Game On (13 page)

“Are you sure?”

“The cave can't be easily seen even in the daytime. If you don't know it's here, you wouldn't be able to find it, especially not in the dark.”

She nodded but he couldn't see her. She touched his arm. It felt warm. Safe. “Thank you.”

“You have nothing to thank me for. This whole mess is my fault.”

“How did you know about this cave?”

“It was one of my favorite places to hide when I was a kid. Suzie and I would play hide-and-seek. I always won.”

Nikki smiled at the imagined scene. “Why are we whispering?”

“We don't want them to hear us.”

“Oh, that makes sense.” Her thinking was still fuzzy. In an effort to get more comfortable, Nikki twisted one way and then the other.

“You OK?”

“Just trying to get comfortable. I've got a rock jabbing my back.”

“Well, that's not where I'm getting jabbed.” He chuckled quietly. “Move over a bit. See if that helps.”

She scooted towards him.

He put an arm around her shoulder and brought her even closer.

Her muscles tensed up.

“I'm just trying to get you comfortable, Nikki. It's damp in here. I thought you might be cold.”

Her face warmed. “I know that.” She leaned against him and closed her eyes. “How long will we stay here?”

“For a while. Until I think it's safe.”

Would she ever feel safe again? She took several deep breaths.

“You OK?” His voice was filled with concern.

“It's just nerves. I've never had to hide in a cave after getting shot.”

“It's a new experience for me as well. And one I hope I never have again.”

“I'm with you. Talk to me.” She leaned against him.

“About what?”

“Your life. What's it like being a congressman?”

“Like any job, there's good and bad. It can be very frustrating at times.”

“Have you ever met the President?”

“Sure, we're in the same political party. I've had dinner with him. We've even golfed together a few times.”

How weird was that? Most people would never meet the President of the United States, and yet Lucas thought it was no big deal. It was hard to imagine what his life was like.

“What about you? What's your job like?”

“Sort of like yours. Good and bad. I like when I can help people.”

“Like Stanley's wife?”

“Yep. People come to me and I feel successful when I can do what they need. But lately…I don't know.”

“But lately, what?”

“It's lost some of its appeal. I'd like something with less stress. Less…less ugliness. Something with more beauty.” After she said the words, she felt foolish. “Never mind. It sounds stupid.”

“It doesn't sound stupid to me. It sounds wonderful. So what would that look like in an ideal world?”

“I don't know. I like flowers. Flowers make people happy. Maybe I could live on a farm and grow tons of flowers.”

“Sounds nice, Nikki.”

“It would smell nice too. What's the best thing about your job?”

“That's a hard question. I'm not sure there's anything I like about it.”

“Then why do you do it?”

“Good question. It was the plan we worked out. First, state government, then national, and one day, if everything went well, President.”

“Is that your dream or your father's?”

“Another good question, Nikki. I'm not sure of the answer.”

“Maybe you should be before you spend your life pursuing someone else's dream. What a waste that would be.”

“I'll admit I used to want to be in politics for the power to genuinely help people, but lately, that hasn't meant much. Power is an illusion. It's not real. Only God has real power. Everything can change in a moment, in a heartbeat. Just like tonight.”

Even without being able to see him, she knew he was sad. “Are you thinking about your wife?”

“When she died, everything changed.”

“I'm sorry.”

“It's taken a while but I've come to grips with it.”

“Did you have a good marriage?”

He was quiet for a moment. “We did, but it wasn't…I'm not sure how to explain it. We didn't have a traditional start to our marriage. Our parents decided we would be perfect for each other. And pushed us together.” Another pause. “We didn't fall in love, but we grew to love each other. If that makes sense.”

If she thought about her own life, that was true. “Nothing wrong with that. Sometimes strong emotions lead to big mistakes.”

“Maybe, but there's something to be said for passion too.”

She didn't want to think about that, especially with his arm around her. She changed the topic. “Why didn't you have any children?”

“I always wanted children, but Victoria refused to bring children into our loveless marriage. By the time the love was there, we found out she couldn't get pregnant. We thought about adoption, but never really followed through.” He sounded sad again. “Guess I was too busy.”

A stab of guilt penetrated straight into Nikki's heart. Lucas did have a child, but he would never know that. Cassie had a good life, and Nikki wasn't about to mess it up. “That's too bad.” Her words sounded lame.

“What about you? Why no kids?”

Why had she brought up the subject of children? “Sort of like you. It wasn't that I didn't want children. It just never happened. In retrospect, I guess that was a good thing, considering the divorce.”

“Why do you say that?”

“I don't think my ex would have been a good father. Besides, I sure wouldn't want to be tied to him for the rest of my life. Children deserve a happy, stable home.” And that's exactly what Cassie had—and she would keep it.

“That's for sure.”

She shivered.

“Cold?”

“A little.”

Voices filtered into the cave.

Nikki tensed up. If those men found them, there was nothing they could do to protect themselves.

Lucas pulled her closer. “It's OK. They won't find us. “But just in case they do.” Lucas took her hand and put something in it. A knife. Well, that was better than nothing.

The voices came near.

She laid her head on his shoulder.

His arm tightened around her. Lucas would keep her safe.

Good thing—she was too exhausted to do it for herself. Nestled in his arms, his breath warm on her neck, Nikki fought to stay awake, but her eyes drooped. Against all common sense, she felt safe.

Even though the gunmen were out there looking for them. Even though they were hiding in a cave.

Lucas promised he would take care of her.

And she believed him.

****

Nikki's breathing grew even. That had to be a good thing.

He whispered her name.

No response. She must have fallen asleep.

Lucas thought about Nikki on a farm, growing flowers. It sounded like a wonderful idea. If they got out of here, he'd help her make her dream come true. She deserved a happy ending.

It had been a while since he'd heard the voices. Had they given up and left? Or were they out there, still searching for them?

He couldn't stay here all night. He hated leaving Nikki, but he needed to get her to a hospital. He couldn't believe she wasn't in shock.

Maybe she was.

Lucas slowly moved his arm out from under her neck. She stirred a bit but didn't wake up. He crawled towards the cave entrance and stopped. No voices, but that didn't mean they weren't out there, doing exactly what he was doing.

Waiting and listening.

Leaves rustled and then footsteps crept across hard-packed dirt. They were still out there. Or maybe it was an animal? Bears roamed this area.

He wasn't sure which he'd rather face. The bear or the gunmen.

A bump and then an uttered oath. Human. The most merciless hunter in the animal kingdom. From the sounds, the man had to be almost directly in front of the cave opening.

“I can't believe this,” a man's voice whispered.

“They have to be here.”

“We don't know that. We have no idea when they got out of that house. I say we go and try again tomorrow.”

“We've already struck out twice. I'm not trying a third time. I'm not leaving until this is finished. I want my money.”

So someone had hired them to kill him. If they moved the brush away, they would see the entrance—and him.

Lucas backtracked and found the knife. He shuddered at the thought of using it on a person, but he'd do what he had to do to protect Nikki. He crawled back to the entrance.

They were still there, though they weren't talking. Their breathing gave them away.

Did they have any idea they were by the cave where Nikki and Lucas were hiding? They might. They could be calling in reinforcements. At any moment, they could find them.

He had to get them away from the cave—away from Nikki. He crawled closer to the entryway and waited. After a moment, he quietly pushed leaves aside.

They had to move away from this cave. Away from Nikki.

And if that meant being the bait, then so be it.

Left or right? He had no idea where the men were. He crawled out of the cave and turned to his right until he came to a tree. He moved behind the trunk to keep hidden for a bit, stood up, and moved onward, away from Nikki. Then he started running, making as much noise as possible, thinking they would hear him and follow. A moment later, his hope turned into reality.

“This way. I hear something.”

Now if he could keep them from catching him. He sprinted down the hill away from Nikki and the cave. Maybe he could make it to his car. The keys were still in it. Suddenly, the trees were gone and the cabin was in front of him. He sprinted up the hill, past the cabin, and towards his car. As he neared it, his great plan evaporated.

All the tires on his car and Nikki's were flat.

He ran past the cars and jumped across the drainage ditch. He considered going back into the woods. The trees could help to protect him, but he could move much quicker on the road. He had to keep moving. He was a fast runner, but they might be faster.

And they were the ones with the guns.

A pair of headlights shone as he rounded a curve. Lucas stood in the road and raised his hands, praying the driver wouldn't run him over. The car slowed. He grabbed the passenger door, opened it, and jumped in.

The woman looked terrified.

“Go. Someone's chasing me. We need to get out of here.” Something in his voice must have told her he was speaking the truth.

The car surged down the road.

Lucas looked at the rearview mirror.

Two men stood on the road, staring at them.

“Thank you.” Lucas looked at the woman. “Do you have a cell phone? I need to call the police.”

16

Lights—too bright—and people—lots of people—surrounded her. “I…what's…where…” Nikki opened her eyes. She squinted at Lucas, whose hand surrounded hers. His grip was strong and warm. His soft blue eyes were filled with concern. As she stared at him, the craziness around her receded.

He'd promised to take care of her and he had.

“It's OK, Nikki. You're at the hospital. Everything will be fine.”

Someone squeezed her other hand.

Bethany walked beside her with tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Bethany…”

Bethany smiled through her tears. “Don't worry, Nikki. The doctor says you'll be fine. Ray is scrubbing in. He'll be with you the whole time.”

“Ray?”

“He'll take care of you. I love you, sweetie.” Her sister's hand fell from hers.

Nikki nodded and then looked back at Lucas. Cave—darkness. Being shot—men chasing them. Lucas carrying her through the woods. Lucas holding her in that dark, scary cave. Dear, sweet Lucas. “How'd I get here?” she mumbled through the air mask someone had put on her.

“You passed out while we were in the cave, so I hitched into town to get help.”

“The men—did they catch them?”

Lucas shook his head, but before he could answer, a woman in scrubs walked up beside him. “I'm Dr. Vines, Ms. Kent. We're taking you into surgery to make sure the bullet is gone and to repair any damage.”

Lucas's hand slipped from hers and she suddenly felt alone.

The doctor smiled and patted her arm. “Don't worry, Ms. Kent. We'll take good care of you.”

Another doctor walked up. He lowered his facemask. Ray. “Don't worry, Nikki. I'll be right here. Take a few deep breaths and count backwards from a hundred.”

She wished everyone would stop telling her not to worry. It was making her worried. “One hundred…ninety-nine…ninety…”

****

A nurse came running into Nikki's hospital room.

“I want to go home.”

The nurse glared at her. She pointed at the button Nikki held in her hand. “That is called an emergency button. Not a whining-and-complaining button.”

“Aren't you a funny one?”

The nurse cracked a smile. “I do my best.”

“I hate this place.” Two days in the hospital was more than enough time to recuperate from her bullet wound. It was barely more than a flesh wound.

“We do that on purpose so you'll want to get better.”

“I'm all better. I want to go home.”

“With Congressman McMann breathing down our neck, you are our star patient. You're not going anywhere until you're a hundred percent.”

“When will that be?”

“The doctor said he'd check on you this evening, but you probably aren't going home until tomorrow morning.” The nurse put her hands on her hips. “If then.”

“I am not going to be here for a few more days. I feel fine.”

“I can attest to that,” Cassie said from the recliner, tablet in her hands. “A sick person wouldn't have the energy to complain this much.”