by Dana R. Lynn
Ryan looked at his boss with concern. The chief’s face was missing his usual grin. And no wonder. Two of his officers were on their way to the hospital. Paul Kennedy took the care of his officers very seriously. When Ryan been shot a year ago, his chief had been there for him. All the way. The chief took every case seriously, but when one of his officers got hurt, his drive to catch the people responsible got even stronger. Whoever these men were, they didn’t know what trouble they’d brought on themselves.
“Miss St. Clair. I am sorry to hear about everything that has happened to you and your family. Please know we’re doing all we can to locate your nephew. And in the meantime, we’re committed to keeping you safe. I have heard that you’re being put up at the motel.”
“Yes, Chief Kennedy. But I’m not comfortable about going back now.”
The chief nodded. “I believe I know most of the facts, but let’s go over them again to make sure we have all the details covered.”
Ryan placed a hand on her shoulder, hoping she’d get the hint to let him take over the explanation. He knew what to say to convey the full danger of the situation. She merely lifted her wide eyes to his, then she smiled and gave a slight nod. Almost like royalty, he thought.
The chief cleared his throat. Oh. Yeah. He was supposed to debrief his boss. Launching into an explanation to cover all the new developments in the case, Ryan watched for the chief’s reaction.
“Hmm. Well, I have to agree with you about the motel not being safe, Parker. We’ll find another option—though hopefully, you won’t have to be there for long. I am going to reach out to the surrounding precincts to bring some more people in. The more boots on the ground, so to speak, the faster we’ll be able to root out this syndicate and stop it at its source. At least that is my hope.”
“Mine, too, Chief.” Ryan allowed his hand to drift once more to Elise’s shoulder. As much to reassure her as to prove to himself that she was still safe.
* * *
The warmth of Ryan’s hand on her shoulder anchored her. She’d sat there, listening as he’d related to his chief all that had happened. His tone had been clipped, unemotional, but listening to the precise recitation had Elise reliving all the terrifying events again in her thoughts. As a result, Elise was ready to crawl out of her skin. She was a woman who was more comfortable with action. All this standing around was stretching her past her limits of how much she could endure.
Then Ryan had put his hand on her shoulder and her frayed edges had smoothed. Not completely, but enough for her to regain her composure.
The door burst open. She jumped, grabbing on to Ryan’s hand in her anxiety. It was Miles Olsen, the officer she’d met in the hospital—Rebecca’s husband. Elise huffed out a breath, then realized that she was still holding Ryan’s hand. She made the attempt to let go. Only she couldn’t. Because he was still holding on. She glared at him, trying to inconspicuously pull away. He squeezed her fingers in response, flashing her his heart-stopping grin, before releasing her hand. Her cheeks reddened when she realized that Chief Kennedy had caught the entire exchange. Fortunately, the man didn’t say anything. Nor did he appear to be upset. In fact, she was sure he looked amused before turning to face the new arrival.
“Olsen?” His voice was calm.
“Chief!” Olsen exclaimed. “We got a hit on the Amber Alert put out on Michael St. Clair.”
Her mouth was dry as Elise sat up straight.
“Where? When?” the chief barked out, all signs of amusement gone.
“In Grove City, sir. Or right outside there. An elderly couple gave an Amish girl and a little boy a ride yesterday.”
“Grove City? Why would Leah be heading there?” Ryan broke in, confused.
“They didn’t say—”
“She wasn’t heading for Grove City,” Elise interrupted. At once, she became the center of attention. She focused on Ryan. “Don’t you remember? Rebecca said that Leah’s from New Wilmington. She was heading home. Where she thought she could hide and keep my little boy safe.” As soon as she said it, Elise knew she was right. New Wilmington was where they needed to go. And she had to convince all of these strong, dedicated men that she needed to go with them, instead of being hidden here in LaMar Pond.
“That’s right.” Ryan snapped his fingers. “Chief, I would like your permission to start out that way. Obviously, I’d reach out to the local precinct, but I really want to see if we can track down Leah and Mikey. Before—” He broke off.
Elise knew what he was going to say. “Before Mikey’s father gets to them.”
“Elise...” Ryan said. She got the impression that he wanted to comfort her but really didn’t know how.
“I know, Ryan. And I thank you for wanting to spare me the harsh details. I really do. But this is my kiddo we’re talking about. And whether I like it or not—and I most certainly don’t like it—there are men out there who want to track my boy down, and who also seem to want me dead. I’m still not completely sure why. It feels surreal. But I can’t ignore the facts.”
Even though I want to, she thought. She was sure that the sentiment was understood by all.
As it turned out, she need not have worried.
The chief turned to Ryan. “Parker, I agree that you should go to New Wilmington. Immediately. We will keep Miss St. Clair—”
“Actually, Chief,” Ryan interjected, his gaze locked squarely on his boss. “I know it’s not usual, but I had planned on keeping Elise with me.”
“Explain yourself.” Chief Kennedy’s voice was firm but not angry.
He was, Elise remembered, a reasonable man. For the moment, she was content to allow Ryan to plead her case. Hiding her away hadn’t kept her safe, so there was no reason to think a new safe house would be any more secure. The best way to protect her was to keep an officer at her side—and if she was going to be sticking with Ryan, then it just made sense for her to help him follow up on this new lead in the search for Mikey.
If the chief wouldn’t bend, however, she would have no qualms about speaking up. No one—and she meant no one—would keep her from looking for her baby.
She glanced at the clock. Ryan bumped gently against her. What? She followed his gaze. Oh. Her leg was bouncing impatiently, the heel of her boot making rapid clicking noises against the floor. With effort, she forced herself to sit still as she concentrated on the conversation.
Squeezing her shoulder in reassurance, Ryan turned to face his chief again. “We’ve agreed that Elise can’t go back to the motel—that she needs more protection than that provides.”
“Agreed,” the chief said. “She needs all the protection we can offer. But bringing her on the search for the Amish girl and the little boy doesn’t sound like protection—it sounds like putting her right in harm’s way.”
Ryan grimaced, and Elise tensed. Was the chief going to insist on her staying away from the search?
“It’s like this, Chief,” Ryan explained. “First, Elise is the one who is best able to recognize Leah and Mikey. Even with the sketch we have, none of us have ever seen Leah’s full face. And you know the Amish dress so that none of them stand out. We might not spot her in a crowd. Then there’s the fact that none of our pictures of Hudson Langor are accurate. Again, Elise is the only who knows him and his voice.”
He stopped to take a deep breath. Then he spoke more quietly, as if to make what he was going to say less harsh. “And finally, sir, we have no clue how many people are after her. We still haven’t figured out who is the boss of the crime syndicate that Hudson was hired by. Or why they have decided to make her a target. Clearly, they’re serious, though, if they killed one of their own rather than allow him to go with the police.” The chief nodded at this, and Elise began to grow hopeful. It seemed like he was beginning to be convinced.
Ryan then drove the point home. “She needs someone with her around the clock until these m
en have been caught. But we can’t put all our resources toward solving this case and keep a guard on her all the time. Elise wants to be involved in the search. She has useful information to help, and she needs constant police protection. The best solution to keep her safe, find the child and close this case is to let her come with me.”
Holding her breath, Elise waited to see what Chief Kennedy would say. He considered the facts slowly. She felt like a teakettle ready to come to full boil. So much frustration was building inside. Could none of these men feel the time getting away from them?
Finally, just when she was ready to scream and demand they act, Chief Kennedy nodded. “You make sense, Parker. I will let her go with you. Honestly, I don’t know how we’d keep her safe here until those other precincts send us some help, not with you gone and two officers in the hospital.”
Shadows passed over all three officers’ faces. They were more than colleagues. They were family. More than what she’d had with Brady. She slammed the door shut on that thought. Brady was gone, and good riddance. He wasn’t worth her time. Unwillingly, her gaze flew to Ryan. There was a man of strength and character. One who looked after those he cared about.
Whoa. Had she just put herself in that category? It didn’t matter if her affection for him was growing. The two of them could never be. It would be selfish of her to allow herself to grow close to him.
“Any word on the injured, Chief?” She forced herself to listen to Ryan.
Chief Kennedy sighed. “They should make a full recovery, but it’ll take time—they’re beaten up pretty badly. Lily is still unconscious, although they think her injuries aren’t that serious. Mac, though, is going to be out for a while. A bullet pierced his lung. He’s fortunate that he wasn’t killed.”
“I’m glad that they didn’t kill them, but it doesn’t make sense to me.”
“Why did they kill their partner instead of taking him with them?” Elise blurted out the question before she thought about it. Was it rude of her to interrupt?
Neither man seemed upset, though, she was glad to note.
“I was thinking about that, Elise,” Ryan replied. “The only thing I can think of is that they wouldn’t have been able to get the back doors open to let him out. Not without breaking the windows, or forcing the door, or doing something else that might have taken too long, giving the officers a chance to catch them. I know it sounds horrible, but the fear of the man possibly spilling details to make a deal might have been more important than his life.”
Chief Kennedy nodded. “That’s as good a motive as I can think of. I don’t really care why they didn’t kill my officers. I’m just praising God that they didn’t.”
A shudder worked its way up Elise’s spine. What kind of people were they dealing with, people who could kill someone they knew with no regret?
These were the same people who were coming to get her. The horror grew in her mind when she realized the full impact of the matter. They had been contracted to kill her. They would not hesitate or show an ounce of remorse. They would keep coming until she was dead.
NINE
“What on earth are they doing?” Elise leaned forward to gaze at the people who were lined up along the road, taking pictures of the bridge. Granted, it was a gorgeous covered bridge. The wood was white, and the top rose to a triangular point. From where she sat, she could see the beams crisscrossing inside. Functional, yet aesthetically pleasing.
“This is Banks Covered Bridge. It’s famous. I don’t know the whole story, but years ago, a popular television show filmed an episode here.”
“Really?” That was interesting.
“Yep.”
She studied at the bridge with renewed interest. “Ryan, look! Have you ever seen a buggy like that before?” The buggy was crossing the bridge, the horses’ hooves echoing like thunder. The buggy itself had a light brown top, almost tan. All the buggies she’d seen back home had been black.
“New Wilmington is the only place you’ll find ’em.” Ryan pulled off to the side, allowing a couple of buggies to pass him. They were in his truck, rather than his cruiser, in order to blend in more. He’d also taken the time to change out of his uniform into faded blue jeans and a black T-shirt. He still looked like a cop to her. A gorgeous one, but a cop nonetheless. Especially with the gun sticking out of the back of his jeans. A flannel shirt was sitting on the seat between them. He’d taken it to wear over his T-shirt when they were out of the truck. He used the break in driving to check his phone. “It looks like I missed a call from the chief. Hold on a minute.”
Watching the people clustered around the bridge, Elise felt the first tingle of unease creep up on her. She could see vehicles coming up behind them. They were sitting ducks while Ryan was checking the message. It was probably important, she knew that. She just hated being so out in the open.
Her mind drifted back to the Amber Alert. She’d checked her cell phone later, and she’d had a message regarding the sighting. Which meant that anyone with similar technology also had that information.
Including Hudson.
He could already be in New Wilmington. And what about the others who were after her and might target Mikey, as well? The truck cab suddenly felt like a cage. She couldn’t help the whimper that escaped her. Her baby was so vulnerable!
“Hey. Hey, Elise. I’m right here. What’s the matter?”
Without thinking about her resolution, Elise turned and grabbed at Ryan’s arm. The muscles flexed beneath her fingers. “The Amber Alert! Ryan... Hudson might know where we’re heading. He might already be in the area!” Her breath came out hard and fast, like she’d been running a marathon.
Covering her hand on his arm with one large hand, he searched her face. That’s when she knew. He had already thought of that. It was another reason he wanted her with him. To protect her and to help find her nephew. His next words confirmed her theory.
“I had thought of that. I didn’t bring it up because I didn’t want you to dwell on it. But, yes, it is possible that he knows where we are heading. I don’t know that we have any choice, though. We have to do everything we can to locate your nephew.”
“How could you not tell me?” A part of her felt betrayed.
“Tell you?” Ryan rolled his eyes. “Honey, you work for a dispatch center. I assumed that you would figure it out. It’s part of the program.”
For a moment, she was too thrown by the confusion caused by his casual endearment to respond. Ryan didn’t strike her as a man who used words like honey loosely. She both dreaded and felt excited by this small insight into his thoughts. Ryan Parker was starting to care for her. She was sure of it.
Then, as her mind caught up with the rest of his words, she felt a little sheepish. Oh, yeah, she should have figured it out sooner. Her only excuse was that her mind and heart had both been absorbed in the drama that was her world at this moment.
Turning her head out the window to hide her burning cheeks, she watched a car maneuvering past them. The vehicle was far to the other side, allowing another buggy to pass. But instead of starting forward, the driver pushed his face close to the window, his narrowed gaze scrutinizing the Amish family in the passing buggy. Not just a curious scrutiny, either. He was searching for something. As his face turned more in their direction, Elise gasped and pulled back out of sight, sinking lower in her seat.
“That’s him! That’s Hudson!” She managed to squeeze the words from her tight throat.
Ryan jerked his head up and stared in the direction Elise had been facing.
Ryan moved to pull back onto the road, no doubt to chase Hudson. It was too late; Hudson had sped up and crossed the bridge the moment the Amish family had passed. Before Ryan could come onto the road, more vehicles had replaced Hudson’s.
Among them were several motorcycles.
The riders were wearing T-shirts and vests. Only one was wearin
g a helmet. One of the men looked very familiar to her.
“Ryan, see that last guy?” she whispered, even though the windows were shut and the air-conditioning was on. She waited for his nod. “I had a problem with my power going out two weeks ago. He was the man who came out to fix it for me.”
Ryan stiffened. “You sure of that?”
“Of course I’m sure!”
“Elise, that’s the other guy who was at your house yesterday.”
She could feel the blood draining from her head. “I let a contract killer into my house?” If she wasn’t so freaked, she’d have been embarrassed at the squeak that left her mouth. As it was, she was afraid she was going to be sick on his leather seats.
He smoothed her curls tenderly back from her face. “You couldn’t have known. But if my guess is right, he did more than fix your power.”
She had no time to ask what he meant. He called the chief. It surprised her that he put it on speaker. Then again, she’d hear his side of the conversation, anyway. The chief picked up immediately.
“Parker, did you get my message?”
That made her curious. She remembered that Ryan had said he’d had a voice mail.
“Yes, sir. But you should know, something more has happened. Elise saw Langor go across the Banks Covered Bridge. And not far behind him were three motorcycles, one of whom was ridden by the man I chased at her house. We have to assume all three are members of the gang after Elise.”
“Did they notice you?”
Elise jumped when Ryan’s hand caught hers. She’d been tapping her long nails against the dashboard. He didn’t let go, just brought both hands to rest on the seat between them. With a sigh, she leaned back and closed her eyes while she listened.
“No, sir. But Elise recognized one as an electrician who visited her house.”
A pause settled in the air before the chief, his voice thick with satisfaction, said, “So we’re finally getting somewhere. If I were to guess, I’d say that her house is wiretapped or bugged.”