Secret Agent Father

“No!” Her voice rose to a hysterical pitch. “Trina told me to call you. Only you. No one else. There was a man with a gun. I need your help, please!”

Alex blew out his breath, sensing the woman was teetering on the edge and one wrong word would send her tumbling over. His gut also told him she wasn’t involved in the criminal activity surrounding the shipyard. He couldn’t deny the possibility of a setup, but too much caution could be dangerous. Trina must have given her phone and the code phrase to this woman because her life was in jeopardy. The panic in this woman’s tone was too good to be faked.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

There was a brief hesitation. “Shelby.”

“Where are you right now?”

“Near a town called Shawano.”

Shawano was almost two hours away. Perfect. He’d have plenty of time to arrange a backup plan in case this woman wasn’t who she claimed to be. “Okay, I’ll give you directions to a truck stop in another town. From there, call me again to get further instructions.”

He rattled off the directions, satisfied when she repeated them back correctly.

“So you’ll meet us—me at the truck stop?” she asked.

“Not exactly.” He knew if he mentioned his plan to have Rafe check her out first, she’d get upset again. Rafe would be discreet. She’d never know he was there. “I need to make sure you’re not followed.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“Trust me, we’ll be in touch soon.” He hung up and immediately called Rafe.

“Yeah?” His partner sounded half-awake.

“I need backup. Can you be here in an hour?”

“What’s up?” Rafe sleepy voice disappeared.

“Something has happened to Trina.”

“Trina?”

Rafe’s voice had sharpened and Alex knew his partner was finally awake. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll call you back.”

Alex picked up his foam ball and squeezed rhythmically with his left hand as he waited for Rafe to return his call. What had happened to Trina? He hoped she was all right. He couldn’t help feeling that he should have been there with her. He hated being on the outside of the case, instead of working it from center stage. It was already mid-March and the ships would hit the water the first of April. He only had two weeks to get his left arm in shape to be his dominant hand.

For now, once he’d determined the woman, Shelby, was legit, he’d have no choice but to turn her over to Rafe.

Driving on the highway toward the truck stop with a clear destination in mind helped Shelby keep her rioting emotions under control. She could do this, one step at a time.

While Cody slept, Shelby battled grief as her thoughts dwelled on Trina. She knew, with gut wrenching certainty, that her vibrant, live-life-on-the-edge sister was dead. When they were younger, opposite personalities kept them from being close. Shelby was Christian and had never embraced her sister’s freewheeling lifestyle, but in the past five years Cody had managed to bring them together.

Shelby was grateful for that time when they’d been closer, but the truth was she hadn’t really known Trina, and now she never would.

Their father would be devastated by the loss. He thought the sun rose and set in Trina. He’d always ignored her mistakes, the bad choices that had time and again landed her in trouble. Shelby sniffed loudly and blinked back tears. Trina had gotten in trouble again, but this time she’d made the right choice. Trina had sacrificed her life for her son.

How would the little boy deal with losing his mother on top of meeting a father he didn’t know? Now that she knew Stephan wasn’t his father, she understood why Cody had spent more time with her than Trina and Stephan over the past few years. It was no secret her sister and her husband were having marital problems. Stephan and Cody had never been particularly close. Now Cody’s whole life had been turned upside down.

And he was in danger. She could only hope and pray he didn’t realize how much.

Cody stirred, waking up after his short nap. Sleep had been the best thing for him after all the trauma of the morning’s escape from the marina. Pushing her steep exhaustion aside, Shelby smiled at him reassuringly. “Hey, are you hungry?”

He rubbed his eyes with his fists and nodded.

There was another small town coming up and she’d noticed a sign for a fast food place. “We’ll pick up some breakfast in the next town, all right?”

After making a quick bathroom stop inside, they placed their order in the drive-through lane. Shelby fastened Cody back into his toddler seat, and watched him munch on his breakfast sandwich through the rearview mirror. She wasn’t sure how much of Trina’s conversation about him being in danger he’d picked up on, so she tried to distract him. “Guess what? We’re heading into the north woods.”

Cody’s eyes widened, his interest piqued as she’d hoped. “Are we gonna see bears?”

“Nah, they’re hibernating for the winter. But we might see deer.” She took a sip of her coffee, hoping the caffeine would jump start her system now that the adrenaline rush had worn off.

“What about wolves? Or coyotes?”

Shelby shook her head, grinning wryly at Cody’s fascination with wild animals. “I don’t know, maybe.”

Cody loudly slurped his chocolate milk through a straw. Steady green eyes regarded her in the mirror. “Aunt Shelby?”

“Hmm?”

“Am I gonna live with you now, forever?”

Shelby sucked in a harsh breath and tightened her grip on the steering wheel. Yes, she wanted to shout. Yes, you’ll stay with me forever. But the words clogged her throat. Did Cody sense the truth about his mother’s death? Did he know he was in danger? What was the best way to have this conversation?

Lord, give me some guidance here. How should I tell him? Please, Lord, help me find the best way to explain this.

“I don’t know, Cody. Maybe.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “First we’re going to visit your other dad.”

“My other dad?” Confusion wrinkled his brow.

“Yes. You’re a very special boy, Cody, because you have two dads. The dad you’ve been living with and your other dad.”

“After the visit, then I’m gonna live with you?” he persisted.

She wanted him to. Very much. Not right after the visit, as Cody had said, since they were still in danger. But once all of this was over… Still, she had no way of knowing if Alex, his biological father, would have other plans. Stephan wasn’t listed as Cody’s father and he’d married Trina after Cody’s birth, which meant Alex would have the edge, if he wanted custody. The idea made her stomach hitch. She didn’t know anything about Alex. Would he be a good father? Maybe she should find a way to disappear, keeping Cody with her forever.

As much as she wanted to do just that, her conscience wouldn’t let her. The thought of the bad man knowing Cody saw him scared her to death. Would the man know Cody was with her? Was that why Trina had told her not to go back to her apartment over the day care center? She couldn’t take a chance. No matter what the future held, Cody’s safety had to be her first concern.

And regardless of who Alex was, he had a right to know about his son.

“I don’t know, Cody. I hope so. We’ll see.”

Instantly his face crumpled. “I don’t wanna go back to the marina! I don’t like it there. I wanna stay with you.”

“Shh. Hey now.” Shelby reached her arm back around the seat to rub his leg. Trina and Stephan had lived near the marina. It didn’t make sense that he was so afraid of going back there. “Cody, don’t cry. I love you. I’ll stay with you no matter what. I promise.” She wished she could pull him into her arms, inhaling the sweet scent of his baby shampoo. But they needed to get to the truck stop as soon as possible. “I love you,” she repeated. “I’ll stay with you always. Okay?”

Cody swiped at his eyes and nodded, stifling his tears.