Rock Harbor Series - 03 - Into the Deep (27 page)

Lauri gave it only a cursory glance before tossing it to the coffee table in front of her. “You know I don’t want to give my baby to just anyone, Kade! I want it to be someone local.”

“That’s nuts though, Lauri! Do you think the adoptive parents are going to be okay with you just dropping in to check on how they’re raising your baby? Once you sign those papers, you have no rights.”

“I wasn’t going to just drop in,” she said, plucking at her hair in a sulky manner. “But I’d see the kid around town. I’d know if it was okay.”

“You’ve got to trust God in this, kiddo. These would be good Christian folks, people who are desperately longing for a baby. You could be an answer to their prayers.”

“No!” She stood and went to stare out the window.

Her arms crossed over her chest, the rigidity in her stance told Kade not to push too hard. What could he do? She wouldn’t let him help her make the decision. “You have to decide something, Lauri. The baby will be here in four months. That’s not a lot of time to find someone.”

“If I don’t find someone, I’ll just keep it.” She turned then, tears shimmering in her blue eyes.

A wave of love swept over Kade. She was his baby sister, the one he’d always protected. Yet now he couldn’t save her from the consequences of poor choices she’d made. But if she kept the baby, he would be paying the price right along with her. He’d do it willingly, but he was sure she’d never calculated the cost to him.

“I see,” he said. “You haven’t even discussed this with me, Lauri. This is something we should decide together, since I’d be the one supporting you both.”

“Oh, it’s all about money now, is it?” She flung her blond hair away from her face.

“No, it’s not about money,” he snapped. “It’s about responsibility and maturity. You’re seventeen. Who do you think is going to watch the baby while you go back to school? Who is going to buy it clothes and diapers and formula? Not you. It would be me. And I’m not saying I would be unwilling to do it. But don’t you think you should be discussing this with me and not assuming good old Kade will just step and do what you want?”

Anger flared in her eyes. “I can do it myself,” she shouted. “I don’t have to go back to school. I’ll keep my job at The Coffee Place and take care of the baby myself.”

“With what?” Kade wanted to throttle her. She had no idea of the work or cost of maintaining a household or raising a child. She was scarcely more than a child herself. “You couldn’t afford rent on your
wages, let alone diapers and formula. And child care. It’s expensive. I suppose you could just go on welfare and let the state support you while you have baby after baby.”

Too late he realized he’d gone too far. Her face blanched, and tears pooled in her eyes and ran down her cheeks.

“Is that what you think of me?” she whispered.

He wanted to apologize, but the words lodged in his throat like a fishhook.

“You think I’m so stupid I’d do this again? I’ll never get in this kind of trouble again! If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s boys aren’t to be trusted. They want only one thing, and once you give it to them, they disappear.”

Kade winced at the bitterness in her words. He wanted the best for her—college, a husband and family someday. But her cynicism would have to go. “I’m sorry,” he finally managed. “I didn’t mean that. I know you better than that. But you’re not making sense, Lauri. A baby isn’t some doll you can just pick up and put down when you please. Children are a lot of work. I heard you laughing and giggling with your friends. That would be gone if you had a baby to care for. You’d be talking about the best baby food and the new tooth the baby just grew, and they’d still be laughing about the prom and the hottest boy in school. You would soon find you had nothing in common.”

“Well, stab me in the heart,” Lauri said, with a dramatic wave of her hand. “But I don’t have much choice, now do I?”

“I brought you a choice,” he said pointing to the brochure.

“That’s no choice at all. I have to find someone local.”

Seeing the obstinate expression on her face, Kade knew it was her way or not at all. He was just going to have to find an adoptive family here in Rock Harbor.

21

C
assie put her book down and glanced at the alarm clock. It was only ten, but she was too tired to read any longer. A lake shower had blown in early, and she’d thought to sleep well tonight. It was over now, and the fresh scent of wet pine wafted in her open window. It should have made her sleepy, but it didn’t. She was too keyed up about the family dinner today.

She turned out the light, then rolled over and punched her pillow. The moonlight on the trees outside cast moving shadows on her wall, and she wished she’d opted for blinds. Out here in the boonies, she hadn’t thought she would need to totally shutter the windows, but since the explosion at the lab, she felt open and vulnerable.

She was exhausted but her mind raced. She tossed and turned for what seemed like forever, but another glance at the clock told her it was only ten thirty. Maybe a cup of herbal tea would help her sleep. The thought of getting out of bed wasn’t appealing though.

A shadow flitted across her wall and vanished. She raised her head and stared. What was that? She listened. The wind had picked up and now whistled through the eaves and moaned through the pines in the backyard. The shadow moved again, and she saw the clear outline of a figure. It looked like he was carrying a gun. Bubbles lifted her head and growled.

She tried to call out to Salome but no words came, just a strangled sound. Rolling off her bed, Cassie crept to the window and peeked out. There he was, outlined against the shed, a hat pulled low over his head and a rifle under his arm. He was staring at the house, but
thankfully not at her window. His attention seemed to be on the back door.

Cassie sank back to the floor, pressing her face against the cool wood. Her heart thudded against the floor and she could feel the reverberations against her cheek. She crawled to the phone and dialed 911. The line was busy. Bree. She’d come. Just as she dialed the number, she heard the glass in the patio door shatter, and Bubbles began to bark.

Bree answered, and Cassie whispered into the phone. “Come quick; someone’s in the house.” She slammed down the phone and turned off her light. Racing down the hall, she saw Salome in the kitchen putting a tea bag into a cup of hot water.

“Hide!” she screamed. A boot kicked out the rest of the glass, and the man started to move through the shattered door. She caught a glimpse of Salome’s terrified face as Cassie dove for the light switch and flipped it off. They both slipped into the pantry.

The scent of flour and packaged goods mingled with the sharp tang of fear. Salome’s breath came in gasps. He had to hear them. Cassie slipped her hand along the wall, and her fingers closed around the broom.

“Stand back,” she whispered to Salome. Her friend shuffled away. Cassie took a step back and brought the broom up like a bat. Straining, she could hear the man banging into the counter then a bar stool. Bubbles was barking as though she’d like to bite him, and Cassie found herself praying the dog would find the courage to take a hunk out of his leg. Then the man swore and the dog yelped.

She had to take the offensive. It was only a matter of time before he found them. Though she was shaking, Cassie swung open the pantry door and leaped into the room with a yell. She brought the broom down on the man’s head, and then whacked him in the stomach as he reeled back. He swore again and yanked the broom from her hands.

“Salome, run!” She yanked her friend from the closet and propelled her down the hall and out the broken door. Broken glass bit into her bare feet.

The man let loose with a string of profanity and started after them.

“The shed,” Cassie whispered hoarsely. Salome ran toward it, and Cassie looked around for a weapon. Spying a broken branch, she snatched it up. Her bare feet slid on the wet grass, and she almost fell.

“Get in here!” Salome whispered.

“No, I want to see who it is.” Cassie crouched behind the water fountain at the corner of the deck. She could hear the man’s boots crunching over the broken glass as he stumbled to the door, then through it. The moon slid behind the clouds, and the backyard plunged into deeper shadows.

Just as he reached the deck steps, the moon came out again, and Cassie realized he was indeed holding a gun. Her stick would be no match for his weapon. The rough bark cut into the soft flesh of her hands, only used to holding Petri dishes and fine tuning microscopes. Her feet throbbed.

A tickle built in her nose, and she struggled to contain it. Her eyes watered with the effort, but a tiny sneeze escaped. The man whirled toward her and fired.

As Bree sped toward Cassie’s house, she realized she’d come to care more for Cassie than she realized. The young woman had crept into her heart when she wasn’t looking, in spite of the strain of today’s dinner. Bree prayed for God to protect Cassie and Salome. Bargaining with God wasn’t a good idea, but she asked him to give her a chance to get to know Cassie better.

Having called Mason and dropped Davy off at the safety of Anu’s, Bree turned onto Cassie’s street. A sheriff’s car, lights and sirens going, zipped past her. She applied more force to the accelerator and sped after them. She pulled up behind Mason and jumped out, taking time to let Charley out as well. Mason and his deputy had their guns out.

“Sheriff’s office, open up!” Deputy Montgomery shouted. He pounded on the door. No one came, but Bubbles was barking fero
ciously. “I’ll go around back.” His belly jiggling, he jogged around the side of the house.

“I’m scared for them, Mason,” Bree whispered.

“Maybe she and Salome are hiding from the intruder.” Mason tried the door, but it refused to budge.

Shouts echoed from the back. Bree and Mason turned and raced to the backyard. Salome, dressed in pajamas and slippers, was sobbing against Montgomery’s chest.

“Where’s Cassie?” In the face of Salome’s hysteria, Bree was almost afraid to hear the answer.

“I don’t know. She ran into the woods.” Salome was sobbing so hard it was difficult to understand her. She turned and pointed. “There. Someone ran after her.”

“Male?”

She nodded. It was too dark to see well, and a hat covered his face, but I heard his voice.”

“Where’s Cassie’s bedroom?” Bree started for the house. “Charley will find her.”

Salome made an obvious effort to collect herself. “I’ll show you.” She gingerly stepped past the broken glass from the patio door. Bubbles greeted them at the door and followed as Salome led Bree down the hall. “This is her room. Mine is on the other side of the house.”

Mason followed them. “When did you become aware there was an intruder?”

“When I heard the glass shatter. I was in the kitchen fixing a cup of tea and heard them smash the patio door. Then Cassie screamed for me to hide. We hid in the closet. I thought I’d faint. Cassie hit him with a broom. He fell, and she yelled for me to run. I ran outside right behind her. She told me to hide in the shed, then she grabbed a big branch and waited for him to come out again. I begged her to hide with me but she wouldn’t.”

“Why not?” Mason asked

“She said she wanted to see who it was. So I got in the shed and
peeked out through the window. She crouched on the ground by the water fountain. When the guy came out, he was holding his gun like he was ready to shoot. I think Cassie sneezed or something because he saw her and fired the gun at her. It hit the fountain and chipped it. She jumped and ran into the woods. He followed her.”

Dread iced Bree’s limbs. “Did you hear any other shots?”

Salome nodded. “Two.”

Bree knelt and put her arm around Charley’s neck. She pointed at a pair of socks lying on the floor. The dog bent his head and delicately sniffed the socks. Bubbles did the same. “Search, Charley!” she told him.

His tail came up, and he began to roam the room. His ears perked. He whined then raced down the hall and out the smashed patio door. Bree ran after him, nearly falling as her shoes slipped on the broken glass.

The dogs raced toward the woods. Bree plunged into the blackness of the thick trees. They would have difficulty tracking with the trees packed so tightly together. She flicked on her halogen flashlight, and the beams pushed back the edges of the darkness. She and the dogs had to slow their pace.

Mason panted by her side. He still had his gun out. “Cassie! It’s Sheriff Kaleva. It’s safe to come out now.”

They heard thrashing off to their right. It grew more distant.

“Maybe a deer,” Mason said.

“Or the intruder running away.” Bree watched Charley. He still had the scent. His tail wagged as he wound his way through the trees. At least Cassie was still alive. Charley was giving off good vibes.

The flashlight beam bounced off rocks and downed trees as they trudged through the cool night. “Cassie!” Bree shouted periodically.

Her flashlight beam touched a rough outcropping of rock, and she saw something move. “Cassie?” She focused the light, and her sister’s face jumped into focus. Bree inhaled and ran forward.

Cassie was on the ground. Blood trickled down the side of her
face from a cut in her hair. “I fell,” she muttered. “But he didn’t find me.”

Bree knelt beside her. “We’d better call for an ambulance.”

“No, no, I’m fine,” Cassie insisted. “Help me up.” She grabbed Bree’s arm and struggled to her feet. “It’s just a scratch. I was thrashing blindly through here and ran into the stupid rock.” She shook her head as if to clear it. “Did you catch him?”

“No, he got away,” Mason said.

“Is Salome okay?”

“She’s fine. Scared, but she’ll be fine,” Bree assured her. “Let’s get you back to the house. You can’t stay there tonight. I have plenty of room in my house.”

“I can stay in a hotel.” Cassie held Bree’s arm and they turned toward the house.

“Absolutely not! You’re my sister, and you’re staying with me.”

Cassie looked at her strangely. “That’s a switch. You’ve acted like you don’t want me around.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. I’ve been a jerk.”