Protected Secrets

“I was told this is the number to contact my client, Mr. Walker. Are you the marshal in charge?” His voice held a hint of disbelief.

Her shoulders dropped. “Yes. I’m afraid he’s not able to talk right now. I can have him reach you in thirty minutes.”

“No matter. I just received word he’ll be at a pretrial interview later this afternoon with the US Attorney’s Office. Please tell him I’ll meet him there.”

Delaney didn’t confirm or deny, but she hung up only to get another call from the US Attorney’s Office with the same information. It was last-minute, but in a case like this, that didn’t surprise her. She jogged back to the safe house to start preparing for the trip. At least a brand-new black SUV with all the bells and whistles had arrived.

She imagined Bruce would be pleased with some forward motion on the case. It’d do him good to get out of the safe house for a bit. Maybe it would make him smile the way he had when... She cut the thought off abruptly. There she went again, thinking about his future facial expressions. The infatuation needed to be nipped in the bud. She lengthened her stride and reached the house in record time.

Thirty minutes later, she was showered, dressed and ready. “We probably should get going. I like to be extra early to allow time for contingencies.”

Bruce frowned. He hadn’t responded the way she’d expected. In fact, he seemed to be unhappy about going at all. “Any chance we can bring Winnie?”

“No.” She didn’t mean to snap. “Francine will stay here and take great care of her.” Francine had fallen head over heels for Winnie. Unfortunately, Winnie acted as if she was set on making Delaney do the same. If she allowed herself to soften, she feared she’d be ruined when the case ended, devastated that she couldn’t hold and snuggle her own little girl. “It will be a fast trip,” she added.

A knock at the front door signaled it was time to go. The US Marshals had sent a fourth deputy to join in the transport. Bruce scratched his forehead. “Let me just put her down for her nap time.”

Bruce picked up Winnie and kissed her little porcelain cheek. He started singing a song, tones so quiet and low that Delaney strained to hear it, but the concert wasn’t for her. He disappeared into a side bedroom. A moment later he came out with a video baby monitor and handed it to Francine.

“Okay, she’s singing to her stuffed animal, which means she should fall asleep soon. You have a way to reach me if I’m needed?”

Francine nodded. “Of course.”

Delaney could see the uncertainty building in his eyes. “We have to go. Now,” she said. Tag teaming with the deputy outside, she led Bruce to the door of the black SUV. They all wore plainclothes, which typically meant a polo shirt and pants, so as not to draw attention, but they didn’t compare colors ahead of time. Unfortunately, the other marshals had all decided to go with navy blue, just as she had. If they needed somewhere to hide along the way, they could blend in at Best Buy.

A silver SUV was in front and a navy SUV was behind them. They would accompany her and Bruce to the federal building in Des Moines. She knew the route well enough to skip the GPS. “An hour’s drive on I-35. I noticed they’ve widened the freeway since I’ve last been here. Should be smooth sailing.”

She started the car and they drove in silence. A few minutes later, she merged onto the freeway. The other deputies spread out, so as not to be an obvious caravan, but they communicated their movements on the radio attached to the right of her steering wheel.

Much like a dentist was trained to watch for tense patients, she noticed Bruce’s fingers gripping the sides of the leather seat and dug for something to say to distract him. “How long have you lived in Ames?” she asked. A small part of her wanted an excuse to ask how long Harvey Jeppsen had been his lawyer.

The brake lights flashed on the car in front of her. Delaney stepped on her own brakes and nothing happened. She shoved harder and the pedal went down to the floor, but their speed remained the same.

“What’s happening?”

She couldn’t answer because she wasn’t sure herself, but the distance between the SUV and the car in front was rapidly decreasing. She slid into Neutral and pulled on the parking brake. The speed remained the same.

She glanced in the side mirror and maneuvered into the small spot between two cars. The radio crackled with questions, but she ignored them because the wagon in front of her wasn’t going fast enough. She swerved onto the shoulder, almost clipping the car full of oblivious teenagers.

“One more inch and we would’ve hit. Sign says shoulder closed. Why are you doing this? Is there someone after us?” Bruce checked the side mirror.

She grabbed the radio with her right hand. “Brakes are out. Taking next exit.” She dropped the radio as she used both hands to take the ramp, hoping the sharp curve to the right would slow them down or at least offer an empty pasture. “I can’t talk now,” she told Bruce.

The radio crackled. “Affirmative. We couldn’t make that exit in time. Will take the next one and join you. No suspicious activity?”

“I think the brakes going out is suspicious enough,” Bruce muttered. He leaned as far forward as he could and looked out the window. “There is a road to the left that’s pretty unpopulated. Think you can make it?”

“We don’t have much choice.”

The grade sloped and the SUV’s speed increased. She pressed the brake hard out of habit. Her head lurched forward and backward as the SUV abruptly slowed. She pressed the brake pedal again to make sure it wasn’t a fluke. “The brakes are working again.”

Bruce put his hand on the back of his neck. “Were you just not pressing hard enough?”

She bit back a retort and turned on her left signal. “It’s safe to say that this SUV isn’t as reliable as we’d like.” They passed a gas station on the right. There was nothing but farmland on either side of the little-used highway. She tested the brakes again. Would the rest of the marshals think the whole event was the result of human error, as Bruce did? The vehicle jerked forward and a horrible grinding noise came from the hood. All the dials on the dashboard fell to zero as the motor went silent.

“The engine died?” Bruce shook his head. “Unbelievable. This isn’t stick shift, is it? You didn’t—” The rest of his words died on his lips.

Delaney followed his gaze, and her chest seized. A pickup truck full of masked men rounded the corner with guns pointed at their SUV.

“Get down!” Bruce gave her shoulder a push. While the gesture was noble, she was supposed to be the one protecting him. She turned her head to see he’d followed his own advice as she readied her gun. Rapid pings hit the windshield, side doors and side mirrors.

“You okay?” Bruce asked. He remained hunched over, his forehead touching the glove compartment.

While the SUV was supposed to be bulletproof, she didn’t want to take chances. “Yes. Stay down.” The shots had stopped so she jumped out and took aim at the retreating vehicle, trying to read the license plate, but, of course, there was none. Not another vehicle could be seen for a mile in either direction. Where was her team? She kicked at a rock on the road and climbed back into the SUV.

While Bruce’s face had lost its color, he didn’t look injured. His hand shook ever so slightly as he pointed to the GPS. The blue screen had a message in the middle. Final Warning. Open your mouth and your family dies.

THREE

Bruce placed a hand on either side of his face. “It’s been hacked.”

She looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. “What are you talking about?”

He blinked and tried to slow down the torrent of emotions and thoughts so he could communicate rationally. “This vehicle has been hacked. The brakes, the engine dying, the message on the GPS... Those things can be controlled remotely if someone knows our location. They were playing with us. My daughter—” He pulled in a shaky breath. They’d only been gone from the safe house for five minutes. If someone had been tracking them in the vehicle, then it was likely the hacker knew their point of origin.

Her eyes widened. “The safe house. You’re saying the attackers know where it is.” She picked up the handset. “We’ve been compromised. I need a new vehicle, stat. Where are you guys?”

The speakers crackled in response. “You’re not going to believe it. Our engines died the moment we got off the highway.”

“Both of them?” Delaney took a deep breath while she checked all three mirrors. Bruce followed her gaze. So far the gunmen hadn’t returned. “They set us up.” Delaney pulled out her cell phone and dialed the police for backup. After the call was completed, she sat back, shaking her head. “I don’t understand how this could be happening.”

“Newer cars have a few different ways hackers can access control. If this one has a tire sensor, that’s the simplest way to hack into the brakes and disable the engine.” He waved toward the hood of the car. Talking about practical matters wasn’t helping his heart rate. If he thought he could get back faster on his own, he’d try to run back to Winnie on foot. “I need to know Winnie is okay. I need to know now.”

“There are two deputy marshals watching over her. I’m sure Winnie is safer than we are at the moment. It’s safer if we don’t make direct contact.” She clicked the radio. “I need a status report from Deputy Marshal Jackson. Use back channels.”

They sat in tense silence for the longest thirty seconds of his life before the radio crackled. “No response as of yet,” the deputies from the other SUV answered. “Backup units on the way from Des Moines.”

Bruce tightened his fists. “From Des Moines?” He couldn’t wait an hour to find out if his daughter was safe or in the hands of dangerous criminals.

“Bruce, you’ve been great so far. Look at me.”

Bruce swiveled and stared into Delaney’s eyes, searching for answers.

She touched his arm. “We aren’t waiting around. The police will be here in one minute. Sometimes back channels take longer to get an answer. We can’t jump to conclusions.”

Bruce exhaled, but his insides wouldn’t stop vibrating. Winnie was his all, his everything. She had stolen his heart from the moment he held her tiny form in his arms.

As promised, a police cruiser pulled up, but Delaney wouldn’t let him step out of the SUV yet. She kept her hand on her weapon as she approached the vehicle, likely checking the officer’s identification. Every moment of procedural caution made him want to jump out of his skin, but if he complained or fought it, he would just cause more delay. Lord, please, just get me to Winnie. Keep her safe.

He opened his eyes as Delaney opened the door. “I’m afraid the back seat of a police car isn’t very comfortable.”

He grunted and walked behind her to the unit. He’d walk on glass if it’d get him to his daughter faster. Bruce slipped into the back seat. Delaney slammed the door and joined the cop in the front.

“No sirens, but get to this address as fast as possible,” Delaney said.

The officer didn’t hesitate to punch the gas. Bruce slid across the plastic bucket seats and grasped the seat belt with one hand during the U-turn. At least Delaney was taking the threat seriously. At this rate, they really would be back to the safe house quickly.

“Uh, how are you doing?” the policeman asked Delaney. “We’ve missed you on the force.”

Even from the back seat, the look Delaney shot the other officer seemed made of ice. “I’m fine.”

“We miss Raymond, too, you know,” the officer said.

She nodded but didn’t reply. Bruce wondered if the words that hinted at tragedy explained her aloof demeanor toward him and Winnie. Not that it really mattered. He didn’t need Delaney to care about him and his daughter—he just needed her to protect them, as she’d said she would. But was that a promise she’d keep? Words didn’t mean much compared to action.

His wife had promised so much, but she still left him and Winnie without a second glance. His stepbrother had written his company’s mission statement and promised to be his partner, but he’d quit and run to the Cayman Islands six months ago. No, promises really didn’t mean much.

Delaney turned in her seat to face him, an impressive feat given the high-speed turns. “The Marshals are alerting the Assistant US Attorney to what’s happened. The interview will be rescheduled.”

“I can’t even think of testifying at the moment.”

“So don’t think about it. For now.”

The radio crackled but Bruce couldn’t make out what was said.

“Did something happen?”

“Not necessarily. Deputy Marshal Jackson still hasn’t checked in, so we’re going to proceed with caution.” Delaney pointed to the left, and the cruiser stopped at the sun-bleached pink house. The last two days had felt like a living nightmare. He’d worked so hard to maintain a positive attitude and believe that everything would work out, only to walk straight into a trap.

“Stay here,” Delaney hollered. She jumped out of the vehicle at the same time as the officer.

“That’s not happening.” Bruce reached for the car handle but found there was none. He pounded the seat in frustration. Another police vehicle pulled up at the opposite street corner, and two more cops rushed toward the house.

Delaney held her weapon up and gestured at the other officers to go around the building. A male voice shouted, “Officer down,” and Bruce groaned. Someone had definitely found the safe house. Please, let Winnie be okay. He searched desperately for another way out of the police vehicle, but there was nothing to do but watch.

Delaney squatted low to the ground and entered the house. Bruce strained his eyes, hoping he could somehow see past the house’s grimy windows and blinds. Sirens sounded in the distance. He couldn’t look away, couldn’t let himself blink. He should be inside there, protecting his daughter.

An officer sauntered toward the cruiser that was holding him prisoner. Bruce clenched his jaw, wanting to yell at him to speed up. The officer reached his hand out and the door trapping him in the back seat finally swung open.

“The Deputy Marsh—”

Bruce vaulted out of the car into a sprint, past the officer. He vaguely heard the man shout but didn’t care what was being said. Right now, the only thing that mattered was Winnie. An ambulance siren’s wail grew closer.

He barreled into the house, squinting in the dim light. Another deputy, Francine, was on the ground, limp but conscious. A cop held her wrist while looking at his watch to count her pulse.

Delaney stepped out of a bedroom. Her arms cradled Winnie, her head bent over his daughter, as if in a cuddle. Bruce’s insides fought between icy cold and raging heat at the sight.

She glided forward, her steps soft and rhythmic, across the room, whispering, “It’s okay, sweetheart.” One of Winnie’s arms wrapped around the back of Delaney’s neck while the other clung tightly to Lovey. “Winnie, your daddy is here.”

Winnie lifted her head and twisted to look. She blinked twice and smiled at Bruce, then rested her head back on Delaney’s chest.

“She was still sleeping,” Delaney whispered. “Had no idea anything happened.” Her eyes glistened with a layer of unshed tears and once again Bruce didn’t know what to think or feel about this mysterious woman.

He reached for Winnie. His daughter, almost reluctantly, let go of Delaney and curled up against his chest. “Honey, are you okay?”

She nodded and rubbed the remaining aftereffects of sleep away.

Delaney stepped closer. “Someone got the jump on them. Knocked out the marshals but didn’t touch Winnie.”

Bruce crumpled onto the couch. He hung his head over Winnie’s shoulder and, despite the determination to stay calm, his chest shook and his breath caught. He could’ve lost her. He so easily could’ve lost her.

Winnie tilted her chin and Bruce stared into her blue eyes and reined in control. Was there a way he could give up and keep her safe? If he didn’t testify, would the threat disappear?

“I appreciate that you stayed calm today,” Delaney said.

He didn’t look up. He couldn’t yet. “If you lock me in the back of a car again...” He let his voice trail off, unwilling to voice exactly what he was thinking in front of his daughter, but hoping his tone conveyed what he meant. He wouldn’t let her keep him away from Winnie again.

But even by his side, could he keep his little girl safe? Could he ever take Winnie with him on a jog and count dogs in the neighborhood without flinching at every car that rounded the corner? Would they be able to return home and step out onto the deck to watch fireflies without him shining a spotlight on every tree that surrounded the property first?

The image of the men with guns shooting bullets into the SUV played on a loop. His blood pounded hot and fast through his veins. Giving in would only provide the illusion of safety. They would still be out there, watching. They could treat him, his daughter and anyone else like puppets whenever they wanted. Good men like Max would still die at their hands.

The rage continued to build behind his eyes. He would do whatever it took to put a stop to them. He slowly met Delaney’s gaze. “How do we end this?”

* * *

Delaney’s mouth went dry at his question. Winnie clutched her Lovey in one hand while her other hand twirled a lock of hair. Delaney did that whenever she was stressed or bored, too. Was that common in toddlers? Movement to the right caught her attention.

Two paramedics filled the doorway. The taller one nodded at Delaney. “We’ve got one of the deputies ready for transport.”

She supplied his name. “Deputy Jim Lewis.”

The medic pointed to Francine. “We can take you on that ambulance, too, ma’am. In the meantime, anyone else we need to look at?”

Francine flicked her wrist. “I don’t need it. I’m going to be fine.”

“Wait,” Delaney said. “You might not need an ambulance, but we do.” She held up a hand to stop the concerned paramedics. “I don’t mean we’re injured. For logistic reasons, I need you to hang back for a second.”

Delaney pointed at Bruce. “Right now the main priority is to get you somewhere safe without being tracked. You said hackers can follow our vehicles if they know the point of origin, so we need to make sure they think we’re still here. At least for a little while.” She felt a pressure on her chest and realized she’d kept a hand over her heart, in the place where Winnie had rested her head moments ago.

“What do you have in mind?” Francine asked. She accepted an ice pack from the paramedic and rested it on the back of her head.

“Bruce and Winnie will take your place on the stretcher, covered up.” She squatted slightly to meet the toddler’s eyes. “Can you be real still next to your daddy and pretend you’re sleeping?”

Winnie pulled her left shoulder up until it met her ear in a cute shrug. “No.” She smiled, but her eyes made it clear she had no intention of cooperating.

Well. There went that idea, replaced with a sizable dose of reality. Delaney knew nothing about children.

Bruce patted Winnie’s knee. “You don’t have to take a nap again,” he said. “How about we play hide-and-seek together and wait for Delaney to find us? Those men are going to sneak us out, like a fun ride.”

Winnie’s eyes widened and she bounced up and down. “Okay.”

The side of Bruce’s mouth curved. “It’s all in the delivery.”

Francine laughed, a welcome distraction and a comfort. She probably wouldn’t have laughed if she was seriously injured, but Delaney would make sure she was examined anyway.

“Francine, I need you to stay back here for a good twenty minutes. When it’s time to leave, tuck your hair up into a ball cap and wear Bruce’s suit jacket.” Delaney turned to ask the man in question. “Do you mind?”

“It’ll be too big on her, but no, I don’t mind.”

Francine was a tall woman, equal to Bruce’s height, but she had a slender build. “I know. It won’t be enough to fool anyone at close examination, but if anyone’s watching from a distance, it should at least give them pause.” She pointed at the police officer waiting next to her. “It would help the Marshals a great deal if you’d wait here a bit, then take Francine to the station. I’ll have another deputy meet her there and take her to the hospital to be examined.”

Francine rolled her eyes. “I told you I’m fine—”

“I need you back on the team as soon as possible,” Delaney answered. According to Marshal Bradford, Francine was the only deputy who had experience with children. “That means you need to get cleared for duty.”

“I’d like to apologize in advance.” Bruce stood up, Winnie in his arms, to head over to the stretcher. “I’m not a lightweight man.”

The paramedic to the left laughed. “Don’t worry. The stretcher pops up and has wheels. Besides, we’ve carried heavier. You ready for your ride, sweetie?”

Delaney stilled, unable to look away. Was this the right decision? The paramedics joked around with Winnie as Bruce got situated first on the gurney.

She was up against clever hunters. As soon as word got out that Bruce wasn’t backing out of testifying, the hacking group would be after them again. What would Kurt do? The question popped into her mind easily, as it always did whenever she faced a crisis in her work. Her previous boss and mentor from Coeur d’Alene, Kurt had taught her more than her time in both the police academy and marshal training. He’d showed her when it served best to think outside of the box, to harness empathy and to understand what the enemy would do next to get a jump on them. He also sought God’s wisdom for the big decisions.

Her throat hurt from the stress. I don’t have time to wait to hear from You, Lord. I’m asking for Your wisdom and if I’m going the wrong way I need a giant “no” from You right about now.

“Let’s hide, Daddy.” Winnie turned to Delaney and smiled. “You gotta find us.” She grabbed the edge of the thin white blanket and pulled it over herself as she curled up in the crook of Bruce’s arm.

The paramedics placed a mammoth-sized towel on Bruce’s forehead, effectively covering up his face and hair. It didn’t make him look like Francine, but it might do the trick. Delaney grabbed her US Marshals jacket and placed it on top of him. If anyone was watching, hopefully it would seem another marshal was heading for the ambulance after the attack.

“Okay, stay real quiet. We’re going on a ride and don’t want Delaney to find us yet,” Bruce said.

“I think that’s our cue.” The paramedic at the helm kicked off the brakes. Delaney kept her head up as she jogged beside them. No cars were in sight and nobody hid in any of the trees. The houses were spread out and all had curtains or blinds down to help keep out the high-noon heat. But who knew what resources a group of hackers had to watch wherever they wanted? There could be eyes on them right now. The thought sent a shiver up her spine.

A toddler-shaped lump on Bruce’s side wiggled and giggled. Thankfully they’d reached the back of the ambulance. The paramedics shoved the gurney up the silver ramp into the ambulance.

Deputy Jim Lewis had a seat on a gray bench with an ice pack on the back of his head. “I don’t know how they got a jump on me.” His eyes implored her to understand. “I’ll be more cautious now, you can count on that. You’re the lead. You can waive procedure and tell me I don’t have to get checked for a knock on the head so I can get back to work.”

“Not a chance.” She took a seat beside him as the doors closed behind them. “You’re staying right here in this ambulance, because I’m going to need you in a moment.”

One paramedic sat on the opposite side of the stretcher as the ambulance began to move. Winnie flung down the sheet and popped upright. “Find me.” As fast as she’d appeared, she vanished with giggles. “Daddy, you hide, too.”

“It’s definitely time for you to find us.” Bruce’s muffled voice came from underneath the sheet that now covered his face.