"Really." Not a question.
Cory's tone suggested he found that about as believable as a three-dollar bill. "Because we have a drug dealer named Spike Jenks who says a 'massive blond dude' assaulted him and zip-tied him to Town Hall's front door this morning at 07:50. With a detailed note pinned to his jacket listing his crimes."
"Spike Jenks." Izzy crossed her arms. "The guy who's been selling to middle schoolers behind the arcade?"
"Alleged dealer," Cory corrected, though his jaw tightened. "And even if he were dealing—which hasn't been proven in court—vigilante justice is still assault and false imprisonment."
"Right. Because the system's doing such a good job keeping kids safe." The words came out sharper than intended, but she didn't take them back.
Cory stepped closer. She caught a whiff of his aftershave—something clean and pine-scented that absolutely did not make her stomach do a weird little flip. "The system works when people don't interfere with it. Like when someone hacks security cameras to conveniently malfunction ninety seconds before they walk a zip-tied guy up to the front door."
Izzy shrugged. "Lot of maybes in police work, aren't there? Maybe he tied himself up. Maybe aliens did it. Maybe?—"
Cory stepped closer. "Someone hacked those cameras. Someone who knew exactly what they were doing. Like any one of you here."
Behind her, she heard Kenji stifle what sounded suspiciously like a laugh.
"That's a serious accusation, Chief." Izzy met his glare steadily. "Hope you have evidence to back it up. You know, the kind that holds up in court. Unlike feelings and hunches."
His jaw worked like he was chewing nails. "This isn't over."
Cory's gaze held hers for a long moment, something unreadable passing between them. Then he turned on his heel and strode back to his cruiser, every line of his body radiating frustrated authority.
"Have a great day, Chief Fraser," she called after him, knowing the false sweetness would grate.
"Coast is clear," Deke said dryly. "Axel, you can stop hiding in the cargo hold now."
"I wasn't hiding," Axel protested, emerging from the plane. "I was performing a final safety check. Very thorough. Very time-consuming."
"Very convenient," Ronan added, but he was grinning. "All right, people. Let's get airborne before Fraser decides to come back with a warrant."
The team moved into final prep mode, and Izzy forced herself to focus on goodbye hugs instead of the lingering adrenaline from her clash with Hope Landing's most irritating law enforcement officer. She squeezed each of her teammates, inhaling the familiar scents of gun oil, coffee, and the subtle tension that came with heading into danger.
"Keep the home fires burning," Deke murmured as he hugged her last. "We'll be back before you know it."
"Copy that." She stepped back, pasting on a smile. "Try not to get buried in any avalanches."
"Where's the fun in that?" Kenji called out, already boarding.
Izzy grabbed her jacket from the hook by the door, not bothering to watch as they prepared to tow the Pilatus out. She'ddone her part—made sure the bird would fly true. The rest was on them.
The December cold hit like a slap when she stepped outside. Behind her, voices called out coordinates and warnings as the tow began. She hunched her shoulders and started walking toward Tailwinds, boots crunching through the frost-brittle grass between hangars.
Another mission. Another goodbye. Another reminder that lately she was the one who stayed behind while everyone else got to matter.
2
Izzy joggedacross the frost-brittle tarmac toward Tailwinds Café, her breath puffing white clouds in the December air. Grease still clung under her fingernails despite her best efforts with the orange-scented degreaser, and the cold bit through her coveralls like tiny needles. Behind her, the Pilatus engines whined to life, the sound both familiar and painful—another mission she'd watch from the ground.
Coffee. Breakfast burrito. Then home to relieve her mother before Luz tried to do something stubborn like tackle the laundry with her walker. The list kept her moving forward when all she wanted was to climb aboard that plane with her team.
The café's bell jingled cheerfully as she pushed through the door, warmth and the mingled scents of fresh coffee and bacon wrapping around her like a hug. She was already calculating—grab food, eat in the truck while driving, maximize time—when her gaze landed on the window table.
Chief Cory Fraser sat alone, uniform pristine as always, watching the runway through the glass with the focused intensity of a hawk. Their eyes met across the café, and Izzy's stomach did an unwelcome little flip that had nothing to do with hunger.
Of course he's here. Of course.
For half a second, she considered backing out the door. But that would look weak, guilty, like she had something to hide. Plus, José was already waving from behind the counter, his youthful face creasing into a genuine smile. The former Marine had bought Tailwinds from Lauren Daggett when she'd expanded her DreamBurger empire, and he'd quickly become a fixture in the Knight Tactical family. And not only because of his outstanding grub.
