Holiday Defenders: Mission: Christmas Rescue / Special Ops Christmas / Homefront Holiday Hero. Debby Giusti

The child snuggled under the thick comforter and crisp sheets.

      Liz settled Joey on the opposite side of the bed. Just as Nick had done, she removed the little one’s jacket and pulled the covers over his shoulders, grateful both children were in their pajamas. Hopefully, they would sleep until morning.

      Or until something—or someone—disrupted their slumber.

      “Please, Lord, keep them safe.” She pressed a kiss on first Joey’s and then Mary Grace’s forehead.

      Nick stood at the foot of the bed. “They’ll be okay for the night,” he assured her.

      She nodded, not wanting to give voice to her own concerns. Everything had happened too quickly. Not that many hours ago, the children had been in their own beds dreaming of Christmas.

      Then Zack had called, and their peace and security had vanished like the wind that was starting to gain strength outside.

      “Let’s go downstairs,” Nick suggested. “I’ll fix coffee. Are you hungry?”

      “No, but coffee sounds good.” She followed him to the first floor and watched as he filled the water reservoir and basket. The rich scent of the ground beans filled the kitchen area.

      While the coffee brewed, he used a remote control to lower the blinds that covered the huge windows. “They’ll block out the indoor light so no one suspects we’re here. Zack and I were inseparable in high school. Memories linger in small towns. Someone might make the connection.”

      The tightness in his voice made a chill scurry along her spine.

      “I’d build a fire except smoke coming out the chimney would signal that the house is occupied.”

      He wasn’t taking chances. The cabin was isolated, tucked high on the mountain. They were well hidden, unless someone knew where to look.

      “I suggest we both take the batteries out of our cell phones.”

      Elizabeth bristled at the suggestion. “But what if Zack tries to call me?”

      “We can activate your cell every few hours and check for incoming calls.”

      She glanced down at her BlackBerry. “You think someone will trace us through our phones?”

      Nick nodded. “It’s possible. I’ve got a burner phone that can’t be traced. We’ll use that if we need to make any calls.”

      “Let me try to contact Zack first.” Elizabeth punched his number on speed dial.

      “Don’t worry,” she said when the call went to voice mail. “The children and I are being well protected.” Hopefully he’d know that Nick was keeping them safe.

      After disconnecting, she turned off the device and removed the battery. Nick did the same to his cell and tucked his smartphone and the throwaway model in his pocket.

      Grabbing binoculars off a nearby shelf, he peered through a small side window. “I can see almost the entire stretch of access road. The snow’s already covered our tire tracks, which helps. Hopefully we’ll spot any unwelcome visitors in time to react.”

      “Which means we’re safe.”

      He nodded. “At least for now.”

      She stepped closer and glanced out the same window. Once again, the view of the snow-covered terrain bathed in the iridescent glow of the moon’s reflection took her breath away.

      “Everything looks so peaceful.”

      He nodded. “That’s what I like about the mountain. I relax completely when I’m here.”

      “Are you stationed close by?”

      “At Fort Rickman. A couple hours south of Atlanta.”

      “It’s nice you could come home for Christmas.”

      “Actually, I’m on convalescent leave.”

      “What!” She startled, unable to sort through the concern tugging at her heart. “You were injured?”

      “Nothing serious, but the docs thought I needed to recuperate for a month or so.”

      “I...I didn’t know. Zack never mentioned—”

      “No need,” he quickly added.

      “He could have at least—”

      Nick touched her hand. “High school was a long time ago, Liz. I understand.”

      “Understand?” What was he talking about?

      She was the one who didn’t understand why he’d betrayed her trust.

       FOUR

      Nick was grateful for the buzzer that rang when the coffee was ready. Seeing the surprise written on Lizzie’s face when he’d mentioned convalescent leave had him hoping she might still have feelings for him. Then he realized his mistake. The past was long gone.

      He pointed her toward the kitchen. “I’ve got milk in the fridge, and the sugar bowl is on the counter.” He pulled two mugs from the cabinet and filled them.

      “Black works for me,” she said, accepting the cup he offered.

      He took a sip. Hopefully, the hearty brew would clear his mind. He was way too aware of Lizzie—Elizabeth. He needed to stay focused and on task. The mission came first. He understood that in combat. He needed to remember that now. He couldn’t let Lizzie’s nearness veer him off course.

      “Let’s take a look at Zack’s computer.” Nick ushered her toward the table in the great room.

      Her eyes widened as she ran her hand over the smooth surface. “The wood’s beautiful.”

      “Thanks. As they say, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.”

      He smiled at her raised brow and went on to explain, “I found the table in a flea market north of here, near the Kentucky state line. Solid oak and built in the mid-1800s, but covered with layers of chipped paint. Bringing the wood back to its original beauty was a work of love.”

      “And the chairs?” She pointed to the set of Windsors with spindle backs sturdy enough to support even someone his size.

      “Another find that required hours of labor but was worth the effort.”

      She scooted into one of the chairs while he opened Zack’s laptop. Sitting next to her, he pushed the power button and waited for the password request.

      “Annabelle’s birthday.” Elizabeth provided the date.

      After he punched in the digits, the screen saver came into view, showing Zack’s wife, cradling an infant in her arms, no doubt Joey. Their toddler daughter stood cuddled at her side.

      The depth of the family’s loss tugged at Nick’s heart. “Mary Grace looks just like her mother.”

      Elizabeth nodded. “And Joey takes after Zack.”

      Nick smiled. “A future investigative reporter, perhaps?”

      “I hope not.” The seriousness in her tone reminded Nick—as if he needed a reminder—that Zack’s search for the truth had placed his life in danger.

      “I’ll pull up his documents.”

      Working quickly, Nick looked for anything that might shed light on the identity of the murdered informant or Zack’s current investigation. He read through a series of files with information Zack had probably used in past blog posts. Some of them focused on the Lassiter police department and possible corruption, which wouldn’t put Zack in good stead with the local authorities. Whether that played into what had happened tonight, Nick wasn’t sure.

      He double-clicked on a file Zack had