Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The perp had planted a bomb? Jina’s mind immediately went into problem-solving mode. They had to evacuate the motel, then get her team to head out and defuse the device.

She performed a quick scan of the area as Cole inched his way toward her. There was no sign of the perp, but that wasn’t very reassuring. She hated to admit that she hadn’t anticipated a bomb.

Using his phone, she called Cass and got straight to the point. “We need you guys at the Red Mill Motel ASAP. Explosive device found beneath the rental SUV.”

“We’re on the way,” Cass said without hesitation. “And we’ll call the locals too.”

“Thanks, we’ll take care of things here.” She was about to give Cole his phone back, then changed her mind. She might need the light. “Backup is on the way. I need you to evacuate the motel.”

“What are you doing?” he asked with a frown.

“I’m going to take a closer look at that device. I may be able to neutralize it.” As she moved past him, he grabbed her hand .

“Have you lost your mind?” Stark fear darkened his eyes. “What do you know about defusing bombs?”

Not as much as Rhy or Grayson, their tactical team explosives experts. Yet there was no point in focusing on her weakness. “I’ve had some training. Now please get those people out of the building.”

He shook his head as if he wanted to argue. Then he released her hand. “Stay safe,” he murmured.

“You too.” She resisted the urge to kiss him. After Cole rose to his feet and headed to the motel lobby to get everyone out, she gingerly moved closer to the rental car.

She slowed her breathing, forcing her pulse to settle much the way she did before taking a long-distance shot. The horrible gasoline smell made her stomach twist. Ignoring it as best she could, Jina used Cole’s phone flashlight app to see what they were up against.

The device was near the rear wheel and far too close to the gas tank. As she examined the bomb more closely, she quickly realized it was a basic pipe bomb. There was no timer that she could see or a trigger that could be detonated from a distance.

Thankfully, whoever this perp was hadn’t gotten too creative. She was confident she could safely remove it.

Unless there was a hidden surprise she couldn’t see from this angle.

Don’t borrow trouble , she silently lectured herself. Rolling onto her back, she wiggled farther beneath the SUV. There was barely enough clearance for her to maneuver without using the jack to raise it up, which made her realize that neither Grayson nor Rhy would be able to access this thing.

In the distance, she heard voices as Cole worked to get the motel guests and employees evacuated. Then car engines started, as patrons decided to get out of there. She didn’t blame them for wanting to distance themselves from a possible explosion.

That wasn’t an option for her.

Doing her best in the cramped space, she examined the duct tape keeping the pipe bombs wrapped together and to the undercarriage. Digging the penknife from her pocket—the guys always carried them, so she decided to do the same—she carefully sawed back and forth with the blade, slicing through the wide tape. When she realized she was holding her breath, she took a moment to breathe normally again.

Panic was not her friend.

It wasn’t easy to work in the confined space with the three pipe bomb explosives bound together looming less than an inch from the tip of her nose. But now that she was seeing it closer, she felt more confident in her ability to remove them without blowing herself up.

Always better to think positive.

The first bit of duct tape gave way, leaving one more on the other side. She had to jiggle her position around to see better, then continued with her task. If God really was watching over her, she hoped He would keep her safe long enough to protect the others.

The thought brought another strange sense of calm washing over her. She had this, no problem. Without fear, she sawed through the last portion of tape, then slowly moved the device from the undercarriage. With the pipe bombs cradled in one hand, she stretched out her arm intending to set the bomb down, then hesitated.

Maybe placing the bomb on the gasoline-soaked ground wasn’t the smartest idea.

Keeping the bomb in one hand, she used her free hand and the heels of her feet to inch out from beneath the car. Her movements were awkward, her shirt riding up her back with each motion. The entire process seemed to be taking longer than it had to crawl in.

The wail of police sirens was a welcome indication that local law enforcement personnel would be there shortly. And the voices from the front of motel had quieted, making her believe Cole had managed to get them all safely out of the building.

“Jina? What can I do to help?”

Angling her head, she saw Cole hunched beside her. “Grab my feet and pull me the rest of the way out. But gently,” she cautioned, “I have the bomb in my hand.”

“Your hand?” He sounded horrified as his strong hands wrapped around her ankles. He drew her the rest of the way out from beneath the car.

Still holding the bomb with one hand, she levered up into a sitting position. “Thanks.”

“What are you going to do with it?” He gestured toward the device.

Good question. She wasn’t keen on holding it indefinitely. As she glanced around, she spied the dumpster. “See if there’s a box in there.”

Cole hurried over to peer inside, then reached inside. He pulled out a small box. “Will this work?”

“Yes.” She stood and closed the gap between them. While he held the box, she carefully placed the device inside. “Now I need this to go back inside the dumpster until the bomb squad arrives.”

“I can do that.” He was taller and had a longer reach, so she didn’t argue. Oddly, she was more nervous for him than she had been for herself. He lifted the box, then reached over the rim of the dumpster to set it down.

“Okay, thanks. The sides of the dumpster should help minimize the damage if it goes off for some reason.” She grabbed Cole’s hand. “Let’s get away from here.”

He looked relieved by that suggestion.

They hurried around to the front of the motel. Two squads were taking the interstate exit to the motel. Several room doors hung open, and in some cases, half-packed suitcases were still lying open on the beds.

Pulling her badge from her pocket, she headed over to meet the responding officers. “MPD Officer Jina Wheeler, I have removed the explosive device and set it in the dumpster behind the building.”

“You removed it?” The first officer was a portly guy old enough to be her father. “By yourself?”

The constant sexist comments never failed to annoy her. Would he have acted so outraged if Cole had done the deed? Doubtful. She swallowed her ire. “Yes. I’m with the tactical team and have some IED training.”

“I’m Peabody Detective Cole Roberts.” Cole flashed his badge as well. “I’ve evacuated the motel, but you may want to close the exit so no one else drives past the place until the device has been removed from the area.”

The officers exchanged a look, then the portly one nodded at the younger guy. “Let’s go ahead and close both exits.”

“I have my teammates coming too,” Jina added. “I’m hoping they’ll bring the IED disposal van with them.”

“We’ll let them through when they arrive.” The portly guy eyed her with a new respect. “Nice work.”

She nodded, then waved him off.

“I don’t know how you managed not to punch him in the nose,” Cole muttered.

Despite the grim situation, that made her laugh. “It’s not easy.” Her expression turned somber. “Where do you think the perp is hiding?”

Cole sighed. “I don’t know. I have a feeling he didn’t want to be too close in case the device did go off. It was close to the brake pads where the friction could have ignited it when we were driving. And it was so close to the gas tank, the entire rear of the SUV would have blown.”

“I saw that.” She didn’t know a lot about car engines but had assumed the decision to locate the device near the rear wheels and the gas tank had been intentional. “I really want to find this guy.”

“Me too.” He glanced at her. “I’m not sure he’s going to fall into your trap, though. The way he targeted the rental SUV makes me think he knew we’d left it here on purpose to throw him off. And his response was to plant the bomb.”

She shared his concern. There was no doubt in her mind this guy was taunting her. Reveling in the way he’d been able to stay one step ahead of them. “I know, but what other option do we have? It’s worth a try.”

“I still don’t like it.”

He didn’t have to like it as long as he went along with the plan. She was about to say something more when she caught sight of Cassidy leaning out her driver’s side window to speak with the officer blocking the exit.

Cassidy and Flynn arrived first, followed by Zeke, and then Grayson who accompanied Gully Sullivan and his black van, which housed Dottie, their robot.

When they were all assembled outside the motel lobby, she filled them in. When she finished, Grayson eyed her with admiration. “Well done. If you weren’t such an ace sniper, we could do more IED training with you.”

“I’d rather be a sniper,” she said. “But the device is in a box sitting in the dumpster. It was the only place I could think of to minimize the damage.”

“That’s exactly what I would have done.” Grayson turned to Gully. “Grab the bomb box from the back of the van. I don’t think we need Dottie for this.”

Gully obliged. She followed Grayson to the dumpster, watching as he reached in, grabbed the bomb, then carefully set it in the heavy-duty bomb box. Once the device was secure, she breathed easier.

“What’s with the gasoline scent?” Grayson asked as he carried the box back to the van.

“Honestly, I’m not sure.” She glanced around the area in question before following Grayson back to Gully’s van. “My only thought was that our perp splashed the gasoline around to help deliver a bigger explosion.”

“He’s a real jack of all trades, huh?” Grayson set the box in the van, then stepped back to close the steel reinforced doors. There was no denying an acute sense of relief in knowing the device was no longer a threat. “Shooting, arson, and now setting an IED.”

“Yeah. It only reinforces my theory that this guy has a background in law enforcement.” She glanced over as Cole joined them. “Despite this latest bomb threat, I still think heading out to the Timberland Falls rental tonight is our best chance to draw him into the open.”

“I doubt he’ll show,” Cole said bluntly. “But I’ll go along with the rest of you on this.”

“Cole has a point,” Grayson said as the others clustered around. “Maybe we should think about where this all started?”

She frowned. “You mean at Mike’s MMA gym?”

Grayson shrugged. “Just a thought. It’s relatively isolated. And you had planned to stake out the strip mall behind it.”

She mulled that over for a moment, then shook her head. “I don’t think this guy will show up there.”

“Why not?” Cole asked. “He knows you go to the gym on a regular basis.”

“True.” She sighed. Thinking like a killer wasn’t easy. If she had some sort of clue as to who this guy was, it would help. “Let’s head back to the precinct and talk it through. I’m not sure which way to go on this.”

“Do you think it’s safe to take the rental?” Cole asked.

“No, we should leave it here.” She wasn’t sure why, but she felt strongly they needed a different vehicle for whatever plan they implemented tonight.

“You can take my car,” Grayson said. “I’ll ride shotgun with Gully in the van.”

Grateful, she accepted his key fob. “Thanks.” As she and Cole headed to the van, she battled a wave of frustration.

It was difficult to shake the sense of looming failure. The certainty that no matter which decision she made, it would backfire in her face.

And the worst thing of all was if that decision hurt someone she cared about. Any of her teammates, and of course Cole.

She wouldn’t survive that dire consequence.

They rode to Jina’s police precinct with a strained silence hanging heavily between them. Cole felt as if he’d run a marathon, and the day had barely begun. Seeing firsthand the situations Jina and her team dealt with gave him a new appreciation for their role on the tactical team.

The recent bomb incident made his cold case look negligible. His job was to arrest bad guys, even if the crime had been committed twelve years ago. After all, there was no statute of limitations on murder.

But after today? Finding Brad’s killer wasn’t important. For all he knew, the killer was dead. Or in jail.

Keeping Jina safe was all that mattered.

“What are you thinking?” He broke the silence as they entered the Milwaukee city limits.

She shot him a quick glance before exiting the interstate. “Honestly? I’m not sure what to think. Other than I desperately want to draw this guy out of hiding.”

“That’s true for all of us.” He wasn’t sure which option was better either. “Maybe your boss will have an idea.”

“I hope so.” She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear as they waited for the streetlight to change. “For lack of anything better, I’m still leaning toward the rental property in Timberland Falls.”

“I hear you. I guess the worst that can happen is that he doesn’t show.”

She let out a low groan. “That’s exactly what I’m afraid of. This guy is growing more reckless with every attempt. He planted that bomb with complete disregard for the innocent lives that could have been lost in the explosion. We need him to find me. And soon.”

“He has been deliberately reckless,” he agreed. “And seems to be gloating about how easily he’s gotten away with everything so far.”

“Tell me about it.” She scowled while navigating the streets of the city. “He’s really starting to make me mad.” She gestured to the windshield. “That’s our precinct up ahead.”

“I see it.” The single-story building was similar in size and structure to his smaller department in Peabody. The difference was that the officers here covered only part of the sprawling city of Milwaukee. There were seven different districts here.

There was only one police department in Peabody.

Five minutes later, she parked Grayson’s SUV in a small lot behind the building. He followed her to the side door, waiting as she punched in a keycode to gain access.

He recognized the tactical team’s captain as he strode toward them. Rhy nodded at him, then turned to Jina. “Fill me in.”

She did so with a brief yet comprehensive detailing of how they’d found the bomb, then neutralized it.

Rhy glanced at him. “The scent of gasoline tipped you off?”

“Yes, sir.” Rhy wasn’t his boss, but he had a commanding presence just the same. “He’d already started a fire at Jina’s duplex using turpentine, so I searched for a possible incendiary device.”

“Good call.” Rhy scowled. “I don’t like how he’s changing his MO. Gunfire, arson, now a bomb? Who is this guy?”

“That’s what we’d all like to know,” Jina said. “Ex-cop or military.”

Rhy nodded thoughtfully. “I’ve secured a conference room for us to use. Unfortunately, the rest of the team is tied up. Joe has them out at the scene of a large drug bust because there are multiple armed perps suspected to be in the area. So it’s just you, Grayson, Cassidy, Zeke, and Flynn. ”

“And me,” Cole spoke up. “I’m sticking with Jina until we have this guy behind bars.”

“And you,” Rhy agreed, then turned to lead the way to the conference room.

It didn’t take long for the others to join them. Cassidy brought bottles of water and passed them out among the group. Zeke and Flynn had both his and Jina’s bags. He reached for his, anxious to access his computer.

Going back to the gym where this all started made sense. It was the first attack against Jina, albeit a rather pathetic one. But maybe the perp hadn’t anticipated Cole showing up to help her.

In hindsight, it seemed clear the assailant had planned to confront Jina at her place. And maybe Cole’s arrival had thrown a monkey wrench into that attempt too.

While they waited for Grayson to arrive, he went back to the list of gym members with law enforcement background that Mike had provided. While Jina hadn’t recognized any of the names aside from the two Timberland Falls cops, Oliver and Evan, it could easily be that one of the club members knew her.

And resented her for . . . what?

“Tell me about the team.” He eyed Rhy who was seated at one end of the table. “Do cops go through a vetting process to become members?”

Rhy nodded, clearly following his train of thought. “Not a tryout or anything, but I tend to be selective when adding members to the team.”

“Except for Roscoe, we’ve all been cops here in Milwaukee, prior to being transferred here,” Jina added.

“Yeah, Roscoe was highly recommended by his cousin Cameron who was also an MPD cop. Speaking for myself, I was a little surprised Rhy took him on,” Zeke said. “Why do you ask?”

“I was curious if Jina had gotten the job over someone else,” Cole said to clarify his thought process. “Some guys can’t stand being beaten out by a woman.”

“There was only one candidate I didn’t hire,” Rhy said. “But Jina was already a member of the team. If Jeff Klapper has anyone to be upset with, it’s Roscoe.”

“I see.” He shrugged. “I was hoping for another lead to follow up on.” Then he glanced down at the list of gym members on his screen and almost choked. “Wait a minute, are you sure about that? Because Jeff Klapper is on the list.” He lifted his head to scan the faces seated at the table around him. “Klapper belongs to Mike’s MMA gym.”

“He does?” Jina appeared surprised. “That’s strange. I don’t remember ever seeing him there.”

“You go late in the evening, though, right?” He flushed a little as she arched a brow at how closely he’d watched her prior to the night of the shooting. “Maybe Klapper is an early bird.”

“If he hasn’t seen me there, why try to shoot me?” She shook her head. “Not sure we can pin this on him.”

“Hold on, Jina,” Rhy said. “We need all possible suspects on the table.”

“Okay, but I had nothing to do with his not landing a spot on the team. That was all Roscoe.”

The conference room door opened, revealing Grayson and another guy who was tall and lean, with brown hair and thick glasses. Cole noticed the guy looked at Cassidy first, then turned to Jina.

“Come in. Gabe, do you have something for us?” Rhy asked.

“Yes.” Gabe pushed his glasses up on his nose in a nervous gesture. “I’ve been digging into that guy who assaulted Jina in college, Rory Glick. I just heard back from the Tulsa cop who agreed to go over to Glick’s last-known address to speak with him. He just let me know that Rory’s parents haven’t seen him in a few days.”

“You’re saying he could be here in Milwaukee.” Rhy drummed his fingers on the table. “That’s interesting.”

“They don’t know where he is, but yes, it’s possible,” Gabe said. “I’ve requested a search warrant to look at his recent debit and credit card purchases.”

“Do you have enough evidence for that?” Cole asked.

“I think so. The guy hasn’t shown up for his warehouse job and has a clear reason to hate Jina.” Gabe shrugged. “I think we’ll get it.”

“Good work, Gabe,” Rhy said. “Stay focused on Glick, we’re relying on your expertise to tease out key information from his credit and debit reports. We can start digging into Jeff Klapper. His middle name is Thomas, and I think he lives in West Angelo.”

As Rhy spoke, Cole used his computer to access Jeff Thomas Klapper’s DMV records. “He does live in a small house in West Angelo. But he doesn’t drive a black Honda.”

“Why don’t we head to the gym to see if he’s there?” Cassidy asked.

“I’d rather call Mike, the owner first. He knows his members better than anyone.” He pulled out his phone to make the call.

“This is Mike,” the owner answered on the second ring.

“Hey, Mike, it’s Cole. Do you know a guy named Jeff Klapper?”

“Sure, I know him, why?”

“Is he there, now?” Cole asked.

“Not that I noticed, he tends to come only on his days off work, but I can check.” There was a brief pause. “Why are you asking? I thought you and Jina didn’t think any of my members were responsible for the shooting?”

“To be honest, we’re running out of leads. We just need to cover all bases.” There was a long moment of silence, indicating Mike wasn’t buying that story. “Honestly, Mike, this is a guy we’d like to cross off our suspect list. Nothing for you to worry about.” He hoped.

Mike let out a heavy sigh. “Fine. Lemme put you on hold for a moment.” There was nothing but silence for a full sixty seconds. “Cole? You’re in luck. Jeff is here.”

“He is?” He pinned Jina with a hopeful look. “Can you keep him there until we arrive?”

“I’ll try. But Jeff isn’t one for small talk. Get here soon.” Mike quickly ended the call.

“Let’s go.” Jina was already on her feet. “I’m sure a brief chat about where he’s been over the past twenty-four hours will clear him.”

“I’m coming with you,” Grayson said. She didn’t argue but tossed him the keys.

“Do you want more backup?” Zeke asked.

“I think three cops can handle it,” Rhy said. “But before you go, Cole, send us that list of gym members. We’ll keep looking at things from our end.”

As Rhy rattled off his email address, Cole typed it in and hit send. Then shut the computer, leaving it on the table. He doubted the conversation with Klapper would take long, and they’d be back here within the hour.

As they drove to the MMA gym, he thought about the possibility of Rory Glick coming to Milwaukee to confront Jina. While he had the biggest reason to resent Jina, it seemed unlikely that he’d be smart enough to set a bomb, a fire, track her phone, and shoot at her.

If not Glick, then who? Klapper? Or someone else?

“Take the next exit,” Jina told Grayson. The guy had pushed the speed limit so they wouldn’t miss him. “Then head south.”

“I’ve heard of the gym but never been inside,” Grayson said.

“I like it.” Jina frowned, then added, “At least I used to. Not sure after all of this.”

When Grayson pulled into the parking lot, there were only a handful of vehicles scattered around. The hour was closing in on eleven in the morning, which wasn’t peak gym hours for those who worked.

Grayson had barely stopped the car when Jina jumped out, eager to get inside. She moved to give him room when a crack of gunfire had them all dropping to the ground.

Another attempt in broad daylight! He glanced at Jina and could tell she was about to sprint toward the woods. Until more gunfire peppered the ground in front of them.

Pinning them in place with nowhere to hide.