Page 25 of Crossroads of Betrayal
“Check the guns,” Zeke said, voice firm and steady.
His command kicked her into gear, and she hurried across the room. She peered inside the storage unit, making certain none of the weapons had been removed. One spot lay empty from the handgun she’d readied for Zeke. Another empty where a Glock usually rested. “Shit. I need to call the police. One of the guns is missing.”
“Grab a weapon. We don’t want to be ambushed.”
She found her phone in her pocket and called Lincoln instead of the local station. As the line rang, she grabbed a handgun and readied the clip before handing it to Zeke.
He froze, staring at the weapon.
“You don’t have to use it but going out in the hall without protection isn’t smart. At least not at this moment. I need to know you can protect yourself if it comes down to it.”
He pressed his lips in a firm line and took the weapon.
“Hey, Grace. What’s up?” Lincoln asked when he answered the call.
“I’m at the shooting range. Someone came in while I was shooting. A gun is missing. I need officers here to go over the crime scene.” She readied a gun for herself then crossed to the door, glancing behind her to make sure Zeke and Ruby was close.
“Is the building clear? Are you alone?” Lincoln asked.
“I’m with Zeke. We’re going to clear the building now.”
“Okay,” Lincoln said. “Be careful. Brooke and I are going over plans for her party up at the lodge. I’ll be there in ten minutes. Try not to touch anything, although dusting for prints in that building will be a bitch.”
She disconnected and pushed her phone back in her pocket. Her heart pounded in her chest. Knowing Lincoln was close relieved a bit of the tension in her shoulders. He couldn’t do anything to help if someone waited for her inside, but she’d been trained for this and far worse. She could handle a lone gunman. “The building is small. Whoever broke in obviously isn’t in the shooting range and no longer in this room. That leaves the bathroom and front office. I’ll lead. We’ll move quiet and quick. Police will be here shortly.”
Filling her lungs with air, she willed her body to be still. She rounded the doorway, weapon aimed in front of her. The lights buzzed overhead. The emptiness of the hall almost startling as adrenaline pumped through her veins. She blocked out everything around her besides her singular mission—clear the building.
Stepping lightly, she moved toward the single-use bathroom. Zeke’s footsteps muffled behind her. “I’ll swing open the door,” she whispered. “Weapon drawn. Stay to the left of the doorway, I’ll stay on the right.”
He nodded.
She kicked open the door, and using the doorjamb as a shield, peered into the dark room. Sink. Toilet. Trash can. A whoosh of pent-up breath left her body. “All clear.”
Ruby rushed inside as if she needed to make sure for herself no one lingered inside.
“Okay. Let’s head to the front,” Grace said.
He waited for her to march toward her office before falling into step behind her again. She kept on high alert, her ears tuned into any sound that was out of place. Sunlight filtered through the front window like a shining beam, beckoning her forward. She stepped into its warmth, moving to each corner of the room to make damn sure no one hid inside.
Zeke lowered his gun. “Whoever was here got out pretty quick.”
She skirted around the side of her desk and turned on her computer. She needed to find the serial number, make, and model of the gun that was taken to give to Lincoln. As soon as her screen lit up, she navigated to the spreadsheet where she logged all the information regarding the weapons. She found what she needed and jotted it down just as Lincoln gave a sharp rap on the door and let himself and Brooke in.
Ruby whined at Zeke’s side.
“I take it you didn’t find anyone?” Lincoln asked, darting his gaze between her and Zeke.
“No. And here’s the information you’ll need for the gun.” She handed the slip of paper to Lincoln.
Grabbing the note, Lincoln gave it a quick look before folding it and putting it in his pocket. “Thanks. Now I need you to tell me exactly what happened.”
Worry shone bright in Brooke’s eyes as she stayed rooted by Lincoln.
“Zeke and I went back to the range,” Grace said, then told him exactly what had transpired from the time they stepped into the weapons room until they heard the bullets fall on the floor.
Well, almost everything. She left out the part about nearly falling into his arms and surrendering to the emotions she’d ran from for so long.
Zeke stood beside her, arms crossed over his chest and frowning as if he needed to stand guard to keep her safe.
