volunteered, eyeing the property through the window. With the autumn trees and bushes bare of leaves, there were very few hiding places available. “I’ll have my gun ready. We want to bring these guys in alive, if at all possible, but I’m not going to risk any harm coming to you. You’re our key witness.”
“I hid our patrol car in the garage,” Abbott informed him. “Take the keys—I’ll depend on you to give chase if they try to flee on wheels. I’ll take a position in the upstairs window. Assuming they park in front of the cabin, that will give me a vantage point from above. Let me run and fetch that body armor.” While the officer hurried outside, Eric turned to Perez.
“Where do you want me?”
Perez frowned. “You’re a civilian.”
“So?”
“I’m not going to tell you where to go or what to do. In any other situation, I’d tell you to stay far away. But this is your property, and given the circumstances—”
Understanding twinkled in Eric’s eyes, and he nodded. “There’s a tree stand in the woods, just beyond the cabin. It offers a clear view of the cabin, but it’s camouflaged, and they’re probably not going to be looking that direction, anyway. I’ll take my binoculars and my shotgun—”
Perez clamped a hand on Eric’s arm. “You are not an officer of the law. You can use that shotgun for self-defense only.”
“If they have a gun, and it’s pointed at me—”
“If they have a gun and are using it to threaten you or someone you love—that constitutes self-defense. But bottom line—you shoot somebody, you could be charged with murder. Do you understand?”
Eric’s jaw hardened. “I’m not going to break any laws,” he promised. “But I’m also not going to sit by and let these guys get away.”
“I respect that,” Perez assured him, letting go of his arm.
Abbott returned with the body armor. “We are seven minutes to ETA. You need to put this on, and we need to get out of sight.” Deputy Abbott looked at Perez. “Boys, a little privacy?”
“One moment.” Perez grabbed the CPU and pulled the cover off. “If she really does have to hand this over, just to stall them, I don’t want to risk giving away evidence.” He glanced around the room. “Got anything heavy I can put in here?”
Eric grabbed a few books off a nearby shelf. “These should weigh the right amount, but if they take a close look at this—”
“FBI should be here by then.”
“Should?” Eric repeated.
“We’re doing the best we can with very little time to prepare. You have a better idea?”
“I think you two need to hide,” Abbott told them both. Then she turned to Vanessa with sympathy. “Are you ready?”
“Ready to end this?” Vanessa reached for the body armor. “You better believe I’m ready.”
NINE
T he sun was only just starting to rise, spreading a misty haze of illumination across the Illinois hills. In the woods, the autumn leaves had turned brown, but the stubborn oaks wouldn’t drop their leaves until the new spring growth pushed out the old. Between the evergreen trees and the brown leaves, Eric would be well hidden. And from his perch on Vanessa’s grandfather’s old hunting stand, he’d be able to see down the ravine, all the way to the cabin, without anyone spotting him.
He wouldn’t be in the way of the FBI agents once they arrived, nor would he tip off the criminals that anyone else was around. He wasn’t sure he’d be of any help to Vanessa this far from the cabin, but he also wasn’t going to get her in worse trouble by letting on that she wasn’t alone. He had his shotgun loaded, ready to defend her in any way he could.
From the vantage point of the tree stand ten feet off the ground, he watched as the professionals set their trap. Abbott took her position inside the cabin on the second floor. He saw her shadow move across the upstairs windows overlooking the porch—the same window through which Debbi had watched Vanessa arrive
“I hid our patrol car in the garage,” Abbott informed him. “Take the keys—I’ll depend on you to give chase if they try to flee on wheels. I’ll take a position in the upstairs window. Assuming they park in front of the cabin, that will give me a vantage point from above. Let me run and fetch that body armor.” While the officer hurried outside, Eric turned to Perez.
“Where do you want me?”
Perez frowned. “You’re a civilian.”
“So?”
“I’m not going to tell you where to go or what to do. In any other situation, I’d tell you to stay far away. But this is your property, and given the circumstances—”
Understanding twinkled in Eric’s eyes, and he nodded. “There’s a tree stand in the woods, just beyond the cabin. It offers a clear view of the cabin, but it’s camouflaged, and they’re probably not going to be looking that direction, anyway. I’ll take my binoculars and my shotgun—”
Perez clamped a hand on Eric’s arm. “You are not an officer of the law. You can use that shotgun for self-defense only.”
“If they have a gun, and it’s pointed at me—”
“If they have a gun and are using it to threaten you or someone you love—that constitutes self-defense. But bottom line—you shoot somebody, you could be charged with murder. Do you understand?”
Eric’s jaw hardened. “I’m not going to break any laws,” he promised. “But I’m also not going to sit by and let these guys get away.”
“I respect that,” Perez assured him, letting go of his arm.
Abbott returned with the body armor. “We are seven minutes to ETA. You need to put this on, and we need to get out of sight.” Deputy Abbott looked at Perez. “Boys, a little privacy?”
“One moment.” Perez grabbed the CPU and pulled the cover off. “If she really does have to hand this over, just to stall them, I don’t want to risk giving away evidence.” He glanced around the room. “Got anything heavy I can put in here?”
Eric grabbed a few books off a nearby shelf. “These should weigh the right amount, but if they take a close look at this—”
“FBI should be here by then.”
“Should?” Eric repeated.
“We’re doing the best we can with very little time to prepare. You have a better idea?”
“I think you two need to hide,” Abbott told them both. Then she turned to Vanessa with sympathy. “Are you ready?”
“Ready to end this?” Vanessa reached for the body armor. “You better believe I’m ready.”
NINE
T he sun was only just starting to rise, spreading a misty haze of illumination across the Illinois hills. In the woods, the autumn leaves had turned brown, but the stubborn oaks wouldn’t drop their leaves until the new spring growth pushed out the old. Between the evergreen trees and the brown leaves, Eric would be well hidden. And from his perch on Vanessa’s grandfather’s old hunting stand, he’d be able to see down the ravine, all the way to the cabin, without anyone spotting him.
He wouldn’t be in the way of the FBI agents once they arrived, nor would he tip off the criminals that anyone else was around. He wasn’t sure he’d be of any help to Vanessa this far from the cabin, but he also wasn’t going to get her in worse trouble by letting on that she wasn’t alone. He had his shotgun loaded, ready to defend her in any way he could.
From the vantage point of the tree stand ten feet off the ground, he watched as the professionals set their trap. Abbott took her position inside the cabin on the second floor. He saw her shadow move across the upstairs windows overlooking the porch—the same window through which Debbi had watched Vanessa arrive
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