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Alina pulled around the corner of her house and raised an eyebrow at the sight of the maroon Mustang GT parked alongside the detached garage. A quick glance to the left as she rolled past the side of the house revealed Stephanie seated in one of the Adirondack chairs on the deck, her feet propped on the banister surrounding the deck and a glass in her hand.
Alina pulled up beside the Mustang and cut the engine, glancing at her watch. Hawk left her at the hospital, saying he'd see her at the house later. She unsnapped her seatbelt and opened the door, reflecting that it was probably a good thing she arrived before him. He would have startled Stephanie with his habit of appearing out of the darkness and Stephanie would have shot first and asked questions later. Given Hawk's dislike of being shot at, it would not have ended so well for Steph.
“Hi!” Stephanie called as Alina slammed the door and started across the gravel drive towards the lawn. “I hope you don't mind. I needed somewhere to go.”
Alina stepped on the grass and went toward the steps leading to the deck. A movement in the far corner of the deck made her smile as Raven hopped out of the shadows and made his steady way along the banister toward her.
“Of course not,” Alina answered as she reached the steps. “You know you're always welcome.”
“Raven's been keeping his eye on me. He let me onto the deck but won't let me near the door,” Stephanie told her.
Alina grinned and paused on the steps, one foot on the deck, as she waited for Raven to reach her. The black hawk was moving along the banister, unhurriedly putting one claw in front of the other. When his long, deadly beak was finally within reach of her hand, he nudged her imperiously and tilted his head to the side expectantly.
“Good boy,” Alina murmured with a low chuckle, rubbing the side of his neck affectionately.
“Good boy, my foot,” Stephanie muttered. “I've had to pee for the past half hour!”
“You couldn't have gotten in anyway,” Alina said, glancing at her. “The security system is set.”
“Then why did I get on the deck?”
“The exterior sensors are off. I've had a doe coming up to the deck and setting it off recently.” Alina finished greeting Raven and stepped onto the deck. She looked at Stephanie and noted the half-empty bottle of wine next to her chair. “You OK?”
“No,” Stephanie answered bluntly, dropping her feet off the banister and standing up. “Let me in to use the bathroom and then I'll explain.”
Alina nodded and moved past her to the sliding glass door. She clicked a button on her key chain before waving a flash-drive sized wand in front of the pad next to the door. There was a barely audible click and she slid the door open. Alina stood aside and waved Stephanie inside before she glanced around the dark and silent yard out of habit. Raven was watching them with his shiny black eyes, but as Alina stepped into the house after her friend, he turned his back and settled down on the banister, gazing out into the night.
“Where were you?” Stephanie asked over her shoulder, heading straight for the powder room in the hallway between the living room and the front of the house.
“I had some things to take care of,” Alina answered vaguely, dropping her keys onto the granite bar and moving into the kitchen to flip on the light. As soon as Stephanie disappeared into the powder room and closed the door, she reached into a cabinet under the kitchen counter and pulled out a slim tablet. A few swipes later and the security perimeter was reset to the outer edges of the property.
Stephanie emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later to find Alina sipping a bottle of water.
“I brought the wine for both of us,” she said, looking at the bottle of water. “Bring a glass.”
Alina chuckled and set the water down.
“Drinking on a school night?” she asked, reaching into the cabinet behind her for a wine glass. “First I got you to go out and play in Atlantic City, now you show up with a bottle. If you're not careful, you'll start acting like Angela.”
“God Forbid,” Stephanie laughed. “She called me last night from Miami. I could barely hear her over the music in the background. She said she was entertaining some business prospects in a club, Miami-Style.”
“Good Lord,” Alina muttered, following Stephanie back outside onto the deck.
“Exactly.”
Alina watched as Stephanie went back to her chair and picked up the bottle of wine. She handed her her glass and settled down on the other chair, watching as Raven continued to stare out over the expanse of lawn into the trees. Stephanie filled her glass and handed it back before topping off her own.
“It's a Cabernet,” she told her. “Not bad, actually.”
“So, what's wrong?” Alina asked after taking a sip of the red wine. “Why are you camped out on my deck with a bottle of wine?”
“I couldn't stay home alone and didn't know where else to go,” Stephanie replied. “With John in the hospital...” Her voice cracked and Alina glanced at her sharply. Stephanie cleared her throat and took a sip of wine. “Well, it's been a long day.”
Alina was silent, waiting for Stephanie to continue. When she did, it was the last thing Alina expected to hear.
“John's been suspended,” Stephanie said, turning to face her.
“What?”
“Rob called me into his office after I got off the phone with you this afternoon.” Stephanie shook her head. “I guess there will be an investigation into the fact that he was street racing, which, of course, is illegal, and until that's concluded, he's suspended.”
“Well, not to be cold, it's not like he can work right now anyway,” Alina pointed out. “What's going to happen?”
“If you asked me earlier, I would have said nothing,” Stephanie answered. “They can't prove he was racing, even though he was, and the worst they can charge him with is reckless driving. I would have said the investigation would be inconclusive, he would be reprimanded, and by the time he recovered from his injuries, he'd be reinstated.”
“Why don't you think that now?” Alina asked when Stephanie didn't continue.
“I've been placed on administrative leave of absence.”
Alina blinked and looked at Stephanie, her wine forgotten.
“Why?”
“That's what I want to know,” Stephanie muttered, draining her glass. “God, it sounds even worse when I say it out loud.”
“Well, it's certainly not good,” Alina said, watching as Stephanie refilled her glass. “For what reason?”
“Rob said that until John is recovered and they can sort out what happened, it would be better for me to take some time off,” Stephanie said bitterly. “That's all he'll tell me. He said it's not disciplinary, but he felt it was best for the team.”
Alina's eyes narrowed and she sat back, staring out into the dark trees. Something wasn't right. There was no reason to place Stephanie on leave. Even if she had advanced knowledge about John's street racing, which she hadn't, it still wasn't grounds for placing her on leave. Her boss knew that, which was probably why he made sure to stress that it was not a disciplinary move.
“Did he take your weapon?” Alina asked, glancing at Stephanie.
“No, nor my badge.”
“That's something, at least.”
“My cases have been reassigned to another agent and I'm supposed to take some time to rest,” Stephanie told her. “This is bullshit. I didn't do anything wrong!”
“No,” Alina murmured, sipping her wine. “No, you didn't.”
“John did, though,” Stephanie continued. “What the hell was he thinking?!”
Alina opened her mouth to respond but was distracted when Raven suddenly straightened up, his head turned and his gaze fixed intently on something in the shadows near the garage.
“Hold that thought,” Alina said after a second, setting her glass down and standing up in one fluid motion. She was reaching behind her back for her .45 when Hawk emerged from the shadows and moved across the driveway silently. Her shoulders relaxed and Viper left her gun in its holster.
“When did he get into town?” Stephanie asked, watching as Damon moved toward the deck.
“Tonight,” Alina answered, glancing down at her. “You don't mind?”
“I've had half a bottle of wine,” Stephanie retorted. “The more the merrier at this point.”
Alina was surprised into a short laugh and she moved down the steps to meet Damon between the drive and the deck.
“Stephanie was here when I got home,” she told him in a low voice. “She's had a few glasses of wine.”
“Really?” he drawled, his eyebrow crooking. “This should be interesting.”
“I'm already starting to regret how much,” Viper muttered, turning to lead the way up the steps.
“Well, if it isn't the elusive Mr. Hunk O' Mysterious!” Stephanie greeted him, standing up and holding out her hand. “How goes it?”
Damon grinned and grasped her hand, noting the half-empty wine glass in her other hand.
“Better than tomorrow, not as easy as yesterday,” he answered easily. “How are you, Agent Walker?”
“I've seen better days,” Stephanie said, sinking back into her chair. “I'm not going to ask you what brings you to town. I'll just call the local ME's and let them know to cancel any vacations they may have planned.”
Damon grinned and glanced at Alina. She was reclining in the other chair, a smile playing around her lips.
“That's not entirely unwarranted,” he murmured. “We don't have a very good track record around these parts, do we?”
“Not very, no,” she agreed cheerfully.
“Something tells me you don't have a very good track record anywhere you go,” Stephanie retorted.
“That depends on which side you're on,” Damon said with a wink. “You, Agent Walker, are more than safe.”
“Well, that's a comfort, at any rate.”
“Stephanie got some bad news today,” Alina told Damon, sipping her wine. “She needs all the comfort she can get right now.”
Damon raised a dark eyebrow and glanced at Alina.
“Why don't I like that look in your eyes?” he murmured, his blue eyes boring into hers. Alina's lips twitched and he turned his bright gaze to Stephanie. “What happened?”
“Does he know about John?” Stephanie asked Alina.
Alina shrugged, that faint smile still playing around her lips.
“You'll have to ask him,” she replied. “He didn't hear anything from me.”
“I know John was in an accident and the doctors don't expect him to make it,” Damon said, shooting Alina a shuttered look from under his lashes. “You must be very worried.”
“Do you know how he had the accident?” Stephanie demanded.
“I only know it was a car accident,” he answered. “He flipped and hit a tree.”
“If that's all you know, you're getting sloppy in your old age,” Viper murmured.
“Of course it's not all he knows,” Stephanie agreed, peering up at Damon. “He's trying to be all dark and mysterious. He probably knows the age and sex of the deer.”
“I'm sorry?” Damon exclaimed, startled despite himself. “When did wildlife come into this?”
“I do believe you've thrown him, Stephanie,” Alina announced, her eyes dancing. “He wasn't expecting sex and deer in the same sentence. I think I'll get him a beer. It's only fair to level the playing field.”
“We need another bottle too,” Stephanie said as Alina stood up and turned toward the sliding door. “I'm about to finish this one,” she added, making no move to get up and proceeding to empty the bottle into her wine glass.
Alina shook her head and slid open the door.
“What on earth have you got yourself into now?” Damon's voice was low and deep behind her ear as he followed her into the house. He slid the door closed behind him and watched as she strode into the kitchen. “Deer? He was street racing!”
“HA! I knew you knew more than you were saying. I'm not going to ask how you found that out,” Viper said over her shoulder, “but certain events are now making sense to me.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning who called you? Harry or Charlie?”
Viper swung around and faced him. Hawk's eyebrows soared into his forehead at the barely restrained fury in her dark brown eyes.
“Does it matter?” he asked softly, stopping near the bar at the look on her face and not venturing further into the kitchen.
“Actually, it does,” Viper replied. “I want to know which one to go visit.”
“Now Viper, that's a little extreme, don't you think?” Hawk asked, amused. “They're spies. They manipulate. It's what they do and you know that. What makes this time any different?”
Viper made a sound closely resembling a hiss and swung around to stalk to the stainless steel refrigerator.
“This time they're manipulating the closest thing I have left to family,” she muttered, opening the fridge and reaching into the back to grab a bottle of Yuengling. She turned back towards him, letting the door swing closed behind her. “Why did they send you here? And don't give me any nonsense about being here for me. We've played that game before.”
Hawk stared at her, his eyes narrowed and his face giving nothing away.
“What's going on?” he asked quietly.
“You tell me.”
They stared at each other in silence for a charged moment before he shrugged and moved forward to take the bottle of beer out of her hand.
“I will,” he promised softly, “just as soon as I know.”
He turned to move toward the sliding doors and Alina felt the tension suddenly flow out of her as her shoulders sagged slightly. The fact that Hawk knew exactly what happened to John told her he had the kind of information only Charlie would have. That man seemed to know everything even before it happened, but Hawk was right. Charlie and Harry were both old spies. They manipulated her and Hawk regularly as part of their job, and she never had a problem with it. Their job was to know more than their assets. This time, however, Viper was furiously positive that one of those old spies had Stephanie placed on administrative leave. Then, to add insult to injury, they sent Hawk to check up on her.
The only question was, why?
“So tell me about deer,” Damon said conversationally, settling into the cast iron chair he pulled over from the other end of the deck. The chair was one of a pair that matched a glass-topped round table. It was small and simple and his large frame made the chair look like something from Alice and Wonderland. He stretched his long legs out in front of him and looked at Stephanie expectantly. “I think that's where you left off.”
“John was street racing the other night and a deer ran into the road,” Stephanie answered, refilling her glass from the fresh bottle of wine Alina brought out. “He lost control of the Firebird.”
“And the deer?”
“I called the deer out of the road,” Alina told him, refilling her own glass. “It froze in the headlights and I called it back before it caused a big mess. As it turned out, it didn't make any difference, unfortunately. I saved the deer’s life, at any rate.”
Damon glanced at her, a strange glint in his eyes, his lips twitching.
“Of course you did,” he murmured.
“The weird thing is that I could have sworn John had the car under control,” Stephanie said suddenly, looking up. “At least, that's what it looked like from where I was standing. What do you think, Lina? You were closer than I was.”
Alina was silent for a moment, her mask firmly in place, unsure how much Stephanie should know.
“Lina?”
Viper looked up slowly and met Stephanie's questioning look. The look of expectant trust in her eyes was her undoing.
“He did,” she said quietly.
“How do you know?” Damon asked.
“Because I saw it.”
“It all happened so fast, though,” Stephanie muttered. “Hell, maybe he had it under control and then just lost it again.”
Alina's lips tightened imperceptibly, but she remained silent, uncomfortably aware of a pair of dark blue eyes watching her thoughtfully.
“Why was he street racing?” Damon asked after a moment of silence. “It seems like a juvenile thing to do when you're a Federal Agent.”
A short, choked laugh escaped Stephanie and Alina felt her own lips curving involuntarily.
“This is John we're talking about,” Stephanie reminded him, raising her glass to her lips.
“Good point,” Damon conceded with a quick grin. He sipped his beer quietly, his eyes going from one woman to another. After another moment of silence, he cleared his throat. “So are either of you going to tell me what's really going on, or will I have to find out myself?” he finally asked cheerfully.
Stephanie's gaze flew to his face and she had the grace to look a little sheepish.
“It's really none of your concern,” she said, trying to unsuccessfully to stare him down. “He's my partner, my responsibility.”
“Oh Steph, that won't work with him,” Alina murmured before sipping her wine and propping her feet up on the railing.
“Well, it's true,” Stephanie muttered, “but I guess I don't see what harm it would do to tell him.”
“You don't know him as well as I do,” Alina said under breath.
Damon shot her a look filled with laughter.
“That hurts,” he murmured.
“I’m assuming John was racing because he was running his own private investigation,” Stephanie said.
Damon raised an eyebrow and turned his attention back to her.
“Into what?”
“One of his oldest friends was killed earlier this week when a deer ran out in front of him while he was racing,” Stephanie explained. “John didn't think it was an accident.”
“Why?”
“Because Dutch was racing for pink slips and had his prize Mustang on the line,” Alina said, sipping her wine. She glanced at Hawk. “Someone was trying to buy it off him for months, but he wouldn't sell. It was his pride and joy, a '67 Shelby, beautifully restored.”
Damon let out a low whistle.
“Now I know why it got your attention. Did you see it?”
“John took me to a bonfire at Dutch's house the day I got back into town.”
“You went to a party?” Damon asked, diverted. “With people?”
Stephanie choked on her wine and Alina shrugged uncomfortably.
“I was bored,” she muttered.
“Don't go giving her too much credit,” Stephanie told him. “It was a party of gearheads. I would question whether or not they were really people, more like just lots of cars.”
“Ahh.” Damon winked at Alina. “You had me worried for a second. So, John's running theory was that his friend Dutch was coerced into betting his prize car, the race was rigged and someone killed him?”
“Something like that,” Stephanie said with a nod. “I thought it was all a bunch of baloney and it was just an accident.”
“What do you think?” Damon asked Alina.
She glanced at him, then at Stephanie. After a long, silent internal struggle, she sighed.
“Dutch was killed,” Viper told them, “and the same person tried to kill John the same way two nights ago.”