Free Cast the Cards by Shyla Colt

she’d begin to heal.”
    “Clark
, I’m not some sort of emotion whisperer.”
    “I
know.” He looked Carey in the eyes. “But you can do this.”
    “Damn
you, Clark.” Carey sighed. “Fine.”
    Clark’s
tense muscles relaxed. “If I know you two will be taking care of one another
when my time comes again, I’ll be able to go.”
    The
look of discomfort that crossed Carey’s face made Clark feel like shit. It was
a lot to ask but he needed some hope to help ease the pain that came with the
thought of leaving them behind once more.

 
    Chapter
Five
    The
sound of her phone jerked her from the heavy sleep she was loathe to leave
behind. Savannah pried open her scratchy eyes and stuck her hand out of the
blanket. She felt around for the device she’d set on her dresser.  Finding it,
she pulled it inside her cocoon.
    “Hello.”
Her throat felt raw, and her eyes burned.
    “Vannah?”
    “Carey?”
    “Yeah.
I hate to wake you like this when I’m the one who told you to get some rest,
but this can’t wait.”
    “What
happened?” She swallowed, focusing on his voice as she struggled against the
stranglehold of sleep.
    “You
got another package.”
    The
words made her gasp. “They know I’m here.” And I thought this case couldn’t
get any more personal. Murphy’s law strikes again.
    “It
looks that way.”
    “They’re
watching me. This isn’t good. They are actively hunting.”
    “How
can you sound so calm?”
    “Because
panicking isn’t an option right now. I need a squad car monitoring my house. I
have to tell my parents about this. Their safety is compromised.” She made a
mental list and began to run down each item.
    “You
think they’d come to your house?”
    “If
they thought it was necessary, yes. I put nothing past these people. It bothers
me I don’t know how long they’ve been observing. I’d wager not too long. Their
letter suggested my occupation was a recent discovery.”
    “I’ll
talk to the Chief and get it started.”
    “Thank
you. I’m getting up and coming in now. Have you opened the package?”
    “Only
to have the bomb experts examine it.”
    “Good,
keep the vultures in the office away from it.”
    He
chuckled. “You got it, Sherieff.”
    “Don—”
The dial tone was her only response. “That little shit hung up on me!” A smirk
twitched her lips upward. She pushed the covers off her body and escaped her
warm nest. The wood floor was cool on her bare feet. She hissed.
    The
sun was just beginning to rise, so it couldn’t be much more than seven. The
hushed whispers of her parents and clanks of pots and pans being moved around
told her she’d caught them before they started their day.  She made her way
down the stairs and into the kitchen where they stood at the counter drinking
coffee.
    “Morning,
Mom, Dad.”
    “Good
morning, Savannah. You’re up early.” Her mother smiled.
    “I
know. I just received a phone call… A case I’m working on has gotten …
dangerous. They’re going to start driving by the house and keeping an eye out.
I’d like you to be wary of any suspicious-looking people, cars, et cetera. ”
    “What’s
going on?” Her mother frowned.
    “I’m
not at liberty to say. This is more of a precautionary measure than anything
else.”
    “We’ll
keep our eyes peeled. You stay safe out there.” Her Father always knew how to
smooth ruffled feathers when it came to Mom.
    “I
will. I’m going to go get dressed. I need to be in the office.”She turned and
headed for the stairs.
    “What
about breakfast?” Her mother called after her.
    “I’ll
grab bagels on the way out, I promise.”
    A
quick shower later and she was dressed in a pair of khaki pants, a light pink
shirt, and a pair of brown boots. Her hair was slicked back from her face.
She’d applied a light coat of make-up to hide her sleep-weary face. With her
badge tucked into her belt and her gun on her hip, concealed by a blazer, she
stomped down the stairs and rushed into