O’Caran trotted over. “Ambulance is on its way.” He glanced around. “Where’s Pierce?”

  “The truck,” Weber said. “They took her.”

  “Terrence Crampton?”

  “I think it was the same truck.” Weber glanced over at an ambulance pulling into the parking lot, followed by a sheriff’s department Jeep. “They grabbed her out of her motel room and stuffed her in the truck before I could catch up and stop them.”

  And Josh had been shot for his trouble, for trying to save Dakota’s life.

  “All right.” Sal nodded.

  The woman might enjoy telling everyone who would listen that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, but they weren’t just words. It was the truth. Sal had seen her do it many times. He’d been with her on operations that took the whole team working together to get the job done. Sal knew what she was capable of. “She’ll hold her own until we find her.”

  “They’re after revenge, remember?” Weber’s face had paled. Worried, or in pain? Or both? “They blew up my truck. We talked to Austin and now she gets kidnapped? It’s that retaliation she was talking about.”

  Sal said, “If they wanted her dead they’d have killed her inside the room or on the street. Why take her with them only to put a bullet in her somewhere else?”

  Josh closed his mouth, fire in his eyes. So he didn’t like what Sal said. Did Sal care? Not especially.

  “She’ll hold her own,” he repeated.

  Josh looked away. The kid needed to not forget that Sal knew Dakota a whole lot better than he did after one day. The EMTs came over and helped him into their ambulance.

  “No.”

  Sal turned back to see Josh shake his head.

  “Just patch me up. I’m not going to the hospital.”

  “He’s really worried.” O’Caran came to stand beside Sal. “He cares about her.”

  “She got under his skin.”

  “But…Pierce?”

  Sal grinned. “I’ve heard that can happen sometimes.”

  “But not to you.” O’Caran returned his smile. “Because you’re Mr. Stone Cold US Marshal.”

  Sal shrugged. It wasn’t untrue. Niall could think what he wanted.

  O’Caran shook his head. “Whatever.”

  Sal’s phone rang. He swiped to answer and said, “I was just about to call you.”

  “Explain.” Just one word. Victoria didn’t use more when few would suffice.

  Sal told her everything he knew. Then he said, “Just tell me she’ll be okay.”

  It didn’t matter that he’d told Josh she could hold her own. The kid needed to believe they knew her better than anyone. Not just because they’d worked together for years. It was more than that. She’d let them in first. They had become family to her. Josh had to trust that.

  It grated against everything Sal was, but he actually cared about Dakota. He was worried.

  None of them had a good track record with their actual families. For one reason or another they’d all needed, and found, what was missing in their lives with Victoria’s team.

  Though, if that were true, he wasn’t sure why he still felt…empty.

  Victoria said, “If these people are who we think they are?”

  Sal said, “They are, and Terrence Crampton is one of them. His woman is dead, and Dakota was snooping around asking questions about what they’re up to. The grenade was overkill, but I figure they’re protecting their assets.”

  “Good. Dakota will find out what they’re doing.”

  Too bad this wasn’t a re-con mission. They’d kidnapped her.

  Now Sal and Niall had a man with a gunshot wound on their hands. Dakota had a concussion. Added to the kind of people these were, and the fact it was a hot button with Dakota, he was worried.

  Sal wanted to hope this would work out for the best. Enough it almost made him want to pray for help. But that would be admitting he couldn’t do this himself, and his entire life had been about proving to everyone—including God—that he didn’t need help.

  “What do you want me to do about Weber?”

  Victoria was quiet for a second. “You think he’s in danger?”

  “They shot him, but Dakota is the one they took.” If these people thought she was the weak link, he’d feel sorry for them when they discovered the truth. “He can help us. Probably” Sal glanced over at Josh, sitting in the back of the ambulance. “He wants to.”

  “I’ll submit the paperwork.”

  “Copy that.”

  Victoria hung up.

  “Weber!” Sal let his voice ring across the parking lot. Josh looked up. The dog barked. “When you’re done getting your owies kissed all better, you’re with me.”

  The man’s face was priceless. At least Niall didn’t start laughing. Sal didn’t need that. And he didn’t need arguments from a rookie, even one that was a fed.

  With some animals, you had to establish the alpha from the outset. Otherwise they’d get ideas that maybe they could be in charge, and you’d end up in a fight for who was on top. Like Josh could find Dakota better, or faster, than Sal? Just the idea amused him, though he didn’t laugh.

  As if.

  . . .

  “Where are we going?”

  Sal headed for Dakota’s motel room. Josh entered after him. Here, I guess.

  Neema waited by the door for his command.

  Neither Sal nor the other guy, Niall O’Caran, glanced at him. Not feeling the need to explain much? He’d been trained by the DEA, and before that, the marines. Still, it seemed like Neema might be of more use to them than he was.

  Josh rolled his shoulders to try and discard the feeling. Ouch. He glanced around, looking for some evidence. “This is a waste of time.”

  They knew who had Dakota—same truck, same guy. Terrence had a lot to answer for.

  Militia, Sal had said. Like a homegrown army, determined to fight the federal government. Dakota was the enemy to them. The embodiment of the very thing they lived their lives in defiance of.

  Sal didn’t acknowledge him. Josh might as well have been invisible.

  He said, “What are you guys even looking for? It isn’t like they left something behind that’ll tell you where they have her.”

  Niall straightened on the far side of the bed. “We know where they have her.”

  “So what are you looking for? Because maybe she doesn’t want you two going through her things. Maybe she wants you to go get her.”

  “You’re new,” Sal said, his words measured. His tone flat, like he was placating Josh. He lifted Dakota’s computer and tucked it into her backpack, then continued, “So I’m going to do you a solid, and explain. Don’t get used to it.”

  Josh said nothing.

  “We take what she doesn’t want looked at, and what doesn’t need to get tied up as evidence for the next however many days the sheriff’s department will hold it.”

  “That isn’t legal. Plus it’s your case, right?” He almost said, “our case” but was glad he’d held back.

  “We don’t need their questions about who we are. The lengthy explanations about why we’re here. Or about how we all ended up working together when we’re from completely different federal agencies.”

  They’d barely explained it to him. “So you clean up here, and then we go get her?”

  “Yes.”

  Josh fisted his hands, then shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

  “That dog of yours going to need to pee before it gets in my car?”

  “She.” Josh didn’t answer the question, which was insulting. Neema wasn’t a toddler that needed a training diaper.

  “I’m done.” That came from Niall.

  Josh nearly threw his hands up in relief, but didn’t. That would have sent a searing pain down his shoulder. Yep, good choice.

  He saw the look that passed between them, but who cared when they were gearing up to go get Dakota. She was all that mattered. In a completely platonic, I-just-met-you-and-we’re-colleagues kind of way, with a side of, “I got shot trying to help you” thrown in for good measure.

  She seemed like a good woman. One whose heart was in the right place, even if she was a little gruff. Maybe even rough around the edges. He’d never liked those women who wanted to be all prissy and objected to camping. What was that about?

  There was something about Dakota Pierce that drew him to her. Maybe he would never figure out exactly what it was, and maybe didn’t have time to, but that wasn’t the point right now. She was in danger and their job was to help her. At least, it was Niall and Sal’s job—and the other two, Victoria and Talia. Dakota needed him and he was glad he was on this job—granted, only until tomorrow night. But still glad to be able to help get her back to safety.

  For now, he was part of this. It didn’t matter if it fit with his plans, or not.

  And he was going to do whatever it took.

  Determined to push through that flash he’d seen, the look on her face. She’d been…not scared. There was far more to it than that. Angry. Frustrated. They bested her. She was on her way to being incapacitated. The thread of possibility that they would use her and then dump her somewhere. All of it had been there on her face. That split second flash he’d seen before the gun exploded.

  Josh wanted to get her back. To replace the bad with the relief of being found. Safe with her team again.

  He wasn’t going anywhere until he made that happen.

  “Car.”

  Josh climbed in the back, and Neema hopped up beside him. She lay across the backseat with her head in his lap.

  Sal shot her a resigned look and started the car. He navigated to the highway fast enough Josh’s eyebrows lifted, but he said nothing. Apparently Sal thought he was on a California freeway. Or he was as determined to get to Dakota as the rest of them.

  “So what’s the plan?”

  Niall shifted in his seat, then handed Josh a tablet. “This is the layout of the compound. We think she’ll be held here.” He pointed to the center building, roofed like a house on the satellite image. “But the reality is, we have no idea. We have no surveillance set up and no intel.”

  “Call Talia.” Sal’s order was clipped. “She can get us a location.”

  “She was wearing her watch? I didn’t see it in the room, I figured it was tucked in a bag.” Niall glanced between them.

  “Josh, was Dakota wearing her watch?”

  He frowned, trying to spawn the image in his own mind. The memory of her being taken. He’d been looking at her face, not her hand. They’d had ahold of her.

  Then the gun went off, and he’d been on his back.

  “I didn’t see.”

  Sal sighed, like Josh now had another strike against him.

  “What’s with the watch?”

  Niall said, “GPS.”

  Sal pulled out his phone and made a call. “Yeah, it’s me.” He was quiet for a minute and Josh could make out someone talking on the other end, just not what they were saying. It was a woman. Victoria, or this Talia person?

  Sal said, “Copy that, red leader.” He hung up.

  Cupcake? Red leader? The man seemed to have a thing for comedy nicknames. Cute, but was that going to get Dakota back?

  Josh quit holding back his frustration. “Tell me you got something.”

  . . .

  His fist reared back. Dakota could barely make it out through the swollen skin around her eyes.

  …that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.

  He hit her again. She’d lost count how many times, but he seemed determined.

  This was her second time through the Declaration of Independence.

  A whimper escaped her mouth. But then, there was no point holding it back, was there? He had to at least think he was making progress.

  …it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government.

  Terrence Crampton flexed his fingers and shook out his hand. Dakota took a second to tug against the tape securing her hands behind her back. They hadn’t taped her to the chair. Just dumped her here and started in, determined to break the federal agent.

  Was he going to ask her a question at some point?

  Terrence glanced at the teen, who he’d shoved in the corner to watch. “Go get her.”

  Austin scurried out. Terrence’s gaze roved over her. She felt it like an oily touch, head to toes and back up. All over her skin.

  The history of the present King of Great Britain…

  Terrence moved to stand between her knees and braced his weight, his palms on her thighs. He leaned his face close to hers, their cheeks touching. He inhaled, deep through his nose.

  …the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

  It was like counting backwards from one hundred. Just a distraction technique, trying to get all the words and phrases correct. She’d been using the technique for years. Since she’d first read the Declaration of Independence in grade school.

  Dakota didn’t like that she had to employ it again now. But life was funny like that and things seemed to have a habit of coming back around in circles.

  He made a noise in his throat. Approval she didn’t need, or want. Dakota thought about bringing up her leg. Maybe she could smash her foot against something sensitive. They hadn’t given her any time to pull her boots on before they hauled her out of her motel room.

  Inconsiderate, really. Now that she thought about it.

  Who did stuff like that?

  Someone about to get her face smashed into his if he didn’t back up, that was who. It was tempting. So tempting. She’d never in her life wanted to lose her cool more than she did right then. And with her history, that was saying something.

  The door opened.

  “What are you doing?” The woman’s voice was throaty, like a long time smoker. Or someone with strep.

  Terrence straightened and stepped away. Dakota lifted her gaze to look at the woman. She remained in the shadows of the yellow glow of the bulb that hung from the ceiling.

  “That’s what I thought.” The woman flicked her hand from Terrence to the door. “You’ve screwed up enough.”

  She stepped into the shed, shifting sideways slightly so she could fit her frame in the door. Checkered shirt. Dirty beige work pants. Huge boots. Flat hair, and an expression not unlike a pug.

  She stared at Dakota with black eyes. “Do you know what we do to nosy government agents?”

  …a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

  Dakota said, “I guess I’m going to find out.”

  Chapter 9

  Josh stopped between two trees, crouching behind the cover of a downed tree that was now overgrown. Neema panted against his ear. He gave her the hand signal to lay down. She settled her belly to the grass with a grunt.

  He pulled out his binoculars, the infrared kind. It was so dark out here he couldn’t see much of anything. Lights at the compound were sparse.

  Josh spotted sentries. He keyed his radio. “I’ve got two on roving patrol between me and the entrance.”

  “Two on my end doing the same,” was Sal’s reply.

  “One at the south end.” That was Niall.

  “Copy that. Five total.” The woman’s voice had the edge of an accent he thought might be South African. Later he would ask about that. For now all he’d needed to know was that this was the famous Talia, and she was running comms for the operation.

  Fear walked with cold fingers up his spine. That whisper in his ear, telling him this was futile. Dakota was already dead.

  Josh gritted his teeth and studied the compound through his binoculars. He had taken up position on the west side. Sal was across, east, about a mile from Josh. Niall had the rear, to the south of them, where there was a small exit in the chain link fence. The north edge was where patrols were focused, guarding the wide opening. Where they’d be spotted if they approached.

  Neema shifted. He glanced back and saw her ears were perked. Her nose twitched.

  He scratched under her chin and kept looking through the binoculars. There. Two dogs jumped and tussled with each other, big German Shepherds with heavy fur and equally heavy bellies. They seemed more interested in the bone they were wrestling over, but Josh wasn’t going to take for granted those powerful bites. Especially not when they could get Neema between them and overpower her.

  She’d faced enough through two tours. She didn’t need to get jumped by a couple of bullies in back country Washington State.

  Sal’s voice invaded his thoughts. “Lot of activity around the central house.”

  Josh moved the binoculars and saw two men in front of a shed, both smoking. The glow of cigarettes illuminated their faces. He thought it might be Terrence and the other guy—not the teen, the friend—but couldn’t be sure without getting closer.

  Talia said, “Rookie, you’re gonna get an email.”

  Josh felt his phone vibrate in his pocket before she’d even finished talking. He said, “Copy that,” and shifted to pull it out. The email was from Victoria Bramlyn, State Department. Director of Domestic Security. He read through it, eyebrows lifting as he got further and further down.

  Talia said, “Do as instructed with the attachment and get it back to me, or you’re flying solo. And none of us can help you out of that mess.”

  “Copy that.” Josh opened the document. It took him a minute or so to navigate the attachment, sign it as instructed, and send it back.

  A request to the DEA from Victoria Bramlyn that Special Agent Josh Weber assist her on a case he was uniquely qualified for.

  Didn’t say what the case was. Or what his “unique qualifications” were. But his boss had signed it. They’d dragged the assistant director out of bed? That wasn’t going to go down well when he got back to work. Though given the document he’d just returned to Victoria there might not be much the man could say.

  These people had pull.

  He said, “Done,” over the radio.

  Sal’s voice came back at him through his earpiece. “Welcome aboard.”

 

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