High Stakes Escape

by Elizabeth Goddard

  She grabbed his hand in both of hers and squeezed. “I’m as good as I can be at the moment. Thank you so much for the clothes. How and when did you get them?”

  He smiled. “You’re very welcome. I couldn’t sleep, so I ran over to the store and grabbed the few items that we needed. After I took care of that, I slept for a while.”

  His laugh warmed her inside, and the usual warning signals went off in her head. But Ben’s charm was entirely addicting, and even though she knew it would be safer, she didn’t really want to resist his magnetism. He made a great marshal, but she couldn’t help but think that with his charm and confidence, he could have excelled at so many different occupations.

  “Why did you become a deputy marshal?” she asked.

  Ben’s expression told her that her question surprised him. He tucked some of her still-wet hair behind her ear. Did he realize that his touch sent tingles over her?

  He got up from where he sat next to her and moved to glance cautiously out the window. “I don’t know. I guess maybe because I grew up in a family of law enforcement. My parents, older brothers and one sister are all cops or special agents, or in Katelyn’s case, a private investigator, but she was a cop first. I guess I just never considered doing anything else. I ended up applying to the US Marshals Service.”

  “You love your job, don’t you?” Chasey wasn’t sure why she’d asked the question when she knew the answer was yes. Maybe it was because she still had foolish dreams of the two of them staying together. But that wouldn’t be possible as long as he was a marshal. He’d have to give that up to get a new identity and be placed with her. Unless he was willing to leave the marshals’ service, the job would always stand in the way of a future between them.

  Ben didn’t answer but instead frowned as he stared out the window. “Gather your things. We have to leave. Now.”

  His tone left no doubt that they were once again in immediate danger.

  SEVEN

  Ben watched Chasey fix her small pouch against her ankle again then gather her things to stuff everything into a bag. Ben hadn’t thought about buying a duffel. During his time as a deputy US marshal, in which he protected dozens of witnesses and helped move them into new identities, he’d never had to resort to such extreme measures, and living out of plastic bags brought that home.

  Was he overreacting because the witness in jeopardy was Chasey? Maybe he should accept help from other deputies, like Silas. But until he knew who was behind Sheila Redgrave’s murder and the attacks on Susan Lively, Chasey and now C. J. Carlton, Ben would lie low with Chasey.

  No one should be tracking them anyway.

  But despite Ben’s best efforts, someone obviously had been following them. He’d taken all possible precautions and still they had been found. That was the only way to explain that someone had circled the strip mall and slowed near his Suburban. The white pickup had slowly driven off only to return twenty minutes later.

  Was it someone who had attacked them before? Ben hadn’t caught his face. But he didn’t need to see a face to know he was in trouble.

  They were onto him. Whoever they—he or she—actually was.

  “Ben.” Chasey’s voice pulled him from the window.

  She lifted a plastic bag in each hand. “Dirty clothes and clean clothes plus toiletries. I’m ready.”

  Oh. “Just give me a minute—I need to make a phone call.”

  He’d deliberated about his next move, the advantages and disadvantages it would bring. If he called his chief and had the local cops or the deputy marshals swarm in on this guy, their location and movement would be exposed. But whoever was behind this likely already knew, given the way that pickup was circling the Suburban.

  He could no longer use the Suburban he’d gotten from C.J. He ground his teeth, hating that all the driving hadn’t bought them even a day of anonymity, and called his chief.

  The man answered immediately. “Bradley. What’s the latest?”

  “We have a tail, Chief. Get this guy and you may have the man behind the murder and attacks. Or if not, you could at least get some answers.” Ben gave the chief the license plate, the truck make and model, and where it was located.

  “Got it,” Chief Calvin said. “What are you going to do next, Bradley? Scratch that. This isn’t a secure line. Check in with me in a few hours.”

  “Will do.”

  Chasey followed Ben around his room as he grabbed the few items he had with him.

  Two plastic sacks over his shoulder, he was ready to go.

  Chasey looked at him. “What are we doing now? I couldn’t help but hear what you told your boss.”

  Ben was glad for the trees because he couldn’t see the pickup parked across the street. If he couldn’t see it, then neither could he and Chasey be seen.

  “We’re getting out of this place. Zip up your jacket, because we’re walking from here.”

  “Walking? But—”

  He cracked a grin. “It’s not far. We’ll wait for a cab.”

  “And then what, Ben? What’s going on? We’re not driving the Suburban?”

  “It’s compromised.”

  “I can’t believe this. What are we going to do? It’s like, no matter what we do or where we go, someone is right on our heels.”

  Ben took a calming breath. He needed Chasey to believe in him and trust him to protect her. To follow his every instruction.

  “Stick close to me. I’ll do a quick perimeter check to make sure we’re clear to move. You found that knit cap I got you?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Put that on. Tuck all your hair underneath. Let’s look like other people while we grab that cab.” Here came the risky move. “But I’m going to leave first, so it doesn’t look like we’re together. I’ll call the room phone to let you know it’s clear, and then you’ll need to walk in the opposite direction toward the shopping mall. Head into the coffee shop at the far end. Remember, hair in hat—and head to the coffee shop. You got it?”

  Her hazel eyes were wide as she listened to his instructions, then she slowly nodded. “I got it.”

  “Keep your head down. I don’t want anyone to get a good look at your face.” Ben glanced across the street and spotted a cop car pulling up next to the parked white pickup.

  “Forget everything I just said. We’re both leaving now.”

  She tucked her hair inside the hat and followed him through the open door. Together, they casually walked across the street and headed for the coffee shop at the far end of the strip mall. Ben was itching to get his hands on the man who had trailed them, but Chasey’s safety came first and arresting someone wasn’t part of his job.

  Once outside, cold and snow whipped around them in a late-autumn snowstorm. Great. He hoped that didn’t slow air travel.

  “I know it feels like we need to hurry. To run. But let’s move casually. Talk and laugh. We’re just two people out shopping.”

  “Whatever you say, Ben. You’ve been through this a lot of times, I’m sure, so you know what you’re doing.”

  And that was just it, he had never actually done this before. There had never been a need. Another police cruiser steered into the parking lot. He could only imagine what was happening now. Would they take the driver in for questioning? He sure hoped the chief could pull that off, and the marshals could talk to this guy. He would let his supervisor deal with it for now. The chief had his back. When he sent him a picture of the man who had tailed them here in Salt Lake City, Ben would know whether or not it was the same guy.

  If it was a different person, that would mean this wasn’t over yet. Even if was the same person, it might not be over.

  After waiting for a traffic light, Ben and Chasey could cross the street and hit the strip mall, leaving the hotel and the Suburban behind.

  At the coffee shop, he tugged her inside and they ordered hot cof
fee and breakfast sandwiches. Their items in hand, Ben called for a cab, since he didn’t have Uber on his burner phone anyway, and to stay as low-tech as possible. Sure, the cab driver might be able to identify them, but they would be long gone by the time that information was traced down. Anything he could do to obscure leaving a trackable trail would keep them safer.

  Law enforcement had an abundance of tools available, but so did the bad guys.

  Once in the cab, Ben asked for them to be driven to the airport. Chasey said nothing, but he saw the questions in her eyes. He gave her a look he hoped she interpreted to mean he was asking her to simply trust him—just a little longer. Talking about their plans in front of a cabbie who could then later be questioned by someone, wasn’t a good idea.

  Then again. “I hope we can make our flight to the Florida before this storm causes delays.” He squeezed her hand.

  “I can’t wait to take our Caribbean cruise and get out of the cold weather.”

  Good. She understood.

  The cabbie dropped them off at the departures terminal, and Ben tugged Chasey over to sit on a bench. He glanced at his watch and then his cell phone, hoping he wouldn’t have to wait much longer for their ride.

  The temperature was dropping, even as their exposure to danger was increasing.

  * * *

  Chasey was more confused than ever. She’d thought they had to avoid the airport—that it would be too easy to track their travel if they went via airplane. But she couldn’t help the giddiness rolling through her at the possibility of reaching Denver that much sooner.

  She missed Brighton, but she had the feeling that he needed her, too.

  Oh, Lord, please let him just be all right.

  And Brighton being all right might actually mean she should stay away. She was so confused about what was best.

  Instead of going inside the airport, Ben remained outside, waiting near her bench as a string of cars dropped passengers off for their flights. He appeared wary and watching. Vigilant. She chewed on her lip to keep from smiling. He used that word so constantly, she felt like she could hear it even when he wasn’t speaking at all. It wasn’t exactly funny. So why did it make her smile? Then she caught him staring at her.

  He was watching her instead of the human traffic coming and going.

  Then those dimples split his cheeks. “You did great back there in the cab.”

  “Oh yeah? You liked that?” An image of her and Ben on a Caribbean cruise flicked through her mind. Oh no. Not now. Not here. She couldn’t afford to daydream like that, especially when it came to Deputy US Marshal Ben Bradley.

  He crossed his arms, which made him look much bulkier in the coat. “You picked up on the subterfuge quickly.”

  “Subterfuge? Are you telling me we aren’t going on a cruise?”

  A slight frown formed between his brows and he studied her as if trying to find the answer to some deeper question. Oh no, was she blushing? “I’m teasing, of course!”

  Chasey had to look away.

  For a moment, though, she imagined that Ben was having the same fantasy. The two of them together on a cruise. Happy. In love. Married. But that’s where the dream died away. Ben could never commit like that, not when joining her in witness protection would mean giving up his career. She shook off the weirdness and forced herself to look at him. Act normal. Though, really, what was normal in this situation?

  Smiling, she shook her head. “Now would be a good time to tell me what we’re doing, since we’re clearly not getting on a plane,” Chasey said. “It feels like you’re waiting on someone?”

  “I’m not waiting on someone. We’re waiting on someone.”

  “Funny. I’m obviously tied to you until this is over.” She hadn’t meant to say that out loud. It sounded too...final. “I still don’t understand. Who do you even trust enough to tell them we’re here?”

  A woman rushed up to Ben, surprising Chasey.

  “Danielle, what are you doing here?” Ben kept his voice low.

  “I’m not alone,” Danielle said. “Your brother is in the car. Let’s talk inside the vehicle, where it’s warm.”

  Danielle hurried away and left them to follow.

  Ben glanced at Chasey, appearing a little confused, but Chasey’s confusion was much greater. His brother was here? And who was this Danielle person? She kept close to Ben as they followed the beautiful woman to a car.

  Ben opened the door to the back seat and gestured for Chasey to get in. She did, and he followed. Once they were settled, she turned her attention to the two people in the front seats. A man she assumed was Ben’s brother, and Danielle.

  His brother pulled away from the curb.

  “Chasey, meet my brother Reece Bradley and his fiancée, Danielle Collins.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Chasey said.

  “Reece, what’s going on?” Ben asked.

  “Like we agreed last night, I flew out to Salt Lake and rented you a car. Only, Danielle was the one who officially rented it. I didn’t want anyone to be able to track you through me.”

  “You should have told us you needed luggage, Ben,” Danielle said. “We could have brought that, as well.”

  “This is only a temporary situation,” Ben explained to Danielle then quickly shifted back to his brother. “I don’t want to put more people in danger, Reece.”

  Chasey assumed he was speaking of Danielle’s involvement.

  “This is the best way,” Reece said as he continued to focus on the airport road, staying in the busy rush of other cars picking people up and dropping them off.

  “But someone might see that you’ve flown out here, and track you this way.”

  “That’s why I brought Danielle. It was her idea and, once I told her my plan, she insisted on being the one to rent the car in her name. So you can thank her.”

  “Thank you,” Ben and Chasey said at the same time.

  “I’m sorry you had to go through all the trouble to fly here,” Ben said.

  “You’ve never asked anything of me before,” Reece said. “But you’re in strange waters this time. It’s no problem to help you. It goes without saying that you’d do the same for me.”

  “Ben, I owe you,” Danielle said. “You did so much for me and my little girl.”

  “Little girl?” Chasey glanced between Ben and Danielle. This was a part of Ben she hadn’t gotten to know last year. His personal life. Chasey was suddenly hit with the fact that she hadn’t known Ben at all—other than his character. His background, his childhood, the names of family members—including, it would seem, nieces and nephews—were all a mystery.

  “Danielle’s little girl is the sweetest thing,” he said. “If I remember correctly she’s six now.”

  “That’s right,” Danielle said.

  “Big blue eyes and curly blond hair,” Ben said.

  “Like her mother,” Reece said.

  “Where is she?” Ben asked.

  “Mom’s keeping her.” Reece reached across the front console and took Danielle’s hand.

  Chasey caught a glimpse of a solitaire diamond on her wedding finger. The engagement ring—beautiful but not so huge to be gaudy. She decided she liked Danielle, what little she knew of her. Chasey noticed that Ben’s gaze snagged on the diamond engagement ring, as well, not with curiosity like her, but with a quiet sort of contemplation.

  What was he thinking?

  “I’m assuming you guys are going back home,” Ben said. “Flying back today. I’ve already asked you to endanger yourselves far too much. Keeping Chasey safe is my responsibility. I’ll pay you back, Reece, I promise.”

  “First, you’re my brother. I’ve always got your back, even when no one else does. More than that, we’re both in law enforcement. I know as well as you do the risks of the job—but we do them anyway so we can keep people safe.” H
e nodded at Chasey. “You’ve got someone you’re watching out for, and you couldn’t trust your own, so you had no choice but to ask for some outside help. I understand that.”

  “I want to be able to trust them but... I can’t say more than that.”

  “And you don’t have to,” Reece said.

  Reece, who’d appeared to be driving in a big circle, now entered the arrivals area. “Danielle and I are going to take off again, and leave you with the car.”

  “I told them I needed it for a couple of weeks,” she added. “It can always be returned early.”

  Ben’s expression told Chasey that, while he was grateful, he still felt terrible for needing to pull his brother into a dangerous situation like this. And not just his brother, his brother’s fiancée.

  Chasey reached across the seat, grabbed his hand and squeezed. He glanced her way and she offered him an affirming smile.

  “I can’t thank you enough, bro,” Ben said.

  Reece pulled up next to the curb. “Ben, we can stay if you think you need help. You’re not in this alone unless you want to be.”

  “No, we’re fine. Chief Calvin’s got my back.”

  Reece nodded as Danielle stepped out of the vehicle. Reece remained, shifting to look Ben in the eye. “Where will you go?”

  “As I mentioned last night, we need to get to Chasey’s brother to make sure he’s safe. If I have any sense that he’s also in danger, we’ll take him out of there before hitting the road again to get somewhere safe.”

  “You always seem to have safe houses and, of course, hotels.”

  Ben shook his head. “I can’t use any of it. I need someplace new.”

  “Do you have anything in mind?” Reece asked.

  Ben glanced Chasey’s way and gave her the oddest look. “Yes. Yes, I think I do.”

  With that, Ben got out, and Chasey followed his lead. They said their goodbyes to Reece and Danielle, keeping their actions as casual as possible, like they were simply dropping friends off at the airport.

  Danielle and Reece pulled their packs from the trunk. They had planned for anything, it would seem.