Expired Hero

by Lisa Phillips

  Darn. Stuart shoved him away and rolled as the knife swiped toward him.

  He hit a tree and got up, grasping a rock as he lifted to his feet. He flung the rock toward the man and caught him in the head.

  They faced off with each other, Stuart’s gun on the ground between them. If he dove for it, the other guy would do the same, and he’d end up sliced. Stuart did not like knives. Unless he was the one using it and the only thing in danger were the vegetables.

  It was his least favorite weapon in a fight. Always had been, even before the men who’d held him and Brad captive sliced up his back just for the fun of it.

  “Who sent you?” Stuart studied the man as they circled each other, pushing thoughts of holding a knife from his mind with as much force as he could muster. He didn’t want to think about Brad. About what had happened after their captors have given up torturing them and forced them to turn on each other.

  Then, the moment Brad had cried out.

  “I said, Who sent you?!” The scream from his lips echoed through the trees.

  A voice from behind him said, “Leland, stand down.”

  He spun to see Basuto approach, followed by his partner. When Stuart turned back, the sniper had put away his knife. “That’s his gun.” Stuart pointed out the sniper rifle on the grass, then at his weapon. “This one is mine.”

  Basuto’s partner, Donaldson, swiped up both.

  The sniper shifted. “It okay if I reach for my ID?”

  Sergeant Basuto said, “Slowly.”

  Stuart was waiting for Donaldson to hand his gun back to him, but the younger officer did not. He held onto both. Stuart said, “He shot at me. And he was watching Kaylee’s room.”

  He didn’t mention the surveillance equipment, as it would be difficult to explain how he knew about it without having been in her room.

  “Actually,” the sniper pulled out a leather wallet. “It’s his rifle.” He pointed to Stuart, and then let his wallet flip open. “Adam Eckles, Homeland Security. Please cuff this man.”

  “Stuart?”

  He glanced at Basuto. “What is going on?”

  “I’d like to know the same thing.” The sergeant glanced between Stuart and the Homeland agent.

  Stuart said, “Why does Homeland Security have Kaylee under observation?”

  Eckles shook his head. “We don’t. I think the pertinent question is why did you have a sniper scope trained on that house over there? Don’t you think you’ve hurt enough people in your life already, without targeting a home of innocents just trying to escape trauma? All you’ll do is further terrify them. Like those two boys. And the woman who got hurt because of the shot you fired.”

  “A woman is hurt?” Stuart set off toward the house.

  Basuto slammed a hand against his chest.

  Every instinct in Stuart wanted to shove the sergeant away from him. His whole body jerked as he fought the urge to attack a man who didn’t deserve to be hurt just because Stuart had been taught that touch meant he’d need to defend himself.

  “This man is dangerous and unstable,” Eckles said. “I was sent here to bring him in. There’s an outstanding warrant with his name on it. I can show you.”

  Stuart glanced at Basuto. “If there was, you’d know about it.”

  Basuto nodded, almost imperceptibly.

  “I have questions to ask him,” Eckles said. “The first of which is why he had a sniper rifle trained on that house.”

  Stuart was never going to get information out of this man now. Not unless he got the guy alone in a spot where he could ask a few poignant questions. Which meant they needed to be away from the two cops.

  The sergeant pulled cuffs from the back of his belt. “Leland?”

  A wealth of questions were contained in that one word. Would he submit? Was he going to do so quietly? Stuart held Basuto’s gaze. The Homeland agent—if that was even true—wanted to take him. The sergeant didn’t like that at all.

  It wasn’t unusual for Stuart to see so much in a person’s gaze. He’d been trained to read people, and Basuto wasn’t used to having to shield his thoughts in order to save his life.

  He moved quickly, probably wanting to do it fast, walking behind Stuart.

  Stuart’s instincts fired, and he spun around. He shoved Basuto back so that the sergeant fell to the grass. Donaldson dropped both weapons and pulled his stun gun. “Stand down, Leland.”

  “You know I can’t do that.”

  After all, the “agent” didn’t need to know that Stuart’s plan was to go with him. That if he was going to be cuffed and stuffed in this man’s car, it would be because he wanted to be. So he could interrogate Adam Eckles.

  Stuart launched himself at Donaldson. As though he didn’t care what might happen, because there was no way he thought Eckles would capture him. He saw Donaldson’s eyes flare a half second before he squeezed the trigger on the stun gun.

  The barbs hit Stuart in the chest.

  He could have fought it, but what was the point? That just prolonged the situation. He clenched his teeth and let his body fall, submitting to the twitching voltage that coursed through every muscle in his body.

  The second the voltage quit, a knee planted itself in his back. Given precisely where Eckles placed that knee, it was impossible to not suspect Eckles knew something about his captivity and the injuries he’d suffered.

  The Homeland agent pulled Stuart’s hands behind his back and secured his wrists. “I’ll take him from here.”

  Six

  Kaylee hopped off her bike before it came to a stop. She jumped a couple of steps and leaned the bike against the side of the house. Maggie turned when she ran over. “Kaylee.”

  The home’s owner/operator had a young, dark-haired, dark-skinned woman nestled under her arm.

  “Is everyone okay?” She looked at the woman, a newcomer. “Are you okay?”

  The woman had tears in her big, brown eyes. She blew out a breath and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, freaked me out, but I’m okay.”

  Kaylee squeezed her elbows. “And the boys?”

  Maggie said, “We sent them inside with Salena.”

  “Okay.” Kaylee let go some of the tension she’d been holding. “No one was hurt? I heard it being called in just as shots were fired.”

  She’d pedaled over here as fast as she could. The second black and white car, and Savannah, had both beaten her here, but what else was she to do? She’d needed the time spent biking to get her reaction under control. The shakes were about gone, but it felt like they might resurge at any moment. She had to fight her natural reaction. Fear, born out of trauma.

  The last thing Kaylee wanted was to show everyone here exactly how much her parent’s deaths had affected her. Or prove to them that she really did need to speak to a professional. She’d read plenty of books, and she journaled on her computer. She was dealing with it fine.

  “I’m going to go check with the police officers, okay?”

  Maggie and the young woman with her both nodded, though there was a knowing look in her landlady’s eyes. Okay, so she was more than just a landlady, but when Kaylee didn’t want to accept that Maggie may have a point, she thought of her that way.

  The reality was that the older woman had proved to be so much more than “just” a landlady. Mentor. Friend. Bible study leader. Thankfully, there were plenty of other women who lived in Hope Mansion. Kaylee could fly under the radar as much as possible.

  Until she was called on it.

  Kaylee took two steps, turned back to Maggie, and hugged her. She whispered, “I’m glad you’re okay,” in the older woman’s ear. She gave Kaylee a reflexive squeeze.

  Kaylee headed for Savannah and Basuto, huddled in conversation on the lawn. She swiped away the tears from her cheeks as she approached. Hopefully neither would notice. Or, if they did, that they didn’t feel the need to comment on it.

  “What happened?”

  Savannah spun to her. Beyond the police detective, Kaylee spotted Stu
art. What was he doing here? He seemed to have his hands behind his back, walked along by a clean-shaven man in jeans and boots and wearing a thin jacket over a T-shirt.

  “What—”

  “Back up, okay?” Basuto didn’t give her a choice. He moved toward her and pressed in close without actually touching her, causing Kaylee to step back so he didn’t bump her.

  Of course, that only irritated her. He’d used his size to intimidate her into doing what he wanted her to. Kaylee planted her hands on her hips. “Someone tell me what happened.” She spoke loudly enough so the two cops and the man she didn’t know would hear.

  “Kaylee,” Savannah started.

  She cut the detective off with a hand raised. “I live here. I want to know what happened. There were shots fired?”

  And Stuart was the one in cuffs. She wanted to believe that wasn’t possible, that though he might be reactive, he’d never seriously hurt anyone. But she didn’t know that. Not for sure.

  Basuto said, “There was a rifle shot. No one was injured.”

  “Okay.”

  Savannah lifted her chin. “Forensics will tell us who fired the weapon.”

  Stuart perked up then. Kaylee noted he looked a little flushed. He said, “You’re right.” He almost grinned, but not in a happy or fun way. Satisfaction, maybe? Why, she wasn’t so sure. It should prove Stuart hadn’t done this.

  “He’ll be booked and in the closest federal holding facility by then.” The man holding Stuart’s arm shrugged one shoulder. “You can call me, let me know. But I doubt it’ll change much, considering everything this guy has done.”

  Kaylee frowned.

  Savannah shifted a hair closer to her. “He’s a Homeland Security agent.” To the agent, she said, “I’m going to need to see that paperwork before you take him anywhere.”

  The man’s lips twitched. “I’ll show you whatever you want, sweetheart.”

  Savannah scoffed.

  Basuto said, “That’s not necessary.”

  The agent was looking at Kaylee now, and she didn’t like the intent in the man’s eyes. What was that about?

  She said, “I’m going to regret asking, but is there something I can help you with before you leave?”

  White teeth flashed in a sinister smile. “Kaylee Caldwell?”

  Yeah, she was going to regret this. “Yes.”

  “There are some questions I’d like to ask you, as well.”

  “About Stuart?” She knew nothing about him. They’d barely even had a whole conversation, and he scared the pants off her. What did a Homeland Security agent want to know?

  “Among other things.” He worked his jaw side to side. “If you could come with me as well, I’ll endeavor to clear this up quickly.”

  She turned to Savannah. “I have to go with him?”

  There was something in the man’s body language she did not like. All cops weren’t saints, just like all criminals weren’t mean. People were people. The hope was that they did the best they could, but that wasn’t always the reality.

  The sense she got from him was different than the one she got from Stuart. But the conclusion she drew about both was the same. She wasn’t sure she wanted to be alone in a car with either one. Both together? That could be even worse.

  Kaylee shivered.

  Savannah said, “Not if you’re not under arrest. This was about your room.” She pointed to the back wall of the house. “Your window was accessed, though there’s no sign anything in there was disturbed. Aside from the shot, that’s all it appears happened here. And no one was hurt.”

  Someone had broken into her room?

  She fought the surprise, even though that would be expected. She didn’t want to seem resigned, or nonchalant. What was she supposed to do? And why was keeping secrets so hard?

  She realized they were expecting an answer. All she could think was one thing. Someone was touching my stuff.

  Kaylee turned back to the federal agent. “No, thank you. I’m declining your invitation.”

  Something like approval stretched across Stuart’s face as he gazed at her. Kaylee spun around, memorizing his expression, tucking it within her mind. She would use it as a good memory to combat all the awful ones from her past still tucked away in her head. Those few captured good moments in her life were what held her together in the dark when the past threatened to tear her open.

  “Ms. Caldwell!” The federal agent called after her.

  “Looks like she doesn’t wanna talk to you,” Stuart said.

  Kaylee heard amusement in his voice. She didn’t look back, though. Approval and amusement? That was good and bad, considering she didn’t need more fodder for being distracted by him. She had enough to deal with right now. She could also admit that attraction was better than continuing to be scared of him, but that took energy as well.

  A car door slammed. When she looked, Kaylee spotted Trina rushing over with her long-legged stride and heels.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey?” Trina glanced at the cops, then at Kaylee. She launched into Kaylee’s arms and gave her a tight squeeze. Crossfit was working, apparently. “I thought you were hurt! They said a gun went off!”

  She let go, and Kaylee hid the wince. “Who did?”

  Trina leaned back. “The police band. Duh. I can’t believe you didn’t call me!”

  “I wasn’t here. I only just got here myself.”

  “But your room was broken into!” Her voice was higher now; so shrill Kaylee wanted to wince.

  “Savannah,” Kaylee called back over her shoulder. “Can we go look at my room?”

  “I’ll come with you.”

  The three of them used the front door, and Trina went first. Down the hall to Kaylee’s room, where they’d watched a movie on her laptop a few times.

  Trina stopped outside the door. “I can’t believe you didn’t call your best friend. This is so scary!” She was taller than Kaylee, and thinner. Athletic in a way she got plenty of attention and probably didn’t need to hang out with a boring, single woman, like herself, who thought the book was better than the movie. Every single time.

  It didn’t matter which book had been turned into a movie. The book was always better. Literally every time.

  Savannah twisted the door handle and went first. “I didn’t know you guys were close.”

  “We’ve been best friends since Kaylee came to work at the bank.”

  Kaylee smiled. Sure, she liked Trina, and she was flattered she called herself her best friend. She just hadn’t even contemplated calling the woman when her home had been threatened. There was too much going on. What made Trina so put out that Kaylee hadn’t called?

  Trina nudged her into the room. Kaylee stumbled, then looked around. “You looked in here already, right?”

  Savannah nodded. “It looks neat and not like anything was disturbed. But you’re the only one who can know that for sure.”

  Trina circled the room, looking at the low bookshelf where Kaylee kept the stack of library books she had checked out. She crouched, her skirt pulling tight as she shifted things on Kaylee’s shelf.

  Kaylee pulled open the drawer by her bed.

  “Do you have a computer?”

  She glanced at Savannah. “Yes.” The desktop was empty. When Savannah pointed that out with a wave of her finger, Kaylee said, “Backpack in the closet.” She straightened and moved to it. “I never leave it out. I don’t like the idea someone could access it, so I shut it completely down after I’m done.”

  Truth was, she only used it to watch movies and that was maybe every couple of weeks at most. She didn’t like TV as a general rule. So much of it was mindless drivel designed to addict the watcher into passivity as the next episode cued itself up automatically. Sure, some of it was “good” entertainment. Wholesome, or informative. But the whole system was designed to manipulate the user with suggestions, the same way social media did—timing their notifications for maximum dopamine hit.

  “Are you okay?”<
br />
  She shook her head in answer to Savannah’s question. “I need to focus. Sorry.” She pulled out her backpack, much lighter than it should be. “It’s not here.” She glanced over at Savannah. “My laptop is gone.”

  “When was the last time you used it?”

  “I don’t know.” She thought about it. “Maybe last weekend?” She’d been busy, and the series she was reading was just getting good.

  “I’ll put it in the police report.”

  Trina bumped into Kaylee’s side, then clutched her arm and gasped. “Obviously, whoever broke in stole it! I can’t believe this. They’ve invaded your privacy. Now there’s going to be a police investigation, and all your secrets will be spilled all over town. You’ll be ruined!”

  “Um…I don’t know what you keep on your computer, but all that’s on mine is my budget spreadsheet,” Kaylee said. “It’s hardly damning.”

  “What about your journal?”

  Kaylee said, “It’s on the cloud and has multiple passwords. I’ll just restrict access from anywhere other than the IP address at the police station until I get a new laptop.”

  Trina rolled straight to the next subject. “Dad said you should come back to the bank and eat lunch with us. You’re probably distraught, and the police department isn’t safe.”

  She regretted telling Trina about the bikers who had stormed the place. Truth was, she’d long grown tired of being scared of what might happen.

  “All righty then.” Savannah flipped her notebook closed. “I’ll check in with Mia, and we’ll get you secured in here. Okay?”

  Kaylee nodded. “Thank you.”

  Savannah headed for the door.

  “Detective!” Trina wailed, rushing after her.

  Kaylee sighed. That was close. A sniper rifle and a Homeland security agent? Whatever happened here, it had to be about what Brad had sent her.

  Good thing she’d kept it safe.

  She strode to the hall, an idea forming. If this was about Brad, then she needed to be sure. “Trina!”