Explosive Alliance

by Susan Sleeman

  “I wasn’t trying to be subtle.” Skyler peered at Brady.

  His mouth bulging with enchiladas, he nodded.

  “This whole break-in seems odd, doesn’t it?” Archer asked as he salted his corn. “If the bomber didn’t rig the place to blow and didn’t steal anything, what was the point of it all?”

  “I’ve been wondering the same thing,” Cash said as Krista heard the front door close in the background.

  Skyler shifted in her seat, likely in anticipation. “What if he was looking for something?”

  Jake looked up from scooping rice onto his plate. “Then the place would have been tossed, but it wasn’t even disturbed.”

  “If it was the guy who’s been tailing her,” Skyler said, “then he would know the house was empty, giving him plenty of time to perform a neat search.”

  “But why? He’d already broken in last night. There’s no point in hiding the fact that he came back,” Brady suggested before stuffing another bite of cheesy tortilla into his mouth.

  “I’m wondering what he could possibly want,” Krista stated in case they thought she had any idea of what this intruder was looking for.

  Brady swallowed, his gaze locked on her. “That seems pretty obvious to me. He was looking for something you have that could incriminate him.”

  “Incriminate him?” The words flew out before Krista could control her tone. “What would I have that could incriminate a bomber?”

  Brady kept his focus on her. “Plenty of things if you’re working with him.”

  Her mouth fell open, and she didn’t know what to say.

  “With all of you riding her case, if she possessed something incriminating, wouldn’t she have already turned it over by now?” a man Krista suspected was Logan asked from the doorway.

  All eyes turned to him. He stood tall in a well-tailored suit, white shirt and striped tie.

  “You don’t even know what we’re talking about, Suit,” Brady fired back, but there was humor in his tone.

  Cash glanced at Krista. “He’s FBI.”

  “Haven’t you learned yet, Brady?” Logan rested his hands on Skyler’s shoulders. “Feds know everything.”

  The group groaned in unison.

  “Seriously,” he said after the noise died down. “My sweetie here filled me in.” He bent and kissed the top of her head. “Hi, honey.”

  She smiled up at him. “Hi back at you.”

  “You were saying, Logan?” Jake asked, bringing everyone back.

  “Right.” Logan nodded. “Skyler brought me up to speed on the investigation, and I heard enough of the discussion on my way in to give my opinion. Like I said, if she had something that could be used to catch this guy, I think she’d have turned it over to you by now.”

  Brady dropped his fork to his plate with a clang. “Krista could be hanging back to see how this goes down. If charges are brought, then she’ll use this item to plea-bargain her way to lesser charges.”

  “Your theory makes no sense,” Cash said. “If it incriminates the bomber, it will most likely incriminate her, too. Wouldn’t she get rid of it?”

  “Not necessarily.” Brady eyed Cash.

  “Then why the abduction attempt last night? Why not just sneak in and let her sleep while looking for this supposed item?”

  “She’s the one who said she was sleeping and that the man tried to abduct her. No one else saw it.”

  “I heard her scream, man. It was bloodcurdling. Not something she could fake.” Cash was breathing hard and Krista saw him draw a deep, cleansing breath. “I’m concerned the bomber stopped by today to scope the place out so he could do a better job of abducting her. Maybe even kill her.”

  Krista gasped.

  “Sorry I was so blunt but it had to be said.” Cash swiveled in his chair. “I’d like to recommend that you and Otto spend the night here.”

  Opa shook his head. “I won’t be run out of my own home, Cash Dixon, but you’re more than welcome to stay with us.”

  “If that’s the only way to make sure you’re safe, then that’s what I’ll do.”

  “You sure, man?” Brady shot Cash a pointed look.

  Cash crossed his arms and stared back at Brady. “I’m positive.”

  “What about work?” Brady fired back.

  Cash looked at Jake. “I’ll be taking a few vacation days. Sorry for the short notice, but no one is getting to Krista or Otto. Not on my watch.”

  THIRTEEN

  Krista stopped in Opa’s room to kiss him good-night. He was propped up in his bed, his Bible in his hands, doing his nightly devotions. Peace that made no sense after the recent chaos in their lives shone in his eyes.

  He patted the side of his bed. “Come tell me why you have such a long face, Liebchen.”

  “Just tired.” She sat next to him.

  “It is more than tired, I suspect. You are upset about the day’s events and that is understandable.” He took her hand in his, his wrinkled skin feeling familiar and comforting. “There is good news. Reporters are hailing you as a hero for stopping the bombing.”

  “For now, but when—”

  He lifted a finger to his lips. “Shh, no sense in worrying about what might happen.”

  He had a point. One she wished she could embrace, but her history warned her to be cautious. “At least they haven’t found where we live yet. Though I imagine it’s just a matter of time. Then the harassment will start again.”

  He watched her, his wizened eyes assessing. “Would you like to pray with me that God will resolve this quickly?”

  She shook her head. “It’s late, and you need your sleep.”

  “Ah, so you are running from God again, I see.”

  “Not running so much as not trusting Him to take care of us.” She paused to gather her thoughts so she didn’t accidently say something that would offend Opa’s faith. “Every time I do trust God, He puts a problem in my life so big I never fully recover from it.”

  “He has a reason for allowing this new trouble in your life, Liebchen, and for all the troubles that came before.”

  “So you always say. Problem is, He’s not telling me why.”

  “I suspect,” Opa said, pausing and intensifying his eye contact, “God is trying to get your attention, but only you can know that for sure.”

  She wished God’s reasons were ever that obvious. “Sounds so simple when you say it, but honestly, I don’t think He’s hearing me.”

  “He is listening. Trust me on that. You might have to dig deep to find the answer you seek.”

  “Again, easier said than done.”

  “There is nothing easy about being a Christian, Liebchen.” He patted her hand. “Take some time to look beyond this situation to see why God is allowing this in your life. You will see. It will become clear.”

  She didn’t think Opa was right, but because she loved him, she would take time tonight to explore the possibility. He’d never steered her wrong—except with Toby.

  “I love you, Opa.” She gave him a quick but sincere hug, then sat back.

  “And I love you, Liebchen.” He smiled at her. “Now go entertain Cash so he does not die of boredom in my family room.”

  She sighed at his obvious attempt to push her together with Cash, but with Opa’s happy mood, she didn’t have the heart to tell him to back off.

  She went to talk to Cash even though she didn’t feel like entertaining him. Okay, maybe she didn’t really dislike the idea, which was why she’d simply check on him to be sure he had everything he needed to spend the night on the couch, then she’d head to her room.

  Instead, he somehow managed to get her to sit down and he started sharing fascinating stories about the FRS. Stories of rescues, of saving lives and of losing others. His passion an
d commitment to his team and to helping people was alive in his voice. His face was animated, his body relaxed as if comfortable in his skin. She was drawn to him in a new way and wanted to sit right there, talking the night away. Getting to know him on a much deeper level.

  “I’m the newest guy on the squad,” he continued. “But in a lot of ways it feels like we’ve been together for years.”

  “I imagine your Delta team was a lot like that, too,” she offered, hoping he’d share that part of his past, as well.

  He nodded, but the enthusiasm that had lit him from inside vanished.

  “Was it hard to leave them?” she prodded, hoping to regain that connection they’d been sharing.

  “Yeah.” He looked at his watch and came to his feet. “It’s getting late. We have to be up early.”

  “Of course.” She stood and tried not to let him know his evasiveness hurt. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Behind closed doors, she shook her head. Here she’d been thinking the worst thing she could do was sit down and talk to Cash, opening the door for something to happen between them and encouraging him to dig into her past. Then he’d clammed up and had all but thrown her from the room and now she thought that was the worst thing.

  Not hardly. The worst thing was her certainty that he was hiding something big. Something that could rock her world again if she let herself trust him.

  No way would she go there. Not on a personal level or with the investigation. She respected him for standing up for her, but it could all be an act. She’d seen that before. One cop playing the good cop role. Earning her trust, then using everything she’d said against her.

  No, she would never fall for that again.

  * * *

  The next morning, Cash stationed himself in a position to see the playground and parking lot while still keeping a view of Krista’s classroom through the window. He took out his phone and searched the internet to see if heads of households in Kennesaw were required to own a gun. Took only a minute to discover Krista had told the truth. Not surprising. No one could make up such an outrageous story on the fly. Especially not someone like Krista, who seemed to have a difficult time hiding her discomfort when she didn’t want to answer questions.

  Too bad her truthfulness didn’t improve his mood. He’d spent the night on alert and he was exhausted and cranky. Didn’t help that Krista kept looking at him as if she wanted an explanation for why he’d clammed up last night.

  He glanced into the classroom and watched her move among the children. Last night’s conversation came rushing back. It had felt so natural and effortless between them. He’d never known such ease with a woman. He’d even wanted to tell her about the loss of his team. To talk about it with someone for the first time. Surprised him. He didn’t, of course. He’d clammed up instead. Telling her would push him over that personal line he was trying not to cross with her. The line she’d said herself that she didn’t want him to cross. Best to stay focused on her protection detail.

  The wind kicked up, and he hunched into his jacket as he walked the perimeter. When he spotted Skyler’s SUV pull into the parking lot, he was glad for the distraction.

  He met her at the playground fence. “What brings you here?”

  “We located one of the men from the stadium video,” she said excitedly. “I’d like to arrange a lineup for Krista.”

  The good news lifted some of Cash’s crankiness. “I’m sure she’d be glad to do it after her shift. I can ask on her next break.”

  Her eyes narrowed, Skyler moved closer. “I was hoping if I talked to Krista, I could get her to come in now.”

  “You can ask, but she’s dedicated to these kids. I doubt she’ll leave them.”

  “I suspected as much, but it would be a good idea to get going on this lead.”

  His gut clenched at her dire tone. “Why the rush?”

  “Our warrant came through for the black SUV’s rental car records. We ran a background check on the driver. He’s a virtual ghost. His ID is for a man who died years ago.”

  A bad feeling settled over Cash and he glanced into the classroom to make sure Krista was okay. “Getting a fake ID issued means he’s connected and has more skills than we first considered.”

  Skyler nodded. “I hate to say this, but it’s classic behavior for a terrorist.”

  Cash shot her a look. “That’s a pretty big leap, isn’t it? There are plenty of other cons out there who assume identities.”

  “True, but how many of them plant bombs?”

  “Okay, so let’s suppose for a minute that this bomb was the work of a terrorist. Why hasn’t he taken credit? Even if the bomb failed, it’s a perfect opportunity to get his message out to the public and drum up fear. Plus, terrorists are known for their suicide missions. Why not this guy?”

  “Good questions.”

  “But you don’t sound like you think they’re valid.”

  “Oh, they’re valid, all right. I just don’t have the answers.” She scowled. “The only ID we have is for a guy whose past is a dead end, so there’s not much we can do about him.”

  “Maybe there’s a link between him and the suspect from the video.”

  “We’re working on it, but nothing has popped up yet. This is why I wanted to get Krista to do the lineup ASAP.” Skyler massaged the base of her neck.

  Tension. Just as everyone else involved in the investigation experienced, but being lead investigator for County, Skyler had to feel the stress more than others. Cash wished he could alleviate it, but there was nothing he could do.

  She looked around the area, her gaze assessing and focused. “I’d thought your self-imposed protection detail for Krista was an overreaction.”

  “But now?” Cash asked, not liking her tone.

  She made strong eye contact. “Now I recommend you step up your game and assume full-alert status before a tragedy strikes.”

  FOURTEEN

  “Thanks for coming, Ms. Curry,” Skyler said as she moved toward the window overlooking a small room where six men would soon file in for a lineup.

  Krista could hardly stomach the thought of seeing the bomber, but she also wanted him to be in the lineup so she could identify him and end this turmoil.

  She glanced into the room. The bomber. He’d be right there. In mere moments. His cold, gray eyes and ugly scowl directed at her again.

  Her body started to tremble, and she wrapped her arms around her stomach in self-preservation.

  “Hey.” Cash stepped up next to her and rested a hand on her shoulder. “They won’t be able to see you.”

  “I know. It’s just... I... Seeing him...” The trembling increased.

  Cash leaned in. “I’m here for you, honey,” he whispered. “It’ll be okay.”

  Honey. He’d called her honey. She liked the way it sounded and would like to take time to think about it, but not now. Not when thoughts of the men behind the window consumed her mind.

  The men.

  She took a deep, shuttering breath and let it out. Cash moved closer. She felt the warmth of his body. Heard the confidence in his tone. He was there for her as he’d been since she’d met him. Her apprehension lessened a fraction and she found enough courage to move on. “Let’s do this.”

  Skyler requested the men to file in, then turned to Krista. “This is going to be hard and your first response will be to hurry through the line, but take your time. Look carefully at each man. If you want to see them from different angles, just ask and I’ll have them comply. Okay?”

  Krista nodded and clasped her hands together.

  One by one, they stepped in—all men fitting the bomber’s size and weight. The officer instructed them to turn and Krista swallowed hard. She forced herself to focus. Let her gaze run quickly over them.

  He’s n
ot here. A wave of relief washed through her, before she remembered Skyler’s warning and her heart plummeted. She looked again. Carefully. Her breath held, she swept her gaze over them, then locked on their faces. Their eyes. One man after another.

  “I’m sorry.” Disappointment brought tears to her eyes and she had to bite her lip to keep her cool. “None of them are the bomber.”

  “You’re sure?” Skyler asked.

  Krista nodded. “I’d recognize him even in my sleep. These guys might be similar in build, but their eyes are all wrong.”

  “Okay, then.” Skyler dismissed the men before turning back to Krista. “We’re still trying to find the other man from the security footage, but I don’t hold out much hope of locating him.”

  “If you do, I’ll be glad to view another lineup.”

  “Thank you for your cooperation.” Skyler smiled sincerely. “I know it took guts to look at these guys. I appreciate your willingness to help.”

  Krista returned the smile with a wobbly one of her own. She got the feeling that Skyler was finally looking more favorably upon her. She faced Cash. “We should get going. Opa’s likely wondering where we are.”

  “Can I have a quick word with you, Cash?” Skyler asked.

  “I’ll wait in the hallway.” Krista stepped outside and leaned against the wall. She hadn’t closed the door, but as hard as she tried, she couldn’t make out the conversation between Skyler and Cash until he suddenly raised his voice.

  “Priceless, Skyler. Just priceless,” he exclaimed. “Krista comes in at your request, then you don’t believe her because you think she’s protecting the bomber? Unbelievable.”

  Well, then. So much for Skyler’s favorable thoughts.

  “We have to look at all possibilities,” Skyler replied. “I want to believe her, but I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t caution you.”

  “You might have to look at all possibilities, but I don’t.”

  “Cash, wait,” Skyler said.

  Without giving a response, or at least one Krista could hear, Cash stomped toward her. She pushed off the wall and waited for him.