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Some part of Derek knew that was good, but the biggest part of him didn’t care if everyone else in the building survived if Molly had died. He managed to nod at Captain Brandal.
Brandal continued, “Based on what the firefighters closest to the blaze reported, it looks like there was an explosion in the lab, which is why we asked about hazardous materials.”
“I’m sure there were flammable items in the lab, but the safety record there is exemplary. Never been any problems reported whatsoever,” Derek told the man.
He had a hard time imagining meticulous Molly being anything but completely safe in her lab. But she was overworked and overtired. Anyone could make a mistake under those conditions.
The Captain shrugged. “It only takes one time.”
Derek felt guilt threaten to overtake him as the man’s words echoed his thoughts. But he ruthlessly tamped it down. There’d be time for guilt later. Right now he had to know the answer to the question burning a hole in his gut.
“Has the body been identified yet?” he asked through gritted teeth. Then an ugly thought hit him. “Can it even be identified here on scene?”
Maybe there wasn’t enough left of the body to be identified visually. The thought made him sick to his stomach.
“Hang on.” Captain Brandal spoke into the radio again and waited for a response. “The body is over by the paramedics. I’m sorry for your loss, but truly, with an explosion of this size, it’s nothing short of a miracle that only one life was lost.”
Nothing felt further from the truth to Derek. He wiped a hand over his face. “Thanks,” he murmured.
“Paramedics said you should probably be able to ID the guy visually. If not, we can use other means.”
Derek’s head jerked up. “Guy? Paramedics are sure the victim is a man?”
Brandal spoke into his radio once again, then turned back to Derek. “Yep. Young black male. Midtwenties.”
Definitely not Molly. Derek felt relief flood through him.
But where was she?
* * *
THE EXPLOSION ROCKED the whole building. Molly had been staring at the vending machine in the break room outside the lab, feeling guilty because she had promised Derek she would eat hours ago in the cafeteria, when she found herself thrown back against the wall and crumpling to the ground.
For long, panicked moments she couldn’t hear, couldn’t see. She struggled to get her bearings, feeling around along the floor. The emergency generator lights kicked on, casting a ghoulish gray light around the break room. But at least she could see.
The vending machine lay broken on the floor, the chairs and table knocked over and scattered across the room. The coffeemaker was hanging precariously off the side of a shelf, held by just its cord plugged into the wall. Dust floated around everywhere, like snowflakes in slow motion, moving in all directions.
Molly began moving toward the hallway, trying to shake off the ringing in her ears. What had happened? Not an earthquake. It was too loud. Definitely some sort of explosion.
She needed to get back to the lab, but once she rounded the corner from the break room she realized the lab was on fire. In all the chaos it took her longer than it normally would’ve to realize that the explosion had come from the lab.
Oh, no. David had been working in there.
Molly rushed forward, but after only a few feet ran into the clear fire wall. It had automatically lowered, as it was meant to do, to keep damage from spreading. Looking into the area where the lab had once stood, she knew there was no way the young tech had made it out of there alive.
And if the explosion had happened five minutes earlier, Molly would’ve been in there with David.
She knew if this door was closed, others around the building would be, too. All she could do was wait for the firefighters to do their job. She sat back on the floor and tried to figure out what had happened. Her ears were still ringing and the room still seemed to spin slightly.
Had something in the lab caused the fire? There were always hazardous materials around, but everyone who worked there—including David—was trained in lab safety. She couldn’t think of anything they’d been working on that could’ve caused something this damaging, but right now it was too hard to even get her thoughts straight.
And, oh gosh, David was probably dead.
Molly just closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall. Eventually rescue workers came through and led her out. They wrapped her in a blanket and she was now sitting in the back of an ambulance. Still dazed.
She had been questioned multiple times. What did she think had caused the explosion? What hazardous elements had been in active use in the lab? Had there been anyone else working besides herself and David?
She answered each time as best she could about the causes, but just like when she had been sitting inside, she couldn’t figure out what would have triggered an explosion of that magnitude.
And no, no one else had been there besides her and David. The young man’s death had already been confirmed.
She didn’t know what to do, who to call. It was even more chaotic and loud out here than it had been inside near the explosion. The rescue workers were all moving at a brisk pace, yelling to one another, coordinating the best they could to do their job.
Molly liked order and quiet, not the cacophony of havoc currently swirling around her. She resisted the urge to put her hands over her ears and close her eyes.
And then she saw him.
Derek was walking directly toward her, determination in his eyes. He radiated a definite purpose in his walk, because no one got in his way; instead, they stepped around him. He didn’t stop until he was right in front of her.
She wanted to jump into his arms, to beg him to take her from here. But this was Derek Waterman. Jumping into his arms wasn’t an option.
She was shocked when he put his large hands on either side of her head and tilted her head back so she was looking into his blue eyes, and found them searching her face intently.
“Are you okay?” His voice was deep, gravelly. “Injured?”
“No, I’m fine. But David Thompson, the new lab assistant, is dead, Derek.” Molly could feel herself begin to cry. To her shock, Derek pulled her to his chest and wrapped his arms around her.
“I know. I identified the body a few minutes ago.”
She leaned into Derek’s strength. He’d never put his arms around her in public before, but Molly didn’t question it. She needed his strength right now.
“I heard they’d found a body in the lab and I thought it was you, Molls. How did you get out?”
“I wasn’t in there when the explosion happened. I’d gone out to get something to eat.” She leaned back from his chest so she could look at him. “Like you told me to do.”
“I told you to do it hours ago.” He pulled her back against his chest. “Thank God you suck at following directions.”
Everything going on around her, all the noise and chaos, all the danger, didn’t seem quite so overwhelming against Derek’s chest. “Actually, I’m quite good at following directions,” she murmured. “I just lost track of time.”
She heard him chuckle before confirming with the paramedic that she hadn’t sustained any injuries needing further medical treatment.
“Oh, thank God!” Molly found herself ripped out of Derek’s arms and hugged against the even larger chest of Jon Hatton. “You cannot believe how glad I am to see you, Molly.”
Molly liked Jon just fine. And heaven knew he was attractive enough—six-four of solid gorgeousness—but right now she just wanted to jump out of the man’s embrace and back into Derek’s. But the moment had passed. Derek had turned to talk to Director Drackett and wasn’t even looking her way anymore.
As if it had never happened.
As usual.
“Are you okay, honey?” Jon released her from his hug, but kept one arm around her. “When we heard someone from the lab was dead...”
“David Thompson. The new tech.” Sadness filled her again. Nobody that young should die.
“I’m sorry, kiddo.” Jon squeezed her before letting her go. “But I’m glad it wasn’t you.”
As she stood watching the firefighters put the last of the flames out, Molly knew how lucky she’d been. And although she was heartbroken over David, she was glad it hadn’t been her, too.
Chapter Five (#ulink_c7b00b53-cc33-5404-b111-94b20772f780)
Derek was listening to what Steve Drackett was saying while trying to force himself not to punch Jon in the face. Seriously, the man had been his colleague and one of his closest friends for over five years, but when he had snatched Molly out of his arms and into his own...
Derek reminded himself that Jon had no romantic intentions toward Molly. And even if he did, Molly was free to date whomever she wanted. Derek had no claim on her.
But damned if he wasn’t totally relieved when Molly stepped away from Jon. Derek pretended not to pay any attention to them whatsoever as he spoke with his boss. But he knew exactly where Molly was.
Of course, he always knew where Molly was if she was anywhere in his vicinity. It was as if he had an internal radar set solely for her. Not that he could do anything but keep a watchful eye on her. Anything else wasn’t acceptable.
“Based on the preliminary report, the fire department feels like it was definitely something from the lab that detonated. Not caught on fire. Actually blew up,” Derek told Steve. “One confirmed death. Protection walls came down, so it looks like other damage and causalities are pretty minimal.”
The director nodded, then turned to Molly. “You okay?”
“Not physically hurt. But sick about David’s death.” Molly’s voice was strained. Derek had to resist the urge to wrap an arm around her again.
The one good thing about the trauma of the explosion was that it seemed to have made Molly forget to be nervous around him. At least she wasn’t stammering.
“Can you give us a report? Do you know what happened?” Steve asked her.
“We were working.” Molly shrugged one delicate shoulder. “Nothing out of the ordinary. Our caseload had heightened, so I called David and asked him to come back in. But we weren’t working with anything hazardous or explosive.”
Molly ran a hand over her face, exhausted. “I’m sorry.” Her voice was shaky. “I’m trying to figure out what it could’ve been. But I don’t think it was anything we were working on. I—” She rubbed a hand over her face again.
“Molly, it’s okay,” Jon said to her, coming to stand close to her again. “We’ll get it all worked out. I’m sure it wasn’t your fault.”
Molly just shook her head, her hand still covering her face.
Jon looked at Derek and Steve, then tilted his head in Molly’s direction. He wanted to take her home. She obviously needed to go and really couldn’t help anything here.
But over Derek’s dead body was Jon taking Molly anywhere. Derek would take her home.
Derek walked over to Molly and touched her gently on the arm. The arm that had been covering her face dropped to her side. Her eyes seemed glassy, dazed.
“Hey.” He bent at the knees so they could be eye to eye. He tucked an errant strand of her long brown hair back behind her ear. “I’m going to take you home, okay? We’ll figure out what happened tomorrow.”
She nodded, swaying slightly toward him. Derek wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He looked back at the guys, ignoring both of their slightly shocked expressions at how he was treating Molly.
Maybe he’d made too much of a show out of never touching her over the past couple years.
“I’m going to put her in the car and will be right back. She needs to sit down before she falls down.” Both men nodded, their gazes flickering to Molly, where she was tucked under his arm. “I’ll take her home in a minute.”
Steve stepped up to Molly. “Get some rest, okay? We’ll work out what happened later. But I have no question that you will be totally exonerated of all blame.”
Molly nodded, but didn’t say a word. Derek walked her over to his car and opened the passenger door, thankful for the balmy May night that wasn’t too hot or cold. But Molly was shivering slightly, so he grabbed a blazer he had thrown in the backseat and put it around her. He knew her reaction was from shock more than cold, but she wouldn’t know the difference.
Once he had her settled in the car, he squatted down so he could look in her eyes again. Hers were still pretty unfocused.
“Hey.” He wrapped the jacket more securely around her, then grabbed it by the lapels to bring her in a little closer. “I’m just going to finish my conversation with Steve and Jon and then I’ll take you home, okay? Five minutes.”
She nodded.
Derek kissed her forehead, then closed the door, jogging back toward Jon and Steve who were walking toward his car. Both of them were still looking at him with odd expressions.
“What?” he barked when they didn’t say anything.
“Nothing.” Jon shook his head. “Just wondering how I can call myself a behavioral analyst and miss certain facts that are right before my eyes.”
“What are you talking about?”
Jon shook his head again. “Absolutely nothing. Is Molly okay?”
Derek glanced back at his car. “Exhausted. A little shaky. Not unexpected, given the circumstances.”
“I believe her when she says that they didn’t have any flammable materials out in the lab at the explosion site. Molly’s record is impeccable when it comes to safety. Hell, when it comes to anything,” Steve stated.
“But she’s been working long hours. Was tired. Could’ve made a mistake she wouldn’t normally have.” Derek’s grim expression matched the other men’s.
The director nodded. “And if that’s the case, we’ll deal with it. I share in that responsibility.”
Jon turned and looked back at the building. “But if human error or some other accident wasn’t the cause of the explosion, then we have to think about what is.”
“What are you thinking? That it was some sort of attack against Omega?” Derek asked.
“Maybe not so much attack as sabotage,” Jon responded.
Each man processed that for a minute.
“It seems a little extreme, I know,” Jon continued.
“Until you take into consideration someone killing himself rather than being questioned, and perps burning that house to the ground today to keep evidence out of our hands,” Derek finished for him.
“Exactly.”
Derek grimaced. “Whatever we took into evidence must have been pretty important to blow up the whole damn lab for it.”
Steve had been quiet up until now. “And if this is all connected, then we also have to think about who knew we had that specific evidence here.” He shook his head.
“Nobody really knew, but us,” Derek said. “Unless you think we have some sort of mole?”
There had been moles in other divisions of Omega Sector in the past. But the Critical Response Division was not a clandestine section of Omega. They worked out in the open, not generally undercover or in the shadows. And although they didn’t talk publicly about investigations, Derek had no idea why a terrorist would keep a mole inside the Critical Response Division. Information was pretty open there.
