Explosive Force

by Lynette Eason

  “Yes.”

  “He puts Gramma’s Bible there in her place.”

  “He likes tradition.”

  “Thrives on it.”

  “And no one says anything? What if a new person sits there without knowing the history?”

  He smiled. “Then Gramps finds another place to sit. But the nice thing is, most newcomers don’t sit in the front row so it’s not an issue.”

  “Cool.” Nick came from a long line of love and an impressive family—at least on his mother’s side.

  Westley and Felicity slid in beside Nick, then looked around Nick to greet her. “How are you doing? Recovering from the blast, I hope?” Westley asked her.

  “I still have sore knees, but other than that, I’m doing fine, thanks.”

  He nodded and started to say something else, then snapped his lips shut as John Robinson approached. Heidi’s stomach turned sour, but she kept her face blank, not wanting the reporter to see her reaction.

  “Good morning, all,” John said. “Thought I’d catch you here. Master Sergeant James, can you give us an update on the Red Rose Killer?”

  “I cannot. Have a nice day, Robinson.”

  The reporter flinched and narrowed his eyes at Heidi. “Lou isn’t going to be happy to hear about this. This is my story.”

  Heidi crossed her arms and raised her chin. “Did I say it wasn’t?”

  “No, but everywhere I go, you’re there.” His gaze flicked to Nick. “With someone working the investigation. If you’re hoping to scoop me on this—” The music started and he was forced to end his bickering. “We’ll talk later.”

  “Not if I can help it,” she muttered as John walked across the aisle and Nick placed a comforting hand at the small of her back. She shot him a tight smile and drew in a deep breath that was supposed to help lower her blood pressure.

  It helped. A little.

  Security Forces Captain Justin Blackwood and his sixteen-year-old daughter, Portia, entered and quickly found a seat. Portia carried her ever-present iPad and looked about as happy to be in church as she would being stuck in after-school detention. Not for the first time, Heidi wondered what her story was or what went through her head—the daughter of a high-ranking military official. But also the daughter of a single dad. From what Heidi had learned just from keeping her ears open around the base, Portia was the result of a high school romance. She’d lived with her mother until the woman had died about a year ago and then Justin had gotten custody. She’d been living with her father ever since and didn’t seem at all happy about that fact.

  Heidi couldn’t remember seeing a smile on the girl’s face and that made her sad.

  She let her mind flip from the girl to what she needed to do on the Red Rose Killer. While she’d been honest about not working the story, it didn’t mean she just had to ignore it, right? Of course, she had her priorities straight. First and foremost, she needed to figure out what was going on with the missing medals, but if she happened to come across something that could lead them to Boyd Sullivan, then so be it. John would stroke out if that happened, but there wasn’t anything she could do about that. That was his problem.

  When the second song ended and it was time to sit, she realized she hadn’t even been aware of standing. However, she was very aware of Nick’s hand still at the small of her back. Which made her wish they’d sing at least one more song.

  But it wasn’t to be.

  She sat and continued her musing even as she tried to focus on the sermon and not on the man next to her. And then it hit home what Pastor Harmon was talking about. Something about loving one’s enemies. She slid a glance at John Robinson across the aisle and clamped her lips together. Lord, don’t ask me to love him, please. That’s going above and beyond, isn’t it? Then her gaze moved to the man on her right. But Nick Donovan might be another thing altogether. However, Nick wasn’t her enemy, so she was pretty sure that wouldn’t be the correct application of the sermon. Still...

  “Are you all right?” Nick whispered.

  She started. “Yes, why?”

  “You’re squirmy and distracted. Like a little kid.”

  Heat suffused her cheeks. “Sorry.” For the rest of the service, she sat still as a rock and forced her mind to stay on the sermon.

  Once the service ended, they made their way to the back of the church and stood in line to greet the pastor and exit. Annie stayed obediently beside Nick. “She’s really an amazing dog, isn’t she?” Heidi said.

  Nick leaned down to scratch the hound’s ears. “Truly amazing. Not very pretty and the slobber sometimes gets to me, but she’s all heart and give. I couldn’t ask for a better partner.”

  “I hate that the other dogs are still missing. I hope someone’s taking care of them.”

  He frowned. “I do, too.”

  “It’s been five months since Sullivan released them. Do you think there’s still hope?”

  “Of course there’s hope, Heidi.” But it wasn’t Nick who answered. It was Pastor Harmon who’d no doubt heard her remark as they approached him. He reached for her hand and gave it a friendly squeeze. “There’s always hope—even when the situation looks hopeless.”

  Heidi smiled at the friendly and wise man she’d come to enjoy speaking with on Sunday afternoons. “Hello, Pastor Harmon. I know God can use even this situation. Sometimes it’s hard to focus on that, though.”

  “I know. I’m praying those dogs come home soon.”

  “Thank you,” Nick said. “We appreciate that.” They moved on and stepped out into the heat. “Lunch?” he asked.

  “That sounds fabulous.”

  They found his grandfather talking to three officers and making a golf date. When Heidi and Nick approached, his brown eyes turned speculative. “I’m going to skip out on lunch with you two if that’s all right. These three need a fourth.”

  “Of course, Gramps, just call me if you need a ride home.”

  “One of these guys can drop me off. Y’all mind?”

  “No, sir, happy to do it,” one of the officers said. Heidi tried to pull his name from the recesses of her memory, but couldn’t find it.

  Then Nick’s hand was under her elbow and he was leading her to his car. “Is the Winged Java okay with you?”

  “Sure. I love their potato soup and Caesar salad.”

  “Perfect.”

  They were stopped by Pastor Harmon, who called out Nick’s name. He stood at the top of the steps, waving him over.

  “Go on, I’ll meet you at the car,” she said.

  The parking lot was almost empty. The car was twenty yards away.

  He nodded and jogged over to the steps while she headed for the vehicle. The sound of an engine caught her attention and she turned to see a vehicle heading toward her. Black-tinted windows blocked her view of the driver. As he rode toward her, his window rolled down, his right arm lifted...

  ...and she saw the semiautomatic in his grasp aimed right at her.

  * * *

  Nick turned at the sound of the first crack from the gun, followed by a rat-a-tat-tat that spit up the asphalt near his SUV. “Heidi!” He ran toward her, pulling his weapon. She’d darted behind the vehicle as the weapon fired, but had she been fast enough? “Heidi! Are you hit?”

  The silver sedan roared to the edge of the parking lot, then out into the street without stopping. Within seconds, it had sped around the corner.

  He turned to see his grandfather on the phone, yelling orders. The MPs would be here soon, but there was no one here to follow the guy. No matter, someone would catch him soon enough. He was on a closed base and wouldn’t get far. Nick rounded the side of the vehicle to find Heidi crouching behind a tire. When she saw him, she launched herself into his arms. He held her, his heart thudding with the knowledge that she didn’t appear to be harmed.

  He pushed her
back to look her over. No blood in sight.

  “He didn’t hit me,” she said. “Came close, but I think trying to shoot me from a moving car threw off his aim.”

  The colonel hurried over, phone still pressed to his ear. “Do we need an ambulance?”

  “No, sir,” Heidi said, although Nick knew they’d send one anyway. “Let me sit for a minute, please,” she said. “My knees are shaking.”

  He lowered her to the asphalt and knelt beside her. “You’re sure you’re okay?”

  “Just shaken.”

  “Understandable.”

  Sirens were already screaming closer, racing down Canyon Drive. Nick tucked his weapon back into his holster as the first Security Forces vehicles turned into the church parking lot. “You’ll need to give a statement,” he told her.

  “I know. I’m just trying to get it together. It’s a story, right? I can do this. I can write this from my perspective.”

  Already she sounded stronger, but Nick was floored. “A story? You were almost killed!”

  Her eyes met his as she stood. “I’m aware of that, thanks.”

  “Apparently not. It’s not a story. It’s your life!”

  “Stop shouting, Nick, and let me handle this my way.”

  Belatedly, he realized what she was doing. Compartmentalizing. “You know you completely exasperate me, right?”

  “Can’t say I’m surprised. I think I have that effect on most people I meet.”

  At least she was responding with a bit of morbid humor. He got it. Most people in law enforcement used sarcasm or bad humor in order to deal with what they had to live with on a daily basis. Heidi had been around long enough to adopt the technique.

  He groaned. “Fine.”

  A hand on his arm pulled his attention from her to his grandfather. “Gramps?”

  “More trouble for the pretty reporter, huh?” While the older man looked steady as a rock, his brows were drawn tight and a muscle in his jaw pulsed, revealing his tight hold on his anger and fear.

  “No kidding,” Nick told him.

  From the corner of his eye, Nick spotted John Robinson heading straight for Heidi. Knowing she was in no condition to deal with her colleague, he nudged his grandfather. “Can you head that guy off at the pass? He and Heidi don’t get along, and she may deck him if he says something snarky.”

  With a gleam in his eyes, his grandfather nodded. “My pleasure.”

  Turning, Nick found Heidi staring at him. She blinked. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome. Now, let’s give your statement and get some food. I have a feeling we’re going to need it.”

  SIX

  When Heidi was done giving her statement to the police, it was two o’clock in the afternoon.

  She was conscious that Nick was right by her side through the whole thing. All of it. He held her hand while she spoke to the MPs. He kept his hand on her shoulder when he encouraged her to let the paramedic check her out. And, finally, he took her to the newspaper office and sat patiently in the corner of her cubicle while she typed up the story for Lou.

  “Wow, you just can’t stay out of trouble, can you?”

  Heidi paused and then lifted her head to find John Robinson hovering just outside her cubicle. Nick looked up from the magazine he’d been reading and set it aside.

  “Not in the mood, John,” Heidi said and turned her attention back to her computer.

  “A shoot-out is a pretty big deal. How did that guy get a semiautomatic on the base, anyway?”

  “I think that the MPs are probably working on that,” she said.

  “Really? And you were the one who saw the guy run out of the training center, too. As well as get chased by a gun-wielding maniac outside your home.”

  “He didn’t chase us. We chased him.” She paused, looked up. “What are you implying?”

  “I’m not implying anything. I’m just saying it’s kind of odd, isn’t it?”

  “Spit it out, Robinson,” Nick said.

  “Fine.” He jabbed a finger at Heidi. “I think you want to work on the Red Rose Killer so bad that you’re setting up these little incidents to make Lou think you’re the better reporter. Kind of like a daredevil reporter who’ll go after any story no matter what.”

  Heidi stared at him for a good three seconds, then rose. “Get out.”

  “You’re not going to deny it?”

  “No, I’m not. You’ve made up your mind, and your blinders wouldn’t allow you to see the truth if it bit you on the nose. Now, get out of my space and leave me alone.”

  Robinson’s nostrils flared. “You’re going to get knocked off that pedestal you’ve put yourself on. Real soon.”

  “Is that a threat?” Nick asked and stepped casually in front of Heidi, partially blocking her view.

  “No,” Robinson said. “A promise.” He spun on his heel and left.

  Heidi’s breath whooshed from her lungs. “What a jerk.”

  “Yeah. You better watch your back with that one.”

  She caught his gaze. “Guess I’ll trust you to do that while you’re watching for the other guy who’s out to get me.”

  He huffed a short laugh. “Right.” His phone rang. “I’m going to get this while you finish up.”

  When he returned a few minutes later, Heidi had just put the finishing touches on her piece and hit the send button. “I’m starving,” she said.

  “We’ll grab some food on the way back to your place. That was Westley. He said they think they’ve figured out how the gunman got on base.”

  “How?”

  “Looks like he hopped a ride on a delivery truck. Security footage showed him getting out of the back when no one was watching. The weapon was in his hand. Then he tried a few cars until he found one with the keys left in it. Piecing together the footage from different cameras, it’s apparent that he drove around base for a few minutes—looking for you, they think—before stopping at the church. And you know what happened after that.”

  “Did they catch him?”

  “No. Unfortunately, he managed to get away. He ditched the car and slipped inside the Base Exchange. With the baseball cap and sunglasses, we weren’t able to get a good picture of him off the security footage.”

  She sighed and nodded. Then stood. “All right. I think I’m ready to get out of here and get something to eat. Do you mind if we just hit the drive-through? I don’t feel up to sitting in a café.”

  “Sure, we can do that. Let’s go.”

  He loaded her and Annie into his SUV and they swung through a drive-through before he took her home. Once inside, he placed the food on the table.

  In companionable silence, they worked together, grabbing plates and silverware, and soon, she found herself sitting across from him—albeit a bit tongue-tied. After several bites, she took a sip of soda and eyed him.

  “What?” he asked before taking another bite out of his burger.

  “Why are you being so nice to me?” she blurted.

  He blinked. “Someone just tried to kill you. Should I be mean to you?”

  She gave a low laugh. “Of course not. I don’t think that would even be in your makeup. But you don’t like reporters. That means you don’t like me by default.”

  “Hmm. That’s been the general feeling over the last few years.”

  She raised a brow. “And with me being fingered as the anonymous blogger, that should really make you think twice.”

  “But you’re not the blogger.”

  “I know that, but I don’t have any proof.”

  “I think you’ve proven you’re not.”

  “Really? How’s that?”

  “I’m not blind, Heidi. I’ve been watching you, and you have integrity.”

  A lump gathered in her throat. “Thanks, I appreciate that. But you still don’t
like reporters.”

  “I have to admit, there’s a certain reporter who might be changing my mind.”

  “Let me guess. John Robinson?”

  He choked. Then went into coughing spasms while she pounded his back. “Are you okay?”

  “I may take back my statement about liking a certain reporter. She may have integrity, but her wicked sense of humor can hurt a guy.”

  Heidi grinned. She couldn’t help it. His expression set her heart racing. “You actually like a reporter?” She was proud of the calm, matter-of-fact tone she managed to use. “Judging by your reaction, I’m guessing it’s not John.”

  “No, John is exactly the kind of reporter I don’t like.”

  “So, who might it be?” Seriously? Was she flirting with him? The guy who hated reporters? Obviously, she was still traumatized from the day’s events and was in desperate need of a good night’s sleep.

  Now that he had himself under control, his eyes narrowed, but a smile played around the corners of his mouth. “You really have to ask?”

  Dropping her gaze to her food, she gave a small laugh even while heat crept into her cheeks. “No, I guess I don’t.” So. He was inclined to flirt back. Interesting.

  And then the gunfire she’d escaped that morning echoed in her mind and she frowned.

  His smile slipped away. “What is it?” he asked.

  Swallowing the last bite of her burger, she shook her head. “This probably isn’t a good idea.”

  “What?”

  She met his eyes. “You know what. Us hanging out. Flirting a little. You being anywhere near me. That’s what.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I might get you hurt. Someone shot at me today. Obviously, this guy is crazy and doesn’t care who’s in the path of his bullets.”

  “You were the only one in the path of those bullets. They didn’t come close to anyone else.”

  “This time. What about next time?”

  He ran a hand over his eyes. “I’m hoping there won’t be a next time.”

  She bit her lip and nodded. “I appreciate that. But if the shooter and the bomber are one and the same, he’s not going to stop.”