Nightwatch

by Valerie Hansen

  Gravel crunched ahead as heavy vehicles rolled over it. That kind of distinctive sound had to be coming from the parking area Mitch had mentioned. They must be very close.

  Jill ducked behind a massive tree and listened. Car doors were closing up ahead but not being slammed the way she’d expected. There were no wailing sirens, either.

  Cautious, she stretched just far enough to peek around the oak, then turned and whispered, “The cops are there. I can see one of their light bars but it’s not flashing. I think they’re sneaking up on the building.”

  “Good. Now we stay put ’til they get done.”

  “It’s okay. They can’t see me.” Instead of heeding Mitch’s orders she darted to a closer tree.

  “Stop. That’s far enough.” Mitch said. Following, he grabbed the back edge of her jacket and held on.

  She was about to turn and give him the fiercest look she could manage when she heard a dull crack. Then another.

  A metal door banged open at the end of the building. Men began to shout. The sounds that had been muffled while taking place inside were now clearly identifiable as gunshots. Varying pitch told her there had to be more than one caliber being fired.

  Jill was yanked backward so suddenly she almost fell. Mitch pinned her to the tree, sheltering her with his body while the shooting continued.

  Bullets impacted glass and metal, sending shockwaves through the otherwise quiet woods. The police cars were being hit! And she had been right in the line of fire before Mitch had jerked her out of danger.

  She owed him her life, her well-being, and soon she would thank him. For the moment, however, she was too frightened, too shocked, to speak.

  Eyes closed tightly, she was just beginning to appreciate the sense of protection Mitch’s closeness was imparting when he abruptly left her.

  She blinked and looked for him. He had stepped into the middle of the road to block someone’s path. Since it wasn’t a police officer, it had to be of one of the fleeing criminals.

  Instead of trying to evade Mitch, however, the man rushed forward and tackled him like a football player!

  The shiny silver metal of a gun barrel flashed in the sunlight as both men went down.

  Mitch made a grab for the hand holding the gun as they grappled and struggled.

  Jill couldn’t speak, couldn’t even scream.

  The gun barked. Twice. Time stood still. She thought she was going to be sick when she saw the darkly clad man push off, leap up and continue down the road.

  Mitch lay on his back in the dirt, barely moving.

  The gun battle on the factory grounds felt as if it had lasted forever. In reality, it was over in less than a minute. Jill supposed that was a good thing because she’d been holding her breath ever since she’d seen Mitch fall.

  Mitch! Her heart tugged her toward him despite the possibility of ongoing mayhem.

  She came in low, then dropped to her knees beside him as he began to stir. “Oh, Mitch.”

  His first words touched her deeply when he asked, “Are you all right?” She changed her mind the minute he added, “That was the dumbest stunt I’ve ever seen. I should have tied you to the big tree when I had the chance.”

  Jill didn’t know what to say. Argument was out of the question, mainly because she agreed with him. It wasn’t much fun hearing that low an opinion of her intelligence, though, even if she did happen to deserve it.

  She figured Mitch was probably as scared as she was in spite of his macho attitude so she put aside her rancor and offered him her hand. “I take it you’re not wounded after all. Want some help?”

  Mitch grimaced and got to his feet without aid. “I can manage. Did you get a good look at the guy?”

  “Not hardly. He was in your face, not mine. Do you know who he was?”

  “No. I didn’t recognize him. Is the shooting over?”

  “Sounds like it.”

  “Then why are you standing here? I thought sure you’d be storming the place looking for Megan.”

  “I—I…” Jill’s head whipped around. She hated to admit it, even to herself, but when she’d believed Mitch had been shot, every other lucid thought had instantly vanished. “I was just going,” she finally decided to say. “You coming?”

  “Yeah.” He was dusting himself off.

  Waiting until he stepped forward, she hoped she was successfully masking her terror. Right now she figured she’d be fortunate to even walk, let alone reach the parking lot by herself, and it was her fondest desire to hide that weakness from Mitch.

  To her relief, he took her arm. The mere touch of his hand on her sleeve gave her strength. Jill figured she shouldn’t complain that he was glaring at her and wincing with almost every step. At least he was still there. Still supportive.

  They paused before making the mutual decision to show themselves. The sheriff’s car looked unscathed but several of the others sported fresh bullet holes and fractured glass.

  Jill found the added energy she needed to cross the lot and confront Harlan as soon as she spotted him. “Was Megan in there? Did you find her?” she asked, breathless.

  “Nope. No sign of her.” He frowned, looking first at Jill, then at Mitch. “What are you two doing here?”

  “I parked on the dirt trail in back so I could block it,” Mitch said. “Just in case y’all had forgotten there was another way out.” He was brushing more leaves and twigs off his shoulders as he spoke. “Some guy flattened me when he ran past us. Sorry I wasn’t able to stop him.”

  “You’re lucky I don’t arrest you both for obstructing justice,” Harlan said. He huffed and gave them a cynical look that reminded Jill of the way Mitch had looked at her. “I don’t suppose you remembered to pull the keys out of your truck, did you?” Harlan asked with arching brows.

  Jill’s eyes widened and she saw the color drain from Mitch’s face.

  “Never mind,” Harlan said. “He’d probably have it hot-wired by now in any case. Go see if it’s gone like I think it is. If so, I’ll put out an APB and maybe we’ll get a break.”

  Penitent, Jill realized that the probable loss of Mitch’s truck was as much her fault as it was his. Maybe more so.

  She waited with the sheriff. Mitch wasn’t gone long. The disheartened expression on his face when he returned was telling.

  “Gone?” she asked.

  Mitch nodded.

  Harlan broadcast the vehicle’s description and the general area where it might be by this time.

  Jill stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets. What a morning this had been. And still no Megan. Nothing else really mattered except finding that sweet little thing.

  Jill’s plummeting mood was not only because they had been disappointed by reality, it was also because she’d been so wrong about God’s intervention on their behalf. She’d been positive that they were going to be there when the child was rescued. Positive. And where had it gotten her? Nowhere, except maybe onto Mitch’s list of the most clueless people he’d ever known.

  There was only one thing to do. She forced herself to smile as best she could and stepped directly in front of him. “I need to apologize.”

  “Don’t worry about the truck. It’s insured.”

  “It’s not just that,” Jill insisted as she labored to keep the nervous quaver out of her voice. “It’s everything. I might have gotten you killed back there.”

  “Forget it. I’m fine.”

  “Well, I’m not,” she said.

  If she’d been certain that he wouldn’t shove her away she’d have moved even closer, slipped her arms around Mitch’s waist and laid her cheek on his chest. Unfortunately, his somber, brooding expression had not changed except to deepen and she was convinced he was still very upset with her.

  Jill knew that her days of not caring how Mitch felt had long passed, never to return. She was also sure that it would be wisest to leave him alone and let him get over his anger in his own time. Convincing herself to back away from him, however, was extremely
difficult so she simply stood there, mute and motionless.

  Suddenly, the decision was taken from her. Mitch put out his arm and shoved her to the side, pushing her behind him as if trying to shield her.

  Looking in the direction he was staring, she was as shocked as Mitch. The deputies were bringing three men out of the building in handcuffs. Two were rough-looking strangers. The other was Thad Pearson.

  “What are those men under arrest for?” Mitch asked the sheriff.

  “Illegal gambling. Apparently there’s been gaming going on inside for months. If we hadn’t gotten the false Amber Alert we might never have stumbled on it.”

  “Do you think somebody was trying to tip you off?”

  “Maybe. Maybe not.” He gave Mitch a lopsided smile. “Boyd’s car’s pretty shot up and the chief of police is planning to keep his people here for a while. This place is inside the city limits so it’s his jurisdiction. Can I offer you two a ride back into town?”

  Jill paused. “Are you positive there was no sign of any children here? Whoever reported hearing a baby crying must have heard something.”

  “Not necessarily. It could have been a sore loser’s way of gettin’ even by callin’ the cops.”

  “Oh. I hadn’t thought of that.”

  The light pressure of Mitch’s arm around her shoulders was so welcome it brought unshed tears. He might be mad as a wet hen at her, yet he was still looking after her, still offering the comfort she so desperately needed.

  She would have liked to have been able to properly thank him but she knew if she tried to speak and saw any pity or similar emotion in his eyes, she’d start to cry again. She’d done far, far too much of that already. Weeping didn’t solve a thing, nor did it express her true emotions. What she needed to do was thank the Lord that no one had been hurt, in spite of her mistakes, and praise Him for the man who was willing to put aside his own feelings for the sake of others, including her.

  Gratitude filled her. So did a sense of growing peace. Jill didn’t care that that feeling made no earthly sense. It was enough to simply rest in it. For now.

  By the time Mitch and Jill reached the sheriff’s office the missing truck—and the thief—had been located and dealt with.

  “Thanks,” Mitch said, eyeing his vehicle. “I guess we can chalk one up for the good guys.”

  “More than one,” Harlan said. “We’ve known there was gambling going on for a long time but this is our first bust. I’m hopin’ it’ll lead to more.”

  “What about Thad? Will he get to post bail?”

  The portly shoulders shrugged. “Probably. Why?”

  “Because, I heard he’s been running Rob’s business single-handedly since the fire. I’d hate to see it go under just because he’s stuck in jail.”

  Jill piped up, “He wasn’t responsible for the gambling, was he? I mean, he was just betting. Right?”

  “That’s how it looked to us.”

  “Okay,” Mitch said. “Let me know if Thad needs bail and I’ll see what I can do.”

  As they left the sheriff, Jill asked Mitch, “What are you planning?”

  “I don’t know yet. Thad had been coming to church with his brother fairly regularly. I thought I’d notify Logan Malloy and see if he wanted to make a pastoral visit while Thad’s in jail.” He smiled. “Sometimes falling on hard times can wake a man up to what’s missing in his life.”

  “What about the factory? What will happen to it now that Thad’s not working?”

  “I don’t know. I suppose I should ask him if he needs any help. Trouble is, I have no idea how to run the place and I don’t know of anybody else who does either.”

  Jill nodded slowly, thoughtfully. “I suppose contacting Natalie is out of the question?”

  “Humph. It would probably be better to shut the place down completely and wait for Thad to get out of jail than it would be to let her get her hands on it.”

  “I suppose you’re right. I’m certainly not looking forward to running into her again.”

  Mitch rested his arm lightly around Jill’s shoulders, taking care to keep his touch as innocent and nonchalant as possible, while he walked her back to her Jeep. “Don’t worry. I’ll be sure I’m with you the next time you go to court. I wouldn’t have missed the last time if the chief hadn’t been delayed getting to the station.”

  “I know. And thanks for everything.”

  His heart gave a lurch when she gazed up at him with such evident affection and gratitude. “My pleasure,” Mitch said. Meaning to use humor to diminish the seriousness of the moment he added, “It was fun throwing you into a pile of leaves.”

  Her blue eyes widened and reflected the bright spring sky. Turning sideways, Jill placed her hand flat on his chest as she gazed up at him and said, “We both know you risked your life to keep me from getting shot, Mitch.”

  Instead of taking advantage of the opportunity to confess his deep feelings for her, he convinced himself to wait. Too much was happening. Things were moving too fast.

  He and Jill had developed a strong friendship over the course of the past two years. Taking that camaraderie to a new level and changing everything in a matter of days didn’t make sense. At least not to him. He was a logical man who thought things through. It was Jill who jumped into trouble with both feet and then wondered how to get out of it. His responsibility was to keep his wits about him.

  Touching the brim of his cap, smiling and nodding politely, he distanced himself from emotional involvement by saying, “Just doing my job, ma’am.”

  Instead of the grin he’d expected in return, Jill looked surprised. Then, she abruptly turned away, climbed into her Jeep and slammed the door.

  Standing there staring after her as she drove off, Mitch wondered if he looked half as befuddled as he felt. What in the world was wrong with her? She certainly hadn’t been behaving normally lately. Then again, he supposed nobody who was involved with the Pearson family could remain unaffected by the ongoing tragedy.

  Ideas forming rapidly, he waited until Jill was out of sight, then turned and entered the sheriff’s office. He might not be an official part of the investigation into Megan’s disappearance but he did have some rights. Anything pertaining to the original fire was his concern. So was whatever happened to the site in the future, as long as he allowed his imagination to stretch the truth some. Maybe he could convince Harlan to share a few more details or even allow him to speak with Thad now that Jill wasn’t present.

  Thinking of the parting look she’d given him, Mitch wondered if she’d been angry or confused or what? He’d assumed she’d been sharing his lighthearted mood until she’d turned on her heel and stalked off. Women. There was no understanding them. After all he’d done for her, all the times he’d stepped up and volunteered, why was she acting as if she hated the sight of him?

  Mitch’s jaw muscles clenched. He had teased her about it but Jill had been right when she’d claimed he’d saved her life. That should have proved his devotion if nothing else did. So what was her problem?

  SIXTEEN

  As far as Jill was concerned the whole morning had been a disaster, ending with Mitch’s offhanded comment about her welfare being nothing more than part of his job. She was too weary to rest, too angry to think straight and too upset to eat, although it was past lunch-time.

  That didn’t leave much else except going home and trying to lose herself in her farm chores until it was time to pick up the boys. She supposed she could do that. Or she could continue to drive aimlessly around town making useless wishes about locating Megan the way she had been for the past hour.

  Nothing made sense, least of all the abduction of the child. The police had checked the alibis of every person involved in the case as well as running down nearby registered sex offenders. No leads had panned out. Not even the most distasteful ones.

  Was it possible Megan was really safe and sound somewhere and being watched over by someone who cared about her? That was almost too much to hope for,
yet Jill’s mind insisted it was a possibility.

  Of course it was. Anything was. But she was no fool. She knew what the odds were. Every hour that passed meant a lessening chance that the toddler would survive. It was that simple. And there was absolutely nothing Jill could do about it. That was what hurt so much.

  She had been traveling without meaningful direction, hardly noting what neighborhoods lay outside her Jeep. That’s why when she saw that she’d subconsciously driven toward the airport, she was taken aback.

  “Could this be a sign?” she asked herself. Chuckling in self-disgust, she answered, “Sure. Just like the gambling den was. Get real.”

  Nevertheless, she pulled off the road and cruised around to the back of the Pearson Products warehouse where the employees parked. There were no other cars present, which was not all that surprising considering Thad’s recent arrest. If he’d been operating the place by himself, as everyone assumed, there would be no reason for activity.

  Still sitting behind the wheel, Jill turned the key, then clasped her hands and closed her eyes. “Okay, Lord, here I am. Now what?”

  She felt silly praying that way but she didn’t know what else to do, where else to go. Had random chance brought her here or was there an actual reason for it?

  A better question might be, was it important? Somehow she sensed that it was, although details totally escaped her. She’d already exhausted her imagination. There was nothing left but to turn to God and trust Him.

  Her forehead rested against her clasped hands on the steering wheel. She closed her eyes. Birds called. Insects began to buzz. The sun streaming through the windows warmed her and made her drowsy as she prayed.

  When her driver’s side door was jerked open and a hand clamped over her face, she tried to scream.

  Mitch kept his palm pressed over Jill’s mouth until he was sure she’d realized it was him. “Hush.” He frowned. “What are you doing here?”