SUSPICION OF GUILT

When Special Agent in Charge Max West and his K-9 partner, Opal, look into a series of bombings in Northern California, horse trainer Katerina Garwood instantly seems suspicious. As the ex-fiancée of a man tied to the criminal Dupree family, Katerina may know more than she’s letting on—especially since the infamous syndicate is targeting her. And Max isn’t sure he can believe her when she says she knows nothing. Despite his reservations, though, he can’t deny his attraction...or the impulse to protect her. And with the criminals closing in, Max must separate the truth from lies, or he and Katerina may not live to share tomorrow...

“Don’t touch it. There may be fingerprints.”

“I doubt it,” Katerina said. “I think I felt gloves, not bare skin.”

He lifted the folded paper with two fingers at a corner and laid it on a bare spot atop the dresser, then used a pencil to carefully unfold it. He stepped back and watched her reaction as she scanned the note.

“‘Turn over the stash and we’ll leave you alone’?” she read aloud. “What’s that supposed to mean? I don’t know anything about any stash. Do they mean drugs?”

“Your guess is better than mine,” Max countered. “What do you think?”

She threw up her hands and began to pace. “How should I know? I don’t have a clue.”

“I wish I could believe you.”

“Yeah,” Katerina said, scowling at the piece of paper, “I wish you could, too.”

CLASSIFIED K-9 UNIT:

These lawmen solve the toughest cases with the help of their brave canine partners

Guardian—Terri Reed, April 2017

Sheriff—Laura Scott, May 2017

Special Agent—Valerie Hansen, June 2017

Bounty Hunter—Lynette Eason, July 2017

Bodyguard—Shirlee McCoy, August 2017

Tracker—Lenora Worth, September 2017

Classified K-9 Unit Christmas—Terri Reed and Lenora Worth, December 2017

Dear Reader,

As my pastor is fond of pointing out, the past does not have to dictate our future unless we let it. We can be forgiven and turn the page to a new life in Christ if we will surrender to Him. Yes, there may be lingering consequences, but the Lord will help us deal with those and make something great out of what we’ve learned from past mistakes.

Katerina was too naive and Max too hardened by life, yet they found a middle ground and allowed themselves to embrace change as well as forgiveness.

Every new day is a gift to you from your Father in Heaven. Don’t waste it wishing you could change the past. Look toward the future and trust the Creator.

Blessings,

VALERIE HANSEN was thirty when she awoke to the presence of the Lord in her life and turned to Jesus. She now lives in a renovated farmhouse in the breathtakingly beautiful Ozark Mountains of Arkansas and is privileged to share her personal faith by telling the stories of her heart for Love Inspired. Life doesn’t get much better than that!

Special Agent

Valerie Hansen

www.millsandboon.co.uk

For You have delivered my soul from death,

my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

—Psalms 116:8

Many thanks to fellow series authors Terri Reed, Laura Scott, Lynette Eason, Shirlee McCoy and Lenora Worth—plus editor Emily Rodmell, who keeps us all on track.

And to my Joe, who is with me in spirit.

He always will be.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

NINETEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

Copyright

ONE

FBI agent Max West squared his shoulders and forced himself to walk away from the latest scene of destruction.

His job there was done. Unfortunately, the Dupree family crime syndicate, at least what was left of it, seemed determined to keep him and his team scrambling by randomly setting off bombs. Opal, his K-9 explosives detection partner, worked very well but it was frustrating to be called in after the fact.

He paused in the shade of an enormous oak and phoned Dylan O’Leary, the team’s computer guru, on his cell. “I’m done with this one. Just the usual leftover components and a lot of jumpy people.” Max sighed. “At least there was no loss of life this time. That family caught in the blast zone on the last one nearly made me turn in my badge.”

“So, what now?” Dylan asked. “You thinking of leaving Northern California and heading home to Billings?”

“Maybe soon. I thought I’d look into the backgrounds of some of the Dupree underlings we’ve scooped up while I’m in the neighborhood. See if we missed anything on the first sweep.”

“Little fish in a big pond,” Dylan reminded him. “We got Reginald Dupree, the real brains behind the drug operation.”

Max nodded. “While his uncle Angus kidnapped one of our best men and escaped. Has there been any word on Agent Morrow’s whereabouts?”

“Sorry. No.”

“Okay.” Max opened the rear door to his black SUV to air it out before letting his brown-and-white Boxer, Opal, get in. “I checked our files last night and was on my way to the Garwood Horse Ranch when I got diverted to this call. Vern Kowalski, one of the Dupree drug runners, had ties there. When we arrested him he insisted he was working alone but it won’t hurt to check. I can use a break and so can Opal.”

“You’re the boss, Boss.”

Max barely chuckled. Being SAC, special agent in charge, of the Classified K-9 Unit was no picnic. A lot of responsibility rested on his shoulders, responsibility that weighed heavily. Yes, he considered this job his calling, but that didn’t mean he never felt the pain of loss, never wished he’d been more successful and had prevented every explosion, every injury. Every death.

Closing his eyes for a moment he reminded himself that he was just a man, giving his all in terrible situations. Then he loaded his dog, climbed behind the wheel and continued his interrupted trip to the nearby ranch.

* * *

Katerina Garwood was halfway between one of the stables and the house, heading for her old suite, when she saw an imposing black vehicle pass beneath the ornate wrought iron arch at the foot of the drive. Unexpected company was all she needed. If her father came outside to see who it was and caught her trespassing on his precious property he’d be furious. Well, so be it. There was no way she could run and hide in time to avoid encountering the new arrival—and perhaps her irate dad, as well.

Chin high, she paused in the wide, hard-packed drive and shaded her eyes. The SUV reminded her of one that had assisted the county sheriff on the worst day of her life. The day when all her dreams of a happy future had gone up in flames.

Darkly tinted windows kept her from getting a good look at the driver until he stopped, opened his door and stepped partway out. Prepared to tell him to head up to the house if he needed to speak to someone in charge, she took one look and was momentarily speechless. The blond, blue-eyed man was so imposing and had such a powerful presence he sent her usually normal reactions whirling. When he spoke, his deep voice magnified those unsettling feelings.

“Katerina Garwood?”

“Do I know you?”

“No, but I know you. I’m Special Agent West. I’d like to talk to you about Vern Kowalski.”

“I have nothing to say.” She started to turn away.

“This is not a social call, Ms. Garwood.” He flashed a badge and blocked her path. “I suggest you reconsider.”

“FBI? You have to be kidding. I am so unexceptional that until recently people hardly noticed me.”

“They do now, I take it.”

She blushed and rolled her eyes. “Oh, yeah.”

“Then you’ll understand why I need to speak with you.”

A quick glance toward the house told her she and the hunky agent had not yet been noticed. That was too good to last. As soon as one of the hands or the foreman, Heath McCabe, spotted her, word would get to her father and he’d be on the rampage again.

“Not here. Not now. We can meet in South Fork later. I work at the Miner’s Grub diner, on Main, near where the American River forks.”

He quirked a brow. “What’s wrong, Ms. Garwood? You seem nervous.”

“It’s personal.”

“Everything is when you get right down to it.” He reached for her arm as a familiar white pickup truck pulling a matching horse trailer rounded the nearest of three identical, rectangular stables and came to a stop.

She jerked free. Backed away. Her sky-blue eyes had widened and she was trembling. “I have to go. Now.”

“Care to tell me why?” Max’s gaze was unwavering. “Perhaps you’d better come with me and wait in the car while I have my K-9 partner check this place.”

“What? No. I’m not going anywhere with you. I haven’t broken any laws. All I did was believe Vern’s lies and fall in love with him. It’s not my fault I was duped. And I don’t know anything about his secret life as a crook, okay? Despite all the nasty rumors, I’m a good person.”

“Then why are you so jumpy?” Max continued to crowd her until she was ready to literally shove him away.

Unable to help herself, Katerina darted glances back and forth between the immense house and the complex of stables where the foreman had stopped with the horse trailer. Was he on the phone to her dad already? There was no way to tell. And no way to avoid another terrible scene once Bertrand was notified.

There was only one sensible course of action. She had to plead her case in person, and to do that she had to reach Heath McCabe despite the determined agent. Staring into the distance on his opposite side, she used that momentary distraction to slip away.

Max was on her in a flash, grasping her arms and holding fast. Katerina began to thrash around. If her father saw her now he’d be even more positive she was worthless. Tears of frustration filled her eyes.

I will not cry, she insisted to herself. I’m through letting any man make me cry. Nevertheless, a few drops escaped and trickled down her flushed cheeks.

Suddenly, she was pulled free. The middle-aged foreman had come to her rescue. His arm was drawn back, ready to deliver a punch, and the agent’s hand was reaching for his sidearm.

Katerina intervened. “Stop!” She gestured at McCabe. “This is just a misunderstanding. I wanted to keep you from telling Dad I’m here and Agent... West? Agent West must have thought I was running away.”

The adrenaline in her system had bolstered Katerina’s courage and she faced him as boldly as she could while her insides quaked.

Max met her gaze head-on. “Your father? Why didn’t you just say so?”

“I did. You weren’t listening.”

“No, you were acting guilty, behaving like a scared kid trying to make a run for it.”

“I’m not a child. I’m twenty-two.”

“I know. I read your file.”

She was thunderstruck. “There’s a file on me? An FBI file?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Why am I not surprised?” She felt the starch go out of her like a sigh lost on the wind. Her concentration moved to the foreman. “Please don’t tell Dad I’m here and make him mad all over again. It was bad enough when he threw me out the first time because of my horrible love life. I just want to pick up a few of the personal things I left behind.”

McCabe doffed his cowboy hat. “I’d never do you that way, Miss Katerina. You know I wouldn’t.” He gestured back at the truck and trailer. “If I didn’t have to get these horses to the vet for checkups I’d stay here and help.”

“Do you have Moonlight with you? I looked for her in the stables when I got here and she wasn’t in her usual stall. That whole section was empty.”

“Your horse is safe and sound with me.” The wiry foreman eyed Max. “All right if I leave or are you plannin’ to shoot me?”

“I just came to talk to Ms. Garwood. If she had explained the reasons for her reluctance in the beginning we’d probably be done already.”

“You gonna be okay if I go, ma’am?”

Katerina smiled. “The horses come first with me. You know that. I’ll be fine.” She noticed both men staring at the house across the driveway. “If Dad catches me here and starts yelling again I’ll just do what I did before. I’ll leave.”

“Okay, then. You and this cop goin’ into the house now?”

She looked to Max for confirmation.

“I do need to speak to Bertrand Garwood. If that’s a problem for Ms. Garwood I see no reason to confront her father while she’s present. She and I can talk out here.”

“Now there's a good idea,” Katerina said. “You can go, Heath. Take good care of Moonlight and the others.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Watching him drive off, Katerina turned to Max. “All right. If you want to ask me questions let’s get it over with. There’s nothing I can tell you that I haven’t already told the local police and the agents who arrested Vern, but I suppose it won’t kill me to go over it again.” She made a face. “I learned a hard lesson.”

“Oh? Did you?”

Her grimace grew and her eyebrows arched. “Yes, Mr. Agent, I found out that my loving father will disown me and throw me out if I make a mistake. I also learned to never trust a glib-talking man, and that includes you.”

She would have been happier if he hadn’t seemed to find that final statement amusing.

* * *

“Let’s sit in my car,” Max said, gesturing with his arm. “After you.”

“Can’t I go get my clothes and stuff first? It took a lot of courage for me to drive back out here and as long as Dad hasn’t noticed me yet, I’d like to finish what I came for.”

“I take it you expect me to just hang around while you do as you please.”

“Why not? I’m no criminal.”

The unwavering look she was giving him as she spoke demonstrated determination. And she was right. Law enforcement had nothing on her, personally. He’d merely hoped that some small fact she didn’t even think was important would point the way to more of the Dupree associates, perhaps even to herself, although at this juncture he viewed the young woman as more of a pawn in a crooked chess game than a true player.

Blowing out a breath, he conceded. “Okay. Do you want any help?”

“No. The less noise I make, the less likely I’ll be noticed. It’s a big house and when my father works on his accounts he always shuts the den door.”

“All right. I’ll wait in the car.”

As soon as she started toward the garden leading to the nearest door of the ranch-style home, Max turned back to his SUV. There was something appealing about Katerina Garwood; something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. She was far too young for him, of course. It was too bad she hadn’t been born ten years earlier.

Max’s thirty-three wasn’t exactly ancient but there were times when he felt like Methuselah, particularly when he and his team failed to prevent mayhem.

Movement at the edge of his peripheral vision snapped him around. Now what was she up to?

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” he called.

Turning to walk backward, Katerina waved. “I left some empty boxes in my truck. I’ll be right back.”

“Sure, you will,” Max muttered. He wasn’t taking any chances that she’d try to flee so he fired up his SUV, made a U-turn and headed for the main gate to block it. If worse came to worst and she got away from him he could always call for backup, but it would sure be embarrassing.

* * *

Katerina paused to watch his maneuvers. The man was paranoid. What did he think she was going to do, try to outrun his powerful vehicle in her little ol’ pickup truck? Talk about David and Goliath.

“Yes, but David won,” she mused, happy to have been reminded of a Bible story where the seemingly weaker combatant triumphed in spite of everything.

Before she had time to pivot and continue on her previous path toward the stable, an intense light flashed.

She instinctively ducked and covered her head with her arms.

Her eardrums felt as if she had plunged to the depths of the sea. Debris hit her as the blast concussion sent her—and pieces of one of the barns—flying.

Landing on the hard-packed dirt with the realization that a building had exploded, her last conscious thought was for the well-being of her favorite mare, and others. “Thank You, God. Moonlight is safe with Heath.”

* * *

Max’s heart was in his throat. Nothing in the files had suggested that Katerina was involved in the recent rash of bombings, nor had there been any threats against the ranch. Not that he knew of, anyway.

He was running toward her as he called 9-1-1, identified himself and reported the explosion. “At the Garwood Ranch. That’s right. Between South Fork and Groveland. Send an ambulance and the fire department. I see a lot of smoke.”

Dropping the phone on the littered ground beside Katerina he fell to his knees and began to check her over. “Lie still. Don’t move. An ambulance is on the way.”

She moaned and shifted position.

Max held her shoulders gently but firmly. “I said don’t move. You could have broken bones or spinal damage.” He could tell by the way her eyelids fluttered that she was only half-conscious. That was the worst time for exacerbating injuries. Out cold she wouldn’t move. Conscious, she’d probably try to do as she was told.

People were running to evacuate frantic horses from the remaining, undamaged barns. Dogs circled and barked, adding to the mayhem. A heavyset man stomped across the dirt drive. He was wearing boots, a Western shirt and hat, and jeans belted with the biggest gold buckle Max had ever seen.

“Who are you?” the man bellowed.

“Max West, FBI. You must be Bertrand Garwood.”

“Smart man. What’re you doing on my ranch?” He pointed at the prone figure of his daughter. “And what is she doing here?”

The coldness of the older man almost gave Max the shivers. No wonder Katerina didn’t want to face him. Well, he wasn’t backing down. Although he couldn’t safely release her until paramedics arrived he looked up and glared. “Your daughter is unconscious, Mr. Garwood. I’m not certain how bad her injuries may be. I don’t see any bleeding other than a split lip so she may have escaped the worst of the blast. It’s too soon to tell for sure.”

“Just get that trash out of here as soon as you can.” He started to turn away. “I’ve got valuable livestock to see to.”

If Max had not been busy tending to Katerina he might have resorted to language he hadn’t been tempted to use in ages. What a pompous excuse for a parent Garwood was.

Max gazed down at the injured young woman and gently stroked strands of honey-blond hair off her forehead. There was a first aid kit in his car but he didn’t dare leave her unattended to fetch it. Close by in the SUV, his trained K-9, Opal, was using her deep boxer bark to alert the world to danger, even though the worst of it was probably over.

As soon as the ambulance and fire department arrived, Max planned to assert authority and insist that he and his K-9 partner perform a bomb sweep for additional devices. It was his job—and Opal’s—to ensure no one else got hurt without actually revealing the overarching mission. It was going to be tricky to investigate Kowalski’s crimes without exhibiting too much interest in the man’s former connection to the Duprees.

He looked at Katerina again and realized he didn’t want to turn her over to the care of the EMTs. He would, of course, because it was the right thing to do, but he wasn’t going to like relinquishing control before he was certain she was okay.

TWO

Katerina could hardly breathe. Disoriented, she opened her eyes. The back of her head throbbed and her ribs refused to allow her to fully inhale. Gasping, she fought to regain her senses, to sort out confusing memories.

A weight was on both her shoulders, holding her down.

“Don’t try to get up,” someone ordered gruffly. “An ambulance is on its way.”

Nevertheless, she tried to move.

“I said, hold still.”

There was a gentleness underlying the otherwise firm tone and it gave her a sense that she was being well cared for. “Who? What?” Flashes of reality returned. “The stable! The horses!”

“They’d been taken out. Remember?”

“Only—only from the one barn.”

“That’s the one that blew.”

“Oh.” Blinking up at the face of her companion she saw mostly shadow. Sunlight behind him gave his short blondish hair a haloed look. The brightness kept her from reading his shadowed expression. She sank back down with a moan. “My head hurts.”

“I’m not surprised. You hit the ground hard.”

Her heart sped as she realized she could have been even closer to the barn when it disintegrated. What could have caused an accident like that? There was nothing more volatile than horse liniment kept near the animals. Even the tack room was safe.

The man restraining her shouted, “Medic! Over here. Everybody else stand clear.”

“I’m all right. Really. I need to get out of here.”

“The only place you’re going, Ms. Garwood, is to the hospital.”

“No. I don’t have insurance. I can’t afford to be hurt.” She pushed against his hold momentarily, then sagged back.

Bright flashes of colored light sparkled behind her eyelids. Shooting pain banished any thought of trying to stand. Escape was unthinkable.

Katerina felt as if she were falling into a bottomless abyss. Fog surrounded her, bearing her ever deeper into unconsciousness. Longing for release, she ceased to fight it. Rational thought fled.

The world, and her troubles, faded away.

* * *

Max stayed on at the Garwood Ranch to assist local authorities in searching for additional devices in the unaffected outbuildings and house after Katerina had been stabilized and transported in the ambulance. From what he could deduce from the damage, the explosion in the stable had packed a lighter punch than the others he’d recently investigated. Unfortunately, an ensuing fire had wiped out much of the evidence and what the flames didn’t consume, the firefighters’ high pressure hoses had dispersed.

By now the place was swarming with law enforcement, fire personnel and crime scene investigators. He was relieved that he and his K-9 had not discovered more bombs because a crowd like that was hard to safeguard.

When he reported to the incident commander, a fire department battalion chief, he brought Opal with him. “My dog and I have completed our search. All clear.”

“You sure?”

Max laid a hand gently on the boxer’s head and stroked between her ears. “Opal is positive. That’s good enough for me.”

“Okay. Thanks. I can’t believe you were already on scene when this happened. Is that some new FBI deduction technique that we haven’t heard of?”

Max chuckled. “Not hardly. I was here to follow up with the Garwoods regarding another case my team is working. What can you tell me about Vern Kowalski?”

“Not much.” The chief paused to radio instructions to an engine crew. “Pull down that west wall. I don’t want to see a rekindle and lose another barn.”

As soon as the man turned back to him Max asked, “Had you met Kowalski?”

“Briefly. The guy wanted to join our volunteers but he didn’t make the cut. Katerina seemed to like him, though.”

“I gathered, since she was going to marry him.”

“Yeah. I hope she’s gonna be okay. Nice girl. Her daddy’s a real piece of work, though. He was hard to get along with before he got elected mayor of South Fork. Now he’s impossible.”

“Any word on her condition?” Max asked, remembering her attempt to avoid treatment and her father’s unfeeling reaction to her condition. How could any parent see his child injured and just walk away?

“Not yet. We shipped her to the hospital in Mariposa. Paramedics said she could have a concussion. Hard to say without X-rays.”

“What became of Garwood? I know he was here for a while.” Max made a sour face. “He’s hard to ignore.”

“Yeah. Sheriff Tate took him off the property in a patrol car. They’re old buddies.”

“I see. Then I’ll talk to the Garwood I can find and head for Mariposa.” Max scanned the scene. “Just make sure your people bag and tag as many clues as possible. I’ll notify Quantico and have an agent pick up the evidence for processing.”

The chief didn’t look particularly pleased to share jurisdiction but didn’t argue. Instead, he nodded and returned to the smoldering wreckage.

Max was pouring fresh water into Opal’s bowl in the backseat as he checked in with Dylan at headquarters. “The ranch owner is AWOL at the moment so I’m going to follow up with the injured daughter, providing she’s conscious.”

“The one who was engaged to one of the men arrested in the Dupree sweep?”

“Yup. That’s the one.”

“Just watch your back,” Dylan cautioned. “I don’t care how idyllic it looks up there, you’re in more danger than a gold prospector defending himself against claim-jumpers back in ’49.”

Max had to smile. “I have Opal and a cell phone and radio, and I’m armed. I’m covered.”

“The dog will always work but don’t count on electronics if you get down in some of those deep valleys. Besides, the Duprees play rough.”

“I know. Thanks,” he said, ending the call and drawing his fingers down the ridge of the old scar remaining on his left cheek as he recalled the events originally surrounding that injury five years before. Max knew that nobody lived forever, but he simply could not accept the premature death of a child on his watch. Worse, he had unknowingly contributed to that disaster by trusting the boy’s father when the man vowed he’d cut all ties with the drug culture.

Clenching his jaw, he shoved aside the painful memory. If that senseless tragedy had taught him anything, it was to be far less gullible. No one had fooled him since, nor would they do so in the future. Criminal minds were devious in myriad ways. All he had to do was keep himself from accepting anything—or anybody—at face value without concrete proof of innocence.

Take the Garwoods, for example. The young woman he was on his way to see may have looked harmless but she was so unnaturally nervous he was having second thoughts about her. It was hard to attribute all that angst to a strained relationship with her father. Yes, the man was vindictive, but lots of people experienced difficult family situations without quaking in their boots. A more likely scenario was that Katerina knew about the bomb and had miscalculated the timing.

The worst kinds of criminals were the ones who were able to fake innocence so well. Katerina might have fooled the firefighter he’d spoken with but Max would not be as naive. He had not risen to a command position on his team by letting himself be tricked by pretty faces or sweet smiles.

He didn’t care if the whole world thought he was inflexible and opinionated. He did his job. And he never lost focus. Not anymore.

* * *

Katerina was exhausted. She’d been poked, prodded, x-rayed and scanned. All she wanted to do at the moment was sleep despite the nurses who kept coming into her room and waking her to check her vitals.

The door to the hospital room made a swooshing sound as it opened. She squeezed her eyes shut against the bright overhead lighting. “I’m awake. Please let me rest.”

The ceiling-mounted curtain was pulled to isolate her bed. Someone’s latex-covered hand clamped hard over her mouth and she tasted fresh blood from the cut on her lip. Tightening her muscles sent pulses of pain shooting through Katerina’s battered back. She tore at the glove and tried to see who was attacking her but a ski mask covered his features. A harshly whispered warning came next, “Stop fighting.” She tried. Panic argued against it. All she could manage was to hold a little more still after he planted a heavy arm across her chest.

“Don’t scream.”

Although she managed a weak nod she was not agreeing. This was a busy hospital. If she could manage to shout, even once, help was bound to arrive. Hopefully, it would be enough for a rescue.

The gloved hand eased its pressure. The arm lifted. Trembling, Katerina froze and stared at the figure hovering over her bed. He seemed tall, although it was hard to tell for sure when she was lying down. What she could see of his bare arms beyond the short sleeves of the faded green scrub outfit he wore told her he was tanned but not unusually so. If she’d been able to see his hands they would have given her a better idea of whether he worked inside or on a ranch or farm.

Should she speak at all? she wondered. If he was planning to kill her, surely he wouldn’t have awakened her first. But why bother her at all? Why was any of this happening? She gritted her teeth in frustration.

“Vern sent me,” the man gritted out.

Anger mingled with her fear. So that was it. “Why?”

He didn’t answer. She could see the rapid blinking of his eyes through the holes in the mask as he swiveled his head nervously. Finally, he reached for the IV needle taped to her arm and started to pull it out. “It’s too dangerous for me here. You and I are leaving.”

Katerina pushed his hand away, took a deep breath and screamed, “No. Help!” at the top of her lungs.

Her attacker jumped away as if he’d been shot with a Taser. At that moment she wished she had one to make it real.

He lunged to cover her mouth once more, but she evaded him by rolling to the side. “Help me!”

The physical pressure lifted. Katerina continued to shriek with primal fear, no longer articulate.

A hand touched her shoulder. Voices mingled.

When she turned her head there were two nurses at her bedside, one blond, one graying and motherly looking.

Katerina peered past them. “Where did he go?”

“Who, dear?”

“The man. He had a mask on and he—”

“You’ve been through a severe trauma,” the blond nurse interjected. “We can’t give you a stronger sedative just yet, because of your head injury, but the doctor said we could take the edge off your pain. You may be having a delayed reaction to what happened to you or to the IV meds. I’ll report it to him.”

“I am not hallucinating,” Katerina insisted hoarsely. “There was a strange man right here in this room. He threatened me.” She lost hope when she saw the nurses exchange knowing glances.

“All right. Just lie back and rest,” the motherly one said, patting Katerina’s hand. “I’m sure you’ll be released soon. In the meantime, one of us will be close by. Use your call button if you need anything.”

“You’re not even going to look for the guy, are you?”

“As I said, we’ll report your symptoms to your physician, dear.”

Meaning, they still thought she’d been hallucinating or dreaming. Was it possible? No, she concluded. A trick of her brain would not have made her cracked lip bleed again. There had been a man’s hand pressed over her mouth. And he’d intended to take her away with him.

Vern was in jail. So who had accosted her?

* * *

Max knocked before entering Katerina’s room accompanied by a nurse. He’d expected to see her in bed but had not anticipated the reaction he got. She took one look at him, fisted her sheet and gathered it up under her chin like a shield. Her skin was pale, her mouth slightly swollen and her eyes reddened and puffy as if she’d been crying.

He hesitated, raw emotion churning through him. despite outward calm “The staff says you’ve been having a rough time, Ms. Garwood. Do you remember who I am?”

“FBI. You were there when the barn exploded.”

“Right. I looked after you until the ambulance arrived. How are you feeling?” he asked gently. “Are you up to finishing our conversation?”

As he watched, Katerina tried to raise herself into a sitting position and blanched. She looked ill beyond her injuries. Max beat the nurse to her bedside and steadied her. “Easy.”

With the weight of her shoulders resting on his arm, Katerina sighed. “Sorry. I forgot myself for a second. It’s been a rough day.”

Max stepped back as the nurse raised the head of her bed slightly, and then he asked, “Better now? Or do you need a few more minutes?”

“I’ll be fine as long as I don’t try to move too quickly.” She eyed the young nurse in the background. “Would it be possible for us to talk alone?”

Max nodded. “I see no problem with that. Leave the door ajar on your way out, please,” he told the nurse. As soon as she had left he took out a small digital recorder, clicked it on and renewed his interest in the patient. “What can you tell me about the incident at the ranch this morning?”

“Me? You were there, too. I don’t know any more about it than you do. One minute I was yelling back at you and the next thing I knew I was knocked off my feet.” Her voice softened a notch. “Thanks for looking after me.”

“You’re welcome. Now think. Did you see or hear anything unusual earlier?”

Her brow furrowed. “No. I wasn’t actually there for very long. I’d just stopped by to pick up the last of my clothes and things. I told you that.”

“I understand you no longer live there.”

“No. I don’t. My father was so angry when Vern was arrested for smuggling and distributing drugs he blamed me for ruining the family reputation and threw me out.”

Max struck a pseudo-relaxed pose. “And you’re surprised by that? It was pretty risky to keep company with a lowlife like Kowalski in the first place. You must have suspected he’d eventually be caught.”

“I had no idea he was a crook.”

That he didn’t believe for a second. “You were supposed to be marrying the man. How could you possibly not have known?”

“Because he was slick and because I was naive, I guess.” Her cheeks warmed visibly and his chest constricted when he saw moisture glistening behind her lashes. But he reminded himself he had a job to do. “Look,” Katerina went on, “I’m not stupid. I actually have a pretty decent IQ. But Vern wasn’t like the other men I’d met. He said all the right things at the right times and I fell for him. How was I to know he was using my father’s horse business as a cover to distribute drugs?”

“Intuition? Didn’t Kowalski ever say or do anything that made you suspicious before he was arrested?”

“No.” She broke eye contact. “Later.”

Aha! Now they were finally making progress. “When?”

“Promise you won’t look at me like I’m a horse short of a full team?”

“Yes. Go on, Ms. Garwood.”

“When I had a scare earlier this afternoon, the nurses said I imagined everything and blamed it on my injury and pain medicine.”

Leaning closer, Max listened carefully. “Is that what you think?”

“No. Well, maybe. I know I was terrified. I was drifting in and out of consciousness when somebody clamped a hand over my mouth and told me not to struggle.”

“Here?” Every instinct in him was on alert. “They told me you’d been having nightmares but what you claim is highly unlikely.”

“I know,” Katerina agreed. “The nurses who came after I shouted for help insisted I’d been dreaming. I’ve started thinking they may be right. It’s just that my lip bled and hurt more afterward and I can’t see any other reason for that much physical change, not even my screaming when I got so scared.”

“Describe your assailant.”

She huffed. “Pick up any mystery novel and you’ll know. Ski mask, hospital clothes and gloves. No prints, no ID, no nothing. He wasn’t as tall as you are and not as muscular, but...”

“Okay. What makes you think he had anything to do with Kowalski?”

“Because he told me Vern sent him,” Katerina said haltingly. “I—I thought he was going to kidnap me. That’s when I started yelling.”

Max gave her the kind of stern, menacing look he usually reserved for perps he was grilling. “You didn’t want to go with a friend of your fiancé?”

He saw her fists clench. “No.”

“Because he scared you?”

Despite the obvious discomfort of pushing herself up with her elbows, she met his severe gaze with one of her own. “No,” she almost shouted before lowering her voice, her throat raw. “Because I am an honest person and I want nothing to do with criminals, their friends or their disgusting business. When is everybody going to get that straight?”

The glistening of her unshed tears was more convincing than her insistence. Either she was a great actress or she was truly upset.

Max stood and backed away to make a call. He arranged to have the police check recent activity on the security cameras monitoring the halls and place a guard outside Katerina’s room for the night. Then he returned to her. “When you’re released from here I’ll come back and drive you home. Then, if you’re up to it, I’d like to take you back to the ranch and walk you through exactly what you did before I arrived.” He handed her a business card after jotting his private cell number on it. “Call me when you’re ready to go.”

“What if I refuse to take orders from you and arrange my own ride?”

“I don’t advise it.”

Katerina nodded. “I’ll call, but not because you’re scowling at me. And not because I’m guilty of anything and hope to fool you. I’ll call because you believe there really was a stranger in my room when everybody else insists I’m crazy.”

THREE

In retrospect, Katerina was not keen on asking the taciturn federal agent for a ride home the following day. The problem was, she had few other options. Her poor pickup truck was probably toast after the barn blew up and except for a few friends who worked in town and maybe the ranch foreman, there was nobody she felt she could call. Heath McCabe would be in deep trouble with her dad if she asked him, so she did the sensible thing and dialed Max West’s private number.

“West.”

“Um, hi. It’s Katerina Garwood. They’ve discharged me and I need a ride if your offer is still open.”

“Of course. Did you have a quiet night?”

“As quiet as it gets in a hospital,” she said with a wry smile.

“Understood. I can be there in twenty. Does that work?”

“Yes, I think I’ll last that long. I’d walk down to the cafeteria for a latte if I wasn’t still a little dizzy.”

“Are you sure you’re okay to leave?”

It was refreshing to hear genuine concern reflected in his question. “The doctor says I am so I’m going. This is not a fun place. I want out.”

“Hang tight. I’m on my way.”

She wanted to tell him how truly thankful she was that he’d made himself available but did not. Her instinct to trust had been so ravaged by Vern’s betrayal and her father’s rejection she couldn’t rely on her instincts. Not yet. Besides, considering all she’d learned about law enforcement in the past few months, Max was probably only being nice to her in order to catch whoever had menaced her or set the bomb at the ranch. Or because he still had doubts about her innocence. Given his job and her background, she figured the agent would become even more suspicious if she acted overly friendly.

Katerina let her thoughts wander as she perched on the edge of the bed in the too-big green scrub outfit the nurses had provided. Her own clothes were ruined. The back of the shirt she’d been wearing looked as if it had been blasted with a shotgun, as her tender shoulder blades kept reminding her. Jeans were tougher but hers were so dirty she’d refused to put them on. Her leather cowboy boots were about the only thing she could still wear, although they slipped without thick socks.

“I should fix my hair,” she muttered, wondering why it mattered when she wasn’t meeting anyone but Agent West. Nevertheless, she slid off the bed, took a second to steady herself, then made her way to the bathroom mirror. Nurses had helped her shower and the hospital had provided a comb but her long, wavy hair resisted efforts to tame it. Pulling on tangles made her scalp hurt unless she carefully held each portion, so the job took a while and was less than perfect. Well, too bad. If her volunteer taxi driver didn’t approve, so what?

That hostile attitude not only struck her as wrong, it made her blush. Whatever his motives, Max was no chauffeur. He was going out of his way to be nice to her. The least she could do was try to look presentable.

A knock on the door startled her. She steadied her balance on the sink and called, “Come in.”

One look at him today, when she was fully lucid and aware, took her breath away. Not only was he tall and ruggedly handsome, his dark blue uniform shirt fit the way it should, displaying a powerful form with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, unlike many men his age. How old was he? she wondered. It was impossible to tell, although her best guess put him somewhere in his early thirties. Definitely not over-the-hill. Far from it.

Max acknowledged her with a brief nod. “Ready?”

“Absolutely.” She began to move toward him, hiking up her sagging scrubs as the pants started to slip.

He eyed her. “Nice outfit.”

“The boots are mine. The rest is borrowed.”

He cleared his throat but Katerina still heard the chuckle he was trying to mask when he said, “Glad they had your size.”

“I could fit two of me and a couple of the ranch dogs in here at the same time,” she quipped, stopping and spreading her arms to better display the two-piece scrub ensemble. That was an error. The room started to tilt and she made a grab for the doorjamb. “Whoa.”

Beside her in a fraction of a second, Max caught her around the waist. “Easy. You sure you’re ready to leave?”

“I’m signed out and everything. Just had my chickens scattered, as Mom used to say.”

“Your parents are divorced?” He was guiding her toward the open door.

“No. My mother passed away when I was fourteen. That’s when I started putting all my efforts into training horses.”

“So, last year?”

Katerina knew he was teasing to try to lift her spirits and played along. “I’m twenty-two, going on forty, which my file should tell you.” Leaning on his big, strong arm as they walked, she asked, “How about you?”

Max gave her a wry smile. “Older than dirt.”

“That old, huh?”

Pausing at the doorway he looked back. “Do you have anything to take with you? Meds or bandages or anything?”

“Just that plastic sack of ruined clothing at the foot of the bed. Since I’m on a tight budget I need to try to salvage the jeans.”

Making sure she was well balanced, he fetched the bag and picked up where they’d left off. They were almost to the exit when a nurse spotted them and tsk-tsked. “You’re supposed to leave in a wheelchair, ma’am. We don’t want you falling.”

“As you can see I’m in good hands,” Katerina said, smiling and leaning her head toward her stalwart companion, genuinely glad he was by her side.

It wasn’t until they left the hospital and she saw his formidable black SUV that she sobered. Lighthearted moments aside, there was big trouble in the little towns in and around historic gold country. First there had been the drug busts and now somebody was setting off bombs. Other incidents had been reported on the local news so she knew her family ranch was not the only target. The question was, did somebody destroy the barn as retribution for her former ties to Vern? It was certainly possible, and terribly disconcerting.

She remained silent as Max helped her into the SUV. Above all, she wanted him to find the perpetrator and put him in jail.

And not blame an innocent bystander. Like her.

“So, where do you live?” Max asked casually.

She arched an eyebrow. “You mean you don’t already know? That’s not very comforting.”

“Okay, I know,” he said with a smile, flicking a brief glance across the seat at her. “I figured you might have a shortcut or better way to get there. These winding roads are hard on Opal.”

“Who?”

“My K-9 partner. She usually rides closer to me but I put her in her portable kennel box in the back when I have a passenger. You’d have met her if you hadn’t been knocked unconscious.”

“Oh, I love dogs! Is she a German shepherd?”

“No. And don’t you dare laugh. She’s a boxer.”

“A what?”

“You heard me. I get teased almost everywhere we go. She’s really great at detecting bombs but people are more used to seeing breeds with longer noses.”

“No kidding. Why in the world would they train a boxer for that? I mean, they can’t have as keen a sense of smell with such a short muzzle.”

“You’d be surprised.”

“I’d like to meet her. Dogs and horses were my best friends while I was growing up. There’s a darling black lab at the ranch that I’d adopt in a heartbeat if Dad would let me.” She hesitated, seeming sad. “So, tell me more about your dog. How old is she and how long have you had her?”

“She’s about four. My team has begun rescuing at least one pup for every mission we go on and we don’t rule out any capable canine, purebred or mutt. Opal’s a good example of hidden talent. She showed aptitude for detecting explosives and hearing or smelling electronics such as detonators, et cetera, so she was trained and assigned to work with me.” He cleared his throat before continuing. “We’re not master and dog, we’re partners. We both have badges. I just happen to be the only one with a driver’s license and a gun.”

Katerina chuckled quietly. “That’s comforting.” Pointing to an upcoming turn, she said, “May as well take 49 and double back a little. My place is between here and the ranch.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t ask more about the horses in that burning barn.” He was surreptitiously watching her expression and most likely wondering if he would find out more than she intended to reveal.

“Heath had Moonlight and her stablemates in the trailer, remember?”

“Yeah. Handy.”

“What was?”

“That that barn was totally empty when the bomb went off.”

“You don’t think Heath was responsible, do you? I mean, he’s been with the family since he was a teenager. I trust him like an uncle.”

He hardened his jaw. “What about your father? Could he have needed insurance settlement money?”

“Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Then you realize who that leaves.” His gaze was telling, as it was meant to be.

“Me? No way. I’d never endanger people or animals. How many times do I have to say it? I am one of the good guys.”

“Until I believe it.” Another sidelong glance caught her evident consternation.

“I don’t care if you believe me or not, Mr. Big Important Government Agent, except that you’re wasting time. Instead of harassing me you should be out looking for whoever is really behind the bombing, not to mention the lowlife who tried to grab me from the hospital.”

“I’m keeping my eyes open,” he vowed soberly.

“It’s not your eyes I’m worried about,” Katerina countered, “it’s your closed mind.” She turned her face to the window and added, “‘There is none so blind as he who will not see.’”

Max knew she was quoting scripture, although he couldn’t recall exactly where in the Bible that phrase was found. He didn’t mind her doing that. What bothered him was the slim possibility she might be right.

* * *

Katerina’s apartment was a tiny space above a boarded-up, vacant storefront on a side street in South Fork. It had been all she could find when she’d been ousted by her father and, although she was now employed, anything else was still beyond her budget. If she hadn’t worked at a diner, eating might have been, too. Not that she wanted anyone to know. The way she looked at it, as long as she had a roof over her head and enough to eat, she was blessed.

If the K-9 cop/agent was surprised by the appearance of her current dwelling in contrast to the posh Garwood Ranch he hid it well. That pleased her. She’d already had so-called friends from her ranch days turn up their noses at her efforts to make a home out of a veritable hovel. This handsome man with his perfectly pressed uniform and gleaming car never batted an eye.

“I’ll get Opal.” He eyed her scrubs and smiled. “That shade of green sure isn’t your color.”

Katerina returned his grin. “Oh, I don’t know. It matches my skin whenever I move too fast and get dizzy.”

He was chuckling to himself as he opened the hatchback and released his dog. Katerina waited to see what a boxer in uniform looked like. Since the idea was ludicrous she assumed the image would be, too. Opal, however, jumped down on command and stood at the ready, a picture of the perfect canine standing at attention as if she were a seasoned soldier ready to do battle.

“Can I pet her?” Katerina asked. “I don’t want to mess up her training.”

“Glad you asked. When our dogs are wearing their vests or special harnesses like this it’s best to keep your distance. I’ll let you play with her later. Okay?”

“Okay. She really is beautiful and impressive. I’m sorry I made fun of her breed.” Katerina continued to smile, only this time she was focused on the dog. “Please convey my sincere apologies?”

“Opal never holds a grudge,” Max said with a slight smirk. “I think you’ll enjoy watching her work. She’s intense when she’s on the trail of dangerous substances.”

“Wonderful. Well...” She eyed the building. “I’ll go on up and change before we go back to look at the ranch. That was what you wanted to do, right?”

“Right. After Opal and I have scoped out your apartment.”

It was hard for Katerina to stifle an unladylike snort. “I don’t think there’s much danger of anybody even finding this place, let alone wanting to blow it up. It will probably fall down on its own soon enough.”

“Still, we should go with you. Opal can always use the practice and there’s no lead on whoever was in your hospital room yesterday.”

Reminded of this, Katerina was willing to let him accompany her. After her recent close calls she was unsteady in more ways than one. Her nerves were firing like kernels of popcorn in a pan of hot oil and she didn’t like the feeling one bit.

“Okay. I have an outside stairway in the rear. That way I don’t have to bother opening the old hardware store to get in.”

“It looks unique.” Max squinted to peer through the dusty windows. “I almost expect a prospector to step out carrying a pickax and a gold pan.”

“You aren’t far wrong. The date over the doorway says the building goes back to the mid-1800s. I suspect it was expanded as needed during the gold rush.” She paused when she reached the base of the wooden stairway in the rear. “Single file from here. Be my guest.”

Max hesitated and raked her with a solemn stare. “If I didn’t have Opal to alert me, I might wonder if you wanted me to go first because you already knew it was dangerous.”

“Oh, for...” Katerina pushed past him and stomped up the stairs in her loose boots. The door wasn’t locked. Almost nobody in South Fork locked their homes. She straight-armed the door and barged in. One gasp and she skidded to a halt.

Max caught up. “What’s wrong?”

“Look! It’s awful!”

He took one peek and agreed. “Wow. I take it you’re usually a neater housekeeper than this.”

“Well, duh.” Katerina rolled her eyes cynically. “I never tear the stuffing out of my only chair just for fun. And I don’t have a pet tiger, so those slashes must have been made with a knife.”

He drew Opal closer with the leash and placed his other palm on the grip of his sidearm. “Wait here.”

He didn’t have to tell Katerina twice. Her boots felt nailed to the floor. Trembling, she watched the dog put its nose to the carpet and lead the handsome agent toward her bedroom. Was it simply searching for a scent or had it picked up the odor of an explosive? What if there was another bomb? What if it went off? She shivered involuntarily. The old hardware store was rickety at best and there was no telling what kind of combustibles might be stored below. She had never wondered before. Now she wished she’d been more paranoid.

Taut nerves insisted she not linger despite the agent’s orders to the contrary. Checking to see if he was visible and not seeing him or his dog, she began to sidle out the open door. One step. Two...

Max’s shout of “Hey!” startled her and she thought he was yelling at her until he added, “Federal agent. Freeze.”

Katerina tensed. A darkly clad figure came barreling toward her. There was no time to move before the onrushing man lowered a shoulder and smashed into her like a quarterback trying to make a touchdown. She spun. Fell. Heard more shouting and sensed someone jumping over her prone figure.

Wood cracked. Splintered. The outside railing gave way. A dog yipped. Opal!

Katerina flipped over and scrambled for footing. Her head was pounding. Her vision blurry. Unsure, she blinked rapidly, astounded.

Max was hanging from the remains of the broken railing by one hand while his canine partner clung to the partially collapsed stairway edge, legs splayed and claws digging in.

The moment Katerina peered over at him he shouted, “Get the dog!”

It never occurred to her to argue or hesitate. Only after she had hold of Opal’s harness and was hauling her to safety did she wonder why she hadn’t been bitten. As soon as the K-9 was out of the way, the agent swung a foot onto the edge of the step Opal had vacated and pulled himself up.

All three sat there, catching their breaths. Only the dog seemed unperturbed.

“Thanks,” Max said. “You okay?”

Katerina began to nod, then thought better of it. “Just peachy. I have a pounding headache, the whole county thinks I’m a crook, somebody is out to make an even bigger mess of my life than it already is, my ex sent a thug after me and we all could have been killed just now, even poor Opal. Otherwise, I guess I’m fine.”

“You guess?” His tone was gruff.

“Hey, don’t snap at me. I just saved your partner.”

“Did you get a look at the guy? Was it the same man as at the hospital? All I saw was a black hoodie and jeans.”

“I have no idea,” Katerina insisted. “He rushed me so fast I hardly knew what was happening. Where was he hiding?”

“Beats me. Must have been in the kitchen. He wasn’t in the living room or bedroom.” Standing, he reached for her hand. “Come on. You need to go in and see if anything’s missing. Since he was still here, I assume he didn’t find whatever he was looking for, but you should take a look.”

“I’m not going to like what I see, am I?” she asked warily as he pulled her to her feet.

“No, you’re not. Watch your step.”

Max kept hold of her hand as he led her back into the apartment. Opal followed, no longer acting concerned or even interested. That was a relief. Katerina was actually feeling pretty good until she saw her bedroom. Or what was left of it.

* * *

Max was impressed by this young woman’s inner strength. Most would have wept over the mess the thieves had made. Someone had destroyed her thin mattress down to the box springs, then torn the covering off it, too. There was no way she was going to be able to sleep there until replacements were found, and even then it wouldn’t be safe with the only easy exit missing part of its railing.

“We should leave the evidence as is until a crime scene team can look it over,” he said. “I’m not sure how much of your clothing is usable anyway.”

“It better be okay. I can’t afford to buy new.”

“I’m sure your father—”

“Don’t even go there,” she snapped. “My dad made it very clear that he wanted nothing more to do with me. I am not asking him for a thing.”

“Then how about appealing to your fiancé’s friends? I’m sure they have plenty of money.” Max hated to keep needling her but necessity and training insisted. All he’d need were a few new names and the investigation could head in a fresh direction. Making a seemingly nice young woman spitting mad was a small price to pay considering what he eventually hoped to get out of her.

During the course of most investigations he had no qualms about stirring up volatile emotions. In Katerina’s case, however, he found the method personally objectionable. Necessary, but distasteful.

The fire in her gaze and stubborn set of her jaw told him he might have hit the bull’s-eye. Instead of telling him off, however, she merely went to the dresser, stuffed a few things into a pillowcase and walked stiffly past him to the door.

“I’ve reported this incident,” Max said. “You can’t leave until the police get here.”

Katerina wheeled. One hand was clenched around the opening to the pillowcase and the other was fisted at her side. “I’ll be in the car.”

“Fine. And while you wait, think. What are they looking for? And who blew up the stable? Nobody becomes the focus of continuing attacks without reason. You must have a good idea who’s doing this, and the sooner you tell me, the sooner I’ll go away.”

Her nostrils flared, her cheeks turned red and she glared at him. “Maybe the same criminals did it all.”

“As a profiler, I find that highly unlikely, Ms. Garwood. Whoever set the bomb in the barn couldn’t have been looking for something you’d hidden there because they’d have taken a chance of losing it forever in an explosion and fire. This apartment, however, was ransacked but not destroyed. That tells me they didn’t find what they were searching for.”

“They’ll be back?” She chewed her lower lip. “Of course they will.” Color drained from her face, leaving her so pale Max worried she might be ready to keel over. There was only one thing to do. He phoned Dylan and briefed him, then asked, “Can you get me another room at that hotel where I’m staying? I need a place to put Ms. Garwood, at least for one night.”

Dylan’s response wasn’t as positive as Max had anticipated but the young woman’s wide-eyed astonishment helped him decide on an alternative. “All right. Do what you can. If I have to, I’ll give her my room and Opal and I will crash in the car. It won’t be the first time.”

Meeting Katerina’s gaze, he was startled to see unshed tears and even more surprised when she said, “You’d do that for me? When you still blame me for the bombing?”

“Let's just say you're a person of interest. Dylan will wrangle another room. Don’t worry. He always comes through for the team.”

A tear slipped silently down her cheek. She brushed it away. “You’re not nearly as tough and mean as you pretend to be, are you, Special Agent West?”

His “No comment” brought a soft laugh from her that reminded him of joy-filled times he’d thought he’d forgotten, times when life had seemed easy.

A few moments of looking into her eyes was almost more than Max’s heart could take. He turned away. If an impartial observer had accused him of emotionally closing down he would not have argued.

Katerina Garwood was as dangerous to his mental and emotional stability as the deadliest of criminals. The only thing that would save him was that he knew it.

FOUR

“I hope you’re going to tell me that your agency is picking up the tab for both hotel rooms,” Katerina said as Max concluded his business with the police and joined her with Opal. “Because if not, I’m going to be the one sleeping in the car.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

She rolled her eyes. “How can I not worry? I’ve been living from paycheck to paycheck and hoping for good tips ever since the ranch was raided and Vern was arrested. I’d expected my life to change but not the way it has.”

“Can’t you get a training job at another ranch?”

“Not around here. Not with my undeserved reputation.”

“Maybe your dad will mellow and invite you to come home?”

“Maybe. When it snows in Death Valley,” Katerina countered. “I’m not holding my breath.”

Max started the SUV. “The police don’t think the burglar left any clues. Neither do I, but they collected possible clues anyway. Are you sure the guy in your hospital room mentioned Kowalski’s name?”

“Yes. And no.” Katerina pulled a face and slowly shook her head. “At the time it happened I was positive. The more I think about how implausible it sounds, the more I doubt myself. I’m sorry. I know it’s hard for you to take anything I say at face value so it must be driving you crazy that I can’t tell for sure. Believe me, it isn’t easy being me right now.”

“That I can buy,” Max replied, with a twinkle in his eye. “I’ve made arrangements with a local sheriff’s deputy to deliver more of your clothing to the hotel after they finish going over the apartment. It’s the best I could do.”

“Female deputy, I hope.” Katerina felt her cheeks warming. “I guess I shouldn’t be picky but I’d feel better if a woman did it.”

“She’s a she.”

Katerina sighed and sagged back against the seat. “Good.”

“While you’re relaxing,” the agent said, “Why not close your eyes and try to picture the hospital room incident. Take it slow and let’s talk it through. You were sleeping and something woke you, right?”

“Uh-huh.” Her sleep-heavy lids lowered. The motion of the vehicle began to lull her. “I remember thinking how the nurses kept coming in to check on me. I heard that whooshing sound of a door opening and sensed a presence.”

“What did you see?”

“Nothing, at first. My eyes were closed. I told the person I was tired and wanted to be left alone.” She shivered. “That was when he put a hand over my mouth and pressed so hard he made my lip bleed again.”

“Could you have bumped it in your sleep, instead?”

“I had one arm strapped down with an IV and was lying on my back. It would be difficult to hit myself accidentally.”

“Okay. Go on.”

“I already told you the rest. The guy said Vern had sent him and wanted to talk to me.” Sensing Max’s attention, Katerina opened her eyes and looked toward him. He was scowling. “What?”

“That can’t be right,” Max said. “Kowalski’s in jail. There’s no way this so-called friend of his could have been taking you to him. Besides, why would he? All he’d have to do was tell you Vern wanted you to visit him.”

Puzzled, she mirrored his expression of doubt. “You’re right. Not that I want anything more to do with Vern or his buddies.”

“Are you sure he mentioned your fiancé’s name?”

“Former fiancé.” She grimaced. “Why would anybody pretend to be associated with a criminal? Do you suppose the man thought I was on the wrong side of the law, too?”

“He could have. That does seem to be the accepted opinion around here.”

“Don’t remind me. If I had the money I’d pack up and move away. Far away. I’m never going to escape my mistake otherwise.”

“And what mistake would that be?”

Max’s tone was even but the portent of his question chilled Katerina to the bone. “Falling in love, okay? I’m not talking about anything else and I really wish you and everybody else would quit gawking at me as if I were about to steal the family silver. I thought my dad was the worst offender until I met you, Agent West.”

To her chagrin her companion quirked a smile. “Glad to be of service.”

* * *

As he drove leisurely toward the historic hotel, Max made little further conversation. He wanted to grill his lovely passenger but decided to bide his time and let her fill the silence as most folks tended to do naturally. A lot of criminals were their own worst enemies in that regard. Either they couldn’t help boasting or they got to rambling on about something inconsequential and their subconscious led them to reveal clues before they realized they were doing it.

He chanced a sidelong look at Katerina. Sleep seemed to have overcome her. Her eyes were closed and she appeared totally relaxed. Little wonder. Now that the adrenaline rush from encountering the fleeing prowler had worn off he was weary, too. If there had been a café or gas station along the narrow, winding country road, he would have suggested they stop for coffee.

Katerina stirred. Yawned. Stretched, then winced as her bruised muscles obviously objected. “Where are we?”

“GPS says we’re halfway to the hotel. Is there any place along here to grab a decent bite to eat? I think we both need a break.”

She studied the bright dash screen and pointed to a section of road. “There’s a little hole-in-the-wall place there, in Fish Camp. Hard to know if they’ll be open, though. It’s more likely on weekends when long lines of tourists drive past on their way to Yosemite.”

“I understand it’s a pretty park.”

“Pretty?” Katerina shifted sideways and stared at him. “It’s amazing. You’ve never been there?”

“Nope. It was part of my briefing for this assignment but thankfully I’ve had no reason to go there on business.”

“You never get a vacation?”

“I could if I wanted time off. It’s not a top priority.” He didn’t have to be looking at her to interpret the sound of disgust she made.

“I don’t believe it,” Katerina huffed. “You face death on a daily basis, yet you don’t take the time to smell the roses. What kind of life is that?”

“The kind I prefer,” he replied, sobering and clenching the wheel more tightly. There had been a time when he’d had plans to start a family, to behave the way so-called normal people did. That idea had ended abruptly when a traffic accident had claimed his fiancée’s life. Max had then thrown himself into his work and found the solace that otherwise escaped him. He saw no reason to rethink a lifestyle that had been working well for the past three years.

“Up there.” Katerina distracted him by leaning forward and pointing toward his side of the road. “See the weathered red-and-white building? That’s it.”

Incredulous, he nevertheless slowed and signaled for a left turn. “It’s still in business?”

“Last I heard. I don’t get out here much these days. Which reminds me. You never said anything about my pickup. Is it totaled?”

“Probably. The local police had it towed into South Fork to clear the scene. I’ll find out for you.”

“Thanks. Again.” She pulled a face. “I’m getting sick of having to thank you for helping me when I know you have ulterior motives. I suppose, when you figure out I really am innocent, you’ll hit the road and I’ll never see you again.”

“That is likely. My headquarters is in Billings, Montana.”

“And you were sent clear down here? Weren’t there any bomb-sniffing dogs in California?”

“I really can’t discuss it.”

“Can’t, or won’t?” she asked.

“Both. Let’s just say it’s classified and drop it, okay?”

Max was concentrating on his rearview mirror as he made the left turn. To his surprise, a battered old dump truck behind them turned and parked by the weathered building, too.

Katerina pressed him. “Well, what can you tell me?”

He chose to refrain from explaining his elite FBI unit but he did shrug and try to divert her attention. “Do you recognize that truck? I think it may be following us.”

“What do you mean, following us? When did you notice it? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Don’t panic. Most criminals prefer better, faster wheels so I doubt it’s a problem.” He saw her shade her eyes and squint at the rusty, dented truck. If its engine was as decrepit as the rest of it, they had nothing to worry about.

“I don’t...” Katerina began before a sharp inhalation. “Oh, no.”

“What? What is it?”

“Shadowed like that, the driver reminds me of the man in the hospital. Doesn’t he look like the prowler we chased, too?”

“Maybe. There’s one good way to find out. Stay here.”

Max undid his seat belt and the safety on his holster with one fluid motion, then opened the door on his side and stepped out. Keeping the SUV between himself and the much larger truck, he pivoted toward it and studied the vehicle silently. If the other driver had ignored him he wouldn’t have grown more apprehensive. However, instead of proceeding into the snack shop the way a normal traveler would, the man behind the wheel froze and returned Max’s steady stare.

That was not a good sign. He started to circle the front of his own vehicle, intent on confronting the truck driver.

A second man occupied the passenger seat. Max rested his palm on the grip of his sidearm. No one spoke.

The engine of the old truck revved, proving that it was far from ancient. The hair at the nape of Max’s neck prickled. Something was very wrong. If both men got out and rushed Katerina, could he protect her? He and Opal probably could, although he was loathe to endanger his K-9 partner unless it was absolutely necessary.

Max raised one hand, palm out and open. “Afternoon. Can I help you fellas?”

Neither man responded. Max reached for his badge. “Federal agent. Please keep your hands where I can see them and get out of the vehicle slowly. One at a time. Driver first.”

Instead, the men ducked out of sight. Because the cab of the older truck sat so high off the ground, Max was no longer able to see them from where he stood. He started to draw his gun. The engine roared, drowning out his shouted order to stop. No officer of the law would discharge his weapon under those circumstances and apparently the men in the truck knew it. The driver backed into the road, quickly reversed and ground gears to start forward.

Max ran back to Katerina, slid behind the wheel and grabbed his radio to alert local police, then commanded, “Fasten your seat belt.”

“We’re not going to chase them, are we? I mean, how fast can they possibly go in that old truck? It’s on its last legs.”

“Don’t be so sure. It sounds as if they have a new engine under their hood. Until reinforcements catch up to us we’re going to keep them in sight. If they really are connected to Kowalski I don’t want to lose them.”

She braced herself as they took off in a squeal of rubber. “You think they are, don’t you?”

“What I think is unimportant. It’s what we discover after they’re pulled over and searched that counts.”

“I’d rather walk,” Katerina yelled. “Let me out.”

He couldn’t, of course. If the men knew her by sight he’d be able to tell by observing their initial expressions when confronted. If they were merely unrelated lawbreakers he’d see that, too. Katerina had to be with him when the stop was made. This was too perfect a scenario to waste. Besides, if he let her out, she’d be vulnerable.

“We’re staying together,” Max yelled back at her. “It’s safer.”

“Doesn’t look like it to me!”

Her blue eyes were wide, one hand fisted on the grip above the passenger door, the other grasping the edge of the seat. Yes, Katerina was fearful, but there was also a sense of wild adventure about her. Under different circumstances he might have guessed she was having the kind of fun a lot of folks experienced on a roller coaster.

Had their current situation not had the potential to turn deadly, Max might have chuckled out loud.

* * *

Whipped from side to side on tight, fast corners, Katerina kept her lips pressed together despite the awareness that a good, loud scream would feel wonderful.

Freeing.

Speaking of freedom, Max seemed to be gaining on the old truck. “I think we’re catching them.”

His “Yeah” didn’t sound as upbeat as she’d expected.

“What’s the problem? We don’t want to lose sight of them, do we?”

“No. But I don’t want to corner them all by myself, either. This isn’t technically my jurisdiction and if the stop didn’t go as planned, a lot of bureaucrats could end up twisting in the wind, me included.”

“Is that what special agent in charge really means? You pay dearly for bad decisions?”

“In this case it may be. Hang on. They’re slowing more.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Without armed backup? If it were just me and Opal I’d order them out of their vehicle and hold them at gunpoint.”

Katerina arched her eyebrows and made a face. “Hey, it’s not my fault I’m still here. I told you to let me out and you refused.”

“It was the right decision. It simply complicates things at the moment.”

“Ya think?” She knew it was wrong to needle him but he’d been so convinced she was on the wrong side of the law that his current dilemma hit her as ironic. And amusing, provided the men in the big truck stayed away until reinforcements had time to arrive.

“Um, is it just my nerves or is the truck stopping?”

“Stopping. In the middle of the road, no less. The first car that takes that next corner too fast is liable to hit head-on.”

She noted the hard set to the agent’s jaw, the way his big, strong hands gripped the steering wheel. Clearly, he was having to make some crucial decisions and she hoped one of them included turning around and running for their lives.

Max eased his SUV to the far right of center and set the parking break. “You stay put. Lock yourself in. If anything happens to me, use the radio to call for help.” He handed her the mic. “Push this button, talk, then release it so you can hear replies.”

“Whoa. Where do you think you’re going?”

“To order them out of the traffic lanes before they cause an accident.”

“I thought we were waiting for backup.”

“You are.” Taking the mic momentarily he reported his position and plans to the county dispatcher, then stepped out and slammed the door.

“A fine mess this is,” Katerina muttered. An answering whine from the rear of the SUV reminded her that Opal was back there. Releasing her seat belt, Katerina flipped onto her knees and shinnied between the backs of the front seats until she was within reach of the portable kennel box. Opal was not only drooling she was wagging her whole rear end.

“If I let you out will you promise to behave?” she asked the dog. “Your partner might need you and I could sure use the company.”

Woof.

“That’s what I thought. Okay. Here’s your leash.” She opened the kennel grate and grabbed the dog’s harness. “Hold still, will you?”

The friendly canine’s antics were enough to take Katerina’s mind off the tenuous situation and bring a smile. “Yeah, Opal, I agree. He’s the kind of guy to try riding a wild mustang with no saddle or bridle and then wonder how he ended up in a heap on the ground. I’m glad he’s your partner, not mine.”

Together, they returned to the front seat. Opal took the passenger’s place so Katerina eased behind the wheel. The dash resembled an airplane cockpit with gauges she didn’t recognize and equipment that looked like multiple radios, not to mention the computer system she’d seen Max use briefly.

Parked to the right rear of the bigger truck, Katerina could no longer see him. Neither could Opal, which clearly disturbed them both. The dog began pawing at the inside of the door.

“No, Opal. Your boss said for us to stay right here and that’s what we’re going to do unless...” Unless I hear shots or something equally as bad, she thought. Her hands rested naturally on the steering wheel and she sighed. “Why didn’t I ask exactly what he meant when he told me to call for more help if he needed it. How am I supposed to know?”

Woof.

“My sentiments exactly.” Katerina had always talked to animals and was reassured to have Opal beside her. “You’re the one with the fancy training. So, what’s the standard protocol for this situation?”

Instead of the silly, drooling look the dog had been exhibiting, she began to focus out the windshield and stare at the large truck. Katerina’s focus followed Opal’s. It almost looked as if the thing was moving. Backward. Toward them. There was little room to spare to the right before the ground fell away into a steep canyon!

A few native live oaks rose above the edge, their canopies giving the false impression that there was solid earth below. Pines, however, clearly demonstrated that they were rooted far below with only their tops visible.

What was the penalty for driving an FBI vehicle without permission? Katerina wondered. There was no time to ask and even less time left to decide. If they stayed where they were, that lumbering old truck could shove them off the road as if they were a child’s toy. Either she took matters into her own hands and saved herself and Opal, or Max would be scraping them up at the bottom of the canyon. Looking at the problem that way made it easy to act.

Katerina dropped the idling SUV into reverse and wheeled it out of imminent danger by cutting the back bumper to her left. She was now back in the traffic lanes and could see oncoming cars slowing long before they got close to her. So far, so good. Now where was Max?

The heavy truck kept backing until one set of dual axels was balanced on the edge of the berm. Then it began to jockey sideways in the roadway, clearly intent on reversing directions despite the cramped space.

Katerina muttered a panicky prayer and gripped the wheel. She’d driven trucks pulling horse trailers and handled big vans at the ranch so she was pretty sure she could drive Max’s SUV without wrecking it. Steering it down a winding mountain road backward fast enough to stay ahead of an oncoming truck, however, was another story.

Eyeing their surroundings, she looked for a way to slip past their adversary and escape uphill. It was impossible. The truck would soon be pointed straight at them and she’d have nowhere to go. A wall of rock rose to her left at the edge of the pavement. A dropoff into a steep canyon lay to the right. She had lost her chance to mimic the huge truck and make a successful three-point turn before it took up the center of the road.

There was no room left for evasion. They were trapped.

FIVE

Max jumped back, gun in both hands, feet apart in a shooter’s stance. “Stop!”

The dump truck kept inching along.

He raced to Katerina before the other vehicle could complete the last of its tight maneuvers, shoved her aside, slid behind the wheel and tromped on the gas. He was just in time.

With the SUV slewing backward he whipped the wheel hard then slammed on the brakes. They skidded in a circle that left blackened swirls of rubber on the road.

Katerina screamed.

Max straightened their trajectory and sped downhill. Ascending traffic was already backed up for quite a distance. All he could hope for at present was that the thugs in the disguised truck would continue to pursue him and ignore innocent civilians.

“Call this in,” he ordered Katerina. “Tell them what’s happened and give the dispatcher our updated position.”

Although her hand was shaking as she reached for the radio, he could tell she had control of herself. Except for that one piercing scream she was actually responding to the crisis so well he couldn't help but be impressed.

“Can’t you go faster?” Katerina asked as soon as she’d finished using the radio.

“Yes, but I don’t want to lose him.”

“Why not?”

“Because it doesn’t matter who is doing the chasing. We still need to know where these guys are and being ahead of them is almost as good as following.”

“Says who?” She strained to see past Opal to check their outside mirrors.

“Opal. Backseat. Go. Down,” Max ordered. The K-9 obeyed instantly.

Katerina took advantage of the space. “Thanks. I wasn’t sure if she’d let me move over.”

“You shouldn’t have opened her kennel.”

“Sorry. I was afraid for Opal. If we’d been pushed off the road she might have been trapped inside the car. I wanted her to have the best chance of survival.”

He had to give credit where it was due. “That was quick thinking when you backed up. Otherwise I might have had to shoot the truck driver.”

“Would you have?”

“Not if there was any other option,” Max said solemnly. “I don't suppose you'd like to tell me who you think is in the truck.”

“How should I know?”

“Just asking.” He continued to monitor the behemoth behind them and was satisfied it was still on their trail.

Ahead, as the road straightened and the countryside opened into valleys and pasture, cars were lined up behind a farmer’s tractor and hay bailer in their lane. Max was not pleased. “Uh-oh.” He flipped on his red lights and hit the siren, hoping to clear the way. Most of the passenger cars pulled over but the farmer seemed oblivious.

Max saw Katerina’s feet brace against the floorboard. Her hands pushed forward to the edge of the dash. “Look out!”

He did the only thing he could since there was no room to pass; he slowed to a crawl. And braced to be hit from behind. “Hang on.”

* * *

As far as Katerina was concerned, he couldn’t have convinced her to let go if he’d tried. Every muscle in her body was taut, every nerve firing. This was scarier than her toughest dressage competition. At least when she was in the show ring she was in charge. Putting her life in this agent’s hands was proving to be a poor decision despite his valiant efforts to protect her. Assuming they lived through the next few minutes she intended to thank him, despite the fact he kept giving the impression he thought this predicament was all her fault.

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