Twin Peril

by Laura Scott

  “Mallory, you know we can’t take that risk.” He didn’t have the heart to remind her that Gage hadn’t agreed to their plan yet, either. And even if Gage did agree, Alyssa wouldn’t be ready for a few days. Better to give Mallory something positive to look forward to.

  Now that he had extra time on his hands, he decided to keep digging into Caruso’s and Salvatore’s business holdings. There had to be another connection, besides just campaign support.

  He worked on his computer for several hours, until the stupid thing died. With a scowl, he looked to make sure the power cord was plugged in. Was the outlet broken? The computer battery had gone dead, indicating the power had been off for a while, so he tried several outlets around the room, without success.

  Was there something wrong with the power? He crossed the room, intending to flip on the switch to test his theory, but just then the black Lab outside the gas station began to bark.

  Jonah crossed over to the window. The sun was low on the horizon, but there was still plenty of light to see. He could easily make out the image of the large black dog straining against the confines of his leash, staring in the direction of the motel.

  The hair on the back of Jonah’s neck rose in warning. Something was wrong. Very wrong. And then he noticed an orange glow reflected in the window of the gas station.

  Their motel was on fire.

  Grabbing the car keys off the dresser, he threw open the door between their rooms. “Mallory?” He crossed over to shake her awake. “Hurry, we need to get out of here right now.”

  To her credit, she didn’t argue. She rose up off the bed, pushing her hair out of her eyes as she reached for her purse. “Why? What’s going on?”

  “The motel is on fire.” He tried to open her door but it didn’t budge. Panic surged as he tried the door again, putting more muscle into it.

  Still, the door didn’t give. He ran over to check his door, with the same results.

  The fire was no accident. They were locked in.

  * * *

  Mallory’s nerves were already on edge from the incessant barking of the dog, but when she realized they were trapped, her pulse soared. Illogically, she tried the door herself, as if she would be able to open the door that Jonah couldn’t.

  The distinct smell of smoke made her wrinkle her nose in distaste. “I don’t understand. I didn’t hear any thunder. Could lightning have struck the building?”

  “No.” He came out of the bathroom, two soaking-wet towels in his hand and another towel wrapped around his fist. “Take these and hold them over your face.” He tossed the wet towels in her direction. “Stand back.”

  Before she could ask him anything more, there was a loud crash as he punched out the window. The dog continued to bark and she realized the black Lab may have saved their lives. Jonah swept the shards of glass out of the way, and for the second time in only three nights, he helped her escape.

  Outside, the heat from the fire was intense. Glancing over her shoulder, she realized the entire second floor was burning. There wasn’t a storm. In fact, there weren’t even very many clouds in the sky. There was a loud crack and Jonah grabbed her arm, pulling her out of the way as the roof collapsed.

  “Run,” he urged, pulling her in the opposite direction from where their rental car was parked.

  “The rental car is back that way,” she argued, digging in her heels. Surely he didn’t intend for them to leave this miniscule town on foot?

  “Forget about the car,” he said, dragging her along against her will. “We’re going this way.”

  Jonah pulled her toward a cornfield. She tried not to think about the horror movie involving a cornfield she’d watched as a kid, as she followed him down between the rows.

  “Try to be quiet,” he whispered.

  She couldn’t help glancing back over her shoulder, gasping at how the orange glow from the fire lit up the sky. She shivered, in spite of the chill in the air. With the tall green stalks of corn surrounding them, her fear of tight places became overwhelming. “Jonah,” she warned.

  “What?”

  “We have to get out of here—I’m claustrophobic.” She struggled to control her breathing, but it wasn’t easy. She was unable to ignore the corn husks surrounding them—they kept slapping at her arms, legs and face. Only bugs would have been worse. Spiders. Instantly her skin crawled with imaginary insects and she rubbed her hands vigorously over her arms.

  “Hang on, Mallory, for just a little while longer.”

  She wasn’t sure she could hang on. How could Jonah see where they were going? What if they got lost in the cornfields? She’d never survive if they had to spend the night here. Panic swelled. Maybe it was because she’d read the Bible earlier, but a prayer popped into her mind.

  Please, Lord, guide us to safety.

  Surprisingly, she felt calmer after her murmured prayer. She took a couple deep breaths and glanced up at the sky, hoping the sun wouldn’t slip behind the horizon just yet. Seeing the open space overhead helped.

  Jonah kept moving and, thankfully, seemed to know exactly where he was going. A good fifteen minutes later, they burst out of the cornfield.

  Thank You, Lord, she whispered, stopping long enough to catch her breath.

  Jonah stood close beside her, keeping a hand on her arm as if he were afraid he’d lose her. “Ready?” he asked.

  “For what?” She glanced around, trying to figure out which direction the highway might be. “It’s going to be dark soon, and we won’t be able to find our way.”

  “We only have to go a little farther, Mallory,” Jonah urged. “But we need to hurry.”

  She thought it was possible he was losing his mind, but since following him was better than standing in the middle of a field, she decided to go along.

  There was a humming sound that seemed to gradually grow louder. “Come on, Mallory. Hurry.”

  Hurry? What on earth did he mean? It wasn’t until she saw the train tracks that she understood what the sound was. “Is that a train?”

  “Cargo train. I saw it go by earlier today.” Jonah walked over to the edge of the train tracks and turned until he faced south.

  The sound of the train engine grew louder, and suddenly she knew what Jonah intended. “No, I can’t,” she said with a horrified gasp.

  “You have to,” he insisted, his hand tightening around hers. “Mallory, if you want to get out of this place, we have to jump aboard the train.”

  She felt as if she were frozen in place as the light of the train approached. The train was going too fast. Jonah was nuts if he thought they could really do this.

  “Ready?” he asked, running alongside the train.

  “No!” she shouted, the sound of her voice drowned out by the train as it went by.

  “Now, Mallory!” he yelled directly into her ear. “Grab one of those railings! I’ll be right behind you!”

  Her heart lodged in her throat as she ran. She gauged the distance to the railing the way she would if she were about to do a jumping snap kick to break boards in Tae Kwon Do.

  She took a deep breath, jumped and grabbed. She cried out in surprise as pain shot up her arm from being wrenched off her feet. Ignoring the pain, she found another handhold along the edge of the car, securing her precarious position.

  She’d made it! She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.

  Feeling like Spider-Man clinging to the side of a building, she lifted her head and glanced to her left, peering intently through the darkness.

  She’d made it safely on the train—but where was Jonah?

  FIVE

  Mallory tried to rein in her panic, taking several deep breaths. What if Jonah hadn’t made it on the train? She wanted to believe he was farther back because he’d forced her to go first, but what if he had misjudged the distance and hadn’t made it at all?

  She was too afraid to move, even though she knew she couldn’t just stay here like this forever. Would the train slow down at some point? Or did it kee
p going at the same speed until they reached their destination? And how many miles away was their destination anyway?

  “Mallory!” Jonah’s voice brought a rush of relief. She looked to the right and could have kissed him when she saw him standing in the opening, on a narrow metal ledge between the two cars. “Grab my hand.”

  She stared in terror as Jonah reached out for her. The thought of letting go of the metal railing only made her tighten her grip. “I can’t.”

  “Sure you can. The distance is only about a foot. Let go of the railing with your right hand and reach out for me. I’ll do the rest.”

  She looked at him across the distance, trying to trust him. Her eyes pricked with tears, but she told herself they were only watering from the force of the wind whipping past. Tightening her grip with her left hand, she took a deep breath and let go of the railing. When Jonah’s fingers closed strongly around hers, she let out a gasp of relief.

  True to his word, the rest was easy. With Jonah’s guidance, she managed to find firmer footing on the small platform between the two cars. When his arms closed around her, she leaned against him, burying her face against his chest.

  “It’s okay,” Jonah said, speaking close to her ear so she could hear as he rubbed a soothing hand over her back. “You were very brave, Mallory. We’re safe now.”

  She wished she could believe the part about being safe. As far as she could tell, they’d have to keep running forever. She lifted her head to look up at him.

  “What happened back at the motel, Jonah?” She had to speak loudly so he could hear over the noise of the train. “How could Caruso’s thug have found us so quickly? Do you think he followed your car?”

  Jonah’s gaze darkened with anger. “I suppose he might have gotten the license plate number, but I’m more inclined to believe you were right all along when you voiced your fears about the possibility of another dirty cop. Considering I’ve only spoken directly to Lieutenant Finley, I have no choice but to believe he’s another dirty cop working for Caruso.”

  Mallory’s heart sank. If Jonah was right, they were in serious trouble.

  * * *

  Jonah could barely speak, he was so angry. He’d been betrayed by his boss! Finley was the one he’d called when someone had sneaked into his hospital room. Finley was the one who had ordered him to go after Mallory. And that story about no cops being available to relieve him was probably nothing more than a lie. Finley wanted him to stay put so he could send someone out to set the motel on fire.

  Looking back, he realized how easily he’d been duped. Why would a boss send an injured cop out to keep a potential witness safe? If he’d been using the brain God gave him instead of relying on his emotions, he might have figured out Finley’s true motives a lot quicker.

  Mallory tightened her arms around his waist, giving him a warm hug that he felt all the way to the depths of his soul. “I’m sorry, Jonah.”

  He was amazed and humbled that she was trying to comfort him when he was the one who’d nearly gotten her killed. If not for the black Lab barking his head off, they might have succumbed to smoke inhalation.

  God was truly watching over them.

  “Mallory, I’m the one who should be apologizing to you,” he said. “I should have been suspicious of Finley from the beginning. I’m sorry.”

  “We’re safe on a train headed—somewhere far away from the burning motel, so there’s no reason to apologize. You saved my life, Jonah. Twice. Three times, if you count forcing me to jump the train.”

  The way she chose to put a positive spin on things was a personality quirk that surprised him. Time to take lessons from Mallory. This wasn’t the time to wallow in self-pity about being duped by his boss. Mallory had made a good point about the train’s destination—he had no clue where this train was headed. In the motel, when he’d first noticed the cargo train, he’d tried to do a search online to figure out where it was going. But the map wasn’t any help. There were dozens of trains using the same tracks going in both directions. It was like looking at a freeway and trying to figure out where each car was going.

  “Jonah, I can tell you’re upset, and I wish you’d give yourself a break. Look how many miles we’ve already gone. The train is going at least fifteen or twenty miles per hour, right?” Once again, she sounded downright cheerful. “Your idea to jump the train was brilliant. We can ride for days if needed.”

  “Unfortunately, we can’t afford to wait that long. It’s going to be dark soon and we need to get off before we lose all light. Keep an eye out for small towns, something not too far from the tracks since we have to walk.”

  He felt her sigh. “You think the bad guys will be waiting for us at the end of the line, huh?”

  “I think it’s a risk I’m not willing to take.” He made sure his tone was firm. No way was he allowing her to talk him out of this one.

  “Okay. Well, then, what about that place over there?”

  There were lights just up ahead. For a minute he hesitated, worried that this town might be too easy to find. But maybe Caruso’s men would assume they’d ride longer. After all, there were likely plenty of other towns along the way.

  “Okay,” he agreed, loosening his grip on her so he could turn and face the opening. As he scanned the area, looking for the best place to jump, he could feel Mallory edging closer behind him. He angled backward, so she could hear him better. “Do you want to go first?”

  “Not really.” She sounded less than enthused by the idea.

  “There’s no easy way to get off the train, just like there was no easy way to get on. You’re going to hit the ground, so keep your muscles loose—don’t tense up. Tuck your head and roll, going with the momentum instead of fighting against it. Understand?”

  “Tuck and roll,” she repeated faintly. “Got it.”

  He hated the way he kept putting her in danger but he had to stay focused on what needed to be done. Soon, very soon, he’d have her someplace safe. “Okay, watch me.” For a moment he closed his eyes and prayed.

  Please, Lord, keep us safe!

  He opened his eyes and crouched low, so he was closer to the ground. Gauging the distance carefully, he sprang off the train like a broad jumper, trying to use his feet to break the force of impact on the ground before going limp and rolling, his momentum sending him through several rotations. As soon as he stopped, he jumped to his feet, sparing only a quick glance at his shirt. The open stitches in his incision weren’t going to heal if he kept doing acrobatics like this. Trying to ignore the ache in his side, he searched for Mallory.

  He heard her cry out before he saw her. She’d apparently jumped right after he did—he caught sight of her rolling across the grassy embankment.

  “Mallory! Are you all right?” He ran to her and dropped to his knees. He quickly ran his hands over her arms and legs, hoping, praying she didn’t have any broken bones.

  “Lost—my—breath,” she wheezed, as she stared up at the sky. “But I’m fine.”

  He dropped his chin to his chest. “Thank you, Lord,” he murmured.

  “Amen,” Mallory added.

  He jerked his head up to look at her. Was she poking fun at him? At God?

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” she demanded. “I thought you were supposed to say Amen at the end of a prayer.” She shifted uncomfortably and ran a shaky hand through her hair.

  He nodded slowly. “Yes. You’re right. But I thought you didn’t believe in the power of prayer.”

  She shrugged and glanced away as if intensely interested in their surroundings. At least the open fields covered in high grass wouldn’t make her claustrophobic the way the cornfields had. “Honestly, Jonah, I’m so confused right now, I’m not sure what I believe anymore. I find it hard to accept that simply believing in God will actually help us, yet on the other hand, every time Caruso seems to get close, we manage to get away, relatively unscathed. Are we just plain lucky? Or is God really watching over us, giving us strength?”

&
nbsp; “God is really watching over us and giving us strength, Mallory. I promise if you open your heart and your mind, you’ll be rewarded. And there’s no risk to believing, right?”

  “I’ll try,” she promised. She groaned a bit and then frowned as she staggered to her feet. “Hey, why does the town look farther away now than it did on the train?”

  “Hopefully the walk won’t be too bad.” The town seemed farther away now that they were on solid ground. “If you’re sure you’re not hurt, we’d better get going. The earlier we check into the motel, the better.”

  “Why do you assume I’m hurt when you’re the one recovering from surgery? Maybe you should take a look, make sure it’s not bleeding.”

  “I’m sure it’s fine.” He glanced down and checked his dressing beneath his shirt, trying not to grimace at the dampness of blood. He was glad blood hadn’t seeped onto his shirt since he didn’t have a change of clothes. A bloody shirt might cause the motel clerk to become suspicious. “I’ll get more gauze and tape tomorrow.” In the big scheme of things, his injury was the least of his concerns.

  Mallory gamely fell into step beside him. When their fingers brushed by accident, he curled his fingers into fists to keep himself from reaching for her hand, forcing himself to put more distance between them instead.

  He might be stuck in the role of Mallory’s protector, since he no longer trusted Finley—or anyone other than Gage for that matter—but he couldn’t afford to get emotionally involved.

  Not if he wanted to keep Mallory alive and safe from harm.

  * * *

  Mallory stifled a yawn as they made their way toward the lights of the town. The adrenaline rush from jumping off the train had faded, big-time. She was tired and sore, and worst of all, she was keenly aware of Jonah walking beside her.

  Just a few hours earlier, she’d begged him to let her stay. Now she’d gotten her wish, but they were on the run again. How could they investigate Caruso if they had to keep running? They didn’t even have Jonah’s computer anymore.

  Jonah was holding himself distant now, as if this mess were somehow her fault, rather than his boss’s fault. But on the train, he’d held her in his arms and she’d felt safe with a man for the first time in her entire life. She could have stayed there longer. Forever.