High Stakes Escape

by Elizabeth Goddard

  Fear built in her chest and her breaths came faster. White clouds puffed from her mouth. Gripping the paddle, holding it low so he wouldn’t see, she turned to face off with the man who approached in a smaller fishing boat that he, too, had stolen.

  He held a gun along with a grin as he sidled his boat up next to hers. “Get over here.”

  “Come and get me.” Her heart hammered at the words. Would he kill her now?

  “Suit yourself.”

  He hopped over and Chasey slammed him in the gut with the paddle. He grunted but wasn’t deterred, grabbing her hair again, igniting pain. She held back her scream. What was with him grabbing her hair? This time she had a paddle instead of a lamp and she aimed for his private parts, shoving the wooden paddle toward him with all the force she could rally.

  But he grabbed the paddle before she could make contact. A huge fail on her part.

  The man had the nerve to laugh at her. He was enjoying this? She shoved her leg behind him to try to trip him. If she could shove him over into the water, she would steal his boat and get away. But instead of stepping back, he yanked her around to see what was coming, thwarting her plan.

  Another boat approached in the distance. Another of his goons?

  Recognition slammed into her. Ben!

  Her pursuer suddenly held the gun to her head. This was it then.

  And Ben couldn’t save her, after all.

  THREE

  Ben increased speed but he was already too late.

  Chasey’s attacker held a gun to her temple as he smirked at Ben. “She’s dead already! Don’t come any closer.”

  Ben shut off the motor, but the boat continued drifting closer, as he’d hoped, while he kept his gun at the ready at his side. “I’m a US Marshal. Put your weapon down. It’s over.” He said the words with all the authority he could muster, even though the man holding Chasey hostage had the upper hand. Ben hoped to quickly change that.

  “It’s not over until I say it’s over,” the man said.

  What did the gunman want? Ben was almost afraid to ask. Was this the man who had killed Sheila? Had he gone after her because he’d been looking for Chasey all along? Ben wanted to get his hands on the murderer. But more than that, he wanted to protect Chasey. And if that meant he had to negotiate, he’d do it.

  He kept his tone even but authoritative. “Just. Put. The gun. Down. And let her go. You can head to shore in the boat. All I want is the woman.”

  “You mean Kelly Cabot? Well, you can’t have her. Nobody can have her.”

  So this man knew her true identity.

  Her eyes held Ben’s as his boat slowly continued drifted forward. Fear filled her gaze, and Ben’s legs shook at the sight. But he couldn’t fail her now. Somehow, he had to gain the advantage. Holding his weapon at his side, he didn’t think the man had seen it yet. Ben fingered the trigger. Should he go ahead and shoot the man and risk hurting Chasey?

  Would she die if he didn’t take the chance?

  Chasey’s expression shifted and he suspected she might be trying to send him a message, but he couldn’t figure it out and didn’t want to clue in her abductor that she was trying to communicate. He soaked in everything he could without moving his gaze. Her hands were down at her sides and, sure enough, she fisted her hands and pointed. Still, he couldn’t be sure what she was trying to say.

  Maybe she was going to create a diversion. Yes. That would be something the woman he knew would do. He didn’t nod or signal that he had understood her message, and hoped she would simply read in his eyes that he was on board with her no matter what.

  Chasey dropped to her knees and grabbed the paddle then twisted around and punched the end into the man’s most vulnerable parts. Gunfire rang out. Not his own. Had the man shot Chasey? Ben didn’t have time to check—he had to spring into action to help Chasey, who was now grappling with her attacker.

  He hopped over to the other boat, wrestling the man away from Chasey and disarming him—the weapon dropping into the lake. The man dove into the cold water rather than face off with Ben or be arrested.

  Ben stared at the ripple left behind, debating whether to go after him. At the moment, he wasn’t a danger to Chasey, but he was clearly a dangerous man, and might have been behind the attacks on the other witnesses. Ben needed answers...but overriding all of that was the need to keep Chasey safe.

  “Are you going to shoot him?” she asked.

  “No, of course not. He isn’t armed.”

  “But he’ll keep coming back for me.”

  That was a strong possibility. The sleet started coming down hard. “We need to get out of here.”

  “My boat is out of gas. It was sputtering there at the end just before he caught me.”

  “The one I borrowed, too. What about his?”

  She shrugged. “We could try it.”

  Together they climbed over into the boat the man had used to pursue her in. “We’ll need to make sure these boats are returned to the pier and their owners,” he said. “I’ll call someone to help with that later, but right now, we need to get you to safety.”

  Once they were in the gunman’s boat, Chasey turned and looked at him, emotion thick in her eyes.

  “Oh, Ben.” She jumped into his arms, nearly bowling him over, and pressed her face against his shoulder.

  He held her and at the same time watched the water. A few yards off, he thought he saw movement. The man swimming away? Darkness started closing in around them as they stood shivering in the cold rain.

  “We have to get to shore.” Ben glanced around them.

  “I know, I know.” She let go of him and stepped back. “Thank you. I didn’t know if you’d get my message.”

  The boat that Chasey had been using was slowly sinking. The man must have inadvertently shot holes into it. “You’re not hurt? He didn’t shoot you or hurt you?”

  “No. I think he wanted to take me somewhere. But I don’t know.” Tears choked her words. “I can’t be sure.”

  Ben fought back the images of Sheila’s bloodstained carpet. Had Ben’s appearance prevented the man from killing Chasey? Or abducting her? All these thoughts ran through his mind as he steered the boat the rest of the way across the lake to a pier he’d spotted.

  His job at WITSEC meant protecting his witnesses at all costs. Someone had breached the security measures in place, and he still didn’t know how they’d done it. He would keep Chasey hidden from everyone for the moment until he was sure whom he could trust.

  “We’re not heading back?”

  “I don’t want to get caught on the lake in the dark. There’s a pier up ahead.” All of that was true, even if it wasn’t the whole reason.

  Ben took out his cell and contacted Silas to update him on what had happened. Ben suspected the attacker would swim to shore on the east side, so he told Silas to get the locals out there to pick him up. He ended the call, hoping they would catch the man.

  “I had been heading across the lake without really knowing where I was going.” She rubbed her arms. “I just knew I needed to get away and lose him. And I had almost made it, too.”

  Ben wrapped an arm around her and they stood close to keep warm as he directed the small boat toward the pier. Chasey continued to shiver next to him.

  Maybe he could distract her. “You did well. You stayed alive until help could find you.”

  “Barely,” she said. “If you hadn’t arrived when you did, I’m not sure what would have happened.”

  Ben forced a reassuring tone. “You got away from him at your house—”

  “You looked inside my house? How...how did you—I know I called you but I’m not sure how you got here so fast. I was surprised to see you on the lake, actually. Ben, why were you at my house? How did you know I was in trouble? What’s happening?”

  She’d figured it out pretty quic
kly. All his doubts and suspicions about what was going on around them crept back in. “Something happened with two of my other witnesses and I thought you might be next. I was already on the way to your house as soon as I realized you could be in danger.”

  “I see.” She released a heavy sigh. “How did they find me?”

  “I don’t know.” The boat approached the pier.

  She held up the flashlight she found in the boat and started to flick it on before he pressed her hand down, stopping her. “No. I think we could give ourselves away. Let’s use the dark to our advantage.”

  Her small gasp told him she understood the imminent danger. How he hated that her situation had deteriorated and she was now fleeing for her life.

  “Even if you don’t know for sure, you must have theories. How do you think they found me?”

  “I don’t know yet.”

  “How did you know I would be next?”

  “It was just a hunch that you might be the target.” He climbed onto the pier then offered his hand.

  She grabbed it but scrambled up without needing much help from him. Her hands were like ice, and he wrapped both his around them. The sleet shifted to cold rain that continued to drench them.

  “Target?” Her teeth chattered now.

  Not good.

  “Yes.”

  “As in, I’m the reason those other people were attacked? Whoever came after them was looking for me?”

  “We don’t know that yet,” he hedged.

  “But it’s possible.”

  “...Maybe.”

  She huffed. “Is that all you’re going to say?”

  He didn’t want to tell her about the murdered witness. “No. I’m going to say let’s find someplace warm. There’s a small shelter in the woods up ahead.” He’d spotted it from across the lake but couldn’t see it now through the shadow of the trees.

  “I saw it earlier, too. Doesn’t look like much. Not even a cabin.”

  “But it’ll get us out of this cold rain.” Holding her hand, he rushed with her across the short pier, the boards clattering as they stepped.

  At the structure, he used the light from his cell to see and jiggled the knob. The door opened to reveal a small cozy space. He could barely make out a small cot and an old love seat. And a rocking chair and small table by the far wall.

  “Don’t turn on the lights,” he said.

  “Why not? How can we see?”

  He covered his hand over his cell. “That should be enough. Sit there on that small sofa.”

  “Um... I don’t know, Ben. What if there are spiders? Snakes?”

  He chuckled. “This place looks like someone was recently here. I doubt there are too many pests around.”

  “I guess you’re right. It smells like they cooked bacon this morning, and now we’re trespassing.”

  “Desperate times. I’m sure whoever owns it will understand.”

  He ushered her over to the love seat and she eased onto it. Then he found a wool blanket folded at the end and draped it across her shoulders and lap.

  “What about you?” Her teeth still chattered.

  “Give me a second.” Ben stepped to the window and watched the lake. He needed to make sure the man after her hadn’t decided to follow them. He could have climbed into the remaining boat and escaped using the paddles. But he would let the local police worry about catching him.

  Ben waited and watched. A silhouette against the night sky caught his attention. Someone hurried along the lake’s shore.

  Chasey’s pursuer? The shadowy figure strode to the pier and then walked the length of it. It then crouched to look at the boat Ben and Chasey had left moments before.

  When the man turned around, Ben recognized the US Marshals’ insignia on his cap. Relief filled him that help had already arrived.

  He moved to open the door then froze.

  How? How had one of the marshals gotten here so fast?

  Only Ben and Silas had been at the marina. This marshal hadn’t crossed the lake, and he certainly couldn’t have driven and arrived so quickly since the road curved away from the water, snaking through the foothills before coming back—if he’d even thought to drive this way when Ben had started across the lake. Something didn’t add up. Was it possible their attacker earlier hadn’t been acting alone? While one guy had gotten in a boat and pursued Chasey across the lake, had someone else gotten in a car and started the drive to this point, to cut her off if she managed to escape?

  He turned off his cell and stood back in the shadows, watching. He couldn’t see the man’s face well enough to be able to tell if he recognized him.

  “What’s wrong?” Chasey whispered.

  He appreciated she understood to keep her voice down. He lifted a finger to his lips. The man glanced around at the woods, his weapon pulled. He eyed the cabin, took a step or two in that direction, then appeared to change his mind and head back the way he’d come.

  Ben slowly exhaled his relief. Chasey had quietly approached. He hadn’t realized she stood so near until he heard her voice in his ear, felt the wisp of her breath against his skin. “What’s going on? That was a marshal, wasn’t it?”

  Ben nodded. Then he turned to her and gripped her arms. “I don’t know who I can trust with your life, Chasey. I only know that you’re not safe.”

  * * *

  Chasey slid down in the seat of Ben’s car, hoping no one spotted her as Ben wasted no time driving them out of town. He’d taken both their cell phones and removed the batteries and SIM cards—taking no chances with being tracked—then returned what belonged to her.

  Hugging herself as the heater kicked on, she wasn’t sure she would ever get warm again. The cold rain hadn’t stopped and she feared it was starting to turn into snow. Hiking through that mess on a cold, dark night had been horrible, especially given the day she’d had.

  After the mysterious man had left, Ben had led her through the woods around the lake until they’d found an occupied house and knocked on the door. A retired veteran named Ted had been willing to take them back to the marina. Ben hadn’t wanted to wait around for his own people or the local law—and she was glad for that.

  She didn’t know who to trust, and apparently neither did Ben.

  He also asked Ted to please ensure that the boat left at the pier was returned to the marina as well as the other boat left on the lake. Ben then relayed to his co-worker one boat had sunk and they would need to pay for that. She was impressed by how hard he tried to cover all the bases and make sure he’d given back what he’d taken.

  In that same vein, he had tried to leave Ted a cash gift for his help, which Ted had promptly refused. When they’d arrived at the marina, local police were already on scene and apparently combing the woods by the lake, searching for the man who had attacked her. But no US marshals were present, and she could see that Ben was oddly relieved by that. Based on what he’d said, she wasn’t surprised. If multiple witnesses had been located, that meant the marshals’ department couldn’t be trusted. Not completely.

  At least she could trust Ben. Of that, she could be sure, even if his team had been compromised. Chasey had never been more scared, because usually a person knew whom they could trust. Who the good guys were. And who the bad guys were.

  As they drove off, she took in the last sights of the little shops and gas stations that made up the town she’d grown to love. Why had she thought she could create a permanent home and relax in her new identity? It had been foolish of her to think she could actually have some semblance of a home.

  “Where are we going?” she finally asked when they’d driven for a while in silence. Ben hadn’t offered any information. He seemed completely consumed with his thoughts—probably thinking through what had happened and what he needed to do next. The same thoughts were running through her mind, but she was willing to leave i
t in Ben’s hands.

  Ben would get her somewhere safe.

  “First, we’ll be heading to a contact who can put us in a different vehicle that won’t easily be tracked.”

  “You really think that’ll be a problem?”

  “It could be, until we find out how information is being leaked. If someone could find your address, they shouldn’t have any trouble finding the information on my car. I need someplace safe to think, and to keep you out of harm’s way.” A small chuckle escaped and he glanced her way, his cheeks dimpling.

  Why’d he have to be so cute? She’d never gotten over those dimples. “What’s so funny?”

  “I don’t know if I can get used to calling you Chasey. I keep trying, but it feels funny.”

  Ben and Chasey had grown close when she was Kelly. But after the trial was over, she’d been quickly whisked away into her new identity and had little contact with Ben after that.

  “Well, that’s my new name, so it’s best to keep calling me that.” She pressed her head into the seat back, trying to talk herself into getting some sleep. This was going to be a long night and who knew when it would end. Or where.

  “I know. I hadn’t meant to suggest otherwise.”

  “Okay, Ben, now would be a good time for you to tell me what’s really going on.”

  After blowing out a long breath, Ben relayed everything that had happened, starting exactly three days ago. “And that’s all I know. I also know that you’re my priority. I promise to keep you safe, Chasey. You don’t need to worry so much as remain vigilant.”

  Vigilant.

  The word Ben used to use all the time in the days leading up to her uncle’s trial. This felt entirely too familiar. She crossed her arms, as if that could somehow keep her from being sucked up into feelings for Ben again.

  “What about your other witnesses?” she asked.

  “They’re already being moved.”

  Chasey wrapped the news and the dry blanket Ben had handed her around herself as Ben cranked up the heat. She struggled to chase the chill away. What did it mean that Ben was here handling her personally? Was it just that he felt she was the main target—or was it something more? She stared out the window at the darkness, the occasional road signs or farmhouse lights.