Vendetta (Otter Creek Book 10) Page 9

  “If there’s a problem or another flare up, call me. Mason, Nicole, and I are staying at the B & B tonight with Jo and Paige.”

  Understanding filled his expression. “No problem. Be glad to call you. The ladies all right?”

  “They’re shaken, but holding strong. Your people are uninjured?”

  “Howard tripped over a tree root and sprained his ankle. Other than that, we’re good.”

  “Thanks for your quick response and stopping by with the update.”

  “You bet. Here’s hoping for an uneventful night.”

  Amen to that. Marcus closed and locked the door after the fire chief drove away. He turned the table lamp to its lowest setting and, after checking the back door, went upstairs to his own room.

  Three hours after his head hit the pillow, his cell phone rang. “Lang.”

  “Preacher, help me!”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Marcus swung his legs over the side of the bed. “Dalton, what’s wrong?”

  “I’m in trouble. Please, you gotta help me.”

  “Where are you?” He placed the call on speaker and started lacing his tennis shoes. Afraid he might face Paige’s attacker before the night was over, Marcus had slept in his clothes. Now he was doubly glad he’d taken that precaution. From the sound of the teenager’s voice, every minute counted.

  “At the old Croft place. I’m in the trees, hiding. Hurry before he finds me.” With that last urgent plea, Dalton ended the call.

  Marcus debated calling him back to demand further information but feared he might endanger the teenager. He grabbed his keys and wallet, and headed for the hallway.

  He tapped on Mason’s door, poked his head inside. “Hey, sorry to wake you,” he murmured. “I have to leave. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “Leave my door open. I’ll keep an eye on things.”

  “Thanks, Mase.”

  As he reached the front door, a loose board squeaked behind him. Marcus swiveled, his eyes widening when he saw Paige. “Did I wake you?”

  She shook her head. “Couldn’t sleep. What’s going on?”

  “I have to go. Got a teen who called me for help.”

  Paige moved closer. “Who?”

  “Dalton.”

  “Wait for me. I’m going with you.”

  Before he could protest about the possible danger, she dashed upstairs. In under a minute, she returned dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. She was carrying her shoes. “Let’s go.”

  “Paige, he sounded scared. This could be dangerous. I don’t want to take you into the middle of an unknown situation.”

  She unlocked the door. “We’re wasting time, Marcus.”

  He followed her outside to his truck. “Only if you agree to follow my orders if there’s trouble.”

  “I promise.”

  Still afraid this was a major mistake, he cranked the truck’s engine. At the road, Marcus turned left. Thankfully, the Croft property bordered Jo’s. Wouldn’t take them long to reach Dalton.

  He activated his Bluetooth and called Ethan Blackhawk.

  “Blackhawk.”

  “It’s Marcus. Paige and I are headed for the Croft place. Dalton Reagan called three minutes ago, begging for help. He’s hiding in the woods, says someone is after him.”

  “Turn around and go back to the inn. I’m leaving now. Josh is on duty tonight. He’ll be there soon.”

  “Can’t wait, Ethan. Dalton sounded terrified and we’re only four minutes away.” A growl from the police chief made Marcus flinch. Yeah, his friend was going to tear a strip from Marcus’s hide when this was over.

  “Don’t do anything stupid. You have more than just yourself to worry about.”

  Marcus glanced at Paige who was tying her tennis shoes. “I’m very aware of the risk involved. Paige’s safety is my first priority.”

  “Watch your back, Marcus. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  A quarter mile from the property, Marcus turned off his lights. At the entrance to the long driveway, he pulled off the road and backed his truck into the tree line. With the dark paint, hopefully the vehicle would be overlooked if someone was after Dalton.

  He unlatched his seatbelt. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  “We’re wasting time. Let’s go.”

  Marcus turned off his dome light and opened his door. He met Paige at the front of the truck and held out his hand. “Walk as quietly as you can. Since the driveway is gravel, we’ll walk on the grass. If I give you an order, do it without question.”

  When she nodded her agreement, he set a fast pace for the Croft house. The woods skirted the right side of the estate.

  Why was the boy out here at this time of night? He should have been at home hours ago. His mother would be worried if she found he was gone.

  Cloud cover drifted away from the moon, illuminating the area. If the man after Dalton was still searching for him, the extra light made it easy for him to see. If Marcus wasn’t careful, he and Paige would be visible to anyone looking their direction.

  His gut tightened into a knot at the thought of his girl in danger again. He should have insisted Paige stay in the truck. Knowing her, though, she would have followed him on her own. Dalton was one of her kids, and she would do anything to protect him.

  The driveway curved to the right, leading to the ramshackle antebellum house. Once a beautiful mansion, the place had fallen into neglect as old man Croft aged and became ill.

  Marcus led Paige closer to the woods that bordered Jo’s orchard. The wind shifted, carrying with it ash and the scent of burned wood. He didn’t think Dalton had anything to do with the fire in the orchard. The police, though, may not be as trusting as Marcus.

  At the clearing, he stopped, nudged Paige behind him, and listened. The woods were eerily quiet. Not good. There should have been some signs of life. He’d visited old man Croft several times in the months before he died. Not once was it this silent. The urgency to find Dalton increased.

  “Stay behind me,” he whispered.

  Paige squeezed his hand in answer.

  He took them into the wooded area, carefully placing his feet to cushion his progress. Nice to know he hadn’t forgotten his skills. He glanced at Paige over his shoulder, amused to see she was trying to walk in his footsteps.

  The further they traveled, the denser the tree cover became, and shadows from the pines, maples, and elms deepened. Marcus didn’t dare turn on his flashlight app for fear of alerting Dalton’s pursuer to their presence. What he wouldn’t give for a good pair of NVGs. Never thought he’d say that again. Maybe he should ask Josh to hook him up with a pair of the night-vision glasses.

  Something or someone running through the trees made Marcus adjust his course. He moved further to the left, nearer the tree line. With someone chasing him, the teen couldn’t turn on a light to see where he was going. More than likely, he wouldn’t have moved too far into the woods. Since Marcus wasn’t positive of the soundness of his logic, he’d stay out of sight until he was sure the runner was Dalton.

  A soft curse drifted on the early morning breeze, followed by a quickly muffled shout. Marcus hustled Paige to the largest tree he could find and pressed her back against the trunk. “Stay here.”

  “Be careful.”

  With a nod, he followed the sounds of the scuffle. He broke into a small clearing to see Dalton struggling to escape the clutches of a large, muscled man dressed in black.

  Fury exploded in his gut. “Hey! Let him go.”

  The thug swung around, shoved Dalton away from him, and grabbed a weapon from behind his back. He pointed the barrel at Marcus who dived behind the closest tree.

  “Give it up, man. I called the cops. They’ll be here any minute.”

  Another vile curse from the stranger’s mouth.

  The sound of crashing through the underbrush reached his ears. Marcus peered around the tree trunk he’d sheltered behind. The guy was gone. Dalton, however, still lay on the ground wher
e he’d fallen.

  Marcus raced to the teenager and crouched beside him. When he laid his hand on Dalton’s shoulder, the teen tried to scramble away. Marcus tightened his hold. “It’s Marcus. You’re safe. He’s gone, buddy.”

  Dalton’s frantic movements ceased and he shifted toward Marcus. “You came.”

  “We’re friends, and friends have each other’s backs.”

  “Yeah, they do.”

  “Are you hurt?”

  “Nothing an ice pack won’t cure.” A small smile curved the teen’s lips.

  Some of the tension eased from Marcus’s muscles. “Good. I brought someone with me who’s very anxious to see you.”

  He led Dalton back to Paige. Relief flooded her face when she saw the teenager.

  “Dalton.” She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. “Are you okay?”

  “A little banged up. I’ll live, thanks to Marcus.”

  She set him away from her and looked him over for herself. “What happened? Why were you out here at this time of night?”

  “That’s what I want to know.” Ethan Blackhawk strode toward them, his weapon held by his side. “You okay, Dalton?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Marcus, Paige?”

  “We’re fine.” He circled Paige’s waist with his arm, tightened his grip when he felt her trembling.

  The police chief moved into a patch of light, his gaze assessing the three of them, then scanning the area. “Who should I be looking for?”

  “Big guy, dressed in black to his shoes. Six feet, curly black hair, couldn’t see the color of his eyes. Armed with what looked like a 9 mil. I couldn’t see the weapon clearly from where I was standing because he stayed in the shadows. When I confronted him, he shoved Dalton away and shot at me.”

  Had to be the same man who attacked Paige. Why was he out here and what did he want with a teenage boy? He glanced at the woman by his side, noted her puzzled expression.

  Marcus mentally reviewed his statement to Ethan. Oh, man. A “normal” pastor probably wouldn’t have noticed all those details, certainly not the information about the weapon. Yeah, those secrets were becoming a problem.

  Ethan pulled a flashlight from his pocket. “Show me. I’ll see if I can track him.”

  Not wanting to leave Paige alone again in case Dalton’s attacker circled back, he retraced his steps with Paige at his side. Dalton walked with Ethan. When he came to the small clearing where the scuffle had taken place, he showed Ethan where the man had been standing when he fired the shots.

  Ethan crouched, turned on his flashlight, and studied the ground. “I’ll take it from here. Josh will be on scene soon. Go back to the Croft driveway and wait for him.” With that, he walked deeper into the trees following the trail of the shooter, his steps silent.

  “Let’s go,” Dalton muttered. “This place is creepy at night.”

  Marcus agreed with him. Near the driveway, he located the stone bench Mr. Croft had loved to sit on, and nudged Paige that direction. “Come on. We might as well be comfortable while we wait for Josh.”

  “Good idea. My legs feel like rubber right now. Come sit with me, Dalton.”

  “I’m okay.”

  Marcus looked at the teenager, whistled. “You’ll have a shiner in a few hours, buddy.”

  “Oh, man. My mom will have a fit when she sees my face.”

  “From what I saw, you’re lucky that’s the worst of your injuries.”

  “Yeah, I know.” Dalton swallowed hard. “He came out of nowhere and chased me down. I thought I got away, but obviously I didn’t.”

  “What were you doing out here, Dalton?” Paige wrapped her arms around herself and shivered.

  Probably nerves and the chilly temperatures. Marcus sat beside her and slipped his arm around her shoulders to share his body heat. The teenager stared, his eyebrows raised. Amused at the teen’s reaction, he winked at his basketball buddy. Wouldn’t hurt to have another pair of eyes watching over Paige.

  He dropped his gaze. “I was looking around. Nothing bad, honest. The gossip around town says this place will be the first one bulldozed when the developer starts working on the shopping center. I wanted to see inside the house before it’s gone.” The teenager shrugged. “I like old buildings. They’re cool.”

  Marcus frowned. Dalton was lying about something, but what?

  “Have you been looking at the websites I recommended?” Paige asked.

  “I looked up several that weren’t on your list, too. The school librarian helped me find more.”

  Puzzled, Marcus glanced from one to the other. “What websites?”

  “Historical homes and architectural sites. Dalton is interested in designing homes and buildings. He’s also looking into rehabbing old houses like this one.”

  “Elliott Construction rehabs houses. If you’re interested in that side of the business, you should talk to Mason Kincaid. He helped rehab the Victorian mansion Rio and Darcy live in.”

  The teenager raised his head, eyes wide. “Do you think Rio or Darcy would give me a tour of the house?”

  “I’ll be glad to talk to them about it.”

  “Thanks, Marcus.”

  “I’ll do it on one condition.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Tell me why you lied a minute ago.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Paige stared at Marcus, then Dalton. “Dalton?”

  Before he answered, twin headlights swept over them as an Otter Creek police cruiser drove into sight and stopped. A tall, broad-shouldered officer climbed from the vehicle. “Everybody okay?” Josh Cahill asked.

  “Paige and I are fine,” Marcus said. “Dalton needs an ice pack. You wouldn’t happen to have anything like that in your cruiser, would you?”

  A quick smile from the Delta soldier. “I have one in the med kit Rio makes every member of Durango carry.” He returned to the vehicle and opened the trunk. A moment later, he handed Dalton a chemically-activated ice pack. “Some battle scar.”

  “Thanks,” the teen muttered, avoiding direct eye contact with Josh.

  What was wrong with him? He hadn’t acted like this in several weeks. Was he worried about punishment for being out past curfew or concerned about something more serious?

  “What’s the story?” Josh’s lips curved. “It’s bound to be an interesting one to bring the three of you out at this time of night.”

  When it became apparent Dalton wasn’t going to answer, Marcus explained about the phone call. “Mason, Nicole, and I are staying at the B & B with Paige and Jo. Paige heard me going to the door after Dalton’s call and volunteered to come with me.”

  A snort from Josh. “I have a strong-willed wife, mother, and triplet sisters. What you said is a nice way of saying she insisted on coming along despite the possible danger.”

  Paige grinned. She had been afraid to let Marcus come by himself. She wasn’t a cop, but she could handle a cell phone like a pro and scream with the best late-night thriller actress.

  “It’s well past curfew, Dalton. Why were you out here this late?” Josh folded his arms across his chest.

  The teen refused to answer.

  “Ethan will question you. Unless you want to cause yourself and your mother a heap of trouble, level with him. Do you know about the fire at the Jensen orchard?”

  Dalton swallowed visibly, nodded.

  “Doesn’t look good for you to be in the vicinity of a possible arson and refusing to talk. People will assume you’re the firebug.”

  “No way! It wasn’t me.”

  “Then start talking. Why were you out here?”

  More silence.

  “Dalton, please.” Paige touched his hand. “We want to help.”

  “I can’t say. I’d be violating the bro code.”

  Marcus frowned. “You need to tell Josh and Ethan everything. That’s the only way they can help you and the person you’re protecting.”

  Before Marcus finished, the teenager was shak
ing his head. “Nobody knows who the other person is.”

  “You sure about that? You didn’t think anyone knew you were out here either, but the guy who tried to kill Paige came after you tonight. Your friend is in just as much danger as you and Paige are. Who else has been with you? We’re trying to keep him alive, Dalton. Who are you protecting?”

  Dalton slid a glance to Josh.

  “He doesn’t have to know you gave up his name,” Josh said. “How will you protect your friend? You can’t be at his side 24/7 and you couldn’t save yourself a few minutes ago. There’s no shame in asking for help when you need it, Dalton. I’ve called on my teammates over and over for years. I know they have my back. If you don’t tell us this kid’s name, we may not be able to save him like Marcus did you.”

  A deep sigh and Dalton dropped his gaze. “It’s Seth Parks.”

  “The mayor’s grandson?”

  He nodded.

  Josh rubbed his neck. “Ethan’s not going to like this news. What’s the story, Dalton? Why were you out here?”

  “I told Paige and Marcus the truth. I wanted to see the old house before the developer tore it down.”

  “You broke into the place?”

  “No, I swear. The back door was unlocked. I walked right in.”

  “Still against the law, buddy. What about Seth? Did he explore with you?”

  Paige had a feeling Josh and Ethan might overlook his foray into the house if he wasn’t guilty of anything more serious than poking around in the old house. And listen to her. She felt guilty even thinking the teenager might have been involved in something more sinister than being nosy.

  “We split up. He didn’t want to walk around in the Croft place. Said it was weird to be in there when the owner was dead.”

  “What were you doing out here in the first place?” Paige asked.

  “Walking around.”

  And there went that gaze again. He’d looked away. Why was Dalton lying? “After midnight?”

  “Mom worked until 11:30. I was supposed to meet Seth earlier, but I was watching my brothers and working on homework.”