Deck The Halls Read online

  “Why don’t you have a seat?” Mendoza rose from the chair he sat in so Gloria could take it and stood up behind the guest chairs. Jake placed the drink tray on the edge of the sheriff’s desk. Jake picked up the hot chocolate and handed it to her. Gloria took it to try and steady her shaky hands. Focusing on the heat seeping into her hands helped. Gloria mumbled a thank you to Jake as she took the seat Mendoza vacated. She couldn’t bring herself to look Jake, Jason, or the sheriff in the face. Gloria wasn’t ready to see whether this new knowledge about her and her past changed how they viewed her. She couldn’t bear to see disgust or even disappointment in their eyes.

  “We have some bad news Gloria.” When Mendoza seemed to struggle to find the right words, Thomas easily took over.

  “A week ago Manuel Ortiz escaped from custody. Some of his associates attacked the prison transport van that was taking him back to the city. They killed the guards escorting him in the process. Now we’ve obtained some intelligence that has led us to believe that he knows you’re here in Arizona and is headed this way.”

  Thomas never was one to mince words. Gloria expected her previous fear to spike, but as she took inventory of herself she realized she didn’t feel anything. The news that Manuel escaped was so shocking she’d gone numb all over. It must’ve shown on her face as all the men in the room seemed to move an inch closer. Finally lifting her head to look them all in the eyes she saw how worried they were about her and how she was handling the news. A small tear fell from her eye as her heart began to warm at the fact Jake, Jason, and the sheriff still cared enough about her to be so alarmed. One look at Mendoza showed he wasn’t any more comfortable then he was before, but at least now he seemed to have found his voice.

  “Don’t worry. You’re safe. None of us is going to allow anything to happen to you.”

  “Please breathe baby doll. You’re scaring us,” Jason said using the nickname he’d given her. Gloria forced herself to take a number of deep breaths as she tried to regain control. She reminded herself that she was strong and that she refused to be a victim. She’d survived Manuel for three years and managed to escape him. She’d do it again and this time she didn’t have to do it alone. Seeing that she’d gained a handle on herself, Mendoza continued.

  “Now that Ortiz is back on the loose we felt the situation called for bringing the local authorities up to speed on what was going on.”

  There were so many questions swarming around in her head. It was almost too hard for Gloria to focus on just one at a time.

  “How did he find out I was in Arizona ? You told me there was no way Manuel or his associates would be able to track me down? You said I’d be safe?” Gloria stopped firing questions and took a few more deep breaths. The steady rise in her voice was a sure indication that she was losing her fragile grip and was seconds away from breaking down.

  “We’re not sure at the present moment how the info was leaked, but we’re diligently investigating all possible avenues while trying to catch the fugitive Ortiz,” Thomas said. Gloria always thought Thomas spoke to her and others like a pompous ass. His detached and distant manner always rubbed her the wrong way which was why she preferred to deal with Mendoza . She found Thomas even more annoying since her emotions already felt raw.

  “And don’t think you’re not safe. You’re probably the safest person in the world right now. Ortiz will have to get through the five of us at the very least to get to you and we're not going to let that happen,” Sheriff McCoy said drawing Gloria’s attention back to him. “Now I know you’ve had a lot dumped on your plate already this morning, but unfortunately there’s more that needs to be discussed.”

  “What do you mean?” Gloria was still blown away by the revelation that Manuel had managed to escape prison. She wasn’t sure what more she could take.

  “The sheriff and the deputies here believe you should have the final say on what our next step should be,” Thomas replied.

  “The marshals told us the standard procedure when a witness’s new identity has been compromised is immediate extraction. We feel for this circumstance we have a better alternative.” It was the first time Jake had spoken since Gloria joined their little meeting. From the tone of his voice she was guessing they’d been in a heated debate over what to do with her next. “As it’s your life being threatened, we agreed it should be you who makes the decision which is the best option.”

  Gloria was stunned. When it came to dealing with the U.S. Marshals she wasn’t exactly used to being given final say. The only time she was presented options and allowed to make choices was when she was placed in a safe house and they asked what she wanted to eat. Which meant the only reason she was being presented with a choice now was because of the McCoys.

  “Extraction?” Gloria really didn’t like the sound of that.

  “Our procedure dictates that when a witness’s identity is compromised, we remove them from their placement immediately. We place them in a safe house with round the clock protective detail while we assess the extent of the damage and do damage control. You’d be housed in a safe house in an undisclosed location until we can get you another identity, or you testify and Ortiz is once again behind bars,” Thomas stated.

  Gloria already didn’t like that idea. She remembered how closed in she felt the last time they held her in a safe house. She thought she was going to go stir crazy if she didn’t get out of there. Gloria also didn’t like the idea of leaving her Gloria Lopez identity behind. Letting go of the life she’d made here over the last six months was even harder than leaving behind her old life in New York . As if reading her mind Jason began pointing out the cons with this plan.

  “But it’s not fair that Gloria has to once again up and leave her life behind just to be cooped up in some isolated hidey hole for God knows how long.”

  “Her safety outweighs the momentary discomfort as well as the cost of leaving behind a life she has only lived for six months.”

  “We all know my stay in the safe house will be much longer than momentary, Thomas.” He seemed to dismiss Gloria pointing out the obvious. “And how can you guarantee moving me to a safe house is any safer than staying here if you don’t know how Manuel found my location in the first place? Who’s to say he won’t learn the location of the safe house the same way he found out I was here?” At that Thomas actually looked flustered. Had he not thought that was a possibility? As he seemed to have nothing further to say, Gloria turned her attention towards Jake and Jason. “What’s the alternative?”

  “You stay here and continue to live your life as Gloria Lopez, but with one difference. Jake and I will provide 24 /7 protection. You’ll move to the ranch with us and you won’t go anywhere without at least one of us with you. At all times you’ll be covered.” Gloria didn’t know whether to be excited or frightened by what Jason proposed. At least with his option she’d get to stay here and continue living this life. She’d also be a long-term houseguest in casa de McCoy. Could her heart and her hormones handle that much exposure without getting hurt again? What frightened her the most was Jake and Jason putting themselves in harm's way to protect her. Could she live with herself if one of them got seriously injured or even killed trying to protect her from Manuel?

  Sensing her reluctance to respond Jake jumped in and began supporting Jason’s plan. “If you’re worried about us being in danger, don’t be. We may not be marshals, but we’re still law enforcement. Trained to deal with dangerous situations. Plus the marshal service will provide support by watching the outer perimeter of the town.”

  “You’ll get the chance to continue living a normal life here, but with a few minor changes. No matter how long it takes to re-arrest Ortiz. At least your life wouldn’t need to stop in the process.” The sincerity in Jason’s voice was touching.

  “Staying here may also help in Ortiz’s recapture,” Sheriff McCoy added.

  “You mean with me as bait?” Gloria asked.

  “Don’t look at it that way. We certainly don’t,�
� Jake added. Then before he could say any more his father held his hand up to stay Jake’s words so the sheriff could finish this new point he brought up to Gloria.

  “At the moment all the marshals know is that Ortiz is headed to Arizona to ‘tie up loose ends.’ It’s safe to assume he’s looking for you, but we don’t know for sure that he knows where in Arizona you are or what your new identity is. If you stay here and continue living your life as if you don’t know he’s escaped then he and the leak will think no one is onto them. Manuel won’t suspect the marshal service or our department is on the lookout for him in the area. It will lull them both into a false security that will lead them into making mistakes and those mistakes will get them caught.”

  “And how exactly do you propose she live a normal life when she is going to be seen constantly in the presence of these two when she wasn’t before? Like you said before, this is a small town and small towns talk.” Thomas posed his question to the group, making his dislike for this plan obvious.

  “That’s simple.” At Jason’s words everyone in the room turned to face him. “We’ll pretend she’s dating the both of us. Trust me. No one will question it.”

  Jason didn’t elaborate further and by the looks on everyone’s face he didn’t need to. No one but the marshals was visibly surprised. Even though Gloria hadn’t been in town long, she’d already heard the rumors of the McCoy boys and their diverse sexual preferences. One reoccurring theme was their fondness for sharing their partners with each other. Which, according to the gossip, last took place when they were in high school. It was those rumors that inspired Gloria’s most erotic fantasies about them. Even though she heard Jason say they’d only pretend to be dating her, she couldn’t help the small flush that came over her at just the suggestion. The twins always flirted with her, but they both were huge teases so she never took it seriously. They subtly propositioned every female that crossed their path, it was part of the McCoy charm. One Gloria was certain they’d gotten from their father. The sheriff was just an older version of his sons.

  Sensing Thomas was about to ask something completely stupid, Gloria spoke up. “He’s right. It may make me the talk of the town for a while, but no one will question it or think it’s out of the ordinary. Once this whole thing with Manuel blows over, we can pretend we simply broke up and I can go back to living my life here with no one but us the wiser.” Gloria faced Thomas as she said this because she couldn’t bring herself to face Jason or Jake when she referred to them breaking up. They knew her too well not to notice if she stumbled on her words. Realizing one person had stayed relatively silent the whole time, she turned to face Mendoza . “Tell me what you think, Mendoza ?”

  “I think both plans have strong pros and cons. I firmly believe you’ll be safe in either case.”

  “But if you were me and you were in my position which would you choose? Forget that you’re a marshal and imagine you were in my place. What would you do? I know what everyone else’s opinion is. I want to know yours.”

  “Truthfully?” Gloria nodded and waited for him to answer. “If I were you, I’d go with whichever option felt right in my heart.”

  Mendoza was definitely on the fence, but he made a good point. She needed to make this decision based off what she thought was right and not let fear or others' opinion sway her. It was her life that hung in the balance not theirs. After taking a few moments to think, she finally came to a decision.

  “I want to stay here and try Jason’s idea. My life is here now. I’m tired of running scared from Manuel and I’m not going to allow him to mess with my life ever again.” At Gloria’s words both Jason and Jake looked satisfied, while Thomas still looked annoyed. Sheriff McCoy and Mendoza were the only ones schooling their faces to look impartial. “However, if something happens and the situation changes, I’d like to retain the opportunity to change my mind later and go to a safe house. It’s not that I don’t have faith in you guys to keep me safe, but if leaving my new life behind is the only way I can keep you three and my other new friends safe then that is what I’m going to do. I won’t be able to live with myself if something happened to any of you because of me and my past.” She said while looking pointedly at Jake, Jason, and the sheriff.

  “I’d say that’s a fair compromise, wouldn’t you?” Mendoza said and then he looked at Thomas. “And the safe house isn’t going anywhere. While we try things their way, we can focus on uncovering the leak. That way if Gloria decides in the future to go to the safe house, we won’t have to worry about the leak disclosing the safe house location to Ortiz.”

  “I agree,” the sheriff added while giving Gloria that fatherly smile she’d grown so fond of. Jake and Jason nodded their agreement as well but reframed from responding verbally.

  “Well, if you gentlemen don’t mind, I think I’ve had enough talk for one morning. I’m going to tackle the stacks of files that need to be put away. And since we’re in a police station, I don’t think it’s necessary for Jake and Jason to start protection detail until we leave for the day or at the least break for lunch.” Gloria was trying hard to project a façade of calmness, strength and normalcy, but every second she sat there, her turbulent emotions and the reality of what was happening slowly chipped away at her veneer. She knew she’d be alright, but she needed a moment away from everyone to think. A lot had been thrown at her this morning that she still needed to digest. She doubted anyone was buying it, but luckily the sheriff understood her need to escape and didn’t try to keep her there any longer.

  “Sure Gloria. Finish your filing. Just let the boys or I know if you need to leave the station for any reason,” the sheriff responded and Gloria nodded. Still holding her cup of hot chocolate, now lukewarm in her hands, she rose from her seat. Within seconds, she was through the office door and headed to the small file room in the back of the station. Well so much for a drama and fear free Christmas. Maybe next year? If she lived that long.

  Deck The Halls

  Chapter Three

  They all watched as Gloria left the office like the hounds of hell were chasing her. Everything inside Jason called out for him to go after her and make sure she was alright, but he could tell from Gloria’s body language that what she wanted most right now was to be left alone. Jason wanted so bad to follow her, take her into his arms, and kiss all her pain away. But he knew his domineering actions with Gloria would confuse her more and probably do more harm than good right now. So even though it was killing him to let her go, he forced his feet to stay right where they were. The only solace Jason had was that he knew he wasn’t the only one fighting his feelings for Gloria. He knew Jake was going through the exact same thing. It also helped his resolve by reminding himself that soon their time with Gloria would come.

  “Well, now that we’re all agreed on what we’re going to do in regards to Gloria’s safety we can focus on what we’re going to do to get Ortiz off the street quickly. If you were serious about solidarity between our two agencies then us working together on this should be a given, correct?” the sheriff asked while pointedly looking at both of the marshals. They both nodded, though Thomas’s nod was a lot more reluctant than Mendoza ’s.

  “Definitely. I’ll contact our office and get them to fax an updated photo of Ortiz as well as his physical description.” Mendoza said as he pulled his Blackberry out of his pocket and began tapping away on the screen.

  “It would be more helpful if you had the entire file on Ortiz faxed over. The more facts we know about him, the greater our chances are at catching him. We’ll know what to be on the lookout for if we study his file and get a sense of his MO.” Marshal Thomas didn’t look happy by that request but he was smart enough to know arguing was a lost cause so he remained silent.

  “It goes without saying that only Ortiz’s photo and the fact he is wanted gets shared with the rest of your department. As the file contains references to Gloria’s past life, it doesn’t go beyond the people in this room.”

  “Of course,” the s
heriff replied. Mendoza just nodded as he continued to tap away on his Blackberry.

  “All I need now is your fax number and we should start receiving the transmissions immediately.”

  “I’ll show you two to the fax machine. While we’re waiting for the transmission to finish, we can discuss further exactly what details we can and cannot share with my deputies. Boys, go about your day like normal, but tomorrow you can expect a schedule change that will ensure your hours and Gloria’s coincide. And on that note, I believe we all need to get to work.” Jason only half-heartedly listened as his father continued speaking because his mind and his heart was really with the beautiful troubled woman alone in the file room. He didn’t kid himself into believing he wouldn’t go check on her soon. There was only so much willpower a person can have and when it came to Gloria, Jason didn’t have that much to start with.

  Both Jake and Jason stood aside as they allowed their father to pass them on his way to the door. The sheriff gestured for the two marshals to exit the office before him leaving Jason and his brother bringing up the rear. He didn’t know if it was a twin thing or the fact he’d spent his entire life with him, but Jason knew Jake wanted to speak with him just as he knew what it was about. So instead of heading towards the door, Jason sat in the closest guest chair while Jake softly closed the office door giving them some privacy. “I know what you’re planning.”

  “Of course you do. We planned it together remember?” Jason replied as he reached for one of the large coffees Gloria had bought for them on her way to work. She always did little thoughtful things like this for people. It’s why the whole damn town fell in love with her so quickly. On any other day he’d quickly grab the coffee because he couldn’t wait to drink it down and let the caffeine heaven hit his system. But today he grabbed the lukewarm Styrofoam cup simply to keep his hands busy while he had it out with his brother.