Christmas Under Fire Page 3

  * * *

  Aaron blinked, trying to stave off the pounding in his head as his airbag deflated. His immediate thought was for Cally, but he was having trouble forming the words. His mouth felt like it was full of cotton balls, and his teeth hurt.

  “Aaron?”

  Thank you, Lord. At least they were both alive.

  He tried to move his arm and found that he could. He gave her a thumbs-up to indicate he was all right, but it occurred to him after the fact that she wasn’t from North America and might not understand the gesture. Or it might mean something terribly rude in Amar.

  “I’m all right,” she said, preempting his question. “Though I have an awful headache. Shaken but otherwise unharmed. Do you need help?”

  It took several more tries before he was able to force the words out. “Mildly battered and bruised, but the car took the worst of it. Not as bad as what might have happened if I hadn’t swerved, though.”

  With the airbag fully deflated, he was able to twist around in his seat to check on her. Cally regarded him with a mixture of incredulity and disbelief.

  “You swerved? We weren’t attacked? I didn’t think it was wise to swerve for anything in the road.”

  “Most of the time, no. It’s not. But that was a moose, and you definitely swerve for a moose.” He looked through the back window, trying to spot whether the animal was still on the road. If it was and anyone else came along during this weather, they might not have the benefit of snow tires with ice chains. Their swerve could have been much worse, especially if the tires hadn’t slowed their momentum before they ran into the tree—or, in an older vehicle, he might not have been able to react in time to avoid hitting the massive animal.

  Cally still looked confused, so he continued his explanation. “Surviving an impact with a moose is...unlikely. You hit a moose, and a disproportionate amount of the time, the moose is going to win. Fatalities are a strong possibility.”

  Color drained from Cally’s cheeks. “In that case, I’m very glad that we’re here in this ditch as an alternative. But how are we going to get out?”

  He sighed and sat back in his seat, grabbing the radio handset as he did so. “We don’t have a lot of resources in our tiny town during the good weather months, and during the winter it gets even more complicated. I’ll call my brother to come pick you up in another patrol car so that you don’t have to sit around and wait for the towing company. It’ll get you to warmth faster, since it might take a little while for the tow truck to come.”

  She lowered her eyes, and guilt sliced through Aaron from head to toe. Some introduction to their country and their town he’d given her. Although neither the airport incident nor the moose in the road had been his fault, he couldn’t help feeling he was already failing his first diplomatic mission—and truth be told, he suspected that this particular task had been given to him as a trial run. Among the members of his detachment, he had seniority. He’d been in Fort Mason for a long time compared to many RCMP assignments, a full eight years. His superiors had implied in several recent conversations that he was being considered for a higher position elsewhere in the country—perhaps back in Ottawa. And while he wasn’t sure how he felt about relocating away from his brothers and his life in Fort Mason, the truth was that he’d started to feel a little, well...lonely, now that both Leo and Sam had wonderful women in their lives.

  Not that Aaron would ever tell them that, though. He was the eldest Thrace brother, the responsible one. The brother unfazed by anything, who always kept his cool, who demanded perfection of himself and others.

  And everything that had happened in the past two hours had been a far cry from perfect.

  He radioed in their position so that Leo could come and pick them up, but it would be up to a half hour of waiting in the car. Without knowing the extent of the damage to the vehicle, he didn’t feel comfortable running the engine while they waited—but that also meant they were about to get very cold, very quickly.

  “Hang tight,” he told Cally. “There’s an emergency kit in the trunk with blankets, water and flares. I’m going to set the flares at the edge of the road to make our location visible, all right?”

  She nodded and he climbed out of the car. Thankfully, the trunk latch hadn’t been damaged in the crash, so it was easy to retrieve the emergency kit and set the flares by the road. By the time he returned to pass the blanket and water to Cally, her eyes were closed, head resting against the window. Her breathing had softened and her lips had parted slightly in relaxation.

  Aaron draped the fabric across her, trying hard not to notice how lovely she looked as she rested. It pained his heart to think what might have happened to her if he hadn’t arrived at the airport the moment he did. He hoped the officers from Fort St. Jacob who would be examining the crime scene would find something to lead them to the culprit. Trying to steal someone’s belongings was one thing, but despite the reassurances he’d tried to offer up, he couldn’t rule out the attack as an attempted abduction, either. Either way, he refused to let the act go unpunished.

  I won’t let anything happen to you, he thought. Whatever it takes, I’ll keep you safe.

  THREE

  About an hour later, Cally climbed out of the second patrol car she’d ridden in that afternoon. In front of her was a cozy-looking cabin—more of a small house, really—which Ellen had promised would be “modern enough to have central heating, but rural enough to leave the doors unlocked at night.” Cally imagined it’d look even better in daylight.

  “Let me take a look around for you first,” Aaron said, jogging past her and up the front steps. He opened the door—which was unlocked, as Ellen had predicted—and disappeared inside. Leo, Aaron’s brother and fellow RCMP officer, grinned as he rounded the car to stand alongside her.

  “If you need anything at any time, call him, okay? He’s very good at his job, and he’ll be upset if he hears you hesitated to ask.” Leo scratched the back of his neck. “Plus, he’s like...one of two officers on duty this week. I’m going down to Fort St. Jacob for my final tux fitting, and our youngest brother is teaching a training course with his wife in Vancouver until the end of the semester. They’ll be back next week in time for the wedding.”

  “Congratulations,” Cally said, and despite her own heartbreak, she meant it. “I wish we’d had our first meeting under better circumstances, but I have no doubt now that Ellen has found a good man who can keep up with her. But how is it that there are so few officers on duty? Doesn’t the town need you?”

  Leo shook his head. “Not particularly. We have a lot of seasonal residents during the spring and summer, so the population of Fort Mason and other small places up north tends to drop during the darkest and coldest winter months—December through February, usually—so the need isn’t as great. Even then, few folks venture outside their homes. With only six hours of daylight right now and temperatures averaging negative twenty degrees Celsius for the next few months, the only time you’ll see a lot of people at once is during the annual tree lighting ceremony in the middle of town on Saturday. We bring in extra officers, have a giant snowball fight, make maple taffy in the snow. There’s a skating rink, too... It’s great, you’ll love it. People from all over the area come here to attend, sometimes driving hours just to see it. Ah, he’s back.”

  Aaron sauntered down the steps toward them, house key in his outstretched hand. “All clear. Listen, I’m going to be at the station for the rest of the day, but is there anything we can get for you first? The fridge inside is stocked with some basics, but I’m happy to have food, supplies, toiletries or whatever you need brought over. We don’t have a lot at this time of year, but we’ll make it work.”

  “I’m sure I’ll be fine. Do you normally leave houses unlocked around here?”

  Aaron shrugged. “It’s a small town. No one really locks their doors.”

  “But what about the thefts you men
tioned?”

  “Fort St. Jacob’s problem, not Fort Mason’s,” Leo interrupted. “Not to brag about our small town being better than that one—”

  “—which we grew up in—” Aaron raised an eyebrow at his brother.

  “—but especially at this time of year, anyone comes into town who’s a stranger, we’ll know about it. Everyone here is your neighbor. We all have to band together and be there for each other in a place as far north as this during the winter. It’s not unusual for folks to lend each other blankets or food or even a warm bed if a furnace conks out, for example. This town is full of good people.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.” Cally looked sideways at Aaron as his brother walked away to return to the patrol car. “Thanks again for being there for me today. I’m still feeling a little rattled, but I’m sure it’s nothing a good night’s sleep can’t take care of. Not that it’s nighttime yet.”

  Aaron smiled. “Did I overhear Leo explaining how we only have six hours of daylight right now? It tricks the brain into thinking you’re tired early and can be hard to get used to. On the other hand, there’s a good possibility you might get to see the northern lights while you’re visiting, especially if we get a night with clear skies. Anyway, like I said, you need anything, call. There’s a list of emergency contacts by the landline inside, including the direct line to my personal cell. Call any time of the day or night.”

  He climbed into the patrol car with his brother and waved as they pulled away. Cally waved back, feeling a pang of loneliness at being left by herself. She needed to get over that. She’d actually come up to the remote wilderness a few days early, before her scheduled girls’ day with Ellen at a nearby spa—a place that Ellen insisted was the only reason tourists visited this part of the province during the winter months. She’d told herself she needed to gather her bearings and spend some time in quiet contemplation without a million voices in her ears.

  But now that she had nothing but the silence she’d craved, the world seemed strange and empty.

  And, despite herself, she really hadn’t minded when Aaron was a part of it.

  She willed herself to enter the house and explore the place she’d be living in for the next few weeks. Aaron hadn’t been kidding when he’d said the fridge was stocked. She made herself a quick dinner, trying to enjoy the peace and quiet that she’d wanted so badly. But rather than sink into the moment, she felt uneasy—not relaxed at all.

  With a sigh of frustration, she dumped her dishes in the sink and headed to the front door to search her purse for an aspirin. Maybe treating her headache would help her to settle into the place and feel less anxious about being alone after what had happened in the airport. However, her purse wasn’t by the door. Nor was it with her suitcase, or hung up with her winter coat.

  Did I leave it in the patrol car? She tried to visualize the ride to the cabin. She was quite sure she’d taken her purse with her when she’d switched patrol cars...but she couldn’t remember grabbing it when she’d arrived.

  And as much as she didn’t want to burden Aaron after everything he’d already done for her, the plain fact was that her purse held her passport and travel documents, which she couldn’t afford to lose.

  She picked up the landline receiver to call him, trying to infuse her voice with an apologetic timbre when he answered. “Hi, Officer Thrace? It’s Cally. I’m so sorry to bother you again, but I think I might have left my purse in the patrol car that brought me to the house. My passport and wallet are inside, so—”

  “No need to apologize—I understand the importance,” he said. “I’ll go out and look for it. Hang tight. If it’s out there, I’ll bring it back to you right away.”

  She hung up and sank into the couch cushions, feeling grateful and a mite bewildered at his kindness.

  I’m not quite ready to talk to You again, God, but...if this is Your doing, thank You.

  Her eyelids began to flutter, exhaustion from the day beginning to creep in. It was still early evening, but she thought that once she had her purse back, she might grab a cozy mystery novel from the living room shelf and head to bed early.

  Several minutes passed—or maybe more, it was hard to tell due to the perpetual darkness outside—before Cally heard footsteps heading up the driveway. That was quick, she thought, pleased and surprised.

  She pushed up off the couch and headed to the front door as the doorknob began to turn. It was strange that Aaron hadn’t knocked first, but maybe he didn’t want to disturb her in case she’d fallen asleep again, like she had in the back of his car while they waited for the tow truck.

  She hurried the final few meters to reach the door. “Did you find it? That was—” But the words died in her throat as the edge of a white hoodie appeared through the crack of the open door.

  Aaron hadn’t been wearing a hoodie; he’d been dressed in his dark-colored RCMP uniform, and had told her he’d be on shift until late that night.

  The person who’d opened the door wasn’t Aaron.

  She threw her weight forward, slamming her shoulder into the door. It caught the intruder off guard and sent him flying back with a shout. She didn’t recognize the voice. The instant the door closed, she twisted the lock into place.

  Then she bolted for the back door.

  She heard what sounded like heavy footsteps approaching the back door from the outside, but she turned the lock first, then took off to find the windows.

  She shivered, her body growing cold with a mixture of fear and anger, despite the heavy sweater and several layers of T-shirts she wore underneath it to stay warm. She checked all the window latches in the front hall, then proceeded to the kitchen, the bathroom and the bedroom. That left only one other area to check. She had no idea if the person was still outside, or if they’d taken off once they’d discovered the house was no longer an easy target—or a place to squat, which she supposed might also be the reason they’d come through the front door. But after the events of earlier that day at the airport, she refused to take any chances.

  She crouched, moving toward the front living room with as much stealth as she could muster. Her heart beat a loud rhythm in her ears, making it difficult to listen for footfalls outside. Finally, she managed to find the courage to check each window lock. None of them appeared to have been compromised. She tried to take mental stock of the house—she’d checked all the other windows and exits. Hadn’t she? She didn’t know the rental property at all. It was entirely possible that in her haste to lock the front and back doors and the main windows, she’d—

  A door creaked. It sounded as though it came from a far hallway, on the other side of the kitchen.

  Yes, she thought, her entire body trembling. I definitely missed one.

  * * *

  Aaron climbed out of the unmarked patrol car he’d signed out for the evening and sauntered up the driveway toward Cally’s cottage. He’d found her purse as soon as he’d opened the door of Leo’s car. It had been wedged between the front seat and the center console, easily missed after all that had happened and in the excitement of finally reaching the cabin.

  He tried hard not to imagine Cally’s smile when he presented her purse—nor the way her entrancing brown eyes would light up with relief and happiness. It wasn’t his place to think of her like that, or to think of her at all outside the boundaries of his obligations. She was his assignment, nothing else.

  But still...

  Movement flashed at the edge of his vision. He paused, listening. Was he seeing things? It might have been a skunk or a low-flying bat.

  And then he heard a shout from inside the house, and he didn’t waste another moment.

  He bolted toward the noise, past the front door and around to the side patio. The patio door stood wide open, and sounds of a struggle came from inside. Aaron plunged into the house, following the clamor. Only a few lights were on, but there was no missing the figure c
loaked in white outside one of the bedroom doors. The ski-masked intruder was slamming his shoulder against the door in an effort to get inside, while Cally shouted at him from within the room.

  Aaron dove at the man, tackling him at the waist. They fell against the hardwood floor, the impact jarring Aaron’s knees and lower back. He tried to grab for the man’s arms, intending to pin them back, but the angle at which they’d both fallen left the intruder’s legs and feet too close to Aaron’s face.

  The goon slammed his heel into Aaron’s jaw. Pain ratcheted through Aaron’s entire head, momentarily blinding him. A second hit clipped the side of his forehead, and he felt the man slip from his grasp. He tried to regain focus as the assailant scrambled across the floor, shoved past him and Cally—who’d exited the bedroom and was trying to take a swing at the intruder with a side table lamp—and rushed back out into the cover of night.

  Aaron rose, took two steps and stumbled.

  “Aaron!” Cally bounded over and caught him by the shoulders before he toppled over. “Should I call an ambulance?”

  “No, no.” He tried to wave her off. The sparks in his vision were starting to clear, but he needed to call Leo right away and tell his brother which direction he planned to search for the home invader. “I need...I need to call...”

  “You’re not calling anyone. I’ll do it.”

  Aaron pressed his back against the wall and slid to the floor. “Thirty seconds and I’ll be on my feet again. That guy’s kick packed a wallop. I wasn’t expecting that.”

  Cally exhaled sharply. “I wasn’t expecting someone to break into the house after all those promises everyone made to me about how safe this area is. I’d like to say there’s a first time for everything, but I’ve had quite enough of that today, thank you.”

  How was everything going so wrong, so fast? He took several deep breaths, then pushed into the wall to stand again. His head still spun but he felt well enough to go out to the patrol car and call for backup. “Wait right here while I call this in. Lock the door when I step outside, and don’t open it again until I knock. I’ll go to the front door so you can look outside and see that I’m there.”