. The lot was filling with police units, some officers emerged wearing tactical gear—a couple of them carried long guns. River spotted Rick as he broke free of the pack and ran toward the truck. How the hell did they get here so fast? Or had she just imagined the speed at which everything had happened?

  “Were you hurt?” Kevin asked, squatting to bring him closer to her level.

  “No. Can I get up now?”

  The legs barricading her moved aside. Kevin reached under the truck to give her a hand. She didn’t miss the close inspection Kevin gave her as she got to her feet.

  “I’m okay,” she assured him. She had a few scrapes from the drop to the ground and her subsequent maneuvering under the truck, but she’d literally dodged a bullet so she wouldn’t complain.

  “What can you tell me?” Rick asked the threesome.

  “Single shot from the tree line over there,” Troy answered, pointing toward a stand of Australian pines at the end of the parking lot. “Silenced,” he added, in a particularly dark tone.

  Rick turned back toward the officers. He gave them some orders she couldn’t quite make out. Troy and Kevin had each clasped a shoulder and pressed her down, so she was sitting on the running board of the truck, then took up a position in front of her. She couldn’t see or hear much, but it was obvious Rick had given the responders their tasks. The guys in tactical gear headed towards the woods behind them. The others spread out, checking the buildings and the property beyond, she assumed.

  “What were your positions when it was fired?”

  “I was on the passenger side with Troy.” River poked her head between the male barricade. “What sounded like a mosquito zipped past my ear. Then I was on the ground.” Troy had pushed her to the asphalt so fast, the trip was a blur with the exception of a quick glimpse of Kevin. He’d just raised his head after reaching under the driver’s seat for the drill’s charger. If he’d been standing erect, he would have been in the line of fire. He could have been killed. This wasn’t right. She might be living on borrowed time, but she’d be damned if she’d take someone else with her—especially if that someone had become important to her. Her stomach churned. She swallowed. It didn’t help.

  “Excuse me,” she said, standing, forcing Troy and Kevin apart. She pushed past them and quickly moved toward the stairs. Kevin caught up with her and pulled her back.

  “I need to go,” she stated, the bile rising in her throat. “Now.”

  15

  “Let me have your keys.” Kevin held out his left palm. His weapon still clutched in his right hand. River had lost all color and was swallowing repeatedly, fighting the urge to vomit. If, as he suspected, she wasn’t already suffering from PTSD when she arrived on Sanibel, the events of the last few days had pushed her over the edge.

  Tucking his left hand under her arm, he took on most of her weight as he rushed her up the stairs. Unlocking the door, he felt a dual sense of relief. The place had remained secured, and River was away from the melee below.

  River made a beeline for the bathroom. He knew how to care for her physical wounds, but emotionally—psychologically—he was at a loss.

  A number of his teammates and friends had battled the demon, most recently Shayne and Troy. Maybe he should talk to one of them. Perhaps they could give him some insight as to how to handle his interactions with River. In the meantime, he was going to see she rested before she was forced to answer questions. He reached in his bag and pulled out a vial along with a disposable syringe. He estimated the dose of Midazolam based on her weight, erring on the side of too little. He was practicing medicine without a license. So, sue him.

  When River emerged, Kevin was waiting for her at the breakfast bar.

  “Sorry,” she said, as she grabbed a bottle of water from refrigerator.

  “Stress can do that to anyone.”

  “Until recently, I could manage the stress—at least in a way that worked for me.” Her brow creased and her ice-blue eyes were pinched. “I’m not doing a very good job at the moment, it would seem.”

  “Give yourself a break.” Kevin patted the stool, inviting her to sit. “The last two days would have unsettled the strongest of men.”

  “I doubt that. Regardless, I’d prefer not having an audience when it happens,” she admitted. “What are you doing?” she asked as she scooted onto the seat.

  “I want to clean those cuts on your face. You were lying on the ground and could have picked up some dirt. I’m also going to give you a shot for nausea.”

  “My stomach is fine now. I don’t need a shot.”

  He held her chin while he worked on her face. Those questioning eyes locked onto his. He found it hard to look away.

  “When the cops are done, they’ll want to ask you questions. I assume you don’t want a repeat of what just happened.” It wasn’t a complete l
ie.

  “No one would. It’s not a pleasant experience,” she responded, as Kevin administered some ointment to the cut.

  He washed his hands again then picked up the syringe. “You’ll feel a little pinch.” He cleaned her upper arm with an alcohol swab. “Relax your muscle.”

  She took a deep breath then let it out, relaxing her bicep on the exhale.

  “This is going to sound rude,” she said, “but I think I would have handled it better on my own. It’s what I’m used to doing. I may huddle in a corner for a while afterwards, but usually pull myself together pretty quickly.”

  Keeping one eye on River, Kevin put his supplies away.

  “That bullet was meant for me, but it would have hit you if you hadn’t been reaching for that charger. I don’t want any more deaths on my hands,” she said. Propping her arm on the counter, she rested her head in her hand. “Is the shot supposed to make you woozy?”

  “Why don’t you lie down for a while,” he suggested, coming up behind her.

  “Because you’re right. The police will want to talk to me. I’ll make some coffee. Caffeine should help.” She literally slid off the stool. Kevin was waiting to catch her.

  He carried her to her bed and brushed the hair from her face. Damn, she was a beauty. A beauty who would be royally pissed when she realized what he’d done. He wasn’t sorry. Her stress level had peaked and would certainly get worse with questioning. And speaking of pissed, Rick wouldn’t be too happy with him either when he found out River wasn’t available to answer any questions for the next few hours.

  Closing the bedroom door behind him, he headed to the front window to see if he could get a read on how soon things would be wrapping up. He didn’t expect to see additional emergency vehicles. Particularly one from the county’s medical examiner’s office. He took out his phone and punched Troy’s number.

  “What the hell is going on down there?” Troy glanced up at River’s unit then disappeared into the corridor leading to the stairs.