Cate Nolan - Christmas In Hiding

He glanced at the woman walking stiffly at his side. So much for sweet and innocent. He’d grant the beautiful blonde description, though. Even looking confused and scared, there was something compelling about her, something that had made him opt for pretending to be her husband rather than her brother. She’d certainly put him in his place.

“As we walk through the terminal, follow my lead. We’re going to cross the main concourse, then go down the stairs to the subway.”

“Why the subway?”

“I’m trying to vary our travel arrangements. I don’t think anyone followed us, but if they did, it just got harder.”

He guided her down the escalator along with the rest of the crowd and headed across the main waiting room. He ducked onto the Track 23 platform, then hurried her along the back corridor and out through another track door that exited through a passage, across the food market and directly into the subway. Her labored breathing caught his attention so he slowed his pace, but he never stopped moving. His gaze darted around the station, missing nothing and no one as he slid a MetroCard through the turnstile and ushered her through ahead of him.

She stopped abruptly as they approached the stairs. “Am I allowed to know where we’re going yet?”

Jackson scanned the crowd swirling around them. “I’d rather not say.”

He knew he was irritating her with his evasive answers. It wasn’t intentional, but until he knew how her cover had been blown, he wasn’t saying much of anything. For all he knew, she was the one who had arranged the ambush. Jackson glanced at her. She looked dazed and confused, not malicious. Was she innocent or just a very good actress? Either way, she was his to protect.

As they walked across the platform he thought about the expression on her face and softened. What must this look like to someone from Texas who was relatively new to New York? Santa sat behind steel drums beating out some holiday tune. Elderly ladies offered crocheted hats for sale, while a man slept crouched against a pillar. From the look of awe on Callie’s face, he guessed she hadn’t spent much time in the subway.

Before he could say anything, the express train pulled in. Jackson took a moment to check the platform behind them. No one seemed to be paying any attention, but better safe than sorry. He led Callie on to the train and whispered, “Stay close.”

The doors started to beep their closing tune. Just as they were about to shut, he pulled her back out onto the platform. The doors popped open, then quickly closed. Jackson could hear the canned reminder not to hold the doors open. He swung Callie around and hopped on the local train pulling in across the platform.

“What... Why did we—?” Callie shook her head and grabbed for the pole as the train lurched ahead.

Jackson didn’t let his guard down, but he hoped anyone who might have trailed them was as stunned by his move as she apparently was.

The local train was fairly crowded, but Jackson managed to glare his way into a seat for Callie. She sat and he stood guard over her. From that vantage point he could see everyone around. He could also see her face. She was trying not to stare, but clearly the couple across the way had caught her attention. Little wonder with their matching tattoos and red-and-green hair. He wondered how the girl from Texas was managing.

“Have you ridden the subway much?”

She shrugged. “Some. I walk when I can.”

“Are you okay?”

She burst into a grin. “Yeah. I love it!”

Jackson couldn’t help but grin back at her. New York might be an acquired taste, but it was good she was flexible and adjusting so well. An adventuresome spirit would make her time in witness protection a bit easier to bear.

The train pulled into the next stop, and Jackson eyed the platform. If anyone had followed them, they should still be stuck on the express. “Come on, we’re getting off here.”

“Already?”

Jackson bit back a smile. Was that disappointment in her voice?

He led her above ground and into the madness of the East Side at Christmas. Hailing a cab wasn’t quite as easy this time, but before too long he had them back in another car. He gave directions for the West Side and watched as Callie stared out the window. “Christmas in New York. Pure insanity.”

She turned to him and smiled. “I still can’t get over the sheer number of people.”

Something about her enthusiasm stirred a response in him. “I’m pretty used to crowds, but every once in a while it amazes me, too.”

Within minutes, the cab pulled up in front of a hotel. After Jackson paid, he took her arm and helped her from the backseat. They walked to the hotel entry and waited under the awning. As soon as the cab turned the corner, Jackson urged her in the other direction.

Callie turned a skeptical gaze on him. “I can’t believe anyone could still be following us—if they ever were. I’m so lost, even I couldn’t find us.”

“Not too much longer now.”

She sighed and started walking. “You seem to know your way around. How long have you lived here?”

“I don’t. I’m just here because of you. Ben probably didn’t have a chance to tell you, but I was scheduled to replace him. He’s needed back in Texas. I’ll stay and take you in to trial.”

Callie paused and rested against an office building. Eyes closed, she drew in breaths. After a minute, she started walking again. He drew alongside her and rested his hand on her arm. “What is it?”

“Nothing.” She shrugged away from his hand. “I’m just still trying to wrap my head around all this. Around the idea that all of your lives are revolving around me. I feel like I should say I’m sorry.”

Jackson’s senses went on alert. “Why sorry?”

“That you have to be here, away from home, just because I am.”

He shrugged. “It’s my job.” That was life as a federal marshal. Holidays were pretty much like any other day. It suited him fine.

“I don’t suppose there’s any chance we can stop for coffee?”

Jackson looked ahead to the familiar green sign that had caught her eye as they turned the corner. He hated the longing in her voice and that he couldn’t do anything to help. “Sorry. Not until I’m sure we’re clear.”

She nodded and kept walking, but Jackson felt a twinge of remorse. She looked exhausted and anxious. Would it have hurt to stop? Maybe not, but he was taking no chances when they were this close to their safe house.

“This way.” He glanced quickly left and right, then led her across the street and up the hotel steps. They crossed a crowded lobby, directly to the elevator bank. “We’ve got a room already,” he said quietly. “You’re going to stay here until we have a better idea what happened. There’s another pair of marshals on duty up there. You’ll be safe.”

He hoped.

After depositing Callie in the hotel room, Jackson headed back out. He needed some information, needed to talk, hopefully to Ben if he was able, definitely to the assistant US attorney and the DEA agent. Once he’d spoken with them, he’d call his home office. They had to figure out what had gone so terribly wrong. Before it happened again.

Jackson reached for his phone to call the hospital but hesitated when he spied the coffee shop logo. The calls could wait a few minutes.

Fifteen minutes later Jackson handed off cups of coffee to the marshals on duty before entering the hotel suite.

Though Callie looked startled to see him back so soon, her apprehensive expression melted into a smile when she spotted what was in his hands. That smile made it worth all the lost time he’d spent waiting behind Christmas shoppers in a long line.

She accepted the cup from him and took a sip. “Ahh, perfect. Just the way I like it. How did you guess?”