Geri Krotow - Secret Agent Under Fire

“Thank you. I’ll get right to it. Yesterday morning was a bust and it’s my fault. I didn’t get the guy, and I even had him in my sights. I didn’t want to reveal as much at SVPD headquarters yesterday.”

“So I’ve heard. Colt Todd gave me a quick report earlier.”

Abi inwardly cringed. Had they discussed how incompetent her actions had been?

“I’m sorry, Claudia. I thought I’d get him—”

Claudia held up a hand. “Stop. He got away. While I’m less than thrilled that it’s a negative mark against the Trail Hikers, it happens. If you thought this was going to be like any other case you’ve worked, this should underscore what we’ve been dealing with since Leonard Wise and his thugs moved to Silver Valley.”

“You are certain the cult is behind the arsons, then?”

Claudia shrugged. “Hell, no. I have no idea, not on all of the fires. That’s why we brought you into this. Your FBI experience is priceless to the team.”

“It was worthless yesterday morning.”

“You’re going to let one slip-up affect your sense of duty, Abi? Really?”

“No, ma’am.”

“Claudia. We’re both civilians here.” Claudia was adamant that she was no longer in the military and that they keep to first names only, like other corporations in the business world. It helped prevent breaking the silence on their existence.

“Claudia. No, I’ve never let a criminal stop me and I’m not starting now. But this fire starter is far more polished than even I expected. He had someone on an ATV waiting for him, at just the right spot that even if I was close enough I couldn’t get a clear shot at him. There were too many trees and the ground was too uneven. Everything was in his favor for escape. And we had SVPD, SVFD and TH surrounding him.”

“You’ve already developed a solid profile on him, haven’t you?” Claudia’s eyes narrowed on her and Abi resisted doing a worm squirm.

“Not on one, but several arsonists. There is no way, in my professional opinion, that these fires were all started by the same person. The notes are all the same, from the same source, giving us a clue as to where the next fire will be. My impression is that there are at least two but probably three or more, working on starting fires in specific locations.”

“You think there’s a team of them working together?”

Abi shook her head. “Absolutely not. I think they are all reporting to the same entity, be it a person or group, who tells them where and when to set the blazes. They have different methods, different profiles. Each fire starter has used a different accelerant, at least in the first two I’ve been assigned to. We’ll have to wait another week to hear about yesterday’s fire, I’m sure.”

Claudia shook her head. “No, actually, we already know. This time it was aerosol cooking oil.”

“The pressurized can was the explosion I heard, then.” She’d thought it was fireworks, but the use of run-of-the-mill cooking spray made more sense.

“We’re lucky none of the firefighters had gone in yet.” Claudia tapped her pencil on her desk as if in thought but there was no mistaking the direct look she gave Abi.

“It had to stretch them awfully thin, to have so many firefighting teams at the ready in separate locations throughout Silver Valley this morning.”

“It did. They called in every department from the county. There were even two from other counties.”

“Claudia, don’t we risk word getting out about the op against Leonard Wise and the cult with more law-enforcement types?”

“It doesn’t matter. As long as Trail Hikers isn’t exposed, we’re good. In truth, there isn’t a law-enforcement department, local, county or state, who isn’t aware of what’s ongoing. Colt has put feelers out all the way back to where Wise started his evil web, before his long-term imprisonment. The FBI is handling it at the national level, to facilitate the exchange of intel between New York and Pennsylvania.”

“I am impressed with Silver Valley PD. They don’t leave anything to chance.”

Claudia nodded. “Which is why so many of them are also Trail Hiker agents. We can’t call on them as often as someone like you, who is able to work for us almost exclusively, but when we do, I never have to concern myself with bringing them up to speed on local ops, as I do the other agents.”

“Understood.” Abi knew that the vast majority of secret operations didn’t occur in Silver Valley, where the TH headquarters was located, but rather wherever they were needed around the globe.

Claudia’s pencil stopped. “You didn’t mention the Silver Valley Fire Department, Abi. You’ve been around them enough the past couple of months since you’ve started. Haven’t they impressed you?”

“I haven’t had much to do with them, except for my run-in, I mean—”

Claudia laughed. “It’s okay to call your unexpected introduction to Keith Paruso what it was. A cluster-frapple.”

“That’s the cleanest version of that I’ve ever heard.” Abi used the f-bomb frequently in her more difficult cases, and was almost relieved to know that Claudia wouldn’t be offended if she were to let one slide out of her mouth during a stressful op.

“It means the same. As for Keith, I think you know what I’m going to have to ask of you.”

Abi really wanted to drop the f-bomb now. “Claudia, I don’t need his help on this.”

“Yes, you do. True, you are the expert at investigating and profiling the arsonist, but Keith has the field practice you don’t. He has years, thousands of cases, behind him, Abi.”

“That’s impossible. He can’t be more than two or three years older than me.”

“He’s two years younger.” Claudia’s statement made Abi blush. So she was getting turned on by a younger dude? So what? “But he went to firefighting school right out of high school and worked as a volunteer through college. He got an associate’s degree in fire science, then went on to get his bachelor’s in criminology. After he got his bachelor’s degree he took on a paid position with the department. He’s been offered state-level positions in law enforcement but turned them down immediately. Keith is a local man who’s happiest putting out Silver Valley fires.”

“Leonard Wise and his cult aren’t just focused on local fires, though, Claudia. Has anyone looked into where these fires are leading? What they’re supposed to be accomplishing?”

“That’s why I want you to work with Keith, Abi. With your global and his local experiences, you’ll be unbeatable. Silver Valley’s arson prevention dream team. But keep in mind that he isn’t a Trail Hiker and has no need to know about us. Yet.”

“You don’t think he’ll need to know what we’re about before this is over?”

“I’m prepared to read him in for informational purposes, but Keith Paruso is a firefighter at heart. His calling is to rescue people, not take out hardened criminals.”

“It’s just so difficult, working side by side, without being able to totally trust one another.” Keith shouldn’t trust her, as she wasn’t even who she’d said she was.

“I know Keith’s an attractive man, Abi, but you’ve worked through sexual attraction before and not let it disrupt a case, I’m sure.”

Abi knew Claudia was trying to lighten the mood but she found nothing casual about working with Keith Paruso. After meeting him only two times she knew that his still waters ran deep. And by her primal reaction to him, she knew that any involvement on her part was going to lead to emotional disaster. Because, unlike Fred, Keith wouldn’t break her heart. He’d shatter it.

“This is against my better judgment, Claudia, but you’re the boss.”