Page 3 of Caught in the Crossfire

Nicole leaned closer. “What?”

“Run.”

A footstep sounded behind her. Starting to turn, she caught a glimpse of someone dressed in dark clothes with an arm raised. A second later, pain exploded in her head and darkness swallowed her.

CHAPTER TWO

Mason Kincaid scooted out from under the kitchen sink with its dripping pipe and wiped his face free of the moisture with the towel provided by Lincoln Creed.

“What’s the verdict?” Linc asked.

“Rusty drain pipe. If I don’t replace it, you’ll have a puddle under your sink every day.”

The Personal Security International instructor flinched. “How soon can you do the job? Won’t take much water to create expensive problems with these hardwood floors.”

Mason laid the towel on the counter. “I’ll complete the repair in 30 minutes or less, barring complications.”

Relief filled Linc’s eyes. “You’re a lifesaver, Mase. I know my way around weapons, but I’m all thumbs with home repairs.”

He chuckled. “You and your friends from PSI keep me busy. I might I have the pipe I need in the truck. If not, I’ll have to go to the hardware store.” That would necessitate a call to Nicole to delay their date. Good thing his future wife was an understanding woman.

“Duct tape won’t work for this, huh?”

He grinned. “My cousin swears duct tape fixes everything in a pinch. I wouldn’t recommend that solution for your problem, though. As amazing as duct tape is, water will seep around the edges and drip.”

Mason’s cousin, Rio, worked for Fortress Security and trained bodyguards for them at PSI. As a medic, Rio learned to be creative in treating wounds on the battlefield. Duct tape was a standard part of the supplies in his mike bag.

Linc held up his hands in mock surrender. “I’ll bow to your expertise. I worked with trainees all day at the gun range, and my clothes smell like cordite. Need anything from me before I go clean up?”

Mason shook his head. “If you’re not out of the shower by the time I finish, I’ll leave the bill on your counter. We’ll settle up later.”

Outside, Mason unlocked his vehicle and sorted through the various pipes stored in a box behind the driver’s seat. He located the right pipe along with his hacksaw and returned to the kitchen where he crawled back under the sink.

Moving his toolbox so it was more accessible, he crawled back under the sink. Mason dug in his toolbox for his favorite pipe wrench but couldn’t find it.

Frowning, he searched a different section of his toolbox. Still nothing. Weird. He’d used the wrench earlier in the day at the Oakdale site. He must have left the wrench in one of the buildings. Good thing he returned to the same site tomorrow. Hopefully, his equipment would still be there. Several of his tools had gone missing the last few days.

Mason grabbed his backup wrench and loosened the nuts on the pipe, removed the rusted section, and used it as a template to cut the new pipe to the correct length. Within minutes, the new pipe was in place. He tightened the nuts and stood.

“Finished already?” Linc asked when he walked into the room.

“I’m about to find out.” He turned on the faucet and crouched with his flashlight in hand to watch for water leakage. After the water ran for a while with no sign of dripping moisture, Mason turned off the tap. “Got it.”

Linc clapped him on the shoulder. “You’re a miracle worker. I owe you for doing the repair on short notice. Your services are in high demand.”

Not always. Two years apparently wasn’t long enough for him to earn the trust of some people around town and wondered if he’d ever be free of the stigma of prison.

“Are you off the clock?”

He’d been off the clock when Linc called. “I am.”

“Have time for a glass of iced tea before you leave?”

A glance at his watch revealed he’d have just enough time to drink the tea, drive home, and shower before picking up Nicole for their date. “Sure. Thanks.”

Linc motioned for him to take a seat at the breakfast bar. After filling glasses with ice, he poured a tall glass of tea for each of them. “I can cook although I don’t do it often, but my specialty is iced tea.”

Mason sipped, his eyebrows rising. “This is good.”

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