Gem Stone Read online

  "Maybe. But if the men were wearing protective suits, they'd have been fine," Reid pointed out.

  "They wore gloves," Gem said. "And I thought," her voice rose excitedly, "I thought they had on hip waders or something like that."

  John held up a calming hand. "So you're thinking that you may have accidentally taken pictures of them while they were doing something wrong and that's what started all this?"

  "Yes!" All three kids shouted at once.

  Gem grinned. "I also forgot to tell you about it, with everything else that's happened, but I memorized the license plate number of the SUV parked beside us at the rest stop. I'm sure the sheriff, preferably the one in Dayport, can trace it and find the damage it got from hitting Bertha."

  Everyone stared.

  She laughed. "That means we got them!"

  ***

  "A sleepover in the living room? Who'd have thought?" Reid didn't even grumble about being assigned a spot to sleep on the floor. Both Gem and Mark had called for the couches quickly, leaving Reid the choice of the big easy chair or the floor.

  "Isn't that the truth? But I feel safer knowing that you're both here. And having our cell phones again." Gem pulled her blankets up to her chin and ginned at Reid who was trying to get comfortable on the blankets on the floor. She couldn't believe how much she was enjoying this. "Stupid huh, given our histories?"

  "Not really. Think about how we survived before. We've learned to do what needs to be done. Survival at all costs was the motto until we got caught at whatever bad deal we were in. Now it's just plain survival."

  "And it's no longer one of us against the rest of the world. It's like a team." Mark grinned at that.

  "You know. I'd almost use the term – a family to describe us." Reid's voice had a contemplative tone to it. "Not that I know what that means, really."

  Gemma thought about that. "Me neither. Been a long time since I had that word used in connection to my life."

  "I'm not sure I ever did," Mark added, a bitter tone to his voice that made Gemma want to give him another hug.

  Reid lay on his back, his head resting on his hands. "That doesn't mean I'm not willing to try something new." He tested the word aloud. "Family…family. Yeah. You know, that sounds kinda interesting."

  Gem smiled at the ceiling. "Doesn't it though?"

  Still smiling, Gem closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. Several hours later she shifted on the couch, warm for the first time that day. She pushed her blankets back of her shoulders and yawned. Too warm.

  "Gem? Isn't it hot in here?"

  Reid's voice finally penetrated her dreams. "Huh? Yeah, it's nice."

  In that second, a heavy swat hit her on her shoulder. "Fire! Mark! Gem! Fire!" Reid screamed. "We have to wake John and Doris."

  Gemma opened her eyes to see a thick black cloud of smoke clinging to the ceiling.

  "Holy shit!" Mark bolted to his feet and raced into the kitchen. He pounded on John and Doris's door. "Fire!" He shoved it opened. "Wake up! The house is on fire!"

  Gem and Reid tried to smother the small licks of flame creeping toward the front wall as Mark raced out to grab the fire extinguisher from the kitchen.

  John raced out to join them with another, bigger fire extinguisher. "Kids get out. Doris's calling for help."

  "We'll grab the hose out front." Gem ran to the side door, Reid at her heels. She grabbed up the garden hose lying on the ground. Good thing she'd forgotten to put it away after doing the flowers the other day.

  "Go, go go! I'll turn it on." Reid raced around the corner of the house.

  She ran to the front of the house as the water spurted out the end. By the time she reached where the fire licked up the windows, the water poured out full blast. She directed it high up to stop the flames from spreading. Reid arrived a moment later with a second hose hooked up to the back taps. Together they worked to slow the progression of the fire. She could see Mark and John inside, working the fire extinguishers. But this fire was way too big, even for all of them.

  Moments later they heard the fire trucks racing toward them.

  "About time!" Reid shouted above the noise. Within minutes the volunteer firemen had moved everyone out of the way and taken over. Doris came and wrapped a blanket around Gem's shoulders.

  "Thanks." Gem wasn't cold but knew the shock from this experience would change that quickly.

  Later, they stood huddled together as the firemen doused the remaining flames and mopped up.

  John stood with Doris wrapped in his arms. The look on his face was easy to read. Fierce, pained and ready to do serious damage to someone.

  Gem knew how he felt. This was home. For how long she didn't know, but having finally found home and family herself, she was pissed at the thought of losing it now. And John had lived here his whole life.

  "Will this be a write off? Or is it fixable?"

  "It's fixable," Doris said. "We needed to update the exterior anyway."

  Gem looked over at her too bright smile and overly brilliant eyes and reached out a hand to grasp the older woman's. "I'm so sorry, Doris."

  Doris squeezed her hand tight. "Don't you worry none, child. We'll fix it again. The house is insured. They might try to make us run, but they're going to have to more than this to make us leave."

  Gemma closed her eyes. She hadn't connected the dots. Of course this was arson. To scare them? To kill them? She didn't know, but at this point anything was possible.

  "Do you think the sheriff is in on this whole mess?" She couldn't help asking the question aloud. One fireman looked at her oddly but she didn't care. Primary in her mind was getting this to stop. John and Doris had now been attacked. They were good people. They didn't need this. They were older. Heading to retirement, their golden years – whatever that meant. And Major… She couldn't even think about him yet. She'd loved that dog.

  The sheriff pulled up. Mark nudged her, but she'd already seen him. Great. More useless law enforcement. She preferred the guys from Dayport. Where was the younger local deputy, Barry or something? At least he'd seemed real. Authentic. The other deputy, Ian-the-troll, was just an asshole.

  "Doris. John. So glad you weren't in there." The sheriff walked up to their clustered group.

  John nodded slightly to him. "Oh, we were. The kids woke us up in time so we could get out."

  "I'm mighty glad to hear that but I have a concern that one of them might have li––"

  Reid snorted and kept his eyes on the fire. Gem turned her back on the sheriff. Asshole.

  John set him straight in no uncertain terms. "It wasn't one of these kids that set this fire." He crossed his arms and scowled at the sheriff, shaking his head.

  Unreal? How could anyone who'd been kept apprised of events even suggest that?

  It was Mark who asked, "What about your supposed deputy? Thought he was supposed to be on watch out front."

  "He was here. Checked on him earlier myself. But…" he turned to look around the chaos. "Where is he now?"

  "Then you'd better go look just in case he's become a casualty of this war you've ignored," Gem said, unable to hide her resentment. "Maybe you'll care if it affects your own people."

  "Shh." Mark wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. "Don't start another fight. We have enough to deal with already."

  "I hate it when you're right," she muttered, letting herself relax against him. This habit of leaning on him could be dangerous. At the moment, it felt too good to be held – and to be cared about by someone – for her to worry about the consequences.

  Mark dropped his chin on top of her head and hugged her. "He's not the enemy. Stay focused."

  She nodded slightly. "He's also not our ally. He's tried to stay neutral instead of helping us. If he's not for us, he's against us."

  Reid joined them. "Not true. Cut him some slack, Gem. I know you don't think he's on our side, but I'm not so sure about that."

  The sheriff's stiff voice cut through the conversation. "Thank you, Re
id, for that vote of confidence. At least one of you is being reasonable."

  Gem stiffened but locked her jaw. Mark squeezed her tight. Murmuring against her ear, he said, "Good control. You can do it. He's not worth losing your cool over."

  She gave him a tiny smile and relaxed again. Tough night but something good had come out of it. She was standing in Mark's arms and that was worth a whole lot.

  "We've got beds down at the hotel for all five of you," the sheriff said. "The mopping up here will take a while yet. As there's nothing you can do, you might as well get some rest."

  John stuck out his chin and straightened his shoulders. "Take Doris and the kids. I'll be staying here."

  "No, John, I don't want to leave. I want to stay here with you." Doris's teary protests were overruled. All four of them were bundled into the sheriff's car and driven down to the hotel. They looked more than disreputable as they checked into the three rooms. Gem had one all to herself. She didn't like it one bit.

  She wanted a shower but just couldn't. Not being alone in here. She tried to sleep. Every sound made her jump. Enough of this. She jumped out of bed.

  A minute later, she was in the hallway knocking on the boys' room.

  Mark opened the door. "What's the matter?"

  Gem ran inside and closed the door behind her where she leaned up against it. "I can't stand to stay alone." She started shaking uncontrollably. "I won't."

  "Hey, Reid," Mark said, "do you have a problem if she––"

  "Hell, no. She can have my bed. I'll sleep on the floor again."

  Gemma shook her head. "I'll take the floor. I don't mind. I just can't stay in there. I tried, honest, but every time I closed my eyes…"

  "Well, you're here now. If someone is coming they will have to take on all three of us at once." Mark collapsed on his bed and grabbed the TV remote.

  "Again?"

  With a slow grin, Gemma said, "All for one and one for all, and all that. At least we helped each other escape, too."

  Mark shifted through the channels, looking for something interesting to watch. "Did you get a shower? I'm done. Reid, are you?"

  Reid brushed his wet hair. "The bathroom's all hers."

  "Now that's more like it." Gem ran to the bathroom and the hot water. It felt so good to get clean again. Afterwards she realized that putting on smoke stained pajamas sucked. Oh, for a set of new ones to wear. Grimacing, she put them back on and walked out to the main room. "I don't suppose anyone has any clean clothes to wear?"

  "No. We left off the top layer and just kept our boxers. You're welcome to do the same."

  "Thanks but no thanks, I'll make do." Shaking her head at their huge grins, she headed to the bed on the floor.

  "Hey. I said I'd sleep there," Reid protested.

  "Nope. You started the night on the floor; I'm more than willing to finish it here. You guys have done me a favor just by letting me in. I'm not kicking you out of your beds too." She lay down and covered up. Safe and warm and exhausted, she dropped off to sleep before they could even argue.

  ***

  Sheriff Jerome returned to John's house, to the man he'd called a friend before this mess started. He had yet to find young Barry. Everyone was out searching. Gemma was right. The situation seemed more urgent when it hit this close to home. He'd done everything right. Gone through all the correct channels. Those men should've been corralled and the kids left alone.

  Instead, he stood with John's house in ruins around him. John was a good solid citizen, who'd only wanted to help those kids. He'd done a fine job with them and he hadn't deserved this.

  Neither did these kids.

  The townsfolk would hold this fire against him if they thought he could have prevented it. John and Doris would also hold it against him. Hell, he'd hold it against himself until he fixed things. Only how? Two of the men had been picked up and were being held in Dayport County, for the moment. However, they were alibied for the kidnapping of the kids two nights ago. And there was the one man still missing. At least one. Probably more, because how could one man have stolen three kids out of a house and taken them to another town, hours away – alone?

  The missing man or men were likely the ones that lit John and Doris's house on fire. And they were probably the same men who tried to run them off the road, too.

  It's the only explanation that made sense.

  He'd sent out an APB on the SUV the girl had seen. So far no sign of it. The Dayport Sheriff was searching too.

  The firemen looked to be mostly done. John was speaking with the chief. With their heads bent, they were looking at something at the front of the house. He joined them.

  "Evening, Sheriff."

  "Evening, Mac. What did you find?"

  "An accelerant was used along the front wall here. It looked like a fast job. We didn't find any sign of the accelerant anywhere else. Still, if the kids hadn't woken up when they did..."

  "Thank God they did. Wouldn't have gotten out otherwise. The kids decided to sleep in the living room. After being taken from their rooms the last time, they didn't want to be alone in their rooms or to be separated." John shrugged. "Doris and I let them."

  "Good thing, for all of you." The fire chief walked back over to speak with his men, leaving the sheriff alone with John.

  "John, I'm sorry. I'd never thought this would happen."

  His voice flat and hard, John said, "Nope. You didn't, but the kids did. I told you about the big SUV. I warned you that the men, whoever they are, weren't going to stop until this was over."

  "I know. I set up the deputy watch out front for tonight." He spun around. "I haven't heard from him yet."

  "Then you'd better make finding him, a priority. For all you know your deputy is either involved…or he's dead."

  Danny closed his eyes. "I hope not. He's just a kid." Danny pulled out his radio and checked in with dispatch. "There's still no sign of him. We have men out looking for him now."

  "I pray he's fine." John straightened his back and groaned. "I've called the insurance company and gotten some of their staff out of bed. The adjuster will be by in the morning. Hopefully I can grab a shower and a few hours of sleep before then."

  "After your meeting with the adjuster, come by the office and I'll bring you up to date on what we find out tonight. I double checked with the Dayport Sheriff and confirmed he still has the two men."

  They walked over to John's truck where John reached into the back of Bessie and hauled out a pair of work boots. "Can't drive in bare feet."

  He opened his truck door. "You'd better get to the bottom of this…like now." John hopped into his truck, fired it up and they left before Danny could come back with a response.

  Good thing.

  He didn't have one to give.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  The knock on the door woke Gem up. She yawned and looked around. Floor. Beds – two of them, stared back her. She frowned. Memories rushed in. She twisted around in a panic. Mark. Reid. Hotel room?

  Thank God. She sagged back. She was in the same spot as when she'd gone to bed.

  The knock came again.

  She stood up and padded to the door and opened it just enough to see who was there.

  John stood at her door. He frowned. "I thought you were in the other room?"

  Heat climbed Gem's cheeks. She opened the door wide enough that he could see the other two, sound asleep, and her rumpled bed on the floor. "I may never sleep alone again," she admitted softly, staring down at her sock feet.

  "Aye. Doris's not handling it that well either." He nodded to the boys. "Maybe we should let them sleep. I was going to call them for breakfast, but…"

  "Yeah." Gem studied the sleeping males. "We didn't go to sleep very easily."

  "What about you?" John's gaze studied Gem. "Will you go back to sleep?"

  Gem shook her head. "Not likely. As much as I'd like to."

  Turning to look toward the parking lot, John added, "Do you want to come for breakfast or wait a bi
t?"

  Gem thought about it for half a second then realized what she'd have to wear. "I guess we're not allowed into the house yet, are we? I really need clothes. I can't go into a restaurant like this."

  She could practically see the wheels turning in his head as he considered the options."

  "How about this? Doris and I will eat, then we'll go to the house and gather up some necessities. By then the boys will be up and we'll get you three fed."