Out of Time

by Shirlee McCoy

  And she was alone.

  She wanted to be okay with that.

  She told herself she was okay with that.

  But she couldn’t shake the images that raced through her mind.

  A knife.

  A man outside her window.

  Hard arms holding her down. A knife plunging toward her heart.

  Blood pouring out as she ran, every nightmare she’d ever had chasing her.

  “Enough!” She slammed her coffee down on the desk, the liquid splashing up onto her hand and splattering her shirt.

  She grabbed a napkin, dabbed the spots halfheartedly.

  She just needed Marcus to hurry up. She needed whoever was running shift with her to hurry up. She needed the sun to rise, the nightmares to fade.

  Something scraped against the chapel door. A key against the lock. Someone opening the door.

  Her partner for the next few hours?

  Or the man who’d stood outside her window with a knife in her hand?

  She fumbled through her purse, pulled out pepper spray and a pen. She’d been trained in self-defense. She knew what to do and how to do it, but that hadn’t helped her when Aaron attacked. He’d been enraged, his anger fueling a strength that had been beyond anything Susannah was prepared for. If she’d had her gun on her then, she would have used it. Now she kept it holstered, afraid she might pull the trigger without cause.

  Fear did that to people. Made them trigger-happy and too quick to act.

  Feet tapped on the tile floor outside the office, and Susannah tensed. She wanted to dive behind a desk, hide from whoever was coming, but she hurried across the room instead, stepping out of the office and straight into Levi.

  Relief flooded through her, and she sagged against him, his arms wrapping around her waist. “Levi! What are you doing here?”

  “Working my shift.”

  “Shift?”

  “I told Chad I’d fill in where he needed me. Ben has assigned a few other Rangers to do the same.”

  “That will help.”

  “Let’s hope so.” His gaze dropped from her face to her hand, and his lips quirked into a smile. “Were you expecting someone else?”

  “Just being careful.”

  “Your gun would do more damage.” He took the pepper spray, turned it over in his hand.

  “I know.”

  “But?” One hand still rested on her waist, his touch light and easy and undemanding.

  “I’m too jumpy, and I’m afraid I’ll pull the trigger by mistake.” The truth slipped out and heat stained her cheeks.

  “You’d never shoot unless it was necessary, Susannah. I’m sure of that.”

  “I’m glad one of us is.” She moved away, the imprint of his hand still searing her side.

  And she craved more. More contact. More comfort. More of the feeling of being safe and cherished.

  “I could take you to a firing range. We could shoot a few rounds together. Maybe that’ll make you feel more comfortable.”

  “I’ve had a gun for four years, and I’ve never felt uncomfortable until now. Shooting at targets seven days a week can’t keep me from pulling a trigger too quickly.”

  “So you carry a gun and shoot pepper spray?” He frowned, handing her the container.

  “It’s effective.”

  “Unless your attacker takes it from you before you get a chance to use it.”

  “Thanks, Levi. That makes me feel so much more comfortable.” She shoved the repellent into her pocket.

  “If I wanted to make you comfortable, I’d tell you that I don’t think you have to worry about carrying anything. I’d tell you that what happened yesterday morning was a fluke and that I don’t think you’re in danger.”

  “I shouldn’t be in danger. I shouldn’t have anything to worry about.”

  “Maybe you’re not. Maybe you don’t. We haven’t established much of anything. Just that someone wants to scare you. It still pays to be cautious.”

  “I heard you’ve scheduled lie detector tests for some of the Alamo Rangers.”

  “I figured there was no time like the present to get started.”

  “The two men who worked shift before me seem willing to cooperate.”

  “Someone won’t be. I feel pretty confident of that.”

  “I wish I knew who. That would save us a lot of effort and time.”

  “Time we don’t have.”

  “It does seem to be ticking away quickly, doesn’t it?” She put her coffee cup down and stretched.

  “Still tired?”

  “Exhausted.”

  “The bruise on your head looks better.” He pushed her hat up a little higher, pressing a finger to the still-tender flesh.

  “Well, it doesn’t feel better, so you can stop poking at it.” She stepped back, but it wasn’t the pain that was getting to her. It was Levi. His heat, his scent, his pure masculinity, they seemed to sink into her skin, stay there.

  “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  “You didn’t.”

  “You’re sure?” He bent close, his breath fanning across her cheek as he studied the bruise, and something deep in her belly sprang to life.

  “Yes.” Her breath caught as she looked into his eyes, her pulse jumping.

  “Good, because if you were still hurt, I couldn’t do this.” He kissed her cheek. “Or this.” His lips blazed a trail of fire from cheek to chin to lips, and Susannah swayed, her hands pressed against his chest for balance, her heart thrumming a quick, light beat.

  “This isn’t a good idea.” She stepped back, pressed her fingers to her lips as if that could change what had happened.

  Two days. Two kisses.

  And no matter how much she knew she should, she couldn’t regret them.

  “Maybe you’re right, but I find you hard to resist, Susie.”

  “You resisted me for nine years. I think you can resist me for a while longer.”

  “Touché.” He chuckled and walked out of the office. “How about we go run patrol for a while?”

  “Sure.” She followed him out into the compound, the darkness not nearly as dark when he was with her. “Any new developments in the case?”

  “The car was clean. No fingerprints. No papers. Nothing. The knife was the same way.”

  “I guess that means we’re no closer to finding the answers we need.”

  “No, and we’re going to be explaining that to the Alamo Planning Committee this afternoon.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Zarvy has called another meeting. This time, the entire committee will be there. He wants a full report on the bomb threat and our response to it.”

  “What time?”

  “Two. Zarvy wanted to meet this morning, but you’re working now and night shift, and I figured you’d want to get some sleep in between.”

  “I could have slept after the meeting.”

  “Not if Zarvy managed to stretch the meeting out for hours like he usually does.”

  “Let’s hope he doesn’t do that today. Our time is already limited. I hate to waste it sitting in on a meeting.”

  “I feel the same, but Zarvy is insisting.”

  “Hey! Hey!” A man’s voice called from the darkness to their left, the sound of metal rattling against metal filling the night.

  Filling Susannah with dread.

  The gate.

  Someone was at the gate.

  A short, sharp scream.

  Another harsh rattle.

  And thick, pregnant silence.

  “Stay here.” Levi ran toward the gate, and Susannah followed. Not because she wanted to prove herself or her courage, but because the Alamo was her jurisdiction, the job of protecting it hers to fulfill. Her feet pounded on pavement, her pulse raced, but the fear she expected, the fear she dodged every moment of every day didn’t come.

  A dozen feet ahead, Levi skidded to a stop in front of the gate. “Do you have a key?”

  “Yes.” She pulle
d it out, adrenaline pumping through her, driving away everything but the need to act.

  Just beyond the gate, streetlights fell on a crumpled figure. Dark liquid spilled from beneath his head, trickling out onto the pavement, staining it deep purple-black.

  Blood. Lots of blood.

  Running from hand and abdomen and throat.

  No!

  Susannah pulled her thoughts up short, refused to fall into the past. She ran forward, knelt on cool pavement.

  “Sir?” But he was unresponsive, his neck turned at an unnatural angle. Was it broken?

  Susannah lifted his wrist, felt a solid, steady pulse.

  “Sir? Are you okay?” The man groaned, shifted so she could see his face.

  “Mitch?” She frowned, the scent of alcohol and sweat filling the air as he struggled to a sitting position. Blood oozed from a wound in his head, spilling down onto his shirt and dripping onto the pavement.

  “What’s goin’ on? What’s happening?” His words slurred together, and he wiped at the blood, smearing it across his forehead and cheek.

  “We were wondering the same thing,” Levi said, holding Mitch steady as he swayed and almost fell backward.

  “You throwing me in jail, Ranger?”

  “The only place I’m going to throw you is into an ambulance.”

  “Don’t need an ambulance. I need to talk to Susie.”

  “You do need an ambulance. You can talk to me while you’re waiting for it to arrive.” She met Levi’s eye, and he nodded, pulling out a cell phone and calling for help as she took off her jacket and pressed it against the wound in Mitch’s head. “Hold this. You don’t want to bleed to death before help arrives.”

  “Don’t want to bleed to death after it arrives, either,” he muttered, doing as she asked.

  “Want to tell me how this happened?”

  “That’s what I need to say to you, Sus.”

  “What?”

  “Watch your back. That crazy guy, he’s comin’ for you again. I tried to stop him, wanted to keep him here and call the police. Wanted to keep you safe. You’ve always treated me nice. Don’t want anything to happen to ya.” The drunken slur was gone, the dazed look replaced by a sharp stare.

  “What crazy guy?” But she knew who he was talking about, and her blood ran cold, all her fear racing back until she was shaking with it.

  Watch your back.

  Edith Zarvy had said the same thing, and the warning lodged in her chest, filled her lungs.

  “Him. The one who was coming around before. Only he’s different this time.” He tripped over the words, sagging forward. Levi caught him before he toppled over, easing him onto the pavement.

  “Who, Mitch?” Levi leaned close, his words forceful and demanding, and Mitch blinked, looked at him as if he hadn’t realized he was there.

  “Don’t know, but he’s here. Saw him at the gate. Tried to stop him.”

  “Did you see his face?”

  “No face. Told you. He’s back. Guy who used to come around here looking for Susie. Guy who hurt her.”

  No face?

  So, he’d been wearing a mask. Susannah met Levi’s eyes, knew he was thinking what she was—that their perp had tried to enter the compound again.

  Had he known Susannah was there? Or had he simply wanted to leave another message?

  An ambulance shrieked toward them, its flashing lights illuminating the street, the pavement and the blood that pooled where Mitch’s head had been. Seconds later, a marked police car appeared, lights flashing, sirens blaring. Help had arrived, and Susannah went through the motions, answered the questions, did everything she could to explain what Mitch had said and what she believed had happened. The officer dusted for prints that Susannah knew he wouldn’t find. The EMTs checked Mitch’s vitals and loaded him onto a stretcher, and all along, two words floated around in Susannah’s head.

  He’s back.

  They stayed there as she accepted the police officer’s card. Stayed there as she scanned the area one last time, searching for someone watching from the shadows, hoping someone would be. They needed to find the guy responsible. They needed to stop him before someone else was hurt.

  “You okay?” Levi stood beside her as the ambulance and police car sped toward the hospital. Mitch would be questioned there. Maybe he’d have more to offer. Probably he wouldn’t. Between the knock on his head and the alcohol he’d been drinking, it was doubtful he’d have much of a memory of anything that had happened.

  “Better than Mitch.”

  “He’s a tough old guy. He’ll be fine.”

  “He lost a lot of blood.”

  “Head wounds bleed a lot.”

  “That doesn’t make me feel any better.”

  “What would?”

  “Finding the guy who did it.”

  “We will.”

  “I don’t mean in a day or two or a month. I mean now. This minute.”

  “It would be nice if it worked that way, but it doesn’t. Finding the guy is going to take more legwork and more time.”

  “Time seems to be a hot commodity lately.”

  “Yeah. Come on. We need to go back in and secure the Alamo. Make sure that what happened to Mitch wasn’t a diversionary tactic.”

  “You don’t think the guy walked in through another gate while we were helping Mitch, do you?”

  “No, but we need to check, anyway. Make sure things are secure. One explosive planted in just the right place—”

  “Would take out the vice president, the governor and the lieutenant governor. I know. Trust me. There’s no need to keep repeating it.”

  “Could take them out, but we’re not going to let that happen.” He linked fingers with her, tugging her away from the blood-soaked sidewalk and into the Alamo compound.

  She went willingly.

  Because she knew he was right. They needed to secure the compound, needed to make sure it hadn’t been breached while they were distracted.

  And because she couldn’t do anything else.

  When they were kids, she’d idolized Levi. Made him bigger than life. A superhero.

  Now, they were adults, and she saw him for who he was.

  Not a superhero. Not bigger than life.

  Better.

  A man working hard to do the right thing. A man unwilling to compromise his principles and values. A man who’d fight for justice no matter the odds.

  A man she could fall for if she let herself.

  THIRTEEN

  The compound was empty. Not a surprise. Levi hadn’t been expecting Mitch’s assailant to be hanging around.

  He’d been hoping, though.

  Hoping the mistakes the Lions had been making would cumulate into one big miscalculation.

  Susannah’s radio crackled, and a tinny voice filled the night. “Susannah, it’s Marcus. Do you copy?”

  “I copy. Glad you finally made it, Marcus. Is your wife doing okay?” She spoke into the radio, her stride lengthening as they approached the chapel.

  “Better. Where are you?”

  “Just coming into the chapel. We’ve had some trouble.”

  “Again?”

  “Outside the gates this time, but close enough to matter.”

  “Did you call Chad?”

  “I haven’t had a chance.”

  “I’ll give him a ring. I’m in the office when you get here.”

  “See you in a minute.” She snapped the radio back into her belt as Levi held the chapel door open.

  “Marcus didn’t need you to cover his shift for very long, did he? What’s it been? An hour and a half?”

  “He was at the hospital with his wife last night. He wanted to go home and shower and change before reporting for duty.”

  “He couldn’t have showered at the hospital?”

  “It was probably more comfortable to do it at home. Besides, I didn’t mind coming in for him. Now that he’s here, I’m going to head to the hospital to see how Mitch is doing.”

&nb
sp; “How about you wait until I can go with you?”

  “I’d rather not.”

  “And I’d rather you not be wandering around San Antonio without an escort. We had a deal, remember? You let me stick close, and I won’t ask Chad to remove you from duty.”

  She scowled, but didn’t argue.

  Good.

  He had no intention of compromising.

  No intention of backing down.

  “Susannah? Is that you?” Marcus hurried from the office, his dark hair spiked up around a sallow face.

  “How’s Deborah?” Susannah responded, moving forward to greet him.

  “As good as can be expected. They’re probably going to send her home tonight.”

  “That’s good news.”

  “Yeah. It is. Doesn’t seem like we’re getting much good news around here, though. What happened?”

  “You remember Mitch?” Susannah asked.

  “The guy you found in the compound the other night? How could I forget?”

  “Someone attacked him.”

  “What? Why?”

  “We don’t know.”

  Levi pulled out his phone while Susannah filled Marcus in on the details, moving into the office as he waited for Ben to answer.

  “It’s a little early for a phone call, so I’m going to assume something is wrong?” Ben growled, and Levi knew exactly how he felt. Frustrated. Tired of the game. Ready for it to be over.

  “I’m afraid so.”

  “Another intruder?”

  “No. An older guy was attacked outside the compound. He’s been brought to the hospital. I was hoping you could have someone question him there.”

  “Gisella is off shift in a few minutes. I can send her to look for the guy. You have a name?”

  “Just Mitch.”

  “I’m assuming you think this is connected to the Lions.”

  “I have no doubt.”

  “Want to explain?”

  “The old guy was trying to warn Susannah about something. He took a pretty hard knock on the head, so we’re not sure what he was trying to say.”

  “He and Susannah know each other?”

  “Mitch makes it a habit of hanging out at the Alamo when he’s drunk.”

  “Let’s just make sure he doesn’t crash the opening ceremony.”

  “I think that’s the least of our worries.”