Library

Chapter 5

To his credit,Michael merely raised his eyebrows.

"I think this is a conversation best kept for my office, instead of standing in the lobby, don't you?" He studied Doc's face, his eyes narrowing when he saw the bandage. "You look like shit."

Doc set his jaw. "Are you going to bawl me out?"

"Not tonight. After you've slept? That's a different matter." He turned and headed for the elevator, Dix following, making sure Doc went in front of him.

He wasn't gonna take his eyes off Josh Malone, not for an instant.

Gary was waiting for them, and he looked as though he could use a good night's sleep himself. He gestured to the couch, and Dix didn't miss the slight tremor in his hand.

A reminder he didn't need that while Gary Cross was in a better state than he had been, the damage was still there.

Gary gazed at Doc, his brow furrowed. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.

Before Doc could reply, Michael got in first. "He's going to get plenty of rest—after he shares why he thinks the US government tried to kill him." He went over to the countertop where the coffee machine stood. "Anyone else need a shot of caffeine?"

"Not me," Gary told him.

Michael chuckled. "You're damn right, not you."

Doc snorted. "I'll have Gary's. I'm not going to sleep anyway."

"I'll have some too," Dix added. Doc was worrying the shit out of him.

Doc sat on the couch, sagging against the seat cushions, as if all his energy had suddenly taken a hike. Michael placed the cups on the coffee table, then grabbed the chair facing Gary's desk and turned it to face him. He sat, leaning forward, elbows on his knees.

"Okay. You're not being serious, are you? About the government's involvement in today's shitshow? Tell me this is all your wild imagination."

Gary sighed. "He can't tell you that, because it isn't, unfortunately." He peered at Michael. "Why do you think there are so many restrictions on him working here? Years ago, he told me a story about a helicopter hovering over his house, guys in black suits all over the place…." He stared at Doc. "You weren't embellishing, were you?"

Doc shook his head. "Not in the least."

Michael's gaze went from Doc to Gary, and back to Doc again. "You need to tell us what's going on here. And I mean everything, Josh."

Doc's face tightened, and Dix hated that broken expression. More than that, he hated himself for the part he'd played in letting this mess happen.

Finally, Doc straightened, picked up his cup, and drank his coffee, not stopping until he'd emptied it.

"They recruited me when I was eighteen." Another snort. "Recruited. I'm sure they saw it that way. I call it blackmail."

"What could you have done that would get you onto the government's radar?" Dix asked.

"When I was sixteen, I… I got caught hacking computers, okay?" He scowled. "They gave me a choice—work for them or go to prison. Some choice, huh? So that was what I told my parents, that they made me a deal to keep me from going to prison. They let me graduate—only they had me under strict watch the whole time—and at eighteen, I joined the ‘company,'" he air-quoted.

"That sounds like a good deal," Dix commented.

Doc huffed. "Except it wasn't the entire story." He shivered. "Not going to forget the day one of the guys cornered me in my room and got right up in my face. He was so close, I gagged on his cigarette breath." Doc swallowed. "He smiled at me as he said, ‘Do what we say, or else something bad might happen to your parents.' Then he patted me on the cheek none too gently and growled at me. ‘Listen, you're a smart kid, so we all know you'll figure out what that might be, right?'" A shudder coursed through him. "Yeah, I knew, and it scared the crap out of me." He closed his eyes for a moment, and Dix ached to grab him and hold him close.

Not an option.

"What had you so rattled?" Michael asked.

Doc opened his eyes, but he didn't answer right away. Then he drew in a deep breath. "I'd seen things in files. Horrible, disgusting things that I'm certain the government would say were done with the good of the country in mind." His face hardened. "No one deserved what they did to these people. Even our worst enemies shouldn't have been treated like that." He sighed. "I said I'd work with them, and I did. However, while I was doing that, I was looking for a way to bring them down." He gave a rueful chuckle. "Sure, I was a kid, but I didn't take kindly to being threatened. Anyway, one day I found the motherlode of files. Things that made what I'd discovered previously look like a Sunday picnic in the park." He met their gazes. "And before you ask, no, I won't tell you what it was."

"Not good enough," Michael insisted. "We need to know everything."

Doc shook his head. "Uh-uh. Going to have to leave you in the dark, I'm afraid. Trust me, you're better off not knowing. So there I was, with access to some really damaging shit, and I couldn't let the world know what was going on."

"Why not?" Dix demanded. "If it was as bad as you say."

Doc stared at him. "Because there was still the threat to my parents." He shrugged. "It's a crappy answer, especially since we don't get along, but…." Doc exhaled sharply. "If someone asked me to weigh the lives of two strangers versus… well, versus a hell of a lot of people, I would have no problem saying to let the two die. It would suck, but the lives that would be saved would far outweigh any loss. But we're talking about my parents. So yeah, that might make me a hypocrite, but it's how I feel. Plus, our agreement was they'd shelve the project."

"The project you can't tell us about," Gary observed.

Doc raised his eyes heavenward. "Look, we might get to that part one day, but it's not gonna be today, all right?" Another shudder rippled through him. "I thought they'd done what they promised, and I really believed they'd shelved it, but now?" Doc locked gazes with Gary. "Now I'm thinking they might be trying to start it up again, and the only way to do that would be to get rid of me."

Michael let out a long breath. "And they didn't care about taking out how many other innocent people?"

"The body count so far for the explosion in the mall is twelve," Gary said, consulting his phone. "Might be more than that if some people don't recover from their injuries."

"But that's what's so stupid about all this," Doc blurted. "I have things set up so if something happens to me or my parents, the files will all be released to the media. And they fucking know that."

It was the second time in less than a day that Dix had heard Doc swear—a rare occurrence—and that only served to show the state he was in.

"Then what sense does it make to put you in the path of an explosion?"

Doc leaned back, scrubbing his fingers through his hair. "Cliff Tanner was one of the basement-dwellers. That's what they called us, because they kept us in the bowels of the building, hidden away. I didn't realize until a year after I left that it was because we weren't supposed to be seen."

"How long did you work for them?" Dix wanted to know.

"Two years. When I was twenty, I left, taking all the shit I'd found with me."

"They let you leave? Just like that?"

Doc snorted. "They didn't have a whole lot of choice in the matter." He stared at the coffee table. "But maybe it wasn't just the government. Look at what happened with Porter. Maybe someone else had a hand in the project." That rueful smile was back. "Sadly, I was so confident in myself and what I could do that I never figured they'd find a way to outsmart me."

"What do you mean?" Gary asked.

Doc didn't reply, but turned his head and peered at Dix, as if he was seeking a source of strength.

No way was Dix gonna leave him hanging. He put a hand on Doc's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. I'm here for you, okay?

Then Doc straightened once more. "Never mind maybe—the more I think about it, the more certain I am that someone else is pulling the strings. We know Porter was acting on behalf of person or persons unknown, right? What if they got hold of some of the same files I have? Maybe that's what Cliff found out, and he was trying to warn me. He said the others stopped answering his mails. Was it because they thought he was nuts, or was there more to it than that? I mean, Porter was willing to kill us, so why wouldn't whoever is pulling the strings?"

The room was quiet for a moment, and then a flurry of voices filled the air, Gary and Michael talking over each other.

"Is Tanner working with them?"

"Why do it in the mall? Why not wait until you were in the open?"

"Is the government doing some black ops shit?"

Each question added to the stack of unanswered ones, and Dix didn't like not having answers.

In fact, it pissed him the hell off.

Then he noted Doc's pallor, the air of exhaustion that clung to him like a shroud.

"That's enough for one night," he said in as firm a tone as he could manage.

Doc gave him a grateful glance before addressing Gary. "I think some rest is a good idea."

"I'll take you up to your lab," Dix offered.

Doc's expression tightened again. "No, I'd rather go home. I—I can't be here right now."

Alarm bells went off in Dix's head. If Doc had been the target, he needed to be somewhere safe.

Home definitely wasn't it.

"It would be better if you stayed here." Michael's voice held a touch of steel.

"He can stay in my room," Dix offered. "I have to work tonight, so he'll have time to rest."

Lies. You're doing this because you couldn't protect him. You want to make sure he's still okay.

Yeah, fine. That was nearer the truth.

"I think that's a good idea," Gary remarked.

Dix rose. "Come on. Let's get you in my bed." Then he realized how that sounded. "I mean?—"

Michael smirked, but it was obvious Dix's words had flown right over Doc's head.

Dix glanced at Gary. "I'll be right back down, once I've got him settled." He followed Doc out of the office, directing him to the elevators. When they reached Dix's floor, he took hold of Doc's elbow and led him to the room. As soon as they entered, Doc's knees buckled, and Dix grabbed hold of him.

"Oh my God," Doc wailed. "I killed that little boy."

Dix turned him roughly to face him. "No, you didn't. Whoever blew the mall up did. We talked about this, remember? We don't know what would have happened if you hadn't been there. Maybe they would have done it in anger. Even if it had been about you, they're the ones who did it. It was not your fault. Just like what happened to Richie, Hank, and Benny wasn't Gary or Michael's fault. This isn't on you, I swear. It's whoever blew the place up. Only on them, okay?"

Doc stared at him, but at last he nodded. "I just want this day to be over."

Dix had heard enough. He lifted Doc from the floor and cradled him to his body, carrying him to his bedroom.

Why does this feel so right? Why is having Doc in my arms like coming home?

He helped Doc into bed, drew the covers up to his chin, then took a seat beside him.

"Is there anything you need?"

Doc sighed. "Can you call my parents and let them know? I'm sure it'll be on the news, and if they hear my name, they'll freak out. Gary has the number."

"Of course." He flicked off the light, plunging the room into near total darkness. "Get some rest, Doc."

As he reached the door, Dix heard Doc's soft sobs, and an icy knot formed in his stomach.

Someone tried to kill Doc, of this Dix was certain. He wasn't sure yet what mess Doc had gotten mixed up in, but he promised himself he'd find out.

And keep Doc safe in the process.

The mood had changedby the time he walked into the office. Gary's eyes were troubled, but there was a storm brewing, judging by Michael's expression.

Michael slammed a hand down on his desk, the muscles in his neck cording.

"Of all the stupid things he could have done?—"

"I'm sure Josh feels bad enough," Gary remonstrated. "I'm thankful you saved this explosion until he'd left the room."

"He could have died!" Michael yelled, his face mottled. "Swear to God, he might well be the smartest man I know, but sometimes he's so fucking stupid."

Gary didn't respond, and Dix was done watching from the sideline.

"Don't come down on him," he said. "I already did that, and I think I broke him."

The haunted look on Doc's face would forever be a regret Dix would have to live with.

His words mollified Michael a little.

Dix helped himself to more coffee. He didn't think they'd mind in the circumstances. He leaned against the countertop, nursing his refilled cup. "He's right, isn't he? Someone tried to kill him. Or we assume he was the target. I have no idea. Maybe it was this Tanner guy. Or, if what Tanner's email said was right, someone is systematically killing people Doc used to work for."

Michael arched one eyebrow. "Doc?"

Dix stuck his chin out. "Yeah, that's what I said. He gave me permission to call him that, so fuck off."

Michael snorted. "That wasn't me being disrespectful. You just surprised me, that's all. Josh doesn't much go in for nicknames since he's been working to shed the whole Wheels one. It's cool, though." He rested his elbows on the desk, his fingers laced together. "So what do we do?"

That was a damn fine question. "We could keep him locked up here."

Gary shook his head, and Dix could see the strain. He wondered if Gary was still taking pain meds.

"You doin' okay, boss?" Dix asked, then winced as the accent he usually tried so hard to keep under control slipped out.

I should've stayed up there with Doc. I should've just crawled in bed with him.

Of course, neither of them would have gotten any sleep.

"Good days and bad, you know how it goes," Gary answered. He glanced at Michael. "At least I have someone watching out for me."

"Always." Michael smiled at Gary.

Their soft voices and warm glances were another reminder of Dix's most recent discovery.

I want what they have.

Dix wanted someone he could take care of, someone who'd love a grumpy fucker like him, even on the days he acted like an asshole, which was more often than he cared to admit.

"So, what do we do now?"

Michael's question launched Dix back into the moment, and he forced himself to leave thoughts of Doc alone.

For now, at least.

"Well, I'd say Doc needs to stay here, but I'm not sure how well that would fly with him. He's hurting over the bomb at the mall, and I'm not talking about his cuts and bruises. I tried to tell him they might have killed people just for spite. They obviously don't care about collateral damage."

Gary gave a thoughtful nod. "So you think he was the target?"

Dix arched his eyebrows. "Of course. Too many coincidences, which y'all know I don't believe in."

Goddammit. When he started sounding like a redneck, it really was time to get some sleep.

"Why don't you crash in Josh's—I mean, Doc's lab?"

Hearing that name from Michael's lips irritated the shit out of Dix. "Don't call him that, okay? That's my name for him."

Michael blinked, but recovered quickly. "Noted. And sorry."

Dix scraped his fingers through his thick hair. "No, my bad. Ignore me. I'm all out of sorts after what happened. He could have died, and?—"

No. Better to keep quiet about the blow that would have dealt him.

"And we need to prevent that from happening, so here's what we're going to do." Gary's voice was reduced to a rasp, which led Dix to believe he wasn't healing as well as he pretended. "Starting tonight, Josh will have a bodyguard around the clock. I think Jacobs is available and?—"

"I'll be watching him," Dixon ground out. He didn't want anyone else looking after his Doc.

Possessive much, asshole?

"But what about your duties here?" Michael asked, an amused lilt in his voice.

"Well, with the two of you back, I'm sure you'll be able to handle it until we get this all taken care of, yeah?"

Michael snorted. "Look at him. Give him a promotion, and it goes to his head."

Then Dix realized he'd been giving orders to his bosses. "Sorry," he blurted out. "Just overly tired."

Michael's eyes twinkled. "I'm kidding, Dix. Yeah, we can shoulder some of the responsibilities until this is all settled, but then we expect you back at your job, got it?"

He knew Michael was teasing, but it felt good to know they trusted Dix enough to guard Doc.

"You got it. As soon as this is over, I'll have my nose pressed firmly against that old grindstone, same as always." Dix yawned so hard, his jaw popped. "And I think I'm gonna take you up on that nap. I'm whipped."

Michael smirked. "Not yet, but you're probably heading that way real fast."

Dix ignored whatever Michael was trying to say. It irked him that he'd been that obvious. Well, no more.

I need to stop mooning over Doc and get my head back into the bodyguard game if I'm going to protect him.

He also needed a few hours of sleep, before he could figure out how best to keep Doc safe.

For both their sakes.

Comments

0 Comments
Best Newest

Contents
Settings
  • T
  • T
  • T
  • T
Font

Welcome to FullEpub

Create or log into your account to access terrific novels and protect your data

Don’t Have an account?
Click above to create an account.

lf you continue, you are agreeing to the
Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy.