Page 19 of Burning Justice

“What?” Rio lifted his chin.

Kane said, “Just seems like this place collects misfits. People who don’t want to be remembered and can’t have their name on a roster anywhere else.”

“You boys just happened to choose firefighting?”

Saxon wandered over and punched Kane in the shoulder, not that it had much strength to it. “We don’t like to sit around.”

“I don’t suppose you’d be doing the fate of the world any favors if you did go sit in a safe house and let the Feds take care of this guy with his canister.”

Kane grinned. “Exactly.” Plus, they’d all go stir crazy in a safe house. He couldn’t even imagine Hammer, Mack, Saxon, him, and Sanchez in close quarters like that. Out here, they got to work. They could fight back the force of nature in all its destructive glory, protecting both people and their property. “Wildland firefighting isn’t so different from the Army.”

Rio chuckled. “The fate of the world does seem to follow you guys around…and Sanchez. She was Army too?”

Saxon said, “No comment.”

Rio frowned. “I’m not a reporter.”

“They’ve already briefed Dani on not asking questions.” Grizz folded his arms across his chest.

Grizz had been in the Army for a while and knew exactly what kind of team the Trouble Boys had been on. He knew enough not to talk about it, and he’d told Dani not to ask or do any poking around online. Not that she would find anything.

“If she wants an exposé,” Saxon said, “she can pester Crispin into talking about who he is.”

Rio chuckled. “Good luck getting him to spill.”

Kane figured Dani would be disappointed when she couldn’t do a human-interest story on the team. Thankfully, she’d been distracted by the aftermath of Senator Deville’s arrest and the fact that there was still a canister out there.

Rio said, “So we have nothing on Sanchez’s father at that location?”

Kane pointed at his penciled X on the map. “This one was a bust, even if we know he was there at one point.” He stared at the map, wanting to pace up and down so he could figure out where they needed to look next.

Eventually, they would run out of places Sanchez’s father could be hiding.

A plate shattered, and then a thud. “Logan!”

Kane spun to find Jamie crouched beside Logan, who lay on the floor. Tristan rushed around the table. “We need help!”

Hammer and Mitch went to them.

Kane couldn’t get close because of the crowd of hotshots and their friends and family. Mitch and Hammer lifted Logan between them, his arms over their shoulders.

Mitch said, “Let’s get him to the med bay. Have the doctor come check him out.” The hotshot boss didn’t look happy.

Mack followed them. Tristan and Jamie, who swiped tears from her cheeks. Dani came over to Grizz, who put his arm around her.

Saxon said, “Wilson?”

Kane recalled their buddy in Delta Force. A guy who’d suffered too many blows to the head and been discharged with a traumatic brain injury. He nodded. “The doc will know for sure.”

“You think it’s a TBI?” Rio glanced at the door where the others had gone out. “I saw him nearly pass out a few days ago.”

Grizz said, “That would fit his symptoms. He’s been knocked out more than once this summer. Maybe something worse is going on?”

Dani glanced around, still tucked under Grizz’s arm. “Where is Sanchez? Or Raine, for that matter. I haven’t seen them.”

Kane had been purposely trying not to think about her. “They didn’t come over.”

Saxon cleared his throat. “I saw them by the fire.”

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