Page 19 of Final Approach (Lake City Heroes #4)

NINE

Headlights cut through the rain and swiped across the kitchen window. When the car pulled into the drive that would take the driver down the side of the house to the garage, the external lights came on once more and she recognized the vehicle.

She blew out a low breath and wilted against the sink.

James was home. Oh, thank God. She wasn’t sure she had it in her for another fight to live right now.

“You better go meet him at the garage door and let him know all is well so he doesn’t shoot us.

And assure him that the squatters will be moving on soon. ”

“Will do.” Andrew crossed the kitchen and opened the door.

She heard the sounds of the garage door rolling up and the car entering. The engine cut off and the two men walked back into the house.

James eyed her with concern. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“Your sat phone’s not here.” She couldn’t help the slight accusation in her tone.

“No, I have it with me. Lainie and I were going camping, but the rain kind of changed the plan. She decided to work the night shift and save the time off. I was working too and then decided to come home, get in my favorite recliner, and sleep for a few hours.”

“Sorry to ruin that plan,” Kristine said. “We’ve been on the run from a guy we believe is a member of the Serpentine Network sent to kill the man on your couch.”

“I have a man on my couch?”

“Wearing your clothes, no less,” Andrew said.

“His name is Hank Gallagher. He and I were undercover together when I was in the gang unit, and he was checking into the SN for me, trying to see if they were behind the hijacking. His cover was compromised and he came to me for help, but it looks like someone followed him and tried to kill him. Kristine and I got caught up in the crossfire.”

“Hank’s car is down the side of the mountain,” Kristine said. “Once we got him out, we had to run. In the rain. To your house...”

“...to get the sat phone that wasn’t here,” Andrew finished for her.

“Do I need to get it?” James asked.

Andrew grimaced. “Yeah. We need to call it all in.”

“I winged him,” Kristine said, “so we’ll need to check the hospitals in case he seeks treatment there. I doubt he will, but...” She shrugged.

“Got it.”

“And we’re going to need a ride to the hospital,” Andrew said. “Hank needs to be checked out and probably admitted. He’s got a head wound, most likely a concussion since he was out cold for a while. He’s a Marine, so I’ve got no idea what other injuries he could be hiding.”

James nodded. “Get him and we’ll drop him at the hospital and get someone to the wreck site.”

Kristine gave a mental groan. It was going to be a very long night. She checked the clock. Make that longer night.

Thankfully, the drive to the hospital was uneventful. Hank didn’t even put up much of a fuss when Andrew woke him and told him he was going.

“He’s in pain,” she murmured once Hank was settled into his hospital room for the duration.

“He was . Think the drugs are starting to kick in.”

Andrew had been right. His friend had a concussion. It was mild, but nevertheless, they wanted to keep an eye on him. He also had a broken rib.

“He pressed his side a few times, but never indicated the pain was severe,” Andrew said.

“His headache probably overshadowed it.”

Andrew grunted. “No, he just didn’t say anything. We had to move and he knew it.”

She rubbed her face. They’d both called their supervisors, and a crime scene unit was heading to the area of the wreck and shootout. Apparently reports had come in from neighbors about shots fired and local officers were already there.

Violent Crimes would be the investigating agents in the incident, but Kristine would be keeping an ear to the ground to see how that played out. No doubt Andrew and Hank felt the same.

She and Andrew had filled out the paperwork and given their statements to the agents as well as to James and Cole.

Thankfully, she and Andrew wouldn’t be out of action too long.

Since no one had been injured—that they could find—after the shooting review, everything would be handled by the local field office in conjunction with the Lake City Police Department.

Andrew could return to investigating the hijacking case, and she could finish out her vacation-slash-suspension-days while being updated on the case via Andrew and Nathan.

But for now, Kristine just wanted to go home and crash.

Unfortunately, there was more work to do.

Well, for the guys.

She could go home at any point now that she’d done everything in line with reporting a firearms discharge in the line of duty, but she really didn’t want to leave until they were done here.

“What are you going to do about keeping an eye on Hank?” she asked. “The shooter probably called in reinforcements after realizing everyone survived the crash. They could be headed this way even as we speak.”

“He’ll need protection for as long as he’s in the hospital for sure,” James said. “And probably when he leaves.”

Andrew nodded. “Already got the hospital covered. Hank’s room and the rest of this place to make sure no innocents get caught in a crossfire.

” His eyes flashed and his jaw hardened for a moment before he blinked it away.

“An agent should be here shortly. Hospital security is on his room until the agent arrives. Hank should be released sometime tomorrow, assuming all goes well the rest of the night.”

“Okay,” she said, “we need to get the cars. Mine’s at the station and Andrew’s is still on the side of the road.”

“They won’t be done with mine for a while,” Andrew said. “The Bureau will provide one until mine’s released.”

It took another hour to get Andrew’s rental delivered, along with burgers, fries, and shakes for everyone.

After downing the food, Kristine was done. She nudged Andrew. “Will you take me to get my car? I need sleep.”

“Of course. We all could do with some sleep. Let me check on Hank one more time and then we can go.”

Once they were in his rental, she buckled up and leaned her head back against the cushion. “It’s been a day.”

“A doozy for sure.”

He started the engine and they headed toward the station in silence. She was too tired to consider the quiet awkward. Finally, he pulled into the lot and parked next to her car.

She reached for the handle. “Thanks for the ride.”

“Sure. See you tomorrow?” He glanced at the clock. “I mean later today?”

“Absolutely. I want to stay involved as long as I can. I know the FBI will handle the incident we just survived and want to stay in the loop on that, of course. But the hijacking? That’s my main interest. Please keep me as up to date as you can.”

“We’ll make it happen.”

“Thanks, Andrew.”

He reached for her hand and gripped her fingers. “Kristine...”

She stopped and turned to look at him. He let go and raised his hand like he wanted to touch her face and she stilled.

Her phone buzzed and his hand dropped, destroying whatever moment there might have been.

She suppressed a groan and tried to get her pulse under control while she grabbed her phone from her pocket and looked at the screen.

“My dad’s been calling and texting nonstop.

I’d better get home and deal with this.” She forced herself to look into his eyes and then had to swallow hard at the expression she didn’t dare try to decipher there.

“I, um ... I’ll catch up with you later. ”

He looked like he wanted to say something else, but just nodded.

She climbed out with a wave, got into her car, and headed home, her pulse still racing.

And now she was going to talk to her father, which always shot her blood pressure up and spiked her adrenaline.

But it was four in the morning. Should she really call him?

She debated until she pulled into her driveway, then decided why not?

One text said to call him immediately. It was an emergency.

She mentally rolled her eyes. His emergencies were never truly emergencies, but she dialed his number anyway.

He answered halfway through the first ring. “Kristine.” The relief in his voice triggered a frown.

“Yes.”

“Emily’s been in an accident.”

ANDREW SLEPT until nearly ten. He could have taken the day off while Nathan continued with the hijacking investigation, but hanging around his rental did nothing to excite him.

Everyone except Kristine had gone back to work to save their days after their vacation plans had been so rudely nixed.

And that was fine with him. He’d rather work anyway.

Especially if he could use it as an excuse to see Kristine.

And since that’s where his thoughts went, he decided he really needed to either ask her out or just forget about her, because all his lectures to himself about how he shouldn’t get romantically involved with someone never seemed to take root when it came to her.

He checked in on the search for Jacob Brown and learned no one had seen the boy. Which worried him. Then again, if Jacob had the cash, he might be just fine. The problem was ... did anyone else know he had it?

But someone else could have dug up that money. If the money had indeed been there.

Andrew had a strong feeling it had.

He climbed in the car and headed to see Hank at the hospital. The man hadn’t answered his text asking how he was this morning.

He found the room and knocked.

“Come in.”

When he stepped inside, he found Hank dressed and shoving his wallet and the new phone that had been retrieved from the wrecked car into his pockets—very carefully.

“What are you doing?” Andrew asked.

“Leaving.”

“You sure that’s a good idea?”

“I’ve got to get out of here before someone gets hurt because of me. I’m just surprised it was quiet last night.”

“Maybe the guard on the door deterred any kind of attack?”

“Maybe, but I doubt it.”

“So you’ve been discharged?”

“Sort of.”

“You’re going AWOL?”

“I think it’s AMA here.”