Under the Lawman's Protection
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Laura Scott
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HarlequinOne
SWAT team member Isaac Morrison paused outside the sheriff’s-department headquarters and replayed the garbled voice-mail message for the third time.
Ice...cover blown...danger...help Leah and Ben...
The voice sounded like his buddy Shane “Hawk” Hawkins, and the use of his old nickname, Ice, gave credence to the fact that Hawk had left the message despite the unknown phone number. Was Hawk calling from a throwaway phone? Possibly. Isaac had tried to return the call twice, but it wouldn’t go through.
Strange to be hearing from Hawk now, when they hadn’t really been in touch for the past sixteen months, but the urgency in Hawk’s static-filled message was impossible to ignore.
What in the world was going on? Isaac jogged to his Jeep, located in the far corner of the parking lot beneath a street lamp, his brain whirling with possibilities. Leah was Hawk’s sister, and if he remembered correctly, Ben was her young son. By now the boy would be about five or so, and the thought that they might be in danger spurred Isaac into action. He revved up his Jeep and headed toward the interstate, wincing a bit at the fact that the time was approaching eight o’clock at night.
Hawk had left the message well over an hour ago. Isaac had had his phone on silent during his most recent tactical situation. He’d been called in as a negotiator at a local bank, where a drug addict had held a woman hostage in order to get money to fund his habit. Thankfully, they’d managed to take down the man before he shot or injured any innocent bystanders.
A good day for the Milwaukee County SWAT team, but the brief moment of satisfaction quickly evaporated with this latest threat. What if Isaac was already too late to protect Leah and Ben? He stomped on the accelerator, pushing the speed limit. He knew that Hawk’s sister was the only family his buddy had left in the world, and the two were extremely close. The situation had to be serious for Hawk to call for help.
Isaac had met Hawk twelve years ago at Saint Jermaine’s Youth Center, which was basically a school for delinquent teens, and during their first month there Hawk had saved his life. They’d been friends ever since, but Hawk had never asked for anything from him.
Until now.
Isaac hoped that Leah was still living in the same small home he remembered, located just inside the city limits. If she’d moved since the last time he saw her, he was in trouble, because he couldn’t even remember her married name. Nelson? Nichols? Even though her husband had died roughly four years ago, he was pretty sure she hadn’t remarried. Otherwise why would Hawk call him? Surely he would have contacted her new husband if she had one.
Isaac drove through the dark, damp March night, wondering if Leah would even remember him. He’d met her only a few times, and the last occasion must have been at her husband’s funeral. The only good thing now was that he was still wearing his uniform, so at least she would be able to recognize him as one of the good guys.
Ironic that he and Hawk had both turned their troubled lives around to go into law enforcement. Hawk had taken a job with the City of Milwaukee Police Department, while Isaac had gone the route of joining the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department. As they were located in two completely different jurisdictions, their paths hadn’t crossed in the line of duty.
Hawk had mentioned that his cover was blown, so he must have been investigating something serious while being undercover. But what? It would have helped to have some idea of the source of potential danger.
As he approached Leah and Ben’s house, located at the bottom of a dead-end street, Isaac cut his headlights and slowed to a stop several yards away from the end of her driveway.
For a long moment he sat there, watching for any signs of life. But the windows were dark, and from the street he couldn’t see any hint of light or movement inside. At eight-thirty on a Friday night, it was hard to believe Leah and Ben would be already asleep.
Either they weren’t home yet or he was too late to save them.
Every nerve in his body rebelled at that thought, so he decided to investigate. He reached up to pull the bulb out of the dome light and then slipped out of his Jeep, hugging the shadows as he made his way closer to Leah’s small house. In contrast, her yard was spacious and boasted several tall trees, one with a tire swing hanging from a thick branch. Seeing the swing reminded him of his dead son, and for a moment the pain of losing Jeremy nearly sent Isaac to his knees. He missed his son so much, but forced himself to concentrate on the task at hand. He tore his gaze from the swing, sweeping a wide glance across the yard to make sure that nothing was out of place.
No signs of a crime didn’t mean one hadn’t taken place. The warning itch along the back of his neck couldn’t be ignored.
Moving slowly, he made his way around to the back of the house. There were still no lights anywhere and all was quiet. Leah didn’t have anyone living to her left, but the neighbors to the right must be home, based on the blue glow of a television set in what appeared to be a living room. Surely if something had happened here, they would have been alerted.
He checked the back door to verify it was locked. He made a mental note to tell Leah she needed motion-sensor lights mounted in the backyard as well as out front above the garage. He was a little surprised that Hawk hadn’t already taken care of that. Isaac rounded the corner of the house and abruptly stopped in his tracks, flattening himself against the siding when he saw a figure dressed from head to toe in black. The man had a ski mask covering his face, and he was stealthily making his way through Leah’s front yard.
Hawk was right. Leah and Ben were in danger!
Isaac wished he’d asked a few of his SWAT teammates to come along, especially Caleb or Deck, but it was too late for that. Even if he called them, they were forty-five minutes away, and there wasn’t a second to waste. He pulled his weapon and crouched low, trying to keep the intruder in his line of vision.
He considered calling 911 for backup, but feared the masked man would hear him. Using a cell phone, he’d have to give the dispatcher his location and even soft, muffled sounds carried loudly through the night. Right now, Isaac had the element of surprise on his side.
But he froze when the intruder hid alongside the large oak tree, the one with the tire swing hanging from it.
Clearly, the masked man was waiting for Leah and Ben.
Belatedly, Isaac noticed a pair of headlights approaching along the street, growing brighter and brighter as the car neared the house. The vehicle was an older-model sedan, but with the lights in his eyes, he couldn’t tell for sure if the driver was male or female.
The possibility that Leah and Ben were coming home at this exact moment sent a shiver down his back. Had the masked man been following them? Or had his timing been pure luck?
Isaac didn’t believe in coincidences. And he couldn’t help wondering if the guy in black had a partner waiting somewhere nearby. He hadn’t seen anyone, but that didn’t mean someone wasn’t still out there.
Isaac stayed at the corner of the house, his eyes trained on the oak tree. He had to assume the masked man would wait until the most opportune time to attack. The sedan pulled into the driveway and idled outside the garage. Isaac thought it was odd that the garage door didn’t open, especially after several seconds passed.
Then he saw the driver’s door open.
The events unraveled in slow motion. The masked intruder made his move, darting out from behind the tree and roughly grabbing the arm of the woman who’d gotten out of the car.
No! Isaac sprinted across the yard toward them. “Stop! Police!”
In 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 her realize how handsome he was. Had he always been? Or had she just not noticed until now?
“You’re entitled to be rattled,” he assured her. “Let’s get you and Ben someplace safe for tonight and then I’ll see if I can get in touch with your brother. We’ll discuss our next steps in the morning.”
Tears pricked her eyes at his obvious concern. He’d saved her life tonight, and instead of saying thank you, she’d snapped at him. Of course they needed to leave, and right away. If the gunman knew what she was driving, she and Ben weren’t safe.
She sniffed, blinked back her tears and nodded. “Sounds good. Thank you, Isaac. For everything.”
“No problem.” He rose to his feet. “Why don’t you grab Ben and I’ll take care of his booster seat?”
She slid out of the car and tucked her keys in her jacket pocket before heading around to the opposite side to get Ben. The cop followed and waited patiently until she had lifted her son in her arms before reaching for the car seat.
“Is that your Jeep parked on the road?” she asked.
“Yes. Wait for me, though.” He tucked the booster seat under his arm and then lightly grasped her arm, escorting her down the street, sweeping his gaze over the area as if ready for anything.
The idea that the gunman might not have been alone made her stomach twist with fear. Although if he’d had help, wouldn’t that person have come forward to even the odds?
Maybe, maybe not. Killing a cop was something most criminals tried to avoid, at least according to what Shane was always telling her. But then again, her brother often downplayed just how dangerous his job was, especially since he worked in a district that handled the highest rate of violent crime. Shane knew that she’d purposefully chosen a man who wasn’t a cop for a husband because of the fact that their father had been killed in the line of duty. Not that marrying a lawyer had helped her any. Elliot had been killed by a drunk driver, despite his safe job.
She pushed aside a wave of despair over losing her husband, knowing this wasn’t the time to think about the past. She needed to concentrate on keeping her son safe.
Where was Shane now? She couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to her brother. He had to be all right, he just had to be. Her son had already lost a father he didn’t even remember.
Surely God wouldn’t take his uncle, too?
She stumbled and would have fallen if not for Isaac’s hand beneath her arm.
“Leah?”
His low, gentle voice helped keep the panic at bay. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It had been a long time since she’d leaned on a man for support, and she couldn’t deny appreciating the fact she wasn’t alone. “I’m fine.”
Isaac opened the Jeep door and quickly threaded the belt through Ben’s booster seat. He stepped back, giving her room to get her son settled inside.
“I love you, Ben,” she whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.
“I love you, too, Mommy.”
Tears threatened again, and since she wasn’t the crying type, she had to assume that they were a delayed reaction from the horrific experience of being held at gunpoint. Her son was only five years old, but she was afraid he might have nightmares from seeing the gunman grab her. She brushed the dampness away as she climbed past her son so that she could sit in the back, next to him.
If Isaac was annoyed with her choice to stay in the rear rather than next to him, he didn’t let on. He shut the door behind her and then jogged around to get into the driver’s seat. He started the engine and glanced back at her. “Buckle up.”
She reached for the seat belt a bit embarrassed that she hadn’t remembered. As an E.R. nurse, she’d seen more than enough car-crash victims and normally the gesture was automatic. But nothing about this night was normal.
She rested her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. Almost instantly the memory of the masked man grabbing her from behind the wheel flashed in her brain, so she pried her eyelids open and stared out the window, willing the image away.
When Isaac slowed down to turn onto one of the main highways leading away from town, she frowned and leaned forward. “Where exactly are you taking us?” she asked.
“There’s a hotel that isn’t too far from our SWAT headquarters,” he said, meeting her gaze in the rearview mirror.
“Why do we have to go all the way across town?” she asked. “There are plenty of hotels closer to my house.”
“Yes, but I don’t think staying close to your house is a wise thing to do right now.” He was using the same calm, reasonable tone that he’d used with the gunman, and for some reason that irked her. “The guy knew where you lived and what time you were coming home. Trust me, the farther away we can get from your place, the better.”
“I know, but what if Shane comes looking for me?” She couldn’t understand why they had to go so far away.
“We’ll let your brother know where we are,” Isaac assured her. “Did that guy say anything to you before I arrived?”
She didn’t really want to relive those moments, but understood that Isaac was only trying to get information. And she’d do whatever necessary to help her brother. She licked her dry lips. “He told me that if I screamed he’d shoot.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
The sincere note in her rescuer’s voice made her eyes fill with tears, which she rapidly blinked away. She had to be strong, for Shane’s sake as well as Ben’s. She tried to recall every detail of her brief encounter. “The garage door wouldn’t open and the light I left on above the kitchen sink was out, too. Do you think he cut the electricity?”
“Very possibly, but unfortunately, I didn’t see him do anything like that. I only saw him hiding behind your big oak tree. Is it possible you were followed? I can’t help wondering if he might have cut the power earlier.”
The thought that she might have been followed to the birthday party at Fun Zone only put her more on edge. How could she not have noticed?
Although why would she even look for someone following her? Being an E.R. nurse was hardly dangerous. And suddenly Leah was overwhelmed by a wave of helplessness. She closed her eyes again and prayed.
Please, Lord, thank You for saving me and Ben from the gunman. I ask that You keep Shane, Isaac, me and Ben safe in Your care. Amen.
Her emotions calmed down after her prayer, and for the first time since pulling into her driveway, she felt as if she was on the right path.
If her brother had sent Isaac to keep her and Ben safe, then Leah needed to trust his judgment. And to trust in God. She couldn’t do this on her own.
“The place I’m taking you and Ben is called the Forty Winks Hotel.” He captured her gaze in the rearview mirror. “It’s a cute establishment. We’ve used it before. You and Ben will be safe there.”
Safe. She liked the sound of that. Oddly enough, she was glad Isaac was here, protecting her and Ben.
But abruptly, the Jeep jerked sharply to the right, causing her to cry out in alarm. Isaac wrestled with the steering wheel in a vain attempt to stay on the road, but it was no use.
What was going on? Leah swallowed a scream and grabbed her son’s hand, praying for God to watch over them and ignoring the way her seat belt bit sharply into her shoulder as the vehicle plunged into a ditch.
