Wilderness Target (18 page)

“Clarissa?” A featherlight touch brushed her forearm. It took some effort for her to open her eyes.

Gradually, Ezra’s face came into focus—his soft smile and wide brown eyes.

She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

“Don’t push yourself. The bullet was quite a shock to your body. You lost a lot of blood. It tore up your shoulder muscle pretty good, but missed anything major.”

The dulcet bass tones of his voice warmed her heart. She closed her eyes as the events that led to her being in this hospital bed came back in a flash of violent memory. She shuddered. “Max?”

“In jail, along with his little helpers. It’s going to take quite a while for the lawyers to put together the list of charges against him, in both California and Montana.”

A nurse entered the room holding a tray of food. “I was hoping you would be awake.” She placed the tray on the table. “I know you’re still weak. But it would speed your recovery if you could get some nourishment in you.” She looked over at Ezra. “And I believe this young man is willing to help make that happen.”

Ezra smiled. “We’ll give it a try.” His fingers continued to trace a pattern on Clarissa’s arm. After the nurse left, he turned to face her. “Are you thirsty?”

Her throat was parched. She nodded and reached out for the plastic cup with the cover and straw. Her hand shook. Ezra steadied it by wrapping his hand around hers and helping her get it to her mouth. She sipped. The cool liquid felt wonderful going down her throat.

“I was pretty thirsty. How long have I been asleep?”

“About twelve hours.” He handed her a container of Jell-O and a spoon. She tried to pull the foil cover off and frowned when she couldn’t get it open.

“I’m really weak.”

He gently took the Jell-O from her hands. “Let me help you with that.” He peeled away the cover and then, holding her hand steady, placed the container back in it.

She ate a few bites before putting it back on the tray. Maybe it was just the trauma of all she had been through, or the painkillers, but something between her and Ezra had shifted. He seemed more...attentive. He looked at her, and her face grew warm. She cleared her throat and reached for the toast on her tray.

“If you’re up to it, I have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?” Her mind reeled with the possibilities. When she looked into his eyes, she saw a deeper affection than she had seen before. Was the surprise about...them?

“Why don’t you get some sleep? I’ll be back in about forty-five minutes.”

She nodded. He turned the light out and disappeared down the hallway. It took her only minutes to drift off into a deep sleep. She awoke when she sensed that someone had stepped into the room. She saw the silhouette of a man in the darkness.

The fleeting thought that one of Max’s men had come to finish her off paralyzed her with fear.

And then she heard the soft tones of Ezra’s voice. “Are you awake?”

“You scared me half to death.”

“Sorry, I thought switching on the light would be too harsh if you were still asleep,” he said. “Can I turn it on now?”

She covered her eyes. “Sure.”

Seeing his bright face washed away the final residue of fear over all that she had been through.

“So are you ready for your surprise?” He stepped closer to the hospital bed and rested his hand on her good shoulder.

“Yes, I’m ready.”

“Okay, guys, you can come in,” Ezra said.

One by one, Leonard, Jan, Ken and Bruce stepped through the door. Joy leaped through Clarissa to see her friends safe and sound.

“I can’t believe it. When did you get into town? What happened?”

Jan ran over to her and gave her a careful hug. “I’m so glad to see your sweet face.”

Leonard stepped forward and gripped the rail. “Good to see you, kid.”

Bruce moved close, as well. “After you two diverted attention to yourselves, the rest of us went and hid in the woods, thinking we’d go back and radio for help once those men had left.”

Leonard ran his hands through his salt-and-pepper hair. “Unfortunately, they left a man there to be the lookout.”

Ken joined the others at her bedside. “So we decided to hike back out the way we’d come.”

“I think we made pretty good time,” said Bruce.

“We caught most of our food on the way down,” Ken said, beaming with pride.

“Best survival school ever,” added Bruce.

“Anyway—” Jan patted Clarissa’s hand “—when we got to the base of the mountain, the van had been disabled, so we had to hike into town.

“And that’s the story of how we got here,” said Leonard.

Clarissa shook her head in disbelief. The four of them had truly become a team, even in telling what had happened to them.

“That’s pretty amazing,” she said.

“
You’re
pretty amazing,” said Jan. “Ezra told us what the two of you went through. I’m so grateful you’re okay, honey.”

Clarissa couldn’t contain her happiness. “I feel like God has given me the family I never had. I’ll never forget you guys.”

“You won’t be able to forget us.” Leonard turned and looked at the others. “I say we make the survival school an annual event, a reunion of sorts.”

They all nodded in agreement.

Jan squeezed Ezra’s arm. “We’ll leave you two alone.”

“We’ll come back tomorrow when you’re feeling stronger, kid,” Leonard said as he left the room.

Bruce, Jan and Ken all shuffled out after him.

The door closed behind them. Ezra pulled a chair close to Clarissa’s bed. “They are something, those four, aren’t they?”

“Lesser people would have been angry with me about everything that happened,” Clarissa said.

“They’re good people. They’re just happy that you’re out of danger. And speaking of which, Sondra and that other agent are going to want to talk to you tomorrow if you are up to it.”

“I figured that,” she said. She turned slightly to one side in the hospital bed. There was a heaviness in the room, as though there was something more that needed to be said. She stared at the ceiling. “Thank you, Ezra, for everything. For saving my life.”

“You saved me a couple of times, too, you know.” His chair scraped across the floor. He rested his arm on the railing. His head was very close to hers. Wide brown eyes studied her. He reached up and brushed a wisp of hair off her forehead.

The look in his eyes contained an intensity she hadn’t seen before.

The intimacy of the moment made her nervous enough to start babbling. “So I guess you go back to your job and...I’m not sure what happens to me...where I’m going to go or anything,” she said.

He continued to stroke her forehead. “How about you stay here in Discovery?”

“I...I’ve always liked it here.”

“I’d like it if you stayed. I’d like to get to know you better, under not so trying circumstances.”

Warmth spread through her midsection all the way down to her toes. “I think I’d like that, too, Ezra.”

“Maybe I can do something really ordinary and boring, like take you out to dinner.”

“I’d like that.”

He stood up, leaned over and kissed her full on the mouth. She opened her eyes when he pulled free of the kiss.

“I sure don’t want you ever leaving again.” He looked at the floor and then back up at her. “When I thought I might lose you out there in the forest, and when you were shot, I realized... I saw my life without you, and I knew that I loved you.”

Her eyes warmed with tears. She reached up and touched his cheek. “Oh, Ezra, I love you, too. Ordinary and boring sound wonderful to me.”

He touched her cheek with a single finger. “I’m looking forward to it.”

As she stared into his deep brown eyes, she realized that not only had God given her the family she’d never had, but also a man whose love would be as deep as the ocean.

* * * * *

Keep reading for an excerpt from DESPERATE MEASURED by Christy Barritt.

Dear Reader,

Even though Clarissa and I have very different backgrounds, we both have had to learn to ask for help and to trust that it will be there even if past experience tells us otherwise. Clarissa believes that she must solve all her problems alone because no one was ever there for her in her childhood to help her. Her flight through the wilderness is also a journey in which she discovers that there are kind and good people everywhere. People who want to help and are willing to forgive.

As a child, I got the message that I was on my own to work through problems and emotions, largely because of the chaos created by an alcoholic father. One of the hardest things I have had to learn to do was ask for help, whether it’s with a task or working through troubling emotions. People never cease to amaze me. God has brought many generous people into my life, even some who intuitively know when I need help. We don’t need to be defined by our childhood and there is always a chance for healing and redemption.

Questions for Discussion

1. Why does Clarissa have a hard time believing anyone would help her with her problems?
   
2. Why did she put all her energy into her job working for Max?
   
3. What events led to Clarissa choosing to become a Christian? Who influenced her in that decision?
   
4. Much like Joseph in the Bible, Clarissa tries to do the right thing by telling Stella Fitzgerald what kind of man Max really is. For doing the right thing, she loses everything. Have you ever had a Joseph situation in your life?
   
5. What was the most exciting scene for you?
   
6. Who was your favorite character? Why?
   
7. What do Ezra and the other members of the expedition do that helps Clarissa learn to trust?
   
8. Have you ever known someone like Clarissa? In what way?
   
9. What sort of survival skills did Ezra teach the members of the group?
   
10. Did you agree with the decisions that Ezra made as a leader? What were some of those hard choices?
    
11. A huge part of survival in a wilderness situation is mental, keeping your head in the right place. How did Ezra do that? How does he teach Clarissa to do that?
    
12. How does Clarissa get the family she never had?
    
13. Would you like to have a job like Ezra’s or go on a survival expedition?
    
14. Why is Ezra afraid to commit to Clarissa even though he has feelings for her? What changes his mind?
    
15. What do you think is the overall theme of the book?
    

We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense story.

You enjoy a dash of danger.
Love Inspired Suspense
stories feature strong heroes and heroines whose faith is central in solving mysteries and saving lives.

Enjoy four new stories from Love Inspired Suspense every month!

Connect with us on
Harlequin.com
for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!

Harlequin.com/newsletters
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
HarlequinBlog.com

ONE

S
amantha Rogers looked over her shoulder, trying to maintain her composure in the inky black parking lot. Her heels clicked against the pavement and the overstuffed paper sack in her arm teetered.

Why weren’t the overhead lights working out here? Sure, the grocery store was in the middle of nowhere, in Yorktown, Virginia, a town where crime was practically nonexistent. But the soft glow of “Hal’s Market” on the sign above her did little to comfort her or guide her steps.

A footfall sounded behind her.

She craned her neck but didn’t see anyone. The sound spooked her enough that she quickened her pace. Her shoe caught in a crack, and she nearly toppled onto the asphalt.

She righted herself, but not before an apple escaped from the top of her bag and rolled under a nearby car.

No way was she stopping to retrieve it. Not with the way imaginary spiders scattered across her skin and her throat ached as she tried to hold her fears at bay. Tension pounded at her ears as she strained to hear another telltale sign that someone was following her.

Her paranoia reared its head at the worst times. But Samantha could have been certain that the man in the grocery store had been watching her. His bulging muscles, heavy jowls, and rocklike hands only made him appear to be dangerous. That’s what she tried to tell herself, at least.

For that matter, the man was probably shopping for the same household staples she was. She’d stopped by on her way home from a late night at work to grab the usual—milk, eggs, bread and some fresh produce. A lot of people stopped to get those things. That’s most likely why the man’s movements inside the store had paralleled hers.

He was just someone on his way home. His wife could have called him and reminded him they were out of milk. That was it.

She may have mentally convinced herself that her theory was true, but her body still remained on alert.

Samantha’s SUV came into view. It was only four parking spaces away. The heavy downpour earlier had flooded the front of the lot, so she’d had to park in the back. Now she wished she’d battled the ankle-high water closer to the store instead.

With her free hand, she fumbled inside her purse until she found her keys. She grasped them like a lifeline.

Almost there.

Almost safe.

She’d pick up Connor from his karate class, go home and lock her doors.

Then she’d laugh at herself for being so silly. She’d make jokes about her paranoia. She’d tell herself she had an overactive imagination.

Though she tried to brush off her anxiety, it didn’t work. How much longer could she live in this fear? It wasn’t fair to Connor. Every eight year old should have a stable, predictable life. Connor deserved to live in the same place for more than a few months at a time. He needed a safe place to call home.

This wasn’t how she’d imagined her life turning out.

Always looking over her shoulder. Tense. Afraid.

She reached her SUV and rounded it to the driver’s side. Relief filled her. That footfall had been her imagination.

As she hit the button to unlock her door, a man rushed from the shadows.

She dropped her bag and tried to scream. Before she could, the man’s fist collided with her jaw. The force of the hit propelled her backward, into her vehicle. Her head snapped back, cracking against the SUV.

It was the man from the store. The one with arms that looked like tree trunks. With a neck as thick as his head. Who towered above her by a foot, at least.

She
hadn’t
been paranoid.

“Did you think we wouldn’t find you?” he mumbled. Spittle showered her, followed by a blast of the man’s hot breath. “We always find who we’re looking for.”

Her knees went weak, and she began sinking to the ground. She didn’t stand a chance against this man. Her one hundred and twenty pounds weren’t enough. Her cell phone was out of her reach. Her keys jangled as her feet hit them on the asphalt.

This man was going to kill her, and she could do nothing about it.

No, she had to think about Connor. She had to
fight
for him. She couldn’t let this man win.

Her gaze quickly scanned her surroundings for something—anything—she could use as a weapon. All she saw were a dozen broken eggs, a busted milk carton and a loaf of bread.

Tears threatened to squeeze out as the man grabbed her blouse and jerked her back to her feet. His fist struck her stomach.

Deep, jarring pain made stars swim before her eyes. Her ribs ached. Air squeezed from her lungs.

“You have some very powerful people looking for you.” He pressed her against the SUV. “One in particular said you need to pay for what you’ve done.”

Wasn’t there anyone else out here? Anyone to call for help? The SUV formed a barrier, making it impossible for anyone coming from the store to see them.

“Leave me alone,” she mumbled, her head spinning. “Someone already killed my husband.”

“
Someone
killed him?” He grunted. “You killed him. An eye for an eye.”

“Of course I didn’t.” Her voice cracked.

“That’s not what I heard.”

“Please. I have a son. He needs me.” Maybe she could reason with this man. It was doubtful. But maybe. She didn’t have many options right now.

She quickly soaked in the man’s features. Gold tooth. Snake tattoo stretching up his neck. She’d never seen him before. He had to have been contracted by someone—one of her husband’s former friends.

“I wasn’t hired to be compassionate. I was hired to bring you in—dead or alive. Dead would be less of a hassle.”

The man punched her in the gut again. The air rushed from her lungs. Tears spilled down her cheeks.

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out something shiny.

A knife, Samantha realized.

Any hope she had for surviving disappeared faster than her last paycheck.

Dear Lord. Help me!

Just then, a siren screeched in the distance. The man startled at the sound.

Adrenaline surged in Samantha. She had to fight for her life. To fight for her son.

Finally, the scream that had been lodged in her throat escaped. She pushed the man away with a strength that surprised even her. Then she sprinted toward the store.

She ran, not looking back until she reached the inside. There, she sagged against the wall.

She glanced outside, just in time to see the man scowl at her. He climbed into his car and squealed off. She was safe. But for how long?

She had to get Connor and run. Where? She didn’t know. What would she do once she got there? She had no idea.

But staying here was not an option.

* * *

“I know people think I’m crazy, but I’ve got to do this.” John Wagner leaned back in his chair, not liking the tension across his chest. He’d felt this tension for far too long now. “I’ve got to make some life changes. I’ve been in denial about it for a long time.”

“I think it’s a good choice,” his friend Nate said. “Even if people think you’ve lost your mind.” His friend grinned as he leaned against an empty table in The Revolutionary Grill. It was Tuesday night, the one night of the week the grill didn’t open. That’s why John always stopped by, every week on the same night, to hang out. Nate and his wife owned this place.

Today would be John’s last visit for a while, though. In the morning, he’d leave for Smuggler’s Cove where he would begin a new adventure. He’d worked at the Coast Guard Training Center here in Yorktown for the past five years.

Now it was a time for a fresh challenge: restoring nine cabins on the remote island of Smuggler’s Cove, located in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. John was looking forward to some new scenery and new faces. Mostly, he was hoping his soul might be restored right along with the old cabins.

Since Alyssa had died, nothing in his world had felt right. This life change was his last-ditch effort to find some peace, to make things right with himself. He prayed to God that would be the case. If this didn’t work, what would?

Finally, John took his last sip of coffee and stood. He raised his cup in acknowledgment of all the Tuesdays he and Nate had done this. “As always, thanks for the coffee. You guys will definitely be what I’ll miss the most about this place.”

“We’ll be out there to visit you in a week,” Nate added. “Work fast.”

“You know how to put the pressure on, but there’s no one else I’d work as hard for.” It was the truth. Nate and his wife Kylie had been loyal friends to him. He’d do anything for them.

Just then, the back door of the restaurant flew open. John’s gaze traveled through the kitchen, swerving in the direction of the sound.

A woman stood in the back entrance, her eyes wide. Blood trickled from her forehead, her lip was busted, her gaze looked frantic.

Nate rushed toward her, his eyebrows furrowed together in worry. “Samantha? Are you okay?”

The woman nodded and touched her forehead.

That’s right, John realized. It was Samantha, the woman who was renting the room above the restaurant. He’d hardly recognized her in her disheveled state.

John had seen her around a few times. She was hard not to notice with her trim build, soft blond hair that fell to her shoulders and the mysterious air about her. She kept to herself, but her gaze was always searching her surroundings, as if she was on guard or looking for someone.

She’d spiked John’s curiosity, but that was as far as it had gone. Ever since Alyssa, John knew he didn’t deserve the chance to even consider a relationship. Besides, Samantha seemed like a closed book, someone whose body language screamed, “Keep your distance.”

John joined his friend, scanning for trouble out the backdoor window. Before he even reached Samantha, he could see her trembling.

“I’m fine,” Samantha muttered. Her gaze fluttered to Nate and then John. “Just a little...an—an accident.”

John was sure those injuries were from anything but an accident. Had someone done that to her? Anger surged in him at the thought.

He’d seen firsthand the devastation that happened when people didn’t treat others as humans. Alyssa had been a prime example, and his heart still broke at the memory.

“That must have been some accident,” John muttered, soaking in her injuries.

Samantha shrugged. Her gaze fluttered wildly about the room, and she gripped her purse. “I’m sorry. I can’t talk now.”

“Can we help you get cleaned up, at least?” Nate asked. “I can grab my first-aid kit, put some ointment on that cut.”

She shoved a hair behind her ear. “I’ll be fine.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a piece of paper. Her tremble was more noticeable when she extended her arm. “Here’s the rest of my rent for the month. I’m afraid I’m going to have to take off. Family emergency.”

“Anything I can do to help?” John asked, even though it wasn’t his business to ask.

“No.” She shook her head. “I’m just going to grab my things and pick up Connor. We’re going to hit the road tonight.”

Nate shifted, worry wrinkling the corners of his eyes. “You can’t wait until morning?”

Samantha shook her head. “I’m sorry. But I’ve got to go now. This can’t wait.” She paused and sucked on her lip for a minute. “Look, you and Kylie have been really kind to me. I don’t know how to say this, but please be careful. Be safe. Especially safe.”

“What’s going on, Samantha? I don’t like the sound of that.” Nate, a seasoned Coastie, had always been tough, strong and fair. Right now, he sounded on edge.

John wanted to step in, to say more, to help in some way. But he didn’t know the woman, and Nate did. He held his tongue, restrained himself from pushing Samantha for answers. It was obvious that she needed help, even if she wouldn’t admit it or accept it when offered.

She took a step toward the staircase leading to her apartment over the restaurant. “I don’t have any time right now. I’ve got to go.”

She rushed up the stairs. Halfway up, she dropped her purse and the contents clattered down. John retrieved some lipstick and a pen. He handed the items to her, noticing how she jerked back when their hands touched.

“Thank you,” she muttered before hurrying away.

John stomped back down the stairs and joined Nate at the back door. He wanted to get his friend’s take on the situation. They moved away from the staircase so their voices wouldn’t carry.

“What was that about?” John asked.

Nate rubbed his jaw, looking just as perplexed as John was. “I have no idea. She’s scared.”

“Someone roughed her up,” John muttered.

Images of Alyssa flooded his mind. He blanched at each memory before regret filled him. He should have done more to protect her. He should have known that the man who’d caused her so much misery in her past would return, that he wouldn’t be content to leave her alone.

“I’ve seen that look before. She’s terrified.” John shook his head, unable to get the images to leave his mind. “What do you know about her?”

Nate shook his head. “Not much. She keeps to herself. Always pays her rent on time. Dotes over her son. But she’s offered very little in terms of personal information. We don’t ask. If she wants us to know, we figure she’ll tell us.”

John clenched his jaw, still replaying the conversation with her. “She said, ‘Be safe.’ It sounds as if trouble might be coming.”

“I’ll keep my eyes open. We’ve had problems around here before.”

“And they landed you in the hospital,” John reminded him. “Maybe I should stick around, be an extra set of eyes....”

“You do your thing, John. Smuggler’s Cove is your dream. I’ll take care of things here or call the police if I have to.”

John hated to walk away when a storm could be brewing. Especially since Nate and Kylie had a toddler and another baby on the way. Nate would need all the help he could get.

John prided himself on always being there for friends when they need him. That’s one of the reasons why his failure with Alyssa hurt so much.

He’d let her down. He’d let their unborn baby down.

“I don’t like this,” John finally said.

Nate clamped his hand on John’s shoulder. “It’s about time you did something for yourself. The change of scenery will be good for you.”