Chapter 6
A trap! Trina’s heart thundered in her chest as she darted toward the scraggly trees along the back of the parking lot. She couldn’t believe the fire alarm had been pulled just to get them out of the hotel. Yet that’s exactly what had happened.
The trees weren’t thick enough for her peace of mind.
She huddled near Joel and Royal, humbled by how Joel had instantly carried Ben to safety.
The gunfire on the heels of the fire alarm caused chaos.
People screamed and scattered, taking off in different directions.
The confusion helped a little, but she still felt vulnerable.
They had to assume the killer was hunkered down nearby, waiting for another opportunity to fire at them.
At her. She’d been the person closest to the SUV.
“We need to get out of here,” Joel said in a low whisper.
He had his arm clamped around Ben, keeping him close.
To his credit, Ben wasn’t crying, but his brown eyes were wide with fear as he gripped Royal’s collar.
Her nephew was likely in shock. She didn’t blame him; she felt as if she’d been dropped in the middle of a horror flick too.
“Go where?” She knew the vehicle wasn’t an option. “Two adults, one kid, and a dog will be noticeable. What if the gunman sees us?”
“I don’t like it either,” Joel muttered. He shifted to pull out his phone.
The shrill sound of wailing sirens filled the air. She realized that whoever had pulled the fire alarm hadn’t anticipated the fire department would be instantly notified as well.
The police would arrive soon too.
Long seconds passed without incident. The hotel parking lot was pretty much emptied out now. She couldn’t help but wonder who was out there. Brian Ashland? Peter Thomas?
Someone else?
“Let’s hold our position for a few minutes.” Joel raised his voice to be heard above the sirens.
Another crack of gunfire rang out. Trina gasped when a piece of bark flew off the tree beside her, mere inches from her face.
“Down!” Joel’s large hand shoved hard on her head.
Ben burst into tears now, sobbing with fear. “Auntie Trina!”
“I’m fine, Ben.” She drew him close, sandwiching him between her, Joel and Royal. “We’re okay. The police will be here any minute.”
Brave words, but her heart thundered in her chest as she realized the killer had gotten far too close. And worse, she grimly realized that Peter or Brian or whoever was out there was intent on killing her. But why?
To get custody of Ben? Or for some other nefarious reason?
Heaven help her, she didn’t know!
As if on cue, the same firetruck that had responded to the fire at her home pulled into the parking lot. She tried to lift her head to see better, but Joel still held her down. When she caught a glimpse of a police car arriving on the scene, he finally eased up.
“Wait for the police to come to us.” Joel stroked Royal’s fur. The dog didn’t bark or growl, but his nose quivered as he took in the various scents.
She frowned, wondering how they’d even know they were hiding there. But they must not have been as hidden as she’d believed because Heath Anderson rushed toward them.
“Anyone hurt?” He scowled, raking his gaze over them.
“I don’t think so.” She took a moment to examine Ben more closely. His sobs had dwindled with the arrival of the police and firefighters. She was reassured that they hadn’t been physically wounded.
But emotionally she knew Ben couldn’t take much more. Terrified didn’t begin to cover it. A flash of anger hit hard. She wanted the person responsible for putting them through this found and arrested!
“What happened?” Heath asked, his brow furrowed with concern. “We got the notice of the fire alarm, then reports of gunfire poured in.”
“The fire alarm was to force us out of the building.” Joel narrowed his eyes. “I had a feeling it was a false alarm, but it wasn’t until a bullet shattered my windshield that my suspicions were confirmed.”
Burt Jones jogged over to join them. “Did you see who did this?”
“No, I’m afraid not.” Trina forced herself to be calm for Ben’s sake. “I mean, there were plenty of people streaming out of the hotel and scattering when gunfire rang out. But I didn’t see anyone acting suspicious.”
“I didn’t either,” Joel said. He glanced down at Royal, then at her and Ben. “We’re blessed to have escaped unharmed.”
She couldn’t disagree. Maybe God was watching over them. She managed to nod. “Very much so.”
“We need a ride,” Joel said. “I’ll call my siblings for help, but it will take time for them to get here.”
“Of course.” Heath didn’t hesitate. “Give us a few minutes to clear the area.”
She swallowed her protest. Better for the police to make sure the gunman wasn’t hiding nearby.
Brian? Peter? Someone else? Her thoughts whirled, the names circling her brain like a tape stuck in a loop. Brian? Peter? Someone else?
“Aunt Trina, where are we going now?” Ben’s expression betrayed his concern. “I thought we were safe here.”
“You’re always safe with me and Joel. Royal too,” she added.
“I love Royal.” When Ben stroked the dog’s fur, Royal licked his cheek. Ben buried his face against the dog’s fur. And she wished more than anything she could make this easier for the little boy.
It took a moment to realize Joel was on his phone.
Shoving thoughts of the gunman away, she listened to his side of the conversation.
“Yeah, a spare SUV and extra cash. Thanks, Justin. See you and Trevor soon.” He pocketed the phone.
“We’ll get a ride from the police and then figure out our next steps. ”
“I’m glad.” No surprise his siblings had dropped everything to respond to Joel’s cry for help. She and Evie had been close, too, at one point. Less so in recent years and Trina wished now she’d had made the trip to Laramie more often.
She closed her eyes on a wave of despair. Regret burned hot in the back of her throat.
“Don’t, Trina. It’s going to work out,” Joel said in a low, comforting tone. “We’ll get through this.”
She managed a weak nod. Shoving the emotion aside, she focused on Ben. Her nephew, soon to be her adopted son, was all that mattered.
“Joel? Are you guys ready to go?”
“Yeah.” Joel stood. He waited for her and Ben to get up from the ground too. “Come, Royal.”
The black lab abruptly darted forward. Keeping his nose to the ground, Royal headed to the far corner of the building.
“Is Royal running away?” Ben asked fearfully as Joel sprinted after his K9.
“I don’t think so.” She knew Royal was too well trained for that. Her pulse spiked at the possibility Royal had caught the scent of the gunman. “Look, see how Royal has his nose to the ground, moving from side to side? I believe he’s searching for something.”
Heath crossed over to her and Ben. “What’s up with Royal?”
She shrugged. “He could be searching for another shell casing.”
Heath nodded. “That would be helpful. As soon as they return, we’ll head out. My squad is the closest one.”
She nodded but didn’t move toward the car. It would be too hot to sit inside to wait. And she wanted to understand what Royal had found.
Thankfully, it didn’t take too long. Joel had a satisfied expression on his face when they returned. He held up a small plastic bag containing a shell casing. “Heath, I need you to get this to the lab, see if it’s a match to the one Royal found earlier this morning.”
“I’m surprised the dog searched for it without being told.” Heath took the evidence. “He’s pretty smart.”
“Very smart,” Joel agreed. “I believe he caught the gunman’s scent. Finding the shell casing was secondary.”
“He can do that?” Trina looked down at Royal in surprise. “I thought he needed a scent source, like clothing?”
“Typically, yes, but our K9s are on alert for danger.” Joel dropped to a knee to run his fingers over Royal’s fur. “You’re a good boy, aren’t you?” He grimaced. “I didn’t have my backpack to reward him properly with his stuffed beaver.”
“My laptop is in the room too,” she said. “And I would rather not leave it behind.”
“I’ll grab your things,” Heath offered. “Stay here, I’ll be back soon.”
There were plenty of people milling about now, mostly law enforcement and firefighters. It was clear the hotel had not been on fire. “Joel?” She moved closer to him. “Would the hotel have security cameras?”
He nodded. “They have one camera overlooking the front of the building.” He gestured to where Burt Jones was speaking with a middle-aged bald man. “I believe that’s what Burt is asking about now.”
“They’ll know if Brian or Peter show up on the video.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she knew that didn’t mean much. “Although I’m sure someone could get inside by simply waiting by the side exit for someone to head out.”
“Yep.” Joel grimaced. “I wouldn’t hold my breath that they’ll find anything useful on the security camera.”
She swallowed against a lump of frustration. Whoever was orchestrating this nightmare seemed to be one step ahead of them every single time.
And she was growing increasingly worried they wouldn’t figure out who was responsible in time to prevent another deadly attack.
Joel tried to be patient as they waited for Heath to bring their stuff out of the hotel room. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the local cops, but he had more faith in his family. And the sooner his brothers arrived in Cody, the better.
Justin had agreed to update Griff prior to heading out. He and Trevor would drive separate vehicles, leaving one for Joel and Trina to use.
He noticed Royal seemed to stay near Ben, as if the K9 knew his job was to protect the boy from harm. Labs weren’t known to be attack dogs, but Royal would certainly growl and bark if anyone got too close.
Especially the gunman. Joel was convinced Royal had the killer’s scent stored in his memory.