Chapter 13 #2
“Trina, I feel for you and Ben. I wish I could make this process go faster for you.” Griff sounded sincere. “I agree it’s not right that you’ve been in danger like this. That’s part of the reason I’m heading to Laramie as soon as we’re finished here.”
She blinked back the urge to cry. Getting angry with Griff wasn’t helpful. He was doing his best, as were the local law enforcement. Hard to track down someone who hasn’t left the house in three days.
“The Cody PD put out a BOLO on Peter Thomas,” Griff said. “Nobody has seen him, and trust me, they’ve been looking. Makes me think he may have hightailed it back to Laramie.”
“After setting the bomb at the cabin?” Joel sounded unconvinced. “I don’t think so. These attacks have been coming fast and furious.”
“Speaking of the explosion, I need to understand what happened,” Griff said.
She would rather he get on the road to Laramie but managed to be patient as Joel filled his brother-in-law in on the sequence of events.
“This taught me a hard lesson,” Joel said.
“We always need to trust our dogs. We should have gotten out of the cabin immediately after Royal’s alert.
” The pained expression in Joel’s eyes had her covering his hand with hers.
She didn’t blame him. She was the one who hadn’t wanted to leave.
“Yeah, I hear you. I’m just glad nobody was hurt.” Griff’s tone sounded grim. “That was too close for comfort. We need to get crime scene techs up there.”
“I’ll text you the address,” Joel said.
“I called Trevor. He’s finishing up his search and will arrange to have the damaged SUV towed to a wreckage yard,” Justin added.
“That will take some time, so your crime scene techs can do their thing first. But we need to figure out the vehicle situation. We have one extra SUV at the ranch, but I’ve sent a message to Chase that we need to purchase a replacement soon.
They take time to get because they’re specially made for our K9s. ”
“Understood,” Griff said. “I’ll get those techs out there ASAP. Anything else?”
Joel lifted a brow. She shook her head at his unspoken question. “Nothing from me. But will you please let us know when you find Peter?”
“Count on it,” Griff promised. “Hang in there, okay?”
Did she have a choice? When Joel ended the call, she abruptly stood and moved away from the brothers. Seeking privacy in the bathroom, she sank onto the commode and buried her face in her hands.
Feeling overwhelmed with anger, fear, and despair, she opened her heart to prayer. It was the only way to obtain the solace she so desperately needed.
And still, it wasn’t enough, making her wonder if her prayers fell on deaf ears.
Joel hated seeing Trina so down. He stood and paced the kitchen, waiting for her to return.
“Give her some space, bro,” Justin advised. “She’s been through a lot.”
“I know.” It pained Joel to admit he hadn’t done enough to keep her and Ben safe.
“My show is over,” Ben announced. “Now can I go play with Mitch?”
“No, Ben.” Joel kept his tone firm. “We’ll talk about that tomorrow, okay?”
Ben rolled his eyes. “I wanna play now.”
“I don’t think Mitch is home,” Justin said. “I was outside earlier, and he and his parents got into their Jeep and drove off.”
Ben eyed him suspiciously, then sighed again. “Then I want my video game.”
“Maybe tomorrow,” Joel said. “If things are quiet tonight, and if you behave yourself, I’ll head over to your house to get your game.”
“Really?” That perked Ben up. “Promise?”
“I promise.” One Joel hoped he wouldn’t regret. “You have to hold up your end of the deal.”
Ben shrugged as if that was not a problem.
A few minutes passed before Trina emerged from the bathroom. Her eyes looked red, as if she might have been crying, and she avoided his gaze.
He wanted to reassure her but couldn’t think of anything to say that didn’t sound trite and useless.
“I was thinking of making the frozen pizzas for dinner.” She gestured to the fridge. “Grady has two of them. That should be enough for the four of us.”
“Sounds good.” Joel glanced at his brother. “You have dog food in the SUV, right?”
“Yep.” Justin glanced at his watch. “I’ll grab the bucket of kibble now, along with their bowls.”
As if on cue, both dogs lifted their heads to stare at them. Joel shook his head wryly. “You shouldn’t have said the K word.”
“No joke.” Justin grinned as he moved toward the door. “They crack me up. I’ll take the dogs outside in a little while. I suggest we stay out back to avoid curious gazes from the neighbors.”
“Understood.” Joel agreed. The less attention they drew, the better. He wondered if Justin had really noticed Mitch leaving across the street or if his brother had made that up to keep Ben from harping on it.
Probably the latter , he thought with a shrug. A white lie that wouldn’t hurt Ben and keep the peace for Trina’s sake.
Joel offered to cook the pizzas, but Trina jumped to the task. He understood the waiting around was getting to her too.
“Can I go outside with the dogs?” Ben asked when Justin opened the back door to let them out.
“Not now,” Joel said. “We’re staying inside for the rest of the night.”
“Why?” Ben looked upset. “I always get to play outside when it’s nice out.”
So much for his promise to behave. “Listen, Ben, I know it’s hard, but you need to stay inside for today. We hiked this morning, remember?”
“That was hours ago,” Ben whined.
“Enough, Ben.” Trina sounded a bit on edge. “None of us wants to be cooped up inside, but we don’t have a choice.”
“We can play card games after dinner,” Joel suggested. “Do you know how to play gin rummy?” When Ben shook his head, Joel smiled. “I’ll teach you. It will be fun.”
When their pizzas were ready, Joel said grace.
He noticed Ben watching Justin as this was the second time his twin had joined them in prayer.
“Lord Jesus, we ask You to bless this food. We thank You again for keeping us safe in Your care. We continue to ask for strength and guidance during these difficult times. Amen.”
“Amen,” Justin and Trina echoed.
“Amen,” Ben added a second later. “Now we can dig in?”
“Absolutely.” Justin put a slice of pepperoni pizza on Ben’s plate. “Here you go, big guy.”
“Yum!” Ben took an eager bite. Trina flashed his brother a grateful smile. Joel knew she’d been dealing with Ben alone for a few months now and probably appreciated a helping hand.
And the brief flash of jealousy was completely unfounded. He did his best to ignore it. He and Justin had never fought over a woman in their lives. They wouldn’t start now.
After dinner, he helped Trina with the dishes.
The dogs ran around the kitchen, generally getting in the way.
He shooed them into the living room where they eventually settled down to sleep.
When they were finished with the kitchen duty, he gestured to the living room.
“Why don’t you take a break? Justin and I will play cards with Ben. ”
“Are you sure?” She looked up at him with hope reflected in her brown eyes. “I feel like I should play too.”
“Hey, you deserve some downtime.” He nodded to where Justin was already explaining the rules of the game. “I doubt Ben will mind if you sit out. We’ve got this.”
“You’re sweet, Joel. Thank you.” Her smile melted his heart. It was all he could do not to pull her into his arms.
Then she went up on her tiptoes to brush a kiss across his cheek. A brotherly, chaste kiss. Unlike the one they’d shared, what yesterday? It seemed like eons ago.
He watched as she headed back into the living room, picking up her paper and pencil. Forcing himself to stay focused on the mission, he turned to join his twin at the table. “Are we ready?”
“As ever.” Justin grinned. The challenge was on.
They played with Ben for a solid hour, taking turns winning, not on purpose, as that wasn’t how Sullivans rolled. Unlike the way they banded together to support each other in SAR missions, when it came to family game night, it was every man for himself.
“I like this game,” Ben said when he won the last hand.
Trina came over to the table, a genuine relaxed smile on her face. “Okay, Ben, let’s get ready for bed.”
“Will you tell me a story?” Ben asked as he hopped off the chair.
“Sure.” Trina rested a hand on his shoulder. “But let’s wash up first.”
When they disappeared down the hall, Joel looked at his brother. “I’m going to sleep on the sofa, so you can take one of the bedrooms.”
“Nope, I’m taking the sofa. You need to rest.” His brother raked a critical eye over him. “Gotta say, you look rough around the edges.”
Joel scowled. “I’m fine.”
“I’m better than fine. I’m well rested for the most part.” Justin slapped him on the back. “You told Trina to take a break, now it’s your turn. I’ll be out here with Stone. He’ll let me know if anything goes wrong.”
Joel hesitated, then nodded. They had two watchdogs in the house, which gave him an added measure of comfort. “Okay. Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.” Justin arched a brow. “I can tell you really like her.”
Joel narrowed his eyes. “I do, but we’re just friends. I need to stay focused on protecting her.”
“Hey, I get that. But once this is done? I think you should take her out for a proper date.” Justin punched him lightly in the arm. “She’s cute.”
She was cute and so was Ben, but he wasn’t going there. “Thanks again. Come, Royal.” He turned toward the back door. “I’ll take a walk around the property outside now too. Best if we know the lay of the land in case this guy somehow finds us.”
“There aren’t a lot of places for the gunman to hide,” Justin observed. “That may work in our favor.”
“I hope so.” They could use a slight advantage. He and Justin took the dogs outside one last time, walked the perimeter of the lot, then headed back inside.
They were safe, and that would have to be enough for now.
Despite his lack of sleep the past few nights, Joel tossed and turned. Royal snored, and he stared at the ceiling, listening to his dog. He finally drifted off to sleep, only to be awakened by someone shaking his arm.
“Joel, wake up.” He opened one eye to see Trina hovering over him, her expression panicked. Royal jumped up and came over to nudge him.
“What’s wrong?” He stared up at her. “Ben? Is he sick?”
“He’s gone.” Her voice hitched. “I think he may have tried to run away again.”
“He wouldn’t.” Joel shot up off the bed. He opened the blinds, surprised to see it was morning, probably close to six thirty. He’d slept in longer than he normally did. “Justin and Stone would have stopped him from leaving.”
“He went out the window.” Trina’s eyes filled with tears. “What if the gunman gets him?”
“Okay, let’s not go there yet. I’m sure Ben hasn’t gone far.” Where would the boy go? Most likely to Mitch’s house. Ben had been vocal about wanting to play with his friend. “I’ll take Royal, and we’ll search for him. I’m sure he’s across the street.”
“I hope so.” Trina gripped his arm tightly. “I can’t bear the thought of that madman getting his hands on Ben.”
“He won’t.” Although the image of some guy hauling Ben away at gunpoint was difficult to ignore. “Come, Royal.”
He went straight to Ben’s room. The open window seemed to indicate that was the route Ben had taken, but he took a moment to address his dog. He patted the bed sheets. “This is Ben. You know Ben, right? Search! Search Ben!”
Royal didn’t hesitate to sniff the bed, then around the carpeted floor. His K9 went straight to the window, sniffed, then surprised Joel by vaulting through.
He followed his K9 as the dog searched along the dew-laden grass outside. The dog trotted across the lawn, then headed to the front of the house. When Joel expected Royal to go across the street, the dog surprised him by turning to head down the block, away from Mitch’s house.
Trina followed their progress, staying back so as not to interfere. It took a few minutes for him to figure out where Ben had headed.
“He wanted his video game.” He turned to Trina. “I’m sure we’ll find him at your place.”
“Good.” She hurried to catch up.
Royal continued following the scent, the moisture along the grass helping to magnify Ben’s scent. Three blocks later, they approached Trina’s house. The charred front door was closed, and to Joel’s eye, the place looked undisturbed.
Royal went straight to the front door, then sat and barked. “Good boy.” He hadn’t taken the time to grab Royal’s stuffed beaver, so he settled for verbal and petting praise. “You’re a good boy, Royal.” He opened the front door, which wasn’t locked, and headed inside. “Ben? Are you here?”
No answer. He quickly moved from room to room, half expecting to find Ben sleeping in his own bed.
But the place was empty. The scent trail had led them there, yet there was no sign of Ben.