Chapter Eleven #2
“Mind keying in the code to the electronic lock for me?” He angled her near the keypad above the doorknob and told her the numbers to press.
The lock clicked. She turned the knob, and he pushed the door open with his boot, then headed inside, kicking it closed behind them.
He didn’t slow until he reached the surprisingly large sectional wedged into the small space, taking up almost all of two walls in the main room.
Whoever had furnished the cabin hadn’t been mindful of appropriately sized furniture.
As soon as he lowered her onto the couch, her criticisms for whoever had chosen it evaporated. That person was now her hero. The sectional was as soft as a cloud but with good support, pillowing her sore muscles and bruises as she settled back.
“Wow,” she breathed. “This is the most comfortable couch ever.”
“You’re welcome.”
“You selected it?”
“Yours truly. I figured if we ever actually needed a safe house it should be as comfortable as possible, a home away from home for someone in a stressful, tough situation. The bed is just as nice, with the right amount of firmness so you won’t wake up with an aching back.”
She’d just pushed her shoes off and was rubbing her aching feet when he said that. “Bed? Singular?”
“You don’t want to share?”
She smiled her first real smile in hours. “I don’t mind sharing a bed with a hot guy like you even a little bit. So if you’re teasing, be careful. I’ll call your bluff.”
He chuckled. “Flattering, but not necessary. I can sleep on the sectional. As you’ve already found out, it’s extremely comfortable. And long enough even for me. It pulls out to a bed as well, if I need it.”
She sighed. “Your loss. If I wasn’t so tired, I might try to change your mind. Honestly, I’m not even hungry anymore. I just want a bath and a bed at this point.” She glanced toward the front door. “As long as you think it’s safe?”
“Everything in this cabin was renovated with security in mind. The log walls will stop pretty much anything. The windows are bulletproof. The front and back doors are both solid steel. And I have a few tricks up my sleeve if we need to get out of here in a hurry.”
“Sounds like you thought of everything, except for one very important thing.” She straightened on the couch.
“If you know about this place, then so do your officers. And the mayor, and city council I would expect. Maybe others, those who helped put that new porch and roof on. I’m not convinced this lovely cabin is actually a safe house, given all the people who know about it.
Like you said, small town and all that. Everyone seems to know everything and everyone’s business. ”
He sat down beside her. “Hopefully it will set you at ease to know that I considered those things when I first began searching for something we could use as a safe house. Without going into all of the details, I can assure you that I kept from creating a traceable electronic trail. The mayor and council aren’t included among those who know the cabin’s location.
That was an agreement we made before I began hunting for property to purchase on behalf of the department.
The only people who know about it are my officers and me.
I trust them the way I’d trust my own family.
Heck, more than my own family because they’re law enforcement officers and know how important it is to keep this place a secret. None of them will tell anyone. Ever.”
“What about the company that renovated it? And the company that delivered the furniture? Or the gas company that filled that tank outside?”
He cocked his head, studying her. “Have you always been this paranoid, or is it just because of what happened today?”
“Just because? Seriously? What happened today isn’t enough to justify wanting to be absolutely certain that we’re safe?”
“I was half teasing. Forget I said that. But, again, trust me that I thought through the potential of someone tracing the companies who furnished materials. It’s because of that extra care that it took nine months to get all of the work done and the place furnished.
No workers outside of me, my officers and one close friend have been here.
The deliveries were made to another location and trekked in here by myself and the others I mentioned.
My team and I put a lot of sweat equity into this place to do the improvements.
That friend I mentioned is the one who supplied and filled the propane tank.
He’s someone I can count on to keep it filled without others knowing about it. ”
He motioned toward the front door. “As for physical security, that keypad controls steel bars that come in from the walls and floor to secure the door, which is in a steel frame connected to steel beams in the wall. Same goes for the back door. With enough force, someone on the outside could eventually break the windows. That’s by design, in case there was ever a fire emergency.
But they’d need heavy duty tools or something equivalent to do it.
And we’d have enough warning to escape before they force their way in.
Can I promise on my life that no one could ever figure out the location of this safe house and track us here?
No. I can’t. But it’s unlikely. And you can consider me as your personal bodyguard.
I’ll do everything in my power to protect you. ”
She stared at him in wonder and shook her head. “I’m impressed. I really am. I don’t know of any police department, or specifically police chief, who would have gone to all of that trouble and expense to keep some unknown future person safe. Your mayor is truly an idiot for letting you go.”
He chuckled. “Thanks. As for the rest, I give a great deal of the credit to that friend I mentioned. He funded most of the cost out of his own pocket. If he hadn’t, we still wouldn’t have a safe house, not one I’d trust. Because, well, small town, small police budget.”
“Who is this amazing friend? Does he have a name?”
“Actually, he’s the same man who anonymously funded the town’s medical chopper. But along with the rest of the secrecy about this place, his name will remain undisclosed.”
“I guess that makes sense. You wouldn’t want someone to trace his money to this place.”
“Exactly. Now, if you’re still interested in that hot bath, I’m happy to carry you to the bathroom. The house has a tankless water heater, so you’ll have all the hot water you want.”
In answer, she raised her arms.
He gently lifted her as before and carried her to the bathroom. When he carefully set her on her feet, he waited until she was steady before stepping back.
“Towels are in the linen closet. There are robes in there too. Toiletries, including toothbrushes and toothpaste, brushes, combs, things like that, are in that cabinet under the sink. And like any good safe house, the closet and chest of drawers in the connecting bedroom have new, unworn clothing in varying sizes. Mostly it’s jeans, shorts and tops.
And underwear is in the dresser—again brand-new, never worn.
Hopefully you’ll find what you need, at least for tonight.
I can get one of my…one of the officers to bring you anything else you might need tomorrow.
I’ll actually update them tonight so they can get what you need ready for when they come up here, whichever officer ends up becoming our liaison.
I’ll leave that detail to Collier to decide. ”
“Sounds like you’ve thought of everything.”
“If not, we’ll rectify it later.”
“What about you? I mean, clothes. Is there something here for you too?”
“The bag I hauled up here on my back from my truck doesn’t just have extra weapons and ammo.
It’s my version of a go bag, with clothing and other items I might need for a few days.
I’ll shower once you’re done. In the meantime, I’m going to walk the perimeter of the property, as a precaution.
I’ll check for signs of anyone sneaking around.
But I don’t expect there will be. This place is remote and a tough, long hike to get here, as you’re aware.
And about the only way to get through the rocks and boulders is that tunnel you and I used.
Without the tunnel, someone coming up the mountain will eventually reach solid rock with no easy way around it.
The hope is that they’ll give up and turn around. ”
“Good to know.”
He started to turn away but she stopped him with a hand on his arm.
He arched a brow in question.
She shook her head. “Hard to believe we only met this morning. In that time we’ve survived two shootouts. I survived a brief stint in jail. And somehow I survived running a marathon straight up a mountain,” she continued.
“Exaggerate much?”
“Maybe a little. It’s certainly no stretch to say that you’ve saved my life today. Although I honestly never expected someone would dare shoot at me, if they know about my father. Then again, I never expected Esteban to be murdered either.”
He gently squeezed her hand as if to reassure her. “Shower, eat, rest. Tomorrow, we’re going to dig into our investigation and figure out what’s really going on.”
After she closed the bathroom door, she reached into the pocket of her shorts and pulled out the item she’d pilfered from Beau’s backpack when he’d been speaking to the motorcycle man.
A burner phone.
She slumped down to the floor and sat with her back against the wall, holding the phone and replaying everything in her mind that she’d seen. And heard. And felt. And she wondered…
When was Beau planning on telling her that her brother Esteban was alive?