Lethal Redemption

by April Hunt

  Atlas let out a deep bark, lunging back up to the front seat. Lyn turned and grabbed his collar as David yanked the car door open and dove in, slamming the car door shut as he turned on the car. “Seat belt!”

  “Af.” Lyn gave the big dog a nudge and Atlas returned to the back seat as she reached for her seat belt.

  David didn’t wait, throwing the car into reverse. Her head almost hit the dashboard but they turned sharply and she was slammed back into her seat as they went into drive. Desperately, she fumbled the seat belt until she got it buckled as David sped back out onto the highway.

  “Sit tight.” Whether the grim order was for her or for Atlas, she didn’t know. But she was guessing it was for her since he hadn’t said Atlas’s name.

  More screeching as a car came up on their right and cut in front of them. David decelerated sharply to keep from running off the road and then poured on the speed, getting ahead of the other driver again.

  “Is this a good idea?” The bottles of water were rolling around by her feet.

  “Sure it is.” He sounded cheerful.

  They barreled down the highway in the left lane and she watched the streetlights flash by as streaks across the windows. Somebody had tried to run him down and force them off the road. Maybe even were trying to kill them. Her heart pounded through her chest and in her ears. There wasn’t anything she could do.

  “Reach into the glove compartment.” David’s instruction was urgent but calm. “There’s a flashlight in there. Point it back over your shoulder before turning it on. Do not look into it. Do not point it in Atlas’s face. It’s way more intense than your average flashlight.”

  She did as instructed.

  “Handy high-powered flashlight for heavy weather conditions,” David explained. “It might as well be a hand-held spotlight. If we’re lucky, it’ll shine in the bastard’s eyes and blind him some. At minimum, it’ll be a distraction. Just hold on to it and turn it to the left and right a couple of degrees.”

  The small, black cylinder fit into her hand, heavier than she expected, and the power button was easy to find. Making sure Atlas was laying down low, she followed David’s directions. A veritable spotlight poured out the back of the car.

  David nodded. “Good.”

  Suddenly, David turned right, barely making an exit and slamming the breaks to slow down enough not to flip them over on the curving ramp.

  “Turn off the light.” The words came through gritted teeth as he picked up speed again.

  She did.

  They twisted through several smaller roads until they were in a nondescript neighborhood, parked among a few other cars in an equally nondescript apartment complex.

  He shut everything down and made sure all the lights were out, even on the dash.

  “All right?” His voice came low and calm as his hand touched her shoulder in the darkness.

  She nodded, hoping he could see her because words weren’t coming at the moment.

  “Hang in there for a few minutes until we know for sure we’ve lost whoever that was.”

  She swallowed hard. “Okay.”

  “Atlas.” There was a stirring from the back seat, low in the foot wells.

  David released his seat belt and turned in the seat to check on Atlas. “Keep an eye out the windows. Tell me if you see anything.”

  She peered out into the dark but there was nothing. No cars. No people. It was really dark in this parking lot. “Apartment complexes should have better lighting in their parking lots.”

  The thought popped out of her mouth.

  David chuckled, returning to his seat. “They should. Most don’t.”

  “Good for us in this case?” She clutched the flashlight as if it was a weapon. And maybe it could be. If someone came up, maybe she could blind them until they could get away. She should get one for herself.

  “Very good for us.” David paused. “Change of plans for the evening. Best thing for us to do is be unpredictable.”

  “Which means we’re sleeping here tonight?” Outside. Exposed. She shivered even though the car was still warm. With Atlas and David, she could do it if it was necessary. She might not actually sleep, though.

  “No.” David was silent until she turned to look at him. Her eyes had adjusted so she could make out his face and his gaze caught her, reassured her. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her. “Let’s get you someplace safe tonight. Then we’ll head out again in the morning.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  This…was not what I expected.”

  Cruz turned to grin at Lyn, happy to see some color returning to her previously pale face. Her tone was more of hesitant surprise than dismay, which was good. “Exactly.”

  “And you just happened to know about this place tucked away in a little town off the highway?” She sounded dubious.

  Okay, he’d be asking questions too if he were in her place.

  He chuckled. Her mind was always working as she studied every conceivable angle of a situation. Kept him on his toes and made messing with her fun. “In fact, yes.”

  She planted her feet at the end of the walkway and crossed her arms. Next to her, Atlas came to heel, then sat. “Seriously.”

  Cruz kept walking, unhurried, until he reached the top of the walk and tapped a discreet, stylized sign. It had the silhouette of a German shepherd and a concise warning—not enough to scare away potential guests but enough to assure likely thieves that the property was guarded. “Not every puppy is suited for military or police service. We try to be sure to find good homes for the youngsters who don’t make it all the way through training. We’ve got clients all up and down the East Coast.”

  The shadows cleared from her expression and curiosity sparked in her eyes. Easy as that. For all of her wariness, she believed too quickly. Somebody, someday was going to take advantage of her. The thought tightened his chest. It wasn’t fair of him to want a person to be both wary and trusting.

  But then his expectations of people hadn’t ever been fair. It was why he worked better with dogs.

  “I guess they’ll have no problem with Atlas coming inside with us, then.” The big dog, sitting next to her, looked up at her then at Cruz and voiced a short bark.

  Dog was getting more talkative than Cruz ever remembered him being, even with Calhoun. As a rule, the military working dogs were trained to be silent most of the time. Her habit of conversing with him was changing Atlas more than Cruz had initially considered. The question would be whether Atlas reverted to a more stoic behavior pattern once he was working with another military handler.

  He should if he was going back overseas.

  Time spent with Lyn was nothing to regret but Cruz was more than a little worried about the impact her moving on would have…on both of them. Lyn’s caring heart had softened them. If times were peaceful, it might not be as much of a worry but they’d just been given a taste of combat conditions in a place where there shouldn’t be any. Now, more so than ever, they needed to be vigilant. “Shouldn’t be a problem.” He waited until they’d joined him before climbing the few steps to the landing of the historic bed and breakfast. “And I should be able to handle any introductions to their dogs to avoid any potential issues.”

  Her gaze settled on him, one eyebrow raised in an eloquent expression.

  He nodded to her. “Not saying you couldn’t, but since these bruisers know me it’ll go faster if I do it.”

  Subtle tension went out of her shoulders and the corners of her lips turned up in a rueful smile. “You have a point there.”

  Any animal was more responsive with a familiar person. No matter how skilled the trainer, familiarity helped things go along more quickly. He’d met a lot of people with too much pride to acknowledge this simple practicality. As if admitting it made their skill less somehow. Or because they had to prove their abilities could overcome the advantage.

  Lyn could be competitive. He had no doubts there. But she’d worked alongside him, burying her pride for the com
mon goal. It’d made it easier for him to set his own emotional baggage aside and focus on Atlas.

  Tonight, though—he was going to start taking more of a lead in the situation.

  Almost getting run down did that to a man.

  “Hopefully, they’ve got a room open for us.” He reached out and knocked on the door.

  “Will they hear that? There’s a doorbell.” She pointed.

  He shrugged. “Don’t want to wake up any other guests. There’s rooms on the ground floor. The dogs will hear the knock and alert them to someone on the property.”

  Sure enough, Atlas stood. His big ears swiveled forward and nose twitched as he watched the door. The big dog stood ready and alert, every line the perfect balance of tension and listening. He was waiting for the barest whisper of a command.

  Lyn huffed out a soft breath. “That’ll work.”

  Quiet footsteps came to the door and paused. An older man peered out the tall thin window beside the door. A moment later, the deadbolt turned and the door opened. “David Cruz? What brings you to our door tonight?”

  Cruz held his hands to his sides, palms open. More for the benefit of the big dog behind the older man than the man himself. Unarmed. Nonthreatening. The breeze at his back would carry his scent inside for the German shepherd. “How are you, Thomas? We were driving up north and got tired. Thought we’d stop in for the night if you’ve got the room.”

  “Always room for you or any of the boys from the kennel.” The older man nodded to Lyn. “Hello, miss. Welcome.”

  Lyn gave him a shy smile. “Hello. This is Atlas.”

  Atlas had eyes only for the German shepherd. Until they were introduced, neither of them would relax. David planned to get it done as soon as possible. For the meantime, he shifted enough to block direct eye contact between the two dogs.

  “Don’t think I’ve ever seen David here in the company of a lady when he’s working with his dogs.” Thomas gave Cruz a significant look as the older man stepped back and opened the door wider, giving his dog a quiet command to stand down. “You remember old Brutus.”

  “He’s looking good.” David stepped inside and ran his hand down Brutus’s back as the dog’s tail waved side to side once in greeting. Gray around his muzzle and eyes showed his age. He had a couple of good years in him yet, though. “You mind if I put on his lead and take him outside? I’ve got another dog to introduce him to and it’s best to do these things out on neutral territory, off your property.”

  Thomas nodded, reaching for one of two leather leads hanging from a hook on the wall. “Not at all. I’ll go get Caesar. We’ll introduce ’em all at once. Kathryn will get your room ready. You’re lucky tonight. Master suite is the only room empty.”

  Cruz shrugged. “Ah. Any room would be fine.”

  “Maybe for you. We give hospitality to ladies here.” Thomas tipped an imaginary hat toward Lyn.

  Lyn laughed. “And it’s appreciated.”

  Cruz opted out of the conversation and instead spoke quietly to Brutus. Immediately responsive, the dog sat for him and turned his head to make it easy to clip the leash to his collar. “You’ve been keeping up on their training.”

  “More like they’ve been keeping us up on ours.” Thomas chuckled as he stepped away. “It’s the way you and the boys changed our lives by helping us with Brutus and Caesar. Couldn’t have done it without you.”

  Cruz smiled, suddenly awkward and embarrassed. It was what he did, training dogs. A job well done meant a happy owner and a content dog. It meant a dog was more likely to have a home for the rest of his days. Comfortable. Belonging.

  Lyn called to him quietly. “Let’s get them all introduced and then head up for some rest. It’s been a weird night.”

  Yeah. Tomorrow wasn’t going to get any more normal.

  * * *

  Lyn wandered around the room—suite, really—and took a moment to simply enjoy. She stayed in hotels all the time and they were most definitely not all made equal. In fact, even hotels in the same chain varied to a certain extent, depending on location. She hadn’t spent much time in bed and breakfasts or inns or even boutique hotels but seeing this place, she might need to do research to start including these in her accommodations for the future.

  This room was decorated with Old World charm, overlooking a garden with a formal fountain elegantly lit for nighttime viewing. As Lyn wandered past the queen-sized bed, she ran her hands over the sheets and pillowcases. Cotton woven so fine to the touch, she couldn’t wait to get into bed. Okay, and she was a sucker for a thick down comforter, too.

  Peeking into the bathroom, she bit her lip. “Hey, David?”

  “Yeah.” She heard David walk into the suite and shut the door. He must’ve unleashed Atlas, too, because she heard the sound of the big dog shaking himself.

  “Mind if I take a bath?” Who knew what he’d think but damn it, there was a real Jacuzzi in there. “A real bath.”

  David chuckled. “As opposed to a pretend one?”

  She tore her gaze from the Jacuzzi, and shot him a pointed look. “It’s been an interesting road trip. I’d be stiff from the hours in the car alone. But then we had some insanity.” She held up her hand when he was about to say something. “A lot crazier than I think I can process all at once. I’d like a long soak because I don’t know how anyone is supposed to stay loose during that kind of driving and I will be sore tomorrow. This’ll at least help it from being worse.”

  A long moment of silence. “It would be good. Go for it.”

  Lyn started into the bathroom and halted. Leaning back out of the bathroom she studied David. “We are safe for the night, aren’t we?”

  David tipped his head to the side. “Like I told you before, I don’t have all the answers. But yeah, we should be safe tonight.”

  Should be? It was one thing to go searching for pieces of a puzzle. This had all gotten exponentially more real. David’s reserved personality was somewhat frustrating all on its own but the way he hadn’t talked to her more about what had just happened or any precautions he might be taking wasn’t helping her relax any either. She did have faith that he was taking them, but she’d appreciate being part of the decision making. Which wasn’t exactly fair because she didn’t have the knowledge or the skills to be able to help in any sort of planning for this kind of thing. It was only for her pride, really.

  She should be on equal footing with him. She should be actively a part of deciding their next move. Instead, she was asking if he minded if she took a bath. Her hard-fought independent nature had evaporated at the sight of a Jacuzzi tub.

  She sighed, consciously relaxing her jaw and wondering if he’d been aware of her grinding her teeth. It wasn’t good for her to think in circles and wouldn’t be constructive to talk to him about it because he’d be damned one way or the other with the way her current thought process was stuck in a loop.

  She just…needed to be away from all the strong personalities for a while.

  “Okay.” She looked at Atlas. “You, stay out here and be his wingman.”

  Atlas dropped his jaw open and let his tongue loll out.

  She stepped inside and closed the door.

  David’s voice called to her. “Better lock it; he can open doors.”

  She turned and responded through the closed door. “You know, this is like a scene where a velociraptor looks down at the doorknob and…”

  “He can do it a couple of ways. Use a paw, use his nose. He can even spring himself from most crates on his own.” David didn’t sound serious.

  Nah. None of the dogs she’d worked with had ever turned a round doorknob. Maybe if it were a handle, something for him to get a paw on and pull down—like the velociraptor did in the movie—but this wasn’t likely. She left it unlocked and turned the hot water taps to start filling the tub. It wasn’t as if David was going to come peeping.

  She trusted him not to. And to be honest with herself, the thought of locking herself away from the only other friends
she had in a strange place triggered a tightness in her chest. Probably a reaction to the freaky car chase. She wanted some distance from them but not actual isolation.

  All the more reason to soak in a nice tub and relax, work through some of these weird nerves, and get back to steady ground.

  There was a lovely wooden tray on a small table next to the tub, maybe teak? A few packets of bath salts were arranged in a glass jar, labeled with ingredients. A small handwritten card warned to read ingredients carefully in case of allergic reactions.

  “Wonder how many times that’s happened,” she muttered.

  “You need something?” David’s voice came through the door.

  She straightened and studied the door thoughtfully. How close was he to the door if he heard her? “No. Just reading a few labels out loud.”

  “Okay. Holler if you need anything.”

  “Thanks.” She was guessing she wouldn’t need to raise her voice by much. He must be sitting right next to the door. Odd…

  A snuffling sound came from under the door. Atlas.

  She paused and thought that through. No. David wasn’t lurking by the door listening and damn, she should know better. Atlas must be by the door waiting for her and had reacted to hearing her mutter. David was a very perceptive trainer. He must’ve been watching Atlas and seen the cue.

  Mystery solved and significantly less creepy. But then, David wasn’t the type of guy to do such things.

  Sighing, she picked out lavender bath salts and poured the contents of the little packet into the water. Definitely not thinking straight and a good thing she hadn’t lingered out in the bedroom to talk with David like this. She felt bad enough about the way she was jumping to conclusions inside her own head. It’d be horrible if he heard her.

  Turning off the water, she tested the heat before getting in. About right. And when she turned off the main light switch, the little porcelain night-light on the wall above the vanity provided just enough to see by. She undressed, leaving her clothes in a heap on the floor and stepped in carefully. She’d gather her clothes up later and hang them up to air out. Right now, she wanted to soak. Desperately.