Читать книгу The Military K-9 Unit Collection - Valerie Hansen - Страница 59

TWELVE

Seeing Star acting so weak made Zoe want to sit with Star on the folded blanket in the kennel run and cradle the poor dog’s massive head in her lap. Only her dress uniform stopped her.

Happily, Linc had no such reservations in his ABU and sat beside his groggy dog, legs crossed.

Zoe leaned against the open gate. “Do you want me to close this?”

“Not yet. After she’s back on her feet, we’ll shut it and leave so she’ll rest. Doc says that’s what she needs most.”

Studying the row of runs she could see from where she stood, Zoe asked, “Is this where all those loose dogs came from?”

“Some of them. We have a lot more room in the Military Working Dog Training Center next door. There are indoor and outdoor housing areas.”

“I saw you catch that one dog. How many are still missing?”

Linc continued to stroke and comfort Star. “At last count, twenty-eight. Since almost two hundred were released in the first place, that’s a fair capture rate, but nobody understands why four of the best trained K-9s have remained missing. We’re all worried about them.”

“What I don’t understand is why they didn’t all just come home. I mean, they’re fed and cared for right here. Why run away and stay gone?”

He shrugged. “The theory in some cases is that since they’re not well socialized before training and a few are also suffering from PTSD, the wilds of the base beyond our developed areas appealed to them. Remember, dogs are basically pack animals. If they have a strong pack leader, they’ll follow him pretty much anywhere.”

“But the base is fenced and patrolled.”

“True. But we do get an occasional stray coyote inside the perimeter, so it’s possible our missing dogs were able to slip out. Or they could be hiding in or around small caves in the rougher terrain the way Westley James thinks they are. There’s also thick woods on base. It’s been searched, of course, but so far that hasn’t helped.” Looking up from Star, he caught Zoe’s concerned gaze and added, “We’ll catch up to them all eventually.”

“Will they still be useful after turning feral?”

“I wouldn’t worry about overcoming that. Our trainers are the best in the business. They’ll be able to handle any setbacks. It’ll just take time and patience.” He continued rhythmically stroking his dog’s shoulder.

“Do you and Star train all the time?” she asked him.

“Practice, you mean? We do our share. Maintaining the K-9’s proficiency is one of the requirements for being a handler. We never stop testing our dogs. Everyday patrols and assignments like the one I have watching you are only part of the picture.”

He fell silent and concentrated on soothing Star. Zoe listened and heard a rumble. “Is she snoring?”

Linc rested his hand lightly on the rottweiler’s head and began to grin. “Uh-huh. She’s had a rough day.” As he slowly got to his feet and backed away, he laid one finger across his lips. “Let’s go and let her sleep.”

Whispering, Zoe questioned that decision, “I thought you wanted to stay with her until she woke up.”

He eased her out and closed the gate behind them. “That was when she was groggy from the anesthetic. This is pure sleep. See how her breathing has changed? Deepened? And watch her muzzle.”

Zoe had to cover her own mouth to keep from giggling aloud. “Her lips flap!”

“I know. I’ve spent so much time with her I can tell how she feels by observation. She’s exhausted but doing okay. And her gums are nice and pink. That’s a good sign, too. According to Captain Roark, that means she’s not bleeding internally. If she were, it would be evident by now.”

Zoe let him cup her elbow and direct her away from the kennels. Their slow passage didn’t rouse many of the other patients housed there. They were out of the veterinary hospital before she asked, “Where are we going?”

“First, I’m taking you home and waiting while you change, since you’re not on duty anymore. Then I thought we’d go see one of the women your brother threatened.”

“I hope she’s here on base, because General Hall ordered me not to leave.”

“She is,” Linc replied. “First Lieutenant Vanessa Gomez is a nurse at the base hospital, and I want to pick her brain about something.”

“Really? What?”

He didn’t answer until they were in his SUV and had pulled into traffic. “We got a preliminary report on the substance that was found at your apartment this morning.”

“They already told me it was fake blood. It was, wasn’t it?”

“Yes. Mostly water and corn syrup with red food coloring and a little chocolate syrup to mute the bright crimson.”

“Sure had me fooled when I stepped in it. I even imagined it smelled like the real thing.”

“Me, too, at first glance. Very realistic. It made me wonder why the person who left it settled for a substitute. I’d think if he wanted to really freak you out, he’d have used the genuine article.”

“Maybe it was hard to come by.”

“That’s one of the details I want to double-check. If Boyd wasn’t behind it and the guy who is didn’t want to harm anyone, he might have tried to steal blood from the hospital. I actually hope he did because that could give us some clues.”

Zoe’s eyes widened. “Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Because you teach flying and I’m the cop. Our forensics team figured out what they were dealing with the minute they walked in. Your apartment smelled more like pancakes to them than it should have.”

She smirked at him. “So, cop, what can a nurse tell us that we don’t already know?”

“Since she was threatened by the Red Rose Killer, I thought she’d have some personal insights, maybe something more than the hospital administration gave us. It is in her best interest to speak freely, especially if she knows of a gap in their blood distribution system.”

“Why take me along? I mean, unless you still think I’m hiding something and want to make me feel guilty, there’s no real reason for me to meet this nurse.”

“No, there isn’t. But you do have to stay with me, and I have a few loose ends I can hopefully tie up without the use of my dog, so you’re coming along. I can’t just sit around and wait. It’s driving me crazy to be idle.”

“I understand,” Zoe said, averting her eyes to stare out the window as they turned and crossed Canyon Drive. “I don’t want you wasting time with me when there are bigger fish to fry. It’s just embarrassing to talk to people my brother has hurt or threatened. I hate that I’m related to a serial killer.”

“That’s definitely not the reason I want you to go,” Linc said. “Two heads are always better than one when it comes to spotting anomalies and picking out which ones may be of interest. And you need something to think about besides your own troubles. I figured a diversion might give your brain something to do while your subconscious works on the rest of our unanswered questions.”

Zoe had to chuckle. “Sergeant, if my brain got any busier, my head might explode.”

“Which reminds me,” he said lightly, keeping the conversation from becoming somber, “after giving it a quick look, the bomb boys didn’t find anything wrong with your car, but they did tow it in for further examination.”

“I hope I can pick it up soon.” Linc’s SUV was coming to a stop at the curb in front of her apartment and she reached for the door handle.

“Whoa. Not so fast. I’m going to check your apartment before you go inside.”

“Why? Your evidence people were still here when I left for work and probably stayed most of the time I was gone.”

“Most of the time isn’t good enough. I’ll go in first, do a walk-through, then give you the all clear.”

She shuddered, thinking of the way her home had looked the last time she’d seen it. “I hope they took away everything that was soiled. I mean, I’d hate to go back up there and find the same awful red mess I left behind—even if it is fake.”

“Tell you what,” Linc said. “If there are places that need TLC, I’ll take care of those while you change. We can leave the hall door open so we don’t start any rumors.”

She was touched. And wryly amused. “After everything that’s happened to me lately, I imagine my reputation is already trashed. Thanks for trying to protect me from gossip, but I’m less afraid of that than I am of finding another attacker lying in wait. You are more than welcome to inspect the apartment and wait there with me, whether my front door is open or closed.”

“Thank you,” Linc said.

“I’m serious. I trust you implicitly.” Zoe realized she meant that from the bottom of her heart. There might be nobody else she could truly count on except Linc Colson. But that was enough. He was enough.

Watching him don his official blue beret as he circled the vehicle to open her door, she had to fight to keep from once again enumerating his many virtues. This was a good, good man. An admirable member of the Security Forces that kept the base safe. Not only could he be relied upon in a crisis, his presence gave comfort when all was in chaos.

Zoe clasped the hand he offered and carefully climbed down from the truck. His touch was warm, steady, welcome. It seemed as natural as breathing to slip her fingers between his. It was a pity that this kind of supportive contact would cease once Linc’s assignment was over.

Given that nebulous peek into the future, she decided to make the most of these brief moments of closeness. He never needed to know how special he was becoming to her, nor did she intend for their camaraderie to blossom into something more, something deeper. She’d been married once. That was enough. God had rescued her in the nick of time or she might have ended up blamed for John’s illegal transfer of classified data simply because she was his wife.

Thoughts of marriage melded with images of the strong man walking beside her and she nearly panicked. She gently slipped her hand from his.

It wasn’t a lack of interest that caused her to withdraw. On the contrary. She’d broken their physical bond because she did care for him. Far, far too much.

* * *

The steps leading to the second-story apartment looked clean to Linc. What they’d find when Zoe opened her door was what worried him. Even if the evidence techs had gathered up all the throw rugs, there were likely to be signs left behind. How involved the cleanup would be depended on how much Zoe had tracked through the rooms while she’d waited for the authorities.

His jaw clenched as he turned the knob. The door was locked. “Do you have your key?”

“Yes.” She produced it from a small handbag tucked inside her briefcase. “Do I have to wait out here, or can I follow you in like before and see what’s what?”

“You can come. Just hang back and let me clear all the rooms before you get too curious.”

“Yes, Sergeant.”

“You may as well call me Linc,” he said, stepping over a tacky partial footprint on the hardwood floor. “Where do you keep your cleaning supplies?”

“You—you don’t have to mop this up.” She was speaking to his broad back as he walked away.

“Do you want Freddy to come home to it?” Linc called from the direction of the bedrooms.

“Of course not.”

Linc returned and said, “Then stop arguing and get me some rags, at least. Your room is actually the cleanest of all. I guess they took everything from in there as evidence. It’s the hallway and this floor out here that caught the worst of the footprints.”

“Do we need bleach, too?” Zoe asked.

“That would probably help lighten the red food coloring if it left stains, but the syrup should wipe up easily. I’m truly sorry this happened to you, Zoe.”

“Yeah. Me, too.”

Linc’s gut twisted as he recalled his first impression of her when he’d seen her in her doorway that morning. The sight had stolen his breath and left him temporarily stunned. That was another reason why he hadn’t immediately pursued Star. Concern that Zoe was injured had kept him with her. Wrong or right, it had happened, and Linc wondered if his commanding officers suspected the fault in judgment.

Someday he would have to admit what had been behind his mistake. Hopefully, nobody would ask him to explain further. If they did, he was going to have to admit that his personal feelings had got in the way of doing his job at a most critical moment.

That was bad. Really bad. If it happened again and was reported, he could lose a stripe. Or, worse, he could lose his coveted position as a handler.

Linc sighed. Star—his Star—would be given to someone else.

* * *

Zoe took the time to spruce up the bathroom where she had showered earlier, careful to leave no trace of red. By the time she donned jeans and a T-shirt and returned to the living room, there was nothing left to mar that scene, either. She smiled at Linc. “Good job. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Ready to roll?”

“I guess so. I’ll take my cell in case Maisy Lockwood calls from her preschool and day care. She’s a wonderful teacher, but Freddy sometimes begs to come home early and I have to reason with him on the phone.”

“You’d think he’d be adjusted by now. How long has he been going to that place?”

“Most of his life. It’s not that. It’s the rumors flying around. Even the littlest kids pick things up from parents or other caregivers. With Boyd, the talk of the base, I think Freddy’s overheard plenty and he’s afraid for me.”

“He’s not the only one,” Linc said. “We’ll go over your list of possible suspects again when we break for lunch.”

“Okay. Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“Are you going to get in trouble for taking me with you?”

“I don’t see a problem.” Linc eyed her up and down, bringing a new warmth to Zoe’s cheeks. “Dressed like that and with your hair down, nobody who doesn’t already know you is going to suspect you’re Boyd Sullivan’s sister.”

She smoothed the powder blue shirt over her jeans and turned in a circle. “You think? I figured since I wasn’t on duty, this would do.”

“Nicely.”

Zoe caught the hint of a blush on his face, too. They were acting more like lovesick teenagers than responsible adults, weren’t they? “I can change if you want. Maybe put on an ABU?”

“Nope. No camo. You’re fine like you are.” He led the way to the exit, and Zoe could have sworn she heard him mutter, “Very fine,” before he opened the door and stepped out into the hall.

After that, there was no way she could suppress a grin and the incongruity struck her as ironic. Here she was, the sister of an escaped serial killer, the object of some madman who was bent on trying to drive her crazy, relieved of duty and under the thumb of Security Forces, who had blamed her for crimes that had no connection to her normally placid life. So why was she feeling almost elated?

Because Linc had promised to keep her by his side. There was no other plausible answer. He could have requested a replacement, yet he had not. Therefore, he wanted her there, wanted to be with her.

Looking heavenward, Zoe silently asked God what was going on. She didn’t have to wait for an answer. It already lay in her heart. Like it or not, she was falling for Linc Colson. Hard and fast. And there wasn’t a thing she could do about it.