Dark Shadows of the Past

Chapter Five

Her breath caught in her throat. Christina watched James as he carefully approached the window from the side and lifted the curtains just a bit to take a peek outside.

"It's okay. It's Dan," he said and let out a deep breath.

When Dan came inside, Christina ran into his arms. He hugged her and held her against him for a minute.

"It's going to be all right," he reassured her.

"What happened?" James asked. "I thought we had him in a safe house."

"We did," Dan replied. "It was probably an inside job. They must have paid someone off."

"Now what?" James asked.

"I'm going to take her away from here," Dan said.

"To a safe house?"

"No, not after what happened to Collins. She's a valuable witness, and right now, I can't trust anybody."

"You're going to put her on the stand?" James asked and glanced at Christina, puzzled.

"We'll see," Dan replied. "For now, my only concern is to keep her alive."

Christina didn't even have a chance to say good-bye to Janet and Emily or thank them for their hospitality before James and Dan hustled her to the car. She smiled at her thoughts. There she was in grave danger, and she was thinking about been polite.

They drove back the way they had come from, and Christina watched Dan, surprised as he took I-85 north.

"Where are we going?" she dared to ask.

"I have a small place up on Lake Lanier," Dan replied. "No one knows about that; it's my hideaway. Every time I get too frustrated and fed up with everything, I take a couple days off and go up there to relax."

***

Half an hour later, they reached a road that circled around the lake, and Christina gawked at the beautiful houses built on both sides of the road. Some of them were built uphill and some downhill, all the way to the banks. This way, they all have beautiful views, she realized. Everything appeared so nice and calm as if on a Sunday drive. She could almost forget the danger she was in... Almost.

Silently, she kept gazing at the calm waters, reflecting the lights shining from the residences, as it was already dark. A few minutes later, they turned into a steep driveway. The light blue wooden structure was built on the banks and was hidden by tall, thin pine trees.

Dan opened the two-car garage door with the remote control he had in his car and pulled inside. Christina climbed out of the car and walked outside to the driveway. She let her eyes wander over the lake, stretching out in front of them, and then stared at Dan's hideaway. It was a one-story in the front, two-story in the back with a big porch overlooking the water.

"Come on!" Dan said, and Christina walked back inside.

Closing the garage door behind them, he opened the trunk and took some bags and a small suitcase out. Recognizing her suitcase, she drew a deep breath, surprised.

"I stopped by your apartment and brought you some things," he explained. "I had to break into your apartment since your purse was found empty in the trashcan, and I had no keys. I hope you don't mind," he added apologetically.

"Of course, I don't mind," Christina replied, feeling grateful to have some clean clothes to change into.

"Now, do you want to give me a hand with these?" Dan inquired.