The Baby Assignment. Christy Barritt

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       Five

      The first opportunity Macy had, she’d scurried off to her bedroom. She’d insisted on taking Addie and keeping her crib in her room. She’d given Tanner a terse good-night and then closed the door.

      Macy needed time to process, and she needed to be away from Tanner to do so. Just as always, the man sent her emotions into a tailspin. She couldn’t handle that right now. She already had enough on her plate without adding a serving of regrets.

      She leaned against the door in her room and tried to rein in her thoughts. Why would someone leave her baby at the FBI field office? What did Macy have to do with any of this? Why was her name in the baby’s diaper bag?

      Macy had never seen Addie before today. She found it hard to believe that she was linked with this in any way, except that she’d been in the wrong place at the wrong time today. Those gunmen had followed Tanner to her office.

      But there was one thing Tanner had said that did create a connection—if a minor one. The fingerprints of the man who’d been shot in the office matched that of a felon from Oklahoma.

      Macy had just moved here from Oklahoma six months ago.

      She shook her head. That had to be a coincidence. The man’s name and picture hadn’t been familiar to her. Tanner might not be as convinced, but he’d remained mostly quiet about any possible connections. Knowing Tanner, he would probably check it out not only during work hours but on his own time. He was that type of guy. He crossed every t and dotted every i. He wouldn’t stop until the job got done and until he got it done right.

      Macy moved to the bed and lay down. She pressed her head into her pillow, wishing all her burdened thoughts would disappear. Wishing she could go to sleep, wake up and realize all this was a bad dream.

      Finally, after tossing and turning for several hours, Macy couldn’t take it anymore. She threw the covers off and decided to get some water—quietly, so she wouldn’t disturb anyone.

      The entire house seemed incredibly still, as if everyone slumbered, when she stepped into the hallway. The thought was hard to fathom considering everything that had happened. But maybe when you were the FBI, you learned to sleep during unrest or you’d never get shut-eye at all.

      Macy reached the first floor and tiptoed toward the kitchen. She gasped when she spotted someone standing in the living room.

      It was one of the FBI agents who was staying here.

      Of course.

      Macy grasped her fluttering heart, and her shoulders sagged with relief. The agent was blond and twentysomething with an honest-looking face. He’d seemed nice enough when they’d spoken earlier.

      “Sorry,” Macy muttered. “I should have known someone would have night duty. You just startled me.”

      He remained stiff and on guard. “That wasn’t my intention. I’m standing guard while everyone rests.”

      “I’m going to grab some water,” she said, nodding toward the kitchen.

      “Help yourself.”

      “Agent Armstrong, right?” She stepped into the kitchen.

      He shrugged. “Just call me George, since we’ll be working together closely for a while.”

      “George, it is.” She paused and shifted her weight. “How long have you been with the FBI, George?”

      “Only a year. This is my first assignment like this.”

      “Oh, yeah? Have you worked with Agent Wilson a lot?” She was just trying to make small talk, but suddenly it felt invasive. She wanted to take the question back. Tanner was none of her business.

      “Several times. I’ve never met a more dedicated agent.”

      His words caused her to think a little too much. “Is that right?”

      Armstrong nodded. “Some agents just live for this stuff. He’s one of them.”

      “It’s a good thing he’s not married, huh?” Her words were tinged with a touch of bitterness.

      “I’d say. It’s good for the people he works to find justice for, at least. Some agents just aren’t cut out for a family.”

      Macy grabbed a glass from the cabinet and walked to the sink, not wanting to continue this conversation anymore. It just confirmed what she already knew: Tanner wasn’t the family type.

      She flipped the faucet on and let the clear liquid fill the cup. As she did, her gaze wandered out the window in front of her, and she scanned the black landscape outside.

      Darkness stared back at her. Of course. It was 1:00 a.m., and they were in the country. There were no streetlights out here. Not even a full moon tonight.

      Suddenly, her muscles jerked with surprise. She blinked, clearing her vision.

      There was a light in the distance. Two lights. Moving. Bobbing.

      Like someone walking through the forest with a flashlight.

      Macy dropped the glass into the sink, and it shattered into a thousand tiny shards. She hardly noticed as she slowly backed away from the window. Memories of the earlier attack filled her thoughts. Caused panic to take root inside her.

      Had someone followed them here? Would they finish what they had started?

      The image of the injured man at the psychotherapy center filled her thoughts. The blood. The near loss of life. The fear that hung heavy in the air.

      “George,” she whispered. She raised a shaky finger toward the window and continued СКАЧАТЬ