Hideout – Release Tour and Giveaway

Help me.” I stared at my phone as someone whispered so low I barely heard it. “Help,” she repeated, and this

time I felt the urgency in her voice as I wiped the sleep from my eyes.

I waited for more, but when nothing came, I asked, “Who is this?”

The line was connected, but there was no sound. “Hello?” I asked again.

Barely a whisper came through. “Ray, it’s me, MB. Please, help me. They’re here.”

After that comment, I listened to the rustle of fabric and loud footsteps, followed by a door slamming. The phone remained connected, because I heard cars and a siren in the distance. The last discernible sound was heavy breathing, as if someone was running.

My arm hair stood up, and my heart rate increased. Who is MB? I checked the time on my phone. It was the middle of the night, and nothing good happened after midnight. Once I splashed water on my face and stared at myself in the mirror, a light bulb went off.

“Oh, no, no, no,” I muttered as I returned to the bedroom. While I slid into pants, I laid the phone on the nightstand and dialed my partner, Micah French.

“Micah. Sorry to wake you, but I have a situation that needs my immediate attention. I won’t be at work.” The words flew out of my mouth as I rushed to leave the house.

“Whoa. Slow down, Ray. What’s the situation? Do you need help?”

That’s Micah, always asking others if they need his help. “I might, but I need to check it out first. It might be a simple snatch and grab.”

“Ray, pick me up. You will not handle a snatch and grab alone. I’ll be in the parking lot.”

I smiled. He’s the partner everyone wants.

When I slid my sidearm into my holster, I flung my badge over my neck. It would be easier to get to than in my pocket. I grabbed my go-bag from the closet and raced to my truck.

Micah waited for me next to his truck. “Ray. What’s going on?”

I checked for traffic before turning right at the light. “It’s been over two years since I’ve spoken to or seen Mary Beth. My job was to protect her while her dad sat through a trial. Her dad made serious enemies when he extorted money and information from the coffers of a large technology company.” I paused because I needed to focus on my driving.

Micah suggested I continue the story, so I did. “Several guys kidnapped her mom before the trial started, thinking she’d tell them where her husband was, but she didn’t. Instead, she escaped, jumping into a car, then crashing into a pole. She died at the scene.”

“That’s wild. How did Mary Beth handle it?” Micah asked.

“Mary Beth was a high school teacher when all of this happened. A man approached her after class one day, pointing a gun at her. She got lucky that day because the football team came around the corner, witnessing the interaction. They pummeled the hitman until he was near death. The police arrested him, and that’s how Mary Beth ended up in WitSec with me as her guard.”

Micah was quiet for a spell, then he asked, “Why was the FBI guarding a WitSec charge?”

“They were shorthanded because of several trials across the country, and I volunteered.”

“Amazing. So, where is Mary Beth?”

I glanced at Micah. “She’s in Ponce Inlet.”

“Of course she is. The safest place on earth,” he muttered. “So, how did they find her?”

“No idea. It’s been over two years since she left.” My eyes glazed over as I thought about my time with her. I spent more time with her in the six months I was her guard than with any other woman.

Micah stared at me when I glanced in his direction. “You have it bad, huh?”

“Me? No. I told her to call me if she ever needed anything. I guess now is the time. Maxwell won’t be happy.”

Micah nodded but agreed to call Maxwell. “Don’t change the subject by using Maxwell. How did Mary Beth end up in Ponce Inlet?”

“Me.”

“One of those. You wanted her somewhere you could get to her. I see. What is she doing now?”

I grinned as the memory rushed into my mind. “Mary Beth said she had always dreamed of being a published author but never had the time. So, that’s what she does. From the little that I know, she doesn’t venture out much, so I thought Ponce Inlet would be perfect for her.”

The traffic on I-4 was nonexistent at this time of morning, but we couldn’t use lights and sirens because this was a personal trip. I tapped my hand on the steering wheel, wanting it to go faster, but I was already at the top speed and didn’t need a patrol officer pulling me over. Hopefully, we will make it in two hours. Micah stared out the window as the miles ticked by.

“What are you thinking about, Micah? Sorry you came along?”

“You know me better than that, I hope. We’ve been together for a while now. You should realize I do nothing I don’t believe in. What makes no sense is how someone found Mary Beth.”

“I’ve been working on that, too. Her dad is still in prison, but I’m sure those whom he harmed would like to know the location where he stashed the money. She’s the last family member living.”

“There we go. Does Mary Beth know the hiding place?” “She claimed she wasn’t privy to her dad’s business. MaryBeth was estranged from her parents before her dad’s arrest and her mom’s death. She spent more time with her aunt because her parents were more brainiacs than parents. Supposedly, Mary Beth’s mom was in the dark, too, about the husband’s transgressions. They were both blindsided by his arrest,” I explained.

“It’s a common understanding that family relationships can be complex. I got lucky in that area, but there are a lot of folks who didn’t.” Micah left his comment alone because he knew I had a tumultuous childhood.