Blaze of Glory by Catherine Mann Page B

the
main
path
to
the
university.
    But
hell’s
bells,
he
didn’t
believe
in
coincidences.
    Why
such
stringent
security
around
a
simple
university
retreat?
Reasonable
protection
for
their
students
was nice
and
all
but
this
went
beyond
the
campus
cop
in
his
little
cart
cruising
the
grounds.
    He
had
a
bad
feeling,
and
knowing
that
Gracie’s
old
man
was
at
the
end
of
this
boobytrapped
road
made his
pulse
slow
to
the
predator
level.
    Protector.
    “Are
you
all
right?”
he
asked.
    Gracie
stretched
each
part
of
her
body
slowly,
with
a
sensualist’s
grace
that
fit
her
name
in
spite
of
her uptight
attitude.
“I
think
so.
Yeah.
I’m
all
right.
And
you?”
    “Nothing
rattles
me,
remember?”
    The
canvas
seat
rustled
with
the
shift
and
shuffle
of
Gracie
moving.
Movement
was
good.
Alive.
God,
he didn’t
even
want
to
think
about
Gracie
dead.
She
and
he
may
not
be
a
couple,
but
she
was
still…well…
    Gracie.
She
would
always
tickle
at
the
corner
of
his
brain
and
make
him
think
about
what
if
he’d
been
a different
sort
of
man….

    Whatifs
were
a
waste
of
time
and
he
considered
“waste”
an
eighth
deadly
sin.
“Seems
a
strong
possibility that
somebody
doesn’t
want
us
inside
that
place.”
    She
swept
stray
strands
of
hair
back
with
hands
as
steady
as
his
pulse.
Maybe
they
had
something
in common
after
all.
“Jesus,
Bobby,
thank
goodness
whoever
it
was
sucks
at
putting
together
booby
traps
or we
would
both
be
dead.”
Her
face
tilted
toward
the
puffs
of
smoke
rising
skyward
in
the
distance.
“I
just hope…”
    He
covered
her
hand
with
his.
“I
know.
Hang
in
there.
It’s
probably
just
a
routine
test
around
here.” She
nodded
without
answering,
the
worry
still
staining
her
skyblue
eyes,
so
pretty
he
could
swim
right
in.
    But
they
had
more
pressing
matters
first.
Focus.
    Actually,
now
that
he
stopped
to
consider,
his
thoughts
had
been
clear
and
steady
all
evening.
No
working to
juggle
all
the
sensory
bombs
heading
his
way.
Must
be
because
of
the
dark
and
not
because
the
woman beside
him
had
a
crazy
way
of
stirring
his
libido
while
soothing
his
mind.
No
way
was
any
woman
having that
much
control
over
him.
    Period.
    “Guess
it’s
time
to
assess
the
damage.”
He
slid
his
knife
from
his
boot
while
she
unholstered
her
9mm.
He kept
his
eyes
on
that
semicharming
rat
animal.
Yet
Bobby
couldn’t
resist
thinking
if
he
could
cage
the
thing it
would
make
a
helluva
fun
house
pet.
    Bobby
swung
open
the
door
with
caution,
on
the
lookout
for
snakes.
His
boots
hit
soft
ground
of
decaying undergrowth.
    Circling
the
vehicle,
he
found
four
very
flat
tires.
    They
were
in
a
shitload
of
trouble
if
help
didn’t
arrive
soon
since
they’d
already
been
cutting
the
timetable close
as
it
was.
Of
course
there
was
always
the
possibility
that
the
owners
of
these
particular
spikes
might not
be
too
happy
to
see
them.
    “I
guess
retrieving
your
dear
old
dad
is
on
hold.”
    Grace
slipped
into
the
Humvee,
slammed
her
door
and
reached
for
the
twoway
radio
controls.
“I’ll
call
for