Hard Man to Kill (Dark Horse Guardian Series Book 4) (5 page)

~ Lara ~

Lara didn’t want her friend to go home.  Monique was as concerned as she was about their husbands’ mission.  Lara was not alone with her worries about Ben.  Monique was somewhere else in deep thought.  What was Ben doing and would she really
want
to know?  She knew he was reluctant to take on this mission, but why was it different from all the others?  She had no answers. The questions cycled through her mind repeatedly, leaving her exhausted with worry.  And, now she had the added worry of someone following her.  Rusty was doing a complete background check on the two young men, but Lara’s anxiety was at an all-time high. 

They drove home in silence awaiting Rusty’s information.  She fingered her Glock and even wore the weapon inside the house utilizing an oversized sweatshirt to keep it hidden.  As silly as it seemed to carry inside the house, the little voice in the back of her mind reminded her she was being watched.  Curtains were drawn and she tried to focus on the coming evening.

There were several things keeping her from just running to the nearest bunker – the first being: she didn’t want to be followed.  Plus, the threat level wasn't clear.  So far, Rusty hadn’t found anything earth-shattering about Aaron Brown or Tim Crosby.  There was a breaking and entering charge and some other misdemeanors.  He would continue digging, but there wasn't anything that told her to run for her life just yet.  With the information at hand, it could be less a matter of being stalked, and more a matter of being cased.  She had a nice house, in a nice neighborhood, and with Brown's resume of breaking into homes, he could have been a mere criminal.

And if that was the case, then Brown was going to have a big problem awaiting him if he was doing reconnaissance for a burglary.

If Brown was more than that … Lara felt a spark of rage within her. It blossomed from her stomach and enveloped her chest.  When the shot of adrenaline hit, she felt the buzz, and had to stop moving for a moment to take a deep breath.  Steady.  Think, plan, then act; don’t react.  Hope for the best, but plan for the worst. Ben’s words lived in her brain.  Even though she hadn't killed someone in a while, she was ready, willing and able.

She cleaned the house in anticipation of having Don and Olivia over for dinner.  They hadn’t been to Clearwater Farm since the Christmas gathering.  She could not let Monique go home.  She didn’t want to frighten her, but Lara knew the danger she could be in if Brown were more than a simple criminal.  The two women didn’t talk about it in detail, but Lara knew Monique’s anxiety level was as high, if not higher, than her own.  There were times when Monique would be unusually quiet or somber.  Lara recognized the faraway look in her eyes and left her alone for a while.  The human mind required time and space to process this kind of stress.  This much, Lara knew firsthand.

Knowing that Don liked casual fare, with Monique’s help, she arranged the dinner table in the kitchen.  Nothing formal for these two.  Einstein was bumping his nose against her shin repeatedly, nudging her to feed him.  This dog was better than an alarm clock.  She smiled and poured the cup of organic dog food into his bowl, which he proceeded to eat with gusto. 

As she cleaned out his water bowl her phone chimed.  It was the alert she had assigned for Ben’s phone, and the moment she heard it her heart nearly stopped.  She put the bowl of water on the floor and grabbed her phone, “Ben?” 

There was a delay on the satellite phone but she heard his voice with the slight Irish inflection, “Darlin?  Oh good.  I’m glad I caught you.  How are you?  I miss you.  But you know that.  What are you doing?”

To hear his voice brought tears to her eyes, but she’d never let him know, “I’m great…in fact, making dinner for Don and Olivia.  How are you?” 

“Everything is fine on this end.  Not to worry.  Did you check out those guys following you? Make sure you see Rusty.” His voice trailed off. 

“Yes.  So far, it appears these two are petty criminals.  I won’t panic just yet.  But, I’m carrying and ready.  I don’t want you to worry about me.  You’ve got enough on your mind.” She breathed.

“Damn, I wish I was there, with you, darlin.  Going into another phase right now, but I have a good feeling about things.  I just wanted to hear your voice.  I can’t wait to see you, darlin, coming home is always the best part and it’s all I can think about.  I love you.”  Ben said with a serious tone.  She heard voices in the background and what sounded like vehicles starting up.  “Got to go, darlin – tell me you love me.” 

She felt her voice crack as she said the words, “I love you, Ben…” and the phone went silent.  She knew he was locked and loaded to go somewhere, because she heard the engines.  But, more than that, it was the anticipatory tone of his voice she had heard many times before. 
The important thing was:
he was alive, right now
.  Reason enough to smile and secretly celebrate tonight with Don and Olivia. 

She turned and looked at Monique, “It was Ben.  He just called me out of the blue.”

“Bettencourt just called me, too.” Monique sounded hopeful, almost like her old self.  Then her forehead wrinkled with concern.  “Maybe there’s something going on…something terrible…and they’re saying goodbye.”

Lara arched a brow. “Did he actually say goodbye?”

“No …” she said hesitantly.

“Then you can't think like that. They’re just taking off and checking in.  That’s all.”  Lara said it with such conviction she almost convinced herself.

Monique answered the door as she noticed Don and Olivia approaching.  Although she seemed worried, Monique appeared a bit uplifted by Bettencourt’s phone call.  Lara sensed a positive quality in Ben’s voice.  She forced a smile as she hugged Don and Olivia.  She had painstakingly prepared a diabetic-friendly dinner for Don.  She missed their meetings at Pancake Heaven, but both of their lives had changed since she married Ben.  Monique was smiling and petting Einstein, a very good sign.  And, Don and Olivia were verbally sparring with one another, which was normal for them. 

As they enjoyed dinner, Don smiled, “You girls are certainly in a good mood.  Aren’t your husbands both away?”  

“Yes,” Lara interjected.  “They’re on a hunting trip, but will be back soon.  It’s a safari type of thing.”  Monique smiled and nodded, not uttering a word.  “It’s good for them to get away like that,” Lara continued. 

Lara knew that Don was aware the men were on a mission, and the details would not be discussed.  So, he talked about business at the dojo and the new employees there.  “Aaron and Tim are doing a wonderful job, don’t you think?” 

“They seem to be highly skilled.” Lara replied.  “I’d love to know more about them.  How did you meet these guys?

Don ran his hand over his face. “I placed an ad on the website.  Nothing special.  Those two showed up on my doorstep the very next day.  They said they really wanted the job and demonstrated their ability on the spot.  I had them fill out an application and hired them.  They said they had applied for a few other jobs.  They’re college kids.”

“Did you do background checks on them?” Lara asked. 

“You know, I remember giving that to Vivian to do, but now that you mention it…I don’t remember if she gave me anything on them.”

“Just so you know, one of them has a record.” Lara leaned in, “And they’ve been following us in that blacked-out Mustang.” 

Don’s eyes locked with hers. “You’re kidding, right?”

“No.  Take a look.” Lara handed over the information from Rusty.

Don’s facial expression became somber, then apologetic.  “Damn it, Lara.  I should’ve been much more careful.  These guys are following you?  I’ll take them down.  Damn it!  This is my fault.”

“Let me handle it, Don.  I just wanted you to know about this.  Maybe it’s best if you don’t let on right away.”  Lara tapped her phone and brought up the tracking app.  “There they are….down the road from us right now.”

Don stared at the phone.  “Jesus - let’s go get them, right now.  Call the police.”  

“The police know about this, sort of.  I’ve been there, and got some basic information from an officer, so Rusty could do some digging.  If they try anything, I’m ready.” Lara lifted her sweatshirt showing him the holstered Glock. 

“Oh Lara, that’s too dangerous.” Olivia exclaimed.

“I know what I’m doing,” Lara declared.  “I know what the laws are.  I would follow the law.”

“I think we should stay here with you tonight.” Olivia suggested.

Lara now wondered if she should have told them about Aaron and Tim, but decided she had to let them know.  No telling what might have happened if she didn’t; and she couldn’t take that chance.

“Okay, we don’t want to make this overly dramatic.  We don’t know why they’re following us.  It could be less nefarious than we’ve imagined.  And, you’re not sleeping over.  You’re staying for dessert and decaf coffee.  I want you to keep me company for a little longer.

They agreed.  Monique seemed more comfortable.  Lara exhaled.  Glancing at her phone she watched the blinking dot on the map, but realized those in the vehicle could be walking around the property right now without her knowledge.  She excused herself to use the bathroom and stepped into Ben’s office to examine the security cameras around the perimeter.  Playing back the video she viewed it searching for any sign of movement.  Then double checked the perimeter alarm on her phone.  It was on.  For a moment the hair on the back of her neck prickled, and she reflexively put her hand on the gun at her hip.  The hairs were a sign Ben taught her early on to notice.  Hackles, he called it, a primitive survival mechanism in the human body.  Her hackles were being raised and she wasn’t about to ignore it. 

As she moved back into the kitchen, the subject of Don’s nephew, Eric, came up.  The last time Lara had seen Eric was at the completion of his landscaping project.  She had been using photos of the renovation of the purple Victorian on her website.  It was a sight to behold.

“Eric has a girlfriend now.” Don informed them.  “She seems to be a nice girl.  She loves the purple Victorian, especially that garden, Lara, it is beautiful.”  For a moment there was a pause in the conversation and Lara knew everyone at the table immediately thought about Hawk.  She remembered the loving care he took landscaping the show-stopper.  Lara felt a pang of sorrow, but stuffed it away.

After a moment, Lara broke the uncomfortable silence. “I’m happy for Eric.  He deserves to have a life and I wish nothing but the best for him.” 

Lara knew Don sensed her grief about Hawk.  Don was one of those guys who would probe and prod, wanting to soothe her somehow, wanting to fix it.  “I know you must miss Hawk every time you walk into that bungalow.  Damn awful how he was killed.  That son-of-a-bitch that shot him thought he was Ben.  Jesus.  That was something awful.” 

“Yes,” Lara exhaled.  Her right hand moved mindlessly up and down her leg, the edge of her palm brushed against the holster every time it slid up. “Hawk is there, at the bungalow, in spirit.  I kept the few personal items he owned right where he left them.  I know it sounds silly, but when I take a break from work and the place is quiet, it’s as if Hawk is there with me, sort of a Jiminy Cricket sitting on my shoulder, telling me everything is going to be all right.”

Olivia chimed in, “Well, he
was
your Jiminy Cricket.  Hawk saved your life when you first moved in here.  He beat the crap out of that guy that attacked you, almost killed him.  Hawk put him in the hospital for a long time.  You’ve done wonderfully with all that’s happened, Lara.  You’re a strong person.  We know you miss Hawk -- he was a great guy.” 

Monique interrupted the mini-eulogy to Hawk, “Hey, do you guys want these fresh berries with whipped cream?  There’s plenty here.” 

After dinner, they moved into the living room.  Lara’s eyes were drawn to the large window framing Casco Bay and the ocean beyond.  Even in the darkness, her eyes could make out the outline of Fort Gorges, a place she and William studied on the internet.  Built of granite, the fort sat on Hog’s Ledge and had been there since the 1800’s.  Ben had said it was fitting for a former Navy man to have a fort in front of his residence; he was fascinated by it, too.

All she could think of was Ben whenever she scanned the sea; he loved it so.  It was such a part of his life.  She was facing west and the sun had already set.  The strangest feeling crept over her that Ben was somewhere near the ocean, suffering and perspiring, nearly suffocating from the heat.  Why she felt that, she couldn’t say.  It was a fleeting image. 

She turned to her guests. “Okay, who wants to play a couple of hands of poker?” 

Lara broke out the card table.  When she took her seat, she slid her gun into her lap as inconspicuously as possible.  The poker game ensued. Don made a few mistakes leaving him wide open for Monique to clean up the table.  Olivia started teasing him as they played a few more hands.  Before long, tears streamed down their faces as they snorted and giggled.  It felt good to lose control for a little while with people you loved and trusted. 

Even though Lara was laughing, she couldn’t shake the apprehension that lurked in the corner of her mind.  She hoped that Ben was safe and sound and that the black Mustang was gone.  But as she glanced at her phone, the flashing dot remained.  Underneath the table she sent a text to Officer Simpson.  He’d given her his phone number if anything funny happened and this fit that description.  She figured the squad car would cruise by and spook the Mustang.  Or, at least she hoped that’s what would happen. In the safety of her home, she was behind several reinforced doors, and locks that rivaled the security of a bank vault.