Erin studied the terrain around Pine Ridge Cabins, noting the single access road and dense tree cover. "A reconnaissance mission makes sense to get eyes on the area and assess what we're dealing with before committing a full team response."
"My thoughts exactly." McKenna's eyes moved between them. "I'm thinking a detective and fire marshal would cover all our investigative bases. You both could look for evidence of accelerant storage, document any suspicious activity, and determine if we need further tactical support."
The implications hung in the air. They’d be doing overnight surveillance at a remote location, just the two of them.
Erin felt her pulse quicken, but kept her voice steady. "When do we leave?"
"This afternoon. Get your gear together and?—"
"Captain?" Lena interrupted, her voice carefully controlled. "Perhaps the fire marshal should remain on standby. If this suspect is as dangerous as we believe?—"
"The fire marshal's expertise is exactly why she needs to be there," McKenna cut her off. "This is about identifying accelerants. That's her wheelhouse."
Erin shot Lena a sharp look. Julia's warning was barely ten minutes old, and Lena was already trying to prevent her from doing her job.
"I'll be fine," Erin said, meeting Lena's eyes across the table. "This is what I do."
Lena's jaw tightened, but she nodded. "Of course. A professional assessment. That makes sense."
But Erin could see it in her eyes—the fear and desperate need to keep her safe. The same protective instinct that would make this impossible if Lena couldn't find a way to trust her competence.
They'd agreed to see where this went, to not rush into definitions or expectations. But watching Lena already trying to shield her from doing her job made Erin wonder if "seeing where this goes" would mean watching Lena's fear slowly strangle whatever was budding between them.
She'd meant what she said about taking it slow. But she hadn't anticipated how quickly Lena's protectiveness would surface or how much it would sting to be treated like someone who needed protecting instead of someone who knew how to take care of herself and do her job.
The next hour passed in a blur of logistics and preparation. Erin gathered her fire marshal assessment kit, thermal imaging equipment, and sample containers while Lena coordinated with dispatch and secured surveillance gear. They moved through their respective departments with professional efficiency, but Erin caught the sideways glances from colleagues who seemed to find their collaboration noteworthy.
"Ready?" Lena appeared at Erin's desk as she zipped up her equipment bag.
"Ready."
The drive out of Phoenix Ridge took them through the central area of downtown, past Lavender's Café where a few early lunch customers sat at sidewalk tables, then into the residential neighborhoods that gradually gave way to open spaces. Erin watched the landscape slowly morph through the passenger window as they climbed into the foothills, the urban sprawl falling behind them.
"According to the map, Pine Ridge Cabins is about forty-five minutes up this road," Lena said, checking the GPS mounted on her dashboard. "It’s an isolated area with minimal cell coverage once we get deeper into the forest."
"Good for us, good for a suspect who wants privacy." Erin pulled the case file from her bag, reviewing the details they'd gathered. "If someone's really using one of those cabins for storage, they'd want to avoid curious neighbors."
"The caller mentioned late-night visits. Interesting timing since our arsonist has been getting bolder with when they set the fires."
Erin nodded, studying the photographs from the previous crime scenes. "If he's storing materials at this cabin but setting fires in broad daylight, that's a significant shift in behavior."
"The Webb connection was promising, but his former colleagues all had solid alibis." Lena's hands tightened slightly on the steering wheel.
"Maybe we were looking at the wrong end of the chain. Webb documented vulnerabilities, but someone higher up would have had access to all the inspection reports."
The road began to wind more sharply as they climbed, dense stands of pine and oak closing in on both sides. The afternoon sun filtered through the canopy, creating shifting patterns of light and shadow across the asphalt.
"How's Captain Hallie handling your absence?" Lena asked after a stretch of comfortable silence.
Erin glanced at her. "She's not thrilled about losing me for the rest of the week, but she understands the priority. Why?"
"Just wondering how the fire department views these joint operations." Lena's tone was carefully neutral. "Whether there's any concern about jurisdictional overlap."
"You mean whether Hallie thinks I'm overstepping by working so closely with the police department?"
"Something like that."
Erin considered the question, watching Lena's profile as she navigated a particularly sharp curve. "I think she's more concerned about catching this guy than territorial issues."
