Loyalty in Death (In Death #9)(75)

“Anne, will that be enough?”

“If the units are as sensitive as Driscol reported — and I’m pretty sure he did wet his pants — it’ll go a long way. I’ve had teams doing scans on arenas and sports complexes all day. We haven’t found anything, but it’s slow work. I’m short of men with so many assigned to the Plaza site.”

“Our problem is time,” Eve put in. “If Cassandra sticks to the timetable used by the Apollo group, we’ve got a couple of days. But we can’t count on that. At this point, we’ve got everything in place we can have in place. I suggest everyone go home, try to get a decent night’s sleep, and be ready to kick back into gear in the morning.”

Peabody and McNab sprang up immediately, making Eve eye them balefully. “Bladder problems?”

“I… I need to call my brother,” Peabody said.

“Me, too. I mean…” McNab laughed nervously. “I’ve got a call to make.”

“Just remember, you’re on call until this is over.” She shook her head as they hurried out. “What’s with those two lately?”

“I didn’t see anything, I don’t know anything.” Feeney got to his feet. “That warrant comes through, I’ll arrange the tap.”

“See what anything?” she demanded, but he was already heading out. “Something’s weird around here.”

“We’re all wired.” Anne got to her feet. “And, oh joy, it’s my turn to put dinner on the table. See you in the morning, Dallas.”

“Yeah.” Absently, Eve picked up her jacket, and alone, turned to study the boards one last time.

McNab’s apartment was three blocks away. They took it at a fast clip with the wind directly in their faces and the beginnings of an icy rain pricking their skin.

“Here’s how it’s going to be,” Peabody began. She had to take control from the get-go, she’d decided, to avoid any chance of disaster.

“I’ve got a pretty good idea how it’s going to be.” Once they were far enough away from Central, he patted a hand on her butt.

“This is a one-time deal.” Though she liked his hand where it was, she knocked it aside. “We go to your place, we do it, and it’s done. Then that’s it, that’s all. We get back to the way things were.”

“Fine.” At that point, he’d have agreed to strip naked and walk on his hands through Times Square just to get her out of that uniform.

“I’m calling my brother.” She pulled her palm-link out of her pocket. “To tell him I’ll be a little late.”

“Tell him you’ll be a lot late.” With that suggestion, he bit her ear and pulled her into the skinny lobby of his building.

Heat washed through her, nearly as annoying as it was arousing. “He’s not home yet. Keep out of range, will you? I don’t want my brother knowing I’m stopping off for a bounce on a bony EDD guy.”

Grinning, McNab stepped back. “You’ve got a real strong romantic streak, She-Body.”

“Shut up. Zeke,” she continued when her ‘link clicked to message. “I’m running a little late. Guess you are, too. I should be home in an hour…”

She trailed off as, still grinning, McNab held up two fingers.

“Or so. We’ll go out to this club I think you’ll like, if you’re up for it. I’ll call back when I’m on my way home.”

She tucked the ‘link away as they stepped into the creaky elevator. “Let’s make this quick, McNab. I don’t want him wondering where I am.”

“Okay. Then let’s get started right now.” He grabbed her, had her up against the wall and his mouth fused on hers before she could squeak.

“Hey, wait.” Her eyes crossed when his teeth closed over the cord in her neck. “Is this a secured elevator?”

“I’m EDD.” He had fast hands and they were busy dragging open the buttons of her overcoat. “Would I live in an unsecured building?”

“Then cut it out. Wait. This isn’t even legal.”

He could feel her heart thudding, feel the frantic beat of it under his hand. “Screw it.” He turned, jabbed the controls to stop the car between floors.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“We’re about to live out one of my top ten fantasies.” From his pocket he took a mini-tool kit, and went to work on the security panel.

“In here? In here!” Just the thought of it had the blood swimming wildly in her head. “Do you know how many city ordinances you’re breaking?”

“We’ll arrest each other after.” God, his hands weren’t steady. Who’d have thought it? But he grunted in satisfaction when the light on the security camera overhead went blank. He deactivated the alarm system, tossed the tools in the corner, and swung around to her.

“McNab, this is insane.”

“I know.” He jerked his coat off, flung it aside.

“I like it.”

He grabbed her again, grinned. “I thought you would.”

Ice slicked the streets and sidewalks by the time Zeke finished fighting traffic and arrived at the Branson townhouse. It fell in thin, bitter needles and shimmered in the streetlights.