Читать книгу Last Stand In Texas - Robin Perini - Страница 12

Stefan’s SUV bounced over the West Texas badlands, putting his back-road driving skills to the test. He glanced at his GPS. He should be there soon. A strip of vivid purple and orange winked at him from the western horizon, the only color except for a few blooming cacti. The harsh landscape didn’t mince words; dramatic, beautiful in its own way, but nothing like his home country of Bellevaux, strewn with lakes and rivers, lush rolling green hills and vineyards.

His vehicle kicked up dust from the parched earth. He’d been traveling a cattle trail for a half hour, and he just hoped he’d picked the right path. He’d never rendezvoused with Annie in the same place twice. The woman put his own paranoia to shame.

On the other hand, she survived when by all rights she should be dead.

They both lived in the world of gray shadows, where light and dark, truth and lies, right and wrong fused into a strange, inseparable muddle.

The vehicle rose in elevation just enough to see another mile or so into the distance when he made out the top of a nondescript tow camper.

Right where she said she’d be.

He pulled his SUV about fifty feet from her makeshift home and exited, hands raised, leaving his SIG Sauer in the vehicle. Annie had her rules about guns, after all.

She didn’t show herself, but he knew she could see him. Probably had her sight trained on him right now.

“Annie?” he called out.

She didn’t answer, so he waited.

And waited.

A figure finally rose from the protection of a group of saltbushes. Annie cradled an Uzi, her favorite weapon, and strode toward him. She’d piled her loose curly hair on top of her head, not the dark brown he recalled from their first meeting or the auburn from their last appointment. No, this visit, golden brown kissed with blond framed her face, highlighting an unexpected softness to her appearance. Maybe her natural color. He couldn’t be certain, but it suited her.

She wore her usual black jeans and a too-large black T-shirt. By the time the sun set she’d be practically invisible.

Her smile widened when she reached him, a smile that revealed the hidden beauty she made an effort to conceal. He’d never understood why.

“Léon, you look good for a dead man.”

“And you look too beautiful to be dead.”

He bent down and kissed her cheek gently. They’d been friends for about five years now. She knew him as well as anybody, but even she didn’t know his true identity. When CTC had smuggled him into the United States to save his life, they had provided her the information for his Léon Royce persona, but the company had never revealed his real name.

“How’ve you been, Annie?”

A shadowed expression he recognized all too well crossed her face. “Not bad. And you?”

Just the sort of conversation friends with benefits had when they kept each other at arm’s length. Two people with major trust issues and on the run didn’t make for a good long-term relationship. They’d recognized the reality early on, so they performed the identical dance each time they met.

“You planning on coming out of hiding anytime soon?” He always asked.

“Probably not. I just got my hair done for the apocalypse,” she said with a sad smile. “You and I made our choices years ago. This is my life now—helping troublemakers like you and innocent people who have nowhere else to turn.”

Faith and her daughter flashed into his mind. He shoved them aside. He really shouldn’t care.

Except he did.

“So, business has been good?”

“Better than ever.” She sighed. “Power corrupts everything. Law enforcement and government included. Sometimes disappearing is the only answer.”

“Truer words.”

“So why the smoke signal?” she asked. “Ransom usually contacts me for a job.”

“This is personal.” Stefan shifted his weight and met her gaze, direct and unwavering. “I need to disappear.”

She let out a low whistle. “You’re leaving CTC?”

He nodded.

“I see.” She strode across her campsite and unlocked a series of padlocks she’d attached to the reinforced door of the camper. “Come inside.”

He removed his hat and ducked inside. The last time she’d invited him in, they’d headed straight to the bedroom. This time he took the opposite turn to a sophisticated set of equipment, a high-tech wizard’s dream. Annie could forge any identification card needed. She could backstop an elaborate past, or tap into satellite imagery and even street cameras—for a price. He didn’t want to think about what other intel she could lay her hands on.

She slid behind her desk.

“Léon needs to die a public death,” he said, sitting across from her. “I want a new identity. A fresh start. A clean slate.”

She quirked an eyebrow. “Does Ransom know?”

“You’re the first.”

She smiled in that knowing way of hers. “Yeah, right. He knows something is up.”

“Probably.”

Her fingers flew across a keyboard. “I can kill Léon without too much trouble. Creating someone brand-new could take a bit longer. Are you at risk?”

Her forehead furrowed. He recognized the worry. “I’m not in imminent danger, but it’s only a matter of time. I’ve gotten sloppy, made too many connections. It could be dangerous if—”

“The people wanting to kill you ever found you,” she finished. “Why do you think I live out of a trailer? I can’t afford long-term anything.” Annie leaned back in her chair. “Starting over isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, either.”

Like Faith was obviously trying to do. Her terrified expression suddenly came to mind. Helping people like her was what CTC did—and what Annie did. What he tried to do.

“I can’t go back to who I was.” He drummed his fingers on his leg. How could he put his desire into words that didn’t sound ridiculous? “I want—”

“A normal life.” Annie chuckled and he met her gaze. Despite her laughter, commiseration laced Annie’s eyes. “The minute you chose to play spy guy, you hung up the normal hat.”

“You have no idea how true that statement is.” He’d become Léon Royce because of his undercover work. He’d become a ghost to his family and his country because of his own choices. Now, he had to live with the consequences.

She rounded her desk and hitched her hip on its edge. “I may not know your true identity, but I doubt you were ever ordinary. That’s what you’ll have to become for this to work.”

Stefan flicked the brim of his Stetson. “Ordinary. I like the sound of that.”

THE LITTLE SHACK they’d called home wasn’t safe. Faith nails bit into her palm, trying not to let Zoe see her true panic. Her gaze raced through the room. Nothing had been left untouched. Even the bookcase shelves had been strewn across the floor. The coffee table lay on its side. Faith’s heart raced as she surveyed the damage. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe.

She could only protect her daughter.

In her old life, she would’ve immediately rushed to a neighbor’s house and called the police. She didn’t have that luxury now. They were alone, and everything they owned was inside that house. She couldn’t walk away.

Faith stepped just inside the door and reached to her left. Zoe’s baseball bat was still propped in the corner. She snagged it and curled her fingers around the wooden neck.

“If you’re still here, get out. I’m armed,” she shouted.

No one answered. The shack was eerily quiet. She circled and her gaze scanned every inch of their small, furnished rental. Nothing had been left untouched.

There went her security deposit.

“Stay here,” Faith whispered to Zoe. “If anyone comes, run and hide in the trees behind the houses. I’ll find you.”

Her daughter gripped her knapsack and nodded, her small face terrified.

Clutching the bat with all her strength, Faith tiptoed into the small kitchenette. Everything had been chucked out of the cupboards. What had they been looking for? If it was money... Oh, God.

She rushed into the small bedroom. The mattresses she and Zoe slept on had been tossed; their clothes were scattered across the floor.

Her gaze stopped at the closed closet door. The blood pounded against her temples. Slowly, carefully, she approached. Her fingers folded into the recessed handle and she yanked open the door.

The wood slid on the rails and rammed into the wall at the other end with a clatter.

Empty. No one was here.

She couldn’t breathe yet.

After checking the bathroom and shower, Faith sank onto the bed. Now, she could breathe. “Come here, Zoe,” she called. “It’s safe.”

The little girl ran in and leaped at her mother. Faith held her close and rocked her for a few moments. “We’re okay. That’s all that matters.”

“Did they steal anything?” Zoe asked from her lap. “Did they take Rainbow?”

“Your unicorn? I don’t think so.”

“Where is she?”

Faith’s gaze scanned the room. No stuffed toy. “Maybe under the bed?”

Zoe slipped out of Faith’s arms and got down on her hands and knees. She peered under the rickety bed frame and squirmed underneath before popping out, holding the colorful animal.

“I got her. Rainbow was hiding from the bald man. She’s smart that way.”

At her daughter’s words, Faith stilled. “Zoe, did you see someone?”

Her daughter shrugged.

“Zoe?”

“I saw a big man with a bald head follow us in the grocery store. Whenever you turned around, he hid. I thought he was playing a game.”

Faith rubbed her eyes as the realization hit her. “Was he tall like Daddy?”

“Yes. With a mermaid drawing on his arm.”

The tattoo. She’d seen the man before, but not in Carder. The more Faith racked her brain, the more her memories coalesced. In Weatherford. He’d been hired as the bouncer at the Shiny Penny about the time she began dating Burke. What were the odds that a man working at the bar would end up at a grocery store in Carder?

Only one person could be responsible for this happening.

Burke had found them.

They had to leave Carder. Now.

Knees trembling, Faith knelt beside the bed and shoved aside the nightstand. She pried up the carpet. An envelope was tucked beneath the poorly installed rug. Hands shaking, she pulled it out and fingered through the bills.

Her entire body sagged in relief. She plopped down in the middle of the bedroom, grasping the envelope, their lifeline, the money she’d raised to pay for the car repairs so they could leave Carder.

At one time, there had been two envelopes hidden here. In the first one, she’d placed all the money she’d scraped together from selling her wedding ring and all the jewelry her husband had given her. Most of which had been fake.

It hadn’t been enough to pay for new identities for her and Zoe. Her contact had required $10,000 up front. To make up the difference, she’d been forced to sell the small diamond ring her mother had given her before her death.

The money represented their escape, their chance to get away from the past, and from Burke.

If he ever discovered that she knew what he’d done, he wouldn’t just take Zoe from her. He’d kill her to keep his secret.

“Mom? Are you okay?”

Faith swiped at her eyes. “I’m fine. We’re fine.”

“Why are you crying?” Zoe hugged her unicorn, the vulnerable expression breaking Faith’s heart.

She pulled her daughter close and hugged her tight. Everything they were going through would be worth it. It had to be. “Sometimes I just need a good cry, Slugger. Do you know what I mean?”

Her daughter’s forehead wrinkled with worry. “I’ve never seen you cry before. Not even when Daddy hurt your feelings.”

“Everybody cries, honey. Even moms.”

Zoe laid her head against Faith’s chest and wrapped her arms around her mother’s body. “Do we have to move again?”

Faith looked around the room. “I’m sorry, sweetie. We’re packing up and getting out. Tonight.”

THE DARK PANELING closed in on Burke. He hated this office, a mirror image of his father’s. The mahogany desk, the leather chairs. All his life his father had wanted a carbon copy of himself. Burke had lived up to those expectations. He’d been happy to. In Burke’s childhood eyes, his father had been the greatest man he’d ever known. He’d believed that until the age of sixteen.

Burke threw down the latest balance sheet. That was the year he’d fallen in love for the first time. With the perfect woman.

That was the year he’d uncovered his father’s feet of clay.

That was the year Burke had been forced to kill the woman he loved.

He walked across the plush carpet and poured a drink.

The door opened without a knock. He whirled around, ready to tear into whoever dared interrupt his planning until he saw the woman who walked in with a smile on her face.

“Burke, darling, you shouldn’t be working this late. I’ve told your father not to foist his bad habits onto you.”

“Mother.” Burke walked across the room and gently pulled her close. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

Her sweet smile tilted the corners of her mouth. “I’m dragging your father to the club for a late dinner. Do you want to join us?”

“I have work to do.”

His mother pouted her lips. “You’re too much like Gerard.”

No, I’m not! he wanted to scream. “You always say that.” He smiled.

She kissed his cheek and he released her. His mother deserved the world for putting up with his father all these years, for helping Burke survive his childhood. He’d do anything to protect her and to give her whatever would keep her life content and happy.

That had been true all his life. His vow had been put to the test when he’d discovered his father’s weakness for other women, but Burke had passed the test.

She picked up the photo of Zoe on his desk. “I can’t wait for your little girl to visit. Did she like the dress I sent her? I’ve been looking at a catalog. I think I’m too old-fashioned. I want Zoe to have a hip grandmother.”

Inside, Burke winced. Until Orren brought Zoe back to him, he’d have to lie, and he hated lying to his mother. “You don’t need to change a thing, Mom. Zoe loved the dress. She’s planning to wear it next time she visits.”

Of course, sometimes lies were necessary.

His mother frowned. “How long will Faith’s trip last? I miss my granddaughter. I’m sure it’s good for Zoe to attend a camp to help with her reading, but she’s been gone all summer. School starts soon.”

Burke hugged his mother to his side. “Zoe will be back before long. I promise.”

She let out a slow sigh and replaced the photo. “I’m sorry your marriage to Faith didn’t work out. She seemed like such a nice girl.” She patted his cheek. “You look tired, Burke. You should find someone who can make you happy. Your father worries.”

Hardly.

He kissed the perfectly coiffed hair. “I have work, and you have a date.”

She flushed and patted his arm. “Don’t work too hard, my sweet boy.”

Burke escorted her to his office door and gave her one final kiss.

“I’ll do what I have to do.”

SEVEN IN THE morning didn’t come early enough, especially when you’d bedded down the night before in a small grove of trees. Thank God Faith had made an emergency plan in case something like this happened. Zoe was safely hidden. Faith had stayed up all night clutching the bat, staring at the back of the shack where they’d lived for the past few months.

She stretched, and her body protested with every movement. Each time she blinked, she could have sworn sandpaper scraped off a layer of her eyelid.

Burke hadn’t shown up, though she’d caught a glimpse of a couple of figures lurking around. Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to get a good look except that one appeared to be bald. Just like Zoe’d said.

If she’d harbored any last hope, it was gone. Burke had definitely found them.

Her daughter squirmed out of their hiding place and crawled over to Faith. “Is it time to get up?”

“Afraid so.” She wrapped the blanket she’d been forced to steal from the shack’s bedding around Zoe.

Her daughter rubbed her eyes and let out a yawn as big as Texas. “My stuff is still in the bag, isn’t it? We got everything? My unicorn? The baseball Daddy gave me?”

“It’s all here.”

“What if we left something?” Zoe asked.

“We didn’t.” Faith had no plans on ever going back to that shack. “Let’s get ready.”

Using water from a bottle, they cleaned up as best they could before the long walk into town. Faith took the backstreets and traveled across a vacant lot or two. No need to make their presence visible.

Zoe didn’t skip along like normal, and Faith found it tough to smile or fake any optimism. They were in deep trouble. She tucked her money into her pocket except for one hundred dollars for gas. She just prayed the mechanic would cut her a break on the car repairs. Especially since he already had the ten grand she’d prepaid for the IDs.

Finally, Faith made out the siding of the auto shop. She gripped Zoe’s hand and rounded the back of the building. A shiny new vehicle sat outside the small repair shop. At least Ray was early. She scanned the empty streets and tried the doorknob, but it was locked.

She pounded on the front door. It yanked open.

The guy looked like he’d done an all-nighter. Oil and grease streaked his jeans and work shirt.

“Oh, it’s you,” Ray said with a frown. “Come back next week. Car’s not ready.”

He moved to shut the door on her, but she stuck her foot through the crack.

“Not an option. I need to leave town.” She shoved her way inside. “Zoe, stay out here, but where I can see you.” She turned on Ray. “I need the car. And the other items. Today.”

Faith crossed over to the counter and laid the envelope down.

Ray followed her. He fingered the bills and clicked his tongue. “You’re $500 short.”

“I know. But we have to go.”

He shook his head. “No can do. Besides, I found another problem. It’s gonna be another $750 before it’s drivable. Parts, you know.”

His twisted smile challenged her. Faith tried with everything in her not to react, not to cry out in defeat. She straightened her back. “This is all I have. You gave me a quote, and I’ve paid you a lot of money. You know I’ll come through with the rest.”

“Sorry,” he said, though he didn’t look sorry at all. “I can’t give you the car without the full amount.” He moved closer, his face just inches from her. “Besides, it don’t matter. No IDs yet.”

Her knees buckled. She gripped the counter to keep from sinking to the floor. “I need those IDs,” Faith said, her voice rising.

His gaze scraped up and down her body. A horrible feeling slithered through Faith. She stepped away from him and crossed her arms over her chest. Lifting her chin, she met his gaze. “Then the deal’s off. I want my money back. All of it.”

She grabbed at the cash but he yanked it away.

“Hold on now.” With a slimy smile painting his face, he leaned toward her. “I’ll get the IDs in a couple of days. As to the car, well, maybe we can work something out.” His smiled broadened. “A trade wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

“Mom?” Zoe called through the cracked open door.

Days? Faith stilled. Impossible. They couldn’t return to the shack. Her mind whirled with possibilities. Mrs. Hargraves might help. Or maybe they could sneak in after closing and sleep in the library.

His smile broadened as if he knew he’d won. He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “Ditch the kid. Come back at noon. We’ll have a little fun for the next few days until the documents arrive, and I’ll give you the car when it’s ready.”

Faith swallowed deeply. She couldn’t believe she was even entertaining the proposition.

Ray fingered a stray piece of her hair. “Just so we’re clear, I’ve been very lonely lately. Your enthusiastic company would square the account. A fair trade.”

He scooped up the cash from the counter and pocketed it. She now had $100 to her name. Ray had everything else.

“Mom?”

Could she let him touch her? For Zoe?

“I’ll see you at noon, sweet cheeks.” He leaned close and licked the edge of her jaw to her ear. “If you’re not here, the sheriff will get an anonymous tip, and I don’t think you want him to wonder about you. Sheriff Redmond’s the curious type.”

She couldn’t hide her shudder. She hated that he assumed she’d comply. As much as she loathed to admit it, she wasn’t sure he was wrong.

Faith would do anything for Zoe.

THE SUN HAD fully risen when Stefan paused outside the Carder Diner, his empty thermos at his side. He’d grown tired of burning his morning brew over a campfire. Besides, Carla had a way with coffee beans.

The post-dawn glow gave the huge expanse of sky a soft tint. The angry clouds of yesterday were a distant memory. He’d been forced to get used to the constant sun and blue sky here. He missed the rain of Bellevaux, but the truth was, he’d grown to like the drama of the West Texas landscape. He hadn’t decided where he’d go after this, but he might want to stay where the sun wasn’t constantly hidden by clouds.

He pushed through the restaurant door at eight in the morning. The sizzling of hot bacon and scent of fresh coffee evoked a groan of temptation. Out of habit, he scanned the seating, lingering on the rear exit and timing his escape from the building. He didn’t anticipate trouble, but he doubted he’d ever break the habit. It had saved his life more than once.

When his gaze landed on the booth closest to the back door, he paused. Faith and Zoe sat at the table. Seemed he and the pair had one more thing in common.

Zoe dug into a plate of bacon and eggs while Faith watched her daughter, sipping on coffee, no plate in front of her. He walked over to his standard seat at the counter and took a sip from the cup Carla had placed at his usual stool before setting his thermos on the counter. Carla scooped it up to fill, but he didn’t attempt a conversation with her. He had every intention of eavesdropping.

“Mom? Aren’t you going to eat?” Zoe asked.

“Not today, honey.” Faith’s voice whispered with a quick look under her lashes at him. She flushed and dipped her gaze, stirring her coffee longer than anyone would need to.

So she’d seen him come in. No need for pretense. He grabbed his cup and slid into the booth adjacent to theirs. Her eyes widened. He lifted his cup and smiled at her.

“I don’t like camping out in the bushes,” Zoe complained. “I got prickles down my back. Will we get the car back today so we can sleep on the cushions?”

“Hush, Zoe. You know the car is broken. How about you use your inside voice and finish your breakfast. Please, Slugger.”

The little girl shoveled more food in her mouth while Faith avoided his gaze. She clearly would have preferred he sit anywhere but within listening distance. Too bad. If she was homeless, he could at least do something about that.

He didn’t bother to ask himself why he cared. Maybe she and Zoe reminded him of Jenny Jennings and her daughter. He’d been too late to save them. Was he simply trying to redeem himself?

Could be.

Faith lowered her head and stared into her coffee cup. Dark circles shadowed her eyes. Her mouth was tight with stress. Something was wrong, something more than yesterday.

“Will that man fix the car? That would be good. I’m tired of walking everywhere.”

“Me, too.” Faith cleared her throat. “You let me worry about the car.”

“What did the man want to trade?”

Faith’s gaze jerked up to her daughter’s.

“You’re going to go see him at noon. He said he was lonely and you could help him, but I don’t get it. He wants to talk? He must be really sad. Maybe I should go with you. I’m a great talker. Everybody says so. I always get in trouble at school.”

A lot of words in one breath. Stefan would be impressed with Zoe’s soliloquy if Faith didn’t appear quite so mortified.

“I know very well.” Faith’s skin tinged a strange green and her gaze darted around the room.

Stefan could have told her no one else but him heard Zoe’s revelation. The moment he’d walked in, he’d mapped the location of every person in the diner. He studied his coffee so she wouldn’t have to see the fury he doubted he could hide.

Zoe swallowed another bite. “We could play baseball with him. Baseball helps me when I feel lonely,” she said between chews.

“I don’t think baseball’s what he has in mind.”

No doubt there. Stefan had never liked Ray, and had never let him touch his SUV. Rumor was the man had a reputation of gouging customers who couldn’t afford to take their car to San Angelo or San Antonio for repairs.

“You leave him to me, Slugger,” Faith said. “And don’t talk with your mouth full.”

For Stefan, the bigger question was why hadn’t Faith sought help from the law? He knew the answer. He and Faith had a lot in common. He’d never go to the law if he had a choice. There were too many questions he couldn’t answer. The idea of Faith feeling like she had no other options made Stefan want to knock most of Ray’s teeth out. That she was considering giving in—and he could tell she was, just from the sick expression on her face—made him want to do even more damage. Preferably something that would cause Ray not to walk straight for a month or two.

Carla walked over to his table. “Changing things up on me, Léon?”

He pasted his standard charming smile on his face. “What can I say? I’m a man of mystery.”

“I won’t argue there. What’ll you have?”

He ordered his usual, a couple of eggs, some bacon and a biscuit—he’d really miss her biscuits.

He motioned Carla closer and whispered his instructions in her ear. She grinned and hurried to the kitchen.

“I’m done,” Zoe said, shoving her plate away. “I need to go to the bathroom.”

Faith started to stand.

“M...o...o...om! I can go by myself.”

Stefan bit back a smile. Faith’s daughter made him smile. The girl had backbone.

For the next few minutes, Faith avoided looking his way by watching the door of the restroom.

Stefan emptied his coffee cup. He wasn’t quite sure how to approach Faith. If their positions were reversed he certainly wouldn’t want some stranger to stick her nose where it didn’t belong.

Before he could solve the dilemma, Carla set the filled thermos in front of him, followed by his breakfast. The aroma of bacon caused his belly to rumble.

He tucked into his eggs, keeping an eye out for Carla. The waitress better hurry before Faith and Zoe left.

The little girl rushed back from the bathroom. Instead of sliding into the next booth, she stopped right beside Stefan. “Hi. I saw you in the library yesterday.”

“That you did.” Stefan smiled at the little girl. “You were a big help.”

“Zoe,” Faith hissed.

The little pistol shrugged at him and slunk back to their booth.

“How was your breakfast, sweetie?” Carla asked Zoe.

“Yummy.”

The waitress placed a full plate in front of Faith.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“Breakfast,” Carla said.

“I... I can’t afford it,” Faith whispered.

“It’s already been paid for, honey. Accept the gift.”

Carla winked at Stefan and walked away.

Faith stared over Zoe’s head at him. “You did this?” she asked.

“Sounds like you’re having a rough morning.” Stefan hesitated, but truth was, he didn’t have the time or patience to be polite, and if she had a noon deadline, neither did Faith. “Ray’s got a reputation. I can talk to—”

“Zoe,” Faith interrupted. “Wash your hands.”

“I already did—”

Faith quirked her brow. “Really?”

Zoe bowed and shook her head. “No.”

“That’s what I thought. Now go.”

Once Zoe was out of earshot, Faith pinched her nose. “Look, I appreciate the gesture, but...”

“I get it. You don’t know me from Adam...or Ray, but I can help you. If you’ll let me.”