“I know,” Troy agreed, “but the obvious signs of it aren’tthere.”
Jennings had moved up next to them. “I have a Life Flitehelicopter coming. Do you think he needs it?”
Troy looked around and shook his head. “No. The ambulance isgood. Despite how it looks, there are people here much worse than he is.”
“You’re going to the hospital.” Dan made it a statement, nota question.
“Yes. I’ll ride in the ambulance and call you when I knowsomething.”
Holden Jennings got the ambulance, with Rick and Troy onboard, out and on its way, not an easy feat with wrecked vehicles everywhere.But the tow trucks were clearing space as fast they safely could and oneemergency lane was now open.
As soon as the ambulance driver hit the siren and pulledaway from the scene, Dan turned back to the others and spoke in a quiet voice.
“Did you see his back tires?”
Mark and Mike both nodded.
“I’ve seen that kind of damage before,” Mark told him.“Someone shot them out.”
“I want one of you to go talk to the owner of the servicestation. Mike, I think you can follow the same lane the ambulance did, get offat the next exit and come back.”
“What about you guys?” Mike asked.
“We’ll talk to the people here who aren’t hurt. Also to thecops first on the scene. I want to know what anyone saw while it’s fresh intheir minds.”
“Okay.”
“Yes. Call me when you’re done at the station. I may needyou to pick us up in the chopper. Or get Ed to do it, if you’re following alead.”
Wearing identical grim expressions on their faces, Mikeheaded back to his SUV and Dan and Mark began to thread their way through theunbelievable mess strewn over the road.
* * * * *
Kelly had hoped because the airfield was outside Baltimoreshe’d miss the worst of the city traffic when she pulled onto the interstatebut it was clogged with late afternoon drivers. She was glad when it finallythinned out. She’d left her grandfather much later than she planned. Now, afterbarely more than an hour on the road, she felt herself needing a caffeine hit.She’d stop for coffee and check her book for a closer campground. She’d nevermake the one she’d chosen before dark.
A sign before the next exit advertised food and gas, so sheflicked on her signal light and moved into the right-hand lane.
Xena sat up on her haunches on the seat next to her andpressed her nose against the window. Her bark was pretty plain, What is thisplace? Why are we stopping here?
Kelly ruffled her fur and tugged on her ears.
“How about a little walk, hmm? Then I’ll get some water foryou and some coffee for me.”
She grabbed the leash on the seat between them, hooking itonto Xena’s collar. Eagerly, the dog followed her out of the cab and came toheel at her feet.
“That’s some animal you’ve got there,” a man pumping gascalled to her. “Is that a dog or a small horse?”
Kelly was used to comments like that and she’d gotten towhere she laughed them off. “She’s whatever you want her to be,” she joked.
They headed for a small wooded area behind the servicestation. She made sure Xena had plenty of time to sniff out a place forherself, then jogged with her a little to work out some of her pent-up energy.She was very good about staying still for hours but she was happiest when shewas moving.
She had just signaled Xena to go back into the truck whenthe dog stiffened and a low growl rumbled from her throat.
“Xena?” She threaded her fingers through the ruff on herneck. “What is it, girl? What’s wrong?”
Kelly looked around her but nothing seemed amiss. The manpumping gas had finished and was back in his car. There were two othercustomers still in the process and two more cars parking in front of thebuilding itself. Otherwise the traffic hummed by on the highway and that wasit.
Xena made the same noise, pushing her head against Kelly’shand. That was her signal to get attention but Kelly hadn’t a clue what wasbothering her.
“It’s okay, Xena,” she soothed. “Everything’s fine. Maybeall this traveling is getting to you like it is to me. We’ll stop pretty soonfor the night, okay?”
In the convenience store she bought two more large bottlesof water and the biggest coffee they sold. Back outside, she poured some of thewater in a dish for Xena and the dog drank greedily.
“Better now?” she asked her, looking at her watch. Almostseven. Even this late in the spring she could only count on another hour ofdaylight or dusk. “I think we’ll get moving again. I want to stop before itgets dark.”
It took more urging than normal for Xena to climb back intothe cab and lie down on the wide seat again. The dog was definitely disturbedbut Kelly still couldn’t see anything that would be bothering her. Finally shesettled down, albeit unwillingly. Kelly checked her watch once more. Time toget going.
Back on the highway she turned on the radio, hoping to findsome music to rev her up but the first thing she found was a newscast. Shelistened with half an ear to the details of a massive pileup on the interstateright where she’d gotten on after leaving her grandfather. According to theradio, it had happened only moments before.
Her neck began to itch when she realized that was almost theexact moment Xena had tried to communicate her distress.
What the hell?
* * * * *
The van with Hosni and Malik in it passed the first exit itcame to after the wreck and took the second one. It led them into a street in asuburban neighborhood filled with shops and restaurants. Neither had said muchsince pulling away from the chaos they’d created. They felt confident that RickLatrobe’s truck had suffered maximum damage and Latrobe along with it.
In a strip center they parked in a long row of cars. Malikpunched a speed dial number on his cell phone.
“Is it done?” Gabir’s voice on the other was sharp,demanding.
“Yes,” Malik assured him. “You have nothing to worry about.”
“We’ll see. Did you go where I told you to?”
Malik nodded his head, even though he knew Gabir couldn’tsee him. “We’re there now.”
“Leave the keys under the mat and walk away. Someone willremove the van shortly. There’s a gray sedan parked at the end of the outsiderow. You’ll find the key in a magnetic box under the car. Start driving andI’ll get back to you.”
The men exited the van as casually as they could, forcingthemselves not to peer around or in any way act suspiciously. They were in thesedan and about to back out of the space when the cell phone rang.
Malik clicked it on. “Yes? We are ready to leave.”
“I should leave you there to suffer the consequences of yourown stupidity,” Gabir spat at him.
Malik’s hand shook and he squeezed the phone hard. “What doyou mean? What are you talking about? We took care of things.”
“Not exactly. I have someone right on the spot. Not only isthe Latrobe man still alive, they don’t think his injuries are that serious.”
“That’s impossible,” Malik protested. “We took great care.And watched as the truck was destroyed.”
“Apparently it wasn’t destroyed as much as you thought.”Gabir’s grunt of disgust was loud. “I can’t believe I was given such idiots towork with.”
“But—”
“But nothing. The orders were to get rid of him before hisnext trip. It seems I’ll have to clean up this mess myself.” His sigh washeavily audible. “Come to the apartment. There’s enough traffic in thesebuildings you won’t be noticed. Meanwhile I’ll figure out what to do next.”
“We’ll just try again,” Malik protested. “We can do it.”
“Idiot. You’ve put these people on the alert, which isexactly what we didn’t want to do. The Phoenix men are dangerous animals. Youwon’t catch them with their guard down again.” The hiss of his breath acrossthe connection was sharp. “I was told it was very important to get rid of thisman in particular. Especi
ally before…”
“Before what?”
“Nothing you need to know about. We’ll be lucky if the manwe work for doesn’t kill us all. Get moving.”
Malik used his forearm to wipe away the sweat that hadbeaded on his forehead. Carefully he backed the car out of the slot and turneddown a wide avenue.
“What?” Hosni asked.
“The Latrobe man is not dead but apparently we might be whenGabir’s employer finds out we didn’t succeed.”
Hosni plucked a cigarette from his pocket and lit itnervously. “Have you ever seen this all-important employer?”
Malik barked a short laugh. “Are you crazy? People like youand me never get told anything. And believe me. The less we know the better.Gabir only says this is a very powerful man and he can crush us like grapes.”
He turned down another street, monitoring the traffic in hisrearview and side view mirrors. Who knew if someone was following them for somereason?
They made the rest of the journey in silence, each man awarethat his life span might just have been considerably shortened.
* * * * *
Despite the overcrowded situation at the Emergency Room andthe chaotic condition as accident victims were added to the usual crush, Troymuscled his way through the red tape to a doctor he knew. In scant minutes Rickwas in a treatment room being evaluated. The problem, Troy soon released, wasgoing to be keeping Rick in bed long enough to treat him and let him heal.
“Definitely a concussion,” Dr. Graham pronounced. “Bruisedribs, which he’s damned lucky aren’t cracked. Multiple cuts, two of which needstitches. And a hairline fracture of the left wrist. How he got away withoutany internal injuries is a Jesus Christ miracle.” He shook his head inwonderment. “He’s one lucky son of a bitch, I’ll tell you that.”
“Do what you have to and get me out of here,” Rick growledfrom the treatment room bed.
Troy moved closer to the bed. “Listen, tough guy. We can puta soft cast on your wrist and stitch up your cuts. But those ribs won’t healthat fast. And you’ve got a concussion which is nothing to be sneezed at.”
Rick reached for the IV needle in the back of his hand,ready to rip it out but Troy clamped his fingers on his wrist.
“Not this time. Let me take another look at those x-rays andtalk to the doc again. If he and I come to some kind of agreement, I’ll getwhat you need and Ed can lift us out of here.” He pushed Rick back against thepillows. “But only if you agree to do exactly as I say.”
Rick leaned back, pain etching lines in his face. “Fine,fine, fine. But we’ve got a shipment going out of here next week and I have tobe with it.”
“Rick,” Troy began.
“That’s not negotiable. This is my gig. I’ve been running itfrom the get-go. We’re not changing horses in midstream. I’m going to see thisthrough and find out what the hell is going on.”
“You’re in no shape to baby-sit a major shipment of arms toGrainger’s people.”
“We’ll discuss it later,” Rick growled. “Meanwhile, just seewhat you can do about getting me out of here.”
* * * * *
The campground where they stopped was well-maintained andthe facilities as good as any Kelly had ever seen. She paid her fee and pulledher truck into the designated space, setting her tent up in record time. Xena,uncharacteristically, whined the entire time she was getting her gear out ofthe truck bed, pawing at everything and pushing at Kelly with her head.
“You big stinker. What is with you?” she asked, nudging thedog away from her so she could take out her little camp stove. “What are youtrying to tell me? Come on. Think it. You know I’ll pick up on it. Are we insome kind of danger?”
Reaching beneath the driver’s seat in the cab, she retrievedthe holster with her little H&K 9mm and checked to make sure a round waschambered. She usually tucked it in the small of her back when she left thetruck but this campground had looked safe so she’d left it in its usual place.She scouted the area but no one was lurking behind trees or showing an unusualinterest in her. She knew there were people who resented her guard dog trainingbusiness, nut cases who might not mind taking a potshot at her. Living in anisolated situation as she did, she’d learned long ago to be armed andproficient with her weapon. Just in case.
Now, holding the gun along the side of her thigh, she didone last perimeter check, just to reassure herself and Xena. Nope. Nothing. YetXena continued to act strangely.
She whined, almost as if she was trying to send a signal andwas frustrated that Kelly didn’t get the message.
“Tell me, girl,” Kelly said, crouching down in front of her.
She had chosen a Caucasian Ovcharka specifically becausethey are naturally protective, alert and aggressive. Working with Xena sinceshe was a three-month-old puppy, they had developed a set of silent signalsbetween them that surpassed any audible communication. The ability to read eachother’s minds had been a shocking surprise but the more they worked on it theeasier it became. Lord knows it wasn’t something she could share with peoplebut it created a truly unbreakable bond between woman and dog.
Xena’s possessive or protective actions toward Rick Latrobe,whichever they were, had puzzled her. In two years she’d never behaved that waywith anyone but her. Yet Xena’d somehow linked with him at once. Certainlyenough to push Kelly right into his arms. How sneaky was that? And now, nomatter how she soothed the dog or checked the area where they set up camp, Xenawas agitated, demanding something from her owner.
“Is it Rick? Is that it, girl?”
On impulse Kelly pulled out her cell phone, checked to makesure she had a signal and called her grandfather.
“I’m fine,” she said at once, in answer to his question. “Westopped for the night a little earlier than I planned but I think it will begood for both of us. Xena can use the exercise.”
“It’s a damn good thing you got out of here when you did,honey.”
She wrinkled her brow. “What do you mean?”
“Haven’t you had the news on?” Harry sounded agitated.“There was a badass wreck on the entrance ramp you took not an hour after youleft. Cars and trucks and bodies everywhere. Hell of a thing.”
A tendril of unease skittered over her spine. “Was-Wasanyone we know involved in it? Hurt?”
“Remember the guy you met here? Rick Latrobe? The one Xenaknocked you into?”
“Yes, I remember.” As if she’d ever forget.
“Someone shot out the tires on his truck just as he enteredthe interstate. That’s what started it. His truck rolled and he was damn nearkilled.”
The little tendril grew into a full-blown grasping vine.“What time did you say the accident was?”
“I told you. A little more than an hour after you left.”
When Xena was having her fit.
“Listen, Granddad.” She forced a calmness in her voice thatshe was far from feeling. “Do you know how Rick is doing? Is he going to beokay?”
“His truck was totaled but he himself was one lucky son of agun. A couple of busted ribs, concussion, some bruises and a fractured wrist.”
“Did you say someone shot out his tires?”
“Yeah. Mike told me the guy in the gas station there saw thewhole thing. Crazy, huh? Although these guys have ticked off some seriousloonies in their business,” he growled. “Too bad they had to leave any of themwalking around.”
Kelly chewed her bottom lip for a minute, a thought chasingitself around in her head. Maybe she was making a big mistake but Xena’s Psiwas infallible. She picked up vibrations that no living person ever detected.Kelly wanted to go back there, to see what the dog could sense but she had akennel full of dogs in Maine waiting for her attention. Her helpers could onlystay full-time one more day.
Damn!
“Listen, Granddad. I’ll call you when I get home tomorrow.Find out everything you can about the accident for me, will you?”
The pause that stretched across the miles was telling.
“Honey.” Cha
rlie broke the silence at last. “You said youwere off relationships until you could find the right person. I saw the look inyour eyes when Xena pushed you into Rick. Forgive an old man’s interfering buthe’s not the right person. These people aren’t the kind for you to get mixed upwith. They lead very dangerous lives.”
“I’m not getting mixed up in anything,” she protested,somewhat weakly, “and all you saw in my eyes was irritation with my dog. I’mjust concerned for a friend of yours.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard that before. You and Xena need totake a pass on this one.”
“Granddad…”
“All right, all right.” She couldn’t miss the exasperationin his voice. “I’ll find out what I can. But when you call me it better be fromMaine.”
“It will be. I promise.”
After disconnecting the call she leaned against the truck,idly rubbing Xena’s neck. “You called it, girl. You’ve got that link with Rick,don’t you? Well, let me into your brain. Something’s very wrong. One way oranother we’re going to find out what.”
When they finally settled down for the night, Xena stretchedher hundred and thirty pounds out next to Kelly, in full protective mode. Kellythrew her arm over the huge body and tried to empty her mind. But as shedrifted off to sleep visions of a tanned Norse god with startling blue eyesteased at her, his hand outstretched. But when she tried to grab it, he dancedtantalizingly just out of reach. And between them was Xena, sending them silentmessages of danger.
Chapter Three
“I’m going. That’s it. Finito. So everyone save yourbreath.”
Rick had fumed at being forced to spend the night in thehospital giving new meaning to the term pain-in-the-ass patient. Now he wasattempting to pull on the clothes he’d requested while Dan and Mike stoodgrim-faced, arms crossed across their broad chests.
Dan raised one eyebrow. “You’re going to Iraq with twobusted ribs and a soft cast on one hand?”
“When I was in Special Ops I did more than that with a lotworse. All of this is too much coincidence for me. Stuff missing. Someoneshooting my tires out. Everything just before this heavy load goes out. This ismy baby. I’m not about to hide behind someone else. Besides, I’ll have theflying boy scouts with me.”
Scent of Danger Page 3
