When she straightened again, Handsome had disappeared. Her right leg trembled as it pushed on the brake.
With an adjustment to the rearview mirror, she noticed Sean Patrick staring at her with wide eyes. His contorted expression helped her realize she needed to solve this problem all on her own. One last time she tried to see where Handsome might be hiding, but something so big couldn’t stay hidden. He’d left them alone to be bait, to delay his capture. Was someone coming for them, or did he want to avoid capture if she got caught? She and the children could possibly be collateral damage if this were the case. Whoever these people wanted, her children were in danger.
Putting the car in reverse, she backed into the driveway so she could head straight out to the highway if need be. The coast remained clear as the headlights beamed ahead to give her confidence.
Then she approached the highway when a patrol car entered and paused. She braked slowly, bringing the car to a stop. Maybe they really were Highway Patrolmen, and she was safe. These could be the real good guys come to rescue her.
Suddenly they barreled toward her, and without thinking, she threw the car in reverse and hit the gas. She let loose a squeal of terror as Sean cried out.
Chapter 12
T he car plowed backward through the snow at a speed Tessa feared she couldn’t control. On some level, the awareness her son, Sean Patrick, staring at her with eyes the size of quarters, drove her to concentrate then swerve the car where it angled into a narrow opening between two trees. No way would she be able to open the door in such a tight fit. The patrol car fishtailed when a tire hit a clump of snow turned to ice. To close the gap again, they accelerated as she backed between the trees. The unexpected trick caused them to slide past her as their brake lights came on.
Holding her breath, she floored the gas and spun out onto the drive once more. She caught a glimpse in the rearview mirror of the patrol car trying to circle around. She heard something thud against the back of the car then again when her side mirror shattered. A scream caught in her throat as the next shot hit her tire. She careened to the side of the road, burying her good tires in a snow drift.
Pushing the button to engage the four-wheel drive only produced a grinding sound and rocked the car enough to wake the other two children. She heard yawns and sniffles when Sean Patrick spoke softly to his siblings about going back to sleep.
The patrol car eased alongside her and almost stopped but continued forward to block another attempt at escape. Both sides of the patrol car swung open their doors. They took their time exiting, probably having already noticed she didn’t have Handsome with her.
Their brightly colored jackets almost glowed in her headlights as they stopped and stared at her. They exchanged words, the result being they each pulled out a gun then lowered it to their side. She hit the gas again without positive results but drew cynical smirks from the two.
When they proceeded in her direction, a huge figure stepped out of the woods behind them. Handsome. Covered in a white parka, he could’ve been invisible if not for the round, black face creating such a contrast. His steps lumbered forward, as he swung his arms to match the Michelin Man image he projected.
Tessa took a deep breath as her hands tightened on the steering wheel.
“Sean Patrick, can you get Heather and Daniel down into the floor?”
“Mom?”
“Sean Patrick!”
“Yes.”
The click of release to his seat belt then two more followed. Daniel asked his brother sleepy questions as Sean Patrick pulled his sister down to the floorboard. He told Daniel to shut up, he’d explain later, and to stay quiet. For once, her second born didn’t initiate his usual litany of absurd questions, which, depending on the answer, would follow with, “What if…”
Turning her attention back to the approaching threat, she waited until they reached the front bumper then laid hard on the horn. The sound covered Handsome’s approach. One of the men grabbed her door handle but appeared to get distracted by a noise coming from his partner being tossed like an angry snowball into the ditch.
Handsome leveled his icy gaze on the man outside her window who raised his gun to shoot. Tessa grabbed a wayward straw lying on the dashboard with the wrapper still intack. She ripped the end off with her teeth and lowered the glass. Before he could get a shot off, she blew through the straw, sending the paper into his eye and throwing his aim off. The whish sound of the silencer still surprised her as she quickly closed the window. He stepped away this time as he took aim, but Handsome closed the gap between them faster than she thought possible for such a big man. The stout stranger, nearly as tall as Handsome, seemed able to hold his own as he wrestled to keep his weapon.
The rear doors of the patrol car flew open and two more men exited, ready to take on the big man from behind. Even the one in the ditch rallied and staggered to join in the fray. Tessa knew in her heart not even Handsome could overcome those odds. Apparently, they wanted him alive, or they would have killed him already.
When they’d wrestled him down, she spotted movement coming out of the woods. There was a grunt as one man jumped back then sprawled across the ground; a dark spot formed on the snow packed ground. Handsome was released as his captors diverted their attention to a new threat. Before she could assess the event unfolding, they were laying their weapons on the ground and raising their hands in surrender.
Two of the rescuers gathered the discarded weapons while the other two pointed their AR-15s at chest level. Even with white ski masks pulled over their faces, Tessa recognized the stance of each Enigma team member. She was wondering where Vernon Kemp might be, when a large SUV came down the lane and he hopped out, leaving the engine running.
Her kids rose from the back floorboard to check out the situation. She killed the headlights so not to bathe the scene in too much detail. She twisted in her seat, feeling the pounding of her heart begin to normalize. Even as a slow breath of relief escaped her mouth, she allowed herself to smile.
“Mom?” Sean Patrick couldn’t take his eyes off the scene outside. He was her roughneck child who liked to come to the rescue of bullied classmates and protect his siblings when necessary. “What is going on?”
“Where’s Handsome, Mommy? Is he okay?” Heather crawled up over the console to snuggle in her lap. Their noses touched and Tessa, once more, knew how blessed her life was compared to so many in the world.
“Yes. Everything is okay. We blew a tire. Handsome went to get help and…”
She jumped at a tap at her window, and managed to roll the window down. In spite of the white mask covering his face, she knew by the almost obsidian-colored eyes, Chase Hunter had once again rescued her.
“Everything all right, ma’am?” His voice, deep and clear, sent chills up her spine. Heaven help the person who tampered with his team or his country. And she often liked to think there would be a special kind of hell to pay if anyone harmed her. For some reason, the man had taken a special protective interest in her. Maybe it was because she was an “innocent” as he liked to say, or maybe it was something more personal.
“Yes. Thank you. A little shook up is all.”
Sean Patrick stretched over the console and peered at Chase, his forehead creased liked a concerned military general. “Sir? What went down? Were those guys after Handsome? And who are you guys?”
Chase glanced back at the men being fastened into cuffs then to Tessa.
“We’re the Highway Patrol, but more of a search and rescue squad.” He addressed Sean Patrick and offered his charming smile. “We’ve been tracking these guys. They robbed a bank in Truckee, stole a patrol car, and hightailed it out of town.”
“Wow!” Daniel squeezed himself in front of Sean. “Cool. Why were they here?”
“Probably on the lookout for another car to escape in. Doesn’t take long to leave a trail when you stole a patrol car, so they needed to switch before we zeroed in on them.”
“Is Handsome okay?” Heather rea
ched through the window and touched Chase’s mask then withdrew to lay her head on Tessa’s shoulder.
Chase reached in and patted her head. Tessa knew from the way he’d smiled at the little girl he would be an easy target of her sweet manipulation. “Yes. Mr. Jones got a call off from his cell phone.”
“Yes. He walked out to get a signal,” Tessa quickly added to the lie. “Bless him.”
“These guys probably saw your tracks, followed them in, and planned to take your car.”
“So, our mom tried to save us?” Sean Patrick jerked his brother back and resumed his place over the console.
“Looks that way.” Tessa noted a kind of sarcastic tone in his voice as she met his gaze. “We’ll need to take your statement, Miss—”
“Scott. Tessa Scott.” She felt foolish pretending.
“Mommy, I want to go home. I’m tired. I miss Daddy.”
Tessa kissed her forehead and sat her in the passenger seat then rolled up the window before removing the key. All she needed was for one of the kids to do something crazy to add to the chaos. “Won’t be long.” She clicked her seat belt as Chase opened her door. “Mommy is going to talk to this nice man about getting our tire fixed. Why don’t you climb back to your car seat and cover up. Boys, help your sister, and you cover up, too.”
She walked next to Chase as he moved away from the car. She saw Handsome rise from the ground and thought about some abominable snowman appearing at unexpected times. He shook himself like an animal repelling snow from its coat then rolled his shoulders as one of the team, Sam, talked to him. Even though her face and long hair remained hidden, she was the only one who could come to a fight like she was a million-dollar fashion icon.
“Are you all right?” Chase spoke out of the corner of his mouth as he continued to watch Handsome.
“How did you really find us?”
“When I rubbed the back of your neck, I put a tracker chip on your collar.”
A chuckle escaped her trembling lips. “And here I thought you were being affectionate.”
He stopped moving. “You’ll know when I decide to be affectionate.”
She repeated his words in a monotone. “You’ll know when I decide to be affectionate.”
He narrowed his eyes.
“So, why the tracker chip? If you didn’t trust Handsome, why did you let him take us?”
“He doesn’t have a beef with you. It’s me. Besides, we thought we were in for a fight and didn’t want the kids around.”
She sighed and nodded. “I’m grateful. But Handsome left us. Told us to stay where we were.” She went on to tell him about the voice at Command who sounded threatening.
Vernon nearly lost his footing as he approached, but Chase reached out to steady him. The tech genius listened as she told him about the cryptic message and voice. When she finished, he slipped his way back to the car. If anyone could get to the bottom of this, he could.
From the three faces pressed to the car window, it became obvious the kids hadn’t obeyed. When she shook her finger at them, heads ducked out of sight.
“How am I going to explain this?” she asked in exasperation.
“You’re a good liar. I’m sure you’ll think of something. You always do,” he quipped.
“I know you meant that as an insult, but any decent wife and mother has to be ready for a big, fat whopper once in a while to keep things running smoothly.” She flashed him a bright smile, but he didn’t seem amused.
“I see how marriage works. You lie to each other?”
Tessa sensed the conversation had moved into quicksand again. “I was kidding. You need to lighten up. I don’t lie to Robert. We have a good marriage.”
“A good marriage.” The words came out so flat she thought maybe he was reciting the day’s stock market report. “Did you ever tell him about the tribesman in Afghanistan?” She opened her mouth to speak, but he hurried on. “How about the little incident in an alley between me and you?” She stuttered a “but” as Chase continued his onslaught of truth. “And then there is the little matter of Libyan terrorists, the blood transfusion for the president, and me crawling into bed with you one night in the mountains.” She could feel her face begin to transform to an angry scowl. “Nothing to say? Wow. Married life is pretty special.”
Tessa pivoted to storm off, but he reached out to stop her. Jerking free she spoke through gritted teeth. “And those are secrets I was told I had to keep or Enigma would make my life hell. You guys pretend to be the best thing since peanut butter and jelly to this country, but the truth be told you are a bunch of ego-inflated bullies who like to jump into trouble because you get off on it. I bet you’d do it for free.”
Carter walked up with Handsome and nudged Tessa away from her close proximity to Chase. “I don’t like it when Mom and Dad fight,” he teased. “Handsome, make them stop.”
“Is he bothering you, Ms. Scott?” Handsome’s voice reminded her of a bass drum in a parade.
Tessa took a deep breath. “No.” Another deep breath. Why couldn’t they be civil to each other? She so loved the times they ate lunch together, talked about literature and politics, and even the weather. Those became special moments when they were people working at the university. “How am I going to get home?”
A plan took form between them. “We can get your car out, change the tire, and Handsome can drive you home,” Chase said raising his chin toward the car.
Tessa eyed Handsome with concern. “You abandoned us.”
“Yes. But I was there when you needed me. I would have been a liability otherwise.”
“Okay, Handsome. I guess I have to trust you.” Tessa shoved her hands in her pockets and walked away. “I’m getting tired of this nonsense, Chase.”
He cut her retreat off. “This wasn’t Enigma’s fault, and I think you already are aware why.” He shifted his gaze to her car. “Daniel stirred up a hornet’s nest.”
“Is he in danger?”
“We took care of it. But Vernon is going to have to put some safeguards in place from here on out.”
“So, he’ll be spying on us.”
“Tessa, for once, will you let us do our job?” he moaned. When she didn’t answer, he stepped closer to whisper. “I’d never get over it if something happened to you and the kids. Please. Stop fighting me so hard.”
Her eyes batted in the nervous tic she had when he came too close or touched a nerve. “Under one condition.”
“Name it.”
“You and me need to straighten things out. I never know if you’re my friend or babysitter. I want things to be normal again. Can we try?”
Chase stared at her for several seconds before answering. “We’ll see when this is cleared up. I’m not promising anything.”
Chapter 13
R obert stood in the kitchen, trying to make himself some hot chocolate from a mix he’d found in the pantry. The marshmallows were a little tough as he dropped them into the hot brew, so he added a spoonful of whipped topping Tessa kept in the freezer. Then he rolled his eyes as he sipped; it was too cool and needed to be nuked in the microwave again.
He heard the garage door go up, followed by slamming car doors and laughter of his kids. It was a happy sound he appreciated more than ever after his ordeal the night before. Things could have ended up so differently. All he wanted to do was to hold his family close and kiss them, make love to his wife, and pretend nothing ever happened.
Maybe he should fess up to Tessa and tell her everything. Would she understand about being in a hotel room with another woman? Of course not. If the situation was reversed he’d be in a fetal position, crying like a baby he’d been betrayed, followed by hiring a really good lawyer. Better keep quiet. Tessa could be a handful when she didn’t understand something which involved their family.
“Hello!” Tessa walked through the open door, carrying a gym bag of what he imagined would be dirty clothes. “Robert?” she called as the children pushed in yelling his name.
&nb
sp; Robert set his cup down and scooped Heather up in his arms as the boys gave him a quick hug and talked at the same time, something about hiding, bank robbery, and their mom being a hero.
“Whoa. Slow down,” he laughed as he put Heather down and reached for Tessa who appeared a little frazzled. He stepped toward her for an embrace as a huge black man pushed into the room. Jerking her behind him, he stared at the man carrying suitcases and a pink bunny rabbit.
Heather slipped by him and grabbed the bunny. “Thank you, Handsome. I almost forgot Pinkie.”
Handsome nodded as his bottom lip jutted out and his bulbous eyes focused on Robert, taking him in from head to toe in a not-so-respectful way.
“Oh, honey, this is Handsome Jones. We ran into a little trouble yesterday and—”
“He hid us from the bad guys,” Heather chirped in her singsong kind of voice.
“He helped catch some bank robbers, too, Dad,” Daniel chimed in.
Robert pointed to Sean Patrick for clarification. He remained his no-nonsense kid. “Sean?”
He shrugged. “Handsome helped us get away from some creeps stalking Mom.”
Tessa gave a nervous laugh. “It all sounds a lot more dramatic than it actually was. Right, Handsome?”
“Yes. Never know about scum coming off the interstate. They were up to no good and—”
“Mom stabbed their tires with Sean Patrick’s knife, Dad,” Daniel interrupted.
Robert knew his mouth had dropped open and his wife bore a very suspicious grin.
“Anyway,” Tessa said shooing the children into the other room. “Long story short, Handsome put us up at his sister’s place, fed us, and drove us home.” She patted Handsome who still stood holding the suitcases. “Such a sweetheart. We can’t thank you enough.” She glanced at Robert. “Oh, and we had a flat tire, and I threw a rock that cracked the back window. I may have clipped the side mirror when I tried to back between two trees.”
“Tessa.” Robert felt both panic and anger.
The Enigma Series Boxed Set Page 111