Page 31 of Broken Wheels

He opened the door, expecting to find Doc hard at work. Instead, he was stretched over the table, snoring. Dix was glad of that. At least he was awake because he needed to be. He knew how little sleep Doc was getting after that whole explosion thing.

Dix understood death. He’d seen it firsthand. For Doc, this must have rattled his world. And maybe he’d need to talk through the experience with someone who could help. Dix would bring that up later. While Doc slept, Dix went into his room and packed an overnight bag. He wasn’t sure how long they’d be in Milwaukee, but he wanted to be prepared.

“When did you get in?” Doc asked from behind him, yawning loudly.

“A few minutes ago. Grayson came in early, so here I am.”

Doc glanced at the clock. “We don’t leave for three hours, so if you want to take a nap, you can.”

God, that sounded damn good. Two hours of sleep would be a blessing. He’d already assembled his team, so all that was left was the drive to the airport. He could sleep for a bit.

“Sure, I think that’s a great idea.”

It tickled Dix that Doc seemed so happy about that.

Chapter 10

The plane ride was eerily silent. Josh didn’t want to read; the words just danced on the page and he couldn’t concentrate. All he could do was think. Dixon slept in the seat beside him, his body slouched, his legs stretched out in front of him. The other men who had come with them whispered among themselves.

Michael’s words still rang in his ears.

“You stay with the men, okay? Especially Dixon. Because if anything happens to you—God forbid—one, I’ll regret okaying this, and two, I’ll ground you for the rest of your natural life. You got that?”

Josh’s response had been instant. “Yes, Dad.”

Dixon had snorted, which earned him a glare from Michael. He smiled sweetly and said, “I’d have gone with, ‘Yes, Daddy.’”

A voice came out of the speaker above his head. “We’ve begun our descent. We’ll be landing shortly at Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport.”

Josh gave Dixon a nudge. “Dixon?”

Dixon’s eyes popped open in a heartbeat. “I’m awake, Doc.”

“But….” He frowned. “I thought you were asleep.”

Dixon chuckled. “Who can sleep with you thinking so loud?” He sat up, his fingers laced over his stomach. “What’s on your mind?”

Josh ignored the first response that came into his head. Oh, everything. He managed a shrug in an effort to appear more relaxed than his present mental state would allow. “Just worried about what we’ll find, I guess.”

Dixon stared. “Why worried?”

It felt as though saying the words would somehow talk it into existence, but he couldn’t lie, not to Dixon. “Honestly?” Josh looked him in the eye. “I think Cliff is dead. I’ve been going over it in my head?—”

Dixon smirked. “Hence the loud thinking.”

Josh bit back a chuckle, and that right there was pretty miraculous in the circumstances. There weren’t many people who could make him laugh, especially when his thoughts were so convoluted and dark. “He’s been off the grid for too long. No checking in that I can find, nothing on any of his records. I mean, he could have gone deep underground. Maybe.” He noted the darkening circles under Dixon’s eyes. “I don’t like not knowing something. I suppose it bothers me that a colleague is in trouble, and I can’t help him.”

And something’s bothering you, isn’t it?

He was surprised when Dixon took his hand. For someone who worked so hard, Dixon’s hand was surprisingly soft, reassuring in a way.

“We help where we can. There’s no way we can take care of everyone, so we do our best and deal with the rest.”

For some odd reason, Josh wanted to rest his head on Dixon’s shoulder, to bask in the comfort the man exuded. Maybe that was what Josh needed. Someone to hug him. He’d never been all that big on hugs before, but the deeper they got into this mess, the more he wanted one.

He leaned in close, and Dixon met him halfway.

“Doc, you okay?”