Dark Shadows of the Past

Chapter Seven

All of a sudden, Dan pulled Christina behind some rocks and into a boathouse hidden in the thick foliage of pine trees and bushes. In the dim moonlight, she saw a dark gray boat tied up, swaying softly on the calm waters of the lake. Anxiety mixed with relief washed over her. A way out!

"You have a boat? You're full of surprises," she whispered.

Dan let go of her arm and marching to a cabinet, he took a pair of oars out and threw them inside the craft. Then he helped Christina climb on board and followed right after her. "You're the one who's full of surprises," he replied.

"What do you mean?" she inquired, puzzled, but Dan remained silent.She watched him, dumbfounded, as he started rowing. The feeling of relief was replaced by desperation. How far can we get like this? she wondered but kept her mouth shut. The frantic beating of her heart was the only sound Christina could hear as the boat slid on the black waters. You're so stupid, she rebuked herself, realizing that he couldn't possibly start the engine without attracting attention. I'm glad he's here with me. Otherwise, I wouldn't stand a chance... But what did he mean by that remark?Dan kept close to the shore, trying to remain hidden by the canopy of trees flanking the waterfront with branches all the way down to the water. Chill bumps covered Christina's arms as the night breeze hit her skin covered with a light layer of perspiration. Taking deep breaths to prevent herself from throwing up, Christina whispered a prayer.Coming to a clearing, they saw Dan's house all lit up and two men out on the deck.Dan kept on rowing, quietly. In a few minutes, the men were gone, and the helicopter took off. Dan stopped rowing and pulled the boat into a small canal leading down to some other houses built on the lake. He stopped next to two other crafts, tied their boat, and helped Christina to climb out. Slipping and sliding on the wet ground, they rushed into the trees and remained hidden for as long as the helicopter was searching the area."What did you mean I'm full of surprises?" she asked, unable to hold back any longer."I don't know, Christina," he replied, and she could hear the doubt in his voice.She turned to stare at him, but couldn't see his face in the dense darkness surrounding them."The helicopter and all this," he went on, "it just seems too extreme...""I don't understand...""It almost seems personal," he added.Christina's breath caught in her throat. Oh, my God! He suspects something isn't right. But what did I expect? He's too smart to be fooled that their vengeance after me is just because I witnessed the scene in Johnny's apartment. However, she couldn't possibly tell him the truth...at least, not yet. So she remained silent.The lights on a few of the houses had come on. Christina heard some loud voices and the sound of a siren in the distance."Some of the neighbors must have called the police," Dan said and breathed out in relief.Christina noticed that the two houses closer to them were still in the dark. Most houses are occupied only during the summer months, she thought.Dan led her back in the boat and turned the engine on. They left the canal and turned toward the house."We have to grab some things and get out of here as soon as possible," he said, probably seeing the surprised look on her face.They reached the boathouse and very carefully climbed uphill. Stepping inside the house, Christina froze, immobilized by the shock of seeing the condition the house was in—busted doors and windows, overturned furniture, and pieces of broken glass and other items thrown all over the floor like debris from a shipwreck washed ashore."Go grab your clothes!" Dan yelled over his shoulder, running to his room.Christina snapped out of it, rushed to her bedroom, and put on a pair of jeans and a jacket. Then she threw some things in her suitcase, which was still pretty much packed. Running out to the hallway, she almost collided with Dan. He was carrying a small backpack in one hand and his gun in the other.Going to the garage, they saw that his car was also hit by bullets. Dan jumped inside and tried to turn the engine on. It started on the third try."Get in!" he snapped, and Christina did as he told her, throwing the suitcase in the back seat. As Dan was backing out of the garage, a police car pulled in the driveway. Dan stopped the car and waited for the policemen to get out of the car and come closer. They approached with caution with their guns in their hands and only after Dan talked to them and showed them his badge, did they put their guns away."Call Detective Miles at the Gwinnett County Police Department and let him know what happened!" Dan told them. "I need to take my witness to a safe location," he added before they climbed back inside their car.They backed up the driveway, and Dan followed them. The police car pulled out of the way, and Dan took the same route they had come from, heading back to Atlanta.Now what? Christina wondered. She glanced over at him, but he kept his eyes straight ahead. Silence stretched in the car as they flew down the road in the dark. They reached I-85 and turned on it, going south.By the time they pulled up in front of the police department, Christina's nerves were all tangled. Dan jumped out and rushed around the car. He carefully scanned his surroundings and then opened her door and dragged her into the police station.As soon as they stepped inside, they ran into two detectives whom Dan introduced to Christina as Wilson and Carson. Then he led her upstairs with the two detectives following right behind them. Dan told Christina to have a seat at his desk and wait for him while he went outside to talk to the two detectives.Christina sank into one of the two chairs in front of the desk and watched them through the glass separating the room from the corridor. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she could tell Dan was very upset. Wilson left and came back with another policeman in uniform who was stationed outside the room as Dan disappeared down the hall. Christina felt uncomfortable watching him leave. It wasn't long before he came back followed by another detective, who introduced himself as Miles."They must have someone inside this office in their pocket!" Dan said and hit his fist on his desk, frustrated."I'll arrange for you to leave immediately!" Miles said. "You need to hide until the trial."Just a little bit longer, Christina thought. A lot could happen during that time, however. She wasn't sure whether to be glad or sad. She wanted this whole thing to be over, but on the other hand, she was too scared to testify.Miles left the room, and Dan turned to her."We'll go to a hotel for a couple of days," he said. Probably seeing the fear in her eyes, he continued, "Don't worry, we're going to be just fine."We? Christina wondered, but then she had to admit that during these last few days, he had put his life on the line for her. Feeling the urge to be in his arms, she stood up and put her arms around him, not caring that the policeman outside was watching them in surprise. Dan seemed to freeze for a moment, but then he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against his rock-hard body.***They were still like that when Miles walked back inside."Hmm! Sorry!" he mumbled, clearing his throat.Unwillingly, Dan released Christina from his arms. He walked around his desk and sank in his armchair while she sat back down."Have you found anything about this guy, Johnny?" he asked Miles."No, not yet," Miles replied, running his fingers through his hair."What about the house Christina was kept in? Did you find anything else?""We did find a body in the basement," Miles said after a moment's hesitation. Glancing over at Christina, he added, "It was of a young girl, still unidentified.""The maid!" Christina exclaimed.Seeing Miles ready to say something, Dan sprang to his feet and asked him to follow him outside. Christina had already been through a lot, and everything she had to say was in her statement and his notes. He didn't want to put her through any more questioning, right now. He would go through his notes again and call Miles later if he had come up with something. In the meantime, he had to take Christina to a hotel and away from the station, as soon as possible."Who are you going to assign to her?" Miles asked and seemed surprised, when Dan told him he was going to handle it himself. He wanted no other police escort for Christina.Miles didn't comment on it, probably realizing that no one, even within the department, could be trusted.Dan knew that someone must have searched his file and found out about the house on the lake. Otherwise, how else could those people find Christina? And that had to be an inside job since no one else would have access to a detective's personnel file.He clenched his fists, frustrated. It was one thing to fight the bad guys and another to fight his own. Seeing Miles glancing at Christina through the glass, he turned and stared at her, as well."She seems so pale," Miles commented. "What a mess?" he added and let out a deep breath."I'll do my best to protect her," Dan vowed out loud."You need to be careful," Miles cautioned him. "It looks like someone wants her dead pretty bad."Dan stared at Miles and then back at Christina. "We better get going," he said. "I don't want to stay around here for too long.""I understand," Miles stated. "You take care of yourself, partner," he added and patted Dan on the back."We'll be all right," Dan said, trying to sound reassuring."And don't worry about the house," Miles said. "I'll take care of things, and next time you see it, it'll be as good as new.""Thanks," Dan said. The house was the last thing on his mind right now, but he appreciated Miles's offer."Does James have keys to the house?" Miles asked."Yes," Dan replied. "Though I doubt you'll need keys to get in.""That bad?" Miles asked."I'm afraid so," Dan replied and walked back inside his office. "We need to go," he told Christina and she stood up and followed him outside, silently.Miles followed right behind them and waited for them to get in the car."Does he know where we're going?" Christina asked, as soon as Dan started the engine."No," he replied, simply. "I'll check in later on in the afternoon.""You don't trust him?" she asked and looked at him curiously."I trust Miles with my life," he said."Then why didn't you tell him?""Because I don't even know myself where we're going," he admitted, leaving Christina speechless.