by Alison Bliss
Now, this is how hearing and listening are two very different things. I listened to what he said, but all I heard was he wanted to cut off my head.
“Help! He’s going to kill me! Help me! Help—”
Jake muzzled me with his hand over my mouth, but he seemed confused. “Simmer down. What the hell’s your problem?”
I started to cry, which shocked him into removing his hand from my mouth. “Please…don’t kill me!” I begged.
“What?”
“I thought you wanted to help me,” I sobbed. “You said…”
“Emily, I don’t understand why you think I’d want to kill you. Well, besides the obvious reasons.”
I sniffled. “You said you were going to shoot me.”
“What? When?”
Jake relaxed his grip on my wrists and allowed me to pull them free as he eased off me. We both dripped with sweat.
“On the phone.”
“Oh hell, I was kidding around,” he said with a laugh. “That’s why you ran? Why didn’t you just say something?”
“Oh, yeah right. I’m supposed to ask a murderer if he’s going to kill me before I run. Give me a break. How was I supposed to know you were joking? And what the hell is funny about that, anyway?”
“I was talking to my uncle. We’re staying at his house until I can figure out what’s going on. Frankie Felts went underground after shooting Sergio. Someone on the inside must’ve leaked information to him about our location. I’m not taking any chances by putting you in another safe house. Apparently, they aren’t very safe.”
“So you aren’t going to kill me?”
“No, but I might line you with bumper pads to keep you from killing yourself,” he said, his voice as coarse as steel wool. He rubbed at his temples, then ran his hand through his unruly hair. “Come on. We need to get on the road.”
“Uh…Jake?” I waited for him to turn around. “One problem. I still have to pee.”
He half-smiled. “Yeah, me, too.”
“I thought you went already.”
He shook his head. “Never made it. I knew you were up to something.”
“How?”
“When I said I was giving you two minutes, you were too agreeable. You didn’t argue. And you always argue.”
Jake led me across the highway and toward the building that housed the restrooms. He kept a firm hold on my upper arm as we passed a small crowd that had formed. Two teenagers stood there, skateboards in hand, eyeing Jake with uncertainty.
“Man, he caught her quick. That dickhead can run!” one teenage boy said as we passed them.
Jake’s fingers tightened around my arm. All I could do was grin.
“How am I the dickhead?” he asked, tossing me a sideways glance. “You ran from a federal agent.”
“Well, to start with, you tackled a woman. Or maybe it’s because you’re an agent. Take your pick.”
When we stopped at the women’s restroom, Jake glared at me. “All right, I want to hear you say it. No more surprises, right?”
“No more, I promise.”
Jake was already outside the bathroom when I came out. Guess men do piss faster than women. Once we were in the vehicle, Jake turned the ignition and nearly jumped out of his skin. Music from the radio blared from the speakers, the windshield wipers screeched across the window at full speed, and the flashers blinked wildly.
He turned everything off and tossed a look my way as a vein on his temple bulged. “If you so much as crack a smile, I’m going to put you over my knee and spank you.”
My brain told me to keep a straight face, but deep inside, I grinned my ass off.
…
“Would you stop?” Jake yelled, scowling at me.
“What?”
“You’re tapping your fingers on the armrest.”
“And…?”
“And you’re driving me insane,” Jake said. “First you were whistling, then humming, now tapping. Can’t you sit still?”
“You aren’t talking, and I’m bored.”
“Well, at least if I bore you to death, you won’t have to worry about Felts anymore. Find something else to occupy your time.”
“I’m hungry,” I told Jake. “Can we stop and get something to eat?”
“We’ll eat when we get there. It’s an hour away.”
“Look, superhero, maybe you can do without food for an extended period of time, but I can’t. I haven’t eaten since yesterday. I could use some caffeine in my system.”
“As fidgety as you are? You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Can I drive, then?”
“No.”
“Jeez, you have control issues.”
“So do you.” Jake glanced over at me. “You don’t have any.”
I narrowed my eyes. “I want to eat.”
His eyes never left the road as my demand went unanswered.
“I don’t appreciate being ignored, Jake.”
“Yeah, right. Like anyone could ignore you.”
“If I had something to eat, I’d be quiet.”
He paused a moment, scrubbed at his face. “Fine. We can stop at a place in the next county. But you better be quiet afterward or I’m going to duct tape your mouth and handcuff you to the luggage rack.”
I smiled. Jake could be a decent guy when he wasn’t being such an asswipe.
He whipped into the parking lot of Junior’s Diner, which sat next to a Dairy Queen. I practically jumped out of the Explorer, excited by the notion of food. The diner resembled a big red barn, decorated on the inside with a western theme. Spurs and saddle blankets decorated the walls, along with some black and white pictures of John Wayne.
The waitress rushed past us carrying a pot of hot coffee and a tray of food. “Hi, y’all. Have a seat, and I’ll be with you in a jiffy.”
Jake chose a small booth in the corner away from the dozen other customers in the restaurant. The waitress came back with two menus in her hand.
“We don’t need those, “Jake told her. “Two cheeseburgers, two fries, and two large sweet teas, extra lemon.”
The waitress hurried off to turn in our order before I had a chance to stop her.
“What the hell was that?”
“What?”
“Maybe I didn’t want a cheeseburger,” I said, raising my voice slightly.
“It’s easy, and we’re in a hurry. I don’t want you parading around in public any more than you have to. You draw attention.”
“No I don’t!”
“Shhh!” Jake whispered. “See what I mean? You don’t know how to blend in. You’re a magnet.”
“That’s not true. Every time we have attention turned on us, it’s because of something you’ve done, not me. I swear you do things to purposefully force me into having a reaction.”
“Face it, honey. You’re a drama queen.”
The waitress came back with our iced teas and a small bowl of lemon wedges. I immediately picked up a slice, dumped salt all over it, and took a bite. Bitter juice splattered into my mouth as I sucked the lemon wedge clean. Instantly, my jaw clenched and my face puckered.
Jake watched me go for another before turning his attention back to the waitress. “Is Junior here? I need to talk to him.”
“He’s in the office going over numbers,” she said. “I’ll send him out.”
Jake nodded a silent thank you to her and glanced back at me as she hurried away. “You have a lemon fetish or something?” he asked.
“Depends. How much do you have to like something before it’s considered a fetish?”
A slight smile curved his mouth. “Are you going to let me have any lemon for my tea?”
“Probably not.”
“Then it’s a fetish.” Jake peered over my left shoulder at something behind me. “How’s it going, Junior?”
I turned to look and did a double take. In my mind’s eye, I’d pictured Junior as a pipsqueak accountant, wearing dress pants and a tie. What I saw was completely different.
Junior was a tall, burly Native American with a thick braid of dark hair he swung over his shoulder. He wore western garb from head to toe, including a black Stetson hat, and a large buck knife hung from his side in a leather sheath. He had a bottom lip full of chewing tobacco and smelled sweetly of wintergreen.
The scent triggered a childhood memory of my father. He used to keep a candy dish of his favorite mints on the nightstand next to his bed. Whenever I’d have a bad dream, Dad would give me one, calling it a magic bean, saying it helped chase away fears. It always worked before. Knowing what a nightmare the last two days had been, I couldn’t help but smile at Junior. His scent relaxed and comforted me as if my dad had handed me a mint.
“Heard you were coming home for a visit, Jake. About time.”
“It’s been a while,” Jake said, shaking hands with Junior. He motioned to me as I took a sip of my tea. “Junior, this is my girlfriend, Emily Foster.”
I choked. Girlfriend? When the hell did that happen?
Even in elementary school, the boys knew they had to ask if they wanted a girl to “go” with them. Of course, none of us ever knew where we were supposed to go. But at least they asked. Funny thing was, I didn’t know where Jake and I’d go, either. Guess it goes to show that all I ever needed to know about boys I learned in elementary. They’re stupid.
For a moment, Junior’s eyes pierced mine. They were hard, golden brown, like a hawk’s. Then he tipped his hat. “It’s a pleasure, Miss Foster.”
I let out a little cough to stifle the choking fit I kept at bay. “Please, call me…um, Emily.” God, I have to get used to this name.
He nodded and turned back to Jake. “You want to try some of the new items on my menu? Fried alligator and rattlesnake jerky.”
Jake looked at me with a sadistic grin, and I narrowed my eyes. “Nah, we’ll pass,” Jake said, chuckling. “Some other time.”
A sign pointed to the restrooms. “Excuse me, gentlemen. I’m going to go the ladies’ room.” I needed to throw up.
Jake rose, as if he were going to follow.
“No need to get up. I can plainly see where the bathrooms are, sweetie.” I made sure to add some syrup to my voice.
He set his jaw and gave me a one word warning. “Emily…”
“I’ll be right back. I promise.”
The quick glance he gave his watch told me he’d be timing me. I could feel his eyes burning into my back as I strolled away. Man, no trust at all in this fake relationship.
The bathrooms were down a short hallway on the opposite side of the restaurant. I kept an even pace, afraid if I hurried, Jake might think I was making a run for it and tackle me again. And I was tired of ending up on the floor.
The tidy bathroom smelled pleasantly sanitary. I got straight to business, then washed and dried my hands thoroughly. Though I had been in the bathroom only three or four minutes, I imagined Jake having a small panic attack as he waited for me to come back. The thought made me smile. I turned to leave, but instead let out a blood-curdling scream.
Seconds later, I heard Jake on the other side of the door. “Emily? Are you in there?” He tried the door, but the door locked from the inside.
“Oh, my God! Jake, help! Please!”
“Emily, open the door!”
“I can’t!”
“Damn it, Emily!” Jake pounded on the door. “What in the hell is going on in there? Open the door!”
I grabbed a weapon, but there wasn’t much to choose from in a bathroom. “He won’t let me!” I cried.
“Shit. Emily, I’m coming in.”
I heard a loud bang as he kicked the door in, splintering the wood. Jake and Junior stood in the doorway as it swung on its hinges. Jake rushed in, pointed his gun around the small bathroom, and saw me holed up in the corner by the sink, holding a toilet brush.
“Where is he?”
“Behind the door!”
Jake looked at me strangely but checked, anyway. He holstered his weapon, stomped his foot, and stormed out. Junior stepped in and peeked curiously behind the door.
He turned back, his face serious. “You’re damn lucky he didn’t kill you.”
“The big ass spider?”
“No. Jake. Of course, he still might once I tell him he owes me a new door.”
…
There were no clocks on the wall in the restaurant. It didn’t matter, though, because Texans seem to keep their own time. Guess it goes well with their lazy drawls. Jake hadn’t said two words since he’d walked out of the bathroom. We finished our meal in silence and left as quickly as possible.
The late afternoon sun had faded fast, and a dark, glittery curtain blanketed the sky. I watched out my window as a black wall of trees whizzed past.
“Still mad?”
He gave me a frosty look. “No.”
“You sure?”
“Not entirely.”
I sighed lightly. “I didn’t mean to—”
“You never mean to. That’s the problem. We need to establish some basic rules. You know, like never cry wolf.”
“Why are you so insistent about following rules all the time?”
Jake shrugged. “They keep people from doing stupid shit.”
I wasn’t sure, but I thought he was referring to me. “You mean like not warning someone before pretending she’s your girlfriend?”
His mouth twitched with a tiny smirk.
“Want to explain?” I asked.
Jake glanced at me. “Don’t freak out, okay? You and I are posing as a couple.”
“What?” I shrieked. “That’ll never work. Nobody’s going to buy that when all we do is fight.”
“Most couples argue.”
“Not like us.”
“We’ll say we’re passionate about each other. My uncle and aunt know the truth about you, but I don’t want anybody else to know. We’re staying in their guesthouse in the middle of the forest. It sounds better to say we’re a couple while visiting.”
“A guesthouse in the forest? Sounds fancy.”
“It’s got a pool.” He smiled as if I missed a private joke.
“Who all knows where we’ll be? FBI and U.S. Marshals?”
“No one. Last night, in the motel, I called Brockway while you washed up. I didn’t tell him where we were heading. He wasn’t happy about that, or that I disposed of the tracking device.”
“Why?”
“The Bureau doesn’t look kindly on disobedience. Or their agents stealing key witnesses.”
“You didn’t steal me. I didn’t have a choice but to go with you.” I smiled when he glanced over at me. “Okay, maybe it sounds like the same thing. But you protected me, which I thought was the whole point of witness protection.”
“My methods are unconventional. The FBI and the U.S. Marshals are not being supportive. Instead of winging it, they’d rather I had gone through the proper channels.”
“Yeah, but that almost got us killed.”
“True, but…never mind.”
“Tell me.” I waited, but he didn’t say anything. “Come on, Jake. You can’t start to say something and back down.”
“Brockway thinks my motives are strictly personal.”
That got my attention. “So is he right? Is this personal?” My heart surged at the thought.
“You can bet your ass it’s personal. Frankie Felts will pay for everything he’s done if I have to kill him myself. One day soon this will all be over.”
Not that I wanted him to kill anyone, but Jake’s words made me feel secure. He was serious about making Felts pay. “I hope so.”
“Emily, I know it’s hard to be isolated and cut loose from your own life. You feel caged in, but you don’t feel safe.” Jake glanced over at me. “Even after this ends, you’ll always be looking over your shoulder.”
“How do you know?”
“Because when I was younger,” he said, looking back at the road, “I was in your shoes.”
Chapter Six
I gave him an incredulous look. “What’d you say?”
“I said it’s not much farther—”
“No, not that. The other thing you said.”
Jake kept his eyes on the road. “What?”
“The part where you said you’d been in my shoes before.”
“It’s not important. I wanted you to know that I understand what you’re going through. I’ve been there. I know it’s not easy.”
“What happened? Why were you—”
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Jake, you can’t say something like that and not tell me the rest of the story.”
“Just forget it.”
Quietly, I wondered what possibly could’ve happened to him that he would’ve needed witness protection when he was younger. The mystery was enough to drive my imagination wild. I let it go for the time being, but Jake had to know I wouldn’t give up until I found out more. You can’t dangle a carrot in front of this bunny’s nose unless you want me to run away with it.
But I let it drop. Temporarily.
I thought the county road would go on forever, but finally we came to an intersection in the shape of a T. The sign across the road read Trinity River Flood Zone. I looked over at Jake, but he was too busy turning left to notice.
“Flood zone?”
“Yeah, don’t worry. My uncle said the river’s down right now.”
“Where’s this forest you keep talking about? All I’m seeing is fields and pastures.”
“Just ahead, a few roads over, where the tree line starts.”
“Are you sure you know where you’re going?”
“Of course, I do. It’s easy. All I have to do is go left. It’s eight lefts to my uncle’s house.”
“If you go left eight times, we’d be going in circles.”
Jake laughed. “That only applies if you’re talking about a city block. This is the countryside. Trust me when I say you can take eight lefts and not end up crossing your own trail. Look at it like a spiral rather than a square, as if we’re circling our way into the forest.”