Dangerous Testimony

And then...

Angela’s hand on her shoulder pulled her out of her reverie. How did her sister always know when Candace was teetering on the edge of that abyss? She covered her sister’s fingers and squeezed back, telegraphing the thank-you she couldn’t voice in front of the officers. How grateful she was to God for giving her sisters, who were truly the hands and feet of Jesus in her life. It felt doubly painful that she had not been able to give any siblings to Tracy. The only thing with which she could supply her daughter were the memories of her heroic father. Candace meant to preserve each one to keep Rick alive in Tracy’s heart. What’s more, she would not let her daughter see her fear. Her chin went up.

“Am I supposed to lock Tracy away for a month?”

Ridley tapped a pencil against his knee. “That’s not Jay Rico’s pattern. He usually orders the Pack to take out the direct threat to his organization and avoid collaterals.”

“What does that mean?” Angela asked.

“They target the person who has crossed them,” Marco said.

JeanBeth jerked. “But we’re going to stop that, right?”

“Affirmative,” Marco said. “There are enough of us to supplement the police watch. If the Pack is going to make a move, they’ll have to get through us first.”

“If?” Donna said. “So this could be intimidation only?”

Ridley nodded. “That’s most likely. The Pack is not active here in Coronado, though we’ve been keeping our eye on some auto thefts, but it would be risky for them to take action. They are probably just trying to scare you.”

They’re doing a great job of that, Candace thought.

“The guy Rico sent to the college was more than intimidation,” Marco said.

“Maybe.” Ridley shrugged. “Could be he exceeded his orders from Rico.”

“I’m not willing to put Candace’s safety on the line for a maybe.” Marco looked around at the family members. “From now on, she and Tracy stay inside unless it’s urgent, and we get her whatever she needs, agreed?”

Everyone nodded.

“What about Tracy’s school?” Candace said. Her daughter adored third grade and her teacher.

Marco shrugged. “You can get one of those home study packets, and she gets a vacation.”

Candace felt like screaming. “So we’re going to be prisoners until the trial is over?”

“Think of it as protective custody,” Marco said.

“I feel like I’m being punished.”

“Not punished, protected.” Marco got up. “Let’s talk about a schedule, and we need to know everything you have on Jay Rico.”

They clustered together with phones and notepads, as if Candace was no longer even in the room.

Bullied. That’s how she felt about this five rings business. Like she was back in junior high, being bullied by the boys who refused to let her take a seat on the bus. She remembered sitting on the sticky floor in the rear, trying to ignore the jeers from her classmates, wishing one person might make a space for her.

All she’d needed was a single brave soul to be her ally, but no one wanted to stand up to those bullies.

No one.

And Candace had resolved, after she got off at her stop on that long-ago day, never to be the subject of bullying again. The next day on the bus, she had elbowed her way to the front of the line, sitting down on the very first seat and announcing to the boys that she wasn’t moving.

“And if you lay one finger on me,” she’d shouted, “I will show you how I earned my black belt in karate.” They’d believed her, even though she’d never set foot in a karate studio, and though they teased her relentlessly for the remainder of her school year, no one ever dared take her seat again.

Candace remembered how Rick had laughed in delight when she’d told him that story early in their marriage. “That’s my girl,” he’d said. “Don’t ever let anyone bully you.” He’d tossed an eighteen-month-old Tracy into the air until she’d giggled with delight. “And my baby girl is going to have her mama’s tiger stripes, aren’t you?”

And now here Candace was, a fully grown adult, being bullied by Jay Rico and his pack of thugs. Where were her tiger stripes now?

“I want to go home,” she said quietly.

There was no response from the cluster of adults.

“I want to go home,” she said louder.

Still no response. No one seemed to notice she’d said a word.

“It’s not enough,” Marco was saying. “I’m going to bring in some more guys if I can get them.”

“Civilian help is dangerous,” Ridley said.

“They aren’t civilians, they’re SEALs.”

“This isn’t their purview. They have no rights to act on domestic soil without orders.”

Marco glared. “Try telling them that.”

“I said,” Candace called in a near shout, “I am going home right now.”

They all turned to her. She realized at that moment that Tracy was standing in the doorway.

“Why are you yelling, Mommy?”

She plastered a smile on her face. “Because Mommy is tired, and it’s time for us to go back to our own house.”

Marco, her sisters and the two cops looked at her in surprise.

“If you could wait another hour or so...” Ridley suggested. “Until we get things in place...”

“Now,” Candace said, in what she hoped was a calm, confident voice. “I am going back home now. With all of you looking out for us, I’m sure we’ll be fine. Will someone give us a ride, or should I call a taxi?”

* * *

Candace sat in stony silence in the front seat of Marco’s truck while Tracy prattled on in the back next to Bear. Marco had no idea what book Tracy was describing, something about a time-traveling pony, but he listened attentively and put in a “wow” once in a while at what he hoped were the appropriate times.

“And I’m gonna have a speaking part in the pioneer play we’re doing just before Thanksgiving break. The practices are super fun. I know almost all my lines.” She reached over to scratch Bear’s tummy.

Anger edged up from Marco’s stomach toward his chest when he considered that Tracy was going to miss out on the next few weeks of school. It was possible she wouldn’t be in the show at all. No one had the right to strip away her childhood. When Jay Rico had sent his guy to interfere in Tracy’s life, he had made himself Marco’s enemy. Though he didn’t know it yet, he would, and soon.

Marco realized he had the steering wheel in a death grip. He forced his fingers to relax. Clearing his throat, he shot a glance at Candace. “Got a guy coming tomorrow to watch your place.”