Christmas Witness Pursuit

by Lisa Harris

  Guilt swept through her as she shut the bedroom door behind her. She regretted not simply going to Griffin and telling him what had happened, but she’d been too scared that Jinx would follow through with his threats if she hadn’t done exactly what he’d said.

  All she’d ever wanted was to protect her sister.

  “They’re coming, Tory.”

  “I know.”

  She could hear the panic in her sister’s voice as she studied the room they’d walked into. At the moment fear was the enemy. Just like in the emergency room, she needed to keep her focus despite everything that was going on around her and not let herself be pulled in by the fear.

  Inhaling a calming breath, she glanced around the room. Like what she’d seen of the rest of the large house, it was nicely furnished with a queen-size bed, end tables, a dresser, a bookshelf and a comfy chair. There was nowhere to hide beyond the closet or under the bed. They needed more than just a hiding place. They had to get away from this house.

  Tory quickly crossed the room, stopping at the window, where she found the advantage they needed. While there’d been no easy escape from the other room, they should be able to make it to the ground from this one. They could climb down to the balcony that ended on the edge of the next room, about two feet from the window where she stood. Once they made it to the ground, they’d still have to find a way off the property, but for now she was simply going to focus on getting herself and her sister out of the house.

  “We’re going out the window, Elizabeth.”

  Her sister tugged at her arm. “There’s no time. They’re coming now.”

  Tory froze for a second as footsteps pounded down the hall toward their location, passed the room they were in and then stopped. A door slammed open. Someone had just discovered they were gone. She made a rapid decision and motioned for her sister to slide under the bed. She quickly pulled open the window before searching the room for a weapon. She grabbed a heavy bookend from the bookshelf and then scrambled under the bed with her sister.

  The space beneath the bed was tight, but she refused to imagine what would happen if Jinx found them. Instead she started praying. Praying that the men wouldn’t find them. That Griffin would find them first and that she’d know what to do in the meantime.

  She drew in a slow breath while her heart pounded in her ears. She’d tried to convince Elizabeth that Griffin would save them, but she knew the truth. She was fooling herself if she thought she could win this cat-and-mouse game against Jinx and his men. Or ignore what they would do if they found her now. No one, not even Griffin, knew where they were.

  “Stay still,” she said. “We’re going to be okay.”

  Tory had tried to put a measure of confidence into her voice, but she was facing the same doubts. She was on her own now and it wasn’t just her life hanging in the balance. She couldn’t let anything happen to Elizabeth, but she’d seen Jinx murder two people. It was the reason she was here.

  Please, God... We’re out of options.

  She stared at the bottom of the doorframe. Not knowing what was happening on the other side of that door had her adrenaline pulsing through her. She considered trying to make the escape out the window now, but she knew that whoever was out there could step into the room at any moment. It wasn’t worth the risk.

  The sound of the door opening sent her heart racing even faster. A moment later footsteps thumped against the wood flooring. Someone walked across the room, stopping on the thick rug at the end of the bed. They lay motionless.

  It wasn’t Jinx. She could tell by the boots that it was the man who’d brought them up here and restrained them. Jinx must have sent him upstairs to get them. Judging by the fact that he hadn’t yet called for reinforcements when he’d discovered they were gone, she knew why. If they were missing, he was the one who’d be held responsible. And knowing what Jinx had already done to those who crossed him in any way, the man had to be in a panic.

  Elizabeth’s fingers squeezed her hand tighter.

  Tory pressed her lips together, determined not to move or make a sound. Their lives depended on him not discovering they were in the room.

  He made a slow circle, as if trying to figure out where they might have gone. She tried to puzzle out his thought processes. He’d seen the empty room where he’d left them and knew he would have seen them on the stairs if they’d tried to escape that way. That meant he knew that the only other escape route was through the window.

  He walked toward the window, distracted as she’d hoped he’d be. He’d likely noticed the cold draft of air coming into the room and was wondering why the window was open. She took in a breath, trying to slow her breathing. Trying to figure out what she was going to do if he didn’t come to the conclusion she hoped for and decided to look under the bed. For a few seconds they might have an advantage with two against one, but she had to assume he was armed. On top of that, she knew he could also call for Jinx and the other men for backup.

  She heard the window creak open a few more inches then stop. He was looking outside. Trying to figure out where they’d gone. She continued her prayer as the man turned back toward the bed and then paused again. He was going through the scenario in his head, trying to decide what to do. Another few seconds passed. She counted them in her head. One...two...three...

  He stomped across the room, toward the door to the hall, then left. Tory let out a whoosh of air as the door slammed behind him. Her plan had worked. He’d believed that they’d escaped through the window and onto the balcony. That meant they’d start searching the grounds. In the meantime she needed to find a phone where she could call 9-1-1. And maybe keys to a car.

  Voices rumbled from downstairs as the men shouted at each other. Jinx, no doubt, had just learned what had happened. Their prisoners had escaped and, knowing Jinx, someone was going to pay. But there was no time to run through the possible scenarios in her mind or the long list of what-ifs that kept trying to crowd her thoughts.

  “We need to go now,” she said, motioning for her sister to follow her. But Elizabeth remained frozen beneath the bed. “Elizabeth...”

  “I can’t.”

  “We need to find a phone and a way out of here, which means we have to go now.”

  Elizabeth still didn’t move.

  “They think we left through the window,” Tory said. “They’re going to start searching the grounds.”

  “No. They’re going to find us.”

  “Not if we’re smarter. Push back the fear, because I need you to come with me.”

  Something must have clicked in her sister’s mind. She nodded and then crawled out from under the bed, a new glint of determination in her eyes.

  “We can do this. We just have to be smarter than they are.”

  “Okay.” Elizabeth paused. “Do you hear them?”

  Tory shook her head. The house was quiet. Eerily quiet. A dog barked, but she wasn’t sure if it was on the grounds surrounding the house or in a neighboring home. They needed to get downstairs where there should be a phone, but first she crossed the room and stood in the shadow of the window. She’d been right. She could see the three men moving away from the front of the house. They were spreading out on the large plot of land, clearly determined to search until they found Tory and Elizabeth.

  SIXTEEN

  Griffin sped down the two-lane road that headed out of the city, toward the address his boss had given him, praying his instincts were right. Because if he was wrong, he was looking at another dead end. The officers had checked the address Jinx had told Tory to go to, but there had been no sign of her there. Something that didn’t surprise him. He gripped the steering wheel, angry that Jinx had somehow won another round. Tory had been safe—or at least that’s what he’d thought—but Jinx had still managed to get through to her.

  He punched the button on his steering wheel and used the voice-command option to ca
ll Sheriff Jackson.

  “How far out are you?” he asked, dispensing with formalities.

  “We’re about ten minutes behind you.”

  “Good,” Griffin said. He wasn’t willing to take any chances that something went wrong with this rescue. It was time to put an end to it all.

  “I know you’re worried about her,” Sheriff Jackson said, “but you need to wait for backup before you go charging in there.”

  “I agree, but ten minutes might be too late.”

  “Then go ahead and survey the situation and find out what we’re walking into, but don’t do anything that could risk your life or hers, Griffin.”

  “I won’t.”

  Because he wasn’t going to let anything happen to her. He couldn’t. Not after everything they’d been through together. He ended the call and stepped on the gas. His motivation scared him. He’d only known her for a few days and yet, somehow, he knew he’d never be the same again.

  His mind shifted momentarily to Lilly. Was she the underlying factor to what he was really feeling? His chance to redeem himself? He still remembered every detail leading up to the moment he’d found out she was dead, every chance he’d had to ask just one more question that could have in turn changed the circumstances and saved her life.

  But Lilly was dead and nothing was going to change that fact. This was not redemption; it was simply another life on the line. One he was determined to save, because that was who he was.

  He stopped at the end of the long drive leading into the gated property, completely focused now on the task at hand—despite the fact that he had nothing more than a basic plan in mind with backup still minutes behind him. The two-story house sat back from the road, the property enclosed by an iron gate that surrounded the large slice of land for as far as he could see. From his vantage point, he couldn’t spot any security cameras, but that didn’t mean they weren’t there. He also knew that Jinx wouldn’t be there alone and that he and his men would all be armed.

  Griffin’s heart pounded as he exited his truck, jumped the security gate and slipped down into the yard, his boots crunching against the gravel drive. He moved into the shadows of the tree line, hoping to get the information Sheriff Jackson had asked for. How many men were they up against? Where were the girls being held? These were the questions he had to answer, but in the process, he couldn’t take a chance and give away his approach.

  He started across the yard and heard men’s voices. It sounded like they were at the back of the house, but from where he was, he couldn’t see them. He continued toward the house, approaching cautiously. Another dozen yards and he’d be on the south side of the house, where he could tell there was a door.

  Hearing rustling in the bushes ahead of him, he held out his weapon. A Doberman approached from the left, clearly aware that someone had just breached the property. Its ears were up and forward as the dog’s stare pierced straight through him.

  You’ve got to be kidding me.

  Griffin quickly ran through his options. Going back to the fence where he’d come over wasn’t an option. He was too far away now. The house was in front of him, but there was no way he was going to be able to simply run in through the front door. That left the giant oak tree in front of him. It had branches with access to the roof. If he could climb high enough, he might be able to avoid getting caught.

  He didn’t take time to second-guess his decision. The dog started barking as it ran toward him. Griffin holstered his weapon and quickly scrambled up the tree. The higher branches were narrower than he would have liked and swayed slightly with his weight, but if he hurried and timed it just right, he could make it onto the roof.

  The dog continued barking at the foot of the tree. It wouldn’t be long until someone noticed. He needed to ensure he was out of sight by the time they arrived, which probably gave him five, maybe ten, seconds at the most.

  He shimmied his way along the branches toward the roof, thankful for all his years on the ranch climbing trees and building tree houses. His father had always called him Mowgli from The Jungle Book because of his hunting and tracking skills. Now he just needed to use them to save Tory and her sister.

  Someone shouted from below as Griffin jumped onto the slick tiled roof then scrambled up to the crest and onto the other side. A second man responded. Griffin held his breath, bracing himself to make sure he didn’t fall. But if they came around to this side of the house, they’d see him. He needed a better place to hide.

  He pulled himself back, out of view, praying they didn’t hear the scuffling on the roof. He could smell the musty scent of cigarette smoke as two men—neither of which he recognized—ran around the corner. The dog barked louder at the foot of the tree. One of them shouted out a command and then all was quiet.

  One of the men held back the dog. “Probably just one of the neighbors’ cats.”

  “Or it was them.”

  “Are you sure she left through that window?”

  “The window was open...they were gone...”

  “Maybe that’s what she wanted you to think, but there isn’t enough snow to show footprints.”

  “Well, if they’re not out here, they have to still be in the house.”

  “Where’s Jinx?”

  “Still searching down by the pond.”

  The men headed back to the house, making any more of their conversation impossible for Griffin to hear. But he’d heard enough. Tory and her sister had managed to escape. What he didn’t know was where they were. The two men believed they were still inside the house...

  Griffin glanced below him. There was a balcony he assumed led to one of the rooms on the second floor. If he could find an unlocked window...reach them first...

  His boots began to slide on the icy roof. He grabbed onto a metal vent and managed to stop himself from falling. His fingers were almost frozen, but he ignored the discomfort. He needed to get inside the house, do a quick search and find out if Tory was still inside. He moved down to the gutter, jumped onto the balcony and found an open window. Another ten seconds and he was inside the house. The sheriff would be here in four to five minutes. His job now was to make sure he found Tory before Jinx did.

  * * *

  The men’s voices grew louder as they came toward the house. Tory and her sister had unsuccessfully searched the downstairs for a phone, but not being able to call for help wasn’t the worst thing they were facing. They were trapped. Her plan had been to escape the house, but now not only were the men outside scouring the property, they also had a guard dog. Elizabeth’s anxious expression reflected her own fears. She wasn’t sure how much longer they could evade Jinx and the other men. And when they were found this time, he wasn’t going to listen to her excuses. Jinx would probably just kill them.

  Tory squeezed her fingers around Elizabeth’s hands. “We need to go back upstairs.”

  They hurried up to the second floor. There had to be another place to hide. She’d seen the entrance to an attic at the end of the hallway, but there wasn’t time to pull down a ladder and get up there.

  She heard movement in the bedroom ahead of them and felt the panic ensue. Had one of them come through the window she’d left open?

  She squeezed her sister’s hand tighter as a man stepped out of one of the bedrooms in front of them.

  “Griffin?” Her heart pounded at the sight of his familiar form. “You found us.”

  He pulled her into his arms, hesitated, then leaned down and kissed her firmly on the lips. Her heart pounded at his nearness as she automatically responded to him. In any other situation, she could see herself exploring what she was feeling, but right now she couldn’t get her heart involved. There was too much at stake.

  “I’m sorry.” He pulled away from her. “I don’t know what I was thinking... I was just so worried I wouldn’t get here in time. So worried about you. About both of you. Are you okay?
”

  “Now that you’re here, I am. Griffin, this is my sister, Elizabeth.”

  He nodded. “I read Jinx’s email and, long story short, managed to figure out where he’d brought you. I’m just relieved you’re both safe.”

  Tory tried to stomp down the wave of guilt that rose in her. She might have done what she’d thought she’d had to do, but she should have trusted him. “They threatened to kill Elizabeth if I didn’t come alone. I didn’t know what to do.”

  “You did what you had to do to protect her.” His glance shifted to Elizabeth. “Because you’re the other witness, aren’t you?”

  Elizabeth nodded.

  “I remember most of what happened that day.” Tory took in a deep breath, wishing she could erase the flood of elusive memories that had finally surfaced. “I tried to make a deal with him. Told him to let her go and I’d take him to the other witness.”

  “And somehow you managed to escape?”

  “Yes. They’re on their way back into the house, leaving us trapped.”

  “I saw two outside and Jinx is out there, as well. Are there any more?”

  “Far as I know, that’s all.”

  He squeezed her hand. “Backup is on the way and these guys aren’t going to get away with what they did.”

  “What are our options in the meantime?”

  “Avoiding confrontation, which means I need a place to hide the two of you.”

  They slipped down the hallway, listening for signs that anyone else was still in the house, but she didn’t like the slim chance of them getting out alive. It might be three against three, but Griffin was the only one of them that was armed, leaving them at a huge disadvantage.

  A floorboard creaked downstairs.

  “They’re back inside,” Tory said.

  Griffin nodded as they passed a bathroom door. “Go in here and stay back, away from the door.”