Page 8 of Hunted in Hope Town

Faith came over to her. Jessica was finalizing a few things for inventory on the computer and finished that up before turning her attention to Faith.

“Jessica…” There was a pause, like Faith didn’t quite know what to say. “Come over here and sit on the couch with me. Zach and Ellis have a few things to discuss with us.” She stepped behind the counter and linked arms with Jessica.

Jessica wanted to pull away, run away, but she didn’t. She let Faith lead her to the couch in the kids’ section. She was grateful that Faith kept their arms linked as they sat and Zach and Ellis came to stand before them. Faith was offering support, and it meant something. Jessica needed it to mean something.

Zach pulled over some chairs, and then he and Ellis sat in those, directly across from Faith and Jessica.

“What’s going on?” Jessica asked, because she was afraid they’d let this silence stretch out and she’d start crying or screaming at the tension in her chest. She didn’t look at Ellis for answers though. She looked at Zach.

“We have reason to believe there’s been a threat against you.” Straight to the point. She was grateful for that, even if it didn’t make sense.

“A threat. But I haven’t received any threats.” Except that this all started when she handed that envelope to Ellis.

But that hadn’t been addressed to her, so she couldn’t have anything to do with it. She couldn’t. No matter what was inside that she hadn’t looked at.

Because it wasn’t for her. It was for him or his wife or whatever.

She glanced at him. He sat, his large frame so…tightly held. He clasped his hands together and looked down at them. Like he was holding something together.

She had the strangest sensation, like a flash of a memory. Reaching out and putting her palm at the edge of that sharp jaw.

You’re too hard on yourself sometimes. She could hear herself say it, and yet that self was some kind of stranger.

She wanted to cry, and she hated it because she just didn’t understand any of this.

“This envelope left for you is a concern,” Zach said very seriously. “Can you take me through how you found it?”

She didn’t want to, but Zach had always been a kind of anchor. The person who knew her past. Who was in charge. If he thought it was a threat, she had to do what he asked.

She explained finding it in the door. Not seeing anyone. Nothing going wrong with the security system.

Zach took notes on his phone. Ellis kept staring at his hands.

“I’ve looked at the security footage and no one shows up on it—though they should if they got close enough to stick something into the door. Which is a concern that they can get around my security. Until we have a better handle on where this threat is coming from and why, we think it’s best if you have protection. We’ve agreed that it’s best if we…have you hide for a little while. Just until we figure out who’s behind this letter.”

“Hide,” Jessica echoed.

“I have a place you can go,” Zach said. “You’ll be safe. It’s isolated and I know not ideal for your life, but it’s temporary. While we get to the bottom of this. Just until we get to the bottom of this envelope.”

“You keep saying we. Who is we?”

Zach didn’t look up from his phone, but his fingers weren’t moving across the screen, taking more notes. No, he was biding his time as he tried to determine how to answer this question.

When he finally spoke, it was with a carefulness. And a directness. Like someone giving an order they expected to be rebelled against. “Ellis will go with you.”

Panic clawed further up her chest. “Why Ellis?”

Ellis didn’t speak right away, but when he did his tone was very grave. “I’m former FBI. I have the skills and training to keep you safe while Zach does the work here to find out who’s behind this.”

“Aren’t you former FBI too?” Jessica demanded of Zach.

“Yes,” he agreed. He didn’t say but. He didn’t need to. Jessica answered the but herself.

“You have a family.” So he couldn’t go with her for a lot of reasons. But Ellis… “You want me to go somewhere I don’t know with someone who is essentially a stranger, knowing absolutely nothing about why.”

“I can’t imagine how this must feel,” Ellis said very carefully. “But your doctor was very clear.”

“Yes, she’s always been very clear.” Jessica pushed to her feet, disgusted with this situation. And why was this man talking about her doctor like he was involved. “Let the past be what it is. Focus on the present. Except if there’s some kind of threat, it connects to whatever I don’t remember.” She whirled back to face them, geared her anger and frustration toward Ellis. “Doesn’t it?”