Guarding His Children

Chapter Eleven

Jason finished his conversation with the garage and road assistance and glanced at Brittany, her lips pressed together as she slipped her cell phone into her pocket. What was wrong?

He closed the distance between them. "What happened?"

"I called Debbie to let her know I'll be there later and there was no answer."

His stress shot up, but he tried to keep a handle on it. "Maybe she turned off her hearing aid."

"I hope, but we need to go there now."

"Officer Brentwood, my  mom isn't answering the phone at the safe house. We can't stay."

The young police officer nodded and headed for his patrol car, calling the change of plans into the station. A minute later, he drove Jason and Brittany out of the parking garage. "CSU was ten minutes out. I have the photo."

While sitting in back with Jason , Brittany observed the traffic and vehicles around them. She remained calm, whereas Jason grappled for control. How did she do this job after job? His admiration grew, and he realized he'd made the right decision bringing her in to help.

Jason leaned closer and whispered, "Do you think we're being followed?"

"Can't rule it out. I don't know how the safe house was found. I didn't see anyone following us last night. If someone did follow, he's good at it." Her forehead crinkled with worry lines, her green eyes darkening.

"A professional?"

"Maybe." She clasped his hand between them on the seat. "If so, that makes me wonder if it's more than the tour. You are a big part of Buck Commander .It could be tied to something there."

"But what?"

"Don't know. We need to consider every possibility."

The feel of her hand against his revved his heartbeat into overdrive. The simple connection soothed his stress more than anything. He wasn't facing this alone. And he couldn't think of a better, more capable person beside him. "Thank you for being here. I had planned to work at the office all day before I start the last push of my campaign, but since the perpetrator knows where I am, I'm going to work at the safe house. Unless you want to move again."

"Like I said earlier, it's more secure than most places. But we need to find out how he knows about the safe house."

"You're right about it might be something other than the tour. If we knew why someone is after me, maybe we'd know who."

When Officer Brentwood punched in the numbers Brittany gave him for the gate at the safe house, Jason stiffened. They were almost to the safe house. What if…

Brittany squeezed his hand. "Lord, please let Debbie be alive and well."

After the police officer parked in front of the house, Jason jumped from the car and rounded the back to make his way to the entrance. Both Officer Brentwood and Brittany were a few feet ahead of him. She pulled out the key while the cop withdrew his gun from his holster.

Officer Brentwood crept inside while Brittany, weapon in hand, stayed outside with him, constantly scanning the yard. A minute later, the policeman returned with Debbie beside him. She looked okay except her hands were shaking and her face was pale.

"I'm sorry we scared you."  Jason stepped forward. "But you didn't answer the phone."

"I was just telling this nice young man I must have been outside when you called. The mail carrier left a letter in the mailbox." She withdrew an envelope from her pocket. "But this didn't come by the U.S. Postal Service. Who could it be from?"