Bodyguard Reunion

by Margaret Daley

  When T.J. stopped in front of the antebellum home, he started counting down the minutes until the Zimmermans were safe.

  “See, nothing happened,” Mary said with a long sigh. “It was good to see everyone. A lot of people are praying for us.”

  “Stay in the car until Chloe and I come around and open the door. Hurry inside. Chitchatting can take place in the house.”

  “At least we’re home safely,” Vicky said with a shaky laugh.

  T.J. climbed from the vehicle at the same time as Chloe did. Surveying the area, he skirted the front of the car while Chloe went around the rear. As he reached toward the handle, his gaze snagged Chloe’s. He tipped his head, and then opened the door.

  Paul rose quickly and started to help Vickie and Mary out, but T.J. ushered him toward the house. “Chloe will take care of them.”

  A cracking sound split the air, and the column splintered inches from Paul’s head. The second T.J. heard the noise he tackled Paul to the ground, the car partially shielding them.

  Another bullet hit the concrete step not covered by the Jeep. T.J. pushed Paul until the car blocked him.

  “Get down.” As T.J. drew his gun, he swung his attention to the women. Mary was still inside the car hunkered down while Vickie and Chloe used the Jeep as protection.

  The two guards let their dogs go while one man ducked behind the verandah and the other used a tree as a shield.

  The front door banged open, and Aaron ran outside waving his arms and shouting, “Stop! Stop! You aren’t supposed to do this.”

  T.J. ran low toward the teen and barreled into him, sending them both flying into the house. T.J. hit the tile floor and rolled the kid out of view. “Stay down. Don’t move.” Then he crept toward the door and peeked out. “Okay, everyone?”

  “We’re all right,” Chloe answered.

  T.J. called 911, then shouted out the door, “Help is on the way.” He hoped whoever was firing on them would hear and try to make his getaway.

  The guard behind the tree zigzagged toward the pecan grove across the drive.

  When there weren’t any more shots, T.J. rotated toward Aaron. “Stay.” Then he headed outside at the same time the guard by the verandah moved forward and the second one near the paved drive ran across the road and took cover behind a tree.

  “Get them in the house one at a time when I give you the go-ahead,” T.J. said to Chloe as he passed her.

  Scanning the trees, T.J. quickened his pace and plunged into the thick woods directly across from the house. Pecans, not gathered last fall, crunched beneath his feet, making moving harder.

  The sound of the dogs’ barking grew louder, and then a shot went off, followed by a yelp.

  * * *

  Shielding Vickie, Chloe hurried her toward the front door, then came back for Mary, all the while keeping vigilance on the pecan grove across the drive. She spied T.J. vanishing in the thick of the vegetation.

  Paul helped Mary out of the back, his wife’s face the pasty white that Chloe had seen when the snake had bit her. She took Mary’s arm. “Run as fast as you can.”

  As Mary straightened, she froze when she heard the noise: the gunning of an engine coupled with a dog yelping echoed through the stand of trees.

  “Go. Now.” Chloe pushed her forward to get her to move. Again she used her body to protect Mary.

  When she was safe inside, Chloe came back for Paul, who was already part of the way to the house. Frowning, she fell into step behind him.

  More gunfire blasted the air as Chloe slammed the front door closed and locked it. “Sit on the stairs.” Then she took up watch, using the window in the living room. Every ten seconds or so, she glanced at the family huddled together on the bottom couple of steps.

  She saw no movement in the pecan grove.

  Please be all right, T.J.

  * * *

  When T.J. saw one German shepherd down by an oak, he waved to the nearest guard a few steps behind him. “See to him.”

  Near the highway about four hundred yards from the front lawn of the house, T.J. spied the back of a red pickup pulling away and squeezed off a couple of shots, knowing the low probability of him hitting one of the tires. As T.J. jogged to the road, the other dog gave chase after the old Chevy truck without a license plate. When the vehicle had disappeared around a curve, T.J. whistled for the dog to return. The black-and-tan German shepherd loped toward him, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth.

  T.J. patted him on the head and rubbed his back. “Good boy. Let’s return to the house after we check on your buddy.”

  When he arrived where the other dog had gone down, the guard already had the animal in his arms and was starting back toward the house. Over his shoulder he said, “There’s some material with some blood on it by where Rover was. I think he bit the shooter.”

  “How’s Rover?” T.J. squatted by the trunk.

  “He should be okay once the vet patches him up.”

  A piece of tan cotton, possibly from pants, with red drops on it lay on the ground. Was the blood from the assailant or the dog? That would be easy enough to discover, and this could be good evidence to help convict the shooter.

  Paul had been inches away from being shot in the head. The assailant had gone for the head when the chest area was an easier and bigger target—he must have somehow known Paul was wearing a bulletproof vest under his coat. Something to mull over.

  T.J. left the cloth to be processed by the sheriff’s office. Straightening, he weaved his way through the pecan trees and dense brush beneath them. When he reached the paved drive, the front gate opened to let in the sheriff and two deputies in a car behind Landon’s.

  Out of the corner of his eyes he saw a couple of ranch hands with grim expressions on their faces coming toward him.

  “Where’s Zach?” T.J. asked Willie.

  “He’s out repairing the fence Cutter was supposed to do. I’m sure he heard the shots and will be back shortly.”

  Two more cowhands jogged toward them while Sheriff Landon climbed from his four-wheel drive.

  The law officer pushed the front of his cowboy hat up on his forehead. “We need to quit meeting like this.”

  “I’m in one-hundred-percent agreement, but someone else isn’t.” T.J. shifted toward the arriving ranch hands. “We’ve got everything under control, but be extra-alert. The guy who shot at Paul was driving an old red Chevy pickup, probably a late-nineties model.” Then to the sheriff he added, “No license plate. But one of the dogs got hold of the man. He tore off a piece of his pants with blood on it. I’ll show you.”

  After the sheriff had the deputies cover the back and front of the house, he went with T.J. A taut constriction around his chest still had hold of T.J. Slowly his adrenaline began to subside.

  * * *

  “The sheriff and a couple of deputies are here,” Chloe said from her position at the side of the living room window.

  “What about the dog?” Mary asked, her voice barely carrying across the space.

  “The guard took him to a truck and is leaving.”

  “I pray he’s all right,” Vickie said at the entrance into the room.

  So do I. “Please stay back on the stairs.” Chloe gritted her teeth. “What if there’s a second shooter waiting for our vigilance to drop?”

  Vickie’s eyes widened. “Really?”

  “You have to think of as many possibilities as you can and plan for them.”

  Vickie backed away and retook her seat next to Aaron, who hadn’t said a word since he’d run out of the house shouting for the shooter to stop. But she hadn’t forgotten his words. Why would he do that unless...

  She let the thought fester in the back of her mind as she walked to the front door to unlock and open it for T.J. and the sheriff.

>   With grim determination stamped on his face, T.J. entered the house. “He got away in an old red Chevy pickup. Do you all know anyone who owns one like that?”

  Paul rose from the step. “No, but check with Zach. He’s more aware of that kind of thing.”

  Sheriff Landon removed his hat. “We’ll keep an eye out for a vehicle like that. Without a license plate number, that’s about all we can do. I’ll let the police in the surrounding towns and counties know. Maybe something will turn up. In the meantime, we’ll scour the area to see if we can find anything besides the torn piece of fabric.”

  T.J. directed his look at Aaron. “Before you leave, Sheriff, I think we need to talk with Aaron.”

  The teen dropped his head, his hands curling then uncurling.

  In the midst of a long silence hanging over the group, Vickie hopped up. “I’m gonna see what I can fix for dinner. If you need me, I’ll be in the kitchen.”

  “Let’s go into the living room, where it’s more comfortable.” Chloe moved toward the entrance, then waited for the family.

  Paul put his arm over Mary’s shoulder, and she gave him a hug. His soft gaze glided over her face. “Next time we leave we’ll need to wear soldier’s helmets, too.” He tipped one corner of his mouth up in a lopsided grin.

  “How can you joke about what happened? You were this close to being killed.” Mary indicated a couple of inches with her thumb and forefinger.

  “But I’m not dead, so obviously the Lord still has things He wants me to do.”

  “Remember how you felt when I was bit by a rattlesnake? That’s how I feel right now.”

  Paul sobered. “I’m sorry. I can’t let this person win. He’s already affected our lives. He will not affect my hope this will be taken care of soon.”

  When Paul, Mary and Aaron settled on the couch, T.J. stood behind the wingback chair. “Aaron, why did you run out of the house when someone was firing at us? Why did you think you could stop him?”

  Aaron lifted his chin, his mouth slashed in a frown. “He was there because of me. I paid him to play pranks to get my parents to cancel their speaking tour.”

  Mary gasped.

  Paul grew rigid. “Why, son?”

  “You canceled the skiing trip we’d planned for spring break next week because of this speaking tour. You two were gone most of the Christmas holiday. Yeah, I joined you the last part of that tour, but it isn’t fun being stuck at a hotel with nothing much to do. These past two years we have seen less and less of each other and it’s not because I’m at boarding school. Is that why you sent me to Bethany Academy, so you could travel more?”

  “Of course not. We sent you because the school has an excellent academic program.” Paul’s mouth pinched together.

  “We’ve been together this week and you’ve stayed in your room,” Mary cried out.

  “The guy didn’t do what I asked. He caused a fire in Dallas. I couldn’t face you all knowing that. I tried and tried to get hold of him and tell him to stop after the first two places. I left a message on his voice mail. Then at the last event you all almost got killed. Again I tried to get hold of him. I wanted to go back to Houston and find him, but she—” Aaron pointed at Chloe “—came after me.”

  “You should have said something. Told us.” Paul’s stiff posture deflated.

  Aaron surged to his feet. “It got so out of hand. I don’t understand. All I wanted was for the tour to be canceled. Then I thought maybe we’d go skiing together. We used to do stuff as a family all the time. I miss the ranch. I don’t want to be at Bethany Academy.”

  “You never said anything.” Tears ran down Mary’s face.

  “Yes, I did. You weren’t listening. I mentioned finishing my last two years at the local high school. You said I would get a much better education where I was and I should finish at Bethany Academy.”

  T.J. came around the chair and took a seat, waving his hand at the couch. “Sit and tell us who this guy is. How did you find him? You saw firsthand his intention isn’t to play pranks anymore.” Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed the sheriff moving farther into the room, but he remained quiet.

  Aaron glanced from Sheriff Landon to T.J. “One of the guys at school from Houston knew of a person who did this kind of thing. Fixed problems. I met him in a parking lot downtown. I paid him a couple hundred dollars and was to give him another couple after he finished the job. I had a phone number I was to call with any details from my parents. The letters were perfect. He delivered them to the hotel. No one saw him. The stink bombs would have been fine, but a few people were hurt. Not too bad thankfully—” the teen gulped “—but I changed my mind when I saw what could happen.”

  “So you told him not to do anything after Paris?” the sheriff asked from behind T.J.

  “I didn’t leave a message until after the first event in Dallas when the driver of the limo was hit over the head. I thought everything was all right when nothing happened at the second speaking stop in Dallas.”

  “It wasn’t publicized, but someone put a tracking device on the car.” Chloe rose and headed for the foyer. “I have a picture I want to show you of that person we think tagged the rental. It could be your guy.”

  “What’s his name and who is the person who told you about him?” The sheriff pulled out his pad and pen.

  Fear washed over Aaron’s face. He bit into his lower lip and slanted a glance toward his mother. “I’m afraid of him. Look... What he’s been doing. I never told him to do that.”

  T.J. leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. “Tell us his name. The police will catch him, and you’ll be safe.”

  “He might be in a gang. I never asked.” Aaron twisted his hands together, and his mouth clamped shut for a long moment.

  His father settled his hand on the teen’s shoulder. “We’re here for you.”

  Swallowing hard, Aaron looked straight at the sheriff. “Lenny Woods—at least, that’s the name I know him by.”

  When Chloe returned to the living room, she crossed to Aaron and showed him the picture the Dallas police had come up with from Kyra’s description of the man driving the blue van.

  Aaron’s eyes grew wide. “That’s him.” He shrugged away from his dad’s clasp and shoved to his feet. “This shouldn’t have happened. I asked him several times to quit, and if he didn’t, I wouldn’t pay him any more money.” His voice rose several decibels. “Are you taking me in?”

  Sheriff Landon shook his head. “Not at this time. I’ll be talking with the Dallas police. You’ll have to answer for putting this guy into motion, but at this time, I think you’re safer here under T.J. and Chloe’s protection. I’ll be leaving a deputy posted here until we can track down this Lenny Woods.” He approached Chloe, who held the picture. “May I take that? I’ll be spreading this man’s sketch around and contacting Houston. Who was the student that told you about Woods?”

  “Do I hafta tell you? I don’t wanna get him into trouble.”

  “I’m afraid so, son. Your cooperation will go a long way in determining what the police in Dallas and Paris will do concerning your part in all of this.”

  Aaron paled, his body quaking. “Anderson Stokes.”

  “I’ll be in touch with what we find,” the sheriff said to T.J., then made his way to the front door.

  Chloe followed him to let him out.

  “Why didn’t you say anything after your mother was bitten by the snake?” Paul asked, squeezing Mary’s hand.

  “I tried. I couldn’t. I was—am—scared of this guy. I didn’t know this would happen. Never thought it would. You’re always helping every...” Aaron snapped his mouth closed.

  The doorbell rang. T.J. heard Chloe answering it. Ten seconds later, Zach came into the living room with Chloe.

  “Tell them what you told me.” Chloe gest
ured to the family and T.J.

  Zach took the toothpick in his mouth out and said, “Bo Moore has an old red Chevy truck. I heard from some of the cowhands about the pickup driving away from ranch. I’m sorry, Paul and Mary. Me firing him last month must have set him off.”

  Chloe unfolded another copy of the assailant tracking them in Dallas and showed Zach. “Is this Bo Moore?”

  “Nope. There is some similarity, but Bo has a cleft in his chin. This guy doesn’t and his eyes are blue, not brown. Hair is lighter, almost blond. I told the sheriff before he left and he’s going to get a warrant for Moore’s house and see if he can find his truck.”

  “There are two people?” Paul’s eyebrows scrunched together.

  “I didn’t hire two people.” Aaron collapsed on the couch and laid his head on the back cushion, closing his eyes. “This is a nightmare. How did it get so out of control?”

  “Okay.” T.J. held up his hand. “It won’t do us any good to start speculating about what has happened. Thanks for the information, Zach. Hopefully the sheriff and police here or in Houston will find the truck and Bo Moore as well as this Lenny Woods. At least now we have some names to follow up on.”

  While Chloe walked with Zach to the door, Mary looked up at T.J. “We would like some private time with our son. Is it okay in here?”

  “Yes. I’ll make sure no one bothers you.” T.J. strode to all the windows in the living room and closed the blinds. “I’ll be doing that in the whole house.”

  T.J. met Chloe in the foyer. “Let’s shut the blinds. We might as well not give a sniper a target.”

  “I just got off the phone with Kyra. She said one of the references for Dave Cutter checked out. The other two didn’t.”

  “Which means?” T.J. stood at the bottom of the staircase.

  “He’s worked at one ranch for about six months. No other experience. Zach told me he called the first one and the man had good things to say about Dave. Zach had been short a cowhand for a while and with spring approaching he decided to hire him on a trial basis. At that time, nothing had happened in Dallas and Zach thought the Paris incident was just a disgruntled person.”