Page 65 of Twilight Tactics

Sully watched the two of them move to the concrete area between the stalls. While they worked, he finished sweeping some remaining dirt from the new office floor, then set the broom aside.

And thought.

Somehow, they needed to go on the offensive. And that meant getting rid of the bombs without hurting anyone.

Maya was still answering questions, so Sully joined her to listen in and provide his thoughts should he be asked. When she finished, one man raised his hand. “Tell us how to help. I’m a soldier. I might have my issues, but I ain’t run from a fight yet.”

“Yeah, same here,” another echoed.

Soon, everyone was in, and Sully’s heart squeezed with a grateful twinge.

Carlos Gonzalez stepped forward. “You’re sure we can’t leave?”

“No,” Sully said, “I’m not. But we were told there are bombs around the perimeter, so we have to act like that’s the situation. Obviously, we still have to check that, but we don’t know if there are snipers guarding the bombs. The priority was to make sure the prisoner was locked up with no escape route. The last thing we need is for him to run off and warn theothers about our defenses—or to step on one of the bombs and blow himself up. He’s really just a kid who’s been steered wrong. He needs consequences for his actions, but I don’t want to see him dead. Now that we’ve got his temporary home ready, we can address the bombs.”

“We need more people around the perimeter,” Carlos said.

“David handled that with ten more men already on-site, and we can’t risk having anyone else try to get in the gate,” Piper said, joining them. “I’m mostly concerned with the bombs.”

Sully nodded. “I’ve been thinking about that. Everyone on the ranch now knows to stay away from the entrances, right?”

“Yep.”

“Where’s Felicity?” he asked Maya.

“At the kennels. I sent someone to let her know what was going on and not to leave the ranch.”

“We need to ask her if she’s training any EOD dogs.”

Maya’s eyes widened. “That’s a great thought. She trained a bunch when she was in the military and still does for several police K-9 programs all over the country.”

“I’ll go ask,” Elena said. “Ollie and I are finished with this lesson.”

He nodded. “Thanks.”

“Can I go?” Ollie asked.

“Not this time, kiddo,” Sully said. “Stay here with Piper and me, please.”

Disappointment flashed in her eyes, but Sully couldn’t budge on this one.

Elena saluted and hurried away. He watched her go, and once again, a wave of ... something ... swept through him. He sucked in a hard breath to distract himself. Now wasn’t the time for attraction.

Not now, maybe not ever.

13

Elena grabbed the barn truck keys from the new office and made her way outside. The cold hit her hard after the warmth of the barn, and she pulled her coat tight under her chin. With gloved hands, she shoved the key into the old truck, and it rumbled to life.

It took her just a few minutes to get to the kennels. Barking dogs greeted her, then Felicity stepped out of one of the chain-link doors, fingers gripping a brown leash. Her auburn hair glinted in the sunlight and her blue-gray eyes narrowed. “What’s going on?”

“Do you have a bomb-sniffer dog by any chance?”

She hesitated. “I do have one in training, but I wouldn’t want to count on him for the life-and-death situation I’ve been told about.”

“Well, we might have to.”

Felicity frowned. “All right. I guess we can see what he can do. I’ve only been working with him for about four months, so he’s still pretty green, but he’s smart and eager to please. Very food motivated.”