Standing Guard

by Valerie Hansen

  Together, he and Lindy settled the child on her bed and covered him with a crocheted afghan after removing his shoes and socks. The boy looked so tiny lying in the middle of that wide bed. It made him seem even more lost than Thad knew he was.

  Lindy led the way out of the room. Night-lights glowed from wall plugs up and down the hall, giving the passage a surreal aspect.

  As Thad glanced her way, he was impressed by the jut of her chin and the sureness of her steps. She had recovered a lot of self-confidence in the time she and the female deputy had been in Danny’s room.

  “That’s what we should have done,” Thad murmured.

  “What is?”

  “Ask Deputy Crowe to stay with you tonight so I wouldn’t have to worry.”

  “I’m not your problem. I’ll lock the doors and check all the windows after you leave, I promise.”

  The ridiculousness of her assurance upset him. “Somebody got in before. More than once. What makes you think a simple lock will keep them out if they decide to pay you another visit?”

  Lindy’s head snapped around and her mouth opened but she failed to come up with a rebuttal. Clearly, she had been having similar unsettling thoughts.

  “What do you suggest?” Her eyebrows arched.

  “I don’t know.” Thad held out his hands, palms toward her. “I’m not trying to talk you into letting me sleep here. I know preserving your good reputation is important. But I don’t intend to just drive away and leave you unprotected.” He raked his fingers through his short hair. “I can sleep in my truck in your driveway.”

  “Don’t be silly. It’s cold out there.”

  “So, loan me a blanket.”

  Waiting for an answer, he could sense the wheels turning in her brain. If she came up with a viable alternative, she was a lot smarter than he was because he’d been mulling that problem over for hours and hadn’t been able to think of anything else.

  Finally Lindy nodded, whirled and left him standing in the middle of the living room. In seconds she had returned with blankets and a pillow.

  “Okay,” she said, “This is only for one night, though. Tomorrow I’ll either get better locks on the doors and install an alarm—or hire a bodyguard.”

  Thad wondered where she thought she’d get enough money to afford either but kept his ideas to himself. One day at a time would have to suffice. That sensible attitude had sustained him on the field of battle and it would do the same here.

  Instead of ushering him out immediately as he’d expected, Lindy laid the stack of bedding on the end of the sofa, plunked down next to it with a deep sigh and kicked off her shoes.

  “Whew. I don’t think I’ve ever been this tired in my whole life.”

  “It has been a long day.”

  That comment made her smile again. “You think?”

  He chuckled and made himself comfortable in a leather upholstered recliner that matched part of the checkered pattern in the couch. “Yeah. I hope tomorrow is easier on all of us.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Mind if I go make sure everything is locked up tight for you? I know you said you were going to do it but...”

  She waved him away, laid her head back and closed her eyes. “Go. I trust you.”

  By the time Thad was finished inspecting the entire house and locking the rear and side doors, Lindy had fallen asleep right where she sat.

  Unfolding the lighter of the two blankets, he gently draped it over her then stood back. He knew she had to be in her mid- to late twenties but, sitting there with her reddish-gold hair fanned out on the back of the sofa and her lovely face relaxed in slumber, she looked more like a teenager than the mother of a second grader.

  Get a grip, Pearson, he told himself. You know there’s no chance of a relationship here. Quit getting distracted.

  That was going to be easier said than done. He and Lindy seemed to be in tune on a level that he had never before experienced and it continued to amaze him. There were times when he felt they shared more than words; they shared feelings and deep, personal convictions.

  Thad eased the remaining blanket and the pillow off the armrest and straightened. Once he locked the door and closed it behind him, he’d have no way to get back inside.

  Would he need to? Probably not. Considering all the Sheriff’s Department activity that had gone on around the house and with his truck still parked in the driveway in plain sight, chances were good that anyone bent on causing more trouble would just go away tonight.

  And tomorrow? Or the day after that and the day after that? Thad asked himself. What would he do then?

  Walking slowly to the front door and easing it open quietly he made sure that the locking mechanism was engaged before he pulled it shut with a click that sounded much louder in the quiet of the night.

  He stood on the porch and scanned the neighborhood. There were a few small outside lights burning by some of the other homes and streetlights illuminated the roadway, but otherwise the whole block was dark. Silent. Apparently deserted.

  That was good. It just would have pleased him more to see one or two night owls still up watching TV.

  Or even spying on their neighbors, he added cynically. The more nosy eyes that were trained on Lindy, the better.

  Sighing, he crossed the neatly mown lawn to his truck, climbed in the passenger side so he’d have more legroom and rolled one window down partway to let in fresh air. This promised to be a long night.

  Thad closed his eyes and began to pray silently as he’d learned to do in combat zones.

  This time his prayer wasn’t for his comrades-in-arms or for himself. It was for the innocent woman and child sleeping alone and vulnerable in that big, expensive house.

  He wondered briefly how much Lindy had owed on a fancy place like that and how he was going to prove she’d paid off the loan.

  Also turning that problem over to God, Thad finally dozed off.

  They were under fire. Sounds of battle echoed. His eardrums throbbed.

  An IED went off beneath the Humvee just ahead in the convoy.

  Thad could hear the screams of the wounded and dying.

  Seated in the cab of a transport vehicle, Thad rapidly punched the keys on his laptop, searching for information that would give them a safe exit route.

  There was none.

  They were trapped.

  How could this have happened?

  Men around him were being hit over and over. Bullets impacting metal sang a dirge.

  He threw aside the useless computer, grabbed his rifle and rolled out onto the sand.

  Before he could return fire, a bullet tore into him. Astonished, he looked down and saw his life’s blood pulsing away.

  Distant civilians cried out and shouted angrily. The mob was coming closer and closer. To finish him off for good.

  He thought of home. Of peace and safety, then raised his rifle.

  * * *

  A loud, ringing sound awakened Lindy with a start. It took her several seconds to realize where she was and why she wasn’t sleeping in her own bed.

  Only two landline phones remained since she now relied mostly on her cell. One was upstairs in Ben’s old office and the other was hanging on the kitchen wall. She opted for the closest.

  “Hello?” No one spoke. She clutched the receiver tighter and tried again. “Hello?”

  She was about to hang up when a gravelly voice said, “We
warned you.”

  Her breath caught. Her pulse hammered. But she forced her voice to sound strong and steady. “Leave me alone.”

  “Not ’til you start cooperating, lady. We told you no cops. Or else.”

  Lindy was frightened, yes, but she’d also had just about enough of this ongoing harassment. Anger gave her courage. “What did you expect me to do when I found that dead rat you planted in my kitchen? Huh? You went way too far this time.”

  The ensuing silence on the other end of the line surprised her. After several seconds, the caller broke the connection with a loud click.

  Suddenly weak-kneed, Lindy hung up and leaned against the wall. Whoever had threatened her was obviously watching her house or he wouldn’t have known about the sheriff being called. That, alone, was terrifying.

  Worse, Thad might be in more danger than either of them had thought when they had agreed he’d sleep in his truck. He’d made a target of himself for whoever was watching them. What she wanted to do was hide inside the house. What she knew she must do, instead, was warn him. But how?

  Lindy eyed the telephone. Neither of them had thought to exchange cell numbers before he’d left or she could have called him. By the time she managed to look him up, if she even could, the man who had just threatened her again might have already attacked.

  There was only one logical course of action. She had to go out and warn Thad.

  She padded barefoot to the bay window that faced the street, pulled back the drapes and peered out. She could see his old truck but it was too dark to tell if anyone was inside it. If he’d already been discovered, he might be injured rather than asleep. Given the telephone threat she’d just received, that was certainly possible.

  There was only one way to be sure he was there, was unharmed and stayed safe. She’d have to speak to him in person. The man had already done far more to help her than anyone else ever had. She was not about to let anything bad happen to him simply because she was afraid of the dark.

  She did, however, plan to arm herself before she left the house. Casting around for a makeshift weapon, Lindy was at a loss. She didn’t even own a baseball bat, let alone a real object intended for defense.

  The closest she could come was a garden rake. It wouldn’t be easy to wield but she figured it would be better than facing unseen danger empty-handed.

  The rake and her other gardening supplies were stored in the garage which was attached to the main house, so, happily, she wouldn’t have to venture outside to grab it.

  With a flashlight in one hand and the handle of the rake in the other, she eased open her front door, checked to make certain there was no one lurking on the porch or in the yard, then started toward the driveway.

  The grass was damp and chilly on her bare feet, making her wish she’d bothered to slip her shoes back on.

  Every few seconds she’d pause and listen. Other than distant rumblings from a few cars and an occasional dog barking, the night seemed peaceful. Quiet. Unthreatening.

  Lindy had nearly reached her goal when she heard guttural muttering. Did Thad’s truck just move slightly or was her imagination playing tricks on her?

  She froze. Watching. Waiting.

  There it was again. A man’s voice. And he sounded as if he was suffering terribly. Was she too late? Had someone already hurt Thad?

  Panicky, she ran the rest of the way. Shining her light through the passenger side window, she saw him. He was fighting, all right, but his eyes were closed and his foe existed only in his troubled dreams.

  What should she do? What could she do? If she woke him abruptly, it might be worse than letting him exit the nightmare on his own. It was also foolish to stand there, out in the open, exposed to a real attack. If she did rouse him, it would at least free him from whatever imaginary terror he was battling.

  Resolute, Lindy shined the light on her own face so Thad would know it was her, then rapped on the window.

  He didn’t respond. Whatever night terrors had him in their grip were holding on tight.

  The window was open an inch or so at the top so she called his name. “Thad?” Then louder, “Thad! Wake up.”

  Instead of slowly coming to his senses he reacted as if he were under a real attack and thrust the door open with such force it knocked Lindy backward.

  All she had time to do was scream, “No!” before he was lunging for her.

  She dropped the rake and flashlight as she fell, trying to ward off the attack by crossing her arms over her face the way she had when Ben had threatened to beat her.

  Reality overcame her self-control. She pulled herself into a fetal position and began to sob.

  Time stopped.

  Gentle hands touched her arm. Lifted her. Calmed her. Gathered her closer and helped her stand.

  Thad was speaking but she was too upset to tell what he was saying.

  A warm, comforting embrace followed.

  Lindy buried her face against his shoulder and struggled to stop crying. She hadn’t expected such a vivid reminder of her life as a battered woman and had reacted through habit. She knew that. It was nevertheless terribly embarrassing.

  “I’m—I’m so sorry,” Lindy managed to say. “I didn’t mean to startle you like that.” She could feel his hand trembling as he stroked her back through her sweater.

  “Did I hurt you?”

  “No. Not a bit.”

  “What are you doing out here?” The question was half grumble, half poignant query.

  “The telephone woke me. I couldn’t see you in the truck so I came out to make sure you were okay.”

  “I don’t remember what I was dreaming about except that I was back fighting the war. When you startled me, I must have thought...” He pulled her closer. “Oh, Lindy, I’m so sorry.”

  “I’m fine. Really.” Sniffling, she eased away from him. “Does this kind of thing happen to you very often?”

  “No. Not anymore. I guess I was just keyed up over everything else and the bad dreams took over.” Thad looked down into her upturned face. “Are you sure you’re not hurt?”

  “Positive.” In the dim reflections from the streetlight, she could see moisture glistening on his face and wondered if it was perspiration. Might it be tears, instead? She certainly wasn’t going to embarrass him by asking.

  “In that case, what in the world were you thinking? Leaving the house was crazy.”

  “I brought a weapon,” she insisted, pointing at the garden tool where it lay on the grass. “And a flashlight. See? They’re right there.”

  He released her, stepped farther back and thrust his hands into his pockets. “Great. What were you going to do, rake the bad guys into a nice neat pile and then call the sheriff?”

  “No, I was going to hit them with the handle, if you must know. I thought about bringing a big knife from the kitchen but I knew I could never use something like that.”

  She didn’t understand Thad’s apparent lack of appreciation for how hard it had been for her to come outside. It might not faze a macho man like him to walk out into the dark when there was a threat of real danger but it had taken a ton of courage for her to do so.

  Bending, Lindy scooped up the light and the rake at the same time and backed away with them. She was upset enough to speak her mind.

  “Look, Mr. Pearson. I understand you’ve put yourself out for me and my son and I really do value your efforts, but the guy on the phone sounded as if he was watching the house. I couldn’t
just sit in there without trying to warn you. Okay?”

  “That’s what the call was about? Why didn’t you say so in the first place?” He stood tall and began to scan the deep shadows in the yard. “What did the guy say? Exactly.”

  “He was upset that the sheriff had been here.”

  “Half the town probably knows about that already. What else?”

  “If you must know, I lost my temper. I told him that he’d gone too far when he left that horrible creature in my house.”

  “How did he respond?”

  “He didn’t. He hung up.”

  “No argument? No denial?” Thad continued to remain on full alert as he said, “He didn’t even laugh or tell you that you’d deserved it?”

  “No.” Suddenly chilled to the bone, Lindy shivered.

  Thad slid his arm around her and started to usher her toward the house. When she looked ahead and noticed that, in her haste, she’d failed to slam the door, she was astounded. Not only was it standing partially open, the inside lights illuminated her error for all to see.

  “Good thing we were so close,” Thad grumbled. “You practically invited the bad guys to pay you another visit.”

  “You don’t have to remind me. I can see that.”

  He hustled her through the heavy door and closed it behind them with a bang.

  “I hope that didn’t wake Danny.” Lindy started for the stairs. “I’ll go check on him then come back and make coffee, if you’d like.”

  “Sure.” Thad sighed heavily. “I think you and I need to have a talk.”

  Pausing at the bottom of the staircase, Lindy turned and studied him. “Do you ever have flashbacks during the day?”

  “No. It’s always when I’m asleep. Right after I got out of the service I bunked with my brother’s family—until one of my episodes scared them half to death. That’s why I got my own place. Maybe, if I’d still been with Rob and Ellen when the fire started...”