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TEN

This had to end. Once again, Dani found herself running for her life through the forested mountain in Alaska, with gunmen tracking her every movement.

So much for peace. This was a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from. At least she had Grizz by her side.

Branches scraped her legs and arms. The heat from the blast still sizzled the air.

Grizz clutched Dani’s hand and pulled her forward. “We’ll be okay, Dani. We’re going to split up from the others. I know my way to the base.”

“These men must be stopped. I don’t want to constantly be checking over my shoulder, wondering if this is the day the senator shows up.”

Grizz maintained his fast pace. Dani’s legs screamed for relief from the hills and exhaustion. But she refused to slow down. When was the last time she’d had any rest in the past two days?

“We’re going to cut through the woods.” Grizz’s head swiveled, no doubt looking for signs of the gunmen ready to pick them off. “If we keep going down, we’ll come to the part where the road doubles back. It’s not much farther to the base from there.”

“Where is the peace, Grizz? From the song. With all of the bad things in the world, how will we ever find it? I thought I had it. I prayed for God to rescue me from Jeremiah. And He did—He sent you. But now we’re still being chased, and there’s no end in sight.”

Grizz slowed, giving Dani a chance to catch her breath. “When I saw that man with a gun to your head, I prayed too. And I have to believe things will work out in the end. But that requires trust…which you know isn’t my strong suit.”

His words rolled around in her head as she pushed forward. If Grizz could learn to trust, maybe she could let go of some of her need to be proven right.

If her career didn’t pan out, what if her second chance involved a guy like Grizz?

A truck rumbled in the distance. Dani shrank behind a tree, ready to hide from the enemy. But Grizz kept hold of her arm.

“It’s one of ours. Probably our team leader.”

The truck stopped next to them. “Need a ride?”

Dani looked at Grizz to make sure it was safe.

“Perfect timing. Dani, this is my team leader, Mitch Bronson. We’ve made it to safety.” Mitch didn’t look like the average firefighter, with his dark-brown hair a tad too long and cowboy boots on his feet.

“Pleased to meet you.” Dani took Mitch’s hand as he helped her hop into the truck. “How did you know where to find us?”

“Communications were finally restored, and Kane radioed in that you needed some help. I sent another car to pick up the rest of the crew. They ran when they saw what had happened to your vehicle. But everyone is safe and accounted for.”

Grizz jumped into the cabin of the truck and shot Dani a wide smile that sent her heart fluttering. Maybe it was leftover adrenaline lingering, because she refused to let her internal struggle win against her growing attraction to a rugged mountain man making her insides melt.

Dani squished in the middle, sandwiched between the two big guys. And she didn’t mind one bit.

Another five minutes and they were back to where she’d started two days ago. The base camp where she’d first encountered Grumpy Grizz. But now she’d seen a different side of him. One she liked.

Skye and Rio were already at the base after Mitch’s reinforcements had arrived to pick them up. Skye looped her arm around Dani’s. “Come on, I’ll show you around our home away from home.”

Base camp didn’t do this place justice. With a runway dividing the camp down the middle, the Midnight Sun base camp looked more like a winter lodge, complete with multiple cabins.

Quonset huts and a mess hall dotted the right side of the runway, and what looked like office buildings and dormitories lined the left.

“This place is impressive.”

Skye escorted Dani to the medic’s office to get checked out. Aside from some bruises on her neck and throat, she was given the all clear.

“I’ll finish the tour,” Skye said. “I’ll show you my quarters so you can clean up a bit.”

The women’s cabin had a common living and kitchen area surrounded by multiple rooms. Skye offered Dani a change of clothes and let her freshen up before meeting Rio.

Dani and Skye walked toward the main office, a three-story building that would have fit in any city but contrasted with the Quonset huts and helipads of base camp. Modern yet rugged.

“I’ll leave you here,” Skye said. “I’m on duty tonight, and we’re down a helicopter.”

Skye left, and Dani turned around in the conference room.

A long table with ten chairs divided the room.

She walked to the window and stared at the snow-covered mountain peaks surrounding base camp.

From her vantage point, she could see inside the airplane hangar and watched men and women checking their gear for the evening shift.

Where was Grizz? Would she be seeing him anytime soon? If only he could be with her during the interrogation…or rather debriefing . But she called them like she saw them.

Rio entered and handed Dani a hot cup of coffee, then motioned to an empty seat. “You look nervous. This is just a debrief. I need to hear your version of the story.”

She sat. “I’m just not used to answering questions. I’m always doing the asking.”

He took his laptop out and flipped it around it for Dani to view. “You faced some very dangerous men, Dani. And I’m impressed. Grizz told me you stabbed Jeremiah in the leg to free yourself. That’s some pretty good survival instincts.”

Normally she loved compliments, but the fact that Grizz had been bragging about her made her blush. “I’m not as girlie girl as I look.”

He rotated the laptop back. “I never thought that of you. You’ve always struck me as strong and independent.

And tenacious. Because of your footage, we have proof that the senator is involved with this militia group.

I’m working on bringing him in for questioning.

His days of evading the law are over. Not to mention you helped us stop Jeremiah Redding.

He’s been on the Most Wanted terrorist watch list for a number of years. Dani, this is good work.”

Maybe her career could be salvaged after all. She had an eyewitness account of taking down a terrorist organization and a senator. Other networks would want to interview her.

Rio eyed her the way he probably interrogated a suspect, most likely operating out of habit. His dark eyes bored holes through her, causing her to raise her defenses to high alert. She definitely wasn’t used to sitting on this side of the table.

Rio crossed his arms and stared at her. “You’re morphing into reporter mode.

I need to interview you as a witness to this crime.

Can I trust you to keep everything we discuss confidential?

We can talk about us possibly giving you the rights to the story, but I need your take on the events. Don’t hold anything back.”

“But you’ll shut me out if you think I’m going to report on it.”

“Dani, I’ve known you a long time. You and Skye are friends. And I know you’ll do anything to take down this militia group and get these charges to stick to the senator. Can I trust you to keep this off the record? I’ll let you know when you can release the official report.”

Drat. Which was better—off-the-record information, or no information at all?

She mimed taking off a hat. “Look. I took off my reporter hat. All I want is justice for Josh. And if I get the story, that’s a bonus for me. I told you earlier I wouldn’t impede any investigation.”

Rio relented on his laser-focused stare.

Fine lines creased the corners of his eyes.

“What I’m about to share is not for public consumption.

” He glanced around the room and leaned across the table.

“We’ve confirmed that Sanchez’s father was held prisoner at the compound in the woods.

The group purchased him for his knowledge of biological weapons and delivery systems. They’ve kept him as a hostage, forcing him to work for the SOR. ”

Dani sipped her coffee. “That building with the smokestack is definitely concerning. It may be where they’re creating or testing the weapons.”

“That’s what we’re about to find out. I’m setting up a raid. Waiting on some reinforcements to arrive.”

“Any way I can tag along? I’d love to see this camp destroyed for what they did to Josh. I want to be there when you take down every last one of these terrorists.”

Rio’s folding chair creaked as he leaned back. “I think your protector, Grizz, would have something to say if I brought his girl into the middle of a gunfight. These guys aren’t going down easily.”

“Grizz’s girl? Oh please. He rescued me, and I’m eternally grateful, but that’s the extent of our relationship. I need to be there.”

Rio snorted. “You’ve got a target on you. These men have already proven they have their sights on you. I’m not even sure you’re safe at the base. But I think it’s better than you being out in the open.”

Dani didn’t like being sidelined. But before she could object, Mitch Bronson, Grizz’s team leader, rushed into the room, followed by Sanchez.

“We just received a report of a fire. That compound in the woods is abandoned, and they’re burning the place to the ground. Hotshots are going in.”

Sanchez gasped. “What if my father is there?”

Bronson shook his head. “I don’t think so. We got an arial view of the camp from the helicopter, and it looks like they’ve abandoned the place. It’s empty.”

Dani craned her neck to get a view of the action outside the window. Men and women raced to the vehicle compound, donning their gear. “Rio, let me go with them. My story has changed. I want to report on the hotshots in action. INN needs to make up for its bad press.”

* * *

Grizz slammed the door to his room shut. He headed through the common area, grabbed his gear pack, and headed out the door.

He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but when he’d turned the corner on the way to the conference room to find Rio, Dani’s words had stopped him dead in his tracks.