Sheriff

by Laura Scott

  Julianne headed in the opposite direction, but then halted when Brody came along. “I’ve got things to do before the jump.”

  “I know, but we also need to talk about the prison break. I thought we could grab a bite to eat at Rusty’s...they have outside tables now, which would work out well for Thunder.”

  Rusty’s was their old hangout, and the last place she wanted to go was tripping down memory lane. But Thunder needed to eat and so did she, so she pushed the past back where it belonged and nodded stiffly.

  “Fine, I’ll meet you there.”

  Brody hesitated. She could tell he wanted them to drive together, but too bad, he’d have to get over it.

  She needed some time alone before facing him again. Being home for the first time in six years was bad enough, but seeing Brody again?

  That was something else entirely.

  * * *

  Brody tried to look at Rusty’s through Julianne’s eyes, noticing the changes that had been made to the bar/restaurant over the past few years.

  The place had been painted a deep forest green with white trim. The tables outside were covered by green-and-white umbrellas to shade customers from the relentless sun. Patrons actually came here for the food, which hadn’t been the case when they were young.

  Rusty’s had blossomed under new management, and he thought for sure Julianne would notice and approve of the changes.

  She was late, and he wondered if she’d stood him up. Not her style, but then again, things hadn’t ended well between them.

  He saw her drive up in a black SUV with a very small K-9 logo on the back. She slid out from behind the wheel followed by Thunder who jumped gracefully to the ground. The years they’d spent apart disappeared as if they’d never happened. She was still as stunning as ever. And he found himself wishing things had turned out differently for them.

  After opening the back, she set one dog dish on the ground and filled it with water. After he drank his fill, she fed him from her hand, which he found curious. Only when the dog was cared for did she cross over to where he was waiting.

  “The outside is different but has the menu changed?”

  “Yeah. Joe Clancy runs the place now with his wife, Sue Ellen.” He pushed a menu over. “We’ll talk after we order.”

  A server came over with water and sweet tea, took their requests then disappeared back inside.

  Julianne drew designs in the condensation that collected on the side of her glass. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had Texas sweet tea.”

  Six years, two weeks and three days, but who was counting?

  She finished her water first, then tried the tea. “It’s sweeter than I remember.”

  “You don’t have tea where you live now?”

  “I got out of the habit of drinking it.” She pushed her glass aside, sidestepping his not-so-subtle question. “So tell me. What’s the story behind the prison break?”

  He held her gaze. “I arrested Nathan Otwell for drug running, human trafficking and prostitution. The judge agreed to hold him without bail because of the overwhelming evidence against him.”

  “Evidence? Like what?”

  “I tracked him to an abandoned cabin where he was holding five people hostage, getting ready to sell them to the highest bidder.” To this day, Brody would never forget the scene he’d stumbled upon. “Because of my testimony, Otwell was being transported from our small jail here to the maximum security prison over in Cadworth County.”

  “Nathan Otwell,” Julianne repeated, her expression incredulous. “I don’t know what to say. The guy who escaped was huge and bald, I didn’t recognize him as Nate. I can’t believe it.”

  “Sure you can,” Brody countered in an even tone. “You never liked him in the first place, even before Lilly ran away. You were convinced Lilly’s disappearance was the result of foul play just because she and Nate were seeing each other.” He paused, then shrugged. “You were right about Nate, though. In the time I was gone in the army, he reverted back to his criminal ways.”

  She surprised him by reaching over to put her hand on his forearm. “I’m sorry, Brody. I know how much you believed in him. That must have been difficult for you.”

  For a moment he wished they could go back six years, to the time before their last argument had torn them irrevocably apart. But he knew better than most there was no going back.

  He needed to keep moving forward. No matter how difficult.

  “It was worse for the people he abused and sold into slavery.” He didn’t try to hide the bitterness in his tone. “They’re the real victims here. And I can’t imagine what they’re going to think now that he’s escaped.”

  “I know.” Her gaze was sympathetic.

  “I’m not going to let him get away with it. I need to find Nate, Julianne. I need your help.” He gazed down at the dog lying beneath the table at her feet. “Yours and Thunder’s.”

  The dog perked up when he heard his name, his tail thumping on the ground as if in acknowledgment.

  “I have to get Max’s approval,” she warned. “But since I’m an eyewitness to the shooting of the van driver, I’m sure he’ll agree. From what you’re telling me, we need to get Nate and his accomplice back into custody as soon as possible.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Don’t thank me, yet. First we need to get into the Dupree compound and hopefully rescue our missing FBI agent. Once we’ve done that, we’ll focus on picking up Nate’s trail. Hopefully he won’t have gotten too far, especially with the roadblocks and other measures you’ve put into place.”

  “Agreed.” He paused, as the server brought their food. They ate in silence for several minutes, enjoying their Tex-Mex meal when Thunder unexpectedly shot to his feet.

  “What is it, boy?” Julianne pulled her gun from the holster on her waist and glanced around the parking lot as if searching for whatever had gotten the dog’s attention.

  “Does he do this often?” Brody put a hand on his firearm, too, but didn’t see anything out of place.

  For all they knew, Thunder had scented a squirrel. Or some other animal.

  But even as the thought filtered through his mind, he rejected the idea. He might not know much about K-9 officers, but he knew they were trained not to be distracted from their duty. And Thunder’s duty included protecting Julianne.

  “Sometimes, but I don’t see anything amiss, do you?”

  “No.” Brody couldn’t deny that having the dog standing on all fours, ready to attack, was unnerving. “Maybe we should take the food to go.”

  “Works for me.” Julianne finally glanced over at him. “We’ll be early, but that’s okay.”

  He waved to get the server’s attention and pulled out his wallet to pay for the meal. The outside patio was mostly deserted, patrons favoring the air-conditioned inside rather than the hot and humid outside tables.

  A low growl rumbled from Thunder’s throat.

  “He senses danger,” Julianne said in a low tone.

  Brody nodded and tossed cash on the table. “Forget the leftovers, let’s get out of here.”

  She nodded and fell into step beside him. They’d taken a few steps toward her black SUV when Thunder abruptly stopped and backed up a step. He growled low in his throat and pushed at Julianne with his nose, as if to move her out of the way.

  “What is it?” The moment Julianne said the words, Brody saw a figure wearing black running away from the parking lot, toward the back of the restaurant.

  Reacting instinctively, he grabbed Julianne’s arm. “We have to get out of here now!”

  They’d gotten a good ten yards from the SUV when a loud explosion rocked the earth, sending them tumbling to the pavement.

  He rolled over, raking his gaze over the scene. The FBI vehicle was on fire. Restau
rant patrons leaving the building screamed and ran away from the restaurant.

  Where was the guy dressed in black?

  “Thunder! Heel!” Julianne’s panicked voice had him searching frantically for the dog.

  Thunder came running from behind the back of the building heading straight for Julianne. Brody was relieved the dog was all right, and wondered if the guy once again had a getaway vehicle to flee the scene.

  “What do you have there, boy?” Julianne asked, struggling to her feet.

  It took Brody a minute to realize there was a bit of fabric caught in the dog’s mouth.

  Thunder had been close enough to get a piece of the perp, but once again, the guy had evaded capture.

  Grimly, Brody knew that this was only the beginning. They’d see this assailant again. There was no mistaking the fact that he and Julianne had been the main target of this guy’s attack.

  All trails leading back to Nate’s jailbreak.

  THREE

  Julianne swept her gaze over the area, grappling with their near miss.

  Someone had tried to kill them. Her and Brody, specifically.

  “I’m glad Thunder managed to bring back a clue.”

  Brody’s comment helped her focus. She still held the ripped piece of fabric in her hand, the one Thunder had brought to her. Pulling an evidence bag out of her pocket, she quickly placed the scrap of fabric inside and sealed it shut.

  Then she dropped to her knee, placed her arm around the dog’s neck, and gave him a hug and a treat. “Good boy.”

  Thunder let out his musical howl, making her smile.

  “The guy must have planted a bomb under your SUV,” Brody continued grimly. “If your dog hadn’t alerted us to the danger...” He didn’t need to finish his thought.

  “Thunder has saved my life more times than I can count.” Rising to her feet, she scrutinized the area around the restaurant. Thankfully, it appeared no one else was hurt, the waitress was crying, but as far as Julianne could tell, she wasn’t bleeding. The picnic table Brody had chosen was covered in black soot from the fire, but seemed to be the only damage to the restaurant itself. Her vehicle wasn’t parked too close to other cars, although there was a yellow pickup truck with broken windows as a result of the blast. “I don’t see anyone with injuries, and there doesn’t appear to be much damage, other than to my car and the yellow truck parked close by. We were fortunate.”

  This time.

  Brody nodded, phone in hand. She listened as he called dispatch to let them know about the bomb and subsequent fire.

  “How did he find us?” she asked, when he’d finished his call. “We came in two different vehicles and at two different times. I know I wasn’t followed.”

  “Me, either. But it’s a good question,” Brody admitted. “Could be they just happened to drive past and noticed the K-9 logo on the back of your SUV. K-9s aren’t common around here.”

  “Maybe. But how did they know it was mine? Max has one, too.” She didn’t like it. Surely the gunman she’d injured had made a point of getting away from here. Why bother to stick around?

  Unless he knew about the roadblocks and decided to seek revenge. Given the history between Nate and Brody, revenge seemed plausible, but she couldn’t help thinking there was something else keeping Nate around. Unfinished business? Maybe.

  A short round guy with short gray hair wearing an apron over cotton pants and a T-shirt came rushing outside. He paused, giving the waitress a hug, then made his way over to them.

  “Sheriff, what happened? What’s going on?”

  “Joe Clancy, this is FBI Agent Julianne Martinez. Julianne, this is Joe Clancy. He and his wife own Rusty’s now.” Brody paused, then sighed. “I’m sorry about this, Joe. I have reason to believe Agent Martinez and I were the intended targets. Don’t worry, it looks like only the cars next to Julianne’s were damaged, not your restaurant.”

  “Looks like my truck has broken windows, but I guess that’s what insurance is for, right, Sheriff?” Joe blew out his breath in a heavy sigh, taking the attack on his property better than she’d anticipated. He ran his hand over his hair. “It could be worse. I’m glad no one’s been hurt.”

  “Me, too. How’s your waitress?” Julianne asked. “She was the only other person in close proximity to the blast. Might be best if she went to get checked out in the ER.”

  “She has a few bruises from landing on the ground,” Joe said. “I think she’s more scared than hurt.”

  Julianne didn’t blame her. The incident had shaken her, too. Just standing here in plain view was making her nervous. What if the guy who’d set the bomb came back? She and Brody being here could very well be placing innocent lives in danger. Sirens wailed, indicating help was on the way. “We need to leave, Brody.”

  “I hear you.” He turned to the restaurant owner. “Joe, Deputy Hanson is on his way to take over for me. He’ll file a police report that you can submit to your insurance company.”

  Joe Clancy nodded and lumbered over to where the waitress still stood, wiping at her eyes.

  “Do you need to stay until your deputy arrives?”

  Brody shook his head. “For now, it’s probably best if we stick together.”

  She couldn’t argue his logic. Besides, there wasn’t time to worry about it, they were expected to meet up with Max West at the chopper. “We’ll need to take your truck, since mine is toast. I’m also going to need to replace Thunder’s equipment that was inside. Thank goodness I still have the evidence bag with Jake’s shirt in my backpack.” The thought of losing one of their key leads made her stomach clench. This incident only proved she needed to keep the evidence with her at all times.

  “Sure.” Brody led the way to his SUV, with the words Clover County Sheriff painted across the side. He automatically went to the driver’s side door, then hesitated. “Okay if I drive?”

  “Yes, of course.” The Brody she knew wouldn’t have bothered to ask. Why was he being so open-minded now? Had he changed in other ways, too? Probably, but she told herself it didn’t matter.

  The bottom line was that Brody hadn’t cared about her. He hadn’t trusted her.

  Hadn’t believed in her, the way she’d needed him to.

  Brody was a part of her past, not her future. As soon as they’d finished here, they’d both return to their respective lives.

  On opposite ends of the country.

  An hour later, after they’d stopped to pick up the items Thunder needed replaced, she joined Max at the designated meeting spot. The chopper arrived early, which suited her just fine.

  Julianne wanted very badly to find Jake Morrow and knew that it was highly likely the hidden house in the woods belonged to the Duprees. Several weeks ago, after a shoot-out at a desolate warehouse, the kingpin Reginald Dupree had been arrested, but unfortunately, his second-in-command, Angus Dupree, had gotten away with Jake Morrow as his hostage. Jake’s K-9 partner, Buddy, had been injured but had thankfully recovered. Their team was desperate to find Jake, worried Angus would attempt to force Jake to provide inside information. Or, worst case scenario, ask for a trade: Jake’s life in exchange for letting Reginald Dupree go.

  Each member of the team knew that freeing Reginald from custody was not an option.

  “Zeke, this is Julianne Martinez and Sheriff Brody Kenner.” Max performed quick introductions.

  “I appreciate being brought in as part of the team,” Zeke Morrow said, his expression solemn. He was tall, broad-shouldered with dark brown hair and dark eyes, and his partner, Cheetah, was a beautiful Australian shepherd with a black-and-white coat, mostly white around the animal’s neck and chest. Julianne found herself sending up a silent prayer that they’d find Zeke’s half brother alive and well.

  “We’re glad to have you,” Max assured him.

  Ju
lianne echoed the sentiment, then tugged Max’s arm. “There’s an incident I need to tell you about.”

  Her SAC’s expression turned grim. “Now what?”

  “Somebody planted a bomb under my SUV while Brody and I were grabbing dinner at Rusty’s, one of the restaurants located outside of town.”

  Max looked at Brody, then turned back to her. “A bomb?”

  “Yeah. Thunder alerted us to the danger, and I happened to catch a glimpse of someone running away from the parking lot, toward the back of the building,” Brody said. “We managed to get away unscathed.”

  “Thunder saved our lives,” Julianne added. “He alerted us to the danger. We caught a glimpse of someone running toward the building, and it’s likely he triggered the bomb early. Thankfully, no one else was hurt.”

  Max leveled Brody a stern look. “This latest development is related to your prison break, isn’t it?”

  “I think so, yes. I know this mission to find your agent is top priority but as soon as we’ve checked out the cabin, I’d like Julianne and Thunder’s help in tracking our escapee. When I checked in, the deputies manning the roadblocks hadn’t seen any sign of him, so that means he either slipped away or is seeking revenge against me personally for bringing him down. Based on the bomb, I’m figuring it’s the latter. I’m concerned about placing more innocent lives at risk.”

  “Good idea. Better to go on offense rather than remaining on defense.”

  Brody grinned at the football analogy and Julianne remembered how they’d loved to watch college football games on Saturdays. She lived in Montana now, and they had a college team but she still followed Texas A&M, her favorite.

  Did Brody still watch them, too? A bittersweet longing swept over her. She missed what they’d shared.

  She missed him. At least the way he’d been before Lilly’s disappearance.

  “Thanks,” Brody said. “Now, let’s check the equipment, make sure we’re ready to roll.”

  Once Brody was assured that they had everything they needed to parachute successfully into the Dupree compound, Max spread out a topographical map on the hood of his SUV so he could outline the plan.