Eli waited inside by the front door so he could make sure the guard was safe. But when he glanced through the blinds, the man wasn’t there.
Mallory came up behind him, Koko next to her. “What do you see?”
“Our front guard is missing.” He scooted around her and looked out back. “The Jeep’s still there, but I can’t be sure the other guard’s in the vehicle.”
Mallory pulled out her phone. “I’ll call.”
Eli waited near the window, listening.
“No answer from either,” Mallory said, her phone to her ear. “This can’t be good.”
Then they heard shouts and gunshots. Koko growled, his ears going back while he stood ready to go.
“I’m going to check,” Eli said. “Koko, come.”
“I should go with you.”
“Let me see what Koko and I can find,” he told her. “Stay here.”
Mallory stood staring, her pulse pounding a jittery beat. What if she didn’t want to stay here?
She searched the cabin and found a fire poker—cliché, but sturdy. It could do damage. Then she spotted a cast-iron skillet near the stove. The thing was heavy, but she could also use it as a weapon. Placing the fire poker by the door, she waited with the skillet.
Silence held her in a death grip. They’d just survived freezing temperatures and criminals chasing them. What now? She’d pray. She hadn’t prayed in a while, but maybe God understood silent prayers better than a rant.
She heard more gunshots. The back door rattled.
Eli? When she heard Koko’s bark echoing over the frozen woods, she headed to the door. Eli would still be with Koko unless he’d been shot.
Trying not to panic, she stood in a corner by the door with the frying pan gripped tightly, her breath held until she went into deep breathing.
The door slowly opened enough for her to see a meaty hand and a dark parka. Not one of her men. Not Eli.
She waited a heartbeat and let him move past where she hid, then she turned and aimed the heavy skillet at the man’s head. With a primal grunt, she hit him hard on the back of his wool cap. He fell to the floor, groaning, his hands grasping for her.
Mallory threw the frying pan against his head, causing him to scream. Then she grabbed the poker and slammed the sharp prongs into his hand as it inched toward her boots. “I don’t think so.”
The man writhed in pain, one hand wrapped around her boot. “Stop it, lady. I’ll kill you.”
“I’m not going to be ladylike with you,” she retorted as she slapped the poker at his hand and tried to twist away. “And you’re not going to kill me.”
The man managed to roll and grab her with both hands, tripping her. Mallory screamed as he rose and hovered over her, his face now dripping with blood, his gaze like a wild beast.
“You’re dead,” he shouted, dragging her down, his big body a dark shadow, his hands reaching for her neck.
If she could make it to the open door....
Mallory clawed at the man’s face, but just as his hands circled her throat, a pile of brown-and-black fur leaped through the air. Koko went for the man’s already hurting arm, his snarl aggressive and sure.
Mallory stood, her breath coming in gasps. Finding the poker, she grabbed it and held it against the man’s chest.
The big man kicked and screamed. Eli rushed through the back door, both guards behind him.
He let out a long breath, his hands on his knees as he bent over. “I was afraid he’d hurt you.”
Mallory waited until the two officers surrounded the man. “Koko, release, halt.”
Koko immediately let go of the man’s bleeding arm and stood watching, his teeth bared in a dare.
“I’m okay.” She had a death grip on the poker. “I’m okay.”
Eli gently took the poker from her. “That I can see,” he replied, noting the blood on the weapon. “One down, but two got away.”
“We’ll have to move again?”
“Maybe not. I don’t think they’d try to come back here.”
“Me, either,” she said, wiping her hands together as if to clean them. “We do make a good team.”
Eli looked at her, really looked at her, his eyes holding hers, his expression creased with wonder and awe. “Yes, we do.”
An hour later, they sat by the fire with Koko, letting him enjoy his playtime. The guards had called for someone to come and take in the man they’d captured. He’d kept screaming about his rights and excessive force, but he could settle that with Colonel Gallo.
Hopefully, someone back at headquarters would get him to talk. Eli wanted that to happen, and fast. Being secluded with Mallory was almost as difficult as being chased by dangerous people. A lot nicer, though.
“We have his DNA, thanks to your swordplay with that skillet and poker,” he told Mallory. “Even if he won’t talk, between that and his prints, his future isn’t looking so bright. He’d be wise to cop a plea.”
“Another great save,” Mallory said, giving Koko a high five with her hand on his lifted paw. He endured that, and then went back to his doughnut-shaped squeaky toy.
Eli let out another sigh while he watched how her eyes lit up when she was with Koko. She’d turned all warrior woman and taken down a man three times her size. Make that two men, if they counted the now-dead one she and Aidan had halted in the woods. “How is it that they can find us, but we can’t find them?”
Mallory shook her head. “You were working on something before they came in, right?”
“Right. Lena’s father, Mitchell Matson. He’s a lawyer, pillar of the community, churchgoing. What am I missing?”
“Those are all fronts,” Mallory replied. “He has all the markings of a sociopath. Too good to be true.”
“Ah, that makes sense. His poor daughter properly hung on his every word.”
“What about the mother?”
“She’s a teacher—upstanding, volunteers, lots of friends-and-family type pictures on social media.”
“I always look at people’s friends to find out about them,” Mallory admitted. “You can learn a lot sleuthing on social media. It’s like one big tell-all gossip session.”
“We are of like mind,” he replied. Mallory was perceptive, intelligent and resourceful. She’d masterfully used the fire poker and skillet against the intruder while Eli’s heart had almost burst with fear that she’d be attacked and killed. But she was a strong woman.
She sent him a questioning gaze. “Eli?”
He sank back against the couch. They were safe again, and the guards had done their jobs. The shift switch had gone as planned. He could relax and enjoy being with Mallory.
“I was afraid something had happened to you. But you handled it like a pro.”
She blinked and her expression changed from wondering to acceptance. “Oh, that. I was fine.” Then she shook her head. “Actually, that’s not true. I was terrified you and Koko had been hurt. When I heard him barking, I was so afraid you’d been shot.”
“As you can see, we are both right here, safe and sound.”
“I’m thankful for that,” she said. “I said lots of prayers on your behalf.”
“That’s good to hear,” he said, thinking they were of like mind in that department, too. “Bettina turned me into a believer, but she didn’t preach to me or demand I clean up my act. She simply lived her faith and her actions rubbed off on me.”
Mallory smiled at that. “My grandmother taught me about the Bible and God. My parents are agnostic, at best.”
Eli nodded and rubbed Koko’s fur.
“You can handle yourself,” he said, careful with his words. Then he yawned. “Wow, I’m more tired than I thought...and really worried about Aidan. We barely had time to talk. I’m glad Lorenza took over with him. She’s good at bringing out the best in people.” Shrugging, he added, “I don’t know what I’d say to him right now, anyway.”
“I understand,” Mallory replied. “You’re having a letdown from the adrenaline. Now...the shakes will come, along with the fear of being so close to death. It’s natural.”
“Yes, but it’s also natural to care about people,” he said. “The team, our K-9 unit, is like family to me. Family, that’s what all of you mean to me.”
“Of course.” She looked down, her hand stilling on Koko’s furry coat, her eyelashes fluttering when she looked back up at Eli. “I feel the same way. I love my work. I’ve become friends with so many. I’ve never appreciated that more than I do right now. Friends help us through the worst of times.”
Eli looked at her as realization hit him. “Yes.” Without thinking, he grabbed her and kissed her. A quick peck, but a real kiss. “You’re brilliant, Mallory.”
She drew back, her eyes darkening with surprise. “Thank you, I think.”
“I’m sorry.” He’d just kissed Mallory. Had he overstepped? “But you’re onto something.” Aidan hung around with a lot of students at college. If we can find one of them and ask the right questions, that might lead us to find answers.
Mallory relaxed, but touched her hand to her lips. “Oh, of course. That’s a good idea, Eli.”
“You gave it to me. You mentioned the importance of friends. Your brain is always on task.”
“That’s me,” she said with a brittle laugh. “This brain—can’t slow it down.”
Eli didn’t regret kissing her—but it had only been a little peck. It didn’t mean anything, right? Then why did he feel disappointed in the way she’d responded. Was she mad that he’d kissed her? Or did she like the way it felt, too? He’d find out because he planned to kiss her again.
And soon.