Page 14 of Target Acquired
Some might consider the area creepy with the concrete floors, dim lighting, and drafty head-height windows that needed to be replaced, but she’d played hide-and-seek in this place from an early age—especially when she wanted to get away from her brothers—and found the space her safe zone.
She’d set it up as a home gym and made her way to it several times during the week—or when she knew there was no reason to try sleeping. Kenzie walked to the nearest window to assess whether the tape was holding fast. Her grandmother had done nothing to the house before her transfer to the assisted living home, but over the past two years, Kenzie had started with the big stuff.
New roof, new HVAC system, new hardwood floors, and new electrical wiring. The windows had to wait, so she’d taped them up. Not exactly HGTV worthy, but it did the trick. Sort of. “Okay, windows next,” she muttered.
She walked to the punching bag and turned it until the worn and wrinkled picture faced her. She’d punched it a lot but could still make out the face.
A noise near the window to her left spun her attention from the bag, and she froze at the sight of a pair of booted feet facing her on the other side of the glass.
COLE GRIPPED THE STEERING WHEEL of his 4Runner and aimed the vehicle toward Kenzie’s home. He couldn’t get the whole incident with the car trying to run her down out of his head, and the word why kept spinning in his mind. If the person had been aiming for Kenzie, why? If the person had followed them back to HQ, why?
And then the haunting question “Would he try again?” was right there with every breath he took.
The exchange of text messages had eased his anxiety somewhat, but still . . .
He’d just ride by. Check on her. Then he sighed. Never before had he been compelled to go by one of his unit members’ houses.
Then again, none of them had ever been deliberately targeted like Kenzie had.
His phone rang and his heart plummeted. Mariah. He tapped the screen. “Hey, brat, what’s up?”
“I have a little girl who wants to say hello to you. She insisted on calling to let you know she was going home.”
“Well, put my favorite four-year-old on.”
Less than a second later, Riley said, “Hi, Unca Cole. I’m better and I’m on da way home.”
“I’m so glad, little soldier. I’m going to try and see you soon, okay?”
“Thank you for giving me your Cole-y juice.”
Cole’s throat tightened unexpectedly. He’d give her the moon if it would make her better. “Anytime. You can have it all.”
She giggled. “Nuh-uh. You need most of it.”
He smiled. “What are you going to watch when you get home?”
“VeggieTales. Bob and Larry.”
Most would think VeggieTales was outdated, but as far as he and his sister were concerned, it was timeless. Riley thought so too. “Okay, kiddo, you tell your mama to let me know when you’re up for an ice cream date and we’ll get some chocolate and strawberry swirl.”
“Yay! Bye, Unca Cole. I love you.”
“Love you too, sweet girl.” She hung up without passing the phone to Mariah, and he went back to worrying about Kenzie.
Okay, that was it.
He blew out a harsh sigh and wished he could just ignore the little voice urging him to make sure she was okay. But he couldn’t. He voice-dialed her number and waited.
Voicemail.
He hung up. Tried again.
He sighed, slapped his phone onto the magnet attached to the dash, and pressed the gas a little harder.
FOUR
Kenzie paused in the middle of the steps trying to remember where she’d left her phone. On the end table upstairs next to the remote? Probably.