Loe raamatut: «Fugitive Pursuit»

ONE

Zack Owen had faced some pretty difficult people in his work as a bounty hunter, but no one was more challenging than his older sister when she got an idea lodged in her brain. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and rolled his eyes as Lily rattled on.

“I mean, how am I supposed to learn what it’s like in the field if none of you will teach me how to be a bounty hunter?”

He stared at her. “You’re here with me, aren’t you?” Although, now he questioned his decision to bring her along on this fugitive hunt.

After a few moments, she crossed her arms. “Yes, but that’s only because you need backup and no one else could come.”

His older brothers would kill him if anything happened to Lily. When they opened Second Chance Bail Bonds, they’d all agreed to keep her in the front office and away from the danger. And here he’d put her right in the middle of it.

Bringing Lily along...what had he been thinking?

“Do I get a gun?” Her eyes widened as a huge grin took over her face. It was kind of creepy.

“No. We don’t need them. The woman isn’t dangerous.” He glanced down at the mug shot he’d printed off the computer before they left the office. After his brothers reminded him to stay put and out of trouble.

Jamie Carter, arrested on assault charges for going after a sheriff, now wanted for skipping bail and kidnapping her niece. She was an attractive woman, with sparkling hazel eyes and long hair the color of chestnuts. Her pretty face made her look sweet and innocent.

Her looks, though, didn’t matter. Long ago, Zack had learned to keep his personal feelings separate from his professional career. Too much pain was possible when the two mixed. He’d learned the hard way. In his early bounty hunting days, he’d foolishly opened his heart to a woman. Soon, his romance had affected his focus on the job and an innocent victim had paid the price. Zack refused to allow that to happen again.

Besides, Ms. Carter had broken the law and Zack lived by it.

“Remember to let me do the talking, Lil. I’ll call you over to search her when I’ve got her in custody.”

“Okay, but should we have some kind of weapon or vest?” Lily’s hair fell over her shoulder as she glanced behind his seat. “She is a fugitive.”

“The woman spends her time with a six-year-old. She’s not likely to have a weapon, if for no other reason than to protect the kid.”

“You’re right.” Lily nodded as her fingers curled around the door handle. “Can we go now?”

“Okay.” Before he’d finished the last syllable, Lil was already hopping out of the truck. “What have I done?” he whispered.

After Zack locked the vehicle, he joined her on the sidewalk. He folded the mug shot and stuffed it in his pocket. Like an excited little kid, Lily asked questions, but she didn’t stop long enough for him to answer. Bringing his sister along really had been a bad decision.

Cars rushed by in front of the strip of shops. The scent of newly broken earth from somewhere close by filled his nostrils. Humidity from Rhode Island’s annual three-day heat wave clung to his brow and his lip. The heat of the mid-July day suffocated him. A few young women came out of the internet café, giggling and heading their way. Zack tugged the picture of Jamie out of his pocket. “Excuse me, ladies.” He made sure his Fugitive Recovery Agent badge was visible. “Have you seen this woman?”

All three of them nodded while one answered, “Yeah, I saw her in here a while ago. I’m not sure if she’s still inside.”

A jolt of adrenaline rushed through him. “Thank you.” His plan had been to check each business and gather as much information as he could about the woman’s possible visits to the small town of Trinity. Now, even if Carter wasn’t here, he had confirmation that he hunted in the right direction. As the women continued on their way, Zack turned to Lily.

“All right.” He pressed his hand on her shoulder. “Here’s the plan. You go around to the back door of the café in case she’s in here and tries to escape when I walk through the front door.”

Lily nodded. “Got it.” She fiddled with her bracelet, the one she’d inherited from Mom. “How do I stop her?”

“Hopefully I can talk her into surrendering before you have to do anything.” Then he’d only need Lily to pat the woman down. As a courtesy, he and his brothers always had their female partner search the women for weapons. “Go on.”

Lily pointed to his hand. “Can I take the picture? I meant to print a copy for myself at the office but I was so excited I forgot.”

He handed it off and watched his sister jog around the corner of the building. Of course, there was no guarantee Ms. Carter was still in here. But sticking his sister in the back, out of the way, was a good decision.

When he reached the windows of the internet café, he pulled the door open and stepped inside. The whoosh of air cooled his damp skin. He stayed at the front of the room and scanned the place: several rows of computers in front of him, a set of copiers near a checkout counter on his left and a section of the room dedicated to a small coffee shop on his right. Fingers tapped against keys. Conversations buzzed around the room. Zack set his fists on his hips. He didn’t need the picture he’d given to Lily to know if the woman was in here. He’d studied the attractive face long enough.

From the point of view of a bounty hunter, not as a man. He no longer did relationships. Romance included emotions, which led to weakness and he refused to be vulnerable. Once had been enough.

Now, where was his fugitive?

* * *

Jamie Carter read the news article on the computer before her. Official reports claimed her sister had had a drug problem that ultimately led to her death. “Yeah, right.” Jamie’s brother-in-law, Drew, had killed her. Based on her sister’s last phone message, Jamie was sure of it. Proving it, though, was a whole other ball game. Tears blurred her vision.

Why hadn’t she gone to the house when her sister called?

She swiped her fingers under her eyes. “I’m sorry, Erin.” Sorry for so many things, but mostly for not being there when her sister needed her the most. Jamie had gone on a vacation with her teacher friends to celebrate the end of the school year and to get away from Erin’s excuses for staying in the marriage. She’d had enough of trying to convince Erin to leave her abusive husband. When Erin had called and left a rushed message, Jamie hadn’t heard the phone ring and Erin had died. Jamie had gone to the house on her way home from her trip, but it was too late. The investigation was underway, with speculation her sister’s drug dealer had killed her.

Except Erin didn’t do drugs. Never had, never would have.

When Jamie arrived at his home, Drew stood outside, holding his daughter and pretending to mourn his wife. But when Jamie looked into his eyes, she knew he’d had a hand in Erin’s death. Like a wild woman, she pushed, punched and swung an IV pole at her brother-in-law and one of the deputies in front of a yard full of lawmen, paramedics and spectators. Of course, the men pressed charges. While waiting to see a judge, Jamie’s head swam with indecision. But nothing mattered except honoring her sister and getting her niece to safety.

Quiet sobs stole her breath as memories huddled in her brain. She didn’t think it was possible, but again her heart wrenched in her chest. She’d make it up to Erin, though.

A few days after Jamie made bail, she followed her niece and the girl’s new nanny to Charlotte’s favorite park. Joy traveled through her, and when the nanny got caught up in flirting with a man sitting next to her with a baby on his lap, Jamie pulled her niece and the girl’s bedraggled stuffed elephant into her arms. As Charlotte chatted excitedly about how happy she was to see Jamie, she whisked her away. Now she was ready to focus on somehow proving to anyone who would listen how evil her brother-in-law was.

Rumors throughout the small town of Hampton and through some of her students claimed Drew authorized his deputies to sell drugs there and in nearby communities. If she couldn’t get him investigated for her sister’s death, then she’d work to get him held accountable for the drugs he and his deputies peddled. Jamie’s next step was to interview some people. But who? How?

She closed her eyes and lowered her head. From successful, well-respected high school teacher to wanted woman in a matter of weeks. Could she succeed in bringing Drew down? Alone? To her success, everything Jamie set her mind to she achieved. But being wanted by the law...

The bell on the front door signaled a new customer entering.

And God helping her? That wouldn’t happen. He’d abandoned Jamie the day He first allowed Drew to steal Erin from her.

The new person, an imposing figure of a man, stood by the door, scanning the room. Jamie tensed. She was pretty sure he wasn’t looking for a seat since several near him remained empty. Although he wore no uniform, some kind of badge dropped around his neck.

Right. Time to go. Thankfully her niece was tucked away safely with a friend, so only Jamie had to run. As quickly as she could, she gathered the printouts covering the details of her case since she’d run and stuffed them into her backpack. When she rose from her chair, she kept her gaze toward the back of the room and prayed the man wasn’t looking for her.

A burst of air from the vent above her head stirred the strands of hair hanging loose from her ponytail. She fought every nerve to walk casually toward the back hallway.

“Jamie Carter.” A deep voice stirred something within her—fear, ease, maybe a bit of both.

Customers nearby stared at her.

She stopped and slowly turned to face the man about ten yards away from her. Dark hair, dark clothes. A few inches taller than her five foot seven, with well-defined muscle in his limbs, he could prove to be a challenge during her escape. She’d never seen him before. Could he be one of Drew’s musclemen? Or a new deputy?

“How’d you find me?” Like a wheel, her brain spun, scanning the surroundings, searching for freedom. Leaving by the front door would be impossible.

He shrugged one shoulder. “I asked around. Took a chance you’d be in the neighborhood.” When he stepped closer, she could see hair that barely touched his shoulders and a handsome face with a rounded jaw. “I’m sorry about your sister.”

A sense of intimacy rolled between them, his words like a balm over her broken heart.

Jamie shook her head. Crazy. The man was the enemy. “Sure, you really care.”

“I do. I can’t imagine losing one of my brothers or my sister in such a way.”

A hint of sympathy passed through his expression, as though he could truly understand her pain. Since when had her brother-in-law hired anyone with compassion? “You can tell Drew I’ll never stop fighting him, not until he answers for the crimes he’s committed.” Abuse, murder, drug peddler. Could there be more offenses?

Being more used to facing teenage drama and too many parent meetings than life on the run, Jamie didn’t have all the investigative skills she needed yet to convict Drew. But her time in the education system had taught her to roll with the punches. Hopefully her success rate inside a classroom put the odds in her favor as she attempted to uncover the truth. Nothing would stop her, not even the handsome man in front of her.

“The only person here with a warrant is you.” The man inched closer. He remained calm, confident.

She was not.

Going left or right would wouldn’t work. Too many people to maneuver around. Any one of them might grab her for him.

“So, what are you going to do? Bury me in an unmarked grave somewhere or take me back to Drew so he can kill me himself?” Several more customers stopped what they were doing. Many chose not to look directly at her. “I’m not going with you.”

“You don’t have a choice. You kidnapped your niece.”

Other people watched her and the man, as though enjoying a tennis match, as their conversation continued.

“I didn’t kidnap her. I’m protecting her.” Although Drew spent most of his marriage hitting Erin, he hadn’t hurt Charlotte, according to the little girl. Jamie had made sure to ask. Often.

He shook his head. “The courts don’t agree.”

“The courts are full of obnoxious old men who don’t have a clue what a true villain Drew Timmins is.” When the man took another step toward her, she backed up. “Please. My niece and I are in danger. Don’t you have a heart?” Make a decision. Which way should she run?

Metal clinked behind her. The closest computer geeks leaned over to glance around her.

Jamie jerked to one side so she could keep an eye on the man while assessing the latest threat. A woman, shadowed by the darkness of the hallway behind her, approached with handcuffs dangling from her fingers. “Please don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”

“Lil, I told you to wait,” the man grumbled.

Okay, if this woman was working with him, then they were definitely not Drew’s employees. Her brother-in-law would never hire a woman.

“I thought you and Ms. Carter could use a hand.”

Fear shot through Jamie. Once those metal bracelets clinked around her wrists, her attempts to eventually earn Charlotte a safe life would be over.

Which way should she go?

“Let me handle this,” the man said through what sounded like gritted teeth. He moved a little quicker but with the hint of a limp.

The woman continued walking closer to Jamie. A few inches shorter, several pounds lighter and with hesitation in her step. If the lady tried to grab Jamie, could she fight her? Adding another assault charge to her growing list of offenses wasn’t ideal, but protecting her niece meant more.

Once Jamie had gathered enough evidence of Drew’s illegal activities, maybe the charges against her would be dropped. Although, maybe not because she had actually assaulted her brother-in-law. But somehow she’d convince the courts to award her full custody of Charlotte despite Jamie’s crimes. Unless God still wanted a good laugh.

“Ms. Carter.” The man’s voice broke into her thoughts. “Let us take you in and put an end to your running.”

“Never going to happen.” She shifted her focus to the woman, now within two feet of her. “I’m sorry.” Jamie moved forward, slammed her heel onto the other woman’s foot and shoved her shoulders back with as much force as possible. While the woman teetered, Jamie crouched down and swiped the woman’s feet out from under her. As the lady’s body fell backward, Jamie turned and ran.

* * *

“Wait!” Zack’s gut clenched as his sister fell like a ten-pound bag of potatoes. The metal door from the back of the room slammed against the outside of the building as the woman ran through it. Adrenaline surged through him. Several people from the last row of computers scrambled from their seats and slid in beside his sister. He barely glanced in Lily’s direction, though, as he broke into a run after the fugitive.

Heat hit him as soon as he stepped outside. He glanced to his right and saw only an overloaded trash bin. To his left, a car moved slowly as though the driver searched for a parking space. Jamie had just passed it.

Zack took off after her. His badge slapped against his chest. As he moved, he slammed pressure onto a not-quite-healed leg. Pain jolted through his knee from when he wiped out on his surfboard. “Carter!”

The woman rushed between a set of trees at the end of the parking lot, a long ponytail waving behind her. A loose-fitting dark T-shirt and blue jean shorts would help her disappear into the wall of trees, leaving him in the dust, looking like a fool.

Zack stopped running and bent over. He set both hands on his thighs and prayed for the pain in his leg to diminish. What had he been thinking? Stupid decision to come after a bounty with his inexperienced sister and his less-than-ready body.

Yikes. Lily. He’d bailed on her. When he turned around, a sea of faces greeted him from just outside the internet café. Questions flew at him as he hobbled back to them.

“Who was she?”

“What’d she do?”

“Want us to go after her?”

They crowded him as he crossed the back entrance and into the hallway. “It’s all right, guys. We’ll get her another time.” Business patrons passed by him and shuffled through abandoned chairs. Voices buzzed once again.

Several people crowded Lily as she sat in a chair and rubbed the back of her head. “Lil?”

“I’m okay.” Once she stood, she closed the distance between them. “What about you?”

He scanned the room. Several people had returned to their work, with the few remaining stragglers backing away. “Kyle was right. I’m not ready to go back in the field.” His older brothers had relegated him to the office of their bounty hunting business for another few days, as though he, a grown man, couldn’t decide when his body was healed enough.

Clearly, they had a point.

The jabbing pain along his leg dulled to a throbbing ache. He shifted his weight to his uninjured knee.

“Do you want to sit down for a few minutes to rest your knee?”

He shook his head. “No, I’m good. Let’s get out of here.”

“Don’t worry.” Lily wrapped her arm around his back and leaned her head on his shoulder. “We still have the advantage with Carter.”

“How do you figure?” Zack steered her toward the checkout counter.

“You were able to find her once. You’ll be able to do it again.”

“Maybe.”

A man around his age rushed to the counter. His name tag read Randy. “How can I help you?”

“Sorry about the ruckus.”

The guy waved them off. “Forget it. No one got hurt, which is the important thing.”

“Lil, where’s the picture?”

Lily pulled the fugitive’s photo from her pocket. Once he took it, Zack unfolded it and placed it on the counter.

“We were searching for this woman, Jamie Carter. She’s not a dangerous criminal so you don’t have to worry. She probably won’t come back, but if she does, can you call the number on the bottom of the page?”

Randy held the paper like it was gold and nodded. “Of course, sir, miss.” His gaze shifted to Lil. And stayed there.

Zack glanced at her, smiling away, batting her eyelashes at the guy. “Thanks.” He pinched his sister’s sleeve and tugged her toward the door. “Let’s go, miss.”

Once they stepped outside, Zack grinned. “He’s too young for you.” He didn’t look at her, but from the corner of his eye he could see Lily glaring at him. They walked in silence back to the truck. The wind shook the tree leaves, which created strange sunshine patterns.

Carter had been prettier than her mug shot, even with the worry creasing her brow. In her picture, her wavy hair dipped past her shoulders. Today, she’d pulled it away from her face, which made her look younger than her twenty-four years and much more vulnerable. His heart almost went out to her.

But it didn’t. He was a professional and she was his criminal.

Inside the vehicle, Lily met his gaze. “You know the others are going to have a word or two for us, right?”

“Yup.” But it would be Zack they’d be angry with, not Lil. A hundred justifications for taking her along on his hunt for Ms. Carter roamed through his head, but none of them would be good enough for his brothers. He shouldn’t have gone, they’d say, should’ve left Lily at work, he’d acted totally irresponsible, blah, blah, blah.

“You can handle it, though. You know you’re one of the best and they’re only jealous.” She clicked her seat belt into place. “Besides, I’m a big girl. I make my own decisions.”

Yeah, he’d push that justification. It hadn’t been his decision after all.

For some reason, he took one more glance across the parking lot toward the wall of trees. Of course, Carter was long gone. He had to admit, the woman’s story intrigued him. So did the worry plastered across her face. Yes, as bounty hunters, he and his brothers heard sob stories all the time, criminals forming paper-thin explanations in hopes of gaining an ally, but Jamie Carter’s impassioned plea had caught him off guard. What if the woman spoke the truth? What if she did everything she could for an innocent kid?

Nah. Just because he hadn’t been out on the hunt in almost four weeks, he couldn’t let his brain freeze. Besides, the courts called Jamie Carter a criminal who needed to be brought to justice. He had to follow the law.

* * *

Two days later, Jamie sat on the blanket she’d set beside her tent and leaned her head against the tree. Excited voices of adult campers and children around her helped to calm her heart. Yes, she could’ve hidden farther into the woods, where no one would find her, but the complete human stillness would leave her with too much time to think. Guilt had a way of creeping through silence.

What was she doing? By walking away from her sister and having fun on a vacation, she’d managed to let one of the most important people in her life get hurt. No, both people if she thought about it. Her sister was dead and her niece had no parents. Well, technically Charlotte still had a father, but if Jamie had her way, the man would never see his little girl again. Drew wasn’t fit to be a father.

Giving up her comfort in her apartment once she’d gone on the run had been a no-brainer. But she hadn’t been prepared for life as a fugitive. She constantly looked over her shoulder, and in another night or two, she’d have to move again to another campground. Too much time in one place made her an easier target to find.

When she and Erin were little, they used to put up tents in the backyard and treat their evening like a grand adventure. These days she was also on a journey but one of a whole different kind.

When she took Charlotte and jumped bail, she knew she had to let go of anything normal—no cell phone, no personal computer, no familiar places. She had grabbed the basics for survival, dropped her niece off with a friend willing to help and pitched her tent in the city park. With a beach on one side and summer campers on the other, she hid out, hoping for the guilt inside her to tamp down in her brain long enough for her to find a way out of the mess she was in.

As a soft breeze floated through the leaves, she glanced around the trees. Sunshine created streaks of light across the dirt paths, reminding her of the joy and happiness bubbling throughout her and Erin’s adventures all those years ago. Soft and comfy sleeping bags had cradled her and her dreams.

Now, she was alone.

Once she put Drew behind bars, she and Charlotte would camp throughout New England, hitting all the best-known parks. Jamie would make sure to share her sister’s love of camping with the little one.

She scrubbed her palm over her face and shifted her gaze to the wallet-sized picture of her, Erin and Charlotte that she kept in her backpack. Inside the bag were a few changes of clothes, all the money she had in her savings account and everything she held dear: pictures, Erin’s favorite Bible, trinkets that friends and family had given Jamie over the years, her own journal documenting her emotions as well as her ideas about Drew’s failings as a sheriff...and as a man.

Men were supposed to love their families, take care of them, cherish them.

Drew protected himself and his reputation.

Her thoughts drifted to the bounty hunter who’d tried to capture her the other day. He was probably good to his family. He seemed to care about following the law, not abusing it. What would it be like to have a man like him in her corner? She pressed her back to the thick tree stump as the image of the man flooded her brain. Of course, it didn’t hurt that he was easy on the eyes.