Nothing gave at all. He was trapped. Trapped again. He crumpled to his knees, unable to fight his demons anymore. His fingers ached from gripping the bars, and an animal sound of terror rose within him.
His shoulders shook, and he struggled not to break. Not that it mattered anymore.
The other cells were empty.
“Help me, Lord,” Daniel prayed. “Don’t let me crack. Don’t let me become like my father. ”
The doorknob separating the sheriff’s office from the jail twisted.
Daniel stood swiftly, bracing himself to bear his full weight, despite his legs shaking. He froze his emotions inside, hoping his face had gone blank.
The sheriff stepped inside and stared at Daniel.
Galloway leaned his shoulder on the jamb, his relaxed stance feigned. Daniel recognized the tension in the guy’s body. Militarylike awareness. Maybe Special Forces.
“Well, Adams, Milly at the diner verified your identity as someone she served yesterday—solo. Said you were a lone handyman looking for work. She didn’t have anything for you, so she sent you down the north county road to ask at one of the ranches on the outskirts of town.”
Daniel shifted his feet, the urge to shake the bars nearly overwhelming, so he just nodded.
Galloway rested his hand on his gun. “I also had a very interesting conversation with Blake Redmond, the sheriff in Carder, Texas, who said he knows all about you.”
“Fantastic.” Even a good friend like Blake couldn’t have vouched for him with all the rumors flowing during Daniel’s disappearance. He’d been called traitor until he’d been rescued from his captivity, and now he’d just gone for a walk—across the country. Blake could very well have told Galloway to throw away the key.
“Actually, in your situation, it is. The man vouched for you. Said you’re a lot more than a regular handyman. Said you possess some serious skills in a lot of areas. Not that I’m surprised. Your whole vibe says ex-military or mercenary. Doesn’t necessarily say sane.”
Daniel gritted his teeth.
The sheriff crossed one boot over the other. “I know men like you, Adams. I know about the nightmares. The panicked look when you’re trapped in a cell.” He strode over to the door and yanked out an impressive set of keys. “I’m letting you go—”
Daniel’s heart slammed in his chest.
“—but there’s a condition.”
Daniel stared down the sheriff. “Name it.”
“There are no missing person reports filed on Raven, or Jane Doe, or whoever the hell she is. Milly swears you couldn’t have had supper at the diner and made it to the mine fast enough to hurt the woman. Now me? I’m harder to convince, but my gut says it’s not you.”
Galloway stood with the key in his hand, just inches from the lock. Daniel’s breath caught. Open the damn door.
The sheriff turned the key in the barred door. “But, Adams, I think you should keep drifting through. Just because my town’s name is Trouble doesn’t mean I ask for it. And something about you smells like trouble.”
Daniel walked through the cell door, not letting Galloway see his enormous relief or his shaking hands. He grabbed his duffel bag off the floor from where Galloway had tossed it earlier. Daniel slung it over his shoulder, then turned to the sheriff.
“Whether you believe me or not, Raven is in serious danger. Somebody left her to die. She couldn’t have escaped on her own.” If it hadn’t been for Trouble, she might never have been found. She wouldn’t have survived. The thought made him shudder. “I hope you’re better than good at your job, because when the killer discovers she’s alive, he’ll track her down.”
Galloway nodded. “She’ll be taken care of.”
“Because if something happens to her, I’ll—”
Galloway stilled, his stance poised and coiled like a dangerous animal. “You’ll do what, Adams?”
“I’ll be back to find out why,” Daniel warned.
Just then a skinny young man slammed into the room,
His shoulders shook, and he struggled not to break. Not that it mattered anymore.
The other cells were empty.
“Help me, Lord,” Daniel prayed. “Don’t let me crack. Don’t let me become like my father. ”
The doorknob separating the sheriff’s office from the jail twisted.
Daniel stood swiftly, bracing himself to bear his full weight, despite his legs shaking. He froze his emotions inside, hoping his face had gone blank.
The sheriff stepped inside and stared at Daniel.
Galloway leaned his shoulder on the jamb, his relaxed stance feigned. Daniel recognized the tension in the guy’s body. Militarylike awareness. Maybe Special Forces.
“Well, Adams, Milly at the diner verified your identity as someone she served yesterday—solo. Said you were a lone handyman looking for work. She didn’t have anything for you, so she sent you down the north county road to ask at one of the ranches on the outskirts of town.”
Daniel shifted his feet, the urge to shake the bars nearly overwhelming, so he just nodded.
Galloway rested his hand on his gun. “I also had a very interesting conversation with Blake Redmond, the sheriff in Carder, Texas, who said he knows all about you.”
“Fantastic.” Even a good friend like Blake couldn’t have vouched for him with all the rumors flowing during Daniel’s disappearance. He’d been called traitor until he’d been rescued from his captivity, and now he’d just gone for a walk—across the country. Blake could very well have told Galloway to throw away the key.
“Actually, in your situation, it is. The man vouched for you. Said you’re a lot more than a regular handyman. Said you possess some serious skills in a lot of areas. Not that I’m surprised. Your whole vibe says ex-military or mercenary. Doesn’t necessarily say sane.”
Daniel gritted his teeth.
The sheriff crossed one boot over the other. “I know men like you, Adams. I know about the nightmares. The panicked look when you’re trapped in a cell.” He strode over to the door and yanked out an impressive set of keys. “I’m letting you go—”
Daniel’s heart slammed in his chest.
“—but there’s a condition.”
Daniel stared down the sheriff. “Name it.”
“There are no missing person reports filed on Raven, or Jane Doe, or whoever the hell she is. Milly swears you couldn’t have had supper at the diner and made it to the mine fast enough to hurt the woman. Now me? I’m harder to convince, but my gut says it’s not you.”
Galloway stood with the key in his hand, just inches from the lock. Daniel’s breath caught. Open the damn door.
The sheriff turned the key in the barred door. “But, Adams, I think you should keep drifting through. Just because my town’s name is Trouble doesn’t mean I ask for it. And something about you smells like trouble.”
Daniel walked through the cell door, not letting Galloway see his enormous relief or his shaking hands. He grabbed his duffel bag off the floor from where Galloway had tossed it earlier. Daniel slung it over his shoulder, then turned to the sheriff.
“Whether you believe me or not, Raven is in serious danger. Somebody left her to die. She couldn’t have escaped on her own.” If it hadn’t been for Trouble, she might never have been found. She wouldn’t have survived. The thought made him shudder. “I hope you’re better than good at your job, because when the killer discovers she’s alive, he’ll track her down.”
Galloway nodded. “She’ll be taken care of.”
“Because if something happens to her, I’ll—”
Galloway stilled, his stance poised and coiled like a dangerous animal. “You’ll do what, Adams?”
“I’ll be back to find out why,” Daniel warned.
Just then a skinny young man slammed into the room,
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