Page 41 of Present Danger (Rocky Mountain Courage 1)

NINETEEN

Jack knew that Terra would never have agreed to this. Better to sit outside and watch over the house and Terra. He wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway. Maybe he was overreacting. Watching over her wasn’t his job. She was a trained law officer.

Jack had tried to ignore his gut, so he’d gone home to check on Aunt Nadine. She was safe and sound. Maybe Terra didn’t need his help, but he couldn’t sleep with the sense that something was wrong gnawing at the back of his mind.

So, he’d parked his vehicle off the beaten path to watch over her. He could see anyone coming and going, that is, if they used the remote drive into the small valley. And now he was glad he’d listened to his instincts.

The security light had gone off at the same time as the lights in the house.

Darkness engulfed him. Clouds hid the moon at the moment.

Jack shifted in his seat.

He texted Terra.

Are you okay? Saw the lights go out.

Then he grabbed a flashlight and his 9mm and climbed from his vehicle. He wouldn’t wait for her response to take action.

God, please let her respond. Please let his gut be completely wrong. He’d prefer paranoia to actually being right.

He flipped on his flashlight so he could see where he was going as he continued toward the house. In the distance, horses whinnied from inside the stables. Outside the stables, the security lights were on. Unfortunately, Jack’s cell didn’t buzz with a reply from Terra. The muscles in his shoulders grew taut.

At the front door he rang the bell and pounded. “Terra, it’s me! Are you okay in there?”

Sweat bloomed on his hands. How long should he wait for her to answer? She could be in real trouble. Instead of waiting, he opted to check the perimeter. Someone could have disabled the alarm and found a way in. He hoped she wouldn’t think he was the intruder and shoot him.

He sloshed through mud along the bushes next to the house. That sixth sense that had warned him something was wrong grew stronger.

God, please let Terra be okay. Let her be aware and alert.

He couldn’t handle something happening to her.

At the back of the house, he continued to check the windows and looked for irregularities. He needed to work quickly. After Terra had spent years trying to persuade him to do so, her grandfather installed a security camera. He grew up in a time when no one needed to lock their doors, especially living in the country in Montana, much less install security alarms.

Why had someone followed Terra tonight to begin with? Did it have to do with their investigation, or was it something entirely different?

He crept around where bushes were high against the window and the woods encroached—a good place to hide and come at the house.

Light flashed from a window.

Gunfire resounded.

“Terra!” he shouted.

A window shattered on the other side of the house. Gripping his weapon, Jack sprinted around the corner.

“Terra, hold on. I’m coming!”

Maybe he should have remained silent in case he was only alerting the intruder to his presence. But that could go either way. He could scare the danger away too—and give Terra hope.

As he rounded the corner, he spotted a figure running into the woods. He wanted to tackle the assailant, but Terra was his first concern. He dashed to the shattered window, avoiding chunks of glass.

She appeared in the window and pointed to the woods. “He’s getting away. Let’s go.”

He wouldn’t waste time arguing with her. She pushed the remaining shards of glass from the window using her arm wrapped in a blanket and began climbing out. He helped her through the rest of the way, and together they sprinted across the wet ground, flashlights lighting the way.

The clouds partially cleared, revealing a crescent moon. He flicked off his flashlight. “We can let the moon guide us without becoming a target.”