Chapter 9
Nine
Charlie sighed happily as she watched the explosions light up the night sky. “Fifi and B do the best distractions.”
Kieran grumbled something too quietly to hear, even though he was crouched right next to her.
She figured he was still salty about not getting to wear his ski mask.
To give him credit, he’d abandoned it quickly when she’d explained that it would make them look more suspicious if any of the militia members spotted them during the break-in.
Since the incident at dinner, when Kieran and Bennett had attempted to make their manly, protect-the-womenfolk plan, the two men had been very well-behaved, suppressing their takeover tendencies quite admirably.
Thanks to Fifi’s plotting and Bennett’s personal arsenal, the militia guards—and everyone in the compound, actually—had been thoroughly distracted as Charlie and Kieran slipped in through the front gate.
Charlie had already called lock-picking before they’d even left Kieran’s truck, so they hadn’t had to tussle over who got to do the actual breaking in.
She doubted he’d ever needed lock-picking skills, however.
As a firefighter, he would’ve just used an ax or the Jaws of Life or something if he needed to get into a locked building.
They’d made it all the way to the main building, and the light show was still ongoing.
“That’s a lot of exploding, even considering Bennett’s stash,” Charlie whispered with a slight frown, mentally revising exactly how prepared her brother-in-law was at all times.
“Think they targeted the militia’s weapon stockpiles.” Kieran was smiling a little at the thought.
“Oh, how absolutely lovely.” She adored the idea that the militia supplied their own distraction materials. “Ready?”
When she received a clipped nod in response, she headed for the side door, excitement fizzing through her. To her disappointment, the only lock on that entrance was a simple button on the knob, so her skills were wasted.
“Not even a dead bolt she huffed under her breath, glancing over her shoulder at Kieran when she thought she heard his quiet laugh. His expression was back to his usual scowl by the time she’d turned her head, but the cranky look was so familiar and endearing that she offered him a huge grin.
“Breaking’s done. Let’s do some entering. ”
Slipping inside just far enough that Kieran could follow her, she stayed close to the wall and let her eyes adjust to the dimmer interior.
Even though she was expecting it, the feel of his wide, warm hand on her shoulder startled her.
Again, that reassurance of having this large, capable man at her back was unexpectedly comforting, even though it would’ve never occurred to her that this—that he—was something she’d ever need.
Surely not need, she corrected herself, brought up short by the unfamiliar thought. Want, okay. Enjoy, sure. But need? Really?
Focusing on the felony she was in the process of committing, she pushed all the squirmy emotions Kieran awoke in her to the very back of her mind to deal with later.
Her eyes had adjusted to the dimness, so she crept forward into the empty industrial-style kitchen.
The appliances hunkered against the shadowed walls, and the quiet seemed unnaturally deep after the improvised fireworks show outside, settling heavily over Charlie.
She could still faintly hear the cracks and booms, but everything was muffled by the thick walls.
Shaking off her unusually introspective thoughts, she moved more quickly toward the swinging doors that led, she assumed, to the dining area.
A cautious peek confirmed that the big room held several rows of tables and benches.
It was brighter than the kitchen, thanks to the windows set high along one wall.
Seeing no signs that the space was occupied, Charlie slipped into the dining room, holding the swinging door open for Kieran. In the dim light, he looked larger and more hulking than usual, but somehow friendlier. Charlie realized that this was because she couldn’t make out his expression so well.
Amused by her thoughts, she felt a rush of affection for her breaking-and-entering partner and gave him a fond pat on the arm. Noticing the question in the way his dark shape cocked his head, she just gave a forget-about-it wave and started to weave through the long tables to the closest exit.
Cautiously, she cracked open the door and peered at a large space modeled after a hunting lodge. Dead animal heads mounted on the wood-paneled wall cast extra-creepy shadows, and the huge, empty fireplace looked like a monstrous, gaping mouth.
What is wrong with you tonight? Charlie gave her arm a pinch. Monstrous, gaping mouth? Are you a Victorian-horror writer now?
She distracted herself from her oddly imaginative mood by checking the scattered armchairs and couches for any stray militia members who’d resisted curiosity and stayed inside.
Charlie was grateful for their paranoia, since even this room only had narrow windows placed high in the wall.
They worked well to keep members from being spied on, but it also made it impossible to see what was going on outside without actually leaving the building.
Creeping through the room, she hesitated at a cluster of chairs gathered around a coffee table constructed of peeled pine branches. The coffee table seemed like the obvious spot, but that was the problem. It was too obvious. Kieran gave her a nudge and pointed up at the ceiling.
At first, she thought he was indicating the exposed timber beams a good twelve feet above their heads, but then her gaze landed on the hideous chandelier made of elk antlers suspended at a much more manageable height.
Manageable, that was, with a little help from the giant next to her.
Leaning so close, she could smell his woodsmoke and, oddly enough, new-car scent. Mentally filing that away to tease him about later, she breathed directly into his ear, “Give me a boost?”
As soon as the words were out, he was crouching down.
Expecting him to go down to all fours to make himself into a step stool, she startled when his head nudged its way between her thighs.
Swallowing a surprised yelp, she felt her eyes widen as he stood, easily hoisting her onto his shoulders as if she weighed nothing at all.
Once he was at his full height, and Charlie was at her much-more-than-full height, she enjoyed the feeling of towering over the room…
as well as the sturdy strength of Kieran’s shoulders under her thighs.
Pulling out one of the tiny listening devices, she stuck it firmly in an antler crevice, mentally thanking Norah for making the bugs self-adhere.
As enjoyable as it was to sit on Kieran, Fifi and Bennett’s distraction wouldn’t keep the militia members distracted forever.
With a regretful, silent sigh, she patted the top of his head, surprised by the softness of his short hair.
He crouched again, and she dismounted, giving him another pat in thanks…
and also because she couldn’t resist touching him once more.
On her feet again, feeling especially short, Charlie took another look around the dim room.
A smile spread across her face as she carefully made her way around a leather couch to a snarling taxidermied bear standing against the wall.
Going up on her tiptoes, she carefully reached into his toothy mouth and stuck the tiny camera on the back of his strange-looking tongue.
After making sure the lens was pointing out toward the room, she withdrew her hand and gave the hideous beast a light pet on the top of his snout.
“Good boy,” she mouthed soundlessly.
A double pat on her shoulder had her turning to look at Kieran, who waved toward the corner, where a set of stairs led downward.
After one last sweeping gaze over the shadowed room, she gave a nod and moved toward the top of the steps.
Best to save the rest of the electronic devices for other areas.
Kieran maneuvered in front of her, so it was his turn to have his arm pinched. He jumped, turning to stare at her. Although she still couldn’t make out the details of his expression, she could almost smell his offended surprise.
In answer to his silent question, she grabbed him and pulled him back next to her.
He gave an almost soundless huff. Although it was whisper quiet, the sound was still packed full of exasperation.
Contrary as she was, Charlie grinned while keeping a close eye on him to make sure Kieran didn’t try to shoulder his way in front again.
As they descended, the darkness lightened, which concerned Charlie. More light meant people—plus more chance of them being spotted and outed as intruders. The silence was reassuring though. It was probable that people left lights on as they went to investigate the explosions outside.
At the bottom of the stairs, she turned left as Kieran turned right, but it was only a moment before he rejoined her.
Although it would’ve been more efficient if they’d split up to each explore half of the lower level, she felt that same reassurance that he had her back, just in case.
Besides, she’d watched enough horror movies and Scooby-Doo reruns to know that splitting up was always, always a mistake.