Out of Range (Ranger Ops Book 6)

by Em Petrova

  He nodded, a flicker of a smile in his eyes. “Sore too. You wouldn’t feel like rubbing my shoulders, would you?”

  “Get out of those clothes and I’ll show you everything I feel like rubbing.”

  He tossed back his head on a laugh so full of joy, and her heart pumped with even more love for him. With a growl, he clutched her to his chest and stood. They were halfway to the bedroom before she could blink.

  * * * * *

  Cav settled at the table with coffee and his tablet. He was fully dressed, though not fully rested, but he’d sleep when he was dead.

  While Arielle showered and got ready for her school day, he’d take the chance to look through the information Downs had sent. After entering a password and a thumbprint to access the file, he sipped his coffee and flipped through the pages.

  It wasn’t really his job to search out bombers—his job was to take down the bombers. But since that day near the school when he’d realized he had a hell of a lot of knowledge to gain about bombs, he’d been driven to learn everything about the maker that he could. Maybe he’d see something in the file to give him more of an understanding.

  A quiet step behind him made him glance over his shoulder. Automatically, he swiped at a page to clear the screen, but the images of the five men in the lineup came up in its place.

  Gaze riveted to the image, her jaw dropped.

  He looked up at her. “What is it?”

  “I know that man.”

  Ice hit his veins. “What?”

  “That one.” She pointed to the second from the right. “He’s a bus driver.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me?”

  She blinked at his tone, brows pinching. “No. He works for the company that handles the bussing for the school. Has he been arrested?”

  “Yeah, he has, as a possible suspect for the bomb incident here a few weeks ago.”

  A hand fluttered to her chest. “Cav, are you serious?”

  “As a goddamn heart attack.” He hadn’t gotten to read the man’s file yet, but now he pulled it up and skimmed the contents. Sure enough, he was a driver for Rose Middle School. No prior convictions or arrests, but he had done a stint in a mental facility for self-harm.

  Fuck, he was also related to Boden, an estranged grandson.

  “Cav, what does it mean?” Arielle’s voice wobbled.

  He focused on her and then took her hand, rubbing the back of her knuckles with his thumb. “It means he won’t be driving now.”

  She slumped a little. “Good, because they scheduled the museum trip for tomorrow.”

  Thank Christ the man had been arrested. Whether he was responsible or not, Cav didn’t want the guy within a million miles of Arielle or the school.

  He pressed a button and his screen went black. “I’ll take care of it. I’ve gotta run. If I’m late, Downs and Sully will have my balls on a skewer.” He stood and drew her into his arms, brushing his mouth over hers. “I love you, baby. Stay safe today. Promise me.”

  “Always.” She still appeared shaken but relaxed in his hold. He ran a hand up and down her spine until she loosened even more. “You stay safe too.”

  He shot her a grin. “I’ll call you during your lunch period, okay?”

  She nodded, chewing her lip. She threw a look at the tablet in his hand, obviously still thinking about the bus driver.

  Cav lightly captured the point of her chin between his thumb and fingers, tipping her face up to look into his eyes. “It’s all right. I’ll take care of everything. Just go to work knowing that you’re all safe and fill up those young minds with… what are you teaching them right now?”

  “We’re doing Shakespeare. The Taming of the Shrew.”

  “Sounds exactly what teen boys need.”

  “Cav, you’d better never let me hear you say such a chauvinistic thing again. Now get going before you’re late.” She nudged him toward the door with a laugh, which was just the note he wanted to leave her with.

  He blew her a kiss and walked out.

  Outside in his truck, he didn’t feel much like joking around and pulled out his cell.

  “Why the hell didn’t you tell me yesterday one of Arielle’s school bus drivers was arrested?” he shot out the minute Sully picked up.

  He slammed the truck into gear and took off down the street. American flags waved from the fronts of houses, and he felt a keen pang of what he was here to protect.

  To him, patriotism brought a lump to his throat every damn time. Maybe he was a sap, but he didn’t give a fuck when it came to his country.

  Maybe the bus driver for Rose Middle School wasn’t responsible for either planting or building that bomb, but for today at least, Cav was confident that the students and teachers would all be safe and then following when they visited the museum too.

  Chapter Eleven

  There was so much energy in the air that Arielle couldn’t help but grin. She gathered her group of eighth graders and ticked off their names on the list of those attending the trip to the museum. Each was as excited as the last, and several times she had to raise her hands and ask for quiet.

  With bagged lunches and water bottles, they filed into a line to board the bus.

  For the first time since the bomb threat that day weeks ago, she didn’t feel worried. The authorities were working to determine which of the men they had in custody was responsible, and she just knew the school board wouldn’t authorize this trip if they weren’t confident in their safety.

  So it was time to let loose and have a little fun.

  She caught sight of Sarah over the heads of the kids milling around her, and they shared a smile. A day away from the classroom was proving to infect them all with high spirits. Arielle didn’t realize how boxed in she’d been feeling until now.

  Funny how even loving Cav had freed her in many ways. Sure, she still had enough nervous energy to fix a lot of world problems, but she also was learning to slow down and allow herself time to just reflect, something she had avoided over the past two years.

  Once her group had boarded the bus, she followed and took a seat where she could easily turn and tell them off if necessary. Their chatter got louder and louder as they argued over who sat where and finally, all settled. Then Sarah brought her group on and more insanity ensued.

  When her friend took a seat across the aisle from her, they shared a smile. “This is going to be a long ride. Wish I’d brought my earplugs.” Sarah had to raise her voice to be heard.

  The last of the students and faculty boarded, and the bus driver looked around. “That everyone?”

  Jason responded that they were all aboard, and the driver closed the door with a hiss of hydraulics.

  From the seat behind her, Arielle heard a boy say, “Hey, somebody left something on the bus. Look. It’s under my seat.”

  Arielle turned, thinking to see a used tissue or a backpack. But when she saw the square black case the student tugged out near his feet, her heart froze in her chest.

  Leaping up, she grabbed the kid by the arm and pulled him out of the seat. “Stand up too, Sebastian,” she said to his seat buddy. “Don’t kick that thing.”

  “What is it, Ms. Jackman?”

  “I don’t know, but just find another seat.” Her order was given in a calm voice, but inside, her nerves were firing like fireworks on the Fourth of July. What is it? she mentally repeated.

  “Arielle?” Sarah’s voice sounded strange over her shoulder.

  “Have the driver open the doors and let everyone back off.”

  “Is it…? Oh God.” Sarah’s tone of worry amplified as she peeked over her shoulder and saw the case on the floor.

  “Hurry,” Arielle said.

  She didn’t want to touch the thing, but she sank to the seat with the case and hid it from the students by planting her feet in front of it. Whispers came from several seats behind her, where the two students began talking about why they’d changed seats.

  Arielle threw a look to the front of the
bus, where Sarah was speaking to the driver. The driver nodded and reached for the controls to open the doors again. But long seconds passed and the doors did not open.

  At the front of the bus, Sarah and Jason were talking in heated whispers. When they looked up and met her gaze, she knew things were going terribly wrong.

  Stay calm for the students. Just think of a way to evacuate the bus.

  The driver stood and began moving down the aisle, all the way to the back of the bus. He tried the emergency exit door, shoving with an increasing amount of force, but it wouldn’t budge either.

  “Are we locked in here?” one of the kids asked.

  A girl let out a shrill scream at that suggestion.

  “It’s all right, everyone.” Arielle half stood and turned to look at the kids. “Just stay calm. We’ve got a small problem with the bus.”

  “What kind of problem?” a kid asked.

  Arielle ignored them all. The driver made his way back up the aisle, and Arielle caught him as he passed.

  “What’s going on?” She pitched her voice as low as possible so none of the students overheard.

  “Back door’s jammed shut, and the front ones aren’t working.” He dropped his gaze to her feet, and then his eyes widened.

  She placed a hand on his arm. “Don’t panic. We don’t know what it is. I just want to get everyone off the bus.” If the case held something like what had been along the road leading to Rose Middle School, the item that Cav had tried to deactivate, then they were in big trouble—hundreds of them. They were still parked outside the school, which was filled with students not attending this field trip.

  Shaking inwardly, she forced a note of calm into her voice. “Call your boss and tell him what’s going on. And keep it quiet. I’m going to call the police.”

  He nodded and moved on to the front again.

  She just took her cell out of her purse when it rang in her hand. A glance at the screen had her heart pumping faster.

  “Cav.” She couldn’t quite contain the edge of hysteria in her voice this time.

  “There was just a call about a bomb on a bus. What the fuck’s going on, Arielle? Are you on that bus?”

  “How did you find—”

  She looked over her shoulder to the boy who’d discovered the case and knew he’d probably alerted his parents, who’d called 9-1-1.

  “Baby, I’m on my way. You need to evacuate that bus.”

  “Cav, we tried. The doors aren’t opening.”

  “Not opening? Jesus Christ. Whoever did this must have worked the pneumatics. The emergency door in the back won’t open either?”

  “No. The driver says it’s somehow locked shut and won’t open from the inside.”

  “Goddammit.”

  Her fingers were shaking, and she balled her fist and placed it on her lap.

  “Where is the object right now?”

  “Under my feet,” she responded.

  A beat of silence and then Cav said, “Arielle, you need to get up and move, but do not jar it. Do you hear me?”

  “Yes.” She was reluctant to stand and move away, afraid the kids would see what she’d been hiding behind her feet, but the way they were buzzing behind her, she knew the word was out.

  “Ms. Jackman, what’s going on?” someone asked.

  She compressed her lips and gave them a look that silenced several students.

  “Fuck. A photo’s come through.” Cav’s statement sent a shudder through her.

  “Of what?”

  “The case under the seat. Apparently a kid snapped a pic and sent it to his mom, saying something funny was under his seat. Shit, I don’t like the looks of that. I don’t think it’s just a toolbox.”

  “It’s not.” The conviction in her own words made her pulse pound harder. A feeling of dread washed over her, threatening to drown her in terror. But she couldn’t fall apart, not now when so many relied on her.

  “Cav, tell me what to do.”

  “Sit tight. Keep them all calm. And whatever you do, Arielle, do not open the case. Understand me?”

  She looked around at the bus windows. “Maybe we can use the windows to get everybody out.”

  “Try it. I’ll stay on the line with you.”

  She stood and waved for Jason to come forward. He hurried down the aisle, slanting a look at the floor where the case was before meeting her stare.

  “Try to open the windows and see if we can get everybody off.”

  He nodded and leaned over a couple students to try theirs. After only seconds, she knew that was a lost battle. But Jason moved to the next and the next, finding all the windows sealed shut.

  Whoever had done this had thought of everything and locked them all into a giant coffin.

  “Cav, the windows are sealed too. We can’t get off.”

  “We’re getting you all off that bus, Arielle. I’m coming and there’s no fucking way they’ll keep me away from you.”

  * * * * *

  “Get that guy on the phone.” Cav shot the order to any of his teammates in the SUV who’d listen.

  Linc grabbed his phone and brought it to his ear while Cav shoved his hand through his hair. The road to Rose Middle School was barricaded but as the Ranger Ops rolled up, some of the barrels were moved and they were given leave to pass.

  Sully said, “These buses are chartered from a private company. They don’t belong to the school.”

  Cav nodded. “So if it was the driver who was arrested, he’s working with another guy from the chartered bus company.”

  “Find out,” Sully said.

  Linc held up the phone, and Cav snatched the device from him. “Who am I speaking with?”

  “This is Mark Higgins. I own the fleet of buses that includes one being used today by Rose Middle School.”

  “Who was the driver of the bus who brought it here?”

  “The driver on board is called Mr. Bob. Name’s Bob Williams.”

  “Okay, Mark, there’s a police cruiser rolling up to your door right now. I want you to hand the cop the file on Bob Williams and every other driver you have in your employ. Understand?”

  “Yeah.” He hesitated. “But Bob isn’t the one who drove the bus to the school and dropped it off.”

  Cav went still. “Who did?”

  “One of the other drivers who works for me part-time. They call him Ears, because he’s got big ears. Some of the kids make fun o’ him for it, but—”

  Cav shoved a breath out of his lungs and dragged in another, praying for more patience. He wasn’t the guy who usually talked people down, that not being his strong point.

  “Give me his real name, Mark.” A threat echoed in his command.

  “It’s Paul. Paul Campbell. B-but Ears is a good guy. Treats all the kids nice. I hire him for all my school trips, because he’s so good with kids. He brings bags of food for them and hands out certificates for ice cream cones at the end of the year.” Mark Higgins was rambling, and Cav was suddenly putting all the pieces of the puzzle together, picturing a man carrying a bag onto a bus and nobody suspecting there was anything other than innocent snacks for schoolkids inside.

  With a slice of his hand, he brought the Ranger Ops’ attention to him. “It’s Campbell, one of the guys they’ve already got in custody. Thanks, Mark. Do what I asked.”

  He ended the call and fought to control all the anger swelling inside him. No, not anger—fury.

  “What the fuck’s happening, Cav?” Sully demanded.

  “Campbell’s that bus driver who Arielle picked out of the lineup. Did he lie and say his last name wasn’t Boden? It doesn’t matter,” he answered his own question. “He drove the bus to the school and dropped it off for the trip today. We must have nabbed him right afterward and arrested him. Fuck!”

  “And the driver on the bus right now?” Jess asked.

  “The actual driver may or may not be involved. Get somebody on Campbell and break that motherfucker so he talks. We need to know exactly what the h
ell we’re looking at here. We need a whole history on the guy. They call him Ears. See if that has anything to do with a motive.”

  “Sounds like this could be a classic case of revenge. Making others pay for his years of rejection? And he’s got a history of self-harm.” Jess recited the info from the file.

  Sully stopped the SUV, and they all jumped out. Cav headed straight for the bus, not even hesitating. He hadn’t been exaggerating when he’d told Arielle nothing was stopping him from reaching her.

  A bomb squad was already on the scene, along with firetrucks and enough police to hold back the parents who’d heard the news report and run to pick up their students.

  “Clear the area,” Sully barked to everyone standing around. “Get more buses and from a different company. One of my men will scope each one. You take all the students in the school out the back doors and load them onto the buses. And get these parents off this fucking road.”

  Yeah, that was a damn good idea, seeing how the last bomb threat had ended. He didn’t even want to think about what a blast like that could do up close and personal, when it had killed hikers who’d been several hundred yards from the last one.

  “We need an expert here. Somebody figure out how to unseal this goddamn door.” Cav waved at the doors at the front of the bus and then ran around to the back. There, he could easily see the metal had a fresh weld. The motherfucker had welded the door shut.

  Black spots flashed in his vision as he battled with his fury.

  Sully grabbed him by the shoulders, and Cav looked up at his captain.

  “Cav. This time’s different. You’ve spent weeks studying that bomb.”

  “Find every goddamn person in the Boden family and haul them in for questioning.”

  Sully nodded but didn’t release him. “You’ve got this, man.”

  When he met his leader’s stare, he gathered more strength from Sully’s expression. He gave a sharp nod and twisted from his grasp. Striding up to the door, he looked inside. The driver sat at the wheel, his eyes wide and face revealing nothing but the fear he was experiencing. Poor bastard thought he was just driving a bunch of kids to a museum today.