and her daughter with his body as much as possible.
He pulled his .38 and then dragged Meredith farther back into the locker room. “There’s a bathroom up ahead. Get inside and stay low on the floor next to the toilet if you can. Don’t come out until I tell you.”
Meredith nodded again. Her eyes were frightened, but she was calmer than most women would be under the circumstances. Maybe she didn’t realize the extent of the danger, but somehow he didn’t think so. No time to consider the implication of that fact now.
Once Meredith and Hailey were safely in the bathroom, he pulled out his cell phone and called for backup, even though he knew it was probably a useless effort. If these guys kept coming, he’d have no choice but to defend himself.
Nate had no idea what he’d stumbled into, but right now, he didn’t have time to think about the various possibilities. He grabbed the break room table across from the lockers and flipped it over on its side so that he could use the wide metal slab as a shield.
It wasn’t foolproof, but since he wasn’t wearing body armor beneath his uniform, it was the best he could do. He hoped that the guys would come in aiming high so he could shoot from his lower position.
He crouched down behind the table, waiting patiently for the gunmen to approach. He couldn’t hear a peep from either Meredith or Hailey, which was good.
The doorknob of the break room slowly turned, and he held his pistol steady on the top edge of the table. Nate held his breath, knowing he couldn’t shoot until he knew for sure who was on the other side of the door. He didn’t dare fire at some innocent mall staff member.
The door swung open, and several long seconds passed before one of the guys in black leather edged around the corner to peer into the room. When he caught a glimpse of the guy’s gun, Nate knew the waiting time was over.
“Police! Drop your weapons!” he yelled. When the guy didn’t comply, Nate fired off two rounds, one of them lodging in the wooden door frame a fraction of an inch from where the guy’s face had been. Instantly, the face disappeared.
Nate swallowed hard and kept his gaze trained on the doorway, knowing his situation was grim. The gunmen had the advantage, not only because there were two of them against one but also because they knew exactly where he was located. Plus, it wasn’t exactly as if the metal tabletop was a bulletproof barrier.
But he refused to give up. If he died today, that was fine, but he’d make sure to take these two gunmen with him. He had no idea why these guys were following Meredith and Hailey, but no way would he allow either of them to be hurt.
Nate adjusted his aim, trying to anticipate the gunmen’s next move. Seconds passed by with impossible slowness, but he knew the value of patience.
The two men came in with a one-two punch, guns blazing. Nate fired in return, taking the first guy down even as one bullet whistled past his own head, while another plowed through the tabletop, mere inches from Nate’s right shoulder. He fired at the second guy, catching him in the upper arm. The gunman cried out in pain and dropped his gun, sliding to the floor with a surprised expression in his eyes.
Nate didn’t hesitate, leaping over the table and kicking both of the gunmen’s weapons well out of the way before checking to see if they were still alive.
They both were.
The first guy was bleeding from his abdomen, so Nate grabbed some towels and pressed them over the wound. He pulled a chair over, tipping it on its side to add pressure and slow down the bleeding.
The other guy was still conscious, holding his own hand over the wound in his biceps. “You’re not going to get away with this,” he said in a harsh tone.
“You’re the one who fired at a cop,” Nate said grimly, even though he had no idea what he’d stumbled into. He quickly cuffed the man to a metal bar beneath the table and then spun on his heel to head back to the bathroom where Meredith was hiding with Hailey. He was stunned to hear singing, catching the phrase “Jesus loves me.” The choice surprised him since Meredith hadn’t ever been particularly religious in high school.
Obviously things had changed. She not only was alive and had a daughter but also believed in God.
“Meredith? It’s me, Nate. Are you and Hailey all right?”
The singing stopped, and he could hear movement inside before the door opened a crack, revealing Meredith’s face. “We’re fine, but what happened?”
“The guys who followed you are both—taken care of.” Nate amended what he was going to say in deference to the little girl. He pushed the bathroom door open wider, giving Hailey a reassuring smile. “The bad guys are going to be arrested so they can’t hurt you anymore. I have backup and an ambulance on the way. Meredith, I need to know what’s going on.”
She shook her head. “My name isn’t Meredith. It’s Melissa. Melissa Harris. And we can’t stay. We need to get out of here, now. Before anyone else sees us.”
Nate knew the woman was Meredith, and the name Melissa wasn’t that much different. She’d obviously changed it, but for the life of him he didn’t know why. “Meredith—Melissa, your name doesn’t matter to me. I remember you from high school, and I know very well you remember me, too.” He crossed his arms over his chest and planted himself in front of the bathroom doorway. “You’re not leaving. Not until you tell me what’s going on.”
Her gaze implored him to listen to reason. “Please let us go. Making me talk to the police will only put us in more danger.”
Nate stared at her, trying to understand what was going on. “I’ve wounded two men,” he said bluntly. “I’m a sheriff’s deputy sworn to uphold the law. I can’t just leave.”
Melissa actually winced. “I know, and I’m sorry. Of course you can’t leave. We’ll go on our own. You have to trust me on this, Nate. I refuse to put my daughter’s life in jeopardy.”
Nate glanced down at Hailey. Her tear-streaked face and the fear reflected in her hazel gaze ripped a hole in his heart.
He closed his eyes and sighed, knowing he was likely going to regret this. “Okay, let’s get out of here. I’m coming with you.”
Melissa’s eyes widened in surprise. “Where?”
“If you think I’m letting you go off on your own, you’re nuts. You have two choices. Stay here and wait for my backup or allow me to take you someplace safe.”
She hesitated and then reluctantly nodded. “Okay. We’ll go with you, for now.”
He planned to stick with her longer than for now, but there wasn’t time to argue. His team would be here at any second.
His boss, Griff, would likely fire him for leaving the scene of a police shooting, but there wasn’t anything he could do about that now. Not when the fear he saw in Melissa was too real. No way was he going to put a woman and her child in danger.
And he was determined to get to the bottom of whatever Melissa was involved in.
* * *
Melissa couldn’t believe that out of all the people to stumble across in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, it would be Nate Freemont.
