“Exactly.” Which was why he needed to get moving.
“All right. Stay in touch and keep me updated, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course.”
He hung up and whistled for Annie. She came running and stood impatiently at the door while he clipped the leash on her collar. “All right, girl, let’s go make sure that nosy reporter doesn’t get herself killed.”
It only took him a few minutes to get to the base hospital. He left Annie in her temperature-controlled area of the car and headed inside the building. A stop at the information desk provided him the room number.
Once on the floor, he made a right at the nurses’ station and found the room. The door was cracked open and he could hear voices inside.
“Come on, Bobby, please tell me what you know. Do you know who the guy was?” he heard Heidi ask. “The one who ran from the building?”
“No.”
The trainer’s low voice vibrated with tension.
Heidi sighed. “That explosion was no coincidence. You know as well as I do about all the weird stuff happening on the base. The Red Rose Killer who killed those two trainers, Clinton Lockwood, and then all of the dogs getting out.”
Nick pursed his lips. Those dogs. Out of the twenty-one still missing, he would have thought they would have located a few by now. And those four highly trained German shepherds should have come back. But they hadn’t. Which probably meant someone had them.
Uncomfortable with his eavesdropping, he knocked.
“Come in,” Bobby called.
Nick stepped inside and found the trainer sitting up in the bed and Heidi in the chair next to him. She raised a brow when she saw him. “What are you doing here?”
“Me? What are you doing here?”
“I thought I’d stop by and check on Bobby.” She shot the man in the bed a warm smile and something twisted inside Nick. Something he could only identify as jealousy. But he knew that couldn’t possibly be true. His only explanation for the unexpected—and unwelcome—feeling was that he’d had far too little sleep last night. And every night since the Red Rose Killer had struck the base and set off a chain of events with the murder of the two trainers as well as of his former Basic Training Commander, Chief Master Sergeant Clinton Lockwood. Since then Boyd Sullivan had continued his reign of terror over those who had any connection with him at all.
Nick cleared his throat. “Do you mind if I join you?”
Heidi shrugged, but Bobby shifted on the bed and wouldn’t meet his eyes. Interesting.
“I thought I’d see how he was doing and ask him a few questions about the bombing,” Heidi said. “Unfortunately, he doesn’t remember much.”
“I see. How are you feeling?” Nick asked Bobby.
“I’m all right.” The young man seemed grateful for the distraction. “They tell me I should make a full recovery, so that’s a relief.”
“I’m sure.” Nick settled himself in the window seat. “I’ve got a few questions for you myself, if you don’t mind.” Without giving the man a chance to answer, he said, “What was your shift at the training center yesterday?”
“Second.”
“So, what do you think the man in the building wanted? The one Heidi saw run out?”
Bobby looked away again, over Nick’s shoulder and out the window. “I was... I needed a break so I was going to step outside for a breath of fresh air and that’s when I saw Heidi. She yelled at me to run.” He shrugged and briefly met Nick’s eyes. “She sounded really intense, so I ran.” He turned his gaze back to Heidi. “You saved my life.”
Heidi smiled. Nick ran a hand over his jaw. “So, no idea who the man was?”
“No. I’ve already said it several times. I’ve got no idea.” The young man plucked at the sheet near his knee. Then he linked his hands and turned his gaze to the television, effectively dismissing them.
Nick frowned. Bobby was lying. He slid a glance over at Heidi and saw her eyes on the man. Her wrinkled forehead said she wasn’t buying his story, either.
But why would he lie? Was he somehow involved in the explosion or did he know the identity of the bomber and was too scared to tell?
A knock on the door brought a flicker of relief to Bobby’s pale features. A woman in her midfifties entered. The lab coat and blue lettering stitched on her shoulder identified her as the doctor. “What’s going on in here?” she asked.
Nick stood. “We’re just having a chat with your patient.”
“Well, you’re going to have to leave. In case you haven’t noticed, he has a head injury and needs his rest.”
“We’ve noticed.” He turned to Bobby. “Thank you for your time. If you remember anything else, will you give me a call?” He handed him his card.
“Ah...sure. Yes, of course.” He stared at it, then set it on the table by the phone.
“Get better, Bobby. I’m glad you’re going to be okay,” Heidi said.
Bobby’s gaze softened when he turned to look at her and, once again, Nick’s blood pressure surged. He shook his head and told himself to get a grip. He was not attracted to her. Liar. Okay, fine, so he was, but that was neither here nor there. The only reason he was going to keep an eye on Heidi was to make sure she didn’t wind up a victim of the bomber—and to make sure she didn’t report anything she shouldn’t.
Maybe if he told himself that enough times, he’d eventually believe it.
* * *
Once outside the hospital room, Heidi turned to Nick and crossed her arms. “What was that all about?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I was in the middle of a conversation with Bobby and you showed up to interfere.”
“You mean you were in the middle of pumping a poor, wounded man for information so you could get a scoop on a story.”
“I already got the scoop. I was going for the follow-up,” she said.
He blinked. Then laughed and held up a hand in surrender. “I can’t believe I’m laughing. I should be really annoyed with you.”
“So why aren’t you?”
His blue eyes flashed with something she couldn’t identify. “I don’t really know,” he said softly.
“That bothers you, doesn’t it?”
“In more ways than I’d like.”
She waited for him to explain, but he simply sighed and looked away.
“You don’t trust me, do you?” she asked, then raised a hand. “Never mind. Don’t answer that. It’s as clear as the nose on your face what you think of me.”
He gave a short laugh. “You’re a reporter. That automatically puts you on the Do Not Trust list.”
“What happened?”
His brow lifted. “What do you mean?”
“What made you not trust reporters?”
And just like that, his face closed up. “It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t have anything to do with you or this case, so—”
Her phone buzzed and he snapped his lips shut.
“Sorry,” she said. She looked at the screen. “I’ve got to answer this. It’s my boss.”
“Of course.” The coolness in his voice pierced her, but she swiped the screen and lifted the phone to her ear. “Hello?”
“Heidi, where are you?” Lou Sanders demanded.
“Still at the hospital. I just finished talking to Bobby Stevens, the man who was hurt in the training center explosion.”
“Right. Well, forget about him for now. Three more homes were burglarized last night, medals were stolen and you’re needed to conduct interviews and cover the story.”
Heidi bit her lip on the complaint that wanted to slip out. Instead, she nodded. “All right. Text me the addresses, and I’ll get on it.”
“Good. I expect something on my desk by the end of the day tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir.”
&nbs
p; She hung up and found Nick staring at his phone. He tucked it into the clip on his belt. “I’ve got to get to a meeting. Are you going to be all right?”
“I think so. Nothing’s happened, and last night was peaceful.”
“I hate leaving you alone.”
His concern sent warmth coursing through her. He might not trust her simply because of her profession, but he obviously cared about her as a person. How long had it been since someone had been genuinely concerned about what happened to her? A man, anyway. She had friends on the base, of course, and she and her neighbor, Felicity, had gotten pretty close over the last month in spite of the fact that Westley, her new husband, didn’t seem to like Heidi very much. Heidi was glad Felicity was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.
Heidi waved off his worry. “I’ll be fine. I’m going to be working on this story, so I’ll be talking with people all day. The base is as busy as a hive. If I need something, someone is within yelling distance at all times.”
Nick nodded. “Okay, just be careful.”
“Of course.”
He didn’t move.
She raised a brow. “Now what’s wrong?”
“What was your impression of Bobby?” he asked.
“He’s in pain and he’s lying through his teeth. He knows something, and he’s scared to tell what it is. I’m not sure why he’s scared, but he is.”
“Yeah. That was my take on him, too. What makes you think so, though?”
With a shrug, she said, “He never actually said he didn’t see the guy at the center. He never asked me to describe the man I saw. He just denied knowing who the guy was. Which makes me think he did see him and doesn’t want to say.”
“That’s impressive, Heidi.”
“Thanks?”
“No, I’m serious. You’re perceptive. That’s how a cop thinks.”
She laughed. “Well, I’m no cop, that’s for sure—and I have no desire to be one. Too dangerous.”
Her wry statement and roll of her eyes seemed to amuse him.
“Right. Because being a reporter has kept you safe and sound thus far.”
“I like my job and I like to do it well. Part of that entails being able to read people and to read in between the lines.”
“Which tells me that OSI needs to dig a little deeper into Bobby’s background.”
“I’d say so.”
“I’ll give them the rundown on our visit with Airman Stevens.” With a nod and one last look in her direction, he turned on his heel and headed down the hallway to the elevator.
Heidi sucked in a breath and told her feelings to settle down. Yes, Nick was a good-looking man. Yes, she was attracted to him. And no, nothing was going to come of that because...because he didn’t respect her occupation, for one. He was bossy and demanding, for two. And he’d awakened long-dormant dreams of what could one day be. A family. A home with children and a husband who loved her—in spite of her job.
With a groan, she knew this was going to be a long day. But at least the interviews would distract her from thinking about the handsome lieutenant. Maybe.
* * *
Nick felt slightly better about leaving Heidi. She was right. The base was teeming with people during the day and she’d be with someone constantly on her interviews.
But still...he couldn’t shake from his mind the fact that Heidi could be in danger and it was only a matter of time before someone showed up to do her harm.
The guy who’d run from them—and pulled a gun on them—was still out there.
Unable to just drive away, he waited until she came out of the building and watched as she set off on foot. He continued to observe, noting the others leaving at the same time. No one seemed to be following her and that allowed him to draw in a relieved breath and relax a fraction.
Nick then climbed into his vehicle. Annie welcomed him back with a “woof” and he gave her ears a scratch. He drove to the base command office and found a parking spot outside the building that housed the large auditorium-style conference room. Once he was inside, Annie at his side, the executive assistant to the base commander, Brenda Blakenship, met him in the reception area. After they exchanged salutes, she nodded to the nearest door. “Everyone’s here. Captain Blackwood is ready.”
“Thank you.” This was a last-minute meeting on a Saturday. Obviously, something was important.
When he entered the conference room, the large oval table was full of those investigating the Boyd Sullivan case. He saluted and took his seat next to Security Forces Captain Justin Blackwood. Annie settled at his feet with a contented sigh while Nick studied Justin. The captain was a tall, imposing figure, his blond hair cut with military precision. His blue eyes could slice right through a person, but Nick liked the man. In fact, he liked and respected every person in the room. They made a good team. Which was why he knew they would have Boyd Sullivan in custody soon. They had to. This whole investigation had gone on too long.
Across from him sat First Lieutenant Vanessa Gomez, whose insight into Sullivan could be helpful. It was a long shot, but worth having her on the team. Sitting beside her was Captain Gretchen Hill, who had been temporarily transferred to the base to learn how the K-9 Unit and a large security force were run. She’d been assigned to work with Justin, whose former partner had been killed. Nick briefly wondered how that was going. They both looked slightly stressed whenever they were in the same room together. But it wasn’t any of his business. They were professionals; they’d work through any problems. Tech Sergeant Linc Colson, a Security Forces investigator, First Lieutenant MP Ethan Webb, Westley James, Ava Esposito and Oliver Davison rounded out the team.
“Thank you all for coming in,” base commander Lieutenant General Nathan Hall said. He stood to Nick’s left. “I know it’s Saturday, but I wanted us all together for an update. It’s no secret that Boyd Sullivan is still out there causing grief. He’s a killer who shows no mercy and it’s up to us to stop him. Fast. First order of business, I think we need to focus a little closer on Yvette Crenville. I still think she’s our link. It’s well-known how crazy she was about Sullivan, and he seemed to return the feeling.”
“True,” Nick said. “But we’ve been looking into her. What else do you suggest?”
“Closer scrutiny. I want constant eyes on her. I want proof supporting our suspicions. I’ve done some checking and she’s regular as clockwork to show up for work, so it should be easy enough to keep her under surveillance. Any volunteers to trail her and report back her routine, who she talks to, where she goes, et cetera?”
Several hands went up and the lieutenant general pointed to Vanessa. “Since you’re at the hospital where Yvette works, you’re the obvious choice, but are you sure you’re up to it?”
“Yes, sir. I’ll have to work around my schedule, of course, but I’m happy to do it when I’m not on the clock. Then again, she is the base nutritionist, so I may be able to catch up to her occasionally during the day, to see if she’s up to anything suspicious.”
“All right, you’re on it. The only reason I’m asking is because when Ava and Oliver were searching for Turner Johnson last month, they spotted Sullivan in the woods.” Seven-year-old Turner Johnson, the son of a base colonel, had been on a school field trip when he’d disappeared. Ava Esposito and Oliver Davison had brought the child home safely. “Turner talked about the ‘bad guy and mean woman.’ Unfortunately, he never got a look at her. She had on a black hoodie and stuff. But he was sure it was a woman. So, by process of elimination, we’re down to Yvette. If it’s her, she’s going to be suspicious of anyone in law enforcement. But she wouldn’t have any reason to connect you to the investigation,” he told Vanessa.
“No, we’ve talked a couple of times, and she knows I got a rose as well.” Yvette had received one the same night as Vanessa.
“But I don’t want you doing this alone. I th
ink you’re safe at the hospital, surrounded by people, but I’m going to find someone to partner with you. When I decide who it’ll be, I’ll let you know.”
“That sounds good, sir. I do feel safe at the hospital.” Vanessa shrugged. “It might be a false sense of security, but for now, I think I’m all right.”
“Good, let me know if anything changes.”
“Of course.”
For the next thirty minutes, the team discussed the case in detail. With one glaring, depressing fact right in front of them. Boyd Sullivan was still on the loose and no one had any idea where he was or how to find him.
“One last thing,” Lieutenant General Hall said. “Our anonymous blogger is still wreaking havoc. This time he—or she—has decided to smear the investigators all over the place.”
“What do you mean, sir?” Nick asked.
Nathan tapped his phone’s screen and read from the blog, “‘Well, folks, it looks like the training center bombing wasn’t just a random thing. There’s speculation that the Red Rose Killer is somehow involved. That it’s possible he’s back on base. Lock your doors, folks. I know I’m going to.’” Nathan tossed his phone on the table. “I want this person stopped.”
“Whoever it is has mad tech skills,” Nick said. “But there’s got to be more to it.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m just saying, it’s like this person has a bug planted in our meetings. We’ve talked about everything the blogger’s mentioned. As we’ve noted, these are confidential discussions that are being plastered in the posts. I think it’s time to play our cards a little closer to our vests.” He looked around. “I’m not saying it’s one of us, but I do think it’s someone we’re trusting.”
Justin scowled. “Then from this moment on, trust no one but the people in this room. Discuss nothing, and I mean nothing, about this case with anyone but the people here. Is that understood?”
A chorus of “Yes, sirs” echoed through the small room. “Good. That’s it for now. Stay in touch.”
Explosive Force Page 5