Page 8 of Tango (Hunt Brothers Search & Rescue #4)

Alice

T he coffee shop is bustling this morning, which isn’t ideal, but it’s the only shot I have at finding some answers.

Right now, I’m an echo chamber for the theories I’m mulling over.

Fresh eyes. Isn’t that what they say in all the detective shows?

That sometimes you need fresh eyes on the case to see it clearer?

The bell above the door rings, and a handsome man in his early thirties walks in. His dark hair is cut short, a buzz cut that’s habit ever since his time in the army. He’s wearing dark jeans and a tan, short-sleeved polo shirt.

Logan Tarmac’s dark gaze scans the room until he sees me sitting in the back.

Somehow, he recognizes me, which is a shock, given the baggy clothes and baseball hat I’m wearing.

Without ordering a coffee, he comes over and takes a seat across from me, gaze concerned when he notes the bruises all over my face.

“What happened?” he demands. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Physically, at least.” I close my eyes and take a deep breath. “I was attacked. The other guy got it worse, but I don’t want to talk about that right now.”

“Okay,” he says slowly.

I take a deep breath. “Thank you for meeting me.”

“Of course. You know I would do anything for you, Al.”

Al. I never liked that nickname, but since he’s risking his life for me, I don’t correct him like I’ve done in the past. “It’s a risk talking to me, so if you want to go, I understand.”

“If I didn’t want to talk to you, I wouldn’t be here.”

Emotion burns in my throat. I knew I could count on him, and it warms my heart to know I wasn’t wrong. “Do you know what they’re saying I did?”

His expression answers me before he even nods. “I don’t believe a word of it though.” He leans in. “Is it true that Ramiro is missing? I know you two are close, so I wasn’t sure if?—”

“He’s not missing. He’s dead.”

Logan’s expression shifts to shock. “Dead? You’re sure?”

I nod. “Darren Wade killed him in the server room.”

“Darren Wade? As in, the security guard?”

“Yes.”

“The server room? At Web Safe?” He leans in closer. “Are you serious?”

“Yes. He tried to kill me too, but I managed to shoot out the window and escape.”

“That’s two floors up,” he replies.

“Yes. I know. I hit the awning over the entrance and bounced off. It broke some of the fall.” Not all of it, though. It hurt—badly—when I hit that pavement. Thank God I didn’t break any bones.

Logan leans back in his chair, taking in all I’ve said.

“Weren’t you a little curious as to why the windows were broken?”

“They told us it was a drive-by. That two stray bullets hit the windows.”

I roll my eyes. “Which is why the glass was on the outside, right? Unbelievable.”

“We’re not allowed in the server room right now, and most of the glass outside was cleaned up before we got to work.” Logan crosses his arms. “What’s going on, Alice?”

Full name. Six months of dating, and one relatively peaceful breakup later, and he’s finally calling me by my full name. “I don’t know. That’s why I wanted to see you. There’s no one else I can trust.”

“You can always trust me.” He covers my hand with his. “Even if we didn’t work out, I’m still your friend.”

“You are.” I smile at him, feeling a bit of the weight I’m carrying lift. “I need to know if anything strange has been going on at work since I’ve been gone. Anyone acting weird, any new policies put in place…anything.”

He withdraws his hand and leans back in the chair again.

“Not particularly. We got a memo the day we showed up and the windows were broken. It said there was a drive-by and the windows would be getting replaced, but the server room was off-limits to everyone until the repair was made. They said it was too dangerous for us to go inside.”

More like there was too much blood that needed to be cleaned up. “Nothing else?”

He shakes his head. “You said Darren shot Ramiro. Why would he do that?”

“I’m not sure. Ramiro said he found something big. An issue with the security of certain accounts.”

“Which accounts?”

“He wouldn’t tell me. He insisted I write a patch, so I did.

That’s what we were there that night to install.

A patch that would make it impossible for anyone to gain access to the information hidden behind it.

Well, difficult, anyway. So we would have time to find out where the threat was originating from. ”

“You said he wouldn’t tell you which client accounts were affected?”

I shake my head. “He seemed scared. Almost like he was afraid to trust me.”

Logan’s brow furrows. “Not trusting you is a big red flag that something was going on.”

Back when we’d been dating, my friendship with Ramiro was a bit of a sore subject between Logan and me.

He’d always insisted that Ramiro wasn’t around just to be my friend, and while I’d always known how Ramiro felt, we had an understanding.

I just wasn’t interested in him that way, and he never held it against me.

Logan couldn’t see that, and his jealousy is a big reason we didn’t work out. I wasn’t willing to shove the friend I’d had for years aside, and Logan didn’t trust him.

“That’s what I thought too.”

Logan is quiet for a moment, likely processing everything I’ve told him. “You believe Darren has something to do with this? I mean, the guy is a jerk—no one’s questioning that—but a murderer—I just don’t know that I could see him killing someone in cold blood.”

“Well, I did see it. With my own eyes. I watched those bullets penetrate Ramiro’s chest. I watched him fall to the ground. And I watched him fall still.” Tears burn in my eyes.

“Alice.” Logan reaches over and covers my hand with his again. “Have you gone to the police?”

“I can’t. If Web Safe is behind this, then they’ll do whatever they can to bury it.”

“So now you’re not trusting the police?”

“Not until I know how deep this is.”

“Then why are you coming to me?”

“Because I know that, no matter what went on between us, you’re an honorable man. I know you wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.”

His jaw clenches. “No, I wouldn’t.”

“Which is why I’m here. I need to know what’s going on inside Web Safe. If anything feels off, or if you notice any issues with the accounts, can you tell me?”

“How do I get into contact with you?”

I withdraw a piece of paper and offer it to him. “This email address. Contact me here.”

Logan studies it before offering it back to me.

“You don’t want to keep it?”

He taps a finger to his temple. “Memorized. And if there is an issue, I don’t want anyone to find it.”

“Good thinking.”

Logan falls silent then leans forward, taking both of my hands in his. “Come with me. You can stay at my place. I’ll take the couch, you can have the bedroom, but you’ll be safe. Let me protect you. Please, Alice. I couldn’t live with myself if something happens to you.”

It’s sweet, but I’m not sure how to tell him he can’t keep me safe—no one can. And I’m unwilling to have what nearly happened to my parents happen to Logan too. “I can’t, Logan. It’s not safe for you to be near me. I’m sorry.”

His gaze locks on mine, but he nods and withdraws. “If that changes, you know where to find me. I’m right here, Alice. Always.”

“I know. Thank you. Please, just keep me in the loop. Anything, no matter how minor.”

“I will.”

With a smile, I stand. He does, too, then pulls me in for a quick hug.

“I’ll see you soon, okay?” he says.

“Okay. Thanks, Logan.”

He nods then turns and leaves the coffee shop.

I wait a few minutes before following him out and going down the opposite side of the street, where my mom’s car is parked.

I’d gone back for it last night after the police left.

I know I can’t drive it to the place I plan on staying, but it’ll get me to a bus stop without being accosted on the street again. So that’s a win.

Eventually, they’ll catch up to me. I just hope it’s not before I’ve found proof and handed it off to someone who can help me. Maybe someone like Tucker Hunt.

Before my meeting with Logan, I’d done some digging into the Hunt brothers. Ramiro talked about them like they were superheroes. He’d never met them but knew of their work from his uncle Frank, who works with them from time to time.

I’d studied the backgrounds of every single one of them, but it was Tucker who truly captivated my attention. From all that I read, every single one of them is intelligent, kind, brave, and motivated by a deep-rooted faith.

But Tucker—there’s just something about him particularly.

It could be how selflessly he’d thrown himself into danger at my parents’ house last night, not even bothering to wait for backup before plunging into battle.

Or it could have something to do with how he and his dog took down two armed murderers without so much as breaking a sweat.

Honestly though? I think it’s more. It’s the way his bright blue eyes stared straight through me. How he’d held onto me when I’d been so lost to my anger I’d lunged at men twice my size.

Then there’s the fact that he’s a total computer whiz.

Likely one of the few who could challenge me.

And that’s not arrogance speaking, it’s just fact.

God blessed me with an aptitude for coding, and I’ve done everything I can to use those gifts to make Him proud.

I’ve protected important information, kept the names of high-ranking police officers and federal agents hidden behind a wall. Shielded those in witness protection.

And worked hard to be a good steward of the time He’s granted me on this earth.

Grief hits me out of nowhere. Ramiro did that too .

I’d just started getting him to go to church with me right before he was killed.

Even though his mother and the rest of his extended family are devout Christians, Ramiro struggled with his faith—likely because of losing his father at such a young age.

But he’d been close.

So close.

Lord, please let him have found You before— I can’t even finish the prayer before tears well up in my eyes. Please let him have found You. Amen.

I unlock the door and climb behind the wheel of my mom’s Kia, then start it up and pull away from the curb without any hesitation.

As I drive, I continue to glance up in the rearview mirror, doing what I can to ensure I’m not being followed.

My hope is that I’ll be able to put some distance between me and Web Safe while working to find a way into the system without being detected.

If I can do that, then maybe I stand a chance at uncovering what’s really going on and how deep it truly goes.

After all, hackers love to leave their own signature on their work.

I’ve certainly dealt with enough of them to know.

Some, I’d even recognize. All I need is to get close enough.

And if I can’t do it from a safe distance, I’ll have to find a way into Web Safe to do it from the server room I barely escaped last time.

Because, even if it kills me, I will bring Ramiro justice.