“But how will you show up without being seen?” Elijah asked.

  “I’ll figure it out on the way,” Walsh quipped.

  “Keep your phones on so we have GPS tracking,” Eliana said.

  “Roger that. We’ll be in touch,” Dani said.

  Walsh straightened. “First, we pray.”

  The group’s voices rose in prayer for safety, protection, wisdom and resolution. At the collective amen, Dani felt empowered. They disconnected just as local law enforcement arrived to take their report of the shooting.

  “I’ll handle this and get us on the road,” Walsh said, exiting the vehicle.

  Dani twisted around, facing Knox. “Did Jayne really do this?” she wondered aloud. “And how am I supposed to be a mother for Tessa if Jayne doesn’t survive?”

  Knox offered his tender, compassionate gaze.

  What choice did she have? Jayne had listed Dani as Tessa’s guardian, transferring the complete responsibility of her only child to Dani. Had she updated her will before their most recent conversation? The promise Dani had made to her friend to care for Tessa suddenly fell into place. Jayne’s trust in Dani spoke of the love and friendship between the women. Tessa was the most precious part of Jayne’s heart. If she died, Dani owed it to her to ensure Tessa’s happiness and health.

  Yet, the insecurity creeped into her mind again, reminding Dani of her failures in marriage with Mark. She wasn’t mother material.

  Instead, she’d make the ultimate sacrifice and find the best home in the world for Tessa, with proper parents who’d devote their lives to caring for her. That was the only correct option.

  Her job was to ensure justice for Jayne, regardless of the outcome. She refused to believe Jayne had willingly gotten involved with a known fugitive criminal for the sake of weapons trafficking. Jayne was innocent in this, or at the very least, her involvement was based on coercion or threats. She wouldn’t endanger Tessa.

  Still, Jayne had thought ahead, naming Dani in her living will. Had Jayne feared for her life? Did twentysomething women make wills? She’d never considered that when she was Jayne’s age. Lord, please heal her.

  Years of working in law enforcement had worn on her. She was tired of dealing with the dregs of society. Maybe being a full-time mother to Tessa was possible. She could take an early retirement.

  She glanced up, catching her reflection in the visor mirror. Hope, dread, and fears mingled in her mind. Husbands left, but just as she’d stayed faithfully by her mother’s side, Tessa might do the same. Her adopted daughter wouldn’t abandon her.

  Resolved, Dani closed her eyes and prayed for the courage to walk through her biggest fear. If she faced that hurdle, she’d take care of the innocent baby who had stolen her heart.

  * * *

  Dread consumed Walsh. For the hundredth time since Dani received the kidnapper’s text, he debated turning around. “We should reevaluate. Let’s slow down and develop a solid plan rather than cower to this maniac’s demands.”

  “What other options are there?” Dani argued. “If we don’t comply, Aiden DeLuca dies. Worse, Tessa, Jayne, and I ultimately remain in danger. We’ve got one shot at taking this guy down. It’s the first time he’s crawled out from under his rock. Our phones have GPS capabilities and Knox has an AirTag on his collar. Your team’s tracking our location.”

  At the mention of his name, the Dobie mix popped his head between the divider doors.

  Walsh couldn’t dispute Dani’s reasoning. “This is probably a trick. When Prachank discovers we don’t have what he wants, things will get ugly.”

  “We’ll convince him we took precautions as our insurance. We haven’t got the weapons, but we’ll lead him to them. Then HFTF does the takedown.” Dani’s phone chimed again. “Turn on Highway 20 eastbound.”

  Walsh complied with the instructions randomly forcing them on and off county roads and highways. “He’s playing games.”

  “He’s using the share location app to trace us. The ridiculous zigzagging ensures we’re not being followed and that we don’t call ahead for backup.”

  Again, Dani’s logical reasoning made sense.

  “Should I worry that you think like a criminal?” Walsh teased.

  “Maybe.” She joked and glanced down at a new text message. “Turn into Boone and drive to Ledges State Park,” she instructed Walsh.

  “He’s taking us to an open space?”

  “Ledges has trails and bluffs.”

  “High ground to oversee his prey. Great.” He didn’t hide his sarcasm.

  She read the next text aloud. “‘Park at the Ledges’ lower lot until I give you further instructions.’”

  Walsh pulled into the empty parking area. Not surprising, considering it was a weekday morning, but disconcerting, nonetheless.

  Dani texted, advising they’d arrived.

  “I don’t like this.”

  “You’ve made that clear,” she quipped. Her phone chimed again.

  Hike Lost Lake Trail and wait under the shelter.

  They exited the SUV and Walsh leashed Knox while Dani snagged a portable bowl and bottled water from the team’s supply box. She tucked the items into her purse and they trekked the path. Humidity hung thick and their boots crunched on the dirt. At the divide in the trail, they paused. Stone steps led upward while the other direction offered a descent around the lake.

  “Any preference?” Dani asked.

  “Higher ground always,” Walsh said.

  Ascending the narrow steps surrounded by thick foliage, neither spoke, listening for danger. Birds trilled happily from the copse of trees.

  Signs depicting Lost Lake Trail guided them, taking them on a shift in direction as they made the descent around a small body of water.

  “Resembles a big pond.” Dani swatted at a swarm of assaulting mosquitos.

  Soft green moss blanketed the lake and low-hanging tree limbs hovered over the calm water. “That’s too generous. It’s swamplike,” Walsh said.

  A metal shelter with a table stood on the opposite side.

  “Let’s do a little recon before we move under that,” Walsh suggested. “Have Knox search for explosives.”

  “Good idea.”

  They parted, scooting into the foliage. Knox cleared the area without issue, concluding their mission, and they entered the shelter.

  “The silence is unnerving.” Dani tugged Knox closer.

  A dragonfly buzzed past Walsh’s face. Frogs croaked in the distance, filling the atmosphere with their calls.

  Dani filled the collapsible travel bowl from her purse with water. “I’m grateful your team stores canine supplies in all the vehicles.”

  Walsh smiled.

  A message dinged on Dani’s phone. She passed the device to Walsh.

  Where are the guns?

  He was watching them. Not that Walsh expected anything less.

  Dani replied.

  Will take you to them.

  Again, the cell pinged with a text and her eyes widened as she read it. She turned it to Walsh. “We need to get out of here.”

  The message—You lied!—included a picture of Walsh and Dani standing beside the lake.

  The angle implied Prachank stood on the same level as they did.

  “Get to higher ground,” Walsh said.

  Gunshots exploded, rupturing tree bark next to them.

  Walsh pulled Knox closer, and the trio dashed behind a large boulder.

  They bolted up the narrow passage bordering the lake to the stone steps. Bullets flew around them from what seemed like random directions.

  Dani cried out.

  Walsh turned to see her splayed out on the path.

  “Are you hit?”

  “I tripped, I’m fine! Go!”

  He helped Dani to her feet, and they resumed their escape.

  “Wait!” Dani withdrew her phone and deactivated the location sharing app. “Okay.”

  Walsh spotted a lesser traveled trail, descending to the Des Moines River. Stone walls and crevices offered hiding places.

  They hiked down the steep embankment to a large opening in the rock. Ducking inside, they repositioned to peek out.

  “Is he gone?” Dani kept Knox beside her.

  The stillness lingered around them.

  “I think so.” Walsh withdrew his phone and frowned. “Of course, I have no reception here.”

  “How long do we wait?”

  “If he’s watching for us to materialize, let him believe he lost us.”

  Birds resumed their nature calls and, after twenty minutes, they emerged from their hiding place.

  “Use the river to trace back to the parking area,” Walsh suggested. “If he’s waiting on the path, he’ll trap us.”

  “Agreed.”

  They trekked the gravelly embankment, searching for purchase on the sandy shore. Frothy scum plagued the water, and the cliffs concealed them if the assailant stalked from overhead.

  They reached an opening between the bank and river. Climbing through the thick foliage to the path, they paused. Knox sniffed a leafy bush.

  Walsh leaned closer, detecting what had captured the dog’s attention. “It’s a casing!”

  He used a stick to collect and pocket the evidence.

  They cautiously trekked to the main road and finally reached the parking lot. Someone had shattered the windows and broken into the SUV.

  “Thanks for not slashing these tires,” Walsh mumbled sarcastically.

  “I’d call this in, but I have no cell phone reception.”

  “Take pictures to document the scene.”

  They worked together, capturing images on their phones.

  Walsh started the engine, voicing aloud a prayer of thanks that the attacker hadn’t messed with the vehicle’s mechanics. He cleaned a place for Knox while Dani did the same, brushing off the glass from the seats.

  “Hey, Walsh?”

  “Yeah?”

  Knox sniffed at the section between the door and the floorboard. Walsh used his cell’s flashlight app, illuminating a small piece of yellowed paper. Snapping a picture first, he donned a latex glove from the equipment stash and withdrew the sheet. “It’s ten digits.” He held it up for her to see.

  “I recognize the 202-area code. It’s a Washington, DC, number. Good job, Knox,” Dani cooed. “Let’s get out of here and call it.”

  They loaded into the SUV and drove out of the park.

  Once Walsh’s cell showed service, he said, “Please dial the team on speakerphone.”

  “We lost track of you!” Eliana exclaimed when she answered.

  “We had no reception in the area.” Walsh offered a quick explanation of events.

  “That’s why he chose the location,” Elijah observed. “He planned to trap you and steal the weapons.”

  “He made them hike, allowing time to break into the SUV,” Riker replied.

  “If he intended to kill us, he had the opportunity,” Dani said.

  “Shooting is Prachank’s MO,” Walsh said. “Breaking into the SUV is not.”

  “Prachank is more in-your-face,” Tiandra agreed. “He’s likely to attack you on the road, as those creeps did earlier.”

  “Nothing registers with this case,” Dani grunted.

  “We’re returning with the casing,” Walsh replied. “Skyler, you’ll need to run it ASAP.”

  “Roger that,” she responded.

  Walsh continued, “Riker, try to convince Marissa to go with you to the Rock. If she refuses—”

  “Actually, sir,” Riker interrupted, “Marissa already booted me off the ranch. I’m at the Rock.”

  “I wish that surprised me,” Walsh groused.

  Dani smirked.

  “We’re monitoring the ranch’s video feed,” Eliana assured.

  “Thank you,” Walsh said.

  “Before we end this call, Dani’s texting a picture of a piece of paper Prachank or whoever broke into the SUV left. Whether on purpose or accidentally, we’re not sure.”

  “You think it was intentional? As in the reason for the break-in?” Riker asked.

  “Possibly.” Dani swiped at the screen and forwarded the text. “Eliana, can you reverse trace the number?”

  “Absolutely,” she answered.

  “That’s the ATF headquarters office!” Skyler blurted.

  Dani and Walsh exchanged a confused look.

  “You’re certain?” Walsh asked.

  “Yes!” Skyler said.

  “Why would Prachank leave that?” Graham asked.

  “Dig into it,” Walsh ordered.

  “We’re on it!” Chance assured him.

  They disconnected, and Walsh faced Dani. “Where do we go from here?”

  “This will tell us everything.” She used a latex glove, lifting the casing to study it. “It’s different. I’ve not seen this before.”

  “The whole investigation feels that way.”

  They drove in silence for several miles.

  “We’re covered.”

  “For now,” Dani said. “But at some point, I have to face the fact that Jayne might not make it out of this alive or free from prison.”

  Surprised by her admission, Walsh listened, not daring to speak.

  “Am I delusional to be Tessa’s guardian?” The whisper resembled a rhetorical question.

  Walsh was unsure whether to answer. At her probing look, he took the cue. “You’re capable of doing anything you set your mind to.”

  Their gazes held for several seconds. “Thank you,” she said, giving his arm a gentle squeeze.

  Walsh didn’t move, though her touch sent electric shocks through him. The image of the two of them caring for Tessa as a family flashed before him.

  And it scared him speechless.

  FOURTEEN

  Dani’s knee ached from the fall she’d taken at Lost Lake the day before, but she wouldn’t complain. Eager to check on Tessa, she hurried into the HFTF building, Knox at her side.

  “Where’s the fire?” Walsh teased.

  “Sorry.” She held the door open for him.

  Refreshed from a full night of exhausted sleep at the condo, she couldn’t wait to hold Tessa.

  They stopped to see the baby first, greeted with smiles from Troopers Ulrich and Nguyen.

  “Hello sweet girl!” Dani pulled Tessa close.

  “She’s so much fun,” Trooper Nguyen said.

  “Thank you both. I’d like to take her upstairs for a little while,” Dani said.

  “We’ll give you both a short break.” Walsh smiled.

  “Roger that,” Ulrich replied with a yawn. “She was up early this morning.”

  Walsh and Dani hurried to the Rock. The team hadn’t arrived yet. Dani dropped into the closest chair, surprised when Walsh sat beside her and reached for Tessa. “May I?”

  Dani hesitantly passed the infant to him.

  Tessa seemed tiny in his massive arms. He gently patted her back, laughing as she poked at his short hair.

  “This is the first I’ve seen you interact with Tessa,” Dani said.

  He made funny sounds, eliciting the child’s laughter. “Couldn’t tell you she’s my kryptonite.”

  Dani blinked. “You like kids?” She’d assumed the opposite.

  “Of course. Once dreamed of having a huge family.” He glanced at her over Tessa’s head. “Losing that hope left me hesitant to connect with any child. But after talking with my bossy sister,” he paused with a grin, “I realized keeping a distance is ridiculous.”

  “I had you all wrong.”

  “Hopefully, that’s a good thing,” he said.

  Dani smiled. “It is.” Even though the glimpse into his heart added to her growing attraction, his comment reactivated her self-protection shield. Walsh had wanted a family, something they wouldn’t have in common. Mark had claimed he didn’t want children. Then he’d divorced Dani, married another woman, and fathered several kids. Just like her father had done to her mother. She shoved away the unpleasant thoughts.

  “Those days are gone with retirement knocking,” Walsh interrupted.

  “What’s the mandatory age for the marshals?”

  “Fifty-seven. I’ve got four years left.” He snorted. “They’ll take my badge and my identity. In my mind, I’m still twenty-five. Although my body claims a much older version of me.” He laughed and made another silly face at Tessa.

  “I’m right behind you with no idea what to do when I’m not employed anymore.”

  “Me either. Sometimes that scares me more than the danger I’ve faced.” Walsh’s heartfelt confession touched Dani.

  The team arrived, interrupting their discussion. Once they’d assembled around the table, Walsh called the meeting to order. “We need a lead to move forward. The attacks don’t coincide with one kidnapper.”

  Chance added, “If Prachank has Aiden, who bombed the cave in Decorah?”

  “Someone had access to the missing cache of munitions, and he’s used some of them on us,” Walsh noted. “Additionally, he’s kept up with our locations, and that concerns me.” He faced Eliana.

  She took the cue, jumping into the discussion. “Dani’s department-issued cell was most likely how the bomber traced you.”

  “No way. It’s gotta be Walsh’s?” Dani said, cringing inwardly at her defensiveness.

  “His is a possibility,” Eliana conceded. “However, we encrypt our devices. For safety reasons, it’s best we move you both to burner phones.”

  “I don’t know...” Dani argued. Having her phone taken away was like having an appendage removed. She needed it to do her job at GIPD, and it was also her link to Jayne. She hated being reliant on a device, but she didn’t want to surrender it.

  “Not a problem,” Walsh said, sliding his cell across the table to Eliana.

  Dani considered the request. “Can’t we deactivate the GPS tracking or something?”

 

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