Page 25 of Final Approach (Lake City Heroes #4)

TWELVE

Kristine climbed out of her car and pulled out her phone to text Andrew that she was there, not wanting to knock or ring the bell in case Hank was sleeping. And where was Tim, the—

“Kristine!”

She spun to see Andrew and Hank rush toward her from the area behind the house. “Hey, what are you—”

Gunshots rang out and they all hit the ground. Kristine rolled next to her car and sucked in a breath while she drew her weapon. Hadn’t they just done this?

Andrew and Hank dropped next to her.

“You guys good?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Hank muttered. “I guess. I don’t have any bullet holes, so that’s a positive.”

“How’d they find you?” she asked.

“Who knows?”

She hadn’t led them here, had she? What a horrible thought. “When did all this start?”

“Shortly after we texted. They didn’t follow you.”

He was a mind reader. Freaky. “Okay, so now what?”

“I’ve already called backup,” Hank said. “Just waiting on them to get here.”

Andrew peered around the vehicle and pulled back. “Then we just either need to hold this dude off—”

The next crack of the weapon sent the bullet through the window of the house. And the next. Then the next.

“What’s he doing?” Kristine asked.

Andrew shifted, his brows pulled tight, then realization dawned.

“He doesn’t know we’re out here. The house is full of gas and he’s trying to hit something metal to spark it and make the house explode.

Run for the back! There’s a hill down the side that will offer some protection. Tim should be there waiting.”

They took off as the gun popped one more time. Twice. And again. They rounded the side and scrambled for the hill Andrew pointed out. The explosion rocked the air and sent the three of them to the ground, hands over their ears, heads ducked.

Sirens screamed over the roar of the flames, and blue and red lights bounced onto the scene.

Kristine’s ears rang and her heart pounded.

She rolled over to look at the damage, and the house was burning hard.

If someone had been inside, they would be dead.

Even her Bucar was burning. The gunshots had come from the street above and to the left of the blazing home. “Should we go after him?”

Andrew dug a finger in his ear. “I’m not sure, but I thought I heard a motorcycle speed off.”

“You did,” Tim said, dropping beside her. She flinched.

With the explosion and the ringing in her ears, she’d missed his approach and the motorcycle leaving. But still, something niggled at her.

She gripped her weapon and looked in the direction she thought the bullets may have come from. But the shadows were too dark, even with the law enforcement vehicles lighting up the night.

She moved closer to the guys. “Does any of this feel off to you?”

Hank snorted. “Like all of it?”

“No, I mean, since when do gang members sneak into houses and tamper with gas lines—I’m assuming that’s what happened— and then stand outside and shoot bullets hoping to make the house blow? I mean I’m just guessing, but that’s sure what it looked like to me.”

“Yeah, me too,” Andrew said.

Hank frowned. “You have a point. That’s not gang work. At least not any kind of gang work I’ve ever heard of. But what else could it be?”

“No idea,” Kristine said.

“Come on,” Andrew said. “Let’s get up there and give our statements. Hopefully all the lights and people have scared him off.”

Hank nodded. “And the dogs will be going after him. They’ll have a better chance of catching him than we will.” A chopper roared in the distance and they looked up to see the spotlight sweep toward them. “And then there’s that.”

Kristine gripped her weapon. “Good. That means no one will be shooting at us. I’m tired of being shot at, personally.”

“Ditto,” Andrew muttered.

She followed him, Tim, and Hank back up the hill, well away from the fire and toward the flashing lights. They were still careful, watching the dark spaces. “Just because you heard a motorcycle doesn’t mean it was his,” she said.

“Maybe not.” He frowned as though thinking of something else.

“What?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Not sure. It’ll come to me.” He stopped. “And it just did. Something woke me up out of a sound sleep. I think it was a drone.”

“A drone?” Kristine asked.

“Yeah. And those bullets were coming hard and fast, but it didn’t sound like an automatic weapon. I think he used a drone to shoot up the house. That’s why he didn’t know we were outside when he started shooting. He was too far away to see us.”

Hank shrugged. “It’s a good theory.”

When they made it to the top of the hill, Nathan rushed to meet them. “You guys okay? What happened?”

“Someone found Hank,” Andrew said. “At least that’s what it looks like.”

Nathan blinked. “How?”

“Not sure. Tim needs an ambulance and a hospital visit. He’s probably got a concussion.”

Tim slipped out of Andrew’s helping grasp and made his way over to the nearest car to lean against it. Then slid to the ground and put his head in his hands.

“Ambulance should almost be here. I called one just in case.”

Kristine’s phone buzzed and she glanced at the screen. A text from the night nurse, Leanna.

Naomi gave me instructions, so I’m texting according to those. I know it’s late—or early—but Emily is asking for you and your brother just got here. Your aunt is here as well.

“I’ve got to go to the hospital, guys. I’ll give my statement and take off—” At Andrew’s look, she froze. “Except I don’t have a car, right?” Last she’d seen it, it had been on fire. She looked in that direction. Firehoses still rained waterfalls on it.

“I’ll drive you as soon as we can get away,” Andrew said. He paused and grimaced. “Except the car was in the garage so ... I’m probably going to need a new car too.” Another pause. “Did Tim’s car survive? As long as the keys didn’t blow up, we can use his.”

She pulled her phone from her pocket. “You check with him. I’ll call the Bureau.” She eyed him. “If you keep destroying federal vehicles, they’re going to start docking your pay.”

“Ha! They should give us hazard pay and be grateful.”

She smirked. “Yeah, let’s go with that one.”

He sighed. “I have some stuff at my parents’ house, but I’m not going to wake them at this time of night.” He looked at Nathan. “I don’t suppose Hank and I could borrow some clothes?”

“Hank’s too skinny to wear my stuff. My jeans would fall off him. You could hit James up again for something for him. But you might be able to wear some of mine. We’ll figure it out. Let’s rendezvous at James and Lainie’s. I’ll let them know we’re coming.”

“Poor James and Lainie,” Kristine said, “getting invaded once again.”

“They’ll be mad if we don’t.”

He wasn’t wrong. Andrew went to grab the keys from Tim, who was now in the care of paramedics, and Kristine raked a hand over her head and texted Ethan she would be there shortly.

As long as she didn’t have to outrun any more explosions. Or bullets.

She left that last part off the text and stuck her phone in her pocket, said a prayer for Emily, and went to join Andrew in the borrowed Bureau vehicle.

IT TOOK THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS to finish everything that needed to be done.

And now, after a few hours of sleep at James and Lainie’s house, Andrew was ready to fight back.

He hated that Hank was a target, and it seemed whoever was after him didn’t care if innocent people got in the way.

Now everyone but Kristine—who’d gone to be with her sister—sat in James and Lainie’s den discussing their next options.

Kenzie and Cole had insisted on being a part of the discussion, but so far, they hadn’t said much.

Cole, who sat on the end of the couch, his big body sprawled, legs crossed at the ankles, looked more thoughtful than anything.

Kenzie sat next to him, her dark eyes taking in everything, right elbow on her knee, chin resting on a fist. Cole had brought Andrew the keys to an older model sedan that belonged to the Bureau.

At least his personal vehicle was safely ensconced behind his parents’ bookstore.

Hank, dressed in James’s jeans, Panthers sweatshirt, socks, and his own shoes, paced in the kitchen away from the windows.

Andrew was confident that they hadn’t been followed to the lake house, but still, his nerves twitched.

And obviously Hank’s did too. Andrew was still dressed in his sleep pants, T-shirt, and shoes.

James had loaned him another hoodie. He was going to have to replace the man’s wardrobe at this rate.

“Okay,” Hank said, walking into the den but keeping a wall at his back.

“Here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to be the bait and you’re going to have my back.

Then once we have whoever’s trying to kill me in custody, I’m going to disappear.

Because if I don’t, no one in my life will be safe. Including me.”

For a minute no one said anything, then protests erupted.

Hank held up a hand and everyone fell silent. “Look, I realize you don’t know me. And honestly, it’s humbling that you would care so much about my fate. I can’t say thanks enough, but I’ve got to do this. It’s the only way to stop this guy.”

Andrew studied his friend and former partner. “All right. Let’s figure this out. What do you have in mind?”

“We use a safe house. Something up in the mountains, away from everything—everyone who could get hurt. The only issue is making sure he knows where I am and where I’m going.”

“You’ll have to appear in public,” James said.

Hank nodded. “That’s the tricky part. How do I do that without putting other people in harm’s way?”

“Think about who you’re talking to. We can do this if we do it right. We keep you surrounded,” Nathan said. “A big ole group of us.”

“Then when we leave—wherever—the grocery store or something?” Hank said. “Andrew, Cole, and I can take off up the mountain to the safe house with James here bringing up the rear. Hopefully our guy will follow.”

Kenzie frowned. “It sounds too easy.”

“One can hope, right?” James said.

Cole shifted and cleared his throat. “We have to try. This guy is getting bolder by the hour. We have to stop him before he succeeds. This is what we’ve trained for. This is what we do. So let’s do it and protect one of our own.”

Hank nodded, relief on his strained features. He was hurting and probably needed pain meds and to lie down.

“All right,” Andrew said, “let’s get this hashed out and sent up the food chain for approval.” Lake City PD and the FBI were about to become partners once more.