Page 9 of Burning Justice (Chasing Fire: Alaska #6)

Five

Maria got out of the car and eased the skirt down. “Who knew you had something like this in your wardrobe?”

Raine pocketed her keys in a tiny purse. “You never know when you’re going to need to blend in at a high-society party.”

She didn’t glance back but knew Kane and Saxon were parked in a truck down the street. Nearby enough that they could help out if either she or Raine indicated through their comms that they needed help. But not so close they’d be picked out as watching the house.

In fact, she wasn’t sure she wanted to think about Kane at all.

Far better to focus on the task at hand, the way she’d compartmentalized in the CIA. As an officer, she’d undertaken all sorts of missions. Regardless of whether they’d been part of her personal mission to find her father, she’d worked them to the best of her ability.

Between the comms earbuds and the tracker rings they wore, there wasn’t much more they could do make sure they were safe.

“Can you hear me?” Kane’s voice in her ear wasn’t her choice.

“I copy you.”

At the same time, Raine said, “Got you loud and clear, Saxon.”

Rather than all four of them on one channel, which would be hard to distinguish, they’d opted for two channels so everyone could focus.

“Be safe,” Kane said.

“We’re just going to look around.” She didn’t need to rush in, guns blazing. The CIA had trained her to deal with situations with a lot more finesse than Delta Force—and with a lot less backup. “Besides, I’m not the one who got shot today.”

Raine glanced over at her, a smile tugging her lips.

Maria ignored the comms and said to her friend, “How did you get us invited, anyway? You really just made a call?”

She was a local. It stood to reason she had contacts.

“There’s someone here I need to talk to,” Raine said. “So I won’t get in your way.”

A tall guy in a tuxedo stood at the front door, one hand clasping his other wrist. She spotted a gold watch and noticed he wore an earbud, a clear wire disappearing beneath his collar. “Good evening, ladies.” He seemed to recognize Raine. “How are you this evening?”

“Well, thank you.” Raine handed over her purse, and the man looked inside.

Maria didn’t fuss about doing the same, but only because he wouldn’t know that her things weren’t the inconspicuous items he’d think they were with one glance. When he handed her purse back, she smiled. “Thank you.”

He opened the door for them. “Have a good evening.”

Maria smiled, following Raine into the house.

Inside was at least ten degrees warmer than outside and smelled like coconut. The hum of people talking filled the air, and through an open arch, she spotted people all over, dressed in high-society party attire. A whole lot of suits and tuxes, tight dresses, and clinking glasses.

Someone moved, and she spotted a roaring fireplace, which explained the warmth.

She’d been a firefighter too long, because Sanchez would rather be sitting out under the stars, spending the night sleeping on the ground and eating MREs, than making small talk with the kind of people who filled this house.

She flicked her freshly curled hair off her shoulder and smoothed down the side of her dress.

“Raine!” An older guy in a suit with no tie strode over, one hand in his pocket. In the other hand, he had a short glass with amber-colored liquid, a ring on his index finger. His gaze moved through Maria and dismissed her.

Which was the idea.

Raine stepped into his embrace and held him for a second. “Happy Birthday, Grandpa.”

The older man chuckled. “You make it sound like I’m ancient.”

“As if you couldn’t still out-hunt me any day.”

“You better have your tags ready for the fall. I’ve got it all planned.”

“I bought a new scope for my rifle.” Raine grinned. “I’ve got it all sighted in.”

The older man chuckled. He let go of Raine and put out his hand. “Robert Howards. Good to meet you.”

“You too. I’m Sarah.” She had used the name often in the CIA as a cover. It slipped out now without her even thinking it through. “Happy Birthday, sir. It’s good to meet you, though I had no idea this was a birthday party.”

He kissed the back of her hand. “Don’t tell anyone it is.”

Maria smiled. “I should freshen up. Could you point me to the restroom?”

Raine actually looked relieved. She probably wanted a moment alone with her grandfather, given the house was packed with people.

“Down the hall to the right.” He pointed over his shoulder.

Maria wandered that direction, sauntering as if she had all the time in the world and was as relaxed as she could be at a party for the evening. Inside was far different. Her thoughts warred in her head, and she pushed them all back.

Her father might be here and he might not.

She would only know for sure by looking, so what was the point of wondering herself to death? She needed intel. Access to a computer. She needed to clone a phone and do a room-by-room search of the house. All things she’d done in the CIA.

But Kane hadn’t seen any of that. He only knew the officer who’d been captured and held for weeks. He knew the woman who’d failed and needed rescue.

It stood to reason he wouldn’t need her to help him when he was hurt. That he felt as if he always needed to be the strong one.

“Did you do that a lot in the CIA?” he asked in her ear. “Excuse yourself to go to the bathroom and then sneak around?”

She glanced both ways down the hall, then said quietly, “It’s a classic for a reason.”

He chuckled, and it sounded warm.

She didn’t want to like it. She didn’t want to need him with her or rely on him. After all, when this was over and he didn’t need to protect her, he’d go back to his life. She would be left to figure out why she hadn’t been able to keep it professional. Why she’d let him break her heart.

But she would have her father.

Finally.

Fifteen years of searching, and it would all be over.

Maria found the restroom. She kept going down the hall, snuck into an empty office. Raine’s grandfather’s office. “I can’t believe she didn’t tell me.”

“What?”

She glanced at the door, moving to the computer on the desk. “Raine didn’t mention her grandfather or his birthday. She said she could get me somewhere I’d be able to get intel on the canister. Did she lie, or has she known more than she said this entire time?”

“Either way, it doesn’t look good for her,” Kane said. “Saxon is transcribing their conversation. It’s just small talk so far.”

“Do we know who he is, this guy Robert Howards?”

“I sent the information to Jamie, but who knows when she’ll be able to look him up? Rio sent me a text. Logan was transported to the hospital. They might keep him overnight for tests.”

Maria winced and crouched, finding the ports for the computer. She pulled the lipstick from her purse, unscrewed the bottom, and inserted the flash drive into the USB slot. It would immediately start copying every file on the hard drive. “I hope he’s okay.”

“Whether he is or not, he’ll have all of us there to help him. And his family from Last Chance County. They’ll show up, I know they will.”

Right. Because that’s where he’d grown up. “Guess you know them all.”

She looked around the office for a file cabinet or a safe. There wasn’t much she could do if the lock was high tech, as she didn’t have all her equipment.

Hopefully, copying the hard drive would get them information.

“I’ve been gone a long time,” he said. “I doubt most of them even remember me now.”

She doubted that. As if Kane Foster was all that forgettable. Or was it more about them currently believing he was dead?

Once in a while, she entertained the fleeting dream that he might take her home with him and introduce her to his family, as if he was proud to have her with him. As if she was worth trusting.

Worth loving.

But the dream never lasted long. Reality always intruded sooner or later, and she realized it was impossible. He’d have let her in by now if he was going to.

The door handle turned.

“Someone’s coming.” She crouched and ducked under the desk as the door opened all the way.

“Empty. Like I said.”

“Good,” a second person responded. “Because the helicopter with Elias will be here in five minutes, and I don’t want anything upsetting him.”

Everything inside Maria solidified like she’d been doused with ice water.

She squeezed her eyes shut and saw him in her mind.

Her nightmare. The man who’d shown up when she was captive in Syria was here. Elias Redding.

The man who had betrayed them all.

“What is it, Sanchez?” She’d gone silent. Kane bounced his knee in the truck, determined not to get out and run into that house. The woman was going to drive him crazy not letting him know what was going on. “What’s happening?”

She’d better not be in danger.

More likely she just couldn’t tell him and he’d have to wait. Be patient. Lord, teach me quick. Eventually she’d be able to talk out loud.

He should text her.

Kane leaned back so he could drag the phone from his jeans pocket, ready to send her a message.

“They’re gone,” she whispered.

“What happened?”

“They just looked around, then left.”

He frowned. “That’s it?”

Beside him, Saxon glanced over. “Bro, you need to chill. She knows what she’s doing.”

Kane shot him a look. I’m fine.

“Ask her if she can find out why Raine’s comms went down.”

Kane ignored his friend and spoke into the comms. “Any way you can check on Raine?”

Sanchez came back, “Is she in danger?”

He relayed the question to Saxon, who shook his head. “We don’t think so.”

“Then it can wait.”

“Why?” Kane frowned. “What’s going on?”

“There’s a chopper coming in. I’m going to use the distraction to finish looking around the house. See if my father is here. Or if he’s been here.”

He didn’t like her tone. Sounded like she wasn’t saying everything. “Did you copy the computer files?”

“It just finished.” She was on the move. “I’m looking around.”