by Rebecca Deel
“A person of interest?” Veronica’s mouth gaped. “In what investigation?”
“I don’t know. We weren’t told.”
“Who wants her brought in for questioning?” Adam watched Carol’s face and body language for signs she held back information.
“Clay Forrest, Dane’s boss.”
“Does he know she’s back in the country?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. He told us to let him know immediately if you contacted anyone in the office.”
Adam stilled. “Did you?”
“Not a chance. The guy is a jerk. He’s not worried about anyone but himself. Look, Nica, if you’re in trouble, I can help.”
Veronica was already shaking her head. “It’s too dangerous, Carol. I don’t want you caught in this mess. Someone took shots at us this morning in Green Hills.”
“That was you? The incident is all over the news.”
Great. Adam scowled. Not what they needed. Someone would check the security cameras in the area. They wouldn’t see anything through the windows of his SUV. Bear, Fortress’s car guru, applied a special coating to the windows to prevent cameras from obtaining a clear picture of the occupants of their vehicles.
That left the store cameras. Hopefully, scanning the footage would take a while. Anything to slow the feds down. Unfortunately, if they did ID Veronica, they would also have photos of him. How long would it take Veronica to realize he was now at risk for government harassment?
He should warn Maddox and Zane so they were prepared for scrutiny. The clock was now ticking. They needed to figure out who was trying to frame Veronica before the feds caught up with them. If they arrested her, he might not be able to get to her before she met with a fatal accident.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“I want to help, Nica. Please let me,” Carol pleaded.
Veronica clasped her friend’s hand. “The best thing you can do is be my eyes and ears in the office. If you hear anything related to me or Dane’s death, I need to know. Other than that, I won’t risk your safety.” Her heart clenched as she shifted her gaze to Adam. “It’s bad enough I’m risking Adam’s life by involving him.”
“I involved myself, Vonnie.” Under the table, he laid his hand over hers. “My choice. I would make the same one every time.”
What had she done to deserve this man in her life? He’d been through so much, yet he didn’t hesitate to put his life on the line to protect her.
“Not good enough.” Carol leaned closer to them. “No offense, Adam, but Nica needs more than just you to make it out of this unscathed.”
“She didn’t leave Mexico unscathed. Los Diablos wanted information from her, and they weren’t happy when she refused to talk.”
“Is that what happened to your face?”
“The interrogator was unhappy that I wouldn’t cooperate.” Understatement. No need to tell Carol too many details. She didn’t want to give the other woman nightmares. They still had a job to do. At least Carol did. Veronica wasn’t so sure about her future with the DEA.
Her friend frowned. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand why Dane called in Adam instead of sending us. Wouldn’t be the first time we rescued an agent in trouble. I’ve never known Dane to call in outsiders to help one of our own.”
Veronica thought about what to share and realized if Carol framed her, she already knew about the files. On the other hand, if she was innocent, the news might help Carol protect herself. Veronica’s friends might be a target, too.
“Someone sent Dane files supposedly proving I’m spilling information on our agents and ongoing operations. Because he called in Adam, I’m hoping Dane didn’t believe I was guilty of being a traitor.”
“You wouldn’t do that. I’ve worked with you for five years, Nica. You would take a bullet for any of us. I can’t see you stabbing us in the back.”
Relief spiraled through her. At least one person in her office believed she was innocent. “Thank you.”
“I’ll keep you updated on what I hear, but I’ll look in our files, see if anything pops.”
“Be careful, Carol. I don’t want anything to happen to you.” She didn’t know if she could live with the guilt if Carol ended up injured or worse trying to help her identify the real culprit.
“I’ll be careful. I promise. How should I contact you?”
“The number I texted you from is secure. No one can trace the number to me.”
She nodded. “I’ll buy a throwaway phone and text you the number. We’ll figure this out, Nica.” She stood. “I need to go.”
“We’ll follow you out,” Adam said. He had a bad feeling about allowing Carol to be involved in the investigation. Veronica’s friend would be under suspicion as well. Might be wise to ask Maddox for an operative to keep an eye on Carol when she was away from the office.
Veronica finished the last of her coffee, and took the empty cups to the trash. They trailed a distance behind Carol as she walked to the parking lot. When her friend approached the silver SUV she loved, Carol clicked her remote to unlock her car.
In the next instant, her vehicle exploded in a ball of fire. Carol was thrown backward and lay crumpled on the ground. Adam and Veronica were far enough away the blast rocked them and made them stagger, but they stayed on their feet.
“Carol!” Veronica raced to her side. So many places bled, Veronica didn’t know where to start.
Adam knelt, gaze scanning the area while he removed his belt. “Cinch this around her right leg.”
Blood pooled under Carol’s leg. “Shrapnel must have nicked her femoral artery.”
“Williamson Medical Center is close. I’ll get the SUV. Be alert, Vonnie. The person who planted the bomb is nearby.”
Veronica worked fast to cinch the belt around Carol’s thigh. People moved closer to see what was happening. “Back up. Somebody call 911 and get the fire department out here.”
When Carol moaned, Veronica laid a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Don’t move. We’re taking you to the hospital.”
“Bomb.”
“Yep. Hope your car insurance is up to date.”
A slight smile curved Carol’s lips. “Don’t know if bomb damage is covered in my policy.”
Adam backed down the aisle and stopped several feet away from them. He ran to Carol, crouched. “I’m going to carry you to the SUV. I’ll try not to jostle you too much, but we can’t wait for an ambulance. You’re bleeding out from a cut to the artery in your leg.”
“Do it.”
He bent, scooped her into his arms, and raced for the SUV. Veronica scooped Carol’s purse from the ground and followed. She climbed into the backseat with her friend.
“First aid kit is in the cargo hold.” Adam climbed behind the wheel. He drove from the parking lot as Veronica grabbed the kit.
She found gauze pads, ripped open two packages, and pressed against the cut. Although Carol was still bleeding, Adam’s cinched belt had slowed the flow.
“Nica.”
Veronica glanced at her friend’s pale face. “Save your strength.”
“If I don’t make it….”
“You will. Can’t let the traitor win, Carol.”
Adam activated his Bluetooth. “Zane, call Williamson Medical Center and tell them I’m bringing in a bomb victim with a cut to her femoral artery. We’re en route and should arrive in seven or eight minutes.”
“Veronica?”
“I’m okay,” she said. “It’s my friend, Carol.”
“Does she have family I should contact?”
“David,” Carol whispered.
“Her boyfriend, David Young,” Veronica said. “He’s a contractor with Southland Construction. Hold on a second.” With one hand, she dumped the contents of Carol’s purse onto the floor of the SUV. Thankfully, Carol’s phone survived the blast. She looked up David’s name and rattled off his number for Zane.
“Got it. I’ll contact him immediately. What about the DEA?”
“No,” Adam sai
d. “They’ll find out soon enough. Is Jake Davenport available?”
“I’ll check. Why?”
“We need someone we trust with Carol. Veronica can’t provide protection. Since Jake’s a medic, he’s the perfect bodyguard.”
“I’ll inform Maddox, then send Davenport. He should arrive in thirty minutes.”
“Copy that.” Adam ended the call as he accelerated onto the interstate.
“Don’t need a bodyguard,” Carol protested.
Veronica added another gauze pad. “Someone in our office could have planted that bomb. You need an outsider we trust to keep you safe. Jake Davenport will do that. His sole priority will be your safety.” She smiled. “Plus it helps to have a medic handy to interpret the medical jargon spouted by doctors. Look at it this way, Carol. If Jake stays with you, the only thing David needs to be concerned about is supporting you.”
The DEA agent sighed, nodded.
To keep her friend’s attention focused, Veronica said, “You and David have been dating for a couple years. Are you talking about getting married?”
“He hasn’t proposed yet.”
Why was he waiting? The contractor was crazy about Carol. Maybe she’d nudge him if she had the chance. She wasn’t averse to playing Cupid for two friends. David was a great guy and Carol deserved the best. “Why not?”
“Don’t know.”
“When he proposes, will you accept?”
“In a heartbeat.”
Hmm. Maybe David needed to know how she felt before he popped the question. Veronica glanced through the window as Adam made a sharp left turn. Thank goodness. The medical center was two blocks away. “Almost there, Carol. You’re going to be fine.”
“Thanks, Nica.” Her eyes closed as Adam skidded to a stop at the emergency entrance. A medical team raced from the hospital with a gurney.
Veronica opened the door and scrambled out of the way. Carol was whisked into the hospital and out of sight. Carrying her friend’s purse, she followed at a slower pace with Adam.
Adam pulled his phone from his pocket and checked the screen. “David is on his way. He’s in Franklin on a job so he should arrive soon.”
“Good. David will be a big morale boost for her.” She glanced at the admitting nurse. “I guess I can start the paperwork. Carol won’t mind if I get her insurance information from her wallet.”
“Do what you can. As soon as Jake arrives, we need to go. You can’t afford to be detained, Vonnie.”
Much as she hated to admit it, Adam was right. If the DEA hauled her in for questioning, the session wouldn’t go well. Not only was she connected to Dane’s death, now she was on the scene when Carol’s car blew up.
Taking the clipboard with the forms, Veronica started filling out information. As she finished the last of the forms, a dark-haired man dressed in dusty jeans and dirt-streaked t-shirt ran through the ER doors.
“David.” Veronica stood.
“Nica, what happened? Where is she?” The muscular construction worker swept her into a tight hug. “Please tell me she’s alive.”
“The doctor hasn’t given us a report yet.”
“Us?” His gaze shifted to Adam.
The Fortress operative held out his hand. “I’m Adam. Sorry to meet you under these circumstances.”
“What happened to Carol? I talked to her an hour ago and she was fine. Was she in an accident?”
Oh, boy. She didn’t blame Zane for not telling David about the bomb. Unfortunately, that meant she had to pass the bad news along. “Come sit down.” Once seated, she told David the bare facts.
David’s jaw clenched. “Who did this? Is it connected to one of her cases?”
“We don’t know, but the DEA will investigate. We take an attack one of our agents personally.” She reached over and squeezed his hand. “While the attack might be related to one of Carol’s cases, the truth is I think the bomb was planted because of me.”
He stared at her, disbelief clear in his eyes. “It was her car, not yours.”
“I’m afraid someone is trying to get to me through my friends.” And now Adam had the biggest target of all painted on his back.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Adam watched David Young carefully as he processed the news that Veronica might be the reason his girlfriend Carol was in the hospital. So far, the construction worker showed no signs of aggression.
“How severe are her injuries?” David asked.
“We don’t know for sure.” Adam wanted the other man’s attention off Veronica. “From what we saw, shrapnel from the car cut her in several places. The blast threw her several feet. She might have internal injuries.”
“What did the EMTs say about her?”
“We brought her here. We couldn’t afford to wait for an ambulance, David. Carol has a cut to the femoral artery of her right leg. She was bleeding heavily.”
The other man buried his face in his hands. “She could die.”
“She was here within ten minutes of the blast and she’s in good hands. All we can do now is wait.” Movement in the hallway caught Adam’s attention. Jake Davenport. He crossed the room to his friend’s side. “Thanks for coming so quickly.”
“No problem. Tell me what happened.” The medic listened as Adam described the bomb blast and the injuries he’d noted. “Good thing you were close to medical help.”
“Should we have waited for the EMTs?” He’d weighed that option and chosen to move her despite the real possibility of internal injuries.
“You did the right thing, Adam. I would have made the same choice.”
He breathed a sigh of relief. “Let me introduce you to Carol’s boyfriend.” He stopped beside Veronica. “David, this is Jake Davenport. He’s a medic with Fortress Security. He’ll help you interpret the medical jargon and provide security for Carol.”
David’s eyes narrowed. “Carol is still in danger?”
“Better to be safe,” Jake said. “Your job is to aid Carol in recovering and provide security inside her room. I’ll take care of the hallway.”
As soon as David realized that he was included in the security arrangements, he squared his shoulders. “No one will hurt her while I’m with her.”
“Good.” Jake nodded. “We’re her security detail. That means one of us is with her at all times. I’ll be trading off with another bodyguard from Fortress when I need to sleep. I’ll introduce you each time so there’s no doubt who you can trust. No one is allowed in her room without one of the Fortress people inside. The place will be swarming with feds soon. We can’t trust any of them with your woman’s life, David. There’s a good chance one of them is involved in this plot.”
“Are you kidding me?” The construction worker’s face reddened. “One of their own agents might be to blame for this?”
“It’s possible,” Adam said. “There has already been an attempt to kill Veronica today.”
“This is insane. They’re supposed to be the good guys.”
“Most of them are. The problem is we don’t know which one has gone rogue if an agent is to blame.”
A man in scrubs and a white coat walked to the entrance of the waiting room. “Rossi family?”
David leaped to his feet. “Here.”
“I’m Dr. Whitson. You must be David Young. Ms. Rossi has been asking for you. She’s on her way to surgery. We need to repair the artery in her leg as well as dealing with a ruptured spleen. She has other injuries, but those two are the most pressing. Someone will update you as soon as she’s out of surgery.” And he was gone.
“Those injuries are common with bomb blasts,” Jake murmured. “She has a good chance, David. Why don’t you come with me? We’ll buy some bad coffee from the vending machine and talk. It will be a while before she is out of surgery.”
“Yeah, all right.” David turned to Veronica. “You want anything?”
“Actually, I need to go.”
Shock covered his face. “Carol is your friend. You’re leaving her when
she’s in a fight for her life?”
“I’ll put her in more danger by staying. Plus, to be honest, the DEA wants to talk to me about Dane’s death. In fact, they think I might be responsible. I didn’t do it, but if I stay, I’ll be unable to prove my innocence or find out who planted the bomb in Carol’s vehicle.”
“Go. Find the creep who did this and take him down.”
“I will.” She squeezed his forearm. “You have my word.”
Adam escorted Veronica from the hospital through a different exit. He doubted the feds were on the grounds yet, but he didn’t want to chance one of them detaining her. He wanted more information before he and Veronica went head-to-head with them.
Back in his SUV, Adam glanced at Veronica as he cranked the engine. “You up for a field trip?”
“Aren’t we going to see Graham?”
“I had planned on it before the bomb. What are the chances of him going to the hospital to wait for word on Carol?’
She sighed. “Excellent. He’s been friends with Carol longer than I have. We’ll have to wait to talk to him.”
“He has to go home eventually. We’ll stake out his place and wait for him to return home.”
“Where are we going, then?”
“There’s a small lake not too far from here.”
“Perfect. I love to be anywhere near the water.”
He shifted the SUV into gear and drove from the parking lot. “I’ll make a note of that for future dates.”
“This is a date?”
“It will be. I have to make a stop first.” Adam took the side roads to the Cool Springs area and parked in front of an ice cream shop. “You want to come inside or wait here?”
“We stopped for ice cream?”
“Yes, ma’am. My sister says it’s the only thing that cures the blues.”
“Your sister is a wise woman. I can’t wait to meet her.” Veronica opened her door, paused to look back over her shoulder. “You’re an observant man, Adam Walker.”
Pleased he’d managed to distract her, Adam purchased two different flavors of the sweet treat and drove her to the lake. They found a bench and sat to enjoy the sunlight, ice cream, and each other’s company.