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Chapter Three

Gabe’s heart thundered in his chest. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever been in a dangerous situation like this before but decided he didn’t much like it. Realizing Cassidy had her weapon in hand, he quickly grabbed her arm. “Don’t. Stay here.”

“Take my phone and call 911.” She thumbed the screen, then thrust the device into his free hand. She shook off his grasp. “Keep your head down. I need to find the shooter.”

He’d known that was her intent. “Please don’t. What if there’s more than one out there?” As he spoke, he pressed 911 on the phone screen. “They might be coordinating their efforts to draw you out.”

She frowned. “Do you remember there being more than one assailant?”

He didn’t remember anything, and that was the most frustrating thing of all. He couldn’t shake the feeling that it was urgent he remember what he was doing when this all started. Yet his mind was nothing but fog.

“This is 911, please state your emergency.”

“Shots fired in Greenland. Send backup!” His voice rose in alarm.

When asked for the address, he rattled it off, easily remembering it from when they’d arrived yesterday. Ironic that he could remember everything since he’d woken up at the side of the road, but nothing from prior to that.

Nothing that really mattered.

“Officers have been dispatched to the area,” the dispatcher said in her eerily serene voice. He assumed she did that to keep the victims calm, and the strategy worked. His pulse settled down now that he knew help was on the way. “Please stay on the line.”

“Okay.” He set the phone on the floor, relieved that Cassidy hadn’t left to investigate. However, she had her head up above the kitchen table, looking around. He couldn’t see what had caught her attention. “What’s wrong?”

“Shots came through the front window,” she said in a low voice. “We may be able to leave through the back.”

He shouldn’t have been surprised she was planning an escape route. Cass appeared as calm as the dispatcher.

As if she was pinned down by gunfire on a regular basis. Which now that he thought about it, she probably was.

“We should wait for backup to arrive.” He didn’t want her to become a target too. Whatever was going on involved him. He was the one who’d dragged her into the line of fire. Because she was the only person he’d remembered.

Guilt washed over him. If Rhy was his boss, why hadn’t he remembered him?

“I don’t like sitting here,” Cassidy said, clearly frustrated. “We can’t let this shooter get away.”

He could appreciate her concern. “Do you have a second weapon for me? I’d feel better if I could back you up.”

She dropped down to stare at him in shock. “You want a weapon?”

Was that an unusual request? He had no clue. “Yes. I feel like I should be armed in case...” He swallowed hard.

In case something happened to Cassidy.

“Do you know how to shoot?” She still looked dumbfounded by his request.

“I don’t know. I don’t remember.” He was tired of saying those words. “Maybe I can’t hit what I’m aiming at, but I might be able to use the gun as a deterrent. I hate feeling naked and afraid.”

She sent him an exasperated glance. “I can’t give a gun to someone who doesn’t know how to use it.”

Maybe she was right to take that approach. What did he know? The wail of sirens indicated the police were on the way. Relief in knowing they would soon be safe washed over him.

Relatively speaking. He knew the danger would never be over until the black hole of his memory was filled in with colorful images of what had happened to him.

“Stay here for a while longer.” Cassidy abruptly stood and moved away. It was all Gabe could do not to follow.

“Anyone hurt?” a cop shouted.

“We’re fine. Any sign of the shooter?” Cassidy called back.

“Negative. We’ll search the perimeter,” the cop responded.

Gabe clenched his jaw, hating that the shooter or shooters had gotten away. Not to mention how they’d shot right through Cassidy’s window. It occurred to him that he should disappear on his own, find a place to stay, and hunker down until his memory returned.

But what if it didn’t? He had refused to get checked out at the hospital, so he didn’t really know what the doctor would say about the possibility of his memory returning.

“Clear!”

“Clear!”

“Clear!” The third voice was Cassidy’s. Feeling like an idiot, he crawled out from beneath the kitchen table and headed for the front door.

It opened before he could reach it. Two officers looked at him in confusion for a moment, until Cassidy came in through the back door.

“Thanks for responding so quickly.” She nodded to the officers. “This is the intended victim, Gabe Melrose. He’s a tech analyst for MPD and was recently assaulted and left for dead. The bullet missed him by inches.” She turned to gesture to the kitchen cabinet. Gabe was shocked to see a round hole where a bullet was lodged. “That’s the slug. There was a second shot, too, but I’m not sure where that one landed.”

Hearing the discussion surrounding the attempt on his life was surreal. He assumed in his position as tech analyst he wasn’t often the victim of a crime.

Until now.

“Okay, we’ll get this removed and processed as evidence,” the older of the two officers said.

“I would like to be updated about the progress of your investigation,” Cassidy said. “This is my condo, but there was also a break-in at Gabe’s home in White Gull Bay. Both crimes are in different jurisdictions, so the results need to be shared among those of us who are involved.”

The older cop grimaced but nodded. “Yeah, sure. We know how things work when Rhy Finnegan calls the shots.”

Maybe the comment wasn’t meant to be derogatory, but Gabe found himself stepping forward, leveling the cop with a grim stare. “Watch it. Rhy Finnegan is a great cop who has solved dozens of cases.”

“Yeah, he’s a glory hound all right,” the younger cop muttered. “Stealing the big cases right out from under us.”

“It’s not like that.” Cassidy put her hand on his arm, subtly tugging him back. “Rhy can’t help it when cases that involve members of our tactical team cross jurisdictions. If I lived in Milwaukee, this wouldn’t even be an issue.”

“But you don’t,” the older cop said. “You choose to live here in Greenland. In our jurisdiction.”

Gabe couldn’t explain why this sounded like a conversation that he’d heard before. There was a sense of familiarity about the argument over jurisdictions. Either way, he was annoyed by the inane comments. He glared at the officers. “All that matters is finding and arresting those responsible. Right?”

They all glanced at him in surprise. Finally, the older cop shrugged. “Yeah. Sure. That’s what counts.”

“Good.” Gabe glanced at Cassidy. “Is it too early to call Rhy?”

“I think we need to get you out of here first,” she said. “We’ll head to the precinct; it’s about the only place where I can keep you safe.”

“Hold on, we’d like to know more about the break-in at the victim’s home,” the older cop protested. “What happened? Was anything taken?”

Gabe hesitated, then caught the tiny nod Cassidy gave, indicating he should fill them in on the details. “Yes, both my laptop and desktop computers were stolen. My big screen TV was also busted into dozens of pieces, along with my gaming system. A state-of-the-art gaming system,” he added somewhat bitterly. “And the place was ransacked.”

“The TV and gaming system were busted up?” The younger cop frowned. “Doesn’t sound like the motive is money. The burglars could have made a decent amount selling them for cash.”

“I agree; this isn’t about easy cash,” Cassidy said. “Since Gabe works as our computer expert, I’m worried his computers were taken to gain access to our police database. Maybe even to see what Gabe was recently working on.”

The older cop whistled. “That would not be good.”

“No, it isn’t,” Cass agreed. “You can see why it’s important we all work together on this moving forward. Cooperating with a joint investigation is imperative if we’re going to find and arrest these guys.”

“More than one?” the younger cop asked.

“I don’t know.” Gabe hated not having answers. It gave him the impression that he was usually in a position of having knowledge at his fingertips.

The more he thought about his stolen computers, the more concerned he grew about the assailant’s intent. Access to the police database was one thing, but taking shots at him escalated the danger to a whole new level.

He lightly touched the goose egg on the back of his head. Somehow, the key to this was hidden deep in his mind.

If only he could find a way to retrieve it.

Cassidy noticed Gabe fingering the back of his head. “Do you need ice?”

“No. It’s fine.” He dropped his hand as if he’d been caught stealing. “I like your idea of heading to the precinct. Maybe seeing my stuff would help me remember.”

“Remember what?” Officer Yanny was younger than Officer Brown and, in Cassidy’s opinion, the more unreasonable of the two. His comment about Rhy being a glory hound couldn’t be further from the truth.

Rhy was the best boss she’d ever worked for. The kind of guy who cared about those under his command. He made sure they toed the line, but he was also the first one rushing into danger alongside them as needed.

“I don’t remember who attacked me.” Gabe waved his hand. “It’s not important. I’m sure my memory will return soon.”

Cassidy wished she believed that. But it seemed to her that the longer Gabe couldn’t remember, the less likely it was that he would recall the attack at all.

She didn’t know of anything specific that Gabe had been working on for the team, and Rhy hadn’t mentioned that possibility either. Was it possible someone else in the precinct had asked Gabe to dig into something suspicious? If so, she hoped they’d get a clue when they reached the precinct. Gabe would be able to log into his computer there to hopefully find what they needed.

“We need your contact information,” Officer Brown said. “In case we have more questions.”

“I don’t have my phone or my wallet,” Gabe said.

“I’ll give you my number. You can reach Gabe through me.” She patted her pockets, realizing she didn’t have her phone. Then she remembered giving it to Gabe when he was ducking for cover. Spying it lying on the floor under the table, she bent to retrieve it. “Or you can reach us at the Seventh Precinct in Milwaukee.” She waited until Brown had pulled out his phone to provide her phone number. He dutifully plugged it into his list of contacts.

“Do you have anything we can use to board up the window?” Gabe asked. “I don’t want to leave it like this.”

She was about to say no, then remembered there were a few sheets of plywood down in the basement. She had a secret jigsaw puzzle habit and used the plywood as a table across her hassock so she could do the puzzle while watching TV. It was something she’d done to help combat the memories from last month when she’d been forced to kill a perp.

“Yes, I’ll grab it.” She resisted the urge to glance at her watch. Taking a few extra minutes to secure her condo was worth it.

“I’ll help you.” Gabe followed her down the stairs. The condo was only four years old, so the area was fairly clean.

And empty, except for the normal basement stuff like her washer, dryer, hot water heater, furnace, and, of course, the two sheets of plywood.

Gabe grabbed one end, leaving her to take the other. Together they carried the planks up the stairs and to the main living space. “I have a small tool kit,” she said, turning away.

To her surprise, Gabe took the hammer and nails to do the repair. She hadn’t pictured him as being the handy sort, but then again, she was most familiar with his computer skills. The plywood covering the windows wouldn’t keep anyone super determined from getting inside, but that was the least of her worries.

How had the gunman found them there? She made sure they weren’t followed, and the shooter hadn’t shown up until several hours later. Although she had to admit, they’d struck just before dawn, so maybe they had been outside the entire time, waiting for the perfect shot.

If Gabe hadn’t gotten dizzy, he might have been killed right in front of her eyes. The image was so horrifying she had to take a deep breath and look away.

She cared about Gabe; he was a valued colleague and genuinely nice guy. They were friends, so this odd awareness of him had to be a result of the situation. Nothing more. She’d be upset if any of their teammates had been targeted.

Ironically, most of them had been under fire at one point or another. Most recently, Flynn and his fiancée, Taylor, had been the ones in danger.

Never in her wildest dreams had she considered Gabe Melrose would become a target.

When her phone rang, she pulled it from her pocket. Seeing Rhy’s name on the screen made her wonder if their boss had X-ray vision and already knew about the shooting. She caught Gabe’s gaze as she answered. “Hey, Rhy.”

“I heard about a shooting in Greenland,” Rhy said, getting straight to the point. “Are you and Gabe okay?”

“We’re fine. But my condo took a couple of bullets.” She gestured for Gabe to come closer. He’d finished putting up the plywood with an ease that impressed her. “We were just about to head down to the precinct to fill you in.”

“I’m heading there now and can pick you up on the way,” Rhy said. “I’d rather you don’t use your vehicle. Or Gabe’s for that matter.”

It was a good point. Gabe’s car was still in his garage, and she understood the need to leave hers behind too. “I guess it’s our turn to use the undercover Jeep,” she said. “We’ll wait here for you to swing by. Thanks for the offer.”

“Be there in ten.” Rhy ended the call without saying anything more.

“Your boss is coming here?” Officer Yanny looked annoyed. “Guess it didn’t take long for him to get his fingers on the case.”

Gabe stepped forward again, clearly upset. “He’s coming here to drive us to the precinct. Something I’m sure your boss has never done.”

Yanny looked as if he might argue, but then he turned away. She took Gabe’s arm and drew him aside. “It’s okay. Rhy doesn’t need us to protect him.”

“Yeah, well, they’re making me mad.” Gabe shot the two officers a perturbed look. “I don’t understand why they’re being so stupid. What does it matter who does what as long as we find the guy responsible?”

“It’s just that most cops are territorial.” She had to smile, realizing this was probably the first time Gabe had been on this end of a crime scene. “Think about how upset we would be if someone tried to take over a case that we had done most of the work on.”

“They haven’t done much work from what I can tell,” Gabe muttered.

“It will fine.” She blew out a breath. “Grab your suitcase. I’ll throw some stuff in my gym bag too. We won’t be coming back here anytime soon.”

He grimaced. “I guess not.”

She followed him down the hall to their respective rooms. After packing her gym bag with clean clothes, she removed the lock box from beneath her bed. She had a backup weapon, most cops did, but she wasn’t sure giving it to Gabe was a smart idea.

He’d never used a weapon before in his life as far as she knew. Then again, he’d surprised her by how easily he secured the plywood over her shattered window.

Had she and the rest of the team underestimated Gabe? He was highly valued for his skills feeding them key information when they needed it the most. But she had always imagined he spent his days snacking while glued to his computer at home. Especially since he was always talking about the latest video games.

In truth, she hadn’t liked Gabe’s penchant for video games. Her stepbrothers were big into gaming, and it seemed a rather juvenile way to spend their time.

Whatever. With a shrug, she tucked her spare weapon and an extra clip in the duffel bag. She was hopeful that once they’d arrived at the precinct, the familiar surroundings would spark a return of Gabe’s missing memories.

Slinging the duffel over her shoulder, she returned to the living room. Gabe’s suitcase was set against the wall as he washed dishes in the sink.

Gabe. Washing her dishes. Now she really felt as if she’d been dropped into an alternative universe.

“You don’t have to do that,” she protested. “Just let them soak in the water. I can take care of them later.”

“We don’t know how long this will take.” He glanced at her with a grim expression. “I feel bad, like this is all my fault. If I could remember anything useful, we wouldn’t be in this predicament.”

“Not true,” she said. “Other members of the team have been in danger over the past year from unknown assailants as well. This isn’t your fault.”

“I feel like it is,” he said, continuing to wash the dishes. “And I’m not happy that I’ve inadvertently put you in danger too.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to point out she was always in danger, but a car pulling into the driveway caught her attention. The plywood wasn’t as soundproof as her windows.

Instantly, she crossed to the window that wasn’t broken and peered outside. She relaxed when she saw Rhy’s familiar features. He’d gotten out of the car and was speaking with the officers on scene.

“Leave the dishes, Gabe. Rhy’s here.” She crossed over to grab his rolling suitcase.

He nodded but finished what he was doing. He rinsed the dishes and then dried his hands on a towel. “I’m ready. They can air dry.”

“Let’s go, then.” She slung her duffel over her shoulder, opened the front door, and stepped out to meet Rhy. Her boss’s gaze went from her to Gabe, who loomed behind her. He was taller than her by at least five inches.

“Gabe. I hear you’ve had some trouble,” Rhy said by way of greeting.

“You could say that.” Gabe brought his suitcase as he stepped onto the porch beside her. “It’s good to see you, Rhy.”

She turned to gape at him. “Your memory returned?”

“I remember Rhy now that I see him,” Gabe said. “But the events from the assault are still a black hole.”

“I’m glad you remember me.” Rhy managed a smile as he pulled the suitcase and duffel from her fingers. “I hope that’s a sign the rest of your memories will return soon. Meanwhile, let’s get out of here.”

They stored their suitcase and duffel. Gabe took the back seat, leaving her to sit up front with Rhy. “Did Yanny and Brown give you any trouble?” she asked as Rhy backed out of the driveway.

“No, why would they?” he asked with a frown.

“No reason.” She turned to glance back at Gabe. “Told you they were all talk and no action.”

Gabe nodded but didn’t say anything. He seemed to be studying Rhy’s profile, as if willing more memories to the surface.

Since Rhy didn’t mention taking Gabe to the hospital, she let it go. Other than his memory loss and a headache, Gabe seemed fine. His scalp wound might still need stitches, though. And he had been momentarily dizzy.

Maybe they could stop by an urgent care clinic on the way to—wherever they’d end up spending the night.

“I heard there’s a bullet embedded in your cabinet,” Rhy said, breaking into her thoughts. “They were waiting for the crime scene techs to retrieve it.”

She nodded. “It’s possible we’ll be able to match it with a weapon in the system, but I’m not holding my breath. It is a mistake, though, and hopefully, if these guys keep coming after Gabe, they’ll make another.”

“Guys plural?” Rhy asked.

“I don’t know for sure since I can’t remember,” Gabe said, his tone testy.

“Okay, okay. Just asking if you saw more than one shooter,” Rhy said.

“I didn’t see anyone,” Cassidy admitted.

“Me either,” Gabe added.

Rhy nodded and made short work of the trip to their precinct. He pulled around the building to park in the back lot, which was partially hidden from the street. Normally, their precinct was a safety zone, but there had been instances where bad guys had camped outside the building to shoot at them.

Never a dull moment in law enforcement , she thought as she followed Rhy and Gabe inside. Yet that variety was also what she loved most about being on the job.

That and making the world a better place. At least their small portion of the world.

“This looks familiar,” Gabe said, his tone full of excitement. “My office is over there.” He gestured with a hand. “And the break room is there.” He turned toward it.

“I’m glad things are starting to come back to you,” Rhy said. “Don’t force yourself to remember, just let the thoughts come naturally.”

“Yeah, okay.” Gabe’s expression turned thoughtful. “I hope that happens soon, though. I can’t seem to shake off the strange sense of urgency.”

Rhy met her gaze, lifting a brow as if asking what he was talking about. She could only shrug. “We’ll know when he does,” she said.

“Do you think you can log into your computer?” Rhy asked. “Maybe that will give us a clue as to what you’ve been working on.”

Gabe didn’t answer but headed to his office. He dropped into his chair, looked around, then booted up the computer. When the log-in page bloomed on the screen, he placed his fingertips on the keyboard and began to type.

She held her breath as she watched over his shoulder. There was a spinning wheel for a moment, then the main screen popped up.

“You did it!” The words were barely out of her mouth when suddenly the screen went white, then red, then black. “What happened?”

Gabe hit several keys, trying to get the home screen to come back, but it was no use.

“Hey, what happened? I’ve been booted off the system,” one of the cops said.

“Me too!” another responded. “I can’t get my computer to work.”

“I have a bad feeling my logging in has sent a virus through the system,” Gabe said, his tone hoarse. “We’ve been sabotaged.”

Sabotaged? She looked at Rhy, who had gone pale.

Was this the reason Gabe had been assaulted? To destroy his work?

Or was there something much more sinister at play?