Chapter 23
Elena watched Shane closely, trying not to make it obvious that she was evaluating his physical condition. To her relief, he continued to get better. By the next day, he was up and around, at least for short periods. He was eating more, and there was no infection in his wound.
And he had a new mission.
“Have you ever shot a gun?” he asked.
“My father taught me and my brother. He was always afraid of bad men coming after us.”
“That’s good. Because you might come up against a situation where throwing rocks isn’t enough. So let’s see what you know.”
“But I thought you said I shouldn’t go out. My father always took us out to the woods.”
“On private property?”
“I don’t know.”
“There’s a shooting range in the basement, among other special features.”
He took her downstairs and showed her the safe room where she could lock herself in if there was trouble.
“But you’re not expecting any,” she clarified.
“No. But I wasn’t expecting any in Maryland.”
He showed her how to call for help from outside, then took her into a long, thin room set up as a pistol range.
“We’ve got twenty-five yards from firing position to target,” he said.
“How did you do all that—under this house?”
“It took some special excavation and modifications to our specs. We’ve got an excellent ventilation system, so you won’t be breathing in smoke or lead particles. But you will have to wear double ear protection.”
“Which means?”
“Earplugs and over-the-head earmuffs, because the space is confined.”
He showed her the paper targets, which were outlines of cartoon characters, then went to the gun rack along the wall and took down an automatic.
“I don’t know what your father taught you. What kind of gun did you use?”
“An old revolver.”
“Well, I think we can do better than that. There are a lot of considerations in choosing a gun for you. Some people think women should start with a twenty-two because it’s lighter, with less recoil. But it’s also the least accurate gun you could get for self-defense. I’m thinking it would be better for you to start with a nine-millimeter automatic.”
She nodded, knowing what he taught her might save her life.
He picked up a Sig Sauer from the rack, holding it downward while he checked to see if it was loaded.
“What did he teach you about safety?”
“Not to point a loaded gun at anyone.”
“Yeah. Actually, there are four basic rules to remember. You treat any gun as though it’s loaded. Never point the gun at anything you don’t intend to blow away. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire, and be sure of your target and what’s behind it.”
“Behind it?”
“Yeah, like innocent bystanders—out in the woods.”
He went on to talk about safety gear and where she might carry a concealed weapon, and then explained how the gun worked and how to load ammunition. His careful lesson was a lot more thorough than anything her father had imparted. It was like the difference between the Wild West and a police academy.
“It’s a lot to remember,” she murmured.
“Yeah.” He dragged in a breath and let it out.
“What?”
“I’m getting tired,” he answered. She was instantly worried about his health, until she realized he was probably using that as an excuse to slow down the lesson so she could absorb everything he was teaching.
They ate lunch—this time a couple of frozen meals. Then they went back to the range. Before he let her do any actual shooting, he made sure she was wearing a long-sleeved shirt with a collar and also a hat to minimize the chance of getting struck with a spent casing. He also instructed her on using a two-handed grip.
“After you fire the first clip, I’ll show you how to reload. Obviously, it’s not the same as with a revolver.”
She was pleased when her first try impressed him.
“I suppose you were better than your brother,” he said.
“How did you know?”
He laughed. “A lucky guess.”
By the time they’d had several lessons, she was fairly confident about her ability to defend herself.
But as they ate dinner after her fourth lesson, she could sense his restlessness.
“What?”
“Those men found us twice before.”
“But we came down here because it’s far enough away to be safe,” she argued.
“Yeah, I needed a place where I could heal. But I’ve been thinking about the time that’s passed since we got here.”
She waited for him to continue.
“They probably figured we flew out. And they know there’s only so far we could get in that plane. And there are only so many small airports where I could have landed. If they’re desperate to find us, they could start checking locations within the range of the plane.”
“You think they’d do that?”
“I don’t know. But I think to be safe, we’d better move on.”
The way he made the statement sent a shiver over her skin. She felt like she’d been getting a reprieve from facing the problems that waited for her back in Maryland. Now he was telling her it was time to get back to reality. At least she felt better equipped now.
“We’re flying back there?” she asked.
“Maybe. We’re going to talk to Max and Jack to find out the situation first.”
Again she nodded, and then she was surprised when Shane put the call on the speakerphone so she wouldn’t be excluded from the conversation.
One of his partners picked up immediately.
“Shane?” The man sounded relieved to hear from them. “How are you?”
“I’m a lot better, Max. I have Elena on the speakerphone.”
“Jack’s on at this end, too. So we’re all here,” Max said.
“We’re coming back up there to see if we can resolve the situation.”
“Yeah, but you’ll have to be cautious,” Max said.
“What’s the problem?”
“Someone’s been nosing around here. I mean, around this office. Whoever the bad guys are, they know you’re part of Rockfort Security. At least that’s what we surmise. There’s been a lot of unusual surveillance around the building. Also at the safe house in St. Stephens. And they broke into the airport offices.”
Shane winced. “I figured they might. I filed a fake flight plan.”
“Yeah.”
“What do you suggest now?”
“Meeting at a location they won’t suspect and making some plans.”
Shane glanced at Elena, then back at the speaker.
“How about the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, D.C.?”
Max laughed. “Yeah, if they’re thinking you want to cut costs, that would be an excellent choice.”
“Then let’s do it. Get a two-bedroom suite. Use a set of alternate identities.”
Elena kept her gaze on him. He was casually telling his partners that the two of them were sleeping together. But why should she care about that? she asked herself. Maybe it was a good thing. He had found an offhand way to tell his friends about the relationship.
He raised an eyebrow as he caught her reaction.
When she shrugged and looked away, he reached out and clasped her hand.
Max was speaking again, asking a question. “How are you traveling?”
“It’s probably better not to tell you.”
“Yeah, in case the guys hanging around here catch us and torture us.”
Elena winced, even though she knew that Max was kidding. She hoped.