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After the horrible fright of losing their son, and then learning what had happened to him before he was rescued, they were celebrating in their cabin out at Bullard Campgrounds.
They’d brought pizza back from Jubilee and stored ice cream from the supermarket in their refrigerator. After they ate, they went outside on the front porch to wait for the Saturday night fireworks. It’s part of why they’d decided on staying at the campgrounds rather than in town. Mickey couldn’t hear them, but he could certainly enjoy pyrotechnic bursts of beauty against the night sky.
They were going home tomorrow, and thanks to the Jubilee police and the man and his big dog, with a happy ending to their vacation.
Alex Bing was back in his cabin, lying flat on his back, his belly full of the meal he’d eaten in town. The televisionwas on, but he wasn’t watching movies. He was watching the clock. It was already dark outside, but far too early to make a move on Dani Owens.
After learning she was living in a house, he’d had to change his plans. He was planning to access the house through the back door, using the privacy fence in the backyard as cover.
After that, it would be a simple matter to sneak into her bedroom and jab her with the syringe before she knew what was happening, and take pleasure in watching her die.
What he hadn’t expected were the fireworks. When the first big boom sounded, he thought it was an explosion and ran outside in panic, looking for the sight of flames.
Instead, he saw the residents all sitting out in the yards in front of their tiny cabins, looking up at the sky. He heard a shrill, high-pitched whistle and then saw a burst of color and sound above him as a shower of blue and silver exploded across the sky.
“Son of a bitch. Fireworks. Who knew?” he muttered, and stomped back inside. He couldn’t afford to make friends. He didn’t want anyone to remember his face. So, he sat inside with his television on full blast, trying to drown out the noise.
Dani was in her bedroom getting ready for bed. She could hear Aaron dragging the quilts and his sleepingbag back out into the hall. She would never take for granted the sacrifices he was making to keep her safe.
Unaware he was on Dani’s radar, Aaron made his bed, then began going through the house, double-checking locks and making a perimeter check. He was in the living room when a loud boom could be heard in the distance, followed by a barrage of pops and bangs.
Even though they were a distance away from Bullard Campgrounds, the sound of fireworks was easily audible in the valley between the surrounding mountains. Usually, he was already home by the time all this started, but he’d worked late often enough to have experienced it before.
But for Dani, this was not the case. When she heard the boom, followed by what sounded like a continuous round of gunfire, she flashed back on the night Tony had emptied his gun into the pillows on her bed and panicked.
She was running out of her bedroom screaming Aaron’s name when he appeared at the end of the hall. She flew into his arms, wide-eyed and trembling in every muscle.
“What’s happening? Is it him?” she cried.
“No, Dani, no! You’re okay. It’s fireworks from the campgrounds. I’m here. You’re safe. You’re safe,” he kept saying.
“Oh my God,” Dani said, and buried her face against his chest.
Aaron wrapped his arms around her and held her without talking until she quit shaking.
“I’m sorry…I didn’t… I can’t go back in…”
“Come here,” Aaron said, and pulled her down onto the pallet in the hall with him. “Just sit here with me for a bit. You don’t have to talk. If you fall asleep, then that’s okay, too.”
It was the tears rolling down her cheeks that did him in. He put his arm around her and pulled her close, tucking her head beneath his chin.
“Don’t cry, honey. I’ve got this.”
“I hate this! I hate being afraid. I hate feeling helpless!”
“The fireworks were a trigger. You have PTSD from all you’ve been through, and in time, it will pass. Hang on a minute. I’m going to turn out the lights.”
Without his arms around her, Dani felt vulnerable again—naked to the world. She watched, wide-eyed and shaking, as he walked away. Then, one room at a time, the house began to go dark.
She could hear his footsteps as he moved from place to place, checking windows, checking doors, turning out lamps, until the house was in total darkness, save for a night-light in the hall.
Having Aaron Pope in her space was like having a wall to hide behind. As she waited, she kept thinking of how random their meeting had been. She didn’t know what angel was responsible for it, but she would be forever grateful it had happened.
She saw a tall shadow appear against the wall as he came around the corner. He was back! Finally, she could relax.
“It’s all good,” he said as he sat back down beside her,then pulled his gun out from beneath the pallet and put it beside him.
The last round of fireworks was over.
