Hot Combat

Her heart stopped for a moment as another thought occurred. An image of Jon standing beside a woman wearing a wedding dress popped into her head and a led weight settled in her belly. He might have a wife somewhere. He’d said he was there for only a week. He might have someone waiting for him back home.

And kids.

Charlie pressed her hand to her mouth, her heart aching for Lolly. How would she feel about sharing her father with other children? Would she get along with a stepmother?

Her eyes stung and her throat tightened. Lolly’s life had just gotten a lot more complicated.

The screen on her laptop blinked to life. No sooner had she opened her browser than a message popped up on her screen.

You told.

Beware retribution.

“Damn.” She shut the laptop and laid her head on top of it. If only wishing could fix everything, she’d wish her problems away.

“Are you okay?” A large hand descended on her shoulder.

For a moment Charlie let the warmth chase away the chill inside her. Jon had always had a knack for making everything all right. He would help her figure out this problem. In one week, they’d solve the mystery of who was threatening her and possibly a government facility in the state of Wyoming. Just one week. And then she could get back to life as usual.

Who was she kidding? Jon wouldn’t leave for good. He’d be back. For Lolly.

Charlie shrugged Jon’s hand off her shoulder and sat straight, opening her laptop again. “I’ve had another message.” When the screen lit, she leaned back, allowing Jon to read the message.

“Do you think it’s some kid yanking your chain?” Jon asked.

“I wish it was.” Charlie pushed her hair back from her forehead. She clicked the keyboard until she found the URL she’d bookmarked and brought it up. Scrolling through the messages, she searched for the one that had started it all. She backed up through the messages from around the date and time the call to arms had been made. It was gone.

“What the hell?” Charlie scrolled farther back. “It was here last night.”

“Whoever posted it could have come back in and erased the message.”

Charlie snorted. “That’s fine. I saved a screenshot, just in case.” She pulled up the picture and sat back, giving Jon a moment to read and digest the words. “Do you think I was overreacting by reporting it to DHS?”

Jon shook his head. “With everything happening in the country and around the world, you can’t be too cautious.” He reached around her and brought up the social media site and scrolled through the messages again.

“Yesterday, there were a lot more messages expressing dissatisfaction with the way the government was handling the grazing rights and pipeline work.”

“Apparently, someone scrubbed the messages. These all appear to be regular chatter.”

Charlie sighed. “I’m beginning to think I imagined it.”

“You did the right thing by alerting DHS.” He straightened and crossed his arms over his chest. “Let them handle it. They have access to people who can trace sites like this back to the IP address.”

The phone on her desk rang, making Charlie jump. She grabbed the receiver and hit the talk button. “Hello.”

“Charlie, Kevin here. I take it you’ve met Ghost?”

“Ghost?” She glanced up at Jon.

He nodded and whispered, “My call sign.”

Heat rose in her chest and up into her cheeks. “Yes, I’ve met him.” She’d met him a long time ago, but she didn’t want to go into the details with her DHS handler. Kevin wasn’t from Grizzly Pass, and there were certain things he didn’t need to know.

“Is he there now?” Kevin asked.

“Yes.”

“Let me talk to him.”

Charlie handed the phone to Jon. “It’s Kevin.”

Jon took the phone.

When their fingers touched, that same electric shock she’d experienced the first time he’d touched her shot up her arm and into her chest. She couldn’t do this. Being close to him brought up all the same physical reactions she’d felt when she was a young and impressionable twenty-two-year-old.

She pushed back in her chair and rose, putting distance between them. It wasn’t enough. Being in the same room as Jon, aka Ghost, made her ultra aware of him. She wasn’t sure how long she could handle being this close and not touching him.

* * *

“GHOST HERE.” HE HELD the receiver to his ear, unused to using landlines. But then cell phones were practically useless in the remote towns of Wyoming.

“The rest of the team has arrived. I’d like you to meet them and talk through a game plan for the security of the area.”

“I thought you wanted me to stay with Ms. McClain.”

“I wanted you to assess the situation and give me feedback. I think she’ll be okay in broad daylight. For now, you need to come to my digs above the Blue Moose Tavern and meet the rest of the men.”

Ghost glanced at Charlie.

She paced the length of the small office, chewing on her fingernail.

“I’ll bring her and the child with me.” His gaze locked on her.

Charlie’s head shot up and she met his glance with a frown. “Wherever you’re going, you’ll have to go by yourself. I had plans to take Lolly with me to the grocery store and the library. You don’t need to come with me. We can take care of ourselves.”

“Is that Charlie talking?” Kevin asked.

Ghost nodded. “It is.”

“Tell her I only need you for about an hour. Then she can have you back.”

Ghost covered the mouthpiece with his hand. “Garner said he only needs me for an hour. Are you sure you and Lolly will be okay for that time?”

She nodded. “Nobody will attack us in broad daylight.”

Ghost snorted. Too many people assumed that same sentiment and were dead because of it. “Stay out of the open and report in every time you come and go from a location.”

“I really think we might be paranoid, but okay.” She raised her hands. “I’ll stay out of the open, and I’ll report my comings and goings.” Charlie crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head back. “Happy?”