Secret Service Setup

by Jessica R. Patch

  Jody stood and studied the whiteboard they’d put together while Evan was at work earlier. “Someone has a vendetta or someone wants to shut you down on this online investigation—a person who is scared. They know your skill and ability.”

  “That could be the Arsenal site creator, gun sellers or even one of the customers that uses that site. Whoever it is has to know that I’m running an undercover task force in the first place.” Evan pointed a chopstick in the air. “And that means we have a corrupt agent feeding information to one of these people. But would a traitorous agent personally come after me? What if I exposed him? I’d think he’d hire someone to do it. Keep himself hidden—safe.”

  Jody nodded. “I agree. Why hide the fact that you’re the actual target if they didn’t care if they were found out? I think they got someone else to come after you tonight. An agent wouldn’t risk getting caught.”

  “Any one of the guys in my office and task force would have access to my home address. He’d know exactly where to send someone.”

  “I don’t think you should go through with the gun sting tomorrow night, Evan. Like Wilder said, if he ratted you out to the gun dealers, then who is going to watch your back?”

  Evan couldn’t back down. This attack on him might have nothing to do with the gun dealers, and if not, then this was his chance to take them down. “I guess you and Wilder are.” He hated even saying it. Putting Jody in harm’s way wasn’t something he was thrilled about. It was hard enough already. But she was fully capable, and what choice did he have?

  “I guess so,” she said, and Wilder agreed.

  Now to get through it and stay alive.

  * * *

  Jody stirred in the guest bed. Sleep refused to come. Reaching for her cell phone, she checked the time. Almost one in the morning. Jody hated the idea of Evan walking into that sting. There were a million things that could go wrong. Evan dying was the worst. No matter what he’d done to her, she didn’t want to see his life endangered.

  But walking into dirty agents and gun dealers who might want him dead was a Molotov cocktail waiting to be lit. If only that was all that had her restless.

  The intimacy in the bathroom earlier when she’d cleaned and doctored a wound for Evan had affected her profoundly. His nearness. The smell of longing and hope that emanated from his skin confused and frightened her.

  She shouldn’t be having such powerful feelings—not for a man who wouldn’t marry her. When she’d turned her back on God—no, when He’d turned His back on her—she’d really disappointed her family with some of her choices. Mama hadn’t said much, but Daddy had been overly vocal with his strong opinion on their living arrangements and not buying milk when the cow was free. But she hadn’t listened. Not when she was in love with Evan and refusing to heed the Word of God. Looking back, it seemed Daddy was right. Evan had strung her along. She sorely regretted living with him. Regretted so much. And even with all the regrets and pain, she still felt an ember of longing buried deep in her bones.

  The whole house smelled like Evan. Even the guest room sheets with their subtle scent-free detergent. He was everywhere. In everything. Fogging up her brain. She swung her feet over the edge of the bed and slipped on a pair of socks and shoes, then tossed a sweatshirt over her head and tiptoed from the room. She needed the blast of cold air to chase away his scent.

  The lamp in the living room cast shadows on the hardwood floor. The refrigerator hummed and the heat kicked on. She stepped outside into the bitter wind. Harsh. Unforgiving.

  Like herself? The real reason she couldn’t talk about the past was she was scared Evan might sweet-talk her into forgiving him. If she kept having these crazy feelings, moments of weakness where she missed him, he might be able to crack through the walls she’d built. Because she didn’t want to forgive him. She didn’t want him to think that what he’d done was okay. All she’d ever dreamed was to follow in Granddaddy Flynn’s footsteps and make him proud.

  Evan didn’t deserve forgiveness.

  Even if she knew it was the right thing to do as a Christian. But protecting Christine and Jody would have been the right thing to do, too. And yet where was God?

  He was supposed to be her strong tower. Her shield. Her fortress. Her very present help in times of trouble.

  So where were You, God? Where were You in my time of trouble? When I was slandered and persecuted? Where were You when I was falling apart and losing it all? Where. Were. You?

  Wiping a tear with her shirtsleeve, she quietly closed the French doors leading to the deck. Winter. Wood smoke. Chlorine. She eased to the hot tub, turned it on and sat on the edge, slipping her shoes and socks off, then rolling up her flannel pajama bottoms and plunging her feet and calves into the foaming water. Steam rose and she closed her eyes.

  She didn’t have to forgive him to guard him. It coursed through her DNA. She’d been a protector as long as she could remember. How many times had she fought off bullies from her younger brother, Locke? Even though he’d deserved the pounding. She’d taken many a spanking on his behalf to save him from a trip to the woodshed with Daddy. She couldn’t help it. When she loved, she loved loyally.

  Including Evan. She’d protected him to the bitter end. Loved him loyally even when she’d had the chance to throw him under the bus with the truth. He’d been drinking too much on duty. He’d allowed the hotel security breach. But it wouldn’t have mattered. They’d have rallied around Evan. It would have been his word against hers. She would have lost either way.

  Dipping her hand into the bubbling water, she stirred it.

  A scent on the wind arrested her attention.

  The smoky scent of a cigar. Did Evan still smoke them? She hadn’t seen evidence or smelled them on his clothing, skin or furniture.

  Woodsy. Hint of black pepper from a seductive cologne.

  Not Evan.

  She turned in time for gloved hands to wrap around her throat. Meaty. Strong. The hulk who had attacked Evan earlier had returned to finish the job and had gotten Jody, instead.

  Jody clasped his hands, trying to pry off the iron grip. He shoved her into the hot tub and under the swirling water.

  She grabbed his forearms and fastened her feet to the side of the hot tub, using her legs and arms to drag him in with her. He tumbled in, allowing her a moment’s relief. She surfaced and sucked in precious air, though it burned like ice in her lungs.

  He slammed her under again.

  Jody couldn’t panic. She had to think. Clearly.

  She used her bare foot to inch up his leg until she found the right spot and kicked his groin. He howled and she rose from the drowning waters, gulping for air. “Evan! Wilder!”

  Wilder would never hear her up in the bonus room where he’d crashed, but Evan might, though the master bedroom was in the front of the house.

  The man lunged. She reared back and smashed her fist into his nose, hearing the crack of bone. Her sweatshirt and pants weighted her down as she tried to climb from the waters. She was inches from freedom when a hand ripped her hair, lighting a fire into her scalp. He hurled heinous curses at her and about her. “You’re going to rue that.”

  Fear exploded through her veins.

  She sucked in a breath right before he drove her under the water with vengeful power, anchoring her to the bottom of the hot tub.

  This couldn’t be the end.

  Not like this. She would go down fighting to her last breath.

  Clawing at his hands and kicking wildly, she fought. Thoughts of Christine and hands that held her down fueled Jody. Using that pent-up anger, she dug something deep from within and found new strength. She grabbed his pinky and bent it until the bone snapped and he released her.

  Shooting from the water, eyes burning, adrenaline racing at Mach speed through her blood, Jody inhaled precious oxygen and ducked as the brawny fist came for her.

&nb
sp; More vicious curses were slung.

  Hair hung in her eyes, putting her at a disadvantage.

  “Evan! Evan!” she croaked, lungs on fire.

  The attacker lunged and she dived across the hot tub, her knee nailing the hard acrylic outer lip and her ribs bashing against the side. She clawed her way out onto the deck, the attacker on her six like an impenetrable force.

  Fight or flight.

  Winded and wounded, she stood her ground. She would not let another person silence her. She would not run.

  Fight.

  Panting...coughing...she raised her fists into boxing position; her arms felt like heavy limbs. “You...have messed...with...the wrong...woman.” Chest heaving, she braced herself.

  The man towered over her and chuckled, low and menacing as he drew a serrated bowie knife from the sheath at his side. “I’m gonna take both your eyes. One for each bone you broke.”

  She believed he would do exactly that, given the chance. She tightened her fists, clenched her jaw. Exhausted, weighted down by sopping wet clothing, she blew a matted chunk of wet hair from her eyes. He slashed toward her and she moved to the right, bobbing and weaving the knife as he toyed with her.

  This man was skilled with the weapon.

  She’d been expertly trained, too. The navy. By her father, and Wilder, who’d been a SEAL.

  But he outweighed her by two hundred pounds easy, and she couldn’t deny the fear that sent her pulse into the speed of light. “Evan!” she screamed with all she had, and the attacker charged her.

  She grabbed a deck chair and swung it full force, knocking him off balance as she ran for the house. She hurdled the lounge chairs, but he crashed onto her, ramming her to the deck floor, splinters burning as they jutted into her palms and fingers. Her chin scraped against the wood.

  Were Evan and Wilder deaf? Knocked out? Dead?

  “Evan! Wilder!”

  “This is gonna be fun,” he said, and rolled her onto her back. “Do you know how much money you’ve cost me?”

  Money? She spit into his eyes as he grabbed her wrists with one hand, pinning her down.

  Bringing her knee up, she got him in the groin again. He loosened his grip and she scrambled out from under him.

  “Jody!” Evan. Oh, sweet Evan!

  He raced across the deck, gun in hand. “Freeze,” he yelled.

  The hulk in black glanced at Evan’s gun, then jumped across the hot tub and sprinted across the backyard. Evan didn’t shoot—not with his neighbor’s home so close—or pursue. He slid to his knees, brushed back the mass of hair from Jody’s face and cradled her cheeks. He tenderly touched the scrapes on her chin.

  “I hollered for you.”

  He pulled her against his chest.

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t hear you earlier. I woke up and happened to check the cameras on my phone. They’d been blacked out. I went to your room and saw you were gone. I heard your last scream.” She felt his heart beat at a wild pace. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”

  She broke away and let out a relieved sigh. “I’m good.”

  “You give him a run for his money? If I know you, you did.”

  “I broke a couple of bones.” She couldn’t help but smile. “I would have lost in the end, I think.” She laid her head against his chest again, the sweetness and familiarity bringing solace. “Evan...”

  “Yeah,” he murmured.

  “I think you’re in bigger trouble than we thought.”

  Evan frowned. “What do you mean?”

  Standing and shivering, she wrapped her arms around her middle. “I think someone put a hit out on you.”

  FIVE

  Evan couldn’t get past the fact that Jody was probably right. The way the attacks went down—all separate MOs. The attacker from last night had spoken to Jody. Told her she’d cost him money. What other explanation was there? He must have been getting a boatload if he was willing to risk coming back. This guy knew his address. Had the ability to slip onto the property undetected and disable the physical cameras. Someone on the inside must have fueled this. If there was more than one hit man, how many more would come? And who had placed the bounty on Evan’s head?

  Two hours from now the sting operation would go down. Wilder and Jody had tried to talk him out of going, but he couldn’t back down. Not now. So here they were at a junkyard outside the city limits so Wilder and Jody could get into place before his task force arrived.

  That morning, Evan had gone into work as if he hadn’t been attacked last night, as if Jody hadn’t almost been murdered in his backyard. Wheezer was combing the dark web online forums with keywords like Wasp and Novak to see if he could find a discussion about Evan that might lead to a dark web hit site. Most of them were scams, but not all, and placing a hit on the dark web anonymously would make the most sense. What scared him more than his own life at risk was the fact that Jody had been dragged into it.

  He glanced at her as she and Wilder discussed perimeters. Her chin had a small scrape and her hands had been dinged up pretty good. But through the fear, he swelled with pride. The woman was unbelievable. A force to be reckoned with. She would have gone down fighting to the end. She was no coward, which was why he hadn’t attempted to talk her out of being his security tonight during the sting. No way she’d back down, especially after being physically attacked. She was tenacious to a fault. Was it all out of duty? Could she possibly feel something for him? He didn’t deserve it. Couldn’t act on it if there was, but he wondered.

  “I don’t like this, once again for the ten-thousandth time,” Jody said. “I don’t trust this operation. We need more intel. We need to know which agent or agents have betrayed you and if these gunrunners know the truth and plan to take you and any innocent agent out. It’s like we’re going in blindfolded, and that’s stupid.”

  Wilder popped a piece of spearmint gum. “I agree. But we might figure out more letting it go down tonight than not letting it. We have Evan’s back.”

  Evan worried something might happen to Jody. “Look, we’re supposed to meet at nine. Over by that pile of junk cars. It’ll be me, Terry Pratt and Linn Davis from the ATF. We didn’t want too many here tonight. Two more will be invisible.”

  “So will we.” Wilder wadded the silver gum paper between his fingers. “What’s the drop procedure?”

  Evan toyed with the keys in the ignition. “They’re bringing fifteen different models of ghost guns and we have a quarter of a million dollars.”

  “Wow. How did you get authorized for that much money?”

  “Ghost guns are killing innocent people.” Evan pocketed the keys. “We see the goods. We make the bust. Rumor has it the head of this ring will be here. He does all his own deals. But he’ll have a wall of protection around him. Could be ten men. Fifteen. Who knows. We can’t come with that much muscle or it will look suspicious. But our goal is to bring him and his right-hand man in alive.”

  Jody shook her head. “Again—”

  “You don’t like it.” Evan waited for her to look him in the eye. “I know. But it’s going to be okay. I’ve got you on my side.” If only for a little while.

  She blew a heavy breath. “Let’s get into position before the other team comes to get into theirs.”

  Evan watched as they hauled an arsenal of weapons with them. Jody wore black cargo pants and a fitted, black long-sleeved T-shirt and black army-style jacket. She could make wearing potato sacks look good.

  He waited in his SUV until his task force arrived, positioning themselves. Terry Pratt stood by Evan in the meeting place. The wind was gentle, the air cool but not freezing. Linn Davis checked his watch. “Five till nine.”

  Evan held the silver case of money. “They’ll be here.”

  Terry shifted from one foot to the other and sniffed as he scanned the secluded junkyard. Piles of old cars and car par
ts. An empty train car. “I got a bad feeling.”

  Linn shoved a wad of dip in the side of his jaw. “I never have a good feeling when dealing with criminals.” He glanced at his watch again. “You’d think with the money we’re offering, they’d be on time. Antsy to get that dough in their pockets.”

  Evan had an eerie feeling himself. It slithered across his insides, twisting them into knots. But he had Wilder and Jody in place. They waited in silence. Time stretched into eternity. Evan checked his watch. Ten after nine.

  “I don’t like it,” Terry said. “Maybe they got spooked.”

  Or tipped off.

  “Five more minutes and we call the contact number.” Evan continued to scan the perimeter.

  Five minutes passed.

  “Make the call, boss man,” Linn said.

  A gunshot blasted, kicking up dirt at their feet and echoing across the star-spotted sky. “Take cover!” Evan hollered.

  Four men appeared from behind a cluster of junked-out cars, guns blazing.

  The sound of metal on metal reverberated.

  Evan ducked behind an old Jeep, returning fire.

  More shots came from behind them. They were being enclosed in gunfire.

  Terry and Linn ducked behind a Ford F-150, covering them from the south.

  “Hold your positions,” Evan hollered. Two bad guys on his right went down. Could be from his task force. Could be Wilder or Jody.

  Sweat slicked Evan’s back and beaded around his upper lip. They had to get out of this kill zone. Terry turned. “Cover me.”

  Evan nodded and he and Terry weaved between cars, Evan holding his six while Linn covered a distance behind. A bullet shattered a car window. Evan dived behind the train car with Terry and Linn.