Jackson thought he saw tears form in her eyes, but she quickly cut her gaze to Maggie who was finishing her call.

  She stowed her phone as she crossed over to them. “We’re good to go. If it’s okay, I’ll select the bone in the best condition for DNA recovery.”

  “Go ahead. We’ve already photographed and inventoried every bone and fragment so no need to worry about that. I’ll need your signature on our chain of custody log, but then you’re good to go.”

  It took Maggie thirty minutes of picking up and peering at bones to decide which one to send, but once she did, she carefully packaged it, said goodbye to Dr. Owing, and met Jackson at the door. “I’d like to drop this off at a shipping place on the way.”

  “Sure.” He smiled at her. “I’m really impressed by you. You sure know your stuff, don’t you?”

  She blinked rapidly. “What do you mean?”

  “You’re an expert in your field, and I can’t get over all that you accomplished since I last saw you.”

  A blush crept over her face, and the urge to kiss her and intensify her blush was almost too strong to resist.

  She held up the package. “We should get going.”

  “Right.” Jackson lifted his hand to stop her from stepping out the door. He took a long cleansing breath as he moved into the hallway. Once he was sure it was clear, he motioned for her to join him.

  She tucked the package under her arm. “You don’t think my attacker could be here, do you?”

  “No, but—”

  “But we need to be cautious.”

  “Right. You get it.”

  “How could I not. You’ve reminded me of the danger plenty of times.” She pinched her lips together. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be cranky. I just have a ton to do to help the victim’s family, and I hate to waste time thinking about myself.”

  “Think of it this way, then. If something happened to you, who would help these families?”

  She looked at him. “They would just call in another forensic anthropologist.”

  “But would he or she be as good as you?”

  “No.” A grin found its way to her face.

  He smiled along with her, but at the main exit, he held up his hand again and let go of his good mood so he didn’t miss even the smallest detail and put her life in danger.

  On the way to Summit, they dropped the DNA sample at a package delivery store with a guaranteed morning delivery, and Maggie hoped they would finally be on track to learn the deceased’s identity. Of course, his DNA sample would need to be in CODIS for that to work. The FBI database held DNA for many criminals, but if their victim wasn’t arrested or a prior victim of a crime that required taking a sample, then getting the DNA profile from this bone wouldn’t help.

  She decided to think positively and sat back as they sped down the highway heading for Summit. She felt weird with Jackson driving her SUV. Had felt odd last night, too, but she was too tired to think much of it. But today, she noticed every movement the guy made and driving was no exception.

  What was it going to feel like with him standing at her side while she sifted through ruins?

  Grr. She was placing far too much importance on his presence. Thinking about every little thing he said for way too long. Case in point, his compliment about her accomplishments at the morgue. She still felt a warm glow inside and wanted more of that sensation. Was she feeling this way because it was Jackson, or was she so desperate for a man’s companionship that she lingered in the compliment?

  Not that she hadn’t been in a man’s company since they’d broken up. She dated. Several great guys, in fact. Men who would make fine life partners, but she didn’t connect on a deep level with any of them.

  She sighed.

  Jackson shot her a look, and she wished she’d controlled that sigh. He obviously was tuned into everything she did the same way she was noticing his every move.

  “Everything okay?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  He eyed her. “Is it really, or are you just putting on a good front?”

  She never could or wanted to lie to him. She shifted in her seat to face him. “The front, I guess. You being here has really thrown me for a loop.”

  “I feel the same way.”

  The comment sent a flash of satisfaction through her. Just the thing she was trying to avoid.

  “I’m glad to see you, though,” he added. “Real glad.”

  “Me too,” she admitted and hoped by saying it aloud, her crazy emotions would no longer have any power over her. “Maybe when we split up we were too quick to say we’d never see or talk to each other again. If we’d taken time to talk things out, we might’ve had a better chance at moving on.”

  “Have you moved on?”

  “Not really.”

  “Yeah. I get that.” He fell silent. Perhaps thinking about the past or simply considering what to say next.

  She should think about that, too. Should she continue this discussion? Hash out their past? They were only minutes away from Summit and getting into a discussion only to have it interrupted might not bode well for their afternoon together. But tonight? After the second morgue visit? Maybe they could talk then.

  She turned to suggest it when the Bee Gees started belting out “Stayin’ Alive” over the SUV’s speakers.

  Jackson shot her a questioning look.

  “Don’t look at me,” she shouted above the song. “I didn’t turn it on.” She twisted the knob to completely lower the volume. The sound kept blaring from the speakers.

  “I can’t turn it down,” she said.

  His brow furrowed, and he reached for the knob. “Odd. Volume is all the way off.”

  The fan suddenly came on, blasting hot air in her face.

  She looked at Jackson. “What’s happening?”

  “Looks like the car’s computer is malfunctioning.”

  She frowned. “Of all the times for that to happen. If it breaks down—”

  The small monitor on the dashboard flashed with a message. It read, “I TOLD YOU. I’M NOT GOING AWAY FOR MURDER.”

  Her heart dropped to her stomach. “What in the world?”

  “It’s not a malfunction. Your attacker must’ve hacked the car’s computer.”

  Before she could even process Jackson’s comment, the windshield washer fluid sprayed nonstop, flooding the windshield.

  Jackson reached for the wipers. “Wipers won’t turn on.”

  She grabbed the dashboard, trying to get a good view of the road, but the liquid blocked her view. “Can you see?”

  “Barely.” His tense tone sent her heart racing. “I’ll slow down and pull over ahead.”

  The engine suddenly accelerated, and the vehicle sped up.

  “You didn’t do that, right?” she shrieked over the still-blaring song.

  “Right,” he replied, the one word deadly intense. He slammed on the brakes. The SUV continued to speed up. She glanced at his leg. He pumped the brakes again. And again.

  She clutched his arm. “Jackson?”

  “We don’t have any brakes, and I have no control over our speed.”

  The speedometer continued to climb. He fumbled with the switches, and it stopped accelerating.

  “What did you do?” she cried out in relief and slumped back.

  “I turned off cruise control. Maybe we’ll be able to coast to a stop now.”

  “Yes, good.”

  He jabbed a finger at his phone mounted in a holder on the dash. Eryn’s name displayed on the screen, and she soon answered.

  “Our car’s computer has been hacked,” he yelled over the music. “Use GPS to track us. We need help.”

  The steering wheel suddenly cranked right, jerking the vehicle toward the side of the road.

  Maggie screamed and shot up in her seat.

  “Jackson.” Eryn shouted. “Turn down the music—I can’t hear you!”

  Jackson grabbed the wheel, and Maggie saw him try to jerk them back onto the road.

  “I have no control over the steering,” he yelled so Eryn could hear.

  “No!” Maggie clutched the door handle. “Oh no.”

  “Jackson!” Eryn’s voice was faint.

  He shot out an arm in front of Maggie. “Brace yourself, honey. We’re going to crash.”

  6

  Jackson kept his arm lodged in front of Maggie. He used his other hand to wrestle with the steering wheel. Fat lot of good it did him. The SUV hit the edge of the pavement and jerked harder, sliding on the gravel and dragging them toward the ditch.

  He cranked the wheel more to the left, but his efforts didn’t change their course by even an inch. The ditch was a few feet ahead. A large lake another ten feet after that. He pounded the brakes frantically.

  No response.

  The vehicle dropped into the ditch and kept going. The lake loomed ahead.

  God, no. Keep us safe.

  Five feet. Three. A foot.

  The vehicle plunged into the lake, hitting hard. Jackson’s body flew forward and jerked back. His bum knee smashed into the gear shift. He bit down on his tongue not to yell and worry Maggie.

  She screamed again.

  “Jackson?” Eryn cried out. “What’s happening?”

  Maggie jolted against his hand. He tried to hold her back, but he couldn’t. His airbag slammed into his face. Hers into his hand, pushing it tight against her body.

  “Hold on, honey,” he called out. “Just hold on. We’ll get out soon.”

  The SUV rocked. Groaned. Floated. The front dropped fast. Water washed over the hood and seeped into the vehicle at an alarming rate. His airbag started deflating. Eager to check on Maggie, he punched it down the rest of the way. Thankfully, the music stilled and the fan quit pumping hot air into the car.

  “We’re in the lake, Eryn,” he shouted, and hoped she was still connected. “We need help now!”

  “On it,” Eryn replied, and he was so thankful he’d thought to call her.

  “You okay, honey?” he called to Maggie.

  No answer.

  Fear settled in his heart, twisting and turning in anguish. “Maggie!”

  He reached for his seat belt and snapped it off. He leaned across the console. His knee felt like it was on fire, but he ignored the pain and pressed the bag from her face.

  She lifted her eyes to his. Hers were wide with shock, her face bright red from the airbag slap.

  “Are you hurt?” He searched her face, her body, looking for any injury.

  “I don’t think so.” She grabbed his hand. “Are you okay?”

  He ignored the throbbing pain in his knee and nodded. Over her shoulder, he saw water lapping at her window and seeping into the vehicle.

  They had to get out of the vehicle—now!

  “Can you get your seat belt off?” he asked.

  She reached for it. “Water. Oh no. Water. It’s filling up. We’ll drown!”

  “Listen to me, honey. Get that seat belt off—now—while I get us out of here.”

  She fumbled to find her belt. “Can’t we just open the door?”

  “No—don’t even try! Water pressure’s too strong, and we’d just sink faster.”

  “Then what?” Her voice was high with anxiety.

  “Don’t worry. I’ve got your back.” He turned around and jerked out the headrest. “You have that seat belt off yet?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay. Listen carefully.” He faced her. “On your side of the car, I’m going to jam the metal part of the headrest into the window where it meets the door. That should break the window. When it does, I need you to take a big breath and swim out through the rushing water.”

  “And what about you?”

  “I’ll be right behind you.”

  “Okay. I can do that.”

  “That’s my girl.” He smiled at the trust replacing fear in her expression.

  She didn’t return his smile, but impulsively, he kissed her. She didn’t balk or pull away so he deepened the kiss, pouring out every ounce of his past feelings for her. She returned his kiss with passion.

  Stunned by his reaction, he pulled back. He’d kissed her. How crazy was that. Likely a reaction to the shock. Fear of death. Death—he had to get them out of there!

  “Ready?” he asked. “Lean toward me and cover your face.”

  She obeyed.

  He rose up as high as he could and slammed the headrest into the window. Cracks climbed up the glass and it crumbled. The shattering sound was music to his ears. Water poured through the window.

  He dropped the headrest. “Deep breath and go!”

  Maggie gulped air and planted her hands on the frame to pull her body out of the vehicle. She floated upward, and he pushed off after her. Once out, he took her hand and hooked it onto his belt. A stronger swimmer than she was, he propelled them toward the light.

  He broke the surface and breathed deep. She popped up next to him. Gasped for air. He pulled her into his arms and treaded water with his feet.

  “We made it! Thank you, Jackson. You’re amazing.” She flung her arms around his neck and nearly took him down with her exuberance.

  “Let’s get to shore.” Adrenaline buzzing through his body, he towed her toward shore. He kept swimming until he figured it was shallow enough and stood. His feet sunk into deep muck, but he kept holding her and slogged to the shore where he settled her down on the grass. She fell back against a tree and panted heavily.

  A gunshot cracked loud in the silence, and a bullet whizzed past—right where she’d just been standing.

  Jackson grabbed her and dropped to the ground behind a felled tree, covering her body with his. He reached for his phone to call in backup and then remembered it was in the car. They were on their own now, and he had to figure a way out while keeping Maggie safe.

  “Was that a gunshot?” she asked, her teeth chattering.

  “Yes.”

  “Fired at us?” Her voice pitched higher.

  No. You. But he wasn’t going to tell her that now. He lifted his body, making sure to keep his head below the log, and waited for her to meet his gaze. “Shhh. I need you to stay down while I check this out.”

  She clutched his arm. “But you could be shot.”

  He looked her square in the eye. This was life-or-death. The slightest mistake would kill them both. His voice was firm. “I’ll be fine, but I need you to stay right here. Head down. Body prone. Behind this log. Can you promise to do that? No matter what you hear or see. Stay down.”

  She nodded.

  “That’s my girl.” He kissed her forehead and didn’t think twice about the second kiss in such a short time.

  She squeezed his arm and released him. He rolled to his side, crawled along the log to a thick tree, and quickly took cover behind it. He poked his head out to take a quick look and jerked back. No response from the shooter. He tried it again. No gunshot.

  He dropped to his belly, drew his weapon, and slithered in the direction from where the shot was fired. He saw movement across the road. A man. Muscular. Wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, hood up. He didn’t wear glasses, but his face was round, and he had a beard. He could easily be Maggie’s attacker.

  Jackson waited for the guy to turn away before bolting across the road. He tried to move in silence, but he stepped on a twig, the snapping sound reverberating through the trees and sending birds in flight. The suspect looked back. Caught sight of Jackson. Took off running.

  Jackson kicked it into high gear but darted from tree to tree to protect himself from a bullet to the chest. His covert movements soon had him falling way behind. If he hoped to catch the shooter, he had to be more aggressive.

  He charged out from behind the tree and ran no-holds-barred after the man. Jackson’s knee protested but he kept going and gained on the suspect.

  Twenty feet. Then fifteen. Ten. Five. Almost there.

  He lifted his arms, ready to reach out and tackle the man.

  Pain sliced through Jackson’s knee, and it suddenly gave out.

  No! Not now. He pitched headfirst into the scrub. Somersaulted. Once. Twice. Landed flat on his back, the breath knocked out of him. He dragged in some air and pushed to his feet. Pain ripped through his knee, stealing what little air he managed to take. He stood for a moment. Took a few tentative steps. Felt like his leg would collapse beneath him. He couldn’t keep running. Not with this stupid knee.

  He started limping back toward the lake as sirens sounded in the distance, winding through the air. He alternated hopping and limping. He didn’t realize how far he’d traveled, but it seemed like miles on his gimpy knee with his soggy clothes weighing him down. When he reached the road, he spotted Maggie sitting in the front of Eryn’s rental car. She jumped out when she saw him but stayed near the vehicle. He swallowed hard and tried to walk as normally as possible. He didn’t want Maggie to think he wasn’t up to protecting her.

  Eryn rushed up and fell into step with him.

  “Have the responding deputy put out an alert on the shooter,” he said. “Shooter’s around six feet. Two hundred pounds. Wearing jeans and a black hoodie. Fits the sketch from this morning.”

  “Roger that.” She pulled out her phone and turned away.

  Maggie rushed to him. Her hair hung limply over her shoulders, and her clothing melded to her body, revealing her curves. He wanted to linger on that view, but he forced his gaze back to her face.

  She brushed her hair back, and gave him a quick once-over, her focus lingering on his knee for a long moment. “Are you okay?”

  He nodded and was thankful that Nate pulled up just then, drawing her attention. Jackson put all his weight on his good leg, and waited for the sheriff to exit his car and join them.

  Stopping next to Jackson, Nate ran his gaze over Jackson’s wet and dirty clothes, then stared down the embankment where Jackson’s teammates were squatting by the tire tracks from Maggie’s SUV.

  Nate faced Jackson. “Give me a rundown.”

  Jackson did. Straight and to the point. If Maggie wasn’t standing there, he would elaborate, but he didn’t want to raise the worry he knew she was already feeling.