Page 26 of Valor (Long Hot Summer: Christian Romantic Suspense #2)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Heather gripped the door handle with all her energy. Micha drove like he didn’t have a care in the world and the few other cars on the road were quick to get out of his way.

“Don’t even think about jumping out. You’ll never survive.” He glanced at her for a split-second.

She hadn’t considered that, but what did it matter? He’d already told her he was going to kill her and leave her where his half-brother could find her. How could it be that she was just as concerned about Allen finding her as she was for her own safety?

She clenched her eyes closed and prayed. Micha had told her Eric was going to pay for his mother’s medical bills, meaning he’d committed to killing Heather, Dad, and Allen. As long as he didn’t get caught, his life would be free after that.

She hadn’t tried to convince him otherwise. He was already aggressive and talking nonsense. Reason wouldn’t get through to a man facing two horrible decisions. He either had to kill people to help his mother get the care she needed or watch her die. She wasn’t ready to roll over and give up, but she understood his predicament. What would she do if her father was gravely ill? How far would she go to make sure he had everything he needed? Not as far as Micha, but the choice was horrible either way.

He turned off the interstate toward Wall Drug. The sign had always bothered her because so many people didn’t realize Wall was more than a bunch of connected stores. People lived and grew old here. It was their home. Even though tourists had to drive right by homes to get to their destination, they seemed to forget that aspect of Wall.

She wasn’t certain where he was headed until he turned down the street that would lead out to the countryside. The only house back there was Allen’s. “It was you, wasn’t it?”

“Who shot at you through the back window? Yes. Eric didn’t realize I had no experience with guns before this. I prefer knives, but he likes to stay farther away.”

“Then it was him who killed the men in Rapid City. You lied when he said he hadn’t killed yet.”

“No, that wasn’t him. That was Aaron. Eric and Aaron grew up living on that farm. They were cousins who hated rural living, and both went to college and never looked back. Aaron had even taken on his mother’s maiden name to separate himself from his father. That all changed when the people who bought up the land came to him looking for mineral testing.”

“The rose quartz,” she surmised.

“You’ve done your homework,” Micha snorted.

“Agent Peterson did.” She hoped that mentioning a name Micha hadn’t heard before would frighten him. If she was going to die anyway, she’d make sure Micha knew he’d be found.

“Who’s that?” He flicked his gaze toward her and back at the road.

“He’s with the FBI and knows everything. Allen brought him on the case to help with the thumb drive. You’ll never find him, and he’ll make sure all of you pay. You’ll never kill all of us. The longer that drive is out in the world, the more people know. In fact, the vote has already been blocked.”

Micha swerved off the road, and Heather’s forehead slammed into the door.

“How many people? I need to know.” He pulled out a gun. “Tell me right now or I’ll shoot you here.”

His hand trembled, terrifying her even more than the gun itself. “Many and I’ll never tell you. Why would I hurt Allen or my father? I had to make sure more people knew to protect them.” Never mind that it was Allen who brought in the help, not her, but she would draw Micha’s anger if it meant he would leave her father and Allen alone.

“You’re lying. You didn’t have time. After you were shot, you would’ve needed surgery. How could you do all of that in one night?” Sweat beaded over his brow.

“I’m not. And do you really want to test me? How many people are you willing to kill? How many is too many?” She slowly lowered her grip to the door latch instead of the handle, trying to hide the movement with her body.

Micha’s breathing became too quick, and he looked like he might pass out. “Mom needs me. She has no one else.” His arm lowered slightly.

Heather watched the gun, waiting. She needed a few seconds to get out of the car and the further he was from aiming at her, the more likely she’d make it. Getting shot for real would probably finish the job Micha had started.

Perspiration gathered at the small of her back and over her forehead. She should be resting and healing, not running for her life. Her body wasn’t made for this, but it wouldn’t get to do anything else if she didn’t leave soon.

She tugged slowly on the pull as Micha yanked back onto the road. Her frustration gripped her like a chokehold. She’d lost her chance because she’d waited for the perfect moment that hadn’t come. Now, they were only a few minutes from Allen’s house.

Her stomach plummeted as Allen’s father came into view in front of the house, with Jasper at his side. He was preparing a bush in Allen’s front yard for winter. A pile of leaves waited at his side to mulch the area. He glanced at them and shaded his eyes from the early morning sun.

Micha’s indecision from a few minutes before turned to molten fury. Heather felt the change in him and his face morphed into pure evil. “I won’t miss this time.” He slammed the car into park and drew his pistol.

“No!” Allen cared about his father, and she wanted so much to repair the relationship between them, but that wouldn’t happen if he was dead.

Heather shoved Micha’s hand into the driver’s side door as he shot, sending the bullet through the windshield. The front window webbed into millions of pieces, holding on by nothing more than tension.

“You...” Micha didn’t finish whatever he’d wanted to call her.

She shoved her door open and hurled herself flat on the ground. Her whole body fought against the pain and nausea from the jolt. Almost immediately, she felt the hot pain in her side. The feeling of spreading sticky warmth told her she’d opened her wound. Jasper was at her side in a heartbeat, nuzzling her cheek.

Randy crawled toward her, but she wasn’t sure where Micha was. “Where is he? You have to get away!” She waved Allen’s father off. Micha’s anger would override any sense she’d managed to talk into him on the way.

“Not without you!” He took her arm and hauled her to her feet as another bullet blasted from the car and whizzed past them. “Run!”

She left her fatigue behind and tried to keep up as he whipped open the door and held it for her with Jasper on her heels. “Go, now.” He reached for a shotgun propped behind the door.

As he raised the gun, Micha threw the car into gear and hit the gas pedal. The car raced toward Randy. He turned and ran inside the house, barely missing the front bumper as Micha plowed through the front of the house.

“Randy, where are you?” She leaned against the wall, staring at the smoking car and holding tight to Jasper’s collar, though she wasn’t sure if the smoke came from the vehicle or damage to the house.

“I’m here.” He stumbled from the kitchen.

With the broken windshield, she couldn’t see if Micha was injured or waiting for them to come look. Her heart pounded as she searched for an idea. In that moment, Randy picked up a splintered 2 x 4 and threw it at the broken window.

It caved, revealing Micha laying against the steering wheel, his face bloody. He wasn’t moving, but even from across the room, she could see his shoulders rising and falling, proving he was alive.

“What do we do?” Rational thought escaped her as her fatigue almost pushed her to the floor. She’d survived this far. Would her injuries take her out when this was almost done?

“You need to rest. I’ll call an ambulance and the police. Go, hide. Lock the door.” Allen’s father held the shotgun up a few inches. “I can keep an eye on him. My son will be very disappointed if I let one of his citizens die.”

All her life, she’d thought of this man as an outsider. He was nothing more than an alcoholic who didn’t contribute to society. How wrong she’d been. This man knew his son. He knew how to care for a house and tend it. Maybe he needed someone to believe in him, to care about him.

She slowly shook her head. Leaving him alone to face this wasn’t an option. If she cared at all for Allen, then she had to care for his father, and that would start right now. “I’m not going anywhere.” She slid down the wall and used it to support her back.

Allen’s father sighed as he pulled an old cell phone from his back pocket and flipped it open. He pressed a few numbers and held the phone to his head. While he was distracted by the call, Heather kept her focus on Micha. If he moved at all, she would scream.

As soon as Allen’s father was off the phone, he went to the driver’s side and felt Micha’s wrist for a pulse. Heather’s breathing hitched, and she prayed Micha would stay knocked out until help arrived.

“Are they on the way?” She knew they had to be, but hearing it would give her reassurance.

“The dispatcher said Allen and an officer were already close, but an ambulance and Danny are on their way out.” His brow furrowed as he looked at her. “You’re bleeding.”

She held her side, pressing the damp gauze tighter to her body. “I’ll be fine. We just need to watch him. He wants to kill all of us.”

Allen’s father lifted Micha’s head slightly and turned it gently until he could breathe, and his nose wasn’t pressed into the steering wheel. She hoped his neck wasn’t broken. Allen’s father didn’t need a death on his conscience. No one did.

Sirens sounded in the distance, and she finally relaxed a little. Either Allen or an ambulance would be there shortly. She prayed there would be two ambulances so she wouldn’t have to ride with her attacker to the hospital. If they took him into custody, all they had left was to arrest Eric and Aaron, the two who stood to gain the most from all this death and theft.

She let her head roll back against the wall as the car outside ground to a halt and footsteps ran toward the house. “Heather? Dad? Are you in here?”

Randy blessedly answered for her because in the span of a few minutes, all her strength had waned to nothing. “We’re in here. Heather’s hurt. So is the guy in the car.”

She hadn’t told him. Part of her wished she had. This man was a connection to Randy’s past that might open old wounds, but he’d never understand Micha’s murderous intent if he didn’t know.

“He’s Allen’s half-brother,” her voice shook as she mumbled the words.

He kneeled at her side. “Did you say what I think you said?” His grip on her shoulder tightened but didn’t hurt.

Heather nodded her chin slightly as Allen threw debris out of the way to enter his house. “Dad, Heather...” He raced to her side. “Lord, you have to help her.”

* * *

Allen let Officer Grady take over for a minute until Danny could get there. The officer was capable and checked on Micha first, then looked over Dad. Allen applied pressure to Heather’s wound as they waited for the ambulance to arrive. He should call Rod and find out if they’d caught Eric yet, but at the moment, Heather needed his entire focus.

The ambulance rolled in, and one man went directly to Heather, while the other started on Micha. Allen helped as much as he could, but he was too close to the situation. The EMT got her on a gurney before they determined Micha would need a separate ambulance. He wasn’t as critical as Heather, and since he’d taken her by force, they wouldn’t ride together.

Allen had to watch Heather be taken away from him once again. That same helplessness that had come over him in the hospital hit him again. He couldn’t keep doing this. Losing Heather was too much. Dad gripped his shoulder. “Are you alright?”

“I’m not.” And he was man enough to admit it. “I’m falling for that woman. If she dies, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

Dad hung his head. “You’ll find a way to cope. Hopefully, better than I did.”

He didn’t want to talk to his dad about his mother right now. There was too much emotion in him, yet when would he get another chance? “Is that why you drink? Because of my mother?”

“I suppose you know.” Dad turned away from him.

Amidst the ruin of his house, he felt the parallel of his own life. Two men standing in a heap, getting by. That’s what they’d done all their lives, but it didn’t have to be that way. “I wish you would’ve let me help you.”

“I didn’t want help. I wanted her. What do you think I’d do to go back and fix this? But I couldn’t support her. I was a handyman. I had no future.”

“Then why did you tell her you could take care of me?” He’d never understood that. His life had been hard, full of lack and need. Maybe the two of them together could’ve made a way better than what he’d had.

“Because she needed a chance. By fighting through life, you learned. You did something important. Nothing was easy, and you took nothing for granted.”

“She’s dying, Dad.” He’d found her on the ride here while Grady had been driving. Her social media account had mentioned cancer and an advanced stage at that.

“I had no idea. I promised her I wouldn’t contact her or ask for help. She made me swear I would raise you as best I could.”

Allen wouldn’t tell the man he’d failed. That wouldn’t be fair. Here he was, a sheriff in a tourist town. By all accounts, he was successful. “I know you did your best. I just wish you’d been able to be there.” Because his addiction had always come first. The bottle had always been a not-so-silent guest in the house.

“I’m done. I’ve been sober for four days. The hardest days I’ve had since I found out I was a father.” Dad rubbed his hands together and looked around at the mess. “I’m sorry for all the things I put you through. I know I was weak, and I couldn’t face my own thoughts, my own failures.”

Grady came in, picking his way through the rubble around the wrecked car. “We just got word that Eric and Aaron are petitioning the court to force the sale of the land, since the owners are no longer living and there was no will.”

“Wouldn’t it still have to go through probate? What about their sons?” Allen tried to think of everything legal that could stop them.

“We never know what the judge will say. If they contact the Goddard boys and neither of them wants it, they might get their request. These cases get pushed through fast because no one likes estate matters.”

“The only way we’ll catch them is to set a trap. I’m sure they have a representative petitioning the court. I doubt it’s them in person. Let’s go talk to the judge and have them tell Eric and Aaron that they can come in and sign some paperwork to buy the land. Since they seem to think they’re making this look legal, we’ll use the legal system to reel them in.”

Grady nodded once. “Sounds good. Your officer is here now, so I’m headed back to Rapid City. We’ll put together enough evidence to get someone arrested for the two murders.”

Once Micha woke, he’d be questioned. Since he was in custody, it would be good for him to talk. That might allow leniency, though Allen hoped they weren’t too lax with sentencing. The man had tried to kill them multiple times.

Grady left the scene, leaving Allen and Danny to process the car and the damage. He sent Dad downstairs to turn off the furnace. If anything was damaged, it could cause a fire, and they didn’t need to heat rooms that were now open to the outside.

“We’ll need to find somewhere for you to stay.” Dad shoved his hands into his pockets.

Life came into greater perspective. Dad had struggled, but he’d tried his best to put Allen first. Now, it was his duty to make sure his father and Heather were cared for. “For both of us. There’s a safe house where Heather’s father is staying. There’s room for both of us and Jasper there until we can make repairs.”

“Are you sure you want me there? Ed trashed you during the election because of me.”

He wouldn’t let Dad live in the shadows anymore. “No, he tried to sabotage my election because he was still angry about Mom. He thought the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Especially because, while my mother was a bartender, Ed and his wife were trying to help her get out of that life. She disappeared shortly after she had me and they blamed you for her disappearance.”

“As they should.” He turned away. “I’m far from perfect.”

“No one is perfect, Dad.” He shoved his hands deep into his coat pockets as Danny came into the house.

“Hey, I wanted you to know the judge likes your plan. He’s willing to go along with it as long as there’s enough protection there for him. He’s aware of the lengths these two have gone for that land.”

“Do I have time to check on Heather before we head them off?” He looked at his watch. The judge would be at the county seat in Rapid City. That would take an hour to get there.

“Yes. The judge will arrange the meeting tomorrow, so it doesn’t look too suspicious. The EMT gave me Micha’s phone, so we’ll be able to see who calls him. Since the hospital won’t give out any information on him, we have time to get everything in place.”

This was their last chance to trap Eric and Aaron. He wanted to make sure Heather was safely in the hospital, far away from Micha, and in expert hands. “Good. Dad, want to come with me to visit Heather?”

He gave a quick nod. “We’ll have to take my truck. We can switch them out before driving all that way if you want to. I’m going to put Jasper in his kennel for now. Dad, can you come back and get him later today?”

Having his car would mean they could get where they needed to go, quickly if needed.

Dad nodded his agreement.

“Then that’s our plan. Danny, can you make sure the judge has everything he needs beforehand? I’ll call and confirm in a few hours. I don’t want to be lax, either. Signing documents doesn’t take away Eric’s guilt, and he knows that. We need to be watching for him to pounce today.”

Dad opened the driver’s side of the truck and waited for Allen. Danny frowned. “The hospital already knows no one but you and her father should get anywhere near her room. Heather should be safe. It’s you two who need to be careful.”

And Heather’s father. He hadn’t called to check up on Ed, assuming he’d be fine. When he’d stepped away from Heather, she’d been taken. Ed could be in danger with no one watching him. Allen climbed into the truck and buckled in before he dialed Ed’s number.

The phone rang about five times before Ed finally picked up. “Hello?”

“Good, I’m glad you’re there. I was getting concerned.”

“Allen? I’ve been waiting for word on Heather. Is she alright?” Ed asked.

He wouldn’t lie to the man or sugarcoat the issue. “She was taken from the hospital. In the process, she tore her stitches open. We’ve found her and she’s going back to the hospital. Is there anything else I can do for you?” He’d earn the man’s respect if it was the last thing he did. He had forgiveness, but respect was earned.

“No. Thank you for letting me know. The door is locked and I’m not opening it for anyone.”

“I’ll make sure Heather is in good hands.”

Ed was silent for a moment and Allen worried he’d hung up. “Allen, I think she is.”

His heart thrummed loudly in his ears. That sounded like a blessing. He prayed for Heather and her father as Dad pulled the truck into the parking lot. He killed the engine and took a deep breath. “I shouldn’t go with you. As much as I want to see her and help you, I’m neither quick nor helpful in a dangerous situation.”

He’d beg to differ after his dad had helped Heather when bullets were flying, but he wouldn’t force his father to join him. “Do you have somewhere you can go?”

“I do. I’ll be fine. The sheriff can’t usually find me when I want to stay hidden, so I don’t think these guys could either.” Dad snorted a laugh.

“Point taken. Be safe, Dad.” He’d never said anything like that to his father and he meant it. “I’m looking forward to working with you to fix our house when this is done.”

Dad gave a resolute nod, and Allen got out of the truck. His car had only sat in the lot for a day, but it felt like weeks had passed. He turned the ignition, then the radio, his computer, and all the equipment in the car.

Now that Micha’s vehicle was out of commission, he didn’t know what Eric would be driving. He wasn’t sure what to look for other than someone following him. As he drove back to Rapid City, he kept his eyes tracking anyone behind him who might be following. When he reached Rapid, there were no cars that exited after him.

Maybe, for this hour, he could finally breathe. He pulled into the hospital as Grady pulled in with cherries flashing. He grabbed his pistol and raced for the door.

“Grady! What’s going on?”

“Gunman. First floor. Hostage situation.”