Kitabı oku: «Amish Covert Operation», sayfa 3
He grabbed another cookie and bit off half. “Ready to go?”
“Jah.” She hugged her twins tightly, cherishing the softness of their cheeks against hers, planting kisses on their foreheads, engraving their cherub faces in her mind’s eye.
As she stood, Sarah gathered the twins to the folds of her skirt. Sarah’s daughter, Lyddie, stood nearby, just a couple of years older and a gut friend to her girls. “It is only for tonight,” Sarah reassured her. “Tomorrow you will be together again.”
After Adam had checked the front yard, she hobbled back to his SUV and allowed him to help her in. Her leg was feeling better, but she still appreciated his assistance, as well as the cane he had whittled. After Katie waved one last goodbye through the window, the vehicle roared down the road.
With Adam’s driving speed, it did not take long to reach home. Of course she had ridden in a vehicle, but Adam seemed to drive much faster than other drivers, with trees and bushes and homes whizzing past at a tremendous pace. As he pulled into her lane, she grasped the door handle to keep herself upright.
When he put the vehicle into Park, she turned to him. His eyes flashed in the dim interior of the vehicle, seeming to reflect the moonlight, and she forced her gaze toward her house and away from him. His handsomeness was not something upon which she should dwell. “Danki, Special Agent Troyer. I have much for which to thank you. Saving my life, whittling the cane, driving me home. You have protected me, and I am grateful.”
He retrieved a business card from his wallet. “If your brother contacts you or you think of anything that might be helpful, can you get to a telephone and call me? Or if your leg does not heal well and you want to get to the hospital, call me and I’ll come for you. Is there a phone nearby?”
Shadows played around his angular features when she glanced at him. “Jah, a couple of houses down the road.” It would not do for her to find him handsome. There was nothing that could come of it. If she ever did remarry, it would be to an Amish man, not a brooding, weapon-carrying Englischer.
He simply nodded and hopped out of the vehicle, jogging around the front to offer her assistance. “I’ll get your bicycle and then wait until you get inside and turn on a light.”
“Danki. Just lean the bicycle against the porch railing.” She stole one last glance at his strong profile. “Good night.”
“Good night,” he called over his shoulder as he parked the bicycle.
She opened the front door, stepped inside and closed the door behind her. By the light of the moon, she stepped toward the propane-powered lamp in the living room, running her hand along the top of the easy chair. If she had come in the back, there would have been a battery-powered lantern at the door. But she hadn’t expected to be dropped off in a government agent’s vehicle after dark.
On her third step, she paused, the skin on her arms rippling into goose bumps. Was someone else in the room? It didn’t feel right somehow, and her heart slammed against her chest. Slowly she turned in a circle, peering into the darkness. The moonlight that had seemed so bright outside suddenly seemed extinguished within the house.
She spied a figure at the back door, and adrenaline spiked through her arteries, her fingers digging into the chair back. But it was only her winter cape hanging on a hook at the back door. Now that warm weather was here for the summer, she ought to store it away.
Her mind was playing tricks on her. That was all. She straightened her apron and inhaled deeply, then took the last few steps to the lamp. With her hand on the knob to regulate the propane, and her other hand reaching for the lighter, a voice hissed at her from the darkness.
“Katie, no.”
As if acting independently, her hands jerked back from the lamp and clutched the bodice of her dress. She knew that voice.
A tall figure stepped out from its hiding place, pressed against an armoire near a particularly dark edge of the living room.
She gasped. “Timothy!” Dizziness threatened her, but she gulped air to fight it.
“Shh.” He grasped her shoulders and pulled her into a tight hug. A moment later, he pulled away with a quick glance out the back window.
“I have been looking for you. Where have you been? Are you well? Are you in trouble?”
“I cannot stay.” He pulled her hand toward him and pressed a folded piece of paper into her palm.
Instinctually she closed her fingers around it. “Whatever you are involved in, turn yourself in before you are caught. I will help you.”
“I am innocent. Whatever they tell you, believe that.” He paused, the intensity of his gaze drilling into her. “What I do is for you. For the twins.”
A car door sounded from outside, and Katie jerked her gaze toward the front window. Adam had been waiting for her to turn on the lamp. But Timothy’s hands slid away, and with a few long-legged strides, he was at the back door. As if she were made of stone, Katie couldn’t move. Should she run for Adam, tell him she was safe and that she had found Timothy? Or run for her bruder, her only family? Then, without a word, Timothy slipped away.
The corner of the folded paper poked into the flesh of her palm, and she unfolded it and scanned it quickly. It was simply a series of numbers. There was something familiar about the groupings of the numbers, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Whatever it was, it must be important, considering the clandestine method of conveyance.
There was no time to decipher it now. Adam knocked softly at the door. Her heart still pounding, Katie quickly refolded the note and tucked it up inside her prayer kapp. Right or wrong, there wasn’t time now to examine her motives for keeping the secret a little longer, until she had opportunity to figure it out.
She opened the door, and Adam stepped in, scanning the living room. “Are you all right? You never turned on the light.” Then his eyes seemed to stop at the open back door.
“I am fine.” She swallowed hard. “But mein bruder was here. He is gone now. Out the back.” As she spoke, she spied a figure running through the side yard and into the adjoining cornfield.
“Stay here. Light the lamp. Lock the doors.” And Adam was gone, running through the back door and after the figure in the cornfield.
Katie pressed a hand to her chest as if that could slow her heart rate to normal. At least she had seen her bruder, and he had appeared to be well. But what was going on?
At the back door, she grasped the knob to close and lock it, when a man appeared in the shadowed doorway. Forcing down her surprise, she opened the door farther. “Danki for returning, Timothy. It will be better for you if you come forward.”
But as the man stepped through the doorway and out of the shadow, she saw he wasn’t Timothy. This man was taller, bigger, with an unkempt beard and a look of malice in his eyes. A scream stuck somewhere in her throat, and she turned to run for the front. That door was still unlocked. It would be her escape.
But as she turned, the man grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms to her sides. “It’s not Timothy.” His whisper blew sour breath in her ear. “But I know he was here.”
Katie squeezed her eyes shut, as if that would block out his horrible threats of how he would harm her if she didn’t tell him everything that had just happened. “How did you know we were at the cabin? Did he give you anything? Where did he go?” The man’s hands slid into her apron pockets but came out empty. She pictured the folded piece of paper tucked securely in her kapp but immediately forced it from her mind. She didn’t fight back, but she certainly wasn’t obligated to tell him anything.
He pushed her farther into the house, kicking the door shut behind him.
Herr Gott, help me! The pain from the bullet wound seized her leg, and she stumbled. He cursed her, and she longed to cover her ears. But he held her arms tightly.
Over the sound of his raspy breathing, she heard the door open again and tossed up a quick prayer that her attacker hadn’t heard it. But as quickly as she could utter the words, he let her go and turned toward the sound. Adam rushed the man, barreling straight at him. Together, they fell into a wooden chair. The sound of splintering wood filled the room, along with the struggle of the two men.
Alarm filled Katie. She grasped one hand in the other in a vain attempt to stop her trembling. What could she do to stop this? To restore order to her simple world? But her mind could barely comprehend the fighting in her home, let alone figure out a way to stop it.
With a punch to the attacker’s jaw, Adam subdued the man. Adam jumped up from the floor and drew his weapon, pointing it at the intruder. “Up. On your feet.” Adam’s voice held an austerity that Katie hadn’t heard before. “Now, let’s get some answers.”
The man slowly stood, his hands on his knees as he pushed himself upright. As he straightened, he jerked to the side and grabbed a kitchen chair with both hands. In an instant, the chair was airborne and flying toward Katie.
The room seemed to stand still for a split second, the chair suspended in midair as it hurtled toward her. All breathing stopped. Could this really be happening?
Then all was moving again. She lunged to the right to dodge the chair, placing her weight squarely on her injured leg. Overwhelming pain shot through her body. Her leg collapsed underneath her. As she fell, she glimpsed the two men struggling over the gun, her attacker with his hands on the weapon and turning it to point at Adam.
Her head hit the floor as she heard the gun go off. A moment later, darkness swallowed her.
FOUR
Katie! Adam’s heart and mind screamed. But as his consciousness absorbed the fact that his opponent’s gun had discharged, the only sound he emitted was a grunt as he lunged for his attacker.
The gun had gone off, but was he shot? No zing or ache of injury threatened him. Of course adrenaline would mask it for now, especially as he barreled toward the man in the dark. With a thud, he had the man pinned to the wall. The only thing he would notice now would be a gaping hole in his chest. He would check better later.
The man tried to kick him, but Adam twisted to the side, keeping the man’s shoulders pressed against the wall. “Who are you?” He managed to utter the single question through teeth clenched with physical effort.
The man remained completely silent, his eyes burning with fury. His only response was, with apparent great effort, to push Adam’s arm back. He brought the gun up to point at Adam’s midsection.
No way. Not on my watch. In his peripheral vision, Adam saw Katie begin to move on the floor, a low moan issuing from her. He longed to check on her, see that she would be all right, but if he let her attacker go, it most likely wouldn’t end well for either Adam or Katie.
Doubling his efforts with what felt like the last of his strength, Adam brought up his knee to kick the man’s gun hand. He missed, and his attacker thrust the weapon into Adam’s ribs. Pain pierced his side. Doesn’t this guy ever get tired?
Adam tried to study the man’s features to be able to identify him later, but his vision was clouded with pain and the moonlight wasn’t bright enough. With a quick twist, Adam released his grip on the man’s shoulders and spun to grab for the gun. But the man moved, and the weapon flew from his hand and skittered across the floor, toward the kitchen table and the remaining chairs.
With a growl, the man dove for the gun as he thrust his hand backward. He made contact with Adam’s shoulder. Adam staggered but quickly recovered his balance. He also charged toward the attacker and his weapon, dodging his legs and shoes. If he could get this guy, then Katie’s difficulty, her brother’s problem and perhaps even the entire investigation could be done and over. Case solved.
But Adam was a few seconds too slow. Instead of stopping the lowlife, he only got the heel of the man’s shoe pressed against his cheekbone. The man scooped up his gun but fumbled it, and the weapon slid away. A split second later, he grabbed another chair from the kitchen table and swung it low toward Adam. Adam ducked, only to see him release the chair and let it fly in Katie’s direction.
Even as his mind registered that it was merely a distraction technique, Adam’s body sprang toward the chair in an effort to catch or stop it before it hit Katie. The man’s aim was high, though, and the chair sailed over Katie’s head. An instant later, the chair crashed into the armoire, heralded by the sound of fracturing wood. Splinters from the chair rained down on Katie. The armoire wobbled upon impact, toppling dangerously forward.
Katie lay right in its path.
Adam rushed forward as it began to fall and caught it on his back and shoulders. Pain cut through his upper body, but he held steady. His teeth ground together as he pushed back against the piece of furniture, maneuvering it back to its place against the wall. Katie fluttered her eyes open, a look of terror seizing her as she realized her situation. With pain etched across her face and her jaw set in a grim line, she dragged herself away from the armoire. Once the cabinet stood upright again, Adam ran to the open back door. Their attacker was just disappearing into the cornfield and out of Adam’s line of sight.
Adam drew a long, deep breath, forcing his pulse to slow and his nerves to steady with the inhale of oxygen. He closed the door and locked it with both the knob lock and the dead bolt. If the man was running away, he probably wouldn’t be back right away. For the very immediate future, at least, he could see to Katie’s injury.
It only took a moment to cross the kitchen and the sitting room, dropping to his knees and sliding the last few inches on the wood floor. He grabbed a pillow off the couch and tucked it under her head. Her alertness at the danger of the armoire had been temporary, and she had quickly slid back into unconsciousness.
Now he rubbed her upper arms. “Katie? Wake up. You’re all right now.”
She tossed her head to the right and then to the left with a moan.
Adam pulled a strand of hair off her cheek, trying not to notice the softness of her skin. “Katie? Come on.”
“Mmm?” A raspy cough worked its way out. Her eyes opened again and then immediately widened as she seemed to realize that she was on the floor, with Adam hovering over her. “Is he gone?”
“Yes. For now.” He held out his arm.
She pulled herself to a sitting position. “My leg hurts. Again.”
“It’s bleeding a bit. Can you get to the armchair if I help you?”
“Jah. I will try.” She lifted herself with the help of his arm, and he gently pulled her into the easy chair. She scooted to lean against the back and breathed a sign of a relief. “Danki. Please forgive my complaining about the discomfort.”
“What complaining? Your previous injury has been aggravated. You’re only human.” Fresh blood had appeared on her skirt. “Can we take a look? I think the wound is seeping again.”
He looked at the lamp next to the chair. “How do I light this thing?”
She pointed toward a lever on the outside of the lamp. “Turn that lever there. That turns on the propane. There is a lighter in the drawer below. Just light the mantle.”
With the lamp lit, she found the tear on her skirt and pulled it open to reveal the bandage the paramedic had applied. A fresh redness saturated the edge of the gauze. “Perhaps just a new bandage and some aspirin?”
“That would probably do it. Then we’ll just keep an eye on it. Do you have a first-aid kit?” He turned toward the kitchen, waiting for her instructions.
“Look in the cupboard under the second sink, the one for washing up near the back door.”
“Second sink?” He detoured to the back porch area.
“Jah. It is what we call the sink and counter area right close to the back inside porch. It is where we wash hands and faces after working in the garden or the barn, but before coming into the house properly. It is also the place for tending to wounds, but it will be easier if you bring the items to me. Look for a blue tackle box. It is filled with medical supplies.”
He quickly found the box in the lower cabinet and brought it back to her, setting it on the chair’s side table and opening it for her. He lifted out the top trays to reveal stacks of bandages, ointments, tweezers, rubbing alcohol, cough drops and a thermometer. “You have nearly an entire drugstore in here.”
She sighed but smiled at him. “Nein. Not quite.”
But his teasing had the desired effect. At least momentarily, her mood had lifted and her mind had been elsewhere. Right now she didn’t need to focus on the danger that waited outside the house. She only needed to redo the bandaging and feel better.
She twisted to reach the tackle box of medical supplies but quickly sat back in the chair with a grimace. “I cannot sit that box on my lap, not with the discomfort of the injury. Could you find the gauze and the medical tape, please? Danki.”
With the proper supplies at hand, Katie quickly replaced the bandaging. “The bleeding has stopped. I think it will be fine, in time.”
“That’s good. No need for an ambulance?”
She grinned, but it was tinged with a touch of discomfort. “Nein. Not this time.”
As she returned the supplies to their appointed slots, Adam dialed the sheriff and told him of the attack. He said he would dispatch a deputy and be there himself in a few minutes.
Adam put the tackle box back in the cabinet. “I hate to have to ask you to remember him, but did you recognize the man who attacked you?”
“Nein, I have never seen him before.”
“I’ve been investigating for several months, and I don’t think I’m any closer to the truth than I was when I started, except that I know there is smuggling of identity documents through Northern Indiana and now we have the counterfeit social security card you found. But a good smuggling ring usually takes several people to operate smoothly. And this ring is good.”
“Gott reveals truth in His timing and when it suits His purposes.”
God? She had just been attacked by a violent man, and she was talking of God’s purposes? Her calmness in the face of danger floored him. But the memory of his Amish grandparents and their peacefulness struck him, sending goose bumps along his arms. Their steadfast trust in God and the calm that it brought to their lives and their home was something he hadn’t fully appreciated as a child. Now, though? Now he could use an extra portion of peace and calm.
* * *
Katie’s leg throbbed, but she refused to give in to complaining or grumbling. That bad attitude hadn’t worked well for the Israelites wandering in the wilderness for forty years, and she was determined to learn from their mistakes. Still, though, a little painkiller would help.
She pushed herself to the edge of the chair, her palms on the armrests, prepared to push herself up. The acetaminophen was in a kitchen cabinet, and as kind as the ICE agent had been, she didn’t want to ask him for anything more. But before she could push herself to standing, he was there, holding out his arm to steady her and help lift her up.
“Going somewhere?” He smiled down at her, crinkles around his light brown eyes, the flecks of gold glittering in the lamplight.
But the smile didn’t quite reach to his whole face. He was trying to cheer her up, to get her to forget about the danger, to not be scared. Warmth seeped through her at his thoughtfulness, but it was tinged with the chill of fright at who might be lurking outside her door.
“Jah, to the kitchen. Mein acetaminophen are in a cupboard, and I will make us some tea. Chamomile is soothing, which helps with anxiety. And it is anti-inflammatory, which helps with injuries, as well as aches and pains.” And with the tea, she would retrieve her brother’s note out of her kapp and show it to the special agent.
“Then make us a gallon.” He grinned as she reached for his arm.
With his help on one side and the cane on the other, she made it to the kitchen. There she released his arm, and he moved to straighten the kitchen table and remaining chairs. She rummaged around in the end cabinet, moving aside various odds and ends before producing a small bottle. One step to the side brought her to the sink, where she filled a glass with water. As she popped two tablets in her mouth and swallowed, she caught Adam’s surprised expression.
“What is it?”
“I have never seen my grandparents take pain pills or even vitamins or any kind of supplement. Granted it’s been a while since I’ve seen them. And they were—are—very conservative, even for being Amish. I just didn’t think Amish took any kind of medication.”
“Your grandparents are Amish?” That was an interesting bit of information she would tuck away to examine later. A thousand thoughts pinged in her mind, but her throbbing leg overrode them.
“Yes.”
Katie put her glass on the counter and reached for the kettle. “Jah, some church districts are so conservative that they do not call the doctor. I am grateful that our district is not like that. If Gott has been so gut as to allow us to discover a way to relieve physical pain, then I am thankful.” She held the bottle out for him to peek inside the almost-full container. “I do not take it often, as you can see. But I have it just in case.”
She returned the bottle to the cabinet and then filled the kettle. Jah, she sought normalcy and comfort in the routine of making chamomile tea, her favorite. But it would take a lot more than tea for her to feel the least bit normal again. Her hands began to shake at the thought of an intruder in her home, a man who attacked both her and Adam, the agent who was spending his evening protecting her.
Gott, help me! Help mein bruder! A tear strayed down her cheek, but she quickly dashed at it with the back of her hand before Adam could see it.
The tea was put on hold, though, with the arrival of the sheriff and a deputy. As Adam stayed with her, the two men searched her yard and the surrounding area. Sheriff Moore examined the living room and kitchen while the deputy took her statement and Adam called his supervising agent.
“I wish we had more information, ma’am, but your attacker didn’t leave anything to go on.” The sheriff held his hat in his hands. “My deputy is on duty through the night, and I’ll have him drive by and walk around the yard several times, to keep an eye on you.”
“Danki, Sheriff. I appreciate it.”
“I’ll stay, as well,” Adam said, “in my SUV out front and patrol the perimeter every hour or so.”
The sheriff put his hand on her arm with the warmth of a father. “Try to get some rest.” He turned to Adam on his way out the door, his deputy following. “Call me if you need me.”
Adam walked them to the door, locking it behind them. The headlights of the sheriff’s vehicle flashed through the window as he turned onto the road.
“Now, why don’t you sit down and let me make the tea? I might need some instructions, but you need to rest.”
“Nein.” She limped to the propane stove and put the kettle on, ignoring the ache in her leg. The acetaminophen needed to do its work soon or she would be forced to sit down. “I do not want this injury and attack to slow me down or defeat me. Gott is good, and He will help me.” Without moving her feet, she reached to the cupboard to retrieve two mugs. “See? If I just bend and twist enough, I can get it done.”
Ten minutes later, she set two steaming mugs of chamomile tea on the table, along with a tin of sugar cookies. As Adam bit into his cookie, she retrieved the coded note from her prayer kapp and unfolded it on the table. She wasn’t sure, even now, that she wanted to show him the piece of paper. She certainly had not been comfortable showing the sheriff and his deputy. The Amish separation from the world and the community’s distrust of law enforcement had been taught and modeled through all her life. But surely her bruder had had a purpose in risking his life to give it to her. What did he want her to do with it? Right now the most she could manage was to trust this man who had saved her life.
His eyes widened as a myriad of emotions played across his face. He quickly finished his bite. “Where did you get that?”
“From mein bruder. He did not explain anything. Just pressed it into my hand before he ran out.”
Adam leaned over the paper, examining it as he chewed another cookie. “The numbers seem to be grouped into threes. Is it a secret message? A code of some kind? Is he trying to tell you something without being discovered by someone?”
Katie sipped her tea. Perhaps the chamomile would calm the erratic thumping of her heart. After months of no communication with her bruder, he reappeared and gave her this. It must have some meaning, and hope in a restored relationship blossomed within her chest before she could tamp it down. “Jah, I think so. I hope so.”
“It’s meaningless, though, until it’s deciphered. What is the code?”
“Ach, I do not remember. I have been so tossed around today that I cannot think straight. Mein bruder was always secretive, always coming up with different ways to communicate so no one else could understand, always reading about spies and their secret codes.” After the day she had had, she could puzzle over it all night and probably not have an answer in the morning.
“Of course.” He sipped his tea as he continued to examine the paper. “I’ll have the agency’s cryptographers take a look at it tomorrow. Right now, let me get a digital copy.” He retrieved his phone from his pocket and took a picture of the piece of paper, then tapped a few more buttons on the phone. “It’s on its way. I’ll get the local guys on it as well, first thing in the morning. If it’s meaningful, we need to know sooner rather than later.”
She nodded and examined the note again. What are you trying to say, Timothy? Of course the law enforcement officers were intelligent. But her brother was also pretty bright. If they could decode the secret message, she would be impressed.
“What else can you tell me about Timothy? The more I know about him, the more information I have to figure this out.”
And get me out of harm’s way... He didn’t say it, but by the way his voice trailed off, she knew that’s what he meant.
“All I know is what I saw and what he said more than two months ago. It seemed he had changed some of his business practices, like using a different supplier for some of the hardware for his woodworking business. I saw a company name on a box, a company that the Amish do not usually do business with. One time I stopped by his workshop and saw a different man there with him. Timothy explained that the man was a new hire, but the man was not Amish. He was dressed in Amish clothes, and he had a beard like Amish men that covered his face. But he was wearing a baseball cap, pulled down low over an Englisch haircut. I tried to greet him, but he hurried away to the back of the workshop. Mein bruder was quick—too quick—to explain that his new hire worked best alone and was a little shy of strangers.”
“Did you get his name?” Adam stood to pull back the window shade slightly and peer outside. Seemingly satisfied, he sat again and selected another cookie from the tin.
“Nein. Now that I think on it, Timothy was rather hesitant to tell me anything at all. He spoke in that slow way he gets when he is trying to think what to say as he is talking.” She sipped her tea, that day and that meeting fresh in her mind. Her brother had seemed odd then, but it had never occurred to her that something was this wrong. If she had persisted then in finding the truth, could all of this danger and these attacks and the shooting have been avoided?
“Do you think he was lying?”
That very word, lying, made Katie sad, a bit of grief pinging in her midsection, but perhaps he had been. Still, she couldn’t tolerate the idea. “We are taught not to lie from the time we are small children. Lying is a sin.”
“Perhaps he feels so threatened that he thinks he must lie. He believes he has no other choice.”
“Ach, I cannot imagine that much danger.” With her hands hidden in her lap, though, she wrung them together. Was Timothy’s situation that bad? Most likely so, judging by the attacks she had suffered that very afternoon and night. Adam just didn’t want to scare her.
She appreciated the carefulness of the agent sitting across the table from her, but she could see the facts, as well. Her brother just didn’t come around anymore like he used to. He hadn’t attended church services in more than a month. He always had some excuse like illness, which she would see in a note he would leave for her now and then. Was he distancing himself deliberately from their Amish ways? It seemed as if he wanted nothing to do with her, but he was feeding her just enough information to make everything look normal so she wouldn’t question him or examine the situation any further.
Sleepiness began to overtake her, and she wrapped her hands around the warm mug. A glance at the clock on the wall revealed the lateness of the hour.
“You need to rest.” Apparently Adam had noticed her fatigue, as well.
“Jah, and wash and put on clean clothes.” A fresh change of garments always made her feel better. It was too bad that she couldn’t change her emotions as easily, from fear and trembling to confidence and calm. “What about the intruder? Will he come back?”
“The deputy will drive by, remember, and walk the yard. And I’ll be here, in my SUV out front and patrolling the perimeter every hour or so. Will that help you rest?”
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