Page 72 of Valor

“It’s not silly. I wanted to get out of there. I couldn’t have held anyone off if they came in shooting. Maybe Oliver would’ve come out shooting, but I’d rather not hang my hopes on him.”

She laughed. “You’re right. He’s eccentric and unpredictable, which is why we get along so well. Dad and Oliver go way back. He moved in about fifteen years ago, but they went to school together.”

Just like his father. In the last twenty years, people had become more likely to move away than to stay after graduation from high school. Some went to college, some went into the service, and some wanted to live in a bigger community. All that moving meant few of the people he knew as a child were still living in town. “I guess it’s good to have roots.”

“Hasn’t your dad lived here forever too?” She glanced at him, her warm eyes welcoming him to talk.

“Yeah. He was born in Rapid City, but his family was from here. My granddad was older and died when I was six. I don’t remember my grandmother.”

“What about on your mom’s side?”

The question seemed innocent enough, but Allen couldn’t help worrying that it was anything but. He had no ‘other side of the family’. As far as he was concerned, Dad adopted him. Though, with as little as Dad made over the years, that couldn’t be the case.

“I don’t know.”

Heather’s fingers flexed in her lap. “You don’t know your mother?”

He hadn’t planned to get this personal so soon, but oddly, he felt comfortable enough with her to tell the truth. “I never knew her. I grew up with my dad. He never mentioned her and after so many questions going unanswered, I quit asking.”

Maybe that’s why he’d turned to drinking. Maybe raising a son alone had been too hard for him? Allen didn’t know. All he knew was that he’d never had fresh baked cookies when he got home from school. There wasn’t anyone to tuck him in at night or help him with his homework.

He opened his mouth to make a joke and lighten the heaviness that suddenly gathered between them when a tire on the car blew, and he had to grip the wheel tightly to keep control. He swerved off the road and pulled to a stop.

While most of the town was older homes, this was the one area people tried to avoid. He’d taken this route to get to the cafe faster, but now he wished he’d gone another way. “I’ll be right back. I need to see what happened.”

He opened the door and found the rear tire completely flat. He hadn’t driven through construction, nor had the tire been low earlier. Had someone done something to it as soon as the officer had left, before he could look outside?

Rod pulled in behind him and got out. “What happened?”

“Flat tire. I need a minute to put on the spare.” He headed to the trunk as a bullet whizzed by his head.

“Allen, take cover!” Rod said as he drew his weapon.

CHAPTEREIGHT

Heather screamedas she heard first a shot, then Rod yelling for Allen to take cover. She ducked down, knowing the sides of the car wouldn’t protect her if the shooter decide to aim at her.

“Heather, stay put!” Allen called from the back of the car.

She didn’t want to. She wanted to climb out of the car and run as far away as possible. They were sitting in the middle of the only sketchy neighborhood in town. This was one place she didn’t want to be at night and darkness was coming fast.

Heather reached for her phone. She lowered herself to the floor so her head was completely hidden. Who could she call besides 911? Her fingers shook as she considered her options. There was no one. She had no friends. No one to call in trouble except Allen, and he was just as in trouble as she was.

Another shot broke the window just above her and she screamed, ducking and covering the back of her head. Allen spoke to someone from outside the car. “We can’t return fire. There are people in these houses.”

“Get into my car!”

In the next instant, her door opened, and Allen caught her before she could fall out. “We need to get to Rod’s car. Stay low.” He motioned for her to follow him.

After a moment’s hesitation, she grabbed her bag and stayed crouched while she hurried to the other car. Rod opened the door and held it for her while he took aim over the hood. As soon as she was in, Allen climbed in behind her and closed the door. Rod sprinted around to the driver’s side and got in. Within seconds, they were speeding down the street.

Allen called Jackie on his cellphone and used numerical codes to tell her what happened. Heather couldn’t understand what he said and couldn’t afford the headspace to focus. This was too much. She couldn’t go anywhere and wasn’t safe anywhere.

She hated feeling like a moving target. “Where will we go now?” The cafe wasn’t an option if people were following them.

Rod answered her before Allen could. “The station is the safest. I didn’t want to, but that’s just how it will have to be. If I have to get involved, so be it. Since I had to use my service weapon, I’ll need to be involved anyway. Sorry, Allen.”

Allen gave a quick nod. “Agreed. I’m glad you’re willing.”

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