to land, waited for the pain to tear through her body. She could only hope her death would be speedy, that the agony wouldn’t be too bad. Maybe she’d luck out and she’d be unconscious for most of it.
A hand landed on her shoulder and she flinched and screamed. “Get away from me!” she yelled, trying to pull away from the touch. “You son of a bitch! Get away from me!”
“Gabby!”
Opening her eyes, she couldn’t believe the sight in front of her. Sobs tore through her body as relief flooded through her. Certainly, she had to be hallucinating. “Garrett?” she whispered.
“Oh, Gabby,” he murmured, bending to his haunches in front of her. He gently touched her cheek and tears welled in his eyes. He stared at her for a moment, wiped his face with his hands, and stood. “Let’s get you the fuck out of here.”
Chapter 21
The ringing phone broke the silence, startling Lucas. He’d just come in from chopping more wood, about to make a turkey sandwich for dinner. Every day, he grew stronger, his mind becoming more focused. For the most part, he felt calm, relaxed, and sturdy. Each morning, his body screamed at him as he rolled out of bed, but he could already feel his muscles replenishing and building. He also hadn’t had a vision since the one of the woman being killed, which definitely helped keep his mental marbles in a row.
“Hello?” he said after locating the satellite phone. A glance around the kitchen showed him he needed to tidy up a bit. A few dishes sat in the sink, a used pan on the stove, and two boxes of cereal had never made it back into the pantry.
“Lucas, this is Joe Smith.”
“I didn’t think I’d hear from you for another couple of days,” he said, unable to hide his surprise as he slathered mayonnaise on a piece of whole wheat bread.
“Yes, well, there’s been a change of plans.”
Curiosity piqued and hunger forgotten, he sat down at the kitchen table and realized Joe sounded as he’d never heard him before—rattled. “What’s up?”
“I’m afraid you will be receiving your first client later tonight.”
He looked around the cabin. He certainly didn’t feel well enough to have someone else’s life in his hands. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that, Joe. I need to get stronger and —”
“You don’t have a choice, Lucas. This is an emergency assignment, and you’re needed. There is no room or time for arguments.”
“I’m not ready, and neither is this cabin. I only have enough food to feed someone besides myself for only a couple of days.”
“It will all be taken care of, Lucas. Garrett believes you are strong enough both mentally and physically to handle this. It’s very high priority. We will be by later tonight with provisions and the person you are to protect.”
The phone went dead. He stared at it for a moment, then set it down on the table. Who would this new assignment be, and what would they be running from? Why was Joe trusting him after he’d only been at the cabin three days?
He stood and went back to making his sandwich, the questions swirling in his mind.
Chapter 22
Lucas paced the living room, waiting for his new client. At just after midnight now, exhaustion threatened to overtake him. To fight it, he’d gone through the house and tidied up a bit, hoping everything looked good enough. Gabby had always told him what a crappy housecleaner he was, and he agreed. He just didn’t see messes or notice things like empty toilet paper rolls and unmade beds.
Headlights from across the pond caught his eye, and he went to the window. The van slowly crept up around the drive and he smoothed his hand over his black sweater. Unbelievably, nerves wracked his body. For someone who had been in the actual theatre of war, this should be a cakewalk.
“You really need to get over it,” he mumbled as he studied his reflection in the window one more time. “This is going to be simple. Make some small talk, chop the wood, and keep them
A hand landed on her shoulder and she flinched and screamed. “Get away from me!” she yelled, trying to pull away from the touch. “You son of a bitch! Get away from me!”
“Gabby!”
Opening her eyes, she couldn’t believe the sight in front of her. Sobs tore through her body as relief flooded through her. Certainly, she had to be hallucinating. “Garrett?” she whispered.
“Oh, Gabby,” he murmured, bending to his haunches in front of her. He gently touched her cheek and tears welled in his eyes. He stared at her for a moment, wiped his face with his hands, and stood. “Let’s get you the fuck out of here.”
Chapter 21
The ringing phone broke the silence, startling Lucas. He’d just come in from chopping more wood, about to make a turkey sandwich for dinner. Every day, he grew stronger, his mind becoming more focused. For the most part, he felt calm, relaxed, and sturdy. Each morning, his body screamed at him as he rolled out of bed, but he could already feel his muscles replenishing and building. He also hadn’t had a vision since the one of the woman being killed, which definitely helped keep his mental marbles in a row.
“Hello?” he said after locating the satellite phone. A glance around the kitchen showed him he needed to tidy up a bit. A few dishes sat in the sink, a used pan on the stove, and two boxes of cereal had never made it back into the pantry.
“Lucas, this is Joe Smith.”
“I didn’t think I’d hear from you for another couple of days,” he said, unable to hide his surprise as he slathered mayonnaise on a piece of whole wheat bread.
“Yes, well, there’s been a change of plans.”
Curiosity piqued and hunger forgotten, he sat down at the kitchen table and realized Joe sounded as he’d never heard him before—rattled. “What’s up?”
“I’m afraid you will be receiving your first client later tonight.”
He looked around the cabin. He certainly didn’t feel well enough to have someone else’s life in his hands. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that, Joe. I need to get stronger and —”
“You don’t have a choice, Lucas. This is an emergency assignment, and you’re needed. There is no room or time for arguments.”
“I’m not ready, and neither is this cabin. I only have enough food to feed someone besides myself for only a couple of days.”
“It will all be taken care of, Lucas. Garrett believes you are strong enough both mentally and physically to handle this. It’s very high priority. We will be by later tonight with provisions and the person you are to protect.”
The phone went dead. He stared at it for a moment, then set it down on the table. Who would this new assignment be, and what would they be running from? Why was Joe trusting him after he’d only been at the cabin three days?
He stood and went back to making his sandwich, the questions swirling in his mind.
Chapter 22
Lucas paced the living room, waiting for his new client. At just after midnight now, exhaustion threatened to overtake him. To fight it, he’d gone through the house and tidied up a bit, hoping everything looked good enough. Gabby had always told him what a crappy housecleaner he was, and he agreed. He just didn’t see messes or notice things like empty toilet paper rolls and unmade beds.
Headlights from across the pond caught his eye, and he went to the window. The van slowly crept up around the drive and he smoothed his hand over his black sweater. Unbelievably, nerves wracked his body. For someone who had been in the actual theatre of war, this should be a cakewalk.
“You really need to get over it,” he mumbled as he studied his reflection in the window one more time. “This is going to be simple. Make some small talk, chop the wood, and keep them
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