Page 5 of Dark Angel
“Nope. He arrived at nine-thirty and has to refuel and do his preflight check. His flight plan is already logged. You can leave your luggage here, Agent Katz. I’ll make sure it’s loaded. If you walk through that door, you can get coffee and there’s a restroom.” He smiled and pointed to a door on his right. “The pilot will take a break before he leaves.”
Beth pushed her luggage into a bay next to him and waited as he placed tags on all her bags. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” The man smiled at her.
After buying a cup of coffee and a packet of cookies, Beth waited for twenty minutes before a tall man in a Stetson, faded jeans, a thick black jacket, and cowboy boots walked straight past her to the counter and purchased a coffee and a ham on rye. She stared at him with interest. The image in his file was only a couple of years old but this man’s hair curled over his collar. He appeared taller than the six-two in his file and had an impressive muscular physique, but when he turned and walked toward her, the scar along his chin and the intense stare matched the picture. Her first impression had been correct. He radiated danger.So, this is Dax Styles.
He came over to her and placed his to-go cup of coffee and takeout bag on the table. His gaze flicked over her two-piece black suit. She’d wanted to impress him by wearing a typical FBI outfit, but she’d worn slightly higher heels than normal to make her appear taller. At five-six, she was average but he would tower over her. She stood and offered her hand. “I’m Beth Katz. It’s nice to meet you, Agent Styles.”
“You’re gonna freeze your butt off dressed like that, and the sidewalks, where there are any, aren’t suitable for heels.” Styles kicked a chair out from the table and sat down staring at her. “I make it my business to blend in with the townsfolk. Being an outsider makes them suspicious, and when they’re suspicious, people get shot.”
Beth had never taken a backward step in her life. “I didn’t come here to be liked Agent—”
“Styles.” His intent gaze seemed to penetrate right through her, as if he were reading her mind. “Drop theagent. We’re not in DC. I know you figure coming to this remote part of Montana is a demotion, but I’ve read your file. Your expertise in cybercrime and the contribution you gave as an undercover agent in apprehending serial killers is impressive. That’s why I agreed to your position.” He waved absently as if dismissing something. “That nonsense they put you through over the Small case was demeaning. From what I can see, you handle messy murders in your stride.”
Soothed by his support, she nodded. “Yeah, I do. Losing my position in DC was a setback I didn’t need. I’m not likely to get a promotion stuck in Rattlesnake Creek.”
“You should consider the move as a promotion. You’re head of cybercrime here and the only undercover agent.” He sipped his coffee and then leaned back in his chair and observed her for a beat. “If you’re willing to come down from your high horse for a time, we might be able to solve crimes together.”
High horse? What was he talking about? She ignored him and dipped a cookie into her coffee and ate the melting delight. Gathering her thoughts, she looked at him. “That will be difficult. They’ve labeled you as a maverick. Is that why you’re here?”
“I play by my own rules at times, yeah.” Styles shrugged nonchalantly. “Rattlesnake Creek is old school. It puts thewildback into Wild West, twenty-first-century style. There’s one sheriff, no deputies, and finding deputies in this neck of the woods is difficult. Fights break out, people steal from each other in the mining camps. When I arrived here, there was a fentanyl distribution racket hidden underground in a local ranch. They purchased the pure drug, cut it, and sold it on the streets making millions. So, I had to break a few heads to get my point across, but it worked.” He gave her a long look. “Why did you try to save Small? He was trying to rape a kid. Makes no sense to me at all.”
The way he was looking at her made her fully aware of this man’s profiling skills. As a military cop, he’d have the ability to read people. It would be his downfall if he messed with her, but she could play the part of a distressed victim better than most. She swallowed hard and looked at her hands. “Instinct, duty of care, call it what you will, it seemed the right thing to do at the time.”
“I’d have let him bleed out and worried about the girl. He was cut through to the backbone and didn’t stand a chance. You should have seen that.” Styles shook his head slowly. “The girl was your priority, not the perp. That’s why they sent you here.” He met her gaze. “You didn’t know that, did you?”
Astonished, Beth lifted her coffee cup and drank to avoid his gaze. “No.”
“They figured you didn’t act fast enough to help the girl and they believe the homicide cases are getting to you.” Styles pushed the last bite of sandwich into his mouth, chewed slowly, and washed it down with coffee.
Beth gaped at him. “Me? That’s a downright lie. I was the one looking after her. Mac didn’t give her a second look. I wasn’t traumatized from the crime scene. Blood doesn’t worry me and I’ve seen my fair share of dead bodies. Mac’s the one who needed a psych test, not me.”
“How does that make you feel?” Styles waved his cup at her.
Anger rising, Beth glared at him. “What are you, my shrink now?”
“I just want you to be honest with me.” Styles turned his to-go cup around with the tips of his fingers. “Can you do that, Beth?”
The use of her first name startled her. Was it a ploy to get under her guard? She pushed down the need to allow her charismatic nature to deal with him. He expected her to be prickly and any change would make him suspicious. In truth, the sight of a bloody crime scene didn’t affect her, but her dark side rose up like an avenging angel when she witnessed young lives destroyed by murder or other despicable means. When kept under control, her dark side was like a virus grown in a lab, only lethal when it escaped.
She lifted her chin. “You want honesty? Can you handle the truth?”
“Yeah, I can. Shoot.” Styles’ mouth twitched up at the corners and his eyes flashed with amusement.
Holding back the rush of anger, Beth took a deep breath. She’d become a convincing liar. After all, she’d had years of practice. “I distance myself from the victims because I have nightmares about what happened to them.” She lowered her voice. “Yeah, I tried to save Small, but not because I gave a darn, because I wanted to know what he’d done with the other girls. They asked me why I didn’t shoot him when I saw him on the girl. The chance of a through and through and hitting the girl wasn’t worth the risk.” She stared at him and swallowed. “The truth is, if I’d had a darn knife with me, and seeing him on that girl, I’d have cut his throat myself.”
“That’s a normal response.” Styles chuckled. “I’d take him down in that situation too and save the taxpayers the cost of a trial and a life sentence. I follow my own rules when there’s no doubt of their guilt.”
Interested, Beth leaned forward in her seat. “And what are your rules?”
“If they draw down on me, I shoot to kill. They don’t get a second chance. It’s within the procedural guidelines. Nowhere does it say we should allow an armed perp to shoot first. When someone draws down on me, it’s every man for himself.” He checked his watch. “You done here? I suggest you use the restroom. It’s two hours to Rattlesnake Creek and I don’t stop at gas stations along the way. I’ll go and load your bags into the chopper. Don’t be long. We leave at eleven sharp.” He stood and strolled out of the door and then stopped to look at her over one shoulder. “I’ll show you where you’re staying. A vehicle is supplied. It’s old but it will get you around. We’ll be eating at Tommy Joe’s Bar and Grill tonight and in the morning. I’ll show you around town.” He cleared his throat. “Have you packed boots and jeans? If not, the general store has everything you need.”
With her bags stuffed with everything she could possibly need, Beth nodded. “I googled the climate and what to expect, but I’ll likely need more winter gear.”
“Okay, I’ll give you a rundown of the best stores in town in the morning.” He headed for the door. “Don’t take too long. Wheels up in ten.”
Beth stared after him. Her life had been turned upside down and it was only a matter of time before her dark side reared its ugly head again demanding to be fed. With a man like Styles as her partner, she’d need to be watching her back every step of the way.
