Chapter Nineteen #2
I ran all kinds of scenarios through my head, trying and failing to figure out what the mole was playing at, because that was just what he was doing…
toying with our team. It really pissed me off and posed a danger to everyone I held dear.
Why had someone parked the Porsche near the school?
Had they meant to split our team? Though that was likely just what he was doing, I just didn’t know his motive.
Fifteen minutes later, Mickey slowed at the bottom of a freeway off-ramp, and I realized that while I was trying my best to figure out what was happening, my best friend had gotten us nearly all the way back to the safehouse without incident.
I turned around and spotted the other SUV back there, just as Miguel had promised.
“Almost home,” Mickey singsonged. I looked into the rearview mirror to find him looking back at Joshua and me. The smug smile on his handsome mug and the way his eyes danced as he stared back at me, made me want to punch him in the face.
I remembered the pang of jealousy I’d felt when he’d dropped back to walk and talk with Joshua tonight.
I was going to find out what they’d been discussing the minute I got a chance.
Since I wasn’t positive I’d get the whole story from the grinning idiot driving the car, I’d start with Joshua.
He’d tell me. Lying wasn’t in his vocabulary.
And the very idea that Mickey knew something about Joshua that I didn’t, bothered me more than it should.
This whole “love” thing was a distraction I didn’t need right now.
It took us less than five minutes to drive up into the hills north of the 101 Freeway. Mickey shut off the lights as we approached the street where the safehouse was located. I squeezed Joshua’s hand tightly and he turned to look at me.
“We’ll wait in the car until the others have secured the house, got it?”
He nodded, staring at me with an expression of absolute trust. “I understand, Nash.”
I had to wonder whether he’d been taking the danger seriously once we’d driven away from the school; it had to be apparent that we weren’t taking any chances with him.
If the DEA mole had figured things out and found our safehouse—even though the FBI kept their locations top-secret known only to the Bureau—Joshua could still be in grave danger.
If they had a mole, the FBI might have one too.
And though it made me sick to think about, things like that had been known to happen.
We’d all worked with SAC Bannister who headed up the DEA here in Los Angeles and my gut told me she wasn’t involved. I was, however, not na?ve enough to trust the rest of her team. I certainly didn’t trust Turley—whom I’d disliked the second he opened his stupid, egotistical mouth.
As Mickey drove up the street to the house, I wondered just how much Candy had shared with Bannister, hoping that he’d decided to debrief her only after we’d shut down the threat and rooted out the mole. Then again, our own SAC—Donovan Bradley—might have done that already.
I watched the street as we approached the house, concentrating on shadows and anyone who might be using them as a method of concealment.
The moonless night wasn’t helping matters.
There were shadows everywhere. I also searched for the backup Candy had promised.
Though he hadn’t specified who he’d called, I hunted for anyone who’d match that description in the vicinity.
I realized that there weren’t any LAPD cruisers parked on the street which only served to intensify my wariness.
Who the fuck had he called for backup, if not the police?
“Candy?” Mickey asked, pulling up in front of the house, Miguel right behind us. “We’re at the house and I don’t see any backup,” he said, echoing my concern.
I spotted a vehicle parked in the shadow of a large tree down the street. Leaning forward, I tapped Mickey’s shoulder and pointed. “There’s a black SUV at the curb down over there.”
“Your backup radioed that they arrived ten minutes ago, Way,” Candy barked. “Hang on.”
I looked around again, getting a bad feeling.
“What’s happening?” Joshua asked.
I turned to him, struggling to keep my expression neutral.
“Don’t worry.” I squeezed his thigh, wanting more than anything to pull him into my arms and keep him safe.
The tenseness in his body told me he wasn’t reassured by my words.
I glanced around again and was brought up short when I spotted the gate fronting the safehouse.
Overwhelming dread filled my guts. “The gate’s open!” I shouted, grabbing my semi-automatic with one hand and pushing Joshua to the floor of the SUV with the other. “Stay down!”
“What’s happening, Nash?” Joshua screamed, terror lacing every syllable.
Mickey shouted into the coms, relaying the news to the rest of our team as I swept the surroundings.
“Staying with Joshua,” I said over the coms.
“Affirmative,” echoed in my earwig.
“Don’t you dare move, Joshua!” I yelled, as Mickey slammed the door, instantly pivoting toward the gate. I heard the others exit their vehicles right behind him. In seconds they were all crouched, and making their way up the driveway to the front door.
I sucked in a breath, ready to defend my man…when a voice called out, “Hold your fire.”
I came up short at the familiar voice, then a tall, black man appeared, and it was someone I knew well.
“Wow,” Snow said, “that’s quite a reception.”
“I almost shot you, you idiot!” Miguel said. “Don’t ever do that to me again, Lincoln.”
“I take it you found your backup,” Candy said in the earbuds. “Stay with Snow and his team until we get there. Our ETA is seventeen minutes.”
“Affirmative, boss,” I said, followed by similar agreements from the others.
I was pissed as hell. Candy should have notified us he was sending Lincoln and his team as backup.
Then again, I knew he might have been trying to locate FBI agents nearby, not wanting to endanger the lives of more cops the way it had happened at Joshua’s house that night.
Nightmare scenarios of losing law enforcement, no matter who they were, haunted men like the captain which is why I’d never wanted nor sought higher rank in the military. Either way, miscalculated mistakes could get people killed in the field.
Adrenaline was coursing through me as I lowered my weapon with shaking hands. Adrenaline always affected me like that.
I cracked the door slightly.
“Why in the hell didn’t you tell us Candy had called you?” Miguel asked, shaking Lincoln’s hand.
“Sorry. I don’t know. Maybe he likes surprises.”
“Fucker.” I watched Mickey stride back to the car. Joshua was still on the floor but crawled back onto the seat when I said it was safe. Tears stained his cheeks and his eyes were wary.
I felt my heart do a flip-flop and reached out to Joshua. “Come on. It’s just our backup.”
Mickey hopped in and drove us up the driveway.
Joshua took my hand and allowed me to haul him out of the car.
The instant he was standing, I slung my weapon over my shoulder and had my arms around him, holding his shaking body close.
The clean scent of his hair was mixed with the sharp tang of fear.
I turned my face into him, kissing the side of his head as I held him close.
“It’s gonna be okay, baby,” I whispered, “I’ve got you. ”
The sound of a throat clearing nearby made me look up. Loosening my grip on the trembling man in my arms, and keeping my arm around his shoulders, I turned us around, not letting go.
“Sorry, but we really need to get Mr. Calder inside.” The agent who’d spoken was a friend of mine.
I smiled at Max Prince and his partner, profiler, Dr. Leo Reeves.
They stood side by side, looking like a picture-perfect example of men who loved each other deeply.
The Bureau had made an exception by keeping them on the same team after they’d met, fallen in love, and gotten married, but Lincoln had fought for them to stay together when he’d been their SAC.
Now retired from that position to spend more time with his wife, Sarah, and small daughter, Lincoln Snow still commanded respect throughout the Bureau due to the team’s remarkable track record with the agency.
Max and Leo wore smiles along with black tactical gear. I shook their hands and after making quick introductions to Joshua, grabbed his hand, threading my fingers through his tightly as we walked through the front door.
I didn’t let go until we were all safely inside the house and armed to the teeth with enough semi-automatic weapons and ammo to keep us that way.