by Sharon Dunn
Loud mariachi music poured from a Mexican restaurant as he approached the second café. Valerie was seated close to the entrance, hiding behind a menu. He recognized her shoes.
When he scanned the crowd on the street, he located the large man with dark hair. The same man who had tried to shoot Valerie at the construction site. Trevor slipped into a store entrance as the man passed by. The man walked up the street past the café.
Trevor crouched low and edged toward where Valerie was seated. The assailant was headed up the street toward her car.
“Valerie, come on,” Trevor rasped out.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her behind a crowd of people. He whispered in her ear. “He’s headed up the street. We can’t get to your car, but we might be able to get to mine.”
It was only a matter of time before the thug turned around and started looking closer at the people on the street. The crowd cleared, and Trevor directed her toward the door of an open shop.
When he glanced over his shoulder, the assailant had turned back and was headed toward them. Recognition spread across the man’s face before Trevor could duck. Hatred filled his eyes as he pushed people through the crowd, making a beeline for them.
The doors of the Mexican restaurant burst open, and revelers, complete with a mariachi band, spilled out into the street, blocking the assailant’s direct path to them.
Trevor shielded Valerie as they worked their way up the street. With this many people, the sniper could shoot Valerie at point-blank range and become a face in the crowd before she hit the pavement.
Valerie pressed close to him, her arm wrapped around his waist. The thug’s head towered above the others.
“This way.” He held her close, directing her into an art gallery.
A college-age woman with blond spiky hair approached them in the brightly lit space. “May I help you?”
“I’m a federal agent and this woman is in danger.” Trevor flashed his I.D.
“Oh, my.” The woman’s hand fluttered to her chest.
“Is there a back entrance we can use?” In his head, he could hear the clock ticking. How long before the assailant figured out where they had gone?
The woman shook her head.
“A window we can crawl out of?”
She pointed toward the back of the gallery. “In the storage room.”
“If a big brutish man comes in here, pretend you never saw us, please,” Trevor said.
He was pretty sure the clerk would be unharmed. The sniper wouldn’t risk getting caught unless it meant getting his target. The woman nodded. The bell that indicated someone entering the store dinged just as Trevor closed the door to the storage room. He pushed the knob in on the door, locking it.
He could hear the shop clerk talking in that polite tone, her voice elevated slightly with fear. The thug was in the shop.
The storage room contained canvases and frames, an antique desk piled with papers and a laptop. The window was small and situated high up.
Outside the door, the woman spoke more rapidly. Trevor heard a low guttural male grunt. The man’s words were indiscernible but demanding in tone.
Valerie pushed a wooden chair toward the window and flipped it open. She’d slip through fine, but it would be a tight fit for him. He boosted her up.
The doorknob shook.
“Sir, you can’t go back there. That’s private.” Though there was an attempt at calm, the shopkeeper’s voice had become more agitated.
Valerie’s feet disappeared. Trevor stepped onto the chair and pulled himself up to the windowsill.
The thug pounded on the door and shook the knob again. “Get the key,” he demanded.
Trevor pushed through the window, stretching out his hands so his head wouldn’t hit the sidewalk. Inside, the door opened on squeaky hinges.
“See, sir, there is nobody in here,” the clerk said.
On the street, Valerie helped him to his feet. He had expected to end up in an alley, but instead the street featured more shops with smaller crowds. Several people stopped to stare at him as he brushed the dust from his pants.
Trevor grabbed Valerie at the elbow. “We owe that lady a big thank you.”
“At least.” Valerie let out a heavy sigh, agitation evident in her expression as she pressed her lips together. “What now?”
She was shaken by what had just happened. He grabbed her hand and held it, hoping to calm her.
“We can get to my car without being spotted.” Trevor stepped forward, still holding on to her hand. “We’ll have to make arrangements for your car to be picked up later.”
Valerie looked up and down the street. “I have a couple of friends I can call. They’ll come by for the key and bring the car back.”
“We better hurry. This guy is dedicated. I’m sure he’s still combing the streets.” Trevor glanced down at her. “Walk fast, but don’t draw attention to yourself by running.”
Trevor was grateful he had had to park on a side street, otherwise they’d still be evading the Serpent’s thug. He opened the passenger-side door for Valerie, scanning the surrounding street as he walked over to the driver’s side.
He phoned in to the police station with a description of the man who had chased him and Valerie. Maybe the Sagebrush P.D. could catch him.
Valerie was silent on the drive home. She stared out the window without focusing on anything. He knew that look, an emotional exhaustion was setting in for her. He’d seen it on witnesses he’d been assigned to protect. The constant barrage from every angle by the Serpent’s henchmen was wearing on her.
When they got to her home, her nighttime protection had already pulled into place by the curb.
Maybe the policeman outside could protect her physically, but she was being worn down emotionally, as well. Trevor scrambled to make an excuse to be with her until she was on stronger footing. “I’ll stay with you until your car gets here.”
Her expression softened as gratitude filled her voice. “That would be nice. I can fix you some dinner.”
Trevor waved at the cop on duty as they walked past him and entered Valerie’s house. The heaviness that pressed down her shoulders seemed to lift when Valerie saw Bethany. The little girl toddled toward her mother, arms lifted up.
Mrs. Witherspoon rose from the couch where she had been stacking blocks on the coffee table with Bethany. “She’s always so glad to see you.”
Valerie nestled close to Bethany as her tiny hands wrapped around her neck. As always, Lexi greeted Valerie by wagging her bobbed tail and licking her owner’s hand.
“Poor dog slept most of the day,” said Mrs. Witherspoon. “You were smart to bring her home.”
Lexi resumed her post in the corner keeping watch, lifting her head slightly to each movement the people around her made. The dog had never greeted him when he had come into Valerie’s place. Though Lexi was not openly hostile toward him, she seemed to be reserving judgment on him for now.
Valerie thanked Mrs. Witherspoon. The older woman left after giving Valerie a hug.
She turned to face him. “I hope you like grilled chicken and a big salad because that’s what is on the menu.”
“Sounds great,” said Trevor.
“Can you keep an eye on Bethany while I work in the kitchen?”
Trevor settled down on the couch. Lexi moved to her bed in the living room, which provided her a better angle to watch Trevor.
Valerie handed Bethany a cup with a lid before moving to the kitchen.
Trevor held up one of the blocks toward Bethany. “You want to play?” He stacked one block on top of the other. Bethany watched him for a moment before retreating to the dog bed where Lexi had settled. She used the dog as a back rest while she drank from her sippie cup.
A moment later, Valerie came into the living room and swept Bethany into her arms. As she made her way back to the kitchen, bouncing Bethany and singing to her, Lexi rose to her feet and followed them.
Trevor sat in the living room alo
ne. He heard the back door slide open. Valerie must have stepped out to grill the chicken. He walked to the open door where Valerie had started the barbecue. Lexi and Bethany lingered on the patio. Bethany balanced against a lawn chair while Lexi sniffed the perimeter of the yard, her bobbed tail swinging like a metronome.
The Serpent had managed once to get into Valerie’s yard; she might try again. He peered over her fence at the surrounding backyards.
After placing the chicken on the barbecue, she looked up at him. Weariness marked her features; her eyes lacked that sparkle that he loved. What he wouldn’t give for the light to return to her eyes, to see her smile and hear her laughter.
As Valerie sat in the lawn chair and gathered Bethany into her arms, Lexi stopped her patrol and settled down on the patio beside them. Bethany crawled out of her lap, wrapped her arms around Lexi’s thick neck and kissed her. Valerie leaned forward to stroke the dog’s head. They had become a tight cohesive unit—Valerie, Bethany and Lexi. Each of them looking out for the other.
Neither one of them had said anything about the attempt on her life less than an hour ago. Yet that reality hung in the air like a thick fog.
If they could make it through this, there would come a time when Valerie’s life was no longer in danger. Things would return to normal for her. She could take Bethany to the park without fear.
As he watched Valerie slip down to the patio to talk to Bethany and stroke Lexi’s ears, he wondered if there was room in their world for him after she no longer needed his protection.
Even as Valerie rose to her feet to turn the chicken, he sensed the chasm in his own heart. She deserved better than him. Someone who understood the meaning of happy family.
She touched his hand lightly on her way back to where Bethany was nestled against Lexi. He felt a stirring deep inside, an overwhelming longing stabbed at his gut. These three females had been what he had been searching for all his life, but was there room in their world for him?
SIXTEEN
Valerie awoke to the sound of her phone ringing beside her bed. Struggling to get past the fog of sleep, she flipped open her phone. “Hello.” Her voice sounded like she’d been eating gravel. She cleared her throat.
“Valerie, it’s Trevor. Looks like Babyface is willing to squeal on Murke if he thinks it will reduce his own charges. He heard through the grapevine that Murke was eating at a truck stop outside of town last night. Maybe he’ll come back.” He paused. “Officer Worth and I are heading down there now to ask some questions and watch the place a while. I’ll catch up with you at the station when you get on duty.”
She looked at the clock. She had over two hours before she needed to be at the station. “Okay, sure.”
“Have your nighttime protection follow you to the station. Let’s not take any chances.”
Valerie took in a deep breath. “Yes, I will.” She pressed the phone against her ear. “Did any of the officers have any word on Arianna’s whereabouts?”
“You know I would tell you the second I heard anything.”
Her throat tightened as she fought back frustration. “I know.” What if Arianna had left town and would never be caught? “Guess I was just looking for a little hope to hang on to that all of this will soon be over.”
She said goodbye and hung up, rolling over on her side and pulling the covers up to her neck as she prayed for a sense of peace even though the Serpent was still not in custody.
Bethany slept on her belly in the crib. Her sweet face turned toward Valerie. She’d gotten through the entire night without waking or fussing, a victory and a sign that she was adjusting to her new life. Lexi slept protectively beside Bethany’s crib, a sure sign that Lexi had bonded with Bethany.
Valerie rose from bed, showered and dressed and was ready to go by the time Mrs. Witherspoon knocked on the door. Bethany was up and sitting on the couch with her sippie cup. She clutched her pink rabbit in the crook of her elbow.
Valerie kissed her soft head. “See you in a little while, my sweet princess.”
The drive to the station was uneventful. She finished up paperwork from the day before and checked the clock. She couldn’t wait any longer to go out on patrol. Her neighborhood needed her. Trevor would just have to catch up with her on the street.
Captain McNeal caught her on the way out the door. “Where’s Agent Lewis this morning?”
“He had a lead on Murke he had to take,” Valerie said. “I think I’m ready to go back out on patrol.”
Concern etched across McNeal’s face.
“I’ll be all right,” she assured. “Lexi is coming with me. Trevor should be done shortly.”
“There is a patrol car three blocks away from your regular beat following up some house burglaries. They’re canvassing the neighborhood so they should be there for a couple of hours.”
McNeal never stopped thinking about the safety of his officers. He was one of the reasons she was so proud to be on the Sagebrush force.
She knew McNeal had been torn up about not being able to protect his own father when Rio had been kidnapped. “How’s your dad doing by the way?”
McNeal offered her a quick smile. “He’s coming around since he woke up from his coma.”
“That’s good to hear.” She headed out to her patrol car.
Not wanting to interrupt him if he was on surveillance, Valerie texted Trevor, advising him of the neighborhood she’d be patrolling for the next few hours.
The day was sunny and clear as she parked her car and prepared to patrol on foot. She opened the back door for Lexi. The number of children playing on lawns suggested that it must be a school holiday.
Several children came up to greet her and pet Lexi. The dog relished the attention, her little bobbed tail vibrating at a furious rate. She’d taken Lexi for talks at the local schools and all the kids knew her. Lexi seemed more energetic, more like herself.
Jessie Lynn rode up on her bike, her light brown hair catching glints of sunlight. She’d attached metallic streamers to her handlebars. Several children rode behind her.
“Officer Salgado.” She braked, her eyes wide with excitement.
“You got your bike looking pretty spiffy there, Jessie Lynn,” Valerie said.
A second child, a boy of about six, came up on a bike and stopped behind Jessie Lynn. Two more children stopped, as well. All of them looking up at Valerie.
“What’s going on here, kids?”
Jessie Lynn, the official spokesperson for the group, gripped her handlebars. “Are you still looking for that police dog that was stolen?”
“You mean Rio?”
“We saw a dog just like him over by the old auto shop.” The boy pointed over his shoulder.
“Yeah, it was a German shepherd,” said another child.
All the children nodded in unison before a third one added, “It was all mean and scary-looking.”
“It wasn’t mean.” Jessie Lynn put her hand on her hip. “We saw him from far away.”
“Yeah, we saw him running,” a chubby-cheeked little boy said.
“He was running toward the old auto repair place?”
“Like sniffing around it,” another child piped in.
Valerie listened intently. Could this be Rio? “Was there a person with him?”
All the children shook their heads in unison.
“All by himself,” added the chubby-cheeked boy.
“I’ll check it out. Thanks, kids.” Valerie jogged down the street with Lexi taking up the lead. The old auto shop building was one of the abandoned warehouses in the area where she and Trevor had first spotted Derek Murke.
So much had changed since that first morning. Trevor’s aloofness because of her rookie status was no longer an issue. He seemed to respect the work Lexi did. Yet, there was still some part of Trevor that held back. She’d noticed it last night at dinner.
The bike convoy of children followed her to the end of the block.
As excited as the band of junior detectives
were, she couldn’t put them in any danger. “Why don’t you kids wait here?” As if on cue, four sets of shoulders drooped and heads bent in disappointment. “I’ll let you know if I find anything.” She turned a corner and headed up the street.
Strange that Trevor hadn’t called her yet in response to her text, or showed up. If Murke was going to show at that truck stop, he should have been there by now. Maybe Trevor and Jackson had caught up with him and he’d run again. She felt a twinge of regret at not being able to be there when Murke was finally apprehended.
She approached the warehouse with caution. The kids had said the dog was roaming free, but that didn’t mean that some member of the syndicate wasn’t close by. She radioed dispatch to let them know she might need assistance. If this dog was Rio, it was possible that he had served his purpose for the syndicate and had been turned loose.
She pulled her flashlight off her utility belt and entered the warehouse. The shell of an old truck—tires missing and doors torn off—rested in the middle of the concrete floor.
Lexi hadn’t alerted to anything. If there was another dog in the proximity, she would have smelled it. Lexi licked her chops and whined when Valerie looked down at her.
“Nothing, huh?”
She walked the interior perimeter of the shop. There were plenty of busted-out windows and a back door where the dog the children had seen could have gotten out.
She stepped out into the sunlight. Her cell phone rang. She clicked it on, expecting it to be Trevor.
“Hello.”
Silence on the other end of the line and then the line went dead. Valerie clicked through to see what number had dialed her. A sense of apprehension crept in when she saw that it was Mrs. Witherspoon’s cell number.
She dialed the number, pressing the phone hard against her ear. It went immediately to message. Had something happened to Mrs. Witherspoon? She wasn’t a young woman. What if she was having a heart attack and Bethany was alone in the house? Valerie quelled the rising panic with a deep breath.
