Authors: Mary Hannah; Alford Terri; Alexander Reed
Tags: #Fluffer Nutter, #dpgroup.org
JT reached the edge of his property and turned toward the house he'd just left.
Who exactly had been on the other end of that call to bring such terror to Faith McKenzie's eyes? The way she reacted to his sudden appearance, even after she realized he posed no threat, pointed to someone who didn't know her stalker's identity. If so, then every stranger she met would represent a possible risk.
The detective in him wanted to know what she was hiding in her past. A woman so young didn't move to an isolated town like Hope Island without just cause.
Whatever it was, it has nothing to do with you
, he said to himself. He had offered his help. If she didn't accept it, there wasn't much else he could do.
Still, out of curiosity, JT grabbed his cell phone and called Derek Thomas, his good friend and one of the founding members of Wyatt Securities.
“Hey, I need you to do me a favor,” JT said without bothering to return Derek's hello. “Can you do a background check on someone?”
It wasn't unusual for JT to ask for Derek's help in this manner. After all, he was a computer genius and could uncover anyone's secrets no matter how deeply hidden. “Sure, pal, whatever you need. Who do you want me to check on?”
“Her name is Faith McKenzie. She rented the old Fitzgerald house down the beach from me.”
“I see. What's your concern with her?” He could tell from Derek's tone that he thought it odd JT wanted a background check done on his neighbor.
“I'm not sure.” He briefly filled in his friend on the chase that ensued after he stopped by Faith's place to return her dog to her. “From her over-the-top reaction, I think someone is stalking her and my gut tells me this isn't the first time it's happened, either.”
Six months after his wife's death, JT had left the police force because he couldn't bear the constant reminder of how he'd let Emily down. He'd founded Wyatt Securities along with Derek and another close friend, Teddy Warren. He hadn't been able to help Emily, but he was determined not to let such a tragedy befall another innocent person on this island.
“I want to know what she's hiding. If it's any help, she has a very distinctive Texas accent. She's obviously lived there at some time in her past.”
After a slight hesitation, Derek said, “I'll get started on it right away.”
“Good. What were you up to before I interrupted your evening?” JT could hear the TV in the background.
“Listening to the Weather Channel mostly. There's a tropical storm building strength in the Atlantic.”
JT blew out a sigh. “Yeah, I heard.” The storm in question was all over the radio lately. Every time the Weather Bureau issued a warning, people up and down the coast went on full alert. With everything going on at work, this was the last thing JT needed. If the storm kept gaining strength, he'd have to stockpile necessities and weatherproof the house just in case.
“If it keeps on the path it's on now, the entire East Coast is within its strike zone. Who knows where it'll hit. I'm still praying it will lose strength before it gets close.” Derek paused. “Well, I'd better get a move on. I'll give you a call as soon as I have something on your neighbor.”
“Thanks, buddy. I don't know what I'd do without you.” JT disconnected the call and unlocked the back door. As he stepped inside the house, his cell phone rang again. Liz's number popped up on the caller ID. She worried about him; that's what big sisters did. He touched the ignore button. He would call her back tomorrow. Right now, he couldn't get his mind off the terrified woman down the beach.
Was he simply trying to find redemption for failing Emily by helping a stranger in need? Possibly, yet there was something different about Faith McKenzie.
Get her out of your mind, Wyatt. You have plenty of real concerns in your life to be worried about.
He grabbed his laptop and cleared off enough space at the kitchen table to set up shop, while ignoring the reminders scattered around the house of things he should be doing. Like finishing the drywall in the great room, not to mention getting the cabinets hung in the kitchen so he could finally put dishes away.
Instead, he started brewing a pot of coffee and dove into work. In the security world, business was booming. On average, over the past year, the company had a couple of new clients sign on every month. If things kept growing at this rate, he would need to hire additional staff just to keep up.
JT was halfway through writing a proposal for the global energy firm when Derek called back.
“That was fast.”
As usual, his friend didn't mince words. “It took some doing, but I was able to find a copy of her lease agreement for the house. Since the Fitzgeralds didn't have any living relatives, the county commissioned a real estate agency to sell the house. In the current market, selling a house that size is next to impossible so the agency agreed to put it up for rent, which meant the agreement was on file at county records.” Derek cleared his throat. “Apparently, the leasing agent didn't do a credit check, because the name McKenzie didn't match up with the social security number on the application. That social corresponds to a Faith Davenport who was originally from Oklahoma City, but moved to Austin, Texas when she was a teenager.”
This bit of news wasn't a surprise. “Figures. She changed her name because she's running from someone.”
“Probably,” Derek confirmed. “Her past is sketchy. Parents died when she was ten and she ended up in foster care. She ran away to Texas when she was a teenager. It appears she turned her life around. Finished school and got an accounting degree from the University of Texasâall online. She doesn't appear to have much of a presence online now. I'm still digging. I'll know more soon.”
“Good.”
“So what are you thinking about doing?” Derek asked the expected question. He knew JT well enough to know he hadn't wanted the information just to satisfy his curiosity.
JT stared out the kitchen window. In the darkness, all he could see was his own troubled reflection. “I'm not sure, but if anyone needs our help it's Faith McKenzie.”
TWO
S
omewhere close by, a ringing noise woke Faith from a sound sleep. She had forgotten to turn off her phone.
She sucked in a handful of frightened breaths as the phone continued to shrill. Three more rings followed by dead silence and then the real trepidation set in.
Ollie let out a low growl and moved closer to Faith's side.
“It's okay, boy.” If only that were true, but dread settled on her shoulders like a prickly blanket because she had been here before. This was the third call. At this point in the past, she'd be tossing everything she owned into the back of her car and running before he had the chance to make his next move. Only this time he'd changed the game. He'd sent her roses already. So why was he stepping up the threats now, after two years?
An eternity passed before her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Over the staccato beat of her heart, she heard it. The sound of a car's engine. Someone was outside.
Panic pumped adrenaline through her body, propelling her out of bed. She clutched Ollie close and tiptoed over to the window. Her bedroom faced the ocean instead of the driveway. She could see headlights shining off the side of the house and out toward the water.
She didn't know what to do. She'd stopped trusting the cops long ago. The Austin police hadn't believed her when she'd first reported the calls to the detectives handling her case. They'd all but accused her of making the whole thing up to get attention. Or worse.
Faith crept downstairs with Ollie tucked under her arm. She didn't dare turn on any lights. She had practiced getting around the house without them many times.
When she reached the great room, she inched the drapes apart. A pickup truck sat motionless in her driveway. Lights turned on bright. The engine revved up. It sounded as if the person inside had the gas pedal all the way to the floor.
Faith groped her way over to where she'd left JT's business card. Using the light from her phone, she called the cell number listed there. After the third ring, he picked up. At the husky sound of his voice she let go of the breath she'd been holding.
“JT Wyatt.” Too late, she wondered if she might have awakened him from a sound sleep.
“I'm sorry to call so late, but I didn't know what else to do. There's someone outside my house.” Panic infused its way into every syllable she spoke.
“I'm on my way. Where are you?” He didn't hesitate to offer his help.
“I'm in the great room.”
“Good. Stay there and don't open the door until you hear me call out to you.”
The phone went silent. He hadn't waited for her answer, but it didn't matter. Just knowing he was on his way was a tremendous relief.
She double-checked the front door to make sure it was securely locked and then went back to the great room, expecting the showdown she had known was coming since that night two years ago.
* * *
JT shoved the phone back into his pocket and raced toward Faith's house. He'd been down the beach from her place when the call came in. After tossing and turning most of the night, he'd finally abandoned sleep altogether around four a.m. It was still dark outside when he'd decided to take a walk, mostly because there were too many questions running through his head. He'd begun working the details of her case from the minute he met her. Saw the terror in her eyes, the way she reacted to him. Added to that were the clues he'd seen lying around her house, and there'd been plenty. She'd gone for overkill with three locks on both doors. A state-of-the-art security system, stun gun, enough pepper spray to stop a small army.
All those things pointed to someone who had gotten good at being on the run. Faith McKenzie was in big trouble. The kind of trouble that didn't go away on its own, but convincing her to let him help her wasn't going to be easy. She was about as closed up emotionally as anyone he'd ever seen.
When he reached the edge of her property, he clicked off the flashlight he'd brought with him and stopped long enough to listen for any unusual noises. He could hear a truck engine coming from the front of her house. JT circled around to the drive. The truck's headlights bounced off the side of the house and JT ducked behind a nearby shrub. The driver didn't appear concerned about all the noise he was making, which told JT he'd done his homework. The closest house to Faith's was his and he was a quarter mile down the beach. Far enough away for the noise from the ocean to drown out the sound of the truck.
JT couldn't see the driver. It took him only a second to realize why. The windows of the truck had been tinted dark and there didn't appear to be any dash lights on. Someone had deliberately disconnected them to prevent anyone from seeing inside the truck.
JT counted to three, drew the Glock he carried in his jacket pocket and then stepped out from behind his cover. The vehicle didn't move. The engine kept on revving.
“Get out of the truck. Now,” he shouted but the driver ignored his command. Something was definitely off. JT skirted around the back of the truck to the driver's side and knocked on the window. Nothing. He tried the door and it opened without effort. There was no one inside. Someone had placed a brick on the accelerator pedal to ensure that the engine ran at full throttle.
JT reached inside and turned off the ignition and the truck coughed to a sputtering death. Why had someone left it idling in her driveway?
The hair on the back of JT's neck suddenly stood up with the realization that this had been a setup. Whoever did this was deliberately trying to lure Faith outside. They'd probably been watching her movements for a while.
The headlights would provide enough light for the person to see that JT wasn't Faith, which meant...JT slammed the door shut and charged for the cover of the shrubs as the first barrage of bullets split the silence.
He counted off five rapid rounds from what sounded like an AK-47. The bullets kicked up dirt and bits of gravel. He could feel them pepper his back and legs. He dove for the closest bush as another barrage of bullets flew past his body. A couple hit the side of the house and lodged in the siding.
JT crouched low to the ground and scrambled toward the back of the house while the shooter continued to fire. He made it to the back deck and inched up onto the porch out of the shooter's line of sight. Faith was in the great room located in the front of the house. He'd told her not to open the door until he called out. With the noise of the ocean and the steady repeat of gunfire, she'd never hear him.
He grabbed his phone and hit Redial.
She answered right away. “JT, what's going on? I heard gunshots. Are you okay?”
He drew much-needed air into his lungs before answering, “I'm okay for now but I'm at the back of the house. I need you to get to the door and unlock it as soon as you can. Hurry, Faith, I'm not sure if he followed me.”
JT rushed to the back door. If his assailant came after him now, he wouldn't stand a chance.
“I'm almost there now,” she said.
His heartbeat ticked off every second before he heard her fumbling with the locks and then the door opened. She turned on the light switch. Nothing happened. Someone had flipped off the breakers.
JT locked the door, shoved the Glock back into his pocket and grabbed Faith's arm. He headed for the one room without windows he remembered from his childhood, a small laundry room off the kitchen. Once they were both inside, he shut the door and pushed a couple of heavy boxes in front of it.
“What happened out there? Who was in the truck?” Faith's questions tumbled out, her eyes wide with fear.
JT didn't answer right away. He listened for a second and heard nothing but silence outside. The gunshots had stopped. “That's just it, there was no one in the truck. It sounded like the shots came from the outcropping of trees across the road. He cut the power to the house trying to draw you out.” A muscle ticked in his jaw. “However, what he wasn't expecting was me. We need to call the police right away. We're sitting ducks and he could still be out there.”
Before he could say anything more, she was busily shaking her head. “No. No police, I don't trust them.”
JT watched her for a second. Even though she hadn't said as much, it was easy to read between the lines. She had gone to the cops for help in the beginning and they'd let her down.
He tried to soften his tone. “If he comes after us with that kind of firepower, I don't know if I can keep you alive. We have to call the police. Let me do this, Faith.”
A handful of tension-filled seconds passed before she finally agreed.
He grabbed his phone and called the number of one of his closest friends and the chief of police for Hope Island.
“What's wrong?” Chief Will Kelly didn't bother with hello. JT wouldn't be calling at six in the morning unless it was urgent.
“I'm at the old Fitzgerald place with the new tenant. Someone is shooting at us with a high-powered weapon. He's taken out the power to the place, Will. I don't know if he's still there or if he's acting alone. We need help ASAP.”
A split second later, he heard Will bark out instructions to the police dispatcher. “Terry, shots fired at 21 Ocean Way. There are two people inside the old Fitzgerald house. We don't know if the gunman is still on the premises. We need whoever's on duty now over there right away. Let them know they may be walking into an ambush. Vests on and everyone watch their backs...”
He came back to JT after he finished putting the order in motion. “Help is en route. Dispatcher Terry Hendricks says that Samuels and Kennedy are five minutes out. Hang in there, I'm on my way as well. The first patrol cars should be there any minute. Just stay put until reinforcements get there.”
No sooner had he disconnected the call than a siren blared in the distance.
Within a matter of minutes, the first patrol car descended on the house. JT had no doubt the person doing the shooting would be in the wind by now.
He moved the boxes away from the door and they crept out to the dark kitchen. Police lights strobed the side of the house. Seconds later, the whole outside was lit up as bright as daylight and the team began to scour the area for the shooter.
Someone knocked loudly on the door and JT turned on the flashlight and went to the front of the house with Faith following close behind, clutching the dog. He opened the door to find Will and two uniformed officers standing there. Will ducked his head as he entered the house. At almost six-nine, this action had obviously become second nature for him.
His friend combed back a stray lock of bright-red hair and shook JT's hand. “Sounds like you two have had a bit of excitement this morning.”
“That's putting it mildly,” JT said as he stepped aside and the three men came inside. “Will, this is Faith McKenzie. She's renting the house. Faith, this is Chief Will Kelly.”
The chief of police held out his hand. “It's nice to meet you, Faith.” After only the slightest hesitation, she took it. Will turned to the two uniformed officers. “Take a look around back. See if anything has been disturbed. Be careful.”
“Thank you for coming so quickly, Chief Kelly,” Faith said.
“It's Will, and you're welcome. We have officers searching for the shooter and forensics will be here shortly to examine the truck. In the meantime, I'll need to ask you both some questions, starting with what exactly took place here this morning.”
* * *
The reality of what had happened struck Faith like a blow. This wasn't just a matter of overreacting. Jumping at shadows. The threat had been all too real, and it had almost had very deadly consequences.
Now, with both men staring at her, waiting for answers, she wasn't so sure she could go through with it. What if they didn't believe her or thought she was involved, as the Austin police had?
“I don't think I can do this,” she whispered to JT.
He reached for her hand and held on to it. “Yes, you can. I promise you can. I'll be right here with you through it all. Will and I aren't going to let anything bad happen to you, Faith.”
“You can't make that promise.”
JT turned to Will. “Can you give us a moment?”
Chief Kelly glanced from one to the other before finally agreeing. “Sure. I'll just go check on the progress outside.”
JT waited until they were alone. “You've been through a lot tonight. You need a second to gather your thoughts. Why don't we go to the great room and sit for a little while?”
She readily agreed because she desperately needed to soothe her frayed nerves.
JT turned on his flashlight once more and she followed him inside and closed the door. The room appeared eerie as the flashlight's beam leaped along the walls.
They sat together on the sofa without saying a word. When JT turned off the light the room was plunged into darkness, but that was okay because he was there with her, holding her hand. For the first time in a long time, she felt safe.
For just a little while, she wanted to be still. Calm the storm roiling inside. She wanted the world around her to stop spinning out of control. Wanted the nightmare to end.
JT touched her arm. “You're shivering.” He turned in his seat to see her better. “It
is
cold in here.”
He started to untangle his hand from hers but she held on tighter. “No, please don't go. I really don't want to be alone.”
“I'm not going anywhere. I'm just going to make a fire to take the chill away.” She let go of his hand and he clicked the flashlight and got to his feet. JT crumpled some old newspaper in the fireplace for kindling and then stacked wood on top. Within seconds after lighting the kindling, the fire was burning in the grate and the room became bathed in its warm glow.
He sat down next to her once more. “I need you to listen to me.” The gentleness in his tone forced her to do as he asked. “I know you're scared, but we have to know what's going on here if we're going to help you. Thisâwhatever it isâhas gone way beyond what you can control on your own any longer. I need you to trust me, Faith.”