Page 16 of Fighting for Julia (Laguna Beach Cops #6)
PENNSYLVANIA
Miguel and Julia
Tex’s wife, Melody, greeted Miguel and Julia and welcomed them to their home.
“You caught us on a quiet day,” Melody said with a smile. “Our eldest daughter is at college, and our youngest is at school.”
Miguel and Julia followed their hostess into the Keegans’ comfortable home.
“I’ve heard so much about you guys in Laguna Beach. It’s good to finally meet one of you.”
“Same here, Mrs. Keegan,” Miguel replied.
She waved a hand and continued to smile. “Melody, please.” She turned toward Julia. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, too, Agent Washburn. I think your mother stands an excellent chance of becoming our next President.”
“Call me Julia. Thank you, Melody. We pray so.”
“Would you like something to drink before I take you to John? We have iced tea, soda, and water. I also have a fresh pot of coffee. Or perhaps you’d like something stronger.” Melody winked.
“Coffee, please,” Miguel said.
“For me, too,” Julia added.
“All right. Come with me into the kitchen.”
Despite the cold temperature outside, the sun shining through the kitchen window filled it with warmth.
But the emotional warmth permeating the room was far more powerful.
It seeped into Miguel’s bones and sparked a sudden longing for home.
Not a physical location like Laguna Beach.
But home . A place where he was surrounded by his extensive family, all chattering in Spanish and English and laughing and eating.
He’d been remiss by not making time to visit his parents while in D.C.
When this was over, he promised himself he’d spend a week or two with them before reporting for his Secret Service duty.
If he survived.
Melody poured two cups of coffee, then led Miguel and Julia to Tex’s work area.
The space amazed Miguel. Tex sat in an ergonomic chair that faced multiple monitors with real time images flashing on them.
Boxes filled with every conceivable gadget lined metal shelves in neat rows. Each box was labeled with its contents.
Tex swiveled in his chair and rose stiffly to greet them. He wore his prosthetic leg and grimaced slightly before a smile broadened on his rugged face. Tex held out a hand and Miguel shook it. “Miguel, it’s good to see you again. And an honor to meet you, Julia.”
She shook his hand. “Likewise. Thank you for your service.”
Tex nodded.
“I’ll leave you to your business.” Melody glided nearer to Tex and kissed him sweetly on the mouth. “We’re having grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and creamy tomato and basil soup for lunch. You’ll stay and eat with us, won’t you, Miguel and Julia?”
They nodded. “Of course.”
When they were alone, Tex began briskly, “Tawny was the first test subject of my new subcutaneous tracker, and I’m thrilled it worked so well while she was undercover.
But I don’t think you need that type of tracker.
” He reached into a box sitting next to his keyboard and removed a pair of gold studs and an ordinary belt buckle.
“These are old designs but effective. I also developed this.” Tex showed them a facsimile of a bank card with a microchip.
“The tracker is in the microchip,” Miguel guessed.
“Right. Carry it with you like an ordinary credit or debit card, in addition to wearing the earrings and belt buckle. Rest assured I’ll have eyes on you 24/7.”
“Speaking of,” Miguel responded, “have you been able to pick up the Andersons’ trail?”
“Yeah. A report came over the wire about an abandoned truck registered to Lake Forest Cemetery. It was recovered by state police in Alabama.”
“At least we know they’re headed south,” Julia commented.
Tex grinned. “We know more than that. It took some deep diving between me and Beth Turner, but our persistence paid off. There’s a house in McMullen, Alabama, that belongs to Julio Escobar.”
“My biological father?” The revelation surprised Julia.
“Under an alias, of course, but there’s no doubt about it. I have eyes on the property right now. Here, take a look.”
Tex keyed up the images. Julia leaned over his shoulder to get a better look at the house and surrounding property. “It appears abandoned.”
Weeds had taken over the yard, and the exterior paint on the house had faded long ago. Dirt and grime smudged the windows.
“The whole town is now defunct,” Tex informed them. “The last census a couple of years ago claimed twenty-three residents. Now there are none. You can see that the house is literally in the middle of nowhere.”
“Have Axis and Axalia been there already?” Miguel inquired.
“Not that Beth and I can tell. We’re still trying to ascertain what vehicle they’ve stolen by scouring police reports, especially those involving homicides during carjackings. So far, there haven’t been any.”
“They’re being more careful,” Julia noted. “They didn’t kill the Grays, probably because they’ve learned that murder garners a lot of unwanted attention. Grand theft auto? Not so much.”
“We need to get to Alabama ASAP,” Miguel declared. “Our best chance of capturing them lies in arriving at the safe house before they do.” He glanced at Julia. “Julia?”
“I agree. We can leave the Suburban at the airport, and Trey can retrieve it. Let’s go.”
On their way out, Melody insisted they take two sandwiches to eat on the road. Miguel and Julia thanked the Keegans for their help and hospitality and promised to keep in touch.
As Miguel navigated the traffic to the airport, Julia searched the airlines for a flight to Alabama.
“Found one,” she announced within a few minutes.
“It leaves in an hour and a half. Plus, it will take two and a half hours to fly to Birmingham. From there it’s almost another two hours before we can get to McMullen. Booking it now.”
“Great. It’ll be dark when we get there. Hopefully, we can surprise Axis and Axalia, unless we miss them.”
“With Tex watching the property, we’ll know.”
Miguel and Julia boarded their flight with minutes to spare.
TSA guards refused to allow them to carry their guns onto the plane until Miguel showed his Secret Service credentials and mentioned former U.S.
Marshal Maverick Stone by name. When Julia proved her identity and informed the guards that they were on a high priority case, she and Miguel were cleared to board the plane.
They located their seats and stuffed their duffel bags into the overhead compartments.
The plane landed in Birmingham on schedule after a smooth flight. Miguel rented a nondescript, gray midsized sedan with a hatchback. He took their duffel bags and tossed them into the back. She programmed the address in McMullen into the car’s GPS system and checked her cell phone for messages.
“Mom and her team made it safely to New Hampshire,” Julia shared. “She’s hosting a meet and greet at her hotel in Concord, and afterward she’s attending a basketball game at Concord High School, where she’s been invited to open the match with the ball toss.”
“That’s good news. Here. Check my phone for any messages, especially from Tex.” He pulled it from his back pocket and handed it to her. Their fingers collided…and lingered.
Miguel’s heart leaped against his chest. Without questioning his response, he caressed her fingers with his thumb.
Julia dropped the phone into her lap and fully clasped his hand, threading her fingers through his.
Miguel’s breath came faster with his pounding pulse.
The soft strength of her hand brought painful memories rushing through his mind, but he couldn’t untangle his hand.
He craved the heat their connection created.
Julia continued to hold his hand as she pressed the dark screen on his cell phone with her right index finger. “What’s your password?” she murmured.
He told her, and she punched in the numbers—the date of Ashley Laine’s death.
“Chief McQuaid texted that all is well and wants to hear from you. Tex said there hasn’t been any sign of Axis and Axalia. Still no word on the vehicle they’re driving.”
“Okay.”
Silence filled the space between them. The sun dropped low in the sky, painting it with deep shades of red, orange, and pink. As Miguel opened his mouth to comment on the beauty of the sunset, Julia blurted, “Will you tell me about Officer Ashley Laine?”
He froze. Her unexpected question doused the comfortable warmth that spread through him from holding her hand. Miguel inhaled a deep breath and briefly squeezed her hand before he withdrew his and gripped the steering wheel. He steadied himself, then asked, “How do you know about…her?”
I can’t say her name! If I do, I’ll lose it!
“From conversations I’ve overheard and news stories I’ve read online.”
Miguel clenched his teeth, and his jaw tightened. The last thing he wanted to do was discuss Ashley with Julia. “What do you want to know?” His voice sounded raspy, with traces of harshness.
“What was she like?”
He stared straight ahead into the fading light. “Fearless. Headstrong and stubborn. Smart as a whip. She…she lived life on the edge, always inviting danger.”
“Is that what you loved about her?”
“Yes and no. She had…a death wish.”
“Why?”
“She did something really stupid as a teenager, and it cost her the lives of her best friends.”
“What happened?”
“She walked away from a drunk driving accident, and they didn’t.
She—” Miguel choked on the hot emotion welling in his throat, and he grabbed a bottle of water sitting in the console between them.
He gulped the cool liquid and quelled his unquiet heart.
“She never stopped blaming herself or believing that she somehow cheated Death. Well, he finally came for her when she took a bullet meant for Owen. End of story.” With those final words, Miguel made it clear that he didn’t want to discuss Ashley anymore.
“You were in love with her.” It was a statement, not a question.
Miguel coughed and chugged more water. “Yeah.”