The Man in The Shadows

Before leaving the farm, there was an interaction between Callahan and Jessica that left feeling vulnerable. Was it the touch of his hand on her arm when he told her to stay in the barn?

She couldn't exactly say. It was so hero- heroine in dime store novels. The victim falls for the good looking detective and suddenly its a cheesy romance novel.

Jessica shook it off. She stood firm, arms crossed over her chest as Callahan closed the journal and tucked it under his arm.

“You need to go somewhere safe,” he said, his voice leaving no room for argument. But Jessica had never been good at taking orders.

“I’m not running,” she shot back. “I need answers, not a hiding place.”

Callahan exhaled sharply, his hands on his hips, his frustration palpable. "Dammit, Jessica. You don’t get it. That man outside the barn wasn’t just some lost traveler. He was waiting. Watching. And if he’s the same one from outside your hotel room we need to be cautious."

“Then we need to find out who he is,” she finished.

Callahan’s jaw twitched. He was struggling between his instinct to protect and his duty to investigate. She could see it in the way he held himself, stiff and controlled.

Finally, he scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “Fine. But you’re not driving back alone. Leave your car here.”

Jessica hesitated. “Why?”

“Because if someone’s tailing you, I don’t want them knowing what you’re driving,” he said. “We’ll take my truck, and if they follow us, we’ll know for sure.” Jessica’s stomach clenched, but she nodded.

A few minutes later, they were in Callahan’s black pickup, the journal resting on the seat between them. He drove in silence at first, his hands tight around the steering wheel, eyes flicking to the rearview mirror every few seconds. Jessica exhaled slowly, staring out the window as the dark country road stretched ahead.

Then out of know where headlights appeared in the mirror.

Jessica felt her pulse spike. “Tell me that’s just some random car.”

Callahan didn’t answer right away. He waited, watching as the vehicle hung back, keeping a steady pace behind them.

Jessica’s throat went dry.

“They’re following us,” she murmured.

Callahan’s grip tightened. “Yeah. They are.”

A heavy silence settled between them as the tires hummed against the road.

Then Jessica turned toward him. “So what do we do? Lose them? Or let them follow us?”

Callahan exhaled, considering. "If we ditch them now, we might not get another chance to figure out who they are. But if we let them follow us to the hotel…" He trailed off.

Jessica finished for him. "Then maybe they’ll slip up and show their face."

Callahan’s fingers drummed against the steering wheel. "It’s risky."

Jessica met his gaze. "So is everything about this."

For a second, neither of them spoke. The tension in the truck had shifted—not just from fear, but from something deeper. A growing connection. A silent understanding.

Then Callahan nodded once, decisive.

"Alright," he said. "We let them follow. But the second I say move, you move. Got it?"

Jessica swallowed. "Got it."

The truck rumbled toward town, the headlights still steady behind them.

The trap was set. Now they just had to see who walked into it.

The truck rumbled into the hotel parking lot, rolling to a smooth stop near the entrance. Jessica forced herself to breathe evenly, to act as though she wasn’t aware of the vehicle idling across the lot.

Callahan did the same. His movements were casual, controlled—but she saw the tension in his jaw. He was on edge.

"Stay close," he murmured as he shut off the engine.

Jessica swallowed hard and nodded.

They stepped out of the truck, and the night air felt heavier than before, charged with an invisible weight pressing down on her shoulders.

Jessica fought the urge to turn around, to see who was watching them. Instead, she focused on the hotel entrance, on the large glass doors that led into the warmly lit lobby.

She could feel Callahan beside her, his presence grounding her as they walked forward. His body rigid but steady. He looked so masculine all of a sudden. Not a young deputy anymore. A peace officer on the job. Jessica let her mind wander to the 'what if's' and she smiled. Checking herself, she changed her expression to one of concern.

Then she saw it.

A reflection in the glass.

Her breath caught.

The car had shut off. The driver’s side door opened, and a figure stepped out. Tall. Dark-clothed. Moving with purpose.

Jessica’s faked a stumble and grabbed onto Callahan's arm. He steadied her and whispered, "I see him."

She knew this was the same man that was at the barn and outside her hotel room. Same lanky build. Same clothing.

Jessica didn’t speak. She didn’t move. She just stared at the reflection, her heart hammering against her ribs as the figure took a slow step forward.

She felt Callahan stiffen beside her, though he kept his voice even.

Jessica licked her lips, barely whispering, "It’s him."

Callahan didn’t turn. He just nodded, his voice low and unreadable. "Keep walking."

Jessica forced her feet to move, even as her instincts screamed at her to run.

They stepped through the glass doors, into the soft glow of the lobby. The moment they were inside, Callahan grabbed her wrist, pulling her toward a corner near the front desk where they were out of direct view from the parking lot.

His grip was firm, but not rough. He was protecting her. Keeping her close.

"What did he look like?" Callahan asked, voice low.

Jessica swallowed. "I couldn’t see his face. Just his shape. His walk. It’s him, Callahan. I know it."

Callahan exhaled sharply, his eyes flicking toward the doors. The glass reflected the parking lot back at them, but now, the man was gone.

Jessica’s stomach twisted. "Where is he?" she asked.

Calahan waited. He looked at her with concern and disappointment. "He is watching, waiting. I think he has already been here." He asked her what room she stayed in and Jessica dug the key out of her purse. They walked slowly toward the room.

Deputy Callahan motions for Jessica to remain behind him. He walked toward the door, and stopped suddenly. The door was ajar. He slowly drew his weapon from the holster and opened the door wider. The room was a complete shambles. Jessica peered around the deputy's shoulders. She stood in shock. She had come to consider her hotel room a sanctuary from the evil that was plaguing her life. Now it was just another scene in a horrible nightmare from which she could not escape. She gasped softly.

Instinctively she hugs her arms across her chest. Across the journal she once again held beneath her jacket.

"They are looking for this." Her eyes move to her jacket.

Callahan could sense the fear in her voice. He moved closer to her. His stance protective. It was as though he wanted to protect her from the horror behind him and what may lay ahead. She felt his breath on her as he said with an almost primal growl.

"I won't let anything happen to you, Jessica. They killed your mother, no doubt murdered your father as well. Now they are coming for you, for that journal. We need to get you someplace safe, and we need to see what is in that journal that is worth killing for."

Jessica's knees weakened as she slunk forward Callahan caught her in mid faint. She had gone as far as she could with the information she had. She was overwhelmed and the mention of murder made her head swim.

Callahan steadied her. Jessica looks up at him and for a moment she sees something in his eyes that causes her to inhale sharply. The heat between them was impossible to ignore. As Jessica regained control of her wobbly legs, she smiled meekly at him.

"My first name is Paul," he offered. Jessica smiled. That seemed pretty personal to her, but she felt comfortable with him. She felt, finally, that she could really trust him.

"Thank you, Paul. I'm glad we can dispense with all the formality." she tried to speak evenly, as though that personal revelation didn't make her heart jump.

In the brief moments upon arriving at the hotel, Callahan had called the Sheriff's office for back up. His radio crackled and brought both he and Jessica back to the reality of the situation.

"Back up is on the way." the radio popped.

Jessica looked at Paul. "I am not safe here anymore." she said, her voice barely steady.

Paul touched her arm, "We will get you to a safe house or keep you at the station until we get this sorted out." he reassured her.

Jessica looked at him, then out the window. A chill ran down her spine.

There in the distance she could see him. She could see the man in the shadows watching them.