Walk of the Claimed

By Kel Fulgham

No matter what the package is or where it needs to go, Thaddeus Archer is the man who will get it there. That is, until his most recent mission. He comes home after losing his package, and his life begins to unravel before his eyes. Just when things begin to turn around, he finds himself faced with another impossible high value jobdeliver a young girl (who doesnt speak) to Japan in thirty days while avoiding her father, who has deadly plans for her.

His wife is brutally murdered, his sons are missing, and the law is after him. Thaddeus has to figure out how to deliver this child to her destination without getting them both killed.

Her mother is an angel, and her father is a demon.

And shes amazing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 4, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524530990

Kel Fulgham

Kel Fulgham was born and raised in New York, but even as a small boy, he loved to set pen to paper or whatever else he could write on. Raised as an only child, his only steady companions were the multitude of books he could get his hands on. Starting from authors like Richard Adams and Madeleine L’Engle and moving towards James Blish, Carl Sagan, and Stephen King, his voracious appetite for the written word could not be satiated. He would devour hundreds of books in his 20s, and then he picked up writing in his 30s. Kel Fulgham has written poetry that has touched the heart, songs that have both angered and soothed the soul, and books that have scared the crap out of many. Now residing in Maine, he has found a peaceful venue to write and has done so.

Book preview

Walk of the Claimed

KEL FULGHAM

Copyright © 2016 by Kel Fulgham.

Cover Illustration by Eumir Carlo Fernandez.

Author Photo by Sarah Jane Photography.

ISBN:  Hardcover    978-1-5245-3101-0

            Softcover     978-1-5245-3100-3

            eBook          978-1-5245-3099-0

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 08/03/2016

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

743604

Contents

Chapter ONE

Chapter TWO

Chapter THREE

Chapter FOUR

Chapter FIVE

Chapter SIX

Chapter SEVEN

Chapter EIGHT

Chapter NINE

Chapter TEN

Chapter ELEVEN

Chapter TWELVE

Chapter THIRTEEN

Chapter FOURTEEN

Chapter FIFTEEN

Chapter SIXTEEN

Chapter SEVENTEEN

Chapter EIGHTEEN

Chapter NINETEEN

Chapter TWENTY

Chapter TWENTY-ONE

Chapter TWENTY-TWO

Chapter TWENTY-THREE

Chapter TWENTY-FOUR

Chapter TWENTY-FIVE

For you.

Special thanks to Katrina Clark for your encouragement.

Chapter ONE

A Simple Deed Betrays the Cost…

She hovers like she is walking on air, dressed in a translucent gown he has never seen before. He thought he could see her feet moving back and forth through the gown. It looks as if she is walking on a mobile sidewalk or an airport mobile platform. She moves toward him with purpose, as if she came a great distance to see him.

She has an expression on her face that he can’t quite pin down. Regret? That word popped into his mind first. The look of something not going as planned was written all over her face. They are both in this strange city; it was like a Mad Max movie after a hundred years of civilization. It was desolate like a ghost town—more like a wasteland, but there were odd skyscrapers that looked like they were made of scrap metal and pasted together with copper and lead pipes. The streets were bare for the exception of a few odd-looking people walking around in robes—the kind that Druids or maybe the old Jesuits wore.

She didn’t speak. She never speaks to him. She just gazes upon him with that look on her face. Then she turns and…

He runs. He finds himself running those curb-less roads that were paved with sand and dirt. The towers loomed over him as he ran—but he did not know what he was running from or where he was running to. Shuffling his feet faster than he thought possible gave him the sensation that he was moving faster than the speed of light, everything around him blurry and out of focus. There was something on his back. He was carrying someone. He couldn’t see the face of the being, but he knew instinctually he had to protect it.

Suddenly he was on top of one of the towers. From here, he could see the entire city: from the vagabonds that were stationary and positioned pretty much near each tower to the buildings that shared space with the tall structures. The entire place was so bizarre to him; he couldn’t focus on any one thing.

He was holding a strange gun, but it was knocked out of his hands. He was now struggling with someone or something that was much stronger than he was. The face he could see, though it wasn’t human; no, this creature looked like it was a thousand years old. Its eyes were the color of rotted milk; deep wrinkles and prominent creases marred its face. The lips were gone, in their place, patches of dried blood, while its ears and pig snout were almost completely gone. It stood like a man but resembled an old swine.

The being that was on his back was sliding off him as he continued to lose the struggle. He could make out her face a little, but when he tried to look directly at her, she grayed out as if she was being censored from his vision.

She lost her grip, but he caught her.

He held onto the girl for as long as he could. She had a good grip on him, but the swine-man was pushing him over a sill. He couldn’t see much, but he could see the bottom of the tower.

There was another figure down below. It had the gun that was in his hands seconds ago. The thing was covered in one of those robes, and its head was hooded but exposed enough that he could see how disturbingly hideous it looked.

The girl let him go at the same time the thing below them fired.

His eyes opened quickly, and that was when he realized he was not alone in bed.

What the hell? Archer exclaimed. The woman next to him stirred as if she had been asleep for hours, but the angry man next her decided to be a grump and woke her.

I thought this was where you wanted me, she said, practically moaning the entire sentence. She did not turn to face him; in fact, she thought that was the end of it. She didn’t utter another sound, and the silence rang though the hotel room for a full minute before Archer spoke again.

This room has two beds, Archer said slowly. There is a reason we have two beds. One is yours.

Trinity Lawson Bourne finally turned to face the grumpy man. Her hair was perfect as always. Her face was also perfect; at least that’s what Thaddeus was thinking. He knew she wasn’t naked, but she might as well have been.

I’m sorry, T-Baby. I thought this is what you want—

Trinity… please, Archer said, not unkindly.

With a small huff, Trinity tossed the sheets up and over so they would fall unceremoniously over the man beside her. She stood, and Archer almost had a heart attack. He knew she took care of her body, but now he could see for himself that she really worked at it.

Trinity’s baby doll outfit didn’t just cross the naughty barrier; it bulldozed right through it. The top was a navy sheer bra with a long lace strip below so the bra would have a fancier look. The bottoms had a little bit more material but were still quite sheer. Her body was stunning, and Archer had to avert his eyes before he started having thoughts. Yes, it was the beginning of a very warm May, but there was no excuse for the lack of modesty.

Trinity was definitely a handful, and like her name suggested, she had three distinct personalities. One moment she could be as sweet as corn sugar, so much so that she was married four times before she hit thirty. When she wanted to turn the charm on, she could. Then there was the side of her that seemed like there was no one home; she could witness something tragic happen before her eyes and not feel a thing. It was like she saw horrible things happen all the time, and it was just another day for her.

Then there was a side of her that tried Thaddeus’s patience.

Trinity at her core was a gambler. Thaddeus knew that about her and knew there was a very good reason she climbed into bed with him. She wanted to make sure that Thaddeus was on her side, and if anything went down, he would be the one to go down first. She liked to play men like that, and Thaddeus was hip to this game. This wasn’t his first time dealing with a woman like her. But she was just a job, and that was that.

Thaddeus checked to make sure his weapon was where he left it, which was always just between the mattress and box spring. He didn’t trust anyone, and Trinity was no exception. If she was going for his weapon, he would have known immediately and she would have spent the night cuffed to the bed. But she wasn’t after that. She was after the security he could give her when it hit the fan.

She slumped down in the bed that was directly beside his. She did so with her eyes on him, even though he was still looking away from her. When he felt she was sufficiently covered, he again gave her his eyes before laying his head back down.

No one would know, she said quietly.

Thaddeus Archer kept his eyes on her.

This is a job, nothing more or less, he said. His ice-blue eyes were cold and aware, and she saw them clearly even with the lights off.

Trinity shrugged. Would have been fun, she said as she turned away from him.

Thaddeus smiled and looked at the ceiling. He would have a lot of explaining to do to his wife if he even entertained the thought. If he were to give into temptation, he would pay for it dearly.

Two years ago, Thaddeus took a job transporting unknown boxed items to a jewelry dealer and took a bullet in the hip for his trouble. He was able to get off two rounds, and one of them hit the guy square in his chest. If he didn’t get that shot off, Archer would have been a memory instead of sleeping in the same room with a woman that looked and smelled like heaven on earth.

It was in that moment while he was on the ground and blood was gushing from his body that made him really appreciate his sons and the woman who gave them to him. Several women had pursued him before; Thaddeus was not hard to look at, and he knew it. He was nearing his forties and had a very small wisp of gray that ran across his head on both sides to the back, but it was hardly noticeable except to him.

He wasn’t dying now. He really wasn’t dying back then either. But those thoughts were never far away from his conscious mind. Archer clung to the image of his wife as he stared at the plain tiled ceiling, his left hand over his head within inches of his piece. He didn’t really want to drift back off to that weird and strange world with weird-looking buildings and men that looked like farm animals, but soon his fatigue would win, and he fell into the peaceful abyss of sleep.

Moments later, his eyes darted open. The sensor he placed outside the door was tripped, sending a signal to his phone. It was so quiet he barely heard it himself. His gun was in his hand and he was on the ground before his mind even registered he needed to do so. He watched the dim glow of light under the hotel room door.

While he couldn’t see the entire object behind the door, he was sure about the skinny legs—legs that could only be some sort of four-legged creature. Still, he had to be 100 percent sure.

He slowly and quietly crawled toward the door because he didn’t want to alert the lightly snoring wife of the man paying him. If this was nothing, which it looked to be, he didn’t feel like having another inappropriate conversation. He certainly did not want to hear about her new husband and his associates, or the money, or any of the various nonsensical things she felt the need to share.

Thaddeus crawled to the door but positioned himself so that he was behind the wall. First, he took a glance through the window and saw nothing outside other than a few parked cars. He made sure not to move the drapes even a little bit, which would obscure his view. However, he could see far enough to view the parking lot, and he didn’t see anything to be alarmed about.

As all sorts of individuals frequent motels, the occasional family will bring the family dog out of necessity or some other reason. While the rules of the establishment may forbid these creatures, he knew one thing could change just about any rule.

He checked under the door again, and the four-legged beast was gone, it’s curiosity apparently satiated. Instead of going back to bed, he sat down right where he was, his gun still in his hand. He looked at the bed closest to the window and saw the woman he was protecting lying on her side facing him. She looked as if she was at peace, something Thad envied.

He really didn’t like transporting and delivering live goods. He was fine with valuables and precious metals. He didn’t mind when the value was high on the goods because that meant more cash. It wasn’t all about the money, but a good part of it was.

Really, it was all about the job.

Thaddeus took great pride in his work. He had always been that way and figured he would always be that way. His first transport job was for a rich guy in Yonkers. He needed to transport bullion at the time, which was worth roughly three million dollars. He ditched the container and securely strapped the heavy gold around his body, and there it was. Best place to hide something is in plain sight.

This job was different; plain sight was not good. He needed discretion at the highest level because damaged goods yielded no payday. More so, he certainly did not want to return Mrs. Bourne to her new husband damaged in any way.

Trinity was a Los Vegas Comfort Girl that comforted the right guy in the right way. According to Bobby, Alan Bourne, fifty-three, was a silent partner in two of the biggest casinos in Reno. He was well connected and well respected, two things that put Bobby’s twitchy senses at ease.

But the point to be made was not a subtle one. Trinity was a call girl, true, but she was also someone’s girlfriend.

One would question any guy who stood by while his girlfriend worked in the oldest profession. One would also come to find out that this man was apparently quite satisfied with the thirty large (give or take a few thousand) that landed in his lap every month. So what happens when you come home to a note saying your cash cow has broken through the fence? This man—Trinity’s long-term boyfriend and willing cuckold Drew Matheson—placed a hit on her. Trinity had a pretty price on her pretty head: one hundred thousand dollars, to be exact. Archer was only getting his standard five thousand for the delivery. It’s not hard to do the math, and Archer knew about the bounty. So why would he not just take her back for the extra cash?

That wasn’t the job.

If Matheson arranged the job with Bobby, Trinity wouldn’t be pouting in a motel in Saint Louis. She would be in the custody of the man who paid him. That being said, if Thad knew this man would put her to death, he would flatly refuse the job.

Archer looked at Mrs. Bourne, freshly married at the Lucky Sevens Chapel in Nevada, barely dressed and sleeping like a newborn kitten on a plush pillow. He could definitely use that money, but it wasn’t worth thinking about. Thad make decent money already, but the line of work was a problem for his wife. She understood why he did what he did, and with the savings they had, he was close to giving it up at least for a long time. He just needed a little more cash. One hundred thousand dollars would do the trick. But he wasn’t going to collect on Drew’s bounty.

Archer actuated the safety on the gun and stood up. He walked past Mrs. Bourne’s bed and slid soundlessly into his. Again, he found himself staring at the ceiling, sighing to himself. It was going to be another in a string of long nights, and he prepared himself for a busy morning.

Sometime after 7:00 AM, Archer opened his eyes. Apparently, sleep consumed him regardless of what he wanted, but at least it was a dreamless sleep this time. Trinity was already awake and on the phone.

Yeah, just without the crust, Trinity said. Throw in a couple of scrambled eggs and sausage.

Trinity paused, obviously listening to the voice at the end of the phone. She turned and saw Thaddeus squinting in her direction.

Surprise me, she answered and promptly hung up the phone.

We don’t have time for food, Thaddeus said, coming out of his sleep fog. We need to hit the road. We are still a day out from our destination.

Trinity stood, and he could tell she had been up for a while. She had showered and changed into something a bit less revealing. She wore a beige dress that went well above the knee. The smell of soap and perfume hung in the air along with his confusion. He couldn’t figure out how he could be so deeply asleep that he did not hear her moving about the room.

If he couldn’t hear her wake, how would he be able to hear his phone if the sensor tripped? He reached for his phone and checked it.

T… I need some eats, okay? You do too. The eggs and sausage aren’t for me.

Thad’s brow dipped, and he removed the covers from the bed. He still had on his boxers and black tee shirt.

Thanks… but no, thanks, Thad said evenly. We have to get going—

T-Baby, Trinity murmured softly, my husband isn’t expecting me for another two days.

Don’t care. We need to get going.

Trinity never changed her expression.

Yes, I know, T. Let’s just have some time without me thinking about things. I’m really not in a rush.

Thaddeus wasn’t in the mood for delays, but he knew what this was all about. She was scared but not just because her ex wanted her dead. She was scared of what awaited her in Jersey. It was those thoughts that showed up the most in her head, and she really had no one else to talk to about it.

You’re not in a rush, Thaddeus repeated. Well, that is no concern of mine.

Trinity’s face finally changed, and it was like she recoiled from a slap. She turned her head away from him and sat down on the bed she slept in. She rubbed her head as if a headache was forming but did not say another word to him.

Thad eyed her for a half minute and then headed straight to the bathroom. Thad had to take a shower, and he had to be quick about it. As he opened the shower curtain, he could see all of her toiletries strewn around the bathtub. It made him audibly groan as he started the water.

Five minutes later, he was out of the shower. He dried himself off quickly and threw the towel around himself so he could see what Trinity was doing. When the bathroom door opened, she was standing at the door with another man holding three plastic trays of food.

The guy didn’t really look like he was on the hotel staff. He always made a mental note of the faces of the people working in hotels due to his own paranoia. This was the first time Thaddeus had seen him. This man didn’t strike him as a danger, but Thaddeus was all over the don’t judge a book by its cover thing.

Thaddeus noticed the trays of food the room service guy was holding were not from the hotel. In fact, he would guess they were from the Waffle House next to the hotel. It would make sense they would use the Waffle House for most of their orders, but then again…

That food got here too damned fast.

The man looked at Thaddeus, and that was when Trinity turned around. He nodded to Thad and gave Trinity back change. Trinity put the plates of food down on a small round table next to the door.

Archer’s stomach reacted before he did. Both of them were hungry, but Thad’s stomach groaned loudly, like a bobcat spotting prey. Trinity smiled in a polite fashion, and Thad actually managed a small smile as well.

Before we eat, I have to do this, Thad said and then removed the plastic covers. He took a sample of the waffles, pancakes, toast, eggs, and sausage. He went over to his backpack and retrieved a tube filled with liquid.

Toxicology solution, Thad offered. Standard practice.

Trinity let the words sink in. So now you think someone is poisoning us, she said with a roll-your-eyes voice.

You can never be too careful.

Thad placed all the samples down on a piece of toilet paper. Removing the dropper from within the tube, the clear blue liquid sloshed slightly. He not-so-delicately placed a beaded drop on each item. After a few seconds, all of the drops turned white except for one.

The waffles, Thad whispered. We have to get out of here now.

The bead of liquid sitting on top of the small piece of waffle turned dark blue then finally jet-black.

Come on, T… you really think they followed us here?

Thaddeus did not respond audibly. He grabbed his firearm and tucked it in a small holster he had inside his belt. Then he rushed around the room like a man on a mission, gathering what meager belongings he had. Trinity watched for a minute before she started moving herself. She resigned herself to the fact that the man with her was paranoid, and most likely, gay. In any case, the hopes for a good toss in the hay had vanished, and the time to settle down in a big empty house with a man she really didn’t know was closing in on her.

Thaddeus tossed his backpack near the window and paused. He checked the window and saw three men standing outside close to the room. He did not see the room service guy, and that made him nervous.

Thad remembered that most of the rooms in the hotel have doors to other rooms. He saw there was a door on the far right side of the room, and there was no paint in the creases. He was sure that door was usable, but he wasn’t sure if he had packed his lock-picking kit. He dashed to the door and tried the knob, and of course, it wouldn’t budge. But it was a door that could be easily opened if you knew how.

He found his pocket tool set and pulled out a very thin pick. He pushed it through a small hole in the door handle. The tiny hole accepted the intrusion, and within a few seconds, he heard the button pop. He then slowly turned the knob.

The door cried open, and the room next to their room was rented. The good news was the temporary tenants were not currently in the room. He closed the door and went into the bathroom.

Leave it, he said.

Trinity had her hands full of shampoos, conditioners, clothes, body wash, and everything else. She refused to put them down. She pushed past him and dumped the whole mess on the bed. She tried to retrieve her suitcase, but he stopped her.

Leave it, he gritted, barely moving his lips. I spot three men, heavily armed. We have the element of surprise and one gun. That shit’s going to slow us down.

Thaddeus parked the rental right in front of the hotel, and now he wished he didn’t. He wasn’t in a position where he could see the car, but he knew that was not an option. Plus, he would have to deal with her whining about her stuff still in it. He was only paid to bring her, not all of her stuff.

Trinity moved her arms trying to push away from him, and as she did this, he restricted her further. She stopped suddenly when she felt his body now firmly on her. He also stopped, surprised that her struggling had ceased. Her eyes were full of water, but they saw clearly. Thaddeus stood there, paralyzed by this woman’s eyes affixed on his.

This was her last chance.

Before he knew what was happening, Trinity skillfully placed her right knee between his legs. Thaddeus was, of course, unprepared for the move, and a split second later his brain registered the pain. Trinity was out of his grasp within moments as he doubled over in a heap.

The next thing he heard was the sound of the door sliding open, and then an ear-piercing shot rang out. Thaddeus forced his pained body to roll over, and he was just in time to see Trinity staggering backwards with her hands in the air. He could see her face was expressionless, just like he had seen before. The bounty on her was a shoot on sight. These men were not thinking about bringing her back to her boyfriend alive. Bounties such as this rarely end well for anyone.

Trinity took another step back and then fell to the ground. Archer saw a foot coming through the door, but the gunmen did not immediately see him. By the time the second man entered, Thad had his gun drawn and fired twice.

The first man was caught completely off guard and had no time to return fire. The second man only had one second longer than the first. He still had no time to locate the threat, and by the time he did, he was falling to the ground. The third man was still outside, so he stopped short and ducked.

Thaddeus was still feeling the unabated pain in his groin, but he rose and sought cover. Three shots rang out, all of them hitting the back of the room. The third man had no idea where the shots were coming from, but he figured he could lie down some cover fire and reassess.

Doing so gave Thaddeus a point of reference. The window shattered due to the fact the man fired through it. The door was already somewhat blocked by the two bodies that Thaddeus got to first.

I want the girl! the voice shouted. Give me the girl, and I’ll go.

Thaddeus was positioned so that he was right next to the glass. If the third man were to look into the room from the side the door was on, he would have seen Thaddeus about to pull the trigger, and that would be the end of it. The gunman had an idea where Thad was located.

His pack was lying on the ground close to where Trinity kicked him. In his pack, he had some useful projectiles, but he couldn’t risk the gunman getting a fix on him before he got to it. His only choice now was to stay silent until the douchebag made his move.

Talk to me, the man said with determination.

Thaddeus moved before the sound of the last word died. He leapt off his feet into the air and pointed the gun toward the window but his body toward the floor. As gravity took over, he found a spot in the broken glass and took aim. He had only a split second, but it was long enough.

The man was completely unprepared for the move. His gun was pointed forward but not at the flying figure that had him dead to rights. Thad fired once toward the sound of his voice and fell neatly on his backpack. At least he now had access to more firepower and a few grenades if necessary.

As Thad started peeking over the glass, he heard something hitting the concrete and the dull sounds of sirens in the distance. As the sounds started to rise, Thad took a chance that the third man was down or running. He made his way over to the woman he swore to protect. He rose to his feet but kept low and skipped past the window.

The other two men were done for, but he found Trinity lying under them and a pool of crimson gore slowly pooling below her. Trinity’s eyes were closed, but her mouth was moving. He tucked his gun and tried to hold her head up.

Trinity! Thad shouted. Trinity… Fuck!

Thad’s eyes darted to the destroyed glass near the window and tried to come up with a plan. She was shot on the right side of her body, right where he believed her appendix was. He didn’t have any time to think; he had to move her quickly.

He picked her up as gingerly as he could and threw her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. He had to run with her, and he couldn’t chance doing that with her in his arms.

He checked the window again for any other surprises, and then he went through the cracked door. He started moving toward the parked rental car, and just as he tried the door, he remembered the keys were still inside the hotel room. He swung around to the passenger side and tried each door but they were locked. The sirens were getting louder, so he knew he had to move.

HEY! someone behind him shouted.

He turned and at the same time gripped his gun. He identified the man quickly, so he didn’t fire. The man was part of the cleaning crew. He signaled to Thaddeus, and then a red patch suddenly appeared just below his chest before the man dropped to the ground face forward.

Don’t, said the voice that was too close to him. He was behind him to the left, and he knew his options were few. Since he didn’t know exactly where he was, he couldn’t get a fix on his position. He did what he thought was best. The man behind him sounded cold and dispassionate, and Archer was sure it was the same man he saw giving change to Trinity just minutes before.

He opened his hand, and the gun spun upside down and fell to the ground.

It doesn’t have to end like this, Archer said. We can—

The man discharged the gun again, and the bullet sailed inches from his head. He was definitely using a silencer.

Gimme the girl, the man said. Do it now, or I take her from you.

Sirens were getting closer. He estimated under sixty seconds.

She’s hurt, Archer explained. I’m taking her to the hospital.

The man moved so that he was directly in front of Thaddeus. His face was different now; when he was giving the poisoned food to Trinity, he was just a nice guy doing his job. His face contorted and showed that the nice fellow had gone through a serious transformation recently.

I want you to see this, the man said. His smile was back, but it wasn’t one Archer wanted to see.

The man used one hand and tugged at the body slung over Thaddeus until she fell off him. Her right side was drenched in blood, but she was half conscious. The man held her up so that she was quasi-standing next to him. Her eyes opened, but Archer could tell she was in shock. She tried to wrestle out of his grip, but it was barely causing him annoyance.

He put the barrel of the gun up to Trinity’s head.

Sirens were about twenty seconds away.

Remember me, the man sneered as he pulled the trigger. Thad watched helplessly as the gun discharged, and the bullet went clean through her head.

Trinity’s eyes closed for good, and the man held onto her limb body. Her life, as truly sad as it was, had come to a violent and needless end.

With that, he flopped her limp body over his shoulders and made his way to the corner of the hotel Archer was staying in. The man turned and flashed a toothy grin before disappearing behind the hotel.

Before he could even take a step forward, six police cruisers came barreling around the other corner of the hotel. Thad placed his hands behind his head. He knew the drill.

Before Archer had a chance to explain what happened, a boy who appeared to be about fifteen came running over to the growing number of police. The officer commanded something to the boy, and then a second officer came over. A third and a fourth joined them. Thad saw the boy hand a phone over to one of the officers.

I was trying to save her life, Thad muttered to the officers detaining him at gunpoint.

Ren, come see this, one of the officers said, beckoning.

Uniformed police surrounded Thad, and even as they were viewing the video on the kid’s phone, more cars arrived. Thaddeus was quickly forced to his knees by one of the armed men, and his hands were cuffed. The officer standing closest to Thad looked up and moved toward the kid and the growing gaggle of officers.

After about ten minutes, Officer Ren came back over to Thad and sped through his Miranda Rights.

I’ll tell you what I know so far, he continued. You brought this girl here. She got popped, and you’re the one responsible. You tell me different.

Thaddeus heard the words, and he felt them ring true in his mind.

He was responsible.

Chapter TWO

A Simple Man Whose Faith was Lost…

Thaddeus Archer was not a stranger to the booking process.

The officers restrained his hands with a plastic cable tie and shuffled him into the back of the Dodge Charger. From there, it was a thirteen-minute drive to Clayton County Jail and the longest booking he ever experienced.

Well, for him, it was.

The officers sat with Thaddeus and tried to discuss what happened at the hotel. Thad knew better and kept his mouth shut. He already said too much. The fact that he was transporting a human being wasn’t illegal, and he knew that. All he had to do was say something stupid, and he would be buying a night in jail at the very least. Instead, he dummied up and kept quiet.

However, what was in question was his ethics. He knew that she was being hunted, and there was a large price on her head. He could have just kept driving all the way to New Jersey and not stopped. But Trinity was getting tired and bored and wanted out of the rental. She caught a bullet, and now she is resting, but Archer knew this rest was not what she had in mind.

It was not the booking or the possibility of a night in jail that was bothering him. It was the fact that he failed.

While the cops surrounded him, he could zone out and listen to the conversations around him. He could concentrate on the john that was picked up soliciting or the domestic-violence asshole explaining that she pissed him off and he didn’t mean to react the way he did. He could try to zone far away from the thoughts that were barreling through his mind, but in the end, it was useless.

They took him to a room where he sat alone for an hour. That wasn’t good.

Because she came back to taunt him.

Standing there, in the room with him, was the beautiful Trinity Bourne. She was wearing the blue baby doll outfit with white pumps. She stood there, moving her head from one side to the other and then back again. Thad watched silently, but his heart was racing. Plus, he knew he was being watched.

She stopped shaking her head, and her stare drove deeply into his mind. Her eyes were alive and bright, and it made him want to scream. She pulled the chair out and sat down, legs open. It was as if she was daring him to look at her. But Archer never broke eye contact with her. She was there with him in the room but not corporeal, because he knew she was probably on a slab in a morgue not far from the jail.

Thad heard the turn of the key and whispered a thanks to God. But she didn’t leave. She just kept her eyes on him while the officer entered the room. Archer noticed that the man did not sit down immediately, which really started to freak him out.

Thaddeus, the man with the badge on his belt said. You look a little wired today. Too much coffee?

Thaddeus finally dropped his eyes to the floor and shut them tight. By the time he opened his eyes, he found a drop of water below him. Trinity, in all her beauty, was gone from sight, back to where the ghosts go when they are tired of haunting souls. At least that’s what Thaddeus assumed. He hoped she would stay there and leave him to his own private hell.

Archer? You with us?

Thaddeus didn’t see an us but understood semantics wasn’t the issue. Instead, he took a deep breath and exhaled, like a man who forgot how to breathe, and then suddenly remembered. It was, for all intents and purposes, a sigh of relief.

The African American man before him was very thin with black short hair. He was dressed in slacks and a shirt and tie, and he wore a small silver chain around his neck. He looked like he had been drinking coffee for the last few days and was ready for another fix. His fix wouldn’t come right away.

The officer continued, I’m Shane, and you are… a bounty hunter by trade? No. You’re a bodyguard? What the hell are you? What’s the deal with the call girl?

Archer laid eyes on the man but didn’t make a sound.

Trinity recently married, right? You’re not doing anything illegal, just making sure she gets to her… well, the proper term would be ‘owner,’ wouldn’t it?

I wasn’t… doing anything illegal. I have a permit for the firearm. My job was to move her from point A to point B safely. Obviously, that didn’t happen.

Shane smiled and