a heartbeat, the man in black spun around, holding Leah in front of him as a hostage. Isaac froze when he saw he was pointing a gun at her temple. Her eyes were wide with terror and she kept glancing helplessly at the car, where her son was crying. Isaac couldn’t afford to give him any reason to shoot.
“Look, no one has to get hurt here, okay?” He used his best negotiating tone and lifted his hands, pointing his weapon upward, indicating he wasn’t going to shoot, either. If the masked man did have a partner, Isaac was dead meat, but there wasn’t much he could do about it now. Maybe the people watching television next door would hear the commotion and call the cops? He could only hope.
Isaac forced himself to calm down enough to go through the techniques he’d perfected over the years. “Listen, I’m sure this is just a big misunderstanding. Why don’t you let the woman go?”
The masked man glanced around frantically, either looking for help or trying to figure out where Isaac had come from and if he had backup. The second thought gave him hope that the intruder didn’t have a partner hidden out in the darkness. “Get out of here,” the man said in a rough, muffled tone. “This isn’t your business.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.” Isaac tried to hold the man’s gaze, but it wasn’t easy in the darkness. The dome light of the sedan was the only illumination aside from the quarter moon hanging low in the sky. “I’m a cop and I can’t let you hurt this woman. Why don’t you tell me what you want? I’m sure we can work something out.”
“Go away or I’ll shoot.”
Isaac knew the key to negotiating was to find some sort of common ground. Not easy to do when you knew nothing about the stranger holding a gun. But he sensed the guy didn’t want to shoot Leah or would have done so already. That might be something to work with. “Please put the gun down. I have backup coming in less than five minutes. If you put the gun down, I promise no one will get hurt.”
The masked man ignored him, glancing around as if trying to figure out his next move.
Isaac eased forward, still holding his hands up. Leah’s pale face surrounded by a cloud of dark curls looked scared to death, and he blocked the image from his mind. If he allowed himself to worry about her, he’d mess this up. He had to remain focused on the intruder.
Unfortunately, Isaac had absolutely no clue what was going on, which had him at a distinct disadvantage. “Do you want money? Is that it? I’ll give you my wallet if you’ll let the woman go.”
“Stop talking!” The masked man was losing control of the situation, and Isaac knew he had to find a way to make that crack in the guy’s plan work to his advantage.
Inside the car, Ben was crying out for his mommy, and the noise seemed to be grating on the gunman’s nerves. Isaac risked a glance inside the vehicle, and suddenly the man made his move.
“Take her!” he shouted. With a herculean push, he threw Leah away from him and turned to run.
Isaac had little choice but to grab Leah, preventing her from hitting the ground. She clutched him tightly as he stared over her shoulder as the man in black disappeared in the darkness.
As much as he wanted to chase after him, Isaac stayed right where he was. He held Leah steady, knowing his priority needed to be protecting Hawk’s sister and her son.
* * *
Leah Nichols closed her eyes for a moment, silently thanking God for keeping her safe. But she couldn’t understand why the masked man had tried to kidnap her in the first place. What was going on? She had no idea, but couldn’t shake the idea that whoever the guy with the gun was, he’d be back.
She had to get Ben out of here now! She needed to get someplace safe and to call her brother. Shane would protect her and her son.
Leah shoved away from the cop, trying to pull herself together. “Thank you,” she murmured before turning back to the car, where Ben was still crying in the backseat. “Hey, Ben, I’m here. It’s okay. We’re fine.”
“Leah, you and Ben should come with me.”
She spun toward the cop, shaken by the fact that he knew their names. “Who are you?” she demanded. “And why are you here, anyway?”
“Don’t you remember me? Isaac Morrison? I’m friends with your brother, Hawk, er, Shane. He sent me here to look after you.”
Leah narrowed her gaze and shook her head. She vaguely remembered Hawk’s friend Ice, also known as Isaac, but hadn’t seen him in years. Since her husband’s funeral? Maybe. Yet could she really be sure this cop was who he said he was? She had only a vague memory of Shane’s friend, but his height and his military-short, sandy-brown hair did seem familiar.
On the other hand, it seemed strange to her that Shane wouldn’t come to help her himself. Or send one of his buddies, such as his partner from the force. This cop’s uniform wasn’t at all similar to the type that her brother used to wear. A fact that put her on edge.
“I appreciate your help, really, but I’ll be fine on my own. Thanks anyway.”
She slid back into her vehicle, intending to leave, but the cop grabbed her door before she could get it shut. “Leah, I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s pretty clear you need protection. I swear I’m not going to hurt you or your son.”
Leah battled a wave of helplessness. Should she really trust this guy?
“Here, listen to this message.” The cop hunkered down next to her, playing with his phone. Abruptly, a brief static-filled message blared from the speaker.
Ice...cover blown...danger...help Leah and Ben...
The words sent a chill down her spine. She recognized Shane’s voice, and the fact that her brother was clearly in trouble concerned her. “You need to help Shane,” she blurted out. “I’ll go to a hotel or something, but you need to help my brother.”
But the cop was shaking his head. “No, I’m not leaving you and Ben alone. Don’t you understand how much danger you’re in? How long do you think it will take the bad guy to track your car? He was waiting here for you when you got home, and I’m sure he knows what type of vehicle you’re driving. He probably even has the license-plate number.”
Shiver after shiver racked her body and she knew with certainty the cop was right. Leah had taken Ben to a birthday party for one of his classmates at the Fun Zone. How had the masked man known what time to expect her? And why hadn’t her garage door opened?
Belatedly, she realized that the light she’d left burning over the kitchen sink was also out. Had the gunman cut the power? She couldn’t think of any other explanation.
“Leah, please.” The cop reached out to gently cover her hand with his, and she forced herself to meet his intense gaze. “Do you want to see my ID to prove I’m Isaac Morrison? I know it’s been a long time, but you have to believe I’m not going to hurt you.”
She knew he was right and tried to calm her frayed nerves. “I’m sorry to be so paranoid,” she murmured apologetically. “I’m just a bit rattled after everything that’s happened.”
Isaac smiled, and the expression softened his features, making
