Safe Haven (The Protectors Book 1) Read online

  Doc Davies took off his gloves. “The stitches will need to be removed in seven days. If you’re still here, I’d be happy to help.”

  Tank slowly sat upright. “Thanks, Doc.”

  “You’re welcome. Keep the wound dry and try not to get in the way of more criminals.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  Hayley sighed and packed the last two containers of her sister’s supplement into his backpack. “I’ll make sure he’s okay.”

  Tank swung his legs off the bed and waited for everything to stop spinning.

  The nurse who’d cleaned the cut on his head walked into the room. She pointed to the wheelchair she’d brought with her. “I’ll take you to your vehicle.”

  “I don’t need—”

  “Yes you do,” Hayley said with a frown. “It’s either the wheelchair or the hospital.”

  He looked at the two women in front of him and sat in the chair.

  Sometimes it was better to give in gracefully.

  ***

  Tank turned off his phone.

  “Is everything okay?” Hayley was sitting on the balcony of their hotel room, watching the other guests come and go from the parking lot.

  “As all right as it can be. You should have listened to me.”

  “You promised the doctor we would stay close to the hospital. It’s only for one night.”

  “My head is fine.”

  “Good.” She lifted her face to the sun and smiled. “I love this time of the year. When we were little, dad used to take me fishing on afternoons like this.”

  The sunlight turned Hayley’s blond hair to a curtain of silk. She looked like she didn’t have a care in the world, but nothing could have been further from the truth.

  He leaned against the doorframe. “You shouldn’t be out here.”

  “I’ll go crazy if I stay inside. Did you talk to my sister?”

  “She wasn’t there. John’s going to ask her to make more supplement for your mom.”

  “What if she can’t make it as quickly as we need it? The courier company can take three or four days to deliver the supplement.”

  “You don’t have to worry about that. Once it’s ready, John will ask one of his security teams to deliver it.”

  “Does he know where we’re going?’

  “Yes.”

  She stared across the parking lot, then back at him. “Does the place we’re going have running water?”

  He sat down beside her. “Most days.”

  Hayley’s mouth dropped open. “Electricity?”

  “Only if the generator is working.”

  “You shouldn’t joke about things like that. Being able to turn lights on at the flick of a switch is important.”

  “Only if you’re from Chicago.”

  “You told me you were born in Atlantic City.”

  “But I’m a country boy at heart.”

  Hayley made a scoffing noise. “It doesn’t count. How are you feeling?”

  “Better.”

  “Any nausea, dizziness or grumpiness?”

  “No.” His lips twitched when she snorted.

  “Do you think the police will find the people who attacked us?”

  Tank closed his eyes and relaxed against the plastic sun lounger. “If they don’t, John will.”

  “You seem sure about that.”

  “I know John. He won’t let them get away.”

  “Where are we going tomorrow?”

  “I’ll tell you once we’re inside. Anyone could be listening to our conversation.” He heard Hayley move. He held his hand over his eyes, watching her scan the other balconies and the parking lot below them.

  She sat back in her chair. “No one’s paying us any attention. We look like your average tourists.”

  “It’s the end of summer and your mom is walking around with a pair of thick yellow socks on her feet and a bright pink hat on her head. I’ve got an angry line of stitches across my head and you’re as pale as a ghost. We’re not your average tourists.”

  “We’re staying close to the hospital. A lot of people in our situation would be physically or emotionally bruised. Besides, mom likes her pink hat—Sophie knitted it for her five years ago.” She looked at her arms. “And I’m not pale.”

  “You were before you sat in the sun. Now you look like a lobster.”

  Hayley’s eyes narrowed. “The bang to your head has affected your eyesight. I don’t burn easily.”

  “You don’t give in easily, either. You did a good job getting away from the man who attacked you.” He watched her carefully. For someone who was happy talking about anything, she’d been remarkably silent about what had happened.

  She shrugged her shoulders.

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “I spoke to the police and to your boss. There’s nothing left to say.”

  “You told them the mechanics of what happened. I’m asking how you are.”

  Hayley dropped her chin to her chest. “You don’t want to know.”

  “Why?”

  Her bottom lip trembled. “Because it could involve boxes of tissues, puffy eyes, and an unlimited supply of chocolate.”

  He reached out and wrapped his hand around hers. “I don’t have any chocolate, but I’m a good listener.”

  She wiped her eyes. “I know. You might look like a tough guy on the outside, but you’ve got a good heart, Tank.”

  He squeezed her fingers. “Thank you, but don’t tell the people I work with—they’ll expect me to bring cake for their birthdays.”

  “You probably do that already.”

  Tank felt himself blush. “Pecan Pie is their favorite.”

  Hayley turned to him. Her blue eyes were full of worry. “It can’t be easy looking after people. Do you ever want to stop being a bodyguard and do something else?”

  There had been times in his life when he doubted he could protect anyone, including himself. But Hayley didn’t need to know about that. She needed him to be strong and confident—the man who could take her and Alice safely to Bozeman.

  “I enjoy being a bodyguard, but that’s not all I do. Fletcher Security works with companies around the world supporting their staff and resources. We might go into an organization and complete a risk assessment of their operations. Once we have useful data, we work with them to improve their processes. We develop IT-based surveillance options and provide transportation services to clients. Each week is different from the last.”

  “It must be dangerous.”

  “Sometimes.”

  A loud bang inside their room brought them both to their feet.

  “Mom was watching TV,” Hayley said as she rushed inside.

  Tank stopped in the doorway. Alice stood beside the dining table. A bowl had shattered on the tile floor and Cheerios were scattered from one end of the kitchen to the other.

  Hayley took her mom’s hand and led her to the sofa. “What were you doing, Alice?”

  “I thought I’d make dinner. Is Nathaniel coming home soon?”

  “He’s going to be late. Come and sit down.”

  “But I need to get dinner ready.”

  “I can do that,” Tank said from behind Hayley. “What do you feel like, Alice?”

  She stared at him blankly. “I don’t…”

  Hayley’s mom looked so confused that he wished he hadn’t asked. “It’s okay. How about I make a surprise dinner?”

  Alice nodded. “Remember to put Nathaniel’s meal in the oven.”

  “I won’t forget.” Tank found a broom and started sweeping up the Cheerios.

  Hayley spoke softly to her mom, distracting her from the mess on the floor.

  He threw the bigger pieces of the broken bowl in the trash and glanced at Hayley.

  Looking after someone with Alzheimer’s was one of the hardest things anyone could do.

  Harder than being a bodyguard.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Tank’s SUV bumped along the unpaved dirt road. They�
��d driven past the Ponca State Park entrance more than twenty minutes ago. His cabin was about ten minutes away, hidden behind acres of lush fields and dense trees.

  Hayley turned around and looked through the rear window. “No one else is traveling down this road.”

  “That’s why we’re here. I couldn’t think of anywhere more remote than my grandfather’s cabin.”

  “It doesn’t look as though anyone maintains the road.”

  “We’re on private property.”

  She peered through the trees surrounding them. “It’s so pretty. I thought a lot more people would live here.”

  “There are four other houses along this road, but you can’t see them.” That was one of the reasons he’d brought them out here. He had good neighbors, but each of them valued their privacy as much as he did.

  “Are those oak trees?”

  He glanced at the lush green canopy they were driving under. “They’re cottonwood. But there are oak trees in the park. My granddad used to take us to an oak tree that’s over three hundred years old.”

  “How did your granddad end up owning a cabin out here?”

  “My grandma told me he won it in a poker game. If you asked him, he’d tell you it was a sound property investment.”

  “Did all of your family stay here?”

  “Usually it was just my granddad and my brother and me. Dad and granddad didn’t get along. It was easier if they weren’t in the same room.” He could still remember the arguments when they were together—the sheer stubbornness of the two men who meant the world to him. “When granddad died, he left the cabin to David and me.”

  “Why has it been so long since you were last here?”

  “I stayed in the cabin for a few months after David died. When John offered me a job in his security company I left and never came back.”

  “That’s a shame,” Hayley said softly as they rounded a bend.

  He looked in his rearview mirror at Alice. She hadn’t said much since last night. “Is Alice okay?”

  “She’s unsettled.”

  The frown on Hayley’s face worried him. They had limited resources out here. If anything happened, they were on their own. “She’s probably feeling the after-effects of what happened in the mall.”

  “Maybe, but I think it’s more than that.”

  “You think it might have something to do with her Alzheimer’s?”

  She nodded. “Even before we met you, mom started getting frustrated again. If you weren’t here, I don’t know how she would be today.”

  He glanced once more at Alice, then focused on the road. If he’d had a choice, this would be the last place he would have brought them. Alice needed specialist care in a secure environment.

  “We’ll have to be careful your mom doesn’t wander off.”

  “I’ll be with her the whole time. Where’s John going to send the supplement?”

  “There’s a general store about fifteen minutes drive from the cabin. I’ve asked him to send the supplement there.”

  His breath caught when he saw his granddad’s log cabin. In the last five years, it hadn’t changed. The wide, golden logs were still as imposing and solid as ever. Even the shingle roof looked as good as the day he’d left.

  His granddad had named his property, Safe Haven. It had been Tank’s refuge and now it would provide a safe place for Hayley and her mom.

  “Wow,” Hayley said as he parked the SUV in the front yard. “I thought your cabin would be a small, rustic, hideaway, but it’s gorgeous.”

  “Wait inside the SUV. I’ll make sure it’s safe.”

  He could feel Hayley’s impatience as he walked toward the cabin. The glass in the front door hadn’t been broken. He looked through the dirt-stained windows. All he could see was five years’ worth of dust and cobwebs covering everything.

  The door to the SUV snapped shut.

  If Hayley ever listened to him, it would be a miracle. He glanced over his shoulder.

  “Can we come inside? Mom needs to use the bathroom.”

  He gave the outside of the house one last look before walking toward her. “I’ll help your mom. She might be stiff after traveling in the car.”

  He opened the door and helped Alice to her feet.

  Alice looked around the property. Her gaze rested on the old wooden swing on the porch. “Have I been here before?”

  “No,” Hayley said. “This is Tank’s house. We’re going to stay here for a few days.”

  She looked around the yard and shook her head. “You need to mow your lawn. It’s a little messy.”

  Tank almost smiled. The grass was past his knees and the garden was non-existent. “I’ll fix it later today, Alice.”

  She shuffled forward, clutching his arm like a lifeline.

  Hayley walked beside them. “Do you have a key for the door?”

  He handed her his key ring. “It’s the big silver one. Be careful where you step.”

  “I’m not afraid of spiders.”

  “Good to know. Just watch the stairs in front of you. I should have replaced some of the boards five years ago.”

  She looked down. “It adds to the charm.”

  She didn’t know it, but her softly spoken words made his reunion with the cabin a lot easier. He’d spent some of the best and worst times of his life here.

  Alice’s hand tightened on his. “This is such a lovely house. It reminds me of my first home. Nathaniel planted wildflowers for me.”

  “It sounds as though your husband had a romantic streak.”

  “He still does,” Alice said a little wistfully. “He’s a wonderful man.”

  By the time they made it inside, Hayley was coming out of the bathroom. “Have you got any towels? I’ll wipe the cobwebs off the toilet seat.”

  He pointed to a closet. “Look in there. I left most of granddad’s things in the cabin.”

  While Hayley hunted for the towels, he helped Alice down the hallway.

  “Found them.” Hayley closed the doors and followed them into the bathroom. “It’s not as bad as I thought it would be.”

  “I’ll need to turn the generator on. Hopefully, the water pump is still working.”

  Hayley reached for her mom. “I can look after Alice.”

  “Turn a tap on in ten minutes and we’ll see what happens. I’ll be in the shed behind the house if you need me.”

  He left Hayley and her mom in the bathroom. If the generator and pump didn’t work, they’d really be living off-grid.

  His granddad used to call the wooden shed his powerhouse. When he’d installed the water system it was state-of-the-art technology and had never let them down.

  Tank took a can of fuel out of his SUV and walked to the back of the property.

  The old wooden shed looked safe and secure. One of his neighbors checked the property once a month, but the cabin’s isolation still worried him. It wouldn’t take much for someone to break in and take what wasn’t theirs.

  He unlocked the door and looked around the room. Apart from a few cobwebs, the pump and generator looked okay.

  He filled the generator with fuel and waited for the pump to engage. Within minutes, the low hum of the engine filled the shed. If they wanted to limit the use of the generator, he needed to make sure the solar power system was working. After Alice was settled, he’d clean the panels on the roof, check the bank of batteries and make sure all the connections were functioning.

  He walked around the yard, taking note of any changes since his last visit. Bur oaks, walnut, and elm trees filled the dense woodlands. When he was younger, his granddad would hike for hours with him and his brother, looking for white-tailed deer and wild turkeys. If they spent the day on the river, they’d pan-fry the catfish they caught. The fillets were always thick and juicy, and the best he’d ever tasted.

  He pushed his way through the grass, searching for the trails that led to the river. They were overgrown, but still there.

  Out of everything that could go wrong, h
is biggest concern was Alice. If she wandered off on her own, she could get lost. There were no fences, nothing that would keep her away from the woodlands or the Missouri River.

  He circled back to the cabin and turned on the kitchen tap. Water gurgled through the pipes, spilling into the sink. He gave a satisfied grunt, then walked toward one of the bedrooms.

  “We’ve got water,” Hayley said as she maneuvered her mom past him.

  Tank moved out of her way. “Try to use as little water as possible until the solar power system is working. It’s going to take a few hours to charge the batteries.”

  “You sound like you know what you’re doing.”

  “I should—granddad made sure we knew how to look after ourselves.”

  “He sounds like he was an interesting person.”

  “He was. I’ll be back soon.”

  While Hayley organized her mom, Tank returned to their vehicle. He started moving bags and unpacking the mountain of gear Hayley had brought with her. After the fourth trip inside, he was beginning to wonder if she’d packed her entire life into the suitcases.

  “You’ve been busy.” Hayley handed her mom a magazine. “Thanks for bringing our bags inside. Where do you want us to sleep?”

  “You and Alice can take the bedroom at the end of the hall. I’ll take the one closest to the front door.”

  Hayley opened the kitchen cupboards. She pulled a bucket off a shelf and smiled. “I’ll wipe everything down in the bedrooms, then start in here.”

  “I’ll help.”

  “Don’t worry about us,” Hayley insisted. “Alice and I will be okay.”

  Alice looked up from her chair. “What can I do?”

  Hayley took a dishcloth out of the bucket. “You could start dusting. Like this…” She moved the cloth backward and forward over the coffee table. “Everything needs to be cleaned, so it doesn’t matter where you start.”

  Tank watched Alice shuffle across to the coffee table. She wiped the table, then moved to a window, but spent more time looking outside than cleaning.

  “Go…” Hayley said. “We’ll be fine.”

  “If you need anything, just yell.”

  Hayley sighed. “Check your solar panels. Alice and I will be okay.”