“I can’t wait.” Deborah refilled Elissa’s cup.
“Thanks.”
“I always enjoy the break. It’s nice having you here.”
As far as Elissa knew, Deborah didn’t know the whole story, and she hadn’t asked.
“I’m going to finish up here since I need to pick up Adele from school.”
“I’ll let you get back to work. Give Adele a hug from me?”
“She can’t wait to come see you again.”
Maybe because they’d spent an hour coloring together at the kitchen table last week.
“And she misses Waffle too.”
Now that Elissa had enjoyed a short break, she was reenergized.
“Tell Jacob I’ll be back next week. Since Eric’s on vacation, I brought over some groceries for you two. I also made a lasagna. It’s in the fridge with some baking instructions. As you saw, I also fried some bacon—not that there are as many pieces as there were.” She scowled at the cat, who didn’t look up from bathing her paw after devouring her treat. “Anyway, I figured you could eat it with breakfast or make BLT sandwiches tomorrow. There are also a few meals in the freezer that Eric made, but if you need anything before I’m back, just give me a call. Other than avoiding my book, I don’t have a lot going on this week.”
Elissa laughed. “I’ve dealt with that with some of my design projects, so I totally understand.” She slid off the barstool, then grabbed her cup.
“The pot’s more than half full. Do you want to take it with you? There’s a serving tray in the pantry.”
“Good idea.” Elissa located the lacquered piece, and once she had it loaded up, she said goodbye before opening the patio door. Waffle darted across the room, then dashed between Elissa’s legs. She had to do a fancy sidestep to keep her balance.
“Be careful! That darn cat is going to end up tripping someone.”
“She’s definitely fast.” And somehow managed to be everywhere at once.
When they were outside, Waffle raced toward one of the lounge chairs on the patio and jumped onto it. By the time Elissa reached the garage, the feline was already curled up and appeared to be sleeping.
Elissa topped off her tea and was about to wake up her computer when the sound of an approaching vehicle captured her attention.
Curious, she walked to the window that faced the house.
A large white panel van bearing the name of a well-known delivery company ambled up the driveway and parked.
The driver slowly exited, and she absently noted he wasn’t carrying anything as he started up the path toward the porch. Then the vehicle’s rear door exploded open, and another person—appearing to be a man, tall, dressed in black, with a ball cap pulled low to disguise his features—jumped out.
The delivery guy looked over his shoulder and hurried a little faster.
Sudden, hot fear slammed her heart into overdrive.
She told herself she was being ridiculous. All of Jacob and Hawkeye’s fears had made her paranoid, and she was overreacting.
It was just a delivery.
But then the second man moved faster and appeared to stick something against the driver’s spine and forced him up the steps.
Elissa jumped back, away from the window.
Think. She had to think.
Deborah was all alone in the house, and even if she didn’t open the door, the men could get in through the patio. That would only take another minute or two.
And Jacob wasn’t expected to return for another couple of hours. She wrapped her arms around her middle, silently assuring herself there were plenty of agents around. No doubt they were already aware of the situation and had it under control. In fact, maybe the man she’d seen was one of Hawkeye’s men.
But what if he wasn’t?
She remembered Jacob’s admonishment to reach out to him for any reason. He’d rather it be a false alarm than to take any chances.
Hurriedly she rushed to the light switch and pushed the panic button.
She expected an alarm to ring—something, anything—but nothing happened. Was it even working?
Elissa returned to the window in time to see the door open. Then a shot rang out, the delivery driver crumpled, and the man dressed in black shoved his way into the house.
Chapter Nine
An alarm shrieked on Jacob’s phone, splitting the silence. It wasn’t an ordinary tone. It meant a panic button had been pushed somewhere. Cold fucking dread ripped through him.
He released the wire tightener he’d been using on the fencing and grabbed his phone from his belt clip to check the display. In neon green, the words GARAGE APARTMENT were flashing.
His training kicked in at the same time that anger flattened his heart rate.
Immediately he opened the video feed app even as he strode back toward the grouping of vehicles. He’d driven his utility vehicle, but one of the ranch hands had arrived on a tricked-out ATV that was significantly faster than his.
Though he didn’t stop moving, he exhaled his relief when he saw Elissa staring out a window. He selected an option that would allow him to talk to her over the room’s speaker system. “Elissa?”
“Jacob!” Her voice was wobbly. She looked around instinctively, as if seeking him out. “He’s in the house, and the delivery driver…” She gulped. “I…think he’s dead.”
He tried to understand what she meant, but he needed her safe while he did so. He took less than a second to brush the key on the side of his phone, alerting Lifeguard he was needed. “I need you to breathe. Stay calm. You’ve got information we need in order to end this situation. Do you understand?” He took a breath of his own and forced a note of calmness into his tone.
On the screen, he saw her nod.
“Is there anyone outside?”
“No. He’s in the house, with Deborah.”
Shoving away tendrils of panic, he focused himself on staying in the moment. This wasn’t Peru or the attacked convoy in Colombia. He could and would get Elissa and Deborah through this safely. “Move away from the window and close the blinds, then walk over to the door and lock it.”
There was no response, and she remained where she was, as if frozen to the spot.
“Elissa.” He kept his words measured, reassuring but uncompromising. “Pay attention to the sound of my voice. Close the blinds.” She was safer if no one knew she was in there. “Elissa?”
“Okay.” She nodded as she pulled on the correct string.
“Good. Now I need you to lock the door. Do it for me. Do it now.”
Finally she moved and threw the bolt home. He exhaled his relief. “Help’s coming. I’m on the way.” He signaled to the ranch hand who’d been riding the ATV. “Need your keys.”
“Sure, boss.”
Jacob caught them with one hand, then straddled the beast and fired it up before sliding the cell phone into a holder. Jacob gunned the throttle and raced toward the house.
Trying to stay in control of the four-wheeler, he pressed a key on the side of his cell phone that immediately connected him with Lifeguard. “Operation Wildflower. Got a situation at the ranch house. Need to know what I’m dealing with. Delivery person down? My housekeeper is inside with the UNSUB.” Unknown subject. “And I’m on a fucking ATV.”