Mission Undercover

He was handing her over to him.

Disappointment filled her. She had been wrong about Chief Waggoner. She stared around at the people in the precinct. Was there anyone here she could trust? She didn’t know for sure but she knew she could trust Blake. She had to get to him.

She slipped out of the office, softly closing the door to hide her escape, and crept on tiptoe down the hall, away from the bullpen, before anyone noticed. There had to be a back door or employee entrance she could use to make her escape. She spotted an exit sign bright and beckoning at the end of the hallway and felt a rush of relief flow through her. It was her way out. The voices and footsteps heading her way stopped her from rushing toward it. She slipped into an empty office, holding her breath as two officers passed by without seeing her. Once they were out of sight, she ran to the exit and pushed open the door to freedom.

She didn’t make it.

Someone grabbed her from behind, slipping his hand around her waist. “Where do you think you’re going?” he snarled, his breath hot against her ear. Panic seized her as she recognized the voice.

Mason.

He pulled her into a room that appeared to be an employee break area. Her heart sank when she realized it was empty. No one around to help her or to stop Mason. She wasn’t even sure anyone in this precinct would try.

He shoved her against the counter and Holly reached out, trying to stop herself. She bumped a bin and it fell, sending utensils crashing down.

“Please don’t.” She held out her hands to him as she’d done before. “You don’t want to do this.”

“Oh, no, you’re wrong. I’ve wanted to do this for a long time.”

He grabbed her again, pushed her to the floor and crawled on top of her, his hand pressing into her neck.

He was going to strangle her! Holly grabbed his hand, trying to break his grasp as fear ripped through her. She had to get away from him. She kicked and pounded on him, but he easily overpowered her. When she couldn’t break his grip, she flung her hands out hoping to grab something, anything, she could use as a weapon. Her fingers locked around an object and she jammed it into Mason’s neck, only then realizing it was a plastic fork. He howled but didn’t loosen his grip. In fact, he tightened it, his face full of rage.

Holly gasped for breath that wouldn’t come. She gripped and clawed at his hands fitfully. This couldn’t be it. This couldn’t be the end. I’m not ready, God! The room seemed to spin and fade as the lack of oxygen began to affect her. She had only moments before she lost consciousness and then her life.

But it wasn’t her late husband’s face she saw in the fading light of the room. It was Blake’s...hovering over Mason...a metal chair in his hands. She realized he was really there the instant he slammed the chair into the back of Mason’s head.

His grip loosened and he slumped over, unconscious.

Holly quickly slid out from under him, fighting for each wonderful but excruciating breath. Blake grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet, then slid his arm around her waist when her knees buckled.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his eyes probing.

She managed a nod and then a hoarse whisper. “What are you doing here?”

“Making sure you’re okay. I can see you’re not—so let’s get out of here.”

He kept his arm around her as they hurried through the exit. Her legs protested every step but she willed them to keep moving. They had to get away before Mason regained consciousness. Blake’s truck was parked at the back and he opened the door and helped her inside before running around to the driver’s side and getting in. A moment later they were speeding away.

She glanced at Blake, awestruck that he’d returned for her. He hadn’t just left her—even after she’d insisted she didn’t need him and had questioned his motives. He’d risked his own safety to make certain she wasn’t harmed. She wasn’t sure if that made him just plain dumb or incredibly kind.

“How did you know I needed help?” she asked, each syllable painful to speak.

“I was watching. I knew you were in trouble when I saw Mason pull up.”

She nodded. “Chief Waggoner tried to defend Mason to me. I can’t believe the chief is dirty.”

Blake’s jaw clenched and his fingers tightened around the steering wheel. “I should have known.”

“You were right. We can’t trust anyone on the police force.” She reached out and placed her hand on his arm. “I’m sorry I doubted you.”

“I can understand why you did. Even I would think I was paranoid if I wasn’t living it. But now we really have to get out of town.”

“How are we going to do that with the roads blocked? The police are searching for you. Mason told everyone you kidnapped me.”

He turned those blue eyes on her and comfort washed through her. “We’re going to find another way out of this town. I promise.”

This time, she didn’t doubt him.

* * *

He had no idea what their next move was. He’d walked into this, but she hadn’t—Mason had dragged her in. She had to be terrified.

He shuddered, remembering the image of Mason choking her. His heart had stopped and he hadn’t even thought—he’d only reacted. He wouldn’t allow Mason to harm her.

She slumped in her seat, her green eyes wide with fear and her hand stroking the bruises forming on her neck. She was counting on him to keep her safe and he wouldn’t let her down.

The situation looks dire, Lord, but I know nothing is impossible for You. We need a way out of this town.

They passed by a convenience store and he slowed, scoping the area. Only two cars were present in the lot—one at the gas pumps and the other parked at the front entrance. Neither was a cop car, so that was good. He was taking a risk even stopping, but they had a need they couldn’t do without any longer. He had to contact Matt and the only way to do that was to find a phone.

Holly popped up in her seat as he turned the Dodge toward the gas station. “What are we doing?” she asked, her voice raw and scratchy.

“I need a phone to contact my friend. This store will have a prepaid one we can purchase.”

He pulled into a parking space then cut the engine and started to pull the door handle. Her hand on his arm stopped him. It sent chills rattling through him. “I should go.”

“That’s not a good idea. You were barely able to stand when I pulled you from the precinct.”

“I’m better now that I’ve gotten some oxygen to my muscles. Besides, you’re too high-profile. If they’ve blocked the roads, they could be searching for us. I’ll be right inside. You can even see me through the windows and come in if something goes wrong.”

Still, he hesitated. He should be the one to go.

She blew out a weary breath. “Do you think I’m going to call the police on you?”

“No, that’s not what I’m concerned about. I’m worried about your safety.”

Her face softened and she smiled. “We’re in this together, Blake. We have to be able to count on one another and that means you have to trust me. I’ll be fine. Only, the longer we sit here, the more obvious we become.”

He knew she was right. He was the one with the gun. He needed to watch out for Mason or other officers that might spot them. He nodded his agreement and she removed her hand. He found he missed it when it was gone. He pulled out his wallet and counted several bills. “Make sure you get one that has internet access, as well. We might need it. Maybe we can find another exit on a map of the town.”

She nodded and closed her hand over the cash.

“And be careful,” he insisted.

She nodded then slipped out of the vehicle.

He shook off the feeling of paranoia that threatened his thoughts. If she’d wanted him captured, she could have shouted out at the police station. He hadn’t forced her to come with him, but she had. And she’d been right when she’d said they needed to trust one another. The problem was he didn’t trust her, and it had nothing to do with anything except her gender. He’d been fooled before by a beautiful face. He pushed away those fears. He wasn’t starting a romantic relationship with her, just trying to get out of a difficult situation alive. He had to trust her and she had to trust him. Neither of them had anyone else at the moment.

He watched her move through the store, stopping every few minutes to toss something into her basket. She moved smoothly and determinedly, not like someone on the run and frightened. She put on a good act. He knew she was frightened. He’d seen her hands shaking after Mason had attacked her. She wasn’t downplaying the danger they were in. She simply wasn’t allowing it to control her. Amazing. He imagined her job as a nurse had trained her to stay calm in a crisis situation. That would definitely work in their favor today.

He started the engine as she exited the store and slid into the passenger’s seat. “Any trouble?”

“Nope.” She held out a baseball cap. “I got this for you. I thought you might need it since most of the police force knows your face. It won’t hide you completely, but if you wear it low, it might shade your face a little.”

“That’s a good idea. Thank you.” He slid the cap onto his head and pulled it low.

She nodded approvingly, then pulled out a Twizzlers and bit into it before offering him one.

“Candy?” he asked, and she shrugged.

“I eat when I’m nervous.” She pulled out the phone she’d purchased to set it up as he drove, plugging it into the outlet to charge. “I had the cashier activate it for me on his cell after he explained that you had to activate it from another phone. I told him if I had another phone, I wouldn’t be buying this one.” She pulled up the maps on the browser and her face fell. “We were right. The bridge and the access road are the only two routes out of town. If there are any others, they’re not on this map.”

He looked over her shoulder at the phone, noticing the sweet scent of her hair and how soft it was as it tickled his cheek. He moved a bit so it was no longer touching him. He couldn’t go there, couldn’t even think it. Falling for this woman wasn’t an option, so it was better not to tempt fate.

He took the phone from her and dialed Matt’s cell number, thankful when he heard his voice on the line.

“I’m in trouble,” he said when Matt answered. “My cover’s been blown.”

“What happened?” Matt’s voice was serious.

“I’m not sure. Mason Webber had my file.” He glanced at Holly then lowered his voice. “My real file, Matt. How did that happen? I thought the DOJ buried it.”

“I’m not sure, but I’ll find out. What’s your status?”

“He shot me. Don’t worry, it’s just a graze. But we’re on the run.”

“We?”

“I’m with a woman. Holly Mathis, a nurse at the med center. She’s the widow of Mason’s old partner. He attacked her, too. He said he was going to set it up to look like I was obsessed with her, killed her and then killed myself. He also claimed the boss was someone high up in the town. He said they had the coroner under their control.”

“But he didn’t give you a name?”

“No, but when Holly went to the police, Chief Waggoner tried to hand her over to Mason. He’s definitely dirty.”

“We’ll figure this out once you’re both safe. Where are you?”

“A convenience store on the south side of town.”

“Wait, you’re still in Northshore? You’ve got to get out of there.”

“We tried. All the roads are blocked. Mason has had me labeled as a dirty cop and told everyone at the precinct I kidnapped Holly. The whole force is out there looking for me.”

“Let me make some calls,” Matt said. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure this out. You just stay safe.”

Blake turned to look at Holly and realized he was now responsible for keeping them both alive and well. He hoped he was up to the task. “I’ll do my best,” he told Matt before he pressed the off key. “We need to find a place to hide while we think this out.”

“Should we go back to my friend’s apartment now that Mason is gone?”

“No, he may still be watching it. We can’t go to my place or yours, either.” He leaned back in his seat and sighed. His mind spun at the notion of making a wrong decision. The calm he saw in her eyes meant she was depending on him.

He wouldn’t let her down.

“I know a place where we can lay low for a while. It’s not a great option, but it’s secure.” He pulled onto the road and headed west. He knew this place from his patrols. It was seedy and run-down, but hopefully it would be a safe haven for them at least for a little while until they figured out how to make their escape.

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