She turned to him and Dakota. “Go talk to Austin again. And then sit on Talia. I don’t want her exposed. We need to have her back.”

  “What’s Niall doing?” Dakota asked.

  “Finishing at the compound and handing the scene over to the sheriff’s deputy who is supposed to work with state police,” Victoria said. “They’ll let us know if they find anything we didn’t.”

  An extra layer of protection? Josh figured these might be the first federal agents he’d ever met who were willing to admit they were humans. Fallible. Victoria might want her people re-tasked to more important assignments, but she also wasn’t assuming the search of the compound and all its buildings was complete.

  A new surge of respect for all of them rolled through him. The chance to be a part of this team would be great for his resume. It would also put him in the position to do what he had wanted to do when he’d applied to the DEA and with people he could learn from.

  He turned to Dakota. “Austin?”

  She nodded. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter 20

  The front doors to the hospital slid open. “Do you think they planned to test the VX at the prison by breaking out their friends?”

  Dakota hit the button for the elevator, wondering how long this would take. Talia was going to hang tight until they got to the motel but had no backup until they arrived.

  Dakota wasn’t certain their teammate was in danger. Still, worry coalesced in her stomach, making her nerves sit on edge.

  “Not really a test,” she said. “More like a plan.” They stepped inside the car, and she jabbed the button for the floor where Austin’s room was.

  “Like they had it figured out all along, that they’d cause a panic at the prison and stage a break out?”

  She shrugged. “Guess we’ll see if Austin wants to tell us.”

  “The alternative is running their backgrounds, right? Getting the case files that exist on each of them and going through them all in order to find a link between Clare’s people and whoever else they might still have a grudge with.”

  “Seems to me like they manage to tick off basically everyone they meet.” She shot him a wry smile. “It’s going to be hard to tell who they hate the most.”

  “True. And that’ll take days, right?”

  She nodded.

  “All for some kind of vendetta.”

  She didn’t miss the tone in his voice. “Maybe whoever they target isn’t so innocent.” They had no idea what Clare was going to do.

  “We still need to stop it. Those guards didn’t come in to work today expecting to die from exposure to VX. I understand it. Mentally I comprehend the fact they need to be stopped. Your father needs to be found. But whoever they’re going after, they could be worse than Clare and her people for all we know.”

  “So we let the bad guys kill each other?”

  “No, because there’s always fallout.” He stepped out of the elevator first, and they headed for Austin’s room. “Innocent people will always be caught in the crossfire.”

  She nodded, glad he understood that. And that he didn’t feel like he had to hide from her. He was thinking it through. Coming to a conclusion. And he was using her as a sounding board—something partners did.

  “And your father.”

  She paused at the door to Austin’s room. Exactly what did he think her father would add to the mix that changed things? It wasn’t like he knew—

  She opened her mouth to retort, but Josh beat her to it. “Don’t bite my head off.”

  “Do I do that?”

  His eyebrows rose.

  “I need access to a heavy bag if you want me to not yell at you on a regular basis.”

  He snorted. “Your people skills are astounding.”

  She grinned.

  “All I wanted to say was that his presence adds a level of risk.”

  “For other people, or Clare and her gang?”

  “All of them?”

  She shrugged. “Maybe. Hopefully yes, hopefully no. I don’t know his state of mind. I don’t know him. Not to say with any certainty what he might do. Or what he’d want to do. He could go along with her. She could force him to take the blame for what they’re going to do. He could be in charge. And he could kill them all and take the VX.”

  She blew out a breath just thinking about it.

  “Let’s find out what Austin knows.”

  She nodded, because the alternative was too frustrating to think through adequately. They needed information. The officer at the door noted their names on his pad and confirmed no one had been inside except hospital staff. And Austin had had no contact with anyone else.

  Josh wandered into the room, moved to the far door, and scoped out the bathroom. The teen studied him as he turned back to them. “I’m going to go get Talia while you two talk.”

  Dakota nodded, wondering when he’d decided that. He thought Austin was more likely to talk openly if she was the only one here? Or maybe he wanted to make sure Talia was protected, and let Neema out of the car in the process.

  He glanced at Austin once. Shot the kid a look that said a lot. He expected the teen to be respectful and to not try anything with Dakota. He made it clear she was under his protection, even in his absence.

  Then he stopped beside her. “I’ll be back.”

  Dakota nodded. He didn’t touch her, but she saw the desire to do so on his face. After he shut the door behind him, she sat in the chair she’d used before. The one pulled close to Austin’s bed.

  “I’m not saying anything.”

  “You look better.” She skimmed her gaze over his face. “Feel okay?”

  He mushed his lips together.

  “There was an incident at Inland Federal Prison. Multiple people are dead. Your aunt and brother broke Samuel Filks and Belvedore Staves out. They’re in the wind.”

  The skin around his mouth tightened.

  “No one came back for you, right?” She let that hang, then said, “They cut you loose, or did you leave of your own accord?”

  “I’m done.”

  “You should tell Gavin. He’d probably be happy to hear that.”

  His gaze slid to meet hers.

  “You didn’t want to be mixed up in this?” She could see in his eyes that she was right. “That might be the smartest thing I’ve heard all day.”

  Dakota sat back in the chair. “Now, it could take me days to comb through their lives, and their criminal backgrounds, to uncover the connection. Who is it they hate enough to enter a federal prison and break their friends out using VX? You could just tell me right now. Save me the hassle, and maybe some lives in the process.”

  She didn’t figure he cared about innocent people. Not the way Josh did. But she needed something from Austin, or you bet she would make good on her promise to drum up every charge she could against him. And make them all stick, too. He would have a legal battle ahead, but a good lawyer could argue duress, and there would be minimal consequences.

  He had to want to be free. He didn’t have the look of someone whose hope had died.

  She knew what that looked like. Because she’d seen it in the mirror.

  “Rough Riders.”

  “The motorcycle club?”

  He nodded and looked away from her.

  “Do you know who Harlem Roberts is?”

  Austin frowned. “I…maybe I’ve heard the name before. But I don’t know who that is.”

  She stood. “He was before your time.”

  The teen sniffed, disinterested now. “Okay.”

  Dakota wasn’t going to thank him. That would only highlight the fact he’d just betrayed Clare and his brother.

  Instead, at the door she said, “Sort your life out, Austin. It’s never too late.”

  She didn’t wait for his reaction. Just strode out, leaving him with that to chew on. The kid needed to make something of his life. Go to college.

  She’d joined the police academy. Some cops had degrees, but education hadn’t been her thing. She was too hands-on to be satisfied stuck behind a table, surrounded by books. She’d made her own way. Like she did with everything in her life.

  She glanced at the cop on duty outside Austin’s room. “Coffee?”

  He nodded. “Black.”

  “My kinda guy.”

  She headed for the elevator, her steps in time to the sound of his laughter echoing down the hallway. Who didn’t love coffee? Well, logically she knew some people didn’t. But that didn’t mean she understood it.

  The elevator doors opened. Dakota didn’t have time to gasp before the man inside grabbed her.

  . . .

  Josh knocked on the door before he used the keycard to let himself in.

  “Yep!”

  He opened the door mid-word. The sound of crunching circuit board made him stop. Talia lifted her foot and stomped the thing to bits.

  He felt his eyebrows lift. “Problems?”

  “Fixing them.” She looked up. “It’s not only part of Dakota’s job description, but mine too.”

  Josh grinned unable to keep from being captivated by her sheer personality. “Ready to go?”

  “One second.” She put one strap of a giant gold shoulder bag on her arm, then lowered things into it. An iPad. Phone. Keys.

  He gaped at the pieces scattered on the table. “Is that Dakota’s laptop?”

  “She won’t care. She hates the thing anyway.” She lifted a slim computer and slid that in as well. “I’ve done her a favor, and he can’t track me now.”

  They walked to the car, where she eyed Neema. “Does she need a walk?”

  “Do you need to walk?” Josh figured Talia would want some air after being at her computer for much of the day.

  She looked down. “In these shoes?”

  She lifted one—also gold—a slender, strappy shoe with a high heel.

  “Okay, maybe not.”

  She chuckled.

  “I’m not really a fashion kind of guy.”

  She placed one hand on her breastbone, fingers splayed out so he could see her manicure. “Really? I’d never have guessed.”

  Josh laughed. “Yeah, yeah.” He walked around the car and opened the passenger door for her. When he had Neema settled on the backseat, he turned the car on. “I threw the ball for her some, before I knocked on your door. She’s good with short spurts of exercise.”

  “Roger that.”

  Josh drove back to the hospital. The entrance was considerably busier than when he’d left. “What on earth?” He dropped Talia at the door and found a space across the lot. She was tapping her index fingernail on her phone when he sprinted over to find her in the lobby. “What’s going on?”

  “I was just filling in Victoria. Apparently Dakota killed a guy in the elevator.”

  They took the stairs up to the third floor. The hallway outside Austin’s room was packed with state police officers, though the officer on guard at the teen’s door had kept his position. In the center of the commotion was Dakota, blood at the corner of her mouth.

  “You okay?”

  She glanced over. Pissed. “He’s in there.” She motioned to the open elevator doors.

  Josh figured that was his cue to not get in her space and ask how she was doing. Right now she was in work mode, like Neema when he strapped on her vest. Surrounded by local cops, Dakota didn’t want to be asked about her feelings.

  He moved to the elevator, getting out of the way of investigators, and looked in.

  Terrence’s friend, the one who’d been at the orchard that first night, lay on the floor of the elevator. His chest was covered in blood. Black covered the area around the hole. Doctor Stevens was crouched over him.

  Josh said, “Close range.” Inside the elevator, there was nothing else it could be.

  Stevens glanced at him. She lifted a tiny unlabeled bottle between two fingers. “On his person, he had a vial of what I’m going to surmise is the VX.”

  To kill Austin.

  “Phone?” Josh asked.

  “They retrieved it already.”

  He walked back over to Dakota. Talia was beside her, back-to-back, typing on her laptop she’d opened on the nurse’s desk. A cord from her USB port was plugged into a phone.

  “Is that his cell?”

  Dakota said, “Yes.”

  “Anything?”

  “Read it for yourself,” Talia said, waving at it. “There’s no passcode. Just a single text. Get A. bring him to breakers.”

  Talia pulled up a map. The state police officer with lieutenant stripes on his shoulder pointed at the screen. “Right there. Three mile hike from the parking lot. State land, popular with outdoors people. Breakers is a campground.”

  “Bring him?” Josh asked. “Not kill him and then meet us.”

  Dakota shrugged. “Maybe he wasn’t good at following orders.”

  “Looks like we might be going for that walk after all.” Josh glanced between the two women.

  “Have fun.” Talia shot him a grin. “Get me a souvenir.”

  “You don’t want any of what Neema’s going to leave behind.” Josh waved a hand in front of his nose. “Stinky.”

  Talia laughed. Dakota said, “What are you guys talking about?”

  He shook his head, then turned to the Lieutenant. “Can Special Agent Pierce leave, or do you need her here longer?”

  “She’s good.” The older man nodded. “We have what we need.”

  “And if I want to stay?”

  “Do you?”

  “No, but—”

  Josh nodded in the direction of the stairs. “Then let’s go.”

  The task gave him a focus point, one he used to push aside the pain in his chest. Dakota shifted as she walked and held her left forearm with the right hand. She stretched out her shoulder.

  “Dislocated?” Maybe the doctors had put it back before he got there, but seriously? That would make her some kind of bionic woman.

  She shook her head. “He slammed me into the wall. It’s just bruised.”

  “I think we both used up our quota of allowable injuries for this year. No more fights until next year.”

  She grinned. “I’ll add that to my list of goals.”

  Josh had a few things he’d like to add to his, like more hugs and maybe even a real kiss this time. But he didn’t think she wanted to hear about that right now. He was going for baby steps. Introducing her to the concept of togetherness in a way that made it seem natural.

  He’d never wanted to achieve a resolution more than he did the goal of getting something going with her.

  Job or not, this was what would make him happy. Her too, if he did it right. The rest would fall however God allowed.

  The ride to the park took forty minutes, the hike to Breakers another hour. Most of it was incline. A steep rise up the side of a mountain, along a winding trail probably used by animals more than people.

  Both of them were breathing hard when they got to the campground—inaccessible by car—but Neema didn’t seem fazed. The dog bounded to a tree, sniffed around. Squatted. So much for that business face. Then came back over to him, long enough to lick his fingers before she raced away again.

  “It’s beautiful.”

  “Off the beaten path,” Dakota said.

  He nodded. It took a certain kind of person to haul their belongings from the car to a place like this. Most would rather drive to the site and hook their trailer up to electricity.

  He’d never understand why people needed air conditioning and Wi-Fi when they were supposed to be enjoying the outdoors.

  “Think we missed them?”

  Josh shrugged, turning his attention to Neema. Her body language had switched. “She caught something.”

  “Like a mouse?”

  “No,” Josh moved to follow his dog. “I don’t think it’s a mouse.”

  Neema barked once, then sat.

  Beyond her was a body.

  “Guess we should go and take that cadaver dog training course.” He ran a hand over her chin, down past her collar to scratch her front while she leaned against his leg.

  “Seems to me she could probably teach the course.” Dakota stepped around the man, sprawled on the dirt. “That’s two bodies in three days.”

  True. “Who is it?”

  “I’m getting there.” She moved to see the face that was angled away from him. She looked up, something in her eyes he couldn’t decipher. “Is it bad that part of me doesn’t want to know?”

  He took a step toward her. “Let me—”

  “I got it.” She crouched. “Terrence.”

  “They killed him?”

  Dakota sighed. “Pretty big knot on his forehead. Maybe he fell.”

  “You really think that?”

  “No,” she said. “I really don’t.”

  Chapter 21

  Tears threatened. And why? This guy had beaten her. Now he was dead. How was it that she even cared?

  Dakota stood up. Her shaky legs took her away from the body. The scene. In this state she was bound to miss something and wind up compromising evidence.

  She leaned her hand against a tree and hung her head. Sucked in breaths.

  “Dakota?”

  Those tears threatened to spill out. Why did he have to sound so gentle? Like he actually cared about her. That had never happened before.

  She’d always kind of assumed that a deep level of concern was something that came after years of a relationship. Why else would she never have experienced it?

  He took a step closer. She held up one finger then pulled out her phone and sent Talia a text letting the team know where they were and what they’d found. Then she stowed the phone away. “I’m okay.”

  He had the decency to not call her on her fib when they both knew she was far from all right. Neither men had been good. Not the friend—whatever his name was—she’d killed in the elevator. And not Terrence, either. But death was death, and it was always ugly. There was nothing noble about it.

  “Hey.” His hand slid under her hair, and his palm touched the skin of her neck.

 

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