Under the Lawman's Protection

“See those trees fifty feet from here?” Isaac asked in a low whisper, his breath tickling her ear. She swallowed hard and nodded. “I want you to run there, and I’ll be right behind you.”

After hiking Ben higher in her arms, she took off at a slow jog, mostly because she couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of her face. She didn’t realize she was holding her breath until her chest started to burn. She took a deep gulping breath and the tightness eased. After what seemed like forever, she reached the trees, darting behind them and sagging against a solid trunk.

Isaac joined her a few seconds later. “See anything?” she whispered.

He shook his head. “No, but we need to keep moving.”

Of course they did. She sighed and pulled herself upright, shifting Ben to her other hip. Her arm muscles screamed in protest, but she forced herself to ignore the pain. Although maybe once this was all over, she’d have to start lifting weights so she wasn’t so weak.

“I’d take him, but I need to cover your back,” Isaac whispered, reading her thoughts.

“I’m fine.” She made her way through the trees, grateful to see there was a clearing on the other side. She glanced up and noticed there was a church steeple not far away. “Isaac, can we go to that church up ahead?” she whispered.

“Sure, but keep to the shadows, in case they’ve figured out we’ve escaped.”

Leah picked up her pace, despite her weary muscles. The church steeple was like a beacon, drawing her closer. She silently prayed as they made their way down the street, putting as much distance as possible between them and the American Lodge.

Leah wanted to cry with relief when the church loomed before her. Although as they approached the steps, it belatedly occurred to her that the doors were likely locked.

“Wait—I want you two to stay hidden over here,” Isaac said, drawing her away from the front steps.

She didn’t have the strength or the will to argue. She huddled down near the corner of the building with Ben on her lap, not even caring that her jeans were getting all muddy again.

Too afraid to close her eyes, she peered through the darkness, making sure there were no cars coming toward them. From this angle she couldn’t see what Isaac was doing, but since she was fairly certain the church was locked up, it didn’t matter. Maybe he was checking for a side entrance or something.

Cold from the ground seeped through her clothing, making her shiver. She thought she might be warmer if she stood back up, but struggling to her feet wasn’t easy, especially with Ben’s weight in her arms.

“Leah?” Isaac seemed to pop up out of nowhere. “Come on. Let’s get inside.”

Inside the church? She was surprised but grateful as Isaac supported her, his arm anchoring her waist. Once they were safely in, he closed the door behind them.

She sank into a pew and then carefully set Ben down beside her. Clasping her hands together, she bowed her head and prayed.

“Thank You for providing us shelter, Lord. And thank You for keeping us safe from harm. Please continue to guide us to safety. Amen.”

* * *

Isaac listened to Leah’s softly uttered prayer and couldn’t help wondering if her faith really offered as much support as she claimed. She certainly seemed to pray a lot, although he couldn’t blame her, since she’d also been in constant danger.

He scrubbed his hands over his face, mentally kicking himself for nearly getting them captured once again. They’d been found too easily.

But how?

He crossed over to where Leah sat and edged in beside her. “I’m sorry about this,” he murmured. “I promise I’ll do a better job of protecting you and Ben from here on.”

Her attempt at a smile fell short, but he gave her points for trying. “It’s not your fault, Isaac.”

It was his fault, but there was no sense in hammering the issue any further. Looking backward wasn’t going to help; they needed to move forward from here. “I talked to your brother earlier and he told me that he thinks there is a dirty cop involved in this mess.”

Leah’s face brightened. “You spoke to Shane? Is he okay?”

“He’s hiding, but he’s okay for now,” Isaac confirmed.

“I’m so glad to hear that,” she murmured. “I’ve been so worried about him.”

“I know.” Isaac put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a quick hug. “I have to think that whoever the shooter was at the side of the road somehow got the plate number for the police vehicle. The gunman likely didn’t know that we had connecting rooms and simply tossed the gas canister into the one where the vehicle was parked.” He was glad now that he hadn’t left it in front of Leah and Ben’s room.

“But how did they find us?” she asked.

“I wish I knew,” Isaac admitted. “But it’s obvious we need a vehicle with no ties to the SWAT team.”

“Where on earth are we going to get another car?”

“Don’t worry. Caleb and Deck will come through for us.” Isaac hated to wake his buddies up again, especially at two in the morning, but what choice did he have? The church was a good sanctuary for now, but it was too close to the hotel for comfort. Once the person who’d thrown the tear gas realized they’d gotten away, they’d start to widen their search radius, and the church would become an obvious target.

At least, that was what he would do. And if a dirty cop was involved, he’d probably do the same thing.

Isaac pulled out his phone and called Deck. A few weeks ago, his buddy had been trying to sell his sister’s old car. Maybe, just maybe, he hadn’t sold it yet. The older-model vehicle would be perfect for them to use for a few days. And since Declan’s sister had a different last name, it would be ideal.

Declan didn’t answer right away, and when he finally did, he didn’t sound too happy. “What?” he asked in a sleepy tone.

“I’m sorry, Deck, but we’ve been found. Someone threw a canister of tear gas into my hotel room. Do you still have your sister’s old car?”

There was a long pause and Isaac hoped his buddy hadn’t fallen back asleep. But when Deck spoke again, he sounded more awake. “Yeah, I still have it. Where are you and Leah now?”

“At the church located down the road from the hotel. If you could get here as soon as possible, we’d appreciate it.”

“No problem. I’ll have Bobby drive the spare car, since he’s home on spring break.”

“That works. If you could bring a computer, too, I’d appreciate it.”

“A computer? Sure, I can loan you mine. What are you searching for?”

“Anything that explains what’s going on,” Isaac said, being purposefully vague. He didn’t want to expose his friends to more danger. “Thanks, and I’m sorry to keep bothering you.”

“You were there for me when I needed help, so it’s no problem. We’ll be there in fifteen to twenty minutes.”

“We’ll be waiting.” Isaac disconnected the call, feeling better that they had a solid escape plan.

“Who’s Bobby?” Leah asked.

She’d obviously heard the entire conversation—not a surprise, since she was sitting right next to him. So close he could smell the cinnamon scent that seemed to cling to her skin. “His brother-in-law.”

“And you helped Declan out, the way he’s helping you now?” she pressed.

He slowly nodded. “Yeah, about six months ago. We’ve always been there for each other no matter what.”

“Mommy, I’m hungry,” Ben said in a plaintive tone.