Scorched

by Laura Griffin

  They followed the signs to San Francisco International Airport, and Gage got a familiar sour taste in his mouth. He looked at Kelsey behind the wheel, and she had the same tight expression she’d been wearing all afternoon. Gage hated these moments. He never knew what to say because there really wasn’t anything. No matter what he said, it sucked all the way around.

  He looked out the window. “Thanks for returning the rental.”

  “No problem,” she said, and her cheerful tone grated on his nerves. “I’ve got plenty of time until my flight.”

  “I bet you went a bit over the mileage limit,” Derek said from the backseat. He sounded cheerful, too, but in his case it was genuine.

  While Gage had been stuck for hours in an FBI debriefing room, Derek had tracked down their CO, who’d been in a transport plane, just minutes away from going wheels-up with the rest of their team. After explaining the situation, Derek managed to convince Hallenback to overlook their unauthorized absence. Soon after that, the CO had called back and ordered him and Gage to get their asses to the East Coast and catch the next flight to Frankfurt, where he’d find a way for them to rejoin their team.

  So Derek was feeling very proud of himself. Meanwhile, Gage felt like shit.

  Kelsey’s hand rested on her leg. Gage reached over to take it, but she pulled away.

  “So, Derek, I meant to ask you.” She glanced in the rearview mirror. “What’d you do with your pickup truck?”

  He leaned forward. “Popped the keys in the mail to Dietz’s parents. They live in Oakland.” He looked at Gage. “You ever met Mike’s little brother?”

  “No.”

  “He’s headed to UCSD in about six weeks. Said he’d take it down there for me.”

  Gage glanced at Kelsey. He shot Derek a glare.

  “That is, if we’re not back by then,” Derek said. “Who knows, right?”

  Kelsey stared straight ahead. Gage’s gut clenched as she pulled up to the passenger drop-off area.

  “Kelsey, thanks for the ride.” Derek clamped a hand on her shoulder. “You take care now.” He looked at Gage and tapped his watch. “See you inside, bro.”

  A blast of air and traffic noise entered the SUV as Derek hopped out.

  “So.” Kelsey looked at him. “Do you have your passport?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Your real one?”

  “Yeah.” He searched her face, hating the look in her eyes. He’d seen it so many times before. She was determined not to cry.

  “Be sure to take your pills,” she said. “Do you have them?”

  He didn’t answer.

  “Do you?”

  “Come here.” He reached over and pulled her to him. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her until she kissed him back and he tasted the salt of her tears.

  She pulled away. “You need to make your plane.”

  Gage clenched his teeth. He didn’t want to leave like this. He didn’t want to leave at all. But it was worse—especially for her—if he sat here and dragged it out. He grabbed his bag and opened the door.

  “I’ll call you.”

  She didn’t say anything. She just looked at him, and he could tell she was struggling not to nod, or agree, or do anything that would officially start their relationship again at the eleventh hour.

  “Brewer!”

  Gage turned around. Derek stood in the automatic door. They were going to be late.

  “Go,” Kelsey said. “You’re going to miss it.”

  Gage got out. “I’ll call you.”

  She didn’t respond, and he closed the door and turned around to face the wall of glass. A big aquarium of travelers rushing in every direction. So many people. So many goddamn anonymous people with no connection to one another.

  I don’t want to be alone anymore, Gage.

  Fear clawed at him as he walked toward the door. One foot in front of the other. His feet felt like lead.

  He turned around. The Explorer was moving away from the curb. He lunged for the door handle. She jabbed the brakes as he yanked the door open and jumped inside.

  “What’d you forget?”

  He shoved the gearshift in park. He pulled her to him and kissed her—hard.

  “Marry me.”

  She stared at him.

  “It’s what I should have said last night. That’s my fantasy.”

  “You want—”

  “I want you. Us. Marry me, Kelsey.”

  “But—”

  “I’ve got siblings, cousins, a whole mess of nieces and nephews. I can give you those things you want. I can give you a family.”

  Horns blared behind them, and she whirled around.

  “Brewer!”

  He turned to see Derek waving him over. Gage ignored him and looked at Kelsey.

  “I love you and I’m tired of leaving.” He leaned over and kissed her one last time. “Don’t argue for once. Just think about it.”

  Gage got out and slammed the door. He started jogging toward his friend, and his shoulders were suddenly light. Weightless. She hadn’t answered. But he’d finally said the right thing.

  • • •

  Elizabeth hurried across the parking lot, searching for her car. With her luck, they’d probably towed it from the hospital lot since it hadn’t moved from its space in two days. She glanced at her watch and sloshed coffee on her shoes.

  Forty-five minutes. She probably should have picked a different hotel last night—one near the airport—but by the end of the day, she’d been dead tired, and she’d found herself crawling into a cab and asking for the Dragon Inn. At the time she hadn’t been thinking about the five-block hike to her rental car, but she was thinking about it now as she rushed to make her plane. The phone in her purse chimed, and she whipped it out.

  Not another delay. All she wanted was to get home.

  “LeBlanc.”

  “This is Gordon Moore.”

  “Hi. How are you?” She hadn’t heard from him since yesterday when they’d been in the midst of the crisis.

  “I wanted to touch base with you,” he said.

  She smiled with satisfaction. Supervisory Special Agent Gordon Moore wanted to touch base with her. She spotted her rental car and strode over to it.

  “I thought you’d be interested to know that Rick Bolton was arrested and charged this morning.”

  “Wow.” She halted beside the car, hardly able to believe it. “By who?”

  “The Securities and Exchange Commission.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “We’re still working on a raft of other charges, but these were easier for now. He’s been charged with insider trading in connection with the sale of some pharmaceutical stock. He just made a fortune on one of the companies that manufactures an antibiotic used to prevent anthrax.”

  “Wow, that’s . . .” She didn’t know what to say. “That’s pretty unbelievable.”

  “Believe it. And don’t worry, we’ll get him on the rest of it, too. It’s just going to take some time. But I wanted you to know.”

  Elizabeth stood there, trying to digest it. Rick Bolton had been arrested. Trent Lohman was dead. Adam Ramli—thanks to her—was in custody and undergoing questioning. He hadn’t revealed anything about stateside associates or a sleeper cell of any kind, but whether he ever did or not, she knew there had to be more.

  There were always more.

  There were always threats.

  That’s why she, and Gordon, and Derek, and Gage had a job. She felt a swell of pride knowing she’d done hers right this time.

  Elizabeth cleared her throat. “Thank you for the update, sir.”

  “Thank you. You were an integral part of this investigation. You ever need anything at the Bureau—anything at all—I want you to call me.”

  She was speechless.

  “LeBlanc?”

  “Yes, that’s . . . Thank you, sir. I appreciate that.”

  “It’s Gordon,” he said, and she thought she heard amusement in hi
s voice. “Take care of yourself.”

  He hung up, and she stared at the phone in her hand. If you ever need anything at the Bureau. It was an incredible offer. She wondered if she’d ever take him up on it.

  Elizabeth unlocked her car and felt a wave of optimism. The day was looking up. She might actually make her plane. She slid behind the wheel and found herself staring at a blue Bears cap. Laughter bubbled up in her throat. She picked it up and saw the note taped beneath the brim. Call me, followed by a phone number.

  Tears welled in her eyes. She took out her phone and started to dial. Her finger hovered over the last digit. What would she say to him? What would he say? Was he even in the country anymore?

  She felt a pang of empathy for Kelsey Quinn. How did she live with the stress?

  But it was only a phone call. Elizabeth pressed the last number and waited through three rings. She was both relieved and disappointed when she heard his recorded voice.

  “Vaughn here. Leave a message.”

  The low-key drawl brought a smile to her face.

  “Hi, it’s Elizabeth. I don’t know how you got into my locked car, but I guess it’s one of those SEAL tricks.”

  She stared at the cap for a moment, recalling the very first time she’d seen it.

  “Rumor has it you and Gage caught up with your team. I’m not sure where you’re going, but—” A lump rose up in her throat. She cleared it away. “Wherever it is, be careful.”

  And please, please don’t get hurt. The world needs more men like you.

  But she left the last part unsaid because even though she’d made her first big arrest, she still had moments of total wimpiness. Such as right now. So she kept it light and hoped somehow he’d know.

  “Anyway, thanks for the hat,” she said. “And sorry again about your boots.”

  CHAPTER 27

  Ten weeks later

  Kelsey was slipping on her lab coat when Mia poked her head into the office.

  “Oh good, you’re here.”

  “Just got in from lunch,” Kelsey said. “Why? What’s up?”

  “Sheriff Denton’s up in the lobby raising hell. Said you were supposed to meet with him at noon to go over a report?”

  “That’s tomorrow.”

  “Well, he’s hassling the new receptionist. You might want to go talk to him.”

  The phone on Kelsey’s desk rang and Mia disappeared.

  “Damn it.” Kelsey huffed out a breath. She grabbed the case file and dashed out of her office, mentally rehearsing what she hadn’t yet put in her report: The bones recovered from an abandoned well in Denton’s county—thought to be those of a missing twenty-six-year-old Caucasian female—had been identified as belonging to a middle-aged white male. The sheriff was going to resist her conclusion, and she rehearsed her talking points as she rode the elevator up. The doors dinged open and she stepped into the lobby.

  And saw Gage.

  Her heart seemed to drop out of her chest. He stood there watching her. Finally he walked over, since her feet were cemented to the floor.

  “Hi.” He smiled down at her, and she threw her arms around him. She pressed her cheek against his shoulder and squeezed until her arms hurt.

  “What are you doing here? I thought you were coming Friday!”

  He pulled back. “Surprised you, huh?”

  “Who let you in here?” She wiped the tears from her cheeks and grinned up at him.

  “Mia. She called down to the gatehouse and gave me a green light.”

  Kelsey leaned up and kissed him.

  “Dr. Quinn?”

  She turned to the receptionist seated behind the desk. Far from looking “hassled,” she looked perfectly relaxed. And perfectly delighted by the lab’s latest visitor. She beamed a smile in their direction.

  “It’s Manny Villarreal on line two,” she said.

  “Could you take a message?”

  “He’s left three already.”

  “Oh. In that case, just tell him I’m in a meeting. I’ll call him later this afternoon.” She turned back to Gage. “I can’t believe you’re here early.” She glanced around. “Do you want to sit outside? Fewer interruptions.”

  She took his hand and led him to the door, still unable to believe he was really here, and that his big, warm fingers were laced through hers.

  “When did your flight get in?”

  “I drove.”

  “You did?”

  They stepped into the cool air. A front had moved in last night, and the sky was a sparkling blue—the same color as his eyes.

  “Rolled into town about noon.” He looked out over the wooded landscape as she stopped at a picnic table. He sat down beside her, straddling the bench. “I don’t have a key to your house, so I thought I’d swing by here.”

  “I thought SEALs didn’t need keys.” She couldn’t wipe the grin off her face. He was here two days early. They had two extra nights together.

  “Yeah, well, your neighbor was in her driveway giving me the fish-eye, so . . .” His voice trailed off as he combed his fingers into her hair and leaned in to kiss her properly. Her heart filled with unexpected joy. He was here. His mouth was warm and he tasted faintly of coffee, probably because he’d been up all night driving. She cupped his face in her hands and brushed her fingers over his stubble. He only had about a day’s worth, and she felt even happier because when he shaved his beard, it usually meant he wasn’t going away soon.

  When the kiss ended, she was practically in his lap.

  “How long till you get off?” he asked in a low voice.

  “Couple hours.” She kissed him.

  “This place have a security cam?”

  “Hundreds, I think. Why?”

  The gazed shifted over her shoulder. “Because I’m thinking of taking you for a walk in those woods.”

  She smiled. “Uh, bad idea. There’s a cadaver in those woods. Don’t you see the buzzards?”

  A ring tone emanated from her pocket. She pulled out her phone and set it on the table to read the screen: M. VILLARREAL.

  She saw Gage looking at it.

  “You’re wondering who Manny is.”

  He looked at her. “Yeah, I am.”

  “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about him.”

  His jaw tightened as she took his hand.

  “Manny Villarreal is the assistant director of the International Forensic Anthropology Foundation. He offered me a job.”

  Gage lifted his eyebrows. “I thought you liked your job here.”

  “I do. I love it.” She squeezed his fingers. “But this job’s in Los Angeles.” She waited a beat, watching his eyes. “South of Los Angeles, actually. About forty-five minutes from San Diego.”

  He watched her intently, but she couldn’t read his reaction.

  “You’re planning to leave the Delphi Center?”

  She looked down at their joined hands. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. Seeing what you did in that subway tunnel . . .” She glanced up at him. “It was incredible. All that training you guys have, all that expertise. So few people can do the things you do. Whereas with me . . . death happens everywhere.” She took a deep breath. “So if you’re based in San Diego, I think we should be in San Diego. You should be with your team.”

  Gage looked at her for a long moment. “You’d do that for me?”

  She nodded.

  He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. She felt the warmth of his body, the beat of his heart against her ear. This was the right thing. She knew it. It was new and unfamiliar and scary, but it was right.

  He hugged her tightly. “That means a lot, Kelsey.” He kissed the top of her head, then he eased back and looked down at her.

  “Don’t take it.”

  She stared up at him. “The job? Why not?”

  “Because I left the teams.”

  She blinked at him. “You—”

  “I took an honorable medical discharge.” He looked down, and Kelsey felt a dee
p stab of pain for him. “My shoulder is shot—literally. It’s been slowing me down for a year now, and it got worse after I injured it on this last tour.” He looked at her. “It’s time.”

  She didn’t know what to say. She had never expected to hear those words from him. Tears welled up as she realized what a loss this was for him, for his teammates.

  “Are you sad?”

  “No.” He looked away. Then he looked back at her. “Yeah, a little.” He shrugged. “I always figured I’d stick around the base and maybe train the next guys.” He ran his thumb over her knuckles. “But these last ten weeks, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about you. Us.”

  Her heart thumped harder. She’d thought he’d dropped the big news, but he was building up to something.

  “There are two metro areas within an hour from here that have SWAT teams,” he said. “And there’s the bomb squad in San Antonio.”

  “Oh my God.” She laughed and covered her mouth.

  “What?”

  “Nothing, it’s just . . .” A tear slid down her cheek. “I never thought I’d be elated to hear that my fiancé wanted to be on a SWAT team.”

  “Yeah, well, I wouldn’t make a good instructor, anyway. I’m not sadistic enough. And I work better on a team.”

  “You’re sure about this.”

  “I’m sure.” His voice was resolute and he squeezed her hand. “I want to move on to the next phase of my life now, Kelsey. And I want it to be with you.”

  He looked down at her and his genuine smile told her he was okay with this. It was a change, but it was a good one. He seemed ready for it.

  He reached over and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “So, how soon can you get out of here? There’s some other stuff I’ve been thinking about for ten long weeks.”

  She smiled. “Well, I have a full afternoon, but . . .” She checked her watch and stood up. “I could probably leave at four if I hurry. You could go to my house and rest or get something to eat.”

  He stood, too, and pulled her against him. “Three.” He kissed her. “And bring the lab coat.”

  She took the key chain from her pocket and unhooked her house key. She folded it into his palm, and her heart skittered as she realized the significance of what she’d just done. She tried to imagine waking up each morning with his warm body beside hers. She tried to imagine what it would feel like to start each day with him instead of just thinking about him and battling worry and loneliness.