by Karen Kirst
“I don’t run my mouth,” Brett said with a grunt. Then his eyes widened, and he jammed his thumb against his chest. “Hold on, you don’t think that I’m involved...”
Cade pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting fatigue and confusion. “No, of course not.”
Brett came over, gripped his shoulders and gave him a little shake.
“You’re like a brother to me,” Brett squeezed out, hurt wrestling with anger. “Family.”
Their shared experiences and confidences had formed a strong friendship. “I’m desperate for answers, that’s all.”
“And I’m just trying to look out for you.”
“Tori’s not the enemy.”
Releasing him, Brett shook his head. “She inspired this revenge plot. Send her away. At least until you get answers.”
“She doesn’t take orders from me.”
“Use your powers of persuasion.”
“No.”
“You’re making a mistake.”
“You’re letting your grief and battered pride skew your thinking. If you don’t deal with what Marlene did to you, it’ll eat you from the inside out.”
His head reared back. “You’re one to talk. You’re acting as if your ex-fiancée didn’t stomp all over you. Makes me sick how you cater to her, while she acts like an innocent hothouse flower.”
Cade gritted his teeth, trying to hold in words he might regret. The door slid open, and Jason sauntered outside. Brett stalked to the corner and took up a position beside the grill.
“Am I interrupting something?”
“No,” Cade said, blanking his face. “Learn anything new?”
“Not yet. Tori’s talking to Deputy Claxton now.” He stared out at the black night and moonlight glancing off the sea, his expression troubled. “I know you both think I let it slip, the fact that you were hiding out here. But I promise I kept my mouth shut. My mom couldn’t even get me to squeal.”
“We believe you, Jason.”
“They’re going to test the blood on the knife, but it will take days. Maybe weeks.”
No one spoke for a few minutes. He and Tori didn’t have the luxury of time.
“Brett, you were around when William died,” Cade said. “Can you think of anyone who acted out of the ordinary?”
“Besides Lamont and Truman?” His brows descended. “Not off the top of my head. William was well-liked. The type of guy who didn’t make enemies. Everyone was sad about it.”
“Yeah, but who was torn up enough to target me?”
Grief was powerful and overwhelming. Instead of dealing with the complex emotions, some people suppressed them. Apparently, Aaron’s thought processes had been warped before the death of his friend, and he’d crossed into lunacy. Question was, whom had he dragged along with him?
“I don’t know.” Brett shrugged.
Cade began to pace. “We’ve been home six months. Has anyone in the platoon acted strangely? Maybe someone who’s had a change in behavior or personality?”
Brett’s arms dropped to his sides. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before.”
“What?”
“Who used to be a model Marine but has spent multiple weekends on fire watch?”
In the early years, Cade had been assigned to fire watch one or two times for minor mess-ups. Walking around the barracks picking up trash while his buddies relaxed hadn’t been fun. He mentally reviewed the list of the men under his command and stopped short. “Heath Polanski.”
Jason’s head jerked back. “Heath would never do anything to hurt my sister.”
“I haven’t heard him mention William,” Cade said, reluctant to jump to conclusions. “But his performance hasn’t matched his pre-deployment levels.”
“Neither has his attitude. He’s gotten into at least two physical altercations with other Marines,” Brett inserted.
“No. You’re wrong.”
Cade sighed. “Jason, we have to explore every angle. How long ago did you start hanging around him?”
“I don’t know. Maybe two months.”
“So you don’t know him well enough to be sure,” Brett said.
“Sure about what?” Tori stepped through the door.
The three of them regarded her in silence. Her frown deepened.
“Someone tell me what’s going on.”
Jason threw his arms wide. “They think I’ve made friends with a murderer.”
Her green eyes shot to Cade. “What’s he talking about?”
“Heath Polanski.”
“You think Heath was with us in the woods? And that he came here tonight...” Her gaze dropped to the ground.
Cade took a step closer. “What are you thinking?”
“I...” Her teeth sank into her lower lip. “He weighed less than Aaron. Taller and leaner.”
“And that’s enough to pin this on him?” Jason demanded.
She began to twist the ring around her finger. “His complete silence struck me as odd, especially after Aaron’s chatter. I assumed the reason he refused to speak was because he didn’t want me to recognize him. I even told him so. But there are no specific details that would make me think it’s him. Besides, Heath wears glasses. This guy didn’t.”
“He could have prescription contacts,” Brett pointed out.
Cade placed his hand on Jason’s shoulder. “I know you want to defend your friend, but it’s worth a look into a possible connection. For your sister’s sake.”
He looked as if he would protest more, but his gaze lit on Tori. He nodded.
“Don’t tip him off,” Brett warned.
Jason’s only response was a tightening of his jaw.
Cade extracted the keys from his pocket. “I’m going to have a talk with Heath.”
“Now?” Tori said. “It’s after midnight.”
“Which means he’s supposed to be in the barracks. Best time to pay him a visit.”
“I’m going with you,” Jason announced.
“It’s better that you don’t,” Cade told him. “Why don’t you keep Tori company until I get back?”
Her chin jutted. “You’re not leaving me behind.”
Cade’s first instinct was to point out that she needed rest after tonight’s ordeal. But he had the feeling she’d fight him. To be honest, he’d worry less having her with him. They’d be on base, in the barracks, surrounded by dozens of Marines.
“I don’t have the energy to argue the issue,” he said at last.
At once, her expression changed. “You should’ve let Claxton call the ambulance. Is your head still paining you? What about your leg?”
“The leg’s fine, and I can handle a simple headache,” Cade said. “No hospitals.”
“Then I’m driving. Hand over the keys.”
Deputy Claxton chose that moment to join them. He held up a tiny device.
“We found a tracker on Jason’s car.”
Jason’s eyes hardened as a war played over his face. He turned to Cade. “Call me as soon as you find him. I want to know whether or not I let a psycho get close to my sister.”
They passed the sign indicating they were nearing Camp Lejeune’s main gate. Light from the streetlamps flashed through the windows, illuminating Tori’s tight grip on the steering wheel and the tension in her face. Cade resisted the urge to reassure her with a touch. Something about her demeanor sent out a clear message: stay away.
He recognized that she was a civilian who, like most people, went about her daily life unaware of the underbelly of criminal activity. She’d coped well with everything that had happened, but there was only so much a person could take before the constant fear and anxiety overwhelmed them.
He wanted to be her protector. Her shelter. Her strength.
He couldn’t do that if she shut him out.
God, I need a little insight here. You put me in a position to help her, to be a friend. I can’t be what she needs without You guiding me.
“We should talk about what happened at the condo.”
“There’s no need to rehash it. We’ve told the police everything.”
“I meant what happened between us.”
Her gaze never leaving the road, she said, “We agreed to set our personal issues aside, did we not?”
“I just don’t want you to worry about a repeat performance. I won’t lie and say I’m not drawn to you. That hasn’t changed in ten years, and I can’t see it ever changing.” At her quick sideways glance, he said, “That being said, I can and will control it. I won’t do anything to jeopardize the trust you’ve placed in me.”
Instead of passing through the main gate, she parked in the visitors’ area, where they’d have to obtain a pass since Jason’s car didn’t have a base sticker and she didn’t have a military ID.
Resting her hands in her lap, she angled toward him. “I trust you, Cade. You’ve done nothing to make me question your commitment to my well-being.” She heaved a sigh. “We were once engaged. It’s to be expected that the connection we once shared, the romantic feelings we had for each other, would return. That’s what we can’t trust.” She gestured between them. “We’re in a fight for our lives. Emotions are heightened. That kiss was simply the fallout from our close proximity and near-death experiences. It didn’t mean anything.”
Cade forced his gaze elsewhere so she wouldn’t see the fallout from her words. For him, that kiss had meant something. It meant that everything he’d told himself the past ten years was a lie. He wasn’t over Tori. Not by a long shot.
“You’re right.” Wrestling with what felt like fresh rejection, he projected a calm he didn’t feel. “I don’t know why I brought it up.”
Opening the car door, he got out into the humid night and walked with her to the building, pretending not to notice the frequent furtive looks she sent him. After obtaining the pass, Tori drove them past the commissary, library and various fast-food restaurants to the unit’s barracks.
Most of the rooms were dark. PT came early.
“I don’t see his truck.” He pointed to a window on the third floor. “He shares a room with Dante Murray. Looks like he’s still up. Let’s go see if Heath’s roommate can shed some light on his recent behavior troubles.”
They climbed the outdoor stairs and continued along the breezeway. Cade knocked on the door. Music came from a television or other device. “Murray, you in there?”
The door swung open. “What do you want—” His eyes bulged. “Staff Sergeant McMann.”
“My friend, Miss James, and I have a couple of questions to ask you.”
“Yes, sir.” Hurrying to mute the television, he backed against his twin bed. “What can I do for you, sir?”
Tori glanced around the room that resembled a college dorm. There were two of everything—narrow beds, desks, wooden desk chairs and cushioned chairs. A bathroom was situated against the rear wall.
Cade closed the door and gestured to the empty bed opposite Dante’s. “Where’s Heath?”
“I don’t know, sir. He left hours ago.”
“Didn’t say where he was headed?” Cade wandered to Heath’s desk. There wasn’t much in the way of personal items. A packet of unopened MCIs—curriculum that must be completed for Heath to advance in rank. A nondescript lamp. A red plastic cup filled with pens and a pair of scissors. A laptop.
“No, sir.”
Tori nodded to the calendar taped to the cement wall. “He likes Star Wars.”
“Doesn’t everyone?” Cade murmured.
“Is he in some kind of trouble?” Dante ventured.
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Cade said. “He’s been displaying troubling behavior. You and he have roomed together for almost a year. Have you noticed any changes in his hobbies or friends? Sleeping or eating habits?”
Hesitating, he licked his lips and glanced at the television screen.
“We want to make sure he’s not involved in something dangerous.”
He did a double take. “Dangerous? Heath?”
Cade crossed his arms and waited.
Dante sank onto the bed and steepled his hands. “He’s been torn up since the deployment. He’s different. Quiet. Restless.”
Tori bent to examine a Jedi alarm clock on the headboard shelves. “What was he like before?”
“Fun to be around. Sometimes too chatty.”
“Have you asked him about it?” Cade said.
“He insists he has nothing to say.” He frowned. “It’s like sharing a room with a robot.”
Cade noticed a corkboard above Dante’s bed. It was almost completely covered with photos of Dante with his Marine buddies and probably family members. Heath’s side was a blank canvas. “Heath doesn’t have any personal pictures?”
Dante’s gaze swept the opposite walls. “He used to have a couple posters and a few framed pictures, but he took them down.”
“When?”
“A week or two ago, I think.”
Tori shot him a worried look. The timing was suspect. Was he trying to hide something? Maybe a connection to the attempts on their lives?
Cade was tempted to rifle through his belongings, but he didn’t want to jeopardize the investigation. Best to get the MPs in here.
“Did you know any of the people in the pictures?”
“I didn’t really pay attention,” he said, apologetic. “Since William’s death, he’s become a loner. But he does go into town a lot. I don’t know who he sees or where he goes. I asked once or twice, and he got snarly.”
Definitely suspicious.
“Thanks for your help,” Cade said. “If you think of anything else, let me know.”
Dante bolted to his feet. “Yes, Staff Sergeant.”
Cade opened the door and scanned the parking lot below. “And it would be best if you didn’t mention our visit.”
“Understood, sir.”
If they weren’t both exhausted, he’d suggest they wait around for him to show. Instead, they returned to the car and drove through the deserted streets. In the passenger seat, Cade mulled over what they’d gleaned from Dante, not really focused on the passing scenery. This section of the base consisted of long, rectangular brick buildings. Warehouses for various units.
“Stop.”
Tori applied the brakes, slowing their speed. “What’s up?”
“See that truck? Looks like Heath’s.”
She guided the sedan off the road and was heading between two buildings when a tall, lanky figure walked around the corner.
“Did you see that?” Cade reached for the handle. “He’s limping.”
As soon as the car stopped, he jumped out. His prey noticed he had company and bolted back the way he’d come.
Cade gave chase, his only thought to capture this guy and get answers by any means possible.
FIFTEEN
Before Tori had a chance to voice a warning or demand he wait for her, Cade had hauled himself onto the warehouse’s shoulder-high walkway and disappeared from sight. Jittery with nerves, she angled the car next to the building and jerked the keys from the ignition before sprinting after him. She took the concrete ramp up to the walkway and searched the darkness.
No fading footsteps to guide her. No shouts.
Where had he gone?
As her eyes adjusted, she could just make out the outline of a door in the brick facade. It was ajar. In the opening, she peeked inside, her instincts jangling a warning. The glow of a computer monitor emitted enough light to see the metal desk on which it sat and nothing more.
Tori said a prayer and tiptoed inside.
A hand clamped on to her shoulder and spun her
toward the wall. An involuntary gasp escaped before she recognized Cade’s scent.
“You should’ve waited in the car,” he whisper-growled in her ear.
“I’d rather be in here with you than alone out there,” she retorted. “You watch my back. I watch yours.”
His sigh gusted over her cheek. “Stay close.”
Latching onto her hand, he drew her along the rough-textured wall until they reached metal shelving. While she couldn’t make out particulars, she sensed that they extended high above her head.
“What is this place?” she murmured.
“CIF. Consolidated Issue Facility.” A beat later, he whispered, “They issue our gear here.”
They reached a wide, central aisle. Cade released her hand as he rounded the unit first, his big body an obstacle between her and their enemy. One by one, they passed the rows crowded with cardboard boxes. The huge, dark warehouse sat like a silent tomb. Tori’s throat closed in, and her legs didn’t want to obey her mind’s order to move forward.
Was Heath working with Aaron?
Had Aaron somehow gotten through base security and was here to meet Heath and plot their next step?
Suddenly, twin lights clicked on, blinding them. An engine thundered to life. The high-pitched grind of metal forks rising froze her in her tracks. The forklift jerked into motion.
“Look out!” Cade seized her. Propelled her to the right, between the shelves.
Tori stumbled to the concrete. He hauled her back up and urged her to run.
Behind them, the forklift was executing the turn. The thick wall loomed ahead. He was going to pin them in. Then what? Skewer them to the wall with those metal prongs?
“Cade,” she panted, fear heavy on her chest, restricting her airflow. “There’s no way out.”
“Has to be.” Racing past her, he skidded to a stop beside the last section and, dropping down, shoved at the boxes. They didn’t budge. The approaching forklift’s lights bore down on them, yet his resolve didn’t waver. He switched to the opposite side. This time, the boxes shifted.
Tori knelt beside him, pushing with all her might, too scared to risk a glance and measure the dwindling distance. Inch by excruciating inch, they dislodged the boxes.
