by Linda Bond
“Six months later, another guy died cave diving at Peacock Springs.”
Zack’s mind filled with white noise and his shoulder blades pressed together until the pain in his body kept the pain in his heart at bay. He knew this story all too well. The face of the dead man—his uncle—regularly haunted his dreams…and nightmares. His heart thumped, but he fought to keep his expression stoic. They couldn’t know about his personal connection. Not yet. He could learn so much more if he remained undercover.
“Some uptown corporate guy from New York came down looking for a thrill,” he heard Johnson tell Samantha. “He died alone, lost in the caves. The medical examiner ruled his death an accidental drowning.”
Accidental, my ass. Zack chewed the inside of his mouth to keep the words from seeing the light of day. He had gone on many dives with his uncle and Jackson’s son. On vacation away from his abusive father, Zack had found these underwater caverns to be a place of peace. And his deaf cousin reveled in a world where sound wasn’t as important as the varying visual feast. Jackson Hunter had been too skilled to accidentally get lost and die. Zack’s fisted hands drummed the side of his thighs.
“And the X-Force Adventure Vacation Company? He was on one of their vacations, too?” She leaned forward.
“Righto.”
Samantha nodded slowly, lost in thought.
Great. The detective had dangled the information like a carrot in front of a desperate reporter about to lose her job. No doubt she’d take a big, fat bite. Did she even have a choice? The woman had something to prove, and a lot to lose.
“I definitely see a pattern here.” Her hand moved up to massage her temple.
He wondered what she was thinking. Was she excited about this new information because it meant she was onto a good story that would save her ass? Or was she feeling sick at the implication someone could have murdered her friend?
“But both deaths were ruled accidental, right?” she said.
The detective sighed. “Only because the Florida Department of Law Enforcement couldn’t find evidence of anything otherwise. And each accident happened in different counties and under different jurisdictions, so maybe notes aren’t being shared. But now this little mystery has landed in my county, and in my lap, and I think something stinks like a pig’s ass.”
Samantha cracked a sad smile at his language. “Why are you telling me—” She paused and surveyed Zack. “I mean, why are you telling us this information?”
Zack held his breath. Why was she including him? He certainly didn’t intend to do the same. He worked alone. Solo. No partner. Ever again.
“You have access to the X-Force Adventure Vacation Company in ways I don’t,” Johnson said matter-of-factly.
She drew back. “But…you’re a cop.”
“And you’re an attractive woman who can get closer to these filthy rich bastards than I can.” He crossed his arms. “Look, I’m going to be honest with you, Sam. I’ve dealt with men like this before. Most are arrogant egomaniacs who love nothing more than bragging about themselves and their accomplishments.” His gaze lasered directly on Zack.
If this investigation wasn’t so damn important to him, he’d have shown the cop exactly how accomplished he was. He ground his teeth instead.
The detective turned his attention to Samantha. “They don’t like cops, but I bet they’d love to spill some secrets to impress a beautiful woman like you.”
Zack opened his mouth to protest, but then thought better of it. The detective was whetting the reporter’s appetite, giving her a chance to redeem herself while also seeking justice for her friend. If he tried to interfere now, convince her to leave, it would look suspicious. He’d just end up making things worse. He swallowed his anger and remained quiet.
“Are you tipping me off to investigate the X-Force Adventure Vacation Company?” she asked Johnson.
“You know I can’t do that.”
“You just did.”
The detective grinned. “Did I? Nah.”
You sure as hell did. Zack groaned inwardly, but kept his face passive. He wanted to kick a deep hole in the dirt—or better yet, in the man’s cop radar for picking up on all this too soon…or too late—but refrained.
“Why can’t you get a court order and investigate it yourself?” she asked.
“I intend to devour this scene like my mother’s Thanksgiving meal, but the medical examiner said the previous deaths were accidental. If someone is making these murders look like accidents, they’re covering their tracks pretty damn well.”
“You think that’s what’s happening?” Samantha’s eyebrows furrowed together.
The detective nodded, then gestured his way. “So does your friend, here.”
Zack narrowed his eyes. The detective was baiting him, but Zack knew all of these cop tricks. Had used them himself.
Samantha turned to him.
He shrugged and said, “I believe I’ve already stated my opinion.”
Finally, she directed her attention back to the detective. “I’ll think about expanding the story. But no promises, because I don’t even know if my boss will trust me enough to pursue this kind of investigative story now…”
The detective threw in another plea. “If you liked this Wentworth guy, don’t let his death be for nothing.”
Zack watched those words resonate with Samantha, and his stomach sank when he saw the instant she made up her mind. Her chin jutted out, and she opened her mouth to say something—just as her skinny photographer charged up to them.
“Hey, you gonna answer your damn phone, or what?” the kid groused. “’Cause I’m sick of Stan calling my ass and telling me he’s going to fire you if you don’t pick up.”
Samantha whipped around and threw both hands up. “Tell Stan I’m working the damn story. Okay?”
“I think maybe you should have been working that damn live shot earlier.” He made a face. “Shit, I’ll call him but—”
“Tell him I just found out Maxwell may have been murdered, and I have exclusive inside information I’m working. I’ll call him back when I can.”
The cameraman gawked at her as if she’d gone crazy, his eyes as wild as his messy red hair. “What the hell are you talking about?” He glanced over at the detective, at Zack, then back at Samantha. “You serious? That’s some shit, if you are.”
“We’re still going on this adventure vacation, George, but it’s no longer just a fluff feature. Tell the boss we’re bringing him back an investigative piece. If he still gives us the two weeks, he won’t be sorry.”
The camera guy’s shoulder’s dropped, but he nodded. “He’s still going to wanna talk to you. He’s fucking pissed.”
She put her hand together as if in prayer. “Put him off. Just for now. Please.” She pulled off a smile. George shrugged and stomped off.
Fabulous.
Zack could not believe his bad luck. Now, not only would he have to deal with keeping his cover intact with the adventure company and evading a killer’s notice, he’d also have to keep a nosy reporter and her too-observant cameraman from asking dangerous questions, stirring up suspicion, and broadcasting rumors and allegations on the evening news. He must have made a sound of disgust because both Samantha and the detective were now staring at him.
After an uncomfortable moment of silence Johnson pocketed his notebook. “You’ve got my number, Sam. Keep in close touch with me on this.” The confident smile on his face irritated Zack, but he took the business card the detective also handed to him. “Both of you, call me with any new information you come up with. Anytime, day or night.”
But Johnson’s narrowed look told him he still distrusted Zack.
Samantha nodded, but pressed a hand against her stomach as the homicide investigator sauntered back to the viewing deck.
Instantly, a wave of guilt slammed into Zack.
Suddenly, she whipped around to face him, suspicion coloring her expression. Her unexpected move, and the heat of her gaze, was enoug
h to make him take a step back.
“I know you’re not a local cop because if you were, Stuart would have recognized you.”
Startled by the accusatory tone of her voice, he stuttered, “I— N-no, I’m not. Why on earth would you think that?”
“I guess you could be just another guy with too much time and money who can afford this kind of crazy vacation. But I think there’s more to your story. You think there’s something funny going on, and you’re here to investigate. Aren’t you?” It wasn’t really a question, more like an accusation.
She was trying to bait him, too. She couldn’t possibly know his reason for being here. He bit his lip to keep from delivering a smart-ass reply. It didn’t work. “And you think I’m willing to pay twenty-five grand to investigate some random hunch? You’re nuts.” Or too smart for her own good…
She tipped her head considering. “Maybe not so random.”
He curled his lip. “And your reporter’s instinct is always right, is it?”
Her steely brown eyes shot ice bullets at him. “I want to look into Maxwell’s death as well, and I’d like you to work with me.”
She had to be kidding. “No. No way.” He worked alone.
“Here’s my plan.” She widened her stance, completely ignoring his rejection. “I was supposed to follow Maxwell on his two-week adventure vacation. I’ll just tell the manager of the adventure vacation company that I’ll be following you, instead.”
He couldn’t hold back a laugh. “Not a chance in hell. I’m here to have fun and unwind. I don’t want to have a TV camera up my butt all day.”
Her face remained a blank shield.
His blood pressure hitched up. “What makes you think the company will want more attention from the media?”
She rolled her eyes. “Now that a number of people have ended up dead on one of their vacations,” she explained, “who in their right mind would book a trip with them? We’ll convince the management they need the positive publicity to survive.”
“We?” He was running out of arguments.
“Yes, we. That will give me the access I need to poke around and investigate.”
He tried another tactic. “I could have sworn you said you don’t even fly. Sure you’re up for F-16s, cave diving, and swimming with sharks?” She seemed way too skittish and high-strung to handle this kind of jacked-up adventure.
She paled for a second, but that chin went up again. “I’m hoping George can do all that stuff. He loves diving and flying. Lives for this kind of life-risking craziness. And it’ll give me more time for investigating.”
He pushed out a long breath. “What part of hell no don’t you get?” But he knew a losing battle when he was in the middle of one.
“I don’t really expect you to help me, just give me a cover.”
He groaned in a blast of disbelief. The irony of this situation was not lost on him. If he wanted to remain undercover for real, he had to provide her with a pretend cover. The woman did have balls, he had to admit. He forced a smile. “And if I don’t go along with your plan?”
“I walk right over to my detective friend and tell him my suspicions.” She stared boldly his way, hands on hips, legs slightly apart. “I’ll tell him that Maxwell was killed and you know all about it. That you’re here investigating the other suspicious deaths. I don’t know what agency you’re working for, but Stuart could find out in less than ten minutes, and I imagine you don’t want to blow your cover just yet. Am I right?”
His jaw dropped. “Blackmail? Really? Do you know the penalty for that if I really am a cop?”
She snorted. “Extortion, actually. Well?”
He snapped his jaw shut. He knew very well what would happen if the adventure vacation company knew his real identity, and what his bosses would do if they found out he was still investigating this case after they’d specifically pulled him off it.
Wow. She had him. He was impressed, and a little turned on.
He ground his teeth. He would agree to her plan, only because he had no choice. He was determined to find and nail the son of a bitch who had killed his uncle.
“All right, fine,” he reluctantly said.
She might lose her job if she didn’t come back with her investigative story. But he would definitely lose his job if she exposed his undercover activities and his family’s private life on the news. So he would have to keep the nosy reporter under his thumb and under his control.
One way or another.
Chapter Four
Sam and George caught up with the X-Force Adventure Vacation Company in Peacock Springs State Park—250 acres of wilderness in Florida’s Panhandle. Two of the “accidents” had occurred in this very park.
After driving all night, they’d made camp shortly after sunrise. Now, in mid-afternoon, the sun’s heat poured through the openings in the treetops’ canopy. The air hung heavy, like the leaves on the live oak and silver maples surrounding them.
Sam sat next to Zack on a wooden bench just a few feet from the entrance to the Orange Grove Sink, a mocha-colored pool that struck her as too murky to dive in.
She’d done her research last night while George drove. She knew what a sinkhole was. They opened up all the time in Florida. But Peacock Springs was different. Rainwater and the flow of groundwater had dissolved the limestone in the area over time to form the largest underwater cave system in Florida. Five-and-a-half miles of passages had been surveyed by cave divers. That meant plenty of places for lone divers to get lost and in trouble.
The Orange Grove Sink was one doorway to that underground world of wonder. More like a deathtrap. Just the thought of diving in those passages made beads of anxiety bubble up on her forehead.
Patting the sweat away with a tissue, she cut a glance at George, who stood behind his camera. “Are we ready?” Her fingertips were starting to prickle, another sign a full-fledged panic attack had started. She didn’t have to dive today, so what was her freakin’ problem?
“Yep, ready.” The red light on George’s camera flickered on, indicating he was recording.
Zack leaned back against the bench in a tight, Batman-looking scuba suit, one arm casually thrown over the benchtop, but his eyes remained alive and focused, alerting her to the fact he wasn’t as relaxed as he wanted her to think.
“Cave diving is inherently risky. So, why take the chance?” she asked, playing her role as reporter for the crowd gathering around the sink.
“Why not take the chance?” He rolled out the same charismatic smile she’d seen right before Maxwell’s landing, when he was flirting with her, before the closed off and difficult side of his personality had surfaced. Which Zack would she be dealing with today?
“That’s not an answer.”
“Don’t judge my answers, or I’ll stop listening to your questions.” His gaze challenged her.
Ever since she and George had arrived, Zack had been playing this frustrating game with her. He’d been flirty, but uncooperative. If she talked to a group of people, he’d join them and listen. When she was alone, he’d avoid her. She still had no idea if Zack Hunter was an arrogant player or an accomplished investigator. Probably both.
She bit the inside of her mouth. No use. It didn’t stop angry words from storming out. “You’re not cooperating.”
“I’m sitting here, aren’t I?”
“You’re not answering my questions.”
“This isn’t a real interview.”
“Sure it is. We may use some of the footage.” She wanted to stomp her foot or do something childish that would make her feel better, but the camera was rolling. “And even if we don’t, they don’t know it.” She gestured toward the other vacationers nearby, using her eyes to make sure he understood the importance of convincing the X-Force Adventure group they were for real. Some were shuffling around the Orange Grove Sink. Others were testing out their dive gear. A few were joking around near a food cart. A couple of the vacationers had stopped to watch the interview.
&
nbsp; Zack followed her gaze. “They aren’t close enough to hear what we’re saying.”
“How would you know that?”
He slid off his sunglasses. “Okay, boss.” His dark eyes danced with questionable intent. “Ask me again.”
George interrupted, “Hold up.” Shaking his head, he fiddled with a button on the side of his camera. “Dead battery. I’ve gotta run to the truck for another one.” He unlatched the old camera battery. “We weren’t getting any good shit anyway.” He jerked the battery off the camera and stalked toward the parking lot, mumbling under his breath.
As soon as she thought he was out of hearing range, Sam lit into her stubborn new partner. “You have no idea what I had to do to convince my boss to give me another chance and let me go on this investigation. I have to come back with a story. And you’re looking for answers too, right? So, what’s your problem?”
Zack’s posture stiffened. “This isn’t a game. You shouldn’t be here. No job is worth your life.”
“Well, I am here, so let’s at least try to act like teammates.”
She checked out the area again. Monica, a tall, blond field manager for X-Force Adventure Vacations, stood about ten feet away with a group of three other employees. Her attention appeared to be firmly anchored on Zack.
Leaning into him, Sam pretended to adjust the small microphone attached to his wet suit. “Have you found anything?”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Information on Maxwell’s death?” He smelled so earthy, so masculine in the wet suit, and his hair glistened with moisture as if he’d just taken a shower. What the hell? She didn’t even like this man, and she certainly didn’t like how she noticed all these details about him and reacted physically to them.
“Haven’t found a thing.” He inhaled slowly. “And you?”
“I just got here. So far the only person I’ve interviewed is you.” She made the mistake of glancing up. His pupils expanded. The flutter of butterfly wings teased her belly. She straightened, wondering again why he affected her like this. She’d interviewed the president, for Christ’s sake. Of the United States. She slid down the bench away from him. “What’s our next move?”
