Last Stand Ranch

by Jenna Night

  She shrugged off his sympathy, wanting to finish the story. “He shoved me a few times. Hard. I knew something was wrong, but at the time I felt like any connection with another human being was better than feeling alone.”

  “But you broke up with him.”

  She sighed and nodded. “Eventually. I worked hard to rebuild my life after that. To make things better.” She glanced out the side window. “I should have come out here. But Aunt Claudia didn’t even cross my mind at the time. Instead, I prayed more than I ever had in my life. Eventually I found a therapist and that helped, too.”

  “So that’s how you chose your career path?”

  “I wanted to help people who were stuck in the same place I had been. Plenty of people say ‘Let me know if you need anything’ to someone in an obvious bind. They sincerely mean it, but you know what you really need if you’re in serious trouble? You need someone to say ‘here’s a safe place to stay’ or ‘I brought you some groceries.’ Something practical like that.”

  She turned to him. “You need someone to say, ‘here’s my cell phone and I’ll wait with you until the tow truck comes.’”

  He was quiet for a moment. “That’s what Vanquish the Darkness does,” he said.

  And there it was. That emotional step back.

  Subtle, but it was there. She got the hint. His help wasn’t anything personal.

  So be it. If Elijah wanted to keep her safe until the cops found whoever was after her, and then disappear from her life, that was fine with her.

  Raymond walked up to the truck as they pulled into Claudia’s driveway.

  “What’s going on?” he asked as Elijah grabbed the chain saw from the bed of the truck and set it on the ground.

  “Just going to do a little trimming.”

  “I take care of that around here.” Raymond frowned. “Tell me what you need and I’ll get it done.”

  “It’s not for looks. I want to make sure there’s no place for anybody to hide. And it needs to be done before it gets dark.”

  “I can do things to help look out for the ladies, too, you know.” Raymond crossed his arms over his chest.

  “I’m sure you can,” Elijah said. “What I need you to do right now is check all the outside lights. I’ve brought a few spare bulbs if we need them. And we’re going to install some stronger locks on all the house’s exterior doors.”

  Jonathan, who’d arrived just ahead of them, grabbed a box of bulbs from the back of the truck and handed it to Raymond.

  Raymond looked at them with a slight frown still on his lips.

  “What can I do to help?” Olivia asked.

  “Go inside.” Elijah gestured for Jonathan to go with her. Then he scanned the area around the front of the house while he grabbed a pair of leather work gloves from the truck and put them on. He picked up the chain saw. “Rest your arm and shoulder.”

  “He’s a real charmer sometimes,” Raymond groused as Elijah strode toward the thick hedges where Claudia’s property met the road.

  “Yeah.” Olivia watched Elijah walking away. Yet he does have his moments.

  But then her thoughts drifted to the reason for all this activity. The shooter was still out there. And she didn’t even know who he was. She didn’t want to think about who might want to kill her other than Ted Kurtz, but she had to consider all the possibilities. The familiar feeling of claustrophobic panic she’d had while hiding in Las Vegas began to worm its way into the back of her mind, speeding up her pulse and making her feel as if she wanted to jump out of her own skin. She needed to get moving. Get her mind off herself.

  “Maybe this is a good time for me to help clean up one of the sheds,” she said. She gestured toward a wooden shed close to the house. “Organizing things helps me calm down when I have the jitters.”

  Raymond looked at her shoulder. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “I still have one good arm. At the very least I can take a look inside and come up with a plan to put things in order. And you and Elijah are right here. I won’t be out here alone.” She understood she needed to be careful. But she couldn’t live with being caged up, spending her days hidden indoors. She’d promised herself when she left Las Vegas that she’d never put herself through that again.

  “Well, if you want to clean up that dusty old shed, I’m not going to stop you,” Raymond said.

  Elijah powered up the chain saw, gunning the motor until the high-pitched whine sent Claudia’s cats running from the flower bed.

  “Those cats have the right idea,” Olivia hollered above the noise. “Let’s get away from this racket. I’ll change clothes, then if you’ll help me find some gloves I’ll get to work.”

  * * *

  “The outside lights are taken care of,” Raymond reported to Elijah as the afternoon sunlight began darkening into early evening. “I’ve walked by every light fixture equipped with a motion sensor and made certain they all work.”

  “I upgraded all the locks,” Jonathan said. He handed a ring with several keys over to Claudia.

  Elijah nodded. “Good.” He’d feel better when everyone was safely inside the house for the night.

  It was almost dinnertime. Everyone was milling around in Claudia’s kitchen. The tossed salad and a basket of rolls were already on the table. The only thing left was for Denise’s tamale pie to finish baking in the oven.

  “I got a few things straightened out in that shed by the north end of the house,” Olivia said as she washed her good hand in the kitchen sink and splashed a little water on the other hand to rinse off the dust.

  Elijah caught her eye as she dried her hands on a dish towel. He didn’t smile at her. They’d already had one short, sharp conversation about her cleaning out that shed. He thought it was a foolish thing for her to do.

  “I barely remember what’s in that shed,” Claudia said.

  Olivia turned to her. “Let me go back out after dinner and finish it up before you look. I need to get the gloves I left out there, anyway.”

  “I’ll finish it and I’ll get your gloves for you,” Elijah said.

  “If you think it’s dangerous for me to be out there, come with me.”

  Elijah nodded. He’d slip out there and take care of things for her after dinner.

  A kitchen timer went off. Denise grabbed a couple of pot holders, took the tamale pie out of the oven and set it on the counter.

  “Hiring someone to help with the cooking around here was one of the best decisions I ever made.” Claudia leaned toward the casserole dish on the counter and sniffed. “It smells delicious.”

  “Oh, and here are the vitamins to take with your supper.” Denise handed her a bottle.

  “Oh, yeah. I’d forgotten about those.”

  “We all need reminders sometimes.” Denise gave Elijah a significant look behind Claudia’s back.

  Elijah wasn’t sure what it meant. Was she telling him Claudia had memory problems? He’d never noticed that. He glanced at Claudia. The passage of time demanded its toll from everybody. He should probably keep a closer eye on her.

  Their workday done, Denise and Raymond left through the back door and headed for the cottage and their own dinner.

  Claudia, Olivia, Jonathan and Elijah shared a quiet meal. Nobody wanted to talk about Ted Kurtz or the shooting, and for the moment Elijah left the topic alone. After they finished eating, Olivia sighed and pulled her phone from her pocket. “I should probably make some phone calls I’ve been avoiding. It’s just after seven o’clock. Everybody should be home from work by now.” She stood up and pushed in her chair. “If you want to leave the dishes, I’ll clean up when I’m done.”

  Elijah watched her walk toward the den. She was moving in a kind of wobbly way. She’d done too much today.

  “Thanks for taking her to the job
interview,” Claudia said.

  “My pleasure.” And he meant it—despite the occasional grumpiness, he enjoyed being around her. Elijah thought of her laugh back at the retirement center. Her kindness as she spoke to Arthur. The strength she showed in sharing with him about her family and the abusive relationship she’d been in. She was a strong, resilient woman.

  Just then Olivia laughed.

  “Who’s she talking to?” Elijah asked.

  Claudia raised an eyebrow. “Jealous?”

  Jonathan snickered. Elijah glared at him until he stopped.

  “Just curious.” Olivia hadn’t talked much about her life in Las Vegas. Had she left someone special behind? A man, maybe?

  “She told me she was going to call her parents tonight.”

  “Good.” Elijah stood and started collecting the plates. Maybe somehow this whole experience could help repair her relationship with her parents. Bring them closer together.

  “After she talks to them, she mentioned that she’s going to call a friend she used to work with at the women’s shelter. A lawyer who volunteered there. She might have some news or ideas about who could be stalking Olivia other than Kurtz.”

  Jonathan stood and started helping Elijah clear the table. “That girl’s been through a lot,” Claudia said. “I’m afraid she’s in too much of a hurry to get back to living a normal life.”

  Elijah thought the same thing. A few minutes later Olivia walked into the kitchen. Jonathan was filling the sink with soap and water while Claudia poured cat and dog food into colorful bowls. Elijah figured it was as good a time as any to talk about security. Jonathan would be sleeping on the sofa by the front door tonight. Elijah would take the daybed in the small office off the kitchen, near the back door. Both men would be armed.

  “Stay away from the windows,” he warned both women. “When you turn on the lights in your rooms, keep them low so you don’t cast an obvious shadow.”

  Claudia nodded soberly.

  Olivia began to chew on her bottom lip. Her phone chimed and she looked at the screen. “It’s a text from my friend, Vanessa. I left a voice mail for her earlier. She should be home in a few minutes and she’ll call me.”

  “Don’t tell her too much about where you are,” Elijah warned.

  “Vanessa’s the least of my worries.”

  Jonathan turned to Claudia. “Why don’t you put your feet up and watch a movie? Take your mind off things. I’ll take care of the dishes.”

  “Fine by me.” Claudia settled down in the den with all three dogs and one cat. Elijah walked through the house, closing the blinds and turning down the lights. He also took the opportunity to bring in his rifle from the truck.

  Jonathan had finished the dishes and Olivia was on her phone in the kitchen when Elijah came back, so he walked through the house again, double-checking that all the doors were bolted and the windows were locked. When he returned to the kitchen, Olivia was off the phone.

  “Vanessa’s booking a flight to Flagstaff.” Olivia offered him a tired smile. “She’ll be here tomorrow.”

  Elijah felt a low-level internal alarm go off. “I hope you told her to keep quiet about your location.”

  Olivia scoffed. “She’s not going to say anything to anybody.” She shoved the kitchen’s swinging door open and walked toward the dining area at the front of the house. At the same time a light flickered outside. Someone was in the driveway.

  “Get down!” Elijah grabbed Olivia’s arm and pulled her beneath the wooden dining table. Then he sprang up to flick off the lights and grab his pistol from the end table where he’d set it. “Jon!” Standing to the side of the window, Elijah moved a corner of the curtain to peek outside.

  Jonathan ran in from the den, gun in his hand. “What is it?”

  Olivia’s phone rang. She drew in an audible, ragged breath. “Looks like Deputy Bedford is calling.” Her voice was shaky. She put the phone to her ear. “Hello.”

  Elijah’s heart pounded in his chest. “Get Aunt Claudia!” he ordered his brother.

  “It’s all right,” Olivia called out, starting to crawl out from beneath the table. “Deputy Bedford is outside. The lights are from his patrol car.”

  A knock sounded at the door. Furious, Elijah strode over to yank it open. “Maybe you could call before you drive up next time.”

  “I can do that,” Bedford said evenly. He stepped into the foyer and stopped, nodding at Jonathan. “You two are staying here? Not a bad idea.”

  Claudia walked in from the den. “Good evening, Deputy. Is something wrong?”

  “Sorry to bother you. I’m at the end of my shift and on my way home. I stopped by because I have some information I’m authorized to share with you.” He turned to Olivia.

  Elijah stepped up behind her. Just as a reminder he was there for her and she wasn’t alone in this.

  “The Feds have found ties between Kurtz and at least two professional killers,” Bedford said. “One is named Lucas Powers. He works for a mobster Kurtz has defended several times and he’s currently under surveillance in Los Angeles. The other assassin is only known via electronic media intercepts. The Feds have assigned him the colorful code name of Sidewinder. Right now there are no known details about Sidewinder. He, or she, is a complete mystery.”

  Elijah set his hand on Olivia’s shoulder. He could feel her trembling.

  “Thank you for letting me know,” Olivia said quietly.

  “You’re welcome.” He gave a slight nod. “Good night.” Bedford left and Jonathan locked the door behind him.

  “Professional killer,” Jonathan muttered as they all stepped back into the living room.

  Olivia gasped, her face suddenly red and her eyes brimming with tears. Claudia wrapped an arm around her and pulled her to her side.

  “It’s all right. Elijah’s a professional, too,” Jonathan said.

  Elijah looked at him.

  “Professionally trained soldier,” Jonathan quickly added.

  Olivia turned to Elijah. Fear haunted her eyes and tears rolled down her cheeks. His determination to protect her became an absolute conviction. The sheriff’s department was doing all they could to hunt down the shooter. Until they succeeded, Elijah would stay by her side.

  TEN

  Olivia found herself drawn toward wakefulness from the depths of dreamless sleep. Something tugged at her, prodding her senses and demanding her attention.

  She had a fleeting, watery image of a dark forest. Tents and lanterns and the scent of a campfire. The very strong scent of a campfire.

  Aware that she was awake, eyes not yet open, she rolled over in bed and stretched. Strangely, she still smelled the campfire. Her eyes flew open as the terrifying realization exploded like a star. Fire!

  She sat up and looked around her bedroom. The small lamp by her bed was still on. The book she’d been reading had slipped to the floor. She was still dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. She looked to the window where a sinister orange light rippled and waved at her through the spaces between the slats in the blinds.

  After Deputy Bedford left and she’d had a minute to just sit, her injured shoulder had started to throb. Elijah was right; she’d overdone it, but there was no way she’d admit that to him.

  She’d taken a painkiller and watched a little bit of a movie with Aunt Claudia until her eyelids had gotten heavy. Then she’d gone upstairs to read. She must have fallen asleep.

  Now she quickly got off the bed and strode over to the window to yank open the blinds.

  The shed she’d worked in earlier was burning, surrounded by wiggling orange flames. Gray smoke speckled with glowing embers swirled and billowed into the night sky.

  A fire department water tanker rumbled by the side of the house, firefighters already jumping off and jogging ahead toward the fire. T
he sensor-activated lights outside the bigger buildings were on, but the smoke was so thick it was hard to see anything that wasn’t burning.

  A couple pickup trucks drove past the house and parked near a barn. The occupants hurried out and grabbed shovels and rakes from the truck beds. Volunteer firefighters rushing to help.

  Olivia needed to get out there and help, too.

  She grabbed a pair of shoes off the floor and raced down the hall to Claudia’s room to make sure she was okay.

  “Aunt Claudia!” Olivia pounded on the door. “Aunt Claudia!” No answer. Fear flared through her chest and she pounded a few more times before opening the door.

  A lamp glowed on a nightstand, showing Claudia’s three pampered rescue dogs huddled on the rumpled bed. Otherwise, the room was empty.

  Olivia pulled the door shut and headed for the stairs.

  Several lamps were on downstairs and faint traces of smoke hovered in the air. She jogged to the kitchen, following the sound of voices.

  Jonathan and Claudia were in the kitchen, talking while staring through the glass door at the flames.

  “What happened?” Olivia cried out.

  “Fire broke out maybe fifteen minutes ago,” Claudia said, her voice a strange monotone. “Raymond called it in. Elijah was still awake, heard the commotion and went outside. Jonathan came and got me.”

  Oh, no! Poor Aunt Claudia.

  “Why didn’t anyone wake me?” Olivia demanded. “Let me get my shoes on.” They were still in her hands. She grabbed a chair and plopped down. “I can go out there and help.”

  “I don’t think so,” Jonathan said quietly.

  Olivia’s head snapped up. “Why not?”

  “Elijah told me to keep an eye on you and Aunt Claudia. And he specifically told me to keep you inside. The fire could be a diversion to get you to go out into the darkness where someone could grab you.”

  “You think this could be because of me?” Olivia asked, her rush of adrenaline suddenly bottoming out. And then a terrible realization struck her. “I left the light on,” she whispered in horror.