on the light switch. Nothing happened. Someone had flipped off the breakers.
JT locked the door, shoved the Glock back into his pocket and grabbed Faith’s arm. He headed for the one room without windows he remembered from his childhood, a small laundry room off the kitchen. Once they were both inside, he shut the door and pushed a couple of heavy boxes in front of it.
“What happened out there? Who was in the truck?” Faith’s questions tumbled out, her eyes wide with fear.
JT didn’t answer right away. He listened for a second and heard nothing but silence outside. The gunshots had stopped. “That’s just it, there was no one in the truck. It sounded like the shots came from the outcropping of trees across the road. He cut the power to the house trying to draw you out.” A muscle ticked in his jaw. “However, what he wasn’t expecting was me. We need to call the police right away. We’re sitting ducks and he could still be out there.”
Before he could say anything more, she was busily shaking her head. “No. No police, I don’t trust them.”
JT watched her for a second. Even though she hadn’t said as much, it was easy to read between the lines. She had gone to the cops for help in the beginning and they’d let her down.
He tried to soften his tone. “If he comes after us with that kind of firepower, I don’t know if I can keep you alive. We have to call the police. Let me do this, Faith.”
A handful of tension-filled seconds passed before she finally agreed.
He grabbed his phone and called the number of one of his closest friends and the chief of police for Hope Island.
“What’s wrong?” Chief Will Kelly didn’t bother with hello. JT wouldn’t be calling at six in the morning unless it was urgent.
“I’m at the old Fitzgerald place with the new tenant. Someone is shooting at us with a high-powered weapon. He’s taken out the power to the place, Will. I don’t know if he’s still there or if he’s acting alone. We need help ASAP.” A split second later, he heard Will bark out instructions to the police dispatcher. “Terry, shots fired at 21 Ocean Way. There are two people inside the old Fitzgerald house. We don’t know if the gunman is still on the premises. We need whoever’s on duty now over there right away. Let them know they may be walking into an ambush. Vests on and everyone watch their backs...”
He came back to JT after he finished putting the order in motion. “Help is en route. Dispatcher Terry Hendricks says that Samuels and Kennedy are five minutes out. Hang in there, I’m on my way as well. The first patrol cars should be there any minute. Just stay put until reinforcements get there.”
No sooner had he disconnected the call than a siren blared in the distance.
Within a matter of minutes, the first patrol car descended on the house. JT had no doubt the person doing the shooting would be in the wind by now.
He moved the boxes away from the door and they crept out to the dark kitchen. Police lights strobed the side of the house. Seconds later, the whole outside was lit up as bright as daylight and the team began to scour the area for the shooter.
Someone knocked loudly on the door and JT turned on the flashlight and went to the front of the house with Faith following close behind, clutching the dog. He opened the door to find Will and two uniformed officers standing there. Will ducked his head as he entered the house. At almost six-nine, this action had obviously become second nature for him.
His friend combed back a stray lock of bright-red hair and shook JT’s hand. “Sounds like you two have had a bit of excitement this morning.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” JT said as he stepped aside and the three men came inside. “Will, this is Faith McKenzie. She’s renting the house. Faith, this is Chief Will Kelly.”
The chief of police held out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Faith.” After only the slightest hesitation, she took it. Will turned to the two uniformed officers. “Take a look around back. See if anything has been disturbed. Be careful.”
“Thank you for coming so quickly, Chief Kelly,” Faith said.
“It’s Will, and you’re welcome. We have officers searching for the shooter and forensics will be here shortly to examine the truck. In the meantime, I’ll need to ask you both some questions, starting with what exactly took place here this morning.”
* * *
The reality of what had happened struck Faith like a blow. This wasn’t just a matter of overreacting. Jumping at shadows. The threat had been all too real, and it had almost had very deadly consequences.
Now, with both men staring at her, waiting for answers, she wasn’t so sure she could go through with it. What if they didn’t believe her or thought she was involved, as the Austin police had?
“I don’t think I can do this,” she whispered to JT.
He reached for her hand and held on to it. “Yes, you can. I promise you can. I’ll be right here with you through it all. Will and I aren’t going to let anything bad happen to you, Faith.”
“You can’t make that promise.”
JT turned to Will. “Can you give us a moment?”
Chief Kelly glanced from one to the other before finally agreeing. “Sure. I’ll just go check on the progress outside.”
JT waited until they were alone. “You’ve been through a lot tonight. You need a second to gather your thoughts. Why don’t we go to the great room and sit for a little while?”
She readily agreed because she desperately needed to soothe her frayed nerves.
JT turned on his flashlight once more and she followed him inside and closed the door. The room appeared eerie as the flashlight’s beam leaped along the walls.
They sat together on the sofa without saying a word. When JT turned off the light the room was plunged into darkness, but that was okay because he was there with her, holding her hand. For the first time in a long time, she felt safe.
For just a little while, she wanted to be still. Calm the storm roiling inside. She wanted the world around her to stop spinning out of control. Wanted the nightmare to end.
JT touched her arm. “You’re shivering.” He turned in his seat to see her better. “It is cold in here.”
He started to untangle his hand from hers but she held on tighter. “No, please don’t go. I really don’t want to be alone.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I’m just going to make a fire to take the chill away.” She let go of his hand and he clicked the flashlight and got to his feet. JT crumpled some old newspaper in the fireplace for kindling and then stacked wood on top. Within seconds after lighting the kindling, the fire was burning in the grate and the room became bathed in its warm glow.
He sat down next to her once more. “I need you to listen to me.” The gentleness in his tone forced her to do as he asked. “I know you’re scared, but we have to know what’s going on here if we’re going to help you. This—whatever it is—has gone way beyond what you can control on your own any longer. I need you to trust me, Faith.”
A
