Devil's Gold (27 page)

That was close. Cassidy tossed him a strange glance but seemed to ignore his foot and mouth disease. In truth, he'd never required the use of a ZEBRA jet. But he understood they were standard issue for the majority of assignments. If he was who he claimed to be, a simple biologist, he should have known this.

Cassidy walked beneath the airplane. A soft breeze rippled across the tarmac, ruffling the strands of loose hair around her face. He closed his eyes for a second. Counting backwards from ten, Jake shut out the image and locked away the sudden flash of desire her movements ignited.

Back in control, he waited. She flipped on a small flashlight, locating the keypad, and pushed in the appropriate numbers. The tail of the plane split in half, as the bottom portion lowered to the ground.

Jake jogged up the ramp to scan the interior. There wasn't much. The RV had taken up most of the room. Standard issue parachutes and miscellaneous tools that might be required on a field assignment were secured along the outside walls. Several large boxes containing additional lab equipment and computer systems sat against the far wall. He followed a length of straps that were secured to the ceiling and floor. A ripple of excitement exploded in his chest. “Come to Daddy, you beautiful hunk of metal.” Jake grinned and sauntered toward a large black motorcycle, running his fingers along the smooth metal. He felt rather than heard Cassidy approach behind him. “Your chariot, mi'lady.”

“Wow, look at that thing. I wonder who Sharpe paid to build us that?” She walked around the jet-black crotch rocket. “Harley?”

He unbuckled the straps. “It appears so.” Jake swung his leg over the seat and revved the engine. This was his kind of toy. “Nice of them to leave the keys,” he called over the roar of the muffler.

Cassidy jogged down the open ramp and waited for him to ride the motorcycle out. He stopped a few feet from the plane as she raised the ramp and verified everything was locked. She moved with the grace of a lioness, all muscle and mane. Walking from beneath the plane, she grinned at him. His heart skipped several beats, making him swear silently. He tossed a helmet at her and patted the seat behind him.

Her leg swung over and Cassidy settled against his back. “This has Steve written all over it.”

Jake twisted around and grinned. “This has fun written all over it.”
And heat. Too much damn heat
. This was going to be a long ride back to Yellowstone. She wrapped her arms around his waist, then patted his chest to let him know she was ready. The awareness transferring between their bodies lit trails of desire along every nerve ending.

“Why is it that the guys always get to drive?” Her voice was soft and husky, filtering through the small microphone in her helmet.

He rolled his eyes and thought of anything but her. “You don't drive a Harley, Sunshine. You ride.” With that, he snapped it into gear and they sped across the tarmac. Speed, and lots of it, was the cold shower he needed right now. It seemed to work beautifully until her laughter rippled across the distance.

B
ACK AT THE INN
, C
ASSIDY JUMPED OFF THE BIKE THE SECOND
Jake flipped the ignition switch. She'd loved the breakneck speed and exhilaration of racing through the night holding onto nothing but the wind and Jake. Pulling the helmet off her head, she shook her hair out and grinned at him. “That was just what the doctor ordered.”

An owl hooted, and she could hear the gentle slapping of water against rock from the lake to their left. Dawn pushed at the horizon, the stars strained to shine through the last of the night sky. Pine and water mixed together, creating a fresh crisp scent. She tilted her head and gazed at Jake. He hadn't dismounted from the bike.

His eyes glittered beneath the yellow glow of the hotel lights. Jake gazed at her face, reached for her, and pulled her against his chest. Before she had a second to clear her thoughts, his lips found hers and the world went black, then white, then black again.

Oh Lord, she was on fire. Her stomach flipped then twisted into a huge ball of sizzling heat. Her toes curled, and she reached up to grip his shoulders before her knees gave out. He tasted like heaven and hell, sweet and dangerous. Everything about this endless moment in time was a contradiction. His arms crushed her against his chest in anger and frustration, but his lips caressed her with fire and passion.

Jake released her. She stumbled backwards, trying to find balance.

Cassidy trembled, but the anger at his quick dismissal flashed white hot. She watched him swing his leg off the motorcycle then point an accusing finger in her direction. “You need to keep your distance.” He'd raised his voice, and it echoed loudly within the near empty parking lot.

He swore and twisted on his heel, striding toward the hotel and leaving her standing alone with only her confused emotions and hyperactive hormones.

“I need to keep my distance?” Cassidy charged after him, smacking him on the back. “You have a lot of nerve.”

He whirled around, and the fire in his eyes stopped her short. “Give me space …” He inhaled and exhaled, his breath ragged. “Cassidy.”

Her eyes widened, and she covered her mouth with her hand. “Damn you,” she whispered and pushed past him.

Entering the presidential suite, she noted Michelle and Steve already at work running tests. Steve glanced up and rose to his feet, sending his chair toppling backward. “What's the matter, Cass?”

“Nothing. I'm fine.” She shook her head and cast him a warning glance that she prayed would shut him up. He narrowed his eyes when Jake entered the room, crossing the floor and slamming his bedroom door behind him. Cassidy held up her hand. “Don't ask.”

Steve furrowed his brow but adhered to her wish for privacy. “The necropsy lab is prepped and ready for you. I'm combing the Web for anything similar to the consistency of the blood samples found on the ground, and Michelle's dissecting the natural debris she bagged.”

Cassidy rubbed her forehead. “Fine. I'm going to grab a quick shower, and then I'll get to work in the lab.” She headed toward her bedroom, then paused. “Check with Ethan to see whether or not any of the lab results have come in on that human body, please.”

“Yes, ma'am.” Steve mock saluted.

She smiled and sighed. “We have a lot of work to do before CDC arrives.”

“When's their ETA?”

Glancing at her watch, she was shocked at the time. It was past five in the morning. “They'll be here for lunch.”

Cassidy entered her bedroom. With shaking hands, she retrieved her toiletries and headed toward the shower. Jake Anderson was an enigma. She didn't know what to think about their little indiscretion. However, she was certain it would never happen again. Nope. Too much feeling, too much emotion.

And way too much heat.

Cassidy flipped the shower to hot, waiting for the steam to thicken in the bathroom. She'd wash away his touch. You fight fire with fire, right? She'd burn him out of her memory.

By the time Cassidy exited the front of the inn, morning had chased the night away. The ground rustled with nocturnal animals seeking shelter. Birds chattered and gossiped, competing with one another for the loudest song. She nodded to several couples laden with backpacks and camping equipment, intent on grabbing an early start.

She made her way around the edge of the inn and walked across the parking lot to the area Steve had indicated. Spotting him waving at her from inside the back of the mobile lab, she picked up her pace, careful not to spill the coffee she was carrying.

“Here.” Handing a coffee up to Steve, she felt rewarded by his grateful smile.

“Thanks. Come on in.”

Cassidy stepped up the metal stairs and into the back of the camper that now appeared to be twice its original size. The necropsy lab was just as promised: a simple metal gurney in the center with all the tools of the trade secured against the wall and ceiling. Steve had pulled the mobile lab to the camper section of the inn and attached it to power and water. Anxious to begin work, she waved him away.

“This button right here, Cass, is to be used when you're done. It'll cleanse the inside via ultraviolet rays.” Steve paused before jumping out the back of the mobile lab. “Do you want help with the wolves?”

Jake stepped into the confined space. “I'll help her.” He moved toward the storage container and lifted the lid, retrieving the first bag.

Cassidy's pulse raced, but she bit her bottom lip and refused to acknowledge the effect the biologist created.

“Do you think that's appropriate?” Steve asked.

“I'm the biologist. I need these blood samples and body fluids. You need to be coordinating our data.”

Cassidy closed her eyes against the testosterone flinging around the room. “It's fine, Steve. Jake's right; we need to work this together.” She guided him out the door and kissed his cheek. “Thanks for being a good friend.”

“I've got your back, Sugar.”

She smiled and nodded. “I know you do.”

When Steve rounded the corner, she re-entered the lab. Jake tossed her a mask and helped her into protective clothing. She did the same for him, tying the back of the long gown. They worked in silence, neither wanting to rehash what had occurred earlier.

Jake placed the first animal on the table, and Cassidy went to work. Her knife slid across its underbelly, making a
“Y”
shape from the upper chest to the lower abdomen. She peeled the skin apart, cracked the rib cage, and began removing internal organs.

“This pup is severely dehydrated. And note the damage to the intestinal lining? If this were a standard necropsy without anything unusual, I'd say he had parvo.” Cassidy glanced at Jake. She loved the way his eyes mimicked the thoughts processing through his brain, intelligence deepening the shade of blue.

“Parvo? Here, grab me that tube of blood. I'll run a test.” Jake accepted the tube of blood from Cassidy and moved beyond a clear Plexiglas divider into the computer lab portion of the RV.

He snagged a chair and rolled over toward a large microscope cabled directly to a flat panel monitor. Drawing some of the blood from the tube, he placed it on a slide. Adding a few drops of solution, Jake peered into the microscope. There they were. But something was odd. He sent the information from the scope to the monitor and ran an analysis.

“Well?” Cassidy's voice carried through the intercom system built into the RV.

“It's definitely parvo. But a strain I'm not familiar with.”

Cassidy entered through the door, sealed it behind her, and stood behind him. She glanced at the computer printout. “You're right. What's that?” Pointing to a small section within the virus, she didn't realize how close they were until Jake spun in his chair and gazed up into her face.

“I'm sorry,” he said. His eyes were intense, searching for something.

“
I
,”
she stammered and felt the heat rush to her cheeks. She inhaled sharply. “I don't know what to think. One minute you're kissing me; the next minute you're yelling at me. It's a blur.” She waved her hands in the air, praying her face wasn't beet red and that the glare from her mask dulled her embarrassment. “It's not important anyway. We've got a job to do here. Let's just forget it ever happened, okay?”

“I'm wounded.” He stabbed an invisible knife to his heart. “My ego is forever shattered at being thought forgettable.”

Cassidy laughed. “You're a pain in the ass is what you are.” Good. If they teased one another, then the kiss didn't mean anything. Glancing down at the linoleum, she bit her lip. It'd take her more than a few hours to forget the flash of desire his lips ignited. With a sigh, she lifted her eyes and smiled brightly.

He tapped the edge of her mask. “Trust me, Sunshine. Next time will be unforgettable.”

It saddened her for some inexplicable reason that he'd reverted to calling her Sunshine. It placed them back on familiar ground. She should be happy about that, right?

“Let's get these results over to the CDC.”

Jake connected to the Internet and sent the results over a secure line. “What next?”

Cassidy surveyed the mess on the necropsy table. She sighed. “Let's clean this up. Verify all the other wolves are in similar condition, and remove that bullet for Ethan.”

“What are you entering as cause of death?”

She chewed her bottom lip. “Dehydration followed by internal bleeding is the official cause of death. We need to understand that virus before we claim that it's the culprit. Regular parvo isn't necessarily a death sentence; besides, the skull anomaly is baffling.”

They spent the next several hours mimicking the necropsy from the first wolf. Jake verified that in each blood sample, the odd parvo virus appeared. Cassidy recorded her findings and shot photographs of the damaged internal organs.