Baby On The Run

“No, ma’am.”

“Or finding me outside with Eli?”

“No. I need to figure out how much time I’ve lost.”

She recounted what happened in the last hour, starting with her friend being strangled, Jenna asking Matt to drop her at the truck stop and then her coming to his rescue after he was assaulted in the parking lot.

“That’s pretty much it,” she said.

Not quite. “I left you at the truck stop when I knew you were in danger? That doesn’t sound like me.”

“A misunderstanding.” She hesitated. “I thought you were a serial killer.”

He shot her a look of disbelief.

“What? You had a gun, zip ties and duct tape in your glove box.”

“The gun and zip ties are for work. I used the duct tape to fix a broken hose.”

“Oh, okay. Sorry,” she said.

“Trusting doesn’t come easy for you, does it?”

“I trusted Chloe,” she said quietly.

Silence stretched between them.

“Why were you working undercover at the community center?” she asked.

How much should he tell her? He knew she needed enough information to make good decisions.

“We think a drug cartel is laundering money through the foundation,” he said. “By taking a job at the center and assimilating into the community, my goal was to discover who’s involved.”

“Assimilating into the community?”

“Through work, volunteering, attending church.”

“That seems hypocritical, to pretend to attend church.”

“I wasn’t pretending. I enjoy church.”

“Whatever.”

He’d upset her but wasn’t sure why. He’d figure that out later. In the meantime, he’d call for backup. He searched his pocket for his phone but came up empty.

“Your phone’s in the console,” she said.

He looked at her.

“You dropped it when they attacked you.”

“Thanks.”

“And here, you’ll probably need this.” She pulled his gun magazine out of her pocket and handed it to him.

He took it, trying to figure out why she had it.

“I thought you were a serial killer, remember?” she said.

“Right.” He pulled the gun out of his waistband, shoved the magazine in place and put it in the glove box.

“You’re not keeping it on you?”

“It’ll raise questions in the hospital and I don’t want to jeopardize my assignment.”

“Oh, right.”

Matt called his supervisor, pressing the heel of his palm against his temple to ease the pain. It went to voice mail. “It’s Weller. I was assaulted and need backup. Send an agent to St. James Healthcare in Butte. I’m with a woman and child who need our protection.” He pocketed his phone and leaned against the headrest.

“You don’t have to take care of us,” Jenna said.

“Excuse me?”

“We’re not your problem.”

“No, you’re not my problem. You’re my responsibility.”

She smirked and looked away. Why? She didn’t know anything about Matt. She didn’t know how he’d failed Sarah.

“I’d like to find Chloe’s cousin to help us, not be taken into FBI custody,” she said.

“I’m trying to keep you safe.”

She shook her head, unconvinced. Man, what had happened to this woman?

A few minutes later they exited the highway, and she turned into the hospital parking lot. “Do you want me to drop you at the main entrance?” she offered.

“No, we should stick together until help arrives.”

She found a parking spot, turned off the vehicle and tried to hand him the keys.

“Keep them. Just in case.”

“I can’t take your truck.”

“For my peace of mind.”

With a curious frown, she got out of the car and retrieved the sleeping child. His head rested on her shoulder as she carried him through the parking lot.