by Em Petrova
Cav pulled out his phone and called Arielle. She picked up before the first ring was completed. “Come to the door. I need to see you.”
His throat tightened as he waited, and in seconds, she appeared at the glass. She pressed a palm to it, and he covered it with his own. Eyes boring into hers, he said, “I need to ask something of you that won’t be easy, baby.”
Her voice came to him, thick with emotion. “Anything. Anything to get these kids off and safe.”
“I can’t let them break open these doors until I’m certain the bomb isn’t rigged to somehow blow if the vehicle’s breached.”
She nodded, pale hair brushing the curve of her cheek and eyes wide with fear. “Tell me what you need me to do.”
“I need you to show me what the case looks like by using your phone.” The case had already been moved once by the students, but that didn’t mean he wanted her to touch the thing.
She issued a puff of a breath. “Okay.”
“Go now. Put me on video call.”
Fuck, this was far from protocol. But there was no other way. They could cut open the roof like a can of sardines and pull everyone out, but if the bomb was somehow wired into the electrical system, unlikely, but still something they must consider, everything would blow.
“Good call. It’s the only answer right now.” Sully stood at his side, looking through the door glass too.
“Goddammit,” Cav bit off.
“Word is a kid moved the case from under the seat first. That means it’s probably self-contained.”
Cav couldn’t even speak, just stared at his phone when Arielle’s call came through. The image on his screen trembled, and he knew it was because she was shaking as she held up her phone.
“Move the phone camera to the left. Yeah, let me see along the bottom if you can.” He held his breath, searching the image he was given.
“Back to the front. Good. The other side now.”
When he had seen three of the four sides, he told her to stop. Knowing she was in danger was going to be the death of him. If anything happened to her—
He slammed the door on the thought.
He was almost certain this explosive was built like the last.
He motioned to the door, and the bomb squad rushed forward with tools at the ready.
“Cav.” The wobble in Arielle’s voice brought his attention back to the phone in his hand.
His heart seized. Holy fuck, his woman had more balls than most of the men he’d worked with in his lifetime.
She’d opened the case and he was looking at the inside of the intricate, deadly bomb.
* * * * *
Call it curiosity or stupidity, but either way, Arielle wished she hadn’t opened that case. The contents and network of wires were the most terrifying thing she’d ever set eyes on.
Unable to breathe, she held the phone over the bomb to allow Cav to see. If anybody could end this, Cav could. She had all the faith in the world that this time, he’d know what to do. That he could handle the situation and get them all out safely.
“Oh my God.” The soft words coming from behind her made Arielle glance up. Sarah stood there, eyes wide in horror.
“Don’t let the kids see you looking like that,” Arielle told her.
Many were already crying. One girl’s wails were noisy and her friends were trying to calm her down.
A metallic screech from the front of the bus raised a collective scream, and Sarah and Jason had their hands full with quieting everyone and assuring them that they were only cutting open the doors so they could all get out.
Arielle flipped her camera so Cav could see her. “What do I do?”
“I’ve seen what I need to see. Don’t touch or bump the case in any way, you understand, baby? Wait for these doors to open.”
Her muscles ached from holding herself so tightly in check. Still guarding the bomb with her own body, as if she could shield her students from a blast and despite Cav’s original orders, she ground her teeth at the noise of the metal of the bus doors cut open.
When their efforts let in a crack of light, she started to believe they’d be rescued.
But her own safety would mean little when Cav would only rush in here and take over in trying to defuse the bomb.
Who had planted the explosive and why? Could it have been that bus driver, even if he was in custody? There were crazy people everywhere, but here in the small town of Rose, Texas, a place she thought of as a small town and the most charming spot she’d ever lived in, she never would have imagined such a horrible thing would happen.
Weren’t the small towns where big tragedies happened, though? She supposed this was the reason Homeland Security had formed small special forces units all over the country, to handle terrorism and protect them even if they weren’t a major metropolis.
Her shaking hadn’t stopped once since the moment she’d twisted in her seat to see the case on the floor. Now her muscles felt locked and she tried to force them to relax one at a time.
Jaw unclamping, she moved to her neck, but the cords seemed to be seized up with tension.
The doors were forced open, and the large rectangle of light looked more like freedom than a soldier with an eagle on his shoulder wrapped in an American flag.
A loud cry raised from those around her, and relief tingled in her fingertips. She carefully eased back into the aisle enough to look to the head of the bus. A huge muscled man boarded—a man who made her heart sing to life.
Cav gave orders for all kids to remain seated until the students in the seat in front of them were moving down the aisle.
He met her gaze, and the tears she’d held at bay so long threatened at the rims of her eyes.
Talk about a proud moment when all of them actually listened and did not panic as they slowly made their way to the door, where they were lifted down to the ground.
Sarah was next, followed by the bus driver. Jason looked back to Arielle.
“Come on,” he said to her.
“I got her.” Cav’s voice had her quivering.
Jason exited the bus and Cav came down the aisle. He had to practically peel her off the floor and unfold her to a standing position. Thank God he held her up, because she didn’t know if her knees could support her.
“Cav,” she burst out, feeling his solid strength against her.
He looked into her eyes. “It’s okay now. Get off the bus and go far away with the others. Don’t you dare try to hang back. You get on that bus and let them transport you far away. Understand me?”
“I can’t leave you.”
“Yes, you can. And will. I’ll be in touch when it’s done. Now go.” He released her, and she nearly toppled over in the aisle.
Gripping the seats on either side, she managed to remain on her feet. But she let go and threw her arms around his neck, planting her lips over his in what could possibly be the last kiss she’d ever share with the man she loved.
Not again, not again, her mind was frantically chanting.
He kissed her back and then tore free. “Go, baby.”
She did.
She felt his gaze on her back the whole way down the aisle. At the opening, she threw a look back at him. He was still staring at her too.
“I love you,” she choked out.
“Love you too. I’ll see you when it’s through.” The promise falling from his lips better be fucking real, because she couldn’t stand to lose another person she loved in the line of duty.
Chapter Twelve
“Now that there aren’t hostages’ lives at stake, get the robot in there,” one of the guys from the bomb unit suggested.
In cases where explosives were involved, a robot went in first to investigate and sometimes even defuse the weapon, but their first priority had been to get everyone to safety first. Now that the bus and school were evacuated and everyone off the road leading to the school, Cav could take the steps slow and cautious.
“The bus might be too narrow for the robot. Get me the bomb
suit,” Cav said, turning to the others.
“Let’s weigh the options now, Cav. You don’t need to get in there if a robot can.”
He shook his head. “I’ve been on that bus already, and so have a hundred kids and faculty. It’s not that volatile—it’s been moved a few times already. I suspect it’s built similarly to the last explosive, and we moved that.”
“And the EOD? Where’s the trigger?” Sully leveled his gaze at him. “That’s right—you don’t know yet. We can’t have you poking around and accidentally find it and blow yourself off the map. And if there’s another code?”
He gave a slight shake of his head. “I’ve studied this design and I know more about the maker now that we know his origins as well as a possible motive. I can do this, Sully. I’m the best answer we’ve got.”
Sully considered him for a long moment. Finally, he said, “Don’t make me bury you, man.”
“I won’t.” The conviction in Cav’s voice had Sully waving to the bomb unit on standby, and one of the heavy Kevlar suits was brought forward.
While his teammates held up the suit to assist him into it, Cav’s mind worked ahead to his modus operandi. All his training and the support of the Ranger Ops, the Texas Rangers bomb unit and all the other forces on hand gave him the backup he required, but in the end, he was going onto that bus alone and attempt to safely defuse the explosive.
If that failed, there was always the gully, but that was the last resort.
He slid his arms into the suit and the guys secured him inside. He felt like an astronaut or deep-sea diver, covered head to fingertip to the tips of his toes in the protective layer.
Once he was safely decked out, he gave the ready signal. Woody and Jess helped him back to the bus and up the steps.
Cav spoke into his comms unit. “Get this whole place cordoned off and no one gets through.”
“On it, Cav. Just focus on yourself,” came his captain’s reply.
With his family in the back of his mind—his mother and Arielle—as well as his own safety, he approached the explosive.
Moving down the aisle, he located the case, and a bead of sweat zigzagged down his spine. Fuck, Arielle had been sitting right here, overtop it, guarding her children from it. But if the explosive had gone off, none of them would be alive.
He had to force the thought away or he’d lose his shit, and now wasn’t the time.
Carefully, he crouched next to it. “I need more room to work. I’m going to shift the case out into the aisle a bit,” he said into his comms.
“Keep talkin’ to us, Cav,” Sully responded immediately.
“I’m taking hold of the case and sliding it along the floor about an inch. No resistance. It’s as I thought—there aren’t wires. It’s self-contained.”
“What are you looking at?” Sully had the images and video that Arielle had sent Cav earlier, but they weren’t much to go on.
“Well…” he blew out a breath through his nostrils, “remember some of those metal casings we found in the bunker in that garage?”
“Yeah.”
“Got two of those things.”
“What color are they?” Woody spoke up.
“Black. Looks like some of the edges have been filed—to maximize the shrapnel damage too?”
“Not green?” Woody’s voice had a hard edge.
“No. Definitely black.”
“The reports on that stash we found at the garage was that the green metal containers were filled with material and the black were blanks, something they used in training back in ‘Nam.”
“I don’t think these are for training purposes. Pretty sure they’re loaded.” He looked closer. “Yep, residue around the places it was filed down. This isn’t the same as last time—we’ve got common C-4 here.” He inspected the object closer and sure enough was able to discern how the bomb was built, because he’d spent weeks carefully studying the last one.
Drawing a deep breath, he said, “I can defuse it.”
“Cav, don’t get in a rush. Take your time, man, make sure you know what you’re looking at.”
“I do know. I’m looking at the same configuration as the last. The engineer I spoke with weeks ago showed me exactly what was going on. I know what I’m doing.”
“Fuck,” he heard Sully say quietly. Then, “Take another look, just to be certain.”
He was right. There wasn’t a ticking timer on this baby, and Cav didn’t need to rush through his decisions. All he had to do was conjure Arielle’s beautiful face to realize he needed to tread cautiously.
He looked over the entire unit once more. Outside the bus, he heard the bark of one of the dogs, a bomb-sniffer that had been used to scope out the rest of the school and area. Then he heard something that froze his blood.
“Arielle, how the hell—” Sully cut off abruptly, and Cav knew he’d cut communication with him because he didn’t want him to hear what was being said.
But Cav’s heart was already pounding away at the name. Arielle. Please tell me she didn’t return to be with me. Please don’t let her be here.
His muscles demanded that he go and find out.
He stood, twisting in the weighty suit. He started down the aisle.
Woody appeared in the opening of the bus. He held up both hands. “She’s all right. Jess put her in a police cruiser and gave the cop instructions to take her far away and keep her retained until this is all done.”
“Fuck. How did she even get here?” He slashed a hand through the air. “Doesn’t matter. Just keep her the hell away.”
“She’s gone. Just focus on what you have to do, man. Got it?”
He turned away. He had to finish this right, and at least now he knew the woman he loved was safe. But when he got her in his arms again, he planned to turn her over his knee and give her a good spanking for even attempting to return to him. Oh yeah, he’d bare her ass and make sure each cheek was good and pink before sliding into her tight pussy and showing her how important she was to him… all night long.
* * * * *
Arielle clenched her fists on her lap and tried to follow everything that the police scanner was saying. Her heart was cracking just thinking about Cav out there playing with the bomb. What if… what if…?
She slammed the door on her thinking and looked out the window. The police officer who’d shuttled her away had kindly parked in a place with a view. At least she wasn’t staring at concrete and asphalt, and the countryside was on full display. Green grasses, a cluster of trees where a flock of birds flitted between branches. Sometimes they would fly to the ground, pick up a seed or bug and then rush back to the safety of the branches.
She understood their ways, because hadn’t she been living the same way all this time? She ventured out, dipped her feet in pottery-making classes or organizing women’s retreats. But she always hurried home to hide behind closed doors just in case she found life too horrible to deal with.
After years of this behavior, she’d ventured out and found love. That had changed her forever, and she could no longer hide from her feelings, which was what had spurred her to turn back for the school, for Cav.
But she hadn’t gotten close to the bus where the man she loved was working on a bomb, because the Ranger Ops had scooped her up and forced her away.
So here she sat, listening to the events like one listened to a ball game on the radio. These bits of information were dotted with other things from the real world—a 9-1-1 call for a woman having a baby along the interstate. A kitchen fire on the other side of Rose.
Life went on. The birds kept flying, and she was ready to live in the big world… with Cav.
Please let him come home to me. Please don’t let anything happen to him.
The chant in her head went on for so long that the words started to blend in her mind, making them unclear. She zoned out, watching the birds. Then a whoop of celebration projected over the scanner, and she jerked in the seat.
“Oh my God. They did it, didn�
��t they?” she demanded, leaning close to the bars dividing her from the cop.
Officer Palmer turned, shooting her a grin. “They did. It’s all clear. Your man’s done it.”
My man.
A cheer escaped her lips, and she drummed her feet on the floor to expel some of the excitement infusing her muscles.
The cop laughed as he watched her victory.
“Take me back now!” she cried.
“Can’t do that. I’ve got orders to keep you here.”
“Till when?”
“Till those orders change.”
“Damn,” she said softly. Knowing Cav, it would be ages before she could get back to him. He’d have so much to do, would need to go through debriefing…
A tear of relief and joy dropped onto her clenched hands. At least she had this moment right now and the knowledge that he was safe. They all were.
She dragged in a deep breath and released it. Feeling cleansed from some of the worry, she grabbed her phone and began texting some of the other ladies in the support group. Their exclamations of happiness added to hers, and soon her thumbs were flying on the screen, responding to all their cheerful tidings as they heard from the other Ranger Ops team members.
But Arielle continued to sit in the car for a long time, and she didn’t receive any word. She bit down on her lower lip.
Twisting in the driver’s seat, the officer gave her a sympathetic look. He opened his mouth to speak but snapped his jaw shut. She followed his stare out the rear window and saw the vehicle speeding up on them.
Her heart fell. Oh God, don’t let this be bad news about Cav.
Another vehicle was right behind, and both came to a stop. Officer Palmer said, “Sit tight, okay?” with a measure of forced calm and gentleness in his voice.
She nodded.
He got out of the cruiser, and she watched out the window as he circled the car and moved toward the ones that had just stopped. The door of an SUV flew open, and a big figure stepped out.
Her heart tumbled, jerked, then lifted high as she realized the man she loved was safe and here.
She couldn’t open the back door, since it was locked for people riding in the back of police cars. She pressed her palms to the window and shouted. Cav strode over and tore the door open. If he’d used any more force, he would have ripped the thing from the hinges.
