Guardian

by Terri Reed

  “How many horses do you own?” Leo asked as they made their way to the large barn, thirty feet from the house.

  She undid the latch and slid the front barn door open. “We have three now.” She flipped on the overhead lights.

  The horses had already wandered in through their stall doors, which allowed them access to the paddock, and were waiting for their dinner. “We used to have ten, but when my mom fell ill, Dad sold them off along with the cattle to pay her doctor bills.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss,” he murmured softly. “How long ago did she pass?”

  Grief squeezed her heart. “It’s been a little over four years now. Right as I learned I was pregnant with Charlie, Mom was diagnosed with lymphoma. It took her quickly.” Drawn by the soft neighing of the horse, she went to the first stall.

  “Guard,” Leo told True. He looped his leash around the door latch before walking into the barn. He stopped beside Alicia.

  “This is Stardust. She’s mine.” She petted the pretty dappled gray head sticking out over the half door.

  Leo reached up to stroke the horse’s neck. “How long have you had her?”

  Moving to drag a fresh hay bale from the corner of the barn, she said, “She was my twelfth birthday present. I got her as a foal.”

  Reaching past her, Leo easily lifted the bale and took it to Stardust’s stall. She opened the gate for him to set the hay inside. “I’m surprised you left her behind.”

  Guilt made her defenses rise. After closing the back paddock door to keep the horse in for the night, she shut the gate with too much force when she returned to Leo’s side. “I didn’t have a place to keep her in Tacoma.”

  She moved to the next stall, where a quarter horse named Apple waited for attention.

  Leo dusted off his hands on his jeans. “What took you to Washington?”

  “My late husband,” she admitted. “Jeff had an aunt who lived in Tacoma. After high school we moved there. I enrolled in the University of Puget Sound while he went to the police academy in Burien.”

  “You married young.” He walked away to grab another bale of hay and brought it over. She opened the gate and nudged Apple aside so he could set down the hay.

  “Yes, we did. Too young, I now realize.” She peered at him closely. “Have you been married?”

  “No.” He turned away to fetch another hay bale but not before she caught a flash of something. Pain? Regret? She wasn’t sure.

  “Ever come close?” she persisted as she secured the gate much more gently and moved to the last stall, where another quarter horse waited. Leo’s movements became brisk, jerky. She could see the tension in his shoulders. She wasn’t sure he was going to answer her, but she waited him out, stroking Brutus’s neck. The stud horse buried his nose in her hair.

  When Leo moved closer to deposit the hay bale in the stall, she saw the tightness in his jaw and the shuttered expression in his green eyes. “No,” he finally said, his voice clipped.

  She studied him in the dim light of the barn. He didn’t seem inclined to expand on his answers. Her curiosity spiked but she really had no reason to want to know more about him. Except, she was putting her life and that of her son and father into his hands. It seemed prudent to learn a little bit about the man protecting them. “You’re a Chiefs fan.”

  His eyes widened. “Yes. How did...?” He looked down at his shirt then grinned at her, making her breath stall in her lungs. “Oh, right,” he said. “I’d forgotten I had this on. Can’t be from Kansas and not root for the Chiefs.”

  “Where in Kansas?”

  “I was born in Topeka but I spent my teen years on a horse ranch in Andale.”

  They had something in common. “You ride?”

  “Of course.”

  The thought of the two of them off galloping across the ranch made her smile. She would like to see him on one of the horses. To see how he handled the large beast. But he wasn’t here on holiday; he was here to keep her alive. Her smile faded and a shiver tripped across her neck. She locked up behind them and searched the shadows for danger. To distract herself from the peril lurking beyond the confines of the ranch proper, she asked, “Are your parents still in Andale?”

  “They were never in Andale,” he said, his voice taking on a hard edge. “I haven’t seen my parents since I was eight.”

  Shock took her breath away. She worked through his words. So young to lose his family. “I’m sorry. Did they pass on?”

  His expression stony, he undid True’s leash. “I have no idea. I was taken away from them and put into foster care.”

  Her heart hurt for him. What had his parents done to warrant losing their child? Had he been abused? Neglected? She wanted to reach out a hand to comfort him, but the firmness of his jaw and the tautness in his shoulders led her to believe he wouldn’t welcome the gesture. “That’s horrible.”

  “It was for the best,” he said softly. There was a note of torment in his voice that ratcheted up her desire to soothe him.

  He took her by the elbow and steered her toward the house. “True and I will escort you back.”

  They walked in silence. Alicia struggled to come up with something to say. Questions about Leo’s life peppered her mind but she held back. He obviously didn’t want to discuss his childhood. She had the feeling something bad had happened. Something that still haunted him.

  Just as they reached the porch stairs, his cell phone rang. He paused. She hesitated, hoping it was Chief Jarrett calling to say they’d found the killer.

  “Gallagher,” he answered. Though the porch light barely extended to where they stood, she could see the agitation in Leo’s face as he listened to the person on the other side of the line. Apprehension fluttered through her.

  After a moment, he said, “Here? In Wyoming?”

  He glanced at her then set his jaw in a firm line. “I have to do a perimeter check of the ranch house. Then I’ll get to my computer.” He punched the off button with a fierce jab.

  “What’s wrong?” Before he could respond she continued, “And don’t tell me ‘nothing.’ I can see that something has upset you.”

  He remained silent. An inner struggle played across his face. His jaw firmed.

  Frustration itched up her neck. “Listen, I know you think you’re protecting me by staying silent, but not knowing what’s going on will make me crazy. My late husband kept the ugly side of his work from me. I knew it was there, I knew his work was dangerous, but I was still blindsided when I learned he’d been undercover at the time of his death. He didn’t trust me to handle the truth.” He hadn’t loved her enough to stay faithful, either. She pushed aside the old hurt to focus on the man in front of her.

  A heartbeat later, Leo blew out a breath. “A week ago one of my coworkers, my friend Jake, was kidnapped by the same men who are after Esme Dupree.”

  She braced herself. Had he learned of his friend’s demise? “Is he...?”

  “An anonymous tip came into the headquarters in Billings. Jake has been spotted here in Wyoming.”

  “At least you know he’s alive,” she said. Shouldn’t he be glad for that?

  “Yes. I am thankful to know he lives. But I fear Angus Dupree is making Jake help them find Esme.”

  A shiver of dread raced down her spine. “By ‘making’ you mean torturing him?”

  “Unfortunately, I do.”

  And this same man pulled the strings on the killer she’d seen at the river. The man hunting her.

  SIX

  Leo hurried Alicia inside the house, anxious to get the perimeter check done so he could fire up his computer to video chat with the FBI Tactical K-9 Unit in Billings.

  Once Alicia was safely out of sight, he and True walked a brisk path around the house, barn and outbuildings. He didn’t like how open and expos
ed they were here in the middle of the flat plains with the mountains in the far distance. He mentally noted possible hiding places close to the house, where a threat could lurk.

  An old tractor. Stacks of hay bales beneath a tarp. A classic ’50s Chevy truck that appeared to be in prime condition. The barn. The equipment shed. All places that could prove problematic. If he had access to resources, he’d set up a surveillance camera and sensors. But all he had was himself and his partner. It had to be enough.

  He’d address these potential hazards in the light of day. Maybe set up some sort of rudimentary alarm system with cans or bells.

  His thoughts turned to Jake and his insides twisted into a knot. The news his boss had delivered echoed inside his head like thunder rolling across the clear night sky.

  Jake was alive.

  That should have assuaged Leo’s guilt just as Alicia suggested, but the thought of the unspeakable horrors being done to Jake to get him to betray the oath they’d taken the first day of training in Quantico made bile rise in Leo’s throat. Alicia. Her words about her husband’s lack of faith in her ability to handle the unsavory parts of his world had obviously hurt her. The fierce way she’d insisted she was to be kept in the loop had increased Leo’s respect for her.

  Too often civilians wanted to cling to their ignorance when it came to the more repellent and nasty side of law enforcement. Dealing with drug lords, human traffickers and criminals without a conscience wasn’t for the faint of heart.

  Leo took his vow to support and defend the United States from enemies, foreign and domestic, seriously. The Dupree syndicate was a blight on the American people. Angus Dupree and his nephew, Reginald, had to be stopped. With Esme’s help, Reginald would be in prison for a long time. It was up to the team to capture Angus Dupree and end his reign of terror.

  And Jake needed to be rescued.

  From the front porch of the Howard ranch, Leo whistled for True, who’d made a beeline for a patch of grass a minute ago. The dog came running from the direction of the paddock. No doubt the smell of the horses had his nose twitching.

  With True at his side, Leo entered the house. A small dynamo ran straight at him, catching him around the knees, rocking him back several steps. True, obviously sensing no threat, lay down in front of the door.

  Barely able to hold on to his balance as surprise washed over him, Leo stared down at Charlie’s head resting on his thigh. The boy was dressed in navy-colored footie pajamas with rockets soaring across the material. Emotions long buried, which he’d thought were forever forgotten, surged through him. Tenderness flooded his system. He placed a hand on Charlie’s head. His dark hair was damp from his recent bath.

  Leo’s gaze met Alicia’s.

  Her luminous blue eyes were wide and worried. “Sorry. I don’t know what’s gotten into him.”

  “It’s okay,” Leo murmured to reassure her. He wondered where her anxiety stemmed from. Did she think he’d be upset by Charlie’s exuberant welcome? Far from it. He couldn’t explain the surge of fondness washing over him. Strange how quickly the child was getting under his skin. Gently, he smoothed a hand over the boy’s head. “Hey, kiddo. Are you okay?”

  The boy tilted his head back. His pale blue gaze, eyes so like his mother’s, blinked up at him with earnest trust. Leo’s heart ached. It had been so long since anyone had looked at him that way.

  “Will you play I Spy with me?” Charlie asked.

  “Honey, Agent... Leo isn’t here to play. He’s working.” Alicia hurried forward to pry Charlie from around Leo’s legs. To Leo, she whispered under her breath, “It’s his new favorite game. A matching game.”

  “Ah.” Leo squatted down in front of Charlie. Alicia’s hands rested on the child’s thin shoulders. Staring directly into the boy’s face, Leo had to fight the constriction in his throat to get his words out. “I would love to play I Spy with you in the morning. Right now, I do have to work.”

  Charlie sighed. Obviously, he’d heard that phrase before. “Okay. In the morning.”

  The disappointment in the child’s eyes speared through Leo. He didn’t like letting the boy down. Or anyone, for that matter.

  “Why don’t you ask Grandpa to play with you?” Alicia steered the boy toward Harmon, who sat in his recliner watching another baseball game.

  Leo rose and watched Charlie climb into Harmon’s lap and lay his head against the older man’s shoulder. A searing pain lodged itself in Leo’s chest. Longing for what he knew he’d never allow himself to have flooded him. He’d determined long ago that fatherhood wasn’t something he could ever risk. His baby sister was gone because he hadn’t been able to care for her properly. He never wanted to be responsible for another child’s life.

  He jerked his gaze away to find Alicia watching him. He purposely cleared his expression, hoping she hadn’t glimpsed his own private anguish.

  “True will sound an alarm if anyone approaches the house,” Leo told her. “I need to have a video call with my boss.”

  Alicia tugged on her bottom lip. There was a question in her eyes. Leo figured she wanted in on the call. But he couldn’t offer without first clearing her presence with his boss, Max West.

  After a moment, she appeared resigned to not being included and stepped aside so he could move to the stairs. At the top of the landing he glanced back to see she’d followed him to the foot of the staircase, her arms wrapped around her middle as if that was the only thing holding her together.

  His heart squeezed tight. She was scared and feeling vulnerable. He didn’t blame her. This situation had to be frightening. He would do everything in his power to keep her, and her young child, safe.

  As if she’d somehow sensed his thoughts, she straightened her spine and dropped her hands to her sides. Her chin lifted. She may be frightened but she had a core of steel. Good for her. He admired strength that came from character rather than might or power. He inclined his head in respect before going down the hall to the guest room.

  Once there he set up his computer on the desk beneath the window. Within seconds of firing up the device, he was added to a video chat with the team back at headquarters. They were all seated around the conference table.

  Ian sat between Julianne and Harper. The junior team members, Tim and Nina, sat across the table. Christina sat on Max’s right, a notepad in front of her. Dylan sat on Max’s left, his laptop open.

  To them, he was a big head on the screen attached to the wall at the end of the room.

  “Tell me what you know about Jake,” Leo said to no one in particular.

  “Like I told you earlier,” Max said, “an anonymous call came in from a burner phone. The caller used some sort of voice-altering microphone, so we don’t know if the person was male or female. The caller said we should look for Jake in Wyoming.”

  Though he’d already heard this, the news still burned like battery acid through his gut. “Did the caller give any hint where in the state to look for him? Wyoming’s vast with lots of uninhabited land.”

  “No. No specifics,” Dylan answered. “Here, let me play you the recording.”

  Dylan typed on the keypad of the laptop sitting in front of him. A second later a disembodied voice filled the air and came at Leo through his computer speakers.

  “If you want to find your missing agent, head to Wyoming.”

  The line went dead.

  “Have you isolated any background noise?” Leo asked, though he trusted Dylan would do everything possible to identify the caller.

  “There is none,” Dylan answered. “Whoever sent this recording knew how to make it untraceable.”

  “It has to be someone within the Dupree gang,” Ian said.

  Dissension in the ranks. That was gratifying and brought him a small measure of comfort. Maybe Jake had convinced one of his guards to help him. Leo had seen Jake u
se his charisma to get suspects to confess. The man was a smooth operator, especially with the ladies. Why not charm one of his jailers into making the call? Turning a discontented thug wouldn’t be a stretch. That would be just like Jake.

  “Considering the recent murder of a woman who looks like Esme, we should assume Dupree is somewhere close to where you are and therefore so is Jake,” Max stated. “Julianne and I are headed your way. We’ll spearhead the search for Jake and Angus Dupree from Settler’s Valley.”

  Leo took the news in stride. The beauty of the team was they could operate from anywhere and could take cases across state lines while having the full resources of the Federal Bureau of Investigation at their fingertips. Or rather, Dylan’s, since he was their resident computer guru who could ferret out any bit of information within the cyber world they could ever need.

  “Let me know when you hit town,” Leo said. “We could meet you at the police station. I have a forensic artist coming in to work with Alicia on a sketch of the suspect at the river. She gave me a general description. Dark eyes, shaved head, not tall and bulky.” Dylan typed into his computer as Leo talked.

  “Alicia?” Ian raised an eyebrow. “Is she the witness?”

  The image of the dark-haired beauty with her captivating blue eyes rose in his mind. There was a vulnerability about her that spoke to him nearly as much as her strength of character. She was a good mother, from what he could tell. She took care of her cantankerous father with patience and the horses, too. She held this place together. But who held her together?

  “Yes. Alicia Duncan. Widow with a three-year-old son. She and the boy live with her elderly father on a medium-sized ranch in the middle of nowhere outside of Settler’s Valley.”

  “You’re there now?” Harper asked.

  “I am. The guest room.”

  Julianne pushed her long dark braid over her shoulder and sat forward. “What have you told Alicia regarding the murder of the Esme look-alike?”

  Leo lifted his chin. “Everything we know.”