by Dale Mayer
Stay inside and stay down. I’ll be there in a few minutes.
She frowned. But the smell of pizza was getting to her. Her stomach rumbled. And then she grinned. She was closest to the table. She crept over the few feet and snagged a box, dragging it back to where she sat against the wall. She opened it and picked up the largest piece. She sat there munching happily until the men returned.
She was three pieces down when they arrived. They were talking, so she assumed it was all good. However, all noise stopped when they took one look at her. She raised an eyebrow and took another bite. As soon as she swallowed, she said, “What was I supposed to do?”
The men looked at each other, snorted and walked over to the pizza.
“Does that mean it’s safe now?” she asked.
“As safe as can be. The shooter’s gone. I just wish I knew who the hell it was.”
“Well, the good news is, we have my brother here. So either the shooter is an asshole who wanted him dead, or it was somebody who wanted me dead. In which case, my brother’ll still be your best connection,” she said cheerfully. “Can you sit these two guys back up?”
With a muttered exclamation, Badger reached down and helped right Paul again. Erick did the same for Bud. Cade, on the other hand, sat beside the open pizza box. She watched in awe as he placed one piece on top of the other, so he had two pieces in each hand, and started eating the stack on the left.
“Seriously? How can you even taste it that way?”
He looked at her, aggrieved. “It works great.” And he took another huge bite.
A couple of minutes later all four pieces were gone. That’s when she realized five pizzas might not be enough. Now that it was safe, she put on a second pot of coffee. “Did anyone find the bullets?”
Cade said, “I’ve got three. The other two should be in the front yard somewhere.”
“Are we calling the cops?”
Silence.
She groaned. “So, three of you guys are on the right side of the law. Three of you guys are on the wrong side of the law, and I’m stuck in the middle. I’d like my house back. I’d like my life back. And I want to know that these tied-up guys won’t try to kill me again.” She glared at everyone with her hands on her hips. “Doesn’t that mean calling the cops?”
Badger shrugged. “It might be okay. Maybe call your detective. It’s likely to be all connected.”
“And what do I tell him?”
“Tell him you have a hell of a story, and you’ve got three guys tied up.”
Bud piped up. “Or you could tell them just about two guys.”
Paul snorted. “Yeah, better not mention Bud.”
“Mentioning is one thing. Being charged is an entirely different thing,” she said. “While I sympathize with your position, until we get to the bottom of this, none of us are safe. Have you considered that?”
Paul gave her a hard look. “I’ve definitely considered it. Have you considered the fact that whoever was shooting into your house may not have been after you, but might have been after us? We failed. He failed.” He motioned toward Teddy on the floor, still tied up and glaring at them all. “Considering we all came here after you and didn’t complete the job, this guy might have come to ensure none of us could talk and then to finish our job and kill you.”
“I know,” she said. “And that’s not any help.”
Just then Badger’s phone went off again. He pulled it out, frowned and put it away.
“Who was that?”
He gave her a hard glance. “It’s private.”
She rolled her eyes. “Great timing for private conversations.”
“Well, what am I supposed to tell them? Sorry. I’m involved in a shoot-out?” he asked sarcastically.
“Your private life is your own mess.” She deliberately didn’t look at any of their faces as she poured herself another cup of coffee. Badger’s comment brought up unpleasant thoughts. Because of course he had a private life. For all she knew, he had a full-time girlfriend. Just because he acted like he was single didn’t mean he was. Still, just because he acted like an asshole, didn’t mean he was one either.
She groaned. “If I don’t call the cops, how do I get any of these men out of my place? I’m not prepared to let my brother go free.”
“Agreed,” Erick said. “So call the detective whose card you have. If this is connected to your uncle’s murder, then let’s get to the bottom of that at the same time.”
On that note she reached for her purse, pulled the detective’s card back out and dialed. When a voice answered on the other end, she said, “Hi. My name is Dr. Kat Greenwald. I spoke to you before about my uncle’s murder.”
“Yes, I remember your name. I heard somebody reported a shooting around your area.”
“I have three men tied up in my home,” she said in a low tone. “Things just became really ugly.”
“Don’t let any of them go,” he said, alarmed. “I’ll be there in five minutes. You stay safe until I get there. Do you hear me?”
“I hear you. And we were shot at from somebody else outside. We think the shooter is gone now, but I can’t be too sure. So make sure you’re careful when you approach.”
There was silence for a long moment, and he said, “Okay, will do. I won’t be alone either. Are you safe right now? Is somebody holding a gun on you?”
She thought about the knives she’d put in her ankle and back pocket and smiled. “No, I’m fine right now. And I have three men helping me. We’ve got the three other men tied up.”
“Good enough. I’ll be there in five.”
Badger tried to step back when the police arrived. It was always hard to go from being a team leader in intense times back to being a subordinate. And no doubt law enforcement wanted to see all the general public in that manner. Badger knew he had failed when Kat shot him a look and said, “Down, boy.”
He bristled. “What? I’m not doing anything.”
“You look like a junkyard dog with an attitude.”
“They kidnapped you, brought you home to hold you hostage in your own house, and you’ve been shot at. I think I have every reason to feel that way.” Inside he marveled at her description. He was pretty sure his buddies would agree with it. He wasn’t so sure he did. Was it insulting? Was it complimentary? Junkyard dog left a lot of room. Of course, when he looked at his face and the rest of him, it wasn’t a bad description. He was pretty much a survivor of multiple wars. The thing was, he had survived, and he would hold on to that little tidbit of good news. Good news even if only long enough to find this latest asshole.
He inconspicuously pulled out his cell phone and checked for messages. He’d missed a call earlier from somebody with information. And that information he needed. He must slip away and make this call. He was sorry for all the hell now, but something else was breaking loose in his world. He’d waited two years for this. He wouldn’t blow it now.
“Stay close to the cops. I’ll just step outside and make a call.”
She nodded almost absentmindedly.
He glanced around, caught sight of Erick and Cade, held up his phone and then slipped out the front door. It was a little quieter out front but not much. He walked to the end of the property on the sidewalk and returned his call.
The man that answered said, “I have news.”
“I’m listening.”
“It might cost you.”
“Might? Looks to me like it’s already cost me plenty.”
There was a short silence on the other end. “True enough. All betrayal has a price.”
“Sure, it does. Particularly for the victims.”
With that the man on the other end swore.
Badger tried hard to tune his ears to see if he recognized the voice. But it wasn’t familiar. “The guy who took the call left the navy soon afterward.”
“In a rich and wealthy lifestyle?”
“No. A guilt-ridden one. Hit the bottle, lost his marriage, couldn’t get another job, we
nt homeless for a while, now he’s working at a soup kitchen.”
Badger lifted his gaze to stare at the house across the street. Kat’s house was in typical suburbia. Simple block houses upon simple block houses, where everybody stuck to themselves, and nobody stuck out their neck for anyone. He shook his head. “Is he up to talking?”
“For a price. He did say something interesting.”
“What’s that?”
“He said his life changed and not in a good way. He’s sorry for the troubles that you went through. But it’s almost like you’re better off than he ever was.”
“Can’t say I feel too sympathetic at the moment.” Badger snorted. “If he did something to bring this upon me and my unit, he deserves every shitty thing life has available to throw at him.”
“I hear you.”
“How much do you want?” Badger calculated the money in his bank account. He didn’t have a ton. But then what did he expect after a couple years of disability? Thankfully he’d saved all his money from his navy pay. But prosthetics from Kat had dipped into that nest egg recently. The navy covered much of the cost but not all.
“Ten thousand pounds.”
“Is he in England?”
“He is.”
“You aren’t forthcoming with the information.”
“You haven’t said aye or nay to the agreement.”
“Should be dollars,” he said abruptly. Given the volatility of the American dollar and the British pound right now, it still wouldn’t swing in his favor anytime soon.
“None of this should have happened in the first place. But it did. And it isn’t in dollars. So make a choice.”
Badger swore silently. “You getting paid for this?”
“Yeah,” the middleman said drily. “Things haven’t changed that much. Except the prices went up, not down.”
“As long as it’s coming out of the ten thousand pounds, fine. Where and when?”
“Monday.”
“Today’s Friday. I can be there for Monday. Where?”
The caller mentioned an address in The East End of London. Badger stored away that information. “Time?”
“Just after noon. He also says come alone.”
“Of course,” Badger lied smoothly. “Just him and me.”
“Better be. My neck is on the line for this one.” And the man hung up.
Badger pocketed his phone as he turned to stare back at the broken window. His mind was already churning forward several steps. How the hell was he supposed to keep Kat safe and go to England? Then he grinned. There was a perfect solution. She would go with him.
On that thought he headed back inside.
She might fight him on it, but he knew his buddies would be right there with him. On the other hand, he could leave her with them. Although she wouldn’t like that idea either. He grinned. He was actually looking forward to the upcoming argument. Kat didn’t back down when he roared. Instead she reached out and clawed him one. He didn’t have a problem with that. At least it meant she wasn’t afraid of him.
There were certain people in this world who he wanted to be afraid. And the man he was meeting Monday was one of them. But Kat, never. The last thing he wanted was a cowed female in his bed. He wanted Kat, claws and all. And he wanted her damn fast.
He walked inside, a big smile on his face. “Change of plans.”
Chapter 8
The look on Badger’s face made her suspicious. She studied the bright smile but could see the feral undertone to it. Whatever the phone call had been about had made him happy. Tension curled inside her now. She’d seen the same look earlier when they’d been shot at. When he’d been organizing an attack on the men after them. But this was different. And then she realized it had something to do with his other problem.
Her heart sank. Abruptly she said, “When are you leaving?”
He shot her a sideways glance, a hint of surprise.
She nodded. “I can see it on your face. Something’s blown open.”
“Something has blown wide open,” he confirmed. “I have to go meet someone.”
She shrugged, looking as if she didn’t give a damn. But inside she did. Every step he took was one step closer to not coming back to her. Trouble was, he didn’t even know she was here waiting.
She made yet another pot of coffee. She didn’t know why she was constantly drinking the brew, but, if she couldn’t have anything stronger, it seemed like the only solution for the moment.
Badger came up behind her. “Do you have a passport?”
She nodded. “Of course.”
“Lots of people don’t have passports,” he said. “Or, if they do, they’re not current.”
“I planned on taking a vacation—when the business calmed down to the point I could actually walk away for a week or two—so I kept my passport current.”
“Done much overseas travel?”
“No. Just down to Mexico and up to Canada. Once to England for a seminar.”
“Long way for a seminar,” he commented.
At the suspicious tone in his voice, she crossed her arms as the coffee dripped steadily behind her. “What does that mean?”
He shrugged and stepped back.
But she wasn’t ready to let him off the hook. “What the hell’s going on? Sometimes I say something, and it’s like a box for you to check as you consider if I’m the bad guy or not, or maybe in cahoots with the bad guy?” She threw her arms wide open. “I hardly even know you. Right now, my hands are very full without you playing games.” The cops walked into the kitchen at that point. She smiled at the detective. “Anything?”
“Nothing new,” he admitted. “We’ve taken those three into custody. However, I need you to stay safe. At least until we can get this all tidied up and packed away.”
“I’ve got an answer for that,” Badger said quietly. “I have to leave for England. I’ll take her with me. Get her out of the country while you round up her traitorous family.”
She gasped and turned on him. “I can’t just leave like that. I have a business, you know.”
“The business needs to shut down for a few days,” the detective said. “I know the work you do is important to everyone, but, if you’re not around to do it any longer, you can’t help anyone.”
She glared at Badger, then at the detective. “How long?”
The detective thought about it and admitted, “If we have a good weekend, we might actually get this wrapped up before Monday. But I’d say at least give us until Wednesday. No guarantees even then.”
Instead of agreeing, she spun on her heels and stormed off to the living room. Unfortunately she could still see and hear the men.
The detective looked at Badger and grinned. “That went well.”
Badger raised his eyebrows. “What in all that do you think went well?”
“She didn’t rant and scream at us,” he said cheerfully. “Besides, five days in England is hardly a hardship.”
She didn’t know what Badger was up to, but she had no intention of going to England. Shutting down her company was not a cool idea. She had people who depended on her. People who needed her skills, just as Badger needed her skills. She wondered if she was overreacting. As she thought about it, she realized just how dangerous things could still be here.
And the weekend was coming up, but she didn’t understand the England part. However, if she needed to disappear for a few days, England wasn’t so bad. Jim could handle the office and could reschedule any appointments as necessary. Most people, if they understood what she’d been through, would give her a day or two of grace. As she stared out the window, she realized her complete about-face could also be a reaction to the letters, the kidnappers, her own bloody brother, someone shooting at her. And maybe a sign of stress and a sign that she did need to take a break. She turned to stare at Badger. “Why England?”
He stared at her for a long moment, shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back slightly on his heels. “Because I’m go
ing there.”
“Why do I have to go where you’re going?”
He shrugged. “So I can keep an eye on you.”
“What about Cade and Erick? Are they going with you? Otherwise they could keep an eye on me here,” she challenged. “For that matter, I have a cot in my office. I could just move in there for a few days.”
She glanced around at the destruction of her house. “Considering my house has sustained damage, moving out for a few days wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
Cade and Erick moved closer to hear their conversation.
“That won’t work,” Erick said. “You won’t get this damage fixed in a day or two.”
She crossed her arms and glared at him. “I don’t even know who to call to get this fixed.” She waved her arm at the busted windows, the water standing in her kitchen, the scorch mark and smoke coming from the garage, not to mention the fingerprinting mess that had overtaken her house. “Does insurance cover this crap?”
All the men nodded. “Yes. You need to call the insurance company, file a claim and get estimates. But I think the cops are right. Even though they have picked up Teddy, we still don’t know who else is behind this.”
“So you agree with Badger that I should leave the country? Or that I should just leave the house?” She studied them carefully. She trusted these men. Of all those in front of her, she trusted Badger the most. But she couldn’t get away from the feeling that he was up to something.
“Definitely out of town would be better. I’d hate to see you move into your office because anybody who can’t find you here will automatically go there,” Erick said. “And I’d hate to leave Jim there alone to be tortured for information.”
She couldn’t help the gasp escaping her mouth. She stared at Erick. “Are you serious?”
Badger stepped forward and grabbed her by the shoulders, giving her a small shake. “You were kidnapped outside your office, held hostage in your own house. Now shot at. At what point do you not see how serious this is?”