Search and Rescue

by Valerie Hansen

  Forty-five minutes later, while directing an evacuation helicopter’s landing, Ryder remembered he’d forgotten to ask Sophie about the unlatched gates.

  SEVENTEEN

  “What would you like to do?” Sophie asked Lily.

  The pouting child merely shrugged.

  “Are you still hungry? There’s a little more pizza. How about a bottle of water? Aren’t you thirsty”

  A shake of the head.

  Sophie made a face and blew a noisy sigh. “If you were a puppy I’d take you to the vet to see why you were acting so sad. But since you’re not, and you can talk if you want to, I’ll pick what we do.” She looked around. “Let’s see, there are dog bowls to wash and rinse. Or we could get down on our hands and knees and scrub cement with brushes so it’s nice and clean for the next new dogs.”

  “Yuck.”

  “You have a better idea?”

  Lily yawned. “We could play hide-and-seek.”

  “We could if we weren’t all so tired. Titus is asleep and Phoenix is resting.” She knew better than to list the weary child and trigger more argument. “Why don’t we go upstairs to the break room and watch videos?”

  “Cartoons?”

  “Something better,” Sophie told her. “You like dogs. I have some great training DVDs up there. And a sofa where you can sit with your shoes off and pet Titus with your toes.”

  “I can take my shoes off? Daddy said...”

  “I know he did. But if you don’t get up and walk around, sitting on this couch should be no different than the one you have at home.”

  To Sophie’s relief and guarded delight, Lily looked happier. “Okay.”

  So far, so good. Their evening wasn’t going to be all smiles, she knew, but this was a fair start at making peace. After all, she wasn’t the child’s mother so she really had no authority other than what Ryder had imparted when he’d left them together.

  Lily rousted Titus, and Phoenix followed without hesitation. They had no trouble staking out positions next to the upstairs sofa as soon as Lily sat down and kicked off her shoes. Titus claimed his spot at her feet, laid his chin on his front paws and made himself at home. Less self-assured, Phoenix edged in next to the old dog until Sophie started the video player and joined the child. Then he took up a position by her feet.

  “I like German shepherds,” Lily said. “Why is that one so mean?”

  “Because he’s trained to act that way when he’s on duty,” Sophie explained. “Watch for a minute and you’ll see how nice he is when he’s at home.”

  “Titus is never mean.”

  “Dogs are like people.” Smiling, Sophie patted Lily’s knee. “Some are better at one job than any other. For instance, your daddy is good at catching bad guys.”

  “Yeah. He’s real brave.”

  “I know. You must be very proud of him.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “What’s your favorite thing to do?”

  “Tickle Titus.” She raised a bare foot and giggled. “See?”

  “I do see. He likes it, too.”

  “Yeah. Sometimes he licks my toes. The puppies did that tonight.”

  “I’m sure they did.” Sophie began to relax. If she and Lily found nothing else to talk about, they could always fall back on their love of dogs. She cupped a hand around her mouth and leaned closer. “Can I tell you a secret?”

  “Uh-huh.” The sky blue eyes widened in anticipation.

  “When it’s really hot out and I’m hosing down the kennels, I sometimes take my shoes off and let the dogs chase my toes, too.”

  Lily covered her giggle. “I’ll tell Daddy.”

  “That’s okay. I don’t mind.” Remembering their water fight made Sophie grin. “When you do, ask him if he ever likes to play in the hose, okay?”

  “Okay.” Yawns were soon followed by a nodding head. Sophie slipped an arm around the child and let her doze close to her side. It was getting easier and easier to picture herself as a mother in spite of her own childhood woes. This wasn’t so bad. It actually felt good to protect and shelter as if she were a mother hen tucking a chick beneath her wing. There was a Bible passage in Psalms about believers being tucked under God’s wings. How did it go? “He shall cover you with His feathers and under His wings shall thou trust...”

  Peace descended. Sophie was determined to stay awake despite the armed guards at both doors but her eyelids were growing heavy.

  The DVD ended and apparently shut itself off, because when Sophie awoke the room was dark except for moonlight shining through the windows. The TV was silent. It took her a few seconds to realize that the warm creature half on, half off her lap was Lily.

  Blinking to adjust to the dimness, Sophie was puzzled. Hadn’t she left more lights burning? What about the hallway? The stairs?

  A low rumble from the floor at the end of the couch came from Phoenix. She dropped her left hand and arm over the side and touched his silky fur. “What is it, boy?”

  He slowly rose. Sophie kept her hand on him. “Easy. Stay.” Although his muscles knotted he didn’t leave her.

  Easing aside to stand, she laid the sleeping child flat on the sofa cushions. There was a spare leash in the closet but Sophie knew better than to let go of the Aussie. Thankfully, he wasn’t barking yet or he’d have awakened every dog in the place—and Lily, who was far less trouble than usual at the moment.

  Keeping a hand on Phoenix’s collar Sophie walked him to the storage closet where Lily had hidden earlier and located a leash. Once he was under control she led him to the top of the stairs. His nails clicked on the hard floor.

  Sophie stopped. If the building’s depths had not been so dark she wouldn’t have been concerned. Power sometimes failed during storms, of course, but the weather had been mild lately.

  One hand on the banister, the other holding the leash, she descended. From the main floor it was possible to see that other buildings obviously had electricity. So did the police department a quarter of a mile down Desert Valley Road. Did they have their own generator for emergencies?

  “It doesn’t matter,” Sophie murmured. “What I want to know is why this place went dark.”

  The front door was the closest so she approached it. “Benny? Are you there?”

  Louder. “Benny! Answer me. Are you okay?”

  A hand in front of Phoenix’s nose and a stern, “Stay” freed both hands. She drew her sidearm and released the safety on it before trying the door and finding it locked.

  Sophie held her breath, turned the dead bolt and slowly opened the metal exterior door. The sidewalk outside was deserted. The only sign that Benny had been there was a half-empty soda bottle and a folding chair. She had known him to nap on the job but would never have dreamed he’d desert his post.

  Phoenix was growling. He had stayed put, swiveling his head to look into the depths of the silent building.

  She did the same, considering her options. If she left the area at the foot of the stairs, that would leave Lily open to attack from below. However, if she went to check on Marlton and found him, with or without Benny, she’d have reinforcements.

  Because she had already called out and revealed her presence, she felt no reluctance to use her cell phone to inform Ryder of the strange situation. The call went straight to his voice mail. 911? No. Not when so many officers and others were busy saving lives on the highway. She could handle this herself. She knew the layout of each room well enough to navigate without having to see well and the skylight in the indoor training area let in available moonlight. Plus, she was armed and had a dog with her. That magnified her human senses immeasurably.

  Actually, given the situation, Sophie’s decision was fairly easy. She’d get a flashlight, tell Marlton to check the fuse box and make sure all was well there, then contact t
he power company if the problem was not due to a fault in the training center’s wiring.

  An unexpected meow perked up the dog’s ears. There was a cat in here? How in the world had that happened?

  Sophie had not planned to release Phoenix. He had other ideas. He lunged. She lost her grasp on the leash. In a heartbeat he had outrun the beam of the flashlight and disappeared.

  “Well, at least he can’t get out,” she grumbled, wishing she’d brought steady, predictable Titus with her before she concluded he was exactly where he belonged, upstairs guarding Lily.

  Poor little kitty. It sure had picked the wrong building to invade. As soon as she’d gotten the electricity restored, Sophie planned to locate and save it from being overrun by canines. Most of them probably wouldn’t hurt it but there were a few who might try, particularly if it was as young as it sounded.

  Listening carefully, Sophie was puzzled that Phoenix was using a silent pursuit. That wasn’t at all like him. Matter of fact, his barking was sometimes excessive.

  The hair on the back of her neck prickled. “Phoenix? Phoenix, come.”

  No response. No barking, or whining. No sharp tapping of nails on the hard floor or scrambling sounds when he rounded a corner too fast and slipped.

  Bile rose in Sophie’s throat. Fright touched every nerve and demanded she run. As a dog trainer, her first responsibility was to the canines in her care, and if Lily had not been asleep upstairs she would have bravely pressed forward in search of the dog.

  The presence of the helpless little girl changed everything. Phoenix had his speed and his teeth and the self-preservation instincts of an intelligent animal. Lily had nothing but an old dog and her; the woman who had vowed to keep her safe.

  Wheeling, Sophie headed back toward the stairway. She had barely taken two steps when a searing pain cut through her head.

  She remained conscious only long enough to feel herself starting to fall.

  Then, blackness.

  * * *

  “Was that the last chopper?” reporter Madison Coles asked Ryder.

  “Yes.” He was hoping she wasn’t going to take advantage of her relationship with rookie James Harrison to try to pick his brain for the Canyon County Gazette. A catastrophe like the one tonight was not something Ryder wanted to remember, let alone discuss.

  “When you have a minute, you need to come see something, Chief,” Harrison said. “One of the paramedics spotted it when he was cutting a victim loose with the Jaws of Life.”

  “What is it?”

  “Take a look.”

  Ryder frowned, then crouched and began to clear scraps of debris off the object. It was about six inches wide and so long it disappeared beneath other wreckage. “A spike strip?”

  “Looks like it to me. I wonder if the highway boys were in pursuit and laid it to stop whoever they were chasing?”

  “I don’t know. But I’m sure going to find out.” He headed for the makeshift command post that had been set up in one of the patrol units parked safely off the road. A variety of uniforms showed the full complement of services that had been called in.

  “Did one of you guys lay a spike strip?”

  Denials were swift and loud.

  Ryder held up both hands, palms forward. “That’s what I figured. One of my men showed me something that sure looks as though there was nothing accidental about this pileup tonight. Somebody planned it.”

  As he spoke, a shiver shot up his spine. Who did he know who had the warped, evil mind necessary for such a horrible act? Who would harm innocent people like this? And why?

  The who was easy. Carrie Dunleavy. But why? The only thing he could think of was creating a ruse to draw him and his men out of town. Carrie had never done anything without a reason. Even though it had taken years to figure out her twisted motives, they did exist. And they’d made a sick kind of sense once he’d seen the pictures and read her journal.

  “Listen,” Ryder announced, pointing to James. “This is Officer Harrison. He’ll show you the device. I need to go.”

  The others were too focused on seeing the spikes to offer thanks. Ryder didn’t care. He didn’t need or want gratitude. What he wanted was to return to his daughter—and to Sophie—and hug them both as long and hard as possible.

  Just because there had been no sightings of Carrie lately didn’t mean she wasn’t around. Criminal profilers in Flagstaff had warned she wouldn’t go far. If they had been right, maybe she was in Desert Valley now.

  Would she sabotage a highway just to get to him? Sure she would. She’d killed and maimed before. Stepping up her game after her crimes had been revealed made sense. She was running out of time. Out of opportunity. And hopefully, out of freedom.

  He slid into his cruiser and flipped on the lights and siren, then made a U-turn in the median and sped back toward town. If his ideas were wrong, there would be no harm done.

  If he was right and Carrie was on the offensive, he’d need more than mere speed. He’d need divine guidance and protection for his loved ones. Lots of it.

  * * *

  Sophie heard moaning before realizing it was coming from her. Dizzy and disoriented she touched her aching scalp. Blood made her fingers sticky. She tried to sit up and failed to find good balance.

  “Well, well, look who’s finally coming around,” a bitter-sounding woman said. “I should have saved Marian Foxcroft’s silver poodle statue to use on you, too.”

  Sophie could hardly breathe. That voice. It had to belong to whom she thought. Did she dare even speak the name?

  Wide-eyed, she fought to focus despite the bright beam of the discarded flashlight. Starting by noting low-heeled pumps, she observed tailored beige slacks and a plain brown blouse that almost matched the woman’s mousy hair. Everything was familiar except the menacing glare in Carrie’s eyes. And the pistol she was pointing.

  Sophie’s gaze narrowed to the hole in the end of the barrel. “That’s my gun.”

  “It certainly is. Kind of you to provide it, dear. I usually have to improvise, particularly since it’s hard to lug a rifle around with me. Too conspicuous.” She chuckled. “My aim is getting considerably better, don’t you think?”

  “You don’t want to shoot me,” Sophie offered, trying to reason with the madwoman.

  “Why not? Do you think I don’t know what you’ve been up to with my fiancé.”

  “I’m not up to anything, Carrie. Honest I’m not. All I care about is my dogs.” A swell of panic almost closed her throat. “You, you didn’t hurt any of them, did you?”

  “Not yet. If you behave yourself I may not have to, either. Of course if you misbehave there are no guarantees. You saw what happened to Veronica, thanks to me. You should have celebrated. I got you a promotion.”

  There it was. The admission. Carrie Dunleavy had killed Veronica Earnshaw, Sophie’s predecessor. The question was why. Veronica hadn’t been interested in Ryder romantically. And he didn’t particularly like her as a person, which would have made Carrie happy. So why had she killed her?

  “You want my thanks for killing someone in cold blood?” The woman was insane.

  Carrie nodded. “It might have been nice to get a little recognition for all the things I did at the police station. But no. Everybody ate my lovely baked goods and acted as if they expected me to keep treating them. Who ever treated me? Huh? Who? Even those mutts of yours didn’t like me. Thank goodness I had my sweet kitties.”

  Two and two suddenly added up to four. “Did you bring a cat in here tonight to confuse the dogs?”

  “Who, me?” Carrie meowed melodiously. “I didn’t need to. My imitation was good enough to fool that stupid gray dog without endangering an innocent kitty. He ran through the back door and I locked him out.” She cackled hoarsely. “He can keep those dumb guards company.”

&n
bsp; “Are they all right?”

  Carrie shrugged. “Who knows!”

  Sophie stared at her. “Why did you kill Veronica?”

  “Boring question. But I have one. What I want to know is what happened to the girl.”

  “What girl?”

  Carrie howled and raised the gun as if she were going to use it to backhand Sophie. “You know very well what girl. My daughter-to-be. Lily Hayes.”

  EIGHTEEN

  Sophie felt helpless. Her head throbbed from behind her eyes to the base of her skull. The pain was not only nauseating, it kept her from thinking clearly.

  How could this have happened? She’d been cautious to a fault. So had Ryder, even posting double the usual guards. If not for the traffic accident tonight he would have been there, too. What else could they possibly have done?

  She supposed he could have shipped Lily out of town but his theory that the child was safer there with them was valid. He couldn’t very well lock up his little girl while a crazed murderer ran loose. That was opposite to the way things should be.

  Then again, who said life was fair? Even Christians fell victim to temptation. She should know. Her parents had been prime examples of people who’d talked about how to live a life of faith, yet had failed to do so. Sometimes she wondered if they’d realized how close she’d come to rejecting Jesus because of them. It was only afterward, with the insight of a believer, that she had come to terms with the pain of her past.

  And now it seemed she was out of time.

  Rising to hands and knees, Sophie labored to regain normal equilibrium. Every breath brought another wave of nausea but each time it seemed to lessen a tiny bit.

  “Get up,” Carrie ordered. “Stop pretending.”

  “I’m not pretending. I’m dizzy.”

  “Good. You’ll be less trouble that way.” She picked up the flashlight and gestured. “I know you were upstairs when I let myself in with Marlton’s key card, so march. We’re going back up there.”

  Sophie would gladly have lunged at her and gone for the gun if she’d been herself. But she wasn’t. The images of her surroundings were not only still dim, they vibrated like the shimmer of a mirage on a desert highway.