wasn’t like her sister to beg. “Of course.” Shelby loved Cody more than anyone on this earth. He attended Shelby’s Little Lambs Day Care Center for preschool and stayed overnight at Shelby’s more often than not. The thought of Cody being in danger made her feel sick to her stomach. She couldn’t bear it. Was her sister overreacting? Trina tended toward the dramatic. “I’ll keep him safe, but I’m sure we can work this out together. We can go to the police for help.”
Trina shook her head. “No. You have to leave now. Don’t trust anyone, especially the police. Promise me you’ll call Alex. That number is a secure line and you need to use that phone. Tell him it’s been twelve nights since I’ve seen him last, that way he’ll know I sent you. Don’t call anyone but Alex. Understand?”
“No, I don’t understand. Why can’t you call Alex? Why can’t we all go together?” Stubbornly, she stayed where she was, refusing to budge even though Trina’s tension was palpable.
“I am coming with you. But if we get separated…don’t come after me. Grab Cody and run. Let’s go, we need to hurry.”
Giving in to her sister’s urgent fear, Shelby quickly shoved the phone and scrap of paper into her jacket pocket, and hoisted Cody up into her arms. Deeply thankful that Trina was coming with them, she turned to head back toward the brightly illuminated parking lot. Trina fell into step alongside Shelby, her gaze still intently sweeping the area.
“Please tell me what’s going on,” Shelby begged. “Why are you and Cody in danger?”
“It’s safer for you if I don’t explain,” Trina whispered. “I’ve made a terrible mistake, but Alex will know what to do. He knows what’s going on.”
She wanted to ask more, but decided to wait until they were safely on their way. They were over halfway to her car when Trina sucked in a sharp breath.
“What?” Shelby shifted Cody’s weight in her arms, trying to look past his bulky coat to see whatever had caused Trina’s sound of distress.
“Run, Shelby! Don’t stop for anything. Do you hear? Don’t stop no matter what happens.” Trina paused momentarily to brush a hand over her son’s head, then veered to the right and sprinted in the opposite direction from the parking lot, heading back toward the wooden walkways leading to the rest of the boats suspended in their raised slips for the winter.
“No! Wait! Don’t go. Come with us—” Too late. Shelby’s eyes widened in horror, her feet glued to the dock as she saw a figure dart into view from behind one of the outbuildings heading straight for Trina. The figure lifted his arm and a sharp retort split the air.
A gun! He was shooting at Trina!
Instinct pulled at her to help her sister, but she remembered what Trina had told her. Shelby clutched Cody tight and surged into high gear, running for the safety of her car as fast as she could with the added burden of Cody’s weight in her arms.
Cody began to cry. She whispered words of comfort between panting breaths. They were near the parking lot. She wanted to glance back to see what happened to Trina, but didn’t dare. Had the gunman followed Trina? Or was he right now coming up behind them? She strained to listen, but could only hear the whistling wind.
Braced for the pain of a bullet, she bit back a sob and shifted Cody to the side, groping for her keys. Jamming her thumb on the key fob, she unlocked the door and scooted Cody into the passenger seat. She slid behind the wheel, twisting the key in the ignition. She yanked the gearshift into Drive, while she craned her neck around, to search for her sister.
Along the shore, two figures continued to run. The smaller one stayed several yards in front of the larger one. Shelby gasped, when the larger figure pointed his weapon at Trina. Another gunshot ripped through the air.
The smaller figure went down. And didn’t move.
“No!” Sobbing, Shelby gunned the engine and swerved out of the marina parking lot, nicking the edge of a nearby light pole. Fear that the gunman would now turn his attention toward her and Cody fueled her panicked desire to get away. She fumbled in her coat pocket for the phone Trina had given her. She dialed 9–1–1, telling the operator that someone was badly hurt down at the lakeshore.
When the dispatcher pressed for more information, she sobbed, “Just go!”
Her careful wording hadn’t fooled the little boy beside her. Tears streamed down his face. “Aunt Shelby, is Mama hurt?”
She swiped the dampness from her own eyes and struggled with what to tell him. He was only four-and-a-half years old. He should be home asleep instead of running for his life from a man with a gun. Her heart hammered in her chest. She took a deep breath to steady herself. She needed every ounce of courage she possessed. His safety depended on her.
“Yes. But the police are on their way to help her.” She prayed it wasn’t already too late.
Dear Lord, protect Trina. Please keep her safe.
Solemn green eyes regarded her steadily, breaking her heart. “Did the bad man get her?”
The bad man? A chill slithered down her spine and she clenched the steering wheel to keep her hands from shaking. She wished, more than anything, that Trina had told her exactly what was going on. “Did you see the bad man, Cody?” Could this be why his life was in danger?
He nodded, silent tears streaking down his cheeks.
No! Was this Trina’s mistake? Allowing the bad man to see Cody? Her stomach clenched with fear. She pulled her nephew close within the circle of her arm. He buried his face in her side and she held him tight.
“It’s okay, Cody. I love you. Everything is going to be just fine. We’re safe. God will protect us.” She kept her foot hard on the accelerator, speeding through the early morning darkness, taking various turns and changing direction often, in case the gunman had friends who might come after her. At this hour, the streets were empty. After she was certain no one had followed and that she and Cody were safe, she headed toward the main highway.
Don’t go to your apartment, that’s the first place he’ll look. Call Alex. Don’t trust anyone, even the police. Only Alex. Understand?
Careful not to jostle Cody, she pulled the slip of paper from her pocket, and divided her attention between the road and the scribbled note. The handwriting wasn’t Trina’s, but a deep, bold stroke of a pen, with the name Alex McCade and a local phone number.
She had no idea who Alex McCade was—other than Cody’s father—but Trina seemed to think he would keep them safe. Trina had sacrificed herself to help them escape, so she had no choice but to trust Trina’s judgment. With renewed hope, she glanced at her nephew, nestled against her side.
“Don’t worry, Cody. Everything is going to be fine. We’re going to find a man who can help us.”
Alex McCade prowled the length of his room, rhythmically squeezing a palm-sized foam ball in his right hand. The throbbing pain in his arm often kept him up at night, until he thought he might scream in sheer frustration, but he wouldn’t give up his efforts to rebuild the damaged muscles. The bottle of narcotics sat unopened on his nightstand. No matter how intense the agony in his arm, he refused to take them.
After a few minutes of pacing, the wave of pain receded to a tolerable ache. With a sigh, he paused before the sliding glass doors to
