The Fighter

by Leslie Georgeson

  “When can I meet her?”

  He slipped a hand inside the pocket of his hoodie and pulled out a slip of paper. “Here’s the address where we live. It’s in Eatonton, on the outskirts, near the forest. Come alone tomorrow morning at eight. Do not give this address to anyone. If Hazel likes you, then the job is yours.”

  I carefully stuffed the paper into my jacket pocket and nodded. I understood confidentiality. I wouldn’t give the address to anyone.

  Eatonton was an hour and a half’s drive to the west. There wasn’t enough gas in Nellie to get me that far, not to mention the old Chevy might break down somewhere along the way. But getting past the military barricade at the edge of the city would be more difficult. How had the stranger gotten into the city?

  “How will I get past the military barricade?” I asked. “They’re not letting anyone in or out.”

  He hesitated. Several moments ticked past. Finally, he sighed. “If you come with me now, I’ll get you through. Otherwise, you’re on your own.”

  He turned and walked away, disappearing as silently as he’d arrived.

  Like a ghost in the mist.

  I let out a small shiver, staring at the empty place where he’d stood moments before. That man was scary. Even so, I couldn’t deny I was curious about him. Why did he need a nanny?

  Go with him, Anna. He’s your only way out of the city.

  What if he’s a creeper, looking for a trusting fool to prey upon?

  What if he’s not? What if he really needs a nanny?

  “Wait!” I shouted, hurrying after him. “I’m coming!” I raced across the parking lot in the direction he’d gone, but he was nowhere to be seen. He’d disappeared as quickly as he’d arrived. Damn him!

  Why had he “interviewed” me at midnight instead of during daylight hours? A shiver of fear slid down my spine. Was I a fool to follow the man? Something about him seemed a little off, though I couldn’t place what it was. His voice was strange, creepy. And there was something inherently dangerous about him. I’d sensed it. I don’t think I’d ever been around a more frightening man before. And the way he moved from place to place, silently, nearly invisible. It wasn’t natural.

  “He’s gone,” I muttered to myself, pausing to look left and right down the dark, empty street. Now what?

  “This way.”

  The raspy voice came from across the street. I looked up, and there he stood on the opposite side of the road, a dark shadow. Another shiver of fear raced through me. What the hell was I doing? I should forget about this job and run back to the shelter as fast as I could. The shelter might be crowded and uncomfortable, but at least I knew the people there and felt relatively safe. If I went with this man, I might be dead before morning.

  You don’t know that.

  He strode away, not waiting for me to follow. I stared after him as indecision warred with fear inside me. I needed this job, dammit.

  I raced after him.

  I caught up with him as he paused next to a flashy silver convertible parked in a dark corner lot. The lights flashed, and the car bleeped as he unlocked it with the key fob. As I drew nearer, I spied the BMW emblem on the back. The vehicle was newer, sporty. This car had cost him at least sixty or seventy thousand dollars, perhaps more. This man obviously had money.

  Or he’d stolen the car.

  I hesitated as he pulled open the driver’s side door.

  “Is this your car?”

  He turned toward me. “No, I stole it.”

  I swallowed hard. Was he teasing? Or had that been exasperation in his words?

  “You stole it?”

  He turned away and slid behind the wheel, closing the door behind him. Shit. I’d offended him. He was probably some millionaire making a wise-crack that I’d taken literally. I raced around the car to the passenger’s side. I took a deep breath for courage and yanked on the handle. The door opened smoothly, an invitation to enter the stranger’s quarters. If I got in that car, I might not get out alive.

  I hesitated again, peering down into the car. “How do I know you’re not going to kill me and toss my body in a garbage dumpster somewhere?”

  The light inside the car illuminated his face better, allowing me to see him quirking a dark brow. His gaze locked on mine across the short distance between us. His lips twitched in a half-smile. “You don’t. Do you want out of this city or not?” There was impatience in his words. “If you want this job, get in.”

  I took a deep breath, puffed it out. Stared into his eyes.

  Blue. His eyes were blue. And his face…

  Though shrouded by the hoodie, it was easy to see he was handsome.

  He turned away from me and started the engine.

  Just because he was good-looking didn’t mean he wasn’t a rapist or murderer.

  Just get in, Anna. You want this job, right?

  “I have a knife,” I warned.

  He let out a soft laugh, his gaze darting back to mine. “You think that will protect you from me? If I’d wanted to kill you, you’d already be dead.”

  I puffed out the breath I’d been holding. Right. He gave off a dangerous vibe that even a fool would recognize. So why was I contemplating getting into his car?

  Because I need a job.

  I stalled a bit longer, still undecided. “Are you dangerous?”

  His gaze narrowed on mine. “Very. But I won’t hurt you unless you give me a reason to.”

  I swallowed hard. What did that mean? What “reason” did he need?

  “Why do I feel like one of the three little pigs about to be devoured by the Big Bad Wolf?” I joked nervously. Well, I was only half-joking. The man could easily turn into a big bad wolf.

  He didn’t laugh. His gaze slid back to me, assessing, then he turned away, his hand closing around the gear shift.

  Shit. He was leaving.

  I slid into the car, hoping I wasn’t making the biggest mistake of my life.

  The car jerked forward almost before I’d closed my door. I scrambled for my seatbelt and clicked it in place. The car had soft, leather seats and all kinds of fancy gadgets. I stared in wonder, taking everything in. I’d never seen such a luxurious vehicle before, not up close like this. This guy was definitely rich. I wondered what his house looked like. The family I’d worked for before had been upper middle class with a nice home in a decent neighborhood, but certainly not rich. The father had driven a Honda and the mother had driven a Subaru. This car probably cost more than both of their cars together. And half of their house, too.

  “Do you have any personal items you want to pick up?” he asked without looking at me.

  I shook my head no. I would have to use the rest of my savings to buy clothes and toiletries and other personal items in Eatonton. But I wasn’t sure what to do about my car.

  “I have a car, though. There’s not enough gas in it to get to Eatonton, but I don’t really want to abandon it.”

  “Is it reliable?” His gaze pierced me across the car, making my cheeks heat.

  “Not really, but it runs okay.”

  “Leave it. If Hazel likes you, I’ll get you a new one. A reliable one. I can’t have you breaking down on the side of the road with my kid in the car.”

  I nodded and looked away. “Okay.” That made sense. But what if Hazel didn’t like me?

  “What if she doesn’t like me?” I whispered.

  He shrugged. “Then you don’t get the job.”

  I turned away, staring out my window at the darkness around us. I would be taking the job for the child, not the father, except he was the one who would be paying my wage, while she was the one I had to impress. That was a big decision to give a five-year-old.

  What was his daughter like? Was she a snobby, demanding little brat? Where was the mother? Was she not in the picture? Or had she left the hiring of the nanny up to him?

  “What about…your wife?” I asked, glancing askance at him. “What if she doesn’t like me?”

  We reached the mil
itary barricade. The man brought the car to a stop and pressed a button that rolled down his window. He spoke in low tones to the blond guy on duty, but I didn’t hear what he said.

  The guard waved us through.

  He must be somebody important if they let him through. Who was this guy?

  “I don’t have a wife,” he said, answering my earlier question, as we headed down the road toward Eatonton. “Hazel’s mother is dead.”

  I absorbed that in silence. The child’s mother was dead. How sad. That would explain why he needed a nanny. But it didn’t explain why he’d had me meet him in a deserted parking lot at midnight.

  I cleared my throat. “So, um, why did we have to meet at midnight? Why not during the day?”

  He didn’t answer for so long, I didn’t think he was going to answer. But then, his raspy voice jolted me from my thoughts. “Because I don’t trust anyone, so I had to weed out those who weren’t serious about the job. And it’s not safe during the day.” He turned and met my gaze across the dark car, his eyes hard.

  What did that mean? I would think it would be safer during the day than at night when the gangs prowled the streets. Who was this guy? What did he have to fear? If he was as rich as his car indicated, he shouldn’t have much to fear because he could buy loyalty and protection from just about anyone.

  “Um, I have another question,” I whispered, glancing askance at him. “Why didn’t you just place a normal ad on a website or in a newspaper instead of sticking it to the board in the courthouse? What if I had been a criminal?”

  Again, he didn’t answer right away. Then, finally, he said, “I tried legitimate ads. No one responded. And you’re no criminal.”

  How did he know that? I should be offended that he could read my character so well, but I wasn’t. Obviously, if he’d thought I was a criminal, he wouldn’t have let me in the car with him.

  It occurred to me in that moment that he was taking a chance on me as much as I was taking a chance on him. In fact, he probably had more to lose than I did, because he’d allowed me—a stranger—into his car. I understood why he wore the black hoodie now. To protect himself. He didn’t know me any more than I knew him. And he was taking me to his home. To his child. Trusting me.

  That couldn’t be easy for him.

  Silence stretched as we headed west. I stared out my window at the dark landscape. Was I making a huge mistake? What would stop the man from murdering me and tossing my body out onto the side of the road?

  I turned my head and studied him. He still wore the hoodie, keeping his features shrouded in darkness. But I’d gotten a glimpse of how handsome he was in the car’s interior light earlier. I didn’t think he was much older than me. Probably mid to late twenties. What would he look like without that hoodie on? Less frightening, for sure. Though I doubted the dangerous vibe would ever go away. As I studied him, I began to relax. He didn’t seem so frightening anymore. He was a father. He had a child. A little girl. Certainly, he had no intention of harming me.

  “My name’s Anna,” I introduced quietly. “Anna Thompson.”

  He cast a quick glance my way. “Jacob.” He turned back to the road.

  I smiled. “Jacob?”

  “Just Jacob.”

  Okay. Just Jacob. Maybe he was a celebrity or a famous millionaire or something and didn’t want me to know his last name yet. I could understand that. The job wasn’t mine yet. He was probably just being cautious.

  I cleared my throat. “Nice to meet you, Jacob. I really hope your daughter likes me.”

  He didn’t respond to that. And we drove the rest of the way to Eatonton in silence.

  He pulled into the parking lot of a local hotel and handed me a hundred-dollar bill. “Get yourself a room. I’ll send a taxi for you at eight in the morning. If Hazel likes you, you will start right away. If she doesn’t, I’ll have the taxi take you back to Augusta, or wherever else you want to go.”

  A little stunned, I took the money from him. “O-kay. Thank you.” I got out of the car and watched as he pulled away without another word, his taillights disappearing into the dark forest on the edge of town. I guess he wasn’t a murderer.

  I turned and headed into the hotel to get a room for the rest of the night.

  All I could do now was pray Hazel liked me.

  Because my fate now depended on the decision of a five-year-old girl.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Jacob

  What would happen when Anna arrived? Would Hazel like her? Or would she shy away like she did with me? Hazel seemed to prefer women. She hadn’t shied away from Tracker’s woman, Jessica, or her younger sister, Eliza. Hazel had gone right to both women trustingly. They’d helped me take care of Hazel right after I’d brought her back to the underground maze. But now they were gone to Tracker’s place in Idaho. It hadn’t been easy trying to entertain Hazel on my own since they’d left, especially since my kid was terrified of me. Not that I blamed her.

  I’d gone back to the underground maze last night, and picked Hazel up and taken her to our new living quarters. I hadn’t said goodbye to any of my dreg brothers. I doubt any of them even cared that I was gone.

  I’d paid a woman to decorate our new place last week and yesterday she’d come back to stock the fridge and pantry so we’d have plenty of food. She’d left her number so I could call her whenever we needed groceries and other supplies. I didn’t like venturing out in public any more than I had to. I didn’t do well in crowds, and I rarely went out during daylight hours. I’d been a creature of the night for a long time. It was safer under cover of darkness. A habit I’d grown accustomed to. And I wasn’t about to change anytime soon.

  What if Anna disappeared during the night?

  I didn’t even want to contemplate that because then I’d be back to square one. I’d given her a hundred bucks, trusting she’d use it to get a room and get cleaned up. Though she hadn’t given off a deceitful vibe, it had been obvious she was hard up. She’d been scared of me, but she’d seemed honest. I had believed her when she’d said she’d been a nanny before. Her letter of recommendation had seemed legit. I just prayed I wasn’t making a mistake by trusting her with my daughter. Now it was up to Hazel whether or not Anna would stay.

  Our new living quarters consisted of a three-bedroom, ranch-style home in a quiet suburb on the west end of town. Lawn service was included with the rent, so I didn’t have to worry about yardwork. The property was backed by the forest on the south side, which would enable us to flee into the woods on short notice if we needed to. I’d chosen this place not only because of its close proximity to the woods, but also because my dreg brothers weren’t far away. Though they’d cast me out, made me an outsider, they were still my brothers. If ever a time came that they needed me or I needed them, it wouldn’t take much for us to get to each other.

  Some of the other dregs had purchased real estate with their share of the money we’d stolen from The Company the day we’d escaped. My dreg brother Noah, The Hacker, had hacked into The General’s server and transferred twenty million dollars to another account. We’d divided the money amongst us, each spending our share however we chose. I still had the bulk of my money stashed away. I wasn’t sure where I wanted to settle down yet, so for the time being, I was renting. I was considering looking into properties in northern Idaho where Tracker had gone. Nate had told me Tracker’s place was as safe as any he’d seen, and that there were other such secluded properties for sale in the area. When things settled down a bit, I’d have to take a trip to the northwest.

  I checked the clock and decided it was time to call for the taxi to pick up Anna.

  Hazel wandered into the living room as I finished the call, her curly blonde hair a tousled mess. My heart melted like it did every time I looked at her. She was so fucking cute. I couldn’t believe this adorable kid was mine.

  She had probably been awakened by my phone call.

  She came forward, staring at me from the kitchen doorway, her eyes wide and watch
ful.

  “Good morning, Sunshine,” I murmured, trying to make my voice less scary than its normal scratchiness. Thanks to a bullet that had ripped through my throat on my last mission, my vocal chords had been severely damaged. I’d undergone surgery and a temporary tracheostomy, before having to learn how to talk again. Now my voice had a permanent raspy scratchiness that probably scared poor Hazel, though she was slowly becoming used to me. “You want some breakfast? Have you brushed your teeth yet?”

  Hazel nodded and came forward. She was a good girl. She always did what she was told, even if she didn’t want to. I held my hand out to her. She hesitated, then slipped her tiny hand into mine. So sweet. So innocent. How would I ever keep from corrupting her?

  By living here. In a normal house. In a normal town. Away from danger.

  Ha. Who was I kidding? I was the one who was dangerous. It was me who might bring danger to her. Me, with my violent past, with my incompetency with children and relationships in general, who could hurt her. That’s why I needed a nanny. To make sure Hazel lived to see another day.

  I led Hazel into the kitchen and helped her up into a chair at the table, then pulled out a box of cereal from the cupboard. “Fruity Pebbles. Does that sound good?”

  Hazel nodded again, shyly lowering her gaze. I poured her a bowl of cereal, added milk and a spoon, then set it in front of her.

  “Thank you, Daddy,” she whispered in her soft, childish voice.

  “You’re welcome, Hazel.” My lips twitched. Celia had taught her manners, which was more than I could say I’d done. I’d only visited her a couple of times since she’d been born five years ago. I’d never told any of my dreg brothers about her. They wouldn’t understand. None of them had kids. So I’d kept her existence a secret. Now, they all knew about Hazel. They all knew I had a weakness. Though I doubted they would use it against me. The dregs might all be violent killers, but none of us would ever harm a child. Even Tony drew the line at hurting kids. If one of the dregs wanted to punish me, they would come after me. Not Hazel. Banishing me was probably a more severe punishment than anything else they could have done. Now I was an outcast. Truly on my own. In an unfamiliar world. Learning to adjust to the real world, a life so different from my life with The Company, still took some getting used to. I took nothing for granted. Trusted no one. Believed everyone and everything could be a threat.