"Duke's alerting." His voice is deadly calm, the kind of calm that comes from combat experience. "That's his trained response for explosives."
Fear slams through me. Explosives. On my truck. Someone planted a bomb.
Duke hasn't moved from his alert position, sitting perfectly still about ten feet from my truck, his focus locked on the vehicle. Devlin pulls out his phone with one hand while keeping his other on my arm, backing us both away slowly.
"This is Master Sergeant Porter. I need EOD at Pine Valley Diner immediately. K9 positive alert for explosives on a civilian vehicle." He rattles off the address, his voice still carrying that controlled calm. "Suspect device may be attached to ignition system. Area needs to be cleared."
EOD. Explosive Ordnance Disposal. A bomb squad. Someone tried to blow me up.
Devlin's arm wraps around my waist before my legs can buckle, holding me upright. "Breathe, Andi. Just breathe."
"They tried to kill me." My voice sounds hollow, not quite mine. "Someone put a bomb on my truck."
"And Duke caught it." His voice is fierce now, protective rage bleeding through control. "Because he's trained for this. Because I don't take chances with your safety. Because whoever is doing this underestimated what we're capable of."
Duke remains in his alert position, the perfect working dog, not breaking until given the all-clear command. I focus on his discipline, on Devlin's arm supporting my weight, on the fact that I'm alive because Duke smelled explosives before I could turn the ignition.
Mom stops as she locks up the diner, drawn by our stationary position and Devlin's phone call. "What's happening?"
"Don't come any closer, ma'am." Devlin's command voice stops her mid-step. "Duke alerted to explosives. EOD is en route."
Mom's face goes pale, then hardens into fury. "They tried to kill you. In my parking lot. After you worked a shift at my diner." She stays where she is but her hands clench into fists. "You're not going back to that cottage. Not until they catch whoever is doing this."
Within minutes, the parking lot fills with emergency vehicles. EOD arrives in their specialized truck, two technicians in protective gear approaching my vehicle with equipment while the rest of us are moved to a safe perimeter. Devlin keeps his arm around me, and Duke presses against my other side, both of them keeping me grounded through the chaos.
The senior EOD tech approaches after what feels like hours but is probably only twenty minutes. His expression is grim. "Small IED wired to the ignition system. Would have detonated when the vehicle started. Your K9's alert saved her life, Master Sergeant."
"Composition?" Devlin asks, his military mind already analyzing.
"Military-grade materials. Whoever built this had training and access." The tech glances at me. "You're lucky to be alive, ma'am. That device was designed to kill."
Captain Nelson arrives, his usual calm replaced by barely controlled anger. Security vehicles follow, and suddenly the diner parking lot looks like a crime scene. Because it is.
"Miss O'Rourke." Nelson approaches with his tablet. "I need you to tell me everyone who knew you'd be working tonight."
"Mom, obviously. I mentioned it to Sergeant Ellis during my morning survey. Anyone who looked at the diner schedule on the wall inside." My voice is steadier than I feel. "But anyone watching me would know I work most evenings. It's not exactly a secret."
Nelson makes notes, then turns to Devlin. "Your dog just saved her life."
"That's his job." Devlin's hand tightens on my waist. "And mine is keeping her safe enough for him to do it."
"We're pulling security footage, processing the device for prints and trace evidence." Nelson's jaw is tight. "But this escalates everything. We're not dealing with harassment anymore. This is attempted murder with military-grade explosives. Master Sergeant Brad Hutchins is being brought in for questioning first thing tomorrow morning."
Hutchins—that fits. The logistics coordinator with access to supplies, mechanical knowledge, and clear resentment of my presence. If someone at Ridgeway wants me dead badly enough to build a bomb, he'd be my first guess too.
"In the meantime," Nelson continues, "Andi needs secure housing. Given this escalation, I want her somewhere with maximum protection."
"She's staying with me." Devlin says it like it's already decided, like there's no other option. "My quarters have basesecurity, Duke provides explosive detection and protection, and I'm not letting her out of my sight until this is resolved."
Nelson looks at me, waiting for my consent. The professional thing would be to insist on the hotel, to maintain boundaries between protector and protected. The smart thing is to accept that Devlin's place is safer and I trust him completely.
"I'll stay with Devlin and Duke," I say, and relief flickers across Devlin's features so quickly I almost miss it.
"Understood." Nelson makes a note. "I'll need daily check-ins until we have the perpetrator in custody. Master Sergeant, you're authorized for armed protection and have full discretion on security measures."
After Nelson and his team finish processing the scene, after Mom extracts promises that I'll call her daily, after my truck is loaded onto a flatbed as evidence, I find myself in Devlin's truck heading toward base housing. Duke rides in the back seat, and I ride in the passenger seat, and exhaustion threatens to pull me under.
"Thank you," I say quietly. "For Duke catching it. For keeping me safe. For all of this."
