Guardian Ranger (Shadow Agents #2)(38)
Author: Cynthia Eden

“No, I’d say Cale Lane has some definite aggressive tendencies.” Her stare was knowing. “Just like you.”

His back teeth clenched. “Dr. Lyland wasn’t the only shrink who came up with this profile.”

“No, but he was the most vocal, and if Cale had already been burned by one shrink, his hostile behavior to the others is more understandable.”

Maybe.

“If he’s telling the truth about this, then do you think he could be telling the truth about the case in the Caribbean?” Sydney asked him.

Jasper hesitated. The thing was…he wanted Cale to be telling the truth. He wanted Cale to be innocent. Because then Veronica wouldn’t look so broken, and he wouldn’t have been so dead wrong about a friend. “I’m going back in,” he said. And because this needed to be off the record, he added, “Cut the surveillance, Sydney.”

Her eyes widened. “Are you sure about that?”

He nodded. “This is personal.”

“Hasn’t it always been?” she murmured as he walked away.

* * *

VERONICA’S HANDS GRIPPED the steering wheel for dear life. The rain had started to fall again. Heavy, fat drops that hit her windshield faster than the wipers could clear the glass. The flash drive was in her pocket, and her body was strung so tightly that she felt she was about to jump out of her skin.

Only about ten more miles to go. Ten more, and then the main strip of the town would come into view.

She heard brakes squealing, an engine growling; then bright lights appeared on the dark road before her. Those lights looked as though they were coming right at Veronica. Panicking, she jerked the wheel to the right. The sports car bounced, slid off the shoulder of the road and the tires rolled in the thick mud.

The other driver—the car with the bright lights flashing—drove right past her. He didn’t even slow to see if she was all right.

Her breath panted out. She’d braked. When had she braked? She took her foot off the pedal and cautiously touched the accelerator. The tires spun in the mud. She could hear the grinding sound, only…

She wasn’t moving.

Veronica pushed down harder on the accelerator. More spinning, but the vehicle wasn’t moving forward.

Her head rapped into the steering wheel. Just her luck. She’d gone out in the car, headed off the side of the road—

And I didn’t think about my parents.

The breath stilled in her lungs. There’d been no flashback this time. She hadn’t panicked. She’d gotten off the road, avoided the wreck.

A smile curved her lips even as a tear leaked past her eye. Maybe she was getting stronger. Finally.

Or maybe after the crash with Jasper, she just realized that the past wasn’t what could hurt her. She had too much in the present to fear.

Exhaling heavily, she turned off the car, climbed outside. Ignoring the pounding from the rain, Veronica hurried around to the car’s passenger side. One look, and she knew her car wouldn’t be going any place soon.

The storms had washed away too much of the dry grass. Only mud remained, and her tires could spin for hours, but the car wasn’t getting out of that mess without one very strong tow.

Ten miles to go.

So she’d better get to walking.

* * *

JASPER SLOWLY CLOSED the door behind him. He’d left his weapon outside and told Gunner to take a hike.

He wanted to be alone for this little chat.

Cale looked up at him and sighed. “Back to this, are we?” He rolled his shoulders. The handcuffs had been removed a few hours ago. A show of trust that Logan had hoped would get him talking. Cale had even been given two meals. Plenty to eat and drink.

The show of trust wasn’t working. They were now down to less than ten hours before his transfer to D.C.

Jasper didn’t bother sitting this time. He just stared at Cale. “I can still remember the scent of the jungle. The mix of rotting vegetation and blood.”

Cale didn’t speak.

“You were screaming at me, telling me that a bullet to the chest shouldn’t slow down a real ranger, and you had a grip of steel on my arm.”

Cale’s expression had frozen.

“You could have left me to die there.” Jasper shook his head. “All I did was slow you down, but you…you didn’t give up on me.”

“We were both too young and stupid to realize we should only be looking out for ourselves.” Cale’s voice was clipped.

“I don’t think so.” Jasper took a step toward him. “Veronica told me that you saved lives. That you went out, rescuing hostages.” Work not too different from the EOD’s. Only the EOD agents had the backup of the federal government. While Cale had been on his own.

Easy pickings.

“Is this where you do your good-agent routine?” Cale asked with a touch of curiosity. “Where you remind me that we were friends once so I should trust you?”

“We were friends.”

Cale inclined his head. Jasper figured he’d take that as agreement. “Your story about the shrink checked out.”

“You seem surprised,” Cale murmured.

“Because you look good for these kills.” He hesitated, then admitted, “Too good.”

Cale’s expression never altered.

“I’ve seen you on missions,” Jasper said. “I know how you operate. You can walk for twenty miles, and never leave so much as a trace of your presence.” And that had been nagging at him all along. But he’d stuck to the mission, followed orders.

Perhaps it was time he forgot the orders and focused on getting to the truth.

“You could do that so easily in the jungle, in the desert, in every damn place we went, but yet you left all this evidence behind at the murder scenes.”

“Not me,” Cale snapped. “The person who is setting me up. That’s the guy who left all this so-called ‘evidence’ crap behind. Because he wanted to frame me.”

“I want to believe you.”

“Why?” Cale tossed back at him, eyes hard and challenging. “So my sister might forgive you? Because you think you might have a chance with her if you can exonerate me now…after you’re the one who had me tossed in here?”

“You’re staying in custody,” Jasper said, just so they were clear. “And I’m staying on this case. Either I’ll find enough evidence to guarantee your guilt, beyond any doubt—” any doubts that Jasper might have himself “—or I’ll find the one who’s framing you.” He flattened his palms on the table. “But I’m going to need some help. You got enemies? Someone who could pull this off? Give me names.”