Page 60 of Fallout

They both wanted to know the second there was news from Clare and Gage. Jasper needed to make the world safe for that brand-new baby. He didn’t need to sit in the waiting room and do nothing while they waited for news when he could be out here working the streets and tracking down bad guys. Letting justice do its thing because of the work he did.

Better than worrying about a sniper—or the holding pattern he was in with Destiny.

Blake shook his head, phone in his hand. “No baby yet. But no updates that anything went wrong either.”

Samantha had an odd look on her face as she wrestled into her vest. “These things take time. Could be it’s over in an hour, and it could be late tonight or even tomorrow.” She tried to shrug it off, but that didn’t really work. “You never know how it’s going to work out.”

That wasn’t entirely reassuring to hear. He clapped Blake on the shoulder, glad to be able to return the favor with his brother and be a support. “They’ll be good. And Violet will tell you as soon as she knows something.”

Blake nodded. “Let’s go check out that house. What about the drone?”

Jasper wasn’t sure about breaking rules. “SWAT gear on a non-SWAT callout?”

“We could bring in the rest of the team and an interim commander, since Gage is busy becoming a father.”

“Let’s check it out first,” Jasper said. “Gear up. But this is recon only until the Intelligence sergeant gets that search warrant.” If someone inside needed their help, things would change direction quickly. It was best to do this above board, which meant the paperwork had to be in order.

They approached the house with caution, Jasper in the lead. Single level, no car in the driveway that ran down the side of the house. A garage at the back had a busted door, so it hung down on one side. Rain or snow would get in above the door to wet whatever was inside the structure.

Samantha said, “I’ve got front windows.”

“Copy that.” Jasper went to the door on the driveway side. A kitchen entrance, concrete step. Newer lock, but it wouldn’t take much strength to bust the frame and get inside. He walked to the back corner and looked at the yard. Weeds, and overgrown grass. A car tire with worn-down tread.

“Front is clear,” Blake said as he and Samantha came up from behind. “Can’t see anything through the windows. It’s all cloudy glass and yellow blinds.”

“Back door is open.” Jasper strode to the patio with the two cracked plastic chairs, between which was a small table with an ashtray on it. Beyond the open door, he spotted a stained knife that had dripped a ring of blood on the counter. He pulled his gun. “Someone inside could be hurt.”

“Right behind you.”

Jasper stepped in, and they fanned out. “I’ll take the bedrooms.”

It didn’t make sense that someone had sent them here. He strode down the hall, taking measured steps by instinct. Being a police officer was ingrained. Reacting with his gun between his hands, his finger down the barrel, felt more natural than putting on a suit and dress shoes and attending a party.

This was what he was supposed to do.

He opened the first door and cleared the room with Samantha right behind him.

She said, “Bathroom.”

Jasper covered her.

He heard the shower curtain swipe open. “Nothing.” She came back out. “Bathroom’s clear.”

“Guys!”

Jasper hit the doorway first with Samantha bringing up the rear. He needed to tell her how grateful he was to have her backing him up. She hadn’t needed to come. April was her confidential informant, and she probably figured she’d messed up by getting suckered into the ploy about needing protection from her boyfriend. Maybe Samantha thought she needed to find the young woman to get answers of her own as to why she’d been played.

April might’ve been lying about all of it.

But why would she be hiding out here?

Jasper found Blake in another bedroom, standing by the closet where a hatch had been opened in the floor. “Crawl space?”

Blake said, “It goes deeper than that. And there are bodies down there. We need the crime scene unit.”

Samantha said, “Bodies?As in, plural?” She didn’t miss a beat while pulling out her phone. “I’ll call it… I have no signal. You guys have bars?”

Jasper got out his phone. “Nope.”

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