“I’m sorry,” she said, pulling back. “I had a bit of a scare, but everything is fine now.”
“Is Maceo okay?”
“Yes.” Pecca said it firmly. Maceo was okay. She sniffled. “Everything is good.”
“Are you headed back to work?”
Pecca looked at her watch. “Yeah.”
“Here.” David stepped aside. “Let me give you a ride.”
She looked over at the trail and realized how stupid she was to take off from the Mansion. She looked back at David, who shifted on his cane and smiled. She bit the inside of her cheek. Crying on his shoulder suddenly felt very foolish. “Uh—”
“Come on, Pecca.” He nudged her arm playfully with his. “We’re friends, and friends help each other out.”
Looking at her watch once more, Pecca sighed. “Okay, sure.”
They walked toward his car, and Pecca climbed into the passenger seat. A woman was pulling Hula-Hoops from the back of her trunk when she glanced over and waved. It was Kristen, Emilia’s mom. Pecca waved back.
“I appreciate the ride, David.”
“It’s no problem.” He reached between them to set his cane in the back seat, and she noticed his hands shaking. “I was going to volunteer in the art lab today.”
Pecca leaned back in the seat. “You’re a really nice guy, David.”
He gave a shy smile before it twisted into a grimace. He bent over and clutched his side. “Arghhh.”
“David? Are you okay? What’s wrong?” She leaned over the middle console to check on him and he looked up, his eyes wild. Chills shot down her spine. “David?”
“I’m sorry, Pecca.” David lunged toward her, and his right hand snaked around the back of her neck. He jerked her head toward his face.
“David, stop!” She pushed her hands against his chest, trying to stop his advance, but he was too strong. “Sto—” His left hand went over her mouth, and it took her a second to realize he was pressing a cloth to her face.
Fear rippled through her and she gasped, trying to breathe, but with each intake of air noxious fumes filled her lungs. She kicked her legs and clawed at him, but he was strong. Very strong. The edges of her eyes grew dark as she scratched at his face, but her attempts were feeble. Her arms became heavy and dropped to her lap as her head lolled forward against David’s shoulder. His grip on her relaxed, and he started the car. From the corner of her eye, Pecca saw Kristen still unloading her car.
Help! she screamed, but no noise escaped her lips. Feeling the car begin to roll forward, Pecca willed herself to move—to do anything—but her body felt like it was trapped in sand, leaving her helpless to fight against an enemy she never saw coming.
TWENTY-EIGHT
COLTON ENDED THE CALL and slipped the phone into his back pocket, taking his time so he could assess the situation. Though it was hard to see for sure, the woman hiding in the shadows couldn’t be anyone else but Marissa Dominguez. His arm jerked outward, smacking a bottle of water off his nightstand and across the floor. The sudden movement brought Marissa to her feet, quick as a cat and poised for a fight.
That told him everything.
“You know who I am?”
“I’d say Marissa Dominguez, but we both know she doesn’t exist.” Colton recognized something—or thought he did. Her light brown hair was pulled back in a short ponytail. The angle of her chin . . . lips. Maybe it was his imagination playing tricks on his mind, but there was something more familiar about her than the memory of the photo Kekoa had just sent him. “Why are you here?”
“You were looking for me.” She lifted her arms out. “Here I am.”
Dread crawled over him. If this woman had something to do with Javier’s death, and she was here . . . Pecca. Rage colored his vision. “My daddy taught me to never hit a girl, but if you think you’re getting past me to go after Pecca, I’ll tell you right now I’ve been known to disobey.”
A smirk crept onto her face and Colton’s world tilted. No. He blinked, trying to take in what he was seeing. Same color eyes and hair, but it was the smile. They shared the exact same smile.
“I’d have you pinned before your second step, but I appreciate your humor.”
So many questions began swirling in Colton’s brain that he thought he might get dizzy. She hadn’t changed much from the family photos. Did Pecca know she was here? And why was she here? And why did she visit Javier in prison? He was about to ask when there was a knock on his door.
“You should get that.” She stepped aside, her hand never far from the bulge on her hip. “I invited a guest.”
Colton hesitated for a second. Would she shoot him the second he turned his back? Who had she invited? There was another knock, and she raised her eyebrows. He went to the door and cringed, expecting to hear the blast of a gunshot. When it didn’t come, he let out a breath and opened the door.
“Charlie?”
“I’m glad you called. The ME is having trouble identifying your attacker.” Charlie strode into the doorway and then paused. “Why’s it so dark—” His hand flew to his weapon.
There was a blur of movement, ending with the sound of the hammer being pulled back. “Ah-ah-ah, Deputy Lynch. Just take a breath and come inside.” The feminine voice spoke.
Charlie barely moved, and Colton wondered if he was breathing at all. He finally stepped inside and quickly closed the door. Colton wasn’t sure why he was complying, but it was better this way. They didn’t want anyone to get caught in cross fire.
“Who are you?” Charlie’s voice was tight.
She looked at Colton. He crossed the room with a sigh and twisted the blinds open all the way so light filled his room. “Charlie, meet Claudia, Pecca’s sister.”
Charlie blinked several times, and then his eyes grew wide. “You’re Marissa.”
“I’m Claudia, and if you’ll move your hand from your weapon, I’ll put mine away.”
Neither Charlie nor Claudia moved. Both stared at each other like they were in a showdown, unwilling to drop their guard. Colton had to do something.
“Did you kill Javier?”
Her dark eyes never left Charlie. “No.”
“Strange. He doesn’t get a visitor in years and you show up—a week later he’s dead.” The standoff continued, so Colton sat on his bed. “Why are you here?”
“For Pecca.”
“It’s a little late for moral support,” Colton said. “Pecca’s been shot at, threatened, her home broken into, and last night . . .” He swallowed, his chest aching. “Last night someone attacked her.” He speared Claudia with a pointed look. “You can’t find time in your schedule to be here for your sister, but you made it to Texas to see her ex?”
“It’s complicated.” Claudia’s posture shifted, her eyes looking to the ground. “That’s why I’m here. I need your help.”
“You need my help?”
“Both of you, actually.” Claudia lifted her gaze. “And time is not on our side, so I’m going to put my weapon away and keep my hands where you can see them so we can talk.”
Charlie didn’t budge as he watched Claudia do what she said she would. Then she pulled the desk chair over and sat. Only then did Charlie take a step back and holster his weapon before looping his hands in his gun belt. A purposeful position that wasn’t lost on Claudia, who nodded.
“I paid a visit to the medical examiner before I came here,” Claudia said. “The man who was shot last night was Manuel Lopez. At my direction, the ME is running his tattoo through the system and will soon discover its affiliation with the Valle Colombiano cartel. He was sent here to do the bidding of Salvador ‘Señor’ Perez, who is trying to reclaim control over the cartel and—”
“Wait. Are you telling me Javier or the SSB sent someone from a cartel to go after Pecca?” Charlie asked.
“It wasn’t Javier. Or the SSB,” Claudia said.
“How do you know that?”
Claudia looked up at Charlie. “When Adrian told me about Javier’s p
arole hearing and the shooting outside the café, I began my own investigation. My visit to Javier triggered some alarms, which is exactly what I needed it to do to find out who Javier really was and why Pecca was being targeted. He swore to me that he didn’t know where Pecca or Maceo were, and he had no idea who was going after her.”
“You believed him?”
She turned to Colton. “At first I was skeptical, but his body language told me he was telling the truth, and he was . . . scared.” Claudia shook her head. “But he wouldn’t tell me anything else. The next day I got a call from the DEA—Javier Torres was an undercover informant and had been for the last eight years.”
Colton shook his head. Had he heard her right? “What?”
“All those years I spent hating him for dragging Pecca down . . .” Claudia dipped her chin to her chest. “My sister was right. Javier tried to avoid the gang life, but it was hard. His family, friends, and neighbors were all involved, and at some point he decided the best way to help them was to help the police. The gang situation inside the prison system is lethal. Gang leaders can still operate from behind bars, only now they’re able to recruit and even combine forces with other gangs. When Javier was arrested, he made a deal with the DEA.”
Pecca had been right. Colton thought back to the first attack, when she insisted Javier wouldn’t harm her or Maceo. Even though he made her life more difficult, she never stopped seeing the good in him—his potential.
“Was that why he was killed?” Charlie’s question broke into Colton’s thoughts. “Was he informing on the SSB?”
“Javier became an integral part of Operation Gunsmoke—a joint mission between the DEA, Border Patrol, and the ATF to stop weapons and drugs from crossing the border. This directly impacted the SSB, as they were behind most of the runs. Over the last several years, the agencies have apprehended smugglers thanks to Javier.”
Colton frowned. “How was he able to help from inside the prison?”
“His cousin Felix was feeding him information. The SSB had assumed a lackey was ratting them out to the Feds. It wasn’t until a few months ago that they got wise and started looking at the ranking members. They began setting traps, so the DEA pulled Felix.”
“Was Felix an informant?”
“No,” she answered Charlie, “but soon after the attacks on Pecca escalated, the DEA put him in a safe house until he can testify.”
A safe house. Clarity was beginning to burn through the fog. He stared hard at her. “What agency are you with?”
“I can’t tell you, but—”
“Why not?” Colton stood and started pacing. “You may not have killed Javier directly, but I’ll bet you’re the reason he’s dead.”
“Because of the operational security of the mission.”
From the corner of his eye, Colton saw Charlie’s stunned expression and imagined he looked much the same way. “What mission?”
“We believe the cartel may have another man on the ground. Interpol has been helping us keep track of anyone entering the United States who’s associated with the cartel. I’ve personally gone through the family lineage of Salvador Perez to make sure we’re tracking every possible suspect, but I only recently learned of someone living in the US—Juan Pablo Rojas, Salvador’s nephew-in-law.”
“This doesn’t make sense.” Colton’s arm jerked. “Why is the cartel interested in Pecca? If they’re upset about the SSB or Javier or Felix, it doesn’t explain why they would come all the way here to get to her. Do they think she knows something?”
Claudia’s silence was confirmation enough.
Dread curled its way through Colton’s body. “What does she know?”
“She knows me.”
Colton jolted to a stop, his gaze swinging to Claudia. He narrowed his eyes on her. “What do you mean?”
“We believe Perez commissioned members of his cartel to go after Pecca as a way of getting to me.”
“What did you do?”
“It’s safer if you don’t know,” Claudia said, her tone softer. “It’s the only thing keeping Pecca safe right now.”
“The only thing?” It took a single step and Colton was in her face, towering over her. She backed into the chair, her hand going for her weapon. Charlie stepped in, pressing his hand against Colton’s chest to get him to back up. “All this time you let her believe it was the SSB and Javier threatening her. Making her think she somehow brought this on herself, and it was you.”
“It’s . . . complicated.” Claudia spoke through gritted teeth. There was a warning in her eyes that said he should tread lightly. “We weren’t sure it wasn’t Javier and the SSB. That’s why I went to see him.”
“You got him killed,” Colton said. “Is Pecca next?”
“You said there was someone else,” Charlie said calmly. “This Juan Pablo guy. Do you know where he is?”
Claudia nodded at Charlie. “We think he’s here in Walton.”
A ringing noise interrupted the confrontation. Charlie took a slow step back, eyeing him and Claudia. “I’m going to answer this. Don’t kill each other.”
Colton shoved back, turning to look out the window. His eyes went to the gym, and the urge to find Pecca rose within him. He needed to apologize to her, especially after hearing what Claudia said regarding Javier. His words had only driven her fears deeper.
“You think protecting me is the only role you play in my life?”
Pecca’s words echoed in his ears. Chaplain Kelly was asking him to adjust his perspective—to see the good God could bring out of a bad situation if only he would adjust. For so long, Colton only imagined one role for his life. Well, that wasn’t true. He’d wanted to play for the NFL, but his combine numbers weren’t good enough for a draft pick—so he adjusted and joined the Army. Why was he struggling to adjust to the movement disorder?
Because it makes me weak.
Colton’s eyes drifted to the lawn, and he thought about Maceo. That kid was anything but weak. Emotion clogged Colton’s throat, his warm breath fogging the window. Maceo was strong because he had the support and love of a mom who could see potential.
“Colton.”
He turned to find Charlie putting his phone away, concern lining his forehead.
“That was Deputy Wilson. He’s at the elementary school. He said there was a situation with Maceo a little bit ago. Pecca ran over there because someone called her from the school saying Maceo was absent.”
Claudia shot up. “Where is he?”
“He’s there. Deputy Wilson said he’s been there the whole time and that it was a mix-up or something—”
Colton raced out of his room and down the stairs. He saw Shirley at her desk. “Did Pecca come back from the school yet?”
“No, honey. Gunny came in—”
Colton was already halfway out the door and jogging in the direction of the elementary school, leaving Shirley’s explanation trailing behind him. Breathe. But he couldn’t over the tightness growing in his chest. He replayed everything Claudia had told them. Her job, whatever it was, had put a target on Pecca’s back—and it had put one on Javier’s.
That’s why Claudia didn’t object to his accusation. Javier wasn’t killed by the SSB—he was killed by the cartel. Somehow they knew about her visit to the jail and then beat Javier to find out where she was. Nausea clawed at his stomach, but he couldn’t think about it, he needed to get to the school. Make sure Pecca was okay.
Rounding the front of the school, Colton almost crashed into a father holding his daughter’s hand. The father tucked his daughter behind him and Colton could appreciate his wariness, but at this moment he didn’t have time to explain. Passing the man, he pulled open the glass doors to the school and ran in.
A woman jumped up from behind a desk. “Can I help you, sir?”
“Pecca . . . Gallegos.” Colton huffed. “Where . . . is . . . she?”
“And you are?”
“Colton Crawford.”
Remaining behind her desk,
she arched an eyebrow in a look that asked if his name was supposed to mean something to her.
“She was here,” he said in one breath. “To check on her son, Maceo. There . . . was a . . . mix-up.” Something flickered in her expression that made him believe she knew what he was talking about. Colton took a step toward her. “Please, I’m a friend.”
“Stay there.” The woman squared her shoulders, positioning herself like she was a defensive lineman, ready to tackle Colton if he made any sudden moves toward her. Colton ran a hand through his sweaty hair and could only imagine what this must look like.
“Yes, ma’am. If you could just tell me if Pecca Gallegos was—”
“Coach?” A woman Colton sort of recognized stepped out of the library.
“Do you know this man?”
She smiled at Colton. “Yes, he’s Emilia’s flag football coach. One of them.”
Emilia’s mom. Yes. Karen, no, Kristen. He nodded at her. “I’m looking for Pecca.”
The door behind him opened, and Colton turned to find Charlie walking in. Finally. Outside he could see Claudia on her phone. “They won’t tell me if she’s here.”
“If you’re talking about Pecca, she left,” Kristen said. “Just a few minutes ago with, um”—she gave Colton an apprehensive look—“David.”
Colton frowned. “Where did they go?”
“Maybe he gave her a lift back to the Mansion,” Charlie said. “I’m sure she was upset.”
“She’s not at the Mansion.” Colton and Charlie spun around. Claudia had walked into the office. “She’s traveling west on Ford Avenue. Home for Heroes is east.”
“How do you know—”
Claudia lifted up her phone, twisting it around. “Do you know this guy?”
Jealousy flared up in Colton’s chest. “That’s David.”
“No,” Claudia said. “That’s Juan Pablo Rojas.”
The world tilted, and Colton’s knees started to buckle. He would’ve hit the ground had it not been for Charlie grabbing him. The truth crashed over him like a violent wave, sending his heart rolling and thrashing in his chest.
Silent Shadows Page 24