Accidental Target

by Theresa Hall

  Allison turned to look at him. “I’ll be more cooperative from now on.”

  “Really, it’s fine. I’m used to it. I’ve dealt with people who are a lot meaner than you.” He grinned and winked at her.

  “I stopped on the road to help someone. I thought I was doing the right thing. I guess helping people is the wrong thing to do around here.”

  “Helping people is never the wrong thing to do.”

  “Did you always want to be a police officer?”

  “I don’t think so. I remember wanting to be a professional baseball player when I was a little kid. Then reality set in, and I figured I had to set my sights on something a little more attainable.”

  “Understandable. I think every little boy wants to play professional sports of some sort.”

  He nodded in agreement. “What about you? What did you want to be when you were a kid?”

  She thought about her reply and shrugged a shoulder. It wasn’t that it was embarrassing to admit, but at this point it was unattainable.

  “Come on, every kid knows what they want to be when they grow up. Don’t be embarrassed.”

  “A mom.”

  Silence blanketed them. Jackson drove the next ten minutes without saying a word. She was thankful for the lack of conversation, but she knew he didn’t press because he didn’t want to hear what she had to say. She tried not to bring it up around people, especially her sister. Maddie always changed the subject or acted like she didn’t want to hear about it. It was obvious her sister carried guilt for being able to conceive her own children. Allison didn’t hold any jealousy. It was her burden to bear, not her sister’s. And in the years since getting the bad news, she’d done a pretty good job of dealing with it. Now that she thought about it, she’d always been able to handle anything that happened to her. Not that life was easy, but putting her trust in God hadn’t failed her yet.

  “How many kids do you want?”

  The question shattered the silence. She hadn’t talked about it for years and wasn’t sure she was ready to now, but she’d brought it up. She picked at some flaking nail polish on her index finger as she searched for the right words.

  “I would feel blessed to have just one, if I could.”

  “I’m sorry. We don’t have to talk about this.” His tone was gentle and understanding.

  “It’s okay. I don’t mind. The doctors aren’t sure if I’ll be able to conceive. But I know that if it’s God’s will, it will happen. I have to put my faith in Him.”

  It was the first time in years she’d been willing to talk about it with anyone other than her family. He shifted behind the steering wheel and she braced for his response.

  “I’m sorry. Let’s talk about something else.” He raked a hand through his hair. Emotionally charged conversations were something he obviously avoided.

  She shrugged, hoping to appear nonchalant. “It’s okay. Bad things happen to good people. Maddie always told me that when we were young. She said, ‘Allison, bad things happen to good people all the time. God is your strength, and He can get you through anything you face. You’re smart, beautiful and funny, and you’re going to do great things with your life.’” Allison smiled to herself. “And you know what—I actually believed her.”

  “She’s right. You’re a strong woman. Stronger than I am.”

  She scoffed. “No, I’m not. I’m scared to death right now. I have no idea how I got into this mess. Or how I’ll get out of it.”

  “I don’t know how you did, either. I guess it goes back to what your sister said about bad things happening to good people.”

  “You should take your own advice.”

  “Yeah, well, no one said I was good people.”

  She shot him a worried look and then stared back down at her phone. It bothered her that he didn’t have a better opinion of himself, but she knew it was because of all he’d lost.

  “Do you think my sister and her family are going to be okay?”

  “I’m sure they are. Whoever is after you probably isn’t concerned about your sister. You’re the one they’re after, not her. A patrol officer will be in their neighborhood to give you both some peace of mind.”

  “What about my parents? Can I call them? Or at least send them a text message?”

  “No, that’s not a good idea right now.”

  “Why not? I hope they’re not in any danger.” Her voice shook at the thought of not being able to talk to them. It wasn’t as if she was going to defy his advice, but she needed to know what danger she was putting her parents in, if any. If something happened to her family because of her, she’d never forgive herself.

  “Let’s get you safe first, and then you can call your parents. It won’t hurt anything to call them. Just don’t tell them where you are.”

  “And where would that be?”

  “I can’t tell you that, but you’ll be safe.”

  All she wanted was her life back. Her boring, predictable life. She picked up her phone and opened the photo app to look at the pictures Maddie had sent her of the baby. Seeing that precious face would make her feel better. Allison scrolled through her photos.

  “What in the world?” She inhaled sharply. Her hand shook as she held the phone closer to her face.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “This picture.” She held the phone up so he could see it.

  He glanced quickly as he drove. “Who is that?”

  “It’s him!”

  “Him who?”

  “The man in the truck,” she said, shaking the phone.

  “How’d you get that? Do you already know him?”

  “No, I didn’t realize I had taken this picture. It must’ve happened when I was trying to use my phone to shine light into the truck.”

  Without warning, Jackson pulled the cruiser over and took the phone from her. He studied it carefully. A grave expression covered his face.

  “Are you sure that’s when you took this? And you don’t know who this is?”

  “I’d never forget that tattoo on his neck. It sent chills down my back as soon as my light hit it. Who tattoos a woman’s face on their neck?”

  “I’ve seen a few.” Jackson enlarged the picture to get a better look. His stomach clenched. He recognized this man. He was a member of the cartel, and he was wanted for murder.

  He picked up his cell and made a call. “Hey, Devon, I’m going to send you a picture. She found it on her phone.”

  He hung up and forwarded the picture from her phone to Devon’s email address. He handed it back to her. “Don’t erase any pictures or change anything on your phone in case we need it.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “I don’t know yet. I’ll tell you as soon as Devon gets back to me. I need you to try to remember anything else you can about that night.”

  She closed her eyes and tried to put the events in order. “I remember seeing a flash in the cab of the truck when I bent down to ask if anyone needed help. That must’ve been when I took the picture. After that I heard the bullets ricochet off the rocks.”

  Jackson pulled in a breath, then released it. “If this is what I think it is, some really bad people are looking for you. They won’t stop until you’re dead.”

  SEVEN

  Jackson regretted his last statement. He’d been blunt to tell her that her death was a certainty now if these people found her. It wasn’t his intention to scare her, but his rotten mood was taking over all aspects of his life. Even if he didn’t like what this beautiful woman was doing to him, he didn’t have the right to make her feel bad. If Hope was still alive, she wouldn’t have wasted a second telling him how horrible he was acting. He watched Allison as she stared out the window. A tear rolled down her face. He was ashamed of his callousness.

  “Hey.”

  She waved a hand at him. “I’ll
be fine. I just want to go home. If I leave town, they’ll forget about this and it will be over. I’ll be too far away. They won’t go to that much trouble tracking me back to Houston. I could be out of here and back home in a few hours. They won’t even know I’ve left.”

  He wished he could tell her she was right. He’d drive her back to Houston himself if he thought it could work. There was still so much he wasn’t allowed to tell her, yet. Like the fact that the dead woman was a DEA agent, and the man in the truck was a cartel member who was a cold-blooded killer. Jackson didn’t want her to know that he’d recognized the man from the picture. He was a known drug dealer who had probably been hired by the cartel to kill the agent and dispose of her body. His photo had been put out by the DEA a few months ago. And now that Allison could ID him, Jackson knew there’d been a hit put on Allison’s head, too.

  Somehow, the cartel would find her. They wouldn’t stop until they knew for certain she was dead. It was their way of protecting themselves. Killing to them was like taking out the trash. It had to be done.

  What he didn’t know was how they were finding Allison. Texas is a big state. Finding her should be like a needle in a haystack, especially at night in the Hill Country.

  Jackson’s phone vibrated to signal an incoming text. He picked it up and read it. It was from Devon. He’d seen the email. The text read: BRING HER IN ASAP.

  He pulled back onto the road and headed toward town.

  “Where are we going?” Her voice shook.

  “I’m taking you back to the station. Devon said I need to bring you in.”

  “I don’t feel like answering more questions. I hope it doesn’t take too long.”

  “I can’t promise anything, but we’re going to figure this out as fast as we can. Now that we have a picture, things have changed. We know who we’re dealing with...which doesn’t make me feel much better, if you want the truth.”

  He swallowed hard. Touchy-feely things didn’t come easy to him, but he needed to apologize before taking her back to the station. There was a good chance after tonight he’d never see her again.

  “Listen, I’m sorry for my mood. I’m pretty grumpy lately.”

  That was a lie. He was exactly who he always was. Who he’d been since the day his family was taken from him. He didn’t care about anyone or anything, but he did feel bad about taking his life’s tragedy out on her. It wasn’t her fault, and she’d been through way too much to have to put up with him tonight.

  “I’m not good at the emotional stuff. Seeing you running for your life and constantly being afraid is wearing on me. I don’t always know how to find the right words to say.”

  “I understand, Jackson,” she whispered. “And for the record, you’re doing a great job.”

  His heart seized up at the sadness in her voice. The urge to console her overwhelmed him, but the shock from the unfamiliar emotions left him paralyzed. Before he could think about what he was doing, he reached out to put a hand on her arm.

  “Hey.”

  She turned to face him with mascara smeared under her eyes. Fatigue and fear showed in her features. She was beautiful. He would do whatever it took to keep her safe. He couldn’t save Hope or his daughter, but he would save Allison.

  “I’ll stay with you until this is all over. I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.”

  “I know, and I want to believe you, but I’m terrified right now.”

  Before he could say anything more to convince her, headlights closed in on them. The oncoming vehicle was less than two hundred yards away and veering toward the side of the highway. Jackson’s instincts kicked in and he thrust his foot on the accelerator. He pulled onto the nearest side road to get off the highway. The car whizzed past mere seconds after he turned. Jackson watched in the rearview mirror as the car skidded to a stop, then made a U-turn and headed back toward them.

  “Get down!” He pointed toward the floorboard.

  “Do you think that’s him? What if he’s coming back to kill me?” She hurled questions at him as she ducked her head.

  “All the way down.” He reached over and eased her down with a firm hand. “Don’t move.”

  He floored the accelerator. The engine revved and whined as he sped away. He glanced in the mirror and watched headlights follow them to an unpaved road. A ping sounded against the car. Allison’s scream echoed in his ear.

  He had to think of a way to get her off the road. Jackson looked around at the houses, trying to get a bearing for where he was. He passed a road sign that read CR223 and realized if he kept going, it would take him to a dead end in more ways than one.

  “Can you shoot a gun?”

  “No.” Her brown eyes were wide with fear.

  “Remind me tomorrow to show you how. Right now, you’re getting the crash course.”

  “What if we don’t make it until tomorrow?”

  “We will. Just stay down.”

  Jackson glanced in his mirror. Headlights grew closer. He slammed a palm against the steering wheel.

  “Hold on.” He flipped off his headlights and turned into the nearest driveway. They headed down the long dirt drive and pulled in behind an old wooden barn. He rolled the window down a couple of inches and turned the ignition off, then unbuckled his seat belt. He leaned down and pulled a .38 revolver from his ankle holster.

  “Here,” he said, grabbing Allison’s wrist. “If something happens to me, you’ll need to use this.”

  “I don’t think I can.” She pulled away from his grip.

  “Yes, you can.” He tugged her hand toward the gun and forced her to take it. “Aim and squeeze hard. You have five shots.”

  She shook her head in protest. “I can’t do this, Jackson. I don’t know how to shoot a gun, and I can’t kill anyone.”

  He ignored her hesitation. He knew that in a life-or-death situation she would pull the trigger. One thing he’d learned about her was that she was not weak. Allison was a lot stronger than she gave herself credit for. He had to trust her.

  “Stay here.”

  “No, please don’t leave me,” she whispered.

  He hesitated at the fear in her voice, but he knew what he had to do. “Don’t let them see you.”

  Jackson climbed out of the car and pulled his service weapon from his hip. He eased around the side of the garage. Headlights flashed past the end of the long driveway, then stopped. His heart pounded as he waited to see what they were going to do.

  A car turned into the driveway and parked. Beads of sweat formed on his brow despite the cold night air. He’d gone his entire career without having to kill anyone. Tonight, he had a sick feeling that was about to change.

  He reached up to push the button on his radio. He tilted his head and whispered the words he hoped wouldn’t be his last. “Officer requesting backup. Approximately a half mile down County Road 223.”

  Before he could say anything else, the car door opened. A man carrying an automatic rifle stepped out.

  Jackson raised his weapon and aimed.

  * * *

  Allison held her breath, afraid someone in the darkness would hear her.

  Was this how she would leave the world? Facing it this way, she realized her life hadn’t been all that great up to this point. With no husband and no kids, it was sobering to think about how little she had to leave behind. Somehow, she knew God had better plans for her than to die like this. Had she been too oblivious or disobedient to see them and missed out?

  She closed her eyes and squeezed them tight. The weight of the gun in her hand jarred her to her senses. If someone came to the car, could she shoot them? The thought made her stomach roll.

  God, please keep me from having to make that choice.

  The slam of a door startled her. Her heart pounded in her ears. Jackson was out there somewhere in the dark protecting her, a woman he didn�
�t know and didn’t seem to want to know. And yet he was willing to put his life on the line to keep her alive.

  A male voice boomed through the air. It wasn’t Jackson’s.

  “I don’t know where they went! Do you think I would just let them get away?”

  Allison gripped the gun tighter in her hand, careful not to put her finger on the trigger. All she could understand was that he’d said something about getting away. She couldn’t see him, but he sounded a lot like the man who’d shot at her. She had no doubt he would kill her now if he knew she was yards from him.

  “She got away twice, but it doesn’t mean she can get away again. When I find her, I will kill her.”

  The man’s voice trailed off like he was walking back and forth. She strained to make out every word.

  “Keep the information coming. If I do not find her, then we both die. And remember, no one cares who you work for.”

  Allison heard a car door slam again. Maybe there were two of them. How in the world was she going to defend herself if two men came after her?

  The sound of gravel and tires stopped her heart. Headlights disappeared, and she heard the car drive slowly away.

  She let out the breath she’d been holding. They were safe. For now.

  “Allison, it’s me, Jackson. Don’t shoot.”

  Jackson opened the car door. She lay crouched in the floor of the car, holding the pistol with a shaking hand.

  “Why don’t you lay the pistol on the seat. Point it away from me.”

  When she did, he reached into the car, gently picked it up, then put it back into his ankle holster. “I’ll need to teach you how to use this the right way.”

  “No, I won’t need to learn. I hate guns. Besides, I’ll be far away from here tomorrow. The farther away I go, the safer I’ll be. I’ve made my mind up.” She stopped talking when she remembered that she didn’t have a car to drive home. “I’ll get an Uber or something. I will pick up my car later. My boss would come and get me if I called him.”

  Jackson slammed the door. “You’ve made up your mind?”