Love Inspired Suspense December 2015, Box Set 2 of 2 (38 page)

Lacey lifted it over her head and gave it to him. Locker number 726 accepted the key, and a quick turn later, the metal door swung wide with a creak and clatter.

“Any particular reason why you chose 726?” Lacey asked as Wade reached in for the sole contents.

Another envelope.

“It's the month and date of the accident.”

“
Your
accident? The one that left you an orphan and your sister burned and your baby brother dead?”

His mouth dropped at all the information she already knew. “July 26. At 4:20 p.m., if you want all the details,
Questions
.”

“So you were investigating your accident and asked Jeff to help. Is he the one who told you your mother was a spy?”

“Shh.” He scanned around them and whispered, “No. I figured that out when I was eighteen. I found some information that told me my mom was not the person I thought she was. I found a collection of her aliases in one of her secret rooms. It was her Russian identities that had me leaving for the army the next day, needing to get away. But then one day I had this need to know what happened, who she really was. I thought if I did some investigating, it might make the images go away.”

“What kind of images?”

“Images you won't understand, and shouldn't. Anyway, that's how I met your brother. He caught me snooping. When I told him why, he said he might be able to help. We set this locker up as a place to pass information without anyone knowing. Or thought we had anyway.”

Wade read the name written on the envelope. He lifted his head and showed it to her. “Except this is to you. Not me.”

“Me? But how would I know to come here for it? He left me the key and a piece of paper with your name on it. But there were no directions for the locker. If I hadn't gone to find you, I wouldn't have ever known it was here.”

“Acting first must be a pattern of yours he knows well.”

Lacey snatched the envelope. “So what? I'm driven. Some would say that's a good quality to have.”

“If you have a death wish, sure.”

Lacey barely heard his remark because seeing her name scrawled on the front of the envelope written in Jeff's handwriting nearly undid her. Tears sprang to her eyes as she realized this was the last letter Jeff wrote to her and would ever write again.

“Would you mind if I read this in private?” She looked at Wade over the paper, the feeling of moisture in her eyes.

Wade gave a quick nod. “I'll be over by the stairs. Don't take too long.” Promise followed her soldier, and as soon as Lacey heard the tap of his boots and the click of Promise's claws fade away, she ripped open the envelope and withdrew the single-page letter.

The first words brought more tears to her eyes and clouded her vision so much she could barely read on. Her hands shook as Jeff stated that if she was reading this then he was dead. But nothing could stop her from reading on, not her tears and not the goons out there hunting her.

His words lectured her on getting along with Mama, but also told her to stay strong, and to remember everything he taught her. She wasn't one of those dainty pieces of lace, he reminded her for the millionth time in her life. Lacey smiled at the words of her champion. What would she do without him cheering her on?

She exhaled and glanced at Wade, who was getting antsy by the stairs. Promise pushed against his thigh.

Lacey went back to the letter and read a part meant for him. Jeff wanted Wade to know he didn't regret a thing. She read on, then dropped the letter to her side when the words ended too soon. Her brother signed off with a message for Wade to go home and to always remember words were powerful. Whatever that meant. Maybe something to do with his healing, Lacey thought. It would make sense that Jeffrey would encourage Wade to talk about his pain. The man seemed to keep everything in, especially whatever those images were that he'd mentioned.

Lacey gazed down at the bottom of the letter. A long line of numbers was scrawled there, but she had no idea what they meant, either.

“What does it say?” Wade caught her unaware. She hadn't even heard his footsteps return.

Lacey held out the letter and held her breath as he read. He wasn't going to like what Jeff had to say to him. After a minute of his own perusal, he looked back at her, befuddled.

“He wants me to go home and give up? I don't believe it. We were getting so close.”

“And he got too close. Jeff obviously doesn't want the same thing to happen to you.” She pointed to the letter. “What are those numbers at the bottom of the page? I don't understand them.”

“They're coordinates.” Wade handed the letter to her while he pushed some buttons on his watch. “Huh.”

“What? What did you do to your watch?” She stuffed the letter into Clay's interior suit-coat pocket.

“I input the numbers to get the location.” He turned his wrist to show her the address that came up. “It's my family's racetrack.”

“Maybe it was Jeff's way of telling you this was your home.”

Wade shook his head. “It's best if I stay away from there.”

“Why?”

“You won't get it.”

“Try me.”

Wade sighed and looked ready to bolt. This question affected him. Just when she thought he would take off, he surprised her and said, “I'm not whole, and that's all I'm going to say. Now let's get out of here.”

“Back to New Hampshire?”

“Back to square one.”

They retraced their steps in silence and exited the station with caution.

“It's too quiet,” Wade whispered more to himself. “We should have heard or seen someone by now.”

“You sound disappointed.”

“I like being in control of the situation.”

They reached the halfway point to the car when Wade put an arm out to halt her and Promise. “The tires are flat. It's a setup. Get back in the station now.”

Lacey and Promise turned tail on a dime and followed his orders. Wade went right up to the teller. He bought two tickets for the next train leaving the station in two minutes—going south.

“You better hurry or you won't make it to the platform in time,” the teller said as he passed the tickets through the glass opening.

Wade didn't wait for his change or to reply, but rushed them all through the station and out to the correct track.

The train waited on the empty platform; its doors would close on them any second. Lacey's breath panted loudly in her ears. All their steps hit the walk like a stampede, but it was Wade who rushed ahead and made it to the door. He stopped it from closing with his hand. With all his might, he pushed it wide with one hand while he reached for Lacey with his other.

“Hurry!” he shouted. Quickly, his gaze went past her shoulder, his eyes narrowed and darkened. “Lacey! Run!”

Just then, Lacey felt a strong, beefy hand cover her mouth and yank her back into a hard chest, her feet dangling above the concrete. With her eyes on Wade, she never saw him coming. She'd been completely blindsided.

Lacey couldn't see the man, but she could see Wade—and the look of conflict that washed over his face. He had two choices. Let go of the door, or let go of her.

She would tell him to hang on to the door if she could. She figured she would get out of the hold in just a second. A race-car driver had to be in top body shape to handle the strength of the cars and crashes. In the past, she'd climbed out of wrecked vehicles that were more constricted than this guy's arms. But struggling in his grasp now did nothing to loosen his hold or stop him from dragging her back into his hiding spot, out from everyone's view. She screeched from behind his sweaty hand, ignoring the awful salty taste and searching for a glimpse of Wade. She could no longer see him on the other side of a support beam. Her screeching was cut off when the guy moved his arm down to a choke hold. With his forearm at her throat, the only sounds she heard were the gurgles of the last of her air.

She thought of Promise. Did the dog know how to attack? Lacey had only seen the service animal offer tender care. Perhaps if it was Wade who needed the assistance, Promise would bare her teeth, but Lacey wasn't her handler. And since the dog was trained not to leave her handler's side, Lacey couldn't depend on the dog to help her.

“Give me what was in the box, and I'll make this quick and painless,” the gruff voice spoke in her ear.

Lacey forced her mind to think clearly. Panicking now would only get her killed. How many times had Jeff told her that? She pulled from Jeff's training to help her out of this situation. Her army brother had instructed her not only on the track, but also in the gym. Getting out of a choke hold had been covered on the first day. Jeff had spent hours grabbing her from behind, calling her names like Frills and Ruffles. He'd really known how to make her head steam.

Lacey pictured her taunting brother and used her anger to push the beefy arm up and out. The break of the hold allowed her to turn toward the man and take his arm with her. She twisted it behind him and kicked the back of his leg just as the train's whistle blew. He let out a scream of pain as she brought him to his knees and elbowed his nose straight back into his head. Not a person heard him over the train, but she heard her brother's praises as though he called to her from the side of the mat. She would have loved to reminisce longer over the memories, but the train was leaving.

The green flag in Lacey's mind's eye waved. This was no time for a pit stop. She had to scram or be left behind. She hated being left behind.

She stepped around the brick wall and found the train car door closed and Wade and Promise gone.

It appeared Wade had made his decision.

He'd decided to let her go.

CHAPTER FOUR

T
he day had just begun, and he'd already lost the girl. What was Jeff thinking sending his sister north? Wade wondered, but he couldn't spend a second speculating his friend's motive. Not if he meant to make sure she stayed alive.

He inched stealthily around the opposing side of the brick partition that Lacey had been dragged off to moments before. He hoped to intercept her kidnapper from the other side and put an end to this ambush before she was taken off the platform to an unknown destination.

Wade went for his gun at the back of his waistband, then remembered he'd taken it out at Roni's request back at the house. He gave a slight growl. Hand to hand it would have to be. But that meant making sure the other guy was empty-handed, too.

Wade backed up against the wall to peer around the corner. Nothing and nobody. Not the kidnapper or Lacey. He nearly returned to the other side of the wall to see if they'd come back out that way. Then he saw the man in black—hunched over on the ground.

Lacey Phillips escaped from her captor all on her own?

Maybe her quick-witted motto did work for her after all, Wade thought as he stepped up to the guy she'd somehow put down. The thug was slowly gaining his feet and had his back to Wade.

Big mistake.

But apparently, it wasn't the assailant's first mistake of the day. Messing with Lacey Phillips took that slot.

The train behind the wall pealed its final whistle just as Wade latched on to the man's collar. He lifted and slammed him up against the bricks in one surprising swoop. “Who are you?” Wade held the man up by his black leather coat. He noticed the coat was snug on the pudgy guy. A lot of fast-food eating in between jobs would do that to you. “Who do you work for?” Wade demanded.

Spit flew from the criminal's lips as his answer.

Wade made no move, not even to swipe his face clean. The whistle ended, but its earsplitting noise was only replaced by repetitious banging—and a woman yelling.

Lacey
.

“Let me on!” Her deep voice was unmistakable. “I won't let you leave me behind, Spencer! Do you hear me! Someone! Anyone! Let me on!”

The guy in Wade's hands cackled. “End of the line, Spencer,” he said. Then he kicked out right into Wade's gut. With Wade's hands still gripped tight to the front of the thug's coat, all he had to do was give a quick pull forward. He snapped the man's head back hard against the brick wall.

Lights out.

The guy slumped back to the concrete platform where Lacey had left him before. He groaned as he fell forward, unconscious.

Wade raced around the wall and passed over to the other track. Lacey was pulling on the lever to the metal sliding door, but it wasn't budging for her.

“Let me try.” Wade took hold of the handle.

She whipped around, shock on her face, her mouth dropped to a perfect oval. “I thought...”

“I know what you thought. A little something you should know about me. I don't leave anyone behind. I had to do that once. I won't do it again.”

“Your family. That's who you left behind. You can't blame yourself for that. You were eight years old.”

Wade shot a look into Lacey's brown eyes that were just as piercing as her words. It appeared Questions had been poking her nose where it didn't belong again. Wade gave the door a hard-and-fast shove wide, but quickly saw their path was not clear. A conductor with his navy blue cap blocked their way.

“Hey, you two! Is this your dog running through my train?”

“Yes!” Wade grabbed Promise from the man's tight grip on her collar. He pushed his way in, pulling Lacey's forearm behind him until they were both safe inside. “So sorry, sir. She took off and made it on board before we could. I'm so glad you found her. And that you didn't depart without us.” Wade had made a good choice in commanding Promise to run down the aisle to give them a little more time.

“We didn't have much choice, now, did we?” The man looked down through his round wire-framed glasses, his lips pinched beneath a thick brown mustache. “Can't very well leave when there is an unleashed, unaccompanied canine roaming free in the aisles.”

“No, I guess you can't.” The metal door slid home behind them. Wade nearly sagged against it in relief at having the door between them and the guy bent on killing one of them, or both.

But were there more? Wade doubted Pudgy worked alone.

“You two need to find your seats. You've already ruined my schedule for the day as it is.”

“I'm sorry. Really, but you wouldn't happen to know if some interesting characters boarded the train right before us, would you?”

The whistle blew and the train jerked forward. Lacey shot a hand out for the closest thing to brace herself.

Him.

She quickly retracted for the wall instead. He still wasn't her favorite person.

But then, that wasn't his mission.

Wade gave his attention to the conductor. “Can you just tell us, sir, if some men in sunglasses and dressed in black boarded before us?”

“It's been a slow Christmas morning. I can count the travelers on two hands. And none of them fit that description.”

Now Wade really wanted to sigh with relief. They'd been given a reprieve to strategize their next move. “How long until the next stop?”

“Seventeen minutes exactly.” The conductor moved on to the next car to start clicking tickets.

Wade stepped into the car and studied the blur of trees as the train sped by, faster and faster. Out there were a couple of thugs racing them to the next train stop seventeen minutes away. He had to figure out a way to keep them from boarding. “Tell me, Lace, how are you with racing against a clock?”

“It's Lacey, and a clock doesn't scare me.”

“Yeah, well, this clock has a killer, or two, waiting for you at the end. A little fear just might keep you alive.”

* * *

After ten stops and still no sign of her pursuers, Lacey dropped her head against the glass window and watched the world go by at high speed. All day long she'd held her breath as the train pulled into each station or depot, then released her pent-up anxiety when Wade walked back through the car and gave the shake. Part of her just wanted to get this over and done with. The other part hoped they'd come far enough south to lose their pursuers completely.

Outside the window, the wintry barrenness of the north had gradually changed as the train took them into familiar territory. The terrain turned swampy as they chugged through South Carolina, with cypress trees drooping along the edges of the tracks. Lacey lifted her face to the not-so-far distance, knowing her home drew closer. But going home wasn't an option. She still had no answers, and now she had men following her. She wouldn't lead them to her parents.

Promise whined from her spot on the floor. She lifted her head from her paw. That only meant one thing.

Wade was passing by again.

The man had barely sat with them all day. When he did, it was brief, and when his legs began to bounce, he was up and walking again.

Promise pushed to all fours, and then sat in her typical ready-to-serve position.

“Your dog is amazing,” Lacey said, aware that Wade was coming down the aisle from behind. “She knows everything about you, including knowing wherever you are.”

“She was well trained.” He stopped at their seats but didn't take one. Instead, Wade watched the window, then the two doors at each end of the car, then the two other passengers sitting in the car...again.

The man was in full ops mode.

Promise whined as she looked at her handler. Wade gave her a quick pat.

“I'm all right, Promise.” He scratched the dog's head between her floppy ears. “Just working.”

“She senses you're stressed. Is that why she's been whining?”

“Something like that.”

“Something like that but not really. Is that what you're struggling to say?”

“I wasn't struggling. I just wasn't sharing.”

“Right, because you don't share. Ever.”

“The last person I shared with is dead.” Wade looked at the other passengers then lowered his voice. “In case you've forgotten what happened to your brother.”

“No, I haven't forgotten. I can't ever forget that, and I also won't forget you had a part to play in it, either. You will start sharing, whether you like it or not.”

“It's not about me liking it. It's about keeping you alive.”

“I'm not in any danger at the moment. We're on a moving train with no bad guys onboard. So why don't you have a seat and get comfy.”

“I can't. I need to plan.”

“Plan for what? You can't plan for anything if you don't know the variables. And even then, all your plans could be for nothing.”

“All right, so why don't you tell me what you would do if two guys boarded right now and came through that door with the sole intent of taking you out.”

“It wouldn't be the first time someone tried to take me out. Take me out of the race, take me off the track. The road kind or this one. It's all the same. It's always a battle of wits.”

“What would you do? That's all I asked. If you're so quick-witted, tell me.”

“Don't you get it? I can't tell you. That would be
planning
. I wouldn't know what I would do until I was in the moment. When I saw where my assailant came at me, from what direction, with what kind of weapon. When I'm driving, I have to have eyes all around me. A wreck up ahead needs to be avoided. A bully pushing me out of the race needs to be pushed back.” Lacey shook her head in disbelief. “You own a racetrack. Do you know anything about racing at all?”

“I let Clay and Roni handle the business. I wish my name wasn't tied to the place at all.”

“Seriously? I didn't get to see it when I was at your house, but I've heard it's a beautiful road track. Even drivers who prefer the oval have said a ride on Spencer Speedway is like a race through God's creation, the way the track follows the natural landscape of the New Hampshire byways. Have you ever driven it at all?”

“Not since I was a kid.”

“You haven't been on your family's track since you were a child? Do you mean before the accident even?”

“So what?”

“So maybe you should try it. Not to race. Just to take one of your beautiful vintage cars out for a joyride with no one else on the track. Just you and the car. It might help you—”

“Stop. You sound like Roni. If I won't listen to her, why would I listen to you?”

Lacey pursed her lips. “Because
I
don't have any reason to help you. In fact, I don't care about you one bit. I don't even like you. I'm surprised your dog likes you.”

Wade's lips twitched. “She doesn't. She's trained to provide a service and duty to me. That's what you see. That's all.”

“If that's what you believe, then you are blind, Wade Spencer.” Lacey leaned over and petted Promise's satiny coat down her back. “This dog adores you. I see it the way she looks at you. She's so attentive.”

Wade grew quiet. Lacey figured he'd returned to his pacing and planning. Then he appeared in front of her and took the seat opposite hers. She turned to look out the window to escape his silent scrutiny and pretended to be interested in the world flying by. After relentless seconds, she couldn't take it anymore.

“What?” she demanded.

“Where did you learn to escape the hold that guy back there had on you?”

Lacey gazed back out the window, remembering. “Jeff taught me. He taught me a lot.”

“Because he was planning ahead.”

“No. He couldn't have ever known I would be in that situation. It's not something you can plan for. All you can do is be ready if it ever happens.”

“Which it did. When did he teach you?”

“Why does it matter?”

“Your brother was methodical. Nothing got past him. He had to have known you would need these skills.”

“You're paranoid. Race-car drivers have to be in prime shape. Every muscle in our bodies works to control a heavy moving vehicle traveling at high speeds. If we lose it, especially around those turns, we're done for. It requires strength and stamina.”

“And self-defense? Who's going to jump you while you're driving? Or is the paddock really that filled with unsavory characters that your brother thought it necessary to teach you escape tactics?”

Lacey leaned back in her seat. She crossed her arms at her front. “Why does it sound as if you're unhappy that I got away from the fat goon? Or are you just jealous because I did it without your help? Can't handle a woman who can take care of herself?”

“Just answer the question. When did he start training you in self-defense?”

Lacey swallowed hard, hesitating because what if Wade was onto something? What if Jeff had known she would need these skills? What if he had been planning ahead without her knowledge of it?

“Lacey—”

“All right! Fine.” She sat forward. “Eight months ago on his last leave. He set me up with a trainer and made me continue even after he was gone.”

“And you did?”

“Of course. I did everything Jeff told me to do. He's been in my corner my whole life. Or...
was
. Even now that he's gone, I...”

“Go on.”

“I still hear him in my head. I still hear all the directions and insight he gave me.” Lacey felt her lips tremble and she pressed them tight. She dropped her gaze to her hands in her lap. “The truth is—when I said I'm quick-witted, I meant Jeff was. I was just an attentive student. A kid sister who adored her bro—” Lacey scrunched her eyes closed and covered her mouth to stifle a cry. The raw pain cut through her chest fast and severe. Her breathing picked up as she worked through the sting and tried to gather her control.