A Father's Sacrifice

“How’d you know where it was?” She matched her speech pattern to her pace.

Dylan ran alongside her, impressed that she wasn’t huffing. She was in damned good shape.

“The sirens have a different repeat for each area.”

“Run through them for me.”

Dylan recited the litany. “And the front gate is a solid whine. It’s the most vulnerable, since it’s closest to the main house. I’ll have Alfred give you a sheet listing them all.”

“That’s okay. I’ve got them. Thanks.” She glanced behind her. “Campbell works 24-7?”

Dylan took a quick look back. “He’s almost as anxious as I am to get the interface perfected.”

“I doubt that.”

“He’s talented and loyal.”

“Yeah? If you say so. Not in very good condition, though.” Dylan smiled, hearing Campbell’s labored breathing behind them. “Sitting in front of a computer all day will do that.”

She sent him a sidelong glance, and then suddenly put out her arm and stopped him. “Hold it.”

“What?” They were about fifty feet away from the fence.

“Campbell, stop,” she tossed back over her shoulder as she unzipped her fanny pack and drew her weapon.

“Natasha, there’s no reason to—”

She gestured with her head. “Just wait here.”

Dylan blew out an exasperated sigh. He saw Alfred on the other side of the fence, talking with two of his security guards and two men he didn’t recognize.

“What’s going on?” Campbell huffed.

“She said to wait.”

Natasha approached the fence on the balls of her feet, her weapon ready. Dylan couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was graceful, strong and confident. Her pale hair shone like the moon in the darkness of predawn.

“Damn, she is so hot,” Campbell whispered. “Who’d have thought an FBI agent could look like that?”

Who indeed? Dylan nodded to himself. Hot wasn’t the word he’d use. Cool was more like it. Cool and beautiful, but with a deep undercurrent he couldn’t identify. A steel core lurked behind that beautiful skin. A barrier or a firewall? he wondered.

Still, he couldn’t deny the heat that surged through him as he watched her run. His reaction to her surprised him. He hadn’t felt anything close to a sexual urge in a long, long time.

She turned and gestured for them to come forward.

Dylan stalked up beside her and bent his head near her ear. Her hair teased his nose. “This isn’t the first time we’ve had a breach, you know.”

She stiffened and her chin went up a fraction. “Of course not. I apologize, sir.”

“Don’t. You were only doing your job.”

“Not according to your chief of security. He thinks I should stick to the computers.”

“Alfred is very territorial.”

“That would be an understatement—sir.”

Dylan smiled. He took in her profile—her small determined chin, her willowy neck, the slight upward tilt of her nose.

“Dylan.”

It was Alfred. Dylan stepped up to the fence. “What happened? Did you catch him?”

With a brisk nod Alfred passed a business card through the wire.

Dylan read the information on the card with disgust, then stuck it in his pocket. “A reporter, naturally. Get him out of here.”

Alfred motioned to the two official-looking strangers. “These are the two FBI agents assigned to help us with physical security.” Alfred’s voice was carefully bland. He wasn’t happy about the help.

Dylan turned to Natasha. “You know these guys?”

She nodded stiffly. “One of them.”

“Introduce me.”

She stepped forward just as the men approached.

The dark-haired man walked up to the fence. “Ray Storm.” He touched the brim of his baseball cap.

“Special Agent Storm,” Dylan said. “Thanks for being here.” Storm had the chiseled features and distinct coloring of a Native American.

The second man stepped up. He was taller and bulkier than Storm with the kind of pretty-boy face that had probably gotten him in a lot of trouble in high school.

“This is Special Agent Daniel Gambrini,” Storm said.

“Dr. Stryker,” Gambrini acknowledged him.

Dylan nodded. “Thanks.”

Storm stepped to one side and motioned to Natasha.

Dylan watched them while Alfred described the damage to the fence. Thank God it was minimal.

“Hey, Nat, you doing okay?” Storm said.

Natasha nodded and said something Dylan didn’t catch. Then Storm motioned Gambrini over and introduced him to Natasha.

As the agents headed back toward Alfred, Dylan turned his back on the fence. “Another damned reporter,” he said to Campbell, who had hung back out of the way. “Get back to the house. You need to get some sleep.”