Page 42 of Texas Cold Case Murder

“I don’t see how they can track us, but I’m not willing to take any chances.” He sighed. “We may need to call in additional resources to watch over Nina, if we don’t find something solid to go on, soon. I mentioned that to Owens, but he hasn’t offered anyone else to assist.”

“Yeah, well we are two rangers who should be able to keep one woman safe.” Creed glanced over to where Nina was hunched over the laptop. “And you won’t want to hand her over to someone else, either. You’ve been taking this case personally.”

“The same way I would if you, one of the other rangers or any of our colleagues was a target.” He inwardly winced at the defensiveness in his tone. “Nina doesn’t have the same training we do. She needs protection.”

“I agree.” Creed lightly punched his shoulder. “And you want to be the one protecting her.”

Since that was the truth, he saw no point in arguing. Instead, he peered into the oven. “Looks like they’ll be ready soon.”

“Yeah.” Creed crossed over to pull plates from a cupboard. The lights flickered, but didn’t go out. “We’d better eat fast.”

“I’ll find some flashlights.” Jackson opened drawers until he found what he was looking for. They had their phones, too. A jagged bolt of lightning lit up the sky, followed by a sharp crack of thunder.

Nina looked up. “I found Douglas’s yearbook. He was the valedictorian of his class. And he was named prom king. Mr. Rich and Popular.” Nina reluctantly closed the laptop when Creed set the pizzas on the table. “It’s going to take longer than I thought to access their employee list.”

“If anyone can do it, you can.” Jackson smiled reassuringly. “Worst-case scenario we try to get a subpoena for the records.”

“I’m afraid that will tip our hand,” Nina scowled. “I’ll keep searching. I allowed the yearbook photos to distract me. There are sites that I can use for information.”

Creed dropped a handful of napkins on the table, then sat across from him and Nina. The way Creed glanced at him expectantly made him realize he was waiting for him to say grace.

“Dear Lord Jesus, we thank You for this food, and for keeping us safe in Your care. We ask for strength and wisdom to arrest those responsible for these attacks. In Your name, Amen.”

“Amen,” Nina and Creed murmured. He was surprised at Creed’s participation and hoped that maybe his fellow ranger would be open to attending church at some point.

They dug into the meal, making quick work of the pizza. They were just finishing, when the lights flickered again.

Then they went all the way out.

Nobody moved for a long minute. Jackson flipped on the flashlight, setting it in the center of the table. “I’m sure the power will come back on, soon.”

Nina opened the laptop. “There’s only half a battery left on this one, but we have the others to use as well.”

“We may want to try getting some sleep.” He glanced at Creed. “I’ll take the first watch. I’ll wake you at one or two in the morning to swap.”

“Okay.” Creed rose and carried his plate to the sink. “We can do the dishes tomorrow.”

That was fine with Jackson. When the table was cleared, Jackson went back to looking out the windows. The pouring rain made it harder to see, but the weather worked against the bad guys, too. He doubted the gunmen would be out searching for them in the storm.

Creed disappeared into one of the bedrooms to take advantage of the downtime. Nina continued working. When he noticed her rubbing her eyes, he went over to touch her shoulder. “Time for you to get some sleep.”

“But I don’t have the employees.” She blinked up at him. Then sighed. “You’re right. I’m having trouble seeing the screen.”

“I’ll be out here keeping an eye on things.” He wanted to reassure her she’d be fine. “Go on. Creed will take over for me later.”

She closed the laptop, then bent to plug it in. “Good night, Jackson.”

“Good night.” He tucked his hands in his front pockets, staying back to give her plenty of room. That he wanted to pull her close was his problem.

He refused to make her feel uncomfortable.

After Nina closed the main bedroom door behind her, he continued his walking path throughout the house. He had access to windows overlooking each direction. The main living area overlooked the lake. The bedrooms along the back of the garage, also sporting lake views. From the second bedroom, he couldn’t see much beyond the overgrown foliage.

The pounding rain slowed to a drizzle a half hour after it had started. The darkness still made it hard to see, though. He concentrated on looking for movement in the terrain.

The lake water was choppy beneath the rain. He turned to walk back toward the front of the house. The glint of headlights caught his attention, but by the time he reached the window, the vehicle was gone.

Jackson told himself not to be paranoid. Obviously, people lived in this area. It would be more alarming if no one was driving around.