Sanctuary Forever WITSEC Town Series Book 5

by Lisa Phillips

  Sanctuary Forever

  WITSEC Town Series

  Book 5

  Lisa Phillips

  Copyright 2016 Lisa Phillips

  All rights reserved

  This book is a work of fiction. All characters and events are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or deceased, is entirely coincidental. Any references to real people, historical events, or locales, are used fictitiously.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form without written permission from the author, except for review purposes.

  Cover art by Blue Azalea Designs

  Photos from Shutterstock

  Also By Lisa Phillips

  Love Inspired Suspense

  Double Agent

  Star Witness

  Manhunt

  Easy Prey

  Sudden Recall

  Dead End

  Security Detail

  Homefront Defenders

  Yuletide Suspect

  Denver FBI

  Target (A prequel story)

  Bait

  Prey

  WITSEC Town Series

  Sanctuary Lost (Bk 1)

  Sanctuary Buried (Bk 2)

  Sanctuary Hidden (Bk 2.5, part of the Team Love on the Run anthology #1)

  Sanctuary Breached (Bk 3)

  A Sanctuary Christmas Tale

  Sanctuary Deceived (Bk 4)

  Sanctuary Forever (Bk 5)

  Dear Reader-Friends,

  Because if you’ve read all four Sanctuary books so far then let’s face it—we’re friends.

  If you don’t want to hear from me and you just want to read the book, then swipe a page or two over because it starts there. This letter is also at the end of the book, if you want to wait to read it.

  First I want to thank you all for the wonderful emails I’ve received. The series so far has been a rollercoaster of highs and lows, and all of your warm words of encouragement have brought us this far…

  To the final book!!

  I’m so excited for this story. It belongs to Dan and Gemma, but it’s about Sanctuary as a whole. The fate of every resident was part of this story’s journey and it was a wild ride to write. I sincerely hope and pray that you enjoy reading it.

  I learned so much through this series, some of it about Amazon pre-order uploads and the truth of keeping a series bible so all your character names/hair color/ages are straight and don’t keep changing inexplicably. So yeah, Terrence (from Sanctuary Lost) did become Andy in Sanctuary Breached, but you’ll have to just go with the flow as I rectify that in this book. And some other things.

  Next year is quickly approaching on the horizon. I’m so excited to see what God has for me. I have a three book mini-series coming out with Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense about Secret Service agents. I’m looking at writing a serial futuristic suspense novel with end times elements and of course—Ben gets his own series!! So there will be plenty to read from me.

  As always, God richly bless you as He has richly blessed me through being able to do this thing that I love so much. And HAPPY READING!!

  In His strong name,

  Lisa.

  p.s. don’t forget to sign up for my mailing list!! It’s located at www.authorlisaphillips.com

  Chapter 1

  The past loomed in Dan’s life like a ghost. The shadow of a time that was gone now but never really went away. Every time he passed the farmhouse the crack of a gunshot split his eardrums.

  The flash of light from the muzzle.

  He blinked and squeezed his eyes shut. Fresh air. The breeze on his face and the faintest tang of overripe tomatoes. His boots in the soft grass. The faint nicker of his horse.

  He was an adult now, and that was a long time ago. Why wouldn’t it leave him alone? Today of all days was the hardest—the anniversary of the night it happened.

  Dan Walden opened his eyes and continued past the house he hadn’t stepped foot in since that day, fifteen years ago. Curtains still drawn, paint peeling from the siding, and shingles torn off by that spring hailstorm. The inside was probably all dust and rodents by now. He halted on the grass and looked at his watch. Hour and a half and he’d be twenty-six.

  Happy Birthday to him.

  The sky was blue, and the breeze took the edge off the heat of the last week—Thank You, Lord. Warmth collected in the fish bowl where he’d lived his entire life. Every single day in this town with no way in or out, surrounded entirely by mountains; the comfort of their standing sentry over his farm, and over this town, wasn’t far from the comfort Dan felt from his Heavenly Father. The protective hand of God. They’d needed plenty of that protection the last couple of years.

  Things were finally calming down. The sheriff and his wife were having a baby soon, and in a few days Dan was going to perform the wedding of the town’s doctor and their nurse. The town of Sanctuary had finally been guided to a place of joy and thanksgiving.

  Bay must have heard his boots, because a nicker came from inside the barn. Dan smiled. He could take her out for a ride. Maybe head to the lake and lie on the dock until the sun went down. Some quiet prayer time tonight would do him good. Who needed a birthday anyway? It was almost dark, and apparently she wasn’t going to come over. He’d be okay on his own for the evening. The peace of God that passes understanding…

  Dan frowned. A golf cart headed down the lane. The mayor, Samuel Collins, was being driven over by another man. Neither of them he’d consider a friend. The mayor kept to himself most days, and his health was sufficiently bad that when Dan had paid him a visit, the mayor had his housekeeper politely decline. He’d tried two more times, but apparently Collins didn’t want the company of the town pastor.

  Until now.

  **

  Gemma planted her shoe on the grassy dirt and froze. Those dark, round orbs stared back at her from maybe ten feet. She’d never been good at judging distances. The breeze shifted, and a branch swished against her arm. The deer blinked. Stared at her. Superstition. It was nothing but superstition, and one she wasn’t even sure actually held weight since the last person to see the deer was still alive. This didn’t mean anything.

  The deer didn’t move.

  Gemma inched forward, slowly at first to see if it would run off. Then she started up walking. It didn’t mean—the deer raced away before she reached him. Her. Whichever.

  The path she was on wound through the woods from the diner to the farm, though Gemma would have to cut left, or she’d end up passing Dan’s land altogether. Her visit was just one friend helping out another friend on an anniversary difficult enough it left lines on his face for days afterward. They did the same thing every year. Not a birthday party, it would never be that. But she couldn’t let the day pass by unrecognized.

  There were years Dan never would’ve survived it alone.

  His friends didn’t even know about his past, or what today was. Dan hadn’t told anyone that it was the anniversary of the worst night of his life. And there were few who’d lived in Sanctuary, their witness protection town, back then. Apparently Gemma was in this strange category of “someone who knew” and “someone who cared.” If his friends knew, they’d be all over it, bringing him dinner and making sure he was okay. It was how she knew they had no idea.

  And then there was her. Just friends. They’d been “just friends” since that third grade field trip to the ranch when he’d forgotten his sandwich, and she’d shared her mom’s homemade hummus and pita bread with him. He’d explained to her the particulars of the genus of cucumber she’d brought—a cucumber grown on his farm.

  The trees rustled. Gemma gla
nced aside and saw the deer again, it’s face concealed in part by foliage. Twice?

  Gemma picked up her pace. She might not believe in superstition, but she couldn’t deny the fact that once in a while it seemed like the world was trying to tell her something—like if bad weather was coming, or things were looking up. She got outside as much as she could and had written entire novels on her laptop, sitting on the grass outside at the library where she worked.

  She’d never told anyone that it was as if the earth seemed to speak to her. Not in any magical or mystical way. Just a feeling. She’d told no one except Dan, and he’d suggested it might be the Creator. Gemma didn’t know if she believed in a benevolent being, but she couldn’t deny the strength of his faith. The Bible had navigated him through some of the hardest times anyone should have to face. Ever. She’d read every blog and most books that existed on the subject of childhood trauma and PTSD. The man should be seeing a professional twice a week, attending a support group and taking medication. But they didn’t have two of those things in Sanctuary, and the stubborn man said he didn’t want drugs.

  If the deer was God’s way of telling her He wanted her to keep Dan’s secret, that was fine with her. And if God was using creation to send her a message then she would listen. If He was God, He could do whatever He wanted.

  Gemma broke into a run, just in case. Who knew what seeing the deer meant? She sprinted fast enough the tote bag bumped against her leg with every step. At the edge of the trees where his front lawn started, Gemma slowed. The mayor stood with Dan outside the barn. Dan was one of the few people who still showed the mayor any measure of respect. Checkered shirt, sleeves rolled up so that she could see the defined muscles of his forearms. Jeans and brown boots. His hair had needed cutting three weeks ago, but apparently he didn’t have time. Which wasn’t a problem, because it seriously worked.

  Just friends.

  It had become a mantra. To the point that at least fifty times a day she wondered if she should tell him they couldn’t be friends anymore. Maybe they should just avoid each other as best they could in a town of two hundred protected witnesses. She’d keep to her end of town; he could keep to his. She’d avoid the church, and he’d grieve that until he realized it was for the best.

  But not today, on the anniversary of his mom’s… disappearance. There was no way she could give him the break-up speech she’d rehearsed in front of the bathroom mirror a thousand times.

  Maybe tomorrow.

  The mayor looked… aggravated, maybe? Though he was trying to hide it. His gray suit didn’t fit well anymore, and his silver hair had thinned. He’d ditched the rings he’d always worn, as though tired of pretending. The mayor looked like he was trying to convince Dan of something, while Dan was giving the man his characteristic nothing. Holding all his cards, giving not one thing away. She’d seen him stand perfectly still for a full five minutes of conversation once, before saying one word. The “tell” was in the corner of his mouth, and in his eyes. But she was too far away to see clearly. She had to get closer.

  Gemma left the bag behind a tree for later and crossed the grass like she had something to say. The mayor didn’t need to know she was there to hang out with Dan—that would mean theirs wasn’t a secret friendship.

  The route made her pass by the farmhouse. Dan had kept it locked since his father’s heart attack. Then after the explosion had destroyed the ranch months ago, it had been condemned. Even though the bomb had exploded on the other side of town, the aftershocks had torn apart the earth and brought down the back porch on Dan’s house. Not that he cared, or had any intention of fixing it.

  She’d have burned the place down by now.

  When she got close enough to hear, it was the mayor who was speaking. “You’ve lived here your whole life, Daniel.”

  Gemma winced even as Dan’s lips pressed together. He hated that name.

  The mayor’s voice boomed across the clearing. “It’s as a courtesy to you that I’m here to extend this offer because of your standing in the town. It cannot continue in the same greatness we have established if someone who does not understand how things work falls into the position of mayor through some kind of asinine voting system that should have been scrapped years ago. I wish to appoint my successor. Someone who has lived here their entire life, who understands that this town needs a guiding hand. A shepherd, as it were.”

  Okay so Dan might be the pastor, but that was pushing it. And what was the mayor doing? Gemma had lived here her whole life also, but he hadn’t offered her his job. Evidently she was just the librarian, and not a valuable member of the community. No one even knew about her other job writing books. They just thought she sat behind her counter all day and checked out other people’s books. They were all in witness protection, so they weren’t big on sharing, but this was a small town. She had plenty of secrets, and no one had even tried to figure them out.

  If she didn’t have Shelby, the nurse at the medical center, for a best friend, she’d have gone crazy by now. Or signed herself out of witness protection and left the town forever.

  She glanced at Dan again.

  Okay, so she wouldn’t have left.

  Dan’s gaze locked with hers. Humor sparked in his eyes. She’d given up trying to convince him that everything about her wasn’t hilarious, but he thought her attempts to do that were hilarious, too.

  “Good afternoon, Mayor Collins.”

  The mayor whirled around with far more agility than a man with serious medical problems should be able to. Gemma adored sneaking up on people. It was delicious. She smiled as sweetly as she could, channeling her inner Scarlet O’Hara. Maybe the tattoos would cancel out the debutante thing, but she could pull it off for a second. If she’d lived in the outside world and not closeted away in a witness protection town, she’d have been a world class con artist. A grifter. And she’d have written bestselling novels about her adventures.

  “Ms. Gemma.”

  See? Totally southern. She turned to Dan, let go of her smile, and put her hands on her hips to seal the deal. “There was a caterpillar in my corn husk.”

  Dan said, “It’s all natural, no pesticides.”

  “I don’t like furry crawly things in my vegetables.”

  “Then buy frozen ones from the town store.”

  “Ew.” As if.

  The mayor butted in. “I’ll speak with you about this another time, Daniel.”

  Dan turned his head to address the mayor. “I’ll pray about your offer.”

  The mayor didn’t give away how he felt about prayer; he just wandered off. Dan glanced at her. “Ew?” His eyes gleamed.

  She whispered, “You know I was raised on an organic diet. I’d probably have a stroke if I ate a frozen pea.”

  The golf cart engine whirred, and the mayor was driven away by his crony. Gemma waited until he was well out of earshot. “I don’t know whether to be glad or ticked off that he hasn’t been by the library to offer me his position.”

  Dan didn’t move for a second. Then he said, “I’m…not sure you should be the mayor.” Why did he sound like he was trying not to anger her?

  “I’d make a good mayor!” She waved in His Honor’s direction, toward the road that led from the farm into town. “It’s not like he actually does anything.”

  Dan’s lips curled up. “I’m praying about that, too.”

  “Good.” Gemma shivered. “Collins freaks me out about as much as Andy does. A few weeks ago Collins showed up at the library to ‘offer me condolences.’ The next thing I knew I was leaving him alone to lock up my library and going to see my mom to find out why she never told me Hal was my dad.” She paused a second. “Do you think he knows mind control?”

  “I think you’ve been reading a bunch of books about people with bizarre abilities.”

  Gemma shrugged. It was research for a new pen name, since the US Marshals declared she could write with conditions. She had to become an entirely new author every three years and switch genres, neve
r to publish under that name again. This would be the fourth name she’d written behind, and she was in the mood for something interesting. Like urban fantasy, or some kind of historical fiction where the characters could do magic. Probably they’d try to steer her toward sweet romances—like they could control her art—and she’d have to write from the perspective of a Sunday school teacher whose biggest problem was that her grandson said a potty word. Yeah, right.

  He hadn’t looked away. His gaze was still on her. “I haven’t seen you in a while.”

  She didn’t want to shrug again, but she had to do something to off-set the effect those words had. Only it made it more of a sucker punch when he aimed that gaze at her and basically said he’d missed her. “I’m deep in the throes of researching a new genre.”

  It was entirely likely he read more books than she did, given how much he had his nose in that Bible always tucked in his back pocket. The thing was falling apart.

  Gemma shifted on her Converse. “I brought a bottle of Coke and some cherry syrup. You wanna take a walk?” Like they didn’t do the same thing every time they hung out on this exact day—that being an overload on sugar. With the way his dad had been and her mom’s all natural, taste-free lifestyle, it had been their rebellion against this life, this town. And the people who were supposed to have taken care of them.

  “Sure,” he said. The edge that talking to the mayor gave him had left, and she caught a measure of peace. “Just let me go change.”

  He turned to the barn, and she saw the bulge of his pocket-size Bible in the back of his jeans. Gemma glanced up at the blue sky, and the valance of clouds. Thank You for giving him that.

  She yelled over her shoulder before he disappeared. “I’ll get the bag.”