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Mike didn’t argue. He was glad for Mason’s decisiveness and intervention. His brain was feeling uncustomarily scattered. He’d have to give himself a harsh talking to so he was in full SWAT-mode by the time the squads were in position.
As he followed the chief to his vehicle, Mike couldn’t help but stiffen up over what Joe’s condition might be. He wondered if she’d suffered a concussion from her head being slammed into metal. He thought about… Fuck. Was she still alive? Was the shot she’d been given, lethal?
Mike shivered over that possibility, but dismissed it from his mind immediately. It wouldn’t help to get mired in the negative. As far as he and everyone else were concerned, this was a rescue, not a recovery mission.
Mike hopped into Mason’s truck, fastened his seatbelt, and glued his gaze to the split screen he had on his phone. One eye was on the continuously moving dot, the other on the infrared cameras.
“Have they stopped yet?” Mason asked.
“Not yet,” Mike growled, but there was good news. The vehicle seemed to be heading directly toward Old Bay Road, which would mean their supposition was good that it was the location to where they were taking Joelle.
Mase continued to drive at a high rate of speed for several miles.
“So. DEA, huh?” The boss eventually posed into the quiet of the cab.
“That’s right,” Mike grunted.
“Huh. I had her pegged for FBI, but I can see it.”
Mike huffed. “You know, you don’t have to make small talk to try and center me. I’m getting there. By the time we’re boots on the ground, I’ll be good to go.”
“I know you will,” Mason assured him. “I just… I guess I was a little surprised that you’ve claimed Joe as yours so soon. Does she know?”
Mike grunted. “She knows I want to explore things long-term with her. But she might think the attraction is just friendly and physical right now. There is that, but there’s also so much more. I haven’t told her yet, because I’m a fucking idiot. But…I love her. I want her in my life, permanently, and I plan to remedy my oversight just as soon as I have her in my arms again.”
“Smart man,” Mason nodded. “You know how long it took for me to admit my feeling to Everlee.”
“Too long,” Mike snorted. “But look what you have now. I… I want that for me and Joe,” Mike admitted.
“You’ll have it,” Mason assured him. “I’ve seen how she looks at you.”
“Right. I’ve seen it, too. But I’m hoping it’s not just because I’m here and available.”
Now it was Mason’s turn to snort. “Available? You couldn’t have appeared more unavailable if you’d hung a sign around your neck that said ‘Back off. Grizzly in season’.”
“That bad, huh?” Mike asked with a rumble.
“Yup. You’ve been a bear for the past year, and now, at least, we know why. I wish you’d come and told me when Mellie first left you,” Mase lightly scolded.
Mike shook his head regretfully “I felt like an idiot. I couldn’t believe I’d missed all the signs that she was unhappy.”
Mason gave him an easy pass. “You had a lot on your plate at that juncture. Your day job. A new SWAT team. Night-time ops. Weekend drills. Your kids’ sports…” he trailed off. “You thought Mel was onboard and okay with all that.”
Mike turned in his seat and looked over at his boss and friend, seriously. “Do me a favor, Mase?”
“Anything,” the chief said without hesitation.
“If I start acting like my head’s up my ass with Joe, will you tell me?”
Mason grinned. “I’d like nothing more. But I have a feeling Kyle, Doug, Cisco, and Welker will beat me to it.”
Mike grunted. “You’re probably right.”
They drove for a while longer, and?—
“They’ve stopped,” Mike said excitedly. He switched his eyes to the camera feeds. “And there the bastards are, now,” he growled. “The Chevy is parked in front of the warehouse.” He paused for a second. “The overhead doors are rolling up. They’re in.” He clenched his jaw until he thought it might crack. “Now they have her inside…”
“Don’t go there, Mike,” Mason warned. “We’re two minutes from our rendezvous point. We’ll get to her before they can do anything.”