Page 57 of Jina

The perp had planted a bomb? Jina’s mind immediately went into problem-solving mode. They had to evacuate the motel, then get her team to head out and defuse the device.

She performed a quick scan of the area as Cole inched his way toward her. There was no sign of the perp, but that wasn’t very reassuring. She hated to admit that she hadn’t anticipated a bomb.

Using his phone, she called Cass and got straight to the point. “We need you guys at the Red Mill Motel ASAP. Explosive device found beneath the rental SUV.”

“We’re on the way,” Cass said without hesitation. “And we’ll call the locals too.”

“Thanks, we’ll take care of things here.” She was about to give Cole his phone back, then changed her mind. She might need the light. “Backup is on the way. I need you to evacuate the motel.”

“What are you doing?” he asked with a frown.

“I’m going to take a closer look at that device. I may be able to neutralize it.” As she moved past him, he grabbed her hand.

“Have you lost your mind?” Stark fear darkened his eyes. “What do you know about defusing bombs?”

Not as much as Rhy or Grayson, their tactical team explosives experts. Yet there was no point in focusing on her weakness. “I’ve had some training. Now please get those people out of the building.”

He shook his head as if he wanted to argue. Then he released her hand. “Stay safe,” he murmured.

“You too.” She resisted the urge to kiss him. After Cole rose to his feet and headed to the motel lobby to get everyone out, she gingerly moved closer to the rental car.

She slowed her breathing, forcing her pulse to settle much the way she did before taking a long-distance shot. The horrible gasoline smell made her stomach twist. Ignoring it as best she could, Jina used Cole’s phone flashlight app to see what they were up against.

The device was near the rear wheel and far too close to the gas tank. As she examined the bomb more closely, she quickly realized it was a basic pipe bomb. There was no timer that she could see or a trigger that could be detonated from a distance.

Thankfully, whoever this perp was hadn’t gotten too creative. She was confident she could safely remove it.

Unless there was a hidden surprise she couldn’t see from this angle.

Don’t borrow trouble, she silently lectured herself. Rolling onto her back, she wiggled farther beneath the SUV. There was barely enough clearance for her to maneuver without using the jack to raise it up, which made her realize that neither Grayson nor Rhy would be able to access this thing.

In the distance, she heard voices as Cole worked to get the motel guests and employees evacuated. Then car engines started, as patrons decided to get out of there. She didn’t blame them for wanting to distance themselves from a possible explosion.

That wasn’t an option for her.

Doing her best in the cramped space, she examined the duct tape keeping the pipe bombs wrapped together and to the undercarriage. Digging the penknife from her pocket—the guys always carried them, so she decided to do the same—she carefully sawed back and forth with the blade, slicing through the wide tape. When she realized she was holding her breath, she took a moment to breathe normally again.

Panic was not her friend.

It wasn’t easy to work in the confined space with the three pipe bomb explosives bound together looming less than an inch from the tip of her nose. But now that she was seeing it closer, she felt more confident in her ability to remove them without blowing herself up.

Always better to think positive.

The first bit of duct tape gave way, leaving one more on the other side. She had to jiggle her position around to see better, then continued with her task. If God really was watching over her, she hoped He would keep her safe long enough to protect the others.

The thought brought another strange sense of calm washing over her. She had this, no problem. Without fear, she sawed through the last portion of tape, then slowly moved the device from the undercarriage. With the pipe bombs cradled in one hand, she stretched out her arm intending to set the bomb down, then hesitated.

Maybe placing the bomb on the gasoline-soaked ground wasn’t the smartest idea.

Keeping the bomb in one hand, she used her free hand and the heels of her feet to inch out from beneath the car. Her movements were awkward, her shirt riding up her back with each motion. The entire process seemed to be taking longer than it had to crawl in.

The wail of police sirens was a welcome indication that local law enforcement personnel would be there shortly. And the voices from the front of motel had quieted, making her believe Cole had managed to get them all safely out of the building.

“Jina? What can I do to help?”

Angling her head, she saw Cole hunched beside her. “Grab my feet and pull me the rest of the way out. But gently,” she cautioned, “I have the bomb in my hand.”

“Your hand?” He sounded horrified as his strong hands wrapped around her ankles. He drew her the rest of the way out from beneath the car.

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