Reunion On The Run

A vehicle turned onto the road ahead of them. Its headlights sliced into the night. The Jeep’s headlights were still off. Alex knew he was taking a risk. It was one he was willing to take.

“I have a bad feeling about this.” Claire’s tone was tense. “There’s almost never traffic on this road.”

The vehicle barreled toward them. With its headlights shining, it was impossible to determine the make.

In the past, Alex had wronged Claire in more ways than he could count. He wasn’t about to add another mistake to that list.

“Hold on tight.”

“I am,” she said through clenched teeth.

His spine stiffened as he gripped the steering wheel. Claire wasn’t the only one who had a bad feeling. When the oversize SUV swung into their lane, skidding sideways, blocking both lanes of traffic on the narrow road, Alex was ready.

He had only an instant to decide if he was going to crash into it, cut in front of it or loop around the back. He hit the gas. The Jeep sped forward as he cut behind it. The driver likely expected Alex to stay in his own lane, cutting down to the ditch in front. If he did that, the driver would only have to hit the gas to take them out.

Alex did the opposite. He cut into the other lane, tore down into the ditch and passed on the backside. By the time the driver wrenched into Reverse, they had cut back onto the road.

Claire’s head whipped around to look out the back window. “He’s trying to turn around.”

Alex glanced in the rearview mirror. The SUV had angled into the oncoming lane as it tried to cut the Jeep off. The driver backed into the ditch but had to pull ahead again. He’d be tied up with the back-and-forth motion as he tried to turn around.

Taking advantage of the other driver’s incompetence, Alex sped toward the interstate. He wasn’t sure it was the best plan of action. This time of night, traffic would be pretty light. As they reached a crossroads he wrenched the steering wheel to the right. This stretch of road was lined with thick pines.

It was dark now, but in the glow of the moonlight he could make out mailboxes intermittently dotted along the road. He glanced in the rearview mirror.

“They haven’t turned yet,” Claire said. “They will any minute, though. They’d just turned around when you turned off.”

“Perfect,” Alex said under his breath.

They passed another crossroads. Alex split his gaze between the road in front and the road behind. He knew Claire was right. Any second now the other vehicle would be barreling after them. They had an impressive lead, but he’d rather lose the men for good sooner rather than later.

He made a decision he hoped he wouldn’t regret. He wrenched the steering wheel and whipped into a long, winding driveway. Alex thought he glimpsed headlights slicing around the corner that was now a good distance back. He coasted down the driveway, grateful the house wasn’t visible from the road.

“What are you doing?” Claire’s panicked tone was laced in fear.

“This is our best chance at losing them.” He performed a quick three-point turn with finesse the driver of the SUV did not possess. He kept the Jeep back far enough so that it wasn’t visible from the road.

He withdrew his gun and reached for the door handle.

Claire clutched his arm. “Are you going after them?”

He couldn’t make out her features in the dim moonlight. It didn’t matter. He didn’t have to see her to know what she looked like. He had her face, her expressions, memorized. He knew she was staring at him with wide eyes. Her lips would be pressed into a frown. A worry line would be etched between her brows.

“I need to see which way they go.” He gently pulled his arm from her grip. “I don’t think there’s any chance they saw us turn here. But if they did, I want to have the element of surprise.”

Before she could launch a protest, he leaped out.

Staying close to the tree line, he ran to the road.

Dim headlights grew brighter by the second as the vehicle raced toward him. He moved into the foliage and crouched down. The SUV slowed as it reached the crossroads. Alex hoped it would turn but it rolled right through, speeding up again. He pressed himself against a tree, knowing his dark clothing would blend in.

The chances that the driver would realize this was the driveway he’d turned off on were slim. He was prepared regardless. They sped past. He squinted, hoping for a glimpse of the license plate. It was a fruitless attempt to gain information. It was too dark to make out anything. The vehicle continued on with no sign of slowing down.

He raced back to Claire. Flinging the door open, he slid inside.

“We lost them?” Claire demanded as they took off.

When they reached the edge of the driveway, taillights glowed red in the far distance.

“Looks that way.”

Alex maneuvered onto the gravel road. He backtracked to the crossroads their pursuers had avoided. He took a right, not sure where they were headed but not really caring. Once on this deserted stretch he flipped the headlights on.

He felt Claire’s gaze burning into him.

“You have a lot of explaining to do,” she said.

He shot her a wry look. “I could say the same for you.”

TWO

Claire read the description of the campground to Alex as he drove. Using his phone, she’d scanned several of them before finding one she thought might be a good fit.

“That one should work,” he said as he flicked another glance into the rearview mirror.

Though they’d been driving without incident for half an hour now, she appreciated his vigilance.

“I think so, too,” she agreed. “They accept dogs and it’s less than an hour away, near the Tillamook State Forest.” She read off the directions before sliding his smartphone into the Jeep’s cup holder.

For weeks she had been fervently praying, asking God to help her. She had not anticipated help to arrive in the form of her ex-fiancé. Claire hadn’t seen Alex in years. He’d left her at the worst possible time. He’d had no way of knowing she was pregnant with Mia. She hadn’t figured it out herself until after he’d disappeared. She had no idea how he was going to react to finding out he had a daughter.

Having him barge back into her life was surreal. She kept sneaking glances, assuring herself it was really him.

Alex had spent years serving as an Army Ranger. After a mission gone horribly wrong, he had changed. During his last deployment, a suicide bomber had blown up a school in an area he was supposed to be protecting. Men, women and far too many children had died. Though Claire had no doubt Alex had done everything by the book, he still blamed himself.

When he was discharged, he’d taken a job with an elite security company. It seemed to Claire he’d always put himself in harm’s way. It was more than being an adrenaline junkie. It was as though he’d thought he could make up for the past if he pushed himself hard enough.

The problem was, no matter what he did, no matter how many lives he saved, it was never enough. He could never get over the lives that had been lost.

He’d fallen into a pit of self-loathing and despair. No matter how Claire had tried, she hadn’t been able to help him. She hadn’t been able to save Alex from himself, nor had she been able to save their relationship. Claiming she was better off without him, he’d walked away from her, from the plans they’d made, and he’d never looked back. Years ago she’d come to terms with the realization that she might never see him again. That’s why his unexpected appearance was so hard to grasp.

Now that they had a plan of action for the night, she was ready to get some answers.

“How does Beth play into this?” she demanded. How had her sister been able to find him when Claire had spent months searching for Alex? Granted, that was years ago. At the time she’d exhausted every resource she had. Alex had been nowhere to be found. Emotionally drained and heartbroken, she’d given up the search and hadn’t picked it up again. “I can’t believe she was able to find you.”

“She didn’t find me. I contacted her.”

After a moment of stunned silence she asked, “Why would you do that?”

“I came in on an international flight this morning. As I was walking through the airport I saw your face on a television screen.” He cast a glance her way. “I stopped to listen to the news report. There aren’t a lot of things that shock me these days, but that report was definitely one of them. I went home, did some quick research and realized you were in way over your head.”

She couldn’t argue. She needed help. If Alex was offering, it would be stupid and prideful to refuse. As much as seeing him had thrown her, she knew that if anyone could help her, it would be him.

“There’s a warrant out for your arrest, you’re on the run and the media is pushing the idea you crossed the border into Canada,” he said, his tone matter of fact.

She turned to study his profile, barely illuminated by the dashboard lights. Earlier, when demanding the key, he’d said Claire was framed. “I didn’t kill Jared.”

“I know you didn’t.” His voice was calm and steady.

She knew that. She had been surprised to hear him say it.

“How do you know?” she demanded.

Alex held her gaze in his for a few silent heartbeats before returning his attention to the road. “We were together for a few years, Claire. Like it or not, I know you better than just about anyone. You couldn’t have killed your husband, or anyone else for that matter. You don’t have it in you. I saw you whip the gun into the trees at the shack. You’d rather risk your life than use it to defend yourself.” He gave her another pointed look.

She turned from him, unable to bear the intensity of his stare. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head against the seat. Alex believed her. Beth believed her. Her sister hadn’t hesitated in taking Mia, so Claire could work at proving her innocence. Maybe the rest of the world was against her, but knowing she had two people on her side gave her strength.

“I called Beth to ask if there was anything I could do to help,” he continued. “She told me that you were framed. She said you were on the run, trying to gather evidence against the real murderer. She was on a roll and kept talking.”

Claire wasn’t surprised. Beth had probably known she’d had to take advantage of Alex’s attention while she’d had it. Otherwise he might drop off the face of the world again, disappearing for another three years or more.

“She said you were hiding from a powerful man.” His tone hardened. “She insisted your life was in danger. Then she told me about the shack, location and all. Beth said she wasn’t positive that’s where you’d gone, but she suspected.”

“I didn’t tell her,” Claire said, “because I knew there was a warrant out for my arrest. I didn’t want her involved any more than she had to be. I was sure the police would question her. I didn’t want her to lie. Suspecting and knowing are very different things.”

The hunting shack had belonged to their grandfather. He’d sold it over a decade ago to the couple who owned the adjoining land. They’d wanted to increase their acreage but had no interest in the shack. The building was rundown, and hadn’t been used in years. When Claire had first arrived, it had been a mess. She’d cleaned it as best she could and turned it into a place of refuge.

“When we were kids, we used to say that if we ever ran away from home, that’s where we’d go. I couldn’t flat-out tell her that’s where I was headed, but I was fairly certain she would figure it out.”

“I get it.” Alex tapped his fingers against the steering wheel.

“I thought it was an incredibly strange coincidence that Xavier’s men found me the same time you did.” She paused, cringing. “It wasn’t a coincidence at all, was it?”

“Beth told me this guy was desperate to track you down and would probably go to any means necessary. If that’s the case, and he seems to have plenty of resources at his disposal, I started to wonder if the phone line had been tapped,” he admitted. “As soon as we hung up, I hit the road. I’d already learned what I could about the murder. Beth was adamant you’d been framed. She said she was sure these men were after you. Obviously she was right.”

She frowned as she turned to face him again. “How did you get there so quickly?”

He hesitated, and she instinctively knew he didn’t want to answer her question.

“I live right outside of Portland.”

“Portland.” Her voice was flat. For years she’d feared he was dead. “You still live in the area.”

He stared straight ahead. “I have an apartment. I’m not there much. My work takes me all over the country. Sometimes out of the country.”

She was quiet a moment, wrapping her head around that. She wasn’t sure what “work” he was referring to these days, but she had to assume it was something dangerous. She also assumed he wouldn’t answer if she asked, so she saved herself the trouble and kept her mouth shut. Even when they were engaged, much of Alex’s professional life had been on a need-to-know basis. He’d more often than not decide she did not need to know.

He’d been in the business of saving people and, often times, discretion was key.

Claire shook her head. “I get it now. The reason you came after me today.”

Alex gave her a wary look.

“You always have to save the world, be the hero. This,” she said sadly as she tossed her hands in the air, “is what it takes. My life has to be in danger in order for me to finally have your attention.”

“Claire,” he said wearily, “it’s not like that.”

“Isn’t it?” She was hit with a crushing wave of sadness. She had always admired Alex’s selflessness. But at some point he’d taken it too far. His sole purpose in life had become trying to save strangers while distancing himself from those who were closest to him.

He didn’t respond, and she didn’t press the matter.

They rode in silence for a while, putting distance between them and Xavier’s men.

“For what it’s worth,” he eventually said, “I’m sorry about your husband.”

“I’m the first to admit it was not a happy marriage.” She struggled to keep her voice steady. She had realized too late what a volatile temper Jared had had, how controlling he would be, how demeaning. “I’m relieved to be free of him, but I certainly didn’t want him dead.”

It pained her to admit it, but it was the truth. It was not something she wanted to talk to Alex about. She wasn’t willing to divulge the details to him. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

“That’s not how the media is spinning it.” His words were a fact, not an accusation. “They’re claiming your rocky marriage gave you the perfect motive for murder.”

“I’m sure I can thank Xavier Ambrose for that.”

“Jared’s business partner.”

“You did do your research.”

“As much as I had time for.” He cleared his throat and Claire braced herself. There was so much history between them. There were so many hurts, so many things left unsaid. If Alex had looked into her life at all, he had to know about Mia. “Beth mentioned you left your daughter with her.”

She was sure she didn’t imagine the way his voice hitched ever so slightly on “daughter.” With clenched fists, she waited for a barrage of questions. Silence hung heavy and cloying in the cab of the Jeep for several long, drawn-out heartbeats.

Minimal research would easily have uncovered that Mia was almost one by the time Claire and Jared had met. She was two by the time they’d married. She realized Alex wasn’t ready to discuss Mia yet. Neither was she.

“I should let you know I sent a friend of mine to Beth’s house. Gretchen looks harmless, but the woman is lethal.”

“‘Friend’?” Claire echoed. How close of a friend? Was Alex in a relationship? Had he found someone else to love after he’d told her his work had to come first? The thought sent a stab of pain through her heart. It wasn’t jealousy she felt, she assured herself, but rather the old hurt. The realization that she wasn’t enough for him.

Had Gretchen gotten through to him in a way she hadn’t been able to?

“Colleague.” He shot a look her way. “She’s a colleague, and I trust her to keep them safe.”

“Right.” Claire fidgeted with the hem of her cardigan as worry began to niggle at her. “Beth lives in a gated community and her house has a top-notch security system. Do you think they could be in danger?”

Leaving her daughter behind had been the hardest thing she’d ever done. She’d only been able to go through with it because she’d been so sure that Mia would be completely safe with Beth. Far safer than if Claire had taken Mia on the run with her.

“Gretchen will check over Beth’s security system, make sure it’s up to par. I asked her to stay with Beth and her husband until this is over. I don’t think your sister will fight her on it. She sounded frazzled when we spoke.”

“I thought Mia would be safe with Beth,” Claire admitted. “Wouldn’t it be foolish of Xavier to go after her? It would draw unwanted attention to him, to the situation. He’s framed me, wants me to look guilty. If something happened to Mia, it would be too suspicious. Do you think I was wrong? You never answered my question. Do you think they could be in danger?”

“You’re probably right and Mia is probably safest with Beth,” he agreed. “If he were to go after Mia, if she were harmed in any way, it would bring the investigation to a whole new level. Given how reporters are covering this story, something like that would cause a media explosion. But I’ve seen desperate people go to desperate measures. I prefer to err on the side of caution.”

Claire’s stomach clenched at the thought of anything happening to her daughter.

“Thank you. I appreciate the extra protection for my family. I’m sure Beth will, too,” she said. Her sister was married to a cardiologist. Though Steven was brilliant, he was in the business of saving lives via complicated surgeries. Not protecting them by fending off gunmen.

She missed Mia so much her heart ached with it. Prior to this ordeal, she’d never spent a night away from her. Beth had always been actively involved in Mia’s life. Claire knew Mia would be comfortable with Auntie Beth. Yet the child had to be confused. Claire didn’t want her daughter to feel abandoned. She knew all too well how much it hurt to be left behind.

“Claire?”

Her head snapped up.

He motioned to a sign up ahead. “We’re here.”

* * *

Tourist season was over for the year. The small campground was nearly deserted. It was the perfect, indiscriminate place to stay. A Place in the Pines offered small, one-bedroom cabins in addition to its nearly empty campsites. The setting was rundown—or rustic—depending upon your perspective.

Alex scanned the parking lot as he returned to the Jeep. He was confident they hadn’t been followed. He’d driven the back roads long enough to be sure they hadn’t had a tail. Claire had not seemed happy with the prospect of spending time with him. Yet she hadn’t argued, confirming just how afraid, how desperate, she was.

After what he’d put her through years ago, he owed her and he was going to take care of her now, the way he should’ve done back then.

His mind was still reeling, trying to come to terms with what he’d inadvertently uncovered earlier in the day. He had a child. Though the online article he’d read hadn’t mentioned him by name, he was sure of it. It stated that Claire had a three-year-old daughter from a previous relationship. It didn’t take a mathematician to figure that one out. The fact was driven home when the article stated that the girl’s father had been absent from her life.

At the time, he thought he had good reason for leaving. Now he wasn’t so sure.

Regret stabbed at him when he remembered how difficult he’d been. How withdrawn. He’d been plagued by nightmares, riddled with guilt over what had happened overseas. How could he ever make Claire understand that pushing himself, going to the extreme, had been the only way to quiet those feelings? It had worked, but only for a while. The guilt always came back with a vengeance. It wasn’t until after he’d found a connection with God a couple years ago that he’d been able to find peace within himself. It had taken being jumped in a dark, grungy alley and nearly losing his life to get to that place.

Now he did his job for the right reason. He was no longer running from the past but living for every moment when he could reconnect a person with their loved ones. Sure, his job was still dangerous, but he was good at it. He was cautious now in a way he hadn’t been back then.

He’d returned from breaking up a human trafficking ring just this morning. Now he wished he’d returned weeks ago. He could’ve been helping Claire all along. Helping her with what, exactly, he wasn’t sure yet. He was going to find out. She’d mentioned Xavier Ambrose a few times now.

While reading about the murder of Jared Mitchell, Xavier’s name had come up several times. They were business partners who owned a successful hotel chain.

The media suggested a volatile marriage between Claire and Jared. His gut instinct kicked in. Claire and volatile were not words that belonged in the same sentence. If their marriage was truly volatile, he had no doubt Jared was to blame.

Alex felt a surge of anger. His mind took off with scenarios he didn’t want to think of. If Jared had hurt her...

He pushed out a breath. If Jared had hurt her, he would face judgment with the Lord for that. There was nothing Alex could do. Especially not now that Jared was dead.

He reached the Jeep and hopped inside.

“Do we have a place to stay?”

“We do.” He held up the key. Claire’s face was plastered on newspapers, the television, the internet. They both knew she had to stay out of sight as much as possible. “It’s the one on the end.”

He drove the short distance to the last cabin in a row of five. All were painted the same deep brown with green shutters. Only one cabin in the middle had a car parked in front of it.

“Tomorrow morning we’ll have to run into town,” he said. “I’ll need a couple changes of clothes. I had a duffel bag in the vehicle I left behind, but we’re obviously not going back there.” He tapped the backpack she clutched on her lap. “Do you have enough to get by?”

“I should.”

“Let’s get you into the cabin.” He got out, pulling the seat forward. Roscoe dropped to the ground with a grunt. His stubby tail wagged as he scoped out their new surroundings.

Claire clutched her backpack as she followed.

Alex quickly opened the door, flipped on the light and ushered Claire in.

The cabin was sparsely decorated but appeared to be clean. When he went into town for clothes, he’d have to grab some groceries, as well. There was no telling how long they would be there.

“It’s not exactly paradise,” he said to Claire, “but it’ll have to do.”

She gave him a cool look. “Compared to where I’ve been staying, it is paradise. At least it has running water.”

“How did you get by in that shack?” Alex asked.

“I took the Jeep into town a few times a week. There’s a truck stop that has showers. I had a propane cookstove, water jugs, a cooler. I made it work.” She moved into the cabin, placing her backpack on the table.

“You went into town and no one recognized you?”

“I was careful.”

“How careful?” It seemed like an awfully big risk to take. She had told him a bit about the Jeep. He already knew she’d purchased the Jeep it in cash from an old farmer. She hadn’t changed the title card on it and the thing didn’t have insurance.

They should ditch it as soon as they had the chance. Not only was it illegal to drive, but Xavier’s men had seen it. They’d be on the lookout for it.

“I wore a disguise every time I went to town.” She frowned. “I had no choice. I needed an internet connection. I used the connection at the local library. They had chairs scattered all over the upper level. I could charge my laptop and research at the same time. No one paid any attention to me.”