Guard Duty (Texas K-9 Unit)

by Sharon Dunn

  “Hello, Jackson. Valerie is here with me.”

  “Yeah, I heard about the dog. I hope she makes it,” Jackson said.

  Trevor swallowed hard. “Me, too.”

  “McNeal asked me to fill you guys in. They’ve got Murke down at the station.” Murke hadn’t escaped custody this time. And Trevor knew he would be put away for good. Finally, he had some justice for the death of Agent Cory Smith.

  Jackson continued. “Since he’s not talking, McNeal thinks we might have to bring the woman at the apartment in for questioning. This Nicki Johnson. She was related to the Serpent. She might know something.”

  “Yeah, we don’t know what her level of involvement is. Derek seemed to think she had some sort of code that would help him with his big score, which has to be whatever it is the syndicate has been looking for in the Lost Woods. Arianna must have known something about it, and Murke must have coerced her into telling him that this Nicki person had it.”

  “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. When Arianna was dying, she whispered three words to me that make sense now,” Jackson said.

  “What did she say?”

  “Cousin. Code. Danger.”

  “Sounds like the Serpent was having some last minute guilt pangs over sending Murke to terrorize her cousin,” Trevor said.

  “Maybe. Hard to say.” Jackson seemed to be mulling all the information over and had fallen into a silence.

  Trevor’s own thoughts wandered again to the fate of the loyal dog lying on the operating table. “Listen, I got to go.”

  “A lot of people in the department are praying for Lexi,” Jackson said. “I know I am.”

  Trevor hung up the phone and turned toward Valerie. “Did you get all that?”

  She nodded. “I don’t want to think about any of that right now.” Anxiety showed itself in the deep furrows between her eyebrows. No doubt, her mind was on Lexi, too.

  He brushed a strand of hair from her face. “Let’s just walk.” He took her hand and walked around the corral and into a field of bluebonnets. They walked without saying a word. There was nothing he could say to ease the fear. He felt it, too. That voice resonated deep inside of him.

  What if Lexi didn’t make it?

  Twenty minutes later, Mrs. Witherspoon pulled up with Bethany. They ran to meet her in the parking lot of the vet clinic. Bethany’s bright smile cheered him as Stella handed her over to Valerie. She offered Valerie a hug and kiss and a promise to keep praying for Lexi before driving away.

  Bethany reached over and patted Trevor’s cheek. As he leaned close to Valerie, their shoulders touching, he was overwhelmed with the love he felt for her and for Bethany.

  He did love them both...and he loved that dog, whose life hung in the balance.

  One of the assistants who had been with Dr. Mills opened the door to the vet clinic. “There you two are. You can come in and see Lexi now.”

  Valerie looked up. “Is she...?”

  The assistant offered a quick smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’ll let the doctor explain.”

  Valerie tensed and looked up at Trevor. “Do you think we should take Bethany in the operating room?”

  “I think we should all be together, whatever the news.” He rubbed her back.

  They stepped through the waiting room where a woman sat holding her cat and another woman sat beside a little girl who had a birdcage on her lap. A little yellow bird tweeted inside the birdcage. The cheerful tweeting of the bird stood in sharp contrast to the sense of dread he felt. What if they were being ushered into the operating room to say goodbye to Lexi?

  They slipped inside the operating room where Lexi lay motionless on the table with a blanket over her. She had a breathing tube in her mouth. An IV stand was close to the operating table. The steady beep of the monitor indicated that Lexi had vital signs.

  Dr. Mills looked like she had aged ten years. She leaned back against a cabinet filled with medicine.

  “How does it look?” Valerie’s voice wavered, fear evident in every syllable.

  Dr. Mills pulled off the surgical cap and rubbed her eyes. “It was really touch and go. She lost a lot of blood at the outset. The muscle in her back leg is just torn to pieces. She’s going to have a long recovery ahead of her.”

  Valerie let out a heavy breath. “But she’ll make it.” She handed Bethany over to Trevor and rushed to stroke Lexi’s ears.

  The doctor nodded. “She’ll make it.”

  Bethany wrapped her arms around Trevor’s neck as though it were the most natural thing in the world for him to hold her.

  “I’ll leave this little family alone with her for a minute.” Dr Mills left, closing the door softly behind her.

  Valerie spoke without taking her eyes off Lexi. “She thought we were a family.”

  Then she looked over at him, green eyes shining. He took in the wonder of holding Bethany, of having the little girl feel comforted in his arms. Trevor’s heart pounded and in that moment, he knew what he needed to say. “That sounds like a pretty good idea to me.”

  She blinked, color rising up in her cheeks. “What are you talking about?”

  Trevor moved around the operating table so he stood face to face with Valerie. “I would like for us to be a family.”

  Valerie rubbed Bethany’s back. “Do you mean that?”

  He nodded as joy welled up inside him.

  Bethany patted his chest and made “Ba ba ba” sounds.

  “All three of us?”

  “All three of my girls.” This is what he had been looking for most of his life...a family.

  Her eyes were radiant with love. “Yes, I think we would like that.”

  Trevor brought Valerie into a hug with him and Bethany.

  Lexi let out a faint whine and licked Valerie’s hand. “I think she approves.”

  They laughed. Valerie tilted her head. He kissed the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt of Betrayal on the Border by Jill Elizabeth Nelson!

  Dear Reader,

  I hope you enjoyed reading about Lexi and seeing how K-9 police units help fight crime. After going for many years without a dog, we finally took the plunge two years ago and got a dog. His name is Bart and he is a spastic, nervous little border collie. We adopted him from a shelter. Bart and his mom were found abandoned in a rental home. We don’t know if Bart had any brothers or sisters. Bart is not the dog I expected, but he is the dog I needed. My heart melted when, as a puppy, he sat at my feet and looked up at me as if to say, “What can I do for you?” He is super tuned in to the movements and emotions of each family member (after all, we are his sheep herd). He follows me from room to room. Don’t get me wrong, intelligent dogs can also be stubborn dogs. When I command him to do something and he tilts his head, but doesn’t move, I know full well he understands what I said and is choosing not to obey. We are still training him not to run up to the road and bark at passing bicyclists and walkers. Even with all that, I can’t believe the level of joy and humor Bart has added to our lives. Though I grew up in the country with a dog always around, I defined myself as a cat person. I still love cats, but having Bart has made me a dog person, too. Just like Lexi in Guard Duty, I see how much Bart’s loyalty, attentiveness and unconditional love has added to my life.

  Sincerely,

  Sharon Dunn

  Questions for Discussion

  Lexi is not only a trained police dog, but she is a loyal and loving pet. Have dogs been an important part of your life as a child or as an adult?

  Why is Trevor hesitant to work with a rookie?

  Valerie and Trevor have conflicting philosophies about what their role as law enforcement officers should be. What is the root of that conflict? Do you think it helps or hurts them in working together?

  Trevor and Valerie have very different family backgrounds. What are some of the differences?

  Do you think the differences will help
or hurt them in their relationship?

  Why is Trevor closed down to the idea of getting married and having a family? What does he fear?

  What was the most exciting scene for you? Why?

  To keep her word to her sister, Valerie has chosen to raise Bethany, even though she feels ill equipped for the job. Have you ever had to undertake a task you weren’t sure you could do?

  What were the moments in the book when Valerie gained confidence as a mom?

  Did you agree with Captain McNeal’s decision for Valerie to go off active duty after there was an attempt on her life? How would you have handled that situation?

  What evil desires motivated Derek Murke to do the things he did?

  Do you think Valerie becomes a better police officer by working with Trevor?

  Other than Trevor and Valerie, who was your favorite character and why?

  Why doesn’t Valerie want to go to a safe house even though her life is under threat? What motivates her to want to stay on patrol?

  What did you learn about K-9s and the work they do? Do you think they are a valuable asset to a police department?

  We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense story.

  You enjoy a dash of danger. Love Inspired Suspense stories feature strong heroes and heroines whose faith is central in solving mysteries and saving lives.

  Visit Harlequin.com to find your next great read.

  We like you—why not like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks

  Follow us on Twitter: Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks

  Read our blog for all the latest news on our authors and books: HarlequinBlog.com

  Subscribe to our newsletter for special offers, new releases, and more!

  Harlequin.com/newsletters

  ONE

  If that off-white chunk of clay was craftsman’s putty, Maddie Jameson would eat her tool belt. What was C-4 explosive compound doing on the kitchen table in this unit at Morningside Apartments? A chill rippled her insides.

  Not everyone would recognize the remnants from the construction of a pipe bomb. To the untrained eye, the dab of C-4 could be mistaken for putty and the bits of wire and lengths of sawed-off pipe merely scraps from a handy-man project. But then, not many apartment-maintenance workers were ex–army rangers with Maddie’s skill set—or a history that meant she must keep her head down and her eyes peeled.

  Those who hunted her were relentless and ruthless, and she was damaged prey. She needed to see them coming before they got to her.

  Not that she ever knew exactly what hired assassin would be after her. She could bump into one on the street and not know it until he tried to take her out. Everyone was a suspect. If only she could figure out why she was marked for death. Had she seen something the night of the attack a year ago on the Rio Grande? If so, her head injury had erased it from her memory.

  Was she the target of the bomb these Morningside tenants had been making? If the three attempts on her life within the past year were any clue, she’d be an idiot to think otherwise. Where was the bomb planted? Her caretaker’s apartment on the premises? Maddie’s mouth went dry. There could be collateral damage. Dozens of people—including children—lived in this building, and a bomb didn’t care who it destroyed.

  Dear God, please don’t let innocent families be hurt because of me.

  Fighting for a full breath, she looked down at the work order in her hand. No, she hadn’t made a mistake. The order listed this apartment and stated that the tenants had given permission for the maintenance person to enter in their absence in order to replace a torn window screen. But she’d checked the screens—they were whole. Why would the tenants give permission for her to enter the premises on a trumped-up excuse and then leave their bomb-making scraps lying around in plain view?

  Unless this was a trap.

  The air in Maddie’s lungs went arctic. Maybe the bomb was planted in this very unit. The timer could click down to zero at any second.

  Her feet cried Run—seek safety somewhere...anywhere! But flight wouldn’t help the other people who could be blown to smithereens.

  Sweat trickled down her scalp, despite the coolness blowing from the wall-mounted air conditioner. The scar above her right ear itched, but she ignored the sensation as she yanked her two-way radio from her belt and began to search the premises with her eyes. There wasn’t much space to cover in this studio apartment. A kitchenette. A living-room area with an easy chair and matching ottoman, a television the tenants had left blaring, and a couch that had been slept on, if the rumpled bedding was any indication. A hide-a-bed pulled out from the wall filled the rest of the space. That, too, hosted a nest of wadded bedding.

  “Bill, do you have a copy?” Maddie spoke into the radio.

  She took her thumb off the button and listened for a response. Silence answered. Great! The apartment manager had chosen this critical moment to be absent from his office.

  Maddie gingerly cracked the oven door open and peered inside. No bomb. She checked the refrigerator. A half-gallon carton of milk, a partially eaten brick of cheese and an overripe peach, but no bomb. She opened the cupboards with one hand while using the other to keep calling for Bill every few seconds. Still no answer. Her throat tensed as if invisible fingers had tightened around her windpipe. A little voice in her head screamed she was running out of time.

  The tenants in this unit had opted not to hook up a landline phone, and company regulations dictated that employees not carry cell phones. Bad policy in this instance. Maybe she should run to the office herself and phone for the bomb squad. But the bomb could go off in her absence and kill any of the neighbors above, below or on either side. If she found the apparatus, she could defuse it as well as—or better than—the police experts.

  She went to the clothes closet and pulled back the sliding door. Phew! The scent of onions rolled out. One of the owners of the stack of luggage that filled most of the space must have a love affair with the vegetable she most despised. Maddie let out a heavy sigh. She’d have to search each bag, and she’d be surprised if she didn’t find a different name on every airline tag. Crooks who wanted to fly under the system’s radar sometimes generated pocket money by walking off with pieces from baggage carousels and pawning or selling the contents.

  From the hallway came the sound of male voices. They drew nearer...nearer...and then stopped on the other side of the apartment entrance. Maddie froze. The tenants were returning? Then the bomb wasn’t here. Her shoulders slumped, but then her gut tensed. It was too late to slip away unseen. She could hide in the closet with the onion odor, but to what purpose? If the tenants were in for the evening, she’d be found eventually. There was no way to exit this third-floor unit except through the front door.

  Well, then, that’s how she’d leave. If she could bluff her way out, fine. If not... Tingles traveled down her extremities. Her muscles gathered. Combat instincts reared their ugly heads. Instincts she wished to forget. Instincts she might need. Again.

  Maddie clipped the radio onto her belt and shoved the closet door shut as a click sounded in the entrance lock. A pair of men stepped inside, closed the door and then halted at the sight of her. Above a tall, whipcord body, a dark face with reddened eyes glared at her, lips peeled back from white teeth. Behind him, a short, pale man with doughy cheeks gaped in an astonished O.

  She forced a smile and held out her work order. “I was sent to repair your screen, but I can’t find any damage.”

  Lanky Man’s face grew darker as a spark of recognition lit his ink-black eyes. She didn’t know him, but he knew her. How? His hand slid beneath the front of his suit jacket as Dough Man leaped toward the table.

  With a feral growl, Maddie dropped the work-order slip and swept her leg toward Lanky Man—her immediate threat. Her heel hooked the back of his knee. Crack! A handgun discharged while her assailant toppled backward. The bullet pinged against metal—likely a piece of the sprinkler system.

  Cursing, threat number two rushed towa
rd her, length of pipe raised. She chopped the rigid edge of her left hand into the soft bend of his elbow. The pipe fell from the arm she had numbed, and her right-handed chop connected with his Adam’s apple. The man went down, gagging and clutching his throat.

  She whirled toward threat number one, who was climbing to his feet and bringing his Beretta to bear. Her radio squawked as her leg swept up, higher this time, and the heel of her work boot struck the smaller bone near the gunman’s wrist. The bone broke with an audible snap, and the gun rocketed into the far wall. Roaring and cradling his disabled hand, Lanky Man charged her, shoulder in ramming position.

  Maddie danced aside, but the calf of her leg met the ottoman. She lost the fight for balance and tumbled backward onto the soft body of the Dough Man. Air gushed from his chest, and the struggle to breathe through his damaged windpipe faded into limpness beneath her. Her radio squawked again with Bill’s voice calling for her.

  Now he wanted to talk? Sorry, pal, I’m a little busy!

  The toe of a hard shoe hammered Maddie’s side. Pain splintered through her, and a scream rent her throat even as she rolled away from the next kick. From a catlike crouch, she caught the foot intended for her face and sprang upward while twisting her assailant’s ankle into an unnatural position. Lanky Man howled as his other foot left the floor. Airborne, he flipped and dropped, face-first, onto the unforgiving floor. Stunned and groaning, he lay still.

  Maddie scooped up the gun and held it on her attackers, then pulled her radio from her belt.