Reunion Mission (Rangers Under Fire)

by Virginia Vaughan

  He’d worked out a plan to have the security staff monitor the halls more frequently and with a greater presence. It was important that the students and faculty felt safe in order to get things back to normal, but an increased show of security would also apply pressure to anyone trying to push drugs. Add that to his DEA presence and Matt knew whoever Luke’s supplier was would be getting edgy. And that meant he was more likely to make a mistake that would lead Matt right to Luke’s killer.

  Preston was waiting for him outside the security office. Matt noticed crime scene tape over the door of the lab only a few rooms down.

  “Did your team find anything that might lead us to who attacked Claire?”

  “Our team is still processing the evidence collected last night, but you were right about Luke. The coroner ruled time of death between noon and 2:00 p.m., meaning there’s no way he sent that text. We’ve confirmed with the cell carrier the time it was sent and the time it was received. There’s no discrepancy.”

  Matt felt that like a punch to the gut. “Claire was a target.”

  “It sure looks that way. Whoever killed Luke either wanted her to find him or planned to kill her, too.”

  “Maybe not. Their intent could have been as simple as finding out if Luke confided any information about their operation to her.”

  “Well, after last night, I’d say they’ve decided killing her might be the best option.”

  “Does the report say how he died?”

  “Yep.” Preston handed him the file. “The coroner determined the murder weapon was a six-inch blade, probably a kitchen knife. The victim’s throat was slashed from behind, but it wasn’t a clean cut. Luke definitely bled out for a while before he died.”

  Which meant the killer stood around and watched Luke die before setting the trap for Claire. And this was the twisted mind now targeting Claire.

  “We didn’t recover the knife, so my guess is the killer took it with him. I’m going to keep Claire’s classroom sealed, along with the lab, but I’ve told Principal Spencer the rest of the hall can be opened up for students.”

  “Claire set up class in the auditorium. I’m doing background checks on all the staff and faculty at Lakeshore High. Luke hinted to me his supplier was someone on the inside. But I’ll also need access to your local records of drug arrests.” Trixie was a newer drug but was still a major player in the drug market and growing fast among the younger crowd. Schools were being flooded with it, which indicated a centralized manufacturing and distribution. If he could link a faculty member with past drug use, he might find his way in.

  Preston looked skeptical. “The coroner found no evidence of illegal drugs in the initial toxicology report, so right now the only evidence we have that Luke’s death was because of drugs is your word and Claire’s word.”

  Matt thought Preston was about to balk at helping him investigate this path, but he sighed wearily and continued.

  “Unfortunately, we’ve got no other leads. I’ll start running down names for drug arrests and send you the relevant ones.”

  Matt nodded. “I’ve also looked through the interviews your officers conducted and flagged a few for follow-up interviews. I’ll concentrate on that today.”

  Preston started to leave, then turned back to him. “How is she this morning?”

  Matt saw the look of concern on his face and knew he cared for her. “She’s Claire—stubborn to the core and determined to be here for her students.”

  Preston nodded solemnly, probably thinking of last night. “Yes, she is stubborn. One day, it’s going to get her killed,” he stated bluntly as he walked away.

  * * *

  Claire pushed back the doubts and the accusation and tried to focus on the kids, already arriving and still in shock over Luke’s death. She spent several hours talking with them, sometimes one-on-one and sometimes in groups. Most of them only wanted to be with the other kids. Words were few and the mood on campus was somber.

  Claire was glad the police hadn’t released the news about Luke’s drug use or about the circumstances of his death. She suspected most of the kids already knew about his business—many were probably the ones he sold to—but today was all about the Luke they all knew. The well-liked, popular student who had died tragically way too young.

  Claire was emotionally and physically drained by two o’clock. Many of the kids had left the campus and the crowd in the parking lot was thinning. She decided to take the time to move supplies again, this time to her new, makeshift classroom in the auditorium.

  But as she walked through the outside courtyard tucked between the parking lot and the cafeteria, she heard her name being called.

  “Miss Kendall?”

  Claire turned to find one of her students, Jessica Alvarez, behind her. The girl’s eyes were red from crying and she held a tissue in her hand.

  “Jessica, you’re still here?”

  “I was hoping I could talk to you.”

  “Sure.” Claire led her toward a bench and they sat down. “How are you holding up?”

  “I can’t believe he’s really dead,” the girl said. She glanced around, her eyes cutting each way. “I know Luke trusted you, Miss Kendall. He said you were someone he could turn to.”

  Her heart warmed at hearing that Luke had believed in her. If only she’d been able to save him. “I wish I could have done more to help him.”

  Jessica twisted her hands nervously. Something more than grief seemed to be affecting her. The way she kept fidgeting and looking around the area as she spoke. Jessica seemed afraid. Claire supposed that was normal, too, since a violent crime had occurred on campus.

  She reached for the girl’s hand. “You’re safe here, Jessica. No one is going to harm you.”

  Jessica cast her eyes around again and started to speak, but then her face froze and she went pale. “I have to go,” she said quickly. Claire saw her glance back as she walked away, but it wasn’t Claire she was looking at. It was someone behind her. Claire turned to see. A few students were still gathered in groups and she spotted Principal Spencer and several teachers milling about speaking with them.

  Claire wanted to rush after Jessica and find out what was going on with her and how she could help. Jessica and Luke hadn’t been that close that Claire knew of. She’d never seen them together at school. But these kids often formed alliances and friendships that she knew nothing about. Luke had told Jessica that Claire was someone he could turn to for help, and Claire was glad that Jessica had reached out to her. She just wished Jessica had stuck around to let her help.

  Her cell phone rang and Claire glanced at the screen and saw that Matt was calling.

  “Where are you, Claire? I came by the auditorium to check on you and you’re not there.”

  “I’m outside in the courtyard.” She could hear the panic in his voice and knew she’d worried him. She hadn’t missed the multiple times he’d passed by her door today or the increased security she’d seen around the school. She, for one, felt safer with him there. “I got distracted by a student.”

  “I see you.”

  She glanced around and spotted him across the courtyard. He grinned and waved to her. She couldn’t help but smile. Sometimes it seemed as if he was still the Matt she’d known and they’d never been apart.

  She stepped off the curb and walked across the parking lot toward him. Suddenly, she heard Matt yell simultaneously through the phone and across the yard. The screech of tires and the roar of an engine grabbed her attention. She turned to find a truck barreling toward her. Her feet were frozen and all she saw was the grille aiming right at her. She was going to die.

  Suddenly, someone grabbed her arm and yanked her out of the way. Her knee dug into the concrete as she fell and her shoulder smashed into the ground, causing pain to erupt through her.

  The tires of the
truck screeched to a halt, but the truck tapped the concrete blocker before it turned and sped away.

  She glanced up at the man who had saved her life. She was in Matt’s arms again and relief flooded her. She never wanted to be anywhere else.

  FOUR

  Claire felt small but safe in his arms, but eventually Matt had to let her go. The police and the ambulance arrived, and Matt left Claire to them while he gave his statement, then helped question the remaining students.

  Few of them had seen the truck that had tried to run down Claire, but he had—a black pickup truck with tinted windows and a red sticker of some kind in the window. The afternoon sun had blocked his view of the driver’s face, but he’d made out a man wearing a baseball cap pulled down low with dark sunglasses hiding his face. Matt knew their best chance was going to be to find that truck, which would hopefully lead them to the driver.

  Claire wasn’t the only one traumatized by the incident. He looked around and noticed several female students sobbing and being comforted. The students and faculty were already under pressure after Luke’s death, and now this added near miss would shake anyone. Fortunately, most of the students had already left campus for the day.

  He approached the ambulance and saw Claire with a sling on her arm. The paramedic was tending to scrapes on her knee and her slacks were torn on the leg.

  “How are you?” he asked her.

  She flashed him a half smile, but he saw pain in her lovely eyes and fatigue lining her face. “I’ll be fine. My shoulder was jarred, but they don’t think anything is broken.”

  The EMT raised his head at her comment. “We would like to transport her to the hospital for scans just in case.”

  She shook her head. “I’m fine.”

  But Matt insisted she listen to the professionals. “It won’t hurt to have the scans, just to be sure.”

  She started to argue but was cut off by the sound of a blaring siren approaching. Preston’s car skidded to a stop and he leaped out, leaving the door standing open. He rushed to the ambulance, his face pale and stricken.

  “Claire! Are you injured? What happened?”

  “I’m fine,” she said, laying a hand on his arm, which Matt didn’t miss—and didn’t like one iota.

  Preston touched her face, staring too deeply for Matt’s liking into her eyes. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner. I was on the other side of town dealing with a robbery call. I didn’t hear this had happened until I was through at that scene. Why didn’t you call me?”

  She looked flustered as she glanced his way, so Matt stepped in. He could sense she didn’t want to tell Preston that she’d been too wrapped up in his arms to find her phone. “One of the students called 9-1-1. Claire was pretty shaken up.”

  That was the understatement of the century. She’d been terrified. She’d been targeted. Was it because of Luke? The timing seemed too coincidental not to be. Had Luke told her all his secrets during those counseling sessions she’d claimed to have had with him? Had he given her the name of his supplier or hinted at it? If Matt was asking these questions, then he was certain Luke’s supplier was, as well. Had they really meant to run her down today? Or had it been a ploy like the drive-by to warn her to keep her mouth shut?

  His muscles tensed. Even if they were trying to scare her into silence, they would still want to find out what she knew, and that meant trouble for Claire. If they abducted her and interrogated her about what Luke had told her, no way would they let her go after that. They’d killed Luke because he wanted out of the business, so they obviously had no qualms about killing. They might decide to kill Claire just to make sure she couldn’t talk, regardless of what she knew.

  He had to get to the bottom of this. He had to find out who Luke’s supplier was and who was behind the drug ring operating at Lakeshore. Claire’s life depended on him uncovering the guilty party.

  “The paramedics want her to go to the hospital,” Matt told Preston. “But she’s refusing.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous, Claire. Go to the hospital. I’ll be right behind you,” Preston told her.

  “Me, too,” Matt said. “I think we’d both feel better if you went.”

  She finally allowed the EMT to load her into the ambulance, but Matt had one last question before they closed the doors.

  “Do you know anyone at the school who drives a black pickup truck?”

  She thought for a moment, then shook her head. “I don’t think so. I didn’t get a good look at the truck, but it didn’t look familiar.”

  When the ambulance pulled away, Preston turned on Matt. “You were supposed to protect her.” It was more an accusation than a question, and Matt felt his face flush. He’d reached Claire before the truck that had tried to run her over. He would call that protecting her.

  “I gave my statement to one of the officers.” Maybe others could claim not to remember. The rush of action often obscured memories for those who weren’t used to it, but Matt had been a ranger, was still a ranger at heart, and he’d been in worse action before. He’d been trained during his time as an army ranger to observe and react in high-intensity situations. He’d also been trained to keep his wits about him, and he’d always been good at compartmentalizing things. He’d been good at seeing past the action and looking to the truth of the matter. But today, emotion had nearly overwhelmed him at the fear of losing this lady again. She may never want to have anything to do with him again as far as romance was concerned after the way he’d left her, but he couldn’t imagine a world where Claire Kendall didn’t exist. And he didn’t want to be part of a world where she wasn’t around anymore.

  Most of all, he’d promised her she would be safe at school and she wasn’t. He’d failed to protect her again.

  “If you can’t protect her, then you need to step aside,” Preston said before getting into his unmarked police car and taking off.

  Matt climbed into his own car and followed behind him to the hospital. His pulse was racing and he knew he had to calm down. His hands gripped the steering wheel so tight his fingers began to whiten from lack of blood. He would be no good to Claire if he couldn’t pull himself together and focus on the investigation.

  His phone buzzed in the holder and he saw Garrett’s name on the caller ID. Garrett Lewis was a fellow former army ranger and a friend. He quickly accepted the call, needing something else to occupy his thoughts right now.

  “Hey, Garrett, what’s up?”

  “I’m leaving the country in a few weeks and so I was trying to tie up loose ends before I go...one of which is getting a wedding gift. Do you know what you’re getting them?”

  “Not yet.” Josh Adams, another of his former ranger squad buddies, was marrying Elise Richardson, an FBI agent who’d uncovered a human trafficking ring that had kidnapped Josh’s niece. Their wedding was still a few months away and he’d been focused on getting through his sister’s wedding before thinking about Josh’s. Now he was only thinking about keeping Claire safe.

  “Whatever I get I’ll be sure to add your name to,” Matt said. “You can pay me later.”

  “Great. Thanks, Matt.”

  “So what’s this about you leaving the country? Where are you going?”

  Garrett hesitated and Matt knew that wasn’t a good sign.

  “Where, Garrett?”

  “Pakistan.”

  “What? Why?”

  “I’ve got a job.”

  “What job? For who?”

  “Colton has all the specs.”

  Terrific. Colton was as reckless as Garrett. Only, he was old enough to know better. “I don’t like you leaving the country. It’s not a good time.”

  “It never is.” Garrett’s tone indicated that he thought Matt was being overprotective again.

  He couldn’t help it. Garrett, five years his junior, was l
ike a kid brother to him. He didn’t like the risks Garrett and Colton took, and he liked even less the situations they often found themselves in. After leaving the rangers, they’d started doing freelance, privately funded search and rescue missions together.

  Garrett ended up placating him long enough to get him off the phone, but Matt knew his worries went in one ear and out the other. One day, that boy was simply going to disappear and no one would ever know what happened to him. “Be careful,” Matt told him. “And don’t forget to check in.”

  “I won’t forget,” Garrett said, but then agitation seemed to fall from his tone. “Are you okay? You sound rattled, which is really weird for you.”

  “I’m fine,” Matt assured him, but his hands were still shaking from the adrenaline rush. “I’ll be fine.”

  He said goodbye and hung up with Garrett before his prodding continued. Matt was thankful for the support of his ranger brothers, but he wasn’t comfortable letting them see him rattled. After the wreck, he’d become an expert at compartmentalizing and had gained a reputation among his squad as coolheaded. They’d even nicknamed him The Machine because of his lack of emotional response.

  He wished now for some of that compartmentalization. He couldn’t seem to do it when it came to Claire. His emotions were right on the edge, ready and available to let loose at any moment.

  Matt pulled into the hospital parking lot and cut the engine. Unlike many of his ranger brothers, Matt had never married. No one could ever compare to his Claire, and he’d never desired to replace her. He’d often insisted he had family, and he did. He had a large family that loved him and would be devastated if something had happened to him while with the rangers. But his siblings were grown up now and marrying off to start families of their own, and his parents wouldn’t always be around. One day soon, he might be truly alone. But he had no one in his life romantically and he never had for long.

  He’d already met the love of his life and lost her.