No Ordinary Day , Tate, Harley [ebook offline .TXT] 📗

me and Dad.” She glanced up at Emma with red rimmed eyes. “We didn’t even have a cat.”

Emma pressed her lips together and glanced at John. He’d been willing to help so far, but adding a teenager to the mix was a whole different ball of wax.

As if he’d read her mind, John stepped forward. “I know this is overwhelming, but you should come with us.” He waited until Holly looked him in the eye. “It’s not safe for anyone to stay here.”

Holly paled. “But what about Dad? We can’t leave him up there on the floor just—” She broke off, unable to say the words.

Emma corralled her in a hug, tucking her chin over Holly’s head. As much as she wanted to stay there, comfort Holly, and figure out the best thing to do, they had more pressing concerns. “John is right. If the same people who were following Gloria also came after your dad, then this is more serious than you know.”

Holly pulled away and swiped a hand beneath her snotty nose. “I don’t understand. How can it be worse? My Dad’s dead. His blood is all over the kitchen floor.”

Keeping her tone even, Emma tried to convey the truth, but not frighten the girl any further. “It might be because of our testimony next week. CropForward could be trying to silence us. If so, they might be after you, too.”

Holly sniffed. “How is it safe to go with you, if you’re also in trouble?”

“Because she isn’t alone. She has me.”

John’s support caught Emma off guard. Driving her to Zach’s place was one thing, but sticking by even with a newly orphaned teenager in the mix? Why would he do that? She was about to ask, but forced herself to stop. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, Emma. Holly needed her attention, not irrational doubts. She smiled in appreciation at John before turning back to Holly.

The girl was so young and so devastated. Emma softened her tone. “I never said it wouldn’t be dangerous, but you need to get out of here. We both do.” She glanced up at John, hoping what she said next wouldn’t rub him the wrong way. “We don’t have to go to my apartment. We can hide out in a hotel somewhere or we can find Gloria. Her cabin’s pretty remote, but I should be able to navigate by landmarks. I’ve been there once or twice.”

“Good idea,” John offered. “If she’s also a whistleblower, then she’s in trouble whether she knows it or not.”

Emboldened by his support, Emma took a chance. “Could you drive us there?”

John half-shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”

Holly began to protest, her voice rising as she spoke. “That guy who broke in didn’t care about my dad or what he had to say or any of it! He spouted this crazy talk about how it wasn’t CropForward after Dad at all, but the government!”

“What?” Emma shook her head. “That makes no sense.”

“You’re telling me! Why would the government send some scary dude straight out of Call of Duty to kill a boring old guy like my dad? He didn’t even follow politics!” She pouted in defiance, but her red nose and swollen eyes made her seem more like a disappointed child than a teenager.

“It’s not just the man who killed your father, Holly.” John moved his phone around, reminding them all about the lack of electricity. “The power is out and it’s looking like more than an isolated blackout.”

Holly shifted her feet. “What do you mean?”

Emma tried to explain. “The power is out from where I’m working now on the westside all the way over here to Sandy Springs. It’s way larger than anything I’ve ever seen. No radio stations are coming in and the one we heard—” Emma passed. Should she tell the truth?

“It made it sound like the entire southeastern United States is dark.” John stepped closer. “If that’s true, then it might be days or weeks before the power is restored. You can’t stay here that long with no electricity.”

“Can, too.” Holly crossed her arms.

Emma smiled despite the situation. “Think about it. You won’t have a refrigerator or hot water for the shower or any light at night. Whatever is going on is even bigger than CropForward and whoever they’ve sent to take care of us.”

Holly dropped her arms.

“You should pack a bag.” Emma gave Holly’s shoulder an encouraging squeeze. “Anything you’d like to take, okay?”

“We should hurry,” offered John. “The man who killed Zach could be on his way to Gloria.”

Emma pulled away from Holly and the girl hurried up the basement stairs. A gasp sounded from the landing and Emma winced, remembering Zach’s body. “I shouldn’t have let her go alone.”

“She’ll be fine.” John motioned toward the stairs. “We need to get up there and keep an eye out.”

Emma nodded before following him up into the kitchen where Zach’s body still lay. Thoughts of leaving him alone and exposed, growing colder by the minute, made her shudder. But what choice did they have? Burying him wasn’t an option with a murderer on the loose and neighbors probably home from work and all too eager to snoop.

She could see it now: the pair of them digging a grave in the backyard as Harvey from one house over stopped by with a cold beer. He’d been a real talker at one of Zach’s barbecues, regaling her with stories of his rifle collection in the corner of the backyard. Not someone she wanted to meet over a dirt hole in the ground and Zach’s corpse. She shuddered. “We can’t leave him like this.”

John stood at the kitchen window, watching the street. He didn’t turn. “We can cover him with a sheet. There’s no time to do any more.”

So matter-of-fact. So cold. Emma tilted her head. “What kind of work did you do?”

“I don’t follow.”

“Before you were terminated, what did you do?”

John’s jaw ticked. “Financial audit.”

“Really? It’s just—” John turned to face her, brown eyes narrowed