TWELVE

Kaitlin grabbed Warrior by the collar. “Francine, keep Bachelor in line. We might need them both.”

The other woman moved her gaze from the approaching van to Kaitlin. “Why?”

Kaitlin took another look at the van. “I think that’s the same van. The one my attacker was in the other day.”

Francine swung around so fast her silver earrings danced against her cheeks. “The kidnapper?”

“I think so,” Kaitlin replied, willing herself to stay focused. “Let’s just sit here and see what happens. We can send out the dogs if we have to.”

“Okay.” Francine kept a tight hand on Bachelor’s collar and then took a deep breath. “This is why we train canines,” she kept saying. “They will protect us.”

The van pulled up behind the truck. Kaitlin realized too late that the hood was still up, a sure sign that they couldn’t get away.

Expecting a man dressed in all black and wearing a ski mask, Kaitlin waited with baited breath as the driver’s side door opened. But a young man with shaggy, dirty-blond hair got out and ambled toward them.

“It’s not my attacker,” she managed to whisper before the man came up to the open window.

“Good afternoon, ladies,” the man said, a grin on his face. “Got car trouble?”

“We do,” Kaitlin replied. Behind her, Warrior let out a soft growl. “But we’ve called for help. Should be here any minute.”

The man leaned close to stare into the truck, his brown eyes moving with radar precision over Francine and the dogs.

“Beautiful animals. Are they for sale?”

Thinking that was a strange and telling question, Kaitlin shook her head. “No. We use them as guard dogs. They go everywhere with us.”

The guy backed up to stare at her. “Is that a warning, lady?”

“Yes, it is,” Francine blurted out. “And our help just pulled behind your van.”

Kaitlin glanced in the rearview mirror and sighed with relief. Slade was out of his vehicle and hotfooting it toward the car, one hand on his gun, his cell at his ear. He’d probably dispatched the tag numbers to get information on the van.

“Everything all right here?” he asked, glancing inside the black van as he walked by. He put his phone away, his eyes trained on the man standing by the truck.

The man whirled around, his hands palm out. “Just thought I’d offer my help. But I think these nice ladies have things under control.”

Slade stared the man down. Dirty Blond shifted uncomfortably, sweat popping out on his pimply face. “Sir, can I see your license and registration, please?”

The man looked shocked. And scared. “What? What did I do?”

“Nothing that I know of,” Slade said, his tone firm and calm. Kaitlin wondered if he’d already gotten a hit regarding the van. “But we recently had a near-kidnapping involving a van that matches yours. Mind if I verify that your vehicle wasn’t involved?”

“I don’t get why, man. I saw them broke down and just stopped to help. Can’t I go now?”

Slade glanced around toward the van. “You have a broken taillight. I’d appreciate it if you could show me your license and registration.”

“Whatever!” The skinny fellow pivoted to head back to the van.

Slade glanced in the truck.

“Go,” Kaitlin said. “We’re okay.”

Slade went with the man to the van, but waited outside while the man leaned over to dig through the glove compartment.

Kaitlin watched in the driver’s side mirror as Slade spoke into his radio. “He’s doing a license check, I think. If that man’s in the NCIC database, the captain will know soon.”

“What if he finds something in the national database?” Francine asked. “What if that guy is crazy and pulls out a gun?”

“Slade knows what he’s doing. He’s going through his check list.” She watched as he read over the registration papers.

Then he said something to the other man.

Dirty Blond’s eyes widened and Kaitlin heard a string of expletives, but before anyone could blink, he pushed past Slade and took off running straight into the woods.

Slade immediately spoke into his radio, probably calling for backup. Then he shouted to Kaitlin. “Give me Warrior.”

She did as he asked, commanding the animal to jump out of the truck. Slade took over from there and gave Warrior the attack command. Warrior sniffed the ground, already tracking the suspect.

“Don’t move and don’t let Bachelor out of your sight,” Slade ordered. Then he dashed into the woods after Warrior.

Kaitlin sat staring at the trees. “I can’t believe this.”

Francine patted Bachelor and acknowledged the dog’s alert growls. “It’s okay, boy. You might get to go a round or two if anybody else shows up.”

Kaitlin glanced in the rearview again. “I sure hope no one is hiding in that van.”

Kaitlin thought about searching the vehicle, but Slade had told her to stay put. And yet, what if someone was holed up in there and they were too scared to get out now?

“Let me borrow Bachelor,” she told Francine as she exited the truck.

“No, Kait.” Francine held tight to her animal. “Slade said not to move. I’m not moving and neither is Bachelor.”

Kaitlin couldn’t sit still, waiting and wondering. She got out and paced by the side of the road.

When they heard Warrior’s barks deep in the woods, Kaitlin turned to stare. “Maybe I should go after Slade.”

“Like you said, the man knows his job and backup is on the way,” Francine replied. “Honey, just try to relax. I don’t want something bad to happen to you.”

Kaitlin nodded. “Okay, but only because I don’t want to leave you alone.”

“I appreciate that.” Her friend kept searching the road. “I hear sirens.”

By the time a backup K-9 patrol had arrived, Slade came stomping out of the woods, pushing the now-handcuffed runner along in front of him. The guy’s shirt was torn and it looked like he had a bleeding bite mark on one of his arms. Warrior followed close by, trotting toward where Kaitlin stood by the truck.

“Good boy,” Kaitlin said, reaching inside the truck to find an old chew toy. “Great job, Warrior-man.” A tremendous shudder riveted her body, but she tried to give the illusion of calm.

Slade’s eyes searched hers. “Y’all okay?”

“We’re good.” She eyed the young man being hauled to the patrol car. “What’s his story?”

“He has an outstanding warrant. Deadbeat dad. Didn’t pay child support. I ran a check and the warrant popped up. He split when I confronted him about it.”

“Do you believe that?”

“The database has that information but not much else. I’ll make sure he’s telling the whole truth,” Slade replied. “Let me go talk to Jackson and give him the scoop. I’ll be right back.” He turned around. “I saw some wrapper papers in a cup holder by his seat, so we’ll search the van, too. Just in case.”

Kaitlin sighed again. “Hey, Slade. The truck’s gas tank is completely empty. That’s why we broke down.”

He came striding back. “Are you sure?”

“Yep,” Francine said as she crawled out of the truck. “I filled it up two days ago. No way I could have used that much fuel.”

“We think someone deliberately siphoned it out,” Kaitlin explained.

“Sit tight for a second.” Slade hurried to the patrol car and said a few words to Jackson.

Jackson and his dog, Titan, did a quick search of the van, but after finding a baggie filled with what looked like a small amount of marijuana, Jackson shook his head. Then he headed back to the patrol car.

Slade turned back to Kaitlin. “Jackson’s gonna call a gas station to bring you some fuel, Francine. I’ll stay here until they get here.”

“Thanks,” Francine said. “I think I’ll let Bachelor take a run while we wait. He’s as hyped up as I am. Warrior can come, too.”

Kaitlin lifted her chin. “Thanks, Francine.”

That left Kaitlin and Slade standing alone.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, his gaze lingering on her.

“I’m fine. Just another close call. Do you think that man is connected to The Boss?”

“I don’t know. We’ve got him on the outstanding warrant, resisting an officer and a bag of weed. None of that can connect him to The Boss, though.” He stared at the black van. “That sure looks a lot like the vehicle, but there aren’t any bullet holes in the passenger door. “I ran the plates. It’s not stolen and he has insurance and the title.” He glanced back at the van. “We can haul it in and go over it again.”

“Good idea. I’d feel better knowing for sure.”

He took her by the arm. “C’mon. Let’s talk.”

Kaitlin waved to Francine and made sure she could keep her friend and the dogs in her sights. And while she walked, she prayed this might at least give them a break in this case.

Because she couldn’t take much more of this kind of upheaval.

* * *

“Everything checks out, but I still don’t like it.”

Slade’s gaze moved over the unit officers he’d called into the conference room this morning.

Jackson Worth spoke up. “The van could have been cleaned and fixed up. Perhaps sold? Do we know how long that kid has owned it?”

“A few months,” Slade replied. “That doesn’t fit with what happened here last week, though.”

Melody raised her hand. “Could the kid—Rudy Hampton—be lying?”

“A good possibility,” Slade replied. “He’s a jittery mess. I think he was almost relieved to be locked up.” He tapped his fingers on the table. “Rudy has hit hard times and he got behind on his child support payments. Says he has a one-year-old.”

“Being down and out can lead to all kinds of deals regarding money,” Valerie said. “Maybe he’s lying because he has to.”

“To protect his child?” Slade mused.

Valerie nodded. “If someone offered him a way out from under that warrant or threatened him if he didn’t cooperate, then maybe he might have to lie to us.”

Slade appreciated Valerie’s perspective since she had taken over raising her own orphaned niece, Bethany.

“How long can we hold him?” Parker Adams asked, his pen whirling through his fingers.

“Not long enough,” Slade admitted. “If he lawyers up, he’ll be out on bail in no time.”

“I don’t think he has the resources for that,” Valerie replied.

The talk went on about trial dates and plea bargains.

Slade got up to scrutinize the picture he’d taken of Rudy’s van. “Maybe I’ll try one more time. If I can get him to bargain, we might get some information out of him.”

“Couldn’t hurt,” Jackson said.

Later, Slade called Kaitlin to give her an update. “I’m going to question him now. That kid is hiding something besides an outstanding warrant. I’m gonna try to find out what it is.”

Kaitlin was in the break room, drinking a soda. “Good luck with that. Most of the people you’ve taken in either won’t talk or...they didn’t live to tell anyone anything.”

“Good point,” Slade replied. “I’ll call you later. Want me to bring by some dinner?”

“Would it be okay if I came to your house and brought Warrior with me? I’d like to see Caleb, but I don’t want to put him in danger.”

“Okay, but make sure the cruiser follows you to my front door.”

“Yes, Captain,” she said with a long suffering sigh.

He hung up with a grin in spite of the burning inside his gut. If he could get Rudy Hampton to talk maybe he could finally get a break in this investigation.

And that could lead to all sorts of possibilities.

Such as him finally bringing down The Boss and...him finally having the nerve to pursue Kaitlin Mathers without any regrets.