Montana SEAL Friendly Fire (Brotherhood Protectors Book 11)

by Elle James

  Chapter 6

  Lana woke to sunlight pushing through her slitted eyelids.

  She blinked her eyes open, squinting in the brightness. She yawned and stretched. “What time is it?”

  Trevor sat in the driver’s seat, leaning back against the headrest, his eyes half-closed. “Almost seven o’clock,” he murmured.

  “My meeting is at nine o’clock. Shouldn’t we be going? It might take a while to get there if the traffic is heavy.” She yawned again and sat up straighter. “I’m ready to hand off this investigation and get back to living a semi-normal life.”

  “You and me both,” Trevor said. He sat up and stared out at the beach in front him. “But it’s such a beautiful morning. Want to go for a walk before we look for something to eat?”

  Lana adjusted the seat to the upright position. “Sounds good. I need to move my legs after being stuck in a car all night. I’m sure you do, too.” Before she got out of the vehicle, she glanced around. “Any sign of the guys who tried to kill us last night?”

  Trevor shook his head. “I think your phone was the key. They were tracking you through it.”

  “How did they do that?” Lana pulled the visor down and studied her reflection in the mirror. What a mess. But it couldn’t be helped. She was officially on the run.

  “I don’t know,” Trevor said. “Maybe they slipped a tracking device into it. Or they hacked into your account and turned on a phone tracking app.”

  A shiver shook her body. “This past year has been a real eye-opener. Between men stealing money from the government, to the terrorists they were funding, to hackers on the dark web, I’ve been exposed to the seedier side of humankind. I don’t think I can go back to living a normal life.”

  “The bad guys are a small percentage of the people here on earth. You can’t judge everyone by their standard. There are plenty of good people out there who would help you sooner than hurt you.”

  Lana stared across at Trevor. “People like you?”

  “I was thinking about my boss, Hank Patterson. He’d lay down his life for any one of the men working for him.”

  “Was he a Navy SEAL like you and Mason?” Lana asked.

  Trevor grinned. “How’d you guess?”

  “I had a hunch. Once a SEAL, always a SEAL, right? You have teamwork hammered into you from the moment you enter BUD/S training to the day you separate from the military.”

  “And beyond,” Trevor added.

  Lana nodded. “And beyond.” As demonstrated by Trevor’s commitment to his dead buddy to take care of his widow.

  She hadn’t made it easy for him to fulfill his promise. But then, she hadn’t thought she was in mortal danger until yesterday.

  “Are we going for that walk, or what?” She pushed open her door and stepped out. Stiff from being cramped in the car all night, she stood for a moment, moving each muscle to ease the discomfort. She could imagine Trevor, with his long body, had been even more uncomfortable sitting behind the steering wheel all night.

  The Navy SEAL stood and stretched as if he were fresh from a good night’s sleep.

  She shook her head. The man probably hadn’t slept for even fifteen minutes. “I don’t know how you survive on so little sleep,” she said.

  “You learn to catch cat naps whenever you can.”

  She frowned, skeptical. “And will you find time to sleep today?”

  He shrugged. “We’ll see.”

  “I assume that means no.” Again, she shook her head then held out her hand. “Come on, big guy. Let’s take that walk. Then we have a meeting with the FBI.”

  He took her hand and strode with her to where the water lapped at the shore.

  Lana kicked off her shoes and buried her toes in the cool, damp sand.

  Trevor toed off his shoes as well and set them beside Lana’s. Then he took her hand again, and they strolled at a leisurely pace along the shoreline in comfortable silence, like they had when she, Trevor and Mason had all been friends.

  “Remember when you Mason, and I slept under the stars that night your team had the barbeque on the beach?”

  Trevor nodded, his hand tightening on hers. “We’d all had too much to drink. We decided we had no business getting behind the wheel.”

  “That was a good night.” She smiled, remembering how she’d gotten cold in the early morning. “You lent me your jacket.”

  He frowned. “Speaking of which, whatever happened to that jacket? I don’t think you ever returned it.”

  She grinned up at him. “I didn’t. I had it cleaned and was set to return it, but then you and Mason were deployed before I could get it back to you. Somehow, it got pushed to the back of my closet, and I forgot about it.” She squeezed his hand. “Remind me when we go back to my house to get it out.”

  “Keep it,” he said, gruffly. “I have others.”

  “I thought it was nice of you to let me have it. I’m sure you were cold that morning as well, but you gave it to me, proving chivalry isn’t dead.” She leaned into his shoulder. It felt too darned good to be with him again. She sighed. “This past year, I missed you.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Trevor asked, his voice rough. “You know I would have been here had I known you needed me.”

  She shook her head. “I had to work through my grief in my own way. I guess it was selfish of me, especially when you and Mason were like brothers. I should have been there for you, too. But my head wasn’t in a good place.”

  “I shouldn’t have let you push me away.”

  “I didn’t give you that choice.”

  He gave her a one-armed hug. “Well, I’m here now, and, this time, you’re not getting rid of me so easily.”

  She smiled, her heart warming at his stubborn tone.

  Trevor turned them around and guided her back to where they’d left their shoes.

  “Have you thought about what you’re going to do after this meeting with the FBI?” Trevor asked.

  “I should probably go back to work at DHS,” she said, although her heart wasn’t in the job anymore. She’d only taken it in order to dig into Mason’s death. “One of my coworkers was helping me in my investigation. I’m betting he’ll be worried when I don’t show up for work today.”

  Trevor stiffened. “He? Is he more than a coworker to you?”

  She chuckled. “No. He’s just been helping me dig into department databases on the sly.”

  Trevor frowned. “You trust him?”

  “I have no reason not to. He hasn’t turned me in for meddling in department data. He was able to tap into the director’s personal emails. That’s where we found some clues that led us to a potential connection in Montana.”

  “You said the folks in Montana are survivalists planning on taking over the US government?”

  “When I found their social media group, I thought, at first, that they were innocuous, but from what my contact on the dark web said, they have camps hidden in the mountains and backwoods of Montana, where they train like military commandos. Even my dark web guy said they’re planning something. We discovered their funding can be traced back to the money that’s supposed to be going to rebuild the Afghan infrastructure.”

  Trevor shoved a hand through his hair. “Are you sure your dark web guy isn’t the one after you? You know a lot more than some people would want to get out.”

  She grimaced. “I haven’t actually met my dark web guy. I met him online when I was searching for data on the primary contractors who are working the reconstruction projects in Afghanistan. He was also looking into their shenanigans.”

  “To blackmail them?”

  She shrugged. “He may be dark web, but he’s got it out for people who steal and misuse government money. Besides, I think he doesn’t want to see his country implode.”

  “Are you sure he’s a US citizen?”

  “Pretty sure. Even though his online activities aren’t exactly legal, he loves this country.” She knew her answer sounded weak, but her gut told her W
olfST6 was someone she could trust.

  He shook his head. “It’s so like you to trust strangers.”

  “I don’t know what it is about my guy on the net, but he seems to care what happens to us.”

  “As long as he’s not the one lobbing bullets your way, I’m okay with him.” Trevor’s jaw tightened. “But if he is the one, he’s going down.” He guided her back to the car then held the passenger door for her.

  “Maybe we should call for a cab?” she said, eyeing the bullet holes and broken glass.

  Trevor scrunched up his nose. “I think we can risk driving into town. But you may be right. We’ll call too much attention to ourselves arriving in this thing. We’ll park a few blocks from the FBI office and call a cab from there.” He rounded the vehicle and slid behind the steering wheel.

  “The FBI building is right off the interstate,” Lana said. “There aren’t any buildings around it to take cover in.” She gave him a sheepish grin. “I’ve driven by it several times, tempted to go in and give them what little information I had. Up until now, I was too afraid they’d think I was some crazy person with a conspiracy theory.”

  “And now?” Trevor asked as he backed out of the bushes he’d parked behind and turned around on the highway.

  Her lips thinned, images of the scene in her bedroom the night before flashing through her mind. She’d never been that scared in her life. “I’m convinced I must be onto something, if someone is scared enough to come after me.”

  Trevor nodded. “I’ll feel a little better once we get to the FBI building.”

  “Me, too.”

  They traveled in silence until they reached the edge of the city. There, they drove through a fast-food establishment for coffee and breakfast sandwiches. The clerk at the window raised his brows as their car pulled up. “Wow, and I thought I’d had a rough night.” He gave them their order. “I hope your day gets better.”

  Lana chuckled as they left. “I bet we looked like gangsters to that kid.”

  “I’m not even sure how I’m going to explain the car to the rental company. Not that it matters. What matters is getting you safely out of San Diego after your meeting.”

  “Out of San Diego?” Lana’s hand paused with her donut halfway to her mouth. “Who said I’m leaving San Diego?”

  Trevor took a sip of coffee, and then set it in the cup holder. “Even after you turn over your data to the FBI, you still know too much. Whoever was after you last night won’t give up just because you turned the case over to the Feds. They’ll still be worried about what’s in your head. What you can testify to.”

  She lowered her arm, the sugary donut no longer appealing to her. “You think I can’t go home?”

  He shook his head and shot a glance toward her. “Not until they catch the guys behind the attacks.”

  “But where will I go?” Lana hadn’t considered being on the run for more than a day or two. “What if they don’t catch them right away? I can’t hide forever. Where will I go?”

  Trevor cleared his throat. “You can come to Montana with me. We have a whole team of protectors who’ll help me keep you safe.”

  “Mason’s life insurance policy was good, but I can’t afford to pay your entire team for any length of time.”

  “You don’t have to pay for anything. I’m going to see to your protection. I promised Mason I’d look out for you. It’s about time I did.”

  Lana glared. “I don’t need a babysitter. I’ve made it this far on my own.”

  “And would you have made it through last night on you own?”

  She clamped her mouth shut to keep from lying and saying she would have done just fine. The truth was, she wouldn’t be alive if not for Trevor bursting through the window when he had. “No,” she said finally. “But you can’t earn a living if you’re looking after me.”

  “I have some money put aside. Being a SEAL, we didn’t get many opportunities to spend the money we made. I put it into investments. I have enough to live on for a couple years.” He drove onto the interstate and picked up the speed.

  The rental car, received curious stares from passing motorists. The vehicle had been crashed into several times and had been riddled with bullet holes throughout the body and windshield. It also made funny noises, but the engine still worked, and the tires were intact. Lana was thankful for that. The closer they could get to the FBI building, the better off they’d be.

  “Montana,” Lana muttered. “I’ve never been to Montana.”

  “It’s a beautiful state. I think you’ll like it there.”

  A thought occurred to her. “How close is Eagle Rock to the Bitterroot Mountains?”

  “About a three-hour drive.” Trevor frowned. “Why?”

  “If we could find the people who are plotting the overthrow of the US government, we might also find the evidence the FBI will need to shut them down.”

  Trevor’s foot left the accelerator. “Lana. You aren’t going after the terrorists.” The vehicle slowed. Other cars went around them, their drivers honking at them. “Get this straight…You will not…I repeat…not go after terrorists. Do you understand?”

  “You can’t tell me what I can and cannot do,” she said, though her voice lacked the strength it should have had.

  Anger wasn’t what she was seeing in Trevor’s eyes. She saw worry and concern. “Okay, I won’t go after the terrorists. But we will be close, won’t we?”

  “Yes. And no, we aren’t going after them.” Trevor resumed the posted speed with a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel. “I get the feeling you have a death wish.”

  “Not unless it’s a death wish for the people responsible for Mason’s murder.” She sat with her uneaten donut in her hand, her jaw tight and her pulse pounding through her veins. “The contractors, the terrorists and the shooters need to be brought to justice.”

  “But you aren’t the one to do it.”

  Her blood boiled up, her temper with it. “If I don’t do something, who will? The military is willing to let Mason’s death go as a KIA. They’re willing to close the books and sweep the rest under the rug.”

  “You should have contacted me as soon as you learned what you did about Mason’s death. I would have helped and kept you from becoming a target.”

  “If I’d brought you in early on, I wouldn’t have my dark web contact. I wouldn’t have gone to work for the DHS, and I wouldn’t have gotten help with my research through my coworker. I’d have little more than I started out with.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  She sighed and dropped the donut into the paper bag it came in. “That’s all in the past. We can’t dwell on it. We have to think about what comes next.”

  Though she was irrationally angry with Trevor, Lana knew he was right. She couldn’t go back to her home. Not when someone was gunning for her. Handing over her information to the FBI might not get her off the hook. She had to go into hiding until the FBI had a chance to follow her leads.

  Gritting her teeth for what was to come, she took a deep breath and said, “Montana, it is.”

  Chapter 7

  Trevor parked the damaged vehicle two miles from the FBI building. He tucked it between two older buildings with peeling paint and a pile of weathered wooden pallets. No one would see the vehicle from the street, and they were within easy walking distance of a gas station where they could use a phone to call a cab.

  “I think we’ll have to leave your suitcase in the rental car.”

  Lana nodded. “I’m sure the FBI would have an issue if I brought a suitcase into their office.”

  Trevor nodded. “They might think you were bringing a bomb.”

  “Can’t be too careful these days. Especially in government buildings,” Lana noted.

  They walked together to the nearby gas station. When Trevor asked to use a telephone, the attendant behind the counter gave them a narrow-eyed look. “Don’t you have a cell phone?”

  “If we did, we’d use it.” Trevor gave the
attendant a smile to soften his retort. “I dropped it in the ocean,” Trevor lied.

  The guy’s face relaxed. “I’ve done that. He handed the phone and a phone book over the counter to Trevor. “Help yourself.”

  Lana perused the convenience store for anything that might help them disguise themselves. She found two LA Dodgers baseball caps and a couple of light-weight rain jackets. It wasn’t much, but it might help them get into the cab and into the FBI building without becoming targets again.

  Trevor ordered the cab, paid for the items and a couple bottles of water. They dressed in the rain jackets and caps and waited inside the building. Trevor’s gaze searched the parking lot, the surrounding streets and every passing vehicle. He couldn’t leave it up to luck to get Lana to the FBI building safely. He had to be on his toes, and aware at all times. Fatigue threatened to dull his senses, so he downed a high-energy drink. By the time the cab finally arrived, his heart was pumping, and he was wide awake and jittery. Not a place he liked to be, but he couldn’t do anything about it now.

  The cab pulled into the gas station. After a quick check around the area, Trevor escorted Lana out of the convenience store. He assisted Lana into the back seat and slid in next to her.

  Lana gave the driver the address and sat back, a frown denting her forehead.

  Trevor reached for her hand held it for the next twenty minutes, hoping to reassure her.

  She sat stiffly beside him, one hand resting over her big purse containing her notes and laptop. “What if they don’t listen? What if they do nothing?”

  “You have to let them know what you found.” Trevor lowered his voice to a whisper. “If there is a terrorist plot underway, it’s your duty to inform them. Your information could stop a deadly attack and save many lives.”

  “When you put it that way, I have an obligation to turn over the information. Sitting on it could cost lives.”

  “Exactly.” The morning traffic had stalled on the interstate highway. Instead of a road, it appeared to be a parking lot.