Page 16 of Liaising Kai

The explosion left little evidence for forensics, but as soon as they got back to NCIS, they were going to run face recognition from his admittedly vague composite of the gunmen. An EMT settled a blanket around his shoulders. His forehead was bandaged neatly, the blood trail down his throat drying.

“Austin, you’re going to wear out the pavement.” The man stopped and rubbed at his forehead. He, Derrick, and Amber were unharmed. They had been behind cover when the blast went off.

“I’m scrambling to make sense of this case, how this is all connected.”

Davis slid him a glance and arched a brow. “All of us are reeling. I lost a friend in there, and I don’t know why.”

Austin’s features tightened, and he said, “I’m sorry, man. Kai lost someone, too. Nothing about any of this is clear, especially Lennon and Curran’s parts in it.”

Davis’s gaze followed the bodies being carried out on stretchers, and Kelly, along with the San Diego coroner were examining them, holding up a mangled hand.

“This is connected to my case, and we are already involved.” That was Kai’s voice rising above the low murmur. She rested one of her hands on her gun, her tone sharp and decisive, the grief she must be feeling for Nathan Curran all but hidden. She looked worse for wear about now. She also had patched-up cuts on her face, some with small bandages, others with butterflies, bruises forming on her face, throat, and, he swallowed hard, wrists. But her sweet, toned body was stiff with anger, twisted with muscle and every man in the vicinity watched her intently.

She talked with them for a few more minutes and Davis simply enjoyed Kai in her element. She had an air of absolute authority that was intimidating to anyone she interacted with, including the stern, grizzled FBI agent.

She stopped and spoke to Jason, Lucy’s arm already bandaged. Then turned and headed to them. “We’re leaving.”

“But—”

“No, buts,” she said, giving Austin a stare that could freeze water, then she looked around. “We’ll talk back at the office, and I’ll share the information I have all at once.” She met Davis’s eyes. Her face softened for a moment, the grief she was feeling spilling out and contorting her face for all of two seconds, then she ruthlessly reined it in on a hard breath. She lifted her chin, nudging it toward him. “You okay? That looks painful.”

He touched the bandage on his temple. “I’m good, just as pissed and confused as everyone else.”

She nodded, looking like she wanted to touch him. But instead, she turned on her heel and headed for the side street where they’d parked their vehicles.

Back inside the car, Jason following, they drove back to Pendleton in silence, Davis preoccupied with the tangle of information, emotions, and loss in his head and heart. He and Lennon had been close, had served together in the Coast Guard, and CGIS. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, the man’s death feeling surreal. Davis felt the freshness of his own grief again, and as if she knew it, Kai shifted in the driver’s seat, then her hand slipped over his and squeezed.

He suddenly noticed that the sun was sinking into the west, closing down a day filled with death, pain, loss, and utter confusion.

Once they were all assembled at the office, Kai went to her desk, tapped on her keys and the widescreen lit up with small photos.

She walked to the center of the strip between the desks. “This is the list of the people expected to be in the room.” She took a soft breath, clicked on the first picture. “This is US Attorney Betsy Marlowe. She was heading up the OCDETF Task Force for San Diego.” She started clicking through the photos. “ATF Agent Francisco Martinez, DEA Agent Cal Huff, US Marshal Clyde Jackman, ICE-HS Investigator Rita Cabrera, US Coast Guard representative, Lieutenant Sasha Young, and…” She paused, her voice breaking slightly. “NCIS Special Agent Nathan Curran. We are also aware that CGIS Special Agent Carter Lennon was also present. We are now sharing this case with several government agencies all out for blood: the attorney general, ATF, DEA, the marshal service, ICE and Homeland. The FBI is taking point on the forensics and autopsies, with Math and Kelly running shotgun. As soon as they know something, we’ll know it.”

She set down the clicker and was quiet for a moment. “We’ve lost very good people today, and the only thing we have to go on is Petty Officer Mayta Mosquera’s murder. This is where it began. That is what we’re going to pursue regardless of the government agencies involved. We will get justice for her, Special Agents Curran and Lennon. That’s our mission.” She started for her NCIS boss’s office. “Work that now, and I’ll hear what you have uncovered when I get back.”

In her wake, they were all quiet for a moment, then Lucy piped up. “I noticed that Mr. Mosquera’s text was on a group text that also went to his ex-wife. I tried to contact her, not only for questioning about her daughter, but we needed to deliver the death notice for Mayta, but her mother isn’t answering through any means, text, phone, email. I find that strange and alarming. We should track her down.”

“Good catch, Lucy,” Derrick said. “Why don’t you and Amber work on that.”

She nodded, her eyes moist as Amber slipped an arm around her and gave her a hug, then they went to their desks.

Davis decided to do a timeline on both Mayta and Carter, track their activity, hoping for some clue that could help them. It was about fifteen minutes later when Kai came out of her boss’s office.

She walked over to him as he looked up. “You and I are going to Ecuador to track down Mr. Mosquera, find out what his text means, and ask him about his daughter.”

Yeah, that was a good plan, and he was all in. Whatever Mayta triggered, and she was the epicenter, it had left nine people dead, including Mayta. What would they find out after digging into her life? The reason for her death or much more?

CHAPTER FIVE

Kai watched Davis’s handsome, battered face as he slept, while tears ran down her cheeks. The plane was full but dim as they winged toward José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport in the port city of Guayaquil, pronounced Way-uh-keel, in one of the most environmentally diverse countries in the world. A hot and humid place most of the year, a sharp change from the beautiful Southern California weather. She’d packed light.

She was still processing everything that had happened today, including the fact that she had almost died. She was thankful that she had carte blanche when it came to resources. US Attorney Leight Waterford had called and given their investigation the green light.

She was thankful for this time alone. Things with the case were confusing and painful, and anything involving Davis Nishida was always intense. She had been closed down since they had returned from the courthouse and the tragic and terrible events that had happened. She couldn’t turn to him or talk to him about any of it while she was in boss mode. If she had, she would have broken down right then and there. But would it be so hard, so wrong to lean on him? Or would she lose whatever shred of herself she still hung onto?

And, again, would that be so bad?

She couldn’t fault him for sleeping. He, too, had experienced a devastating loss today, one a longtime friend. It had hit him hard. That much she could see. But they didn’t have the luxury of giving into their emotions, not then. But now, she could allow herself this one small breakdown. She could mourn fully when this case was solved.

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