Nightwatch (17 page)

She signaled back, giving his hand brief, short, downward tugs and saw him barely move his head in a nod. He wanted her to duck. But when?

“One thing puzzles me,” Mitch said, still maintaining his veneer of nonchalance. “Why send Megan away on a plane and chance being discovered when they check her ID? I thought you were smarter than that. Why not just have somebody drive her to wherever she's going?”

That brought more wicked-sounding laughter. “Drive her? Ha! That's a good one. I'd like to see you drive her across the ocean.”

Jill gave a barely audible squeak, then clamped her free hand over her mouth. Megan was not being adopted via the U.S. black market in babies as she'd first assumed. She was being sent overseas, perhaps to live a life of captivity that many women had claimed was worse than death.

They could not allow such a horrible thing to happen. Jill knew that. So did Mitch. But what could they do? How could they get away?

Suppose they separated? If she ran one way and he ran another, perhaps one of them would escape to take the news to the sheriff in time to stop the little girl from leaving the country. She should be easy enough to trace, unless she was being flown on a private jet. There couldn't be that many overseas flights leaving the states within the next few hours.

“Clever,” Mitch said. “I never would have dreamed you'd ship her out like that. I suppose you got a lot more money for her than you would have by just peddling her to some childless couple around here.”

“You'd better believe it.”

“Too bad for Ellen, though,” he added. “I can't imagine how much this will hurt her.”

“Shut up. Don't talk about Ellen. Ellen's dead.” Natalie was almost wailing.

“Is she? Did you see her body?”

“It got burned up. Everybody said so.”

“Then why hasn't there been any funeral? Did you ask yourself that?”

The flashlight beam wavered. “I—I don't know. They said it was because of the coroner or something like that.”

Mitch kept pushing on Jill's hand, urging her to bend lower behind him. She complied. The less he had to worry about her, the more likely he'd be to look after his own skin and not try to be a hero again.

“Ellen's under police protection in the hospital,” Mitch claimed. “If you send her daughter away she'll never forgive you.”

Jill knew lying was a sin. So was murder and kidnapping. As far as she was concerned, Mitch could be
forgiven for any falsehoods that allowed them to rescue Megan.

“Ellen's dead!” Natalie screamed.

She threw the light at him.

Mitch ducked.

Natalie shot in his direction.

The sound of the bullet splintering the tabletop above her head made Jill give a tiny shriek.

Next thing she knew, Mitch was diving past her and tackling Natalie. Another shot echoed in the cavernous metal building. Then, all was still.

Rising, Jill peeked over the top of the damaged table. Mitch was standing and pulling Natalie to her feet. He now had possession of the gun.

“Call 911,” he shouted. “And make it quick.”

“Phone?”

“In my jacket pocket.”

Trembling, Jill skirted the end of the table and approached on his left, away from Natalie. It wasn't until she reached to push back the side of his jacket that she realized he was bleeding.

“You're hurt!”

“Never mind me. Just dial,” Mitch ordered. “We're running out of time to save that kid.”

T
he sheriff and one deputy burst into the warehouse with guns drawn.

“We're over here,” Mitch shouted. “I've got Natalie. She confessed. It's all over.”

“No, it isn't,” Jill contradicted. “She's the one who kidnapped Megan. We have to act fast.”

The overhead lights snapped on, making Jill's eyes water as she watched Harlan's and Boyd's rapid approach.

“Okay. One at a time, folks,” the sheriff said. “What's going on?”

“It's like this,” Mitch began.

Jill stood by his side and mostly just listened until he was through explaining. She could tell that his injury was making him wobbly so she slipped her arm around his waist. “I think I hear the ambulance pulling up out front. Can I take him to get bandaged, Sheriff?”

“Fine. We'll finish up later.”

When Mitch didn't argue, Jill figured he was hurt worse than he'd let on so she held tight and walked him out.

“You won't need a gurney,” Mitch told the medics
when they threw open the rear doors of the ambulance and started grabbing supplies. “We're bringing the patient to you.”

He plopped onto the rear deck and gave Jill a wan smile while the attendants helped him off with his jacket. “You'd better go back inside in case Harlan needs you. I'm in good hands.”

“But…”

“Do it for Megan,” Mitch said. “I'm not going anywhere.”

“Okay.” What she wanted to do was throw herself at him, rain kisses on his face and tell him that her heart had almost stopped when she'd realized he'd been wounded. But Mitch was right. They had one more loose end to tie up. The most important one.

Back inside, Jill continued to badger the sheriff. “You have to do something. Before they smuggle Megan out of the country.”

“Take it easy. We're already working on that.”

Jill thought he sounded like a grandfatherly figure trying to placate a flighty, overexcited adolescent. Well, she might be keyed up but she was far from childish, and nobody, not even Harlan Allgood, was going to get away with talking down to her.

“How? Where? When?” She glanced at the chair where the cops had secured Natalie. “She said Megan was being put on a plane in a couple of hours!”

“Not anymore she isn't,” Harlan replied. “If you hadn't been running all over tarnation and getting yourself into trouble you'd already know that. The crooks we picked up for gambling were involved up to their necks in the kidnapping and the Pearson bombing. One of them decided to cut a deal and told us everything.”

“Megan's safe?”

“Yes. She never left Fulton County. Adelaide is picking her up and bringing her in.”

Jill was almost overcome with joy. She clapped her hands and grinned. “Praise the Lord.”

“My sentiments exactly,” the sheriff told her.

“I have to go tell Mitch!”

“Then go, before you bust a puckering string,” Harlan teased. “Just keep me posted if they decide to send him to the hospital.”

“Will do.” Jill was already racing back toward the open door.

Mitch was still seated on the rear deck of the ambulance when she burst out of the factory. She began to shout, “They found Megan! She's okay.”

There were tears in her eyes, and his, when she reached him.

“They rescued her? You're sure?”

“Positive.” Jill's voice broke. Mitch had his shirt off and there was a white bandage taped over his ribs on one side. The realization that mere inches had separated the bullet's path from his heart made her stomach clench. Every nerve in her body fired repeatedly, sending shivers up and down her spine and tickling the hair at her nape.

She absolutely had to touch his arm as she explained, “Harlan sent Adelaide to pick her up.”

“Thank God.” Mitch placed his hand over Jill's where it lay on his forearm.

“How's it going for you?” she asked, eyeing his bandages and feeling her stomach knot in empathy.

One of the medics spoke up instead. “See if you can talk him into going to the hospital, will you? We'd like
an X-ray of that wound to make sure there's no bullet fragments left inside.”

“Later. I'm fine for now,” Mitch said, trying to slip an arm back into his jacket sleeve and grimacing with pain at the movement. “I need to talk to Harlan. I intend to see Megan as soon as she's brought in.”

Jill noted perspiration dotting his forehead and reached to help him dress. Instead of grabbing the jacket fabric, however, her hand somehow strayed to his cheek. She caressed it. Looked deeply into his eyes. Saw what she hoped was the same depth of emotion she herself was experiencing.

He covered her hand with his, then turned and placed a kiss in her palm. There was telltale moisture in his gaze. “I was afraid I'd lost you,” he said softly.

“Never.”

It was no longer necessary for Mitch to hold her hand. She wouldn't have moved away for anything. Instead, she slipped one arm around his neck, pivoted to face him, then lowered her other hand to his shoulder. The touch was gentle, as she'd intended, yet it was also meant to convey the love she could no longer hide or hope to deny.

“Is that a promise?” Mitch asked in a near whisper.

Jill nodded. “It's a lot more than that. I thought it was too scary to fall in love with a fireman because of the dangers you face all the time, but I guess I did it anyway.”

“Did you? Are you sure about that?”

“Oh, yes. I'm positive.” Blushing warmed her cheeks far more than the afternoon sunshine. To her relief and delight, Mitch began to smile, giving her the courage to ask, “Do you…? I mean, are you…?”

He started to laugh, then stopped short and pressed his arm against his side. “Ouch. Yes, honey, I love you, too. I have for a long, long time.”

“Why didn't you
say
something?”

“Lots of reasons,” Mitch told her. “I suppose I was worried that we might mistake friendship for something more and maybe lose the closeness we'd developed if we were wrong.”

She stepped nearer, rested her forehead against his temple and closed her eyes. “I have never had a dearer friend than you, Mitch Andrews. I can't think of anyone I'd rather spend the rest of my life with.”

“Are you proposing marriage?” he asked.

“I might be.”

“Just so there's no question, will you marry me, Jill?”

In the space of a heartbeat she answered, “Yes!”

“Good. Now that that's all settled, let's find out where they're taking Megan. I need to be there.”

“
We
need to be there,” Jill corrected. “And if I have enough time I'll swing by the school and pick up the boys, too.”

“Of course.” Mitch got to his feet and straightened with difficulty, favoring his side. “The whole family needs to welcome her home.”

It didn't escape Jill's notice that Mitch had referred to them as a family. She viewed them that way, too, and had for some time. Later, after things settled down and they figured out what the future held, she intended to suggest that she and Mitch consider adopting all three orphans.

Yes, it was an outrageous dream, but at this point Jill was ready for anything. Mitch loved her. Megan was
about to be returned. And the culprits responsible for the factory bombing and fire had confessed. Any details beyond that were of little importance. At least for now.

She took Mitch's arm and held tight, matching his stride as best she could. The grin on her face was so wide she was sure she looked silly. Well, so what? She didn't mind if the whole town laughed at her. She'd never been happier and she didn't care who knew it.

At her side, she felt Mitch falter and saw him grimace. The look on his face grew incredulous. Then, his eyes rolled back and he started to slump to the ground.

Jill had to use every ounce of her strength to keep him from going down hard. She looked back at the ambulance, intending to call for help, and saw that the medics were already running toward her.

They had a backboard under Mitch and were loading him into the ambulance in minutes. He hadn't regained consciousness but they'd assured her his vital signs were strong.

“I'm riding with him,” she said flatly. “Don't even think of going without me.”

“Yes, ma'am. You want to run in and tell Harlan what's happened? He should be informed.”

Jill hesitated. She had already promised to do that. “Okay.” One long, loving look at Mitch was her gift to herself before she said, “I'll be right back.”

She was beginning to feel as if she'd been running a marathon after all the afternoon's activity. In the factory, out of the factory, then back in again. This seemed idiotic. Why didn't the guys on the ambulance just radio their status?

Struck by that reality, Jill whirled in time to see the
EMT unit pulling out of the parking lot with Mitch inside. They were ditching her!

She continued to Harlan, grabbed his arm and shook it to get his full attention. “I'm heading for the hospital.”

“Now?”

“Yes. My car's out back.”

“Mitch was transported?” he asked.

“Yes. I wanted to ride with him but…”

“Enough said,” the sheriff replied. “There's no way I'm letting you get behind the wheel when you're this upset. Come on. I'll take you.”

Boyd waved a small, rectangular object at his boss as he passed. “What about the flash drive Natalie had on her?”

“Bag it and bring her in. We'll go over this place from one end to the other later.”

“Natalie had a flash drive?” Jill asked as soon as she'd climbed into the patrol car. “Was that what she was looking for?”

“Apparently. I suspect it proves she's the one who's guilty of embezzlement.”

“Why did she have to shoot Mitch?” Jill was too frightened, too stunned, too worried about him to weep, but her spirits had sunk as low as they could get.

“Because she wasn't rowin' with both oars in the water. The woman's a sandwich short of a picnic.” He flashed a smile. “Don't worry. Mitch'll be fine.”

“I wish I could believe you.”

“Never mind me. Believe God. He'll take care of you.”

“Like He took care of Mitch?” Jill countered.

“Nope. Like He took care of that little girl we're
about to meet up with,” Harlan drawled. “Adelaide reported her ETA while you were outside with the medics. She should be gettin' to the hospital about the same time the rest of us do.”

Time?
Panicky, Jill looked at her watch. “Oh, no. It's after two. I need to pick up the boys at school.”

“I'll do that for you as soon as I drop you off.”

“Thanks.”

Jill's mind was spinning, her thoughts so disjointed she wondered if she was much more lucid than Natalie was at the moment. It would have been terrible if she'd forgotten to go get those kids on time.

Then again, since the culprits were under arrest it was probably safe again. At least she hoped so. Until Harlan had everybody locked up in jail and had explained his conclusions she couldn't truly relax.

They pulled onto the hospital grounds and Harlan sped directly to the emergency entrance.

Jill was out of his car and running toward the E.R. before he had time to take his seat belt off.

She reached the door only seconds after the medics pushed Mitch through on their gurney. To her delight he was now awake and talking.

“You ditched me,” Jill said, hitting one of the men on the upper arm before she reached for Mitch's hand. “That was a terrible thing to do.”

“Just protecting our patient,” he answered as he gave her a sheepish look. “If we'd known how mad he'd be when he woke up without you, we'd have taken you along.”

“You missed me?” she said, focusing her undivided attention on the man she loved. “That's good to hear.”

“I'm sorry if I scared you,” Mitch said. “I've never passed out before.”

“Well, see that it doesn't happen again.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

Smiling through tears of relief, Jill continued to hold his hand. “As it turns out, we're in just the right place. Adelaide is bringing Megan here.”

“What about the boys?”

“Harlan's gone to pick them up.” She laughed lightly. “I hope the teachers don't refuse to release them. I was pretty adamant about it when I dropped them off this morning.” Sighing, she bent over the stretcher and kissed Mitch's cheek. “So much has happened since this morning it seems like a week has passed instead of only one day.”

“That's because you were having so much fun hanging out with me,” he quipped. “I really know how to show a girl a good time.”

“Yeah, well, let's make our dates a little less exciting from now on, shall we?”

“Awww.”

Jill was about to tease him more when the double doors swung open and the female deputy entered. In her arms was the child none of them had believed they'd ever see again.

Megan's short, curly hair was mussed and she looked as if she'd just awakened from a nap. Jill had never seen a lovelier sight.

Although Jill held out open arms, Megan leaned toward Mitch and reached for him.

He didn't hesitate. “Just give her to me for a second,” he said, sounding choked up. “It's hard to believe I'm not dreaming.”

Megan chortled and began to bounce the moment her feet touched the edge of the gurney.

Jill rescued Mitch by lifting the little girl away. “You'll get to play with him soon,” she promised. “And Tim and Paul are on their way.”

The little girl's dark eyes twinkled. “Tim? Paw?”

“That's right,” Jill said, once again so happy she was almost in tears. “We'll get you and Uncle Mitch checked over and then hopefully we can all go home together.”