Page 15 of Coordinates of Death

Staff Sergeant Hill placed his hands on his hips. “This stays between us. Got it?”

Dirk nodded.

“I’m sending Aurora and Watcher Greene on a special mission into the mountains.” He gestured toward Kordell. “He specializes in survival and is a paramedic.”

Not a lie. But not the entire truth.

“Does this have to do with the body you discovered yesterday?”

“Jennifer. Her name was Jennifer.” Ouch. Cool your jets, Rory. Her lack of sleep had soured her mood. “Sorry. I’m just on edge with SBK’s reappearance.”

“Are you sure it’s him?” Dirk tilted his head. “Perhaps it’s a copycat.”

Aurora silently counted to five. Dirk was questioning her judgment. Again. When would he ever trust in her abilities? “It’s him, Dirk. I’m positive.”

Wheeler folded his arms across his chest, scowling. “Hunt, Nadine agrees with Dirk. Why can’t you believe our two forensic investigators?”

Of course you’d side with your niece just to make me look bad. Aurora gritted her teeth but remained silent.

“We all concluded he was dead,” Dirk added. “I know what that case did to you. I’m not sure you’re staying objective.”

Kordell cleared his throat.

Dirk’s gaze shifted to the watcher. “You have something to say?”

Kordell raised his hands in a stop position. “Nope. Just that I trust her intuition.”

“Exactly how do you know Aurora, Watcher Greene?” Dirk’s tone rose a notch as if he was claiming territory.

Not that he had any right to do so.

“Enough.” Hill pointed to the door. “Fowler, keep us apprised of anything your team learns from the shadow box recovered at the scene.”

“Yes, sir.” Dirk’s gaze remained on Kordell for a split second before he marched into the hallway, slamming the door.

“Sorry, sirs. He just pushes the wrong buttons sometimes.” And Aurora had to stop letting the man get to her. However, his betrayal was hard to come back from.

Well, that and her childhood secret she kept buried from everyone.

“Corporal Hunt, are you up for this?” Wheeler’s question blared in the tiny office.

Aurora rolled her shoulders and fixed her gaze on the man. “Yes, sir. You can count on me.”

“I hope so.”

Wheeler’s gaze shifted to the staff sergeant. “Hill, I agree with Fowler and Nadine. This latest killing may be a copycat. We all felt SBK was dead.”

“I disagree. I trust Aurora’s instinct on this. It’s him.”

Wheeler’s expression twisted into one of contempt. He didn’t like the fact that his leader had sided with Aurora.

Great, now he’ll take that out on me.

Wheeler returned to his office chair and plopped down. “I’m just not sure how we’ll be able to contain this game SBK is supposedly playing.”

“We have to.” Hill waggled his finger at him. “And you must try your hardest to do so.”

A butter knife could have sliced the thick tension between the two leaders.