and a raised planter that at one time, Scott imagined, had been filled with red, white and blue flowers. Weeds and poison ivy, now strangled by winter’s kill, decorated the front of a matching office building. To the far right were what appeared to be barracks and hangar-like buildings for transport vehicles.
During the war, the compound had been a source of pride and hope for Indian Lake residents. They had thought they were fighting back against the greatest evil of all time.
Luke drove into the complex and stopped at the heavy rusted chain across the entrance. Trent turned to Scott. “Take photos with your phone. I’m going to check it out. You both stay here.”
“What?” Scott stared at him “What if Ellis is in there?”
“Both of you know how to handle yourselves in any situation. I wouldn’t put you in danger. Scott, you’re the best journalist around. You see things that I even miss. I’m relying on your eyes. And Luke, I could take lessons from you, man.”
“We’ve got your back, Trent,” Luke said.
“Yeah, we want to help. It’s our town, too,” Scott added. Scott watched with a clenched jaw as Trent jogged away, ducked under the chain and hustled up to one of the buildings.
“What if this meth dealer has friends? Like some of Le Grande’s murderous gang?”
“I’m sure Trent thought of that.”
“I hope so,” Scott replied warily. “This is nuts.”
Luke shook his head slightly. He had slipped his gun out of its holster and put it on the passenger seat.
Scott swallowed hard. “Okay.” He picked up his phone and took a series of photos, using his zoom. “I need a telephoto lens for this. And the sun is going down.”
Luke pointed out the window. “It’s abandoned. See? No tire tracks on the snow. No footprints around, except Trent’s. It’s probably safe enough.”
“Why do I get the feeling Chief Williams doesn’t know anything about this?”
“Of course he knows. Trent wouldn’t jeopardize his job. He said the chief trusts Trent’s instincts when it comes to intel.”
Luke sighed. “It’s getting dark. He won’t be able to see in there. And if he finds anything substantial, he’ll need to get a warrant.”
Scott was relieved to see Trent hustling back toward the SUV a few moments later. He climbed in and buckled up. “I can’t see anything through the windows and even that broken one didn’t help since I don’t have a flashlight. I should get a warrant.”
Luke laughed to himself and backed out of the drive. Scott’s phone pinged with a text. “Problem there, buddy?” Luke asked.
“No. Just Isabelle. She wants me to bring some ice to the party. She said I’m late.”
“Party?”
“Yeah. Her mother has a Christmas party every year on the twenty-third. It’s tradition. Just family.”
“Really? And she didn’t have you working KP duty all afternoon?” Luke met Scott’s eyes in the mirror, eyebrows raised.
“She asks for lots of other help, but not for the dinner. Except for the ice,” Scott replied. Scott sensed where this conversation was going. His buddies thought they were supporting him with their inquiries and suggestions. But when they brought Isabelle up like this, it embarrassed him that he helped her out with so much, and yet, she wasn’t as serious about him as he wanted her to be. As he felt about her.
He read the text again. It was terse and hurried.
Where are you? You were supposed to be here an hour ago. Bring ice.
Scott would have been on time if not for the unscheduled trip to the ammunitions plant. Maybe only slightly late. This was the third Christmas that Scott had been invited to the Hawkses’ family party. Her two sisters, Sadie and Violet, would be there, of course, since they both lived at home. Dylan, who was twenty-nine and only eleven months younger than Isabelle, would be home from the South Side of Chicago where he was a prosecuting attorney. Christopher, an EMP and first responder, lived north of town and Ross, a forensic CPA who commuted into downtown Chicago for work, would also be on hand.
Scott liked all of Isabelle’s family but for some reason, she always seemed tense during this party. When he’d asked her about it in the past, she’d always said she was fine and that there was a lot of work to be done. But Scott had long wondered if her family made her nervous.
Or was it possible that his presence at Christmas upset her?
Luke and Trent were talking about their families and the threat of the rising drug problems. They both vowed to risk their lives to save their loved ones.
Scott slid his phone back into his pocket.
He knew, without a doubt, he would put his life on the line for Isabelle. But suddenly, he wondered if she had ever felt that strongly about him.
ISABELLE WIPED THE sweat from her forehead with her sleeve as she hoisted the stack of Christmas plates out of the cupboard in the storage room. After steadying herself, she placed the stack on the counter below and climbed down the ladder. When her mother had designed this storage area, Isabelle had praised her for it. She hadn’t realized that she’d be just about the only family member using this room.
It was always this way on holidays. Isabelle’s family talked for months about these big gatherings, the food they’d buy at the deli, the bakery, the butcher—nearly all premade since her mother, Connie, didn’t have time or the desire to cook for everyone. Neither did Sadie or Violet. All three boys were excellent at ordering takeout. Isabelle was the only one in the family whose culinary skills were self-taught. She was no gourmet, but she could get by. But she drew the line at preparing a feast when no one else seemed willing to lift a finger.
The food wasn’t the problem. Connie ordered turkey, mashed potatoes and green bean casserole from the grocery store. Pumpkin pies came from the bakery. Sadie made stuffing out of a box on top of the stove. Gravy came from a jar and was heated in the microwave.
But as had been the case for nearly all their lives, everyone left the rest of the details up to Isabelle. Today, she’d arrived at her mother’s house to find that not only had the table not been set, but the linens for it hadn’t even been laundered.
Isabelle felt like she was ten years old again, when all the household responsibilities and childcare had fallen on her shoulders.
That was the year her father had dropped dead at the age of thirty-six from a heart attack. The doctors told her mother that he’d had an undetected congenital heart condition. Isabelle had helped her mother dress the younger kids for the funeral. She remembered half the town showing up at their little house off Main Street where there was barely enough room for all of them, let alone guests. Her mother’s friends brought food enough to feed them for weeks.
Within a week, Connie had applied for a position as a receptionist at an architect’s firm. A few months later she
