The Reluctant Witness
When his partner turns on him and tries to kill him, FBI agent Jack Mitchell is framed for murder and abandoned…until a blue-eyed beauty saves his life. Even in his wounded haze Jack sees Casey Johnson is hiding a secret. As the only witness to his innocence, Jack needs her. But Casey doesn't know who's more dangerous–the man who wants Jack dead or the handsome agent himself. For if Jack knew the reason she escaped to the wilderness with her niece, he’d have to arrest her. But on the run with Jack, Casey realizes more than her secret is at stake now. So is her heart….
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LEFT FOR DEAD
When his partner turns on him and tries to kill him, FBI agent Jack Mitchell is framed for murder and abandonedâ¦until a blue-eyed beauty saves his life. Even in his wounded haze Jack sees Casey Johnson is hiding a secret. As the only witness to his innocence, Jack needs her. But Casey doesnât know whoâs more dangerousâthe man who wants Jack dead or the handsome agent himself. For if Jack knew the reason she escaped to the wilderness with her niece, heâd have to arrest her. But on the run with Jack, Casey realizes that more than her secret is at stake now. So is her heart.â¦
âWe should call the police.
âWe can tell them what happened at your cabin yesterday, and you can tell them about when I got shot. This whole thing can be over right now.â
Casey took a step back, her eyes wide and fearful. âI canât do that, Jack.â What was it that had her so scared?
A flash of frustration filled him. âCanât, or wonât?â
âBoth. Itâs the same thing.â
Jack noticed that she didnât deny sheâd seen the shooting. She was just refusing to testify, and without her testimony, Jack still had nothing concrete to prove his innocence or Stevensâs guilt.
He glanced back up at Casey, who had taken another step backward. She looked incredibly vulnerable and her expression squeezed his heart. He still didnât know her story, but she had just saved his life. Again. Jack made a decision. He would figure out her history and the cause of her reticence at some point, but for now heâd have to think of something else.
KATHLEEN TAILER
is an attorney who works for the Supreme Court of Florida in the Office of the State Courts Administrator, where she works on programs that are designed to enhance and improve dependency courts throughout the state. She previously worked for the Florida Department of Children and Families, handling child-abuse cases both as a line attorney and in the DCF General Counselâs Office. She enjoys teaching business law online classes at Liberty University and working on finding homes for orphans with the Open Door Adoption Agency. She and her husband have eight children, five of whom they adopted. When not in the office, Kathleen spends most of her time cheering for her kids at different events or spending quiet time (hah!) at home. Kathleen has previously published two articles for Fostering Families Today, a magazine for foster families, and two novels, entitled Children in the Wind and Under the Marshalâs Protection. She also plays drums on the worship team at Calvary Chapel Thomasville.
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
âJohn 15:13
For my dear friends Wendy Maxwell Franchell, Suzy Harrington and Linda Merritt.
Some friendships fade over time, but in you, Iâve found friendship that will last a lifetime. May God bless each of you with a full and happy life.
Contents
ONE
The first bullet whizzed by his head and ricocheted off the rock behind him. The second caught him square in the shoulder and burned like fire immediately upon impact. Pain shot down his arm, and he could feel the blood dampening his shirt as it pooled around the wound.
FBI agent Jack Mitchell took a fortifying breath, then cast a quick look around the tree and returned fire. A shootout was the last thing heâd expected when heâd come to the isolated cabin looking for a lead in his current case. But while he hadnât been expecting the gunmen, they had clearly been expecting him.
As best he could tell, there were at least two men out there shooting at him. He fired again and heard a moan as one of his bullets struck home, eliminating one of his enemies. He took cover again behind the tree and patted his pocket to assess his ammunition stock. He still had one full clip of fifteen cartridges left. He hoped it was enough. The remaining gunman was still shooting at him, and bits of bark and leaves flew like fireworks as the bullets decimated the surrounding forest.
The shooting stopped abruptly, and Jack guessed that his opponent was reloading or changing his position. He looked quickly around the tree and saw no movement, but he knew the remaining shooter was still out there somewhere. He bent and looked carefully around the surrounding area. It was time for him to move, tooâhe just needed to decide which direction was safest. He grimaced as pain from his shoulder intensified and he shifted to ease the throbbing. With a short prayer, he headed up toward a boulder to his right.
He never made it.
Another bullet caught him in the thigh and he fell hard, way short of his destination. He struggled to stand again and make it to cover as agonizing pain radiated through his leg, but he could barely do more than shift himself forward. The pain on its own was nearly debilitating, and it didnât help that he was losing blood fast.
