Page 54 of Fearless
“They aren’t me,” I mutter under my breath.
“They aren’tus,” Jessie says. “We’re all in this and with you every step of the way. Let’s go and provide Harper with some backup.”
Ethan grins. “As much as we all need a vacation, we aren’tcoming down there to relax. Wait for the rest of us before you make a move, Roger. If you go in with guns blazing, it could ruin everything.”
I take a deep breath and whisper Exodus 14:14 to calm my nerves. “The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
I glance around at the people who love and support me and who have become my family. “We have six hours to prepare and come up with a plan.”
We need all the help we can get, and I know exactly who we need to turn to get it.
I spend the next few hours with my head bowed in quiet contemplation on the back veranda of the beach house, talking with God and asking Him to protect Harper. I ask for the strength to do what needs to be done, no matter how difficult it will be. I pray for the protection of our team and the other agents that will be involved.
The sound of dogs barking, kids laughing, and waves crashing are a constant reminder of what’s at stake. We fight so that others can live in peace.
“The rest of our team landed and should be here in half an hour,” Jessie says, occupying the beach chair next to me.
“That’s good,” I reply.
Jessie remains quiet for several minutes before she asks, “You really do love her, don’t you?”
“With all my heart. Right now, I’m simply trying to figureout what kind of love that is. It feels like God made her special, just for me. But then doubt creeps in, and it feels wrong to love her.”
Jessie cocks her head to the side and stares at me intently. “Roger, when did you realize that you had feelings for Harper?”
I can tell her the exact day and time, but that’s not what she’s getting at. “At her college graduation. She was stunning, vibrant, and full of hope.”
“Not before? What about when she was 18, and you were attending her beauty pageants? Harper was stunning, vibrant, and full of hope then, too, wasn’t she?”
I shake my head. “She was, but I was there to support her as a friend. I didn’t see her inthatway, not then.”
“Exactly!” Jessie exclaims. When my brows knit in confusion, she sighs. “Roger, God didn’t open up your heart until it was the right time—a time when those feelings would be appropriate. Even then, He still made you wait. He made Harper wait, too. Back then, she wasn’t emotionally ready for a mature relationship.”
“You don’t think it’s weird?” I ask.
“Who cares what I think, or anyone else for that matter? The relationship you have with Harper is between you, her, and God. You said that you feel that God made Harper for you, right? Then, accept the gift He’s given you. The doubt you’re experiencing isn’t Him speaking to you. That ‘slimy’ feeling is external because the doubt is coming from an external source. If you’re still unsure when this is all over, pray about it.”
“When did you become so wise, Jessie?”
“It’s my secret superpower,” she says, laughing. “Let’s go inside and gear up. We have a mission to accomplish.”
Half an hour later, the beach house is at full capacity with the entire Shining Knight team in attendance. There are ten of us in total—Ethan, Ben, Carter, Patrick, Jerry, Savannah, Jessie, Elijah, Jaxon, and me. We’re all kitted out in tactical gear, with an extra layer of ultra-light body armor underneath.
My phone chimes with the audible alert we have been waiting for. “Harper has activated her tracking device. It’s time to roll out.”
Ethan gets a text from Agent Simms informing him that there is a team in place waiting for us. We are to meet up with them and stand by until Harper gets a confession. Once that happens, we’re to move in and secure the area so that Simms can make the arrest.
“Do we have a visual?” Ben asks.
I shake my head.“Come on, Baby, turn on your camera,”I plead silently. As if she heard me, there’s a chirp as a dimly lit barn fills the screen. Not wasting any more time, we file into the two Suburbans that Ethan and Ben rented and do a quick comms check.
Just as we’re exiting the driveway, Robert Finnegan’s face fills the screen. “I’m so sorry you got dragged into this, Harper. I never meant to get you involved.”
Chapter twenty-nine
Harper
After Agents Simms and Monroe fill me in on their plan, Monroe takes the folder back and leaves. Fifteen minutes later, Director Whitman enters the room and excuses Simms. He takes one of the seats across from me and gives me a tired and pitiful smile.
