Mike must be following up his attempt to run them off the road with a new attack.
“I can’t get him on the radio,” Mona said. Her voice shook. “Backup is on the way, but the closest unit is at least twenty minutes out. Austin was working here at headquarters and he’s also heading your direction.”
Reed’s hand tightened on the phone. He was trying to cover as many people as possible with the staff he had, plus keeping a lookout for Mike and Owen. It was a lot of ground to cover and not enough manpower to do it. “Radio the other units and tell them to approach with extreme caution. If this is Mike, he’s probably armed and dangerous. He also has knowledge of explosives.”
He hung up. Emma grabbed his sleeve. “We’re the closest to him. We have to go.”
“That might be exactly the reaction Mike is looking for. He’s trying to flush you out.”
He scraped a hand through his hair. “The safest thing to do is to stay here.”
“Or he could be creating a diversion to draw all the officers to my property so he can attack your house. There’s no way to read his mind, Reed, and I’m not leaving Deputy Irving out there for the next twenty minutes by himself.”
He wrestled with the decision. There wasn’t a good choice either way, and Emma was right. Trying to guess Mike’s next move was a futile game. If there was a chance to save his deputy, they had to take it. “You need to do exactly as I say.”
“Absolutely.”
She hollered for Sadie, who came shooting down the hall. Emma snapped on the dog’s leash. Reed grabbed his keys. Together, the dog between them, they hustled to the SUV.
Wind scattered pine needles and brought with it the scent of smoke. The tension in Reed’s muscles ratcheted up a notch. If he could smell the fire from his property, it was big.
He paused at the SUV long enough to put on a bulletproof vest and fish out a spare. He handed it to Emma. “Put this on.”
She nodded. He hit the gas, blasting out of the driveway and onto the back road leading to Emma’s property. The SUV bounced over the ruts. He listened to the radio as his team communicated with each other. The closest unit was still twelve minutes out. Far too long.
He rounded a bend in the road and a brilliant glow glimmered beyond the trees. Reed’s hands tightened on the steering wheel.
Emma gasped. “That’s my canine facility. All of the handlers’ houses are on fire.”
They weren’t just on fire. They’d been destroyed. Reed’s anger burned as bright as the flames, but there was no time for it. He needed to stay focused on finding his deputy while keeping Emma safe. “Get down into the wheel well. If Mike starts shooting, I don’t want you to be visible.”
Emma unbuckled her seat belt and slipped down. Heat from the blaze washed over them. Sweat beaded on his forehead. Reed scanned for his deputy’s patrol car.
“Do you see him?” Emma asked.
“No, but he might be parked in front of your house.” He hit the gas, taking them farther from the flames. A flash of red and blue lights caught his attention. As he suspected, Jack’s patrol car was parked in Emma’s driveway. Reed slammed on the brakes and shoved the SUV into Park. He didn’t bother to remove the keys from the ignition. “Stay here.”
He eased out of his vehicle, using it as cover. A pair of feet stuck out from the back of the patrol car. The driver’s side door was open, but the interior light wasn’t on. Reed paused, straining to hear any movement. Nothing. If Mike was out there, he wasn’t moving.
Reed quickly closed the distance between him and his deputy, running at a crouch. His breath caught. Jack’s face was covered in blood. It looked like he’d been pistol-whipped. Reed grabbed Jack’s wrist. A pulse thumped against his fingers.
Thank you, Lord.
For the second time in less than two weeks, he was standing over one of his men nearly killed in the line of duty. No matter what precautions he put in place to protect others, it seemed Mike and whoever had hired him were one step ahead.
A shot split the night air followed by glass shattering. Emma!
No longer worried about staying in a crouch, Reed raced back to his vehicle. Several shots thudded in the dirt at his feet.
That’s right, buddy. Leave her alone. Come and get me.
“Emma.” He took shelter at the rear of his vehicle. “Emma, answer me.”
“I’m okay, Reed. He missed me.” Her voice shook. “Deputy Irving?”
“He’s alive.”
A motorcycle roared to life in the woods. Reed peeked around his SUV and caught sight of a taillight winking in the distance. The passenger side door to the SUV swung open. The window was missing.
“Reed, get in. Hurry!”
He raced up the side and climbed in. Emma was already in the driver’s seat. He didn’t have time to close the door before she hit the gas pedal. Wind rushed in through the shot-out window.
“Emma, what are you doing?”
“I’m going after him.” She leaned into the steering wheel. “It’s enough. If we don’t stop him now, how many other people is he going to hurt?”
“No, we aren’t chasing him.”
“I didn’t ask you.” Her teeth gritted. She turned onto the main road and the SUV picked up speed. “I’ve had enough.”
The motorcycle’s taillight appeared in front of them. Emma sped up even more. The man on the bike passed a glance over his shoulder. The headlights illuminated his face for only half a second, but it was enough to confirm his identity. Mike Young.
Reed radioed in their location, relayed the license plate of the motorcycle and ordered units to intervene. A curve appeared in the road. Emma never slowed down. She took it at a high rate of speed, the back of the vehicle fishtailing. She
