Guarded by the Soldier

by Laura Scott

  “I’ll be fine.” She rested her head against Aaron’s car seat and smoothed her hands over her stomach. “As long as I can relax and remain calm.”

  He met Marc’s concerned gaze in the rearview mirror. Having two kids of his own, Marc was better versed in what a pregnant woman might need.

  “We’ll find another motel,” Marc offered. “We’ll stop for a break before I touch base again with the field office here in Madison.”

  “Yeah, okay.” Ryker couldn’t seem to tear his gaze from Olivia. Her expression was serene, as if she was deep inside herself, thinking happy thoughts.

  If anything happened to her, Aaron or the baby, he’d never forgive himself.

  * * *

  Slow and easy. Breathe in while counting to ten. Breathe out counting to ten.

  Olivia repeated the internal monologue over and over, refusing to allow any negative thoughts into her mind. The contractions were already beginning to ease off. She knew God was watching over them and that her baby would be fine.

  The SUV stopped and she pried her eyes open, blinking in confusion. After a moment she recognized they were on the outskirts of the city, the state capitol building visible in the distance.

  “Just sit tight. We’re almost at the hotel,” Ryker said.

  “Good. I could use a bathroom.” Every contraction had only punctuated her need to go. “A suite would be nice if they have one available.”

  “Not a problem.”

  The hotels around them seemed nicer than the previous ones they’d stayed in, not that she’d ever complain. All she wanted, needed, was to be safe.

  It didn’t seem so much to ask.

  Think positive, she told herself, drawing in a long, deep breath. They were safe. She had three men watching over them, one of them a federal agent no less. Between God and Ryker, she couldn’t be in better hands.

  “How about that one?” Marc gestured to a hotel a few miles ahead.

  “Fine with me,” Ryker agreed.

  “Anything that nice will require a driver’s license and credit card on file,” Duncan pointed out.

  “I know.”

  A twinge of concern had her meeting Ryker’s gaze. “Do you think that’s wise?”

  “Don’t worry—we’ll keep you safe.” Ryker’s smile was reassuring and she didn’t doubt his sincerity. He’d done nothing but keep her and Aaron safe since the moment they’d met.

  Three days ago? It seemed much longer.

  She felt bad that protecting her had become such a monstrous job. Logically, she knew it wasn’t her fault Colin had put the stupid account information in her diaper bag. And her brother and Tim had skimmed the money from their employer in the first place.

  Five million. She still couldn’t quite comprehend that much money.

  A contraction tightened her belly and she drew in a slow, deep breath. No stress, remember? She repeated her mantra as Marc navigated the busy Madison traffic.

  When Marc passed the hotel, a niggle of fear encroached her inner peace. “What’s wrong?”

  “Just taking precautions,” Marc responded.

  She frowned when she noticed the silent look Marc and Ryker exchanged. Being wedged as she was between Ryker and Aaron’s car seat, she couldn’t see behind them.

  “Are we being followed?”

  “Please try not to worry.” Ryker rested his hand on her knee. “We’re just being careful.”

  No, there was more to it. The tension between the men had risen sharply over the past five minutes.

  Breathe in—count to ten. Breathe out—count to ten.

  It wasn’t working. Marc took a quick left turn, then a right. The jerky movements weren’t helping her discomfort.

  “Head out of town,” Ryker said. “It’ll be easier to pick up a tail with fewer cars on the road.”

  “I’m trying.” Marc seemed to be concentrating on the road before him.

  “I wanna get out,” Aaron cried, picking up on the tension between the adults. “I hav’ta go to the bathroom.”

  She did too, but had been doing her best to ignore the urge. “Soon, Aaron.”

  Aaron kicked his feet and she suppressed a sigh. Remaining calm and peaceful under these circumstances was impossible.

  The cars thinned out around them, and just as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Marc pressed the accelerator, picking up speed.

  “What is it?”

  “Black SUV with tinted windows, but could be nothing,” Duncan said. “We’re just trying to put distance between us and them.”

  Oh no, not again. Please, not again!

  Marc increased their speed another notch, making her wonder if the black SUV was keeping pace. She wanted to turn in her seat to look out the window, but couldn’t.

  Another contraction tightened across her belly and she caught her breath at the intensity of it. It was stronger than the Braxton-Hicks she’d been experiencing until now.

  Please, God, keep my baby safe!

  She breathed through the contraction, trying to imagine the sound of ocean waves hitting the sandy shore. She had one of those white-noise machines and the wave sound was her favorite.

  “They’re closing the gap. We need to call for backup.” Marc picked up his phone from the center console and handed it to Duncan. “Call 911 first, then I’ll get in touch with the FBI field office.”

  While Duncan spoke into the phone in a low, urgent tone, she reached for Ryker’s hand. “Pray with me.” She looked up at him. “Please?”

  “Of course.” He cleared his throat. “Dear Lord, keep all of us safe in Your care.”

  “Guide us on Your chosen path,” she added, “and show us the way to escape these men. Amen.”

  “Amen,” Ryker echoed.

  For several long moments there was nothing but silence, then suddenly Marc shouted, “Brace yourselves!”

  Before she had a chance to react, something hard hit the back of their SUV, jarring them. Marc fought to keep control of the wheel, even as he picked up speed. He moved from one lane to the other, in an attempt to avoid the vehicle behind them.

  Another contraction tightened her stomach and she felt a stab of fear.

  What if this wasn’t false labor? What if she was about to have her baby five and a half weeks early? She told herself that less than six weeks wasn’t the end of the world, but that was under normal circumstances.

  And these were anything but.

  FOURTEEN

  The crunch of metal hitting metal was jarring. The vehicle rocked a bit, but Marc kept it under control. Ryker clenched his jaw, hating how vulnerable they were. It was disturbing to know Olivia and Aaron were in danger. The police needed to get here, and soon!

  “Mommy, I’m scared.” Aaron began to cry.

  “Shh, we’re okay.” Olivia’s tone lacked conviction as she reassured her son.

  Marc hit the accelerator, hard, doing his best to get them away from the SUV behind them.

  “Is there a place we can go to get away? An off-ramp, maybe?” Ryker knew it wasn’t likely. The highway up ahead only showed woods flanking the road.

  They’d left the city limits far behind.

  “I’m trying.” Marc continued pushing the speed even faster, which was also worrisome if they were to be hit from behind again. If Marc lost control of the vehicle, they could all die.

  “The police are on the way,” Duncan said.

  “They better be.” Ryker couldn’t help turning to look back at the SUV. Marc had gotten some distance away, but their attackers were doing their best to close the gap. “Step on it, Marc.”

  “I am.” Marc sounded tense, too.

  Olivia moaned softly under her breath and he felt a stab of fear. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” She bit the word out between clenched teeth and the
way she held on to her stomach was concerning.

  “More Braxton-Hicks contractions?” He didn’t want to believe she was truly in labor. It wasn’t time for the baby to be born yet.

  “I don’t think so.” Her voice was strained. “These might be real.”

  “Real?” Duncan twisted in his seat to face them. “No way.”

  Olivia didn’t answer, clearly concentrating on what she was experiencing. The fact that she didn’t continue to talk to Aaron said volumes.

  “You need to get us out of danger, Marc.” Ryker hated feeling helpless, and sitting next to Olivia without being the one behind the wheel was driving him nuts.

  “I’m trying,” Marc repeated as he shifted their car into the left lane to go around a pickup truck. The driver shot them a dirty look, which Marc ignored. The SUV followed them into the left lane, keeping pace.

  Ryker swallowed hard and silently repeated the prayer he and Olivia had shared moments ago.

  Dear Lord, keep all of us safe in Your care...show us the way to escape these men. Amen.

  A minute later, the wail of sirens filled the air. Ryker craned his neck, trying to locate the source of the sound. Highways were under the control of the Wisconsin State Patrol and he hoped they’d arrive soon.

  “There!” Duncan must have been on the lookout for them, too. He gestured to the side-view mirror. “They’re about three miles back, but coming up from behind.”

  “The police will save us, right?” Aaron asked.

  “For sure.” Ryker smiled at the little boy, then peered back over his shoulder. He still couldn’t see the police from this angle. But he did notice the black SUV abruptly slow down and veer into the right lane. “Hey, I think Blake-Moore is giving up the chase.”

  “I hope so.” Marc’s voice was calmer now. “Can you make out the license plate?”

  Ryker narrowed his gaze, trying to see the letters and numbers. It wasn’t easy since they were going so fast and the SUV was slowing down. “Frank, Oscar, Tom...” He sighed. “I can’t see the rest. They’re exiting the highway.”

  “Call dispatch. Let them know what we have on the license plate so far,” Marc said.

  Duncan spoke into the phone again as Marc gently slowed his speed. Within seconds, the police car came up behind them.

  Marc pulled over to the shoulder and stopped the car. He peeled his fingers from the steering wheel, but kept his hands visible after pulling out his badge and lowering the driver’s-side window.

  “FBI Special Agent Marc Callahan,” he said as the state patrol officer approached. He opened his badge so the trooper could look at it more closely.

  “And I’m with the Milwaukee PD, Officer Duncan O’Hare,” Duncan added. “I made the 911 call.”

  “I saw the dent in your rear bumper and just heard the first three letters of the license plate number come through over the radio.” The state patrol officer bent forward to look into the back seat of the vehicle. “Who are you?”

  “Former army Sergeant Ryker Tillman,” he introduced himself, using his military background, rather than his security-consulting business. “And this is Olivia and Aaron.” He purposefully left off their last names.

  “Hi, Mr. Police man.” Aaron’s initial fright after being hit by the SUV seemed to have faded under the novelty of having the police arrive.

  “Hi.” The patrol officer flashed a quick smile.

  “As you can see, Olivia is pregnant and having contractions,” Ryker continued. “We need to get her to the closest hospital as soon as possible.”

  “Contractions?” The patrol officer appeared taken aback by the news. “Hey, no one mentioned a pregnant woman and a kid.”

  “My fault,” Duncan said, although Ryker knew he’d omitted the details about Olivia and Aaron on purpose. “I was just so worried we’d crash. Thanks for getting here so quickly.”

  The patrolman looked at Marc who had replaced his badge in his pocket. “Are you working a case? Is that why you were targeted?”

  “I am on a case, yes, and this incident may be related.” Marc shrugged. “I have a call in to the FBI office in Madison. I’d like to discuss this with them first, before I give you additional details.”

  The patrol officer frowned. “The attempt to run you off the road happened in my jurisdiction.”

  “I know, and I very much appreciate your quick response.” Marc’s smile was strained. “I’m happy to give you more information as soon as I run it through official channels. You know how the upper brass is. They always have to be in charge. They act like those of us with boots on the ground can’t make a decision, which is bull.”

  “True that.” The patrol officer must have appreciated Marc’s honesty, as he nodded and handed over a business card. “Okay, Agent Callahan. I’ll expect to hear from you soon. In the meantime, we have a BOLO out on the black SUV with a partial plate of Frank, Oscar, Tom.” The guy hesitated, then added, “You want a police escort to the hospital?”

  “I think we’re okay, but if you’d put the word out to the other patrol officers, I’d appreciate it.”

  “Will do.” He tipped his hat.

  “Thanks again.” Marc rolled up his window and waited for the trooper to return to his squad car before easing their SUV back onto the interstate.

  “Where to? Do we need to go to the Madison FBI office?” Ryker could tell Olivia was still experiencing contractions.

  “No, the hospital.” Marc met his gaze in the rearview mirror. “I want Olivia to be seen by a doctor ASAP.”

  “Me, too.” He took Olivia’s hand in his. “You’ll go to the ER, won’t you?”

  “Yes.” The way she readily went along with the plan only emphasized the seriousness of the situation. Olivia would never agree to be seen unless she was truly concerned about her condition.

  About the baby’s condition.

  Ryker listened to her deep, rhythmic breathing, hoping, praying that this was nothing more than Braxton-Hicks brought on by stress. Being rear-ended by the Blake-Moore SUV could have made the contractions worse, right?

  Maybe now that they were safe, at least for the moment, the contractions would stop.

  Olivia’s hand tightened over his, killing his feeble hope. The tightness corresponded with whatever new contraction she was experiencing. Her grip remained tight around his hand until the pain eased.

  Oh yeah, there was no doubt about it.

  Olivia was in labor.

  He closed his eyes on a wave of despair, knowing he’d almost failed in his mission to keep her, Aaron and the baby safe.

  * * *

  The contractions were a good ten minutes apart, but strong enough to steal her breath.

  “Where’s the closest hospital?” Ryker asked.

  “Not any hospital,” she protested. She shifted in her seat, trying to get into a more comfortable position. “I want to go to the teaching hospital where my original OB works.”

  She sensed Ryker’s impatience. “It’s too far away.”

  “I have time—the contractions aren’t that close. Besides, if this baby is coming early I want to be in the best hospital with the best neonatal intensive care unit.” She gritted her teeth as her abdomen tightened with another contraction. “Go back to Madison.”

  “The baby?” Aaron’s innocent question drew her attention.

  “Yes, sweetie. Soon you’re going to have a baby brother or baby sister.”

  “I wanna baby brother,” Aaron announced.

  She didn’t have the heart to tell him she suspected the baby was a girl. She tried to smile. “You’re going to be Mommy’s helper with the baby, aren’t you?”

  “Yep.” Aaron nodded.

  The pain intensified and she found herself grabbing Ryker’s hand again as she breathed through it. It was always easier to practice in those birthing classes than to ac
tually do it. She remembered getting upset with Tim when she was in labor with Aaron, because he kept telling her she was breathing wrong. She’d finally yelled at him not to tell her how to breathe. Instead of apologizing, Tim had plopped into a chair and sulked.

  Unlike Ryker, who tried to be supportive. He didn’t say anything, his gaze stricken with guilt and fear as if he had never planned to be around long enough to see her give birth.

  Yeah, big surprise.

  But he let her squeeze his hand without making a sound of protest, brushing a kiss across her knuckles when the pain eased.

  “You’re doing great,” he said encouragingly.

  “I’m not sure I have much of a choice.” Her attempt at humor was weak. “Baby has a mind of her own.”

  “Just like her mommy,” Ryker agreed.

  That made her smile. She was touched by his willingness to support her through this.

  “We’re fifteen minutes from Madison.” Marc caught her gaze. “Sure you’re okay?”

  “Positive.” Although she was worried about Aaron. “Ryker, will you watch Aaron for me?”

  “Hey, why don’t I give Mike and Shayla a call,” Duncan offered. “If Brodie is feeling better, maybe they’ll watch Aaron. Brodie is just a little older than Aaron. I’m sure they’ll have fun playing together.”

  “Can I play with Brodie?” Aaron asked.

  “If he’s feeling better, sure.” She glanced at Ryker. “You may need to stay close to Aaron. He trusts you.”

  Ryker hesitated, then nodded. “If Mike can’t help, I will. But I’d like to be there for you, Olivia.”

  It was the sweetest thing he’d ever said to her and it made her eyes mist with tears. “Watching Aaron will help me.”

  “Okay.” He lightly rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. “Whatever you want.”

  The stark contrast between Ryker and Tim was obvious. Was Ryker always like this? Or was this an exception under dramatically stressful and dangerous circumstances? She didn’t know for sure, but would be forever grateful for his steadfast support.

  “Hey, Mike, it’s Dunc. How’s Brodie? Better? That’s great.” She listened as Duncan made arrangements for Mike, Shayla and Brodie to meet them in Madison and take care of Olivia’s son.