by Laura Scott
Leaning over the way he was, she shouldn’t have been surprised when his phone slipped from his pocket and landed in the lake with a soft ker-plop.
She closed her eyes against a stabbing frustration but there wasn’t time to worry about the submerged device now. The boat was loose in the water, so Noah quickly disappeared inside the pilothouse to take control.
The sound of the engines revving to life seemed incredibly loud, giving away their location to anyone within a hundred yards. She stumbled inside the pilothouse mere seconds before she heard someone shouting at them to stop, followed by the sharp retort of gunfire ripping through the night.
* * *
Noah hit the throttle, sending the boat surging out from the marina into the large lake, praying for the first time in years that none of the bullets would hit the vessel.
“I can’t believe he’s shooting at us,” Maddy said, coming up to stand beside him. The enclosure of the pilothouse helped keep the stiff breeze away, but the cold December air still surrounded them.
“Don’t worry, he can’t follow us.” Noah divided his gaze between the buoys on the water and the boat’s navigation system. He hadn’t sailed on Lake Michigan in four years, but basic geography made it impossible to get lost. If he hugged the shoreline, he could head south all the way to Chicago or go due east to Michigan.
Heading north would take them toward Green Bay, but he didn’t want to go that far. He turned the boat south. His partner, Jackson Dellis, lived near the border between Milwaukee and Racine, and he was fairly certain there was a smaller marina in that area, too.
“Is there a radio on this boat?” Maddy, so cold that her teeth were chattering, asked. “We need to call for help.”
“There is, but I don’t want to alert the Coast Guard,” he said. “I’d rather find a way to contact my partner.”
“Wh-why not the C-Coast Guard?”
Noah glanced over at Maddy, knowing he should have done a better job of protecting her. Dr. Hawkins had ordered rest and relaxation, and the past few hours had been anything but. At this rate, her memory might never return.
“Because right now I don’t want the entire world to know that you’re suffering from amnesia,” he explained. “Alexander Pietro is going to be tried by a jury of his peers starting next week, but we know he still has a lot of guys working for him. We need to make sure nothing related to your situation leaks into the press.”
“Police reports are open to the public,” Maddy said, her expression thoughtful.
“Yeah. Of course, the Milwaukee Police Department can limit the information that gets out, but your name has been linked to Pietro’s case a lot already. Even the merest hint of an attack on you will have the media swarming all over it. I think it’s better for now that we keep this quiet.”
Until your memory returns, he added silently, refusing to consider the possibility that it might be lost long enough to derail the trial.
No way. He couldn’t bear the thought of Pietro getting away with his crimes.
“And your partner will stand by your decision?” Maddy asked with a frown.
“I hope so.” Jackson was his third partner in the last eighteen months, and so far he seemed okay. At least the younger guy hadn’t dropped any hints about needing a partner that would back him up, the way his previous partner had. Matt hadn’t held him responsible for the stabbing, but other cops hadn’t been shy about sharing their opinions, especially Lynda. When Jackson had replaced her as Noah’s new partner, Noah had been secretly relieved. Yet if he were honest, he didn’t know Jackson Dellis very well yet. He couldn’t say for sure if he’d agree with Noah’s decision to keep the series of incidents surrounding Maddy quiet.
He didn’t plan on giving him an option. Jackson was only in his second year of being a cop, so Noah would pull rank if he had to.
“I hope so, too,” Maddy agreed. She shivered and moved closer. He put his arm around her in an attempt to share his warmth. “How are we going to get in touch with him without a phone?”
Good question. It was already past two thirty in the morning; even those places that catered to the nighttime crowd would close down soon, if they hadn’t already. “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “We’ll think of something.”
Maddy fell silent and he wondered if she was second-guessing her decision to go along with him. It hadn’t been an easy last few hours for her. Although he hated to think about what might have happened if she’d gone off on her own. From the near miss outside the hospital, to being rammed off the road toward the icy lake, to being shot at as they sped away on a borrowed boat, the bad guys, no doubt hired by Pietro, had remained one step behind them.
Too close for comfort.
Noah cranked the wheel of the boat into a sharp right, toward the much smaller and not as brightly lit Racine Marina. When they were a nautical mile away, he pulled back the throttle so that they drifted quietly toward the pier. Sweeping his gaze over the area, he didn’t see anyone lurking around, but he refused to relax his guard.
“I need you to hold the wheel steady,” he instructed Maddy. “Then when I give the signal, put the engine in Reverse, see here? Just enough to prevent us from ramming into the dock, okay?”
“No problem.” She placed her small hands near his, taking over the wheel the way he’d showed her. Fighting the instinct to hold her close, Noah moved away and headed out to the deck. He grasped the edge of the pier and quickly looped one of the boat’s mooring lines over it.
“Now,” he said and she instantly pulled the lever down, sending the engine into Reverse. “Off,” he said, as he quickly secured the second rope. She turned off the key, and he waited for her to come over to join him.
“Ready?” He helped her step off the boat onto the pier first, then came up behind her.
“What’s next?” Maddy’s voice sounded weak, betraying her exhaustion.
The area was far more deserted; only a few boats were stored here for the winter. He spied an old building off to the left. “This way.” He headed in that direction, relieved to see that the place was a snack bar used during the sailing season. It was boarded up for the winter.
Banking on the fact that there would be a phone inside, he examined the door. It was locked up tight and the windows were covered, as well. Refusing to give up, he checked every bit of plywood, finding one that wasn’t secured as tightly as the others.
“Are you breaking in?” Maddy asked, sounding horrified.
“We need access to a phone.”
“Even if there is a phone inside, that doesn’t mean it will work,” Maddy argued, sounding so much like her old self that it made him smile. “If they were smart, they’d shut down the phone line over winter.”
“Yeah, but there’s a chance they didn’t bother. The sailing season extends beyond just the summer months.”
“I—I guess it’s worth a sh-shot.” Her teeth were chattering again and Noah hoped that his instincts were right. Prying the plywood away, he managed to reveal a broken window.
Using his leather jacket–clad elbow, he knocked the rest of the glass out of the way and then poked his head inside. There were boxes stored beneath a counter, and thankfully a phone hung on the wall near the door.
“I’ll be right back.” He didn’t like leaving Maddy alone, but this wouldn’t take long. He handed her the computer case for the time being, then levered himself up through the window. It wasn’t easy—his shoulders were stuck momentarily—but then he was inside. Lifting the phone receiver, he closed his eyes with gratitude when he heard a dial tone.
He punched in Jackson’s number. The ringing seemed to go on forever and just when he was afraid he wouldn’t answer, he picked up.
“H’lo?” His partner’s voice was slurred with sleep.
“Jackson? It’s Noah. I need your help.”
“Noah?” Now he sounded more awake. “Do you realize it’s almost three o’clock in the morning?”
“I know, I’m sorry, but I’m in a jam. Can you meet me down at the Racine Marina?”
“Now? Seriously? Is it important?”
“Yes.”
Long silence, then, “Yeah, okay. Give me fifteen minutes.”
“Thank you.” He replaced the receiver then checked the door. A giant padlock hung through the latch, so he gave up and crawled back out the window. Maddy was huddled against the building, her arms crossed and her chin ducked into the collar of her coat.
After taking the computer case from her, he didn’t hesitate to gather her into his arms. “Jackson will be here soon. I need you to hang in there for a little while longer, okay?”
“I—I can’t get warm,” she whispered.
“I know.” He rubbed his hands up and down her back, hoping to ward off the possibility of hypothermia. She had a winter coat on, but no hat or gloves or decent boots. No wonder she was shivering. He tucked her head into his shoulder and tried not to be distracted by the cinnamon scent of her hair.
If Matt knew what a terrible job Noah was doing in protecting Maddy, he’d be furious. Which made him wonder why Matt hadn’t called him back. The only thing he could imagine that would keep Matt from returning his call was if he was out on a case. Of course now that his phone was in the bottom of the lake, it didn’t matter much.
He should have mentioned Maddy being in danger; then for sure nothing would have stopped Matt from returning his call. But back when he’d made that initial contact, he hadn’t realized just how serious Maddy’s situation was.
For a moment, Noah debated going back inside the building to make another call to Matt, but decided against it. He didn’t want to leave Maddy alone and Jackson would be here soon. He could easily borrow his partner’s phone to make the call. This time, Noah would be sure to give Matt the specifics on how many attempts had been made on Maddy’s life.
“Headlights,” Maddy whispered, her body going tense, her breath warm against his throat.
“I’m sure it’s Jackson,” he assured her. They stood in the shadow of the building, a spot that provided them a broad view of the parking lot while keeping them hidden. He knew his partner drove a large pickup, so he waited until the vehicle pulled into a parking space to make sure. Yep, the truck looked familiar, so he felt certain Jackson was the one behind the wheel.
Sure enough, the driver-side door sprung open, revealing a short redheaded guy. Jackson climbed out and stood for a moment, glancing around expectantly, his expression irritated that Noah wasn’t anywhere in sight.
He released Maddy and tried to step away, but she tightened her grip. “No, wait. I don’t like this.”
“That’s my partner,” he reminded her. “I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
“Noah, please...” Her voice trailed off.
“We don’t have another option,” he told her. “We need to get someplace warm.”
She hesitated for a moment, then capitulated. “All right.”
Before they could step out from the shadows, there was a loud crack and Jackson Dellis crumpled to the ground in a heap.
Noah sucked in a harsh breath, horrified to see his partner shot before his eyes, thinking, Not again, not again! But then he focused on protecting Maddy, dragging her deeper into the shadows, trying to comprehend what had happened.
Their only escape route had been effectively cut off, leaving them stranded at the mercy of a hidden shooter.
FOUR
“Stay down,” Noah said, pushing her behind him. Maddy huddled close to his back, holding on to his utility belt, shivering at the realization they were vulnerable here, near the back edge of the building.
She’d known something was off, but hadn’t expected this.
Another shot rang out and the truck’s windshield shattered into millions of pieces. Noah’s partner didn’t move, but there was a large pool of blood on the ground around him and she suspected the poor guy was dead.
Maddy’s heart was lodged in her throat. “We need to get out of here,” she whispered. She knew it wouldn’t take the gunman long to figure out they were hiding in the shadows of the small structure. “We don’t know where the threat is coming from.”
For several long moments, he didn’t say anything. “I believe the gunman is up on the hill.” Noah’s soft voice held a steady calmness she envied. “Let’s stay here in the shadows for a moment.”
She drew her coat up over her face and twisted around to look up at the snow-covered hill looming above the parking lot. Her stomach knotted, because if Noah was right, they had to assume that being up so high gave the gunman the advantage. He would see them if they left their hiding place to run toward the boat.
But what choice did they have? For all they knew, the gunman wasn’t alone. He could sit up there picking them off while sending someone else down to find them.
“Okay, here’s the plan,” Noah whispered. “The minute I return fire, we run for the boat. I want you to use a zigzag pattern while trying to stay directly in front of me so I can protect you.”
Maddy didn’t like leaving Noah exposed, but nodded, trying to take comfort in the fact he was wearing a bulletproof vest. “Okay.”
“If anything happens to me, I want you to keep going for the boat. Use the radio and call the Coast Guard and insist on being connected with either Miles or Matthew Callahan. They’re both cops with the MPD. Don’t talk to anyone else until one of your brothers shows up. Understand?”
Two brothers? He’d mentioned one earlier at the hospital, but two? And they were both cops? Somehow, that part didn’t surprise her. Maybe that was why she’d subconsciously recognized Noah’s uniform.
“All right,” she whispered. “But here’s the deal. I don’t want anything to happen to you, either. We’re both going to get out of this alive, understand?”
Noah flashed a grim smile, then waited for another long moment, the night air eerily silent. Maddy wanted so badly to leave this place, wishing they’d never come here. Or that they’d called Noah’s partner here. What if the gunman was making his way toward them right now?
She wrestled the panic under control, sending up a silent prayer for assistance.
Dear Lord, protect us from harm!
The boom from Noah’s gun was so unexpectedly loud, her ears rang and the pounding headache intensified. But she didn’t let that stop her. Instantly, she whirled and ran around the corner of the structure. Moving as fast as she dared, she ran across the open space, heading toward the boat bobbing up and down in the water.
She could feel Noah behind her. Knowing he was placing his life on the line to protect her made her run faster. Gunfire rang out behind them and she swallowed a sob, jutting one way, then the other in an attempt to make it more difficult for the gunman to hit them.
“Oomph,” Noah muttered.
“Are you hit?” She wanted to turn around to see what was wrong.
“I’m fine, keep going,” he whispered.
The pier was growing closer. She juked left, then abruptly turned right. Ten yards. Five. She pushed for more speed, leaping onto the pier and then diving into the boat.
Thankfully Noah was right behind her, stopping long enough to remove the lines keeping them connected to the dock. Without waiting for him to tell her, she went to the pilothouse and started up the engine.
“Go!” Noah shouted, jumping into the bow of the boat just as another round of gunfire echoed through the night.
She didn’t need to be told twice. Hoping she didn’t wreck the boat engine doing something she shouldn’t, she pulled the throttle into Reverse. The boat shot away from the shoreline, rocking dangerously on the water.
Praying the bullets wouldn’t render th
e boat useless, she did her best to get control so she could command the boat farther out into the center of the lake. A few minutes later, Noah came over to join her.
“We need to go farther south,” he said, reaching around her to turn the wheel, pointing the boat southeast.
“What if the gunman follows?” she asked, grateful they’d managed to escape.
Noah kept his hands on the wheel, his arms bracketing her on both sides, and she was comforted by his strong, reassuring presence. “Don’t worry, we’ll stay far enough from shore that they’ll soon lose sight of us.”
She hoped he was right. Turning her head, she looked up at him. His face was set in grim lines. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
He didn’t answer right away, and she belatedly realized he was grieving over his partner.
“I’m sorry about your partner,” she said softly. “We need to call the authorities, send them to the Racine Marina. Maybe he’s still alive.”
Noah shook his head. “He was hit in the chest and went down like a rock. I doubt he was wearing his vest. I should have warned him...” His voice trailed off.
She covered his hand on the wheel with hers. “You didn’t know there was a gunman hiding on the hill.”
Noah didn’t respond and she could tell that he was beating himself up over his partner’s death.
“If this is anyone’s fault, it’s mine,” she tried again. “The only reason you called him is because you were stuck protecting me. I’m the real target here, right? This Pietro guy is after me.”
He glanced down at her, and she wondered if it was just her imagination or if there was a softness in his expression now. “Yes, but trust me, Pietro would love nothing more than to kill me, too. In fact, there’s a chance he’s put a price on the head of anyone who helped get him arrested.”
Maddy swallowed hard, trying not to show her horror. It was bad enough that she and Noah were in immediate danger from this man, but knowing there might be other targets he was going after made it much, much worse.