Backlash

he told me right in the midst of my interviews for the Agency?”
“Both,” Viv said flatly. “I can still hear the pain in your voice over five years later. Facing him is just what you need to be able to move on. You can’t pine over him forever. It’s time to open yourself to new possibilities. It’s been long enough.”
If only. Layla had been convinced that Hunter was the one. She’d asked God so many times why. Why had she been so wrong? And how could Hunter have been so cruel? “I understand what you’re saying, but dealing with feelings isn’t always a rational exercise.”
Viv patted her hand. “I’ll be by your side. You don’t have to go through this alone. You know that Bailey and I will always be there for you.”
“Speaking of Bailey, she and Marco have been inseparable lately. I think they might be in it for the long haul.”
Viv laughed. “That’s an interesting way of putting it.”
Layla was thrilled that Bailey had found someone. Even if it meant they now had to share her with Marco. Their friendship was strong enough for anything.
“Thanks for helping me take my mind off things,” Layla said. “Even if it was by bringing up an equally difficult topic.” She laughed.
“Anything for you.” Viv smiled.
They’d been through a lot together, and Viv had become like a sister to Layla. “Enough about me. How was your week?”
Before Viv could answer, a loud explosion rocked the restaurant, throwing Layla backward onto the ground. She took a deep breath as the air filled with acrid smoke, and then her world went black.

CHAPTER
TWO
NCIS Agent Izzy Cole was almost at the Old Town Grille when the explosion happened. Without hesitation, she started to run as fast as she could toward the billowing black smoke, her heart pounding.
“Call 911,” she yelled to a few onlookers as she flashed her NCIS credentials.
As she made her way to the front of the building, a few flames were still burning, but she plowed forward. She had to find her friends. These women had welcomed her into their lives with open arms only months ago. She’d never had real girlfriends before, but now she didn’t know how she could live without them.
Izzy stepped through the rubble and saw multiple injured people on the ground. She stopped to check the pulse of one young woman, and when there was nothing, she kept moving forward.
One man was conscious, his arm bleeding. She squatted beside him. “Put pressure on it. Help’s on the way.”
He nodded and did as she directed.
She scanned the restaurant and spotted two women under piles of debris to her left. Fearing the worst, she ran over and started pulling away the pieces of wood and rubble until she could see Viv’s face. Her friend’s hazel eyes flickered open.
“Viv, can you hear me?” Izzy asked.
Viv nodded.
“Are you hurt? Can you move everything?”
Viv still didn’t speak but took a moment to flex her limbs and then tried to sit up. “Yeah, I think so. Layla. Where’s Layla?” Her eyes widened.
Izzy feared shock was setting in. “Let me check. I think she’s right over here.”
Her pulse continued to thump loudly as she approached the person she believed was Layla. There was more debris on top of her, including a beam of wood that had probably come down from the ceiling. Izzy started to remove the debris and saw that Layla’s eyes were shut. Bright blood was streaked through her long black hair. Her olive skin had lost a lot of its color. Checking for a pulse, Izzy let out a huge breath when she found one. Layla was unconscious, but she was alive.
Viv squatted beside her. “Oh no.”
“She’s alive. But we shouldn’t move her until the paramedics get here. I don’t know if she’s suffered any head or neck trauma.” Izzy turned toward Viv and saw that her eyes were dilated and she was shaking. “Just stay put, Viv. You don’t need to be moving either.”
Thankfully, the sound of sirens filled the air. After another minute, police and paramedics flooded the area. “We need help over here,” Izzy yelled.
A few paramedics jogged over.
“She’s not conscious. Possible head trauma, but I’m not sure.” Izzy turned toward another EMT. “And please check her out too. I think she’s in shock.”
Viv was now sitting on the ground with her legs hugged tightly to her chest as she shivered.
Izzy took a step back to give them room to work and realized she was shaking. A stocky young officer from Alexandria PD approached her.
“Ma’am, I’m Officer Baker. Can I ask you some questions?”
She nodded. “I’m Special Agent Cole, NCIS.”
“I didn’t realize NCIS was working this.”
“We’re not. I was coming here to meet my friends for lunch.” She pointed toward Layla and Viv.
“Ah. Can you tell me what you saw?”
“I was walking toward the restaurant and was about a block away when the explosion happened. I knew my friends were here, so I started running toward the scene. I helped a few people before I got back to this area.”
“Did you see anyone fleeing the scene? Anything suspicious?”
Izzy shook her head. “No, sir. Nothing like that. I assume you’re going to have the bomb squad come and take a look?”
“They’re en route now. Anything else you saw that you think could be relevant?”
“No. You should know that both of those women are federal workers for the State Department.”
Officer Baker jotted down a note. “Thank you. Appreciate your help here.”
“Of course.” Izzy took a deep breath and turned her attention back to her friends.
EMTs were helping Viv onto a gurney. Her face had lost all of its color.
“We’re transporting them both to Alexandria Hospital,” an EMT said.
“Can I ride with you?”
“No, but you can follow,” he answered.
She flashed her credentials. “Please.”
“Why didn’t you say you were a Fed?” The EMT smiled.
Izzy watched them roll Layla toward the ambulance. Still unconscious. She pulled out her phone and sent a 911 text to Bailey and gave the