Page 1 of Allie's Shelter

Chapter one

“ Run !” Arms pumping, legs churning, she cast off the high heels that completed her cobalt business suit and prayed it would be enough. All that was left of her life was in the stylish black leather backpack looped over her shoulders.

“Run!” Her lungs burned and the humid air dragged at her. She dug deep for a higher gear, sprinting for the safety of the house. Getting caught was worse than losing the data, possibly worse than death.

She heard him gaining on her, his feet slapping the pavement just a micro-second quicker than her own.

He caught her around the middle, stealing her breath as they crashed to the street.

Heart hammering, Allie Williams leaped out of the dream, clutching her midsection and fumbling with the light. With shaking hands, she reached for the glass of water on the nightstand.

Three times this week the nightmare had left her feeling trapped and helpless. She didn’t need a dream analysis or psych evaluation to tell her what it signified.

They were closing in and she was out of options.

Out of friends.

Out of time.

* * *

Ross Carpenter sat up a little straighter in the late-model Ford sedan when a soft glow lit up the curtains in the second-story bedroom window.

He made a note in the log and didn’t need to page back to know this was the third time in five nights. In his years of security and surveillance he’d learned the guilty often had trouble sleeping.

Lucky for him, this time around the guilty party was easy on the eyes. With that lean athletic body that rocked a business suit or running gear, and the new short swing of sunny blonde hair, Allie Williams was still a sight to behold. Even after all these years.

He enjoyed his job regardless, but on long stakeouts like this, a little eye candy kept the team alert. This woman, this case, was going to need their full attention.

He’d bet his recovery bonus she didn’t know exactly who was following her, but after five days on the job, he was sure she felt someone out here, watching and waiting for the right moment to haul her in.

Which meant she was smart and guilty. Fine by him—he enjoyed challenges. He might be enjoying this one a little too much.

Another light, in the bathroom this time. He imagined her splashing water on her face, analyzing the dark circles under her eyes. Yesterday’s photos proved she was good with concealer, but the strain was starting to show.

Those dark circles bothered him on a personal level he couldn’t shake. All his memories of her were bright and happy. Well, nearly all.

“Do everyone a favor, sweetheart,” he muttered, “and come clean.”

The location wasn’t really the issue. He could blend in anywhere, but the small Southern town routine wasn’t his favorite. Even with a solid cover story, he kept his South Carolina team stationed an hour away in Columbia so they wouldn’t have to chat too much with the locals. They were generally nice people in this particular small town, but too concerned about their neighbors for his line of work.

He knew two strangers checking into the motel on Main Street or shopping at the Piggly Wiggly would be front page news around here.

He glared at yesterday’s local paper in the passenger seat. Already, they’d run a feature on the niece of the local rich widow coming home, returning to her roots. He snorted. The above-the-fold feature mentioned an extended stay.

“Well, where else would you go?” He aimed the question at the big house.

Life was irony. Thief or not, Haleswood would always give Allie a hero’s welcome and give him the cold shoulder. Must be a courtesy to the prodigal daughter kind of thing. Since he’d never bothered to come back home until this assignment, he wouldn’t know.

Time was the real issue and hers was running out.

The curtains stirred, parting as his target peeked out into the night. He hunched deeper into the seat. She couldn’t possibly see him, couldn’t possibly tell his sedan apart from the others in the darkness.

“Go back to sleep, sweetheart. If you can.” Her nerves were rubbing off on him. He ran down the operation checklist for the mental distraction. Following her had been easier in Virginia with the larger population. But since she’d rolled into Haleswood two days ago, his team changed cars with every shift. They were never seen in town together and he only worked the night shift. They had different cover stories and different reasons to be in her general vicinity.

He and his team were professionals, experts in the field. Their target wasn’t. He had every advantage here and yet something pricked his instincts, made him wary. There was a desperation about her lately, and he worried she’d do something crazier than she’d already done.

They’d been looking for a legal way into the aunt’s house, or at least into that black leather bag Allie—the thief—kept with her at all times.

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