Chapter 16
“I’m almost finished here in the kitchen,” Alfred said. “You don’t need to help me.”
She smiled. “I think the men wanted to talk.”
He nodded. “Making more plans.”
“Can’t say I’d be much help with that.” She walked over to the commercial dishwasher. “However, I do know what to do with this.”
He chuckled. “Then have at it.”
They worked in companionable silence for a few moments, and then she said, “Do you think he’ll likely try again?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Oh.” She said in a small voice. “Maybe it’s better for me to leave.”
“It won’t change anything. Besides Dakota won’t let you.”
She nodded. “I guess that makes sense.” She kept working away, looking for an answer to this mess.
“You don’t need to feel guilty. This is what these men do. They are in there making plans. Pretty soon someone will fill us in.”
She gave him a sideways look. “The men will come get you. I’m nothing.”
He gave a chuckle. “You’re a big part of this.”
Sure enough, Dakota came to the kitchen and said, “Alfred, Bailey, we need you in here for a moment.”
The two walked into the dining room.
Levi had a roster on the table and was going over it with the others. “Run four-hour shifts, security outside.”
“Why outside?”
“Because, despite our best efforts, we can’t get that camera in the blind spot back working today. So, somebody will be on the hill always. Four-hour shifts.”
Bailey popped up and said, “I can do that.”
Dakota snorted. “Why? So he can pick you off on the hill right off the bat?”
“Sure.” She glared at him. “It’s better than him picking you guys off.”
“Nobody will be picking anybody off,” Levi said. “But these men here are trained for this, and you’re not, Bailey.” His tone of voice was gentle, kind.
She appreciated the consideration. At the same time she wanted to contribute. “Can I help in any way?”
He shook his head. “No, I don’t want you wandering around the building from this moment on. Seven o’clock on, you need to stay in your room.”
She nodded. “I can do that.”
“If there’s any disturbance at all, you’re to pair up and stay with somebody. We do not want anybody unaccounted for. Twelve of us are on this compound at this moment. Make sure we know where all twelve are every moment of the day.”
“Should we pair up now?” Bailey asked. “That way we always have an eye on somebody else.”
“Technically that would work,” Levi admitted. “Most of them will be paired up anyway, since I’m pulling men to run the four-hour shifts.”
“And the women have roles to play when we need them too. Most prefer to stay locked in their rooms, waiting for the men to come back,” Ice stated calmly. “But they are on call if we need them.”
Ice was running a shift in the control room. But other than that, Bailey was alone. Alfred was alone. Dakota was alone, but she wasn’t sure anybody else here was. She still didn’t have a handle on who lived here permanently as half the crew was gone on vacation or on a mission.
They discussed a few other issues; then Levi set up the schedule. Dakota would be outside on sentry duty, and Ice was in the control room on security detail. Stone was inside security; then he would relieve Dakota as sentry.
All that information running through her head made her more than a little nervous. Only one thing she could do—stay out of the way. She was more than willing to do that. She had her tablet, so she would find something to do.
Back in her room she sat down, wishing she’d had a chance to say good-bye to Dakota. To tell him to be careful. But he’d disappeared with Levi to talk about weapons. She understood now a full armory existed in the compound. Instead of making her nervous, it reassured her. The men were all trained to use any of those weapons.
She’d never seen anything like this. Or been surrounded by warriors like she was. She couldn’t imagine what this place was like when it was full up. She kept hearing they had several men out on jobs. And a couple women were away on business, and one was visiting family. All in all, it would be quite a family gathering when they came back. Of course Bailey wouldn’t be here that long.
She had a lot of decisions to make about her own future. She was still okay with her job, as far she knew. She did feel a sense of freedom not having a lot of belongings anymore, but the mess at her apartment still had to be cleaned up.
Luckily she had saved the items from her husband.
Thinking of that, she walked over to the box she’d brought back. She opened the lid with the photos and the memories. She smiled when she saw their wedding photo. He looked so healthy and happy. Little did they know he was already very sick inside. He had no pain. Never showed any discomfort.
By the time she got to the bottom of the box she was sniffling, but it was no longer with the same heartache, the same ripping agony going through her soul. And neither was she bawling. That was progress.
There was a knock on her door.
“Come in.”
Dakota stepped inside, smiled at her, saw the box in her hand, and his smile fell away.
She put the box off to the side. “You are heading out?”
He nodded. “I am. I’ll be out four hours. Will I see you when I get back?”
“No, I’ll be asleep by then.”
He walked over to her. “Are you okay? You were upset earlier.”
She shifted gently for her back’s sake. “Actually I’m feeling okay about it all. I’m still sorry for the detective though. Even though the intruder managed to get in last night, I’m feeling safe. Except that I’m not sure about you.”
He raised an eyebrow. “What about me?”
“You’ll be walking to the top of the hill, looking to see if anybody is coming at us, yet you’ll possibly end up being a victim too.”
He shook his head. “I won’t be a victim. We are all trained, so don’t worry. This is what I do. This is what we all do.”
She gave him a quick glance. “I know all that, but shit happens.”
He chuckled. “Shit does happen, and it happens often, but we know that. We expect that.”
She slowly stood up. “Any chance of a hug before you go?”
He opened his arms. “Actually that’s what I came for.”
She gave him a delighted smile. “Glad to hear it.” She walked into his arms, and for a long moment they just stood in peaceful silence.
He stepped back. “Stay in here, and stay safe.” He chucked her on the chin.
She smiled, repeated the gesture under his chin and said, “Stay safe outside.”
He leaned over and kissed her on her forehead and walked out.
She watched as the door closed. And realized just how very wrong that kiss from him was. It hadn’t been a kiss of a lover. It hadn’t even necessarily been a kiss of a friend. Instead it was almost fatherly. As if he wanted to show he cared but didn’t feel he could do more than a chaste kiss to her head. That was so wrong.
She sat back down and thought about the changes she’d been through, the turmoil she’d been through, and how far she’d come.
Then she realized she hadn’t really let him know she was over her husband’s death. So far he’d been extremely circumspect in looking after her. Sure, she had no idea if the interest was there on both sides. But he’d never in any way shown himself to be seriously interested in her, as if he was just waiting for her to encourage him. He was interested but not ready to do anything about it.
Confused, not sure what she was saying to herself, she realized the real issue was the fact she was pretty sure he thought she wasn’t ready for another relationship. That she was still grieving for her husband.
And he was wrong. But he wouldn’t know that. She glanced down at the box on the bed and smiled. If one good thing had come from this madness, this drama had helped her look at the last few years and all she’d gone through to understand she was ready to move on.
*
Some nights you can see forever, where the moonlight splashed across the ground, showing you every rock, every hill, every dip in the ground. With such clarity you could hike for miles. Tonight was not one of those nights. It was hard going in the darkness. Dakota wasn’t quite as familiar with the terrain as the others were. But he knew perfectly well where he should be and shouldn’t be as he hunkered down around the brush near the entrance to the tunnel, his eyes adjusting to the darkness.
Running lights in the tunnel were both good and bad. They were great for seeing where you were going, but they also posed a problem because, while your eyes adjusted to the half-light, you were momentarily blind as you stepped out of the tunnel into a night like tonight.
He was in the clear. No vehicle was below, although he didn’t know what was going on with the camera still.
He tapped his comm twice to give the signal, then settled down to wait. He was on the top of the peak, the tunnel just below him, bushes to the side, and he had a view of the road as it wandered toward town.
As he sat, he let his mind drift to thoughts of Bailey, her husband, Detective Mannford and the mayor. Instead of tumbling and jumbling in his mind, he let the thoughts pass through. He looked at each one quietly and let them slip on by. His brain operated better that way.
Thankfully it was dry outside. With the hard rain that had been flashing back and forth the last couple days, he was happy to see the ground was dusty again. It was easier to hear footsteps in the wild when conditions were dry. With his months of SEAL training, he had learned to be as quiet and stealthy as any of the animals that lived and hunted beside them.
In the far distance, he could see vehicle lights as they headed toward the little nearby town. Both going in opposite directions. Dakota was just high enough to see the beams of light as they traveled on the main roads. But nothing came down this way. It didn’t mean somebody wasn’t coming on foot though.
He let his gaze drift over the hillsides, stopping when he noticed movement. He caught the hint of more activity, though he wasn’t sure what he had found. Other animals would be out hunting. But he knew in his gut the one they were looking for would show tonight.
There was still the mayor issue too. Dakota wished there was a follow-up on the henchman. He was looking a little too much like a patsy in the shooting of the mayor too. Not that Dakota hated politicians, but he hated politics in general and found most politicians to be liars. He knew honest ones were out there in the world, but he’d yet been honored to meet one. Still he had to keep an open mind.
He just couldn’t stop thinking that maybe the mayor had shot himself. It was a hard shot to make. There would be GSR on his hand, and the wound would look very different if the gun barrel had been pressed against the skin.
It should be easy enough for the police to look into. And the mayor wasn’t stupid. Maybe he’d hired somebody to take care of shooting him in the shoulder. With two men still on the run, it could be either one of them that showed up tonight again. Dakota doubted there’d be a third person involved. Two gunmen not working together were already two too many.
Dakota loved being outdoors, being one with the land. He was comfortable with his job, comfortable with the skills he used naturally. Yet there was always more he’d like to learn. What he did, he did well.
He was considering shifting his position when something moved into the area of his sight. He watched as a coyote picked his way across the brush. Dakota was still adjusting to the native wildlife of Texas versus California, but coyotes were everywhere here.
Turning his head ever-so-slightly he checked the area to his left. He didn’t use binoculars but had brought up his rifle scope. The glint of the moonlight was not much but still enough to give away his position. A pro would also see any movement he made. Still, he needed to check the position behind him.
He slowly sank back to the ground behind the brush and then twisted to look behind him. All was clear. But it didn’t feel clear. His instincts still plowed into his stomach, nudging, poking and prodding him.
He knew Bailey would be tucked up in bed. And he had to admit he’d love to be there with her. At least to just hold her and let her know she was safe. He had to move cautiously. She was a long way from being ready for a relationship. He wasn’t sure he was the patient type. But he would find out. There was just something about her. Something about her smile. He also didn’t know if she was interested in him. She was leaning on him, accepting the help he could provide. Although she’d been resistant at the beginning, she certainly felt comfortable accepting everyone’s help now.
She had also stepped up and had been a trooper helping Alfred. That she loved to cook and was obviously a gifted chef was just another plus on her side. He knew she’d fit in. In fact, she’d fit in beautifully. He wondered if Levi would consider hiring her as help for Alfred. But then Dakota didn’t know if that was what she wanted. It was part of her history. Maybe she had walked away from it and was happy to stay away. Helping somebody out in a pinch was a whole different story than taking it on as a career again.
But it would keep her close. It would keep her where he could slowly work on developing a relationship with her. He tossed it around in his mind, wondering if Levi would hire Bailey to help Alfred.
Dakota had to admit his reasons were selfish, and Levi would know it. No matter what arguments Dakota came up with, Levi and Ice would know. Hell, everyone would know.
An hour into his four-hour session, he tapped his comm twice to let them know he was still here and still fine. With his eyes ever watching, another hour passed by quietly. By the time he came to the end of his four-hour shift, he wondered if his instincts had been off.
Until a bush not too far off moved. He froze, then pivoted behind the bushes to peer down the hillside where he’d heard the sound. Nothing moved. Then a long figure detached itself and climbed again. Dakota tapped his comm three times and three times again to let his team know company was coming.
He let his focus settle on the intruder. He was too far away to determine if it was the same person as last time. But the guy moved silently. Low to the ground. Swiftly, surely crossing the distance to the compound. He hadn’t driven so he’d come cross-country. But had he come alone? Without losing track of his quarry, Dakota searched the hills to the side.
From a tap in his earpiece, he understood Rhodes had taken a position on the far side. Their quarry would be sandwiched between them. Only Dakota was at the entrance point where the intruder appeared to be heading. Rhodes would come up behind him, and they’d pinch him in place. At least that was the plan. Dakota watched, never taking his gaze from the man as he moved closer, silent and as deadly as any predator of the night.
Stone and Ice would’ve picked him up on camera by now. Dakota waited. They should have another man inside the tunnel, but they were running short on staff. He shifted closer then hunkered down. As it was, it would be awkward to pull himself out of hiding before the intruder pulled the tunnel door open. A warm glow immediately lit up his profile. Good he didn’t know about the kill switch for the running lights.
The intruder revealed the small handgun he kept almost hidden within the palm of his hand.
Just as the intruder stepped inside the tunnel, rifles were cocked.
Levi’s hard voice called, “I don’t think so.”
Instantly Dakota was behind the man, his own handgun pressed against the man’s lower spine. He removed the handgun from the intruder and pocketed it. Then he slipped off the assault rifle from the man’s shoulder and shifted it over his own. To Levi, Dakota said, “I’ve got a gun on him, taken his weapons.”
“All clear,” Ice said.
By the time Levi had searched the intruder and had handcuffs on his wrists, Rhodes had joined them. With one last glance into the darkness around them, they moved the intruder inside the house and downstairs to the jail.
Dakota wanted to believe this was now over. But he had a nagging doubt that the asshole hadn’t come alone. Usually pros worked alone. Not only did they not have to share the paycheck but nobody could double-cross them. But nothing about this was straightforward so far.
With the man unarmed, and all his weapons broken down into pieces, it would take at least a few minutes to put them back together, in case he somehow got free and grabbed one of them. Dakota turned his attention to the intruder. Levi pulled off the full-face mask. And they all froze. It was not the pervious intruder. It was yet another stranger.
“Oh, shit.” Levi jogged to the side wall for the intercom. Dakota snapped up his weapons and said, “I’m on it.” He raced back upstairs and checked the main floor. Into his comm he said, “Ice, did anybody else come through of the tunnel?”
“No, not that we’ve seen. But we should add sensors in there at first chance. What’s the matter?”
“It’s not the previous intruder. It’s a stranger.”
He could hear her shocked silence. “We’ll do a full sweep upstairs and move down each floor, but we haven’t seen any other intruder enter.”
“No guarantee there is a second one, but this doesn’t feel right. I’ll head back to the outside tunnel entrance and make sure everything is secured. Levi and Rhodes have this guy.”
“After this we are putting in a proper jail,” Ice snapped. “One where nobody can get the hell out.”
As he raced along the tunnel, Dakota understood how she felt. It was one thing to catch these guys, but to lose them again and have to recatch them was a pain in the ass. He slipped out into the night once again. It took a good ten minutes to search the hills, but the night felt empty. He knew he could be wrong, but he was itching to go back inside and check the house.
Even though Ice had been looking for an intruder, she may have taken her gaze off the tunnel entrance for just a moment. Even a long blink was all it took sometimes. What they needed was an extra lock so, even if somebody came in the tunnel, they couldn’t get into the house. Like a secondary defense.
He tapped his comm. “I’m coming back in, Ice.”
Just as he was about to open the tunnel door to the main floor of the house, his comm went off three times and another three times. Under his breath he whispered, “Shit.”