Page 77 of Burning Justice

Then his eyes flared.

Someone came down the stairs behind her. Maria turned, but she wasn’t quick enough. Elias Redding slammed into her and knocked her into the table.

She fell to the floor, crying out. Kane’s phone tumbled from her pocket, onto the floor between her hands, a call in progress.

She turned in time to see her father jump at him. The two of them wrestled with each other, stumbling into the little kitchenette. She gasped. “Dad!” Maria scrambled to her feet and grabbed the case from the table. “This is what you want, isn’t it?”

Elias stilled. He kicked her father in the knee and turned to her.

“It’s what you’ve always wanted.” She held it up, incapacitating herself, because she had no free uninjured hand to defend herself if he came at her. “You can find another doctor.”

“Not like him.” Elias took a step toward her. “I think I’ll have both of you this time. That way he’ll keep in line. Otherwise, I’ll hurt you.”

Her stomach clenched. “No deal. Take the case and go.”

“Or what?” He took another step.

She wasn’t sure and hoped he didn’t push it. Maria didn’t move. Her father didn’t move.

A crack splintered something that sounded like thick plastic, and Elias jerked. Blood ran from a hole in the center of his forehead, and he slumped to the floor. Dead.

Maria stumbled back and landed in a chair.

Footsteps thundered down the stairs. Kane first. He scanned the room, then zeroed in on her and came over. Rio stepped over Elias and went to her father.

“He was trying to be free.” Maria didn’t care that tears spilled from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.

Rio looked at her. “We heard your conversation. I’ll take care of your father.”

Maria nodded.

Hammer and Saxon were there. They stood on either side of Kane. Hammer crouched in front of her. “Can I have that case?”

She didn’t want it.

Maria shoved the case at him. Hammer and Saxon left, and she lifted her gaze to Kane, who didn’t look happy. “Are you mad at me?”

He pressed his lips together. “Ask me tomorrow.” He held out a hand. “Come on, I don’t want to stay down here with him.”

Maria let him help her to her feet. Before he turned away, she wrapped her arms around his middle and held on. “Thank you.”

He wound his arms around her. “Don’t leave like that again.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

“I’m gonna hold you to that. Forever.”

She lifted her chin and looked at him. “Good.”

“Doctor Cortez?” Kane stood at the entrance to the conference room in the Anchorage FBI office. Not a big place, but they were able to be effective here in Alaska. Rio was probably going to get some kind of commendation or a promotion after taking down Elias Redding and recovering a dangerous biotoxin before it could be used in an attack.

No mention in the media of a group of Delta Force soldiers who were supposed to have died two years ago in Syria.

Kane wasn’t looking forward to that paperwork or the fact they’d have to surrender themselves to the Army for a debrief at best—a court-martial far more likely. Either way, it would be a long conversation but the chance to tell their story to the authorities.

No one would’ve believed them two years ago that the Reddings had been working with the Chinese on a way to destabilize the US. Now that they had stopped it and all the players were dead or in jail, it didn’t seem so strange.

Maria’s father looked up at him. Who knew how long the man had been sitting here alone in a leather chair in this conference room? Waiting to find out what deal the US government could offer him.

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