Page 53 of Rescued Duty

“Everything’s covered.” Ramble hooked his thumb over his shoulder. “We’ll take care of Powells.”

“Good. I need to get to the firehouse. My shift starts soon.”

“I’ll drop you off,” Naya said.

They headed back to her car, and Naya unlocked the door.

“Wait.” Zack held out his hand to stop her from touching the handle. “Let me check first. Make sure there aren’t any surprises.”

Sure enough, a tiny black dot sat right underneath the license plate. An attempt to mimic a backup camera. “I think we’re all good now.” He held up the tracking device, then set it on the ground and crushed it with his foot.

One more reason to add to the growing list for why Naya needed to heed his warning and step back from helping him with his parents’ case.

Forty-five minutes later, Naya pulled into the firehouse. Zack kept a change of clothes in the locker room, which would come in handy so he didn’t smell like smoke the entire shift.

His hand hovered over the door handle. “Do you need anything?” he asked. Part of him was afraid to leave Naya alone. There was no telling if or when someone might attack again.

“I’ll be fine. I’m going to head into the office to get some work done.”

He opened the door and stepped out, then leaned back inside. “Please, be careful. And focus on yourrealjob.”

Naya kept her hands tucked around the steering wheel. “I’ll do my job while you do yours.” Her forehead creased.

Once Naya drove away, Zack walked into the firehouse and headed for the locker room. He was prepared to handle his parents’ case alone. This was his battle to fight, and he wouldn’t put Naya’s life on the line while he investigated.

But a sinking feeling rested in his stomach.

Zack might have learned from his mistakes, but the past still had a way of repeating itself.

He could only pray he and Naya lived long enough to rewrite the ending.

SIXTEEN

Naya pulled into the Tribune’s parking lot and keyed into the building. Each step on the metal staircase resounded with a clank, and it only made her want to make the noise more prominent. If it weren’t for her ankle, she’d stomp.

The conversation with Zack still reeled in her mind.

No one had followed her to the office, which was a good sign. But after the situation at Powells’s house, she wanted to get to the bottom of this story even more. Her nerves tingled, and she couldn’t get into her cubicle fast enough.

She called Ingram and put her phone between her shoulder and ear, then fired up her computer and opened a new browser.

“I have so much to fill you in on. You’re never going to believe this.” Naya didn’t even say hello. She wanted to cut straight to the point.

“Well, at least one of us doesn’t lead a boring life.” Ingram chuckled. “What’s up?”

“Are you at work right now?”

“Where else would I be on Thursday afternoon, Nay?” Her friend had a playfulness to her tone.

“Just checking. I found something out about Ethos that changes the whole playing field.” Naya lowered her voice to a whisper.

She’d called Ingram on her cell phone, so it wasn’t like anyone from the company would overhear what she was about to share. But she didn’t want to take the risk.

The former chief’s confession about the firefighting foam being the cause of the upheaval and the distrust Zack’s dad had of the company rubbed her the wrong way. Those chemicals could contaminate water.

Naya picked up the picture of Dominic and herself.I won’t let anyone else’s story go untold, Dom. Your life was valuable, and so are these other people’s lives.“It won’t be in vain.”

“What won’t?”

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