Love Inspired Suspense September 2015 #1 (57 page)

Zane huffed, pulling out a lighter. “That's where you're wrong. I'm the only one who gets to walk away from this.”

Elise chanced a look to the side. Shera climbed silently from the trailer, her steps muffled on the earthy floor. Shera turned her head side to side, disoriented from the pervading smell of gasoline. Elise had to distract Zane for a second, so she yelled, “Don't do this! We don't want to die!” with all the hysteria she was feeling, allowing the fear to infuse every part of her.

Zane grinned, an awful evil smile. He flicked the top off the lighter and struck a flame. Shera was still, apparently unsure of where to go.

Zane was going to toss it on the gasoline, and they were going to die.

NINETEEN

Z
ane's gaze flickered to Shera. His eyes widened and he dropped the flip-top lighter, the flame staying steady as it fell to the floor. Seizing the opportunity, Jonah ignored the pain in his leg and ran to the former zookeeper. He slammed into Zane and they hit the ground. Zane's gun went off.

Jonah delivered punch after punch, putting every ounce of rage at the pain he and Elise had suffered because of Zane's selfish actions, trying to make money by any means necessary.

Elise screamed, Sam started barking and the room filled with smoke.

Jonah looked up just as his dog ran in. Parker appeared at the door. “Rivers!” About to enter, Parker's eyes widened at the scene in the barn.

Fire rushed across the wall, whipped into a frenzy, trying to reach the air at the open door. Flames licked across the entry, cutting off Parker's attempt to enter.

“Stay back!” He didn't think the order would stop Parker from trying to get in and help them, but it was worth a try.

“Jonah!”

He turned to Elise. The last place she needed to be was in a barn that was now on fire. He coughed into his elbow and turned to Sam. “Guard.”

The dog set his paws on an unconscious Zane Ford.

Jonah scrambled to Elise, who was leaning over Shera. “What happened?”

Elise's hands pressed into the tiger's side. “Zane's gun. He shot her.” She sucked in a choppy breath. “I don't know what to do. She needs help!”

And so do we.
Jonah ran his hand up and down her back. “We'll get her help. But first, we have to get out of here.”

The animals in the trailer were starting to screech and scream at the smoke. The air was hot with no relief, and smoke was choking his lungs.
God, help us.

Gears on the truck shifted, and it was pulled out of the entrance to the barn, dragging the trailer. Parker. As soon as he cleared the doorway, Jonah breathed a sigh of relief. “Let's go.”

He was getting Elise out of there, and then he'd figure out with Parker how to haul a four-hundred-pound shot tiger out of the barn. And Zane.

They reached the door, Sam's eyes on them. The barn wall creaked, and with a mighty crack the roof above the front door came down.

Jonah stumbled to a stop while Elise screamed. Flames jumped around, and they had to move back. He looked around. They were surrounded now by a wall of flames penning them in.

“How are we going to get out now?” Elise had to shout over the roar of flames.

Parker's voice came from far away, “I already called the fire department.”

At least that was something. Provided they could hold on long enough for firefighters to get them out and get the fire contained.

He looked around again. The loft was still standing, on the opposite side from the door, but they'd have to drag everyone up the stairs. He looked from the loft to the tiger, to the man lying unconscious.

“We need a way out...”

Elise shook her head. “There was only one door.”

Jonah went to Shera and knelt by the tiger. He pushed with all his remaining strength and moved the tiger more toward the center of the room. Shera grunted and shifted. He patted her neck, knowing she was confused and unable to see the predicament they were in. At least she was away from the flames now.

Elise stood in the center of the room.

“We can't go up, since we can't carry everyone up the stairs.” His brain worked the problem, his eyes scanning the floor. “So if we can't go up, or out, we'll have to go down.”

“Into the floor?”

“Maybe there's a cellar of some kind. Help me look.”

They searched every inch of floor until Jonah found the latch. He couldn't get it open with his fingers, so he kicked at it with his boot. When that didn't work, he got Zane's gun and hammered at the latch with the butt of the gun.

When it broke off, he pulled up the opening, revealing a small cellar dug out of the dirt. Jonah didn't know what Tucker had kept down there, and neither did he want to find out.

“How do we get Shera down there?”

Jonah shook his head. Zane was still out, so he said, “Sam. Come.” The dog trotted over. Jonah clicked his fingers and Sam went down the steps, turning in the six-foot-by-six-foot space before sitting down.

Jonah looked at Elise. “Help me. She's so heavy that we're going to drop her. We will just have to help her get down as easily as we can.”

“Okay. Tell me what to do.”

Jonah squeezed her hand. Together they pushed Shera to the cellar entrance. Jonah went down first and Elise came down beside him. They maneuvered the tiger over the hole and guided her down to the floor as slow as they could. The weight was massive. Jonah's leg buckled, and Shera hit the floor. The tiger growled, and Elise crouched. “Sorry, Shera.”

Then she looked at him. “You okay?”

Jonah nodded even though his leg felt like it was on fire. “I have to go back for Zane.”

“Why? He tried to kill us!” Hurt filled Elise's eyes. “Why save him?”

“He has to face justice, or what's the point? He needs to be alive so he can see what he did was wrong. So he can pay.”

Jonah climbed the stairs, even though his leg blatantly wanted him to stay put. But so long as Elise stayed safe with the animals, he was good. Air was better down there, and the dirt made it cooler.

Jonah grabbed Zane's feet and dragged him to the cellar. He wanted the man alive, but didn't much care how many bruises he had, not considering how many injuries Zane had given Elise over the past few days.

Jonah pulled him to the entrance and rolled him down the four short steps to tumble on the floor at the bottom. Then he climbed down after him and closed the door.

Jonah made it to the wall and leaned so his back was against the cool earth. Smoke laced the air down here now, and he could hear Sam and Elise moving around.

He opened his eyes and glanced at her. Sam had settled his head on her leg, which made Jonah smile even while his heart was racing and he wondered how long they were going to be stuck down there.

Elise's lips were moving. Jonah shook his head, he couldn't hear her.

She frowned and started to move toward him, but Jonah held her off. There wasn't enough room for her to make her way over to him.

Jonah felt himself slide to the side. If he kept going, he'd end up beside Shera. He tried to keep himself upright, but couldn't lift his shoulders. Jonah looked at his leg, pooling blood on the floor.

He slid sideways more, pain slicing through his leg as his body twisted.

Elise screamed.

Jonah's world went black.

* * *

Elise watched Jonah slip into unconsciousness. The pain was obviously great, and he'd exerted himself far beyond what he should have when the bullet had cut all the way through his leg. He needed serious medical treatment, Shera needed a vet and they had to get out of there.

The building above them was on fire. The cellar was protecting them, but it was only slowing down the attack of flames. Eventually they were going to be burned alive.

Elise choked back a sob. God wasn't supposed to take any more from her. That wasn't the deal they'd made when she became a Christian. She could do this, so long as she didn't lose anyone else. The guilt and grief over Martin's death had swallowed her, and the only reason she'd stayed sane was because she'd had Nathan.

Now she was alone with two unconscious men, Jonah and Shera were dying, and Sam looked like he'd retreated to some place in his head instead of being here to experience what was going on.

Thank God Jonah was still breathing. How was she going to survive him dying? It had been hard enough to lose him when he was still alive and there was a glimmer of hope that one day she would see him again. There was no way they had a future if he was killed tonight.

Tears tracked down her face, and she couldn't help remembering the Bible verses she'd memorized over the years. The ones about peace and hope, a future. But where was that hope now?

God, You can't let me down now.
They'd come so far and He'd held her up all these years on her own as a mom.
Help us, please. Don't let Jonah die here in a dirty cellar, so close to help. Don't let us die.

Elise wanted to tell Bernadette that she forgave her. For everything.

Life was too fragile to let someone continue holding the guilt of what they'd done. Not if Elise could do something to alleviate that guilt. Bernadette needed to know it was okay for her to have a fresh start of her own. Especially when that was exactly what Elise had been given.

She only had one thing she hadn't done yet. The real reason she'd come home—to visit Martin's grave and finally tell him she was sorry. She didn't deserve to have her guilt alleviated, not considering how selfish she'd been. But it was the only way she was going to be able to move on, to find that future with Jonah she prayed they both wanted.

For the first time since coming home, Elise was glad that God had brought her back to town. Even if it had started because Bernadette wanted to make amends with Elise and get to know Nathan. Elise was glad God had given her this second chance with Jonah.

Please don't take it away now. Not when it finally might be possible.

Zane groaned. Elise's eyes darted to him in time to watch him shift and open his eyes.

She coughed against the smoke getting thicker by the minute. Zane pressed his hands against the floor and lifted up. Water poured in the crack around the cellar door. It dripped down the steps and hit Jonah's good leg first.

Zane blinked, his gaze zeroing on her first.

She coughed again, barely able to see across the small space.

“You did this!” He shifted toward her but stalled as though he didn't have the energy to fulfill his intention. “This is your fault!”

“I'm not the one selling animals, and I'm not the one who set the fire.”

Fear and anxiety had distilled. There was nothing in Elise but pure anger at Zane Ford for his selfishness in bringing them all together to die.

God, please don't let us go out like this.

Water was still pouring down the steps. Hopefully the firefighters would reach them, find them, soon.

Zane rose to sit, then crawled to her. His eyes were on fire with rage, making her stomach churn. She pulled up her feet, knees to her chest. Was he going to—

He climbed over Shera, unconcerned for the animal's comfort.

Sam twitched and rose to sit, his eyes on Ford.

Elise said, “What are you doing?”

He kept coming. When he was close enough to her, he reached out. Elise tried to fight him off with her hands, but he got close enough to wrap his big fingers around her throat. She batted at his forearms even as he began to squeeze. They were minutes from death by smoke inhalation. What was he doing?

“I told you that you were going to die.”

She gasped for breath but couldn't get air. Zane kept squeezing and the little oxygen she got in her lungs was more smoke than air.

A noise emerged from her throat, high and feral, as she fought him. She added her legs, kicking against him until he pressed down on her legs to keep her still.

Sam barked.

Overhead, Elise heard multiple pairs of boots moving around, like they were frantically searching. She fought harder, trying to make more noise.

We're down here.

Sparks lit the edges of her vision as she lost the ability to breathe, her windpipe closing. Sam's jaw led his attack, clamping down on Zane's arm. His grip slipped, and Elise tried to suck in air. She coughed, her lungs and throat on fire, and started to slip sideways toward the floor just as Jonah had done.

Zane cried out, trying to get Sam off him.

The dog yelped.

Elise tried to move, but her limbs were leaden.

The door above them was pulled open and a rush of heat made the air even thicker. Flames burned bright up in the barn.

Someone said, “Hurry up. The whole place is about to come down.”

TWENTY

J
onah woke with a plastic oxygen mask over his face. The air filling his lungs smelled cold, and goose bumps rose on his forearms. The lights in the ambulance were bright, the doors open and the world outside a bustle of lights, noise and people.

He shifted to sit, and a hand pressed against his shoulder. Hailey Shelder shifted into view. “Hold up, boss.”

He blinked, trying to figure out why she had butterfly bandages across her cheek.

“Don't get up.” She grinned. “The EMTs will get mad at me if you do that. Your leg...” She motioned to it and grimaced.

Right. His leg. Although he couldn't really feel it. Or much of anything. Probably because of the tube attached to his arm. Jonah looked around, but no one else was in their vicinity, so he lifted himself up on the unencumbered elbow. Where was Elise? How had they gotten out? Was Zane in custody?

Hailey had her jacket off, revealing a bandage around her left arm. She rolled her eyes. “He only winged me. You'd think it was serious the way Eric is carrying on.”

Jonah knew exactly why the man was acting like that. Over the past few days he'd gained a fresh respect for Eric, having his woman be constantly in the line of fire.

“You agree with him.” She scowled at Jonah. “Traitor. You're supposed to be sticking up for me, telling my fiancé how I'm so capable at my job, I can accept the risks so he can, too.”

Jonah shot her a look.

“Like I said. Traitor.”

He pulled the mask down.

“You're supposed to keep that on. Smoke inhalation.”

He didn't replace it. “Where's—”

“Eric should be back in a minute. Thankfully we got a breather from him being all intense and protecty, but he had to cover for Parker and get Zane squared away with the cops.”

“Done and done.” Eric climbed into the ambulance. He sat beside Hailey and brushed hair from her shoulder, down her back.

Jonah lay back down, unable to continue holding himself up on his elbow.

Hailey said, “Zane is in custody?”

“Took him to the hospital first to get checked out, and then he'll go on to be booked. He'd have been facing attempted murder, anyway. Parker went with him, to get his hands treated.”

“What's wrong with his hands?” Hailey frowned. “I didn't see him after he came back to help me.” She glanced at Jonah. “Zane's bullet hit my arm, and wood from the door shattering cut my cheek, but Zane had gone out the door. I called emergency and when Parker came in your house, I sent him back to help Elise. I waited for the ambulance and cops, and after a while we saw the commotion at Tucker's barn. And the smoke.”

Eric looked at Jonah. “I waited with Hailey, who was getting treated, and Parker called in from Tucker's. After he pulled the truck and trailer out he burned his hands trying to get to you guys.” He paused. “Parker feels real bad you all were in there so long.”

Jonah said, “How bad are the burns?”

“Second degree, the EMT said. But he'll be back, fighting fit in no time. You'll see.” He slipped his arm around Hailey and sighed. “I don't get why Zane needed to try and strangle Elise when it was already over for him.”

Hailey made an affirmative noise, even while Jonah pulled his mask down again. “What did you say?”

Eric frowned. “He strangled her.”

Hailey glanced at Eric, then said, “She's okay. It was right when the firefighters pulled you guys out. She's been treated already, and Nathan is here. Ames brought him from the office where Parker had stashed him during the operation. Your mom is here, too. I saw her. And the mayor. Everyone's okay.”

Okay was fine, but Jonah wanted to see Elise for himself. “Where is she now?”

Eric waved toward the door. “Around, somewhere. Firefighters pulled Tucker's body out. Looks like your neighbor was up to his neck in this.”

He'd thought Tucker was a brother, a fellow vet enjoying retirement after serving his country. Not a criminal entrenched in illegal animal trading.

Jonah looked out the door again, anxious to see Elise and know for himself she was finally out of harm's way. Then he turned back to Eric and Hailey. “How about Shera? She was shot. How is she now?”

Eric said, “Shera was taken to the closest vet. Rushed into surgery, the last I heard. You should have seen the firefighters all hanging around.” He grinned. “Once they figured out she wasn't a threat, they all wanted to pet her, and be the one to ride with her to the doctor. Funniest thing I've ever seen.”

“And Sam?” Jonah said. “He was down there, too.”

Hailey smiled. “Took to Elise. Won't leave her side, no matter what anyone tries to do. It's why she couldn't—and didn't want to—go to the hospital. EMTs cleared her, since her throat was just bruised. Everything else was bumps, scratches and old injuries already treated. She's had a seriously rough few days. I don't envy her the time it's going to take to heal from all this. But she's got Sam now. He seems to have appointed himself as her official protector.”

Jonah was glad she had Sam, but he still wanted to see her. “Maybe you could go find—”

“Rivers!” Detective William Manners rocked back and forth on his shoes, just outside the ambulance doors. “Glad to see you're awake.” He glanced back, toward where the smoke still lingered around the barn. “Some kind of thing, eh? Never seen the like, hiding in a barn cellar, tiger with a gunshot wound. Wouldn't have believed it if you'd told me.”

Jonah didn't know what to say, so he lay back again. Where was Elise?

“Anyway, ballistics report came back on the bullet that killed the reporter, and the one that destroyed your mailbox—found that in the grass. Both of them trace back to purchases made by your neighbor. Looks like Tucker was behind the reporter's death, and the attempts on your girl's life.”

Maybe, but where was she?

“You just concentrate on getting that leg all healed up.” The detective grinned. “I'll worry about cleanup over here, and at your place.”

So Manners had made the arrests, while Jonah had been injured and personally detained no one? It wasn't a competition between departments, but that wasn't the point. Cops would get all the credit, and Jonah would only have what he'd got into it for—Fix Tanner in custody.

He glanced at the detective. “Great. Glad to hear you'll cover all the paperwork.”

Detective Manners sputtered, his face reddening. “Of course not. What do I look like, the maid?” He motioned a meaty finger at Jonah's leg. “You heal up quick, now. There's plenty of paperwork and meetings to go around.”

Jonah nodded. “I'm sure there is.”

Where on earth was Elise? Wasn't she concerned about him? Surely she'd have been over by now if she was, instead of ignoring his ambulance and staying completely out of sight so other people could tell him how “okay” she was.

The woman had been nearly suffocated, burned and strangled. She'd likely had about as much as she could take. But it was over now.

“Well, I'll leave you to it.” Manners gave them a wave and strode away.

“You'll be heading out soon, I expect,” Eric said. “I should get out and tell the EMTs you're ready for transport. Get that leg looked at, yeah?”

Speaking of which... Jonah clenched his stomach and sat up straight.

“No—”

He shot Hailey a look and she held back what she'd been about to say. He moved his good leg off the bed and tested it against some weight.

“This isn't a good idea.” Eric held up his hands. “Just tell me what you need.”

Sweat beaded on Jonah's brow. “Get Elise in here. Now. No more waiting.”

Eric said, “I'll find her, okay? Just lie back down. I'm sure Elise is somewhere around—”

“I'm right here.”

* * *

Elise bit her lip, feeling her son close in to her side. She knew she looked bad, but Jonah was the one lying on the ambulance bed. “We should be quick. You need to go to the hospital and have your leg seen to.”

He just held out his hand to her.

Eric climbed out. “I'm going to go talk to the EMTs. Find out when you're going to be treated.”

Elise climbed in. “Aren't you bleeding everywhere?” They'd only been out of the barn maybe ten minutes, but still. Shouldn't he have been taken to the hospital by now?

She glanced back at Sam, who'd been pressed to her side since the cellar. He sat at the door, eyes on her and Jonah.

Hailey was the one who answered. “They wrapped his leg. Now I think they were waiting to see if anyone else needed to go. This is the only available ambulance left in the county, since there was a crash on the highway.”

“Oh.” Elise stopped, not sure if she was supposed to sit by Hailey, or by Jonah.

Hailey pulled her down to her side, then got up. “I'm going to go help Eric.”

With her gone, they were alone, save for Sam. Nathan had disappeared.

“How is Nathan?”

She glanced at Jonah. “He's okay. It was a rough night, not knowing if we were okay when he was totally fine. Both of us are glad it's over.”

Because it was. Over.

He said, “How are you?”

She surveyed him. Jonah's face was pale, a sheen of sweat on his hairline. “I feel better than you look.”

Despite the bruises on her neck, she was okay. Nothing that sleep and a couple weeks of aches wouldn't cure. He'd been shot.

Jonah chuckled, then groaned. But he didn't lie down. He just sat there, his steel-gray eyes dark and focused on her.

“I'm exhausted, truth be told.” Elise sighed. “And gross.”

She badly needed a shower. Probably two just to get the smell of smoke out.

“I don't think you've ever looked more beautiful.”

Elise laughed. “Not even the time we were in Canon Beach when I fell in that puddle and I was covered in mud?”

Jonah's lips curled up into a genuine smile. “Not even.”

Sure, she'd been a child then. But it wasn't like she looked like a movie star now. She was just a regular woman. Why did he think she was beautiful? He'd never even seen her made-up, ready to go out. Dressed nice, like in that yellow dress her friend had given her and she'd never worn.

“What is it?”

Elise shrugged. What was she supposed to say? Jonah had been shot because of her. He was going to have to take time off work because of her. Never before had he tolerated her holding him back from what he wanted to do. He'd always done what he had to and put her off until later.

Now all she could think of were the million reasons he had to do it again. What if, now that there was no reason to put a hold on their relationship, Jonah decided he didn't want her?

His hand came up, his fingers touching her cheek so gently that she lifted her face. Elise looked at him through the sheen of tears.

Jonah's hand left her face, and then he reacted. “Soot on your cheek. Sorry.”

She swiped at her face, probably making it worse. But who cared? They both already knew she was nothing special. “It's fine.”

“Why does it feel like you're pulling away?”

Elise shrugged. “I have a lot to do, and you need to get to the hospital. Eric will be back any minute. You should go with him and Hailey. Get checked out. You probably need stitches, or surgery—” Her voice broke then.

“Elise, I'm fine.” He chuckled. “Okay, not totally fine, but I will be. I'll heal. But my heart won't, not if you leave me like this, Elise.”

She blinked. “What?”

“I'm in love with you.”

She stared at him. He was going to do this
now
?

“I want a chance with you. I know you're not about to up and leave town again, but I feel like if I don't tell you now, then I'll never get the chance. You ever feel like that? Like life is going to slip out of your fingers and you'll never get it back?”

She nodded.

“So what do you say, Elise? You and me, forever?”

She squeezed her eyes shut, overwhelmed with the fact that she'd just been given everything she had always wanted. Nathan had been a blessing she'd never known she wanted, or needed. Jonah, a future with him...
Forever.
It was like finding the gold at the end of a rainbow.

She opened her eyes. “I do love you. That was never the problem.”

“So, then, what—”

Nathan knocked on the back door of the ambulance, like they were in an office meeting. “I'm heading out to check on Shera. I'll take Sam with me, since he can't go to the hospital. I can call, keep you posted on the tiger's condition if you want.”

Elise shook her head. “I'm coming with you.”

“Elise—”

She slipped from Jonah's grasp before he could reach for her, and stumbled to the end of the ambulance, trying not to cry. Not yet. When she was alone was a different story, but Jonah didn't need to see the affect he had on her.

“Mom, are you sure? You don't need to come.”

“Sure I do. I'm the zookeeper now. One of my animals is hurt, and I should be there to make sure she's going to pull through.”

Sam nudged her hand, making the lump in her throat thicken. She was going to choke on it if she didn't get out of there.

Jonah might say he loved her, but that was because he hadn't processed fully what had happened yet. When he did that, he was going to realize she wasn't worth the trouble. And Elise had no intention of still being around when that happened. Talk about uncomfortable and embarrassing. There was no way she wanted to see it. Or to hear him apologize. Or see the sorry look in his eyes.

There was no way.

“Elise—”

She didn't look back at Jonah. He thought he wanted her there, but that was because he was pale and in shock. He'd lost blood all over the cellar floor. A pool of it.