Mallory returned wearing jeans, hiking shoes and a plaid flannel shirt. She’d even put her hair into two braids. “How’s this?”
“Well, besides being very cute, it looks quite practical.” He tugged a pigtail.
“Anything else we need in here?” she asked as she closed the door.
“Not that I can think of.” He sat down on the sofa.
She pointed to the glowing candle. “Nice ambiance in the bear cave.”
“Smells good, too.” He patted the sofa. “Mind if we go over some more plans now?”
She smiled as she sat next to him. “You got it, Chief.”
He returned her smile, then turned serious. “So, I’m thinking that if anything goes wrong tonight—like for some reason the house is no longer safe...”
“Why wouldn’t the house be safe?”
“Well, it’s not exactly a fortress,” he pointed out. “Someone who wanted in could break in through a window easily enough.” He didn’t want to explain how quickly a firefighter could get into a house if necessary. No need to frighten her.
“Oh, yeah.” She nodded with worried eyes. “But we’d still be safe in here, wouldn’t we? I mean with the dead bolt. We’d be okay for a while. And we’ve got our guns. Plus we’d call for backup if we heard someone break in. It shouldn’t take too long for help to arrive. Deputy Griggs lives over on Corral Road, just five minutes away.”
“That’s true. But what if there was another fire? We’d have to evacuate.”
Her eyes grew wide. “Oh, yeah. I hadn’t thought of that. A house fire...that would change things.”
“My plan is for us to be prepared for anything and hopefully nothing will happen.”
“Right.” She nodded.
“So, anyway, should we need to evacuate, we’ll head into the woods directly behind your house. I know it’ll be too dark to see much out there and it’d be easy to get lost, so my plan is to just find a good spot and wait until reinforcements arrive.”
“I know a good place to hide out. There’s a wood fort that Austin and I made when we were kids. I think it’s still there.”
“Can you find it in the dark?”
“Maybe.”
“Great. And we’ll have our phones so we can communicate with whoever comes out here to help us.” He attempted a smile. “If we need it, and really I don’t think we will.”
“Why wouldn’t we just make our getaway in a car?” she asked. “I mean, if we needed to make a run for it.”
“I considered that, but if there was really a shooter, a car would make an easy target. Better to just lie low until help gets here.”
“Wow, you’ve really thought this all out, haven’t you?”
He shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. I’d rather be prepared and not need it than the other way around.”
“Well, I appreciate—” She paused as her phone jingled. “A text.” She looked up with fearful eyes.
“What’s it say?”
She peered down at her phone. “‘Dark enough for you yet?’”
Logan frowned. “Do you think that could just be Brock, texting from Portland, trying to rattle you?”
“It’s working.” She dumped her phone on the coffee table as if it was poison, then shuddered. “Why won’t he leave me alone?”
“Maybe you’re right,” he said. “Maybe he’s worried you’re going to expose his less than lovely past. And if he killed Kestra, the stakes are higher than ever.”
She pulled her knees up to her chin and for a moment he could imagine her as a scared little girl...and it got to him. What point was there in scaring her?
“We’ll be okay, Mallory.” He slipped a comforting arm around her shoulders. “Don’t make too much of those texts. That’s how a coward fights. And even if he’s got a guy out there, the goon might not be any smarter than the guy in lockdown.”
“I hope you’re right, Logan.” Her voice had a slight tremor in it.
“Well, anyway, we’re prepared.”
“Maybe it’s crazy to be here,” she said suddenly. “Maybe we should just get out of this house. Before it’s too late.”
Logan had considered this after his little chat with Trent. Maybe the smart thing would be to hightail it to town. If necessary, they could hang out at the fire station all night, figure something else out in the morning. He got up to peek out the blinds, but it was even darker now than before. “I don’t like the idea of us going out there in the open, Mallory. Not in the dark. We’d be sitting ducks in a vehicle.”
“Is Trent still here?”
“I can’t see in the dark.” He wondered about shining a flashlight out the window. Perhaps he could pick up the reflective strip on the cruiser. But the beam of light would draw attention back to them. That might not be good.
“Oh, Logan!” she suddenly exclaimed. “It’s a mistake to stay out here all night. I mean it seemed like a good plan earlier...but I’m getting really scared now.”
He hated to admit that he agreed with her. He’d tried to downplay the danger today. Partly for Mallory’s sake, to reduce her anxiety. But also because her theory had seemed so far-fetched and unlikely. And after the guy in the SUV got picked up, he’d felt the danger was gone.
She picked up her phone again, shaking her head. “I wish there was a response I could send...something to make him think twice.”
“Maybe you should write something that expresses confidence,” he suggested.
“Okay.” Using her thumbs, she talked as she wrote. “Not afraid of dark. Not alone. Prepared for anything. Police backup.”
“Yeah,” he said eagerly. “That sounds good. No wonder you’re a writer. Maybe the pen really is mightier than the sword.”
“We’ll see.” She hit Send, then set her phone down.
“We’re going to be okay.” He was about to slip his arm around her again, when he heard a loud scream from outside.
Mallory grabbed on to him with a terrified expression. “What was that?”
“It sounded like a woman.” He picked up the Ruger holster, quickly strapping it on. Then he picked up the automatic rifle. “I thought Winnie would be gone by now, but it’s possible she changed her mind.”
“Do you think it’s her?”
Logan was already unlocking the door. “I’m going to find out.”
THIRTEEN
With her holster on and her rifle in hand, Mallory followed him through the darkened house. She wanted to tell him to stay inside, that it was dangerous out there—that she couldn’t bear to see him get hurt, but the shrill sound of another scream froze the words in her throat.
“I’m going out,” he said quietly as he slowly opened the door. “You stay here and—”
“I’ve got your back,” she whispered before he could finish. And then she pushed her way out behind him.
“Mallory,” he hissed at her. “Stay—” But another scream interrupted him and Mallory spotted what looked like Winnie, facedown in the driveway.
“Look.” She pointed across the lawn.
Logan took off and she trailed behind him, but they were only halfway across the lawn when a shot rang out. Logan hit the ground and Mallory, certain he’d been shot, threw herself down beside him. Before she could ask, he grabbed her, pulling her behind one of the tall ponderosa tree trunks as two more shots rang out. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yes! And you?”
“Yeah. You have your phone?”
She patted her shirt pocket. “Yeah.”
“Call for backup now. And you stay here while I get Winnie. I’m going to drag her behind your car.”
“But what if they shoot at you?” She held up her rifle. “Let me back you up. I probably can’t hit anyone in the dark, but I can scare them.”
“Okay. Just stay in the shadow of the tree. Be safe.” Logan took off, and sure enough another shot exploded. Remaining close to the tree, Mallory aimed her rifle toward the sound and returned fire, exchanging two more rounds and praying that Logan had gotten Winnie to safety by now.
Suddenly everything around her was eerily quiet. She strained her ears to listen, trying to determine if the shooter was on the move, but she heard nothing. Rolling back around into the shadow of the tree, she saw that Winnie was no longer lying in the driveway. That was some comfort. But where were they? And how was she supposed to get back into the house without getting shot? And what if Logan had been shot? For all she knew, he could be bleeding to death right now. Should she make a run for it? See if she could help him? But he’d told her to stay put and she’d promised to listen to him. So far she hadn’t done too well with that promise.
With her heart pounding hard, she silently prayed for Logan’s safety. She knew she’d be devastated if anything had happened to him. And she would blame herself—perhaps even more than she blamed herself for Kestra’s death. Why had she allowed Logan to get involved in this mess? Why had she encouraged him to stay out here with her? Isolated like this in the woods? What was she thinking? And would this nightmare ever end?
She looked at the shadow of the tree behind her. A long path of darkness, created by the bright porch light, it ran across the driveway and into the woods back there. She wondered if the shadow could conceal her form as she ran through it. If she could reach the trees alongside the driveway, she might be able to make her way through the woods and around to the back of the house to let herself in. Except that the house was locked up tight. The only door not locked was the front door. Besides that, she had to find Logan. He might be hurt!
They needed help and they needed it now. She was just reaching for her phone when she heard a rustling sound coming from behind the tree. She knew it couldn’t be Logan because he had gone the other direction. Certain it was the shooter, she took off, trying to conceal herself with the shadow of the tree but, as she ran, two more shots blasted through the darkness.
When she reached the edge of the driveway she pulled out her pistol, and although she could see nothing she returned fire. She suspected the shooter was using the big ponderosa trees for cover, just as she was. Although she was concealed in the shadows right now, all around her was the brightly lit area from the oversize garage light that her dad had installed for security. If she left this spot, she’d be clearly visible.
“Mal,” Logan called out from the shadowy area on the other side of the garage. “I’m coming to you. Cover me.”
She got her rifle ready, aiming it across the front yard to where the shots had come from. As soon as she heard Logan’s footsteps she started to shoot, hoping to create a distraction. As expected, her shots were followed by more shots, but Logan made it to her, hunkering with her behind the tree trunk.
“I’ve got to get to the front door,” he said breathlessly. “You send out a couple more shots while I go around the cars.” He held up the automatic rifle. “When I’m in the open, running for the door, I’ll use this. And that’s when I want you to get to the garage side door. That’s where Winnie is. I’ll run through the house, unlock it and let you guys in. Got it?”
“Got it.” She nodded as she pulled out her pistol. She knew her rifle was probably down to one round by now. “But let me reload first.” She grabbed out several of the spare rounds in her pockets, but her hands were so shaky it was difficult and Logan reached over to help her.
“Ready?” Logan looked into her face then leaned forward to kiss her forehead. “Be safe.”
“You, too.” As he took off, she started shooting toward the trees in the side yard, wishing that the shooter would step out so she could see him. As much as she hated the idea of killing anyone, she thought she could do it if it was to spare Logan. But seeing that Logan was safely behind the cars, she picked up the rifle and prepared herself to make a run for it. As soon as she saw Logan come out from behind her car, shooting the automatic rifle, she made a mad dash for the side of the garage with the rounds of gunfire ringing in her ears. Please protect him, she prayed silently as she ran.
She found Winnie on the ground next to the garage side door. “Are you okay?” she whispered breathlessly before she realized the gunfire had ceased.
“Where’s Logan?” Winnie said gruffly. “Has he been shot?”
“Shh!” Mallory squatted down by her, trying to listen for footsteps, praying that Logan was inside and not hurt. Suddenly the door next to them burst open and Logan grabbed hold of Winnie. With Mallory’s help he dragged her into the garage, then closed and locked the door behind them.
“Are you okay?” Mallory asked him as they all hunkered down together in a corner of the garage.
“Fortunately the maniac out there is no marksman.”
“Or else we’ve just managed to keep him rattled by returning fire,” she said.
“Let’s get Winnie into the house,” Logan said. “But stay down low.”
“Was she shot?” Mallory asked as they carried Winnie across the garage.
“No,” Winnie declared in an aggravated tone. “She fell and hurt her ankle.”
Mallory wanted to ask Winnie what she was doing out there in the dark night and why she was screaming like that, but instead paused in the laundry room to lock the garage door behind them. “I haven’t had a chance to call for help yet,” she told Logan.
“I already called 911,” Winnie said. “Trent should be here soon.”
“Why isn’t Trent out there now?” Mallory asked suspiciously.
“I don’t know,” Winnie admitted. “I came out here to see him, but his cruiser was gone.”
“That figures,” Logan said in a terse tone when they got to the living room. “Let’s set her down here.”
“And I’m calling for backup,” Mallory said as she grabbed her phone, hitting the speed dial she’d set up earlier.
“I said I already did that,” Winnie told her.
“Yeah, but I’m calling one of my dad’s—” She stopped when she heard Stan Griggs barely saying “Hello” and hurried to explain the situation. “Someone already called 911, but no one’s here yet. And my dad said to call you.”
“I’ll be there in five minutes,” he told her. “I’ll call for more backup on my way. Was anyone hurt? Need an ambulance?”
“Winnie hurt her foot, but no one was shot. Well, unless the shooter took a bullet.”
“Do you have a description on the shooter?”
“All I could see was that he had dark clothing.”
“Well, I’m already out the door. You kids stay inside and don’t take any chances.”
“Will do.” With trembling hands, she slipped her phone into her shirt pocket then looked at Logan as she shone a flashlight on Winnie’s swollen foot.
“Looks like a sprain,” he said in a flat tone. “You’ll live.” He turned away and went over to a front window, cautiously peering through the crack of the drapes.
“See anything?” Mallory asked.
“No, but I think we should get away from these windows, just in case the shooter decides to take some more pot shots. Never know...he might hit the mark.”
Mallory helped Winnie down the hallway. She unlocked the bear cave door and they set Winnie down on the couch.
“I’m sure they’ll be here shortly,” Logan said as he headed for the door. “You girls stay here and I’ll keep a watch out there.” And, just like that, he was gone. Mallory opened the ice chest and handed Winnie a chilled bottle of water. “You can use it to ice your ankle or just drink it.” She wasn’t eager to be locked in here with Winnie, but decided to put on her journalist hat and see if she could get to the bottom of this.
“So you came out here tonight to see Deputy
Trent?” Mallory gently probed.
“Yeah. I felt sorry for him, sitting out there all by himself.”
“But I thought Logan told you to go home—for safety’s sake.” She tried not to sound as irritated as she felt. But it seemed that Winnie had put all of them at risk by coming back here. They both could’ve been killed trying to rescue the foolish girl. For all Mallory knew, they were still in danger.
Winnie twirled a long strand of hair between her fingers, as if thinking hard. “I didn’t think there was any real danger,” Winnie began slowly.
“But Logan had told you otherwise.” Mallory frowned. What kind of firefighter was Winnie if she didn’t even listen to the fire chief’s orders?
“I know, but I told Trent that I was meeting friends at Papa Mario’s tonight, and all he had was a candy bar and soda. So I promised to bring him the leftover pizza.”
“You risked everyone’s life for pizza?”
Winnie took a sip of water, then shrugged. “I didn’t mean to.”
“Right...” Mallory suppressed the urge to shake this silly girl. “So Trent wasn’t here when you arrived?”
“As far as I could see. The cruiser wasn’t around.”
“Then why didn’t you just leave?” Mallory studied her. She was undeniably spunky, but maybe she lacked good sense. Mallory couldn’t quite figure her out.
“That’s what I was doing. But the driveway is narrow so I couldn’t turn around easily, and I’m not good at backing up. So my car was all sideways and partly off the driveway with my front wheels spinning in the soft dirt.”
“Uh-huh?”
“I was looking in the rearview mirror and, in the backup lights, I see this guy running up toward my car. He’s dressed in dark clothes and has what looks like an automatic rifle.” She shook her head. “I totally freaked. I mean, there I am in my car which is sort of stuck and this guy is running straight for me. I tried gunning my engine which just made a cloud of dust, then I leaped out of my car and took off running for the house.”
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