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How dare they threaten her life? It wasn’t fair. Jana closed her eyes. She had a headache, so she rubbed her temples. Looking over at Thaddeus, she said, “Whoever did this is not going to get away with it.”
“Definitely not,” Thaddeus said. “The psycho is on my bad side, a move that he will live to regret.”
When Jana got home, Eva was sitting by the fireplace having a cup of tea. “Amma…”
Her grandmother opened her arms and hugged her granddaughter. “Has something happened?”
Jana looked up at Thaddeus. “You tell her. I don’t think I can get the words out.”
Eva listened, increasingly horrified as the story unraveled. With tears in her eyes, she touched Jana’s cheek. “I’m so glad that you’re unharmed. I don’t even want to think…” She looked up at Thaddeus. “Thank you.”
Thaddeus nodded. “Your granddaughter should get some rest, and you should too. I’ll be here, so you’ll be safe.”
Eva stood up and Jana put her arm around her. “I’ll walk you downstairs.”
Once her grandmother was relaxing in her room, Jana went up to bed. She felt suddenly exhausted. But even when she slid under the covers and nestled against her pillow, she didn’t feel the least bit drowsy.
Her anger had subsided, replaced by fear and anxiety. She was scared and on edge, so couldn’t sleep. It felt like she had myriad problems, but she realized they were all tied to the trauma. She had only one problem, and that was to find out who wanted her dead.
Jana tossed and turned, unsettled. The incident stuck in her mind, almost as if replaying on a loop. She couldn’t forget how terrorized she’d been, and still was. And she couldn’t put aside that someone she cared about had been a hairsbreadth from fatal injury.
She did care about Thaddeus. He was a good man. And not just because he’d saved her life. He just was. If something had happened to him, she wouldn’t have forgiven herself. She tried to make sense out of the experience or figure out if she could have done something differently.
But since Jana didn’t know why anyone would want to kill her, she had no clue how she might have brought the situation on herself. Another person didn’t arbitrarily kill another. It was motivated by an evil urge, one she struggled to come to grips with.
What happened had been intended. That part was driving her crazy. Who was it? And why was the person vindictive toward her? If she knew, then she could fix this horrible situation. But as it was, she was helpless.
But she wasn’t alone, thank God. She had a bodyguard and he was rapidly becoming a friend. Intense danger tended to push people closer. She felt closer to Thaddeus than anyone else in the world right then.
He was going to help her. Together, they would unearth the perpetrator and stop the insanity. Having him with her increased her confidence. She’d envisioned herself as tough, even invincible. Clearly, she wasn’t as entirely self-sufficient as she’d thought. And she couldn’t think of anyone she’d rather lean on than Thaddeus.
*****
The next morning, Jana sent a text to Alton to let him know that she wouldn’t be in. She skipped the reason why, preferring to tell him of the hair-raising event next time she saw him. It wasn’t news that should be relayed over the phone.
It had been a rough night. Jana had tossed and turned, finally falling asleep well after midnight. When she’d drifted off, nightmares had disturbed her. She’d had flashes of violent scenes, losing someone she loved, and worse. The scenes had been disjointed and made no sense. But they had clearly mirrored the trauma she hadn’t yet recovered from.
She didn’t think she would recover until the culprit was caught. But she needed to get away. She had to get some space and a chance to think. So much had happened; she needed to regain her balance. A long, hard ski run was what she craved.
During any upsetting period of life, Jana had found solace on the snowy slopes. Skiing calmed and centered her, something she badly needed. She dressed for a day on the mountain then went downstairs.
Eva had a church fundraiser that morning, so had left early. Jana had the kitchen to herself yet didn’t want to waste precious minutes preparing food. When Thaddeus came in, she said, “I need to blow off some steam. We’re going to Northstar…at Tahoe.”
Thaddeus didn’t respond.
“You’ll have to rent equipment. We’re going skiing.” Jana handed over a cup. “Here’s some coffee. We’ll grab food on the way.”
*****
That seemed like a good idea to Thaddeus. He understood reactions to trauma. He’d witnessed the fear and anxiety that resulted from battle. Civilian life harbored dangers as well. The best thing Jana could do was get away for a bit. He noticed the circles under her eyes, revealing that she hadn’t slept well.
An added advantage was that Jana would be on a back slope, far from her home or work. It would make protection easier. Although Thaddeus would stay sharp anyway. Staying safe required taking nothing for granted.
He’d reported the previous evening’s near-miss to his boss. Travis was concerned and offered backup. If he needed it, Thaddeus would let him know. There wasn’t much to go on yet. Hopefully, out on the slopes he’d have a chance to get to know Jana better.
He needed to ask her some questions and try to trace the origin of her trouble. Away from daily pressures, he’d have a better chance of getting the answers he needed. Also, he liked the idea of whisking her away from danger to let her relax.
He hated seeing her traumatized. Even more, he hated who was doing this to her. But that would have to wait. First, Jana needed to regain her balance. She must be disoriented from such a shock. That she’d reacted with anger, once she’d had a few minutes to reflect, had been a good sign.
