Covert Christmas by Marilyn Pappano

shoulders hunched and head down, Josh started toward the door on the north side. His heart was thudding, his palms beginning to sweat. He deliberately wove around people where Leeves would have a clear view of him if he only looked up.
    After a moment, Leeves did just that and slowly smiled. He shifted his overcoat enough that Josh could see the weapon underneath. As if Josh would be stupid enough to think him unarmed. The bastard always carried at least two guns, and so did skinny Frank—guns that could do a tremendous amount of damage in the crowded shelter.
    Josh acknowledged Leeves with a slight nod, taking hishands from his pockets, holding them out loosely at his sides in a sign of surrender.
    Leeves spoke into his cell phone as he made his way to Josh’s side. “Smart choice, Saldana. It would have ruined a lot of people’s holiday if you’d tried to run.”
    â€œI’m tired of running.”
    â€œWhere’s Natalia?”
    Good. They hadn’t seen her. “We parted ways. Funny thing—she didn’t like getting shot at because of me.”
    â€œShe’s good at saving her own skin, isn’t she?” Leeves gestured as Frank joined them, and together they hustled Josh out the north door, where the van waited. They shoved Josh into the back, doors slammed, and before Josh had recovered from hitting the hard metal floor, they were moving.
    He sat up, rubbing a sore spot on his shoulder. “How’d you find me?”
    â€œWe’ve got people spread all over this city.”
    Josh grinned. “You got lucky, huh?” And here he was always known as the lucky one. Well, luck had to run out sometime, didn’t it? “Are we going back to Chicago? Because if we are, I need some warmer clothes. Even though it’s Christmas Eve, I imagine we can find a store that’s open where I can get a coat and gloves.”
    Frank spoke for the first time. “You don’t need them where you’re going.” To the driver, he said, “This is good. Let us out here.”
    Josh looked around, but there were no windows in the rear of the van and one of Leeves’s thugs blocked the view out the windshield. They’d driven only a few minutes, so they must still be in downtown Augusta. Then the back door swung open, and he smelled damp and saw the breach in the levee.
    Riverwalk. He was going to die on Christmas Eve at Natalia’s favorite place in Augusta, and if his body didn’t get tangled in branches along the way, it would float right on down to Savannah, past his parents’ new hometown.
    Jeez, what was worse than crappiest?
    His soon-to-be-ended life.
    But at least Natalia had a chance to get away. And she knew he’d loved her. And though she’d never said the words, he knew she loved him, too.
    It wasn’t much, but it had to be enough.

Chapter 6
    O h, God.
    Natalia stood rooted in place, staring across the room to the north side where the van had driven away moments earlier. Leeves had found them, and damn it, Josh had known. That was why he’d given her the money, why he’d sent her to the bathroom, so he could convince Leeves that she wasn’t with him.
    So he could save her life.
    Now she had to find a way to save his.
    Her gaze darted around the room. Liz had directed her to find shelter, had told her that someone—local police or federal—would meet them there to take them into protective custody. Where the hell was a cop when you needed one?
    â€œNatalia Parker?”
    Eyes wide with shock, she spun around and found herself facing three somber men. Though they were dressed casually in khakis and jeans, she would have made them for Feds—pissed-off Feds, for having their Christmas Eve interrupted. “They’ve taken Josh!” she blurted out, pointing out the windowwhere she’d seen the van pull away. Without waiting for their response, she raced toward the door.
    She hardly