Lila’s gut rolled. Bad news? What could have—?
“Ms. Greene? This is Special Agent Dunn.” The man’s deep voice was dark and grave. “I wanted to give you the heads-up that I’ve asked the local police to station an officer at your place. They should be there shortly.”
Lila’s pulse quickened. “At my cabin? Why?”
Dunn cleared his throat. “The van transporting several of The Sword cult leaders hit black ice and rolled over. The van driver was killed, and both Kent Pitts and his brother, Wayne, escaped custody.”
Lila gasped. “Oh, my God! How? Weren’t they handcuffed? Weren’t there extra guards with them?”
A grunt of frustration rumbled through the line. “The US marshal riding in the back with the prisoners was injured and knocked unconscious, but whether before or after the accident is unclear at this point.” Another growl. Clearly Dunn was disgusted with the situation, and Lila held her breath, knowing on a gut level that the worst news was yet to come. “The Pitts not only used the incapacitated marshal’s keys to free themselves from their restraints, they stole both his and the driver’s sidearms. And...the marshal’s phone. Ms. Greene, the phone had text messages regarding the placement of Eve and your contact information...including your address.”
Lila sat heavily on a bar stool near her kitchen counter. Her blood whooshed past her ears, making it hard to hear the special agent.
“Ms. Greene, I’m sorry. It is unconscionable that these men escaped from custody, and a full investigation will be conducted as to what happened.”
She huffed a humorless laugh, her mind reeling. “An investigation? H-how does that help me now?”
He sighed. “It doesn’t.” Another heavy pause. “Ideally, we would move you from your location. But with this storm coming, I’m afraid it won’t be safe to relocate you once the officer arrives. Ma’am, you need to lock your doors. The other cult members being transported with the Pitts tell us the brothers intended to go after Eve and Caleb, the other infant rescued from the scene this morning. We believe their intention is to kill the babies.”
Dean’s body hummed with the tension he sensed from Lila’s end of the phone call. Her expression was already bereft when she dropped onto a bar stool and the color drained from her cheeks.
“K-kill them? Why? They’re just babies!”
Dean jerked his back erect and balled his fists. What the hell? Handcuffs? Killing babies? What was she talking about?
He’d thought he’d left the violence and ugliness behind in Iraq.
He stepped closer, his gaze intent on Lila as he tried to decipher—
A loud crack, followed by a crash, sounded outside as the lights flickered off. Dean flinched, his pulse slamming into high gear, a gut-level reaction left over from one-too-many roadside bombs while deployed.
Lila gave a startled yelp, and the baby, who’d been settling down, cranked up her whine again.
“Agent Dunn?” Lila said, the panic in her voice rising. “Agent Dunn?” She pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at the receiver with wide, anguished eyes.
Dean drew a slow breath, shoving down the nightmares that now crept into his daytime hours. Moving to the front window, he fingered back the sheer curtain and searched the yard. He spotted the large branch that had snapped off under the weight of the ice and brought down Lila’s power line as it fell. “Do you have a generator?”
She didn’t answer, and when he turned toward her, she was staring at near space, clearly not seeing anything. Her whole body trembled like the vibrations from the street as a Bradley tank rolled past. His protective instincts roared to life. The same loyalty and determination to defend his fellow soldiers, his country and the vulnerable citizens in the foreign lands where he was deployed now spiked in his veins for Lila. Whatever had upset her would not have a chance to hurt her as long as he had a breath in his body. He gritted his teeth in resolve as he watched her.
“Lila?” No response. “Lila?”
She gasped as she woke from her daze and met his eyes. She almost seemed surprised to see him standing there. “I, uh—”
Without finishing her sentence, she hurried to her front door and threw the dead bolt. Pushing aside the checkered curtains on the door window, she searched her property.
“It was a branch,” he said. “Brought down your power line.”
She cast a confused look toward him. “What?”
“The cracking noise. Ice brought down a branch.” Then without waiting for an answer, he added, “But that’s not what you’re looking for, is it?”
She moistened her lips, still staring at him with a look of terror shadowing her face.
“Who was on the phone?”
“Y-you should go. I’ll get the sh-shed key.” She turned back toward the kitchen and took two wobbly steps before he caught her arm, steadying her.
“Forget the damn key. Who was on the phone? What did they say?”
Her throat worked as she swallowed. “The FBI. Sp-special Agent Dunn.”
His grip tightened on her arm. “Why is the FBI calling you? What’s going on, Lila?”
“They got away. They escaped, and...th-they want to kill the baby.” She shook her head, her gaze still distant, troubled. He felt the tremor that shook her, and he put an arm around her as she started to sink to the floor. Leading her by the arm to the sofa, he pushed her down on the cushions before she fell over from shock.
He tried again. “Start from the beginning, Lila. What did the guy on the phone say?”
Her attention went to the baby, whose cries were growing louder.
She tried to get past him, batting at his restraining hands. “I have to get Eve. I h-have to protect her.”
The conversation was going nowhere fast. He pushed her back onto the cushions and aimed a finger at her nose. “Stay. You’re too shaken to even stand upright.”
When he was sure she’d comply, he crouched by the baby carrier and lifted Eve into his arms. After a few pats on the back, the baby calmed a little, and he carried the infant back to the sofa with him.
Lila held out her arms, her expression reflecting eagerness and concern. As she drew the infant close, Lila began rocking from side to side to soothe Eve. Or maybe herself. She seemed as in need of comfort and calming as the infant.
Dean settled beside her, sitting at an angle so he could see her face. In the thin light from the window, she seemed especially wan. “Talk to me, Greene. What did the FBI want? Who got away?” He waited for her to say something, but when she met his eyes, she seemed unable to verbalize the horror gripping her. “Are you in some kind of danger?”
The answer to the last question was obvious, but he needed to get her to open up.
Lila bobbed her head, and tears bloomed in her eyes. “Did you...s-see the news this morning?”
Dean frowned. Her response struck him as odd, but he said, “No. I don’t have a TV or internet at my cabin.” And that was how he liked it. Unplugged from the world.
She closed her eyes and rested her cheek against the baby’s head. The tender, loving gesture hit him like a punch to the gut and jacked up his protectiveness a thousand degrees.
“There was a raid this morning...on a cult compound outside of town.” Her voice was as thin as mist and filled him with