Fatal Threat

Then he felt the reverberation of multiple gunshots, heard a window shatter above his head and got the true picture.

Sara’s quick thinking and decisive action had just saved his life. She might not know why thugs were pursuing her but in some ways she was behaving more rationally than he was. He couldn’t believe he’d actually let her go alone to open that apartment door without backup.

Sounds of at least one engine revving echoed through the still night air. Tires squealed.

Adam pressed his cheek to Sara’s and held her as tightly as he dared. Even a marine couldn’t fight bullets with his bare hands. This was the last time he’d go anywhere unarmed until they were sure this threat had passed. Anybody who wanted to get to Sara Southerland would have to take him out first.

FOUR

Seconds crept by as if time had all but stopped. Sara made a token effort to wriggle free. Her back was bent against the edge of the seat and muscles were starting to cramp but, truth to tell, she was in no hurry to escape Adam’s up-close-and-personal protection.

His voice was raspy. “You okay?”

“I—I think so. Are you?”

“Apparently.”

She held very still as he levered himself onto his elbows and peered out at the street. “Are they gone?”

Nodding, Adam stood and held out his hand to her. Nothing pleased Sara more than the chance to grab it and hold on. His grip was firm and she could feel calluses from his hard work at both the fire station and his family-owned ranch. Yes, his touch was tender but there was also comforting substance and power to it.

Sara slid off the seat to stand beside him, keeping hold of his hand and helping Adam brush tiny glass crystals off his head and shoulders. “Did you see who it was?”

“Not clearly enough for an identification. How about you?” He ran a hand over his military haircut, then told Sara to bend forward so he could ruffle her hair, just in case there was glass in it, too.

She couldn’t help shivering. “I hardly remember a thing. All I saw was the barrel of a gun pointing at us and I panicked. What a night.” And judging by the sound of approaching sirens it wasn’t over yet. “I didn’t recognize anything about the cars. Did they have Missouri plates?”

“Don’t know.” Adam tried to let go of her hand. Sara resisted until he said, “I need to go talk to the sheriff. I’ll be right over there.”

“Then we both will be,” she countered. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

To her relief he looped an arm around her waist and pulled her to his side. “Never crossed my mind...”

She was ready to set aside her misgivings about the way Adam felt regarding their relationship until he added, “Buddy,” instead of using her name.

Of course they were friends. That went without saying. And, if she were honest with herself, there was comfort in such camaraderie. Sara couldn’t help it if her emotions had soared higher and faster than his. Or that no other man in her life had ever come close to measuring up to her childhood friend. Adam was not only handsome. He was kind and intelligent and could practically read her mind.

Except he was overlooking her when it came to romance, wasn’t he? She sighed. There had been a time when she had thought his heart belonged to Vicki, yet he didn’t seem to be grieving as much as Vicki’s poor family. Then again, he’d been a marine and had seen combat so perhaps he was just good at hiding his feelings.

“I wish...” Sara muttered, surprised when Adam took notice.

“What?”

“I was talking to myself,” she alibied, keeping her head bowed so he couldn’t see her flaming cheeks.

He gave her a little squeeze. “Hang in there. As soon as the police let us go I’ll get coverage for the last few hours of my shift and we’ll go to my place.”

Her wry wit surfaced and she gave him a lopsided smile. “You mean like a stray pup. It followed me home—can I keep it?”

“Yeah. Something like that.” They joined a sheriff’s deputy at his patrol car while other police officers were cautiously climbing the stairs to Sara’s apartment, guns drawn.

Sara realized she had actually gone to school with this man, too, although she would never have predicted that such a troublesome kid would end up on the right side of the law. She nodded to him. “Hi, Tiger.”

He stammered and cleared his throat. “You can call me Elmer. I don’t use that nickname anymore.”

“I thought you hated Elmer.”

“I did. Still do. But my boss thought it sounded bad to go by Tiger, so I don’t.”

“Understandable.”

Elmer eyed Adam. “Rough night, huh?”

“You have no idea. So far, Sara has been shot at three times, once here and twice at the scene of the fire we just put out over on County Road Seventeen.”

“That’s why they sent me this time. I heard there was a fatality out there.”

Sara spoke up. “He died of smoke inhalation. Has the victim...has Rodrigo been sent to Springfield for an autopsy?”

“That’s what we usually do, so I imagine so,” Elmer replied. “Tell me about what happened here.”

“It was a drive-by,” Adam said. “We’d just discovered the vandalism in Sara’s apartment and were waiting by my truck for the police.”

“Did you recognize the vehicles involved?”

“No. One was an older car and one a fairly new, dark-colored SUV,” Adam said while Sara nodded agreement.

“Maybe it was just teenagers stirring up trouble.” As he spoke he was making a show of examining the truck with a flashlight. “Looks like the only damage was the busted window.”

Despite her normally level temperament, Sara was beginning to get upset. “Listen, Tiger, you may have done that kind of thing when you were a kid but these shooters were not young. At least one of them wasn’t. Part of his arm was sticking out the passenger-side window and I saw dark, splotchy colors on it, like maybe a tattoo, so don’t pass this off as simple teenage mischief. My apartment is soaked in red paint, my furniture was slashed, and somebody has been taking potshots at me tonight. This is no little, inconsequential prank. Okay?”

“Got it. Sorry.” Hands raised, he took a backward step toward his cruiser. “I’ll radio what you told me and all units will keep a lookout, but with such generic descriptions of the vehicles I don’t expect results. Come daylight we’ll see if we can find what’s left of the bullets that passed through your truck window. If you think of anything else, give dispatch a call.”

Adam raised a hand in parting. “Will do. If you need us we’ll be out at the ranch.”

Sara noticed the officer’s momentary pause before he entered his car. “I wish you hadn’t told him that. It’s going to be all over town by dawn, you know.”

“Everything always is,” Adam countered. “It’s only when folks try to hide what they’re doing that it becomes suspicious.”

“I suppose you’re right. At any rate, when they spot my car out at your ranch there will be no doubt.”

“I said I’d drive you.”

“I know. I just want my own wheels.” Looking toward the diagonal parking spots across the street she frowned. “Hold on. Does my car look strange to you?”

He took a moment. “Yes. I’d say it has at least two flat tires.”

“Terrific.” Her shoulders sagged under the added burden. “I thought all they were aiming at was us and your truck. How could a stray bullet have hit more than one wheel?”

“We don’t know that the shooting here has anything to do with your flats. Come on. As soon as we’ve reported the latest damage and I’m free to clean the glass off my truck seats, I’ll check at the fire station and make sure there’s enough coverage tonight.” He looked at his watch. “It’s only a couple of hours till my shift is over, anyway.”

“Then how much time do you have off?” Sara asked, hoping it would be more than one day.

“Normally, we do three on and four off,” Adam explained. “Under the circumstances I can probably take a little more time off than that.”

“No. I don’t want you to jeopardize your job. Besides, do you actually believe a few days will be long enough to solve these crimes?”

A shiver skittered up her spine when Adam looked straight into her eyes and said, “No. I’ll be surprised if we ever figure everything out.”

Sara was fighting tears when he added, “But I’ll look out for you as long as you’re in danger. I promise.”

* * *

Adam already had firefighting gear with him in case of an emergency callback so he was able to arrange the scheduling change by phone.

He glanced over at Sara, seated beside him in the cab of his pickup. “It’s all set. We can leave right away.”

Although she didn’t argue he could tell she was brooding. She proved it by saying, “I wish they’d let me back in my apartment to at least grab a change of clothes.”

“You can borrow what you need from Carter’s wife, Missy. I think she’s about your size.” Adam smiled, hoping to lift her mood. “I imagine the crime-scene folks will release your apartment in a day or so, but it will still be a mess.”

“I probably should talk to my landlady in case the police don’t call her right away. She’s going to be very upset. I know I am.”

“None of this is your fault, Sara.”

Her head snapped around. “You’re kidding, right? How can I not feel this is personal? Somebody is really mad at me and I haven’t done one thing to earn it.”

A few miles passed before Adam made a suggestion, hoping she wouldn’t go ballistic on him. “Actually, I can think of a couple of possible reasons for your troubles. One, there’s the matter of the thefts Vicki thought she had uncovered in Texas. Even if she was imagining a crime where there was none, she could have stirred the pot, so to speak.”

“If there was no crime to be proved, then nobody from down south would care,” Sara countered. “And there would be no good reason for Rodrigo to have come all the way up here unless he and Vicki had developed a serious romance.”

“You assume he came because of her?”

“He must have. They were overly familiar on our trip and he ended up dying in her apartment. How much more connection do you want?”

“It’s probably not going to be enough to satisfy the police about him but you do have a point.”

“I certainly do.” Adam felt her eyes on him and glanced her way just as she asked, “You said a couple of reasons. What’s the second one?”

“Um. That’s a bit harder to swallow. I was thinking of the Babcock family and their friends. Vicki’s kin may be angrier than they acted at her funeral.”

Sara was rolling her eyes as he returned his concentration to the road ahead. “If any of them are madder than my Aunt Helen, I’m in real trouble. If looks could have killed I’d already be on the wrong side of the grass.”

“Helen was grieving, Sara. I’m sure she didn’t mean whatever she said to you.”

“That’s the problem. There was no real confrontation. She just stared daggers at me.” She sighed. “Maybe if my folks had managed to make it back for the service it wouldn’t have been so bad, but Dad’s heart condition won’t permit travel.”

Sara folded her arms and hugged herself. Adam thought he saw a shiver. “Are you cold? I never considered not being able to roll up the window.”

“It’s not the weather that chills me,” she replied, “it’s the atmosphere in this town since I came back without my cousin. Nobody seems to remember that she was my best friend. We were closer than sisters when we were growing up together.”

Sober and sympathetic, Adam nodded. “I know. That’s another reason for everybody to wonder why you weren’t able to stop her the night she drowned.”

“You, too, Adam?” Sara’s words were shaky, her tone and inflection conveying disappointment.

He had overstepped, had hurt her when he’d merely been fishing for more information, for something, anything, that would put his and others’ minds at rest. He reached across the seat to pat her shoulder and she shied away.

“Look, I’m not blaming you, Sara. I know how confusing emergencies can be and how things can go wrong no matter how careful and diligent we are. But I also know you’re strong and will stand up for what you believe is right. Is that what happened? Did you let Vicki go because you wanted to nail the thieves as badly as she did? After all, stealing from a charity is the lowest kind of crime.”

“Despicable.” She shuddered. “But I wasn’t thinking of that. All I really recall is that arguing with Vicki was like banging my head against a brick wall. She was every bit as stubborn as you think I am. If I had been the one determined to save that evidence I doubt she could have talked me out of it, either.”

Adam refrained from agreeing and making things worse. He got it. He really did. But Sara seemed to be forgetting that her cousin had been his good friend, too, and he had also suffered a painful loss. Perhaps explaining that was how he could regain Sara’s trust.

He cleared his throat, his hands fisting on the steering wheel, his jaw firm. This was hard to even consider, let alone express, but he’d do his best.

“I—I loved her, too, Sara. Losing Vicki may not have hurt me in exactly the same way but I do understand how you feel.”

Watching out of the corner of his eye he saw her dabbing at her damp cheeks. Truth to tell, his own eyes were none too dry, although if she noticed he planned to blame the moisture on the aftereffects of fighting the fire.

“You loved her?”

“Of course I did. The three of us were great friends. That kind of special connection is rare.”

“Yes. Yes, it is.”

Adam noted that her head was lowered, her hair masking her cheeks, and her hands were folded in her lap. He wasn’t sure if she was crying or praying or both. It hardly mattered. He’d shared personal insight that he’d revealed to no one else because he wanted Sara to see things from his perspective. To understand that she didn’t have to grieve alone.

Remaining silent for the rest of the drive to his ranch, Adam let her mourn Vicki in her own way. He had shouted and railed at God when the news had reached Paradise and spread through the small town like wildfire. In the four days between that sad event and Sara’s return he’d had time to regain his self-control, at least enough to hide his more turbulent emotions.

Now, weeks later, Sara knew the truth. Losing a friend for whatever reason was a terrible blow to a person’s psyche as well as to his or her faith. His had been weak after his stint in the marine corps but recent events had tried it almost to the breaking point.

Adam thought of God and of the tasks he’d been given in his life. Hard ones. Painful ones. But, oh, so necessary. So right.

Yes, his faith had suffered and he continued to struggle against accepting the bad with the good. What he would have done, how he would have coped without a belief in a higher power, however, was unimaginable.

FIVE

Sara tensed as Adam wheeled his pickup beneath the wide, wrought-iron arch and onto the Kane ranch property. She had expected their arrival to be quiet if not stealthy. Instead, the main house was glowing from almost every window, including those upstairs.

“Oh, dear. It looks like they’re up waiting for us.”

“I called ahead,” Adam said. “I didn’t want to be shot as a prowler when I came in at an odd hour.”

“Ah.” She nodded. “That makes sense. I’ve lived in town for so long I’d forgotten how protective ranchers and farmers can be.”

“Anybody out in the country needs to be proactive,” he said. “We look after our own.”

“Maybe that’s what led you to becoming a firefighter.”

“Maybe. I truly wanted to help people. What made you decided to volunteer as an EMT when it’s so like your daily job?”

“Needed skills, I guess.” That was all she intended to say. To have gone on about her reasons might have revealed too many personal truths besides altruism, such as wanting to be involved because it brought her closer to Adam in training meetings and, of course, when responding to emergency calls. The ones for medical aid required at least one regular engine or truck besides the rescue squad, so it was common for her to encounter him in the field.

“Well, we do need good volunteers and I’m glad you’re one of them. You ought to try to recruit a few more medical professionals like yourself. We can always use more help.”

“I’ll remember that.”

She shuddered as Adam parked. A gaggle of folks were waiting on the front porch. Farm dogs raced around his truck, jumping, barking and eager to see what all the excitement was about.

“Quite a welcoming committee,” Sara said. “Kind of overwhelming, particularly since they know about the trouble in town.” She paused and scowled. “You did warn them, didn’t you?”

“Yes. I guess they’re just glad to see you. What’s the problem?”

“No problem.” Sara forced a smile. “I’m so tired I was hoping to grab a quick shower and go to bed, not socialize.”

“We won’t keep you up. They just want to see that you’re okay.”

Was she okay? She sighed. Sure. She was fine considering that she could be in the hospital with a gunshot wound, or worse. Put that way she was more than fine. She was blessed beyond words. Nevertheless, running the gauntlet of Adam’s big, magnanimous family was daunting.

She pasted a smile on her face, tried to control threatening tears and climbed out of the truck. This kind of warm welcome was unbelievable, particularly since half of Paradise seemed to blame her for Vicki’s drowning. Or did they? This was not the first time it had occurred to Sara that she herself might feel so responsible she was imagining critical stares from others.

Helen Babcock’s reaction had been a different story, of course. As Vicki’s mother, Helen was entitled to place blame wherever she wanted. Sara was willing to tolerate the poor woman’s hurtful accusations. Anything was okay if it helped her work through maternal grief and eventually cope with the horrendous loss. Yes, Helen had one remaining child—a grown son, Will—but that didn’t negate Vicki’s untimely death.

The Kanes gathered around Adam and Sara, peppering them with questions as he shepherded her up the porch steps. “We’re fine, we’re fine,” he insisted. “Right now, what Sara needs most is a place to sleep and some clean clothes.” His brother Carter’s wife was holding a sleeping toddler while her husband held another. “Missy, can you loan her a few things until the police let Sara get back into her apartment?”

“Sure.” The dark-haired, petite woman frowned. “I thought she was here because somebody shot at her. What happened to her apartment?”

Sara grimaced. “You wouldn’t believe the mess. Somebody trashed the place and poured gallons of red paint all over everything.”

Missy’s brown eyes widened. “No way.”

“Yes way,” Adam said. “That’s why she can’t stay in town and why I thought it best to give her a break out here. Between me and Carter and Kurt we should be able to fend off any sneak attacks.”

Sara noted how other members of Adam’s family began to fall back, inching away from her. The parents carrying the sleepy children held them closer and actually covered the backs of their tousled heads with a hand.

“I really am sorry,” Sara said. “I offered to get a motel room or crash at the hospital but Adam insisted I come here.” She glanced up at him. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.”

“Nonsense.” The group gave way as he ushered her through the front door. “You can have my room and I’ll bunk with Kurt for a few nights. He snores but I have ear plugs.”

The brother who looked enough like Adam to be his twin laughed. “Not as loud as you do, bro.”

When Kurt grinned at Sara she was relieved. “I’m so tired tonight I can probably sleep through anything.”

“Terrific. I’ll run over to Missy and Carter’s house and bring back some clothes for you.” Kurt’s smile gentled, making the resemblance to Adam even stronger.

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

“No sweat. Back in a few minutes.”

Once they were alone, Adam gestured toward the stairway. “After you.”

“Your brother is very nice. I didn’t know him that well in school.”

“That’s right. You did skip a couple of grades, didn’t you?”

She nodded. “Sadly, yes. My parents were so proud of my accomplishments they never considered the social repercussions of pushing me ahead of my peers. I never did fit in.” Except with you and Vicki.

“Sure, you did.”

Unwilling to argue the point, Sara dropped the subject. Adam had been a star high-school football player, successful 4-H and Future Farmers of America member, honor student and all-around popular jock, while she had struggled to maintain perfect grades to the exclusion of extracurricular activities.

He ushered her to a second-story room at the end of a short hallway. “Here you go. I’ll just grab a few of my things and get out of your way.” He proceeded to do so, filling his arms. “You have your own private bath so nobody will bother you.”

“Where will you be?” She knew her voice was not its normal pitch and hoped he didn’t think she was whining.

“Right next door. Kurt was only half kidding. You’ll probably hear one or both of us snoring.”

That suited her just fine. She managed a smile. “Good.”

Clutching the messy stack of clothes he backed through the open door. “Good night, then. I’ll have Kurt drop the stuff from Missy right out here in the hall.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

And then he was gone, leaving Sara feeling as if she had just been marooned on a desert island while her ship sailed away. Only she wasn’t truly alone, was she? Adam and his brother were going to be in the next room and if she could hear them snoring, they would also be able to hear her if she cried out.

Deciding to wait until she had something clean to put on after her shower, she looked around the room. It was clearly masculine and she imagined it might smell a little smoky because of its regular occupant. Though she and Adam were longtime friends she had never been in this room before. Truth to tell, she didn’t remember much about the rest of the ranch, either, although she and Vicki had been invited out there to ride horses a few times.

Picturing Adam in his Western attire, complete with boots and a cowboy hat, made him seem entirely different. It was as if donning his fire department gear transformed him. He was very serious then, hardly ever laughing unless the training session or actual call was over. Once that happened, the firefighters behaved the same as overworked ER doctors and nurses and not only traded jokes, they rehashed recent traumas and looked for humor in everything. It was hard for civilians to understand doing that but Sara did. It was a necessary coping mechanism, one she imagined he had used as a marine on active duty, too.

She sighed as she strolled to the window and opened it to let in fresh air. A whippoorwill called in the distance and another, closer, answered. That meant they were nesting and chances of a late spring frost had passed.

The lights in the second house on the ranch flicked off, room after room. Missy and her family were going back to bed. Therefore, Kurt should have returned by now with her clean clothes.

She started to turn away from the window when something beyond the front gates caught her eye. Headlights of a car or truck were slowly passing on the road. Could they be looking for the Kane ranch? For her? Was that why the vehicle was creeping along?

Sara pushed back one side of the sheer curtains so she could see more clearly. The car was stopping. Her heart pounded erratically. The headlights blinked off.

Pivoting back against the wall she fought to catch her breath. She’d been silhouetted in that window like a paper practice target. Any hunter with a decent scope on his rifle would have no trouble sighting in on her. Getting her in his crosshairs. Pulling the trigger.

A scream lodged in her tight throat. She squelched the urge to wail and instead tried to call out.