parked his beat-up truck in front of the fourth house from the corner and killed the engine. Taking a deep breath, he shoved his car door open and forced himself to get out and walk up the sidewalk to the front door of Noelle Whitman’s house, trying not to resent the woman who’d been his daughter’s foster mother while he’d been behind bars.
To be honest, it was his own fault he hadn’t seen Kaitlin in so long. At first, he’d thought he’d be let out as soon as they realized he was innocent. But then week after week passed by, and he’d grimly realized there was a very real possibility he’d be found guilty. At that point, he’d been unable to bear the thought of having his young daughter see him in jail.
He’d been shocked to hear from his lawyer that the case against him had been dropped due to the strange disappearance of the eyewitness. And deeply glad to know he was free at last.
He rapped sharply on the door and waited impatiently for the Whitman woman to answer.
He squinted against the harsh glare of the summer sun. After not being in the sunlight for so long, he enjoyed the warmth soaking into his skin, even though the temperature was hovering at a steamy ninety degrees.
His lawyer, Jack Owens, had promised to let Ms. Whitman know Caleb was on his way to pick up Kaitlin, so there was no reason for her not to be here. Hard to believe that he’d only been out of jail for a few hours. His release had been so sudden he hadn’t had time to make plans. It was Friday and once he picked up Kaitlin, he’d go home and take the weekend to figure out how to start their life over again.
He lifted his hand to knock again at the exact moment the door swung open, so he pulled back his hand just in time. The woman standing before him was much younger than he’d anticipated, probably barely thirty, with reddish-gold hair and fair skin. She was dressed casually in a green short-sleeved sweater and calf-length blue jeans. In her arms was his five-year-old daughter, wearing a pretty pink dress and pink barrettes clipped to her glossy chin-length blond hair. She clutched a small stuffed giraffe to her chest.
The minute Kaitlin saw him she dropped the giraffe, wrapped her arms around Noelle’s neck and burst into tears. “Nooo, I don’t wanna go wif Daddy!”
His stomach tightened painfully as his worst nightmare played out in front of him. Ms. Whitman held Kaitlin close at the same time she took a step back, a wary expression on her face.
“You’d better come in,” she said over Kaitlin’s sobs. He stepped forward and bent down to pick up the giraffe.
A split second later, he heard the crack of a rifle and the soft thud of a bullet hitting the doorframe of the house, inches from where his head had been.
“Get back,” he shouted, barging into her house with the finesse and strength of a bull, before slamming the door behind him.
Another bullet pierced the door, followed by yet another. He covered Noelle’s body with his as he practically pushed her toward the relative safety of the kitchen.
“What’s going on?” Noelle asked hoarsely, her green eyes wide with fear as he shoved her down behind the island. He hated the way Kaitlin’s crying grew louder.
“We have to get out of here.” There wasn’t time to explain what he didn’t even understand himself. He had no clue why someone was shooting at him, but right now all that mattered was getting out of here in one piece. He lunged for the keys he saw lying on the counter and mentally visualized where the garage was located. “Does that door lead out to the garage?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s go.”
“No! Wait! We have to call 911!” She shrank away from him, pressing herself against the island and curling protectively around his daughter.
He hesitated, trying to think rationally. He didn’t trust the police, but if he left on his own would the shooter follow him and leave Ms. Whitman and Kaitlin alone?
Or use his daughter as bait as a way to draw him out? The very possibility made his blood run cold.
“Look, we need to get out of here. There’s a chance that guy out there will try to use Kaitlin as a way to get to me. I have to keep her safe!”
The sound of breaking glass made him glance back toward the living room. A familiar round canister landed and rolled on the carpet with smoke rising up toward the ceiling.
“Tear gas! Listen, lady, if you want to live, come with me. I promise to keep you and Kaitlin safe. But we have to move. Now!” His eyes were already starting to burn as he grabbed the pink backpack that was on the counter next to the keys, gripped her arm and dragged her toward the door to the garage. “Hurry!”
Thankfully she followed him into the fresh air of the garage. She slid into the backseat and talked softly to Kaitlin as she buckled his daughter into her booster seat. He tossed the pink backpack inside and climbed into the driver’s seat.
“Buckle up,” he said tersely as he cranked the key in the ignition. The moment he heard her seat belt click he put the SUV in gear. Thankfully she drove a sturdy vehicle, which would help them escape the shooter. The thought of backing out the driveway in full view of the shooter filled him with dread. But he mentally visualized the neighborhood, marking a path that should help keep them safe.
“Hang on,” he warned before he hit the garage door opener. As the door slowly opened he decided not to wait for it to get all the way up before he stomped hard on the accelerator and flew out of the driveway, clipping the bottom of the garage door with the top of her car.
The sound of gunfire filled the air as he swiftly spun the SUV around and headed straight across the street through a neighbor’s yard.
* * *
Noelle let out a small scream as he barreled out of the garage, wrecking her garage door as he sailed down the driveway. At the sound of gunfire, she leaned over, trying to protect Kaitlin as Caleb O’Malley drove like a maniac across the street and through her neighbor’s yard. She momentarily closed her eyes and frantically prayed.
Dear Lord, please keep me and Kaitlin safe!
The vehicle jerked sharply from side to side as they went up and over the edge of her neighbor’s flower bed. Within moments, they were heading down that neighbor’s driveway to the street behind hers.
Kaitlin’s father didn’t speak as he drove, taking several sharp turns as he took them farther away from her house. The way he kept glancing at the rearview mirror told her he was worried they were being followed.
Should she mention how she’d noticed a black pickup truck following behind her for the past few days? Was it possible that person had just been waiting for Kaitlin’s father to show up?
She swiped at her eyes and glanced back, wishing desperately there was a cop somewhere close by. Where were the police when you needed them? Hopefully one of her neighbors had heard the gunshots and called the cops. If only she hadn’t left her cell phone and her purse in her bedroom. But how was she to have known something like this would happen?
She pulled herself together with an effort. She could not let this man know how afraid she really was.
Kaitlin finally stopped crying, but her thumb was planted firmly in her mouth, a sure sign that the child was upset.
When
