The agonized whisper from Tom Mitchell indicating he was struck by random gunfire was all the warning he’d needed. In that moment, Aiden knew Mitchell had been followed.
Their location was compromised. They needed a new plan, fast!
Shoving the list of names into the computer case, he threw the strap over his shoulder. Then he quickly tossed Eva’s toys and some snacks into another bag. While he was doing that, Shelby managed to get Eva’s coat on, then shrugged into her own. He ushered them out of the room and down the long hallway to the lobby.
“Stay behind me.” He rested his right hand on his weapon as he peered through the glass door. There was nothing suspicious in the lobby area, so he pushed through the door.
He’d left their rental SUV in a parking spot located near the front door. Now he wished he’d parked in a different location, somewhere less noticeable. Glancing over his shoulder, he met Shelby’s frightened gaze.
“I need you and Eva to get into the Jeep ASAP,” he whispered. “Don’t worry about belting her in until we’re on the road.”
She gave a jerky nod. He was all for safety, but there wasn’t time to waste. He worried they’d taken too long to get their stuff already.
“Now.” He shoved the door open and led the way outside. Shelby and Eva crowded close. He waited for them to scramble into the back seat before sliding in behind the wheel. He started the engine, then shifted into reverse. He was out of the parking spot and out onto the road in less than ten seconds.
“Get into your car seat,” Shelby said. “I’ll buckle you in.”
“What about my cartoons?” Sparing a glance at the rearview mirror, he was relieved Eva seemed oblivious to the danger. “I wanna finish my show.”
“We’ll watch something on Elly’s tablet.” Shelby’s voice was calm, but her wide eyes and pale skin betrayed her fear. He desperately wished he’d considered the possibility of Tom being followed.
Yet he found it strange that the investigator had been targeted. If the gunman truly wanted Shelby and Eva, why not wait outside the hotel? Why follow Tom and then take a shot at him?
To flush them out of hiding? He tightened his grip on the steering wheel, feeling as if he’d walked right into their trap.
Swallowing hard, he took a winding path around the Timberland Falls Suites before heading for the interstate. Instead of driving south toward Brookland, he turned west. It was pretty much the only option. They’d come from the south. Shelby’s house was north. There wasn’t enough terrain between their current location and the eastern shore of Lake Michigan.
Would the shooter come to the same conclusion? He didn’t know.
Help us, Lord! Guide us to safety!
The whispered prayer didn’t ease his concerns. The road heading west ended up being far more twisty and curvier than he’d anticipated. Those moments where he couldn’t see the road behind him ratcheted his tension up several notches.
He took a moment to pull his disposable cell phone from his pocket. He handed it over the console to Shelby. “I need you to call my brother Brady.”
She took the phone. “What should I tell him?”
“We need a safe house ASAP.” He hit the brakes as another hairpin curve loomed up ahead. “Put the call on speaker. I’ll explain what little I know.”
“Okay.” There was a moment of silence before she spoke. “Brady? This is Shelby, I’m putting this on speaker so Aiden can talk to you.” She did so and held the phone between them. “Go ahead, Aiden.”
“Army Investigator Tom Mitchell has been shot roughly ninety minutes after we met with him at the hotel. He managed to call and warn me, so we left Timberland Falls.” He gave the SUV more gas, thankful there was a straight stretch of highway ahead of him. “We need a safe house, something that can’t be traced back to the family.”
“Okay, give me a few minutes. I’ll talk to Tarin too.” Brady paused, then said, “You’re not hurt? Everyone’s okay?”
“Yes.” But for how much longer? Hiding from an unknown perp was taking a toll on Shelby and Eva.
“Where are you now?” Brady asked.
“We’re on Highway 175 heading northwest.” There were several cars behind them, but he couldn’t tell if one of them was a tail. “I’m honestly not sure which way to go.”
“Stay the course,” Brady advised. “I’ll call you back in five minutes.”
“Thanks.” He tried to relax his deathlike grip on the steering wheel.
“I can’t believe Tom was hurt.” Shelby’s voice wobbled. “All because he tried to help us.”
“I feel bad about the situation too.” He briefly met her gaze in the rearview mirror. “But we didn’t start this. The shooter did. The attempt to take Tom Mitchell out of the picture tells me we’re getting close to the truth. Whoever is behind this must have army training at the very least. He or she may even still wear the uniform.”
“You really think the shooter could be a woman?” She hesitated, then added, “Maybe even the same one who had the affair with Emmitt?”
“Maybe.” He believed anything was possible. His sister Kyleigh was an expert marksman, no reason one of the female soldiers couldn’t do the same. “The bad news is that I don’t know if Tom was able to request the records we need. All we have is the list of names.”
“Won’t the army assign another intelligence officer?”
“I went to Tom as a friend.” He turned left on County Line Road. This area was more rural, and soon there was very little traffic around them. “But you make a good point. It may be time to go through official channels.”
“I agree. Surely, they’ll cooperate with providing us the information we need.”
“No, they won’t keep us informed of the investigation.” It was the main reason he’d avoided going the official route. The army was good at a lot of things, but communication down to the rank and file generally was not one of them. Information was ruthlessly protected under the premise of need-to-know.
“That’s not right.” Shelby sounded upset. “Why wouldn’t they tell us what’s going on?”
Before he could answer, the disposable cell phone rang.
“Brady, is that you?” Shelby asked. “I’m putting you on speaker again.”
“Okay, I have a place you can use,” Brady said. “It’s located in Ravenswood, though. That’s a bit of a hike from your current location.”
Aiden took note of the sign for Highway 164. “We can get to Ravenswood, no problem. Did the feds provide this place?”
“Marc Callahan took care of it; his name should provide enough anonymity,” Brady said. “It’s clean, has three small bedrooms, but nothing fancy.” His brother rattled off the address. “Think you can find it?”
“Yes.” There was a white car behind him that had followed him through the last two turns. Using a white car as a tail would be unusual, but he wasn’t taking any chances. “We’ll find it.”
“Call me when you get there,” Brady said. “I’ll keep digging on my end.”
“Okay. Thanks.” He felt calmer now that they had a solid destination in mind. He waited until the last possible moment to speed up and veer off the road and onto the interstate on-ramp. He smiled grimly when the white car kept going. He pushed the Jeep SUV even faster, determined to cover as much distance as possible in case the driver of the white car turned around to continue following them.
“Is there someone behind us?” Shelby twisted in her seat.
“No.” He didn’t want her to worry. “We’re clear.”
She settled back. “Ravenswood is south of Milwaukee, near the lakeshore, right?”
“Yes. But I doubt the safe house will be anywhere near the lakefront.” He managed a small smile. “Those places cost megabucks.”
She didn’t answer. When he glanced over his shoulder, he noticed she was staring out the window, her fingers twisted tightly in her lap.
His chest ached with how frightened she was. And while they’d managed to escape once again, he could tell this constantly being on the move made her anxious. Considering they had a three-year-old to take care of, too, he understood.
After the shooting attack on Tom Mitchell, he believed they were on the right track. That these attempts to kill Shelby must be related to her husband’s infidelity.
Everything about this situation screamed personal attack.
He pushed the speed limit, moving from one lane to the next in an effort to ensure the white car didn’t catch up. If the guy was even tailing him in the first place. In truth, his imagination could be working overtime.
There was no way for him to know where the next threat would come from. And that was the most frustrating thing of all.
Traffic during the early afternoon was light, and they made good time reaching Ravenswood. He didn’t have a smart phone, but the dashboard of the Jeep had a GPS map, so he found the safe house location without any difficulty.
The house was small and white, situated in the center of a small city lot. There were houses on either side, but no sign of people out and about. He pulled into the driveway, then turned in his seat. “Could I have my phone back?”
She nodded. “This place looks nice.”
“It will do.” At least for now. He called Brady who immediately answered. “We’re here. Is there a code to get in?”
“Yes, there’s a push button lock on the back door. The code is 4761.”
“Got it.” He paused, then added, “Are you heading over?”
“On my way. See you soon.” His brother ended the call.
“Let’s get inside.” He didn’t like leaving the SUV parked in the driveway and would arrange to use the detached garage once Brady was here. For now, the sooner they were situated inside the house, the better.
“No swimming?” Eva’s lower lip trembled as Shelby unbuckled her car seat strap. “I wanna go back to the pool.”
“Hey, we’ll find something fun to do.” What, he had no clue. He wanted to sweep the little girl into his arms but pulled their bags and computer case out from the back seat instead. “Let’s get inside.”
“No!” Eva was working herself into a tantrum. Aiden shot Shelby a helpless look. He hadn’t dealt with this on the two occasions he’d taken Caleb to the zoo.
“Okay, you can sit out here alone.” Shelby turned and walked away from the car. Aiden stared at her, it wasn’t safe to leave the little girl behind, but he needn’t have worried.
Eva nimbly crawled from the car seat. “Mommy, wait! I’m coming.”
“I’m glad.” Shelby turned and calmly waited for Eva to catch up.
Crisis averted, he closed the car door and locked the vehicle. Then he went to the side door of the house. He punched in the key code and held it open for Shelby and Eva. One good thing about staying in a single-family home rather than a hotel room was that there were at least two doors leading out of the house. Not to mention the myriad of windows.
Hotel rooms made him nervous when they only had one way in or out. He and his siblings had been in more than one dicey situation where that lack of egress had posed a problem. Look what had almost happened at the American Lodge?
The place was neat and clean. Nothing fancy as Brady had mentioned. But nicer than the American Lodge motel. Peering through the windows, he noticed the houses on either side were fairly close. Winter weather meant keeping windows and doors closed anyway, so he hoped their proximity to the neighbors wouldn’t be cause for concern.
Frankly, the way things were going, Aiden doubted they’d be in Ravenswood for long.
“Let’s play with your dolly,” Shelby said, distracting Eva with her toys.
Thankfully, the little girl cradled the baby doll in her arms, talking nonstop. While Eva and Shelby were busy, he took the time to unpack the computer. He lifted the cover of the laptop, knowing Brady would have made sure there was Wi-Fi access here. Another perk of staying in a single-family house was having a secure internet network.
Aiden booted up the computer and searched the house for a router. He found the password helpfully written along the top of the device. He was on the internet within seconds, then turned his attention to the names Tom Mitchell had provided.
Time to get to work. One of the female soldiers on this list had to be involved in the rumored affair.
And he would start with the three who had ultimately left the service in the last two years.
Shelby couldn’t settle down. While keeping Eva preoccupied, she moved from one window to the next, peering out anxiously, as if she would know a suspicious vehicle if she saw one.
Being fearful and on edge was foreign to her. Her life before this was boring. Relatively predictable. At least as far as her job and homelife were concerned. She and Eva had settled into a routine, with her father’s help on occasion to fill in the gaps like when she had parent-teacher conferences.
Now? Her life was a twisty, gut-churning roller coaster. With more lows than highs. One she wanted to get off from.
But it seemed as if this head-snapping ride would go on and on, with no end in sight.
When Aiden’s phone rang, she startled so badly she smacked her elbow on the window. Turning, she caught him eyeing her quizzically as he answered the phone.
“Hey, Brady. What’s up?” There was a pause, then Aiden said, “Okay. We’re here. And frozen pizza for dinner is perfect. Thanks for thinking of it.” He lowered the phone back to the table. “My brother will be here soon.”
The news was slightly reassuring. In some ways, she wished all his cop siblings could be there. Strength in numbers.
“Did you try the television?” Aiden asked. “I’m sure they have cable.”
“No, but that reminds me. We can connect the tablet Elly let us borrow to the internet, too, right?”
“Yes.” He smiled gently. “Whatever works to keep Eva happy.”
She was touched by how much he seemed to care. Then she sternly reminded herself that Aiden Finnegan was a nice guy in general. He wasn’t treating them any differently than he would any other woman and child in trouble.
After getting the tablet connected to the internet, she downloaded a cartoon video. “Here, Eva. Sit on the sofa with your dolly.”
The little girl settled against the cushions, holding Dolly close. Parenting could be trying at times, but she wouldn’t give up a single moment of her time with her daughter.
Tears pricked her eyes. She turned away, wrestling with her emotions. This wasn’t the time to melt down. Now when they were safe in a city that was far away from where they’d faced danger.
Swiping at her face, she tried to pull herself together.
Aiden must have noticed because he was at her side in a heartbeat. He wrapped his strong arm around her shoulders and tugged her close. “Hey, it’s okay. Don’t be upset. We’re safe.”
“For how long?” The question popped out before she could stop it. She turned into his embrace, burying her face against his chest.
“For as long as I’m alive. I promise, my family will protect us.”
She nodded, knowing he was right. Why she was falling apart now, she had no clue.
“Please, Shelby.” His voice was a husky whisper in her ear. “It pains me to see you like this.”
“I’m sorry.” She squeezed her eyes shut to stop the tears.
“Don’t apologize.” He swept his hand down her hair to the center of her back. “I’m here for you, no matter what.”
It was possibly the nicest thing a man had said to her in the two years since losing Emmitt.
After reveling in Aiden’s warm embrace, she found the strength to pull herself together. Crying was useless. And really, they were safe. Their latest mad dash from the Timberland Falls Suites had been a preemptive move.
She should be relieved no gunfire had been involved.
“Thanks.” She lifted her head and tried to ease out of his arms. “I guess I needed a hug.”
“No need to thank me. We’re in this together. And hey, I’m always ready to give out hugs.” Aiden’s smile warmed her heart. Then his gaze dropped to her mouth.
She knew he was about to kiss her. Shelby found herself moving closer, anticipating the kiss. Which was strange because she hadn’t been interested in anyone since—forever.
His warm lips brushed hers, keeping the caress light. It wasn’t nearly enough, but then she heard the sound of a car engine and realized why he’d pulled back so quickly.
Brady had arrived.
“He always did have rotten timing,” Aiden muttered, releasing her. His disgruntled expression made her want to laugh.
How was it that she was able to find joy and happiness in a time like this?
Aiden flashed a rueful smile, then crossed to the side door. He opened it, allowing a wave of cold air to sneak inside. “Brady? I’d like the rental to be parked in the garage and out of sight.”
“Give me the keys, I’ll take care of it.”
Aiden tossed the key fob through the door, then closed it. “Brr. I think the temperature dropped ten degrees in the past ten minutes.”
She frowned and glanced toward the windows. Dark clouds were rolling in too. She inwardly groaned. The last thing they needed was a snowstorm.
Then again, maybe the change in weather would slow down the gunman stalking her. If so, she thought with a sigh, bring on the snow.
A few minutes later, Brady came into the house. To her surprise, he had an armful of toys. “I brought a few things for Eva.”
The sweet and thoughtful gesture brought another prick of tears. “Thanks so much.”
Eva perked up as Brady set the toy cars on the floor. She came over to sit down beside them, pushing them along the length of the carpet. Brady stepped back, watching with a smile. He glanced at her and shrugged. “My son is six, so we’re long on cars and trucks.”
“They’re perfect. You know as well as I do kids love anything that’s different from their own toys.” She couldn’t believe he’d taken the time to grab them.
Brady nodded, then turned to join Aiden at the kitchen table. After making sure Eva was okay, she followed. She wanted to know what, if anything, the Finnegans had uncovered.
“I backed into the garage.” Brady dropped the key fob on the table. Aiden scooped it up and tucked it into his pocket. “Just in case you need to make a quick getaway.”
“Thanks.” Aiden pushed the list of names toward him. “We’re operating under the theory that these attacks against Shelby are personal. Possibly related to an extramarital affair between Emmitt Copeland and another soldier.”
Brady frowned, glancing at her. “You knew about it?”
“No.” She wondered how many times she’d have to deny the allegation. “If I did, I’d have mentioned it after the first episode of gunfire.”
Brady lifted his hands. “Okay, sorry. I had to ask.”
Did he? She arched a brow. “Does it matter if I knew about it? Emmitt died two years ago. I’m still not clear on why anyone would seek revenge now.”
“Mitchell thought Shelby’s father, Sergeant Major Savage, may have discovered the truth recently and took action against the female soldier involved,” Aiden said. “That would explain the recent attacks.”
“Maybe.” Brady frowned. “But what’s the worst that could happen? A dishonorable discharge? Pretty lame to shoot someone over that.”
“Not necessarily,” Aiden said. “A dishonorable discharge makes it difficult to get work in the civilian world.”
“Okay, but a soldier having an affair can’t be the worst thing in the world. I mean, there are far worse crimes, right? Assault, battery, et cetera. Big jump from a dishonorable discharge to murder,” Brady protested.
“Maybe something else happened.” Shelby glanced at the two men. It wasn’t easy to discuss her husband’s affair. “You mentioned assault and battery. Wouldn’t that be a reason to seek revenge?”
“Honestly, I’m having trouble understanding why anyone would target a woman and child.” Aiden let out a frustrated sigh. “No matter what the allegation, or the action taken by your father, murdering innocents is not typical payback from a soldier’s perspective.”
“Yeah, that’s been troubling me too,” Brady agreed. “That brings us back to this being a personal attack on Shelby.”
A horrible thought hit hard. “What if the female soldier didn’t know Emmitt was married?”
Aiden’s brown eyes widened. “He didn’t wear a wedding ring?”
“No.” She remembered how they’d argued about that. “Emmitt insisted that he couldn’t wear one while on deployments.”
“What about your father? Did he wear one?”
“My mother died when I was in college.” She thought back. “I believe he did wear one, but he held a higher rank than Emmitt, so I didn’t think much about it.”
“We are allowed to wear a plain wedding band,” Aiden said softly. “No stones or anything like that, even for the women. But there is no such thing as not being allowed to wear a simple wedding band.”
She tried not to wince. “I see. Well, that proves my point. Emmitt didn’t wear a wedding ring, and it’s possible the woman he was sleeping with didn’t know he had a wife and daughter.”
“Okay, but wouldn’t she have attended Emmitt’s funeral?” Aiden asked. “You and Eva were there, Shelby. No secret that you were his wife and Eva his daughter. Especially with your father standing beside you while you were offered the flag. And that was two years ago, which doesn’t explain these recent attacks.”
He was right, nothing made sense. “I don’t know. Maybe she missed the funeral.”
Brady was scrolling through his phone when Aiden said, “Are you listening? Do you have a theory?”
“Ah, sorry.” Brady glanced up, his expression somber. “I asked my boss, Donovan, if he could reach out to the Army Intelligence Office. I mentioned how Lieutenant Tom Mitchell may have been followed and attacked after meeting with you.” He held up his phone. “Donovan just texted me back. ‘I’m sorry to tell you both that Tom Mitchell died at the scene, and there was no sign of the shooter when the police arrived.’”
Dead. The one man who’d agreed to help them figure out what was going on was dead! She met Aiden’s stricken gaze, silently praying they wouldn’t be next.