On Dangerous Ground Read online

“I know, but I do have to do it for me. There’s a lot here to think about and McNally only gave us forty-eight hours to work with. Not that I’m leaving if nothing happens, but I really don’t think we’re going to need more time than that.”

  “Why do you think that?”

  “I just think that Davis’s little decoy stunt in Kentucky means he’s ready to make his final move.” Jen shuddered, fully aware of what his final move was meant to be. “He must know that DNA testing takes time but that we’ll eventually find out that the body wasn’t his. I also think everything he’s

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  done since he made his phone call from Ann Arbor means that he’s starting to burn his bridges and he’ll just keep moving forward with his plan.”

  Jen hugged herself, rubbing at the goose bumps that had surfaced on her arms. Terri waited patiently as Jen tried to verbalize her concerns, placing her hands on Jen’s, helping to ease the chill that she knew instinctively was fear rather than cold. The words weren’t coming, so Terri tried to help her along. “Jen, what’s going on with you?”

  Jen hesitated, lowering her eyes and shifting her feet. “Do you think it makes me a bad person because all I can think about is, well…” Terri urged her forward with a look. “All I can think about is how much I want you to blow this guy away? Does that make me, I don’t know, like him, somehow? Like I want someone to hurt him for doing all of this.”

  “Oh God, Jen, no. You caught him doing something illegal ten years ago. He was guilty as hell, and he deserved what he got. You aren’t to blame for any of this, but I know you still feel responsible for it. I’d actually be surprised if you felt any differently at all.” She paused to let the words sink in and allowed herself a small smile. “Besides, I’ve already blown him away at least five different ways in my own head. Do you think that makes me a horrible person?”

  Jen’s tension visibly eased and she managed a little laugh.

  “No, I think that makes you my knight in shining armor. Unfortunately, that makes me your damsel in distress, and I really don’t like the way that feels. It’s kind of itchy.” She wiggled a little to prove her point.

  “Well, I can help with the itchy part…later. Right now, we’ve got work to do.” Terri picked up a pen and turned her attention to the legal pad. “Tell me everything we need to know about your house.”

  v

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  Bradley was tired, but glad to finally get where he was going. He’d been on the road since early in the day, and he was ready to take a break and savor this one last evening before he took care of everything, once and for all. He continued northward on I-81, passing the Mount Crawford exit, smiling at the sight. Just a few more hours.

  He continued on to Harrisonburg, where he figured he’d treat himself to a nice dinner. Crossing through the light on Market Street, he pulled into the drive for the Red Lobster. He could have a nice plate of scampi and a glass of wine while he gave his road-weary brain a rest.

  v

  Terri now knew the location of the box for the electrical system, the shutoff for the propane tank, and every way on or off the property. While the land was mostly open, the house was easily defended. Three outside doors and the large bay window were the most vulnerable, but also easily guarded. That would make it difficult for someone unwanted to get in. She decided that it was best for Bobby to take the perimeter watch outside, just because he stood a better chance of detaining Davis if he ran into him first, most likely by turning him into a human tent stake and pounding him into the ground. Terri would take the immediate perimeter of the house, moving farther out if Bobby needed her. They would both be wearing their wires, so she took extra time making sure that Jen knew this fact and could behave accordingly. They would also both be outfitted with their Kevlar body armor. Better safe than sorry. Terri was inwardly kicking herself a little that she hadn’t checked out a third vest for Jen, but if Davis got close enough to her, the vest would most likely become a moot point. She also decided that the Mossberg needed to come into the house with her. After a

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  final check of the ammo, she stashed the shotgun and the extra rounds in one of the large cupboards in the mudroom. Terri was just getting ready to go upstairs to wake Bobby when he appeared in the kitchen doorway, looking a little more rested than he had earlier. “I set the alarm on my phone. I was afraid you’d feel sorry for me and let me keep sleeping.” He stretched one last time and headed for the coffeepot.

  “Sorry, Bobby. Not today. I was actually just getting up to wake you. Do you want to see the plans?”

  “Anything complicated or tricky? Or just basic patrol and wait?”

  “Pretty much patrol and wait.”

  “The best way into the yard from the unfenced property is up through the barn. I think I need to concentrate my efforts down there, and you just stay close up here.”

  Terri readily agreed, but added an additional warning. “Jen says that the restoration work isn’t done in the barn yet, so be careful if you need to go in there, because there are still some weak spots in the floor.” Bobby agreed that they were covered as best as could be expected. The sheriff was still available but not making routine patrols, so they both programmed the Rockingham County emergency number into the speed dial of their phones, just in case backup was needed.

  They were so wrapped up with their planning that they failed to notice that Jen had evidently finished her work in the office and returned to the kitchen. “Hey, you guys, what should I do?” She crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes. “Well, besides scream like a little girl and hide, that is.” Bobby and Terri looked back and forth between Jen and each other, not sure of the answer.

  Terri continued to think as Bobby finally came up with an idea. “Have you ever fired a weapon?”

  Jen could only laugh at Bobby’s question. “The last time

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  I tried to shoot a rubber band at somebody I managed to hit myself in the eye. So the answer to that question is a really big no.”

  Terri giggled at the image, but sensing Jen’s discomfort at the firearm idea, stifled it with a hand over her mouth. “Sorry, sweetie.”

  “It’s okay. Remember, spaz here. One of my greatest strengths is that I know what my weaknesses are.” She moved nearer to the table to stand behind Terri, using her hands to work some of the kinks out of Terri’s neck and shoulders. Terri visibly relaxed into the touch, making little mewing noises as some of the tension was worked away.

  Bobby just watched, pointed at Terri, and spoke to Jen.

  “Looks like you know some of her weaknesses too.”

  She winked at Bobby. “Buddy, you have no idea.”

  He winked back. “Care to enlighten me?”

  Terri had to put a stop to this line of conversation before it went someplace she really wasn’t prepared for it to go.

  “C’mon, you two. Play nice. We really do need to stay focused here.” She patted the hands that were still on her shoulders.

  “How about if you two reheat some of those leftovers from last night while I go upstairs to take a shower and try to wake up.”

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  Chapter twenty-eight

  Terri turned off the water and pulled back the curtain. The shower had gone a long way toward recharging her batteries, which had been running dangerously low. She dried off her hair and wrapped herself in a fluffy white towel, making eye contact with her reflection in the partially steamcovered mirror. The dark circles under her eyes had diminished but were still present. She brushed her hair out just enough to keep it from becoming a tangled mess, and pulled it back into a wet ponytail. Satisfied that she was ready to go, she turned off the bathroom lights and went into the bedroom. She jumped, startled by the presence of another person i
n the room. It was Jen.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Jen was sitting on the edge of the bed, but made no move to come any closer. “You seem kind of jumpy.”

  “I’m okay…well, maybe just a little jumpy.” She pulled the towel tighter around herself. “Did you need something?”

  “I just wanted to see you alone…you know, before the thing tonight.” Terri smiled, thankful for the company. “Can I stay while you get dressed?”

  Terri walked over, leaving wet footprints in her wake, and sat next to Jen on the bed. “You can stay as long as you like.”

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  She turned enough to get both arms around her and held her, desperately needing the simple touch that the hug provided.

  “Jen, you know that we’re going to get through this, right?”

  Jen laughed, but just a little. Apparently she wasn’t convinced. “Anything you say, Agent McKinnon.” She patted Terri on the knee. “You’d better get dressed. You’re far too naked and I’m way too nervous to be trusted with that. Go on.” Terri got up from the bed and went into the dressing area where she’d put her luggage earlier. She pawed through the stuff she’d packed, opting for white cotton undergarments and the comfort they provided. She dropped the towel and changed into the bra and panties, fully aware of the eyes that followed her every move.

  “Jen, you still back there? It’s awfully quiet.” Terri heard the soft mm-hmm as she pulled a black turtleneck on over her head. She stepped into her black cargo pants and then grabbed a pair of short, white cotton athletic socks, slipped them on followed by her black leather sneakers, lacing them up tight with double knots. Next came the heavy leather belt, with holster attached. She threaded the leather through the belt loops of her cargos, checked the magazine of the P-228 one last time, slid it back into the gun, and slid the weapon into its holster at the small of her back. A flashlight and handcuffs followed, tucked safely away in the cargo pocket of the pants. Each article of clothing, each piece of equipment settled her nerves that much more, made her feel more like the professional she knew she was rather than the scared girlfriend.

  The two-way radio was next, but she required assistance. Terri clipped the battery pack to her belt and walked back over to the bed. She held the wires out to Jen and told her what to do while she secured her watch to her wrist. Jen ran the first

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  wire up her back, clipped the coiled cord of the earpiece to the collar of the turtleneck, and held the second wire while Terri attached the microphone to her watch. Terri then went back to the dressing area to retrieve the Kevlar vest, pulled it on over her head, cinched up the Velcro straps, and readjusted the radio wires. The last thing in her luggage was her FBI issue black nylon jacket. She slipped it on and turned to face Jen, who was, as expected, ogling Terri decked in her battle gear. Terri smiled, leaving the smart remarks for a better time, and came closer, taking Jen by the hands, pulling her up and off the bed, and holding her close. “Jen, I promise you, this will all be over soon, and we’ll all be happy and alive, and still talking about it when we’re old and gray.”

  She felt Jen pull her closer and nestle in under her chin.

  “You can’t know that for sure.” Terri felt Jen trembling in her embrace.

  Terri pulled back and took Jen by the upper arms. “Jen, please…Would someone who can put on all this shit,” she looked down at herself for emphasis, “and still look this hot, possibly say anything to you that wasn’t true?”

  Jen smiled her first genuine smile of the evening. “No, I guess not.” Jen’s eyes freely roamed up and down Terri’s body. “You do look incredibly hot, by the way.”

  Terri sighed. “It’s the cross I bear.”

  She leaned in for a warm, wet kiss, took Jen by the shoulders, turned and propelled her toward the door. She stopped to grab the extra clips for her weapon, and Jen hesitated in the doorway, pointing at her. “Old and gray, you promise?”

  “Yes, I promise. Now go on. Let’s go eat before Bobby gets all of it.”

  v

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  Bradley left the restaurant where he’d stopped for dinner and drove the fifteen minutes to the house in Mount Crawford. Just to be safe, he decided to make one pass of the building and property. He turned off the main road, tires bumping hard as he hit the dirt and gravel of Scholars Road. After another mile of washboard dirt and tractor ruts, he found the house, identified by a standard white mailbox with the correct house number. He didn’t slow down below the twenty miles per hour that the lousy surface allowed, but he wanted to because he couldn’t believe what he saw sitting in the driveway. A large black Chevy Suburban with U.S. government license plates. The feds weren’t supposed to be here.

  v

  Terri had been standing outside for what seemed like hours. Probably because it actually had been several hours. It was cold. Not the windy, bitter cold that she had become used to growing up in the farmlands of southwestern Ohio, but cold nonetheless. She stamped her feet and rubbed her hands together to warm them up, wondering to herself why she hadn’t taken the time to dry her hair. She spoke softly into the air at no one. “I’ll probably get the damn flu or something. That’s all I need.” It was time to take another walk around the house. She left her spot on the dark corner of the front porch, hanging in the shadows as she passed the side entrance, and quietly swung the gate open to head into the large, fenced-in area that served as the backyard.

  She stayed close to the house and approached the screenedin back porch. A small scraping noise alerted her from within the house, so she slid her hand under the nylon jacket and wrapped her fingers around the butt of the handgun nestled in

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  the small of her back. The noise became more pronounced and she realized that it was someone whispering, trying to get her attention. “Psst, Terri. Don’t shoot. It’s me.”

  Terri released her hold on the weapon and scooted over closer to the porch. “Jen?”

  Jen was sitting on the floor, hiding in the shadows of the waist-high plywood that made up the lower portion of the walls of the screen porch. She whispered, “Yeah, it’s me. I brought you some coffee.” A steaming mug appeared through the flexible dog door and found its way onto the top step. “I thought you might be cold.”

  Terri was slightly annoyed, even though she was glad to have some company. “Jen, you’re supposed to be upstairs.”

  “I know. I’ve been sitting up there in the dark for hours and I had to pee. I took a chance and came down here to see what was going on.” She paused as Terri came over to the step to get the coffee. “What is going on?”

  Jen crouched low in the shadows and took a drink, warming her hands on the sides of the mug. “Nothing. Bobby’s been checking in every fifteen minutes, but we’ve still got five hours’ worth of nothing.”

  As if on cue, Terri’s earpiece crackled to life. “Base One, this is Field One. Terri, I heard something in the barn. Probably just a cat, but I’m going to check it out. Over.”

  She answered, whispering into the sleeve of her jacket.

  “Field One, understood. Over.” Terri turned her attention back to the disembodied voice on the back porch, and whispered,

  “Bobby heard something in the barn. He’s heading down there now. You should go back upstairs.”

  She handed her coffee mug back through the dog door, felt as her hand was squeezed from the other side, and heard one last small whisper, “Terri, please be careful.” The hand

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  released her, and she knew that Jen was crawling back into the house through the shadows, closing and locking the interior door of the house behind her.

  Terri continued her perimeter patrol, turning the corner that led to the bay window side of the house. Every light was turned off, making the house appear to be empt
y, but she was still able to detect movement within as Jen sneaked low, avoiding the windows, through the living room and back up the steps.

  v

  Bradley was forced to revise his primary plan. That was really too bad because it was so simple. Just ring the doorbell, say hello, maybe have some coffee and catch up a little, and then blast a neat little hole in the back of her skull. The FBI was supposed to be gone. They should have found the kid’s body in the basement. He had done everything right, but the FBI was still here. Something was definitely wrong, and he was pretty sure that it had something to do with Agent McKinnon. Well, it couldn’t be helped. He thought hard, fighting the rising pain in his head. He couldn’t afford to medicate now; he had to stay sharp to outwit these government types. He parked his rental car over the rise of the hill, about three-quarters of a mile east of the property. The barn was the first thing he would come to, as well as being the easiest access through the fenced-in part of the yard. He walked, scooting from tree to tree, holding his dark jacket closed with his left hand, clutching an automatic weapon in his right. Approaching the barn, he entered on the lower level and immediately ran into a stack of old gardening tools, knocking them over in the process. He winced at the clatter, stopping completely to listen for other sounds. He turned on his flashlight and scanned the

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  area quickly for any other obstacles. Seeing none, he slipped his handgun into the back of his pants, dimmed the flashlight, picked up a rusty shovel, climbed the steps that led up to the main level of the barn, and selected a bale of straw to hide behind as he tried to spot the location of the FBI agents on the property.

  Heavy footsteps sounded on the floorboards, heading directly toward his hiding place. He waited patiently as a large man approached, stopped, and turned to head back toward the front door of the barn. Bradley let him get about halfway back to the exit before he made his move. He moved silently from behind the bale of straw, took three or four carefully placed steps, pulled the shovel back, and did his best imitation of Babe Ruth knocking a high fastball out of the park. As the agent pitched face first, unconscious, to the floorboards, Bradley set down the shovel and apologized.