Her heart lodged in her throat, Elly stayed close behind Joe as he headed to the side door of the rental house. “Keep your head down,” Joe said.
She nodded, unable to speak. It seemed impossible that they’d been found here at the rental house. It was nerve-racking to keep running from this man who was stalking her with an assault rifle, just waiting for the chance to kill her.
Joe opened the side door and peeked out. She shouldn’t have been surprised to find Steele was already there, waiting for them. Rhy’s tactical team worked together as if they could read each other’s minds.
Maybe they could. It was painfully obvious that she would never have made it as a cop. Even if she could have passed the physical.
“This way,” Steele said in a low hushed tone.
Joe urged her forward, placing her between the two men. She hated the necessity of Joe and Steele putting their lives on the line for her. They moved along the back of the house, out of sight of the road. She didn’t know what Steele had seen, but she trusted him to lead them to safety.
The silence was only broken by the sounds of their footsteps crunching in the snow. She tried to step carefully and quietly but couldn’t. How Steele and Joe were able to master the art of moving without making a sound, she had no idea.
Steele paused at the corner of the house, then whispered, “Stay close.”
She nodded.
Steele picked up the pace, cutting across the yard, heading from their rental house to the next property. She could feel Joe’s reassuring hand on her back as she followed Steele.
It was midmorning, with an overcast sky overhead. There were no lights on in the house they were hiding behind, but that didn’t mean there weren’t people inside. What if one of them noticed them trespassing and called the police?
Better the police than the shooter.
“Down!” Steele’s harsh whisper caught her off guard. She dropped into a crouch, plastering herself against the brick exterior of the house.
Joe moved forward so that he was practically curled around her. For long moments, no one moved as they strained to listen.
Elly couldn’t hear anything beyond her own heartbeat. Then Steele slowly rose to his feet. She and Joe followed suit.
“Where did you stash the SUV?” Joe asked.
“It’s on the other side of the road,” Steele said in a hushed voice. “We’ll need to cross at some point. Probably one more house down.”
“Got it,” Joe agreed.
“Let’s go.” Steele once again moved along the back of the neighbor’s house. Thankfully, if there was someone inside, they didn’t raise an alarm.
When Steele reached the corner, he once again paused to look toward the road. Apparently seeing nothing alarming, he crossed the open area between the properties to reach the next house.
She inwardly braced for someone to throw open a door or window asking what they were doing. But maybe because homes were closed up tight in the winter, no one seemed to notice them.
At the corner of the third house, Steele glanced at Joe. “Ready?”
“Yes.” Joe’s expression was tense, but he didn’t look alarmed. “Let’s do it.”
Steele waited another moment, his head swiveling from side to side before he turned the corner and broke into a jog.
Elly did the same, giving up any attempt to move stealthily. Joe stayed so close behind her she could hear him breathing. When they made it across the road, Steele headed straight through that neighbor’s yard.
She felt certain their luck wouldn’t hold forever. One of these residents would notice them and either call the police or say something. Steele acted as if this was something they did on a regular basis.
When Steele reached the backyard, she fully expected him to follow the back of the house to the next property again. But he didn’t. He went straight through yet another backyard to reach the next block.
There, he turned right. When he abruptly stopped near an SUV, she almost plowed into him. Joe caught the back of her jacket, holding her steady.
Steele lifted the key fob to unlock the doors. Then he opened the rear passenger door. “Go ahead and climb in,” he whispered.
She didn’t need any prodding. After scrambling inside, she gratefully latched her seat belt. Steele shut her door, then ran around to the driver’s side. Joe slid into the seat in front of her.
Steele started the engine, then pulled slowly away from the curb. She’d expected him to speed away, but he didn’t.
“Elly, bend over so you’re not visible,” Joe said.
She had to remove the shoulder strap to accomplish that feat. Bending at the waist, she rested her forehead on her knees.
“Did you get a license plate of the vehicle that cruised past the safe house?” Joe asked.
“No, because the front plate was missing, and the rear plate was covered with mud,” Steele replied. “That’s what raised my suspicions in the first place. After he drove by a second time, I knew we needed to get Elly out of there.”
“Thanks for sounding the alarm.” Joe still sounded tense. “But I’d really like to know how we were found.”
“I would too,” Steele said. “Stay alert. This guy is known for shooting at targets from a higher ground.”
That made her sit up. “What if he takes out the two of you?”
“Get back down, Elly.” Joe’s tone was firm. “You’re the target here, not us.”
She lowered her forehead back to her knees. “This guy has already killed twelve people. You really think he’ll balk at taking out two more to get to me?”
There was a long silence, before Joe said, “Don’t worry. We won’t let that happen.”
They would try not to let that happen. But Elly knew anything was possible. Especially since they were dealing with a man with no heart and no soul.
But she kept her thoughts to herself. Because she had no choice but to trust in Joe and Steele’s skills.
And of course, she had faith in God’s strength and wisdom.
That thought helped ease her anxiety. She wasn’t in control, God was. She would trust in Him and His plan for them.
Whatever that plan might be.
“Turn!” Joe’s shout came a split second before Steele cranked the wheel. Unprepared, she lurched sideways, her head bouncing against the door.
A sharp crack of gunfire rang out, followed by a muffled thunk as the bullet struck the vehicle.
“Go!” Joe shouted. Not that he needed to as Steele hit the gas, sending the SUV speeding forward.
It wasn’t easy to keep her head down, unable to anticipate his next move. She reached out and grabbed the door handle, trying to keep herself from flopping from one side to the other like a dead fish.
Then she caught the strong scent of gasoline.
“Tank is hit; we’re losing fuel,” Steele said in a clipped tone. “Call Brady or one of the other Finnegans. We need back up ASAP.”
“Brady, where are you?” Joe’s voice was calm. “We’ve been hit by gunfire and need backup.”
There was a long silence as Joe listened. The car continued to make one sharp turn after another until she feared she’d be sick.
Then Joe said, “Good. We’ll head there, thanks.”
She wasn’t worried, she knew Brady or one of her other brothers would come for them.
The only question was when. And if her siblings would get there before the gunman tracked them down.
Joe was hanging onto his temper with an effort. Getting angry was useless. They’d figure out later how they’d been found. Their only priority was to get Elly to safety.
Before running out of gas.
“Do you know where Rosie’s Diner is?” Joe asked Steele.
“Yeah.” Steele’s expression was grim. “Not sure we’ll make it that far.”
“We can walk the last mile or so if needed.” Joe had been doing his best to be on alert for another threat. Thankfully, he’d glimpsed the shadow up in the tree in time to avoid a direct hit.
But still not soon enough to avoid their vehicle being damaged.
Without warning, the vehicle began to slow. Steele thumped the steering wheel with the palm of his hand in frustration. “Come on, come on,” he muttered.
“Turn left.” Joe had noticed a sign indicating there was no through traffic. A dead-end street was probably the best place to leave the car. “We’ll walk from here.”
Steele cranked the wheel. The vehicle rolled slowly, then came to a stop. “This is the end of the train.”
“That’s fine. Rosie’s is only a mile away.” Joe pushed out of the car door, then opened the rear door to let Elly out. “Maybe less if we take shortcuts.”
“Fine with me,” Steele agreed.
“That’s a little risky, isn’t it?” Elly asked. Joe noticed her fingers were shaking as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Someone might call the cops.”
“No matter. We are the cops.” Joe managed a reassuring smile. “Can you make it a little farther?”
“Of course.” Despite her pale face and trembling fingers, she looked determined. “I’ve heard about Rosie’s, apparently it’s Colin’s favorite place to eat breakfast, but have never been there.”
He was glad she was holding it together. At least for now. He didn’t doubt that reaction would set in at some point.
And he silently vowed to be there for her when it did.
“We’re going to use the same formation,” he told Elly. “You follow Steele; I’ll cover your back.”
“Okay.” He was glad she didn’t argue.
Steele scanned the area, then chose a path. Elly didn’t hesitate to follow. Joe stayed close to Elly, trusting his teammate to get them to Rosie’s.
It was a good thing dark clouds hovered low on the horizon. He’d take whatever bit of camouflage he could get.
They moved through one backyard after another. At one point, Elly stumbled. He grabbed onto the back of her coat, hauling her back upright. She tossed him a grateful look over her shoulder. He almost told Steele to slow down but decided against it. They couldn’t afford to linger. Being on the move was the best way to stay ahead of this guy.
How on earth had they been found at four separate and distinctly different safe house locations?
He didn’t have to wonder what Rhy would say about this. He already knew. They had to have been followed or tracked somehow.
And they needed to figure out how before they moved on.
After ten minutes, Steele slowed, glancing back at him. Steele gestured toward the gas station, and he nodded in agreement.
Once they were safely behind the building, Steele asked, “Rosie’s is another seven to eight blocks from here. Do you want to keep pushing forward? Or see if Brady can come here to pick us up?”
“Quinn and Sami are the ones meeting us at the restaurant,” Joe said. “Brady and Marc are still tied up at the bureau.”
Steele nodded. “I know Sami. She’s a great cop.”
“Yes, she is,” Elly said.
He glanced at his watch. “I agree, but I don’t think they’re at the restaurant yet. Let’s keep going.”
Elly had been leaning against the building, looking out of breath. When she realized Joe and Steele were looking at her, she straightened and lifted her chin. “I can go another seven blocks, no problem.”
He wanted to haul her into his arms for a kiss. He admired her spunk in the face of adversity. In the face of a seemingly never-ending threat.
Elly may be the baby of the Finnegan family, but she had the same grit and determination as the rest of them.
“Ready?” Steele’s question pulled him from his thoughts.
“Lead the way.” He rested his hand on the small of Elly’s back, gently urging her forward.
They didn’t have to cut through people’s yards anymore, as there were businesses lining each side of the street. He watched the traffic closely as they headed down the sidewalk.
Steele did take a few extra turns, taking them out of their way. If Elly was upset about the extra walking, she didn’t let on.
Finally, Steele crossed the street to Rosie’s. The diner wasn’t large, but Joe noticed there were several people sitting at booths inside. People going about their lives as usual as if there wasn’t a crazed shooter on the loose. Steele held the door for them. Joe followed Elly inside, grateful for the warmth that enveloped them.
“Ach, who have we here?” A distinct Irish brogue had him glancing toward a round woman carrying a tray of what looked like fresh apple turnovers. “Another Finnegan, ain’t ya?”
“Me?” Elly looked confused. “Um, yes.”
“Aye, lass, you look like Colin and Aiden, don’t ya?” The woman beamed. “Let’s get you a table.”
Joe stepped forward. “You must be Rosie. We have Quinn and Sami joining us.”
“Brilliant!” Rosie took them to a round table with five place settings. Then she whirled away to deliver the apple turnovers to another table.
“I want what they’re having.” Steele followed Rosie with his gaze. “Smells delicious.”
“I can’t believe she recognized me.” Elly looked bemused as she dropped into the seat between him and Steele.
“The Finnegans share a lot of family traits,” Joe pointed out.
Rosie returned with coffee and mugs. Before she could say anything, Steele said, “I’d love one of your apple turnovers.”
“Ach, yes, of course ya will, lad! I’ll bring them straight over.” Rosie bustled away.
“I haven’t been a lad for a long time, but I’m not complaining,” Steele joked. “That woman can call me anything she likes.”
Joe leaned forward. “We need to understand how we were tracked to the rental.”
All hint of humor faded from Steele’s gaze. “I know. That was too close for comfort.”
Rosie returned with a tray full of pastries. Despite their having eaten breakfast earlier, Joe offered the tray to Elly, then took one for himself before passing it down to Steele.
“You mentioned this guy is either a cop or military, right?” Elly took a small bite of the apple turnover. “Hmm. Very good.”
Joe had to admit Rosie could bake. “Yes, but if he was terminated, how is he getting his intel? That’s the part that doesn’t make sense.”
“We got rid of our phones.” Elly frowned. “But what about you, Steele? Could he have tracked you somehow?”
“Maybe.” Steele took another bite of his turnover before answering. “But how would he know I’m even involved?”
Joe’s stomach knotted. “Maybe because he’s been watching us longer than we know. Or he recognized you.”
“Or he knows Rhy and the members of the tactical team,” Elly added. “You may have been mentioned during one of the many times the sibs have been in danger.”
There was a long silence as Joe and Steele exchanged grim looks. “Okay, we can get rid of Steele’s phone,” he said. “But there must be other precautions we can take.”
“A motel that takes only cash is our only option,” Steele said. “We can’t leave any sort of paper trail.”
“I need to get in touch with Tarin. He had access to a safe house a while back that would be perfect for Elly.” He popped the last bit of apple turnover into his mouth, then took a sip of coffee. “I’ll get his number from Quinn.”
“I know it,” Elly said. He glanced at her in surprise when she rattled it off.
He punched the digits into his phone. Tarin didn’t pick up, so he left a message about Elly needing a safe house along with his number.
“There you are,” Quinn said.
He pushed the phone back into his pocket and turned to find Quinn and Sami making their way through the crowded diner.
“Hi, Quinn. Sami.” Elly stood and enveloped her brother and sister-in-law in a hug. “It’s nice to see you.”
Quinn scowled at the empty plate of turnovers. “You chowhounds ate them all?”
“Rosie will bring more.” Steele grinned. “I hear you Finnegans stab each other with forks to fight over food.”
“That was Colin and Aiden.” Quinn narrowed his gaze. “But don’t push me, Delaney. I’ll stab you if you touch my turnover.”
“Can we please get back to the issue of keeping Elly safe?” Joe was irritated with the banter. “Quinn, I left Tarin a message about using the safe house. We’ve been found four times in two days.”
“That’s not good,” Sami said. “How are you being tracked?”
“I’m not sure.” And that was the most frustrating part of all. “We think he’s a cop and maybe knows the tactical team is involved in keeping Elly safe.”
“That’s not a stretch,” Sami agreed. “The Finnegans are well known in the area. And the cop grapevine is always alive and active.”
Joe should have forced the issue of the entire team using disposable phones. But he’d honestly thought they’d have this guy in custody by now. It was highly unusual for a high-profile killer to evade law enforcement like this.
“Ach, there’s Quinn and Sami!” Rosie set another plate of turnovers on the table. “Would ya all be having breakfast, too, then?”
“Not me,” Elly said. “The apple turnover was more than enough.”
“I’m good too,” Joe said. “But the others probably need to eat.”
It only took a minute for Steele, Quinn, and Sami to place their breakfast orders. When they were alone again, Joe leaned forward. “We really need to find this guy. Any ideas?”
Sami grimaced. “Every squad on the street has the sketch and is searching for him. The stolen truck didn’t give us any viable leads either.”
“What about that one guy, Peter Colton?” Steele asked. “He’s a terminated cop with a face that’s a pseudo match for the sketch.”
“A pseudo match?” Sami asked.
Elly frowned. “His picture doesn’t match the sketch as well as I would have liked. It also doesn’t match the memory fragment in my mind. Although my encounter with him was brief, so it’s possible Colton is our guy.”
“Raelyn and Brock were supposed to go to his last known residence to find him,” Joe added. “But we haven’t heard anything since.”
“That’s good to hear,” Sami said. “I’d think you would be the first to know once they have him in custody.”
Joe wasn’t as convinced as she was about Assistant Chief Michaels’s intent to keep him in the loop. His boss had demanded Joe keep the assistant chief informed on what was happening, but that didn’t mean communication would flow both ways. “Maybe. I’ll check in later.”
“This place is nice,” Elly said, glancing around. “I can see why Colin likes it.”
“Colin likes to eat, period,” Quinn said with a grin. “You ask me, he’s a frustrated chef working as a firefighter.”
Joe nursed his coffee, wishing Tarin would get back to him about the safe house. Granted, the guy was probably working, but still, his sister’s life was on the line.
A few minutes later, Rosie returned with a large tray laden with plates of food. Joe shook his head at the heaping portions placed in front of Quinn and Steele. Sami’s was a normal-sized breakfast.
“You guys are acting like you haven’t eaten in months.” He gave them an exasperated look. “And here I thought you’d chosen this place because it was best for Elly.”
“It is,” Quinn insisted. Then he scowled. “Why aren’t you two eating?”
“I already cooked breakfast for me and Joe,” Elly said. “Hurry up and eat. We’re waiting on you to get out of here.”
Quinn sent him a level stare at the cooking breakfast comment, which Joe immediately interpreted as a warning not to cross the line with Elly. He wondered if Brady had already told the rest of the siblings about his kissing their sister.
Then he dismissed the idea. For one thing, he would have heard directly from Rhy himself if that was the case. And besides, there hadn’t been enough time for the rumor mill to have churned through that information.
But it would get through to the rest of the family at some point. It was only a matter of time.
Quinn said grace, then dove into his meal. Sami caught his gaze. “What happened to the SUV?”
Joe quickly filled them in on the SUV that Steele had noticed driving past the rental property twice in ten minutes, minus a front license plate and a covered rear plate. Then the shadow in the tree, followed by gunfire.
“Dude managed to plant a bullet in the fuel tank, so we abandoned it and covered the rest of the ground on foot,” Steele said. “Elly has been great through all of this.”
The compliment had Joe grinding his molars together. Not that Steele had so much as flirted with Elly, but still. He didn’t like it.
“I hate being this guy’s target.” Elly frowned. “I’ll feel awful if anything happens to any of you.”
“It’s our job to keep you safe,” Joe said as his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, expecting to see Tarin’s number, but it was Brock. He lifted the phone to his ear, plugging his other ear to hear better. “What’s going on?”
“We have Peter Colton in custody.” Brock got straight to the point. “We’d been watching his place, and he just showed up, making it a little too easy for us. Even better, we found a rifle and a handgun in his residence. No assault weapon, though, so he probably ditched it.”
Joe glanced at his watch. It was an hour since the gunman had fired on their SUV. Was that enough time for Colton to get back to his place? “I’m glad you have him, along with the rifle and handgun, but what’s Colton’s address?”
Brock rattled it off. Joe envisioned the area. Less than fifteen minutes from Rosie’s dinner, which made it entirely possible they had their shooter.
“Who’s going to interview him?” Joe asked.
“We thought you’d want to be involved,” Brock said. “Otherwise, Rae and I can do it.”
“I want to be there.” He caught Sami’s gaze. The hopeful glint in her eye indicated she understood what was going on. “Give us twenty minutes, okay?”
“Sure thing.” Brock disconnected from the call.
Joe hoped Sami and Quinn brought a spare vehicle for them to use. Despite the way he’d wanted to keep Elly sheltered in a safe place, that hadn’t been working too well. Maybe the danger was over, but he wasn’t letting Elly out of his sight.
Not until he knew without a shadow of doubt that they had the Christmas parade shooter safely behind bars.