Debby Giusti - Holiday Defenders

Title Page Holiday Defenders Mission: Christmas Rescue Debby Giusti Special Ops Christmas Susan Sleeman Homefront Holiday Hero Jodie Bailey www.millsandboon.co.uk

Mission: Christmas Rescue Mission: Christmas Rescue Debby Giusti

Bible Verse For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son, so that all who believe in Him may not perish but may have eternal life. —John 3:16

Dedication To my own Mary, Joseph and Elizabeth. Remember when you acted out the Nativity as children? Those sweet memories inspired this story. Merry Christmas.

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Special Ops Christmas

Bible Verse

Dedication

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Homefront Holiday Hero

Bible Verse

Dedication

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Copyright

Mission: Christmas Rescue

Debby Giusti

For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son, so that all who believe in Him may not perish but may have eternal life.

—John 3:16

To my own Mary, Joseph and Elizabeth.

Remember when you acted out the Nativity as children?

Those sweet memories inspired this story.

Merry Christmas.

ONE

Elizabeth Tate pulled back the living-room curtain and stared into the night. All she saw in the windowpane was her own reflection and the twinkling lights from the Christmas tree.

Unable to shrug off her unease, she dropped the curtain into place and headed down the hallway to check on Joey and Mary Grace.

Ever since her sister-in-law had died thirteen months earlier, Liz frequently stayed overnight at her brother’s house to babysit his four-and six-year-old children when he was on assignment for a story. His job as a newspaper investigative reporter often took him out of town. Tonight he was working on something closer to home, although he hadn’t shared the details with Elizabeth. All she knew was that it involved the rather controversial “Z” Notes whistleblower blog he wrote on the side to bring public attention to unethical or illegal corporate practices. Normally, Liz treasured the time she could spend with Zack’s little ones. Tonight she was anxious and worried.

Perhaps it was Zack’s warning to remain vigilant that had her conjuring up all types of scenarios. None of them good.

Ever since he’d launched “Z” Notes, she’d been concerned about her brother’s safety. Exposing corruption at any level wasn’t for the faint of heart. Usually Elizabeth could overlook the downside of his work by reminding herself of the good he was doing. And besides, his dedication to his work meant that she had the joy of being deeply involved in her niece and nephew’s lives. As an elementary school teacher, she loved all children, but Mary Grace and Joey held a special place in her heart.

Slipping into their bedrooms, she sighed with relief, feeling both comforted and reassured that they were nestled in their beds, fast asleep. From the looks of contentment on their sweet faces, they were probably dreaming of Christmas, only two days away. By then, her nervous unrest would be a memory and another reason for Zack to poke fun at her concern for his well-being.

Called back to the living room by the shrill trill of her cell, she reached for her BlackBerry and smiled at her brother’s picture on the screen.

“Hey, bro. What’s up?”

“Lizzie, listen to me carefully and do exactly what I tell you. Pack a bag for the children. A couple outfits each. Some underwear. Extra warm clothes. Don’t forget Mary Grace’s toy Nativity set and Joey’s lamb.”

“But—”

“You have to leave the house and go somewhere safe. Hide out until I contact you.”

She pushed the cell closer to her ear. “Is this a joke?”

“I wish it were.”

The urgency in her brother’s voice brought a renewed volley of concern.

“What happened, Zack?”

“An ambush. The guy I was supposed to meet—” He hesitated. “The whistleblower’s dead.”

Liz gasped. “Where are you?”

“On the run. There’re four of them. They want information I’ve uncovered. Grab my laptop and take it with you. Be careful, Liz. Don’t let them find you or the kids.”

“Where can we meet up?”

“We can’t. They’re on my tail. You’ve got to hurry. Take the children and escape.”

A roar filled her head. She tried to think. “But where should we go?”

Zack hesitated. “I...I’m not sure.”

“The Lassiter police can help, Zack. I’ll call them.”

“No.” His firm reply frightened her even more. “You can’t trust them. You can’t trust anyone, except—“

“You’re scaring me, Zack.”

“As much as you won’t like it, sis, there is one person you can trust. Nick Fontaine’s back from his military deployment. I’ll call him. He’s the only person I can depend on.”

She shook her head, vehemently opposed to her brother’s suggestion. “I don’t want Nick’s help.”

“There’s no one else.”

“Then I’ll handle this myself.”

“You’ll need Nick. Hurry. You don’t have much time.”

“Zack—”

“Stay safe, and take care of my babies.”

The connection ended.

Her hands trembled. She stared down at the now-blank screen and tried to comprehend what her brother had just said.

A man murdered? Zack on the run?

She needed to notify the authorities, except he’d been adamant about not telling the very people she wanted to call.

Her stomach churned. Tears stung her eyes. Blinking them back, she glanced at her watch: 10:00 p.m.

How long had she been standing there, stalled, unable to grasp the reality of the moment?

“Oh, God, help me,” she moaned. “Help Zack.”

Knowing she didn’t have a minute to spare, Elizabeth ran into Mary Grace’s bedroom and started packing things into a canvas bag. The Nativity set—a gift Zack’s wife had stitched for their baby girl’s first Christmas—sat on the nightstand. Liz shoved the plump, hand-sewn figures of Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus and a donkey and camel into the quilted carrier designed as a stable, complete with a Star of Bethlehem appliqué. Closing the Velcro fasteners, she dropped the entire set into the larger, canvas tote before she raced to Joey’s room. The lamb he slept with—another bit of her sister-in-law’s handiwork—was still clenched in his arms.

The serene calm on the child’s face contrasted sharply with the surge of adrenaline that made Liz light-headed. Raking a hand through her hair, she pulled in a lungful of air. Surely she was dreaming.

The memory of Zack’s fear-laced voice echoed in her head. “Hurry,” he had warned.

Glancing again at her watch, she groaned. Twenty minutes had passed. Why was she moving so slowly when time was passing so quickly?

She shoved Joey’s outfits in the bag and added his favorite storybook. It was sitting on top of a craft box filled with crayons and paper, so she threw that in, too. Zipping the bag shut en route, she raced back to the kitchen and grabbed Zack’s laptop, along with the small tote she had packed for herself in case she decided to spend the night at her brother’s house. Her hands shook, and she struggled to unlatch the back door, then stumbled into the adjoining rear garage where she’d parked her SUV.

A December storm had dumped four inches of snow earlier today. The weatherman promised a white Christmas for this part of Tennessee, but right now survival was her only concern. Keep the children safe.