Alaskan Christmas Target Read online

  “He’s going to be coming for us, right?

  “I’ll call for help as soon as we can get to a safe place.”

  Natasha fumbled for the release button on her seat belt. By the time she was out of it, Landon had come around to her side of the truck and yanked the door open. When she stood up, she had only a second to register that the hitman’s car had turned off the main road and was headed back toward them.

  “We have to go where a car can’t get to us,” said Landon.

  She glanced over his shoulder as fear gripped her heart.

  The car was a hundred yards away and barreling toward them.

  He tugged on her hand and pulled her away from the road. They sprinted toward the forest.

  A gunshot resounded through the air, glancing off a tree trunk not far from her head. Now the hitman was using the rifle.

  “Let me take up the rear,” said Landon as he dropped behind her. “Whatever happens to me, don’t slow down.”

  Ever since she found the Nancy Drew books with the pink covers in her country school library, Sharon Dunn has loved mystery and suspense. Most of her books take place in Montana, where she lives with three nearly grown children and a hyper border collie. She lost her beloved husband of twenty-seven years to cancer in 2014. When she isn’t writing, she loves to hike surrounded by God’s beauty.

  Books by Sharon Dunn

  Love Inspired Suspense

  Broken Trust

  Zero Visibility

  Montana Standoff

  Top Secret Identity

  Wilderness Target

  Cold Case Justice

  Mistaken Target

  Fatal Vendetta

  Big Sky Showdown

  Hidden Away

  In Too Deep

  Wilderness Secrets

  Mountain Captive

  Undercover Threat

  Alaskan Christmas Target

  True Blue K-9 Unit: Brooklyn

  Scene of the Crime

  True Blue K-9 Unit

  Courage Under Fire

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com.

  Alaskan Christmas Target

  Sharon Dunn

  Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

  —Isaiah 41:10

  For my beautiful daughter Ariel.

  Your creative spirit and sense of humor have brightened my life and the tenacity of your character inspires me.

  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

  Dear Reader

  Excerpt from Christmas Up in Flames by Lisa Harris

  ONE

  Natasha Hale watched through the window of the roadside diner where she worked as Gary Tharp pulled into the lot, parked crookedly and slammed on the brakes.

  Feeling a rising panic, Natasha placed a breakfast order in front of an older couple. Gary was the violent ex-husband of Judy whose mother, Betsy, owned the diner. He had caused trouble before. Mostly over the custody agreement of his and Judy’s son Ezra. Gary pushed open the car door, got out and leaned against the vehicle to steady himself. It was clear he’d been drinking. The snow swirling softly around him stood in sharp contrast to the intensity of his anger evident even from a distance. His expression was like hardened granite, eyebrows drawn together. He swayed as he walked.

  It was just Natasha and Betsy working this morning. The only patrons were the older couple who had told her they were tourists. Just like every other weekday morning, eight-year-old Ezra occupied a table in the diner. Betsy took care of Ezra every night so her daughter, a nurse, could work the graveyard shift at the hospital. In the hours when she needed to open up the diner and before Judy got off shift, Ezra sat at a booth eating his breakfast and reading or coloring.

  Natasha tensed as she glanced at Ezra and then out the window again. Because of Gary’s volatility brought on by addiction issues, the boy’s father had been granted only supervised visits since the divorce. It looked like he was on the warpath.

  Ezra’s mom was Natasha’s friend. She needed to keep the boy safe. In the months that she had worked at the diner, she had grown fond of Ezra. He was a quiet boy who seemed to think deeply about most things. She felt a connection to Ezra for a different reason. She had a nephew who was only a little older than Ezra whom she would probably never see again. For the last year, Natasha had been cut off from family because she’d been put into the witness protection program.

  Natasha hurried over to Ezra, who had just taken a bite of his toast. “Why don’t we go in the back and you can help Grandma?” She glanced out the window. Gary was only feet away from the door.

  “I’m not done eating.” Ezra set his toast down on the plate.

  “Just for now.” Natasha tried to keep her voice level even though her heart was racing. She clutched Ezra’s elbow, gently trying to lift him up.

  Too late. The bell above the door jingled.

  Gary’s words pelted Natasha’s back like a hard rain as she tried to usher the boy into a back room. “What are you doing with my son, Natasha?”

  Once given her new identity, Natasha had kept her first name, as did most people in the program.

  Natasha spun around just as Ezra said, “Daddy,” in a voice that was faint and filled with anguish.

  Natasha squared her shoulders, hoping her voice didn’t give away the level of fear she was trying to hide. “I’m sorry, Gary, but I think you need to leave.”

  The Christmas music spilling out of a radio in the kitchen went silent. Ezra’s grandmother came around the counter, wiping her hands on her apron. “You heard what Natasha said, Gary. You need to go, or I’ll call the police.”

  Gary pounded his chest. “He’s my boy, too.” His eyes were glassy, and he was leaning to one side.

  Ezra slipped his hand in Natasha’s, making a noise that was almost a whimper.

  “That’s it, Gary. I’m calling the police.” Betsy stalked back toward the kitchen.

  Gary reached inside his jacket and pulled out a handgun. “You stop right there, old lady. Nobody is going anywhere.”

  Betsy turned around slowly. The older couple gasped in unison and then sat paralyzed, their eyes filled with fear.

  What felt a like a lifetime ago, Natasha had been a police officer in Boston. She’d dealt with people like Gary all the time, their anger fueled and intensified by whatever substance they’d taken.

  Gary waved the gun. “Ezra, come here.”

  “Gary, put the gun down.” Natasha held her palm out toward the enraged man. “You don’t have to do this. It won’t end well.”

  “This is none of your business.” He lifted the gun and pointed it at Natasha’s chest.

  Her heart beat even faster. She took in a shallow, sharp breath. “Please, Gary.”

  Ezra let go of Natasha’s hand and ran to his father.
“Don’t hurt Natasha. I’ll go with you. I promise.”

  “No, Ezra.” Natasha reached out to the boy as Gary’s finger slipped on the trigger. She froze in place, staring at the man who could kill her.

  Gary’s attention suddenly turned toward Ezra’s grandmother. He repositioned his aim and pulled the trigger, shooting the cell phone out Betsy’s hand. Pieces of the phone slid across the linoleum. All the color drained from Betsy’s face. Her hands were shaking.

  The shot rang in Natasha’s ears. She couldn’t get a deep breath.

  From the booth where they were sitting, the older couple scooted to the far side of the room, clutching each other.

  “Daddy, please, I’ll go with you.” Ezra tugged on his father’s coat.

  “Gary, you’re in no condition to drive. Put the gun down,” Natasha said. She had to prevent him from leaving with the child.

  Gary straightened his back and raised his chin. His eyes cleared for just a moment. “You’re right. I’m in no condition to drive. You’re coming with us.” He once again pointed the gun at Natasha.

  It wasn’t the scenario she’d hoped for, but she might be able to protect Ezra. Maybe she could overpower Gary before they got into the car. She rushed over to Ezra and wrapped her arm around his back, squeezing his shoulders. “Don’t touch him.” Gary aimed the gun at the older couple and then at Betsy as he walked backward. “No calling the police or Natasha gets it. She’s my insurance.”

  They walked through the parking lot to his car. Any hope of escape ended when Gary stopped at the driver’s door and put the gun to her temple. “Get in behind the wheel.” He then spoke to Ezra without looking at him. “Get in the backseat, son. Do as I say.”

  Natasha sat behind the wheel. Her whole body trembled. Gary kept the gun trained on her through the windshield as he hurried over to the passenger’s side of the car. He yanked open the front door, still pointing the gun at her as he settled into his seat. He pulled the keys out of his front shirt pocket and tossed them at her.

  “Now drive.”

  Her hands shook as she stuck the key in the ignition and twisted it. The car roared to life. She caught a quick look at Ezra in the backseat. It wasn’t fear she saw in his eyes, but confusion. He was a helpless pawn in an ugly game. The boy wanted his father’s love and approval.

  She shifted into Reverse and turned the car around so it faced the highway. No cars went by. Little Bear, Alaska, the town where she lived, had a population of a couple thousand and, even then, it was spread out. The diner was a mile from what passed for downtown.

  “Where are we going?” Natasha asked.

  “You don’t need to know. Take a right on to the highway. I’ll tell you when to turn off.”

  As she pulled out onto the highway, she caught a glimpse of the diner. Flashing Christmas lights that framed the windows, but no people, were visible. Despite Gary’s threat, she knew Ezra’s grandmother would call the police to save her grandson. Natasha had left her cell phone in the break room. Betsy would know to look for it there since the older woman’s phone had been destroyed.

  Help would come for them. Still, she feared that Gary would carry out his threat and shoot her if law enforcement showed up.

  Natasha took in a prayer-filled breath.

  Maybe she would die here today, but she vowed to do everything in her power to see that Ezra was returned to the people who loved him.

  * * *

  Alaska state trooper Landon Defries let out a heavy breath as he passed the Christmas tree farm buzzing with activity. This would be his second Christmas without Maggie. He used to think that there was something sad about people who didn’t want to celebrate holidays. But now, after the loss of his wife, he understood that sometimes facing a holiday alone only intensified the pain.

  His radio glitched.

  “Defries here. What’s up, Angie?”

  “We got a custodial kidnapping. Gary Tharp has taken Ezra and a hostage—that waitress that works down at the Kodiak Diner. Last seen turning off the highway onto River Road.”

  Landon’s stomach twisted.

  “I’m on it.” He pressed the gas. Gary’s old rattletrap of a car would be easy enough to spot.

  “Suspect is armed and dangerous. Betsy says she’s pretty sure he’d been drinking or something worse.”

  “I’m gonna need backup.”

  “On it,” said the dispatcher.

  Landon sped down the highway. He was only minutes away from the turnoff to River Road. He clicked his blinker. He wasn’t sure what Gary had in mind by taking River Road. There were, Landon knew, at least three or four spur roads that ran off it. One would take Gary even higher into the mountains, another down to a harbor where bush planes and boats were docked. The other roads led to private residences.

  He clenched his jaw and stared straight ahead. Gary had already managed to endanger his son and that quiet woman who worked at the diner. If Gary sought shelter in one of the homes, even more people would be in danger. The last thing Landon wanted was some sort of standoff.

  He checked his sideview mirror. No sign of reinforcements.

  Up ahead, he caught a glimpse of the back end of Gary’s car right before it disappeared down a steep incline.

  He clicked on his radio. “Angie, where’s my backup?”

  “Deb and Russ are on their way. Both of them were at least ten miles out on other calls. They will get there as fast as they can. It’s the best I can do, Landon.”

  Actually, it was surprising that the other two officers assigned to this area had been that close. Because so much of Alaska was remote, rural troopers covered a huge amount of territory. There were no sheriffs in Alaska. Troopers were the key law enforcement.

  Landon whizzed by snow-covered evergreens. “Thanks, Angie. I’ll do what I can.”

  Landon sped up even more. He passed the first turnoff, which he knew led to a house only occupied part of the year. His unobstructed view of the road to the residence told him Gary hadn’t taken that turn.

  Landon remembered that, though he’d lost his license, Gary had training as a bush pilot. The harbor was the most likely place for him to go if he was planning some sort of escape.

  He surged ahead.

  Gary’s car came into view and it looked like the waitress was behind the wheel, with Gary right next to her. Ezra’s head barely came above the rim of the back window.

  Landon’s heart squeezed tight.

  God, don’t let anything bad happen to that kid or that woman.

  TWO

  The barrel of the gun dug into Natasha’s stomach. Sweat trickled down her back. Being held at gunpoint brought back bad memories from her days as a police officer.

  Gary glanced nervously over his shoulder. “Go faster.”

  “I’m going as fast as this thing will go. I’ve got the pedal to the floor.”

  The trooper was maybe four car lengths behind them.

  “We got to lose this guy. Slow down, let him get a little closer.”

  What exactly did Gary have in mind?

  He put the gun against her temple. “I said, slow down.”

  “Okay. Okay.” She let up on the gas.

  Gary rolled down his window, stuck his head and arm out and took aim at the trooper.

  Natasha sped up just as he fired two shots. Behind her, the trooper’s vehicle slowed. It looked like his windshield had been shattered. Had the trooper been hit?

  Gary spoke through gritted teeth. “Slow down.”

  “I’m sorry. I... I just panicked.”

  “You knew exactly what you were doing,” he shouted at her and then glanced over his shoulder.

  The trooper’s car was still rolling toward them. Gary stuck his head out the window again and fired off more shots. “That should do it. Now speed up.”

  This time she did as s
he was told.

  The trooper’s patrol car grew smaller in her rearview mirror. The vehicle hadn’t veered off the road and crashed. Maybe, she thought, he was still alive. The car looked like it was barely moving as steam rolled out from under the hood. The last shots had probably damaged the engine.

  “There’s a little gravel road up ahead on the right that dead ends. Turn off there,” Gary said. “We have to fool him. He can still see where we’re going.”

  “Daddy.” Ezra’s voice sounded small and faraway. The boy was hunched with his arms crossed over his chest. “What’s happening?”

  Only Ezra’s voice seemed to change Gary’s threatening demeanor. His shoulders slumped a little, and the pressure of the gun against her skin lessoned.

  “It’s going to be okay, son. You and I are going to have an adventure. Remember when you used to go up in the plane with Daddy?” Gary’s voice took on a gentle, almost vulnerable quality.

  Ezra lifted his head a little. “Yes, I remember.”

  They bounced along on the gravel road. She stopped the car when they came to a rock outcropping in the middle of the road. Beyond that, the trees and brush grew so thick that the road disappeared entirely. “Why are we stopping here?”

  “Ezra, get out of the car and wait for me,” Gary said.

  From the backseat, the boy pushed the passenger-side door open.

  Gary leaned close to her and spoke in her ear. “You are my insurance policy. Even if we stopped that one cop, I’m sure there will be more. Do as I say, and I’ll let you go. We got off track because of that cop, but I have a way to get out of here.” He tilted his head downhill in the direction of the harbor.

  Gary was hard to read. He was so erratic. A minute ago, he’d threatened her life. She was beginning to wonder if it was just alcohol he was under the influence of or something much more damaging to his decision-making skills. He didn’t seem to understand the consequences of what he was doing, for himself and for his son.

  As messed up as he was, he did seem to have a sort of plan. Did he have a plane or boat waiting for him at the harbor or was he just hoping to steal one?