Hank took the shield and the helmet from the deputy. The equipment was at least ten years out of date, but it was better than nothing. “I’m depending on you to be my backup, Deputy Smith. Keep everyone at a safe distance. That includes the ranger.”

“Will do,” Pecos Smith answered.

Hank moved toward the drop box in the storage room by the back door. As soon as he lifted the lid a few inches, he recognized the same poor attempt at making a bomb, exactly like the one he’d seen a few days ago.

With gloved hands he reached in and pulled the fuse out before pulling the pipe from the metal box. It was poorly made, but all the parts were there. It occurred to Hank that it was made to look like a bomb more than made to explode.

“All clear.” Hank’s words hadn’t been loud, but they seemed to echo around the room.

Colby was by his side in a minute, ready to bag the evidence.

Pecos stood just behind the two men, but Millie remained outside.

“We’ve got trouble,” Hank whispered. “Either he’s getting better with each attempt or he’s playing with us. Maybe he’s putting out samples to let us know he’s coming. Looks to me like he’s got his target in mind and he’s just circling around before he strikes.”

Colby nodded. “You in on this with me, Hank? I could use your help.”

“I’m in,” Hank answered.

“I’m in too,” the deputy echoed.

Hank glanced at Colby, and the ranger nodded slightly.

Hank heard the front door open and close. “Don’t worry,” Millie called. “It’s only me and Ketch coming in to pick up some papers now that I heard ‘all clear.’”

* * *

Half an hour later, Hank was laying Millie down on her bed. “You sure you’ll be all right?”

“I’ll be fine. I’m just tired.”

He brushed her chestnut-colored hair back and kissed her forehead. “You were great, Millie. You did everything right. You called in help and you waited.”

“I called you,” she whispered. “I knew you’d know what to do.”

Hank grinned. He needed to add one thing to Colby’s list of things every woman thinks every man knows how to do. “I wanted to tell you what I did for a living, but it just didn’t come up. I do know about bombs.”

Sleepy eyes watched him. “I was eliminating the occupations down, one by one. I knew you weren’t a cook and you looked at the vacuum like you’d never seen one, so I guessed you weren’t a janitor. But, to be honest, being a policeman was way down on the list of guesses.”

“What was the last on your list?”

She smiled her little smile. “Preacher.”