Chasey watched them walk away, hand in hand, and...very clearly in love.
“Chasey.” Ben’s voice pulled her head around. He stood next to the front seat’s passenger door. “You ready?”
She nodded and got into the car with Ben. After strapping in, she said, “It must be so nice to have family like that. People you can trust and lean on for anything.” Anything at all.
Chasey had never had family like that—at least, not that she could recall. Memories of her parents were mostly hazy, and while she loved Brighton, he’d always been someone for her to shelter and protect rather than someone to lean on. And as for her uncle...well...no need to dwell on that.
Ben steered the vehicle away from the terminal and off the airport property. “I’m sorry for what happened to your family, and that your uncle turned out to be so bad, but you have Brighton, Chasey. And he’s so fortunate to have a loving, caring sister like you. Once we get on top of what’s happening and I get you settled with a new identity, things will calm down again before you know it. The next thing you know, you’ll meet someone, fall in love and have a family of your own. I know you’ll make a wonderful mother.”
EIGHT
Oh brother.
He’d only meant to encourage her. He just hadn’t meant to take it quite that far.
Why had he just kept going on and on, reassuring her that she would fall in love and have a family?
He’d seen the way she’d watched Reece and Danielle walk away, hand in hand. Obviously, they were meant for each other.
Ben had felt a sliver of jealousy, but not in a negative way. Good for Reece. Good for his brother. He couldn’t be happier for all his siblings finding someone to share their lives with. Finding love.
He could understand Chasey feeling a little envy of that, as well, though he imagined that her real longing was to have grown up in a normal family. What she really wanted was to have those around she could trust. And as sad as it was that she’d never had that, he knew that there was, unfortunately, nothing to be done to change it. He couldn’t erase her past or any of the terrible experiences she’d endured, losing her parents and then finding herself trapped in her uncle’s sinister web. But he could give her a little hope for the future. That was all he’d been trying to do. It just...hadn’t come out quite right.
What did he think he was saying? Had he really been promising her that she would meet someone and fall in love like Reece and Danielle? Honestly, that didn’t happen for everyone, even people who weren’t already living in a nightmare. In her case—he had no business making promises.
Ben slowly exhaled as he turned onto the highway and, sensing her watching him, glanced her way. The look on her face was a mixture of hurt and surprise that he felt—achingly—all the way to his bones.
They drove in silence through Salt Lake as Ben focused on maneuvering the highway and making sure they were not being followed. He hoped his chief had learned something from the man they’d captured. But with the way things were going, he couldn’t quite manage optimism. Depending on how the events unfolded, the man could already be walking free.
The guy could be free to follow them again. Or even if he stayed in police custody, someone new might be after them. If he wasn’t working alone, which was highly likely, the next goon could have taken up his task.
Ben wished he could get Chasey to a safe house to wait while they worked toward finding the culprit behind it all, but they needed to get to Brighton. He glanced at Chasey again. She appeared lost in thought, staring out the passenger window.
“Hey,” he said.
She turned to him, giving him a tenuous smile.
“Are you okay?” He shook his head at his own stupidity. “I keep asking you that stupid question.”
She laughed. “It’s not stupid, Ben. And...I’m okay. I mean...I’m going to be. It’s like you said, eventually things will settle down. And next time, when I’m building a new life with a new identity, Brighton will be with me. I’m glad we’re finally on our way. Only a few more hours.”
“You’re right. We should be there late tonight, as long as the weather doesn’t delay us.”
At the moment, there was no snow, but he knew that could change. Still, he wasn’t about to take the route through the mountains on their way to Denver. Instead he would travel up through Wyoming and then down. The weather could be brutal, especially the wind, but at least it would be better than the mountains.
“Do you think we should call? It’ll be too late to see Brighton once we get there. But if we call to let them know we’re coming, maybe they’ll give us some leeway on the usual visiting hours.”
“No. I’ve been thinking about this. We don’t want them to know we’re coming. We don’t want anyone to know our destination.”
“Maybe we could just call to check in on him. I’d love to hear his voice to make sure he’s okay. I didn’t call him nearly enough. I tried to let him grow close to those at Holly House and not depend on me so much, for his own safety. What was I thinking?”
She glanced out the window but not before Ben saw the tears.
Ben knew she missed her brother, but he figured that on top of those feelings, seeing Reece and Danielle, coupled with Ben’s own ridiculous words, had amplified Chasey’s regrets, and her need for her brother, who was the only constant in her life.
Ben found his cell.
“Are you calling Brighton?” she asked.
“I’m calling my chief. I think I should get the latest update so I can make informed decisions.” Like whether they should go through Wyoming or take another route.
His supervisor answered quickly. “Bradley, I have news. The man who followed you is named Milo Cash. He has no priors. He was previously a consultant for medical software, but is down on his luck and now driving for Uber. He claimed he was driving around the parking lot of the shopping mall, waiting for his girlfriend to get off work.”
As the chief spoke, anger built in Ben’s chest. “And you checked the girlfriend.”
“Yes and no. A woman came by the police station to answer questions, claiming she was his girlfriend and that she worked for a candle shop.”
“Claimed? What are you saying?”
“I’m saying she was questioned and let go before an investigating officer actually followed up on that and learned that the girlfriend did not work at the shop. In fact, I think she was paid to show up and support his cover story.”
“So he’s definitely not working alone—and he was hired by someone with enough resources to put plenty of people on this task.”
“That’s what we’re thinking. But who is he really?”
“Are you thinking his background has been doctored?”
“It’s hard to say, but no matter his background, he’s somehow involved. This is going to our Criminal Intelligence Branch. They’ll work with the locals to investigate as needed.”
Too bad they hadn’t been brought in from the start. Intellectually, Ben understood every agency had its processes, and sometimes people or incidents fell through the cracks between coordinating efforts, hence why CIB was only being brought in now. But understanding this did nothing to moderate his mounting frustration.
“Ben—” not “Bradley,” per usual “—I need to ask. When will you have her somewhere safe? I’m concerned that you were discovered in Salt Lake. How were you tracked?”
“I think we’ve been followed all along, but I wasn’t able to spot them. I strongly believe the man at the gas station wasn’t actually there to commit a simple robbery. He’s part of this, too. Someone else hired by our mastermind with deep pockets. He could have put a tracker on the Suburban, though I didn’t see one. Any news on him?”
“He’s not talking, and just made bail this morning.”
Great. “He could skip bail.”
“He could. Tell me how I can help.�
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“You know how—find who’s behind this.” And the sooner, the better.
“Call me tonight on my secure line.” Chief Calvin spouted off the number. “I want to be able to call you if I need you.”
“Will do.” He ended the call. Ben hadn’t shared the burner cell number because, under the circumstances, it was simply too risky. But no matter his over-the-top efforts, someone had still tailed them. As he looked in the rearview mirror, he feared they were still shadowing them.
To kill Chasey? To take her?
If killing her had been on the agenda then why hadn’t the gas station burglar simply shot her instead of stuffing her in the trunk of his car? For that matter, the man on the lake could have shot her, also. Yes, he’d held a gun to her head to threaten her when Ben had approached, but prior to that, he could have taken her out easily enough if that was what he’d been after.
He grabbed her hand, gripping it tightly. He never wanted to let go. And yet, when this was over, he would have to let her go.
He focused his thoughts back onto the road. Knowing they could still be followed didn’t change the route he had to take. The mountains would take longer and would be riskier.
As it was, they had about two hours before it would get dark and, with each passing mile, he had the sense that they weren’t alone. Whether he could spot someone tailing them or not, it was clear that somebody knew how to track them down. He had to face that truth and let it rip through him. And the truth was that Ben wasn’t sure he could actually get Chasey somewhere safe, especially when he added her brother to the mix.
The reassurances and promises he’d made to her earlier were out of her reach.
They were out of his reach, too.
* * *
The highway through Wyoming arched across the lower half of the state. Chasey let her mind wander as she watched the peculiar landscape. While it was barren in some places, it was mostly beautiful and mesmerizing. Where she’d lived in California was gorgeous, especially after living in New York City surrounded by skyscrapers and mass population for so much of her life. Living in Manhattan was like living on an island of concrete and endless noise—from tourists, jackhammers, taxis, pedestrians, food cart vendors and dozens of other things. It was exhilarating and exciting, but quiet and peaceful it was not.
To her, these wide-open spaces were far more fascinating. The landscape seemed to go on forever without a building or hint of civilization—other than the highway, of course. She tried to let the scenery calm her mind, but continued to glance at the side-view mirror to see if she could spot someone following them. But they couldn’t be suspicious of every vehicle traveling in the same direction along the miles and miles of open road.
They’d stopped at a diner to stretch their legs and for a quick meal, but all Chasey had wanted was to rush through it so she could get to Brighton as soon as possible. Still, Ben had been right. They’d needed a decent meal and to take a break from driving.
Day had turned to night after dinner and she spent the time watching the night sky.
She never knew the stars could be so brilliant. She couldn’t seem to stop looking at them. Maybe she would ask Ben to give her and Brighton new identities somewhere like Wyoming, away from all the light pollution, so she could become a stargazer. Yeah, Brighton would probably like that, too.
Chasey wasn’t sure when it happened. Either they had caught up to a storm or one had moved in behind them, but the stars began to fade away, blocked by cloud cover as the night became truly black. She was struck by how genuinely dark it could be in the middle of a stretch of landscape without cities or towns for miles to reflect their light against the clouds.
She felt the vehicle shudder and glanced at Ben. He was gripping the steering wheel tightly. A light, drizzling rain started and a few moments later turned to snow.
It was tricky enough to drive in darkness for hours on end. Driving on slick roads, with not enough lighting...it was a daunting prospect. She’d enjoyed a few moments of calming reflection but now the tension ramped back up into her neck and shoulders. She gripped the handsets in the small sedan—small compared to the Suburban—as they followed a few car lengths behind an eighteen-wheeler moving too slowly.
She had the feeling Ben hesitated passing the truck as it weaved back and forth, its large frame shuddering and moving in the wind.
“Do you think he’ll pull over at one of those truck stops?” she asked.
Ben smiled—for her benefit, she knew—but kept his eyes focused on the road. Even with the smile, his expression was somber. “I hope so, but on the other hand, he’s leading the way on a dark and stormy night. I know it sounds weird, but it’s almost kind of comforting.”
No sooner had Ben said the words than the red trailer lights in front of them shifted one way then jerked severely the other direction.
“Oh no!” Chasey gasped. She squeezed the armrests. “He’s fishtailing.”
The sound of tires skidding across the pavement resounded through the confines of their car. Ben slowed the vehicle, putting distance between them and the out-of-control truck.
Lord, please help the driver keep that truck on the road.
The fishtailing grew wider and deeper.
Ben huffed next to her. “I don’t like this.”
The trailer evened out as the driver got control on the road. A slow breath eased from her lungs. “It’s all right now, though, isn’t it?” she asked.
“I wasn’t talking about the truck,” Ben said.
She glanced in her mirror to see fast-approaching headlights coming up behind them. “What do you think is happening?”
Even as she asked the question, she realized she already knew the answer—no one would be driving that fast on this road in this weather without a very good reason. Make that a bad reason.
“I’m not sure,” Ben said, “but I’m going to pass the truck now or we’ll be trapped behind him.”
A sudden gale-force wind whipped snow around them, blinding them. It felt like the vehicle was sliding. Hands gripping the seat, Chasey bit back a scream. Oh, Lord, I can’t take this!
She wanted to squeeze her eyes shut but then again, she needed to see the events as they unfolded. Ben moved into the left lane to pass the truck as the vehicle behind them sped up. It was a Suburban—a much bigger vehicle and a match for the one they had been driving before they had switched it out for a smaller rental sedan. Chasey spared a moment to miss the Suburban they’d left behind in the mall parking lot. It might have done a better job of protecting them now that their lives were, once again, at risk.
Yes, she had to admit that Ben was putting his life on the line for her.
He accelerated as he passed the truck, which seemed to slide closer to them as they slowly inched forward.
The headlights grew brighter from behind. “Ben...” She wished she could pull the word back. He didn’t need any distractions or a passenger-seat driver.
“Hold on.” Ben accelerated and passed the eighteen-wheeler.
Once he was past, the big truck suddenly slid into the middle of the interstate highway, essentially cutting off the vehicle closing in on them.
Was it too much to hope for that they could lose their follower? Was it the same guy who had found their Suburban in Salt Lake City, and whom the police had released earlier? Or someone new? Someone different?
The last glimpse Chasey had of the SUV was of the vehicle whipping onto the shoulder to avoid the rig. The trucker continued to struggle to control his massive vehicle on the slippery road and it slowed to a crawl. In her opinion, he should have slowed a long time ago.
Headlights whipped around the eighteen-wheeler as it finally moved back into the right lane. The speedy Suburban was gaining on them.
“Ben?” she whispered again, in spite of herself.
“I see it. Hold on and pray.�
��
Oh well, she had never stopped praying, so that was an easy instruction to follow, even if forming coherent words was a little beyond her right now. Chasey closed her eyes and tried. The only word she could get out was God. She could only think to call out to God.
Lord!
She felt the sudden jolt as the Suburban bumped their car, sending it fishtailing into a full-on spin across the highway. Terror flooded her body. The sedan left the road, bouncing and cascading into the snow-filled ditch.
NINE
Heart thundering, pounding in his throat, Ben couldn’t take the time to get his bearings. He had to act. Now.
But first things first. With a slow exhale, he twisted in his seat to look Chasey over, swallowing back his fear that she’d been hurt. “Are you all right?”
Her features were tight but when she turned to him, she appeared to shake off her shock. “Yes. I mean, I’m not injured, but no, I’m not all right. I’m scared.”
Understandable. Time to get into gear. “I need you to put on your coat and get out of the car, then come around to my side of the vehicle but stand back and out of the way.”
“What? Why?”
Because... “They’re turning around.” The Suburban, after veering onto the shoulder, had turned around. It was now making its way along the edge of the center median that separated the east-and westbound lanes of the interstate highway. “They’re coming back for us.”
To finish what they started.
Chasey reached into the back seat to grab the jacket she’d tossed there. She glanced at him and nodded, then scrambled out as Ben did the same. He watched the approaching SUV as Chasey shuffled around the front of the sedan to him.
He gestured into the darkness behind him. “Run, get back from the car, out of sight.”
“What are you doing?” She gasped out the question.
“I’m going to end this. But I need you safely away. If things go wrong, then you’re going to be on your own. I don’t want him to catch you—I don’t even want him to see you.” Ben handed her the burner cell. “If that happens, the chief’s number is in there and you need to call him.”
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