Kaleb didn’t think Tommy could have gotten out in the narrow time frame the alarm wasn’t activated, but he still felt guilty for allowing that much of a delay in resetting it.
His fault for allowing himself to be distracted by Charlotte’s distress. He’d gone straight to comfort her rather than covering his six.
Unacceptable.
“He’s not in our room,” Willow said, coming down the grand staircase. “I don’t understand. Where he could be?”
“We’ll find him.” Kaleb injected as much confidence as possible into his tone. He glanced toward the second floor. It occurred to him that the windows on that level were not connected to the alarm system. It was understandable, really. The cost of adding sensor alarms to all of those windows would be a waste of time and money since it wasn’t likely that a robber would bring a ladder to break into the place.
Charlotte came up from the rec room. “The kids think he might be playing hide-and-seek.”
He nodded, but it seemed strange. Why bother to hide if no one was going to come and find you? “I need to check a few things upstairs.”
Willow and Charlotte followed him up. He almost told them to wait downstairs, then realized that wasn’t fair. Willow was desperate to find her son, and shutting her out of the possibility rolling through his mind wouldn’t be the best answer.
If he found Tommy, he’d need her help.
Working methodically, he moved from one room to the next, starting in the master suite that Charlotte and Milly shared. The windows were shut and locked, no sign of Tommy being inside.
The room he and Willow shared was next, but there, too, the window was locked and closed. He hesitated, though, noticing how a portion of the roof line jutted out, seemingly over the study. After mentally reviewing the floor plan, he turned and went to the next room over, one that was used by Jodie and her daughter, Angela.
Upon entering the room, his stomach knotted and clenched when he saw the open window. He hurried over and lifted the frame as high as it could go. The knot in his stomach tightened when he saw the boy sitting out along the edge of the slanted roof.
“Hey, Tommy.” Kaleb kept his tone casual as he threw one leg over the bottom edge of the opening. “What are you doing?”
“I wanna go home.” Tommy’s voice hitched, and his face was streaked with tears.
“I understand you’re upset, but why did you come out here?” Folding his large frame to get through the window opening wasn’t easy. Behind him, he heard Willow gasp in horror and prayed she wouldn’t scare Tommy by yelling at the kid. If he was startled, he could slip off the roof. “It’s not safe for you to be out here, Tommy. What if you fell?”
“I don’t care.” The boy’s tone was defiant. “I wanna go home. I’m sick of playing with Angela, Rachel, and Tonya. They’re just girls.” He said the last word as if they were green aliens rather than a couple of kids not much younger than him.
Kaleb slowly edged closer. “Hey, I understand what it’s like to miss hanging out with your friends. A few of my friends live in a completely different state.”
Tommy swiped at his face. “Does your mom let you visit them? Because mine won’t.”
He slid a little closer. Another couple of feet and he’d be within reach to grab the child if he lost his balance. “My friends are too far away that I can’t really visit them. Not without flying on a plane or driving several days.”
“A plane?” That perked the boy’s interest. “I’ve never been on a plane.”
Most of Kaleb’s experiences had included being flown in and out of various countries on military cargo planes or choppers. He offered a smile and thought it was time to change the subject since flying in a plane probably wasn’t in the kid’s immediate future. “It can be fun to fly, sure. But why did you come out here, Tommy?” He inched closer. “To get away from everyone?”
“Yeah. I didn’t want to watch that stupid girl movie.” Tommy turned away to look at the backyard. This section of the roof didn’t overlook the pool; the master suite held that view. Instead, this area overlooked the backyard.
From this vantage point, Kaleb could see his net in the trio of palm trees. A trap yet to be sprung on the dark-haired guy.
“Go away,” Tommy said abruptly. Kaleb held his breath as the kid moved farther down the roof, putting more distance between them. “I wanna be alone.”
“Tommy, you and I are the two men in the house.” Kaleb eased closer. “It’s up to us to protect the women and the girls, right? I need your help to keep them safe.”
The boy glanced over his shoulder. “Me?”
It broke Kaleb’s heart to realize how desperately Tommy needed a father figure. One that didn’t lash out, giving him a black eye. “Yeah. Come on, give me a hand. Us guys need to stick together. I’m a little outnumbered here, don’t you think?”
Tommy nodded slowly. “Yeah. I guess I can do that.”
Kaleb breathed a small sigh of relief as he moved closer to Tommy. When Tommy turned to crawl up toward him, his foot slipped, and he fell to his stomach. Kaleb lunged forward, grabbing the boy’s arm.
“I’ve got you.” He slowly drew the boy toward him. Over Tommy’s head, he saw movement along the edge of the property. Kaleb froze, narrowing his gaze until he could make out the figure of a man standing near the corner of the neighboring house.
The guy lifted his arm. When Kaleb saw the gun, he reacted within seconds. Pulling his Sig Sauer, he fired at the man, the gun reverberating loudly, while leaning forward to cover Tommy’s body with his. The figure spun away and disappeared.
“What’s going on?” Charlotte cried.
Kaleb didn’t answer, his gaze riveted on the spot where he’d seen the dark-haired guy. He quickly scooped Tommy off the roof and lunged toward the window. “Crawl inside,” he told the boy.
Tommy scrambled through the opening. Kaleb turned and took another moment to sweep his gaze over the backyard, but he didn’t see any sign of the dark-haired guy. He heard Charlotte calling the police as Willow clutched Tommy in her arms.
He shimmied through the window, then raced out of the bedroom and down the stairs. Keying the alarm code in to leave took precious seconds. He stepped outside, shouting, “Set the alarm,” before he ran in a crouch around to the back of the property.
Kaleb avoided his trip wires, and he rushed to the spot where he’d seen the gunman. A small reddish-brown stain on the side of the neighbor’s house caught his attention.
Blood.
He’d wounded the perp. Not enough to slow him down, apparently. Kaleb inspected the ground for a blood trail and smiled with grim satisfaction when he found it. The drops of blood led through the neighbor’s backyard, to the next one, then to the street located behind that.
The same path he’d taken the previous night when he’d spotted the mud-spattered plates on the black truck.
He scowled when the trail led to a spot at the side of the road. The puddle was larger there, and in his mind’s eye, Kaleb imagined the guy dripping blood as he struggled to get inside the truck. Or whatever vehicle he was currently driving.
Unwilling to miss a possible trick, Kaleb ran down the street in the same direction the truck had taken the previous night. He didn’t find any more blood, or anything else to indicate the guy had pulled over at some point.
He pushed forward, checking the next few streets, before giving up the chase. Wounding the guy must have scared him off. Kaleb only wished he’d done enough damage to prevent the guy from getting away. Not to kill him but to incapacitate him long enough to get him into custody.
Reluctantly, Kaleb turned around. No doubt the guy was long gone. The wail of sirens indicated the police would be at the safe house very soon. He jogged back, ignoring the ache in his knee.
The police needed to know to check out all the local hospitals. Gunshot wounds were required to be reported to the police, but he wasn’t entirely sure if the guy’s wound would be easily identified as such.
If he’d only grazed the guy, the doc on duty may not bother to report it. How many hospitals were in the area? He had no clue.
The squad was pulling into the driveway when he arrived. Charlotte was outside too.
He’d holstered his weapon but made sure to keep his hands in view as he approached and identified himself. “My name is Kaleb Tyson, I’m a retired Navy SEAL, and I’ve spoken several times to Detective Wales. He’s aware of a man stalking the women and children staying here.”
“He’s armed!” one of the cops shouted.
Kaleb lifted his hands higher. “Yes, sir. I have a permit to carry a gun. It’s a Sig Sauer, and I have a knife too.”
One of the cops scuttled forward to take his gun. Kaleb wasn’t surprised, but he’d hoped Wales would have responded so they could forgo all this. He wasn’t the threat here, the guy he’d shot, the same guy who’d almost taken a shot at him and Tommy, was the one to be concerned about.
“Kaleb, are you okay?” Charlotte’s concern warmed his heart.
He nodded, waiting patiently as the cop found and removed his knife too. He focused on the officer. “The gunman got away, but I wounded him. You need to put all the area hospitals on alert.”
“This gun is warm and smells of gunpowder,” the cop said. “You’re the gunman.”
“He is not,” Charlotte said firmly. “Kaleb has been protecting us for several days from a man who shot twice at our previous safe house and then followed us here.”
Kaleb reined in his frustration. “Please call Detective Wales. He’ll fill you in on the case.”
The sound of a vehicle coming down the road drew his attention. Kaleb spun toward it, staring at the ugly brown sedan. An unmarked car if he ever saw one, but he had never met Detective Wales face-to-face, so he didn’t recognize the man behind the wheel. When he slid out of the car, Kaleb saw the gold badge clipped to his belt.
“Stand down, I’ve got this.” The cop who appeared to be his age, maybe a year or two younger, walked toward him. “Kaleb Tyson?”
“Yes, sir.” He was glad to lower his arms. “The gunman was here, lifted his weapon to fire at me, endangering a young boy, so I fired at him first, hoping to distract him. I wounded him and followed the blood trail to the road. You need to call the local hospitals to give them a heads-up.”
“I see.” Wales turned to the local cops. “Give him his gun back. Let’s check out the scene.”
“Hold on,” the cop who took his gun and knife protested. “How do we know a kid’s life was in danger? Maybe the former SEAL got trigger happy for no good reason.”
“I saw the whole thing,” Charlotte quickly interjected. “I’m happy to provide my statement, but please do as Kaleb asked. Notify the hospitals. This man has tried several times to harm us.”
“Do it,” Wales said to the cop. Then he turned back to Kaleb. “Show me the blood trail, but then start over at the beginning.”
Kaleb nodded, shooting a reassuring smile at Charlotte. As he led the way around to the back of the house, staying clear of his trip wires, Kaleb silently prayed the gunman would be found at one of the local hospitals.
Tommy, Willow, and the others deserved to feel safe.
Charlotte had to go through the sequence of events twice because the officer kept interrupting her. When he finally understood Tommy’s role in all of this, he seemed satisfied, especially after she brought Willow out to talk to him as well.
Detective Wales had requested a crime scene tech respond to get samples of the blood left behind. She moved closer to Kaleb. “Do you think the blood will be enough to convince Grimes to get the DNA from the hat too? If he can match the blood to the DNA on the hat, that should give us this guy’s identity.”
“You read my mind.” Kaleb displayed his phone. Grimes name was on the screen. “Calling him now.”
“Good.” She blew out a breath. This could be the break they needed. She wasn’t sure if it was a good thing Tommy had climbed out onto the roof or not. If he hadn’t, Kaleb may not have wounded the guy.
But on the other hand, if Tommy hadn’t done something so dangerous, it was likely the dark-haired guy may have come close enough to become entangled in Kaleb’s trap.
Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
The phrase reverberated through her mind. Charlotte straightened, remembering how Kaleb had encouraged her not to question God’s plan.
Not an easy task to put herself in the Lord’s hands. Yet she also knew God had sent Kaleb to help her. To watch over them.
To rescue Tommy from the roof.
To be in the right place at the right time to wound the gunman.
“Charlotte?” Milly joined her outside. “What time should I make dinner?”
Food was the last thing on her mind, but the others would be hungry, especially the kids. “Now is fine, Milly. I think the police are wrapping things up.”
“Okay.” Milly glanced at the police with uncertainty before turning to go back inside.
Fifteen minutes later, the two responding officers and the crime scene techs left. Kaleb had been given his gun and knife back without further problems. Wales was on the phone, and when he finished, he came toward them.
“That was Detective Grimes. He’s putting your request for a DNA match on both the hat and the blood in front of the judge first thing in the morning.”
“Thanks.” Kaleb pulled the bag with the hat out of his pocket. “Any chance we can keep a section of the hat for Sierra? She’s been doing a great job following the scent trail.”
“Oh yeah.” Wales glanced at Sierra. The dog had been barking like mad inside, so Kaleb had gone to get her. “I forgot about that.”
“Please,” Charlotte added. “We may need that if this guy comes back.”
“I doubt he’ll do that, especially now that he’s injured,” Wales protested. “Only a fool would return to the scene of the crime.”
“This man hasn’t been stopped coming after us yet,” she retorted. “Are you really willing to risk putting the women and children staying here in harm’s way?”
Wales let out a heavy sigh. “Okay, fine. But tampering with evidence could provide trouble for us later.”
“Thank you,” Kaleb said quietly. “I know this is an unusual request.”
“Ya think?” Wales muttered. With a resigned expression, he drew on a pair of gloves and held a second pair out to Kaleb. Between them, they used Kaleb’s knife to saw a jagged section of the hat away.
“This should work fine,” Kaleb said, stuffing the baggie back into his pocket.
“I’ll ask the patrol sergeant to make sure there are routine patrols through this area,” Wales said. “Try not to shoot at any of them.”
Kaleb’s features tightened. “I would never discharge my weapon unless absolutely necessary, and never aiming toward a member of law enforcement.”
Wales waved a hand. “Sorry, bad humor. I trust you, Tyson. If I didn’t, I would have hauled you in by now.”
“Thank you for allowing Kaleb to continue protecting us,” Charlotte said. “We feel much safer having him here acting as a bodyguard.” She glanced down at the dog hovering near Kaleb’s side. “Sierra too.”
The detective’s expression softened just a bit. “You’re welcome.”
Charlotte turned to Kaleb. “We should go inside, Milly is probably holding dinner for us.”
He nodded. Then he caught her by surprise, drawing her into his arms for a quick hug. “You were great, Charlotte. Not only did you keep Willow calm while I spoke with Tommy, but you called the police.”
She clung to him for a long moment, wishing she never had to let him go. But, of course, they couldn’t stay out here. “You were the one who was amazing, Kaleb. Tommy really opened up to you.”
“I feel for the kid,” he admitted. He keyed in the code and opened the door. The moment they were safe inside, he activated the alarm. “This hasn’t been easy for him.”
“I know.” The situation wasn’t easy for any of the women here, but it was definitely worse for Willow and Tommy. Frustrating that Grimes hadn’t found Thomas Acker yet. “No other news from Los Angeles?”
“No sign of Acker or Rodney Jones.” Kaleb shook his head. “I know Los Angeles is a big city, but it shouldn’t be this hard to find two suspects.”
She felt the same way, but there was nothing more she could do about it now. As they walked into the kitchen, Kaleb sniffed the air appreciatively.
“Is that roasted chicken?” he asked with a grin.
Milly beamed. “Yes. Sit down, please, before the food gets cold.”
The women and children were already at the table, including Tommy and Willow. Tommy grinned at Kaleb, and the two of them slapped high fives as Kaleb went by.
“I—uh, would like to say grace,” Willow said when they were all seated.
“Sounds good,” Kaleb encouraged.
Willow bowed her head and held Tommy’s hand in hers. “Lord, we thank You for this fine meal we are about to eat. And also for sending Kaleb to protect us and to rescue Tommy when he needed it the most.”
“Amen,” Kaleb said.
“Amen,” Charlotte echoed.
“Aw, Mom,” Tommy muttered, “I was fine.”
The mood around the table lightened as dishes were passed and plates were filled with Milly’s latest creation. Simple fare, really, but better than many of these women have tasted in a long time.
It was difficult to keep her gaze off Kaleb. The man was truly remarkable, rescuing Tommy, then protecting the boy with his own body while firing at the assailant. Then he’d grabbed the boy, tucking him through the window.
The entire scene could have been taken straight from an action-adventure movie. Only the bullets and the danger had been terrifyingly real.
“After dinner, Tommy and I would like to watch the movie Cars,” Kaleb announced.
The little boy beamed. “Really? Cars?”
“Yep.” Kaleb glanced at Willow who was watching him in awe. “If that’s okay with your mom.”
“I—yes, it’s fine,” Willow managed.
It occurred to Charlotte that Willow deserved a man like Kaleb. A decent, kind, caring man who would care for Tommy as if the boy were his.
Kaleb caught Charlotte’s gaze and smiled, and for a moment, she imagined what it would be like to have a man like Kaleb in her life.
No, not any man. Kaleb. Only Kaleb.
Of course, that wasn’t meant to be. She knew it and so did he. But it didn’t keep her from longing for something well out of her reach.
A family of her own.
Impossible. For one thing, her biological clock was too far gone. Besides, having a family would mean giving up her mission of keeping women and children safe.
No. She couldn’t do that. Not after a similar safe house had saved her life. Deep down, Charlotte knew that if Jerry had found her, she’d be dead.
Enough. There was no reason to want something out of reach. Not when she had these women and children to care for.
It was Kim’s turn to do dishes, so the rest of the group returned to the recreational room to watch the movie Cars. Tommy led the way, looking like the king of the mountain with Kaleb at his side.
Abby, her donor, called. Charlotte hurried back upstairs so she could talk to the former congressman’s wife in private. “Hi, Abby.”
“Charlotte, you’ll be glad to hear I’ve secured additional funding. Enough to turn a warehouse on the other side of town into a safe house, much like the one you’ve been living in. All windows will be located high on the walls, letting in light without allowing anyone to access them.”
“Wow, that’s amazing.” Charlotte gazed around their plush surroundings. This wasn’t reality, their previous safe house, and this new one Abby described, was where they belonged. “How long before we can use it?”
“I’m putting a rush on the renovations,” Abby said. “But the earliest possible time frame to move in is two weeks.”
“Maybe we should hold off on that idea,” Charlotte said. “The police should have this guy arrested by then, and we can just go back to our old location.”
“Are you sure?” Abby asked.
She felt someone behind her and turned to find Kaleb standing there. He held up his phone, showing her that Grimes was calling. She nodded in understanding. “Abby, I have to take another call, I’ll get back to you soon, okay?” Without waiting for Abby to answer, she disconnected from the line.
“Tyson,” Kaleb said, answering Grimes’s call. “I’m putting you on speaker so Charlotte can hear.”
“Detective Grimes? Do you have an update for us?” She held Kaleb’s gaze as she spoke.
“Yes. We have Thomas Acker in custody,” Grimes said.
“Thank You, Lord,” Charlotte whispered.
“Has he sustained a gunshot wound or been grazed by a bullet?” Kaleb asked. “He left a trail of blood behind, so it has to be enough to need some level of medical attention.”
“Unfortunately, he doesn’t have any wounds, and we made him strip down to his skivvies after we brought him in,” Grimes said dryly. “I’m getting a warrant to test his blood to see if it’s the same type as found at your safe house, but getting even a basic blood type match will take time.”
Charlotte closed her eyes, her hopes deflating like a punctured balloon. “Does that mean you don’t think he’s our gunman?”
“I’m not sure he is,” Grimes admitted. “He didn’t have a gun on him when we picked him up, he’s not wounded, and we didn’t find a weapon in his apartment either. Acker claims he has an alibi for the time frame of the shooting earlier today, so we’ll check that out.” There was a pause before Grimes added, “My gut is telling me this isn’t our guy.”
No gun, no injury, and a possible alibi. She stared at Kaleb. “If the gunman isn’t Thomas Acker, then who is he?”
Kaleb shook his head. “I don’t know.”
Her knees threatened to buckle beneath a wave of despair. They were back at square one, with no clue who the gunman was or which of them he’d targeted.