by Gerri Hill
“Keep trying, Rowan. We’re about fifteen minutes out.” She disconnected, then glanced at Reynolds, no longer caring if he saw her tears. “Four dead,” she said quietly. “He doesn’t know...who.”
Reynolds surprised her by reaching over and taking her hand. “Keep the faith, Cameron.”
She nodded. “I can’t lose her. I just can’t.” She wiped at her tears, angry with herself for her loss of control. “I swear, if you tell anyone about this, I’ll shoot you myself.”
He put both hands on the wheel, not letting up his speed. “You know, that was my team too,” he said. “I didn’t know Eric or Carina before this, but Jack, hell, I’ve known him for years.”
“I know. I’m sorry, man. This whole thing is fucked.” She squeezed the bridge of her nose hard, trying to remain focused. Unfortunately, Andrea was the only thing she could focus on. “My chest is so tight,” she said, rubbing between her breasts. “I can’t...I can’t even think about her being one of the four.” She tapped her chest hard. “She’s in my soul, Reynolds. I know you don’t understand, but she is. I feel like I’m losing control here.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Don’t say it,” she said, glancing quickly at him. “I know what you’re thinking. That’s why they have rules for this sort of thing. But you can’t help who you fall in love with.” She paused, looking at him again. “I know, I know. We fell in love first, and then were partners. But I couldn’t leave her behind in Sedona. I just couldn’t.”
“Does Murdock know?”
“Of course. He pretends he doesn’t, but yeah, he’s not stupid.” She clenched her fists tightly. “It shouldn’t be a problem,” she said. “We’re damn good partners. We work well together. We bounce ideas off each other, we...we speculate,” she said with a smile. “She knows what I’m thinking sometimes before I even do.” She leaned her head back. “I can’t lose her,” she said quietly.
“Almost there,” he said. “Are you going to be able to hold it together?”
“If she’s gone?” She shook her head. “No. And when I find this son of a bitch, I’m putting a bullet in his brain.”
“Ross, we follow—”
“Don’t start that shit. We aren’t following any goddamn rules. He’s a dead man.” Her phone buzzed before he could reply and she held it up, showing him it was Rowan. “Jesus, I don’t want to get this.”
“Answer it. Better we know now than when we get there.”
Her thumb tapped her phone, then she held it to her ear. “Rowan?”
“Andrea is alive,” he said simply.
She let out a sob, then caught her breath. She was nearly ashamed at the relief she felt. “Who else?”
“Eric. They’re going to take him. He’s got a gash on his head from what I understand. Andrea is okay.”
Cameron looked at Reynolds. “Andrea and Eric,” she said.
He nodded, then turned his attention back to the road.
“Thank you, Rowan. I’ve been...well, I’ve been a little crazy,” she admitted.
“I know. I imagine she’s been too, not being able to contact you.”
“You’re right. I hadn’t thought of that,” she said. “I’ll be in touch. We’re almost there.”
The relief she felt was palpable. She wanted to laugh out loud with it, she wanted to yell at the top of her lungs. Yet they’d lost two team members. She wasn’t close to Jack but she’d known him for several years. Carina...well, she was nothing more than an old lover. She wouldn’t even call her a friend. But she was a damn good agent. She was nearly an expert in explosives. How had she not seen it? What kind of trigger had he used?
“God, amazing,” she murmured.
“What?”
“My brain is working again,” she said. “Carina was an expert in explosives. How could she have not anticipated it? I mean, especially since we found C4 at the safe house.”
She held on as he turned sharply, the desert road as bumpy as the rest they’d been on in the last week. A dozen flashing lights beckoned them. Reynolds skidded to a halt and Cameron jumped out even before the truck had come to a standstill. She glanced around frantically, her eyes bouncing from one deputy to another. Finally, she spotted Andrea, leaning in the ambulance, talking to Eric. She would have bolted in her direction if not for Reynolds’s grip on her arm.
“There are a lot of eyes out here, Agent Ross,” he said. “Play it cool.”
He was so right, but all she wanted to do was run to Andrea and wrap her arms around her and hold her close. She squared her shoulders instead, glaring at him.
“Special Agent Ross,” she corrected.
Andrea turned then, finding her. Their eyes collided, both trying to convey their feelings without words. Andrea finally nodded at her, a slight smile on her face. Cameron felt everything right itself in her world again.
Andrea was okay.
“She made it?”
“Finally,” Andrea said, turning back to Eric. “Now quit arguing with me.”
“I’m not arguing. I’m simply stating that I don’t want to go to the hospital. There’s no need.”
“Your head hurts. You have ringing in your ears.” When he didn’t respond, she put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows.
“Okay. Yeah. My head hurts like a son of a bitch. And I’ve got bells going off. That doesn’t mean—”
“Oh, God, you’re as stubborn as Cameron, I swear,” she said, grabbing his hand. “Please? Just to be safe. I promise I’ll come and spring you out in the morning.”
He squeezed her hand tightly. “You promise?”
She leaned closer, kissing his cheek. “I promise.”
“You know, if Cameron ever ditches you...”
She laughed. “You are so not my type.” She released his hand as they loaded him into the ambulance.
“Don’t forget me tomorrow,” he said.
“Not a chance.”
She stood back, watching the ambulance pull away, stirring the desert dust as they left the scene. She felt eyes on her and she turned, not surprised to find Cameron walking her way. She stood back, her eyes glued to Cameron’s.
“How is he?” Cameron asked.
“Probably a concussion. He’s got a nasty cut on his head. Debris in his back...superficial, but still,” she said, shrugged. “He’ll be okay.”
Cameron nodded, her eyes searching, looking for what, Andrea didn’t know. Then Cameron grasped her elbow, leading her further away from the others.
“Are you...are you okay?”
Andrea nodded, her eyes never leaving Cameron’s. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, grabbing Cameron’s hand, needing some contact. “I’m so sorry. All I’ve been thinking about is how we were angry with each other.”
“I know,” Cameron said, her fingers tightening around Andrea’s. “Me too.”
“Let’s don’t ever do that again. I love you. I love you so much,” she said. “I don’t want to ever be angry with you.”
She could see the hesitation in Cameron, could see her chest heaving, her eyes dark with emotion. Cameron looked around them, everyone going about their jobs, no one watching them.
“Fuck it,” she murmured, pulling Andrea into her arms.
Andrea clung to her, her tears falling hard and fast. She felt her body sag as all the emotion of the day took its toll on her. She buried her face against Cameron, soaking up her strength.
“It was just like before,” she whispered. “Just like before. I thought I was the only one spared again. Eric was thrown into me, on top of me. He shielded me. Just like before.”
“I’m so sorry, Andi. God, I thought Reynolds and I would be going into the firestorm, not you. I just wanted you to be safe.”
“I know. And I was pissed at you for it.” She pulled away slightly. “Maybe I wanted you to be safe and I was angry that you were putting yourself in danger ahead of all of us. It works both ways, Cameron.”
“So maybe we just need to stay together so w
e won’t both have to worry.”
She wiped at her face, running her hand under her wet nose. She took a deep breath, then pointed to the large shed still standing.
“That one was locked. A huge padlock. Jack got one of the deputies to get bolt cutters from their unit. It was locked up tight, yet there wasn’t a single thing inside. Not one thing.” She paused, turning to the remaining rubble of the smaller shed. “Carina and Jack went first. The deputies followed. Eric and I were behind them. Carina said she found blood. That shed wasn’t locked. Eric and I made the comment that there was no lock on that one and then...and then it just exploded as soon as she opened the door.”
“As far as you know, she didn’t check to see if it was wired?”
“No. I don’t think she did.”
She heard footsteps behind her and she turned, finding Reynolds there. His eyes were filled with concern and she surprised both of them by giving him a quick, hard hug. He held her for a moment, then stepped back.
“No worse for wear?”
She shook her head. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “It was...it was so quick. They didn’t...well, they didn’t know what hit them.”
He nodded. “Their bodies are...well,” he shook his head, not finishing his thought. “Eric?”
“He’s going to be fine. He didn’t want to go to the hospital. Can’t say I blame him, but I promised I’d get him out in the morning.”
“Very good. At least—”
“Got a body,” someone yelled from the burned-out shed.
The three of them turned, then rushed over with the others. The charred remains were unrecognizable. Judging by the positioning of the body, it appeared to have been folded into a large box of some kind.
“Headless.”
Cameron turned to Reynolds. “The fourth victim?”
“What are you talking about?” Andrea asked.
“In his trophy room, there were four recent victims. We only had three bodies.”
“So something happened that prevented him from dumping this one,” she said. “Yet he still went hunting again. He picked me up.”
“The killings were escalating.”
“And still are,” Cameron said. “The Burke family. Burke himself. Obviously Leonard Baskin felt no attachment to Buddy Burke.” She turned to Andrea. “We found him tied to a chair, his head practically blown off.”
“Same as the oldest child,” Andrea said, remembering the scene in the Burke home.
“Maybe Burke betrayed him,” Reynolds suggested. “Or refused to help him.”
Cameron arched an eyebrow. “Are you speculating, Special Agent Reynolds?”
Andrea noticed a slight blush on his ebony skin and she smiled at him.
“Okay, so maybe you are rubbing off on me,” he said.
Cameron led them out of the way of the CSI team who was sifting through the rubble. She followed Cameron’s gaze as the last of the four victims were carried away. It hit her again how easily that could have been her they were carting off. Not Carina, not Jack...but her. Cameron must have sensed her discomfort and she put a steadying arm around her shoulders.
“Let’s get back to the rig,” Cameron said. “We need to give all this data to Rowan and see what he can dig up. See if he can find any sort of pattern with the algorithms.”
“I need to fill Murdock in,” Reynolds said. “Let him notify next of kin. Jack has a daughter,” he said. “I don’t really know what other family he had. Carina,” he said with a shrug. “I don’t know anything about her.”
“She had a large family, from what I remember,” Cameron said. “I think a couple of her brothers are in the military as well.”
Reynolds eyed the rental car that Jack had driven to the shed. “I’ve already checked with the deputies. I’m clear to take the car. Where do you want to meet?”
“Pizza at the rig. We’ll be doing a lot of speculating, I imagine.”
“Okay. I’ll bring some beer.”
Cameron studied her for a moment and Andrea wondered what question Cameron was hesitant to ask. Finally, she motioned to the truck.
“Come on. Let’s get you out of here.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Andrea stood under the hot water, glad they were at an RV park and not in a parking lot somewhere, even if the park was just this side of sleazy. She didn’t want to have to worry about running out of water. She turned the handle, changing to cool water as she leaned against the wall, eyes closed. She was having a hard time reconciling her feelings. When she’d lost her team in LA, she’d been so consumed with guilt, it ate at her and ate at her until she’d nearly lost the ability to function.
Of course she recognized the difference. This time, she hadn’t just broken up with her lover. They hadn’t walked blindly into an ambush today, her lover taking the lead. The closeness she felt with her team was something that developed over time. She and Mark had been best friends since their time in the academy. It was only natural she would be more affected by their deaths than Jack’s and Carina’s. She barely knew them. It would have been different if it were Eric instead of Jack. She and Eric had bonded in a very short time. She would feel his loss. But the others?
Was she in danger of being like Carina? Immune to death after a while?
She finally turned the water off, wringing out her wet hair before stepping out of the shower. As she toweled off, she caught sight of her reflection. The last week had been a rough one. She hadn’t been eating properly, she hadn’t been sleeping right. She’d lost weight, she knew. And she was exhausted. She wished she could just crawl in bed and stay there, letting Cameron wrap around her, keeping her safe. She saw the irony of it. That’s what Cameron had been trying to do. Keep her safe. Andrea had fought her, saying she didn’t need Cameron to look after her. But she did.
Well, all of that would have to wait. Reynolds was on his way. Cameron had showered earlier, and she and Rowan were holed up in the tiny office, playing with the computers. Lola, who had become quite fond of Rowan, was last seen curled in his lap. She sighed as she leaned on the counter, still perusing her reflection. She brushed at her hair, wondering when they could find the time for a trim. Cameron, too, was downright shaggy. Another tired sigh and she pulled on shorts and a loose-fitting T-shirt, slipped her feet into a pair of Cameron’s flip-flops and went in search of something cool to drink.
She stood at the fridge, staring in. Bottled water didn’t appeal to her. Neither did the carton of orange juice that had barely been touched. A cold bottle of beer, did, however. She wondered when Cameron had bought them.
“Find something you like?”
She smiled, holding up the bottle. “You want one?”
“I think I do.” Cameron called to Rowan. “You want something to drink?”
“Just water.”
Cameron winked at her. “Good. More for us.” She cocked an eyebrow, the playfulness leaving her face. “You feeling better?”
Andrea nodded. “Some. Tired.” She took a swallow of the cold beer, smiling. “Good stuff.”
“Yep. I ordered the pizza, by the way.”
Andrea laughed. “No doubt you did.”
“And Reynolds called. He’s on his way.”
“Murdock?”
“Yeah. I talked to him briefly. Reynolds had already called him. Murdock and Jack served together in the first Gulf War,” she said. “He had already notified Carina’s family.”
“Did you know any of them?”
“No. Just from what she told me.” Cameron reached up, gently stroking her cheek. Andrea leaned in to the touch. “Carina and I weren’t what you would call close, Andi. Never. I regret her death, of course. Jack’s too. But I was nearly paralyzed with fear,” she said, her eyes never leaving Andrea’s. “At first, Rowan only knew that there were two survivors. He didn’t know who. I...I was praying you were one of the two. I didn’t care about the others,” she admitted. “I wasn’t thinking like an agent. I was thinking like your lover.”
/>
Andrea finally shoved off the counter, moving close to Cameron, their bodies barely touching. “Thank you. Because right then I needed you as my lover, not as my senior agent.”
Cameron leaned closer, their lips touching in the briefest of kisses. They both sighed, then stepped away, putting some space between them. Only a thin wall separated them from Rowan, and Reynolds would be there any minute, as would their dinner.
“I wish we were alone,” Andrea whispered. “I need some us time.”
“Me too. When this is over, Murdock said we could head back to Sedona. He’ll give us a week.”
“That’s great.” Andrea couldn’t resist one more touch, one more kiss. “Tonight, however, I need you to make love to me,” she said against Cameron’s mouth. “Can you handle that?”
Cameron nearly growled as she pulled Andrea tight against her, her tongue dancing against her lips. “I can handle that right now,” she murmured.
Andrea moaned, her body reacting to the contact like it always did, her hips sliding intimately against Cameron’s. For a few seconds, they let themselves go, their kisses hungry as hands roamed freely. Andrea wanted to rip her own clothes off and Cameron’s too, and just let Cameron take her to a place that was pure bliss, away from the chaos of the day. But a gasp and an embarrassed cough brought them back to the present.
A red-faced Rowan stood staring at them, his eyes darting around the room, landing on anything but them.
“My...my water,” he said. “I just—”
Cameron cleared her throat, moving away from Andrea again, her hands brushing quickly through her hair. “Sorry, kid. I kinda forgot,” she said.
“Yeah, I see you were...distracted,” he said.
Andrea laughed outright and it felt good. “I’m sorry, Rowan. It’s my fault. I hope we didn’t shock you.”
He shook his head. “No. No, I...I had assumed you two were, well...you know.”
“Yes, well, we are...you know,” Andrea teased. She walked past him, playfully patting his arm. Oh, it felt good to lighten the mood, even if he did interrupt a major make-out session.