did.”
“They must have removed it from the server,” she murmured. Jackie rubbed her face and slapped her cheeks. She needed sleep. How long had she been awake anyway? “This is serious stuff, Ian. We’re going to need help. Holly and Lucy might be in serious danger.” The thought terrified her.
Ian swallowed hard and turned to stare at the television. Finally, he looked at her. “Not the cops, not yet. I may not have a choice soon, but I want to find out who’s setting me up like this and get as much evidence as I can before I have to turn myself in—or get caught. But you’re right. I need to know that Holly and Lucy are okay.”
“Then let me call my friends,” she pleaded.
He sighed and palmed his eyes before his shoulders drooped and he gave a hesitant nod. “Is there one person you trust above all else? Someone who would keep his mouth shut while helping?”
She thought for a moment, then gave a small nod. “Ron.”
“Why him?”
“Because he has a passion for helping the underdog and he’s not afraid to do whatever it takes to do so.” She shook her head. “And I’d say you’re—we’re—definitely the underdogs here.”
Ian drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes. Was he praying?
“Ian, think about Holly, think about if these people know who and where she is. There’s no telling what they’ll do.” Shetried to keep the rising panic at bay. Unsuspecting Holly. Whose sunny disposition and trusting attitude meant anyone would be able to take advantage of her. Trick her. Deceive her. Kill her. And her daughter. “Ian?”
A full sixty seconds later, he looked at her and nodded. “Okay. Call him.”
A sound at the door made them both jump. Jackie reached for her weapon, but Ian waved her down. “It’s probably just Gus.”
She didn’t let herself relax until she peered out the window to see the dog sitting at the door, waiting. She opened the door and he walked inside like he owned the place. He went straight to the kitchen and sat in front of the sink.
“He’s thirsty,” Ian said and went to rummage for a bowl.
“Probably hungry too. Check the deep freeze and see if there’s some deer meat. My uncle is a hunter and keeps the place stocked, so I’m sure there’s something.”
While Ian readied the food for the dog, she took the phone they’d purchased at the gas station and dialed Ron’s number. He answered on the second ring. “Hello?”
“It’s Jackie.”
“Jackie,” Ron’s deep voice rumbled in her ear. She caught the relief in the sigh that filtered through the line. “Thank goodness. Are you okay?”
“For now.”
“Where are you?”
“At a little place in the mountains.” She didn’t want to be too specific in case someone was listening in. But Ron would know where she meant.
“The mountains, huh? Glad you made it there. Everyone’s worried about you. Care to explain why your face is on the news and why people are saying you’re associating with a terrorist? The media’s camped out at the office and the feds arequestioning David and Summer and everyone else they can get their hands on.”
She winced. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t plan on that happening.”
“I’m guessing you didn’t plan on any of this happening.”
He had that right. “I don’t have time to go into the whole story right now, but we need your help.”
“We?”
“I have a friend with me.”
“Is he guilty?”
She sighed and studied the man she’d known so well once upon a time. “I don’t think so.”
“You don’t think?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re giving him the benefit of the doubt.”
“Right.”
A slight pause. “Did you have anything to do with the man who was shot and killed at a little gas station off 85?”
“What? No. Who was killed?”
“He hasn’t been identified yet. Clean your gun if you used it.”
“Ron, come on.” She frowned as though he could see her. “I’m telling you I didn’t. I don’t know anything about anyone
“They must have removed it from the server,” she murmured. Jackie rubbed her face and slapped her cheeks. She needed sleep. How long had she been awake anyway? “This is serious stuff, Ian. We’re going to need help. Holly and Lucy might be in serious danger.” The thought terrified her.
Ian swallowed hard and turned to stare at the television. Finally, he looked at her. “Not the cops, not yet. I may not have a choice soon, but I want to find out who’s setting me up like this and get as much evidence as I can before I have to turn myself in—or get caught. But you’re right. I need to know that Holly and Lucy are okay.”
“Then let me call my friends,” she pleaded.
He sighed and palmed his eyes before his shoulders drooped and he gave a hesitant nod. “Is there one person you trust above all else? Someone who would keep his mouth shut while helping?”
She thought for a moment, then gave a small nod. “Ron.”
“Why him?”
“Because he has a passion for helping the underdog and he’s not afraid to do whatever it takes to do so.” She shook her head. “And I’d say you’re—we’re—definitely the underdogs here.”
Ian drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes. Was he praying?
“Ian, think about Holly, think about if these people know who and where she is. There’s no telling what they’ll do.” Shetried to keep the rising panic at bay. Unsuspecting Holly. Whose sunny disposition and trusting attitude meant anyone would be able to take advantage of her. Trick her. Deceive her. Kill her. And her daughter. “Ian?”
A full sixty seconds later, he looked at her and nodded. “Okay. Call him.”
A sound at the door made them both jump. Jackie reached for her weapon, but Ian waved her down. “It’s probably just Gus.”
She didn’t let herself relax until she peered out the window to see the dog sitting at the door, waiting. She opened the door and he walked inside like he owned the place. He went straight to the kitchen and sat in front of the sink.
“He’s thirsty,” Ian said and went to rummage for a bowl.
“Probably hungry too. Check the deep freeze and see if there’s some deer meat. My uncle is a hunter and keeps the place stocked, so I’m sure there’s something.”
While Ian readied the food for the dog, she took the phone they’d purchased at the gas station and dialed Ron’s number. He answered on the second ring. “Hello?”
“It’s Jackie.”
“Jackie,” Ron’s deep voice rumbled in her ear. She caught the relief in the sigh that filtered through the line. “Thank goodness. Are you okay?”
“For now.”
“Where are you?”
“At a little place in the mountains.” She didn’t want to be too specific in case someone was listening in. But Ron would know where she meant.
“The mountains, huh? Glad you made it there. Everyone’s worried about you. Care to explain why your face is on the news and why people are saying you’re associating with a terrorist? The media’s camped out at the office and the feds arequestioning David and Summer and everyone else they can get their hands on.”
She winced. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t plan on that happening.”
“I’m guessing you didn’t plan on any of this happening.”
He had that right. “I don’t have time to go into the whole story right now, but we need your help.”
“We?”
“I have a friend with me.”
“Is he guilty?”
She sighed and studied the man she’d known so well once upon a time. “I don’t think so.”
“You don’t think?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re giving him the benefit of the doubt.”
“Right.”
A slight pause. “Did you have anything to do with the man who was shot and killed at a little gas station off 85?”
“What? No. Who was killed?”
“He hasn’t been identified yet. Clean your gun if you used it.”
“Ron, come on.” She frowned as though he could see her. “I’m telling you I didn’t. I don’t know anything about anyone
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