Page 60 of Risk of a Lifetime
She followed.
…
JB slowed his pace once Marcy’s leg cramped, amazed she’d been able to keep up for that long given having surgery a couple weeks ago. If they could have driven instead of hiked to the safe house, the trip would have been easier. But the more twists and turns, detours, and unexpecteds they could throw in the perp’s way, the more time they bought for the sheriff’s department to search for clues. The more clues, the better chance of tracking him down.
The pinkish glow of dawn on the horizon urged him forward. His one goal was to reach the cabin before daylight. Ten minutes ago, they’d approached the wrong cabin. They’d turned away in time when the sound of a dog’s bark from inside signaled their approach. He heard the owners tell the pet to lie down.
Soft pine boughs swept aside as JB walked through the trees. He stopped. The cabin visible through the tree line called up memories he forgot even existed. The flagstone steps leading down a more than slight incline to the dock. A porch wrapped around three sides of the house. The black, cast-iron bell on one of the end posts of the railing. This was the right place.
Motioning Marcy to stay behind him, he crept to the back side of the house, gun drawn. He gave a quick look through the lower pane of glass on the only window along the back wall. Nothing but closed, louvered shutters greeted him. On the south side, he found the same at the next two windows. Made sense. As he recalled, the two bedrooms were on the south side of the house.
They reversed their steps to the north wall as his mind played the inside set up from fifteen years ago. Back corner…kitchen…one window…curtained. Through the crack of the two yellow panels, he managed a good view of the room plus part of the bedrooms across the way. A nightlight shown from the bathroom nestled between the two open doorways, just like Cain said he’d left the place. He also said the heat would be on. They could use some heat.
JB felt more than saw Marcy shiver. She was cold, tired, and way past her limit for survival, but still she did everything he told her to do. Someday, he’d tell her how proud she made him the past few hours. Hell, the past few years.
The front side was the tricky part. He had no intention of letting her out of his sight, but at the same time, he needed to get a look in the living room and unlock the door with the key Cain had given him. He needed to sweep the interior for possible lurkers, stomp on all the damn floors, and climb into the attic, too. Interior sweeps were routines he prided himself on for saving lives in unknown situations.
Stomping on floors had been added tonight after the conversation with the sheriff.
So much for routine. Surprise would have to do this time. He motioned her to follow on the count of three. Yelling, he jumped on the porch, quick-glanced through the window on his way to the front door, shoved the key in the lock, and turned.
“Watch my back.” Glock tight in his grip and aimed, he charged inside.
She already had her gun drawn and aimed in the opposite direction.
He did a visual sweep of the living room-kitchen. Opened the entry closet. Coats, shotgun, ammo, tackle box, fishing poles, cooler. Next, he swept the front bedroom… bathroom…second bedroom…a bigger bath…closets…under sinks…pantry…utility room. Every room he went to, he stomped from the perimeter inward, even shoved the bed out of the way to find the floor beneath. Last, he hoisted himself up into the attic, along with the powerful flash light Cain had left on the table.
Nothing. Good…good. He motioned Marcy inside, then slammed the door and set the lock. His gut told him the perp didn’t know where they were. To have gotten this far with no sign of the coward felt like a once-in-a-lifetime feat of luck. A feat that wouldn’t have been possible without a lot of good people risking their lives. He’d pay them back one day.
After one more quick look out the windows, he holstered his Glock. “We made it, Marcy. The place may not look like much, but it’s clean. We’re safe.”
She stepped further into the living room. Her weary eyes took in the bare-bones surrounding of a man’s cabin. “Looks like a castle to me.”
He grinned as she shed her hat, gloves, coat, and boots. She held up the gun he’d given her, shrugging her shoulders as she looked at her jeans pockets. No room there.
“Keep it within reach whichever room you’re in.” JB pulled the refrigerator door open. “Hungry?”
“Is it okay if I take a shower first?” The frailness of her tone spoke volumes. “I can wait if I have to, though. Maybe I should wait. That’s what I’ll do, I’ll wait.” Her eyes twitched from wall to wall, nervousness wobbled in her voice. “I’m so tired, I can’t think anymore. Just tell me what to do.”
He grabbed her in his arms. Kissed her hard and deep until she kissed back with the same depth and passion. Until their mouths and hands followed the roadmap of the other’s body, hungry for touch, for hope. Until her body eased to a soft sag against his chest. She pushed away enough to kiss his chin then smiled.
“I think I’ll take a shower now.” Heading toward the front bedroom, she picked up her backpack from the sofa.
“We’ll use the back bedroom. It’s bigger. Easier to defend.” JB also figured it might be easier to escape from if need be. “Looks like a brand new bathroom’s been put in.”
She walked to his requested room, then popped her head back out the door. “What were you stomping around the house for?”
“When?” He knew damn well when.
“While I covered you from the doorway.” She tugged off one of her sweaters. “Sounded like you were marching in the half-time band.”
“Beats me. I didn’t even notice.” He grinned. “Why don’t you go take a shower while I cook us up some breakfast?”
She cocked her head, narrowing her eyes. Guess she didn’t believe everything he said. “Ummmmm…is that right?”
“Okay. The sheriff said he thought the guy had hidden under our house last night. Satisfied?”
She nodded, then as the implication sank in, she clenched her hands against her jeans. “That means he heard you and me… Got his fix from listening to us. Oh, that’s sick. Really, really sick.”
