Laura Scott - Soldier's Christmas Secrets

To finish the job of killing him.

Jillian gripped the armrest with such force her fingertips went numb. Two men wearing ski masks and carrying guns had come to her house! She couldn’t comprehend what was happening—it was all so surreal. If she hadn’t seen them for herself, one lying in the hallway and the other on the snow-covered ground, she would have thought Hawk had lost his mind.

Lizzy’s crying increased in volume.

“It’s okay, Lizzy.” She reached back to stroke her daughter’s knee. The four-year-old was obviously terrified. “We’re fine, see? Everything is just fine. Mr. Hawk has come to save us, isn’t that nice? We’re going to be all right.”

It took a while, but her daughter’s sobs slowly quieted. As Jillian had hoped, the little girl began to nod off, still clutching the teddy bear close. Car rides had that effect on her.

Jillian glanced at Hawk. Her strong, silent, scarred yet kind neighbor who didn’t say much but was always there to lend a hand. At times it was as if he knew what she needed done before she did. She would come home from work to find her lawn had been mowed or a broken shutter repaired. Just that morning he’d gotten up early to shovel her driveway so that it was clear before she needed to head to work, the last day of school before Christmas break. It was odd yet sweet. Hawk wasn’t one for small talk, either. He would simply lift a hand to acknowledge her, and that was all.

Frankly they’d spoken more tonight than they had in the five months she’d known him.

She was grateful he was there to help her now. She noticed Hawk kept his eyes on the road and made several turns, getting off the interstate, taking side streets and then getting back on. He was obviously taking care to be sure they weren’t followed.

Not once since he’d moved in next door had he ever made her feel uncomfortable. He’d never indicated he was interested in anything other than being neighborly. Maybe because he assumed she was married.

Her gaze dropped to the gold wedding band her deceased husband had given to her five years ago. She’d taken the diamond engagement ring off but not the plain band. She wasn’t sure why. James had been the love of her life, but barely a year after they’d married he was deployed to Afghanistan. Two months after he’d gotten there, he’d been sent off on some secret mission that he couldn’t talk about. One that had ultimately killed him.

James had never known about Lizzy. She hadn’t known about her pregnancy until after he’d died. She’d never understood why God had taken James from her so quickly, and she had stopped attending church after his death for several months. When she’d moved here to be closer to her mother, she’d found her faith and comfort in the church again.

“Jillian?”

“Huh?” She pulled away from her sorrowful thoughts. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“I have a cabin in the north woods. I’d like to take you and Lizzy there until we can figure out what’s going on.”

“A cabin?” She wasn’t sure why the news surprised her. In the months she’d known Hawk, he’d been home at odd hours. Sometimes leaving before she did, and at other times, remaining at home as she left for school. In fact she’d often wondered exactly what he did for work but hadn’t wanted to pry. From the scar on his face, she thought he might be on disability or something. He knew she was a second grade school teacher at Brookland Elementary, but only because she’d offered the information.

“I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable with me,” he went on. “There are two bedrooms, a small kitchen and bathroom with indoor plumbing. It will be safer there than at a motel.”

“Safer how? I still can’t figure out why those two men came to find me in the first place. I’m a teacher. Why would anyone want to hurt me?”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

She let out a sigh. None of this was his fault. “Your cabin sounds fine. But shouldn’t we call the police?”

“Not yet.”

She frowned. “Why not?”

“By the time the police arrive, the two gunmen will be long gone. I only temporarily incapacitated them, I didn’t kill them. There’s no real proof of what happened—it would be our word against no one. I need to do a little digging before we call the authorities.”

She wasn’t sure she understood his rationale, but the idea that the gunmen might already be gone bothered her. She wished she’d thought to take a picture with her cell phone, especially of the guy lying on the floor outside her bedroom.

Silence stretched between them. Now that Lizzy was asleep, her thoughts raced. One gunman had gotten all the way inside her house. How was it that she hadn’t heard anything? She was normally an extremely light sleeper.

And how had Hawk gotten there in time to prevent the gunmen from hurting her? The fact that he’d taken out two gunmen without making a sound should have scared her to death.

But she felt safe. Ironic, since she didn’t even know Hawk’s last name or what he did for a living.

“Hawk—is that your real name?”

“Yes.” He cleared his throat. “Hawk Jacobson.”

She nodded, rolling the name around in her mind. “I want to thank you. For coming over to save us.”

He was silent for a long moment. “I’m just glad I was able to get to you and Lizzy in time.”

“Me, too.” She shivered and rubbed her hands together. “How far is the cabin?”

“Thirty minutes.” He glanced at her, his gaze impossible to read in the darkness. “Try to get some rest.”

She shook her head, knowing sleep would be impossible. “Do you think this could be related to one of my students? Like maybe one of the kids’ parents is into something illegal? I just can’t figure out what else it could be.”

“Anything is possible.” Hawk’s voice was husky and a bit hoarse, something she hadn’t noticed before now. As if he might have a sore throat. “When we get to the cabin you can make a list of possible suspects.”

“They’re students, not suspects.” The words were sharp and she winced, knowing she was taking her frustration out on Hawk. “Besides, I think the police should be the one to search for the men responsible.”

Another brief pause before Hawk spoke. “I’m a private investigator and I have friends who are cops in the Milwaukee Police Department. I need you to trust my judgment on this. Give me a little time to figure out what’s going on.”

Hawk Jacobson. Private Investigator. Friends who were cops. That was a whole lot more than she’d known about him an hour ago.

“Okay,” she reluctantly agreed.

The rest of the car ride was silent. Hawk exited the freeway and took a curvy highway heading northwest. Then he pulled off on the side of the road and shut down the vehicle.

“I need to go in on foot, make sure the place is safe,” he told her. He took a gun out of his side holster and held it out to her. “Stay here. If anyone approaches, I want you to shoot first and ask questions later.”

She recoiled from the weapon as if it were a venomous snake. “I’m not touching that thing.” She glanced at Lizzy. “We’re better off without it.”

Hawk’s lips tightened, giving her the impression he wasn’t happy. But he so rarely revealed any emotion that she thought she may have misinterpreted it. He gently placed the weapon in her lap. “You’ll use it if your life or Lizzy’s is threatened.”

Without waiting for her to respond, he slipped out of the car and shut the door behind him.

She watched him round the front of the SUV and head into the woods. One minute he was there, the next he was gone, somehow without leaving obvious boot prints in the snow behind. The man moved with incredible silence, making her wonder where he’d learned such a skill.