Page 61 of Final Approach
She left that last part off the text and stuck her phone in her pocket, said a prayer for Emily, and went to join Andrew in the borrowed Bureau vehicle.
IT TOOK THENEXT SEVERAL HOURSto finish everything that needed to be done.
And now, after a few hours of sleep at James and Lainie’s house, Andrew was ready to fight back. He hated that Hank was a target, and it seemed whoever was after him didn’t care if innocent people got in the way. Now everyone but Kristine—who’d gone to be with her sister—sat in James and Lainie’s den discussing their next options. Kenzie and Cole had insisted on being a part of the discussion, but so far, they hadn’t said much. Cole, who sat on the end of the couch, his big body sprawled, legs crossed at the ankles, looked more thoughtful than anything. Kenzie sat next to him, her dark eyes taking in everything, right elbow on her knee, chin resting on a fist. Cole had brought Andrew the keys to an older model sedan that belonged to the Bureau. At least his personal vehicle was safely ensconced behind his parents’ bookstore.
Hank, dressed in James’s jeans, Panthers sweatshirt, socks, and his own shoes, paced in the kitchen away from the windows. Andrew was confident that they hadn’t been followed to the lake house, butstill, his nerves twitched. And obviously Hank’s did too. Andrew was still dressed in his sleep pants, T-shirt, and shoes. James had loaned him another hoodie. He was going to have to replace the man’s wardrobe at this rate.
“Okay,” Hank said, walking into the den but keeping a wall at his back. “Here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to be the bait and you’re going to have my back. Then once we have whoever’s trying to kill me in custody, I’m going to disappear. Because if I don’t, no one in my life will be safe. Including me.”
For a minute no one said anything, then protests erupted.
Hank held up a hand and everyone fell silent. “Look, I realize you don’t know me. And honestly, it’s humbling that you would care so much about my fate. I can’t say thanks enough, but I’ve got to do this. It’s the only way to stop this guy.”
Andrew studied his friend and former partner. “All right. Let’s figure this out. What do you have in mind?”
“We use a safe house. Something up in the mountains, away from everything—everyone who could get hurt. The only issue is making sure he knows where I am and where I’m going.”
“You’ll have to appear in public,” James said.
Hank nodded. “That’s the tricky part. How do I do that without putting other people in harm’s way?”
“Think about who you’re talking to. We can do this if we do it right. We keep you surrounded,” Nathan said. “A big ole group of us.”
“Then when we leave—wherever—the grocery store or something?” Hank said. “Andrew, Cole, and I can take off up the mountain to the safe house with James here bringing up the rear. Hopefully our guy will follow.”
Kenzie frowned. “It sounds too easy.”
“One can hope, right?” James said.
Cole shifted and cleared his throat. “We have to try. This guy is getting bolder by the hour. We have to stop him before he succeeds. This is what we’ve trained for. This is what we do. So let’s do it and protect one of our own.”
Hank nodded, relief on his strained features. He was hurting and probably needed pain meds and to lie down.
“All right,” Andrew said, “let’s get this hashed out and sent up the food chain for approval.” Lake City PD and the FBI were about to become partners once more.
THIRTEEN
Kristine sat in the chair next to Emily’s bed. Aunt Wendy had hugged her and excused herself to get a few hours of sleep. Emily had stirred a few times but had yet to fully wake again, thanks to the powerful meds pumping through her small frame. That was the one thing that gave Kristine comfort. Emily wasn’t in pain, physically or emotionally. Yet. She just prayed her sister could heal a little more physically before she had to tell her about Tia.
The door opened and Ethan entered, took a look at his wounded twin in the bed, and ran a hand over his bloodshot eyes. He’d driven all night, and as far as she knew, he hadn’t slept in a really long time. He had to be exhausted. But he nodded to Emily. “How is she?”
“The same. Why don’t you go to my place? I’ll give you the key and you can make yourself at home. It’s a three-bedroom town house. Use the bed that’s made. Although, Dad was there for a while yesterday, so all the beds might be made at this point.”
He shot her an amused look through his weariness. “You still don’t make your bed?”
“Leftover teenage rebellion. Dad can’t punish me for it anymore.”
The amusement faded. “Yeah. He was such a tyrant.”
“He was. Still is in a lot of ways. I used to think we had it good because he never hit us. Not like some kids. But I didn’t realize theextent of the emotional abuse until I was an adult. Talking to Jesslyn about her own father’s manipulative nature was a big help. For some reason it helps to know I’m not alone.” Jesslyn’s father, mother, and two younger sisters had been killed when she was seven, but her aunt had fed Jesslyn information about her father’s character and personality over a period of time, allowing her to fully understand her childhood flashes of memories. Thankfully, in the end, before he died, he’d been a changed man.
Unfortunately, Kristine wasn’t sure that was possible for her father. Then again, God could do miracles. She was still praying for one.
Ethan sighed. “I’m just glad I’m not around him much anymore.”
“Have you seen him?”
“Yes, briefly. Outside the room. He started going on and on about how she shouldn’t have been with her friends, that this never would have happened if she’d just listened to him, yada yada.” He grimaced. “I just can’t win with him. You know that. I finally walked off before I got to visit Emily. I was just waiting for him to go before I came back.”
