J Saint - Collateral Damage

He took a bracing breath and set a reassuring smile on his face. His entire focus had shifted in a matter of an hour. Keeping the innocent safe took precedence over unraveling the mystery behind Bill Collins's death.

"What are we doing here?" Lauren leaned forward in the middle seat.

"Shopping," he muttered under his breath, as he shifted in his seat to see her. He hated like hell that he was going to have to steal in front of the kids.

She blinked at him, genuine surprised slacking her jaw. "Shopping?"

"For a car."

"But there isn't a dealership… Oh God." Realization dawned, and it wasn't pretty.

"Better than the high-speed alternative that would put all of you and other folks in danger."

She exhaled. "Okay. I'll take the 'better than' then."

"Reminds me of the Could Be Worse books. Right, Matt? Right, Mitch?" Angie asked, clearly trying to distract the boys.

"What books?" Jack asked absently as he scoured the surrounding area for the biggest, most accessible vehicle. Behind him was a carwash and detailing service called CleanSmart with the slogan, "Clean while you shop". The keys for the cars would likely be hanging on an unattended rack near their business shack. He could steal the Lexus the workers were putting the final buff to, but stuffing everyone in would be rather tricky. The other cars in line to clean were smaller.

"Matt's favorite bedtime stories," Lauren said.

"They're the bestest," Matt said. "A real grandpa says it all the time."

Lauren explained. "He says 'could be worse' after anything wrong happens."

"Good philosophy." Jack continued his search. Beyond the CleanSmart was a collection of tour buses, school buses and retirement center vans with several drivers smoking in the parking lot. One of them wore a tattered cap with Vietnam stamped on it.

"I thought so too, until I heard, 'could be worse' every time after the boys got in trouble."

Jack smiled, thinking Lauren's position as mother wasn't much different from his as a Delta team leader. He'd heard something similar to those words many times when dealing with his men. He also had another idea that might avoid grand larceny.

"I'll be right back." He opened his car door.

"You're leaving us here?" Something besides fear laced Lauren's tight tone and drew Jack's attention back to her angel face and sinner mouth. He could readily see her worry of the situation, but he also caught a hint of doubt, as if she thought he might abandon them. How Bill Collins could have walked out on her and his two young sons was incompreYou let Livy go. His conscience slapped him. His divorce from Jill, though welcomed in the face of her infidelities, hadn't been Jack's choice. He'd let his wife go and she'd snatched every bit of his daughter away from him that she could. He shoved the searing thoughts aside for now.

"See those buses over there?" He nodded in to the right, his tone strained. "I'm going out in the open. You all are safer here under the trees. You can move to the front seat. If you see our man in the black sedan, hit the panic button on the keys. I will likely see him before you do and be back in seconds, okay?"

"All right." Lauren unbuckled her seat belt. Jack exited the car and opened the side door for her. He kept a sharp eye on everything happening around them as she transferred to the front. Even so he was still all too aware of her fresh lavender scent and the radiating warmth of her body mere inches from his. Her face was pale, her features drawn with stress and her lush bottom lip was even fuller than before, likely swollen from where she'd worried it between her teeth.

This shouldn't be happening. The kids should be laughing and playing in the pool. She should be… He axed that thought from his mind. Visions of how to get her relaxed and happy were too damn vivid. After assuring the doors were locked, he left the van, stomping on the gripping need in him to be immediately at their side to protect them. He kept scanning for any sign of a roving black sedan as he crossed to the buses, forcing himself to walk when all he wanted to do was haul ass.

He approached the vet who split off from the group to speak as Jack requested. Jack quickly learned that Stan Brady was a grizzled, five-nine, sharp-as-a-tack gent who'd flown copters in 'Nam. He still kept his hair buzzed and his boots to a high shine. A short conversation and a handshake later, the vet pulled in front of the mini-van with a Serenity Village passenger van.

Lauren and Angie both had armed themselves with a golf club during his absence and looked ready to use it when he reappeared. Still, they looked more than relieved to see him. They ushered the kids in to the van and he loaded the dogs. Quick and competent, Stan left the mall area. He noticed the twins' Dale Earnhardt, Jr. race cars and began telling the boys how he got to ride and drive Earnhardt's car. Eyes wide and attention riveted to the man's story, the boys were soon distracted from the upset of the situation. Within five minutes of leaving the mall, Stan's bus driving pals phoned, reporting two men in black had found the mini-van and were canvassing the area. Only then did Jack let himself take a deep breath and ease some of the tension gripping his gut.

They were all safe for the moment but a long way from being out of danger.

Now he needed answers. ASAP. He slid his gaze over Lauren. Her eyes were closed at the moment, as if she were silently praying. She sat in the row of seats behind the driver, Matt on one side, Mitch on the other. She had a hand resting on each of their shoulders, holding the most important people in her world. Kids whose father's actions had likely thrust them into harm's way.

If he hadn't already shot Bill Collins he'd do it now. He sat behind Lauren. Angie was opposite, closest to the motorized doors. The dogs were parked in the center aisle between.

Jack leaned closer and tapped Lauren on the shoulder. "These men know a lot about you. And some of the facts aren't adding up."

She shifted to see him, blue gaze a stormy sea of vulnerability and resolve. She'd go to the ends of the earth for her kids and protect them with her last breath. "What do you mean?"

"They'd blocked your car in. Mine wasn't touched, making me sure we weren't followed from your house. It also indicates they may have the resources to track you via your cell phone signal."

She exhaled sharply. "God. Are you sure?"

"Let's consider I was wrong, and they did follow you to Angie's house today. How did they know which house was Angie's? You didn't park there, and we didn't approach the house from any observable position. I'd keep your cell phone turned off. Use mine for any calls you need to make. And I wouldn't leave any sort of electronic trail either. No credit cards, ATM's, et cetera."

"I see what you mean. Either they already knew Angie's my friend and I'd stayed there last night or they tracked me somehow."

"We can't forget about the muddy prints in Angie's kitchen."

"If the men in black arrived after us then whose footprints are they?"

"Good question." He looked over at Angie, sitting across from them. "The back door was left open. Do you know for sure that you had shut it?"

Angie rolled her eyes. "With Matt and Mitch leading the posse, I don't think there can be a for sure, but I thought I had." She shivered. "You can bet from now on the door gets locked and I'm getting a security system."

"Buy a big dog instead," Lauren advised. "The elaborate system Bill had his buddy Conrad install wasn't worth a fig. They disabled it."

"I think I hear a Great Dane or a Mastiff calling my name," Angie said.

"So who left the footprints in the kitchen if the men hadn't arrived yet?" Lauren frowned.

"Good question," Jack said.

"You said Bill was involved in something. What and who?"