Seeking Safety by Karen Ward

He is going to have to toughen up to make it in his
world. He won't have a sissy for a son!
    He finally spots the car that is almost
completely buried in a snow drift. His heart is pounding with
anticipation. Grinning now, he quietly approaches the car and
brushes away the loose snow peering through the windows. What?
Where is the bitch? Where could they have gone? He jerks open the
driver's door. She's not here! Looking around the area he doesn't
see any tracks other than his own in the new snow. Damn! That means
they left the area before the snow fell last night. Surely he
hasn't come all this way to lose them now. Where could they be?
    Then he sees smoke rising from a house in the
distance beyond the horizon. She must be over at the house across
the pasture. Yeah, that's it. She saw the smoke and walked over to
that house. That is the only logical explanation.
    He will wait until dark and then go collect
what's his. He'll get one of the members from the area to help him,
just in case whoever lives in the house is watching for him.
Heading back toward his truck he lines out his plan in his
head.
    ******
    Later that same morning Barry calls the
Murray's to update them on the situation. He asks them to pick up
some warm clothes for Melanie and Eric at the mercantile in town.
He tells them to call when they get back from town and he will pick
up their purchases.
    When he goes to the Rocking J to pick up the
clothes, he takes Virginia with him to stay until the danger is
over. Scoot accompanies them and briefs all of the men at the
Rocking J Ranch on the situation and their plans. Scoot and the
other members of the Drake Security team helped Jacob Murray
uncover evidence for Barry's murder trial so they are well
acquainted.
    Scoot tells the Murrays they are hoping to
capture or kill Darren Calloway. Information from their sources
within the organization indicates he is traveling alone. He warns
the Murrays to stay on their toes and be aware of anything unusual
on their property.
    While Scoot and Barry are at the Rocking J
Ranch, Pinky and Goose head out across the pasture to where
Melanie's car was abandoned. Stump stays at the house to protect
Melanie and Eric. When Pinky and Goose see the new footprints in
the snow they know Calloway is in the area. They didn't find any
tracks from any type of vehicle or prints leading back toward the
house. All they can do is wait and watch. Covering their own tracks
they make their way back to Barry's house to inform the others.
    ******
    While he is waiting for darkness to arrive,
Darren Calloway scouts the area around his target. When he locates
the front gate of the ranch that is his target, he is shocked at
the number of cars parked along the road and the number men with
cameras standing around talking to each other. Hmmmm, ever who
lives in that house must be famous. Oh well, too bad for them. They
shouldn't have interfered in his business! He takes care not to
draw attention to himself as he passes by the group of
reporters.
    The presence of the reporters at the front
gate means he and the guys will have to approach the house from
across the pasture where Melanie left the car. He certainly doesn't
want their pictures showing up in any of those tabloid magazines.
He seriously doubts he'll be able get Melanie and Eric back without
killing somebody.
    ******
    After Barry returns from the Rocking J Ranch
with the new clothes, I take Eric into the bathroom where I plan to
give him a good scrubbing in the huge marble bathtub. I can't help
but smile when I watch Eric's amazement at the water pouring into
the tub. I keep forgetting that this is all new to him. He has
never seen electric lights, or running water. He is shocked at how
warm the water is without heating it on the stove.
    "Mom, how did you do that? How did you make
the water hot without heating it on a stove?"
    Laughing, "Well, somewhere in this house is a
big tank that has the water in it. The tank has electricity to it
that keeps