Shot Through the Heart

by Diane Benefiel

His question broke her heart. “This is home now, Dad. The people are good to you here.”

  He looked at her with a suddenly clear gaze. “But it’s not home.”

  “No, but it’s someplace where you’re safe.” She hoped to God she was telling the truth. If Simon’s insinuation was correct then the DiNardos had someone inside the unit. They seemed to target medical facilities, probably because of the access to drugs. She glanced out the open door. The cops were talking, not paying any attention to her, and were too far away to hear.

  “Dad, I want you to be careful what you talk about with the nurses, or with anybody.”

  He rubbed a hand over his thinning hair. “Nurses? They just bother me about a hundred times a day.”

  “They’re doing their jobs. But I don’t want you talking to them about things you did when you were a cop. Okay? Don’t mention any of the cases you worked on. To anyone.” When his attention returned to the birds outside, she sighed. “Dad, are you listening? Do you understand? Don’t talk about the DiNardos or any of the cases you worked on.” The good days when he was “there,” when he seemed almost normal, were getting crowded out by the not-so-good days.

  “Hawk came down yesterday. Just swooped down and got one of the little finches. Bloody bastard. Circle of life.”

  Resigned, she rose to leave. She crossed to her father and gave him a kiss on his cheek. He began humming “Mr. Bojangles” as she left the room.

  Back at home, the nervousness returned, and Rane thought she would start climbing walls waiting to hear from John. She had to believe that he and Nathan could handle themselves. She thought of her dad and wondered if she’d gotten through to him. There was no telling what he understood. She just hoped when all this was over, and, pray to Jesus, Simon DiNardo was in prison and his organization destroyed, what her father had done would remain a secret.

  The roar of a motorcycle registered, and she saw a big black and chrome bike rolling up her driveway. Even with his head covered in a helmet, she recognized John. He wore a leather jacket, jeans, and boots.

  Rick peered out a window then went back to the couch. He was the most laid-back guy she’d ever met and had spent the last hour stretched out on the couch, reading Gabriel Garcia Marquez while she’d prowled the house, unable to settle on anything.

  John used his key and came in the kitchen door. Before she could say anything, Rick called from the living room. “Hey, Johnny. Anything up?”

  “Nope. Gonna see if my girl wants to go out for a ride.” He looked at her, brows raised in question.

  “What happened? You met with Simon, didn’t you?”

  His expression hardened. “Yeah, we met. There’s no deal. I wanted to arrest him right then, but we need more evidence to make sure he goes up for a long time.”

  “What would make him think you’d let him off?”

  “He said he’d give us the dirt on some of the big suppliers if we didn’t go after him or his family. But I saw the way he looked at Nathan, and it just confirmed what he really wants, which is my brother dead. Nathan sliced his face. Simon wants the heat off so he can go after my brother without having to worry about the rest of the task force. If he got a deal, he’d be free to plan and wait as long as he needs to get Nathan and probably me, too.”

  He took her hand and brushed warm lips over her knuckles. “We need to get away from this for a while. So what do you think? Up for a motorcycle ride? Great day for it.”

  He was definitely right about the day. The morning clouds had disappeared, leaving a gorgeous afternoon in their wake. A little chilly, but clear. And getting away from everything, even if just for a little while, sounded really, really good. “How about we go in my car?”

  “That would kind of defeat the purpose of going for a ride.”

  “What is the purpose?”

  She thought he felt just as wired as she, but was keeping a lid on it. “If I have to explain, it’s obvious you’ve never ridden on a motorcycle.”

  “True. But I have treated plenty of patients in the ER who have. They usually have broken bones and road rash.”

  “Come with me. You won’t end up with broken bones or road rash. It’ll get your mind off things.”

  She glanced out the window at the big machine in her driveway, uncertain. “I didn’t know you had a motorcycle.”

  “I don’t. It’s Nathan’s. C’mon, sweetheart, live a little.”

  He held out a hand, and unable to resist, she let him lead her out of the house. “There’s nothing wrong with being cautious, but okay. It could be fun.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Rane wrapped her arms around John’s waist as he accelerated down the driveway and onto the road. At his suggestion, she’d donned jeans and a heavy jacket, and he’d strapped an extra helmet onto her head. They picked up speed, and she couldn’t stop the thrill that shot through her. There was the physical aspect, holding on to John with the big machine surging under them. But there was also the liberating feeling of flying along the road under the open sky with the wind whistling past.

  He rode through the city then followed the ship canal until he hit the Sound where he headed north. She turned her head from side to side, enjoying the scenery. The gorgeous Washington landscape always gave her mood a boost. Puget Sound offered an intriguing blend of sea and land that never failed to fascinate, and days like today when the sun shone brilliant in the sky were to be treasured. She held John more snugly and leaned into a curve. On a straightaway, he opened the throttle, and they raced past woods where the deciduous trees had donned their autumn colors in contrast to the deep green of pines. As they crossed an old bridge, a tumbling river dotted with moss-covered boulders coursed to the sea.

  Almost an hour later, he slowed the bike and pulled into a parking lot on the outskirts of a small town. The sign on the building read Tilly’s Diner, and judging by the number of cars and trucks, it was a popular place. She swung off the motorcycle and stretched her legs.

  John secured their helmets to the bike. “You want to get an early dinner?”

  “Sure.”

  With his fingers laced in hers, he led her to the diner. Even that small, casual sign of affection made her heart beat a little faster.

  “So, what do you think? Does riding a motorcycle have anything going for it?”

  “Oh, yeah. I think I now get why people are willing to risk the broken bones and road rash.”

  “Days like today are made for a ride.”

  He opened the door and they were quickly seated at a booth. Hungry, she perused the menu. Their waitress wore a Washington State U sweatshirt, a nose ring, and sported pink hair. She was back almost immediately with the hot tea Rane had requested and coffee for John.

  While they waited for their meal, Rane stirred honey into her tea. “Are you nervous about tomorrow?”

  He shook his head. “We’ll go over all that this evening. But right now, I don’t want to talk about it. This is breathing space to clear our heads.”

  “Okay. You’re right. I was about to go crazy, pacing around the house, waiting for something to happen.”

  The waitress approached, arms laden. They’d both ordered clam chowder, and when she put a basket of steaming rolls between them, Rane figured the meal was just about perfect.

  “So tell me something I don’t know about Rane Smith.”

  She spread butter on a roll and thought about his question. “I have a secret fascination with steampunk.”

  He grinned. “I wouldn’t have guessed that. So do you dress up in the gear, go to steampunk parties?”

  “I’ve been to a few parties, but don’t really have the wardrobe. I do read just about anything in the genre and, of course, watch the movies.”

  “Van Helsing was steampunk, right? I liked that one.”

  “Hugh Jackman? What’s not to like?” She spooned up a mouthful of chowder. “Your turn. What’s something I don’t know about John David Garretson?”

  He narrowed his eyes in thought
. “Hmm. Okay. I ran away when I was ten.”

  “Really? Why? Did you have a fight with your parents?”

  “No. My best friend, Trevor, and I had read My Side of the Mountain. You know, the story of the kid who leaves home for the wilds of the Catskill Mountains to live off the land. We thought we’d make a stab at doing the same in Olympic National Park.”

  “What happened?”

  “My dad found us down at the ferry terminal. We had our backpacks and all sorts of junk ten-year-olds think is important. Mostly comic books and candy bars.”

  “Were you in trouble?”

  “Not really. Mom was pissed. But I think my dad got it. He promised Trevor and me a backpacking trip where we’d practice survival skills the next summer if I swore not to run away again. It worked out.”

  They lingered over the meal, and by the time they left the diner, the sun had almost completed its descent behind low mountains in the west, turning the sky the deepest blue. She climbed onto the motorcycle behind John once again, holding tight when he accelerated and the bike picked up speed. Hurtling down the highway as night fell and stars began their arc across the sky was nothing short of magical. Rane hugged the feeling close as she tightened her arms around John, not wanting to let it slip away in the worry of what the coming days would bring.

  ***

  Rane stared at John incredulously. “What do you mean, safe house? Why do I have to go to a safe house if you’re here with me?”

  “Because I don’t trust DiNardo, and I have to leave before sunrise. I want you someplace where I won’t have to worry about you.”

  Rane nodded. He was right. Simon was unpredictable, and if John was worrying about her, his attention wasn’t completely focused on the job. He’d been so relaxed earlier when they’d shared the motorcycle ride. She’d been so relaxed. But now reality was staring right at them, and it was time to face it. “Okay, fine. I’ll go to a safe house, but just for one night. Where will you be?”

  “Cooper and I will be here in case he does try something.”

  She’d gotten so used to John being with her at night, the thought of them not being together gave her an unsettled feeling. She wanted to believe that was just because he made her feel safe, but she was kidding herself if she thought her feelings went no deeper than that. Aware of how well he could read her, she forced herself to address the issue at hand. “I’d better pack an overnight bag then.”

  John followed her up the stairs to her room. She pulled a duffle bag out of her closet and began gathering enough clothing to get her through the next day. Aware of his sharp blue gaze following her every move, she pulled underwear from her dresser drawer.

  He peeked over her shoulder. Reaching in a finger, he snagged silky lace panties in emerald green. “Hmm. I like these.”

  “Yeah? Maybe I’ll let you borrow them sometime.”

  “Not exactly what I had in mind.”

  “Right.” She looked over her shoulder to see his expression turn serious.

  He reached up to run his fingers through the hair above her ear. “It’ll be all right, sweetheart. We’ll get through this, and then you and I are going to talk about our future.”

  She looked down and pulled practical cotton underwear and a bra from the drawer. She sucked in a breath, and the words followed in a rush. “John, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. I—”

  His arm dropped around her shoulders, and he turned her to face him. “Shh. It’s okay. We’ll talk about us later when we don’t have so much hanging over our heads.” He brushed a kiss across her lips.

  Rane nodded. She really didn’t want to have that conversation now anyway. “Okay. But can you tell me about Savannah? What’s her connection with you and Nathan?”

  She saw his hesitation, his check on what he’d initially thought to say. He stepped back and paced toward the window. Lifting the blind, he peered out into the dark night before turning back toward her. “I’ll tell you, but realize the team doesn’t know about this.”

  She nodded, and he began to speak. “Savannah was Nathan’s girlfriend. He’d met her in college. She was younger than him by a few years. He’d worked for a while before starting, and she’d begun right out of high school. Savannah Montague. She was incredibly bright, a straight-A student involved in all kinds of community projects. Her home life was a mess, so I think she threw herself into school and activities to get away from it.”

  He paused, running long fingers through his hair, moving restlessly around the room before continuing. “I’d just gotten out of basic training and come home for a visit before deploying when I met her for the first time. She was so pretty and full of life; I was happy for Nate. I don’t think he’d ever really been in love before, but I could tell she was it for him.”

  Jamming his hand in his pockets, he looked caught in the memories of an earlier time. “But I started noticing that something was off. Little things. Like how she was so organized and seemed to have her act together, and then she’d just go missing for a day. We’d made plans to meet at the ferry and go across to Bainbridge Island, and she didn’t show up. Said she’d gotten sick and hadn’t been able to call.”

  When he paused, she prompted him. “But she wasn’t sick?”

  He shook his head. “Nathan bought it. He bought anything she told him. But I’d seen the same kind of thing in a guy I’d gone to basic with. And that guy washed out because of a drug habit he couldn’t kick.”

  Rane thought she knew where the story was heading. “She was hooked on drugs.”

  “Yeah, she was. I tried to tell Nathan, but he wouldn’t hear it. Talk about being blinded by love.”

  Expression grim, he went on. “It wasn’t just that Nathan didn’t see it. Savannah didn’t see it. She thought if she was a model student, had a boyfriend, and volunteered her time to help the needy, then she couldn’t be an addict, a junkie.”

  “She told you this?”

  “Yeah. I was really worried. I was shipping out in a few days, and I tried once more to talk to Nate. Got a fist to the face for my trouble. Ninety percent of the time, that’s his default when he’s pissed. He wasn’t going to see it, so I decided I had to talk to her. Get her to come clean so she could get some help. But she denied it. I think she could have passed a polygraph because she’d walled that part of her life off, completely separate from the front she showed Nathan and the rest of the world.”

  “So you had to leave, to go to Afghanistan?”

  “Yeah. I had to go. The next time I had leave, I was only home for a couple of days, and honestly, I couldn’t tell if she was still using. Maybe I was fooling myself because I wanted Nathan to be happy. They were both set to graduate in a couple of months, and I knew my brother was going to propose. I wanted it to be right for them, and I fooled myself into believing that it was.”

  He began prowling the room again and Rane, thoughtful, pulled open a dresser drawer to grab a pair of jeans.

  “Then she died.”

  She stood, clutching the jeans to her chest. “Overdose?”

  “Yeah. Nathan found her in her apartment. She’d been injecting heroin between her toes so no one would notice the needle marks. She had gotten some bad dope and ended up dead.”

  Rane’s heart ached for what was lost. A beautiful young woman, a young man’s world. She saw the pain in John’s eyes and thought she understood. “It’s not your fault, John. You tried to warn both of them.”

  “I know it’s not my fault. But I still wish I’d done something to stop it. I saw the train wreck coming, and I left for the other side of the world and let it happen.”

  “People make their own choices. Even if you’d stayed, it doesn’t mean you could have stopped it. The only person who could have stopped it was Savannah, and she paid with her life.”

  “Yeah, she did.”

  Something clicked in Rane’s brain, something that made the whole picture clearer. “I see now. Simon was her dealer.”

  “No.” He looked
at her, expression enigmatic. “Kyle was.”

  Her mind reeled. Kyle had supplied the heroin that had killed Savannah. She took a guess at the outcome. “Nathan went after Kyle?”

  “Initially. He found Kyle, beat the crap out of him. The next thing he knew, a couple of thugs showed up at his door, and he ended up in the hospital. After that, he decided to play it smart. He realized Kyle was low-level. He did some digging and found out Simon was the brains, that he was the broker supplying most of Seattle with heroin.”

  “So he went after Simon.”

  “I said he got smart. He went to the police academy, joined the force, and learned everything he could about the illegal narcotics trade.”

  “Wow. That’s patience. He’s waited a long time to get to Simon.”

  John shook his head. “Not so long. About a year after he got out of the academy, he volunteered for a raid on a stash house. It went sideways. They hadn’t expected Simon to be there, and if he’s there, he has extra protection. The upshot was an officer got shot. Nathan lost his gun in the chaos. He ended up alone in the kitchen with Simon and two of his goons and no gun. All he had was a pocket knife. He managed to cut Simon’s face before he had his arm broken. They’d have killed him if the backup hadn’t rushed the place right then.”

  Rane sat on the bed as she thought through the implications. “You said the team doesn’t know about Savannah, about your and Nathan’s connection to the DiNardos.”

  “No, they don’t know. We’d never have gotten on the task force if they had.”

  “You joined the police department when you got out of the army for the same reason as Nathan? To destroy the DiNardos?” Her voice sounded calm, but she didn’t feel calm. Her stomach churned, and she suddenly felt sick.

  “Only partly. I joined for people like Savannah, victims of dirt bags like Simon who make a living off of ruining people’s lives, off of death.”

  “And you don’t think you should have told me all this before? At least when I found out you were a cop and had rented my apartment to spy on me?”