Bull still appeared baffled, like most of them did when Free tried to explain exactly how the Hart Locator worked.
“There’s an ultrathin sliver of silicone molded in the curve of my ear.” Fox tried to bend his cartilage at the top of his ear to give Bull a better look, but he still couldn’t see it since it was meant to be undetectable. “If you had a magnifying glass with a light, then you might could see the copper wires inside the silicone. They process and transmit data at a speed that even I don’t fully understand. Free engineered it… and that drone I just sent out the window.”
“Damn… is Free really that smart?”
“Bull, let me put it to you this way. I graduated from Annapolis when I was twenty-two, got my master’s in homeland security and emergency management from Naval Postgraduate School at twenty-four. I worked as a field analyst in the Defense Intelligence Agency for nine years before I was recruited to SWAT. Compared to Freeman, me and every other West Point-graduated general that’s in charge of running the country’s intelligence departments are simpletons. Idiots. What he knows, we will never learn.”
“Shit.”
“Exactly. He’s a damn good man to have in your corner… or your worst nightmare if you make him an enemy.”
“I can’t believe he actually installed my security system.”
“Yeah. One that you don’t even know how to turn on.”
Bull smiled slightly, glancing away as if he could hide the flush on his cheeks, and Fox was glad he was able to lighten things up. Getting a front-row seat to his job and how he worked could be scary, and he didn’t want Bull running from him.
“Come on, handsome, you’re driving.” Fox took Bull’s keys off the wall hook and tossed it at his broad chest.
It took almost thirty minutes to get from his ranch to the hospital, and that was with them stopping at the only two stoplights in town. They were quiet for most of the time, but that was because Fox was studying images and documents that Free was shooting at him faster than Bull could see on a tablet.
“I’m at the hospital. Is the sheriff here? … If he’s in bed, wake him up! … Well, where the fuck is he? … For fuck’s sake, Free, this is a town of like a hundred people. Find him,” Fox said, then turned to Bull. “You wanna wait in the car while I speak to this guy, or are you coming in?”
Bull frowned. “I’m coming in. I wanna hear firsthand why the fuck he’s doing this.”
“Okay, but don’t speak… at all. Only I do the talking.” Bull scowled harder, and Fox smirked, stepping in closer until their chests were touching. He gazed up at him with those light eyes that seemed to shimmer in the moonlight, and Bull’s displeasure faltered, his scathing reply slipping away. Fox touched his cheek, and Bull covered his hand before he could remove it too fast. “I’ll get the answers you need. Trust me.”
Bull squeezed Fox’s palm, meeting his magnetic glare. His voice sounded like he’d just smoked a pipe when he gritted out, “I do trust you.”
Fox’s Adam’s apple dipped, and he stood a long moment as if he was going to kiss him—and Bull would’ve allowed it—but chose not to in the middle of the emergency room parking lot. Fox motioned for Bull to follow him as he moved through the two sets of double doors, past the security station, and straight to the nurse’s triage desk.
“Evening. Do you need to be seen?” She smiled widely, as if Fox coming in had just made her night shift.
Fox removed his identification from his back pocket and flashed his gold badge. Her blue eyes caught on it before they bounced from Fox, then to him. “That’s Dominic Walker. He’s a local here; he’s with me.” Fox motioned towards him, then got right to business. “You recently had a man come in with a dislocated shoulder about a half hour ago, last name, Abbott. I need to speak with him, now.”
“Oh, umm.” She cut her eyes to the doors that must’ve led to the patient rooms. “Yes. Robby’s here, but… I—”
“Don’t try to understand why I need to talk to him or what about. Don’t try to decide if you should run and get someone or do what I say. Just tell me which room Robert Abbott is in, now. Thank you.”
“He’s in exam room four. Through those doors, it’s the last room on the left.”
Bull tipped his hat at her on his way past as she gave them both a weak smile in return. Fox stopped short as they came through the doors, and Bull thought maybe it was from the stifling scent of disinfectant and bleach, but he realized he was listening to Free again. And it could only be bad news by the way Fox was grinding his teeth.