CHAPTER
TWO
NCIS Agent Izzy Cole was almost at the Old Town Grille when the explosion happened. Without hesitation, she started to run as fast as she could toward the billowing black smoke, her heart pounding.
“Call 911,” she yelled to a few onlookers as she flashed her NCIS credentials.
As she made her way to the front of the building, a few flames were still burning, but she plowed forward. She had to find her friends. These women had welcomed her into their lives with open arms only months ago. She’d never had real girlfriends before, but now she didn’t know how she could live without them.
Izzy stepped through the rubble and saw multiple injured people on the ground. She stopped to check the pulse of one young woman, and when there was nothing, she kept moving forward.
One man was conscious, his arm bleeding. She squatted beside him. “Put pressure on it. Help’s on the way.”
He nodded and did as she directed.
She scanned the restaurant and spotted two women under piles of debris to her left. Fearing the worst, she ran over and started pulling away the pieces of wood and rubble until she could see Viv’s face. Her friend’s hazel eyes flickered open.
“Viv, can you hear me?” Izzy asked.
Viv nodded.
“Are you hurt? Can you move everything?”
Viv still didn’t speak but took a moment to flex her limbs and then tried to sit up. “Yeah, I think so. Layla. Where’s Layla?” Her eyes widened.
Izzy feared shock was setting in. “Let me check. I think she’s right over here.”
Her pulse continued to thump loudly as she approached the person she believed was Layla. There was more debris on top of her, including a beam of wood that had probably come down from the ceiling. Izzy started to remove the debris and saw that Layla’s eyes were shut. Bright blood was streaked through her long black hair. Her olive skin had lost a lot of its color. Checking for a pulse, Izzy let out a huge breath when she found one. Layla was unconscious, but she was alive.
Viv squatted beside her. “Oh no.”
“She’s alive. But we shouldn’t move her until the paramedics get here. I don’t know if she’s suffered any head or neck trauma.” Izzy turned toward Viv and saw that her eyes were dilated and she was shaking. “Just stay put, Viv. You don’t need to be moving either.”
Thankfully, the sound of sirens filled the air. After another minute, police and paramedics flooded the area. “We need help over here,” Izzy yelled.
“She’s not conscious. Possible head trauma, but I’m not sure.” Izzy turned toward another EMT. “And please check her out too. I think she’s in shock.”
Viv was now sitting on the ground with her legs hugged tightly to her chest as she shivered.
Izzy took a step back to give them room to work and realized she was shaking. A stocky young officer from Alexandria PD approached her.
“Ma’am, I’m Officer Baker. Can I ask you some questions?”
She nodded. “I’m Special Agent Cole, NCIS.”
“I didn’t realize NCIS was working this.”
“We’re not. I was coming here to meet my friends for lunch.” She pointed toward Layla and Viv.
“Ah. Can you tell me what you saw?”
“I was walking toward the restaurant and was about a block away when the explosion happened. I knew my friends were here, so I started running toward the scene. I helped a few people before I got back to this area.”
“Did you see anyone fleeing the scene? Anything suspicious?”
Izzy shook her head. “No, sir. Nothing like that. I assume you’re going to have the bomb squad come and take a look?”
“They’re en route now. Anything else you saw that you think could be relevant?”
“No. You should know that both of those women are federal workers for the State Department.”
Officer Baker jotted down a note. “Thank you. Appreciate your help here.”
“Of course.” Izzy took a deep breath and turned her attention back to her friends.
EMTs were helping Viv onto a gurney. Her face had lost all of its color.
“We’re transporting them both to Alexandria Hospital,” an EMT said.
“Can I ride with you?”
“No, but you can follow,” he answered.
She flashed her credentials. “Please.”
“Why didn’t you say you were a Fed?” The EMT smiled.
Izzy watched them roll Layla toward the ambulance. Still unconscious. She pulled out her phone and sent a 911 text to Bailey and gave the hospital info. Lord, please let her be okay.
Layla awoke feeling like her head was being squeezed in a vise. Her mouth was so dry, and she had no idea where she was. She took a breath, but it hurt to breathe deeply.
“You’re awake,” a soft voice said.
Layla’s vision blurred but then came into focus. Izzy stood by her bedside. Where was she? She couldn’t put her thoughts together clearly.
“What happened?” she croaked.
Izzy took her hand. “There was an explosion at the restaurant. You were knocked unconscious.”
Layla gasped, sending shooting pain through her ribs as the memories roared back like a freight train. “Viv?”
“She’s okay. They’re treating her for shock, but she’ll be fine. Bailey is with her now.”
Layla closed her eyes for a moment but already had so many questions. “What are they saying was the source of the explosion?”
“They checked for a gas leak, but the bomb squad found an actual explosive device. What they’ll try to figure out next is motive. They’re running background checks on the owners and all employees.”
A much more sinister explanation came to Layla’s mind, but Izzy didn’t know she was CIA. And she couldn’t tell her. So she kept her mouth shut.
Bailey Ryan burst into the room. “You’re awake!”
Seeing one of her best friends was almost too much for Layla as the tears started to well up.
“I’m going to check on Viv and let the two of you talk.” Izzy excused herself, leaving Layla alone with Bailey.
“I’m so glad to see you,” Layla said.
“I feel the same way.”
“How is Viv?”
“Doing better. They’re going to do some tests just to make sure she doesn’t have any internal bleeding.”
Layla’s heart dropped. “Oh no.”
“It’s just precautionary. The doctor doesn’t think so. They already did X-rays on you while you were out. They think you suffered a concussion. No fractures, but bruised ribs.”
“It feels like it.” Layla paused. “Before Izzy gets back, I want to tell you something.”
“What is it?” Bailey glanced toward the door.
“I think I could’ve been the target.”
Bailey’s green eyes widened. “Work related?”
“Yeah. I’ve felt like someone has been watching me the past couple of weeks.”
Bailey pulled up a chair and sat down. “So you think you’re being tailed, and then this explosion. Sounds like bad news to me.”
Layla nodded, and pain shot down her spine. “I wanted you to know about my suspicions in case anything happens to me. You should also know that we didn’t sit in our normal seats today. Can you run down whether the people at our usual table are among the casualties?” She also needed to check on Cass and the other Honduras op team members to make sure nothing had happened to them.
Bailey squeezed her hand. “We’ll figure this out. You helped me when I needed you, and I’ll do the same for you. No questions asked. But right now, I’m going to insist that you get some rest. I’ll find out what I can on the bombing details.”
“We go there every week for lunch.”
“I know,” Bailey said softly. “It does make a convenient target.” She stood. “But there’s nothing you can do right now. Try to sleep a little, and we’ll figure it out. I promise.”
Layla closed her eyes but couldn’t shake the suspicion that someone wanted her dead.