Under the Marshal's Protection. Kathleen Tailer

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СКАЧАТЬ tried to push his away. She didn’t know this man, and in many ways, he seemed to be a threat to her as well. “You have to go now, Marshal. I need to be alone. I need time to think.”

      “No way,” Dominic stated forcefully, clasping her hands and stilling their frantic motion. “You need to tell me what just happened on that phone call.”

      “I can’t,” she said softly, her voice shaking. “I can’t tell you anything. Don’t you see? They’ll kill him, and they’ll kill me, too.”

      “They’ll probably try to do that now anyway.” He squeezed her hands gently, but his stormy gray eyes were like steel. “You’ve just become a liability. These people don’t leave a trail, Ms. Blake. They’ll use you and dispose of you once you no longer serve their purpose. There’s a bigger picture here that you don’t understand. I can help you. The FBI and the Marshals have been going after these guys for a long time now. We know a lot about them and how they operate, but we can’t get them to stop without your help.” Their eyes locked and Jessica felt as if the deputy could see straight into her soul. “Trust me,” he pleaded quietly. “Let me help you, Ms. Blake. Please.”

      Jessica tightened her own grip on his hands and gritted her teeth. One thing she was sure of, she couldn’t fight this threat on her own. It was too big, and she was going to need help. Men that killed on a whim were way out of her league.

      She heard a small voice in her heart. Come back to Me. Let Me help you. She sighed inwardly and resisted the voice. She wasn’t ready to let God back in her life. Not yet. The best she could do was grab hold of the hope that the marshal was offering.

      “Promise me you’ll help me save Michael,” she whispered.

      Dominic nodded. “I will do everything in my power to keep him alive.”

      Jessica shut her eyes, trying to gather the courage to trust the man before her. “I don’t even know you,” she said, more to herself than to the deputy who was kneeling by the chair.

      “I’m sorry there isn’t time for me to build your trust. I promise you, though, that I will do everything I can to keep Michael alive, and I’m a man of my word.” He shifted, still not letting go of her hands. “Tell me about the phone call. Did you recognize the voice?”

      Jessica shook her head, plunging ahead before she had time to really think and reconsider her actions. All the doubt and misgivings seemed to suddenly disappear as she opened her eyes and looked forcefully at the marshal. She was scared, and at the moment, Dominic seemed like her only option. She didn’t really have a choice; not if she wanted to stay alive. “No. It was a deep male voice, that’s about all I can tell you. He took credit for the damage to my house. Then he said that he wanted me to find some sort of computer disk. He said I had three days, and if I didn’t give the disk back, then he would kill me and Michael, too.” She swallowed convulsively. “I believe him. He’ll come after us if I can’t give him what he wants.”

      Dominic nodded. “Did he say anything else?”

      “No, he just wants that disk.” She locked eyes with Dominic. “What’s on that disk?”

      “Everything we need to convict the major players in a counterfeiting scheme, we hope.” He gently squeezed her hands. “Ms. Blake, please tell me the truth. Do you know where Michael is?” He met her eyes with his own, probing.

      Jessica bit her bottom lip. She needed this man’s help. Michael needed his help. She had to trust someone. She took a deep breath and pressed forward, knowing full well that there was no going back once she had stepped over the line. “Michael called me a few days ago and told me that he was in serious trouble. He didn’t go into details, but he asked me for help. We got cut off before we could finish our conversation. He sounded desperate, and I’ve been really worried about him ever since.” She paused and looked away, then a moment later brought her eyes back to meet Dominic’s once again. “I don’t know where he is, but I have a cell phone number for him. I got the impression from some of the things he said that he’s in the Tallahassee area, but I’m not sure. In the past, if I needed to contact him, I left him a message on his cell and he would always call me back, usually within an hour or so. Since I got that last call from him though, I’ve left a message every day, but he still hasn’t called me back. I don’t know what to think.”

      Dominic stood. “Does he normally call you back at your home number or on a cell?”

      “Could be either, but I keep the cell charged and with me at all times, just in case.”

      “Good. Pack a bag. You’re coming with me, and bring that cell phone and a charger with you.”

      Jessica stood, confused. “Where are we going?”

      “To a safe house. I’m not taking any chances with you. Once you’re protected, we’ll have you call Michael with a frantic message of your own. When he calls, we’ll use our equipment to trace his call and discover his location.”

      “You’re not going to hurt him, are you?”

      Dominic grimaced. “I don’t want to hurt him, Ms. Blake, and neither do the people I work with, but he will be arrested. Michael is a fugitive, and it’s my job to bring him in. Does he carry a gun?”

      “He was carrying a pistol like yours the last time I saw him, but that was a long time ago. He’s always liked hunting and is pretty good with a rifle.” She came up to Dominic, stopping only inches away, and gave him a beseeching look. “I want to be with you when you arrest him. I want to make sure he’s okay.”

      Dominic immediately shook his head. “That’s not how it’s done, Ms. Blake. You could get hurt or caught in the middle.”

      Jessica’s eyes narrowed. “Then I’m not calling him,” she said defiantly. “You need to meet my terms, Deputy. I have to be there. That’s all there is to it.”

      “You’re pushing too hard, Ms. Blake. I can let you talk to him after we have him in custody. That’s the best I can do.”

      Jessica clenched her fists. “He’s my brother,” she said icily, her voice filled with determination. “If you can’t meet my terms, then I’ll go it alone.”

      “You don’t know what you’re saying,” Dominic said roughly. “You have no idea how unscrupulous your enemy really is. You don’t stand a chance without my help, and if you think about it, really think about it, you’ll know that I’m right. If you try going it alone, you’ll be dead in three days. That’s a guarantee.” He lowered his voice, his eyes intense. “You’re really not in a position to be demanding anything, Ms. Blake. But I work with a good group of deputies. We always do our best to make our arrests in the safest way possible, for the suspect and for the deputies. I told you I’m a man of my word, and I meant it. I give you my word that we’ll be as easy on him as we can. Our goal is to have him testify against Coastal. That company has been distributing counterfeit medicine on a huge scale, and from what we know so far, Michael was right in the thick of it. We want him on our side.”

      Jessica’s eyes rounded. “What if he won’t agree to go on your side?”

      “Then he’ll end up in prison, but at least he won’t disappear without a trace or be murdered in the street. You’ll know he’s alive.”

      Jessica knew Dominic was right, but that didn’t make it any easier to accept what he was saying. Oh, what she would give to start this day over! СКАЧАТЬ