Chapter 15
T rina had followed Justin, Stone, and Officer Simmons, who were in turn trailing Joel and Royal. Learning that her new neighbor Lisa was responsible for these deadly attacks was staggering. She couldn’t imagine why this woman would hate her so much to do such terrible things.
Hearing Joel call her pretty had hurt. Yet the description was accurate. She understood Lisa was exactly the type of woman Joel would be attracted to.
Although she’d overheard him saying something to Officer Simmons about how he hadn’t wanted to date Lisa. It sounded like the woman had been calling him a lot over the past few weeks. It’s probably a good thing Joel stayed away as it was obvious the woman was mentally disturbed.
“Take me, Lisa. I’m the one you’re mad at. Let Ben go.” Joel’s deep voice had caught her attention. She sucked in a quick breath, craning her neck to see what was going on. She couldn’t see Lisa, Ben, or Joel. Justin and Simmons were a few yards ahead of her.
Justin turned to place a finger over his lips, indicating she should stay quiet. She nodded in understanding. The last thing she wanted to do was to distract Joel from facing off with this mad woman.
“Come closer, Joel.” Lisa’s voice was tight. “Don’t try anything funny. One wrong move and I’ll shoot.”
“I understand.” How Joel managed to sound so calm in the face of a crisis, she had no idea.
Her heart ached. As much as she wanted Ben back, she didn’t want to risk losing Joel forever either.
What if that nutty woman shot him? Lisa had done so many horrible things, Trina would not put anything past her.
She tensed when Justin eased his weapon from his holster. Was he far enough back that Lisa couldn’t see him? Simmons had his weapon out, too, and she tried to find their readiness to take Lisa down reassuring.
But it was worrisome to think Joel could be caught in the cross fire.
Suddenly Ben came running toward her. Tears flowed from his eyes, and he launched himself into her waiting arms. “Mommy,” he choked.
Mommy! He’d called her Mommy. She swept him up and turned to carry him back up the trail, desperate to put distance between them and Justin, Simmons, and Joel.
She couldn’t afford to be a distraction.
“Shh, Ben, it’s okay. I’m here. You’re safe now,” she whispered in his ear, still worried about Lisa overhearing them. “It’s all over.”
“S-she was gonna shoot me.” The words came out between sobs.
“I know, but she can’t hurt you now.” She pressed a kiss to his temple, thankful beyond words that Ben wasn’t hurt.
At least physically. Emotionally was another story.
As if the poor boy didn’t have enough trauma in his life after losing his mother.
Now he had to relive this nightmare too.
“We’re going to find the other police officers, okay? ”
Ben nodded but then lifted his head. “What about Royal?” He turned to look at the path behind them. “I want to see Royal.”
Her stomach twisted with fear and worry. “Royal is with Joel. They’re going to get that gun away from Lisa, okay?”
“Are you sure?” Desperation flashed in her son’s eyes. “What if she hurts them?”
She drew in a shaky breath and dropped to her knees. Ben had voiced her greatest fear, and there was very little she could do or say to reassure him. Except for the one thing she knew Joel would appreciate. “We’re going to pray right now to Jesus to keep them safe, okay?”
Ben swiped at his face and nodded.
“Dear Lord Jesus, we beg You to keep Joel, Royal, Justin, and Stone safe in Your loving arms. Amen.”
“Amen,” Ben echoed. “Can Jesus really do that?”
“Yes. Through Him all things are possible.” The words that might be from a Bible passage flashed in her mind. She rose and pulled Ben close. “Come with me. We’re going to talk to the policemen.”
They’d barely taken two steps up the path when the sound of a gunshot rang out. Trina gasped and whirled, fearing the worst. She wanted to go back to see what was happening, but she had to put Ben first.
“Did she kill Royal?” Ben asked.
She helplessly shook her head and forced herself to sound confident. “I’m sure she didn’t.”
Two police officers ran toward them. The older of the two looked relieved to see her and Ben standing there.
“We’re fine,” she said quickly. “Go that way, Lisa had Joel at gunpoint.”
The officers nodded and continued down the path. She stood for a moment, straining to listen. She desperately wanted to believe Joel was okay.
The not knowing was killing her.
“Get down!” The shout almost had her dropping to her knees again, until she realized the command was related to someone else. Lisa? She squeezed her eyes closed, silently praying Joel was okay.
For long seconds she didn’t move. Her instincts were to get Ben far away, but she couldn’t make herself leave.
Not without knowing...
“Trina?” Justin and Stone ran toward her. Ben dropped to embrace Stone. “Joel is fine; it’s only a flesh wound. The good news is that Lisa is in custody.”
“Thank You, Lord Jesus,” she whispered. Then she managed a smile. “I appreciate you coming back to tell us.”
“I knew you’d be worried after hearing the gunfire.” Justin’s grin faded. “That was a close call, though. If Joel hadn’t anticipated her move, the outcome could have been much worse.”
She wished she could see Joel, hug him, and hold him close one last time.
He’d put his life on the line for her and most importantly for Ben.
He was by far the most honorable man she’d ever met.
And despite knowing he thought Lisa was pretty, she still secretly wished for something she couldn’t have.
Yet she was grateful for her blessings. That the danger was over for good. That was all she could really ask for. Joel and Royal, along with Justin and Stone, would head back to the Sullivan K9 Search and Rescue Ranch for a well-deserved rest.
She wouldn’t stalk him the way Lisa apparently had.
“Let me go! I didn’t hurt anyone, let me go!” The shrill voice coming from behind her made her wince. Ben rose from where he’d been hugging Stone to come back to her side.
“That’s her,” he whispered. “She’s scary.”
“Yes.” She wrapped her arm around him. “But don’t worry. The police have her in handcuffs. She won’t hurt you ever again.”
“Good.” Ben lifted his red eyes to her. “Can we go home now?”
“Of course.” She caught Justin’s gaze. “Thank you, for everything.”
Justin nodded, then glanced over his shoulder. “Here’s Joel and Royal now.”
Ben broke free of her embrace and ran toward the pair. Joel smiled at her, ignoring the blood trickling down his arm. She managed a weak smile back as Royal galloped toward Ben, greeting him with a wildly wagging tail and attempts to lick him in the face.
Despite her internal lecture to let him go, she found herself walking toward him, increasing her pace until she was within arm’s reach. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. “Thank you for saving Ben,” she whispered. “I’m so glad you weren’t badly hurt.”
“Anytime.” His husky voice sent shivers down her spine. In that moment, she could almost understand Lisa Schilling’s obsession.
Almost.
She held him tight for a long moment, then forced herself to release him. “I owe you more than I can ever repay.”
“Funny, I was just thinking this is all my fault.” Joel frowned as the officers led Lisa away in handcuffs. “She lashed out at you because of me.”
“Because she’s flipping nuts,” Justin muttered. “I told you to block her.”
“You’re not responsible for her actions,” Trina said, agreeing with Justin. “I really need to get Ben home. He’s been through a lot.”
“We’ll come with you.” Joel nodded at how Ben was talking to Royal, telling the dog how much he loved him. “Royal will help Ben get over his ordeal. We’ll ask Justin to make breakfast.”
“That’s not necessary,” she began, but a police officer interrupted.
“Mr. Sullivan?” Both Justin and Joel turned toward the officer with stripes on his sleeve identifying him as Sergeant Howell. “We’d like to take your statement. Yours too,” the cop added to Justin.
“I’m Joel; this is Justin. We’re happy to provide statements.”
Trina stepped back and subtly reached for Ben. She suspected the brothers would be tied up for a while, and she wasn’t going to hold Joel to his offer of spending more time with her and Ben. “Are you hungry?” She pulled the handheld video game from her back hip pocket. “Look what I have.”
“My game!” Distracted, Ben grabbed it with both hands. She led him up the path to the opening between the trees that would lead to her backyard. His face fell. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have crawled out the window to get my game all by myself.”
“No, Ben, you shouldn’t have.” She rested her hand on his shoulder. “You need to listen to me, Ben. We would have gotten your game for you when it was safe.”
“I know.” He lifted his somber gaze to meet hers. “I didn’t think she would try to hurt me.”
“I understand.” She shivered, despite the warmth of the sun. If anything bad had happened to Ben, she wouldn’t have forgiven herself.
Thanks to Joel, her son was safe. And deep down, she understood the best gift she could give Joel was to let him move on with his life.
Joel had wanted to head back to Trina’s house right away but understood providing his statement about how things had gone down was important. Simmons avoided his gaze, as if feeling guilty over the way Joel had been grazed by a bullet.
He’d barely noticed at the time, as he’d been too busy hitting the ground the split-second he realized Lisa intended to fire.
He’d deliberately rolled into her, knocking her off balance.
Thankfully, Justin and Simmons rushed forward to disarm her, preventing her from firing again.
The wound throbbed a bit now, but it could have been much worse.
“I’m sorry,” Simmons muttered. “I should have taken the lead back there.”
He arched a brow. “I’m the one who used my K9 to track them. It’s not something you could have done for me.”