by Karen Kirst
“On the flip side, it could help the case. Shaw would have time to work through the leads instead of dealing with constant attacks.” Her eyes were sad. “If I were the only one in danger, I wouldn’t consider it. But you’ve been in the line of fire again and again. Erin’s in there fighting for her life as we speak. I think this may be the best option.”
From the sound of things, she’d made up her mind. “What about your new apartment? You’ve already paid a deposit and signed a year’s lease.”
“This would be temporary. I will have to return to work. Unless they fire me, of course.”
“That’s not going to happen. Your contributions are too valuable.”
“With me out of town, you can get back to work, too.”
“It would be reckless for me to fly. I’d be worrying about you every second.”
“You’re too good of a pilot, too good a marine, to let anything distract you from your mission.” She moved to cover his hand but pulled her hand back. “Would you agree to fly me down there? If I decide to go?”
Bleakness overtook his soul. Olivia had become an integral part of his life, so much so that he couldn’t imagine his world without her in it.
EIGHTEEN
Her request had clearly shaken him. Olivia didn’t want to leave any of it, not her work at the aquarium, not her friends or her church. Most of all, she didn’t want to leave Brady.
What other choice did she have, though? The danger was escalating. Erin was fighting for her life. It was only by God’s grace that she and Brady weren’t in the same position. Her enemy had come close to shooting them both point-blank. Her throat began to close.
Refusing to let the panic gain control, she looked him square in the eye. “Well?”
His fingers gripped the soda can so hard, dents appeared in the sides. “If you decide to go, I’ll take you.”
The waiting room door swung open, and a young man lumbered inside, his head and shoulders bent. Shoving his longish hair off his forehead, he took stock of the cushioned chairs and magazines fanned out on side tables. He belatedly noticed them and froze.
“What are you doing here?” he barked, his voice hoarse.
Olivia recognized him at once. Erin’s boyfriend. “Carson?” She left her chair and walked over. “Did the hospital contact you?”
“Erin’s mom called me. She’s driving up from Wilmington.” His amber eyes hot with accusation, his hands fists at his sides. “If I were you, I’d leave before she gets here.”
Brady came to stand slightly in front of Olivia, his hands on his hips. “Who are you, exactly?”
“Carson Ackerman, Erin’s boyfriend.”
“I’m so sorry about what happened,” Olivia began.
“She told me what’s been going on,” he interrupted. “When I found out where she was going today and that she’d be with you, I warned her. I told her to call the director and refuse to work with you. Erin defended you. She’s loyal. Too loyal, clearly.”
“I understand you’re upset,” Brady said. “But blaming Olivia won’t solve anything. It won’t make you feel better and certainly won’t help Erin.”
“I gave her the option of joining the other team,” Olivia said. “In hindsight, I should’ve insisted.”
Carson’s gaze turned despairing. “Yes, you should have.”
The door opened, and a group of strangers entered. They must’ve sensed the tension, because they gave them a wide berth and chose seats on the opposite side of the room.
“Can you please leave?” Carson charged. “I don’t want you here, and neither will Erin’s family.”
Brady bristled. “That’s hardly fair.”
She put her hand on his arm. “It’s all right.”
“No, it isn’t.”
“I don’t want to cause anyone further distress.” Her heart heavy, she returned to the table, discarded her trash and retrieved her phone. Coming even with Carson, she said, “You all have my prayers. I truly am sorry Erin got caught in the middle.”
Brady’s hand rested against her back, warm and comforting. Cat stepped off the elevator as they were about to enter, and they relayed what happened. Like Brady, she was unhappy with Carson’s behavior.
“You don’t have to leave,” she said.
“I’m not. I’m going to wait somewhere else until Erin’s out of surgery and I’ve heard her prognosis.”
They exited into the first-floor lobby and were debating where to wait when Detective Shaw hailed them.
“Can I have a word?”
She couldn’t decipher his expression. If he’d learned something useful, surely he’d look more upbeat.
“Call or text anytime,” Cat told her. “Before or after the big move.”
Olivia hugged her. “We’ll stay in touch.”
Cat and Brady shook hands. He thanked her for her help. After she’d left, they chose a quiet corner of the cafeteria. Shaw slid into the booth seat opposite them.
“Did you find anything useful?” Olivia blurted. “Clues to his identity and address?”
“I wish I could say we had something definitive to go on. We found a handgun with the serial number scraped off. That could point to gang involvement.”
Brady shifted toward her. “Didn’t you say Maya’s boyfriend could be part of a gang?”
“He has a gang-related tattoo I read about in the newspaper. I’ve barely said hello to the guy.”
Shaw pulled out a notebook and flipped through the pages. “Maya Fentress? Your coworker?”
“That’s right.”
“She resents you,” Brady said. “Her attitude is antagonistic, at best.”
“Maya’s a good person. I can’t accept she’d put her boyfriend up to this.”
Shaw was jotting notes. “Could be she vented her frustrations to him, and he took it upon himself to fix her problems. Give me his name, and I’ll look into it.”
Olivia wasn’t convinced, but she told him the requested information. “I gave the officers a description of the shooter’s vehicle. Any leads on that?”
“They’ve issued a BOLO on the make and model. Neither of you got a plate number?”
“Everything happened so fast.” She snapped her fingers. “I forgot to mention that the trunk smelled like the sea.”
His brows rose. “Can you be more specific?”
“It was a salty, briny smell.”
Beneath the table, Brady’s hand found hers. She flipped hers over so that their palms fit together.
“I’ll tell the others to focus on the waterfront areas. Our perp could be employed by a local fishing enterprise or seafood market.” Shaw wrote more notes. “CSU will be at the site for a while yet. They’re making casts of footprints and measuring tire treads.”
“What about the slug pulled out of Julian’s car?” Brady said.
“Nothing concrete, I’m afraid. After this, I’ll pay the aquarium veterinarian, Zach Ledford, a visit.”
“If he has a gunshot wound, he’s our man.”
“We’re checking with hospitals as far north as New Bern and as far south as Wilmington. If our guy has sought medical treatment, we’ll find out about it. He’ll be more likely to do that if he’s a lone wolf. Gangs take care of their own.”
“Thank you, Detective.” Olivia drummed up a smile.
He closed his notebook, capped his pen and regarded them both with unconcealed admiration. “You two are handling this surprisingly well. I’ve had people crumble under far less intense circumstances.”
“I can’t speak for Olivia, of course. My faith is the key. While God is my creator and savior, He’s also a friend who knows me inside and out and knows exactly what I need, when I need it.”
Olivia gave his hand a light squeeze. “It’s the same for me. He’s my anchor in the storm.”
When Detective Shaw left, Olivia angled toward Brady. “I’m going to miss you, you know.”
His eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”
“I can’t stay here.”
His lips compressed into a tight line. A battle waged in his eyes. At first, she thought he might protest. “I don’t agree it’s the best plan, but I’ll respect your wishes.”
“It’s the safest course for everyone.”
“You mean it’s the safest course for everyone except for you.”
* * *
Brady stowed her suitcases in the truck bed and climbed behind the wheel. In the early dawn’s light, his eyes searched hers. “You’re still set on going?”
The thought of being apart from him tore at her. But staying would be selfish. Every minute he was with her was another minute he was in danger. “I’m not leaving for good. I’ll need for you to come and get me once this blows over.”
He pressed the garage door opener and put the gear into Reverse. “Just say the word, and I’ll be there.”
As they left Brady’s home, Olivia’s emotions threatened to spill over. She trusted him with her life and knew she could count on him in any circumstance. She realized that, secret or no, she hadn’t had that with Derek. In fact, she wouldn’t want anyone else by her side.
“Julian said for you to call him when we get to Charleston.”
He and Audrey, along with several guys from the squadron, had moved her belongings into a storage unit. As much as she would’ve liked to have everything squared away in her new apartment, it was too dangerous.
“He texted me.”
“Are you looking forward to seeing Hawaii?” According to Audrey, it had taken some persuading for Brady to agree to be Julian’s best man.
“I try not to get excited about future events. You never know if they’ll actually happen.”
That was due to his parents’ irresponsible, self-centered behavior, she was sure. “There’s something to be said for taking life one day at a time. I’m a planner, though, so it’s hard for me not to think about the future.”
Her current circumstances didn’t allow for such luxuries. God’s Word said no one was promised tomorrow. Never before had that truth become impressed on her.
* * *
Ten minutes into their drive, his exclamation of disgust snapped her out of her increasingly morose thoughts.
“We may have a tail.”
Trepidation zipping along her nerves, she checked the side mirror. “Is it the same car from the woods?”
“Looks like the one that tried to run us off the road.”
She pulled out her phone. “Should I call emergency dispatch?”
His jaw rock hard, he made multiple lane changes. “Do it.”
Olivia called and explained the situation. The dispatcher asked her to remain on the line and describe their location.
“I’m going to try and lose him before he starts shooting at us.” He braked hard. “Hold on.”
She held fast to the door grip as he whipped the truck into a right turn. The tires skidded and the rear end rocked. In the rearview mirror, she saw the car zip along the main road.
“He didn’t follow us.”
Confusion warred with relief.
Brady eased off the gas. At the next intersection, the light turned red, and he slowed to a stop.
She was about to disconnect the phone call when she spotted the car approaching from the right.
“Brady, look!”
They were blocked in, with a car in front and back, waiting for the light to turn green. “But I can’t do anything about it.”
The black behemoth slowed as it came near. Tinted windows hindered their view of the driver.
“What if he has a gun?”
Brady’s eyes locked with hers. “We bail and run.”
NINETEEN
“On second thought—”
Brady edged into the oncoming lane and executed a U-turn, then gunned the engine. He raced through the streets and, spying the bypass, joined the rush-hour traffic heading south. Olivia kept watch through the rear window.
“I don’t see him.”
Emergency dispatch advised them to go to the police station. Brady agreed and, changing direction at the next opportunity, drove into the heart of Jacksonville. On the way, Olivia texted Detective Shaw. He emerged from the building the moment they turned into the parking lot.
Brady parked and rolled down his window.
“Having trouble getting out of town?” Shaw said.
“You could say that.”
“I’ll escort you to the airport. Meanwhile, I’ve put a BOLO out for his vehicle.” He leaned closer and, bracing himself against the side mirror, met Olivia’s gaze. “I was going to call you. The tan Oldsmobile he was driving in the woods was stolen weeks ago, outside a waterfront tattoo parlor. I’ve got an officer over there checking the security footage. Maybe we’ll get a break.”
She longed for normalcy, to feel safe again.
Shaw got into his vehicle and followed them to the airport. Brady stuck to less-traveled secondary roads this time.
“I don’t like the idea of you being alone down there.” His voice sliced through the thick silence. “I’m already using vacation days. Why don’t I stick around?”
* * *
Olivia considered the possibilities. In the end, she chose to be rational. Because she hadn’t been with Derek. She’d been swept away by the romance and flattery of his focused pursuit.
This is nothing like that, an inner voice insisted. This situation was very different. Brady was a different man. A better man. The words formed in her mind unbidden.
“I, uh, think you should return to work.” Her voice sounded gravelly. “You don’t want to waste your vacation days with me.”
“They wouldn’t be wasted,” he protested.
She fisted her hands in her lap and stared out the side window. “Let’s just leave things as we originally planned.”
“Okay.”
There was no denying his disappointment. At the general aviation facility, which was connected to the regional airport, Detective Shaw and Olivia remained in the building’s waiting area while Brady checked in with the staff and conducted a thorough preflight check.
“I heard your friend got released yesterday.”
Olivia watched another passenger jet roll down the distant runway. “Erin texted to let me know.”
She’d apologized for her boyfriend’s hostility. Apparently, he’d told her about their exchange when she’d wondered why Olivia hadn’t visited.
Shaw joined her at the windows, the bitter smell of his coffee wafting over. “She doesn’t hold you responsible, I hope.”
“Actually, she’s been more gracious than I anticipated.”
“Glad to hear it.”
Olivia looked at him. “You are going to find him?”
His expression was somber but determined. “I can’t promise the result you want. I can tell you that the department wants him in custody as badly as you do. We’re going to continue to work the leads.”
“Thank you, Detective.”
Brady strode into the room. “We’re all set.”
The detective shook their hands and asked Brady to reach out once he’d returned. Olivia’s stomach was a bundle of nerves as they emerged from the hangar into open space. She knew her attacker couldn’t have accessed the runways or surrounding fields. He hadn’t followed them, either. Still, she battled a sense of impending doom.
Brady assisted her into the passenger seat and closed the door. She buckled in while he circled around the plane’s nose and climbed into the pilot’s seat. He glanced over at her and frowned.
“You’re supposed to be less nervous this go-around.” He placed his hand on her knee. “Olivia, he can’t reach us here.
This is a commercial airport. They have eagle eyes on the property. I checked the plane from nose to tail. She’s in excellent shape.”
“I know you’re right.”
“But my reassurances have had no effect,” he murmured. His blue-gray eyes softened and roamed over her face.
His gaze zeroed in on her mouth, and her breath caught. Be sensible. Kissing Brady will make it harder to say goodbye than it already is.
She’d promised herself she wouldn’t be irresponsible again. Doing so had ended with her married to a virtual stranger. She cared about Brady too much to repeat her mistake. He’d endured serious wounds as a child that affected his adult life. She couldn’t risk inflicting more pain.
Olivia broke eye contact, and the moment was lost.
He put on his headset and engaged the intercom system so they could converse over the engine noise. “Ready?”
At her nod, he started the engine. The plane shuddered to life. “We’ll let her warm up while we wait for taxi clearance.”
He listened to the ATIS broadcast for information about winds and visibility. When the tower told him which runway to use, they taxied toward it. A tiny furrow between his brows was the only sign of concentration. He moved through the steps with ease. And when they were cleared for takeoff and he applied the power, working the throttle and easing back on the wheel, his mouth curved into a slight smile.
This was his safe haven, she realized. The place where his past disappeared. In the sky, Brady Johnson was comfortable with who and what he was. In the sky, far above the earth, he was free.
She surveyed the sprawling countryside below and the river’s ribbons leading to the wide ocean. The patchwork of trees, fields and houses looked like a miniature train set.
The flight droned on as they left North Carolina behind and entered South Carolina air space. “There’s a weather system above Myrtle Beach. I’ll try to keep us above it and avoid turbulence.”
He requested an increase in altitude. Outside, the blanket of wispy clouds began to thicken.