thing,” Tanya replied.
“Okay.” Collin’s gaze flicked to her and he smiled. “See you
tomorrow.”
The door finally closed and Tanya hit the accelerator and
shot backward out of the spot. Nicole gripped the door handle and glared at the
other woman.
“Easy.” Her stomach lurched as they zipped out of the
parking lot.
“Sorry.”
“I’m not that tipsy,” Nicole insisted.
“Keep telling yourself that. I’m pretty sure you drank my
wine and yours.”
“Did I?”
“Yup.”
“Oh I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. You probably needed this. Let’s get you home and
some real food in you.”
“Is Jake out drinking with Cole?” Nicole’s brain had circled
that very likely possibility since she mentioned it.
“I don’t know if Jake is there specifically, but I do know
they were going out after they got done tonight.”
“That’s a yes. He hasn’t called me. I don’t know if I’m
happy or sad.” She stared at the ceiling of the car, rolling the thoughts
around in her head.
The rest of the drive passed in silence, save for the radio.
They pulled up at her little house and Nicole walked in barefoot. The floor
tilted dangerously under her.
“Yup, I’m drunk,” she announced to the empty house.
“I could have told you that. Don’t leave your keys in the
door.” Tanya closed the front door after her, bringing the keys Nicole had left
in the lock with her.
“How am I going to get to work tomorrow?” Nicole took the
keys and deposited them on the kitchen counter with her purse.
“I’ll come by and get you. It’s going to be okay. I do need
to run. Are you fine here by yourself? Or do you want to get your things and
come stay at my place?”
Nicole didn’t want to stay by herself. She hated being
alone, knowing there wasn’t someone coming to be with her. But she needed to
get used to it.
“No, I’ll be okay. Go.”
“Lock the door behind me?”
“Will do.”
Tanya gave her a quick hug and left. Probably a good thing
since Nicole couldn’t offer her more than a spot on the floor or a glass of
water.
She locked the deadbolt and went to the kitchen to get
something to put in her stomach that wouldn’t make her sick.
The back door creaked open the slightest bit.
“Damn door. Jake never fixed it, did he?” she groused,
stalking over and shoving it closed. It had always stuck in the frame, but it
had gotten worse the last few years. She flipped the lock and dusted her hands.
Tomorrow she’d take care of it. For tonight, she wanted some TV and food.
He moved through the house, keeping on the balls of his feet
and avoiding the places that squeaked. He’s spent enough time familiarizing
himself with the layout and peculiarities of this house that it was an easy
feat to move soundlessly. The women’s voices went back and forth as they moved
through the front portion of the house.
There was still no sign of Officer Jake Vant, which was
frustrating. Where was the man? And could he use the woman to get to him?
There were too many questions and not enough answers. For
now he would continue to bide his time.
Chapter Four
Jake fit the last piece of his handgun together and slapped
the timer. He could take a gun apart, clean it and rebuild it in his sleep, the
pressure now was time. At least he lost himself in the motions that were as
familiar to him as the back of his hand.
There were six months until the annual US SWAT Challenge in
Vegas. Starting today the entire Metro City SWAT division was gearing up for a
series of tests. Each month for the next four months there would be qualifiers
for the one team of eight people the city would send to compete. Jake planned
on competing this year. Even that left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Nicole had talked him into it. He’d never gone before,
though Cole and the others had done everything short of hogtying him and
tossing him in the luggage to get him to go. The Challenge always fell on
Nicole’s birthday and there was no
“Okay.” Collin’s gaze flicked to her and he smiled. “See you
tomorrow.”
The door finally closed and Tanya hit the accelerator and
shot backward out of the spot. Nicole gripped the door handle and glared at the
other woman.
“Easy.” Her stomach lurched as they zipped out of the
parking lot.
“Sorry.”
“I’m not that tipsy,” Nicole insisted.
“Keep telling yourself that. I’m pretty sure you drank my
wine and yours.”
“Did I?”
“Yup.”
“Oh I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. You probably needed this. Let’s get you home and
some real food in you.”
“Is Jake out drinking with Cole?” Nicole’s brain had circled
that very likely possibility since she mentioned it.
“I don’t know if Jake is there specifically, but I do know
they were going out after they got done tonight.”
“That’s a yes. He hasn’t called me. I don’t know if I’m
happy or sad.” She stared at the ceiling of the car, rolling the thoughts
around in her head.
The rest of the drive passed in silence, save for the radio.
They pulled up at her little house and Nicole walked in barefoot. The floor
tilted dangerously under her.
“Yup, I’m drunk,” she announced to the empty house.
“I could have told you that. Don’t leave your keys in the
door.” Tanya closed the front door after her, bringing the keys Nicole had left
in the lock with her.
“How am I going to get to work tomorrow?” Nicole took the
keys and deposited them on the kitchen counter with her purse.
“I’ll come by and get you. It’s going to be okay. I do need
to run. Are you fine here by yourself? Or do you want to get your things and
come stay at my place?”
Nicole didn’t want to stay by herself. She hated being
alone, knowing there wasn’t someone coming to be with her. But she needed to
get used to it.
“No, I’ll be okay. Go.”
“Lock the door behind me?”
“Will do.”
Tanya gave her a quick hug and left. Probably a good thing
since Nicole couldn’t offer her more than a spot on the floor or a glass of
water.
She locked the deadbolt and went to the kitchen to get
something to put in her stomach that wouldn’t make her sick.
The back door creaked open the slightest bit.
“Damn door. Jake never fixed it, did he?” she groused,
stalking over and shoving it closed. It had always stuck in the frame, but it
had gotten worse the last few years. She flipped the lock and dusted her hands.
Tomorrow she’d take care of it. For tonight, she wanted some TV and food.
He moved through the house, keeping on the balls of his feet
and avoiding the places that squeaked. He’s spent enough time familiarizing
himself with the layout and peculiarities of this house that it was an easy
feat to move soundlessly. The women’s voices went back and forth as they moved
through the front portion of the house.
There was still no sign of Officer Jake Vant, which was
frustrating. Where was the man? And could he use the woman to get to him?
There were too many questions and not enough answers. For
now he would continue to bide his time.
Chapter Four
Jake fit the last piece of his handgun together and slapped
the timer. He could take a gun apart, clean it and rebuild it in his sleep, the
pressure now was time. At least he lost himself in the motions that were as
familiar to him as the back of his hand.
There were six months until the annual US SWAT Challenge in
Vegas. Starting today the entire Metro City SWAT division was gearing up for a
series of tests. Each month for the next four months there would be qualifiers
for the one team of eight people the city would send to compete. Jake planned
on competing this year. Even that left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Nicole had talked him into it. He’d never gone before,
though Cole and the others had done everything short of hogtying him and
tossing him in the luggage to get him to go. The Challenge always fell on
Nicole’s birthday and there was no
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