Danger in Deer Ridge (Blackthorne, Inc.)

by Terry Odell

  “I guess so,” she said.

  “Why do the bad guys want to hurt Daddy? Was it because he used to hurt you?”

  The world through the eyes of an eight-year-old, where everything balanced out. “Oh, honey, I don’t know. Let’s wait for Grinch.”

  “How did he know to come for us?”

  “I don’t know that either.”

  “I’m glad he did. He’s nicer than Daddy.”

  Victor’s words bounced through Elizabeth’s head like a tennis ball at a Grand Slam.

  You’re still my wife. Wife. Mine. Legally mine. Still mine.

  Which was true, but his reminder tied her belly in knots. That he hadn’t mentioned Will being his son pulled them tighter.

  The driver’s door opened, and Grinch hopped behind the wheel and started the van. “Buckle up.”

  “Where are we going?” Elizabeth asked.

  “Back to my place. I need help with dinner.”

  Even Will wouldn’t buy that one. But she’d seen the guns on the men at the door. Heard the smacks of flesh against flesh. Heard Victor’s pleading for them to stop. So she kept her mouth shut, thankful Will was out of there.

  Grinch wasn’t offering any enlightenment, although he was wearing one of the headsets he’d worn at the cabin. So he wasn’t alone. Could Dalton or Ryan be nearby? She had no idea what the range was on those things. She thought she heard him talking, but couldn’t make out the words. And where was Dylan?

  She reached across the seat for Will’s hand. For now, his safety was all that mattered. When she’d helped Will out the window into Grinch’s awaiting hands, she’d committed her trust. She’d trust him to explain when he was ready.

  They arrived at Grinch’s house. He pulled up close to the front door. “Last stop, everybody out,” he said. But the lighthearted tone he’d used on the helicopter was gone. “Tell Cheese I’m waiting, please.”

  So, Cheese must be staying with Dylan. “Okay.”

  Elizabeth preceded Will into the entry. The smell of popcorn filled the air. Cheese appeared from the hall. “Hi, Will. Dylan’s watching movies. Why don’t you join him?”

  Elizabeth gave Will a squeeze. “Go on. Have fun.”

  Once Will was out of earshot, Cheese took her hand. “You all right?”

  “Fine. Feeling a little out of the loop. Again. I suppose I should be used to it. Is Dylan all right?” Since Grinch hadn’t come inside to check, she assumed he didn’t want to come in and have to turn around and leave again. Easier on Dylan that way.

  “We had a great time. I caught up on Toy Story.” Cheese glanced over her shoulder, toward the door.

  “Thanks, then. Grinch said he’s waiting.”

  “Roger that. Sorry to dash off.” And he was gone.

  Gravel spewed in the driveway, and then the only sound in the house was the television and boyish giggling. Maybe being oblivious was best for them, but it sure as heck wasn’t working for her.

  After reassuring the boys that everything was fine, she let them know she’d be upstairs, then started the water for a long-overdue soak in the tub. And immediately twisted the taps off. What if something happened? Just what she needed—to be caught in the bathtub, with the boys alone downstairs.

  As soon as whatever was going on was over, she and Will were moving out of Grinch’s place. Grinch was a wonderful man, but to him, she’d been a job assignment. And she had no clue how she felt about him deep down. What would he be like when she was no longer an assignment?

  She’d come here to start a new life, and that’s exactly what she was going to do. On her own. Dependent on nobody. Take the time to get to know Elizabeth. Since Victor knew she was alive, there was no need to hide.

  Or was there? Would he come after her again, seeking some kind of retribution for being fooled? Or would he go on with the charade, letting everyone know his wife and son had died? If she promised to cut all ties, none of his social circle needed to know she’d outwitted him.

  On the other hand, the Victor she’d seen tonight had problems far more serious than losing face with his peers.

  She gathered all the dirty clothes and went down to the laundry room. Clean clothes, clean start. The boys were engrossed in their movie, and Chester had made it onto the couch, his head resting in Dylan’s lap, Will stroking his back. She lingered in the doorway, savoring the moment. Because that’s all it was. A moment.

  Upstairs again, she packed everything she and Will had brought to Grinch’s. The rest of her things—she hoped—were at her rental. But before she could get on with her life, there were a few things she had to do.

  * * * * *

  Cheese jumped into the van, and Grinch peeled away.

  “Is Dylan all right?” Grinch asked.

  “Everyone’s fine. Dog included. Any updates?”

  “When I left, they were waiting on orders.”

  Arriving at Elizabeth’s house, Grinch parked the van where he’d first left it. He’d been gone under thirty minutes, which was three lifetimes in some ops, a nanosecond in others. “Vehicle in position. Sitrep?”

  Dalton’s voice came through. “Waiting for an update from Jinx. Glad you could make it.”

  “You left Victor at their mercy?” Grinch had no fondness, no respect for the man, but it wasn’t like Blackthorne, Inc. to leave an innocent—regardless of how loosely the term applied to Victor—in harm’s way.

  “Of course not.” Dalton appeared at Grinch’s side. “However, the tangos decided to demonstrate their perceived strength. One of them had the nerve to take a shot at us.”

  “So, did Harper take him out?” Grinch asked, remembering Ryan’s words.

  “Nope. Since our orders are to avoid any undue hostilities, given that these are your low-level, everyday, run-of-the-mill bad guys, we let them think they chased us away. Figure they saw you drive away and assumed we were all in the van.”

  Grinch snorted. “You know what they say about assuming.”

  Dalton laughed. “Besides, be kinda hard to explain the body count if we retaliated. These aren’t exactly drug runners or arms dealers. And it’s a little early for hunting season. Hard to make like it was a case of mistaking one of them for a deer.”

  “I agree. But what’s the plan?”

  “Victor’s a hostage. We don’t have ears inside, but Olivia’s been doing a good job of eavesdropping.”

  “They working him over?”

  Dalton nodded. “Gotta give the man credit. He hasn’t said a thing about his wife taking the ledger. All he says is that he needs time, but he’ll get it if they’ll let him go.”

  “Do we know what to do with these rent-a-thugs?” Cheese asked.

  Dalton lifted a “wait a minute” finger, then pulled out his cell phone. He was quiet, then said, “Got it.” He put the phone away. “Jinx said we don’t have to return them to sender.”

  “What have you been able to pick up?” Grinch said.

  “Not a lot. I can tell you they’re not trained. They’re focused totally on their objective. Anyone with half a brain would have cleared the house as soon as they arrived, especially with three of them.”

  “Well, they made my job easier,” Grinch said. “And now with Cheese here, the odds are on our side.”

  “Yeah, just what I need. Another pilot.” Dalton rubbed his jaw. “Takes at least two pilots to equal one field operative.”

  “Watch it, Cowboy,” Grinch said, “or you’ll be standing on the ground watching the sky after the next op.”

  Dalton sobered, and Grinch regretted his words. True, it had been Dalton’s choice to stay behind on the Colombia op, hoping to get another chance to take out a drug lord, but the results hadn’t been pretty. “Hey, sorry, man.”

  Dalton clapped him on the shoulder. “I seem to recall you missing a ride yourself.”

  Reflexively, Grinch rubbed his ribcage. The men exchanged a brief silent acknowledgment of their ordeals. “All right,” Dalton said, giving one more shoulder clap. �
��Enough bonding crap. We’ve got a job to do. Unless you need a hug.”

  Grinch rolled his eyes. “We’re cool.”

  Cheese cleared his throat. “What are we doing?”

  Dalton laid out the plan. “You okay with it, Olivia?”

  “No problem.” She trotted over and joined them.

  Once everyone affirmed they understood, they exchanged their ritual knuckle-tap. “Do it.”

  Olivia handed Dalton her headset. She stripped off her coveralls and released her hair, fluffing it with her fingers. She unsnapped the top button of her jeans and slid them low on her hips. Bending over, she tugged on her tank, made some adjustments up top, and stood, revealing some enticing cleavage. “I look okay?”

  “Fine. Mighty fine,” Cheese said with an exaggerated leer.

  Olivia flipped him off, then they crept toward the house, where the men took positions on the porch, out of visual range of the windows. Olivia sauntered to the door and rang the bell. Nothing. She rang again, and rapped on the door. “Hey, Sugar. I know I’m late, but I’m here now, all ready for party time.”

  The door opened. A man blocked the entrance. “Wrong house.”

  Olivia ran her fingers from the man’s jaw down his chest, hinting that she’d be going lower. “Now, now, Sugar, I know this is the right address.” She took another step, shouldering her way inside. “Victor—you didn’t tell me this was a group party. And why are you getting started without me?” She tsked. “I know you like it rough, but are you sure this is what you want? Four of you, one of me?”

  Hearing their cue, weapons drawn, Dalton and Cheese stormed in behind Olivia, who pulled her pistol from behind her waist.

  “Nobody moves, nobody gets hurt,” Cheese said. Seconds later, the three men were disarmed.

  “Geez, Cheese,” Dalton said. “Where did you pick up that dialogue?” He addressed the men. “However, the gist is correct. You win some, you lose some. You lost this one. Time to go home.”

  Grinch tossed his keys to Dalton. “If one of you wouldn’t mind driving my truck to the airport, I’ll pick it up later. Victor and I have some talking to do.”

  “You got it,” Dalton said.

  That’s what Grinch liked about the team. No questions asked. Cheese, Olivia and Dalton escorted the men outside, leaving Grinch with Victor. Grinch stepped to the chair where Victor was tied and cut the ropes. He took in the man’s battered face, remembering what Dalton had said. That Victor hadn’t betrayed Elizabeth’s presence. “Sit there a minute. I’ll get you some ice.”

  He brought back an ice-filled towel. “You’re going to look like hell tomorrow.” He dumped the towel in Victor’s lap. Maybe Victor had protected Elizabeth this time. But Grinch thought of all the beatings Elizabeth had endured at the hands of this man. “What the hell. What’s one more bruise?” His fist connected with Victor’s jaw.

  Victor stared at him, confused, dabbing the towel over his bloodied lip. “What do you want?”

  “It’s simple,” Grinch said. “You go home. Tonight. You stay at home tomorrow, wait for the FedEx guy. I’ll make sure your package is expedited.”

  “But—”

  “No buts. No discussions. Go clean up, get what you need. I’m taking you to the airport. Now. We’ll discuss my terms on the way.”

  While Victor was in the bathroom, Grinch called Jinx and told him to priority overnight the ledger to Victor’s home, and make a plane reservation for Victor on the first available flight. Then he called Elizabeth.

  Chapter 36

  Elizabeth set her tea, long grown cold, aside. Grinch sat behind his desk, apparently picking up her unspoken message that she wasn’t ready for him to come any closer. For reasons she couldn’t grasp, what had almost become routine—sharing a drink and conversation after the boys were in bed—didn’t have that comforting feeling. She found herself erecting a mental wall, a place to hide, the way she’d done so many times to escape dealing with Victor.

  “He accepted it?” she asked. “He’s gone home?” She had trouble believing he’d give up so easily and wondered what it had taken for Grinch to convince him. Threats? Bribery? Or had Victor actually been convinced? She remembered the venom in his tone when he’d said she was his wife. Like she was another of his collectibles. Was she doomed to a life of looking over her shoulder?

  Grinch took a long pull from his beer, set the bottle down, and wiped his mouth. “It was the deal. He stays out of your life, he gets his ledger.”

  “Just like that?”

  “He’s a bully, Elizabeth. Stand up to bullies and they run.”

  “What about Norma? What’s going to happen to her?”

  Grinch shrugged. “I’m thinking not much. She probably thought she was doing your husband a favor.”

  “But she pulled a gun on us—on the boys.”

  He picked up his beer for another swig. “My guess is that she’ll get some counseling, probably have her family keep a close eye on her for a while. Unless you want to pursue it.”

  Elizabeth thought for a moment. “No, you’re probably right. She’s a lonely old woman. I can’t see jail time helping anyone.” She gave a wry laugh. “Now Victor in jail—that’s another story.”

  Although Grinch had clearly been tired when he’d come home, he’d taken the boys out for a little pigskin tossing before their nightly singing. His fatherly instincts were turning out just fine.

  Now, it was the two of them. She waited, but all he did was drink his beer. She’d had plenty of time to think while Grinch took Victor to the airport. Although she was grateful for Grinch’s help, gratitude was a lousy foundation for a relationship. And she’d decided she wasn’t ready for a relationship, regardless of the foundation.

  Relationship? Legally, she was married. She’d been cheating on her husband. Never mind that he’d done the same countless times. Confusion, guilt, anger—all fought for a place in her mind.

  “Wine?” Grinch asked, breaking the tension-filled silence. Or was she the only one who noticed the invisible wall between them?

  “No, thanks.” She picked up her cup and saucer. “I’m overdue for that hot bath. Good night.”

  He tilted his beer bottle. “Good night, Lizzie. Sleep well.”

  That was debatable, but one thing at a time, and the first thing on her list was her soak in the tub.

  She closed both the bedroom and bathroom doors. She considered locking them, but believed Grinch would get the message—on the remote chance he’d thought she was inviting him to join her.

  She’d already told Will that they’d be leaving in the morning. Telling Grinch would be something else again. She argued with herself. He kept her out of the loop, why shouldn’t she do the same? Let him wonder where she was for a while.

  Don’t stoop to his level.

  But no reason to tell him tonight.

  “We’re really and truly going on an airplane?” The excitement in Will’s voice didn’t quell her fears.

  “That we are,” she said, keeping her voice as upbeat as possible. Elizabeth watched everyone around her as they went through the security lines, following their example. Although her heart was doing a fair imitation of popcorn in a hot pan, she didn’t feel the panic that merely thinking about flying usually brought on. She supposed that was one more thing she owed to Grinch.

  Will kept a watchful eye on her as they buckled up and took off. “This is cool, isn’t it, Mom? Not as cool as a helicopter, but it’s still cool.” He eyed her warily.

  “I’m fine.” Nevertheless, she paid close attention to the safety video and memorized the information on the emergency card from the seat pocket. But mostly she concentrated on helping the pilot keep the plane in the air.

  Did Grinch fly airplanes like this one, or just helicopters?

  Stop thinking about Grinch.

  She and Will had moved back to her rental two days ago. She and Grinch took turns running rec center carpool, but hadn’t said much beyond polite greetings at pickup and drop
off. Somehow, they’d managed to keep the boys from noticing the tension between them. Eventually, she knew, she and Grinch would have to talk. For now, distance was a good thing.

  Once they landed and were in the cab, all thoughts of Grinch were left behind. “Memorial Hospital,” she told the cab driver.

  Driving through the concrete canyons, she felt an odd mix of nostalgia and a yearning for the clear blue skies and the aspen- and pine-covered mountains she’d come to think of as home. No worries about running into a deer on these streets. Crazy drivers and stupid pedestrians, maybe.

  At the hospital, they approached the information desk. “Grace Ellsworth’s room, please,” she said.

  The receptionist checked her computer, then gave a polite smile. “If you’ll have a seat, I’ll see if she’s accepting visitors. Your name?”

  Elizabeth identified herself and found seats in the waiting area. Once she’d found out Grace had regained consciousness, Elizabeth knew she had to come see her—even if it meant getting on a plane.

  A short while later, a tall, gray-haired man approached. Despite his dignified carriage, he carried an air of haggard exhaustion. He extended a hand. “Elizabeth Parker? I’m Horace Blackthorne. Grace is looking forward to your visit.” He took charge of Elizabeth’s suitcase.

  In the elevator, Elizabeth braced herself. No matter what Grinch had said, inside, she knew Grace had been attacked because of her. For her own peace of mind, she had to face Grace. She worried about Will, but she’d explained what he might expect to see. Will had bonded with Grace—he’d need to see for himself that she was all right.

  When they arrived at Grace’s room, Mr. Blackthorne pushed open the door. Elizabeth took Will’s hand. Grace sat propped up in bed. Bruises stood out in stark relief against her pale skin, but her smile was as warm as Elizabeth remembered. “Come in. Will, it’s so good to see you again.”

  He clutched Elizabeth’s hand. “Hi,” he whispered.

  Grace patted her bedside. “Come sit with me a minute. I look scary, but I’m fine.”

  With only a slight nudge from Elizabeth, Will approached Grace’s bed. “I’m sorry you got hurt.”