Flee the Night (25 page)

Conner pulled up a chair and motioned for her to sit while he slid in next to Dannette.

“You look nice,” Dannette said. “Glad the duds fit.”

“Thanks for the loaners.” Lacey felt slightly ill that she’d have to boost them. She’d figure out a way to send her a check.

“Lacey, this is Andee MacLeod,” Conner said, gesturing to a young woman with light mocha skin and black hair. “And this is my cousin Sarah Nation. She’s from New
Yark
City.” He reached over and grabbed Sarah’s cup of coffee. “Where’s your shadow, New York?”

Sarah made a face at him. She had blonde hair, and it was tucked back into a baseball cap, the long mane bundled in a ponytail, and eyes that looked like they could sting from ten paces. At least until she smiled at Lacey. Lacey felt their warmth to her bones. “Glad to meet you. I’m an EMT with the New York Fire Department. And Andee here is a part-time everything—trail guide, helicopter pilot, mountain goat. She lives in Alaska in the summertime, hangs in the Lower Forty-Eight during the winter.”

“Glad to meet you,” Lacey said. “Where’s Micah?”

“He’s snoozing,” Conner said and snatched a menu from Andee. “What’ll ya have, Lacey? It’s on me.”

Lacey wasn’t sure how she should react to this generosity from Micah’s cronies. Did they know who she was? More importantly, did they know her history with Micah?

“So, where’s your little shadow, Sarah?” Conner asked again, peeking over the menu.

Sarah scowled. “Far away from me, I hope.”

Conner grinned. “Or he’s lurking in the next booth, hoping to hear your sweet voice. Again.” He glanced over her shoulder. “Uh-oh, I think I see him!”

Sarah turned, and Lacey didn’t miss the flush on her face.

Conner laughed. “I knew it. You like him.” He leaned over to Lacey, his tone conspiratorial. “We bumped heads with this forest ranger when we were looking for your daughter, and he caught Sarah in a … vulnerable moment. Anyway, he was here twice yesterday, asking us how we were, like he cares
I’m
alive.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Nope, he was checking on old Fanny Crosby here.”

Sarah hit him with her menu. She wasn’t smiling when she looked at Lacey. “I sing when I’m tense.”

Sarah shot daggers at Conner while the waitress appeared and took their orders. Lacey glanced at Conner, and when he nodded, she ordered an omelette and a side of French toast.

And orange juice. Then sausage, just for good measure. And a cinnamon roll to go.

Conner had his eyebrows raised when she finished.

She tucked her backpack between her feet and leaned into the table. “So, Micah is sleeping?” Well, he had been up all night. Still, she missed him, and in the back of her mind hoped she’d get a chance to say good-bye. Right before she locked him in the bathroom. He and the polite Pit Bull Conner.

“So, Lacey, where are you from?” Dannette asked.

Lacey surveyed her a moment before answering. The woman seemed to be the serious one and gave Lacey a reserved smile. “Ashleyville. I grew up with Micah.”

Andee nodded. “You were in the train wreck, right? How are you?”

In pain from head to toe and inside out.
“Good. Thanks. I dislocated my shoulder.”

Andee laced her hands on the table. “I’m sorry we didn’t find your daughter. Micah says you know where she is.”

Lacey shot a look at Conner, but his face betrayed nothing. “Yes,” she said, feeling like a liar.

“Good.” Relief washed through Andee’s brown eyes. Dannette smiled and grabbed her coffee cup. Sarah glared at Conner, who was trying to balance a saltshaker on a mound of salt.

“Was your husband in the crash?” Andee asked.

Lacey saw a shadow cross Conner’s face. Obviously Micah had told him something. Lacey smiled. “No, he wasn’t.” She glanced at Conner. “Actually, I’m a widow.”

Sarah touched her arm. “I’m sorry. Andee didn’t mean to pry.”

Lacey shook her head, realizing how few times she’d actually called herself that. As opposed to
murderer
. “He died a number of years ago actually. I’m used to being on my own.”

“I’m sure it’s hard to raise a daughter by yourself,” Andee commented.

Dannette watched Lacey with solemn eyes.

Lacey made a wry face, nodded, but inside she felt like a hypocrite. No, she’d let Janie do the raising. She had shown up only for the high moments—and even then, seemed to miss them more often than hit them. Still, Emily loved her with abandon that made Lacey ache.
Please, God, can’t You make this better?
Her unbidden prayer caught her by surprise, and she forced through a wave of guilt.

“So you and Micah grew up together. I’ll bet you knew him in his football days then, huh?” Sarah set the saltshaker on the pile, and it balanced perfectly on one edge. She gave Conner a smug look.

“Yeah. He was a running back.”

“Did you keep in touch over the years?” Dannette asked.

Lacey felt herself prickle. “No … I mean, sort of. My late husband and Micah were best friends. He was in our wedding. But I lost touch over the years.”

“He sure rushed to your aid the minute you called. We returned from the 7-Eleven in time to catch him roaring out of the parking lot of our motel like he was on fire.” Andee grinned, then leaned back to receive her plate of pancakes.

After the waitress delivered their orders, Lacey dived into the omelette and French toast. It hit her stomach like a long-lost friend.

“I’d say he seemed like a man who never forgot his first love,” Conner said, spooning his oatmeal.

Lacey nearly choked on her coffee. “Sorry, what?”

Conner grinned at her, then at the rest of the group. “Oh, sorry. I just meant that you must have meant a lot to him. Hey—” his blue eyes lit up—“if you went to the same high school, you must know his friend Penny. He used to tell us stories about her horse farm and this mine that he nearly got trapped in once. They must have been really good friends because he wrote her letter after letter, even when we were in country. He’d store them in his duffel bag and wait until we were EVACed. Then he’d send the entire wad of letters. Evidently, she was some sort of computer genius, working in …” His voice trailed off, and he wore a funny look. “Never mind.”

Lacey’s throat tightened. “Yeah, I knew her,” she said lightly. “They were really good friends.”

Conner stared at her, unblinking. “Good friends are hard to forget.”

Lacey’s appetite was gone, but she forced herself to eat each bite, telling herself that this meal might be her last for a while.

“Conner, do you think Micah will be reinstated?” Andee asked softly.

“I don’t know. He’s got a senator pulling for him, but unless he passes the PT test—” Conner stared at his bowl of oatmeal—“I’m thinking no.”

Lacey searched their faces. “Reinstated? You mean to active duty? He’s not current?”

Andee glanced at her, then at her food, and the conversation died.

“I know about … his sickness,” Lacey said, “but I didn’t know he wasn’t on duty.”

“Medical leave,” Conner said. “He’s going up for review in a couple of weeks.”

“And then he’ll head back to his unit … where?”

Conner shrugged. “Eastern Europe or maybe one of the Stans. He’s a born leader, and the teams could use him. They called him Iceman, you know.”

Oh, how she knew. That nickname haunted her.

“It was because he just turned his emotions off when we were under attack. He’s mechanical and will take it on the chin without flinching. Knew what to do every time. A tactical genius.” Conner turned his coffee cup slowly, methodically. “The only time I saw him come apart was on a mission in Bosnia. This little girl walked into the middle of a gun battle between two street factions and was mowed down. Micah ran into the middle of the fight, scooped her up, and fled, full tilt, all the way to the field hospital. Like he didn’t think of anything but getting her there. I thought he’d lost his mind.

“When he came back, he nearly single-handedly took out each one of those killers, rounded up the survivors, and dragged them into camp. I think they’re still sitting in prison.” Conner shook his head, remorse on his face. “Iceman might have steel in his veins, but he loves kids. What a shame he’ll never have any.”

Lacey felt cut off at the heart. Micah would
never
have kids? “Oh.”

Dannette glared at Conner. “He’ll love you for that one.”

Conner looked sheepish. “Sorry. I thought he told you.”

Lacey shook her head. “That’s okay. I won’t mention it.” She wanted to hit something until her body hurt as much as her heart. How utterly unfair that Jim Micah, who just might be a stellar father—she nearly gasped, remembering his comment in the truck about if he’d known she was pregnant.…

What must it feel like to be searching for your best friend’s daughter, knowing you’d never have one? No wonder he was dedicated. And in big trouble because of her. If he wanted to be reinstated to his Green Beret unit, he’d have to distance himself from her—and pronto. Now wasn’t soon enough to lock him in the bathroom and flee for the hills. Maybe she wouldn’t even stop to lock him in the bathroom or say good-bye.

“I’ll be right back,” she said and pushed her plate away. She ignored Conner’s frown as she got up from the table and gripped the backpack.

See if Conner the cheery pit bull would follow her into the bathroom.

“She’s in Poplar Bluff.” The voice at the other end of the cell phone put a smile on Nero’s face.

“Great. Keep her in sight, but keep your distance. I want to see if she has what we’re looking for.”

Nero closed the telephone and stalked over to the hotel window. From here, he had a sweeping view of a mall and two pizza joints. How Missouri had changed over twenty-five years. He remembered when this town had nothing more than a Dairy Queen and a strip mall. From the way it was expanding, it wouldn’t be long before the forest was completely obliterated. Thankfully, his parents’ old homestead still stood, poised at the edge of Mark Twain National Forest.

He had suffered a momentary fear that Lacey wouldn’t know where to find Coward’s Hollow, had even debated sending her another message. But she was smart. He knew how smart. He’d watched her in Kuwait, her intelligent eyes taking in her surroundings. She missed nothing. She’d figure out how to meet him.

His insurance sat on the bed, playing with a McDonald’s Happy Meal toy. She didn’t look at him as he let the drapery fall. The scene felt oh so familiar. Childlike trust purchased with a toy and a bag of French fries. She was even somewhat cute, with her blonde hair, her blue eyes. She looked so much like her father. She might be difficult to sacrifice. But sometimes duty cost lives. Especially when they got in the way.

Lacey had certainly gotten in the way. He couldn’t wait for the past to flash through her eyes tonight when he dangled her daughter’s life before her. Seven years seemed way too long to wait for payback.

He sat down on the end of the bed and picked up the doll. “Can I play too?” he asked, then smiled.

“I caught her climbing out of the bathroom window,” Conner said by way of explanation as he hauled Lacey into the motel room by the arm. He had the makings of a shiner. “And you were right about the left hook.”

“Let me go,” Lacey hissed, then yanked out of Conner’s grip.

Micah couldn’t help but smile. He set the map down and closed the door behind them. “Hi, Lacey.”

“Don’t hi me. You had him tailing me.” My, she looked cute with her hair down, still slightly wet, her eyes blazing.

“Of course I did, Penny. I’m not stupid.”

She clenched her jaw, obviously fighting a retort. “I thought you were supposed to be sleeping.”

“Calm down. I’m on your side, if you remember.”

“Sorta.” She swung the backpack off her shoulder, flopped into an armchair. “But I don’t need your help. Not anymore.”

“That’s what you think. Coward’s Hollow is a fifty-six-acre portion of Mark Twain National Forest. It has caves, a twenty-foot waterfall, and enough forest for you to be lost in for a couple of decades. Tell me, when you were at the farm training in weapons and hand-to-hand combat, did you go to survival school too?”

She glared at him.

“Just what I thought. Listen, I’ve lived in the woods for the better part of my life. If anyone should be sneaking around trying to get a fix on your kidnapper, it’s me.”