Chapter 5 #2
Rowan glanced in her rearview, then over to Bodie. “Well?”
He sat sidesaddle in his seat, gaze focused out the back. “Nothing, yet.”
“I think this road will take us the rest of the way… damn.”
Headlights reflecting off her mirror. Bearing down on them in the middle of the lane. Some guy leaned out of the Bronco, rifle aimed their way. Dull thumps hit the back of her Tahoe, a spiderweb of lines cracking across her rear window.
She veered left, then right, trying to shake the guy loose, but the vehicle gained on them, the driver taking the turns way too fast.
Bodie motioned to her with his fingers. “Your service weapon.” He huffed when she looked over at him. “I’d just slip it free, but you’re a lefty, and I don’t want to lean in front of you in order to reach it.”
She shook her head, then grabbed her Sig. “Just don’t drop it out the window.”
“You’re funny.”
He cleared the chamber, cycled a round and leaned out, firing a couple shots into their grill. The Bronco swerved left, tires bouncing along the gravel shoulder as smoke poured out of the hood. A few more shots ricocheted off the quarter panel before she left the other SUV behind.
Bodie settled back in, her gun resting in his lap as he ran through the mirrors, still staring out the back. She slowed a bit as more fog rolled across the road, bouncing her lights back at her.
They reached the end, turned right and made a few loops through town, still checking for a tail before Bodie finally gave her the directions to his place. They passed the Raven’s Watch hangar, the chopper just landing as they drove past and continued to the end of the pier next to it.
A two-story building materialized out of the gray, what looked like a collection of shipping containers turned into a sleek combination of office and living space. Warm lights brightened the entrance, the interior nothing but dark windows spanning the sides.
Rowan stopped out front, glancing at the street for a few moments before shoving the shifter into park. “We still good?”
Bodie nodded. “Nothing for the last twenty minutes. We should park your Chevy in the garage, though, just to be safe. With this group’s resources, I wouldn’t be surprised if they had drones.”
He opened his door. “Wait here a second and I’ll open the garage.”
“Your leg.”
He snorted. “I think I can hobble a few feet.”
He limped to the front door, touched the keypad on the right, then disappeared inside. She waited, heart tapping, breath held until the far door rolled up, Bodie waving her over.
It only took a minute to tuck the Chevy inside and shut out the rest of the world, the door hitting the floor with a resolute thud.
Rowan jumped out, accepting her weapon as Bodie held it out before handing him the gym bag. “Thanks.”
“Wouldn’t want you to feel naked.”
“I assume you’re speaking from personal experience.”
He smiled. “Been missing the weight of my Sig since that Bronco showed up. Last time I let Chase take it with him.”
“Pretty sure the hospital frowns on their patients having handguns in their rooms. Even ones with deputy badges.” She grabbed two of the bags from the back and followed him inside.
Soft lights brightened the interior, the muted paint colors a nice alternative to the stark white she’d been expecting. Add in the wood accents, and the place felt more than inviting.
“This is impressive.” She took a few more steps inside, drinking in every detail. “How long have you been running Raven’s Security?”
“Nearly three years. It got shuffled to the sidelines until a few months ago, though, we’re slowly making a comeback.”
“That’s when you were helping out Greer more, right?”
Bodie shrugged. “She got put in a pretty daunting position. The former sheriff turned out to be a drug dealer, and when she took over, she had a few trust issues, so I pitched in. The station’s got some reliable help, now, and I’ve been able to focus more of my time on the company.
Though, maintaining my deputy status helps bridge some of the cases. Like this one.”
Rowan stopped, glanced back at him over her shoulder. “That sounds like a segue into a bunch of questions.”
“That’s because you haven’t answered any.” He closed the distance. “You obviously know far more about this case than you’ve let on, so… spill.”
She studied him — eyes narrowed, mouth pursed tight with his muscles tensed, the man was more than a bit intimidating. Add in that alpha vibe — not quite as intense as the other night when he’d been in the thick of battle — and the guy was a force of nature.
The files she’d grabbed from her house weighed down one bag, and she had to take a few breaths to calm the riotous beat of her heart. She just wasn’t sure if it was from the car chase, the situation, or Bodie — the man who was quickly clawing his way beneath her skin.
Bodie leaned against the wall, eyeing her as if he expected her to bolt. “Rowan…”
“I’ll make you a deal.”
He snorted. “I’m listening.”
“If you think we’re truly safe, we’ll spend the night resting.
” She pointed at his leg. “Healing. Then, in the morning, if you don’t want to pound your head through the wall due to the pain, I’ll give you all my files.
You can spend the day going through them — make a few of your own conclusions. Once you’re done, we’ll talk.”
“No one’s getting in here without a few pounds of Semtex. So, yeah, we’re safe. But why not just give me the broad strokes?”
Pain settled deep in her chest, every word from every file sucking more of the oxygen out of the room. But it was the inciting incident that haunted her. The reason she’d spent all her down time over the past two years sleeping in sniper hides and running off-the-books surveillance.
Why she couldn’t let this go.
Bodie frowned as he reached out and tucked a few wispy hairs behind her ear. “Rowan, you okay?”
She forced a fake smile. “If I tell you my theory, it’ll color how you read the reports. And this one’s personal, so… Go through them. I promise I’ll tell you everything I know once you’ve spent some time with them. Dug a bit deeper.”
He stared at her for a while, then nodded. “Okay. But you still didn’t answer my question. Are you okay?”
She sighed inwardly. She hadn’t been okay since this ordeal started. “Just tired.”
He tilted his head, though he didn’t call her bluff. Instead, he waved toward the hallway. “Guest suite or would you feel better in one of the spare rooms upstairs?”
“Are you gonna think I’m crazy if I’d feel better upstairs?”
He smiled, and her pulse fluttered. Either too fast or too slow, making it hard to breathe without gasping. “The room next to mine has its own ensuite. Let me grab one of your bags—”
“Nice try, but you focus on not falling backwards down the stairs, and I’ll worry about my bags.” She nudged him gently. “You can take that gym bag if you need to feel manly. Ensure everything inside stays secure.”
He laughed. “You don’t mince words, do you?”
“Not if I can help it.”
“Fine, I’ll take the clothes…” He inhaled. “Shit. The unit.”
Rowan frowned as he rummaged through the contents, fished out a black device.
He shook his head, slashes of red creeping along his checks. “Damn it, I completely forgot I’d shoved this in my pocket after I clipped that guy.”
“You mean when you saved my ass?”
“I merely helped out. You saved all of our asses.”
“And you lost nearly two liters of blood. Were in hemorrhagic shock by the time we reached Providence. I’m surprised you made it into the chopper unaided. So, cut yourself some slack. Though, I’m curious as to what you think that is?”
“Unsure, but I’m hoping it’s a body cam or camera.”
Her heart sped up. “A body cam?”
“Possibly. It could be weapon related, but…” He held it up. “I’ll head to the office. Get it charging and see if I can break any encryption…”
She hooked his elbow when he went to walk past. “Easy, tiger. You need to rest.”
He smiled at the pet name before his lips curved into a scowl. “I need to uncover who the hell killed Price.”
She eased her grip. “You’re right. Seeing these bastards held accountable for that is paramount.
And I promise, I won’t stop until we’ve accomplished that.
But this isn’t a case we’re gonna solve in a day.
Which means, tonight, we rest. Recharge.
By all means, plug that baby in, but you can work your magic in the morning, assuming your leg’s better than it is right now because you’re a shit liar, and I know it’s killing you. ”
“I can push through—”
“This isn’t a sprint. It’s a marathon.” She huffed when he simply stared at her, arms crossed, back rigid. “If you won’t take the night off for yourself, then do it for me. I’m exhausted, but if you insist on playing around with that thing. I’ll have to stay up with you.”
“I took the last forty-eight hours off. You didn’t.”
“Lying in a hospital bed, trying not to die isn’t taking time off.
” She stepped in close, ignoring the way her pulse kicked up even faster.
“In case you haven’t noticed, I have a bit of an obsessive personality.
And I won’t be able to sleep if I know you’re in your office, possibly watching footage.
So, do me a favor, and give me tonight. You can be hyper-focused on that unit all you want tomorrow. My files aren’t going anywhere.”
He sighed, then smiled. “So, that’s how it’s going to be, huh? Guilting me into submission?”
“If it works, then yeah.” She leaned even closer. “I’m not above begging or blackmailing, either.”
“Good to know.” He looked at the unit, then blew out a rough breath. “We’ll rest. Hit it hard in tomorrow.”
“Thank you. For letting me stay here, too.”
He closed the few inches separating them, jumping her heart rate, again. “Someone’s gotta keep an eye on you, if the past few days are any indication of what we’re facing.”
He lingered for a few more moments, as if he knew the effect he had on her, then took off, limping down the hallway and up a set of stairs.
He unlocked the door at the top — what looked like key codes and retinal scans — then waved her through to another hallway on the other side of an open kitchen and living area.
He walked all the way to the end, the tightness around his eyes and mouth the only indication that the journey had hurt.
“That’s your room. There’re towels and extra blankets in the bathroom.
And there should be food in the fridge if you get hungry.
” He held up the unit. “I’ve got a charger in my room.
Hopefully, it’ll be ready by morning. And I’ve got the place on lockdown.
If anyone breathes on the perimeter, I’ll get a notification. ”
“No snooping. Got ya.”
He laughed. “Anywhere upstairs is fine. If you need to go downstairs, just wake me.”
“Understood, though, I hope to be too busy sleeping to think about wandering.” She crossed into the guest room. “You sure your leg’s okay?”
“Nothing a handful of meds and a shot of whiskey won’t fix.”
“I’d suggest one or the other but…” She leaned against the door. “If you sleep with a weapon, do me a favor and look twice before you fire because I plan on checking up on you a few times in the night.”
“I’d never mistake you for a threat.”
“That almost sounds like a challenge.” She backed up. “Get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Bodie nodded, limped into his room, leaving his door slightly ajar.
She followed suit, sitting on the edge of the bed as she stared at the adjoining wall.
While she hated that his team had been hit hard, the escalation was exactly what she’d been waiting for.
Concrete proof she hadn’t lost her mind.
That, maybe, this was the start of what would eventually bring her closure.