Chapter 3

THREE

TUESDAY, 12:10 A.M.

The scream launched Caleb into full soldier mode. Before his eyes had opened, he had his gun in his hand and had reached for the bedroom doorknob.

Every nerve ending in his body pulsed with energy while his mind focused on one solitary mission.

Rescue Ivy.

He cracked the door a fraction and didn't see anything in the living room. Waiting a heartbeat, he proceeded across the apartment to Ivy's room. All of his senses operated in red-alert mode.

The hairs on his arm stood up and Caleb froze.

Someone was in the apartment.

A crash rang out from the kitchen, and a blur of black rushed him. He pointed his gun, but something slammed into his head. Dazed, he stumbled backwards.

"Uncle Caleb! Watch out!"

He grabbed the back of the couch for support with one hand, gun still pointing in the direction of the dining room. A man clad in all black grabbed a laptop from the table and flung it at Caleb, and he ducked. The device flew over his head and hit the wall. Before he could regroup and re-aim his gun, the front door was flung open and heavy footsteps pounded down the hall.

Ivy was by his side before he could blink, her arms wrapping around his waist. Her tears wet his shirt. Caleb touched his forehead and saw blood trickle between his fingers.

"I'll get you a towel to press against your head." Ivy sniffed and headed to the kitchen. He followed, not wanting her out of his sight for a second. She grabbed some paper towels from the counter and handed him a wad. He pressed them to his forehead, and the bleeding slowed.

"I called 911," Ivy said. She handed him his phone from her pocket. He'd have to talk to her later about why she had it.

"Your scream scared the intruder away. Good thinking." Caleb sat at the dining room table, careful not to touch anything. Maybe the police could dust for prints. Except he recalled the intruder had been wearing gloves, so prints wouldn't be likely.

A knock at the half-open door stopped his heart. "Caleb? It's Officer Matt Williams from downstairs."

A man stood in the doorframe, since the door hadn't fully closed after the intruder had bolted. "My boss texted me about the break-in when he recognized the address as my building." His neighbor strode in, weapon in hand, but no uniform. The man wore jeans and a Savannah Banana's T-shirt. "I raced upstairs as soon as I heard about an intruder. Are you two okay?"

Caleb had only met Matt once, but gratitude at the man's timely arrival plus the stress of the situation choked his words. "We're fine. Just stunned."

"The paramedics are on their way." Matt surveyed the damage. "Are you able to talk and tell me what happened?"

Caleb stayed seated, making sure he wasn't dizzy from the bump on his head. He cleared his throat, hoping his voice didn't quaver. He needed to be strong for Ivy. "We had an intruder. Ivy screamed, and I walked into the living room to find a man rummaging through our belongings."

Two paramedics rushed in single file, and they made a beeline for Caleb. His first reaction was to wave them off, but Ivy shook her head, preempting any chance of him not getting checked out. She knew him so well.

An officer peppered Ivy with questions and asked for a description of the intruder. "I don't have an exact description because the man wore all black and a ski mask, but he was around five foot ten. I'd guess he weighed one seventy-five, because he was on the skinny side. He wore black Nike sneakers, probably a size ten if I had to estimate. White guy, based on the skin color that peeked through the edges of the mask. His eyes were blue, and I don't think he was very old. Maybe not a teenager, so I'd guess he's in his twenties. He moved pretty fast, so I don't think he was much older than that. And he was married."

The older officer taking her statement chuckled and sized Ivy up. The guy's pasty skin with dark circles under his eyes conveyed the man's bad luck of pulling numerous late-night shifts.

"Now, little girl, how do you know all this?" The officer's Savannah drawl gave the question way more syllables than necessary.

This little girl could run circles around the guy when it came to recalling elements of a crime scene. Ivy stared at the man like the answer should be obvious. Her eidetic memory came in handy for police reports, and Caleb knew exactly how she'd figured the perpetrator was married.

"The bump on his gloved hand suggested the presence of a ring on his left hand."

"Do you want a job, Ivy?" The officer shook his balding head. "Because we've never had that kind of description before. You'd make a fine officer."

"No, thank you. I'm going to work for the FBI cybercrimes division."

The man made a tsk-tsk sound. "Too bad. I'd hate to lose someone so talented to the Fibbies. I hope you reconsider someday."

"Look, Uncle Caleb. My first job offer." Ivy smiled, and it made Caleb's adrenaline return to a normal level. He hated she'd had to go through the scare of a home invasion. His thoughts flickered back to his job. Did the break-in have anything to do with the hacker threat? The timing of the two events could be a coincidence, but Caleb's gut told him otherwise.

Caleb pulled Matt to the side while Ivy chatted more about her FBI aspirations. "I need to let you know about threats we've received at work. From a hacker group called Rushmore."

Matt inhaled sharply. "I'm familiar with their work in the area."

"I'll forward you the email they sent Blake, my partner, but I'm concerned this break-in is related."

Matt nodded. "I'll look into it. Is there anything else missing from your house? Did the thief take anything?"

Caleb looked around. "I didn't see him take anything, but I counted the laptops and one is missing. He hit me with one, threw another, but there's still one unaccounted for."

Matt made a note with his phone. "I'll add that to the official report. Just keep me in the loop if you hear from these hackers again."

Matt left the apartment along with the other officer and paramedics. Caleb sat on the couch after securing the front door. He'd change the locks in the morning. Ivy snuggled close to him. The strawberry scent of her shampoo restored some semblance of the peace Caleb had lost with the home invasion.

He needed to keep Ivy safe—from robbers, hackers, or whatever terrors life threw her way.

"Uncle Caleb, I'm so glad you were in the Army and knew what to do when that man broke in."

His heart wrenched. "I'll always be there for you. Nothing's going to happen to you on my watch."

She looked up at him. "But who's looking out for you?"

Caleb's heart squeezed. This perpetrator had rocked her sense of security. "I'll take extra precautions, but I don't think that man will be back. I know how to defend myself."

"But in the Army, you had a team of people that helped you." She got up, moved to the bookcase, and picked up a picture of Caleb's graduating basic training class. "You all worked together for protection. You shouldn't be alone."

"Oh, Ivy. I can't guarantee safety, but I believe that God is ultimately in control, even when things don't make sense. I'm choosing trust over fear." He let the words settle in his soul, because his mind continued to sink its teeth into the what ifs, and he refused to waste brain space focusing on the worst-case scenarios.

She stared at the picture and then placed it back on the shelf. "Maybe we could play hooky tomorrow. Just spend the day together. I don't think you should go to the office in the morning."

Caleb looked at the pile of laptops. He still needed to check them for any security flaws. "I've got a lot of work to catch up on, and you've got to go to school. After today's incident, you can't play hooky. I can't face Principal Rodgers twice in one week."

Ivy didn't laugh—not that he was known for his humor. He just wanted to see her smile.

"I worry about you, Uncle Caleb. You don't have anyone watching your back."

"Hey, kiddo, come here." He held his arms open and she filled them. "You don't have anything to worry about. You let me worry about our protection."

Caleb's mind spun with plans for security. Because he'd protect Ivy at all costs. School might be the safest option for her tomorrow while he figured out the next steps. He'd let the school resource officer know the situation. He wasn't taking any chances.

These hackers had messed with the wrong family, and next time, he wouldn't be caught unprepared. Despite reassuring Ivy, in his heart, Caleb wondered when these men would strike again.

* * *

TUESDAY, 8:30 A.M.

"Can you please try to stay on Noelle's good side today?" Raven Vega greeted Juliette the second she walked through the front door to the Elite Guardians' office.

Great. So Noelle wasn't over her irritation from yesterday's bank robbery. Not the way she wanted to start her day. Juliette and Noelle had forged a friendship, but Noelle ran the office. They didn't always see eye to eye on how to handle certain situations. But someone had had to intervene in that bank robbery before an innocent person got hurt.

She pasted on a smile. "Good morning to you too, Raven." She placed the box of donuts on the edge of the reception desk. If Juliette needed to stay on anyone's good side, it was Raven's. The eccentric administrative assistant's gothic attire only added to her allure. By day, Raven kept all the bodyguards in line and organized. By night, the woman moonlighted as a tour guide for one of Savannah's historical tours, enchanting tourists with tales of the city's mysteries. When Juliette needed to find anything in Savannah, Raven was the first stop.

"Noelle is looking for you. But you have an early morning visitor right now." Raven nodded to the waiting area at her right. Juliette stuck her head through the doorway to the waiting room that used to be her grandmother's formal living room back in the day. A young girl sat in a chair, her backpack crammed under her feet.

She ducked out of the doorway and turned to Raven. "Shouldn't she be in school? Who is she?" Juliette dropped her voice to a whisper. The girl couldn't be more than ten or twelve, and where were her parents? Noelle would have to wait. Juliette's trouble radar dialed into the girl in front of her.

"I don't know. She asked for you by name and said she needed a bodyguard." Raven shrugged.

Okay then. Juliette crossed into the waiting area and stood in front of the girl. "Hi, I'm Juliette. What's your name?"

The girl sized Juliette up with striking emerald green eyes. Before the kid could respond, Juliette's protective instincts overrode all other senses, and she peppered her with questions. "Where are your parents? Do they know you're here?"

Ivy took a deep breath. "I?—"

"Actually, how old are you? Shouldn't you be in school? How did you get here? I should let you talk…"

"Ease up there, Sherlock." Raven's mouth turned up with the hint of a mocking smile. "Give her a chance to answer."

Juliette shook her head and squatted in front of the girl. "Tell me why you're here."

After a several second pause, the girl spoke with a pace that matched Juliette's rapid-fire style. "I'm Ivy Covington. My parents died in a car accident approximately three years ago. No one knows I'm here. I'm twelve. Yes, I should be in school. I walked from the campus; it's not too far from here. I'm here because I need your help. Well, technically my uncle is the one in trouble."

Ivy Covington. Juliette ran the name through her mind's database. It sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it. She sank onto the couch next to Ivy's chair. "Why me?"

Ivy pulled out a picture frame from inside her backpack, handing it to Juliette. "Is this you? In the picture from basic training?"

Juliette stifled a gasp. Nostalgia slammed into her like an ocean wave as her past resurfaced. The group photo from graduation day had creases in it, and the colors had faded, but the memories were sharp and clear. Staring back at her from the frame were Caleb and Laz, two of her best friends from that class.

She never let herself think about Laz.

"I haven't seen this picture in years. Basic training was ten years ago. Where did you get this?"

"So, it's you in the picture, right?"

Juliette handed the frame back. "That's me." She resisted bothering Ivy with more questions. The girl needed space to open up.

Ivy flipped the picture for Juliette to see and pointed to one of the men in the photo. "My uncle."

A knot clenched in her stomach. She nodded, now remembering where she'd heard Ivy's name. Caleb used to talk about her all the time. "Your uncle and I were good friends. We met in basic training and both went into separate branches of the Army. I became a Ranger, and he wound up working as a computer analyst. We eventually lost touch though." Recollections swirled around her like fog in the morning.

Caleb Styles. The name sent her mind reeling. The last thing she wanted to do was revisit her Army days. After all this time, what would she say if she came face-to-face with the man she'd left lying in a hospital bed after he'd risked his life to save hers?

She shook her head as if she could dislodge the scene from her thoughts. "Why are you here, Ivy?"

Ivy reached into her bag and pulled out an actual ceramic pink piggy bank along with an envelope. She dumped out the contents of each onto the end table. Bills and change littered the glass top. Juliette stared at the preteen girl with the piggy bank.

"I have $127.60. I've been saving for robotics parts. I'm in a competition. It's a big deal. I'm building a sumo robot that has?—"

Juliette waved a hand. Ivy was so much like Caleb, who added a million details in every story he told, whether Juliette understood or not.

"Right," Ivy said. "I'll get to the point. Your website didn't have any prices for hiring a bodyguard. But this is all I have right now."

"Are you in trouble?"

The girl shifted in her seat. "No. I want to hire you to protect my uncle. He's all I have. I can't let anything happen to him."

Juliette's heart melted. She'd had no idea that Caleb had moved to Savannah. What were the odds they'd wind up in the same city? She'd heard that he'd been sent stateside but had lost track of him after her discharge from the Army. She stood. "Let's go into the conference room, where we can talk in private. I'll take some notes, and we'll figure out what to do."

"You're a bodyguard. You have to help him. I'm hiring you. He won't say no to you." The girl stood, hands on hips, with a fierceness Juliette appreciated.

"Let's talk about it and see if there's a case. We may need to loop your uncle into the conversation at some point."

"He's not going to like that I skipped school and came here on my own. He won't listen. I need you to convince him not to go to work."

"But if he's in danger like you claim, he needs to know. And I assure you, he's quite capable of taking care of himself. But the fact of the matter is, I can't be a bodyguard for someone without telling the person. It doesn't work that way."

Ivy shot her a sullen look that said she disapproved of the plan to tell Caleb, but she grabbed her backpack and followed Juliette across the lobby, up the stairs, and into a conference room. Juliette grabbed a pen and paper and observed Caleb's niece. She seemed young but sounded like an adult when she talked. The girl reminded her so much of Caleb. Smart and analytical. Juliette could almost see her mind whirring with calculations.

They sat at the oval conference room table. The two square picture windows overlooked Lafayette Square, where water misted from the iconic green fountain. A peaceful scene compared to the fierce concern of the twelve-year-old girl.

"Let's start at the beginning, Ivy, so I can best see how to protect your uncle."

"Last night, someone broke into our house. The person was wearing all black like a ninja. My uncle could have been killed, except he pulled out his gun and chased the person away. The police came and everything. I have a bad feeling that something is going to happen at his job. I need you to stop him from going to work." Words tumbled out with the force of a tornado, and Juliette struggled to keep up with the rambling pace.

Could Ivy be any more cryptic and yet so specific at the same time? "How do you know something will happen?"

The girl shrugged. "Whoever broke in might return."

Juliette sat back in the chair, the plush leather squeaking. A break-in would be enough to traumatize an adult, let alone a child. "Have you told your uncle your concerns? Maybe if he knew you were worried about the break-in, he might take some precautions. You know your uncle has military training; he can defend himself. I've seen him in action."

Ivy's head shake had the potential to give her whiplash. "He won't believe me. I'm just hoping you can convince him. He told me you two were good friends. He needs his Army friends. Isn't that your motto?"

A sense of loyalty rattled through Juliette, and her fierce desire to protect others pumped that familiar feeling through her veins. If the trouble was real, she wouldn't hesitate to intervene. "It's the soldier's creed. I will never leave a fallen comrade ."

She cleared her throat, shoving her emotions back into the lock box she'd created in her heart years ago. "We need to bring this situation to your uncle. He needs to be aware of the danger."

Ivy might be the kind of kid that had an active imagination, and it was sweet that she wanted to protect her uncle from an intruder. Then again, peering into Ivy's tear-filled eyes, Juliette sensed something much deeper was going on. But she couldn't take a case based on a gut reaction. Let alone drain all the money from a little girl's piggy bank.

But face Caleb? What would she say? Sorry I left you lying in the hospital to deal with the grief of losing your friend. You may have saved my life, but I wanted you to have a future that didn't include taking care of me ?

Duty called, and Juliette at least needed to get Ivy someplace safe, if not assess the danger. She led Ivy downstairs to the reception area. "I'll text Noelle," Juliette said to Raven. "I'm going to make sure Ivy makes her way to school or home." Raven nodded without taking her eyes off her computer screen.

Juliette turned to Ivy. "What time does your uncle go to work?"

The girl shrugged. "He said he might work from home this morning and then go to the office later."

Juliette led Ivy down the hallway and through the back door. The house had a courtyard that offered a few parking spaces for the Elite Guardians' staff and any visitors.

Caleb's mini-me jumped into Juliette's car. "Do you like robots?" she asked as she buckled the seat belt.

"What? I have no particular feelings about robots."

"I'm in a robotics competition at school. We're building a robot that can…" The girl prattled on about the technical specifications of the robot, but Juliette's mind drifted. Just one look at the girl, and Juliette's nostalgia took center stage. The resemblance between Ivy and her uncle made Juliette's heart ache. How would Caleb handle seeing her after all these years? She had been the one to walk away. She'd done it with his future in mind, but would he see it that way? The knot in her stomach tightened.

When Ivy stopped to take a breath, Juliette jumped back into the conversation. "So your uncle doesn't know I'm coming?"

Ivy cringed. "I didn't tell him. I knew he wouldn't want help. But he needs it. He's alone."

Those two words burrowed into Juliette's heart. Caleb deserved to be with someone special. Women always seemed to fall for the nerd, but Caleb had never seemed to notice the command he had over the opposite sex. He was attractive, kind, and super smart. Why was the man still on the market?

They arrived at the address Ivy had provided.

"This apartment complex was an old hospital that was gutted and renovated into apartments." Ivy's lecture style reminded Juliette of a college professor. "The outside still holds its pre-Civil War historic charm, but the lobby and each unit received a complete twenty-first-century upgrade. Modern lighting, new fixtures, but sadly, no elevator."

Juliette hiked up the stairs with Ivy, her heart rate ticking up with each step. How had she not run into Caleb when they'd been living in the same city? She'd been in Savannah for a year.

They rounded the corner of the hallway, and Juliette collided with someone. Strong arms grabbed her to keep from tumbling over.

Not someone.

Caleb Styles.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said, willing the rising heat in her neck to stay down.

Her eyes locked with his, and for a second, it seemed like no time had passed between them. It was as if they were still in basic training, hanging out together and laughing while they were both saddled with the late shift for guard duty.

She took two steps back, out of his reach, and the connection was severed. Now she was the woman who had left him three years ago without a word. No explanation. Nothing.

"Juliette?" His arms flopped to his sides, and his mouth gaped open. "I—I don't know what to say. Why—why are you here?"

His eyes shifted to Ivy. "What did you do? I was just rushing out the door because the school called and said you never arrived for first period. And I dropped you off." The car keys jangled in his hand.

Something tugged at the hem of her shirt, and Juliette saw Ivy peeking out from behind her.

"Uncle Caleb, we need help. You need help. And you told me your Army buddies would always have your back. So I googled Juliette, and it turns out that she's a professional bodyguard. So I hired her."

"Surprise," Juliette said, throwing up her hands in mock surrender. "I found her in my office this morning. Thought I'd make sure she got home in one piece."

"Don't worry," Ivy said. "It was only two blocks from school. Not a long walk."

Caleb ran a hand through his hair. When had he let his hair grow out? It wasn't long, but she'd always seen him with his short military style. Not to mention the goatee he sported. But his signature black-rimmed glasses remained the same. The man still looked good, from his nerdy T-shirt to his plaid Converse. He was the same old Caleb she remembered, just a little older with a few gray hairs peeking out of his brown, wavy hair and a couple of fine lines on his forehead.

"Ivy, head inside. I'd like to talk to Juliette for a moment."

Ivy complied and bounded down the hall and through their apartment door. Once the door closed, Caleb leaned against the wall and said, "Jules. I didn't know you were in Savannah of all places. In fact, I had no idea where you've been the last few years." His tone wasn't one of scolding, but of concern.

She shrugged and leaned against the wall, facing him. "I moved to Savannah about a year ago. I had no idea you were in the area." She folded her arms, trying to appear casual, but the rising tide of emotions swelled. "I am so sorry to hear about your sister. When did you take custody of Ivy?"

His shoulders sank and he stared at the ground. "It was just after you left. When I got back to the base after the attack, I found out about the car accident. I finished out my contract and came stateside to be with Ivy."

Right after she'd walked out on him, leaving him in the hospital after he'd rescued her.

Three years ago, the decision had seemed to be in everyone's best interests. But now?

She longed for that spark between them to ignite again. The camaraderie they'd shared. If only she could pick up where they'd left off, before things had derailed like the world's largest freight train.

Did she and Caleb have a shot at being friends again?

Or would she always be the one that left him behind?