Читать книгу Special Agent - Valerie Hansen - Страница 13

FOUR

“I hope you’re going to tell me that your agency is picking up the tab for both hotel rooms,” Katerina said as Max concluded his business with the police and joined her with Opal. “Because if not, I’m going to be the one sleeping in the car.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

She rolled her eyes. “How can I not worry? I’ve been living from paycheck to paycheck and hoping for good tips ever since the ranch was raided and Vern was arrested. I’d expected my life to change but not the way it has.”

“Can’t you get a training job at another ranch?”

“Not around here. Not with my undeserved reputation.”

“Maybe your dad will mellow and invite you to come home?”

“Maybe. When it snows in Death Valley,” Katerina countered. “I’m not holding my breath.”

Max started the SUV. “The police don’t think the burglar left any clues. Neither do I, but they collected possible clues anyway. Are you sure the guy in your hospital room mentioned Kowalski’s name?”

“Yes. And no.” Katerina pulled a face and slowly shook her head. “At the time it happened I was positive. The more I think about how implausible it sounds, the more I doubt myself. I’m sorry. I know it’s hard for you to take anything I say at face value so it must be driving you crazy that I can’t tell for sure. Believe me, it isn’t easy being me right now.”

“That I can buy,” Max replied, with a twinkle in his eye. “I’ve made arrangements with a local sheriff’s deputy to deliver more of your clothing to the hotel after they finish going over the apartment. It’s the best I could do.”

“Female deputy, I hope.” Katerina felt her cheeks warming. “I guess I shouldn’t be picky but I’d feel better if a woman did it.”

“She’s a she.”

Katerina sighed and sagged back against the seat. “Good.”

“While you’re relaxing,” the agent said, “Why not close your eyes and try to picture the hospital room incident. Take it slow and let’s talk it through. You were sleeping and something woke you, right?”

“Uh-huh.” Her sleep-heavy lids lowered. The motion of the vehicle began to lull her. “I remember thinking how the nurses kept coming in to check on me. I heard that whooshing sound of a door opening and sensed a presence.”

“What did you see?”

“Nothing, at first. My eyes were closed. I told the person I was tired and wanted to be left alone.” She shivered. “That was when he put a hand over my mouth and pressed so hard he made my lip bleed again.”

“Could you have bumped it in your sleep, instead?”

“I had one arm strapped down with an IV and was lying on my back. It would be difficult to hit myself accidentally.”

“Okay. Go on.”

“I already told you the rest. The guy said Vern had sent him and wanted to talk to me.” Sensing Max’s attention, Katerina opened her eyes and looked toward him. He was scowling. “What?”

“That can’t be right,” Max said. “Kowalski’s in jail. There’s no way this so-called friend of his could have been taking you to him. Besides, why would he? All he’d have to do was tell you Vern wanted you to visit him.”

Puzzled, she mirrored his expression of doubt. “You’re right. Not that I want anything more to do with Vern or his buddies.”

“Are you sure he mentioned your fiancé’s name?”

“Former fiancé.” She grimaced. “Why would anybody pretend to be associated with a criminal? Do you suppose the man thought I was on the wrong side of the law, too?”

“He could have. That does seem to be the accepted opinion around here.”

“Don’t remind me. If I had the money I’d pack up and move away. Far away. I’m never going to escape my mistake otherwise.”

“And what mistake would that be?”

Max’s tone was even but the portent of his question chilled Katerina to the bone. “Falling in love, okay? I’m not talking about anything else and I really wish you and everybody else would quit gawking at me as if I were about to steal the family silver. I thought my dad was the worst offender until I met you, Agent West.”

To her chagrin her companion quirked a smile. “Glad to be of service.”

* * *

As he drove leisurely toward the historic hotel, Max made little further conversation. He wanted to grill his lovely passenger but decided to bide his time and let her fill the silence as most folks tended to do naturally. A lot of criminals were their own worst enemies in that regard. Either they couldn’t help boasting or they got to rambling on about something inconsequential and their subconscious led them to reveal clues before they realized they were doing it.

He chanced a sidelong look at Katerina. Sleep seemed to have overcome her. Her eyes were closed and she appeared totally relaxed. Little wonder. Now that the adrenaline rush from encountering the fleeing prowler had worn off he was weary, too. If there had been a café or gas station along the narrow, winding country road, he would have suggested they stop for coffee.

Katerina stirred. Yawned. Stretched, then winced as her bruised muscles obviously objected. “Where are we?”

“GPS says we’re halfway to the hotel. Is there any place along here to grab a decent bite to eat? I think we both need a break.”

She studied the bright dash screen and pointed to a section of road. “There’s a little hole-in-the-wall place there, in Fish Camp. Hard to know if they’ll be open, though. It’s more likely on weekends when long lines of tourists drive past on their way to Yosemite.”

“I understand it’s a pretty park.”

“Pretty?” Katerina shifted sideways and stared at him. “It’s amazing. You’ve never been there?”

“Nope. It was part of my briefing for this assignment but thankfully I’ve had no reason to go there on business.”

“You never get a vacation?”

“I could if I wanted time off. It’s not a top priority.” He didn’t have to be looking at her to interpret the sound of disgust she made.

“I don’t believe it,” Katerina huffed. “You face death on a daily basis, yet you don’t take the time to smell the roses. What kind of life is that?”

“The kind I prefer,” he replied, sobering and clenching the wheel more tightly. There had been a time when he’d had plans to start a family, to behave the way so-called normal people did. That idea had ended abruptly when a traffic accident had claimed his fiancée’s life. Max had then thrown himself into his work and found the solace that otherwise escaped him. He saw no reason to rethink a lifestyle that had been working well for the past three years.

“Up there.” Katerina distracted him by leaning forward and pointing toward his side of the road. “See the weathered red-and-white building? That’s it.”

Incredulous, he nevertheless slowed and signaled for a left turn. “It’s still in business?”

“Last I heard. I don’t get out here much these days. Which reminds me. You never said anything about my pickup. Is it totaled?”

“Probably. The local police had it towed into South Fork to clear the scene. I’ll find out for you.”

“Thanks. Again.” She pulled a face. “I’m getting sick of having to thank you for helping me when I know you have ulterior motives. I suppose, when you figure out I really am innocent, you’ll hit the road and I’ll never see you again.”

“That is likely. My headquarters is in Billings, Montana.”

“And you were sent clear down here? Weren’t there any bomb-sniffing dogs in California?”

“I really can’t discuss it.”

“Can’t, or won’t?” she asked.

“Both. Let’s just say it’s classified and drop it, okay?”

Max was concentrating on his rearview mirror as he made the left turn. To his surprise, a battered old dump truck behind them turned and parked by the weathered building, too.

Katerina pressed him. “Well, what can you tell me?”

He chose to refrain from explaining his elite FBI unit but he did shrug and try to divert her attention. “Do you recognize that truck? I think it may be following us.”

“What do you mean, following us? When did you notice it? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Don’t panic. Most criminals prefer better, faster wheels so I doubt it’s a problem.” He saw her shade her eyes and squint at the rusty, dented truck. If its engine was as decrepit as the rest of it, they had nothing to worry about.

“I don’t...” Katerina began before a sharp inhalation. “Oh, no.”

“What? What is it?”

“Shadowed like that, the driver reminds me of the man in the hospital. Doesn’t he look like the prowler we chased, too?”

“Maybe. There’s one good way to find out. Stay here.”

Max undid his seat belt and the safety on his holster with one fluid motion, then opened the door on his side and stepped out. Keeping the SUV between himself and the much larger truck, he pivoted toward it and studied the vehicle silently. If the other driver had ignored him he wouldn’t have grown more apprehensive. However, instead of proceeding into the snack shop the way a normal traveler would, the man behind the wheel froze and returned Max’s steady stare.

That was not a good sign. He started to circle the front of his own vehicle, intent on confronting the truck driver.

A second man occupied the passenger seat. Max rested his palm on the grip of his sidearm. No one spoke.

The engine of the old truck revved, proving that it was far from ancient. The hair at the nape of Max’s neck prickled. Something was very wrong. If both men got out and rushed Katerina, could he protect her? He and Opal probably could, although he was loathe to endanger his K-9 partner unless it was absolutely necessary.

Max raised one hand, palm out and open. “Afternoon. Can I help you fellas?”

Neither man responded. Max reached for his badge. “Federal agent. Please keep your hands where I can see them and get out of the vehicle slowly. One at a time. Driver first.”

Instead, the men ducked out of sight. Because the cab of the older truck sat so high off the ground, Max was no longer able to see them from where he stood. He started to draw his gun. The engine roared, drowning out his shouted order to stop. No officer of the law would discharge his weapon under those circumstances and apparently the men in the truck knew it. The driver backed into the road, quickly reversed and ground gears to start forward.

Max ran back to Katerina, slid behind the wheel and grabbed his radio to alert local police, then commanded, “Fasten your seat belt.”

“We’re not going to chase them, are we? I mean, how fast can they possibly go in that old truck? It’s on its last legs.”

“Don’t be so sure. It sounds as if they have a new engine under their hood. Until reinforcements catch up to us we’re going to keep them in sight. If they really are connected to Kowalski I don’t want to lose them.”

She braced herself as they took off in a squeal of rubber. “You think they are, don’t you?”

“What I think is unimportant. It’s what we discover after they’re pulled over and searched that counts.”

“I’d rather walk,” Katerina yelled. “Let me out.”

He couldn’t, of course. If the men knew her by sight he’d be able to tell by observing their initial expressions when confronted. If they were merely unrelated lawbreakers he’d see that, too. Katerina had to be with him when the stop was made. This was too perfect a scenario to waste. Besides, if he let her out, she’d be vulnerable.

“We’re staying together,” Max yelled back at her. “It’s safer.”

“Doesn’t look like it to me!”

Her blue eyes were wide, one hand fisted on the grip above the passenger door, the other grasping the edge of the seat. Yes, Katerina was fearful, but there was also a sense of wild adventure about her. Under different circumstances he might have guessed she was having the kind of fun a lot of folks experienced on a roller coaster.

Had their current situation not had the potential to turn deadly, Max might have chuckled out loud.

* * *

Whipped from side to side on tight, fast corners, Katerina kept her lips pressed together despite the awareness that a good, loud scream would feel wonderful.

Freeing.

Speaking of freedom, Max seemed to be gaining on the old truck. “I think we’re catching them.”

His “Yeah” didn’t sound as upbeat as she’d expected.

“What’s the problem? We don’t want to lose sight of them, do we?”

“No. But I don’t want to corner them all by myself, either. This isn’t technically my jurisdiction and if the stop didn’t go as planned, a lot of bureaucrats could end up twisting in the wind, me included.”

“Is that what special agent in charge really means? You pay dearly for bad decisions?”

“In this case it may be. Hang on. They’re slowing more.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Without armed backup? If it were just me and Opal I’d order them out of their vehicle and hold them at gunpoint.”

Katerina arched her eyebrows and made a face. “Hey, it’s not my fault I’m still here. I told you to let me out and you refused.”

“It was the right decision. It simply complicates things at the moment.”

“Ya think?” She knew it was wrong to needle him but he’d been so convinced she was on the wrong side of the law that his current dilemma hit her as ironic. And amusing, provided the men in the big truck stayed away until reinforcements had time to arrive.

“Um, is it just my nerves or is the truck stopping?”

“Stopping. In the middle of the road, no less. The first car that takes that next corner too fast is liable to hit head-on.”

She noted the hard set to the agent’s jaw, the way his big, strong hands gripped the steering wheel. Clearly, he was having to make some crucial decisions and she hoped one of them included turning around and running for their lives.

Max eased his SUV to the far right of center and set the parking break. “You stay put. Lock yourself in. If anything happens to me, use the radio to call for help.” He handed her the mic. “Push this button, talk, then release it so you can hear replies.”

“Whoa. Where do you think you’re going?”

“To order them out of the traffic lanes before they cause an accident.”

“I thought we were waiting for backup.”

“You are.” Taking the mic momentarily he reported his position and plans to the county dispatcher, then stepped out and slammed the door.

“A fine mess this is,” Katerina muttered. An answering whine from the rear of the SUV reminded her that Opal was back there. Releasing her seat belt, Katerina flipped onto her knees and shinnied between the backs of the front seats until she was within reach of the portable kennel box. Opal was not only drooling she was wagging her whole rear end.

“If I let you out will you promise to behave?” she asked the dog. “Your partner might need you and I could sure use the company.”

Woof.

“That’s what I thought. Okay. Here’s your leash.” She opened the kennel grate and grabbed the dog’s harness. “Hold still, will you?”

The friendly canine’s antics were enough to take Katerina’s mind off the tenuous situation and bring a smile. “Yeah, Opal, I agree. He’s the kind of guy to try riding a wild mustang with no saddle or bridle and then wonder how he ended up in a heap on the ground. I’m glad he’s your partner, not mine.”

Together, they returned to the front seat. Opal took the passenger’s place so Katerina eased behind the wheel. The dash resembled an airplane cockpit with gauges she didn’t recognize and equipment that looked like multiple radios, not to mention the computer system she’d seen Max use briefly.

Parked to the right rear of the bigger truck, Katerina could no longer see him. Neither could Opal, which clearly disturbed them both. The dog began pawing at the inside of the door.

“No, Opal. Your boss said for us to stay right here and that’s what we’re going to do unless...” Unless I hear shots or something equally as bad, she thought. Her hands rested naturally on the steering wheel and she sighed. “Why didn’t I ask exactly what he meant when he told me to call for more help if he needed it. How am I supposed to know?”

Woof.

“My sentiments exactly.” Katerina had always talked to animals and was reassured to have Opal beside her. “You’re the one with the fancy training. So, what’s the standard protocol for this situation?”

Instead of the silly, drooling look the dog had been exhibiting, she began to focus out the windshield and stare at the large truck. Katerina’s focus followed Opal’s. It almost looked as if the thing was moving. Backward. Toward them. There was little room to spare to the right before the ground fell away into a steep canyon!

A few native live oaks rose above the edge, their canopies giving the false impression that there was solid earth below. Pines, however, clearly demonstrated that they were rooted far below with only their tops visible.

What was the penalty for driving an FBI vehicle without permission? Katerina wondered. There was no time to ask and even less time left to decide. If they stayed where they were, that lumbering old truck could shove them off the road as if they were a child’s toy. Either she took matters into her own hands and saved herself and Opal, or Max would be scraping them up at the bottom of the canyon. Looking at the problem that way made it easy to act.

Katerina dropped the idling SUV into reverse and wheeled it out of imminent danger by cutting the back bumper to her left. She was now back in the traffic lanes and could see oncoming cars slowing long before they got close to her. So far, so good. Now where was Max?

The heavy truck kept backing until one set of dual axels was balanced on the edge of the berm. Then it began to jockey sideways in the roadway, clearly intent on reversing directions despite the cramped space.

Katerina muttered a panicky prayer and gripped the wheel. She’d driven trucks pulling horse trailers and handled big vans at the ranch so she was pretty sure she could drive Max’s SUV without wrecking it. Steering it down a winding mountain road backward fast enough to stay ahead of an oncoming truck, however, was another story.

Eyeing their surroundings, she looked for a way to slip past their adversary and escape uphill. It was impossible. The truck would soon be pointed straight at them and she’d have nowhere to go. A wall of rock rose to her left at the edge of the pavement. A dropoff into a steep canyon lay to the right. She had lost her chance to mimic the huge truck and make a successful three-point turn before it took up the center of the road.

There was no room left for evasion. They were trapped.