Military K-9 Unit Christmas: Christmas Escape ; Yuletide Target

by Valerie Hansen

  He was giving her a quizzical look as she stepped in front of him and began to turn to one side. She hooked a thumb in the neckline of her shirt and pulled it just far enough away from her neck and upper shoulder for him to see the grouping of circular scars. As soon as she heard his sharp intake of breath she released the fabric and faced him.

  “That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Peter was sadistic when I was a teen, and he still is. Now you won’t have to take a child’s word for it.” Swaying in place, she felt Kyle reach out to steady her.

  That was all it took. In moments, she was fully in his arms and leaning on his chest while he whispered against her hair. “He burned you?”

  Rachel nodded slightly. Kyle bent and placed a tender kiss on her temple, then began to stroke her back through her shirt. How her arms found their way around his waist was a mystery. She hadn’t meant to embrace him, yet there they were, holding each other as if they were far more than comrades in arms. She knew she should pull away. Doubtless, Kyle knew it, too. Still, they remained together as she tried to take in every nuance of the special moment, imprinting it in her brain so she would never lose this amazing feeling of belonging. Was this what real love felt like? Or was she imagining that he returned the fondness she was experiencing?

  Kyle’s heartbeat echoed hers. Their breathing was in sync. He was resting his chin on the top of her head. Neither made a move to step away until they heard a piercing scream from the direction of the bathroom.

  Stryker began to bark.

  Kyle was a half second ahead of Rachel running down the hall shouting, “Natalie!”

  SEVEN

  Rachel paid no mind to anything but the frightened little girl. She pulled Natalie into her arms, held tight and flattened her own spine against the wall to get out of the doorway. The dog whirled and tore out of the bathroom with Kyle in pursuit. Barking continued until they reached her bedroom. Then, it stopped abruptly.

  Nothing made a sound—not a peep. She didn’t hear boots or Stryker’s nails on the hard floor for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, footsteps approached. Kyle was coming back.

  “The dog was most interested in your bedroom window,” he said. “Since you’re on the first floor I assume he heard something. There’s nobody out there now.”

  “If you’d been his partner in a war zone would you doubt him?”

  “Probably not. But remember, he’s been traumatized. We can’t send him to a counselor the way we do people.”

  Rachel made a derisive noise. “I’d sooner trust any of the K-9s in our unit than most people I know.”

  “Look, there was nothing there. I don’t know what scared Natalie or the dog but it wasn’t a prowler.”

  “And you’re sure how?”

  “Be sensible, Rachel. I know you’ve had it rough because of your loss and this new development, but you’re acting paranoid.”

  “I’m only paranoid if nobody is after me.”

  “The guard stopped Peter at the gate. We saw it happen.”

  Frustrated, she pushed past Kyle and headed for the kitchen with her niece in her arms. The five-year-old was thin for her age but still felt heavy after a while. Lowering Natalie onto a kitchen chair, she proceeded to take the sandwiches from the warming oven and pass them out. When Kyle followed with Stryker, the dog went straight to the child.

  A plan was taking shape in Rachel’s mind. Because Kyle didn’t believe her, she was going to have to play it safe and leave without his knowledge. Then, when he was questioned, he’d be able to truthfully say he had no idea where she’d taken her niece. Destination was the problem. She had no family left and didn’t dare use credit cards or the authorities could trace her whereabouts. How far could she hope to get without her own car and with little cash in her purse? Probably not even out of state. Then again, perhaps this was the Lord’s way of forcing her to trust more and stay where she was.

  That notion did not sit well. Rachel was used to calling the shots and making her own decisions. If the call about her sister had not come as such a shock, she would have traveled to the hospital alone, which, in retrospect, was exactly what she should have done.

  As she sat at the kitchen table and picked at her almost-cold sandwich, she sensed that Kyle was studying her. Finally, he spoke. “Okay. What do you want to do?”

  “Go back to yesterday and change it,” she said flatly. “But since that’s impossible, I guess I’m stuck.”

  “With me?”

  She could tell his feelings were hurt, but because she cared what happened to him, she decided that was better than becoming an accomplice to a crime. The longer he stayed with her, the more he’d look guilty when their reckoning came. “You should go. We’ll be fine as long as you leave Stryker with us.”

  “I see.” He rose from the table and threw down his napkin.

  Noticing that Natalie was wide eyed and cringing, Rachel quickly defused the situation. She inclined her head toward the child and paused long enough for Kyle to get the message. “I’m glad you’re not upset,” she said cautiously. “We don’t want you to be mad.”

  “I’m not mad at anybody but myself,” he countered. “I just thought...”

  Empathetic, Rachel watched him slowly circle the table and bend low to place a kiss on the top of the child’s head. “You take good care of Stryker for me, okay? I left a bag of his food on the counter. Make sure he always has water to drink. I’ll come back to check on him in the morning.”

  “Okay.”

  Then, he focused on Rachel. “I’m still going to ask for a Security Forces watch on this apartment whether you approve or not. If the general doesn’t see things my way, I’ll make other arrangements. I’m not leaving you unguarded. Understand?”

  How could she argue with such a sensible plan? “I do. Thank you for everything.”

  The obvious pain in his expression was nearly her undoing. There had to be a poignant story behind his emotional response, one she felt compelled to uncover. Following him to the door, she stopped him. “What happened to you in the past, Kyle?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Yes, you do. Tell me. Why is my niece’s safety so important to you? Why are you so upset about leaving us?”

  “It’s the holiday season,” he said flatly. “Christmas is always hard for me. Being around you and Natalie at this time of year brought back some strong memories.”

  “You had a family?” It was a logical guess.

  “Once. Long ago. They were killed in a traffic accident on their way home from Christmas shopping.”

  She laid a hand of consolation on his forearm. “I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t know.”

  “Nobody on base does. It’s buried in my file. I never bring it up.” His expression hardened. “I’d appreciate it if you kept the information to yourself, as well.”

  “Of course.”

  Rachel’s heart was breaking for him. She’d caught the poor man at a sensitive moment, and he’d revealed facts he’d been keeping secret. No wonder he was so solicitous to her and Natalie. He was envisioning a second chance, a surrogate family to look after. And the surges of affection she’d detected? Those did not belong to her, but to a woman he had once loved.

  Well, so be it. That made her upcoming actions easier. As soon as she could arrange bereavement leave, line up transportation, withdraw some cash from an ATM and buy an untraceable cell phone, she and Natalie would go into hiding. From there she could contact civilian authorities about gaining legal protection, yet keep Peter from knowing where she was. There would be a thin, thin line between what she was doing and what the law dictated, but she’d weather the storm somehow. She had to. A child’s welfare depended upon it. And maybe her own survival did, too.

  * * *

  Kyle had little success convincing his commanding officer that extra patrols were necessary
for Rachel’s sake. He did, however, speak to Westley James, Linc Colson and a few other CAFB K-9 cops and get them to agree to swing by her apartment more often. That helped ease his mind, but not enough to keep him from spending the night parked outside her building, huddled in his warmest jacket while watching for prowlers.

  By first light he was exhausted. A shave and a change of clothes were in order, yet he hated to leave his post. Nothing unusual had occurred. The base had been quiet all night except for occasional takeoffs and landings.

  He made a fist and wiped condensation from inside the windshield as a vehicle approached. It was Linc Colson. He stopped parallel to Kyle and rolled down his window.

  “Morning. I thought I might find you here, Doc. Brought you some coffee.”

  “Thanks. I can use it. I was about to head back to my quarters and get into uniform.”

  “You’re not on leave?”

  Kyle shook his head as he took a tentative sip. Steam was rising through the hole in the lid. “Um, hot. No, not exactly. Hall said I could leave the base to assist Rachel Fielding yesterday and that problem isn’t solved yet.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “Possible stalking.”

  “You must think so, or you wouldn’t have slept in your car.”

  “I didn’t want to take any chances.”

  “Okay. Tell you what. I can hang around here for half an hour or so while you go clean up.”

  Kyle smiled as he drew his fingers down his cheeks to meet his thumb at the point of his chin. “I could use a shave. You’re sure you don’t mind?”

  “It’s on my patrol route. Now get going so you’ll be back before I have to move on.”

  “Okay. Thanks.”

  With one last look at the area surrounding the apartment building, Kyle pulled away. He felt like a fool for worrying so much. After all, CAFB was a secure installation. The chances of a lowlife like VanHoven actually finding a way in were slim. So what had held him there all night, watching, guarding?

  He thought back to the night when complacency had cost him his family. Light snow had fallen and he’d warned Sue to drive carefully while he’d finished up at his veterinary hospital in Fort Worth. She and Wendy had planned their outing, claiming they were buying special gifts for him. Something had told him he should have gone along, but he’d ignored the feeling in favor of work. Shortly thereafter he’d gotten the news that a drunk driver had wiped out his loved ones.

  Kyle’s hands were fisted so tightly on the steering wheel his fingers cramped. He’d never been much of a worrier until he’d lost his family. After that, his practice had floundered almost to the point of bankruptcy, leading him to sell out and return to the air force, where he’d finally found peace.

  And now? Now he was beginning to feel almost as anxious as he had four years ago. Only it wasn’t just plain concern, was it? He cared too much about Rachel as well as her niece. The comparison to his former family had thrown him for a loop to begin with, but he was beginning to envision more from the experience. He was getting too attached. And despite all the obstacles, he couldn’t talk himself out of it.

  That was almost as unnerving as admitting his burgeoning feelings in the first place.

  * * *

  Rachel got herself and Natalie dressed, fed and ready to go out. It was comforting to note that one of the Security Force SUVs was idling in the street. As long as Rachel’s movements were covered and she had the dog, she felt pretty safe.

  “Put your new jacket on, honey. Want me to help you zip it?” she asked.

  “I can do it.”

  “Okay. Come on.” She tucked her wallet in a coat pocket. “We need to go shopping and this is a perfect time to leave because there’s a base police car right out front.”

  “Where’s Kyle? He said he was coming back.”

  “Not this early.”

  “Can Stryker go, too?”

  “Only as far as the lawn. We’ll exercise him while we wait for a cab, then put him back inside.”

  “Awww.”

  “It isn’t fair to ask him to walk to the store on three legs, and he can’t ride in a cab with us because he doesn’t have his official vest and badge,” Rachel explained.

  “He’s gonna be lonesome.”

  “We’ll bring him a treat.”

  “Ice cream?”

  Despite being nervous, Rachel had to laugh. “I had something a little more beefy in mind. Maybe a bone?”

  “Yuck.”

  Continuing to chuckle, Rachel took her niece by the hand, the dog’s leash in the other. She’d had enough experience with Stryker to know he’d be well behaved as well as protective. Nevertheless, she wasn’t confident enough to turn him loose. She hadn’t tested him off lead or around distractions like passing traffic and didn’t want to endanger him.

  They stepped outside. Rays of sunshine had topped the ridge to the east and were blanketing the base with warmth. Although the overall temperature remained low, the sun felt good on her face. Stryker raised his head, ears perked up, tail flagging happily. Keeping one eye on the black patrol vehicle, Rachel gave the shepherd his head and let him sniff all he wanted. Nose to the ground, he led her and Natalie around the side of the building.

  She immediately realized where he was focusing. The dry earth beneath her bedroom window was packed too hard to show footprints, but the dog was certainly interested in something there.

  Hair at the nape of her neck prickled like the ruff on an angry animal. She pressed her back to the wall and faced out to scan the neighborhood. A board fence delineated the edge of the property. It was high enough to hide a man. Had it? Was that what the K-9 had been trying to tell her?

  Freezing for an instant, she considered the possibility her enemy might have lingered nearby. Reason reminded her that Stryker would be barking if that were the case. No. Whoever had been prowling around the night before and had frightened Natalie was long gone. Her fondest hope was that the dog now had a good idea what he smelled like. If it had been Peter, as she feared, that was even better. All Stryker had to do was remember the scent and react if he ever encountered it again.

  As soon as Stryker was safely back in the apartment, Natalie tugged on Rachel’s hand. “Carry me?”

  Rachel opened her arms and lifted her niece, balancing her weight on one hip. “Okay, I’ll carry you to the cab. You have to walk when we get to the store, though.”

  “Okay.” Natalie’s arms encircled Rachel’s neck and she gave her a squeeze. “You’re nice.”

  “Thank you. I try.”

  “I’m being good, huh?”

  “Of course you are. Why?”

  The child tucked her head against Rachel’s shoulder, hiding her face when she said, “’Cause I don’t want you to give me back to Peter.” A shudder punctuated the statement.

  “I won’t. I already promised.” Should she explain further? There might not be a better time. “Sometimes children have to stay in other places for a little while until a judge decides where they should go to live. If that happens to us, that doesn’t mean you’re bad. It’s just how the rules work.”

  “No!”

  Rachel patted her back to try to soothe her. “I promise I’ll do the best I can to keep you with me, honey. But I can’t break the law and be bad like some people are. The only reason I brought you home with me is because I wanted to keep you safe.”

  “From Peter?”

  “Yes. From Peter.” She held her tightly. “I want you to tell me if you see him or any of his friends from your old house, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  The taxi crossed Canyon Boulevard. Rachel remained wary as they arrived at their destination. She took the little girl’s hand. “Brrr. Let’s go in the mall where it’s warmer and look around until the bank opens.”

  The obedient child let Rachel lead
her without a fuss. Perhaps it hadn’t been wise to tell her about the legal obstacles she expected to face, but it would have been worse to be separated forcibly without Natalie knowing what was happening or why.

  The more Rachel mulled over her predicament, the more foolish it seemed to let fear govern her choices. Kyle was right about the security of the base. And while they were there, they had Stryker on their side, too. It was too bad she couldn’t take him with her when she fled or she’d be in even worse trouble than she already was.

  Weighed down by reality and the supposition that her situation was getting worse by the minute, she plopped down on a bench inside the mall. Unshed tears filled her eyes. She blinked them back. This situation was untenable. They were doomed and it was all her fault, although in retrospect she didn’t see how she could have changed the outcome while still protecting the innocent child.

  Natalie crawled up beside her and ducked under Rachel’s arm, then took hold of her hand with both of her smaller ones. “Don’t be sad, Auntie Rachel.”

  “I’m sorry, baby. I don’t mean to be.”

  “I miss Mommy, too.”

  Rachel tucked her closer. “I know you do. I’m sorry I’m not more fun. I just don’t know what to do right now to fix everything and I wish I did.”

  She waited for a reply. When it didn’t come, she looked down and saw Natalie’s head buried against her coat. Slowly, gently, Rachel lifted Natalie’s tearstained face and looked into her Fielding blue eyes, expecting mourning. Instead, she saw raw fear.

  Without a word, the child lifted her arm and pointed across the polished stone floor. It took Rachel the space of a heartbeat to realize what she was trying to show. Barely thirty feet away stood a man with his back to them. Instead of wearing camo like most of the others nearby, he was dressed in a red satin bomber jacket with worn elbows, jeans and dirty running shoes. Peter!