Under Fire (Elite Force #3)(20)
Author: Catherine Mann

Wade Rocha and Jose James filled the small observation room, both in uniform, but Rocha barely had the sleep wiped from his eyes, a mug of coffee in one hand and a candy bar in the other. The captain relaxed, his ever-ready smile sliding back into place.

Damn, but this long day was stretching into a long night.

Wade shot a quick assessing look at Bernard.

Liam smiled. “He’s my baby-sitter, guard, handler.” Also known to be a suck-up, but that was probably best left unsaid. “Take your pick.”

Bernard just grinned.

Wade pressed deeper into the room. “Good evening, Captain Bernard. I saw the base commander out in the hall, and I could have sworn she was looking for you.”

Bernard stood taller. “Really?”

“Yeah, Colonel Zogby’s just out there. If you hurry you can catch her. We’ll be right here while you speak with her. Can’t leave without going past you.”

“Right,” Bernard said. “Thanks.”

The captain rushed out the door, obviously eager for face time with a colonel.

Laughing softly, Wade pressed deeper into the room and clapped Liam on the shoulder. “What happened out there on the road tonight?”

“How did you know to find me here?” So much for security.

“We were called in by someone from the OSI. They didn’t say why, other than that you’d been in an accident.”

Jose stepped alongside them, an unregulation marathon T-shirt just visible through the open neck of his camos. “Major, saw your Jeep in the parking lot and it looks like shit.”

Liam winced. “I know.”

“I mean really shitty,” Jose said, whistling softly. “Totaled-and-headed-to-the-junkyard shitty.”

“Thanks. Wanna pour salt in the wound while you’re at it?”

Jose pulled his hand out of his pocket. “I thought you might want these before they tow it away.”

His fist opened to reveal the three garters that had hung from Liam’s rearview mirror.

“Not funny today.” Liam smiled tightly. “But thanks anyway.”

“Just worried about you, old man.” Jose stuffed the garters back in his pocket.

“Sorry for snapping at you. Having someone try to run you off the road has left me a little on edge.” He backed toward the one-way mirror, grateful they’d both walked away unharmed.

Wade stepped closer. “Are you okay?”

His swim buddy looked straight into his eyes, no doubt checking pupils to make sure they were equal, which is exactly what Liam would have done. That medic training came in handy.

“I’m good.” Liam brushed aside the concern. “Really. The Jeep did its job keeping us safe.”

“Us?” Jose’s eyebrows shot up. His eyes went to the one-way mirror framing Rachel seated across from Sylvia. “Hey now, wasn’t she with one of the search and rescue canine units back in the Bahamas?”

Liam nodded, the heat, the dust, the intensity of that time rolling over him again. “Great memory you’ve got there, Cuervo.”

“Memorable mission.” Rocha nodded. “You kept in touch with her all this time and didn’t mention it? I do believe my feelings are hurt.”

Before Liam could answer, Jose continued, “But your Jeep. How did you even drive it the rest of the way here after you got hit?”

As they tag-teamed him with questions, he just let it keep rolling. It was easier than answering, and it left him free to study Rachel and try to figure out why his teammates had been called in as well. “Guess it’s time to buy a new car.”

Rocha dipped his head closer. “Really, dude, what’s going on here?”

Was it even possible to whisper softly enough not to be heard in this place? Not really. And not that it should matter. Why was he suddenly second-guessing his decision to contact the OSI?

Since he’d found out the car chasing them was Rachel’s. Something he hadn’t discovered until after he placed the call to Sylvia. Whoever had accessed that vehicle had an in on base. Security was tight at the gates and a pass was needed to get through. It wasn’t as if just anybody could have picked up her SUV.

Although he still would have ended up here, even if they hadn’t been attacked. He just needed to be even more on guard since somehow, someone on base had been involved in the attack.

Monitoring the two women through the glass, he chose his words for his friends carefully. “Rachel’s had some trouble with a stalker.” Even thinking about those threats to her had his hands fisting at his sides. “She contacted me today for help, and the next thing we knew, someone tried to run us off the road.”

Wade nodded slowly. “Okay, fine, so why come here instead of going to the police?”

“There’s a military friend of hers involved, and the civilian cops haven’t been much help to Rachel so far.”

Jose scratched his buzz cut. “And why bring her to one of your ex-girlfriends for questioning? An especially hot ex-girlfriend, I might add.”

“Sylvia and I had an amicable parting of the ways. It was never serious.” And by now he was a frickin’ pro at how to handle a breakup.

Time to change the subject until he had a better handle on what the hell was going on.

His attention shifted back to Rachel. Her back stiff, her hand resting on her dog’s head, she looked strong and wary.

But alive. And he intended to do whatever it took to keep her that way.

***

If he had his way, they would all be dead before sunrise. But that wasn’t a wise strategy. And above all, he was a man who planned his next battle move very carefully.

Pitching a paperweight from hand to hand without so much as a glance, he studied the row of computer screens hooked to surveillance in the OSI building. This wasn’t his office, but no one would question his being here. He had access anywhere he wanted on this base.

Headphones in place, he listened to the interrogation in progress between Special Agent Sylvia Cramer and Rachel Flores. While on another screen he watched the video footage of the Flores chick breaking into McCabe’s Jeep earlier. When that tape had come to his attention, he’d backtracked through video feed until he saw her ditch her car. His people were supposed to have handled the whole situation, damn it.

How had such a well-planned operation become a cluster f**k so quickly because of one little lieutenant who barely had his head on straight?

Discrediting Brandon Harris’s claims had been easy enough at first. Although who could have predicted Harris would find such a persistent champion in a lady dog trainer? A lady dog trainer who apparently had some connections. But he refused to let them or anyone else stop him.