message for her to call or text him. But he didn’t think she would even if she got the message. That feeling in his gut worsened.
Not to mention, what if that guy really had been after Rachel? Seth didn’t think so, but it was possible. Now she was out there alone. All the guy had to do was wait and keep a watchful eye on the door and he would have her.
Seth needed to find her. Now.
#
Rachel stopped at her favorite little cafe after she rode the metro to the station near her townhouse. Normally she spent a few hours here on Friday afternoon enjoying a nice cup of tea and a sandwich or soup. When the weather was pleasant —like today— she generally sat outside at one of the tables near the sidewalk. She would grade papers, or read, or work on her dissertation.
Not today. She’d tried, but everything she looked at just brought up a picture of Seth’s face in her mind. Most of it good: him diving at the man with the gun, rescuing her from the elevator, kissing her. But it was all bad because he’d done it for his job.
She got up from the table and put her items back in her bag. She saw that she had a missed call and message, but ignored it. She would just go home. Take a nap. Bury herself under the covers and simply not think about anything that was happening.
Her townhouse was only a few blocks away. She tried to enjoy the sun while she walked. Any other day she would have. Any other day she would have been quoting Joseph Addison.
What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity…
But today she just couldn’t quote anyone.
As she walked up to the steps of her doorway, Rachel realized that something was wrong. Her door was ajar.
Just like her office door had been.
Thanks to the money her parents had left her when they passed away, Rachel had been able to afford this small townhouse within the D.C. metro limits. It wasn’t the best neighborhood, but it certainly wasn’t crime-ridden.
Because she lived alone, Rachel was always very sure to double-check her locks. She had when she’d left this morning too.
Rachel backed down the stairs. She didn’t want to go inside in case the man with the gun was in there again. The guy must really be confused to still think she worked in the computer science department.
She needed to call the police. Do something. Not just sit here on her front steps.
She put her bag on the ground to dig her phone out. Two men across the street caught her attention. They were big, bulky, but she couldn’t make out their features. Why were they watching her? She took a step back.
A hand on her shoulder caused her to jump and let out a little screech.
“Easy there, sweetheart. It’s just me.”
Seth.
She turned toward him, and grabbed the front of his black t-shirt —he had changed out of his janitor uniform— unable to get words out.
“What’s wrong?” One look at her face and he immediately pulled her closer. “Rachel, what’s happened?”
“My h-house,” she finally stammered out. “The door…”
He sped up the steps to her front door, pulling her behind him. When he saw the door was open he reached behind him with his arm, wrapping her to his back.
“Was it open when you got here?”
“Yes.” She nodded even though she knew he couldn’t see her. “Just like my office.”
Seth reached down and pulled the gun from his ankle holster like he had in the break room. He didn’t let go of her, and she grabbed on to the back of his shirt this time as he took a few steps inside.
She heard his muttered curse when he saw the state of her house. Everything had been gutted or toppled over in a search for something.
A microchip if Rachel had to make an educated guess.
“Stay right here,” Seth said. “I’m going to check the rest of the house. Make sure there’s no one here.”
Rachel nodded. She looked out the door for the men who had been watching from across the street, but they were gone now. Maybe they hadn’t been watching her at all.
A
Not to mention, what if that guy really had been after Rachel? Seth didn’t think so, but it was possible. Now she was out there alone. All the guy had to do was wait and keep a watchful eye on the door and he would have her.
Seth needed to find her. Now.
#
Rachel stopped at her favorite little cafe after she rode the metro to the station near her townhouse. Normally she spent a few hours here on Friday afternoon enjoying a nice cup of tea and a sandwich or soup. When the weather was pleasant —like today— she generally sat outside at one of the tables near the sidewalk. She would grade papers, or read, or work on her dissertation.
Not today. She’d tried, but everything she looked at just brought up a picture of Seth’s face in her mind. Most of it good: him diving at the man with the gun, rescuing her from the elevator, kissing her. But it was all bad because he’d done it for his job.
She got up from the table and put her items back in her bag. She saw that she had a missed call and message, but ignored it. She would just go home. Take a nap. Bury herself under the covers and simply not think about anything that was happening.
Her townhouse was only a few blocks away. She tried to enjoy the sun while she walked. Any other day she would have. Any other day she would have been quoting Joseph Addison.
What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity…
But today she just couldn’t quote anyone.
As she walked up to the steps of her doorway, Rachel realized that something was wrong. Her door was ajar.
Just like her office door had been.
Thanks to the money her parents had left her when they passed away, Rachel had been able to afford this small townhouse within the D.C. metro limits. It wasn’t the best neighborhood, but it certainly wasn’t crime-ridden.
Because she lived alone, Rachel was always very sure to double-check her locks. She had when she’d left this morning too.
Rachel backed down the stairs. She didn’t want to go inside in case the man with the gun was in there again. The guy must really be confused to still think she worked in the computer science department.
She needed to call the police. Do something. Not just sit here on her front steps.
She put her bag on the ground to dig her phone out. Two men across the street caught her attention. They were big, bulky, but she couldn’t make out their features. Why were they watching her? She took a step back.
A hand on her shoulder caused her to jump and let out a little screech.
“Easy there, sweetheart. It’s just me.”
Seth.
She turned toward him, and grabbed the front of his black t-shirt —he had changed out of his janitor uniform— unable to get words out.
“What’s wrong?” One look at her face and he immediately pulled her closer. “Rachel, what’s happened?”
“My h-house,” she finally stammered out. “The door…”
He sped up the steps to her front door, pulling her behind him. When he saw the door was open he reached behind him with his arm, wrapping her to his back.
“Was it open when you got here?”
“Yes.” She nodded even though she knew he couldn’t see her. “Just like my office.”
Seth reached down and pulled the gun from his ankle holster like he had in the break room. He didn’t let go of her, and she grabbed on to the back of his shirt this time as he took a few steps inside.
She heard his muttered curse when he saw the state of her house. Everything had been gutted or toppled over in a search for something.
A microchip if Rachel had to make an educated guess.
“Stay right here,” Seth said. “I’m going to check the rest of the house. Make sure there’s no one here.”
Rachel nodded. She looked out the door for the men who had been watching from across the street, but they were gone now. Maybe they hadn’t been watching her at all.
A
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