What was he doing?
The transfer—the money. He was probably trying to get it all for himself. It was what he came for after all; to sell Andra to the one person with the most desire of anyone in the world to see her dead. But Thane was the one who was dead now.
Who was still here? They couldn’t have just left.
Andra braced her foot on the straw-covered floor and rolled her hips to the side, careful not to twist her torso. The wood she’d hit the guard with was gone. She hadn’t killed him. That counted for something, right? She could have turned back in to the assassin she used to be and it would have been self-defense. But she knew far too much about how to dispatch a person for the argument to be accepted. It was way too easy to kill someone—especially when emotions were ablaze.
Palmer kneeled, tapping away at the tablet. Had he waited for the moment the guards left to get the money? And why hadn’t they taken the device? Either it wasn’t worth it for him to try and transfer the money to himself, because it wasn’t going to work. Or the guards had been more concerned with getting out of there. Had something gone wrong?
Why had they left her?
Hirelings, probably. Men who didn’t have a stake in Andra’s well-being, so they split to save themselves…from whatever was coming.
Andra got her feet under her, careful to move silently. She lifted the wood to hip height because she couldn’t get it higher. She should be able to at least incapacitate Palmer for good this time. Then when he came around he would know what it felt like to be arrested. John could find out who killed Betty and she could keep her life. Such as it was, or would be, with the stain of being a murder suspect.
She swung, but the pain in her ribs tugged the wood down and Palmer caught the force of the blow on the back of his shoulder. He fell to the side, rolled and came back up to grab the wood swing it at her. Andra slammed into the SUV. Stars exploded behind her eyes and she had to brace her hands on the car to keep from falling.
Palmer tackled her and they went down, right by where Thane had fallen dead.
She pushed against his torso but felt only vest. He wouldn’t move and she was rapidly losing strength.
The familiar noise of helicopter rotors brought Palmer’s head up. Andra looked around. Thane’s suit jacket was open. Inside was the gold-plated pen. She grasped for it, stretching her fingers until they felt like the joints would separate. It wasn’t far enough. She stretched more, crying out.
Palmer’s head whipped back to her.
Finally, she pulled the pen free of the pocket.
“No you don’t.” Palmer slammed his arm onto hers.
Andra cried out, but didn’t let go of the pen. He was going to kill her. Could she accept this, if it was God’s will? Would He accept her need to fight until her last breath to preserve her life?
John’s face flashed through her mind and something in her surged to life, remembering the familiar comfort of his presence. Eating together. Playing cards with Pat. They would be a family, but he wasn’t here. He hadn’t come after her. John had let her go to meet whatever fate God decreed she accept, like that was fine with him.
Well, it wasn’t fine with her.
Now she knew the two of them, Andra didn’t want to lose John or Pat. She wanted them in her life. She wanted to know what could be between them all of them. Could they be happy as a family?
Peace washed over her, but underneath the familiar zing of adrenaline still fueled her muscles.
Andra rolled them both. Over and over they tumbled across the room until Palmer’s head slammed into the rim on the tire.
Without missing a beat, Andra clambered up and raced for the door. She squeezed through the opening into the blinding sunlight, searching around even as her eyes adjusted to the brightness.
John was grappling with the boss. He’d come? But not for her, for the men who were going to take her, the ones who’d been working with Palmer and Thane. Doing his job.
His gaze hit her and he yelled, “Andra!”
Palmer slammed into her back. They tumbled to the ground, and Andra twisted and came up with the pen in her hand. He grabbed her. She screamed and slammed the pen into the side of Palmer’s neck. He collapsed on her, choking for breath while Andra lay under the crushing weight of him, forced to listen as he died.
She’d done it.
She had killed someone again.
A fist hit flesh, the sound of John fighting with his attacker. Andra pushed Palmer off, wincing at the sight of his dead face. She should apologize. Beg God for forgiveness. But there were no words in her brain.
She stood, fell to her knee, struggled and finally managed to get up. Her chest was on fire. White spots tingled in the edges of her vision. It wouldn’t be long before she was out for good.
The noise of rotors got louder. A helicopter circled low and dipped down as the chopper flew closer. Come to aid John. To arrest her, now she really was guilty of murder—and of a cop, no less. There was no way they were going to believe Palmer was the one who set this whole thing up.
The door to the helicopter slid open and it circled around again. Whoever was in the door lifted a bullhorn. “This is the FBI. Stand down. Drop your weapons and put your hands on your heads.”
There was nowhere to go.
She was hemmed in. John had come, but not because he cared for her.
“Hands on your head.”
Andra lifted her arms. Pain tore through her chest and she hit the ground.
**
John saw her fall. The helicopter landed and booted men ran over and dragged the suit guy off him, pinning the gunman’s arms behind his back as he raged and screamed.
John rolled, crawling to where she lay. Ben was up, too. “What…?”
Ben hauled him to his feet. “He hit my vest.”
They stumbled, even with Ben holding the bulk of John’s weight. “So you just lie there. You don’t help me?”
“I wanted you to feel like you did it yourself, like you won under your own steam.” Ben lowered him by Andra’s side.
John touched her shoulder, but said to his brother, “He winded you, didn’t he?”
“Of course he did. It hurts getting shot, even if you do have a vest on.”
“I wouldn’t know.” His fingers searched Andra for signs of injury. “I only got punched and hit.”
Ben squeezed his shoulder. “I’ll find out if they brought a medic.”
John stroked the side of her face. “I’d like to see you open your eyes, but you look like you’ve had a rough day.”
His gaze drifted down, searching her for signs of injury. Her shirt had pulled up to reveal an inch of skin at her waist. Was that…John lifted it higher. Sure enough, there was the imprint of a boot on her stomach.
He pulled her shirt back down. “When you do wake up, I’m going to want to know who did that. Because I’m going to arrest them.”
Hot tears burned his eyes. He wasn’t crying, he was just exhausted and that guy had packed some serious weight behind his punches.
“My brothers are here. I’d like you to meet them, but don’t get too enamored. They’re nothing special.”
He touched his fingers to her hairline and brushed back a few strands of jet-black hair. The sensation was both familiar and new at the same time. “I’d like to do that more too, if you’ll let me. And maybe kiss you.” He stroked her jaw with his thumb. “I’d also like to—”
Her lips parted and breath pushed out. “You talk a lot.”
Behind him, someone chuckled. John didn’t take his focus from her until her eyes flickered open and she smiled with the side of her mouth.
“Hi.”
She inhaled and winced. “Hi.”
“Don’t try to talk, okay?” He looked back at Ben
His brother nodded. “Life Flight is on its way. They said to keep her still. Her broken ribs might have punctured a lung.”
John felt the tension evaporate from his body and he slumped lower by her side
.
“Is that her?” Nate hobbled up.
John watched Andra take in the two Mason brothers standing by their huddle on the ground. She lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers in a wave.
Nate grinned. “What’s up?” He looked at Ben and then John. “Is it over now? Because I don’t think my contract allows for gunfights.”
John looked back at Andra. Ben said, “It’s done.” There was a chill in his words, as though if it weren’t over he’d have ended it himself.
“Honey—” Her gaze moved back to him. “There’s a helicopter coming. I’m going to go with you, okay?”
She blinked, enough of a nod for him. Her breath was coming in pants now.
“I’ll be with you the whole time. I’m not leaving.”
She breathed. “—kay.”
John took her hand. “Good.”
Palmer lay beyond her, a gold pen sticking out of his neck. John looked back at the fingers he’d threaded his through, fingers with blood on them. “You killed him?”
Her eyes darkened and she licked her lips like she was parched…and nervous. “It’s not something you forget how to do.”
Ben laughed. “I thought I recognized her.”
John turned. Ben’s eyes widened like he realized what he’d said. His eyes locked with John’s and Ben shook his head. “Forget I said that.”
Right. John sighed. “Andra…”
This was going to be their future. John was going to get familiar with the woman who had built a new life, then she—or someone else— would do or say something and it would hit him all over again who she’d been. Assassin. That word was going to get thrown around unless he could make peace with it.
She’d shut her eyes again.
“Honey, will you look at me?”
Her lips compressed and her face screwed up. She sucked in a breath and tears pricked in her eyes.
“Honey—”
“I wasn’t supposed to. It just happened and now they’re going to kick me out of Sanctuary.” She sucked in air. “I won’t be able to come back.”
“Listen—”
“I killed him, John. And now I’ll have to leave. They won’t let me live there. I won’t be able to see anyone.” Her whole body jerked with the sob. “I won’t be able to…see you.”
“Andra.”
She hiccupped a breath.
John said, “I need you to know, I—”
Her face scrunched even more and she moaned low in her throat like she was in serious pain.
“Honey, what is it?”
Andra pressed a hand against her side.
“Make some room.” Two medics dumped their bags and John was pushed out of the way. Andra wasn’t moving. Or breathing.
“Something’s wrong.” John gasped. “You have to help her!”
The paramedic leaned down and listened to her chest. His eyes lifted and met his partner’s. “Pneumothorax.”
Nate said, “What’s that?”
The EMT didn’t look up. “Lung collapsed.”
Ben helped John to his feet and he watched, helpless as they stuck a needle in her chest. Nate grabbed his hand and squeezed. Andra’s whole body jerked and she sucked in the first full breath since he crouched beside her. John exhaled too. They wasted no time loading her on a backboard and John walked alongside her as they carried her to the helicopter.
He moved to climb on, but Grant put his hand on John’s chest. He looked at his brother. “I’m going.”
“Let them work.”
“I said I’d go with her.” What was wrong with Grant? “I told her I’d be there the whole time.”
Grant didn’t let him go. Nate and Ben closed around him, and Ben took his other arm. John waited for one of his brothers to explain why he couldn’t go with Andra. “What?”
The door on the helicopter slammed shut.
“What is going on, guys?”
“Walk with me.” Grant didn’t wait for an answer because it wasn’t a question. Ben led John behind Grant, while Nate hobbled after them all the way to the helicopter Grant must have arrived in.
“I didn’t think you were coming. You didn’t say you were on your way.”
Grant climbed aboard the helicopter. “The president called me.”
John shook his head. “Why am I with you and not Andra when…What does the president have to do with this?”
“Where is Pat?”
“Pat? He’s with…”
“The first lady.”
They climbed in and Ben pressed a hand against John’s chest, holding him in the helicopter seat while Nate buckled the safety harness. They sat either side of him and buckled up while John stared at his brother until his eyes burned. “Grant. Tell me what’s going on.”
“The first lady emailed the president and he called me straight away. The school teacher—”
“Mrs. Pepper.”
“She came to the house, told them Pat needed to catch up on some missed work. Mrs. Sheraton let him go, but that was hours ago. Mrs. Pepper said it wouldn’t take long, and the first lady was worried when he didn’t make it back in time for dinner.” Grant took a breath. “Susan called around and no one has seen either of them all day. Not anywhere in town. She called the sheriff’s office and Dotty got Bolton on it.”
“Grant…”
“Elma Pepper took your son. Bolton searched her house. He found bloody clothes he thinks she was wearing when she killed Betty Collins.”
John tipped his head forward and tried to breathe, suddenly acutely aware of all the bruises in his chest. Someone squeezed the back of his neck.
“Bolton has no idea where she took Pat.”
Chapter 28
The helicopter landed and John jumped out. Bolton’s truck barreled toward them and pulled to a stop in front of them. Ben flung the door open and Matthias looked back from the front passenger seat. “Load up.”
John and Grant slid in, while Nate and Ben climbed in the bed.
John saw the worry on Matthias’ face and nodded. The man had spent a good amount of time with Pat; no doubt he was feeling the loss too. John’s butt hit the seat and he didn’t waste any time before he said, “Mrs. Pepper?”
Matthias’ face was dark, his hand gripping the handle as Bolton sped into town. “I never would’ve guessed it.”
“What about Aaron. How’s he doing?”
“Better. Doctor Fenton is talking about releasing him, but we’re not sure where he’s going to live. He can’t go back with those two losers for roommates.”
Bolton gripped the wheel and turned them in a tight circle before he slammed his foot down and didn’t waste any time, saying, “It’s been six hours. No one’s seen them anywhere since Pepper took him from the first lady and she has no method of transportation. No known hang outs other than her house and the school, both of which have been cleared.
“We’ve done a house-to-house search and every single person in town is accounted for except the teacher and your son. Dan and I have checked all our respective outbuildings, and Matthias got a shirt of Pat’s from your apartment. Our next course of action is to have Dan’s hound sniff the shirt and see if he can get a scent.”
John’s gut churned, Bolton drove so fast he had to swallow down the urge to throw up. First Andra and now Pat. When would he finally have them both together healthy and happy? Andra needed to fight to get better. Wherever he was, Pat had to hang on until John could get to him. And Mrs. Pepper had to not hurt him, or touch him at all. Hopefully she just wanted John’s attention and she only needed Pat for a bargaining tool. That meant she’d have to keep him well so John didn’t refuse whatever she was looking to get out of this.
“That’s good.” Grant nodded. “We should get on that.”
John blinked and then remembered. Right. Dan’s tracking dog.
Bolton said, “It’s where we’re headed now.”
Grant glanced aside at John. “What about the woods? That’s the only other place she could be hiding
him. Any buildings you know of, or cabins?”
Matthias turned back from the front seat. “Andra’s?”
John agreed. “Maybe.”
Grant frowned. “We can check her place, but who in town knows those trees?”
Bolton motioned to Matthias with a wave of his hand. “The boys and I know the area around the ranch, and Dan would say the same about his end. The General has everyone at the Meeting House and they’re going to put together a search party, but its rough terrain up there so not everyone will be able to navigate it.”
Grant said, “Anyone you can think of who might know if there are any other cabins, or blinds, or anywhere she could be holding him?”
Matthias shook his head, “Not that I can—”
John remembered. “Nadia Marie.”
Bolton jerked. “Nadia?”
“Andra said she’s all about hiking the woods around town. She might know hiding places.”
“Then we’ll go to Nadia’s house first.” Bolton swung the truck left and they all braced.
Two minutes later they pulled up in front of a house with a mish-mash of flowers of different heights and sizes that seemed to have been crowded in the flowerbed for no other reason than they were all pink.
“There’s a note on the door.” Matthias jumped out and retrieved it. The front said, John. Matthias unfolded it a page-sized copy of the same map of Sanctuary tacked to the wall in John’s office.
In the top right corner, at the end of a long trail, was a big X.
“She already left.” John didn’t know whether to be mad or relieved. It would be a long trek up the mountain, past Andra’s burned out cabin, to the place Nadia Marie had indicated. How much of a head start did she have, and exactly what did she think she was going to accomplish on her own? They had to get there fast before there were more casualties.
“Why would she be certain this was the place?”
John turned to his brother. “No idea. It could easily be a ruse.”
As they drove, John called the hospital Andra had been taken to. When he hung up, he told Grant, “Her lung collapsed two more times so they’ve taken her into surgery. The nurse is going to call me when she’s out.” He paused a second. “What I want to know is why they told me anything at all without questioning who I was?”
Sanctuary Lost WITSEC Town Series Book 1 Page 30