Daddy Defender

by Janie Crouch

  He showed her the safety features of the doors. Except for the front, all of them could only be opened from the inside.

  “Don’t walk out on the balcony and let the door close behind you because you’ll be locked out.”

  She shook her head. “I hope I’m not going to be here long enough to want to do any sunbathing.”

  God, Ashton hoped so, as well.

  He showed her where the guard would be posted in the outer hallway and introduced her to Patrick, the one who would be on duty for the next twelve hours.

  “I’ll text you with the identity of the new guard. They change every twelve hours, so hopefully we’ll have Curtis Harper after only a couple of shift changes.”

  Summer paced a little in the living room. “Okay, good. I wish...” She faded off, staring down at her feet.

  Ashton grabbed her hand, pulled her a little closer. “What? Tell me.”

  “I wish you could stay with me.”

  He pulled her all the way into his arms and kissed the top of her head. “I want to. Believe me. If I didn’t think I would be one of the most useful tools in catching Curtis Harper, I would stay.”

  A plan was already formulating in his mind about a trap, using himself as bait. If Harper wanted him so badly, Ashton would be glad to set that up for him.

  With the help of his SWAT buddies, of course.

  But to do that, he had to know Summer was safe. She would be, here.

  “I know,” she whispered. “I’m being selfish.”

  He wrapped his hands around both her cheeks, threading his fingers into her beautiful auburn hair and tilting her head back. “You’re not selfish. Or if you are, I am, too. Because I’d much rather be here with you and Chloe.” He kissed her. Gently. Briefly. He wanted more, but this wasn’t the time.

  “But your team needs you.”

  He shrugged. “I’m sure they’d do okay without me, but yes, we’re most effective as a team.”

  “I know you have to go, and this probably isn’t the best time, but can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “It’s about something Lillian mentioned when we were talking at Omega headquarters.”

  “Okay.” He smiled. “Unless it involved something I’ve done at any of the multiple bachelor parties that have been held for Omega agents in the last year. Then I have no recollection of any of those events.”

  She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Actually, Summer had been pretty quiet most of the day. He’d chalked it up to exhaustion and stress—both definitely plausible—but maybe something more was bothering her.

  “Summer, what? Just ask me okay?”

  “She mentioned that you sometimes overthink things.”

  “Sometimes, sure. I think maybe all law enforcement officers do.”

  “Like things in the past. Situations that had gone wrong. Playing them over and over in your head.”

  Ashton could feel dread pooling in his stomach.

  “Yes.” He nodded slowly. “When things go wrong. You want to figure out what you could’ve done differently. What could’ve resulted in a better outcome.”

  “She mentioned that you tended to overthink the situation that had to do with me. About how that could’ve gone better. She said you did that even though you’d been completely cleared.”

  “Summer.” He stepped back from her slightly. This was not the time or place he wanted to do this, but he wasn’t going to be able to get around it. He damned himself for not telling her before now.

  Her eyebrows furrowed. “I thought she meant when I was kidnapped by Bailey Heath a few months ago. But then I realized that situation ended successfully. There would be no reason for you to pore over that mentally. She meant something else. She said something about a shot.”

  Ashton tried to prepare himself, but he still flinched at her next question.

  “Were you on the scene the day Tyler was killed?”

  “Yes.”

  She stepped all the way back so they weren’t touching. “So you knew who I was not only before I first thought you were the handyman, but before you carried me out of that burning warehouse seven months ago.”

  “Yes. I knew of you, but I didn’t know you personally.”

  She nodded slowly as if she were trying to process everything, to make sure she hadn’t missed important details.

  “What is it you’re not telling me, Ashton? I thought we had gotten all the secrets out yesterday, but evidently we haven’t.”

  There was no avoiding it now. He took a deep breath, then pushed the words out in a rush. “I was the primary sniper on the roof across from your husband’s office that day.”

  “Okay.”

  “That means I was responsible for eliminating the hostage-taker if necessary. For recognizing if Joe wasn’t going to be able to talk him down and taking the shot if needed.”

  Summer wrapped her arms around herself. “Ashton, Joe didn’t mention your name, but he already told me all this when he came to see me right after Tyler was killed. He told me the sniper had the shot but that he didn’t let you take it because Joe thought he could stop the killer without lethal force.”

  “Yes.” Ashton said. “That’s true. Joe always wants to try to talk the hostage-takers down if he can.”

  “And you did what Joe asked. If I don’t blame Joe for what happened, I’m certainly not going to blame you. The man had a hand grenade. Nobody could’ve expected that.”

  He couldn’t bear how she stood there, looking at him so expectantly, like this was something about to be cleared up. Put behind them.

  He took a slight step closer, then stopped himself. She didn’t understand. “I had a shot, Summer. For just a brief second, after everything escalated, I had a shot. I could’ve saved your husband, but I didn’t.

  Summer stood staring at Ashton, like she couldn’t figure out how to process his words.

  “I don’t understand.”

  He wanted to walk toward her, but he didn’t. “Joe—and Derek, because he’s actually the team leader—originally told us to hold our fire, so we did.”

  She nodded.

  “But then things escalated pretty quickly. I could see the perp was getting more agitated. Knew in my gut the situation would turn ugly.”

  He reached a hand toward her but then withdrew it. She wouldn’t want him to touch her now. Instead he brought his hand up and rubbed it over his gritty eyes.

  “I had the shot, Summer. If I had just trusted my instincts, I could’ve taken it right then and Tyler and three other people would still be alive. But I didn’t. And they died.”

  She sat down slowly on the couch, just staring at him.

  “But they told you not to take the shot,” she said softly. It was like she didn’t want to believe him. But who could blame her for not wanting to think about the fact that the man she’d just spent the night having sex with was responsible for her husband’s death?

  It tended to taint things slightly.

  “They told me not to shoot when things looked like they could possibly be salvaged. Once they turned ugly—when the perp reached to pull something out of his pocket—I should’ve taken the shot right there.”

  “Because of the grenade.”

  Ashton nodded, his heart breaking. “Yes. That’s what he had in his pocket. If I had taken the shot, he would’ve never had the chance to pull it out, much less use it to kill himself and four other people.”

  She just stared at him like she didn’t even see him.

  Ashton didn’t blame her. “But I didn’t follow my instincts, and because of that, your daughter will grow up without ever knowing her father.”

  Summer cupped her face in her hands. Ashton had never felt so helpless in his entire life. He crossed to her, he
had to. He couldn’t stay away when she was hurting like this.

  “Summer. I’m so sorry.” He gently touched her on the shoulder, grimacing when she flinched.

  She brought her hands down from her face. She wasn’t crying like he’d been afraid, but he wasn’t sure if that was better or worse.

  “I think you should probably just go, Ashton. I just need to be alone right now. Everything... It’s all just too much.”

  He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Yeah, sure. I understand. I’ll call you later, okay? Make sure you two are alright.”

  “Yeah, okay.”

  She didn’t get up, didn’t say anything more as he walked away.

  There was so much he wanted to say. To do. He’d give anything if he could erase the stunned, devastated look on her face. But he couldn’t. Nothing could change the past.

  He opened the door. “I’m so sorry, Summer.”

  “I know,” he heard her say softly as he closed the door behind him and walked away.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Damien Freihof sat across from Curtis Harper and the ever-secretive “Guy Fawkes” in the townhouse he’d rented here in Colorado Springs. He’d invited them over for a civil meeting of sorts.

  Not that you could tell from all the screaming.

  “Harper, you’re an idiot.” Fawkes, red-faced and eyes bulging, stood only a couple feet from Harper, looking like he might pounce on the other man any moment. “First, a shoot-out in the middle of a crowded area of town, then trying to attack Ashton Fitzgerald last night while he was at someone else’s house?”

  Harper, looking much worse for wear after the skirmish with Fitzgerald two nights ago, pushed himself from the wall. “We agreed that Fitzgerald deserved to be killed for what he did to my father. I almost had him, too. I know I shot him in the arm.”

  Damien bobbed his head up and down patiently as if Harper’s story was completely true. Evidently the man wasn’t intelligent enough to figure out he’d had help from outside Summer Worrall’s condo.

  Help from Damien.

  He’d been the one who shot through the window, who’d known all about Summer’s house from when he’d cut the power there and peeked through her window last week. He’d been the one who had told Harper where the bedroom could be found.

  He’d been the one who’d injured Ashton Fitzgerald.

  He’d been the one waiting for Summer to come running out of the house, but she hadn’t, unfortunately. It would’ve been the perfect time to implement the first part of his plan.

  But Harper and Fawkes didn’t know any of this and Damien didn’t plan to tell them.

  “Killing Fitzgerald, sure.” Fawkes still looked steamed. “He’s part of the law enforcement system that needs to fall. As a matter of fact, Fitzgerald ironically happened to be the one who got caught in my special little trap a couple of days ago.”

  Damien’s eyes narrowed. This was news. “What little trap?”

  “The one I mentioned to you briefly at our last meeting. Some settings I rewired in the new SWAT training facility. I wasn’t trying to catch Fitzgerald specifically, just ended up that way.”

  “What did you do, Fawkes?”

  Fawkes smiled, showing his teeth. “Well, Fitzgerald got electrically shocked to within an inch of his life. But more important, the brand-new facility got shut down. No training can be done there until they double and triple check every single piece of programming and wiring. Definitely sets Omega back.”

  Damien relaxed a little. He still didn’t like anyone moving outside of the stage he’d created, but in this case it sounded like Fawkes’ actions were helpful for the “cause.”

  “But that’s an example of keeping our fight set on Omega agents, not civilians,” Fawkes continued, glaring at Harper. “You can’t take out Ashton Fitzgerald by breaking into a civilian’s house. Can’t put her in danger too. And what about all the people who could’ve been hurt with your rifle stunt on Friday?”

  Damien leaned back a little farther on his couch, stretching his long legs out in front of him. Fawkes was pretty damn self-righteous for someone whose ultimate plan involved the death of hundreds, a lot of them civilians. “Harper wants revenge for his father’s death,” he told Fawkes. “He’s willing to go after that now even if it means innocent people are hurt.”

  “This isn’t what we discussed last week. The plan was to dismantle Omega Sector and cripple law enforcement in general. To start a revolution.”

  “Revolutions take time, Fawkes. We talked about that, too.”

  Fawkes rolled his eyes. “Harper’s actions are not part of the revolution.”

  “You guys quit talking about me like I’m not even here,” Harper finally spoke up. “I’m not a part of no revolution. I just want revenge for what happened to my dad.”

  Fawkes looked like he was ready to pounce on Harper again. To kill the smaller man. That wasn’t good. Damien still needed Harper to fulfill a purpose.

  Damien stood and walked over to the two men. “Curtis, let Mr. Fawkes and me talk privately for a while. You get some rest. Our plan to eliminate Ashton Fitzgerald is still in play, don’t you worry. I’m going to help you. I have a plan.”

  The plan also involved both Summer Worrall and Harper’s deaths, but that was probably better left unmentioned.

  Damien put his arm around Harper’s shoulder and walked him to another bedroom. He showed him “the wall”—an impressive collection of maps, pictures, newspaper clippings. Like something straight out of a super-spy movie.

  Some of it was junk, but not all of it. Damien had no doubt when the brilliant profiling minds at Omega finally saw the wall, they’d be able to put together the clues. To follow the breadcrumbs Damien was leaving them about his next intended victims. And there were many.

  Whether they’d figure it out in time wasn’t really Damien’s problem. If they did, he’d just move on to someone else.

  Of course, Agent Fitzgerald wouldn’t be helping them figure out the next victims. He’d be too busy mourning the current ones or hopefully be dead himself.

  How well Damien remembered those early days of losing Natalie. When the grief was so fresh he couldn’t breathe because of it, much less do anything functional.

  Omega Sector would know that grief. The unbearable grief. And then Fawkes would take over with his revolution and tear the entire place down.

  Harper walked over in awe of the wall, as Damien knew he would be.

  “Wow, this looks like something from out of one of those CSI shows or something.”

  Damien smiled. “A good plan is the backbone of any successful mission. And we have one.” Damien gestured at the wall. “You just need to trust me. You know you can trust me, right, Curtis? We want the same thing.”

  Harper nodded, obviously as clueless as he’d ever been. “Yeah, Damien. I know I can trust you.”

  Damien talked to Harper for a few more minutes, promising him his revenge against Ashton Fitzgerald soon, before walking Harper to the door.

  “I’ll be in touch, don’t worry.”

  Harper smiled. “As long as Fitzgerald’s dead at the end of this, I’ll give you the time you need.”

  You had to admire a simple-minded man’s single focus. He slapped Harper on the back. “Absolutely.”

  He closed the door behind him as Harper left.

  “Harper is an idiot, you know.” Fawkes had relaxed a little with Harper’s exit, although Damien doubted the man ever relaxed completely. Some people didn’t.

  “Harper is weakening a piece of Omega’s Critical Response Division, no matter how small. That’s all that matters.”

  “They know it’s him. They already found forensic evidence of him on the roof. I’m sure they’ll find more at Summer Worrall’s place. They’ll be hunting him.�
�

  Damien rubbed his palms together. “That’s fine. Because Curtis Harper is expendable in our greater plan. Don’t forget that.”

  Fawkes sighed. “Harper isn’t smart enough to stay out of Omega Sector’s clutches for long. They’ve been studying his patterns and known associates all day. They’ll catch him soon.”

  “Hopefully not before he’s served his ultimate purpose, but if so, we can adapt.”

  “Aren’t you afraid Harper will implicate you? I know he only knows your first name, but I’m surprised you brought him here at all.”

  Damien smiled and walked into the kitchen. “Curtis leading Omega agents here is part of my ultimate plan.”

  “But they’ll know who you are. They’ll be hunting you.”

  “They’re already hunting me. This will just make them a little more diligent about it. So I hope Curtis Harper’s limited information about me will lead them straight here and eventually directly to me. I want Omega’s eyes wide open about who they’re fighting. I want them to know from where their destruction comes.”

  “If they ‘know from where their destruction comes—’” mockery tinged Fawkes’ voice “—they’re going to be much more likely to try to defend themselves. Don’t underestimate them.”

  “I don’t underestimate them.” Damien lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. “I just don’t underestimate myself, either.”

  Fawkes sighed. “Why is Summer Worrall even being brought into this? Our fight is not with her.”

  Natalie’s face came to his mind. Her face right before Omega Sector had burst into their home, killing her. She hadn’t even looked surprised.

  Oh yes, his fight very much was with Summer Worrall. She was a loved one of Omega Sector. Just like Natalie had been a loved one of his.

  Therefore she had to die.

  He looked at Fawkes. “Our fight is with anyone who has aligned themselves with members of Omega Sector. If we keep their focus outward, they’ll miss what’s really happening until it’s too late to do anything about it.”