Page 52 of Guarding Truth
They headed outside to the patio, which consisted of a screened-in concrete slab with a table and chairs. It would be quaint if it weren’t two a.m. and they weren’t being hunted by dangerous madmen.
They sat on two metal chairs at the bistro-style table. “Give me the device, Ivy.” Instinct told Juliette that the only reason Ivy would be so determined to sneak out was if she were searching for a signal.
The girl’s eyes widened. She pulled the Kindle from inside her jacket and handed it to Juliette.
“What are you thinking, Ivy? There’s a reason for all the security measures.”
The girl scuffed her sneakers on the cement floor. “If I can find out where the hackers are, I can help save Uncle Caleb. Then they’ll stop attacking him. I can’t lose him, Juliette. Why won’t he let me help the FBI?”
Juliette wished Ivy didn’t have to deal with such adult things. “You hired me to be his bodyguard. Let me do my job.”
Ivy shook her head, a tear streaking down one cheek. “I can’t sit around and do nothing. I know I can help.”
Juliette’s heart melted. The little girl’s fierce determination to protect Caleb resonated in the deepest parts of Juliette’s soul. “You can’t do it alone.” The words resonated in her own heart as they came out of her mouth. How many times had she heard the same lecture?
“And you can’t do it by sneaking around and lying. I remember your Uncle Caleb once telling me something very important. He told me that God fights for us, but we have to stand still and let him.”
Where had that come from? Her relationship with God had been on the rocks for years. But somehow, spending time with Caleb had thawed her heart ever so slightly toward God. She’d even suggested going to church with him. A total one-eighty from her prior convictions.
“I can’t losehim.” Tears welled up in Ivy’s eyes. “Where was God when my parents died? I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure nothing happens to Uncle Caleb. He’s all I have.”
Juliette couldn’t blame the girl for being mad at God. How many times had she uttered the same thing and rolled her eyes when someone told her that God was on her side? She and Ivy had a lot more in common than she’d first thought.
But right now, Juliette needed to focus on keeping her safe. “Who were you going to call?”
Ivy refused to lift her head and make eye contact with Juliette.
“I can’t do my job if you’re not going to be a hundred and ten percent honest with me.”
Ivy snickered. “There’s no such thing as a hundred and ten percent. That doesn’t make any sense. You can’t give more than one hundred percent.”
“But I’ll take that extra ten percent and use it to keep your uncle safe. You know, by coming clean and telling the full truth, you might actually help save your uncle because the police can find and stop these bad guys.”
Ivy continued to stare at the ground and mumbled. Juliette leaned across the table to hear. “I wanted to see if Layna would give me information on Rushmore. Maybe she isn’t all bad and she might help us. I know I can get her to join our side.”
Juliette bit back the sharp retort. Layna had preyed on Ivy’s vulnerability. Of course Ivy longed for friendship.
“Ivy, look at me.” The girl met Juliette’s eyes, full of conflict. Here was a girl with a determination to grow up, warring to risk her childhood innocence.
“It’s not your job to catch the bad guys. It’s not mine either. The FBI has trained professionals that will bring this group to justice.”
“So what, I just stand still? Because, you know,God?”
Trusting God was a good place to start, but Juliette wasn’t ready to admit that. “I think we should start with the truth. You can’t make plans and go off on your own. You need to be honest with your uncle and with me.”
The house burst with a blaze of lights. “We need to go in. I bet your uncle woke up and found us both missing.”
“Oh no,” Ivy groaned. “He is going to freak.”
Juliette grabbed Ivy’s hand, and they slid the patio door open. For the first time in a long time, Juliette prayed. Because she was all-in on Caleb and Ivy’s protection duty. They’d managed to work their way into her heart in just three short days.
And Juliette needed all the help she could get to keep Ivy from going rogue.
* * *
FRIDAY, 2:15 A.M.
“Where is she?” He saw Juliette emerging from the patio and didn’t even try to hide the panic in his words. “What happened?”