Exchange of Fire

by P. A. DePaul

  “Hey, Mike,” Grady called. “I’ve got some folks visiting today. Don’t mind us.”

  A curious yet respectful expression filled Mike’s face and he waved. “Sure thing. Nice to meet you all.”

  “Mike,” Cappy said, “do you mind if Talon, Ted, and I sit with you for a bit?”

  The guard’s eyes shifted to Grady.

  “Whatever they need, Mike, is fine,” Grady answered, crossing his arms.

  Mike shrugged and indicated the chairs around him. “Find a seat.”

  “Can you tell us about the setup?” Romeo asked, strolling toward the wall of TVs.

  “I have thirty-two cameras placed throughout the building and in the parking lots,” Grady answered. “I know I need to add more, but I haven’t gotten in all the bids yet.”

  “I’ll say it again; this is impressive,” Cappy said, pulling a rolling chair out near Mike. “Don’t mind us if you have things to work on; there are plenty of things to keep us entertained.”

  Chapter 49

  Grady rode the escalator down to the bottom floor. It was strange not to hear the revving of the go-kart engines bouncing off the walls as kids raced by on the indoor track. In their stead, service technicians were bent over several go-karts on the now closed track.

  “After those maintenance men are done, I bet those puppies will fly on that slick track,” Romeo remarked from the step above him.

  “My insurance company would be ecstatic to hear you predict that,” Grady retorted wryly, striding onto the landing behind Sandra and Magician.

  All day he’d tried not to stay attuned to Sandra’s presence, but his body acted like a damn tuning fork. He could tell exactly where she stood at any given moment with his eyes closed. Pathetic.

  For the past few hours his nerves had been steadily drawing tighter. Acting like nothing had happened between them required so much effort, he felt drained. But he had one item left on his mental list he needed to address before he could—his heart skipped—let her go.

  “Sandra, can I talk to you for a second?”

  She cast a quick glance at Romeo and Magician, who stood side by side.

  “Oh look, Magician, they have a red kart for me and a blue kart for you,” Romeo enthused brightly, pointing. “Let us go check them out.” He threaded his arm through Magician’s and pulled her toward the track.

  Wow. Subtle. Grady led Sandra to the bowling alley on the opposite side. The supervisor of the large crew had told him they had finished fine-tuning all the mechanics for the eight-lane section yesterday. The area seemed so lonely with its lanes all lit up, colorful bowling balls resting in the racks against the wall, and TVs mounted on the ceiling to show the scores as well as little animations during the games.

  He leaned against the back of one of the plastic U-grouped chairs and crossed his arms. All right, Grady. You got her here. How to begin?

  She picked at the bottom of her green polo. The sight of her wearing one of his Gradwick uniform tops was bittersweet. You asked her to wear it, dumbass. True. The caveman in him liked the stamp of his logo resting on her breast, as if it somehow told the world (and a certain teammate) that she was his. The other part of him knew it was a lie. He’d only asked her to put it on to keep up pretenses for the guards.

  Get on with it. “I, ah, wanted to thank you for getting Entertainment Industries to come out.” His gaze slid to the men in gray uniforms now joking with Romeo and Magician.

  “It’s the least I could do.” She shifted her feet and put her hands into her back jeans pockets.

  “I can’t believe you were able to get them here the same day you called. I bet that cost a fortune. I—”

  “If you’re about to offer to pay for it all or even give me a dollar, I’m going to seriously knock you out again.”

  “Again,” he snorted. “Think that would be so easy this time?”

  “Test me,” she retorted, dropping her hands to her sides.

  A stab of pain lanced his heart. He could so easily fall back into their old pattern of flirtation and temptation. He held his hands up. “You win. I couldn’t let you g . . .” He cleared his throat. Nope, not going to blunder into that trap. “Southern manners dictate I acknowledge the excessive gift by at least saying thank you.”

  “Everyone,” Cappy interrupted in his earpiece. “Report to the Security Room.”

  He stiffened and exchanged a look with Sandra, his stomach knotting further. Was this it? Had his time with Sandra actually come to an end?

  Her eyes searched his as if asking the same questions herself.

  “On our way,” Romeo said from the escalator, breaking the spell.

  Grady opened the Security Room door and allowed Mike to leave on rounds while everyone else fanned out around a twenty-seven-inch monitor sitting on top of the security desk. Magician and Romeo moved to the side so he could squeeze in next to Cappy while Sandra moved to the other end.

  “Turn it up,” Cappy instructed.

  Ted twirled the dial on the computer speakers.

  “Just moments ago, Victor Dalmingo, CEO of SweetBriar Group, was taken into custody by the FBI at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona,” a female voice-over reported as a video filled the screen. Two men stood on either side of Victor—the contrast between the CEO’s Italian-cut and the agents’ cheap off-the-rack suits was jarring. They escorted him out of a set of electric doors with his hands cuffed behind his back.

  “SweetBriar Group is the largest privately owned environmental company in the world,” the voice-over continued as the three of them trudged past a group of gawking travelers with their overstuffed suitcases at their feet. “The company was originally formed by two entrepreneurs, Thane Milton, then CEO, and Sam Clover, then head of operations. Victor Dalmingo was elected as the company’s CEO five years ago, when Milton died of a heart attack at the age of forty-nine and Clover died in the jungles of South America.”

  Pure rage radiated from Victor’s face, and he stiffly marched between the agents. Grady’s heart raced and at the same time began to sink. The man responsible for terrorizing this team as well as jeopardizing Grady’s business glowered at the cameraman as he stomped by. The CEO shrugged off the two FBI agents’ hands when they tried to steer him toward a navy SUV waiting at the curb.

  “We’re not exactly sure what he’s being charged with at the moment since we’ve received two conflicting reports. Sources inside the airport tell us he was traveling under a different name, which had been flagged for drug trafficking when they ran his passport. Another source inside the FBI stated he’s being picked up for questioning about the deaths of Thane Milton and Sam Clover. Stay tuned as we uncover more about this shocking turn of events.” The SUV’s door slammed shut against Victor’s scowling face, and a large red icon popped up in the middle of the screen with PLAY AGAIN? in the center.

  The room exploded into excited chaos: Magician hugging everyone, Romeo slapping backs, Cappy conversing with Ted, and all talking over one another.

  Grady swallowed around the lump lodged in his throat and slowly allowed himself to meet Sandra’s gaze from across the room. This was it. The moment he had been waiting for, yet dreading the entire time.

  Unshed tears filled Sandra’s eyes, and she held a fist over her mouth. Bruises, cuts, scrapes, and bandages covered almost every part he could see, attesting to the battle she had fought to achieve this victory. But the sorrow reflected in her hazel irises would make an outsider think she had lost.

  Goddamn it, this sucked. A vise clamped around his chest, squeezing until he practically suffocated. He had to stay strong and fight against the impulse telling him to march across the room and claim her mouth and body. Wrangle the urge to be selfish and take what he wanted instead of what was best for the community.

  A meaty hand clapped him on the shoulder, knocking him off balance.

  “This is it, Casper,” Cappy boomed. “Thank you for your help.”

  Grady grabbed the CO’
s proffered hand and inhaled. Had Cappy not intervened, Grady was pretty sure he’d have done something stupid.

  “You’re welcome.” His eyes strayed toward Sandra again and his blood pressure spiked. Talon had her in his arms and gently patted her noninjured shoulder. No matter what Grady did, in the end the bastard was going to win, wasn’t he?

  A spasm raced through Grady’s fists. Cappy ripped his hand out of Grady’s grip and shook it as if to get feeling back. He turned toward the pair, then said, “Ah. Are you—”

  Ted’s super phone rang, silencing the celebrating room.

  Cappy snatched the device out of his side cargo pocket and answered, “Hello.” He pressed a button on the phone, allowing them to hear the Senator’s response.

  “Enjoying the news coverage of Victor’s arrest?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Senator Harris’s voice held a hint of amusement. “It’s interesting how the bastard’s name, and an alias at that, found its way onto OFAC’s blacklist for drug trafficking.”

  “That sure is a mystery.”

  “Mm-hm. I’m told by the time the FBI agents showed up, Victor had been chewing out every airport security person who was stupid enough to enter the holding room. Also interesting how he had a briefcase with a large amount of cash, a one-way ticket to Cancún, and a regional flight into Columbia.”

  “A country that just so happens to have a shady outlook on the US’s extradition treaty.”

  “Yeah. Strange coincidence that didn’t help his claim he wasn’t a drug trafficker.”

  Cappy laughed. “I guess not.”

  The Senator’s tone dried up. “I don’t have anything more to report yet. I’ll call you when I have something concrete. With this drug trafficking mess, we should be able to hold Victor longer while we sort through all the stuff you sent me.”

  “What about SBG?”

  “Again, I have nothing for you other than they’re in turmoil. Stay strong.” The connection ended.

  “Not everything we hoped to hear,” Romeo said, stepping in between Talon and Sandra, then placing a hand on her shoulder, “but seeing Victor handcuffed and humiliated is definitely worth celebrating. Sorry, Ted.”

  Ted raised a weak hand, his face now casting a sickly hue as he continued to fiddle with the tablet in his lap.

  Everyone resumed their animated conversations. Romeo dipped his chin slightly to Grady, then proceeded to talk loudly to Sandra while leading her to Magician.

  Shit. Am I that obvious?

  “What’s all the hubbub about, and who are all you people?”

  Grady whipped around to find his most trusted security guard standing in the now open doorway with his wrinkled fingers still clinging to the handle.

  The room plunged into silence.

  “Henry!” Grady exclaimed, attempting to sound lighthearted instead of tragic. “What are you doing here?”

  Henry’s gaze narrowed. “Answering a question with a question? That’s a sign of stalling, Casper Grady.” He shuffled into the room, his hunched shoulders stiff.

  The door snapped shut behind the old guard as he met the eyes of every member of Delta Squad. When he got to Sandra, his bushy eyebrows snapped down, and he regarded her with suspicion.

  “Henry?” Grady asked, racking his brain on how to handle the wily old man.

  The security guard’s gaze narrowed onto Grady. “What happened to your face?”

  “Walked into a door,” Grady quipped, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “Repeatedly.”

  “Hmph.” Henry’s shrewd expression roved over Talon. “And you? The door get you too?”

  Talon shrugged and answered blandly, “Not sure how to describe it other than faulty engineering.”

  “Right.” Henry pointed at Sandra. “And I guess you’re going to tell me the same thing?”

  “Tree, actually,” she retorted, gripping her fingers together. “Raining hard, didn’t see the branches.”

  “Can’t knock out nature when it’s in your way, huh, missy?” Henry answered waspishly. “It fights back.”

  Okay. Guess the old man’s still a little peeved about that. Grady hid a smile. Kinda nice to have someone completely in his corner for a change.

  “When did you upgrade to the new hardware?” Henry pointed to Grady’s throat, then ear.

  Crap. He opened his mouth, praying inspiration would allow him to come up with something witty.

  “On loan from the Bureau,” Romeo replied smoothly, moving forward with his hand outstretched.

  “Bureau?” Henry gripped the hand, but eyed Romeo like a science experiment.

  “Yes, sir.” Romeo pulled a leather billfold out of his back pocket. “Special Agent Raymond Stiles, and this is my partner, Special Agent Sonya White.” He motioned to Magician, who had slipped up beside him.

  “Special agents,” Henry repeated skeptically, taking the badge from Romeo’s hands. “When did the department add a supermodel division?”

  “A few years ago,” Magician quipped with a smile. “And thank you for the compliment.”

  “Hmph. And the others?” The security guard’s finger motioned to the rest of the room. “They agents too?”

  “Consultants, actually.” Romeo turned and pointed as he introduced the rest. “Meet Talon, Cappy, and Ted—”

  “What the heck kinda names are those? Except Ted. I understand that one.” His skeptical gaze wandered over the group, stopping at Cappy. “You. You look like you’ve been in the military.”

  “Yes, sir,” Cappy answered with a nod. “I’m guessing you’re retired law enforcement.”

  Henry’s chin notched up. “Forty years with various departments.”

  “Excellent. Then I’m sure you’ll understand when I say I can’t go into details,” Romeo inserted smoothly. “We’re still conducting an active investigation, but I can tell you it involves a nasty drug ring.”

  “Sorry about the drama I caused on Saturday,” Sandra said, her tone beseeching. “I didn’t want to get Grady involved.”

  “Hmph. So you decided to knock him out? That your usual method of handling problems? Violence?”

  “Henry.” Grady drew the name out in a warning tone. “She’s not in one of your old interrogation rooms. Back off.”

  “Maybe she should be,” Henry muttered. “So what are you celebrating?”

  “A case of ours appears to finally have had some resolution.” Magician beamed, her smile so infectious, Henry grinned with her.

  “Henry,” Grady said, needing to get the team out of there before Eagle Eyes had a chance to spot any more bullshit flying around, “I’ve been informed the maintenance crew has finished working on the bulk of the problems. I trust by the sight of your uniform, you’ll stay and help me get the word out that the employee event is going ahead as planned tonight?”

  “Of course. I can’t think of anywhere else I need to be except here.”

  “Great!” Grady feigned enthusiasm. “Why don’t you call all the supervisors to enact the phone tree while I escort the group to the door?”

  Chapter 50

  “I’m staying here to work on the last-minute details for the party.”

  Sandra heard Grady’s words, could even discern the meaning, but couldn’t think beyond that. Even though they were outside and a warm breeze filtered over the land, she couldn’t get enough air. Oh God, this was it. Her palms dampened and the blood slowly drained from her head.

  Cappy clapped Grady on the back. “For a devil nuts jarhead, you’re not that bad.”

  “Likewise, groundpounder.” Grady shook Cappy’s hand.

  “Ha. Come on, people,” Cappy barked. “Let’s clear out.”

  Trembling overtook Sandra’s body and she couldn’t move a muscle.

  Talon stayed at the edge also watching Romeo and Magician saying good-bye, then lifted his chin and stared down his nose at Grady. Grady stiffened, and all his muscles bunched. For too long they stayed that way, battling in some silent
testosterone-filled war that only men understood. Finally, Grady pivoted and ground to a stop.

  His crystal-blue eyes collided with hers. A shiver wracked her from head to toe, and she couldn’t look away from the ice-cold anguish radiating from his irises. His hands clenched into fists and he marched forward, his long strides eating up the distance in only a few steps.

  The muscle ticked along his jaw, and she could only attempt to breathe him in.

  “I can’t watch you pack—”

  “I know,” she whispered hoarsely, trying to hold back her tears. “I couldn’t bear it either.” Her fingers itched to touch his chest, right over his heart, but she held back. “There’s so much I want—”

  “Don’t,” he barked, then swallowed and looked away. He seemed to wrestle with something, then held her gaze again, his face now carefully blank. “Just don’t. I got it.” His jaw muscle throbbed faster. “I’d ask you to drop me a line every now and then, but I think in the end that would just prolong . . .”

  “You moving on,” Sandra finished with a whisper. “And you should move on, Grady.” She tried to put a little steel in that command, but knew the wobbling belied the sentiment.

  He nodded, but she couldn’t figure out if he was actually agreeing with her or answering some silent question in his own mind.

  “You deserve to have everything you ever dreamed of,” she said, though she wasn’t sure why she offered the platitude. It sounded hollow and weak, even to her.

  He squared his shoulders and jammed his fists into his pockets. “Take care of yourself, and good luck with . . .” He seemed to struggle with the wording. “I have no clue how to wish a champion bowler secret agent sniper luck.”

  A choked sound burst from her and she clapped a hand over her mouth, unable to hold the floodgates back.

  “If only I knew then just how close to the mark we all were that night when we tried to guess the origins of your wicked aim.”