Explosive Situation

by Terri Reed

  Bypassing the electronic ticket kiosks, Henry stepped up to the ticket counter, showed his badge and explained that he and Cody would be doing some training.

  The ticket agent shrugged.

  “Two adult and one student,” Henry said.

  Oh no, he was not going to buy her ticket. That would definitely be crossing a line. Olivia put her hand on his arm. “I can pay my own way.”

  He frowned but nodded and turned back to the ticket agent. “One adult, one student, then.”

  The agent handed Henry his tickets and then stared expectantly at Olivia. She dug into her purse and produced the right amount of cash for her ticket.

  “You really didn’t have to buy your ticket,” Henry said. “You’re doing us a favor by being here.”

  Riley linked her arms through Olivia’s and Henry’s as they moved past the ticket counter. Wedged between them, her gaze bounced back and forth. “That’s right, Olivia. You’re doing Henry and me a great favor. When we get inside, you two take Cody and just toddle off in the opposite direction of me, okay?”

  Henry shook his head. “Uh, no.”

  Riley detached herself from them with a huff.

  Olivia spoke up. “We will stay discreetly in the background. Won’t we, Henry?”

  “Yes, we will,” he said. “We’ll stay within striking distance.”

  Riley halted. “No, no, no. You have to stay at least thirty feet behind me.”

  Olivia laughed. “We can do that.”

  “Hey,” Henry said. “I’m not sure about that.”

  Olivia’s tucked her arm through Henry’s. “Henry, we need to chat about a little thing called letting go.”

  * * *

  Henry’s heart hiccupped. Okay, Lord, so this is your answer? He eyed Olivia. For her to bring up the subject of letting go, after he’d prayed earlier that morning asking God for direction on how to let Riley grow up, had Henry’s mind reeling. He tightened his hold on Cody’s leash. The dog, attuned to Henry, stared up at him as if questioning what had his handler upset.

  Henry took a shuddering breath and tried to reduce the storm raging within him. Purposely, he relaxed his hold on the leash, giving Cody more slack.

  Riley picked up speed, heading into the nearest exhibit. Henry guided Cody and Olivia in his sister’s wake. So far Cody hadn’t caught any scents that he associated with explosives.

  Before they stepped into the exhibit room his sister had entered, Olivia put pressure on his arm, forcing him to stop. “You need to give her some space.”

  “Olivia, how exactly do I do that with some maniac out there who set off a bomb while she was in the vicinity and then someone tries to break in?” A chill of residual fear swept down his back. If something had happened to Riley, he didn’t know if he could survive.

  “We have to trust that God will keep her safe and give you the means to protect her.”

  He drew in a breath, glad to hear she trusted God. In this moment it was easy to forget she was IA. He hadn’t realized he needed a friend with whom he could discuss the situation. “You’re right. But sometimes it’s so hard to do.”

  “Agreed. Believe me, when you have an issue with control, faith can be a challenge.”

  “You, too?”

  She gave him a sheepish smile. “Oh, yes. More than I care to admit. We’ll walk in there in just a moment and we’ll be able to keep an eye on her. Really, Henry, she is eighteen. You’re treating her like she’s six.”

  He ground his back teeth. “Now you’re going to start in on me? I can’t help it. There’s no playbook for me to consult. I’m doing the best I can.”

  “And you’re doing a great job. I know it’s hard,” she said. “Being stuck in the middle of my siblings with two very busy parents, I took care of my sisters and corralling my older brothers.”

  “Your brothers are both really good friends of mine. You did a good job with those two. I only know Ally on an acquaintance level. I haven’t met your other two sisters. Though I’ve heard the one in the DA’s office is—” He stopped, searching for a polite way convey what he’d been told.

  Olivia laughed. “Maria is a shark. It’s okay. I know. Even as a kid, she had a strong sense of justice and the determination to make the world a better place.”

  There was affection in her tone and he smiled. He liked this side of her. “I don’t know if I could ever go through this again.”

  “You don’t want children of your own one day?”

  He shrugged. “I hate to say never but right now, no, I don’t.”

  She looked away and appeared fascinated by the plaque on the wall. There was a tension in her shoulders that hadn’t been there before.

  Not sure what he’d said to upset her, he nudged her. “Okay, so what kind of wisdom do you want to impart to me?”

  She started them walking in the direction that Riley had disappeared. Henry scanned the exhibit room and caught a glimpse of his sister as she read the plaque for a display.

  Olivia stopped him so that they could pretend to view an exhibit on sea turtles. “Henry, here’s the thing. There’s a fine line between letting go and giving up. You don’t want to give up. That’s not okay. That’s how many teens and young adults end up in trouble. But letting go means you stop treating her like a child.”

  He opened his mouth to protest, but Olivia held up a hand. “I don’t mean that you shouldn’t protect her from imminent and real danger. But you have to stop rescuing her. She’s in college now. It’s time for her to take responsibility.”

  “I get what you’re saying but sometimes when I look at her, I still see that scared, traumatized twelve-year-old.”

  “Becoming the parent of a preteen overnight must have been very hard for you. Now, you have to transition to being a marvelous big brother who lets his little sister grow up and make mistakes.”

  He nodded as he digested her words. Could he be a brother and not a parent? He had no idea how to go about making that sort of switch in his thinking now. Especially with the threat of a bomber targeting their little family unit.

  Riley moved on to another exhibit. After a several moments, they entered into the large mammal section. Riley was about fifteen feet away, looking at the mummified remains of baby woolly mammoth. The two girls who’d been with her at Coney Island had joined her.

  Stopping to look at the fossil display of a Lestodon, he said to Olivia, “You must’ve been a real blessing to your parents.”

  Her mouth quirked. “I hope so.”

  “You’re good at this, you know.”

  She arched an eyebrow. “At what?”

  “Giving out wise counsel. And the way you dealt with Riley... I was impressed. If you hadn’t joined the force, you’d make a wonderful guidance counselor.”

  An expression mixed between pain and surprise crossed Olivia’s face before her attention shifted away from him. Why did his praise upset her?

  “Who’s that talking to your sister?”

  His gaze landed on a young man not much older than Riley. All of Henry’s senses went on alert as he recognized the expression of panic on Riley’s face.

  In long strides, with Cody close at his heels, Henry reached Riley’s side in time to hear her say, “I’ve already told you, I can’t. Please, stop asking me.”

  “What’s going on here?” Henry asked, planting his feet wide, his hands at his sides, ready to drop Cody’s leash and scrabble with this kid if he didn’t back down. Cody sniffed at the younger guy and lost interest.

  The young man turned dark eyes on Henry. There was a flash of disdain in his gaze before he stepped back and held up his hands, palms out. “Hey, sorry. I go to school with Riley. No harm. I was just asking her some questions.”

  “What’s your name?” Henry asked.

  The kid backpedaled a few steps. “Parker. Ask her.” He ge
stured to Riley. “We’re in the same anthropology class.”

  Henry turned his gaze on Riley. She nodded but kept her lips clamped together. Not sure why his sister was so freaked out, Henry regarded Parker.

  The kid looked like he’d skipped too many meals. Slim with baggie jeans and a T-shirt that hung on his long-limbed frame. His dark hair needed some attention. The kid looked vaguely familiar, but Henry couldn’t place where he’d seen him.

  “Well, you best get on with your assignment then,” Henry said. “Let Riley do hers.”

  The kid shrugged and sauntered away, disappearing into another exhibit.

  Riley hiked her backpack higher on her shoulder. “I had it handled.”

  Sure didn’t look that way to Henry. “What did he want?”

  “Nothing.” Riley stepped around him and trotted off to join her friends.

  “That didn’t look like nothing,” Henry muttered. He didn’t like that Riley was keeping secrets. A warm, soft hand on his arm drew his attention to Olivia.

  “She might open up to me,” she said.

  He stared at her for a long moment. “You could be right. She likes you. Maybe later, you can take a run at her. Unless, of course, you think that’s too smothering of me.”

  “Not smothering at all. Just a concerned big brother.” She patted his arm before stepping away. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to the ladies’ room.”

  Henry watched her walk away, torn between the need to escort her and keep Riley in sight. Olivia was an officer of the law and could take care of herself. He and Cody hurried to find his sister.

  * * *

  Olivia checked her reflection in the restroom mirror one last time. Her baby bump was a bit more pronounced today. And she was feeling a bit queasy for other reasons. Like the way she’d let her guard down around Henry. She couldn’t deny how nice it was to relate to him in a friendly manner. But she would have to remember to keep up the emotional barrier that her job demanded or there would be a steep cost. One she wasn’t sure she was ready to pay.

  Adjusting her purse over her belly, she stepped into the hall. Rough hands grabbed her from behind and pushed her up against the wall, knocking the breath from her lungs.

  Panic for her unborn child speared through her. She was thankful her purse provided a cushion of sorts against the hard wall.

  An arm pressed against the back of her neck and a hand pressed on the middle of her back, holding her in place.

  A male voice spoke close to her ear. “It’s not fair. You better find him guilty of hurting Davey Carrell or someone else is going to get hurt.”

  SIX

  This wasn’t a drill. Olivia had been trained by the best. She knew what to do when attacked from behind. Though her blood pounded in her ears and panic threatened to render her immobile, Olivia focused despite the adrenaline spike and gripped her right fist with her left hand. Using momentum and exerting every ounce of strength she possessed in both arms, she rammed her right elbow into her assailant’s gut. He let out a loud groan.

  Not satisfied with her effort, she followed her defense tactic with a hard heel stomp on his instep. The assailant cursed, released his hold and danced back. Olivia spun in time to see his retreating back and head covered by a dark hoodie. The guy pulled the fire alarm before he rounded the corner and disappeared from sight.

  Covering her ears with her hands against the loud shriek of the alarm bouncing off the walls, Olivia gave pursuit, but there was no sign of the hooded figure among the now-panicked crowd rushing toward the exit. He’d escaped.

  She had to find Henry and Riley.

  Stepping out of the path of a woman dragging her school-age son toward the exit, Olivia grabbed her phone from her purse and shot off a text to Henry, telling him to meet her at the West 77th Street exit.

  Within moments, Henry, Cody and Riley hurried toward her, dodging through the crush of people intent on vacating the museum.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, his hand touching her elbow in a comforting way that rendered her speechless for a second.

  Riley’s eyes were huge with fear. “The museum is on fire!”

  Regaining her wits, Olivia shook her head. “No, it’s not.” She told them what happened.

  “What?” Henry put his hand on her shoulder. “Did he injure you?”

  With a gasp, Riley clutched at Olivia. “You were assaulted? In the museum?”

  “I’m fine,” Olivia assured the siblings. “He threatened that someone would get hurt if I don’t find you guilty of the charges.”

  “Can you ID him?” Henry’s hands clenched and his gaze scanned the area.

  “I didn’t get a look at his face. He pulled the alarm and ran off. I looked for him, but he’d escaped.”

  Riley shivered. “That’s scary.”

  Anger flashed in Henry’s dark eyes. “We have to talk to security. They’ll have video footage. Maybe we can identify the guy and see where he went.”

  All around them, people, mostly tourists, hurried toward the exits. The elevators were left open. People flooded down the staircases from the upper floors toward the doors leading out of the building.

  Henry led the way through the crowd to the security offices near the ground level entrance in the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall.

  “Sir, you and your party need to exit.” A guard stopped them and pointed to the nearest doors leading to the street.

  Henry reached into his pocket and flashed his badge at the man. “There’s no fire.” He explained the situation. “I need to speak to the person in charge.”

  The guard shook his head. “I have to follow protocol. Everyone out until the fire department makes the determination that it’s safe.”

  Riley tugged on Henry’s arm. “Please, let’s just go.” The young girl grabbed Olivia’s arm. “Come on.”

  Sensing the depth of Riley’s distress, Olivia said to Henry, “You can check the video footage later. We should get your sister out of here.”

  Henry took a breath then nodded. “Yes. Though you’ll need to give a statement about the assault.”

  Heart thumping in her chest, she said, “I will. But not here.”

  They hurried through the exit door and out on to Central Park West. Seeking shelter in the shade of a tree as a fire engine came to a halt at the curb in front of them, they watched as firefighters in turnout uniforms spilled out.

  Two uniformed officers approached and took Olivia’s statement.

  “Stay here,” Henry said. “I’m going to talk to the fire chief.” He and Cody hurried away.

  Riley moved closer to Olivia. “I don’t like this. We need to go home.”

  Olivia slipped her arm around Riley. “Don’t worry. Your brother won’t let anything happen to you.”

  “But who’s going to protect Henry?” Riley asked. “Someone’s out to get him.”

  Olivia’s gaze sought out the man in question. There was no refuting the girl’s words. Someone wanted to take Henry down. And were willing to hurt other people to make it happen. Why?

  A wave of protectiveness coursed through her. She would do what she could for Henry. But she also had a job to do. She’d have to write up a report about the threat and explain her reasoning for being with Henry and Riley at the museum. She hoped her boss would see the value of spending time with Henry outside of the department atmosphere. She was gaining a better understanding of him as a man, which would be incorporated into her assessment for the review board. And though she prayed she’d be able to prove him innocent, she couldn’t get emotionally involved, no matter the outcome. Unfortunately, doing as she should was proving harder with every moment she spent in Henry’s presence.

  * * *

  Henry kept an eye on his sister and Olivia where they stood together under the shade of a large tree. His heart pounded in his chest like a runaway subway tr
ain. He’d known the moment he caught sight of Olivia hustling back from the restroom that something had been wrong. Her eyes were large and her pupils dilated.

  Agitation revved through his system. He wished he’d been there to catch Olivia’s assailant in the act. Unfortunately no one close to him was safe while he was being targeted.

  Even now, he didn’t like being very far away from either of the women. He told himself he was doing his job where Olivia was concerned. But honestly, he couldn’t say there was any discernible difference between the fear he experienced for Olivia’s safety than the fear he had for Riley’s safety. It didn’t matter that Olivia was a trained officer who had proven moments ago that she was more than capable of taking care of herself. He couldn’t curb the protective instinct any more than he could keep from breathing. He was coming to care for this woman, despite knowing he shouldn’t if he valued his career.

  He shook off his thoughts and forced his mind to focus on what was happening around him. People continued to stream out of the museum. Cody’s head swiveled in an arc, his nose in the air but still no sign of alarm.

  Henry searched for anyone matching the description that Olivia had given of the hooded man. If only she had seen his face, rather than just his back as he’d run away. He could’ve ditched the hoodie at any time. The guy could be watching them now.

  This had to be the same man who’d tried to break into the condo. Especially hearing that the assailant insisted Olivia find him guilty in her investigation. Henry needed to question Davey Carrell and find out which of his friends would be bold enough to act with such malicious intent.

  Unfortunately, Henry couldn’t go near Davey.

  For now, the best thing that Henry could do was take his sister and Olivia as far away from this area as possible. He would call his sergeant and request that someone question Davey.

  After talking to the fire chief and touching base with the head security guard to request he send any relevant video to the K-9 Unit’s tech, Henry ushered Olivia and Riley back to Brooklyn. They took a cab rather than the subway.