Nobody's Lost (Rescue Me Saga #5)(5)
In the kitchen again, she opened the garage door from the box on the kitchen wall, but her cell phone buzzed before she could go into the garage. She glanced down at the caller ID.
Adam again?
Oh, crap! She’d forgotten all about him.
She’d met her long-lost half-brother for the first time last Thanksgiving. He’d called her while the police were here, and she’d forgotten to call him back to let him know what had happened. Did Marines come with internal radar or something? Or had he been calling to let her know how his wife Karla was doing?
He’d worry more if she didn’t answer, so she returned to the kitchen and deadbolted the interior door before accepting the call.
“Megan, is everything all right? What happened?” The concern in his voice was palpable.
She cleared her throat, knowing her silence would only stress him out more. “I’m fine. Some asshats broke into Patrick’s place and stole my computer.”
“Well, f—.” She smiled hearing him reroute his mouth around the expletive she knew had almost spewed out. “You need to get out of there, but stay put a little longer. I’ve sent someone to check on you.”
Without even knowing what the problem was? The man didn’t let any moss grow under his boots.
“Are you armed?”
She smiled again. “Patrick made sure I knew how to use a weapon before I went to college.”
“You didn’t get too rusty while on campus?”
“No. Went to the firing range regularly.”
“Good for you. I’m going to stay on the phone with you until Wilson shows up.”
She guessed she ought to be thankful he hadn’t sent in a platoon of Marines. Still, knowing someone was on the way did make her feel a little less scared.
“How’s Karla doing?”
“She’s fine. Tired mostly. We just took four days to drive back from a Memorial Day weekend wedding in San Diego County. Remember Damián Orlando?”
“Yes.” Adam treated him like a son. One of his beloved Marines.
“Anyway, Karla’s trying to get some shut-eye. It’s not easy these days.”
“I can imagine. Give her a hug and kiss from me. I hate to take you away from her tonight.”
“Oh…well, she’ll sleep better if I’m not in the bed with her.” His voice sounded funny, but she smiled as she remembered taking some special photos of Karla a few months ago when the family came together in Denver for a weekend. He was in for one heck of a surprise, but they had turned out beautifully. Still, Megan regretted she would never—
“How’s mom doing?” Adam interrupted her thoughts, thankfully. He had only just found their shared mother again after spending decades on his own from the age of sixteen.
“Going as strong as ever. She’s glad the weather’s improving so she won’t be cooped up inside as much.” Being wheelchair-bound kept her mother from traversing Chicago’s snowy streets, but her attendants made sure she had regular outings. Megan had never known her mom to feel sorry for herself. And, having been paralyzed long before Megan had been born, she had never thought anything odd about having her mother confined to a wheelchair.
While Adam talked about the wedding he’d just attended, Megan looked around to see what else she should pack in her SUV. The safe provided more security for her equipment than she would have inside her SUV or a hotel room. The thieves hadn’t tried to break into the safe either, according to the police. No, she didn’t really see much of anything she needed to take with her. Just the overnight bag.
But would she really only be away from the condo one night?
She sighed. “Uh-huh.” She should be listening to the phone conversation, but her mind was too rattled to focus.
How long would she have to wait around for Adam’s Marine to show up so she could send him on his way? No doubt in her mind that he would come, though. At Adam’s wedding, she’d witnessed how much the men and women who served with him adored the retired master sergeant. Any of them would move heaven and earth to please him.
With any luck, the Marine would quickly see she could take care of her own problems and leave.
*
The roar of the hog’s engine lulled him away from giving in to the anxiety nipping at his heels like a rabid dog. He had memorized the woman’s address and merged onto I-40 as he headed toward the Sandias. She lived in one of the older neighborhoods in the foothills there. Couple of miles farther.
The sound of a long-range rifle split the air. Sniper!
Ryder ducked and tried to take evasive maneuvers into another lane. No, wait. That wasn’t a rifle. A f*cking car must have backfired. Thank God the highway was nearly deserted at this hour. He could have gotten himself or someone else killed.
Maintain control. You’re okay. No one is gunning for you.
He repeated those phrases for the duration of the fifteen-minute drive to her exit. The quiet residential streets helped him relax somewhat, but there were too many f*cking places for insurgents to hide with all these houses and condos.
No one is aiming for you. Get a f*cking grip.
Barely two o’clock in the morning. No doubt he’d piss off some of the older residents in this wealthy neighborhood. Easing off the throttle, he slowed and rounded the corner onto the street where he’d once lived. Impossible to keep a hog quiet, so he gave up.