Page 29 of Hollow Trace

She started a mental countdown, ready to jump out, fire at the oncoming truck when Quinn sprinted back, sliding in and peeling out as the culvert blew behind them, shooting muddy water and chunks of metal into the air. The ground shook, some debris falling on top of the SUV as they barreled down the track, those headlights fading into the rearview.

Neve waited up ahead, once again falling in behind Quinn as he drove past, taking a route Scout hadn’t known connected to the forest main all the way back to the bunker. The sun had already crested the trees, painting the foliage a deep orange as he parked in the same carport where he’d made love to her earlier, Coulter’s truck taking up the other space, his rear window now sporting plastic and tape.

Coulter stepped out, shaking his head as he rounded the vehicle. “I gotta say, brother, I’m not sure if you’re crazy good or just plain nuts.” He slapped Quinn on the shoulder. “Welcome to Black Hollow, Quinn. You’re gonna fit right in.”

Quinn looked over at her as Coulter met up with Neve, kissing her as if he hadn’t expected to ever see her again, then headed for the door. “Does this mean I get to know the super-secret handshake now?”

Scout leaned against the vehicle. “Only if you kiss me like that.”

He grinned, took the three steps separating them before sliding one hand around the back of her neck as the other wrapped around her waist, tugging her against his chest as his lips slanted over hers, his tongue delving inside. Scout urged him closer, drowning in his taste until he finally pulled back, brushing this thumb across her mouth.

He sighed. “Talk about crazy…” He rested his forehead on hers. “I swear you scared a few years off my life, tonight. Seeing those bullets in your vest. I bet your ribs are screaming.”

“Not when you’re kissing me. Besides, it’s no worse than all those lacerations still oozing down your skin.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. And I’ll let Shepherd know he needs to order a dozen vests for you, too.”

She laughed, taking his hand as they headed inside. Gideon and Darwin met them in the kitchen arms crossed, eyes narrowed.

Darwin cocked his head to the side. “Wynn said you took a few hits.”

Scout sighed, flashing Wynn a stink-eye. “Vest held. I’m sure it’s just some bruising.”

“You know the drill.” Darwin shifted his gaze to Quinn. “You, too, Mountie. I can see the shrapnel wounds from here. And that was apparently before you crashed headlong into a blast door. You’ll be lucky if you didn’t break anything.”

Quinn shrugged. “Seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“Risks generally do until they bite you in the ass.” Darwin raked his hand through his hair, tousling it about his head before straightening his glasses. “Though, I suppose you’re lucky you left when you did. Word just came across the wire. They apparently had a massive chemical leak that leveled the entire warehouse. Local fire says it might take all night to put it out.”

Scout cursed. “Guess she wasn’t kidding when she said to burn it all to the ground.”

Gideon stepped forward. “She?”

Scout glanced at her teammates then back to Gideon. “Yeah, so good news, bad news. The good news is, Zadie downloaded a bunch of files from a server hub before it was purged.”

A throat cleared behind them as Gus and Kane stood in the hallway, staring.

Gus arched a brow. “And the bad news?”

Scout pushed out a breath. “One of her men rummaged through Quinn’s Silverado when we had to abandon it on that spur. They know who he is, that Brea’s his sister, and based on what she said, this show’s just getting started.”

CHAPTER TEN

Quinn leaned against the counter, pain throbbing through his head, all the cuts from the shrapnel burning to life. A by-product of the adrenaline starting to wane.

Gus crossed his arms over his chest, eyeing Quinn for a long moment before releasing a rough breath. “Then, I guess it’s fortunate that you’re staying here since your house is likely compromised.” He focused on Darwin. “Get them patched up. We’ll go over what Zadie found once I’m convinced Corporal Taylor isn’t going to pass out on us.”

Gus walked past, grabbing a pop out of the fridge before disappearing into his office.

Quinn rubbed his eyes, pinching his arm to check if he’d somehow passed out without falling down. “Maybe I hit my head harder than I thought, because I swore the general was just… Nice.”

Scout stepped in close. “He acts all gruff, but inside, he’s a softy. Just don’t tell him I said that.”

Quinn smiled, tripping a step when the floor slid sideways.

Darwin tsked, corralling them toward the med bay. “Looks like the general has a point. You’re five shades paler than when you walked in, so…”

Quinn pushed off the counter when Darwin motioned to the hallway, palming the wall in an effort to stay on his feet. He made it to the first exam table without falling, choosing to sit before he smashed his face onto the thin padding.