It didn’t take long for the X-rays to be developed and the vet took them into a private room to examine them. She clipped the X-rays to a light board.
“There are two foreign objects, one of which is his microchip.” She pointed to a tiny rectangular chip. “It appears to be perfectly normal with his registration number on it.”
She then gestured to a square that looked to be an inch in width and length. “I’m not sure what that is.”
Dylan’s blood seemed to flow faster through his veins. He looked from the X-rays to the vet. “I need that removed now.”
Dr. Nicholson frowned. “I have a surgery to perform in fifteen minutes, Agent Curtis.”
“This is important.” Dylan eyed the vet squarely. “It’s a matter of national security.” He didn’t know if it was, but he had to know what that implant was.
Dr. Nicholson studied Dylan, as if determining if he was being honest. She gave a slight nod to the tech. “Go ahead and prep him.” The vet looked back to Dylan. “If you’ll just take a seat in the waiting room—”
Dylan shook his head. “As I told you before, Joe doesn’t leave my sight.”
“Very well.” She inclined her head toward a door down the hall. “We will perform the surgery to remove the implant now.”
Within fifteen minutes, everything was prepared. The German shepherd lay quietly on the surgery table. He was a highly trained animal that did as he was instructed and didn’t move. Belle stood beside Dylan as they watched.
After a small area around the scar was shaved, Dr. Nicholson applied a local anesthetic to Joe’s thigh. The vet waited for the anesthetic to do its job before beginning.
The surgery took moments. The vet made the incision in the skin and withdrew a small, coated device with a pair of forceps. She set the blood-covered item on the metal tray beside the surgery table. She examined it, turning it over with the forceps, before looking at Dylan.
“It’s in a silicone sleeve, likely to keep any sharp edges from irritating Joe’s skin.” The vet frowned as she looked back to the incision. “This was done much like individuals who are into body modification, of course in their cases for decorative purposes.”
Belle frowned. “Body modification for decorative purposes?”
The vet nodded. “The implants can be subdermal or transdermal and can be quite large beneath the skin without harming the individual.” She looked at Joe. “Of course that’s not likely to be what’s going on here. But the silicone should have protected Joe from sharp edges.” The doctor examined the wound that remained. “Thankfully, there is no sign of infection.”
The tech cleansed and sterilized the wound before stitching it up. Joe remained still.
Dylan nodded toward the thing that had been removed from Joe’s thigh. “Let’s see what’s in there.”
Dr. Nicholson used surgical tools to carefully remove the silicone sleeve from the device. When the bloody coating was removed, a small high tech device that looked similar to an SD card was left. It was slender and less than an inch long and an inch wide.
“I need to bag and tag these.” Dylan gestured to the device and the sleeve. “What do you have that I can use?”
The vet reached into a drawer and brought out two small clear bags, two labels, and a pen.
Dylan scrawled the information on the labels before putting them on the bags. He used a clean pair of forceps to deposit the device into one bag then sealed it. He again used the forceps, this time to pick up the silicone and drop it into the other bag before making sure it too was sealed.
“No one is to know about this.” Dylan looked from the vet to the tech. “Make sure your staff is clear on that.”
“Of course. Only Rod has been privy to this.” Dr. Nicholson glanced at Rod, who nodded.
Dylan gave his card with his contact information to the vet after she took off her surgical gloves. “I am the only one who should be in contact with you about Joe if necessary. If anyone else attempts to ask questions, call me immediately.”
She nodded. “I will.”
Dylan looked at Joe, who was still lying on the table. “I’ll be keeping him with me after all. This changes everything.”
Once Joe was ready and they had bought multiple cans of dog food before they checked out, they headed out of the clinic, into the chilly air, and to Dylan’s truck. Joe didn’t limp even though the wound might have been irritating him. Dylan helped Belle into the truck then instructed Joe to jump into the back of the king cab. The dog did so and sat on his haunches on the back seat.
Dylan climbed into the driver’s seat, wishing he had his laptop so he could check out the contents of the SD card now. Just as he started to call his RAC, his phone vibrated. When he un-holstered the cell, the screen showed Sofia’s number.
He started the truck to get warm air blowing. “Dylan here.”
As usual, Sofia started without bothering with a greeting. “You need to find a secure location to take Ms. Hartford. A rash of witnesses from various agencies needed to be taken to local safe houses, so none are available.”
“Damn.” Dylan blew out his breath, then thought about a place he’d considered taking Belle to last night. “I know somewhere I can hide her that will be safe.”
“Good. Any new developments?” she asked.
“Possibly something important, but I won’t know for sure until it’s checked out.” He explained about what had looked to be an SD card, only more high-tech.
“Trace is in Bisbee right now,” she said. “Call him and set up a secure location to meet.”
When Sofia disconnected, Dylan called Trace. They arranged to meet at a feed and tack store in Palominas, between Sierra Vista and Bisbee. It wasn’t likely they’d be seen in a rural location, behind a mountain of alfalfa hay bales.
They reached the store two minutes ahead of Trace, who drove up in his Ford Explorer. Trace and Dylan parked their vehicles in the back near the feed loading area. Belle stayed in the truck with Joe but raised her hand in a “hello” gesture to Trace. He raised his hand in response.
Dylan walked up to Trace and greeted him as he handed him the bags. “Get these back right away. We need to know what’s on it.”
“Screw waiting. Why don’t we take a look now?” Trace took the two bags as he spoke in his drawl. “I’ve got my laptop. It’ll be interesting to see what’s on this SD card.”
Dylan grinned. “It pays to know the right people.”
Trace opened the front passenger door of his SUV and pulled a laptop from beneath the seat. He set it on the seat and lifted the lid. While the machine booted up, he grabbed a surgical glove from a compartment, removed the card from its bag, and inserted it into a port.
Dylan caught himself holding his breath as Trace pulled up the screen that showed six folders. “This isn’t your standard SD card,” Trace said.
“No kidding.” Dylan shook his head.
“There’s a hell of a lot of information on here that would never fit on a standard SD card.” Each folder that had appeared was labeled with a number from one to six. Trace tried to open the first folder and a box requesting a password popped up.
“Shit.” Trace tried the other five folders with the same result. “I think the passwords are encrypted.”
Frustration in Dylan mounted. “Let’s get the card to our lead tech guy. Hope to hell George can find out what is on it.”
Trace nodded. “Will do.”
Dylan braced one hand on the Explorer. “Got a favor to ask.”
Trace closed the laptop and put the SD card back into its bag and sealed it. “Shoot.”
“I need to swap vehicles with you.” He jerked his thumb toward his truck. “I think whoever’s behind this knows what my truck looks like. But that means you’ll have to watch your back.”
“No problem.” Trace picked up the laptop. The keys were in the ignition, the SUV still running, air coming through the vents to keep the vehicle warm.
Trace greeted Belle as they
changed vehicles, before she and Joe climbed into the Explorer.
“How are you holding up?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I don’t know. Everything is too surreal.”
Trace touched her forearm and squeezed. “Take care.”
Dylan grabbed what he needed out of this truck and transferred it into the SUV. Trace moved away from Belle and did the same with his belongings.
Trace left and pulled onto the two-lane highway, headed back toward Bisbee.
Dylan glanced at Belle. She looked exhausted. He needed to get her to their destination where she could get some rest. He could use some sleep himself.
“What was on that card?” she asked once they were on the road. “Did it have anything important on it?”
“I don’t know.” He shook his head. “All of the folders are password protected.”
She let out a deep sigh. “I was so hoping that there would be something on that card that would end all of this.”
He took his gaze from the road to glance at her. “You and me both.”
Dylan had decided on a little known, secluded bed and breakfast in Bisbee. Before going to the place, he picked an isolated area in Palominas to change into other clothing from a duffel bag he’d transferred from his truck. He traded his Stetson for a ball cap, his boots for a pair of running shoes, and a Diamondbacks baseball jacket that hid his weapons.
Belle tucked her hair beneath one of his ball caps, slipped back into his leather jacket, and wore an extra pair of his sunglasses. When they’d done their best to alter their appearances, they headed to the small, new and barely known B & B. He made sure it wasn’t yet on the town’s website of local accommodations before he called to make a reservation. The only room they had available was an upstairs suite that was nearly twice the cost of their normal rooms. He took it and gave the credit card number for one of his numerous undercover aliases.
The place was up in Tombstone Canyon, not too far from Main Street in Old Bisbee. It had once been one of the nicer, older homes that had been recently remodeled and turned into a quaint place to stay. Parking wasn’t great in that area, but Dylan found a space on a street with a fairly steep incline.
Before walking into the B & B, Dylan pulled his ball cap low. Inside, with Joe sitting on the floor beside her, Belle perched on the edge of a chair in the entryway. A fit man in his early sixties sat at a small table that served as a registration desk. Dylan introduced himself under his alias.
“I’m Mitch Maddox and I’m the owner.” The man appeared tense as he gestured to Joe. “I’m sorry, but no pets allowed.”
Dylan shook his head. “He’s a mental health service dog for my wife.”
Mitch’s body language changed and he looked more relaxed. “In that case, come on over here.”
The man showed Dylan the old-fashioned guest book and he signed in under the name of the alias he was using. This persona said he was from Phoenix and he played it up. “We’re here to get away from city life for some R & R.”
“Used to live there myself. Twenty-six years.” Mitch’s expression screwed up with distaste. “Can’t say that I blame you for wanting to get away from that rat race, even if it’s a short vacation.”
Mitch handed Dylan a couple of brass keys. Dylan thanked the owner and he, Belle, and Joe started up the stairs.
Whoever was looking for them wouldn’t expect a dog, and both Belle and Dylan had changed their appearances. He hoped to hell that would be enough to keep them from being recognized from photos or by description, if anyone stopped by looking for them.
CHAPTER 13
When Belle had first curled up on a bed in the suite in the B & B, she thought she’d sleep for a week. Instead, her mind worked overtime, and the longer it whirled through everything that had happened over the last thirty-six hours, the more wound up she got.
Fear that she’d managed to push aside now made her tremble, and despite the blanket covering her, she grew cold.
The blackout shades had been drawn, keeping the late afternoon sun out. Soon it would be nightfall.
They’d eaten takeout earlier. One of the agents Dylan worked with had picked up Italian, including ziti, spaghetti, and garlic breadsticks. They’d fed G.I. Joe one of the cans of food they’d purchased from the clinic.
Belle hadn’t expected to be able to eat, but after everything, she’d been hungry and had devoured the ziti and breadsticks. She’d taken a shower and had practically fallen into bed.
Yet she couldn’t sleep. She shifted in the bed, pulling the covers more firmly about her as she thought about everything. So much had happened, it nearly made her head spin.
When Dylan had referred to her as his wife earlier, it had caused her belly to loop despite her exhaustion. What would it be like to be his wife? She could picture waking up with him, making breakfast together, and kissing him goodbye when he went to work. Just the thought of doing little domestic things together made her chest feel warm.
The warmth faded. He’d just been making sure Joe could stay with them when he’d referred to her as his wife. She was so exhausted she probably looked like she needed the assistance of a mental health service animal.
Footsteps came to the doorway of the suite’s bedroom, startling her, and she opened her eyes. The room was dim but the light from the hallway illuminated Dylan’s big frame. She couldn’t make out his features with the light behind him.
“Are you all right?” He spoke softly.
“Yes.” She swallowed then shook her head. “No.”
He moved closer and the mattress dipped as he sat on the edge of the bed. He reached out and brushed hair from her eyes. His callused fingers were warm and gentle against her skin.
“Will you lie down with me?” She hated how weak she sounded. “I—I need you.”
He looked at her for a long moment. “If it will help you get to sleep.”
“It will.” She nodded, her hair sliding into her eyes again. “Where’s Joe?”
“He’s resting in the living room, near the front door.” Dylan shook his head. “I think he’s on guard, prepared to protect us.”
“I get that feeling from him, too.” She pushed the hair back out of her eyes. “The pain meds the vet gave him seem to be working and he doesn’t appear to be interested in chewing the stitches.”
He turned on the bedside light before he removed his weapon and laid it on the nightstand, and then shrugged out of his shoulder holster. He unclipped his phone holster and set it next to the gun, then pulled out his creds and placed the wallet on the nightstand, too. He toed off his shoes, pulled off his socks, and then slid under the covers with her.
She had taken a shower and wore only the robe she’d found hanging on a hook in the bathroom. He had taken a shower, too, but had dressed before making business calls in the other room in the suite.
Now he faced her, and she was grateful he’d turned on the bedside lamp so she could see his rough features as he reached out to run his knuckles along the line of her jaw.
“I’ve missed you.” The words came out before she could stop them.
He hesitated, and then trailed his fingers over her face, exploring it with his touch as if trying to memorize her features. “I’ve missed you more than you’d ever believe.”
His words both sent warmth and sadness through her. Even though she’d left him, he’d still missed her. But the sadness came from the secret she’d kept so very long.
He brushed the side of her face with his fingers and ran his thumb over her lips. She shuddered with pleasure at the intimate contact. Every stroke of his fingers, every touch of his hand sent spirals of desire through her.
She didn’t feel tired any longer. All she felt was the need to be in his arms and to have him inside her again.
He slid his fingers into her hair and cupped the back of her head. “I should leave. I can sleep on the couch.” His voice was hoarse, as if he was forcing out the words.
“Please stay.” She gripped t
he front of his T-shirt in her fists as she brought her mouth close to his. “Don’t leave.”
“Belle.” The way he said her name so tenderly, a sigh of surrender in his voice, made her feel somehow powerful and strong.
She pressed her lips to his and he groaned. He moved his lips over hers, sliding to the corner of her mouth. He kissed her, nipping at her lower lip and causing a moan to rise up inside her. He drew her into his embrace, his body so hard and solid against hers. Her breasts ached, her nipples tight, and she was so very wet.
All her previous thoughts and jealousy over past lovers that he’d surely had fled in that moment. What mattered was that she was in his arms now. It was just the two of them existing on this plane in this world. Just the two of them together in a place and time where they belonged.
She moaned, wanting him with a frenzy that his slow kisses didn’t allow. She pressed her body more fully against his, feeling his jeans through her robe and the erection that the tough denim barely contained.
Her need was so great that she squirmed against him, reached for the bottom of his T-shirt, and pulled it out of his jeans.
In a surprise movement, he took her wrists in his hands as he rolled her onto her back. The robe parted as he slid between her thighs. He grasped both her wrists in one of his big hands and pinned her arms over her head.
“Not so fast.” He pressed his lips to her forehead. “I’ve dreamed about this moment since you left, and I’m going to treasure every moment I have with you.”
His words sent thrills tingling in her belly and warmth sliding through her heart and soul. She no longer felt the frantic urgency, now she reveled in the moment.
He moved his mouth to hers and kissed her slowly, taking his time. She savored his taste and sighed from his gentle touch. He was such a big man now, but the way he moved his hands over her body was like a sculptor putting the finely crafted last touches to his work.
She widened her thighs so he was seated more firmly against her as the bottom of her robe fell completely to the sides. His erection was huge as it pressed against the center of her bare folds.
No Mercy Page 13
