Love Inspired Suspense June 2014 Bundle 1 of 2: Undercover Marriage\Collateral Damage\Forgotten Past (41 page)

Outside, dark gray clouds gathered low on the ocean. A light mist had begun to fall and the waves slammed against the shore with renewed anger.

“Everything okay?” JT leaned in the driver's side window. He knew both officers from his days on the force. Will had chosen two of his best.

“Been quiet out here,” the driver, Officer Samuels, said.

“Good. Let's hope it stays that way. I'm heading home for a little while. I'll stop by later this evening.” Samuels gave him a two-finger salute and JT started back behind the house in the direction of the beach.

The late-October breeze held a touch of the coming winter in it. Most of the tourists had left the island already. Before they knew it, snow would blanket the island and then it would be empty of everyone except the people who called Hope Island home. This was his favorite time of year. No traffic jams. No crowded stores. Just a quiet solitude that helped him slow his chaotic life down and catch up on some simple things he loved doing, like fixing up his house.

JT unlocked the door and barely made it inside when Liz called. He wondered how many times she'd tried to reach him before resorting to calling his home phone. He'd put his cell phone on vibrate so that he could concentrate on what Faith said and now she had his phone. His sister must be going out of her mind with worry. He glanced at his watch. He couldn't believe it was already nine o'clock. The morning had been a blur.

“What, are you spying on me now?” He tried to infuse some humor into his tone.

Liz's laugh sounded halfhearted. “No. I'm just worried. Why aren't you answering your cell?”

Her call didn't surprise him. After all, he'd given her plenty of reason to worry in the past. “I left it at Faith's. I'm fine, so stop worrying.”

“I can't help it, you're still my baby brother. Have you listened to the weather report lately? The hurricane is definitely coming our way. Sam and I are thinking of taking Ellie to his sister's for a few days after we get the house storm proofed. You should come with us.”

He loved his sister's concern, but they both knew he wasn't going with her. “That's a good idea. You go. I can't leave right now.”

“JT...”

“Liz, stop worrying.” Outside, the wind pelted rain against the window.

“Someone tried to kill you today, JT. You don't even know who or what you're dealing with. I have a bad feeling about all this. I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you.”

She was thinking about Emily's death. The two had been best friends most of their lives. Liz had been devastated when Emily died. It had made her cling tighter to her brother.

“I'll be all right. Take Ellie away for a few days and try not to worry about me. When the governor issues the evacuation order, I'll leave the island.” He knew he was wasting his time telling her not to worry.

Liz groaned loudly. “Okay, but you'd better keep in touch. I want to know you're safe.”

He chuckled at his sister's attempt at bullying him. “I promise I'll do my best. I love you, sis. Take care of Sam and Ellie.”

JT hung up the phone and clicked on the TV. The local station had begun advising residents of nearby islands to evacuate.

“The governor is expected to issue evacuation orders for Hatton and Sophia Island soon with orders for Hope Island expected to follow if the storm remains on its current path. The outer edge of Hurricane Tyler should make landfall at Hatton Island sometime late Monday into early Tuesday morning. The storm is expected to reach Hope Island late Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. Here's what you need to do to be prepared...”

They had roughly two days to figure out who wanted Faith dead before they had to evacuate the island.

JT muted the volume and called Will. “You were right. There is more to Faith's story than she initially told us. A lot more.” He ran through the details of what he'd found out about the Jennings murders.

“This puts the case in a completely different league. We're not just dealing with someone who's unhinged. We're facing someone who's unhinged and not afraid to commit murder. Up until this point, he's kept her alive for a reason. We need to figure out what that reason is.”

“Which won't be easy.” JT sighed. With Faith unable to remember crucial pieces of what happened the night of the attack, finding out the identity of the killer would be next to impossible.

“I agree.”

It felt as if the perfect storm was in the works with the hurricane bearing down on them and a killer stalking his prey. The only question was how many casualties there would be once it was all said and done.

“How's Faith holding up?” Will asked.

“Okay, I guess. Considering.” JT hesitated then asked, “Do you have any contacts on the Austin force?”

Will picked up right away on where JT was going with this. “You want me to get the police records of the Jennings case for you.”

“Yes.”

“I'll make it happen somehow,” Will assured him.

“Thanks. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help with this.”

Will's lengthy silence had JT thinking he wasn't going to like what was coming next. “JT, you're my friend and you know I'll do anything to help you, but you understand how serious this is, right? This person is very dangerous and until we know who he is, we're working in the dark. He could be anybody.”

JT understood Will had his best interests at heart. “I realize that, but—”

“Just hear me out for a second,” Will interrupted. “I know how difficult getting through Emily's death was for you, but it doesn't matter how many people you try to save, you can't bring her back.”

JT closed his eyes. Of course, his friend was right. After Emily's death, he'd been plagued by guilt. It had caused him to quit the force completely. He knew if he ever was going to move forward, he had to find a way to deal with the guilt, so he'd formed Wyatt Securities. In a way, he was like Faith. They were both stuck in the past.

“Losing Emily shook your faith in a lot of things—God included—but it's time you forgave yourself. It wasn't your fault.”

JT swallowed back emotions that were always just below the surface whenever he thought about his late wife. “You're wrong. I should have been the one to go into the store that night. I should have been the one who died. Instead, I was tired and didn't want to mess with it.” Nausea roiled in his gut, but he forced the words out. “I let Emily walk into a robbery and I lost my wife because of it. I
need
to do this, Will. I need to feel like I'm helping save someone's life to make up for letting Emily down.”

“And what happens if you can't save Faith? We both know that's a real possibility. What then?”

To that, JT had no answer.

“Is there something more going on between you two?” his friend asked quietly.

The no-holds-barred directness of Will's question prompted JT to examine his motives closely. He couldn't deny he was attracted to Faith, but what he felt for her went beyond a physical fascination. Would it lead to anything? He wasn't sure. Did he want it to? For the first time since Emily's death, he believed he might be ready to move on.

“I'm just trying to help someone in need, but you're right about one thing. I did lose faith in a lot of things, including God. I think He put Faith in my life for a reason. Maybe I need her help as much as she needs mine.”

“All right,” Will said at last. “You know what you're doing. It's just I haven't seen you look at a woman the way you look at Faith in a long time.”

Seconds ticked by while JT tried to deny it and couldn't.

Will chuckled softly. “I guess that answers my question. I'm praying for you. For both of you.”

FIVE

A
n explosion rocketed through the house, rattling windows and shaking the furniture. Faith shot up in bed just as the alarm's siren split the quiet and her heartbeat thudded in her chest.

Was she dreaming? Had the blast been real or part of a dream? As the alarm continued to blare, Faith realized this was no dream. Someone was trying to break into the house.

She hadn't meant to fall asleep. She'd just wanted to rest for a second, but exhaustion had taken over and she'd fallen asleep the second her head hit the pillow with Ollie close by her side.

She glanced around the dark room. The Pug was nowhere in sight and something was terribly wrong. She couldn't breathe.

Faith drew in a handful of deep breaths and started to cough. The air tasted bitter. Acrid. Tears streamed from her eyes. It was impossible to see more than a few feet in front of her as smoke poured into the room.

The house was on fire.

She hurled her body out of bed and kept low to the floor. Faith grabbed the first thing her fingers came in contact with, a scarf lying on the chair near the bed. She wrapped it around her nose and mouth and crawled toward the door.

“Ollie,” Faith called out and choked on the smoke. The closer she got to the door the heavier it became.

Dear God, please don't let us be trapped.

Once she reached the door, she realized she'd left it cracked open. That's how the dog must have gotten out.

“Ollie, where are you?” She wouldn't leave without her beloved pet. He'd been with her through some of the worst moments in her life.

She listened and heard a faint whimpering coming from the landing of the stairs. Ollie...

Before she could call the dog again, she heard it. Glass breaking downstairs. It sounded like it came from the back of the house. She couldn't move, her body frozen with fear. “Please help me. Please don't let me die like this.” She whispered the prayer into the smoke-filled room. As if in answer, Ollie squeezed through the narrow opening in the door and jumped into her arms, licking her face. Faith closed the door as quietly as she could and then crawled underneath the bed.

“Shh,” she whispered against Ollie's ear, and the dog seemed to understand the urgency. He buried his head against her chest.

She could feel the Pug shaking in her arms. Ollie was scared to death. It dawned on her the alarm had stopped blaring. Had he somehow disabled it? She had been so terrified by the fire and so desperate to find Ollie that she hadn't noticed the silence until now. The only noise was the fire and footsteps moving around downstairs.

With her heart beating a frantic pace against her chest, Faith closed her eyes.
Let not your heart be troubled...
She recited her favorite verse over and over in her head. God was in control. No matter what happened, she'd trust Him to see her through this nightmare.

A sense of calm slipped over her. She opened her eyes and listened. A door slammed somewhere downstairs. She could no longer hear the footsteps. The only sound in the house was the fire raging. She knew if she wanted to live, she had to get herself and Ollie out as quickly as possible, before the dense smoke pouring into the room took the choice away from them.

* * *

Without any moonlight and with the rain continuing to fall, the area of beach leading to Faith's place seemed even more isolated than usual. JT had made a judgment call and had chosen to walk back to her house instead of taking the Suburban. He hoped it had been the right move because right now he wasn't so sure. Before he reached the stretch of beach behind Faith's house, he heard it. An explosion. It sounded as if someone had detonated a small bomb.

JT reached for his phone then remembered he'd forgotten Faith's phone at his house.

He sprinted toward the now-burning house, his heartbeat mirroring his footsteps. The entire kitchen area appeared to be missing. Flames licked out through a gaping hole.

The fire had rendered the back of the house inaccessible. He skirted the side and cleared the top step of the porch in a single move.

“Faith.” He called out her name as he tried the front door and found it unlocked. The second he opened it, smoke blasted him. He choked and covered his mouth with his arm. He could hardly see anything as he entered the house.

“Faith!” The fire had completely engulfed the kitchen by now, and time was running out. He frantically searched the rooms downstairs, all the while shouting out her name. He'd started up the stairs when he heard it. A whimpering sound. He stopped and listened. Ollie. It was coming from Faith's bedroom.

JT took the steps two at a time. “Faith!”

“I'm in here,” she called out. JT raced for the door just as she opened it.

“Come on. We have to get out of here now.” He hurried back down the stairs with Faith following close behind him. So far, the fire seemed confined to the kitchen and laundry area.

They reached the front door and he cracked it and stopped. “Stay here until I make sure he's not out there waiting for us.”

He stepped outside and drew his weapon. He said a quick prayer and left the porch. JT glanced around the area. It was pitch-black and the rain made it next to impossible to see anything. If the killer were still on the property, they'd be sitting ducks, but he had to get Faith out of the house before the whole place went up in flames.

Why hadn't the two officers watching the house come to Faith's rescue? He didn't like it. He couldn't see any movement coming from the car.

JT raced up the steps and grabbed Faith's hand. “I can't see anything and the two officers watching the house aren't moving. We need to make it to the trees behind the house. He won't be able to see us from there.”

He pulled her along behind him until they reached a clump of trees separating her property line from the beach.

Faith jerked the scarf from her face. She leaned over and put her hand on her knees, coughing and trying to draw enough air into her lungs.

“I need you to wait here. I'm going to check on the officers. They should have reacted to the explosion by now. Something's wrong.”

She clutched his arm in a death grip. “I'm coming with you. I don't want to stay here alone.” The determination in her eyes made it impossible to refuse. She was the target and he needed to protect her, yet he understood her fear and he didn't like leaving her alone.

“Okay, but stay close.”

He held out his hand and she took it and followed him. He could feel her soft breath against his neck.

JT stopped when they reached the tree line. Flames had completely engulfed the downstairs of the house by now. The rain at least helped to keep the fire from spreading at a faster rate, but the strength of the wind worked against them. It licked flames in all directions. He needed to call the fire in. He reached for his cell phone and realized it was still in the house and he'd left Faith's at his place.

Had something happened to the two officers? Was that why they hadn't responded to the fire? An uneasy feeling slipped into the pit of his stomach. This didn't bode well. The patrol car was some twenty feet in front of them and already he could see the glass was missing from the driver's-side door. If the killer were close, the minute they cleared the trees they'd be an easy target, but he couldn't leave without checking on the two men in the car.

He and Faith left the protection of the trees and moved cautiously toward the back of the vehicle. Still no one moved inside the car.

JT stopped. “Get down and wait here. I need to check it out first.” She didn't answer but did as he asked.

He edged toward the driver's side. That window was shattered and so was the one on the passenger side. Someone had shot them out. Shards of glass still clung to the door. The killer had probably used the same weapon as the one he'd fired on JT. Rain dripped through the opening in the window onto Samuels's face. He lay slumped in the seat at an awkward angle, half leaning against the door.

Blood oozed from a multitude of gunshot wounds. Even before JT tried to find a pulse, he knew there was no way anyone could survive such a brutal attack. Kennedy was dead as well. The killer had ripped the radio transponder from the machine. JT searched for their cell phones. They were missing. The killer had murdered two police officers in cold blood before setting the fire. And he could still be out there now, waiting for the right moment to...

“Run,” JT yelled as he reached Faith's side and grabbed her hand, dragging her with him. When they reached the trees once more, he stopped long enough for them to catch their breath.

She jerked her hand free. “We have to go back. We have to help them,” she shouted over the noise of the flames and the ocean. He could see that she was crying.

“They're dead, Faith. We can't help them. Whoever killed those two officers is probably watching us. We can't stop...we have to keep going.”

While the trees afforded a small amount of protection from the elements, every time he breathed out he could see his breath. With nightfall, the temperature had dropped considerably. If they stayed out here much longer, they'd be at risk of hyperthermia.

“Hang on a second.” When they reached the beach, JT tugged her close as he listened for any indication they might have been followed, but he couldn't hear anything above the noise of the rain and the ocean. “Stay near the tree line and whatever you do don't let go of my hand,” he whispered against her ear.

Covering the quarter-mile distance to his house seemed to take forever. He constantly checked back over his shoulder to make sure no one followed them. By the time they reached his back door, they were both soaked to the bone and shivering from the cold.

JT unlocked the door and they hurried inside. “I'll be right back,” he told her after securing the dead bolt. He went to the closet and pulled out a couple of blankets. Faith still clutched Ollie tight, as if she were holding onto a lifeline. “Here. Put this around your shoulders. It'll help warm you up.” He cranked up the heat and then grabbed his house phone to call the fire department. “This is JT Wyatt. There's a fire at 21 Ocean Way. I need you to send help right away.”

* * *

Telling Will about the death of his two officers was one of the hardest things JT had ever had to do. Samuels and Kennedy were good men. Their families had lived on Hope Island for generations. The community, as well as the force, would feel their loss.

JT disconnected the call and turned to Faith. She was soaking wet and shaking uncontrollably. She was suffering from shock and probably the first stages of hyperthermia.

“We need to get you warmed up,” he told her gently. “There's a shower upstairs you can use. I'll show you where it is.”

She nodded and set Ollie on the floor.

When they reached the guest bedroom, he stopped. “Fresh towels are in the linen closet next to the shower. I think my sister left some clothes behind from when she and her family stayed here after their house flooded. They should fit you.” He went over to a dresser, pulled out a set of gray sweats and handed them to her. “It's the best I can do. Go get warmed up and I'll see you downstairs in a few minutes.”

He started to leave when her next words stopped him in his tracks. “Those men. They're dead because of me. I don't know how to live with that.”

Tears rimmed her eyes and his heart broke for her. “No. No, Faith. This isn't your fault.” He came over to where she stood, then pulled her into his arms. “None of this is your fault. You can't take on the blame. That's what he wants you to think. Don't let him win.”

She pulled away and tried to be strong. “I know that in my head, but it's so hard. I don't understand why he's doing any of this. What does he hope to gain?”

Another question he didn't know how to answer. “I'm not sure. I just think there's more to the story than we understand right now. I believe you know something he doesn't want made public.”

She shook her head. “I don't have a clue what I could possibly know. I was an accountant. I didn't exactly have a lot of high-profile clients.”

JT brushed back her wet hair from her face. “We'll figure it out together.”

She desperately wanted to believe him. “Thank you.”

“For what?” he asked softly.

“For believing me. For not thinking I'm crazy.”

“Never. You're not crazy. What you've been through would have broken most people. You're a strong woman, Faith McKenzie. You just have to believe that yourself. I'll see you downstairs in a bit.”

He didn't voice his thoughts aloud because he wanted her to keep fighting, but she was going to need every bit of strength she possessed to see this nightmare through to the end.

JT checked on Ollie then went into the great room and turned on the gas fireplace. Within a matter of minutes, the room was considerably warmer. Ollie followed him and began sniffing around.

As JT listened to the shower running upstairs, his thoughts reeled with possibilities. Why hadn't the killer finished the job after he murdered the officers? He certainly would have had the perfect chance unless something happened. Had he seen JT approaching and run off or did the alarm scare him? One thing was for sure—they were dealing with one very intelligent yet very disturbed individual.

With the amount of rainfall, he knew it was unlikely that Will's team would find any useful DNA at Faith's home. The attack on the officers had happened so suddenly JT doubted if Samuels and Kennedy had even known what hit them. The killer seemed to be gaining confidence with each new move he made.

JT glanced at his watch. Half an hour had passed since he'd notified Will about the officers' deaths. By now, Liz would know what had happened. He'd phone her before Faith came downstairs.

Liz picked up before the first ring ended. “JT. I was so worried when I heard the call over the police scanner.”