Down to the Wire

Declan brushed off the praise with a quick shrug and focused his intense gaze on her. “Tess, we need to talk.”

This must be the part where she was to give her statement. She nodded and Declan took her arm, guiding her over to another sheriff’s department vehicle parked in the shade of a tall maple tree that was just barely beginning to change colors in the warm autumn sun. She glanced over her shoulder, watching thankfully as the armored truck drove away with the bomb.

She slid into the backseat, feeling inexplicably nervous when Declan joined her. He turned sideways in the seat so he could face her.

“I need you to start at the beginning,” Declan said as he pulled out his notebook.

Tess explained how the events transpired in the classroom before she inadvertently triggered the bomb.

“How often do you sit at your desk during the day?” he asked.

“Hardly ever,” she admitted. “I tend to stand in front of the room and walk around as I’m teaching, but I do sit down for tests. And at noon, since I normally eat a bag lunch at my desk while grading papers.”

He nodded, jotting down a few notes. “Do you have anyone who might be holding a grudge against you? A boyfriend? Maybe an ex-husband?”

She blushed and glanced down at her hands entwined in her lap. “No, I’m not seeing anyone and I’ve never been married.”

“Tess, this is important,” Declan persisted, his gaze serious. “I need you to tell me anything in your personal life that might be remotely connected to this.”

She didn’t understand what he was getting at. “What? Why?”

Declan paused for a moment. “I believe your desk was chosen on purpose. And if you’re the target, we need to figure out what connection you have to the perp.”

TWO

Tess instinctively wanted to protest, but the somber expression on Declan’s face forced her to bite her tongue. She thought back over the past few months. Pathetic as it sounded, she led a boring, noneventful life. She volunteered at the church, playing piano for the choir, and couldn’t imagine anyone who’d want to hurt her.

She didn’t have any enemies that she was aware of. In fact, she couldn’t even think of one single thing that she’d done to make anyone angry.

The thought that someone might have purposefully planted a bomb under her desk made her feel sick. She glanced at Declan, grateful to know she wasn’t alone. Just like ten years ago, she felt safe with him sitting beside her.

“There isn’t anyone I can think of,” she said finally. “The last guy I dated was the vice principal of Greenland Middle School, but he moved last year to take a principal position down in Missouri. I’m sure Jeff would never do something like this.”

“What’s his full name?” Declan asked, a frown puckered in his brow.

She sighed. “Jeff Berg. And I’m telling you, he’s not involved.”

“How long were you two seeing each other?”

She grimaced, wondering if this interrogation was really necessary. “A little less than four months. We weren’t engaged or anything. When he told me about the job offer, I was happy for him.”

“You didn’t want to follow him to Missouri?”

She crossed her arms over her chest, feeling defensive. Maybe she once had a silly schoolgirl crush on the younger version of Declan, especially after he’d saved her from that disastrous prom date with Steve Gains, but at the moment, she didn’t much like the man he’d become. Declan was all business, determined to get to the bottom of whatever connection he thought she had to the person who’d planted the bomb under her desk. There wasn’t a speck of personalization in his tone.

In that moment, he reminded her too much of her father. The thought was enough to get her ridiculous schoolgirl emotions back under control.

“No, I didn’t. Are we finished now? I need to get back to my colleagues.”

“We sent everyone home...there won’t be any school for the rest of the week,” Declan said bluntly. “But I’d be happy to take you home.”

“I don’t need a ride, I have my car here.” She pushed open her door and slid out of the seat, determined to get away from Declan’s overwhelming presence and clear her mind.

She didn’t get very far, because within seconds he’d caught up with her, lightly grasping her arm. “Tess, wait.”

She stopped and glared at him over her shoulder. “For what?”

“Just give me a few minutes, okay? Which car is yours?” he asked.

“The grayish blue Honda Civic parked beneath the large maple tree,” she retorted. “Why? Don’t tell me you think there’s a bomb planted there, too?”

“I’m going to make sure there isn’t,” Declan answered grimly.

What? Tess gaped at him in shock. She hadn’t been serious when she made that remark, but it was clear that Declan really believed she was in danger. As upset as she was with him, when he let go of her arm, she missed his warmth.

Tess folded her arms over her chest, feeling vulnerable and alone as Declan crossed over to talk to Caleb. The two of them jogged across the parking lot to where she’d left her car and dropped to the ground to search underneath it.

She didn’t want to think that she was the target of some crazy bomber, but it was difficult not to be afraid when Declan so clearly believed she was.

Maybe Declan was just being overly cautious. She simply couldn’t imagine what she’d done to cause someone to hate her enough to plant a bomb under her desk, risking not only her life but those of her students.

There had to be some mistake.

* * *

“I can’t see much,” Deck muttered, flashing his light across the undercarriage of Tess’s car.

“The car is too close to the ground,” Caleb agreed. “I can’t even get my head under there, can you?”

He shook his head. “Nope. I can’t see anything obvious, but we’ll need to get it up on a ramp to be sure.”

“Yeah, good plan,” Caleb agreed.

Declan took one last look before he reluctantly rose to his feet. No way was he going to let Tess drive the vehicle until he was certain it was safe. He caught Caleb’s gaze across the hood of her car. “Maybe we should send a team to check out her house, too.”

His friend lifted an eyebrow. “You really think she’s the target?”

Declan nodded, unable to explain the niggling sensation that told him he was on the right track. “I do. But I can’t prove it, at least not yet.”

Caleb let out a low whistle. “Good luck trying to get Griff to buy your theory.”

“I know.” Declan understood their boss dealt with facts, not feelings. “Although it doesn’t really matter if he believes me, since he’ll expect us to cover all possibilities as we investigate anyway. All I have to do is come up with a plan to keep Tess safe.”

“Well, good luck with that, too,” Caleb said, flashing him a wry grin.

Yeah, he already knew Tess wasn’t going to like his idea of forcing her to go underground, but he wasn’t going to accept no for an answer. Not when her life was potentially in danger.

As he walked closer to Tess, he couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away from her. Even wearing her business casual teacher’s attire—gray slacks paired with a bright pink sweater—she was more beautiful now than she’d been ten years ago, decked out in her fancy prom dress. Why on earth had that Jeff dude let her go so easily? Something didn’t seem right with that scenario, and he silently promised himself to double-check the guy’s whereabouts for the time frame in question.

“Did you find anything?” she asked, breaking into his thoughts.

He hated seeing the fear lurking in the depths of her amber eyes. “No, but we couldn’t get underneath your car to really check things out.”

“So now what?” she asked wearily. “I really need to get home.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, wishing there was an easier way to get her to go along with his plan. “I’m going to take you to my place for a while,” he said slowly. “Just until we can verify that your car and your home haven’t been tampered with.”

Her eyes widened. “I don’t think so,” she said firmly. “My younger brother gets out of school at three o’clock, and I intend to be home when he gets there.”

“Your brother?” Now he was the one who was taken by surprise. “I didn’t know you had a brother.”

“Bobby is ten years younger than I am, so you wouldn’t remember him,” she explained. “He’s a senior at Greenland High School.”

Deck frowned. “And he lives with you and not your parents?”

She hesitated and then nodded. “My parents died in a car crash right after my college graduation. Bobby was only eleven, so I used my science degree to become a teacher and moved into my parents’ home so he wouldn’t have to switch schools.”

He was impressed that she took on the responsibility of raising her brother, and that also explained why she didn’t follow her dream to become a doctor. There’d be time to find out more about that later, because right now he needed to stay focused.

“Okay, then you can both come to stay at my place.” Declan understood Tess wasn’t about to expose her brother to danger, and he didn’t blame her. “At least until we know you’re safe.”

Tess sighed. “Look, I know you’re being extra careful, and I do appreciate your concern, but I’m not at all convinced that I’m really in danger. Why is it so hard to believe this bomb was just as random as the other ones?”

“What makes you think the others were random?” Declan countered. “If my memory serves me correctly, you worked at the custard stand during high school. And I’m sure you stopped by the minimart at some point, too.”

The way she dropped her gaze told him he was definitely on the right track.

“In fact, the more I think about it,” he continued, “the more I’m convinced that you really are the target. And I plan to protect you while we figure out what connection you have to the mastermind behind the bombings.”

* * *

Tess didn’t like ultimatums, especially those given by a bossy, take-charge guy like Declan. He was crazy if he thought she was going to let him run her life.

She’d been taking care of herself and her younger brother just fine for the past six years. Jeff had tried to run her life, too, demanding she do things differently, which really meant his way. He’d specifically expected her to be stricter with Bobby which she refused to do. As a result, she’d broken things off with him a few weeks before he’d gotten his promotion. Jeff’s moving away was a blessing in disguise as far as she was concerned.

She refused to believe she was a failure at being a parental role model. She knew firsthand what it was like growing up in a super strict household. Her father had controlled almost every aspect of her life and she’d refused to do the same thing with her brother. Granted, Bobby was going through a rebellious phase, but she didn’t think his behavior was that much different than most teenagers’. Deep down, she knew her brother still loved her. Even if he didn’t often show it.

“Tess?” The way Declan called her name made her realize she’d been lost in her thoughts.

“What? Oh, I’m not going home with you, Declan. I’ll give you an hour to clear my car, and then I plan on picking up my brother and we’ll go to a hotel if that makes you feel better.”

She sensed he wanted to argue with her, but he gave a curt nod. “Fine, I’ll agree with one minor change. You need to let me drive you to pick up your brother and take you both to a hotel, because I can’t guarantee we’ll be able to clear your car that fast.”

“Deal. Where are you parked?” she asked, glancing around the area.

Her gaze fell on the man wearing the green baseball cap who was lingering near the maple tree where she’d parked her car. She narrowed her gaze, squinting against the sun. He had to be the same guy she saw earlier. And as before, she thought he seemed familiar. “Who is that guy?” she asked, talking more to herself than to Declan.

“Who?” Declan asked sharply.

“That man in the baseball cap standing near my car. I saw him earlier, too.”

As if the guy in question could feel their gaze on him, he turned and disappeared behind the tree.

“Caleb!” Declan shouted, sprinting off after the guy. “Come on! We need to follow him.”

“Who?” Caleb demanded as he ran after Declan.

Tess couldn’t tear her gaze off the two men as they raced toward the area where the stranger had disappeared. She was so intent on watching them that she didn’t notice Griff Vaughn, Declan’s boss, come up beside her.

“What’s going on?” he demanded with a deep scowl.

“I saw a guy over there, the same one who was here earlier,” she explained. “But I don’t get why Declan is so concerned about him. I’m sure he’s just some curious bystander who wants to know what’s going on.”

“Maybe, but sometimes criminals return to the scene of the crime because they like to watch the chaos they’ve caused.”

“I never thought of that,” Tess admitted with an involuntary shiver. She was about to tell Griff about how the guy seemed familiar, when she noticed Declan and Caleb were on their way back.

Their boss jogged over to meet them and the three of them spoke for several minutes before they all turned to face her.

Declan gestured for her to come over by him while Griff and Caleb headed over toward a large unmarked black van.

“I guess you didn’t find him?” she asked as she approached Declan.

“No, but we want you to view the videotape of the scene to see if you can spot him for us,” Declan explained.

“Video?” she echoed. “What kind of video?”

“Video surveillance of the crime scene, including anyone observing from the sidelines,” Declan explained. “We routinely take several hours of film, just in case. We use the film from the media, too.”

“Yes, your boss mentioned how criminals often return to the scene to watch.” She could barely comprehend this shocking new development, but she followed Declan to the back of the van. When he opened the doors, she was surprised to see the massive amount of technology that was located back there.

“Wow,” she murmured. “I had no idea you had all this stuff going on.”

Declan helped her inside. “Nate is a whiz with electronics,” he said. “Do you have the video ready?” he asked.

“Sure thing, Deck.” Nate Jarvis, a tall, lanky blond pulled up a stool and gestured for Tess to take a seat. “We’re going to start at the beginning, and I want you to let me know if you see the guy you spotted just a few minutes ago.”

Tess nodded, blinking to help her eyes adjust to the darker interior of the van. She leaned close, staring at the video screen full of dozens of people standing around the perimeter of the school parking lot, and tried to catch a glimpse of either the green ball cap or the guy’s brown shirt. Of course he wore colors that blended in with the crowd and the trees.

For several long minutes no one said anything, and as much as she tried to stay focused on the videotape playing in front of her, she was far too conscious of Declan crouched beside her.

Ignore him, she told herself, keeping her eyes glued to the video screen. They were mere acquaintances, nothing more, a fact that suited her just fine.

She was so preoccupied she almost missed the brief flash of green. “There!” she said excitedly. “That might be him.”

Nate fiddled with the controls, going backward to capture the image and then moving forward in slow motion. He froze the image. “Is this the guy?” he asked.

She gnawed on her lower lip, staring at the blurry figure. “Maybe, but the way he’s looking down at the ground, I can’t be positive.”

“I can’t seem to get a good image of this guy’s face,” his tech-savvy teammate muttered, going through several frames. “It’s almost as if he knows we’re videotaping the crowd.”

“I think it’s him, but maybe we should keep looking,” Tess said, biting her lip.

“You’re doing great,” Declan murmured encouragingly. “Take your time.”

She was glad he’d dropped the demanding tone. She continued watching the videotape but was disappointed when she didn’t see the strange guy.

But then, just as the camera switched direction, she saw him. “There he is,” she said urgently. “That’s exactly when I saw him, too, as he was walking away from the area.”

“Got him,” Nate declared, freezing the image. “Too bad it’s not his face, though. And it’s hard to tell what color his hair is beneath that baseball cap.”

“I know,” Declan agreed.

“I’ll see if I can keep working the images to make them sharper,” his colleague said.

She glanced over her shoulder at Declan. “I remember thinking at the time that one of the cops must have told him to get lost,” she admitted. “Do you think it’s possible someone spoke to him?”

Declan shrugged. “We can ask,” he murmured. “Although I don’t know if anyone would remember him.”

“How about if I print off a copy of the image?” Nate offered. “It’s better than nothing at the moment.”

“Sounds good.”

Tess stared again at the indistinguishable figure, wishing she could pinpoint what seemed so familiar about the guy. Without seeing his face, it was impossible to guess his age. Was he one of Bobby’s friends? Or a neighbor? Maybe Allan Gray, the rather odd neighbor who was always overly anxious to help her?

“Let’s give this printout to Griff,” Declan said. “He can ask all the cops here on the scene whether anyone else recognizes him.”

Tess took Declan’s offered hand to step down from the van, letting go as soon as she was on solid ground. Despite the jolt of awareness that had just sparked between them, she refused to give in to the schoolgirl crush she’d once had on him. Because, just as they had been back in high school, they were still two completely different people.

She couldn’t afford a relationship, even if she wanted one, which she didn’t. Maybe all men weren’t as controlling as Jeff and her father, but Declan certainly seemed to be. Besides, she needed to stay focused on keeping her brother out of trouble. And that was truly a full-time job.

Declan walked up to his boss and handed over the photo. The two men spoke briefly, and Griff passed Declan a set of keys, before Declan turned back toward her. “Okay, we’re clear to leave.”

She smiled in relief. “Good.”

“It’s that SUV over there,” Declan said, gesturing at the police vehicle that was parked closest to her car.

“You don’t have assigned cars?” she asked as they headed across the parking lot.

“Yes, we do, and that’s the one I normally drive, although today Sam Irving drove it here. Caleb agreed to give Sam a lift back.”

“Are you sure all this is really necessary?” Tess asked.

Before Declan could respond, a ball of fire exploded in front of them, sending her stumbling backward. She hit the ground hard, moments before everything went black.

THREE

The force of the blast sent Declan flying backward against the pavement. The breath was knocked from his lungs and for a moment he couldn’t draw in any air. Smoke filled the area around them, and pain reverberated through his body. After a few seconds his military survival instincts, along with a healthy dose of adrenaline, kicked in and he rolled over and belly crawled toward Tess, who was sprawled on the ground just a few feet away.

“Tess! Are you all right?”

She let out a low moan and lifted a hand to her head. “Hurts,” she whispered.

“Stay down,” he ordered, covering her body with his as much as possible. He had no way of knowing if the explosion was only a precursor to more violence or not, but he wasn’t taking any chances.

Not when Tess’s life was at stake.

“What happened?” she asked, her voice muffled against his chest.

“Another bomb,” he said grimly, watching the SWAT members that were still on the scene disperse and cover the area, rifles held ready. He craned his neck in order to see behind him. A small fire still burned near the maple tree where Tess had seen the guy in the green ball cap.

Had that dude been the perp who’d set the bomb? Most likely, although Declan couldn’t afford to ignore the possibility of the guy being nothing more than a curious onlooker, either. He’d try to keep an open mind even though the stranger was currently the best lead they had.

“I can’t breathe,” Tess gasped, pushing against his chest.

“Sorry.” He shifted a bit so that he wasn’t quite crushing her, but he wasn’t willing to move away completely until he knew the area was clear.

“Deck, are you and Tess all right?” Caleb asked, coming over to kneel beside them.

“I think we’re okay. Are you sure the area is secure?” He was only slightly reassured that he hadn’t heard the sound of gunfire.

“So far there’s no sign of anyone or any other devices,” Caleb told him. “We need to get you both out of here, though. How badly are you hurt? We have an ambulance on the way.”

Declan pushed himself upright but hovered protectively over Tess. “I’m fine,” he assured Caleb. “Tess, where do you hurt?”

“Everywhere,” she admitted with a grimace. She struggled to sit upright, and Declan eased his arm around her shoulders to offer support. The way she leaned heavily against him made him realize she might be hurt worse than he suspected.

“Take it easy,” he murmured. “Did you hit your head?”

Tess put her hand to the back of her head. “Yes, I might have blacked out for a moment or two. I can feel a lump, but there doesn’t seem to be any bleeding.”

Declan battled back a wave of fury. That had been way too close. Tess could have been seriously injured by the blast. And this latest turn of events only convinced him more that she was the specific target.

“Come on, let’s get her to safety,” Caleb urged.

Declan was totally on board with that plan. He helped get Tess up and on her feet and with Caleb’s assistance, walked her over to the back of the van where Nate had opened the doors for them.

“Sit down, Tess,” he instructed. “Do you have a first aid kit handy?” he asked Nate. “She could use an ice pack.”

“I’m fine,” she said. “I’m sure you have a few bumps and bruises, too.”

He did, but that was a by-product of his job. Tess was a fourth grade schoolteacher, and he was fairly certain she wasn’t accustomed to being thrown off her feet by a bomb.

Nate handed him the ice pack and he quickly twisted the bag to activate the coolant inside and gently pressed it against the back of Tess’s head. Despite her earlier protest, she put her hand back there to help hold the ice pack in place.

“Just relax, I’ll hold it for you,” he told her.

“Did you notice that both your SUV and Tess’s car were damaged by the explosion?” Caleb asked in a low tone. “The maple tree was knocked over, too.”

“Yeah, I did. And I don’t believe in coincidences. I need to get Tess someplace safe.”

“I’m not going anywhere without my brother,” she said, joining the conversation.

“I know, we’ll take him with us,” Declan promised.

The wailing sound of a siren indicated the local authorities and the ambulance were getting closer. He appreciated the additional backup, but at the same time, he wanted nothing more than for Tess to get the medical care she needed and then to get her out of there.

Before the bomber made yet another attempt on Tess’s life.

* * *

Ignoring the pounding inside her head wasn’t easy, but Tess knew that was the only way she could avoid going to the hospital. She stared down at her trembling fingers, and did her best to remain calm even though she was still reeling from being so close to the explosion.

Dear Lord, thank You for keeping me and Declan safe from harm. And please watch over Bobby, too. Amen.

“Tess? Is something wrong?”

Declan’s concern was touching, but she knew that she couldn’t keep leaning on him for support like this. They were just temporary allies. As soon as he had her safely tucked away, she knew that he’d go back to his SWAT team, leaving her and Bobby alone.