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She turned on her heel and headed for the door, leaving Bridger to wrestle with the sweet, exhilarating, and deeply moving images her words painted.
If only he was her kind of man. An idea he mulled in silence all the way to her store.
After making sure her assistant manager was there, and Jane was settled in, he and Tai headed out for their real objective. Pastor Zack.
Sure, he’d told Jane they were going back to the hangar to do a more thorough recon. That wasn’t untrue. It just wasn’t the whole truth.
The pastor was first on their agenda. Jane made it clear she wanted to be included in the investigations, but from what he knew of the players so far, prying info from Pastor Myles would require a little intimidation. No need for Jane to be around for that.
While he wound the vehicle up into the foothills, following Tai’s directions, he considered how best to interrogate the preacher. But thoughts of Jane at the hardware store, with only her assistant manager for protection wrecked his concentration.
The higher they climbed out of town, the antsier he got. By the time they reached the Creightons’ street, he’d given up on crafting an opening. Their sheer presence would have to do. It usually worked, especially with civilians.
“That’s the house.” Tai pointed at a low slung ranch house on the right side of the road. Then he gave Bridger one of those penetrating looks. “The woman’s fine. She’s got a store full of sharp tools, and she knows how to use them.”
On nails and wood and stuff. Fighting off an attacker was a whole different thing. But this wasn’t the time to argue. He grunted and pulled in behind the pastor’s SUV.
The front door opened before he and Tai were out of the vehicle. A white-haired man came out, shotgun in hand.
The sight of the weapon kicked Bridger’s pulse up a notch, but the man’s relaxed posture reassured him. The guy was ex-law enforcement. He handled the firearm with the same ease Bridger or his teammates would have used.
He waved at the man. “We’re friends of Jason Reilly. We’re here to help the pastor.”
The man took his time considering the two of them before lowering the weapon and nodding. “Pastor told me you might be by. Come on in.”
Once inside, the man led them into a living room stuffed with decades of family memorabilia and retreated. “I’ll tell Pastor you’re here.”
As if the guy hadn’t heard them drive up. This high into the mountains, silence reigned. No way Myles hadn’t heard the Jeep approaching.
Tai shot him a knowing look. Bridger nodded back. Jane’s pastor was nervous, taking his time to gather his thoughts before facing them.
Which meant he had something to hide.
Not that Bridger didn’t already know that.
The big man entered, filling the doorway, his body language stiff.
Good.
Bridger plunged straight ahead, hoping to keep the guy off balance. He gestured at the well-worn couch, his movements purposefully impatient. “Have a seat.”
The pastor gulped, hard, but obeyed without a word. Once he was seated, arms on his thighs, Bridger closed in, looming over him. Tai hovered between them and the doorway, blocking the only exit.
“Have you heard anything about the bomber?” the man asked.
Lots of folks made that mistake, talking first, as if that meant they were seizing control of the moment.
Bridger ignored the question. “We’re here to finish what Jason started. He promised he’d help you end this. To do that, I need every piece of info you’ve got. Every fact. Every theory. Everything.”
The man nodded slowly. “Why would the blackmailer try to blow me up? It makes no sense.”
“No, it doesn’t.” He crossed his arms over his chest and waited.
“I don’t know anything,” the pastor insisted. “My wife’s life is at stake, too. He threatened her first. If I knew anything, I’d tell you.”
Maybe. Bridger didn’t know the guy. Even men of God could be killers. Or want their wives dead. The note implied Myles was a sinner. But what sin? Maybe the man was guilty of trying to have his wife killed. His job now was to gather intel. Evaluating it would come later.
“Go over the timeline for me,” he instructed. “When did the blackmail start?”
