Page 38 of No Man Left Behind

Did he realize it was a police station they were renovating? Was he ballsy enough to deliberately taunt Marcus?

His phone buzzed with a message from Sean. He’d been at the Saloon, so he was closest. When Marcus and Elina moved into the squad room, he could see Sean with his gun lowered by his leg as his gaze checked out the area.

Marcus unlocked the door, and Falcon strode in. “You okay?”

Marcus nodded but kept Elina back when she would have approached the front of the room. “Let’s wait until the others arrive.”

It took less than five minutes. Epic, Scooby, Oz, and Slick joined them. All armed. All ready. Marcus knew he was incredibly lucky to have such an amazing group of men at his back. He wanted Elina to know they were at hers as well.

He didn’t waste time getting them up to date. “While we were up front announcing mascots, our asshole left a trail of butchered rats and squirrels leading to the back door.”

Each man’s gaze darkened, and their bodies moved to even higher alert. They shifted slightly to ensure Elina wasn’t exposed through the window.

He nodded. “I need to record and collect the evidence.”

Troy nodded. “I’ve done that with you before. I’ll give you a hand.”

“We’ll check the area and follow any trails.”

Elina’s wide eyes looked at them all. “How can I help?”

There was a beat of silence, and then Scooby’s lips quirked. “Don’t suppose you’d like to hide in a secure room while we figure this out?”

Elina put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows. “Not a chance.”

Scooby grinned. “That’s what I thought. You help Troy and Marcus. We’re on search. Let’s go.”

The four men left through the front door and waited until Troy locked it behind them. Then, the three of them headed to the back door. “Damn it. I need my evidence kit.”

Troy nodded. “I’ll grab it. Back in five.”

Marcus locked the door behind him and checked the area. His guys were already invisible.

When he turned, he found Elina watching him. She studied him carefully. “You okay?”

He barked out a laugh. “That’s supposed to be my line.”

A smile ghosted across her lips and was gone. “I don’t think so. This is pointing at you, not me.”

He frowned at her. “You don’t think it’s connected to the creepy vibes we felt here?”

She shrugged, face serious. “Potentially. It seems unlikely that two separate people are targeting this exact spot two days in a row. And this spot is yours, not mine.”

She had a point. “But you’ve felt those eyes on you before.”

Another shrug. “Who knows if it’s the same person? It also seems unlikely that the same person watched me in Seattle, then Albany, then here. Especially when I didn’t have a plan and absolutely no one knew where I was going. Including me. It could be you who is the target, not me.”

He nodded and moved closer to take her hands. “You’re right. I’ve been assuming this guy is watching you. Apparently, having you this close is messing with my judgment.” He kissed her softly. “But I’m not complaining.”

She patted his chest. “Me neither. I want you to be safe, especially if someone is targeting you.”

He nodded. “Same.”

When Troy returned, they moved into the kitchen. Marcus opened his video app. He gave the time and date, along with a summary of what had happened. Then Troy opened the door, and Marcus kept recording.

He moved the camera view through the scene without stepping out the door. He lowered to a squat and continued to record as he zoomed in to view each butchered animal. Two squirrels and a chipmunk. “This is one sick bastard.”

He shut off the camera and rose. With a sigh, he moved back and closed the door. “I don’t want to mess up any evidence, so let’s go around and see if we can figure out where he came from. Maybe he’s left a footprint or dropped something.”

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