Blindside

31

M iles had got himself under control because, simply, there was no choice. “Your mama will be just fine,” he said as he eased himself behind the wheel. “Now, Sam, Keely, I want you both to sit in the passenger seat and snuggle under those blankets.”

They were wet and scared, their teeth chattering, and Miles turned the heat on high. “You guys know what? I’d really appreciate it if you’d sing me a song.”

The children, bless their hearts, sang themselves hoarse. “Puff the Magic Dragon” had never sounded so good. He knew they were scared, knew they were dealing with it, just as he was, and he was very proud of both of them. Within minutes, he heard sirens, saw sheriff cars, red lights flashing; he pulled the truck off onto a side street while they streamed past, headed to Katie’s burning house. Thank God it was raining so hard, the house just might survive.

He was praying Katie was all right as he scooped both children into his arms, charged through the door of City Hall, veered to the right, where the sheriff’s department was housed.

Lewis, the night dispatcher, waved them in. Then the outer door whooshed open again and there was Linnie, running through the doors right behind them, wearing jeans, boots, a huge sweatshirt with an extra-large bomber jacket over it, and rollers in her hair.

“This way,” she said and smiled down at the children, just as calm and cool as Katie had been. His own heart was pounding and he wanted to hit something.

The phone rang and Lewis was on it.

“Everything is fine,” Linnie said, leaning down to hug both children. “Listen to me now, I don’t want you two worrying. Your mama’s really tough, Keely, you know that. And Sam, your papa’s right here, big and mean, and no one would mess with him. Now, come this way and we’ll get you dry.”

Sam stared up at his father, his small mouth working.

Miles came down on his knees next to Sam and Keely, drew them both into the circle of his arms. “Linnie’s here to take care of you guys. She’s going to get you dry and warm.”

The kids, pale and wet, stared up at him, saying nothing. They weren’t buying it, and he was trying his very best, dammit.

“Okay, Linnie is going to watch you and keep you company, okay? She’s also going to lock this place up tighter than your bank, Sam.”

“Papa, you’re going to leave us?”

He said simply, “I have to help Katie. Okay?”

“Don’t let those bad men hurt my mama,” Keely said, and burst into tears.

“I won’t let anyone hurt your mama, Keely. I promise,” Miles said as he stood up. “You guys, stay with Linnie.”

He mouthed a thank you to Linnie, who was gathering both children against her.

“Wait, Mr. Kettering!” She tossed him a cell phone. “Use it. Call us whenever you can, right, Sam?”

“Call me, Papa.”

“You got it, kid.”

“I’ll hug Keely,” Sam said. “She’s scared.” Miles watched his son pull Keely close and pat her back.

As Miles drove back through the heavy cold rain, the driver’s window cracked down, he could still hear sirens. He saw the glow of the flames from a mile away. With the heavy rainfall, at least the trees were protected. He pulled the truck up behind one of the deputy’s cars and jumped out.

The firemen were hosing down the roof of the house, but even with the heavy rain there was no hope. Katie’s house was gutted, and everything in it gone.

Miles threw back his head and yelled, “Katie!”

One of the deputies came running up, panting as he said, “Are the kids okay, Mr. Kettering?”

“They’re with Linnie in jail, I mean that literally. Where’s Katie?”

“I think she’s still in the back.”

Miles said, “They shot at the sheriff’s truck. You’ll probably be able to dig out the bullets, identify them. Are you sure Katie’s okay?”

“I heard her yelling,” the deputy said. “When she yells like that, she’s okay, just real mad.”

Miles nodded and ran to the back of the burning house, rain blurring his vision. He swiped his hand over his eyes, and shouted, “Katie!”

“I’m here.”

He nearly ran right into her. She was leaning against a sugar maple, tying something around her hand.

“Dammit, you hurt yourself,” he said, then pulled her tight against him, unable to help himself, he was so afraid.

“Nothing bad, I promise,” she said, and pulled back to give him the ghost of a smile. “A flying spark burned my hand. It’s not bad. The guys who bombed my house are long gone. Wade and the other deputies haven’t found anything yet.”

“Both of us know where they went,” he said. “First, let’s get your hand bandaged a bit better. I saw the paramedics out front.”

Ten minutes later they were in Katie’s truck, Miles driving, headed for the McCamy house.

Katie turned back to look at the devastation of her house. “Gone,” she said. “Everything’s gone, including all my pictures of Keely and even her chess set.”

“We’re alive and that’s all that matters. And you’ve got your hat.”

She was wet and dirty, her hair straggling down beneath her beautiful cream-colored straw hat, her hand hurt, but she managed a smile. “Yes, and now I want to face down the monsters who have tried to wreck our lives.” She drew her ankle gun and handed it to him. Driving with one hand, he shoved it into the waistband of his jeans.

As he leaned forward to wipe his hand across the fog building up on the windshield, Miles said, “The rain is finally letting up a bit.”

Katie said, “It’s nearly four o’clock in the morning. Do you think the McCamys will pretend they were sleeping?”

He just shook his head, concentrating on not sliding off the road. “Unless we get lucky, and these guys have gone back to the McCamy house, I don’t know what we’re going to accomplish tonight.”

Katie said slowly, “I’ve got an idea on how to get us through the front door.”

Miles raised an eyebrow, but when she shook her head, he said, “Who have you called for backup?”

Again, she didn’t answer. Her hand was throbbing bad now, she was sick to her stomach about her house and so mad she wanted to spit nails. Did she want backup? Sure, you always had backup, always. She just couldn’t believe that she hadn’t been the one to think of it.

She blew out her breath and dialed 911. “Linnie, how are the kids?”

“They’re locked in a cell with Mort, the cleaning guy.” There was a pause, and Linnie said, “He’s teaching them how to play poker. They’re distracted and that’s for the best. And yes, they’re in dry clothes and they’re warm. Everything’s okay here, Katie. We got this place lit up like Christmas, and there are four of us here, ready to bust heads if those creeps show up.”

“Thank you so much for coming in, Linnie. Okay, here’s the deal. I want four deputies, Wade in the lead, out at Reverend McCamy’s house.” Linnie, of course, already knew they were on the way. Katie imagined that she’d spoken to every one of the deputies. “Listen, Linnie, this is very important: Tell Wade not to use sirens. I want a silent approach and I want them to stay outside and search for the guys who bombed my house. Tell them to be very careful.” She paused, smiled a bit. “Give the kids a kiss.” She flipped her cell off. “Turn here, Miles.”

Miles was hunched over the steering wheel, trying to see through the rain and the fogged windshield. “He wants Sam beyond reason or else he would have given it up. This has nothing to do with money, this has to do with a madman, and what a madman believes.”

That sounded simple, and exactly right, Katie thought. She said, “He must be well over the edge now, surely what happened tonight proves it. I wonder who he found to do this on such short notice. It’s got to be someone local, maybe someone from his congregation.”

“I wonder if there were two guys or just one. The ability to talk just one member into doing something this crazy, much less two guys, boggles the mind. You said he was charismatic. I guess this proves it.”

“When you put it like that, I guess one guy makes more sense. Still, we’ve got to be really careful.”

Katie rolled down the window and stuck her hand out. “It’s not raining as hard.”

“Your hand okay?”

She didn’t answer, just pointed to the big Victorian house that had just come into view. “We’re not leaving without answers this time, Miles.”