Under Duress

by Meghan Carver

  But instead she was trapped inside her father’s house, her life tossed just like that salad. Turned upside down by some thugs who wanted her or Lily or both of them. Her faith should be the crystal bowl, making her sparkle, but too often, she felt tarnished.

  As she reached into another cabinet for plates and glasses, the doorbell rang, heralding the arrival of the pizza.

  “Woo-hoo!” Lily held up her hand for a high-five from Samantha’s father. “Pizza’s here!”

  Her dad jumped up from the sofa, returned the high-five and headed toward the front door.

  Reid stood slowly, flashing a warning look to Samantha. “Sir? The guard at the gatehouse didn’t call you.”

  Her dad waved him off. “Yeah, he knew we were having pizza delivered. No need.”

  As she arranged the table service on the bar, Reid shrugged but stayed close behind her father. Samantha came out from behind the kitchen counter, ready to serve up the hot meal.

  Her dad opened the door as he reached into his pants pocket and retrieved a couple of bills. Probably two twenties, although that would more than cover the cost of the pizza and provide a generous tip. He held them out to the delivery guy, a large man with a ball cap pulled down over his eyes, the logo of the pizza company emblazoned on the front.

  As Reid stepped forward and to the side of her father, Samantha saw a glint of metal under the pizza boxes that nearly made her heart stop beating. She sucked in her breath, a sound that made Reid turn to her. At seeing her expression, he turned back toward the door to follow her line of sight.

  It was a gun. The pizza delivery guy balanced the pizza boxes on a gun he held pointed at her father.

  Panic grabbed Samantha by the neck and held her still, unable even to swallow.

  Like a cat springing on a field mouse, Reid leaped for her dad. He grabbed him around the shoulders, pulling him back from the door and toward a corner in the little hallway.

  The thug shoved the pizza boxes toward Reid. A snarl emanated from his throat as sauce and pepperoni and cheese flew from the box onto her father and then dropped onto the tile floor.

  A horrific popping sound filled Samantha’s ears. The gun went off as Reid and her father dived behind a wall in the foyer. A profusion of bright red burst from her father’s leg. He crumpled to the ground, the twenties in his hand fluttering down as if in slow motion.

  Reid pulled her father behind the wall and pulled his own weapon out of the ankle holster. “Get down!” he called to Samantha.

  The man in the pizza delivery hat spotted Reid’s weapon and dived into the bushes just outside the front door. Samantha dropped to the floor, peering around the end cabinet as Reid elbow crawled to the front door. He slammed it shut, then stretched up to jam the dead bolt into place.

  The salad in the bowl fell off the breakfast bar as she wobbled on her ankles, flailing against the front of the cabinet to keep her balance. The bowl fell with a terrific crash, and she startled as if another shot had been fired. She watched the tomatoes roll across the floor, unable to blink, until she forced her attention back and swung her gaze to Lily, who was on her knees at the end of the sofa.

  Were they safe now? Or would he shoot the lock off the door? Break a window? Come in the back?

  Silence reigned for a moment, save for the pained gasps of her father. Her gaze locked on Lily. She refused to look away, willing comfort and love and a promise of security through the connection.

  A throaty whisper filtered through her concentration. It was Reid. “Get Lily. Get to your dad’s SUV.”

  Her father tried to sit up. “Keys are on the hook. Near the garage door.”

  How could she go? Didn’t Reid realize what he was asking her to do? Where would she go without his guidance and protection? And what about her dad? He was shot and in desperate need of medical attention. “I’m not leaving you. Either of you.”

  Reid exchanged a knowing look with her father. “You’re not leaving me. Back out, and I’ll catch you in the driveway.”

  Lily appeared by her side as the first tear slid down Samantha’s cheek. “What about Dad? He took a bullet for me. For us. He needs help.”

  Her father managed to smile around a wince of pain. “Go. Run. Stay with Reid. He’ll take care of you.” He nodded to Reid as if he already knew Reid’s plan. When he looked back at Samantha, his eyes were filled with tears. “I love you.”

  How could this be happening? Her father actually had said he loved her, and now she had to leave him in a puddle of his own blood as she escaped for her life? Lily had to leave Grandpa nearly as soon as she had met him?

  “Go!”

  The fog shrouding her mind didn’t allow her to know who was telling her to go, but she instinctively obeyed. She grabbed Lily’s hand and pulled her up and down the hallway toward the garage. The key was labeled and hung right where her father said it would be.

  She swung the door open, listening to the men’s muffled voices. Her father was wounded, and she was now thrust again into the care of a man she still wasn’t sure she trusted. They had gone to her father for safety, and now she and Lily were going to be on the run again. She stepped into the dark garage and tightened her grip on Lily’s hand. Then she swung the door shut on the little bit of security she had known for just a short time and turned into the inky blackness.

  * * *

  Reid groaned, his tone mingling with the muffled moans of Samantha’s father. They had brought trouble to Thomas, big trouble, and Reid was the only one to blame. He had pushed Samantha into it.

  He slapped his hand on his own cheek. There was no time for feeling sorry now. Regret would arrive with its full effect in its own time, lingering like an unwelcome guest. Right now, he had to dial nine-one-one on his way out.

  Reid grabbed the phone from the kitchen and hit the numbers, then handed it to Thomas, where he sat against the wall around the corner from the foyer. “I called for help. Can you give them directions?”

  “Yes.” Pain forced Thomas’s voice into a grunt. “There’s a gun. On top of the refrigerator. In the planter.”

  Reid rushed for the kitchen and dug around in the pot of the artificial plant. The handle of a weapon protruded from the fake moss. He couldn’t help but grin at the clever hiding place as he handed the weapon to Thomas.

  Thomas laid it on the floor next to him. “I’ll be fine. Go help my daughter. My granddaughter.” He shifted his position with a groan of pain then pierced Reid with an intense stare. “And thank you for keeping her alive.”

  Without further goodbyes, Reid turned and ran for the garage. Inside, in the disappearing light of the closing door, he made for the side door. He rushed out to the driveway. Samantha was at the wheel of the little SUV, panic streaked across her face. As she slowly backed down the driveway, Reid ran for the passenger door. When he catapulted himself inside the vehicle, Samantha yelped in surprise.

  He crouched low in the seat, as best he could for a man of his height, and watched the front yard. The front door was still closed. Reid breathed with relief that that meant Thomas was still safe. But as Samantha threw the vehicle into Drive, one of the now familiar ruffians raced from the bushes near the street and toward a large dark-colored SUV at another house down the road.

  Reid turned to the front, trying to remember how to get out of the subdivision. Samantha huddled behind the wheel, seemingly too afraid to think straight.

  “Drive!” He couldn’t help but bark out the command. “Turn right up here. Get back to the main road.”

  Samantha gripped the wheel, her fright etched in the lines around her narrowed eyes. “What about my dad? I can’t leave him.” But she pressed on the accelerator, and the SUV jumped forward.

  “He’s fine. I called for help. He has a gun.” Reid spun to see the bad guys gaining on them. “These guys don’t want your dad.
They’ll leave him alone.” Especially since they were drawing them away and into a chase, but that didn’t need to be said out loud.

  As sirens wailed in the distance, Samantha relaxed her shoulders. She turned toward the exit of the community as Reid withdrew his weapon from the holster.

  “What about the gate? Won’t it be down?” Samantha swiped at her forehead then stuck her hand back on the wheel.

  The gate. He’d forgotten about that. “Don’t stop. Just drive through it.”

  Samantha turned to him for a split second. “Seriously?”

  “There’s no other choice.” With his left hand, he gripped her right arm and squeezed confidence into her. “You’ve got this.”

  She adjusted her hands on the wheel and squared her shoulders, a fierce determination radiating from her. “Lily, get down.”

  The black SUV squealed its tires as it gunned around the corner behind them. Samantha leaned into the accelerator, heading straight for the gate. Reid’s stare collided with the security guard’s, who seemed immobile in the pending danger. Apologies and repairs could be made later. Right now, it was the gate or their lives.

  The little SUV hit the gate at a terrific speed. The flimsy metal structure popped off its hinges and flung into the boxwoods and impatiens. Samantha turned onto the deserted main road, the black SUV close behind.

  A moment later, the SUV caught up and veered into the adjacent lane. As they drove side by side, the thug in the passenger seat lowered his window and hollered at them, “Pull over!” The barrel of a gun stared at them from the SUV.

  Reid leaned in close to Samantha’s ear, his weapon held below the window. “Keep driving. They won’t shoot us because they want you alive for something.”

  The black SUV sideswiped them, and metal grated on metal. Samantha gripped the wheel to hold their vehicle steady, but her foot must have relaxed on the accelerator because the little SUV began to slow down.

  “Don’t stop!” Reid longed to jump in the driver’s seat, but that was impossible now. He had a plan, if only Samantha could keep going for a couple more minutes.

  She grimaced as she stared straight ahead. “You really think I would?”

  Reid visually confirmed that Lily was still down on the floor of the backseat as he instructed Samantha. “Get back as much as you can.”

  She pressed her back into the seat, the strain of the effort telling on her face. “I can only go so far.”

  “It’s fine. As they pull up to us again, veer away a little.”

  As the SUVs lined up again, Reid brought his weapon up right in front of her and aimed through the window. The world seemed to slow in motion as he tilted the barrel down and fired at the front passenger tire. With the acrid smell of gunpowder filling his nostrils, he shot at the rear tire.

  Samantha screeched, probably at the blast of the weapon being discharged right in front of her. The SUV’s tires immediately deflated, the sound of the rubber flapping against the pavement following Reid and Samantha as they sped away. Reid swiveled to see out the back window. The thug in the passenger side leaned out the open window, aiming his gun at them. A shot was fired, and Reid ducked. But the big SUV careened wildly with the disabled tires, and the bullet shot into the trees.

  “Are they gone? Is it over?” Samantha continued driving down the main road, keeping a steady speed.

  “Can I get up?” Lily’s muffled voice filtered from the backseat.

  Reid sagged into the passenger seat and finally buckled his seat belt. “Yes. We’re fine.” His heart rate slowed as he gulped in deep breaths. When his muscles had relaxed to a normal tension, he smiled at Samantha. “You should try to qualify for the Indianapolis 500.”

  Samantha shot him an amused look. “Sure. Funny man.” She paused, and her expression turned to distress. “While you’re making jokes, my father is lying on the floor of his house with a bullet in his leg. What about that?”

  Did she really think he didn’t know that? His stomach tightened along with his fists. What had he just done for her? He fought the urge to smash his fist into the dashboard and filled his mind with prayer instead. Lord, help. That would have to do, because it was all he could muster. He filled his lungs with one more cleansing breath before he dared to answer her. “Did you not hear the sirens? I called nine-one-one, and left your father with his gun. He knew he’d be fine and urged me to go with you. To help you.”

  “Maybe I don’t need help. Maybe Lily and I would be fine without you.”

  “What? I’ve saved you and Lily from kidnapping and who knows what else now how many times? You want to go it alone? Fine. Drop me off at the nearest Chinese restaurant.” Never mind the fact that his Jeep now sat in Thomas Callahan’s driveway. He could walk. Anything to be on his own again.

  Samantha swung her gaze from side to side as if looking for a place to drop him. He let his shoulders sag and pulled the burner cell from his pocket. At the very least, he should call Derek to update him. After that, they could use that cell maybe one more time, and then they should ditch it and get another to avoid being traced.

  Samantha fixed her gaze at him, an unasked question arching her delicate eyebrows.

  “I’m calling my buddy on the force to let him know what’s happened. We’re out of Heartwood Hill’s jurisdiction, but Derek will want to coordinate with local law enforcement. I doubt they’ll get to the site before those guys can change their tires and get out of there, but they’ll want to try. Those thugs are good, and they’ll be prepared for anything.” He held his thumb over the keypad.

  “Reid.” She paused to chew on her bottom lip. “It’s too late for any Chinese restaurant to be open. I think you’ll just have to stick with me.”

  “Is that an apology?”

  “I wouldn’t call it that, but if that’ll soothe your pride—”

  “My pride? Listen, I’m not just trying to be a hero. All I’m doing—”

  She laid her hand on his arm, a whisper of a touch that left him oddly calmed. One minute, she ruffled his feathers. The next, he wanted to gather her in his arms and assure her that all would be well. That he would be there until the very end. But not only was that embrace not physically possible with her behind the wheel, it wouldn’t be the best option for either of their hearts.

  “I’m just a little overwhelmed with everything that’s happened. I don’t quite understand what happened back there with my dad, but it seemed that our relationship was on the mend, even if it was just for tonight. And then he was injured protecting me. Reid, he was shot. I’ve never seen anyone get shot before, let alone a family member. I just don’t know if his change is genuine, and then to have to race out into the night and leave him there...”

  “The ambulance is there by now, and judging by the location of the wound, he’ll most likely be fine. You can call the hospital later to check on him.” That would be a risk, but one they would probably have to take.

  He pressed his hand to his chest. The bigger risk suddenly seemed to be what she was doing to his heart.

  THIRTEEN

  The dark of the night enveloped the little SUV, broken only by pale circles created by passing streetlights. The hour on the clock was not yet midnight, but it was late enough that as Reid watched the little suburb out his passenger-side window, the shops were dark and restaurants signaled they were closed with upended chair legs silhouetted in the windows.

  Reid scratched at the stubble on his chin. Since he had met Samantha Callahan, safety had become a rarity. For the moment, since their attackers were disabled by flat tires, safety was their companion. But how far down the road would those guys with malicious intent catch up?

  He dialed the burner cell for Derek, the one man on the force who seemed to hold no ill will regarding his past indiscretions. As the phone rang, he glanced at Samantha. He couldn’t quite read her
expression, but her breathing was steady and seemed to be calm. Lily, in the backseat, had leaned her head against the headrest and was breathing like someone almost asleep. She seemed to be handling all this with grace and humor, but that could be because she didn’t quite grasp the seriousness of the situation. What could a ten-year-old girl, raised in a loving and protective family, know or understand about running for safety? What a terrible introduction to the evil in the world.

  A sleepy voice answered the phone. “Yeah? Whatever this is, it better be worth it.”

  Reid wanted to slap his hand on his forehead. Of course Derek wouldn’t know who was calling since it was a burner phone. “It’s me, Reid. Thanks for picking up, Derek.”

  Sheets rustled in the background. Derek must have sat up for he sounded more alert. “What’s up?”

  “Had a little run-in with those guys again. We went to Samantha’s father’s house, thinking it was safe. But they found us there when her father ordered a pizza. Her dad got shot. I called nine-one-one and he’s probably at the hospital already. We got away, but only because I shot out their tires. Might want to see if they’re still on the side of the road, but it’s doubtful.” He described the location where the big SUV might still be.

  “Are you two, you three, all right?”

  “We’re fine. Samantha’s a little shaken up.” He glanced at Samantha to see her nod her head in agreement.

  “I’ll talk to Local and see who’s out there. But, Reid?”

  The cautious tone in Derek’s voice made the hair on the back of Reid’s neck stand up. “Yeah?”

  “You might want to know that not all the guys here are as glad to see you back as I am.”

  “I figured. Our first encounter with Cody on desk duty wasn’t exactly pleasant.”

  “They probably just need a little time to come around.”

  Reid rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. This was what he had expected, but to actually hear the words? “You should also know that we’re not in my Jeep anymore. Samantha’s father, Thomas Callahan, the well-known lawyer, let us borrow his vehicle. The uniforms on the scene at his house must have seen the Jeep in his driveway. So if they figure out that an SUV is missing from his garage? Well, I just don’t want those who don’t care for me to think that I stole it.”