Plain Refuge

by Dana R. Lynn

  At some point, she drifted into an exhausted doze. She jerked awake. They were at a house that she had never seen before. It was as large as Phillip’s house in Talon Hill, but much more secluded.

  Phillip pulled her out of the car and dragged her up a set of stairs. “I’m very annoyed with you, my dear. You’ve put me through a great deal of stress. I was just going to kill you. That’s what I’d normally do, but now I’m wondering if I can’t find a more lucrative use for you.”

  Sophie began to shiver uncontrollably. She was in over her head, with no way out.

  FIFTEEN

  “I’m a cop,” Aiden insisted as the officers pulled him from their car and into the station.

  “Yeah? If you are, that means you’re a bad cop.”

  How could he get out of this? “No! Not a bad cop. I was undercover. Look, you can call my chief. She’ll explain everything. But if I don’t get out of here, the woman that I was with, and likely her sister, will both die.”

  “Aww, you’re bringing tears to my eyes,” the officer sneered. The other one smirked.

  When he was released, he was definitely talking to their superior. No matter what he said, the officers jeered at him, refusing to give credence to his words.

  Despite the fact that two women might die. Oh, yeah. He wasn’t going to overlook this. Not when so much was at stake.

  They put him into a holding cell. He paced and fumed, his mind fraught with various scenarios in which Sophie was found or hurt. All because he wasn’t there.

  He wasn’t with her, but God still was. With his whole heart, he cried out to God, begging Him to step in and protect Sophie and Celine. Please Lord. I love her. I love them both. I know that I can’t keep them, but I know they are precious to You. Please, save them. And if it’s all right, help me get out of here so I can go to them. Even if it’s only to make sure they are well and to say goodbye.

  He had no idea how long he prayed. It could have been thirty minutes, it could have been an hour. When the door opened, he looked up, blinking. His vision was blurry. Realizing his eyes were damp, he hastily wiped his sleeve across his face.

  A familiar figure walked through the door. His visitor was an attractive African American woman. Her skin was smooth and seemed ageless. Her dark brown eyes were sharp. Chief Wanda Daniels wore her authority well. She commanded respect and got it.

  “Chief!” Aiden strode to the door.

  Behind her he could see the two officers who’d brought him in. Both looked like they’d been force-fed vinegar. Neither would meet his gaze.

  “Lieutenant,” Chief Daniels greeted him. “Sophie Larson called me. I’m getting you out of here.”

  “Chief, is Sophie safe?”

  “I have no idea where she is. When I tried to call her back, there was no answer. We will go find her. I’m a bit worried myself. After she called, I discovered proof that my personal assistant had intercepted the call and relayed the conversation to someone in Pennsylvania.”

  “Larson,” he ground out, his muscles tightening.

  “I’m afraid so. You were correct. We had the wrong person. Let’s go find Miss Larson and her sister.”

  Chief Daniels had officers sent to Ivan’s place to search for Celine and Sophie. Aiden’s heart nearly stopped when they were nowhere to be found.

  The chief also had officers sent to Phillip Larson’s residence. There was no one there. It appeared that Larson had taken off in a hurry, judging by the half-eaten plate of spaghetti left on his kitchen table. The man was fastidious about keeping things neat and tidy.

  Something mighty important must have called him away.

  Something like the woman he’d been searching for having been located.

  Aiden’s gut tightened. He shoved away images of Sophie and Celine being at Larson’s mercy. They wouldn’t help him recover the woman he had fallen in love with. It was so easy to admit now. And he was so close to losing her.

  No, he wasn’t going there.

  Brandi, the woman in custody, refused to speak at first. Aiden informed her that she was going to be held responsible for anything that happened to Sophie and Celine. She’d been the chief’s personal assistant long enough to know he meant what he said.

  “As well as the death of Cash Wellman,” the chief added.

  Aiden crossed his arms over his chest and scowled at Brandi. “I’m thinking you look good for the death penalty.”

  Brandi began weeping. “I didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt. It’s not my fault.”

  “Whose fault is it, if you don’t mind telling me?”

  She sniffed and wiped her nose on the tissue Daniels handed her. “My boyfriend, Sam Kinney, works for Phillip Larson. When Larson realized where I worked, I was told to spy or else my boyfriend would be in for it. Honest. I would have never done it if I didn’t have to.”

  Sam Kinney. He knew that name. He made his living running cons and selling drugs. He couldn’t believe someone in Brandi’s position would fall for a man like that.

  “My partner, Tim,” Aiden started. Brandi froze, giving him a deer-in-the-headlights expression. He knew she was involved. “That ambush was on your information, wasn’t it?”

  She finally admitted it was. “Yes.”

  This woman was the one who gave Phillip the information about where his partner would be that night. She must have intercepted his call for backup. She was the one responsible for his death. A sudden thought occurred to him.

  “Lawson knew that I was undercover, didn’t he?”

  “He knew. He was watching you. Having you kill the Larson sisters was a test, but he was already planning on you bailing to save them.”

  Phillip had been playing with them the whole time, using this selfish woman to undercut their every move.

  The interview would have to be continued later. They were running out of time.

  Brandi made one more confession. “He has them now.”

  His blood ran cold. “Excuse me?”

  “Phillip Larson. After the police picked you up, he used the information I gave him. My boyfriend told me he’s found his nieces.”

  “Where are they?”

  “My boyfriend says they’re on their way to Phillip’s second house.”

  It took a few minutes to get the information from her, but once they had it, they wasted no time. Chief Daniels gathered several teams of officers. Aiden joined her in her car. It was almost dark by the time they arrived. Phillip’s house was off the road a way.

  “We have to assume there are alarms.”

  Judson, an officer who possessed a vast knowledge of alarms and how to dismantle them, proved very useful. There was indeed an alarm. He disabled it without tripping it. On foot, the teams moved in on the house.

  They gained entry through an unlocked cellar door. The team moved into the house and spread out. The first three doors they tried were empty. On the fourth, Aiden opened the door and found it was occupied. The familiar red head shot up.

  Celine was tied to a chair. Her face was bruised, but otherwise she appeared uninjured.

  “Aiden!”

  He held a finger to his lips to silence her. She nodded to show she understood. When she was released, she flew to him and threw her arms around him. He hugged her back quickly, then set her back. Bending so they were on eye level and she could better read his lips, he spoke to her rapidly, hoping she’d understand.

  “I need you to go with this officer,” he said as a young policewoman stepped forward. “She’s going to get you to a safe place while I go and find Sophie.”

  She clutched at his arm. “Don’t let him hurt her!”

  “I’ll do my best for her.” He couldn’t promise any more than that.

  He just prayed he wasn’t too late.

  The officer led Celine away. When Aiden was sure that she had made it out
, he refocused all his energy on saving Sophie.

  Slowly he moved into the hallway, his weapon out and ready. The officer ahead of him was in charge of peering around corners and making sure the area was clear. After each room was cleared, they moved on.

  “Wait,” Aiden whispered. The other two men halted. He pointed his finger up. They listened. Upstairs they could hear voices.

  A male voice. Angry. Demanding.

  A female voice. Quieter, but the defiance was there.

  Sophie. She was alive. Hearing her voice, he nearly wilted against the wall behind him. He maintained his composure, and his patience, with effort. Every instinct urged him to race up the stairs, burst into the room where she and Phillip were, and rescue her.

  His experience told him if he wanted to keep her alive, he needed to use his head and not his heart. It was difficult, but he waited.

  Finally, just when he thought he couldn’t take it anymore, they moved. An officer outside of the house had confirmed that Sophie and Phillip were alone in the room. The sniper had his weapon ready, but hadn’t been able to get off a shot without endangering Sophie.

  It was up to them. They were at the door. Judson threw the door open and Aiden charged in.

  “Police! Drop your gun and step away, Larson!” Aiden shouted, holding his weapon up, ready to shoot as he advanced into the room. The others filed in behind him, but he kept his glare trained on his prey. He refused to look at Sophie, fearful that she would distract him.

  Phillip sneered. “You wouldn’t dare shoot me. You’re too soft. You might hit Sophie.”

  Aiden was a trained sniper, but still sweat trickled down his neck. Shooting a gun was never something to take lightly. Every shot had consequences.

  “Give it up, Larson. You’re surrounded.”

  Phillip paused, but only for a second. “It doesn’t matter. You’ll let me go because at a single command from me, the younger sister will die. And if you don’t back off, this one will die, too.”

  With a yank, he pulled Sophie in front of him, blocking Aiden’s shot.

  Furious, Aiden allowed his weapon to drop slightly, knowing he couldn’t shoot now. He moved to the right. Larson moved with him, forcing Sophie to turn, as well. Aiden took another two steps. So did Larson. Phillip Larson’s back was now to the door.

  Sophie whimpered. Not for herself, he was sure. “Sophie, don’t believe him. We have Celine. She’s safe.”

  At his words, Phillip’s grip on Sophie tightened. He pressed the gun tightly against her temple. “It matters not. I still have this one. Let me go, or I will shoot. You know me well enough to know that’s no empty threat.”

  He did.

  His heart was heavy in his chest. What other choice did he have? Anger burned. He had failed her.

  Stop it! He lowered his gun, keeping Sophie and Phillip in his sight. Any chance, no matter how small, he would take. Any chance that wouldn’t risk Sophie getting hurt. He had no other alternative.

  Knowing the situation was out of his control, he began to silently pray. His prayers were jumbled, probably incoherent, but God would understand.

  Daniels stepped quietly into the room behind Phillip. Her feet were almost completely silent. Almost... Phillip whirled his gun around. Now that the gun was no longer pressed against her temple, Sophie reacted, biting down on the arm across her chest. With a yell, Phillip released her. Aiden snatched her from Phillip before he could reclaim her and jerked her behind him.

  Phillip brought up his gun, roaring in fury, and shot. Aiden caught the shot in his arm. Though he flinched, his arm didn’t waver. When Phillip aimed and put his finger on the trigger for a second shot, Aiden fired.

  Phillip staggered and dropped to the ground. Aiden didn’t need to know that the man who had killed Tim and who had been about to kill the woman he loved was dead.

  There was no joy in killing him. No matter how bad the criminal was, Aiden was always keenly aware of the fact that a soul was inside the shell of a body. Ending a life was never something to take lightly.

  He bowed his head for a brief moment.

  Someone was at his shoulder. A soft hand settled there.

  Sophie.

  He could breathe again.

  * * *

  There was blood on Aiden’s arm.

  She wanted to look at it, make sure he was all right. When he whirled to face her, all thoughts faded under the heat of his gaze. When he reached for her, she forgot completely that they weren’t alone. Instead, she burrowed into his embrace and released the torrent of tears welled up inside her.

  It was over.

  Phillip, the uncle she’d never really known, was dead. He had killed so many people, and had tried to kill her and her sister. And because of the man she was hugging, he had failed. Now he would never be able to hurt another person.

  She should have been thrilled.

  As her tears subsided, though, a new panic set in.

  Aiden would leave. She had known it the whole time, and now it would become a reality. Unless she could talk him out of it.

  But not here. Not where so many people were watching. If she could get him alone.

  First, she had to check on Celine. She backed away from his arms, wishing she could stay there and knowing she couldn’t. It was the hardest thing to do, but she forced herself to smile up at him as if her heart wasn’t shattering into a million pieces.

  “I need to see Celine.”

  He searched her face, frowning in concern. She didn’t think he even realized what he was doing when he smoothed her hair away from her face and tucked a strand behind her ear.

  “I’ll take you to her.”

  He stepped back. Suddenly she was faced with a stranger. The Aiden she knew had withdrawn. Heart in her throat, she walked with him, not knowing what to say to break the sudden tension.

  She longed for some kind of physical contact. He always made her feel so safe. He didn’t even take her hand, though.

  She braced herself against the emotional tidal wave brewing inside her. Anger, joy, fear, relief. And a healthy dose of frustration aimed directly at the man beside her. His face was devoid of emotion. It was a mask, she understood, but why couldn’t he give them a chance.

  Biting her lip to keep her emotions at bay, Sophie walked on. When she saw Celine sitting on the hood of a police cruiser, she released her hold on her emotions and rushed to her side. The sisters cried together. Her heart was suddenly full of gratitude. God had been faithful. He’d brought them all out of it alive.

  She leaned back so she could sign. There was just enough light provided by the running lights on the cruiser.

  “I love you. I’m so glad God kept us safe.”

  Celine ducked her head for a moment before signing back.

  “I love you, too. I’m sorry. It’s my fault he caught us.”

  She smoothed back her sister’s hair. “Silly. He was going to keep coming for us. It didn’t matter what we did. He wouldn’t stop until he was in jail or dead.”

  Celine stilled. “Is he dead?”

  “Yes. He won’t come after us ever again.”

  They continued signing to each other for a few more minutes. Sophie knew that signing was more comfortable than risking using her voice right now. Without her processors, Celine had no idea how loud she was speaking. Plus, this was a private moment.

  “Ma’am.” One of the officers approached her. “Chief Daniels asked me to help you get settled in a hotel.”

  She sighed. It was too late for her to start the trek back to Chicago tonight. Did she even want to return home? She didn’t know. And now was not the time to make those decisions. They were both exhausted. Sleep and a good meal, in that order, were what they needed now.

  “Thank you, Officer. We’d appreciate the ride. I want to talk with Aiden for a moment. Any idea where I c
an find him?”

  He pointed her in his direction, and she found him talking on his phone. When she heard the name Levi and realized that their friend was also on his way home, she smiled. Her smile left when she met Aiden’s eyes. She couldn’t read anything in his eyes, on his face. She shivered.

  Maybe she should leave him alone and try later.

  No. She rejected that idea immediately. He’d just build up his walls and fortify himself against her. If they were going to talk, it needed to be now. Then she’d know if she was going back to Chicago tomorrow and staying there, or if there was anything for her here in Ohio.

  Chicago lost much of its charm when compared to losing Aiden.

  He hung up and waited for her to speak.

  “I see you got your arm taken care of.”

  “Oh, yeah.” He flicked a glance at the bandage there. “It’s not much of a battle wound. It won’t hold me back.”

  “Thanks for coming for us.”

  The smallest smile tilted his lips, bringing a tiny spark of hope to life inside her. “I told you I’d get you through this. Thanks for calling the chief. She was able to get me out of jail. And prove my innocence.”

  “Good. That’s good.” She searched for another topic. Why was this so hard? “Did they find the mole?”

  His jaw hardened. “Yep. Turns out one of Larson’s goons was dating the chief’s secretary.”

  Her jaw dropped. “Seriously?”

  “She’s the reason that Larson found you after you contacted the chief. She’s also responsible for Tim’s death.”

  His partner. The one he blamed himself for.

  “So you know you didn’t fail him, right? Someone you should have been able to trust was working against you.”

  He scuffed his foot on the driveway. “Yeah, I know that. Look, Sophie, you’re safe now. Your uncle’s gone. You can go home. I—”

  Oh, no, she wasn’t going to let him dismiss her that easy.

  “That’s it? After all we’ve been through, you’re just going to walk away?”

  “What did you expect? Sophie, I am a cop. I was trying to rescue you and bring a murderer to justice. That’s it.”