Читать книгу The Military K-9 Unit Collection - Valerie Hansen - Страница 58
ОглавлениеWearing her spotless dress uniform instead of her camo ABU, Zoe squared her shoulders, briefcase in hand, smoothed her blue skirt below the white blouse and strode from the parking lot to her classroom, expecting it to already be at least half-filled with students. Instead, it was empty.
Confusion momentarily halted her in her tracks. Where was everybody? Surely, she hadn’t made a mistake about her duty schedule. That was impossible.
A tall, distinguished lieutenant general in uniform, his chest heavy with medals, appeared behind her at the door and cleared his throat. Zoe turned and snapped to attention with a brisk salute. “General Hall.”
“As you were, Sergeant Sullivan. I came by to tell you we won’t be needing you here today, or until whatever problems you have with your stalker are resolved.”
“But, sir—”
“No buts. I sent you a memo after the final decision was made, but I thought it only fair to deliver this news in person, as well. You’re officially relieved of duty until further notice.”
Zoe was stunned. She hadn’t done one thing to deserve being sidelined. Not one thing. Except be an innocent victim. Didn’t the brass realize that?
There was nothing to do but submit, like it or not. “Yes, sir. What’s my alternate assignment?”
“You have none. Not for the present. You’re free to go wherever you wish on base. Just don’t leave.”
Realizing that she was gaping at the officer, she snapped her jaw closed. Clearly, there was going to be no chance to present an argument. She saluted again despite her disappointment. “Yes, General Hall.”
“That’s all. You’re excused,” he said before turning on his heel and leaving.
Zoe stood there, still and mute, while her temper threatened to come to a boil. The brass were blaming her, too, same as the enlisted members did. Everybody and his brother thought she was breaking rules and running amok when all she was trying to do was live a peaceful life and teach to the best of her ability. Only now they weren’t going to allow her to do that either, were they?
She internally shook herself, refusing to be a victim of crime or of her superiors’ decisions. What steps she would take next were unknown. The only thing she was sure of was that she wasn’t going to sit on her hands and stew when she could be taking action. Any action. If she had to poke around in the lives of those she suspected might be holding a grudge and reveal who her nemesis was without help or sanction, then so be it. As long as Colson continued to accompany her, she figured she’d be safe enough leaving familiar surroundings.
Zoe didn’t know where she’d have to look or who her snooping might upset, nor did she care. She was already persona non grata on base. A few more ruffled feathers wouldn’t hurt a bit.
Heels clicking on the hard floor, briefcase swinging at her side, she waited until she was out in the warm sunshine before making a call on her cell phone.
Linc Colson answered almost immediately.
“This is Sergeant Sullivan,” Zoe said. “Sorry to bother you. How is Star? Freddy’s worried.” She paused, then finished with the full truth, “So am I.”
“I’m still at the vet hospital waiting to hear,” Linc said. “Captain Roark thinks she may have cracked ribs, but otherwise she’s looking pretty good.”
“When will you know for sure?”
“Soon. Why? Has there been more trouble?”
“Yes, in a manner of speaking. I’ve just been relieved of duty. No more teaching or anything else until we figure out who’s been making my life miserable.”
“You’re not teaching any classes today?”
Zoe could tell by his tone that he was worried and she understood why. She wasn’t exactly fond of the decision to sideline her either. “Not today or anytime in the foreseeable future according to Lieutenant General Hall. It’s the pits.”
“Where are you?”
“I just left my empty classroom. Why?”
“Because you need protection, especially if you’re going to be wandering around the base. I’ll call my headquarters and arrange an escort until I get through here.”
“I don’t need a guardian to just go home.” Hesitating, she said, “Tell you what. Why don’t I come to you? That way I’ll know how Star is as soon as you do, and we can leave there together when you’re ready.”
“I don’t know. It might be hours.”
“Ha! As if I had plans.” Shaking her head even though he couldn’t see her doing it, she added, “I’d rather hang out with you than have to break in a new bodyguard.”
His muted chuckle came through. “Break in? Is that how you see our interaction? I’m not sure I like that opinion, Sergeant. It’s not very flattering.”
“Okay. How about if I admit how scared witless I was this morning and appeal to your sympathetic nature? I desperately need a friend—or at least somebody who doesn’t view me as crazy or dangerous. Or both.” Zoe lowered her voice and softened the tone. “I can’t explain it any better than that, Colson. This hasn’t been the worst day of my life—yet—but it’s running a close second or third.”
“All right. Do you know where the base dog-training complex is located?”
“Yes.”
“I’m at the vet hospital between it and the enlisted rec center. You can’t miss it. And don’t try to walk all this way no matter how much you love Texas weather. Take a cab.”
Smiling into the distance, Zoe could barely glimpse flags flying on the far side of the base. If she’d been clad for running or PT, she might have left her car behind and considered a brisk walk. Dressed in her uniform and the matching pumps that the outfit called for, however, she was far less inclined to go for a long hike, even on sidewalks.
“No worries,” Zoe told Linc. “I drove over here this morning so I could drop off Freddy at preschool.”
The temporary silence on the other end of the line gave her pause. She scowled when Linc said, “Tell you what, either I’ll come pick you up or you need to take a cab.”
“Why? I told you I have my car.”
His sigh was audible. “Yeah. You parked it there, right?”
“Of course, I did. I couldn’t very well stuff it in my briefcase and carry it into class with me.”
“Meaning it has sat unguarded for how long?”
“Just a few minutes.” She looked at her watch. “Maybe fifteen at the most.”
“Call a taxi.”
The finality of his command jolted her rather than inciting anger. “You think somebody did something to my car? Why here? Why not back at my apartment?”
“One, we kept an eye on it there and two, that parking lot is always real busy. The place you parked this morning is far more isolated.” He cleared his throat. “Humor me, Zoe. Be on the safe side. Call a cab. And do it now, before word gets around that you’ve been relieved of duty and your enemies start to figure out your new behavior patterns.”
“I really hate feeling so vulnerable.”
“I know. And I’m sorry. I’d be there right now if Star hadn’t got hurt.”
“I’m the one who should apologize. You’re worried sick about her, and here I am causing you even more problems. I’ll be there ASAP. Watch for my taxi.”
“Thanks,” Linc said.
She could tell he meant it. “No, thank you, Sergeant. You may be the only one on base who believes in me. I do appreciate it.”
“The cab,” he said gruffly.
“Gotcha. Hanging up now and dialing a ride.”
Despite the first pangs of an impending headache, Zoe did as she’d promised. Then she slowly approached her parked sedan and gave it a once-over, even leaned sideways to peer under it. Nothing seemed tampered with or added.
Before her life had been so disrupted, she might easily have pulled out her keys and driven despite Linc’s dire warning.
Now she wouldn’t touch that car if her life depended upon it. She straightened, fighting an unexpected wave of dizziness. And little wonder. If Linc was right, her life actually might depend upon following his orders. She wasn’t about to ignore his advice and test the concept.
* * *
When Linc completed the call, he noticed Captain Roark’s arched eyebrows, so he explained. “Sergeant Sullivan is coming here since I can’t go to her right now.”
Roark shrugged. “You could, you know. Star is in good hands.”
“I suppose so,” Linc said, “but my CO told me to stay with her until I could make a detailed report on her condition. We assumed Sullivan would be secure while she was teaching.”
“I take it she isn’t?”
Shaking his head, Linc said, “She may be safe enough but she isn’t teaching. They relieved her. I don’t understand why. She hasn’t done anything wrong. Everything’s circumstantial.”
The veterinarian grinned. “Never try to reason out orders from up top, Sergeant. You’ll drive yourself crazy if you expect them to always make sense.”
“Gotcha.” He eyed the doorway, wishing the tech would hurry up with those X-rays. “What’s taking so long?”
“Tell you what. Why don’t you go wait out front for Sergeant Sullivan while I see about your dog? If I need you, I’ll send for you.”
“That makes sense, I guess.” There was no way Linc could divide himself in two, so tending to one task while Roark followed up on another seemed the wisest choice.
Taking a deep, settling breath of fresh Texas air once he reached the sidewalk, Linc was struck by the conundrum he’d just acknowledged. A few weeks ago, there would have been no hard choice to make. He would have opted to remain with his K-9 partner and let someone else fill any other gaps.
Now, however, he saw that his loyalties were being divided, and he didn’t like it. In his mind, he visualized being at war with himself, as if he were both friend and foe in an ongoing battle in which there could be no clear-cut winner. If he directed all his energy toward Star and neglected taking care of Zoe and her little boy, he chanced letting harm come to them. If, on the other hand, he concentrated on the woman and child too much, he could lose Star, as present circumstances painfully demonstrated.
Almost convinced to turn and go back inside, he spotted an approaching taxi. To his chagrin, his heartbeat increased in speed and he felt beads of perspiration welling on his forehead. If Zoe was in that cab, then he’d know she was okay. What if she wasn’t?
Keying his mic, he radioed Captain Blackwood and identified himself. “I’m still at the vet’s. They’re taking X-rays of Star. Roark thinks she’s okay.”
“Good. Call me back when you know for sure.”
“I will. But there’s been another development,” Linc said. “Sullivan has been relieved of duty. She’s on her way to join me here.”
“What? Why weren’t we notified?”
“I imagine we will be. I just thought it best not to wait for the information to go through channels. When she told me, I instructed her to come here instead of my going to pick her up.”
“Good. When I told you to get close to the sergeant, I certainly didn’t mean for you to abandon your K-9 in a crisis.”
“Affirmative. One other thing, Captain. Sullivan’s leaving her private vehicle in a parking lot near her classroom.”
“Why? Wouldn’t it start?”
Linc felt his muscles tighten as if readying for hand-to-hand combat. “That’s not the problem. I figured, given the incident at her apartment earlier today, she shouldn’t try to drive. She was away from the car long enough for it to have been tampered with.”
“Now who’s paranoid?” Blackwood asked. “What do you expect me to do about it?”
“I was hoping you’d ask Nick Donovan and his bomb-sniffing K-9, Annie, or somebody from ordnance to take a look. Maybe have it towed to a safe holding area?”
“You honestly think there’s a chance it’s rigged with explosives?”
“There’s a chance of anything at this point,” Linc said firmly. “Until we uncover the reasons for the strange attacks on her I think it’s prudent to take precautions.” He paused. “Listen, she’s here, so I have to go. If anything changes, I’ll let you know.”
“All right. And, Colson?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Keep working on her about her brother. There’s a fair chance he’s the one behind the weirdness.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Okay. Now, go see to your dog.”
“I will.”
Linc smiled and held out a hand to Zoe as she climbed out of the taxi. Her fingers were cool yet as soft as he remembered, her eyes sparkling with delight and her lips lifting in the smile that often graced his dreams of late.
She glanced at the mic clipped to the shoulder of his ABU. “Did you just get another call?”
“No. I was reporting in. Security hadn’t been informed of your duty change yet, and I wanted to be sure my bosses were up to speed.”
“Good old bureaucracy,” she said, grinning up at him. “The news will probably reach interested parties at about the time regular base gossip does.”
“Or after.” Linc held the glass door to the building open for her. “No troubles getting here?”
“Other than having to abandon my wheels, no,” Zoe replied. “I realize that old beater isn’t much, but it gets me around okay. I’d hate to lose it.”
“I’m having it checked for you,” he said. “Until it’s cleared, I’ll drive you wherever you need to go.”
“Thanks.” She sobered as they proceeded down a long hallway. “How’s Star?”
“No report yet, but it shouldn’t be long.” Ushering her into the office where the head veterinarian sat behind his desk, Linc saluted and said, “Captain Roark, this is Staff Sergeant Zoe Sullivan.”
The captain rose and returned the salute as Zoe did the same. “My pleasure. I understand you’ve had a rough morning.”
“Yes, sir. You could say that.”
“Well, if you need a break, we can always provide puppy therapy.”
“Sir?”
Roark chuckled. “It’s a standing joke around the kennels. Five minutes sitting in a pen of happy puppies is our standard cure for the blues. Works every time.”
“My son would love it.”
“I’m sure he would.” The vet sobered and gestured toward a gurney being guided past the open door. “There’s Star now. Follow me.”
They joined the dog in the closest exam room where Roark displayed the X-rays on a monitor. “Star’s X-rays show that nothing is broken, but she was so sore they had to administer a light sedative in order to get her to lie still for clear pictures. She’s still pretty groggy.”
Linc was surprised when Zoe dropped her briefcase, beat him to the sleepy canine, caressed her head and bent to kiss her muzzle. “Poor baby. I’m so sorry, Star.”
Not only did Linc’s eyebrows arch, Roark’s did, too. The captain spoke first. “I wouldn’t try that when Star is fully conscious if I were you, Sergeant Sullivan. She might take your nose off.”
“Besides, we don’t want her too well socialized,” Linc added. “It can take the edge off protective responses.”
Zoe backed away, blushing. “I’m sorry. She just looks so pitiful lying there.”
Linc huffed to cover his own tender feelings toward the injured dog. “Yeah, well, she won’t once the sedative wears off.” He looked to Kyle Roark. “How long will she be sidelined?”
“I’d like to keep her here for a day or so, just to be on the safe side. Internal tissue injuries don’t show up on X-rays, and since she is indicating pain, I want her monitored.”
“Okay. What now?”
“I’ll have Airman Fielding take her to Recovery. You can accompany them if you wish, Colson.”
“I don’t know. I...” His troubled glance lit on Zoe. “Is there anywhere you need to go now that we know Star’s going to be all right?” he asked her.
“Yes,” she said with a gentle look and slight smile as she stroked the rottweiler’s shoulder. “I want us to go with Star, so you can be there to comfort her when she’s fully awake.”
The surprised glance the veterinarian shot Linc was nothing compared to his own awe. Despite all her problems and the way most of the base had rejected her, Zoe Sullivan’s heart remained kind and caring. She’d realized how much he wanted to stay with his K-9 partner and was facilitating it for his sake. And perhaps for Star’s well-being, too.
“Lead on,” Linc told the vet tech. “We’ll follow you.”
As Zoe leaned down to retrieve her briefcase, Linc took it from her, then clasped her hand. She didn’t try to pull away. Instead, her fingers laced through his. As far as he was concerned, he’d gladly stay connected like that for the rest of the day.
