The microwave beeped and she took out the food before pouring the brandy into a tumbler. Then she fetched a glass of water from the fridge dispenser to place by the casserole along with the utensils. There was something else. Oh yeah. She reached for the closest cupboard and took out a bottle of aspirin to put by the plate.
Should she check on him? She didn’t want to overstep or tick him off any more than she already had. Betraying him to his team and then challenging him to a fight in the truck on the way home was as forward as she wanted to get. For now.
The AC hummed to life just as he walked into the kitchen wearing just his black sweats, his gait slow. His broad chest was bruised, but there were no cuts or burns visible. He paused upon seeing the table, his eyes unreadable. “You didn’t have to do this.”
She chuckled, the sound strained, and sat. “Do what? I just warmed up a couple of things. Please sit down.” Before he fell down.
He sat and reached for the brandy first, taking a big gulp. Then he swallowed four aspirin. “Those should kick in soon.”
Her fingers itched to touch him and make sure he was all right. “You might need something stronger.”
“No. That was fine.” He looked at her, and the bruising on his jaw, combined with his scar, made him look like a deadly avenger. “I’ll be better after a little sleep.” Taking his fork, he ate about half of the casserole on the plate.
She let him eat in peace and then finally couldn’t stand it any longer. Fear sensitized her skin, and she shivered from the cool air. “You said there was a bomb. Could you tell me a little more?”
His lips twitched. “I must really look like hell if you’ve decided to be that polite.”
“I’m always polite,” she said, giving in and placing her hand over his warm wrist. “Tell me what happened.”
“We got to Frank’s apartment, and he was dead inside along with a woman. Probably just some very unlucky woman in the wrong place at definitely the wrong time.” Wolfe spoke slowly and deliberately.
Dana’s temples ached and she reached for the aspirin, taking two and washing them down with Wolfe’s water. “What aren’t you telling me?” Oh, he’d definitely keep facts from her to protect her, and she didn’t have time for that.
“We got inside, saw the bodies, and heard a click. Made it to the door, then boom.” He planted both hands on the table and forced himself to stand. “That’s it. Now come to bed.”
* * *
The food, booze, and painkiller helped to dull the physical soreness, except for the spasm that kept attacking Wolfe’s lower back. He groaned like an old man when he fell into the bed.
Dana cleaned up the small mess in the kitchen and quickly returned with an ice pack for him.
Warmth, the good kind, tumbled through him. “You don’t need to fuss. I’ll be fine.”
“I want to fuss.” She pulled the sheet and covers away from him and rested the pack on the left side of his rib cage. “This is the darkest bruise. Are you sure no ribs are broken?”
“I’m sure. Feels different from this.” A couple might be cracked, but he didn’t have time to worry about that. The ice chilled the bruise, easing some of the discomfort. “Come to bed, Dana.”
She finished checking out his chest, abdomen, and legs. “How does your backside look?”
“You can admire it later.” His eyebrows rose. “I mean, unless you want to get busy now.”
Her instant grin healed him faster than the ice. “I appreciate the sentiment, but you had trouble just walking in here. I’d hate to tax you.”
Oh, she had not just said that. He tried to lever himself up on an elbow. “I won’t be taxed. Let’s go.”
“No.” She said the word firmly and then settled the sheet over him, dragging the blanket and comforter off the end of the bed. “You don’t need this weight on you, and it’s hot, anyway.” She extinguished the light and moved around to ease beneath the sheet with him. Snuggling closer, she rested her hand softly on his solar plexus. “Where does it hurt?”
Everywhere. “I’m fine now.” He gingerly settled an arm around her, comforting himself with the scent of orange blossoms.
“Okay.” She drew circles lightly across his skin, brushing his upper chest and over his clavicle. “How mad are you at me?”
It was a good question. While he understood her reasoning, he didn’t like her going behind his back. “I’m not sure, and I don’t want to deal with it right now.” He didn’t push her hand away, enjoying this sweet and adorable side of her, even though they had a difficult discussion coming when he regained his strength.
“Fine.” She kept her hand over his heart and stopped moving. “I’ll wait a while and then get you a new ice pack.”
He planted his hand over hers, feeling his steady heartbeat through both. “You go to sleep.” He’d never had anybody indulge him like this, and it was oddly appealing.
“I’m going to take care of you, Wolfe.” Her minty breath brushed his jaw.
“That’s my job.” The woman kept getting their roles mixed up. “I take care of you. Remember?”
She kissed his neck. “We take care of each other.”
“I don’t get you.” He shut his eyelids, letting his body slowly relax. If there was any trouble, Roscoe would awaken him.
“Nobody has ever fussed over you?” Her voice was soft and sleepy, but she seemed determined to chat.
He thought back through the years. “Not really. Grams was a good woman, but frail by the time she took us in, so we looked out for her. My sister was just a kid when we lost her, but she was always sweet to me.” He’d do anything to bring her back, but that wasn’t going to happen. “Then I was in the service, and there’s not much coddling there.”
Dana rubbed her cheek against his collarbone, her skin feeling like silk. “What about women? You’ve dated, I’m sure.”
“Sure.” He’d always liked women and sex, and he’d had a girlfriend or two through the years. “My job always got in the way, and they usually moved on. I understood.” Wait. Was this the talking about old relationships part of dating? He’d never really gotten into that part, but he’d give it a shot. “What about you?”
“I’ve dated but never really gotten serious. Most people are kind of boring, and my job has also taken me away a lot.” She nipped his earlobe. “You are not boring.”
“I appreciate that.” He paused, almost asking if Mike had called again, but then remembered that he’d destroyed her phone. The crime scene filtered through his mind, and he held Dana closer, remembering the dead woman on the bed. “At some point in the near future, you’re gonna have to let me take care of you.” He turned his head, ignoring the pain that flared inside his brain, and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
“That’s what you’re doing.”
“No.” He’d given in earlier, but now he’d seen firsthand what Gary liked to do for fun. However, Wolfe had learned that bossing Dana around only resulted in her challenging him to a boxing match, and at the moment, she’d probably win. So he tried for logic, which certainly wasn’t his strong suit. “You said we were dating, right?”
“Yes.” She cuddled closer.
“You know me, better than I’ve let anybody else know me.” The words were coming more slowly as sleep tried to draw him in, but this was important.
She sighed and settled against him. “I know.”
The aspirin, ice, and woman were having a calming effect, and his heart rate slowed. “Then you understand, whether you like it or not, that I’ll do everything I have to in order to keep you safe. Even piss you off.”
“I don’t think—”
He cut her off before he dropped into sleep against his will. “You do think and you do know. Make sure that you really want this and you really want me, because I’ve never had anything or anybody that was just mine.” The words poured out of him with no filter, because his energy was gone. “There are consequences to being with me, whether you like it or not. Sleep on it
and let me know where we stand in the morning.” His words might’ve slurred on the end.
“Wolfe, I don’t want to argue with an injured man.” Her yawn cracked her jaw.
“There’s no argument.” He kissed her forehead. “Some things just are. Tell me you get me so we can sleep and heal.” He tightened his hold.
“Fine. I get you.” She buried her nose in his neck. “I can decide now and not wait until we wake up. I do really want this, but you need to know me, too.”
“Fair enough.”
She kissed his jaw, snuggled down, and was asleep in seconds.
Wolfe followed her into dreamland, hoping she really did understand him. He’d allowed his life and this relationship to enter the fuzzy gray zone where he wasn’t sure what was happening, and that had to end now. The crime scene had proven that.
It was time to hunt.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Tuesday morning landed with caramel-topped lattes for the entire crew. The unit had taken Monday off, but Wolfe had slept most of the day away, healing. By the time the morning arrived, Dana was stretched thin, wondering when Wolfe would want to have that discussion. Or rather, that fight.
Dana led Roscoe into the basement offices with Wolfe carrying the trays of lattes. She wanted to get going on work and tried not to champ at the bit to get back on this story and take down Theresa Rhodes and Gary Rockcliff for Candy.
She grabbed two lattes and hustled to case room one, where Serena was waiting. “Sorry about the delay.” They’d talked on their burner phones that morning. “Wolfe insisted on getting drinks.” She handed one over to the cryptologist.
“Thanks.” Serena gestured to the notes on the board. “There you go. They’re all deciphered, although it looks like some sort of shorthand that she intended to expand when she wrote the story. A lot of it doesn’t make sense to me, but now I’m passing it on to you.” She flipped her wrist over to read her watch. “I have to get to class. The summer school classes are some of my favorites, and I like the extra money in my checking account. Call me if you need me, and I’ll be here.”
Dana paused. “Thank you for doing this. Nobody else could have.”
“I’m happy to help. Let me know if you have any more puzzles.” Serena reached for her pens. “Want me to give any message to Jethro? He’s teaching today, too.”
Hmm. Did Serena want an excuse to talk to Jethro? Dana racked her brain for a response. “I don’t have anything specific, but I think he left a couple of books on Malcolm’s desk. Would you return those?” At least it was a fairly decent excuse for dropping by his office.
“Sure. No problem.” Serena skipped out.
Dana turned her attention to the deciphered notes, catching the sporadic connections. If each page dealt with a single subject, it would’ve been easy. But Candy had jumped around, as usual. Dana started with the page on Frank Spanek and read through his aliases, his arrests, and his known associates, moving on to Albert Nelson and then to Theresa Rhodes. The connection was clear, as Serena had detailed the other day.
She then moved to the page on Afghanistan, and her interest was piqued. Though Candy didn’t have Rock’s name anywhere, she had a nice timeline showing the theft and movement of the heroin, even posting several questions about an inside man from the military making it all happen.
Man, Candy had been good at her job. How odd that her story on women entrepreneurs connected to Wolfe’s investigation of Gary stealing the heroin. Life was strange sometimes.
Malcolm stepped inside at some point. “Hey. The HDD handlers are asking us each to go be interviewed about our team and a bunch of bull . . . crap. We’re only going to be able to hold them off for a few days or so. We’ll meet up this afternoon or tomorrow morning to prepare.”
Great. Dana knew the HDD wanted to shut down the team.
“Okay. Thanks.” Right now, she needed to finish this project before she started worrying about lying to federal agents. Did it matter if she was working for federal agents? Probably not. She stepped to the side to read the page featuring Albert Nelson, which included how to reach him, his Captive affiliation, and several other connections. She’d start researching the names and see if Brigid was up to conducting some deep dives.
After a couple of hours, Dana finished making her own notes, came up with a plan to conduct more research, and wondered if anybody had thought to order lunch.
Angus Force appeared in the doorway. “How’s it going with the deciphered notes?”
Dana partially turned, her gaze caught by the mottled bruises down the side of Angus’s face. “Ouch. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” A bruise over the entire right side of his face, giving him a black eye, belied the words, although his tone strongly suggested she agree with him.
She had enough to worry about with Wolfe’s injuries and wasn’t about to argue with Angus Force as well. “Candy did some incredible research.” Dana turned back to the papers taped to the board. “However, she wouldn’t use a complete sentence to save her life. These papers are more like lists and phrases, just to keep her straight and organized. We need to follow the trail she left.”
Angus prodded a bruise on his neck. “Sounds good. Anything interesting so far?”
“Yes.” She pointed to the page about Albert. “As you already know, Candy discovered that Nelson and Spanek were drug traffickers, and they worked with Theresa Rhodes and another partner, whom I’m assuming is Gary Rockcliff. There are also a number of places listed, and I’m not sure what those mean.” She pursed her lips. “The town of Culiacán is starred in two places.”
“Culiacán?” Angus drew abreast of her and studied the document. “Nice job, Dana.” He quickly strode out of the room.
“Wait a second.” Dana jogged after him. “What did you just figure out?”
Angus reached Wolfe’s desk. “We have a problem.”
Wolfe looked at Dana and then focused on Angus. “Define problem.”
Mal and Raider looked up from their desks, while Brigid and Nari emerged from their offices.
Angus planted a hand on his ribs and took a shuddering breath. “Dana has been looking at the journalist’s decoded notes, and it looks like Culiacán is the place in Mexico.”
“Oh.” Wolfe ground a palm into his left eye. “It wouldn’t be Culiacán itself, but areas in the mountains that are used for production. There are many labs there, so it would make sense that Gary chose that locale to process the heroin. We can reach out to our contacts—one of them should be able to pinpoint where the action is right now.”
“That’s not the problem,” Angus said quietly.
Dana stepped closer to Wolfe, her mind spinning. “What’s the problem?”
“Access,” Wolfe said, reaching for his burner phone. “I can get in.”
Angus shook his head and dropped a hand on Wolfe’s shoulder. “No way can you go in alone. These labs have decent security, and one soldier alone is too dangerous.”
What the heck was going on? “I’ll go with you,” Dana blurted out.
Angus looked over his shoulder. “You know how to parachute out of a military transport in the dead of night?”
Her mouth shut. Angus had been FBI, Raider and Nari HDD, and Malcolm an undercover police detective. They were all trained and dangerous, but Wolfe was the only one with special-teams experience and knowledge of parachuting, and she had no doubt she didn’t know half of his military background. “You are not going alone,” she said, putting her hands on her hips.
“We’re not even close to worrying about that,” he said, his phone paused on the way to his ear. “The plan is to destroy Gary’s heroin so he’ll come after me, tracking me to the cabin that Brigid kind of hid from him. But first, everyone needs to reach out to their contacts to locate the right lab. Brigid? You have to have friends in satellite surveillance.”
“No, but Raider does,” Brigid said. “I bet Millie Frost has connections there, too.”
Wolfe barked
more orders, and everyone set off to reach out to anybody who might have relevant information. Angus shut his office door, calling in favors.
Dana hesitated, reaching out for Wolfe’s arm. “You can’t go by yourself.”
He patted her hand, the bruises on his face standing out starkly. “Honey? What do you think I did in the military?”
* * *
Close to midnight, Wolfe paced around the conference room table, studying the map taped over his board. It had taken all day, but they’d been able to piece together the information they needed. “It has to be in that hilly region.”
Angus nodded. “All of my contacts confirm that.” He pointed to the rough terrain. “The other side has been raided lately, so my bet would be right here.” He used a permanent marker to circle an area next to a large hill. “Satellite imagery confirms the heat and power numbers are what we’re looking for.”
Wolfe shook out his numb ankle. It hadn’t been right since the explosion the other night.
Angus lobbed the pen onto the table, where it bounced once and then rolled a couple of inches. “All right. Everyone else has gone home to get a good night’s sleep. Let’s do the same, and we’ll plan the op tomorrow.”
“Good plan.” Wolfe wanted to get home to Dana, since she’d left hours earlier with Malcolm.
Force leaned against the table, lines cutting into the sides of his mouth. “I don’t have transport in, Wolfe. My connections don’t include military helicopters.”
“Mine do.” Wolfe had already made the call. “It’ll be a HAHO jump. I still have some good contacts in the military, and we’ll bill it as a training exercise.” After this, he was definitely out of favors.
“You’re not going alone,” Angus said.
Wolfe’s chest hurt. “My team is dead, Force. I can’t ask anybody currently with the military to break code and do it, and I’m not close enough to anybody discharged to ask. It’s just me, and that’s okay.”
“Jethro is going with you,” Force said, widening his stance as if expecting a fight.
Wolfe frowned. “I don’t know that guy well enough to work with him on this kind of op.”
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