LITMIR.BIZ

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told JT he’d done his homework. The closest house to Faith’s was his and he was a quarter mile down the beach. Far enough away for the noise from the ocean to drown out the sound of the truck.

      JT couldn’t see the driver. It took him only a second to realize why. The windows of the truck had been tinted dark and there didn’t appear to be any dash lights on. Someone had deliberately disconnected them to prevent anyone from seeing inside the truck.

      JT counted to three, drew the Glock he carried in his jacket pocket and then stepped out from behind his cover. The vehicle didn’t move. The engine kept on revving.

      “Get out of the truck. Now,” he shouted but the driver ignored his command. Something was definitely off. JT skirted around the back of the truck to the driver’s side and knocked on the window. Nothing. He tried the door and it opened without effort. There was no one inside. Someone had placed a brick on the accelerator pedal to ensure that the engine ran at full throttle.

      JT reached inside and turned off the ignition and the truck coughed to a sputtering death. Why had someone left it idling in her driveway?

      The hair on the back of JT’s neck suddenly stood up with the realization that this had been a setup. Whoever did this was deliberately trying to lure Faith outside. They’d probably been watching her movements for a while.

      The headlights would provide enough light for the person to see that JT wasn’t Faith, which meant...JT slammed the door shut and charged for the cover of the shrubs as the first barrage of bullets split the silence.

      He counted off five rapid rounds from what sounded like an AK-47. The bullets kicked up dirt and bits of gravel. He could feel them pepper his back and legs. He dove for the closest bush as another barrage of bullets flew past his body. A couple hit the side of the house and lodged in the siding.

      JT crouched low to the ground and scrambled toward the back of the house while the shooter continued to fire. He made it to the back deck and inched up onto the porch out of the shooter’s line of sight. Faith was in the great room located in the front of the house. He’d told her not to open the door until he called out. With the noise of the ocean and the steady repeat of gunfire, she’d never hear him.

      He grabbed his phone and hit Redial.

      She answered right away. “JT, what’s going on? I heard gunshots. Are you okay?”

      He drew much-needed air into his lungs before answering, “I’m okay for now but I’m at the back of the house. I need you to get to the door and unlock it as soon as you can. Hurry, Faith, I’m not sure if he followed me.”

      JT rushed to the back door. If his assailant came after him now, he wouldn’t stand a chance.

      “I’m almost there now,” she said.

      His heartbeat ticked off every second before he heard her fumbling with the locks and then the door opened. She turned on the light switch. Nothing happened. Someone had flipped off the breakers.

      JT locked the door, shoved the Glock back into his pocket and grabbed Faith’s arm. He headed for the one room without windows he remembered from his childhood, a small laundry room off the kitchen. Once they were both inside, he shut the door and pushed a couple of heavy boxes in front of it.

      “What happened out there? Who was in the truck?” Faith’s questions tumbled out, her eyes wide with fear.

      JT didn’t answer right away. He listened for a second and heard nothing but silence outside. The gunshots had stopped. “That’s just it, there was no one in the truck. It sounded like the shots came from the outcropping of trees across the road. He cut the power to the house trying to draw you out.” A muscle ticked in his jaw. “However, what he wasn’t expecting was me. We need to call the police right away. We’re sitting ducks and he could still be out there.”

      Before he could say anything more, she was busily shaking her head. “No. No police, I don’t trust them.”

      JT watched her for a second. Even though she hadn’t said as much, it was easy to read between the lines. She had gone to the cops for help in the beginning and they’d let her down.

      He tried to soften his tone. “If he comes after us with that kind of firepower, I don’t know if I can keep you alive. We have to call the police. Let me do this, Faith.”

      A handful of tension-filled seconds passed before she finally agreed.

      He grabbed his phone and called the number of one of his closest friends and the chief of police for Hope Island.

      “What’s wrong?” Chief Will Kelly didn’t bother with hello. JT wouldn’t be calling at six in the morning unless it was urgent.

      “I’m at the old Fitzgerald place with the new tenant. Someone is shooting at us with a high-powered weapon. He’s taken out the power to the place, Will. I don’t know if he’s still there or if he’s acting alone. We need help ASAP.” A split second later, he heard Will bark out instructions to the police dispatcher. “Terry, shots fired at 21 Ocean Way. There are two people inside the old Fitzgerald house. We don’t know if the gunman is still on the premises. We need whoever’s on duty now over there right away. Let them know they may be walking into an ambush. Vests on and everyone watch their backs...”

      He came back to JT after he finished putting the order in motion. “Help is en route. Dispatcher Terry Hendricks says that Samuels and Kennedy are five minutes out. Hang in there, I’m on my way as well. The first patrol cars should be there any minute. Just stay put until reinforcements get there.”

      No sooner had he disconnected the call than a siren blared in the distance.

      Within a matter of minutes, the first patrol car descended on the house. JT had no doubt the person doing the shooting would be in the wind by now.

      He moved the boxes away from the door and they crept out to the dark kitchen. Police lights strobed the side of the house. Seconds later, the whole outside was lit up as bright as daylight and the team began to scour the area for the shooter.

      Someone knocked loudly on the door and JT turned on the flashlight and went to the front of the house with Faith following close behind, clutching the dog. He opened the door to find Will and two uniformed officers standing there. Will ducked his head as he entered the house. At almost six-nine, this action had obviously become second nature for him.

      His friend combed back a stray lock of bright-red hair and shook JT’s hand. “Sounds like you two have had a bit of excitement this morning.”

      “That’s putting it mildly,” JT said as he stepped aside and the three men came inside. “Will, this is Faith McKenzie. She’s renting the house. Faith, this is Chief Will Kelly.”

      The chief of police held out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Faith.” After only the slightest hesitation, she took it. Will turned to the two uniformed officers. “Take a look around back. See if anything has been disturbed. Be careful.”

      “Thank you for coming so quickly, Chief Kelly,” Faith said.

      “It’s Will, and you’re welcome. We have officers searching for the shooter and forensics will be here shortly to examine the truck. In the meantime, I’ll need to ask you both some questions, starting with what exactly took place here this morning.”

      * * *

      The reality of what had happened struck Faith like a blow. This wasn’t just a matter of overreacting. Jumping at shadows. The threat had been all too real, and it had almost had very deadly consequences.

      Now, with both men staring at her, waiting for answers, she wasn’t so sure she could go through with it. What if they didn’t believe her or thought she was involved, as the Austin police had?

      “I don’t think I can do this,” she whispered to JT.

      He reached for her hand and held on to it. “Yes, you can. I promise you can. I’ll be right here with you through it all. Will and I aren’t going to let anything bad happen to

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