Page 8 of Burning Justice (Chasing Fire: Alaska #6)

Actually, he wasn’t sure what Tristan was. Some kind of career undercover guy, or a Fed who’d been burned when his handler turned out to be dirty. Either way, it was too close to what had happened to their team.

Crew had been recruited as a confidential informant for the Feds because he could get in with the militia without being suspected.

Now that the Sons of Revolution knew who Tristan and Crew were, they had no way to go back in undercover.

“What?” Rio lifted his chin.

Kane said, “Just seems like this place collects misfits. People who don’t want to be remembered and can’t have their name on a roster anywhere else.”

“You boys just happened to choose firefighting?”

Saxon wandered over and punched Kane in the shoulder, not that it had much strength to it. “We don’t like to sit around.”

“I don’t suppose you’d be doing the fate of the world any favors if you did go sit in a safe house and let the Feds take care of this guy with his canister.”

Kane grinned. “Exactly.” Plus, they’d all go stir crazy in a safe house.

He couldn’t even imagine Hammer, Mack, Saxon, him, and Sanchez in close quarters like that.

Out here, they got to work. They could fight back the force of nature in all its destructive glory, protecting both people and their property.

“Wildland firefighting isn’t so different from the Army. ”

Rio chuckled. “The fate of the world does seem to follow you guys around…and Sanchez. She was Army too?”

Saxon said, “No comment.”

Rio frowned. “I’m not a reporter.”

“They’ve already briefed Dani on not asking questions.” Grizz folded his arms across his chest.

Grizz had been in the Army for a while and knew exactly what kind of team the Trouble Boys had been on. He knew enough not to talk about it, and he’d told Dani not to ask or do any poking around online. Not that she would find anything.

“If she wants an exposé,” Saxon said, “she can pester Crispin into talking about who he is.”

Rio chuckled. “Good luck getting him to spill.”

Kane figured Dani would be disappointed when she couldn’t do a human-interest story on the team. Thankfully, she’d been distracted by the aftermath of Senator Deville’s arrest and the fact that there was still a canister out there.

Rio said, “So we have nothing on Sanchez’s father at that location?”

Kane pointed at his penciled X on the map. “This one was a bust, even if we know he was there at one point.” He stared at the map, wanting to pace up and down so he could figure out where they needed to look next.

Eventually, they would run out of places Sanchez’s father could be hiding.

A plate shattered, and then a thud. “Logan!”

Kane spun to find Jamie crouched beside Logan, who lay on the floor. Tristan rushed around the table. “We need help!”

Hammer and Mitch went to them.

Kane couldn’t get close because of the crowd of hotshots and their friends and family. Mitch and Hammer lifted Logan between them, his arms over their shoulders.

Mitch said, “Let’s get him to the med bay. Have the doctor come check him out.” The hotshot boss didn’t look happy.

Mack followed them. Tristan and Jamie, who swiped tears from her cheeks. Dani came over to Grizz, who put his arm around her.

Saxon said, “Wilson?”

Kane recalled their buddy in Delta Force. A guy who’d suffered too many blows to the head and been discharged with a traumatic brain injury. He nodded. “The doc will know for sure.”

“You think it’s a TBI?” Rio glanced at the door where the others had gone out. “I saw him nearly pass out a few days ago.”

Grizz said, “That would fit his symptoms. He’s been knocked out more than once this summer. Maybe something worse is going on?”

Dani glanced around, still tucked under Grizz’s arm. “Where is Sanchez? Or Raine, for that matter. I haven’t seen them.”

Kane had been purposely trying not to think about her. “They didn’t come over.”

Saxon cleared his throat. “I saw them by the fire.”

But he hadn’t said anything, because even though Kane wanted to know…telling him was far too much like giving an addict what they wanted. It wasn’t what was best for them.

He went to the map. “What have our militia friends, the Sons of Revolution, been up to since the senator was arrested?”

“Seems like they’ve dispersed,” Rio said, “but I’m not getting anywhere near the intel I was getting before. The compounds we knew of have been abandoned. Their website indicates they’re still actively recruiting.”

Kane turned his back to the wall and folded his arms across his chest. “We need a few days of good rain so we can take the time to search all these locations rather than just looking at whatever is closest to where we’re being deployed.”

He never would’ve said that if Mitch or their commander, Tucker, had been in the room. Everyone here had to put the fires first. But with national security on the line? This was more than finding Sanchez’s father.

Kane looked at Rio. “Is the FBI going to find the canister before it’s deployed?”

The guy looked sick. Considering the fate of thousands could be on the line, as well as the country’s economy, Kane didn’t blame Rio for being nauseous.

Rio said, “I have another issue. There’s a new player here, though I haven’t identified him yet, and I think the canister changed hands.

” He shifted and pulled out his phone. “Intel indicated a trade was being made. We thought it might’ve been Sanchez’s father, since they mentioned ‘the doctor,’ but no one showed up. ”

“It was a ruse?” Saxon asked.

Rio shrugged. “We might never know. Could’ve been finding out how much we know. Testing our response. Things have been too quiet. It makes no sense.”

“Because what are they waiting for?” Grizz said. “Why not just use it now?”

Rio said, “Let’s thank God for His mercy that they haven’t. Okay?”

Kane nodded. “Your intel says the canister is still here, right?” When Rio nodded, he continued. “The longer it’s here, the more people will be closing in on them. Why wait?”

“They think all of you are done looking. That it ended with the press conference.” Rio glanced at Dani. “Our idea worked. They’ve got all the time in the world as far as they’re concerned.”

“Okay, that’s scary.”

Kane was inclined to agree with Dani. “Means they’ve got plenty of time to plan it out, be calculated. They won’t rush and make mistakes.”

“But it also means we have more of a chance to stop it,” Saxon said.

Kane heard the echo of the door out in the entryway. A second later, Sanchez pushed through the interior door. Her eyes scanned the room and found him.

He’d already pushed off the wall and started toward her. “What is it?”

“Just an idea.”

Saxon was right behind him.

“Care to share?” Rio said from behind Saxon.

Kane lifted his brows. She caught the expression and glanced at Rio saying, “I’m not sure the FBI needs to be involved. Until there’s evidence, or at least probable cause.”

“Right.” Rio huffed a laugh. “Don’t ask, don’t tell?”

Sanchez smiled.

Kane said, “We’ll keep you posted.”

“Sure you will.” Rio lifted his hands. “So as not to incriminate myself, I’ll be going back to work. That way when I have to arrest you guys later, I’ll be able to deny all knowledge.”

Grizz and Dani followed him out.

Kane called out after them. “Text me when you know something about Logan.”

Grizz waved a hand over his shoulder. The guy probably didn’t want Dani in any more danger than she’d been in already this summer.

“What is it?” he asked Sanchez.

“I can get into a party. It’s a place to look for my father—and this canister. But it has to be tonight, and you guys can’t come inside. It’s by invite only.”

“Overwatch?” Saxon asked.

Sanchez nodded.

“How did you get an invite?”

Kane had been about to ask the same question. Was he really going to do this? Just blindly follow wherever she led them in the search for her father? Let himself be swept along by her determination to find him and stop this?

Never mind.

Of course he was.

It didn’t matter where Maria Sanchez went. He would always follow.