Chapter 5
Bailey had been hovering in the hallway outside the restroom when she heard the crack of gunfire and corresponding shattering glass.
She instinctively ducked into the closest restroom, pulling Archie with her.
She locked the door and huddled in the corner, her heart pounding.
She hated knowing Trevor was out there facing the gunfire alone, but she didn’t dare risk her unborn child by venturing out there to find him.
“I—we’re in a gas station, and someone’s shooting at us!” She tried to remember exactly where they were. “I think we’re on the northwest side of town. It’s the Gas and Go station. I don’t know the address!”
“I know where the Gas and Go station is and will dispatch officers to your location.” Her calm tone was reassuring. “Are you safe?”
Not even close. Bailey wondered if she’d ever feel safe again. “I’m hiding in the bathroom. Just please hurry!”
“Officers will be there soon. Please stay on the line.”
“My phone battery is low.” She decided there was no point in wasting what little battery power she had left, so she disconnected the call. Stuffing the phone back into her purse, she strained to listen. Oddly, there was nothing but silence.
Her heart lodged in her throat. Did that mean Trevor and the gas station clerk were both dead?
The sudden pounding of a fist on the bathroom door made her jump. Black Hat?
“Bailey? It’s Trevor!”
Archie wagged his tail, clearly recognizing Trevor’s voice. She let out a sigh of relief, opened the door, and nearly fell into his arms. “Trevor? You’re okay?”
“Yeah, but we need to get out of here.” He held her close for a long moment. His grim expression was not reassuring. “The black truck took off, but we can’t stick around.”
“I—okay. The police are on the way.” She reluctantly pulled out of his arms. “Where are we going?”
“I don’t know.” He took her hand. “I grabbed my backpack from the SUV, but we need to head out on foot.”
She swallowed hard but didn’t protest. It seemed odd to her that he didn’t want to drive, but then again, the gunman had found them there. By tracking his SUV? That seemed like something out of a movie.
Yet seeing the broken windows and shattered glass on the floor of the gas station indicated their situation was all too real. And precarious. The clerk was sitting on the floor with his back to the counter, a dazed expression on his face.
“The police are coming,” Trevor called to him. “Stay down until they get here.”
The clerk nodded, clearly in shock. She felt bad for the young man, but since there was nothing she could do for him, she turned and followed Trevor outside. The cold November wind stole her breath, making her shiver.
Archie didn’t seem to notice as he trotted alongside them. His nose was up as he sniffed the air with interest. Obviously, dogs explored their surroundings with their noses, not their eyes.
“We’re going to find a place to call my sister Kendra,” Trevor murmured.
“Okay.” She glanced over her shoulder at the gas station. “What about your SUV?”
“I’ll have someone from the ranch tow it back later.” He grimaced. “We just got our replacement SUV after my brother’s vehicle was destroyed by a bomb and now this.”
She gaped. “A bomb?”
“Yeah. Don’t worry, that was a few months ago.
I shouldn’t have mentioned it. It’s just that our K9 SUVs are specially made with safety features for our dogs.
Knowing mine has been shot up makes me mad.
” He paused at the street behind the gas station and looked both ways before leading her across to the other side.
“We need to find a restaurant where we can wait for Kendra without being noticed.”
She sighed, stepping carefully on the slick streets. Without her memory, she was no help in finding a place. There was nothing more terrifying than not being able to remember anything. Her life before the crash, her brother, even her dead husband.
Nothing.
With another shiver, she followed Trevor through several back streets.
None of which were familiar. At least, he seemed to know where he was going.
Moving in the darkness should have made her feel safe, but it didn’t.
In her opinion, they were more conspicuous walking around town like this.
Two people and a dog didn’t exactly blend in.
Especially since most people didn’t walk their dogs at this early hour of the morning in winter.
“Looks like we’ll have to go a little farther.” Trevor glanced at her. “Can you manage?”
“Sure.” It wasn’t as if she had a choice. The cold temperature was starting to make her shiver, but she didn’t complain.
They walked for what seemed like an hour, but was barely fifteen minutes, when Trevor’s grip on her hand tightened. “I think that’s the Sunny Side Up Café on the next block.” Trevor tightened his grip on her hand. “You’re doing great, Bailey. We’ll be warm soon.”
She appreciated his kind words, considering she was a liability in their attempt to escape. He and Archie could have gone faster without her.
Then again, they wouldn’t be running from a gunman in the first place if not for her.
This guy was after her. Why, she had no idea.
Would she know more if she had her memory? The doctor had mentioned a traumatic event likely accompanied her amnesia. Maybe she had known something horrible prior to the crash that had caused her mind to shut down.
Whatever it was, she needed her mind to open back up and soon. Before they were all killed.
Welcoming lights beckoned from inside the Sunny Side Up Café. Trevor glanced up and down the street before opening the door for her. Archie walked in with them. There were plenty of open seats, but Trevor chose the booth farthest from the door. He shrugged out of his backpack.
“Lie down, Archie.” Trevor took the seat that was facing the door, setting the pack beside him. Archie crawled beneath the table and let out a sigh. It seemed to her as if the dog had been there before.
“I’m surprised they don’t mind Archie being here.”
“The Sullivan K9s are well known in the area.” He shrugged and handed her a plastic menu. “You never did get your hot chocolate.”
“That’s the least of my worries. I hope that clerk is okay.” It felt wrong to be sitting here in a warm café while he was talking to the police. “Shouldn’t we have stayed to talk to the officers too?”
“We’ll do that soon. For now, it’s better we stay safe.” Trevor pulled out his phone, but their server came over with a pot of coffee before he could make a call. “Coffee for me would be great. Bailey, do you want hot chocolate?”
“Yes, please.” She smiled at the woman whose name tag identified her as Doris. “Thank you.”
“Sure thing.” Doris filled Trevor’s coffee, then carried the second mug back to the kitchen. She returned a few minutes later with a mug of hot chocolate. “Are you ready to order?”
“Two eggs over easy with toast and fruit, please.” She tucked the menu away.
“I’ll have the ham and cheese omelet with toast and breakfast potatoes.” Trevor gestured to his mug. “Please keep the coffee coming.”
Doris laughed. “Will do.”
The moment Doris hustled off, Trevor stood. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
As he stepped away from the table to make his call, she sipped her hot chocolate.
Archie shifted beneath the table. She awkwardly leaned down to stroke his soft fur.
Her belly barely fit behind the table of their booth.
She sighed and tried not to stress. There was no doubt in her mind Trevor Sullivan would do everything possible to keep her safe.
But she worried that their best might not be good enough.
It seemed as if this unknown gunman had the advantage.
That this guy, whoever he was, knew her.
And likely knew Trevor Sullivan too. He must be a local resident.
If that was the case, she didn’t understand why the police wouldn’t know his identity.
How many bad guys could there be in a town this size?
She made a mental note to ask Trevor about stopping at the police department after breakfast.
Her baby kicked, and she rested a hand on her belly. Feeling her unborn child moving about only reinforced her resolve. They would get through this. Somehow, some way, they would figure out what was going on.
Before it was too late.
Trevor was grateful Kendra answered on the first ring. “Trev? What’s going on?”
“I need help. You remember Miles’s sister, Bailey?”
“Of course.” Kendra yawned. “Why?”
“She’s in trouble. Some guy is trying to kill her. I had to leave my SUV at the Gas and Go station; we’re in the Sunny Side Up Café now. How soon can you and one of the other siblings get here? I need a replacement SUV and a rental house.”
“I can be there in forty-five minutes or less.” He heard a door opening and closing, indicating his sister had put her K9 Smoky, an Alaskan malamute, outside. “I’ll send a request for the cabin Joel used, but they’re not likely to respond until business hours.”
“That works. But you need one of the other sibs to come too, Kendra. I’ll use your vehicle, but you’ll need a ride back to the ranch.”
“I’m sure Joel won’t mind tagging along. What else do you need?”
“Extra supplies for Archie. I have my backpack, but I only have enough dog food for a couple of meals.” He kicked himself for not being better prepared.
“I also need an extra vest for Archie and snow booties, in case we need to go into search mode. The temperatures have been dropping, and he doesn’t have the furry coat your Smoky does. ”
“Sounds good. I’ll hit the road as soon as possible.” Kendra paused, then added, “Are you planning to call Chase?”
He groaned. “Yeah, I’ll call him.” Their oldest brother tended to be overprotective, especially of him and Kendra, the two youngest. Chase probably wouldn’t like it that he’d asked Kendra for help, but driving out with extra supplies wasn’t the same thing as being in the middle of danger. “Just get here soon, okay?”