Desert Rescue (K-9 Search and Rescue)

by Lisa Phillips

  The sheriff said, “Both of you, come by my office. I’ll get you on the computer so you can look at mug shots. All that stuff is digital now.”

  “I’m not leaving Nate.” Jennie took hold of the boy’s hand, as though she was about to be dragged from his bedside. Separated from him against her will.

  Did she think he hated her that much?

  “I can do it,” Patrick told her. “But Nate will be here at least until tomorrow, right? If we make sure he’s safe—maybe one of your friends can sit with him—you’ll be a help to me. You spent longer with those men.”

  She got that look in her eyes. The one a witness got before they announced they were refusing to testify and wanted nothing at all to do with the case. Because fear had gotten the best of them.

  Patrick said, “My partner will be here tonight. If Nate has a familiar face with him, and there’s an officer I trust on the door, could you go with me?”

  It was plain in her frown that she didn’t like it. “I... Yes. I could do that.”

  He figured that meant it was possible, though she clearly didn’t want to. He couldn’t blame her. Patrick hardly wanted to leave Nate’s side now that he knew the boy was his son.

  He studied the sleeping child, seeing the line of his nose and the set of his eyes. It made him want to cling hard to him and never let go. But what kind of life would that be for either of them?

  Patrick stood. “I’m going to walk the sheriff out.”

  Jennie nodded.

  Patrick didn’t go far. Just enough that she wouldn’t be able to hear the conversation, but he could still see the curtained-off area where she sat with Nate. She probably needed some time alone to be with him. They’d been through an ordeal, and there was a chance it wasn’t over yet.

  Sheriff Johns squared up on him, chin raised. “Something you need?”

  “Any idea who might be behind all this?”

  “Trespassers? No. But now a kidnapping?” Johns shrugged. “I guess you’d better ID them.”

  “And you’re fine with state police working a case in your town?” He’d met more than a few small-town sheriffs. They all had their own way of doing things. And differing opinions on the assistance they’d like from state police.

  Except this wasn’t assistance. It was Patrick’s case now.

  “If it keeps them safe, of course.” A flash lit the sheriff’s eyes. “And you can tell me if she has anything to do with this.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “The daughter of a man who ran the drug trade in this town for years.” He huffed. “She’s either involved, or she knows who is. That’s why I called you. So you can use your resources to investigate Jennie’s involvement in all this.”

  SIX

  The curtain pulled back. She’d been expecting Patrick again, but it was Beth. Jennie jumped up from the chair as soon as her best friend entered. Relief nearly sent her to her knees. At just a familiar face? Yes, considering this familiar face was the least dramatic person Jennie had ever met.

  “Rough night?” Beth probably meant it as a joke, but it didn’t sound like she thought it was funny. “I couldn’t believe it when I saw the state of your house. I called the sheriff right away.” Beth pulled back, her attention on Nate now. “How is he?”

  “They gave him something to knock him out. He was pretty stressed. Thanks for coming. He’ll need a friend here if he wakes up and I’m not back yet.”

  “Was that really...him?” Beth wandered over to the bedside.

  Jennie nodded. Her friend knew all about Patrick.

  “Talk about whoa.”

  “Yep.”

  Beth had been new in town when they’d met at the library. Jennie had been there with Nate, around four at the time. They’d instantly clicked. Bonus: Beth hadn’t known anything about Jennie’s father and his criminal activity. Though she’d told her friend everything, which was how she knew about Patrick. Double bonus: Beth had reintroduced her to Jesus Christ and told her how He had saved her.

  Jennie had gone to church every Sunday since. Faith was everything to her, and God had showed up time and time again over the years.

  Beth frowned. “What is it?”

  “I just...” Jennie gathered her thoughts. “I’ve seen God do so much. Why would I question whether or not He’s going to show up, even in this?”

  Her friend smiled. “I’m so good at giving counsel, I don’t even have to say anything.”

  Jennie burst out laughing then clapped a hand over her mouth. Her friend gave her another quick squeeze. “Thanks.” Jennie blew out a breath. “I needed that.”

  “After being kidnapped?” Beth shook her head. “I can’t believe that happened to you guys. I thought this was supposed to be a safe little town. First, they’re trespassing, and then they escalate to kidnapping. I can hardly believe it.”

  “I’m just glad the sheriff actually called the state police for help.”

  “And they sent—” Beth glanced at the curtain, then whispered “—Nate’s father.”

  “He knows. Nate was actually the one who said something.”

  Beth frowned. “Patrick didn’t know?”

  “He had no idea.” Jennie sighed. “Patrick grew up here. It makes sense that the state police sent him.”

  “And it turns out Nate’s dad’s a cop. A handsome cop.”

  “Those things will make him a good father?”

  Beth said, “You know what I mean.”

  Yeah, she did. Jennie had to admit the man he’d grown into wasn’t just cute. He was pretty much breathtaking. She had to quit thinking about him. She didn’t need the distraction. Not when gunmen had held them—terrorized them—for hours.

  Mom!

  She could still hear him cry out for her when she’d fallen down that mountainside. Tears filled her eyes.

  Beth’s warm hand touched hers. “You’re both safe now.”

  Jennie thought about Patrick and the fact that he was there. “No, we’re not.”

  Their lives were in danger. Their hearts were in danger.

  Though she had no intention of being vulnerable with Patrick, he still represented a threat.

  Jennie squeezed her eyes shut. She heard Beth whispering prayers, covering them both with God’s love and protection. That strange dichotomy between what they possessed, by virtue of being God’s children, and yet being able to ask for those things in even greater measure—and so much more.

  Thank You.

  Patrick cleared his throat.

  Jennie said, “One second.” She kissed her son goodbye and exchanged another hug with her friend.

  “Beth’s already met my partner.” Patrick motioned to the man beside him.

  Her friend blushed, but there was no time to decipher that as Patrick continued his introduction.

  “This is Officer Eric Fields.”

  Eric wasn’t as tall as Patrick, his features darker. He grinned and stuck out his hand. “You’re Jennie.”

  His whole demeanor caused her guard to slip a little. “I’m afraid so.”

  He chuckled and they shook hands, though his gaze drifted to the still-open curtain and the spot where Beth sat beside Nate. “I’ll watch out for Nate. And your friend in there.”

  Patrick said, “Eric is going to stand guard until we get back.”

  Considering the badge and the gun, and the fact the guy put her at ease the way a friend should, she nodded. “Okay.” She turned to Patrick. “We won’t be gone that long, though. Right?”

  “Just long enough to get you and Nate fresh clothes and then swing by the sheriff’s office to ID the men who held you.”

  She figured the quicker they went, the quicker they would get back. Hopefully before Nate even woke up. She was exhausted, but still the reserves to get things done for her son’s sake kept her going. Soon
enough she would crash, and probably sleep for a couple of days.

  Would Patrick stay with Nate while she did that?

  Eric said, “Nice to meet you.”

  “You, too.”

  Patrick led her away. “Let’s go. The quicker we get this done, the quicker we can get back here.”

  She glanced at him.

  “What?”

  “Nothing. I agree with you, that’s all. I actually thought the same thing a second ago.”

  “Great minds think alike?”

  Did he remember? Years ago, they’d constantly had similar ideas. It had been a pillar of their relationship, that connection. Now, she wasn’t so sure. Maybe there was a piece of it still there, but life had taken them in completely different directions. Even if she wanted to salvage something, she wasn’t sure there was anything there to work from.

  They fell into silence as they made their way outside. Patrick scanned the parking lot, one hand on his gun. Making sure Jennie was safe.

  As they approached his SUV, Tucker barked.

  “I should take him over to that grass. He’s been cooped up for a bit.”

  She nodded and leaned against the car, watching Patrick walk his dog.

  Fatigue weighed on her. Jennie had to fight it off, stomping her feet to keep awake. As a bonus, the movements kept her warm, since she’d given Patrick his jacket back.

  Across the lot, a car sat with its engine running. Jennie frowned. The man inside, was he watching her?

  “What is it?” Patrick glanced in the direction she was looking while Tucker walked close enough to brush against her leg.

  She leaned down to pet the dog’s head. “Probably just me being paranoid.”

  “Maybe.”

  The car set off and the driver pulled out of the lot.

  “Like I said—” Jennie reached for the door handle “—it’s probably nothing.”

  But she wasn’t so sure.

  * * *

  When he asked Jennie for directions to her house so he could forgo GPS on his phone, and she gave Patrick the street where she’d lived in high school, all thoughts of that other car disappeared.

  His foot let off the gas and he turned to her.

  “Yes.” The tight tone of her voice matched her body language. “I live in my father’s house.”

  “I’m not passing judgment.”

  She huffed.

  “It’s not like you still live with him. Right?”

  Patrick winced and headed for her place. Probably not the best thing he could have said. Maybe she’d grieved for her father. A lot of people whose parents weren’t nice to them, or even good people, still grieved the loss. A bad parent was still a parent. Sometimes they were all a person had.

  The house was dark when he pulled onto the lane. Set back from the street, the single-level ranch house had a stucco exterior and red-clay roof tiles.

  He parked and glanced over at Jennie. Her eyes were shut, her breathing shallow and steady. He didn’t want to wake her but there wasn’t much choice. “Hey.” He gently shook her shoulder while Tucker sniffed at the open window behind him.

  Jennie came awake fast.

  “It’s okay. It’s me.”

  “Rick?” She glanced around. “Oh. We’re here. That felt like five seconds of sleep.”

  “Sorry. Do you want to take a nap while we’re here? Tucker and I can stand guard if you want to rest.”

  “I don’t even want to take the time out to shower.” She wrinkled her nose. “But I probably should.”

  Patrick grabbed his door handle. He didn’t need to be distracted by thoughts of how cute she was. The teen girl he’d been so enamored with had grown into a beautiful woman. Too bad he’d abandoned the idea of a relationship. Why be vulnerable again when what they’d had already destroyed him?

  “Let me check out the house first. I’d like you to wait by the front door.”

  “Oh. Okay.”

  She might not agree, but she did as he’d asked while Patrick gave Tucker the command to roust anyone who might be hiding in the home.

  It was a task they’d done a hundred times.

  When Tucker returned to him, tail wagging in expectation of his reward, Patrick gave him a rubdown. “Good boy. Yes, you are a good boy.”

  The dog sat.

  Then Tucker raised up to almost shoulder height and snagged the treat from Patrick’s fingers. The dog lowered back to stand on all four paws, clearly pleased with himself that he’d earned this unique reward.

  Patrick patted his head. “Go play.”

  “What does that mean?”

  He turned to Jennie, who’d shut the front door behind her. “It means we’re done with work, and he can just...be a dog.” The animal sniffed around, then trotted down the hall. “He’s probably looking for Nate, since he knows his scent now.”

  Jennie trailed down the hall.

  Patrick had never been in the house before. The decorations were Southwestern, with lots of color and Mexican tile on the floor. Jennie clearly liked cacti and succulents. Pots of all sizes decorated nearly every surface, even the round dining table.

  He found her in the main bedroom, gathering items from her drawers, which she set in a big canvas tote bag. The logo on the side was from Grand Canyon National Park. Patrick found Tucker in Nate’s room, sniffing under the bed.

  “What did you find, buddy?” He crouched and found a single battered tennis shoe along with two toy dinosaurs. On the wall were posters of zoo animals but the bedspread seemed to be dedicated to his favorite video game.

  “I’ve been looking everywhere for that.” Jennie took the shoe from him. “Thanks.”

  “Tucker is the one who found it.”

  She rummaged in the closet and came up with a matching shoe. Then she pulled pajamas and clean clothes from the dresser. “I’m surprised Nate can find anything in here.”

  Patrick grinned. “I’m pretty sure my bedroom looked exactly like this when I was a kid.”

  He’d been into sports, too, but nature was a passion of his. Animals. Being outside was his preference, and he did it as much as he could—which was fine with Tucker.

  Patrick couldn’t put into words how it felt to know Nate shared his interests. He knew what they were going to talk about. And what kind of shows they would watch together the first weekend they spent with each other.

  The bittersweet pang in his chest shouldn’t have been a surprise.

  He walked through the rest of the house, despite Tucker’s assessment that it was safe and he could relax.

  Tucker followed, and Patrick let him out the patio door so he could sniff around there, as well.

  Even when he and Jennie had been dating, she’d always come to his house. Mostly when his mom was working—which explained a lot of the trouble they’d gotten into. Being alone with the girl he’d thought he loved had been a heady experience he’d been too immature to realize was risky.

  But the result?

  He couldn’t deny the fact that, without those mistakes, Jennie wouldn’t have had Nate. He wouldn’t have a son who had suddenly become his whole world. And how was that even possible? He’d gone from not knowing his boy and feeling like he was so alone in the world to having a family. All in one night. Jennie was the girl who had gotten away. Now she would be a part of his life forever, in one way or another.

  And Nate would always be his son.

  Patrick heard the shower come on. He didn’t blame Jennie for wanting to clean up. She’d been kidnapped and injured. She probably wanted to wash off the stress along with the grime of the past day. And it would help to wake her up.

  He didn’t begrudge her wanting to get back to Nate as quickly as possible, either. Patrick felt the same way.

  Ten minutes later she emerged in fresh clothes, her wet hair hanging lo
ose over her shoulders. Patrick slid the patio door open. “Tucker, come!”

  He heard the animal’s tags jingle before he saw him.

  In the distance, multiple sets of headlights flashed across the expanse of land he knew was behind her house.

  Patrick stepped outside. He heard Jennie come out after him. She gasped.

  “It’s them. The trespassers.” Fear threaded through her tone. “They’re here again.”

  SEVEN

  Jennie needed to get back to her son, not dragged into another kidnapping. The men who’d taken her and Nate had warned her off a few times from “meddling” in what they were up to on her land.

  “I’m calling the DEA again.” She stepped back inside. “And this time, someone had better call me back.”

  She was sick of being blown off. Having her instincts questioned, like Johns telling her it was nothing but high school kids. No way. She knew what danger smelled like.

  That might sound crazy to some, but she’d been raised in a home with a drug dealer. Her brother hadn’t cared one bit. Jennie, on the other hand, had developed an instinct for danger. Grown men in multiple trucks thought they could do whatever they wanted to on her land.

  Well, she wasn’t going to just stand around and allow her son to be placed in danger. Not again. Where was her phone? She didn’t know where she’d put it the last time she—

  “Jennie.” Patrick snagged her arm and tugged her around until she faced him, shaking her head.

  Her breath hitched and only a sob came out. Patrick’s expression softened and he pulled her in for a hug. Jennie backed up, shaking her head. “No. Don’t.” She’d fall apart if he hugged her.

  “I’m fine.” She wound her arms around her waist.

  “You don’t have to be.”

  “It doesn’t matter. Nate is the only thing that matters and we need to get back to him.” She wiped tears from her face. “After I call the cops.”

  “Jennie, I am the cops.” He pulled out his phone and tapped the screen. “I reported the activity to my lieutenant.”