Honor and Defend, page 15
The people who’d broken in and attacked the guard were after the puppies. Now that the puppies were no longer at the facility, the problem should go away. Or at least be transferred to Lee’s property.
And with all of the rookies, along with the rest of those on the force, taking turns watching his place in pairs, he didn’t think the intruders wouldn’t be back. But he felt sure they were watching for the next opportunity to grab the golden retriever puppies should it present itself. He didn’t intend for that to happen.
His mind circled back to the problem at hand. Stay and eat with Ellen or go home and lick his wounds? He sighed. He’d enjoyed the field trip today. And seeing Henry’s eyes light up had made his week. He thought about his plans to finish up school and become a veterinarian. It seemed as though something was always getting in the way and slowing him down.
Like his feelings for Ellen.
He walked over to the desk and grabbed his keys. His eyes fell on the map and he smiled. The kids had their geography down pat.
He froze.
Wait a minute.
Geography.
Something niggled at the back of his mind.
He frowned. What was it? He continued to ponder what was trying to come to the forefront of his brain, but he couldn’t quite grasp it. But it had to do with the map. He sighed and shook his head. Maybe if he didn’t think so hard, it would come to him.
He looked at his phone.
Dinner with Ellen or go home?
Heartbreak or play it safe?
He turned on the alarm and locked the door behind him.
*
Ellen was tired. Gerald and his lawyer had clammed up and Chief Jones had stalked out, muttering under his breath about retirement looking better and better every day.
Within minutes, they were on the road and on the way back to Desert Valley. Ellen’s senses were alert but she was glad to have made it to the prison without incident. She’d been tight and tense the whole drive, sure someone would follow them to try to help Gerald escape. But all had gone well, and now it was time to get back and hash out a plan with Lee. If he was up to dinner. Her pulse picked up speed at the thought of spending time with him, being in the same space as him. “It’s just business,” she whispered. “Just business.”
“You say something?”
She jumped. “Oh, talking to myself, Chief. Sorry.”
He eyed her for a second then turned his attention back to the road. “Thanks for riding out here with me. I wouldn’t have put it past the guy to have someone watching us.”
“I know. But nothing happened. Which makes me nervous.”
“How so?”
“Gerald is obviously a part of some ring. Those numbers on that chip mean something.”
“I know, I agree.”
She glanced at her phone. Still no reply from Lee.
“You expecting an important call?”
“No, I just left a message for Lee to call me, but he hasn’t.” She dialed his number and listened to it ring. Four times then voice mail. “Hey, Lee, can you give me a call? You haven’t answered my text and you’re not answering your phone. I’m getting a little worried. Please call me back.” She hung up.
Chief Jones shook his head. “That was a raw deal Lee Earnshaw got with Ken framing him. I’m ashamed that man was even a part of my force—or my family.” Ken Bucks was the chief’s stepson.
“I agree. It was an incredibly raw deal, but Lee’s handling it well.” She considered calling Shane or Tristan but knew if something was really wrong, one or both of them would be in contact.
Which meant that Lee didn’t have his phone on him and hadn’t seen that she was trying to get in touch with him.
Or he was ignoring her, and that stung.
She bit her lip and checked the mirrors, then the time.
She’d arrive back at the training center about ten minutes before six. She texted, Do I pick up dinner or not?
Almost instantly her phone dinged a response.
Not tonight, thanks. We’ll talk tomorrow.
FIFTEEN
Ellen stepped into the training center, and the chief took off for home. Eddie Harmon sat outside and waved as she shut the door behind her. She stood in the dark lobby for a few moments, taking in the smells and the fact that she had done something good. Something that helped others. That part felt amazing, but the fact that she had no one to share it with created an emptiness inside her. She fought the urge to shed a few tears and ignored the stinging in her heart while she checked on the dogs. They were all excited to see her, and she stopped by each kennel to scratch ears and offer words of praise and love. Carly padded at her side casting anxious glances her way as though she could sense the turmoil raging inside her master.
Ellen made her way into the office, dropped some bags of food on the desk and plopped into her chair. Lee wasn’t here. He really wasn’t. Why she was so surprised she couldn’t put her finger on, but she was. Even though he’d said he wasn’t coming by, she knew she’d subconsciously expected him to be there.
Just like when she’d graduated from high school, she’d looked out into the audience, looking for her father. He hadn’t been there. She’d spotted her mother, smiling brightly, but her dad had been nowhere to be seen. She remembered the heartbreak and realized the emotion she felt now mirrored that on her graduation day. She’d let her defenses down and, in a matter of days, Lee had slipped right back into her heart. Who was she kidding? He’d done that years ago and had been there ever since. Now what was she going to do?
Carly laid her head on Ellen’s thigh and sighed. Ellen couldn’t help it. One tear escaped and then another until she had a river flowing. She rested her forehead on her arms and gave in to it. The stress of her mother’s medical condition and the fact that her attacker still roamed free, the emotional roller coaster her relationship—or the lack thereof—with Lee had her on and the indecision of whether to make a life in Desert Valley or follow through with her plans to leave once her mother was awake and Veronica’s killer was caught. A silly thing to cry over, maybe, but she knew she needed the release. Then again, calling her life decisions “silly” wasn’t right, either. They weren’t silly; they were things she needed to deal with. She definitely deserved the cry.
Finally she sniffed, grabbed a tissue and cleaned herself up. “Okay, Carly, pity party’s over.”
Carly cocked her head then stood on her hind legs to swipe Ellen’s face with her pink tongue. Ellen let out a shaky laugh and scratched the dog’s silky ears. “I just wish God would send me an email, you know? Subject line reading, ‘What to do with your life.’” She sighed. “Then again, maybe He’s already sent his emails in the form of His word, eh, girl?” Carly sat on the floor.
A low thud from the back of the building had Ellen’s nerves shivering. Carly popped to her feet and spun toward the door. Her ears swiveled and a low growl rumbled in her chest. Ellen rose to her feet, listening. “What do you think it is, girl?” Had Lee come back after all? She walked to the door. But if it was Lee, why was Carly’s fur standing on end?
Ellen pulled her weapon and moved to the door. “Lee? That you?”
She listened.
Silence.
A footfall in the hallway.
Her stomach clenched. Her heart thudded a faster beat. She gripped her weapon and stepped out of the office, Carly at her side attached to her leash. She didn’t need Carly bolting into a situation that would get her killed.
Senses sharpened by her surging adrenaline, she headed down the narrow hall toward the kennels. “The puppies aren’t here!”
Silence. A stillness invaded the building and yet the air felt electrified, raising the hair on her arms and at the back of her neck. She placed one foot in front of the other.
When she came to the storage room, she tested the knob with her left hand. Locked. She kept going. Carly stayed with her, her nose quivering, ears twitching. Should she send the dog ahead? But if the person had a weapon…
Ellen kept Carly near and continued her search. Call it in? Or not?
Better safe than sorry.
She reached for her phone when she heard the soft snick of a door closing.
*
It was six thirty. Maybe he wasn’t too late. He dialed Ellen’s number again and it rang twice before transferring to her voice mail. Weird. He texted her. I’m on my way to the center. You’re right, we need to talk. I think I know what the odd code on Dash’s chip is.
Lee rubbed his eyes and shoved his key into the ignition. He was a jerk. She’d said she owed him an apology. He could have at least had dinner with her. He called again, and again got her voice mail. Shane waved at him and Lee lowered his window. “I’m sorry, but I’m going in to the assistance center.”
“Now?”
“Yes, I need to clear something up with Ellen and she’s not answering her phone. She left me a message saying she’d be at the assistance center so I’m going to go check on her.”
“All right. It’s fine. I’ll follow you. Tristan will stay here with the guy you’ve got watching the dogs.”
“Thanks.” Lee started back to the Jeep with the thought that he really needed to check on the progress of his truck’s repairs when he turned around and walked back to Shane. “I think I know what the code is on Dash’s chip.”
Shane lifted a brow. “What?”
“We had kids in on a field trip today and we were looking at the map and—” He waved a hand as though to push aside the explanation. “I think it’s longitude and latitude running together. Or vice versa. I think it’s a spot, a location.”
Shane nodded. “Can’t hurt to check it out. I’ll call Ryder and see if he can put the numbers in and see what pops out.”
“Great.” He climbed into the Jeep and tried Ellen again one more time. When she still didn’t pick up, he frowned. Now he was worried. He sent her yet another text. I’m heading your way. Let me know if you’re still at the center and want me to pick up some food.
He pulled out of his drive and headed toward the main street of the town. He and Ellen needed to have a heart-to-heart chat, and now was as good a time as any. Avoiding the situation was only going to make him lose sleep, and he was fed up with that.
Shane’s truck stayed with him about two car lengths behind. He liked having someone watching his back. He liked the security. He would like it even more if Ellen would listen to what he had to say.
Being in prison had taught him a lot of things. One of those was that life was unpredictable, that God was faithful no matter the circumstances or if it looked as though all was lost. And that he didn’t want to be alone the rest of his life.
But it wasn’t just that he didn’t want to be alone, he wanted to have that special someone by his side. A woman he loved, who loved him in return. A teammate. Someone who would just do life with him. Maybe have a few kids. He swallowed at the thought. What kind of father would he be? His knuckles turned white on the wheel as he made a left onto the road that would take him to the center. He wouldn’t be anything like his own father, that was for sure. As long as he did the opposite of what his dad had done, Lee was sure to be a great dad.
Maybe.
He just had to make sure Ellen felt the same way. He had no doubt he’d hurt her feelings tonight. Maybe she was giving him a taste of his own medicine and ignoring his attempts to reach her. He grimaced. No, she wouldn’t do that. So why wasn’t she answering? She was probably working with a dog in order to take her mind off the fact that he’d been a jerk to her.
Well, he was done with his momentary lapse into immaturity.
So, ready or not, he was going to spill his heart out to her and see what she said. If she sent him packing, so be it. He’d find a way to live through it, but he wasn’t going to go through life with regrets.
Now if she’d just answer the phone.
*
Ellen glanced into the break room to her right. The overhead lights were off, but the small night-light in the socket next to the counter allowed her to see into the room. All seemed well. Carly stayed silent, but pressed against Ellen’s leg. The dog had definitely picked up on her tension and had been alerted to the fact that someone was in the building. Or if it wasn’t a person, something had gotten her attention.
With one hand holding her weapon, she looped Carly’s leash over her wrist and reached for her phone. It buzzed against her hand. She glanced at the screen. Lee.
A scuffing sound behind her brought her head up and around before she had a chance to respond. “Who’s there?”
Had she armed the alarm when she’d entered? Of course she had. So who could possibly be inside? Only someone with the code. The new code she’d programmed the system with after the last breakin.
She frowned. Why would someone come back here? The dogs weren’t here, so what would be the purpose in breaking back in to the center? Of course, the person wouldn’t know the dogs weren’t at the center, so maybe he’d come back to try again? Her adrenaline rushed.
Ellen pressed the button to answer Lee’s call only to find he’d already hung up. Instead of calling him back, she pressed the number for Dispatch. It was time for backup. The dispatcher answered on the second ring. Ellen held the phone to her ear. “Need backup at the Desert Valley Assistance Center,” she whispered. Carly growled and tried to lunge forward, pulling her hand with the phone. Ellen lifted her arm so the leash couldn’t slip over her wrist. “Carly, no.” The dog reluctantly settled. Back into the phone, Ellen whispered, “There’s definitely an intruder in the building. Need assistance ASAP.”
“I have a unit on the way.”
“Thanks.”
Carly’s hackles were raised, her attention on something at the end of the hall. The kennel? Were the dogs in danger? She shoved the phone into her pocket, still connected to the dispatcher, but she needed both hands. She gripped her weapon in her right hand and Carly’s leash in the other. She moved cautiously in the direction Carly’s attention was so focused on and stopped just before the door that led to the kennel area. She hadn’t locked it after she’d checked on the dogs earlier because she’d planned to go back in one last time before leaving for the night. Pushing a silent breath through barely parted lips, she glanced through the glass window.
The kennel’s lights were muted, but she could see well enough. The dogs didn’t seem disturbed. They were quiet except for the couple that barked just because they were dogs and that was what they did. The barks weren’t frantic or upset or angry.
Nothing that said “intruder.” From her position near the window, all looked clear inside the area. She pressed the handle that would open the door. Carly growled and lunged at the door behind her. Ellen spun to see the craft room door cracked. She let the dog go. Carly bolted into the other room. Ellen heard a hissing sound, then Carly’s yelp.
“Carly!” What had happened? Where was her backup? She moved toward the door, weapon outstretched. She shoved her back up against the wall. “Come on out! That room’s a dead end. No way out!”
And the door was flung open. Her finger tightened on the trigger, but she couldn’t see who to shoot at. Then something misted in her face. She gasped. Smelled a sickeningly sweet odor and tried to turn away from it.
She felt dizzy.
Her muscles went slack. Weak.
She heard her gun hit the floor.
Then she felt someone catch her.
The darkness wanted to close in, but she fought it. She turned her head. Saw Carly on the floor, not moving.
Drugged. Someone had sprayed them with something.
Then she felt herself being dragged.
Heard the sirens approaching.
And then knew nothing more.
SIXTEEN
Lee arrived just as the swarm of officers pulled into the parking lot. He jumped out of the Jeep and hurried toward the building.
“Police! Freeze!”
Lee spun, his hands in the air.
Shane got out of his vehicle and waved the others down. “He’s good! He’s with me.” His German shepherd, Bella, stayed at his side.
“What’s going on?” Lee shouted.
“Ellen called for backup,” Ryder said. “Get back in the Jeep and stay there,” he said to Lee.
Lee’s fingers curled into fists. What was going on? Why would Ellen need backup? “Where is she?”
“That’s what we’re going to find out. Stay put.”
“Ryder, come on, tell me what you know.”
“She reported an intruder and asked for backup. Get back in the Jeep now!” Ryder and his partner, Titus, headed into the building.
Lee did as ordered, his heart in his throat as he watched the officers stop at the glass door. Ryder tried it and it was locked. He came back to Lee. “You have the key?”
Lee handed him the card to swipe. Within seconds, Ryder was back at the door. He swiped the card and Lee watched them stream inside one behind the other, weapons ready.
An intruder? Lee’s gut clenched and he slammed a fist against the wheel as he watched law enforcement once again take over Ellen’s business. Officers on the outside kept watch on the trees and the wooded area behind the building. Guilt swamped him. He should have been here. If he hadn’t been so prideful, so worried about getting his heart broken—had he stayed, maybe he could have helped her.
He closed his eyes. Please, God, give me another chance. I know I’ve used up a lot of them, but I don’t care what chance I’m on, don’t let anything happen to her. No matter what she decides, whether to stay or go, I need her to be okay. Please. He didn’t know how long he prayed, but it felt as though an eternity passed before the tap on his window jerked his eyes open.
Ryder. The tension around the man’s mouth didn’t bode well. Lee opened the door and climbed out. “What is it? What’d you find?”
“The building’s been cleared. Carly’s down and Ellen’s missing.”
Lee swayed. Caught himself on the door. “Carly? Down? Ellen’s missing?”
“Carly’s alive, but unconscious. No visible trauma. We’re getting her over to the vet now. Tanya’s in the hospital, but we have another one coming from a nearby town. He said he’d be here in twenty minutes.”
