Second Chances: A PAVAD Duet (29 page)

And he was prepared to
explain that to her if necessary.

“
Oh,
God.” She covered her mouth with her hand—a
bleeding
hand.

She’d been cut. He pulled
her to him, studying the injury. It was shallow, and joined by at
least four others along her arm. The other arm was clear, most
likely protected by his body when the glass had rained around
them.

“
Marianna, the
boys…”

“
Yes. Yes, of
course.”

Nate, Bryce and Collin were
behind them; Ed had seen their doors open. He turned to them.
“Boys, pack a few changes of clothing, and your school supplies.
Anything else you deem necessary for a few days. If you forget
anything I can have my agents get it.”

Nate only nodded, then
grabbed his brothers by the shoulders. “Come on, guys. Mom, you
worry about your own stuff, we’ll get the others’ together,
ok?”

After they got the kids
settled at Ed’s house, Marianna finally let some of the tension
wiring her snap free.

Someone had threated her,
planned to hurt her. And had they acted half an hour earlier, her
son would have been in that living room, directly in the path of
that rock, all of that flying glass.

She had five nice-sized
cuts in her arm, and
she’d
been well out of the path of the glass. And Ed’s
arms had protected her from the worst of the glass.

His
back had had more than a dozen small cuts and nicks. She’d
cleaned him up while Nate, Bryce, and Collin had gathered their
brothers and supplies.

The boys had understood
quickly that there was no other option she was willing to take. Not
with them.

The bloodied shirt on Ed’s
back had frightened them all. Her included. He’d barely made a
sound, though, while she’d cleaned him up. He’d just done what he
could to calm the boys. The younger three hadn’t understood, but Ed
had managed to reassure them that it would be a great adventure to
sleep at his house for a little while. Nate and the twins had
carried the three younger boys to the agents’ cars—Ed had refused
to let her drive her van until he’d had it checked over by one of
PAVAD’s mechanics, just in case.

The younger three were now
finally asleep in Matthew’s room. It had bunk beds and they’d
admired the mural on the wall.

Ted and Nate were sharing
another guest room, and Bryce and Collin still another. Marianna
was in Georgia’s old room, but she was too anxious to
sleep.

This was a very large
house, especially for only one man and a visiting grandson. And it
shouted wealth. Marianna couldn’t help but be uncomfortable in such
a place. Did
he
ever get lonely here?

Marianna knew she wouldn’t
sleep, probably not for the rest of the night. How could
she?

He’d told her he’d be down
the stairs in his office, and that’s where she headed.

She needed someone right
then, and she wasn’t too proud to admit it. More than that, she
wanted that someone to be
him.
That didn’t make her weak, she told herself, that
made her human. Normal, even. Not just vulnerable.

He sat at his desk, files
spread in front of him. He’d changed clothes again—into a soft
sweatshirt and running pants. She’d never seen the director of the
PAVAD division so casual. So approachable.

He looked up when she
knocked. “How are the boys?”

“
Sleeping. Finally. At
least the younger four.”

“
The older three are
probably still worried. I know I would be if it were my mother in
danger. You’ll be safe here. I upped the security a few years ago,
plus there are two teams of agents out there. Not to mention the
nine foot stone wall surrounding the place.” He stood and met her
halfway, the redirected her to a black leather couch that was
identical to the one in his office at PAVAD.

Marianna was glad for his
warmth. “What’s going on, Ed? How am I supposed to deal with
this?”

“
One hour at a time. At
least that’s how I dealt with it when I was the target a few years
ago. You’ll get through this. I can promise you that.”

He surprised her by pulling
her against his chest and just holding her. His hand tangled in her
hair.

His arms were strong, warm,
and tight around her. She needed that. Marianna laid her head on
his shoulder as the torrent of tears flooded over.

Ed spent most of the
morning on the phone with the head of the Indianapolis Field
office. Every instinct he possessed told him that everything
started there.

But he would
end
it in St.
Louis.

A few moments after he’d
returned from lunch, he had a list of possible suspects waiting on
his desk. The twenty-two names would have to be narrowed down
considerably, but it was a start. He’d have Hellbrook or Brockman
take a look for anything he might be missing.

Len buzzed the intercom,
their signal that he had a visitor. Ed pressed a button and told
Len to send the visitor on in. Some of his tension lessened. “Dan?
You doing ok?”

His friend had been a bit
consumed with his daughters lately, and they hadn’t had much time
to catch up with one another.

Dan snorted. “Things have
gotten a bit more complicated recently. That CCU coordinator
position still open? I’m going to have to take it.”

“
Yes. It’s open and yours,
if you want it.” Ed had suspected Dan would come to him eventually.
It happened to every agent at some point or another—the need to
leave the field. Now was just Dan’s time.

‘
Yes. I really don’t see
much choice. I need to be home every night.”

“
Something going on with
one of the girls?”

“
You might say that…It’s
the doc…”

Ed knew Dan had strong
feelings for Allison Brewster. “What about her?”

“
She’s
pregnant with
twins.
We confirmed it yesterday.”

Ed knew his surprise had to
be reflected on his face. Of all the things Dan could have told
him, this wasn’t very far up on the list. Dan was four years
younger than Ed was. The idea of having newborns at that age? Wow.
“Are you happy?”

“
In so
many ways, yes. In others, I’m terrified. But I am determined to be
there for
these
kids. No matter what.”

“
Then
congratulations.”

“
Thank you. It does mean
some changes, that’s for sure. Ally and the kids are moving in
soon. And I need a nine-to-fiver. That’s just the
start.”

“
The position is yours. Can
you start in a week?” That should give him and Len time to iron out
some details, and time for him to speak with Hellbrook and the
other CCU team leaders. “And Dan? If you need anything, let me
know. These kids are going to be damned lucky to have you as a
father. Don’t ever forget that.”

***

He wished his friend the
best, but couldn’t help but feel a hint of envy. Dan was in for a
life filled with kids, chaos, and laughter. And Ed knew Dan and
Ally Brewster would do it right. He was sure Dan understood how
lucky his second chance really was.

Second chances were really
difficult to come by; he doubted one waited for him.

But if he did have one in
the works somewhere…he could only damn well hope it was with one
certain woman.

Ally’s news stunned her and
worry for her best friend clouded her mind for most of the day.
Ally faced a difficult adjustment ahead. Marianna hoped the other
woman knew what she was doing.

But
Ally
seemed willing to at least take
a chance at a new life with Kelly’s father.

She was a heck of a lot
braver than Marianna. Marianna sighed, questioning the resolve that
had sustained her for the past six years.

She’d kissed Edward Dennis,
and enjoyed it. She hadn’t felt threatened by or been turned off by
his touch. No, she’d actually enjoyed him. That—coupled with the
shattered window and threat—had had her awake for the rest of the
night.

By the time she had to get
the boys up and ready for school, she was beyond exhausted.
Thankfully, they had a somewhat light load in the lab at the
moment.

Someone knocked on her
office door, and Marianna looked up. It was the runner—the young
man responsible for the delivery of the mail and interdepartmental
material. “Yes, Jacob?”

“
A special delivery van
just arrived with a bunch of packages for your department from the
Indy lab. I thought you’d want it right away.”

“
Thank you.” Marianna took
the package and studied it for a moment. It was the size of a loaf
of bread, and the post return said the Indianapolis address. The
box was taped heavier at one end, in a pattern she’d seen hundreds
of times if not more. She pealed at the tape, reminded again of the
lab assistant who’d taped packages in this manner. She was still a
close friend of Marianna’s; they kept in touch through email nearly
every week—Gabby had definite obsessive-compulsive tendencies,
hence the excessive tape. She pulled the first strip free, finally,
as she walked toward the lab Payton occupied. The package most
likely contained the documents Marianna’s former supervisor at
Indianapolis had wanted her and Payton to consult on.

Today was as good a day as
any to get started. It might actually distract everyone from what
had happened recently.

Marianna pulled the rest of
the tape free from the box and slipped open the flap, just as the
fire alarms began to ring—and smoke billowed out of Payton’s
lab.

Marianna dropped the box
and ran toward the lab, yelling the younger woman’s name. Oh dear
God,
Payton
.

When the fire alarms rang
out, Ed was clear across the building from his office, in a meeting
five floors up. The text from Len arrived seconds
later—
multiple explosions in the
lab!

Marianna.

Ed ran for the stairs.
Protocol demanded he evacuate safely, but these were
his
people. And he would
do his damnedest to keep them as safe as possible. And it was
Marianna. He’d promised
her
—and her sons—that he’d keep her
safe. He wasn’t about to break his word because of the damned
protocol he himself had written.

He ran for the central
stairs leading to the lower floors. He passed someone else fighting
the flood of evacuees. Dan. Of course
Dan
would go toward the fire. He had
the most to lose out of anyone else in this building.

Ed gave a quick prayer of
thanks that it was Georgia’s day off and she was nowhere near the
building before he shouted instructions to Dan.

The two of them could
search the lab so much faster than one.

Dan turned left, toward
hallway A and his daughter and Dr. Brewster. Ed turned
right.

***

The first thing that hit
him was the smoke. It was thick, dark, and almost green.

Ed had never seen—or
smelled—anything like it. The sprinkler system was operating, but
it made little difference. The smoke seemed to feed on the water.
People were still evacuating, none seemed injured. That was good.
But he’d seen the daily security report—forty-nine people were
signed in to the forensic department today. That was forty-nine
people he had to ensure got out or were accounted for.

And he was starting with
her.

The sprinklers soaked her
to the skin and seemed to spread the smoke and sparks around her.
Mari coughed, covering her nose and mouth with her arm.

She stumbled to her feet.
What had happened?

She’d dropped the box from
Indy and started running to the Questionable Documents lab and
Payton. Then she’d heard hissing, and the box had
exploded
behind her. What
in the hell had they sent her?

Debris blocked her path to
Payton’s lab. Smoke billowed toward her and behind her. Marianna
turned toward the last open hallway and ran. She’d get out, then
find her people. Somehow.

***

The smoke continued to
build. Marianna found the wall and felt her way through the smoke
toward the emergency exit. She could hear people yelling, running
as the smoke climbed and climbed. Where all was it coming from? The
hallway where she’d been, Payton’s lab—she knew those two points.
Were there any others?

She doubled over, coughing,
tears streaming down her cheeks. Strong hands wrapped around her
arms. Someone called her name. Ed. Thank God. She couldn’t answer
him; the coughing too strong. She could just grab his hand and hold
on, as he pulled her toward the stairwell. She’d been fifteen feet
away.