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“Hold on!” Cal gunned the engine. The SUV did the same and pulled up right behind them. Suddenly, a burst of bullets peppered the back of the truck, and the back window shattered. “Get down!” he cried and pressed the pedal to the floor.
The SUV’s engine roared, and it pulled up beside them. Its windows were down, and the tattooed man in the passenger seat raised an automatic weapon. Cal popped off a quick shot before the man fired again, hitting him in the head. Cal kept on firing, and the SUV swerved and fell behind. Vic rose up and let off multiple shots out the broken back window. The SUV’s windshield shattered, and it turned off on a side road and disappeared.
“You okay?” he asked quickly as Vic turned back around.
“Fine. You?”
He reached behind his neck. “Cuts from some glass shards. Nothing big. One thing’s for sure, those guys knew where we were staying. How do you suppose that happened?”
She heaved a sigh. “My ASAC asked for the location, and I emailed it to him. Did you tell anyone?”
“Nobody.” He heaved out a frustrated breath. Why had her boss asked her to disclose that information when the leak hadn’t been discovered yet? “So it could be coming from the DEA unless the Marshals have a leak.”
She grimaced. “I don’t think it’s the Marshals. They don’t have a stake in the game.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.” He thought for a moment. “Listen, I’ll drop you off, then I need to do something about this truck.”
“I’ll come with you. You need to see to those cuts. You’re bleeding down the back of your neck, honey.”
His heart skipped a beat. She’d never used an endearment with him before. He smiled. “No need. You go on in. Your boss is expecting you. I’ll take care of my neck. I promise.”
He pulled up in front of the DEA offices and made sure that she was safely inside before he left. Then he put in a call to his captain and brought him up to speed. “So it looks like the leak may be with the DEA. We’re going to need a safe place to stay tonight.”
“We’ll put you up in a hotel, Cal. Just stay off the grid. Vic isn’t to tell anyone where you are.”
“I’ll make sure she understands, sir.” Cal said. Ending the call, he drove to the ER and had his cuts looked at, then made arrangements to get his truck repaired and to get a rental while it was in the shop.
While he was waiting, he did some thinking. It bothered him immensely that Vic could have been killed that morning. Since this case had begun, she’d been put in danger more than once and had even been injured severely, and he was gut-sick about it. Anxiety and worry for her was really taking a toll on him.
He picked her up around the back of the DEA building to throw off anyone who might be watching them. He’d bought Chinese takeout on the way there, and he’d already purchased some clean clothes and toiletries and checked into their hotel.
As she got into the truck, he said, “Hello, beautiful.”
She covered her mouth with her hand. “Hey, handsome. Don’t you know better than to make me smile in my pitiful condition?”
He chuckled. “Sorry.” Then in a more serious tone, he said, “Change of plans. We’re staying at a hotel—and, Vic, you can’t tell anyone where we are.”
She frowned. “I know. I already told my ASAC that the leak has to be on our side. He’s doubling down and determined to find it.”
She took off her gun and buckled her seatbelt. “And I’m not going into the office until we get this straightened out.”
“Well, thank God for that. I’m not either. We’ll just hunker down and play it safe.”
She sighed and leaned back. “Agreed. That scared the shit out of me this morning. I was so worried you were going to get shot.”
“Hell, I was worried about you, sweetheart.”
She reached for his hand. “Thanks, Cal.”
When they got to the hotel, he took a good look around. He hadn’t seen anyone following them, and nothing in the parking lot looked suspicious. He got out and showed Vic up to their room. “We’re staying together. I hope you don’t mind. It’s safer that way.”
“Hell no, I don’t mind,” she said as she looked around the room. “This is nice. Thanks, Cal.”
He handed her a bag. “These are yours. I hope someday soon we can go back to our apartments and get our real clothes.”
“I hear that.”
His heart fell when he thought of not being with her in the evenings, not sleeping with her at night. He couldn’t bear that thought. Then his thoughts returned to what he’d come to terms with earlier in the day while he’d been dealing with his truck.
