On the Hunt

by SUE FINEMAN

  Dave hadn’t touched her since he drove away from the Four Leaf Clover. In Tacoma, they’d started something she’d hoped they could continue, at least for a time. The night they’d slept together, she thought he might even be a little in love with her. And then Greg had to butt in and ruin it. Tonight, Dave had blown her off as if she didn’t mean anything to him.

  She wanted to crawl into bed and cry herself to sleep.

  Dave walked out to the waiting room. “Mia, will you drive me back to the hotel, or do I need to call Kowalski?” He saw the hurt in her eyes and wanted to kick himself for putting it there.

  “I need to check on Stipes.” She walked away and he followed.

  Stipes lay on the table, hands under his head, waiting for the cast to dry.

  “I’m taking Dave back to the hotel,” said Mia. “Are they keeping you here?”

  “He’s going back to Denver,” Dave said.

  “Why?” asked Mia.

  “Yeah, why?” said Stipes. “I can’t tackle anyone, but I’m not completely worthless and I’d like to see this through.”

  “You can’t get up the stairs at the hotel,” said Dave.

  He shrugged. “Then I’ll stay downstairs for a couple days, until I can get around on crutches.”

  Mia twisted around to look at Dave. “Isn’t there an elevator in the building?”

  “Not one that’s fit to use.”

  “Then I’ll order a hospital bed,” said Mia.

  “Hey, this is my operation. You aren’t even involved.” As soon as the words left Dave’s lips, he regretted them. If Mia hadn’t been involved tonight, he and Stipes would be dead or dying at the bottom of that ravine. He owned her his life, and instead of thanking her, he’d lashed out at her. Why did he lose his senses around her? He didn’t act that way with other women.

  Mia whipped around to say, “You can ride the ambulance back with Stipes, because you’re sure as hell not going anywhere with me. You got that, hotshot?”

  Dave watched her storm out the door without him, and he felt like a jerk. Greg had convinced him to cool their relationship until after this assignment so he didn’t pull her into a dangerous situation and get her hurt again. Only that plan had backfired big time. Mia knew Greg well enough to know what they were doing, and she resented it. Not that he could blame her.

  “She hates me,” he said to himself, not realizing he’d also said it aloud.

  “Montgomery, you can be a real shit sometimes,” said Stipes. “She saved your sorry ass, and you owe her. Whether you love her or not, you owe her big time for what she did tonight.”

  Yes, he did, but he had a feeling she wouldn’t settle for gratitude. She’d want a piece of his sorry ass.

  <>

  When Dave arrived at the hotel with Stipes nearly two hours later, a hospital bed had been set up in the corner of the game room with a folding screen beside it for privacy. A rolling tray table beside the bed held a thick sandwich and two cans of juice.

  Stipes muttered, “If you don’t marry that girl, I will.”

  “Like hell,” said Dave. Stipes had recently broken up with his long-time girlfriend. Losing Mia to Stipes would be a low blow.

  The doctor said to eat before he took a pain pill, so Dave walked upstairs to his room, intending to call room service. He found the connecting door between his room and Mia’s nearly closed. She’d turned on the bedside lamp and turned down his bed, and a sandwich sat on the table by the window, with two bottles of juice and a big piece of apple pie. Mia may be angry, but she still cared.

  She had her shower running, and he had mud all over himself. He tapped on her bathroom door and opened it. “Mia, I’m sorry I’ve been such an asshole.”

  “I’m sorry you’re an asshole, too, Montgomery. So is Greg. It could be a gender problem, but somehow I doubt it. When you and Greg get together, there’s an overload of testosterone. The condition must kill brain cells.”

  He opened his mouth to give her a comeback Greg would have used, but he couldn’t say it.

  She turned off the water and pulled the shower curtain back. Water dripped off her sleek body as she wrapped a towel around herself and loosened her hair from the knot on top of her head.

  “Are you okay, Dave?”

  “No. I’m filthy and my shoulder hurts like hell.”

  Without a word, she undressed him with gentle hands. He kept his hands to himself. If he touched her now, she’d probably go off like a grenade.

  She turned the shower on and helped him wash what he couldn’t reach. The hot water felt soothing on his achy body. “Honey, someday you’re going to make a great mom.”

  “I’m not your honey, and I don’t intend to marry or have children.”

  “Why?”

  Instead of answering his question, Mia asked, “Did you get pain pills at the hospital?”

  “I have enough for tonight and a prescription for more.”

  “I have some if you run out,” she said. “Do you think we can get through the rest of this operation without any more injuries? Or am I still not allowed to participate?”

  “Honey, without you, Stipes and I would still be in that ravine. Just remember one thing. I’m the boss, and you’re to obey my orders.”

  “No, thanks.”

  “What?” Had he heard her right? “I thought that’s what you wanted.”

  She looked away and pulled on her robe. “I don’t want to work for you, Dave. I’ll do what I can to help find the girls, but I won’t work for you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I don’t trust you.” She walked back to the other room and pulled on a pair of dark red sweats. No panties, no bra, just sweats. “I’m going to check on Stipes.” With those words, she walked out the door.

  Had he done too much damage to get back what they had? Did he deserve to get her back?

  Dave pulled on a shirt and the only pair of jeans that weren’t in the car they’d lost. He didn’t even want to think about the paperwork he’d have to fill out on the car. The bureau frowned on agents losing expensive government property, and that included rental cars.

  He finished his sandwich and glanced at his watch. After midnight in Texas, the perfect time for a phone call. He dialed Greg’s home number.

  “Yeah, what is it?” asked Greg, his sleep-filled voice mumbling the words.

  “Stay the hell out of my life.”

  “Dave? What the hell crawled up your ass and died?”

  “You. Mia is so pissed she’s hardly speaking to me, and it’s your fault, you rotten son-of-a-bitch. Don’t call me again, don’t speak to me again, and stay the hell away from me.” Dave slammed the phone into the cradle, knowing this mess with Mia wasn’t all Greg’s fault. He’d gone along with it, because Greg had convinced him it was the best thing for Mia. ‘She hasn’t recovered from the shooting incident, and her last boyfriend ditched her. She can’t handle another relationship right now, and your track record with women is shitty. You’ll just hurt her.’ Greg’s words had made Dave feel like an insensitive jerk for making love to her, even though she’d let him know in no uncertain terms she wanted it as much as he did. If she didn’t want to make love, he wouldn’t have touched her.

  Her actions tonight didn’t show vulnerability, at least not on that mountainside. She’d acted like a highly trained professional, confident and capable. And he’d behaved like an asshole.

  The phone in Mia’s room rang and he walked over to answer it. Without speaking, he picked up the receiver and listened.

  “Is that you, sis?” said Greg.

  “Mia is not here,” said Dave, “and I know damn well she won’t talk to you tonight, so don’t bother calling again.”

  “What the hell happened out there?”

  Dave hung up. He and Greg had bickered and fought over the years, but not like this. This wasn’t a stupid argument, and they couldn’t get drunk and laugh about it.

  If he lost Mia over this, he’d regret it for the rest of his
life.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Mia walked downstairs and sat with Stipes for a few minutes. He lay in the hospital bed with his legs elevated. His foot was swollen, his hairy toes fat like sausages. Pulling him out of that car and dragging him around had to be painful, yet this tough guy had never complained. Neither had Dave.

  She rubbed Stipes’ arm. “Get some sleep and I’ll see you in the morning.”

  As she turned to go back upstairs, Jeff Ayers came in. “Mia, I heard they found Nadine Lynderman’s body. My mother doesn’t know yet. I thought if I could tell her something positive...”

  Mia sat with Jeff on the other side of the room and spoke quietly, so Stipes could rest. “Jeff, they found Meredith Cooper and three other girls tonight. They’re all alive and well. Tonya wasn’t with them, but the FBI has some new leads. Don’t give up hope. Unless we find evidence that points in the other direction, we have to assume she’s still alive.”

  “She’s been gone the longest.”

  “I know.” Mia also knew every day that passed decreased the chances of finding her alive. From the look on Jeff’s face, he knew it, too. “Tell your mother the FBI is getting closer. Everyone is working hard to find your sister.”

  Jeff left and Mia looked up to see Kowalski standing in the doorway. “Do you work all the time?” she asked.

  “It seems that way. I’d like to say Dave Montgomery is a slave driver, but he doesn’t ask anyone to work harder than he does himself.”

  Kowalski sat at the table beside her. “Good work tonight, Mia. Without you, the outcome could have been disastrous.”

  If Dave had taken her along, the extra weight could have sped the momentum and broken the tree before they could get out. If she hadn’t been so angry with Dave, she wouldn’t have been on her way back to Tacoma and she wouldn’t have seen what happened. And if the pickup had knocked her car off the road, she could have been killed. They all could have died. “No sense thinking about what might have been. Did you find the bartender?”

  “Yeah, he and Knight are sharing a cell. Mia, I got a phone call from Seattle a few minutes ago. The man you shot, Calvin Shaker, died on the operating table.”

  The news hit her like a punch in the gut. She’d killed a man. His shot missed and hers connected. Dad used to say all life was precious, that even the most hardened criminal had a chance of turning his life around. Cops didn’t just give out traffic tickets, they interacted with the dregs of society, yet until the day he died, Dad had always been an optimist. She didn’t know many cops who were.

  “Mia, Dave told me what happened out there, and I have no doubt your shot saved his life.”

  “Mine, too,” Stipes called from across the room. “You’re my hero, Mia.”

  Ironic that she was on leave from the department for not being able to shoot her gun. “I worked as a police officer for over six years, but I never shot anyone until after I left my job.”

  A soft, deep voice behind her said, “Until you hooked up with me.”

  She turned to see Dave standing there, his shirt hanging open and his feet bare. He’d never looked more appealing, but she couldn’t let him know how she felt. Not now. “Why aren’t you in bed?”

  Stipes said, “She tucked me in and kissed me goodnight.”

  “She gave me a shower,” said Dave.

  The boys could play their one-upmanship game all night, and she couldn’t deal with it now. The physical and emotional impact of the past few days had left her dazed, and she’d aggravated her head injury tonight. “I’m going to bed.”

  “Did you eat tonight?” asked Dave.

  “I’m not hungry.” With the pain building in her head, she knew she couldn’t keep anything down.

  Dave put his hand on her shoulders and turned her to face him. “Mia, look at me. How many fingers am I holding up?”

  “What fingers?”

  Dave lifted her chin and peered into her eyes. He put his hands on her head and gently felt for bumps. “There are two bumps in the back now. Why didn’t you say you hurt your head again? You had a concussion, honey. This is not good.”

  “I’m not your honey, and I’m going to bed.”

  “Mia, you need to see the doctor.”

  “Look, Special Agent Montgomery, I’m tired and my head hurts, and I am not going to spend the rest of the night sitting in the hospital while people shine little lights in my eyes and ask me stupid questions. I bumped my head a little and it aggravated the last injury. End of story. I’m going to bed.”

  “Hold on a minute, Mia.” Kowalski walked behind the bar and filled a plastic bag with crushed ice. He wrapped it in a bar towel and handed it to her.

  Dave followed her upstairs. “I never get injured unless Greg is around. He takes chances no one in their right mind would take.”

  “He always has.” She unlocked the door to her room. “Maybe it’s any Gregory who gets you injured, because Greg isn’t here and I am.”

  Dave walked into her room with her. “You did some risky things tonight, Mia.”

  “Stuff it, Montgomery. Go to bed and leave me alone. I did what I had to do tonight, and I will not apologize for any of it, not even for killing Calvin Shaker.”

  Her phone rang. “It’s probably Greg,” said Dave. “He called earlier.”

  Ignoring the ringing phone, she walked into the bathroom and closed the door. She couldn’t deal with Greg tonight.

  <>

  Mia’s growling stomach didn’t wake her until nearly ten the next morning, and her head felt much better. She dressed and walked downstairs. Dave and Kowalski worked in the game room and Stipes wiggled around like a fidgety little kid. She ordered breakfast, enough to feed Bert, who sat alone at the big table in the dining room, and sat across from him. “Good morning, Bert.”

  “Morning. I heard you’re a hero around these parts.”

  “A hero? Is that what everyone is saying?”

  “Yep. You saved two FBI agents from rolling down the mountain and then killed one of the bad guys before he could kill the good guys.”

  Funny, she didn’t feel much like a hero.

  Dave walked out to join them. “She’ll probably never let us live it down.”

  “Well, hey,” said Bert, “at least you’re still alive.”

  Dave caught Mia’s eye and winked, and she couldn’t look away. She came so close to losing him yesterday. If he never touched her again, her heart would hurt. If he died, she’d mourn him forever.

  “Mia, I recall Greg saying you knew how to give massages. The doctor said I’d need massage therapy on my neck and shoulder, and I can’t find a therapist here in town.”

  “After breakfast. I don’t do anything until after breakfast.” The words spilled out before she’d given them a thought. Yesterday morning she and Dave had done something besides eat breakfast, and from the look in his eyes, he wanted to remind her. But he didn’t.

  Was that only yesterday?

  The waitress filled coffee cups and asked Dave if he wanted anything besides another slice of humble pie.

  “Just coffee, thanks,” he replied. “I’ve really built a reputation in this town, haven’t I?”

  Bert chuckled. “Yep.”

  Dave sipped his coffee quietly until the waitress brought Mia’s breakfast, and he knew she intended to share it with Bert. “Hey, Mia, I know you didn’t eat last night, but you can’t hold all that.”

  “I’d forgotten there was this much food with the special. Bert, I hope you’re hungry.”

  “I’m always hungry.”

  She kept a pancake, two strips of bacon, and a little of the scrambled eggs and pushed the rest across the table. “Bert, what would I do without you?”

  “Maybe Dave wants some.”

  Dave sipped his coffee. “Thanks, but I had breakfast three hours ago.”

  “Three hours?” said Mia. “I thought you didn’t get up early.”

  “My shoulder stiffened up and I couldn’t sleep.”

 
; “Why didn’t you take a pain pill?”

  “I took one before bed, but it didn’t last all night. I had work to do anyway.”

  She sipped her coffee. “I slept like a baby.”

  “I know,” he said softly. Early this morning, he’d sat beside her bed watching her sleep, wanting to get in bed with her. Wanting to touch her and make love to her like he had in Tacoma. He’d been a fool to listen to Greg and risk losing her.

  Dave cleared his throat and changed the subject. He wanted to interview Meredith Cooper before the press got to her, and he knew they’d be in Clover Hills soon. “I’m going to interview Meredith Cooper this morning. Would you like to come along?”

  Her eyes widened. “You’re asking me?”

  “You’re the hero.” He was just the bumbling idiot who couldn’t do anything right around the beautiful woman.

  <>

  An hour later, Mia and Dave sat talking to Meredith Cooper and her parents. The cute, twenty-year-old blonde looked about fourteen. She had an appealing freshness about her, and she seemed overjoyed to be safe at home again. Her parents talked about getting the other two missing girls back safe and sound, and Dave shook his head slightly. Mia agreed. They needed to get information from this girl before they told her what happened to Nadine.

  Mia sat beside Meredith on the sofa. “Meredith, I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to meet before, and I am so relieved you’re all right.”

  Meredith glanced at her mother. Mia felt the tension in the girl’s body and made a suggestion she hoped Meredith’s family would understand. “You know, the press is going to descend on Clover Hills any minute. What would you say about a short hike before they arrive, just the three of us? You, me, and Dave. We can talk on the trail.”

  “Yes, I’d like that. I’ve been cooped up too long.”