know a place where we can lay low for a while. It’s not a great option, but it’s secure.” He pulled onto the road and headed west. He knew this place from his patrols. It was seedy and run-down, but hopefully it would be a safe haven for them at least for a little while until they figured out how to make their escape.
Blake drove into a part of town Holly knew by reputation only. Jimmy had always warned her against crossing over into this area. It was a notorious hangout for junkies and gangs and was known to be dangerous. Tourists were steered away from this part of the lake and even the hospital paramedics shared horror stories of coming into the area to respond to emergencies.
And Blake was choosing to go here.
“What are we doing here?”
“We need a place to hide until we can figure this out.” He pulled up to a seedy motel and cut the engine.
“Are we really going to stay here?”
“This places takes cash and doesn’t ask questions. It’s our best option right now.”
He reached out to touch her arm. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you. No one will bother you as long as you’re with me.”
His assurance did make her feel better, but it didn’t prevent her apprehension as he got out of the truck and entered the office. She could see him inside, through the glass doors, handing over cash to the clerk and receiving a key.
He returned to the truck then drove around to the back of the complex. He led her into a small but neat room. It had a double bed, a dinette set and a dresser with a small television mounted to it.
The phone he’d slipped into his pocket rang and Blake answered. “Matt, what’s the news?”
His expression fell. “I understand.” He ended the call then grabbed the remote. “Matt said the chief is on TV.” He switched on the television to breaking news coverage.
Chief Waggoner was standing at a podium and Blake’s photo was in a box at the corner of the screen. “This is Officer Blake Michaels, a recent hire with the Northshore PD. We’re sad to report that we believe Officer Michaels to be a threat to our town. We’re currently investigating his wrongdoings and will update more on that later, but what we do know is that he assaulted a fellow officer as he attempted to prevent Michaels from abducting a female nurse at the medical center early this morning. The hostage’s name is not being released just yet.”
Indignation rushed through her. “I can’t believe he’s sticking with the story that you kidnapped me.” She felt her face flush in anger. If she’d had any doubts about Chief Waggoner, they were all gone now. She steamed, thinking about all the times since Jimmy died that he’d acted like her friend. When she’d showed him the papers from the journal, she’d thought he’d been upset to learn Jimmy had uncovered corruption in the department, but now she wondered differently. Every conversation she’d had with him took on new meaning. Had he spent the past months pressing her for information about what Jimmy might have told her? How had she mistaken the questions with just being kind?
Blake seemed unsurprised by the development. She realized he’d been right all along. He’d known how they would spin this. He’d tried to warn her—and she hadn’t believed him. No, she had to be honest with herself. She had believed him. She just hadn’t wanted to believe him. She’d been so consumed with protecting herself from more heartache and grief that she’d fooled herself into wishful thinking. She’d suspected the truth about the Northshore PD ever since finding that journal. So far she’d only read the passages about Mason, but she’d scanned the rest and knew other officers were mentioned in it. She’d known her husband was investigating dirty cops. She just hadn’t wanted to believe it went as high as the chief of police.
In the midst of her struggle with Mason, she recalled she’d cried out to God. She blamed Him for this mess. He’d allowed all this to happen. He was the one who’d taken her husband from her and made her a widow at twenty-seven. Now He’d brought Mason Webber into her life.
She shuddered. “I can’t believe this. Your own police department just labeled you a kidnapper. What do we do now?”
“We wait. My friends will take care of this. They’ll find us a way out of town.”
His friends. She’d heard him reference the DOJ in the car when he was speaking to his friend Matt. He’d told her about the drug trafficking and corruption investigations. Had he contacted the DOJ for backup? She folded her arms and locked eyes with him. “I think it’s time you told me exactly what’s going on. Who do you keep calling? And what does the DOJ have to do with it?”
He pushed his hand through his dark hair and sighed. “I’ve been working undercover for the past nine months as part of a joint task force between the DEA and DOJ. Somehow, Mason found out who I really was.”
She was stunned by his revelation. He wasn’t just a small-town cop investigating his fellow officers. He was a federal agent, a plant, someone who had voluntarily put himself into this position. She turned away, thinking of Jimmy and instinctively knowing he would have liked Blake. They both had the trait of jumping into the fire in the name of justice.
He knelt beside her, his expression one of compassion, and he squeezed her hands in a comforting manner. “I’m sorry you got pulled into this, Holly. I really am, but we’re not alone in this. Matt and the agencies will come through for us. We have people on our side and, most importantly, we have the Lord with us.”
She stared into his eyes and her heart clenched. He really believed that. She had believed it once, too, but now she figured God had forsaken her. She could put her trust in Blake Michaels to keep her safe, but she wasn’t ready to put her faith back in God to do anything for her.
* * *
Blake walked to the vending machine and slipped in a handful of coins. It wasn’t a real meal, but it would have to do for now until he could figure out a plan. Holly was depending on him for answers and he didn’t have any. He’d heard the concern in Matt’s voice. They were in real trouble. If the corruption went to the highest levels in town, they might have to fight to protect themselves.
The hairs on his neck prickled and he sensed someone watching him. He glanced around, spotting a figure on an outside balcony. Discouragement bit at him. He recognized the man as a local drug dealer. And he would no doubt report Blake’s presence at the motel to Mason. They couldn’t remain here.
He walked back into the room. When he’d left her, she’d seemed in a daze. Now she was pacing, determination locked into her expression.
“We can’t stay here,” he told her. “We have to leave now.”
“What happened?”
“Someone spotted us. I’m sure he’s on the phone to Mason as we speak. We should go now.”
She went with him to the car without further questioning, but once inside, she said, “Tell me about the drug trafficking.”
She had a right to know everything since her life was tied into his now. “There’s this drug called Trixie. It’s extremely dangerous and the manufacture and distribution operation is massive. My friend Matt busted up a ring in Tennessee last year but it was only part of a bigger organization. The DEA has been working with the DOJ to try to find the manufacturing facility and they believe it’s right here in Northshore. I was tasked with infiltrating the department to try to find it.”
“Don’t the DOJ or DEA have some other way of ascertaining where this drug den is? Surely they have access to satellite imaging. Why don’t they just bust it?”
“They’ve gotten some good leads, but they’ve been burned several times—getting close only to have the labs pack up and move. It’s courtesy for the Feds to alert local law enforcement before they execute a raid. After a few times,