Border Breach

by Darlene L. Turner

  Her eyes glared at him like a cobra ready to strike. “Nothing.”

  “Didn’t he threaten you when you helped convict him?” He couldn’t let it go.

  She rubbed her arms as if protecting herself from her ex’s advances. “He said he’d get even with me when he got out.” Her voice broke.

  “Good thing he’s in jail.” Lord, protect her and help her move past this.

  Kaylin bit her lip.

  Her nervous habit. It was cute. Where did that thought come from?

  “His lawyer is appealing his sentence.” Her face turned ashen as she stared at the road ahead.

  She was scared, he realized. This man had gotten to her even from behind bars. “Have you heard from him since he was incarcerated?”

  “Numerous times. Letters I haven’t opened.”

  “Maybe you should. If they’re threats, they could keep him behind bars.”

  “I don’t want to have anything to do with that man.” She clamped her mouth shut.

  That was his cue to stop talking about her ex. Instead, he pulled in front of the address given to them. “We’re here.”

  Graffiti filled the front of the dilapidated apartment building with boarded-up windows. Weeds poked out of cracks in the concrete and chunks of brick lay around the yard.

  “Wow. How can anyone live here?” Kaylin opened her door. “Looks like the building is ready to be condemned.”

  “Let’s be careful. This may be a setup.”

  She shook her head. “No, Akio seemed to want to help. I don’t think he fed me incorrect information.”

  “Only one way to find out. Let’s go.”

  She walked up the uneven sidewalk ahead of him, sidestepping the bulging concrete.

  The front door hung at an angle, broken at the hinges.

  Young boys played basketball in the lot next to the building under lights. Shouldn’t they be home now with their parents? This rough neighborhood could easily cause problems for these boys. “When will kids learn to get off the street at night? Especially here.”

  “I wonder if their parents know where they are.”

  Hudson eased open the broken door. “What apartment?”

  “Second floor. Number two fourteen.”

  Their footsteps creaked on the old stairs. No keeping their arrival quiet. Hudson walked with his hand ready on his weapon. He wasn’t taking any chances. He opened the door to the second level and the overwhelming scent of marijuana filled the air.

  Hudson crinkled his nose. “Great. This building has got to be a grow-op.”

  “No wonder it appears abandoned.”

  The smell increased the closer they got to their destination.

  Hudson pointed. “Here’s two fourteen.”

  The door stood ajar, its lock broken.

  Hudson unholstered his weapon and eased the door open.

  “Looks like someone beat us here.”

  * * *

  Kaylin whisked out her weapon and followed Hudson into the ransacked apartment. Tables were overturned, couch and chairs ripped to shreds, and marijuana plants strewn about the one-bedroom apartment. A skunky odor filled the small area and Kaylin covered her nose and mouth with her hand. The cannabis reeked.

  Hudson raised his gun and swept the room. “Police. Anyone here?” He turned back. “Check the bedroom.”

  She entered the tiny room ready to take action. It, too, was trashed. Mattress torn apart, dresser drawers open with the contents thrown all over, but no sign of Blaine.

  “Clear.” She moved back into the living room. “The place is empty. Sure looks like someone was bent on finding something.”

  “Agreed. I wonder what Blaine had that they so desperately wanted.”

  She holstered her weapon. “And who are they? Can this all be related to the drug smuggling ring or something else?”

  “Good questions.” He pulled out his cell phone. “I’ll call it in. Maybe we can get prints from this mess.”

  Would they? Considering the way their day had gone so far, she doubted it.

  A wave of dizziness plagued her and she teetered. She grabbed the back of the couch to steady herself. The day had taken its toll on her. She needed to get home, eat a real meal and climb into a hot bath to soothe her achy body.

  No. She would not let Hudson see her as weak. She’d struggled too hard to get to where she was, given all the criticism from her male coworkers. She’d prove them wrong, especially her father. One way to do that was to solve this case. Even if it meant putting her own life at risk. And working with another male. At least this one wasn’t hard on the eyes, and he seemed kinder this time around.

  Did I just think that? She blinked. No way would she be caught in the same situation as she was with Jake. No, she didn’t trust men. Not after her broken engagement.

  But it was hard not to notice the handsome man beside her, with his army-cut hairstyle and muscular arms. He piqued her interest.

  But she had to stop thinking about him.

  Besides, he believed in God. Something they could never agree on.

  She glanced at her watch. “Are we done after the forensic unit arrives?”

  He clenched his jaw. “I need to keep going. Find these people.” His face twisted, the pain evident.

  She placed a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry about your nephew, but you won’t help him by overtaxing yourself. Believe me, I want to catch these people, too, but it’s been a long day and you need rest. We both do.”

  His shoulders squared as if preparing for battle.

  His love for his nephew drove him. She understood that, but she wouldn’t let him wear himself out. Matthew needed him alert. “You know I’m right. Don’t fight me on this.”

  He let out a forced breath and his muscles relaxed. “Fine. We’ll call it a night.” He stuffed his phone back into his pocket. “Forensics should be here within ten minutes.”

  “Good.” She spotted a drug kit on the coffee table. “Looks like Blaine here dabbles in his business. I wonder if it’s doda.”

  “The unit will test it to find out. Wouldn’t surprise me if it was doda, since it appears he’s involved.”

  “How do you know that?”

  Hudson stared at the mess in the living room. “He ran, didn’t he? I suspect he knew more than Akio and that’s why he’s on the run.”

  “We need to have someone stake out this place in case he returns.”

  “I’ll clear that with my sergeant.” Once again, he pulled out his phone to make the call.

  The front door squeaked open. “You two aren’t messing up the crime scene, are you?” Bianca walked in with the Ident team. They set their kit on the floor and pulled out fingerprint powder.

  Kaylin held her hands in front of her, palms out. “We haven’t touched a thing. I promise.”

  Hudson clicked off his call. “Hey, Bianca. Good to see you again.” He gestured around the apartment. “Think you guys will be able to get some prints off this mess?”

  “We’ll do our best.” She put on her gloves.

  “You find out anything from the van?”

  “The team hasn’t had much time for the tests yet, but nothing so far. Doesn’t look hopeful. Whatever was in the van was completely destroyed.”

  Hudson frowned. “We need to see if there’s any connection to the doda smuggling ring.”

  “You’ll be the first to know.” She opened her notebook. “For now, leave us so they can do their job.”

  “We’re outta here.” Hudson motioned Kaylin toward the door. “Time to get you a protective detail at your address.”

  She scoffed. “No way. I know how to protect myself.”

  “And your police chief father would have my head if I let something happen to you. Don’t argue.”

  She realized it was his turn
to be forceful. So she just shook her head and followed him out of the apartment.

  An hour later, with an officer positioned in front of her building, Kaylin let the lavender-scented candle permeate the air in her living room. She slouched back into the couch, allowing her achy muscles to relax. Exactly what she needed after a long day.

  Her black-and-white cat hopped onto the coffee table. She stuck her paw into Kaylin’s ice water and licked it.

  Kaylin giggled. “Sassme, why do you do that?”

  The cat meowed.

  Kaylin kissed the feline’s forehead before it jumped down and trotted out of the room.

  Her cell phone rang, jarring her out of a relaxed state. Who could be calling at eleven thirty? She reached for her phone and when she saw an unknown caller, she hit the decline button. She didn’t want to talk to anyone tonight.

  The cell phone rang again.

  Same unknown caller.

  Someone was persistent. She picked up. “Poirier here.”

  Silence. Heavy breathing.

  “Hello? Who’s there?”

  “I’m watching you.”

  Kaylin sat up straight. “Who’s this?”

  “You’re mine.”

  Click.

  Goose bumps spiked the hair on her arms.

  So much for a relaxing evening. There was no way she’d be able to sleep tonight.

  FIVE

  Hudson arrived early the next morning at the police station to research the Saskatchewan doda bust and gather all the information he could. The more he knew the better. Constable Larry Jacobs had called after Hudson dropped Kaylin off last night and told him the drug dealer had been rushed into surgery as soon as they arrived at the hospital. The man had made it out alive but he was critical. Hudson would question him today.

  The bomb squad had cleared their station, proving Hudson’s theory that the fake threat was only a ruse to get them to exit the building and expose the driver and the dealer to assassins. Hudson left the description of Blaine Ridley with Bianca. She would arrange for a rough sketch so they could circulate it.

  He rubbed his temples, trying to ward off another pending migraine. His lack of sleep had triggered an aura earlier and he knew what was coming. He grabbed his prescription meds and popped one in his mouth. His day required a clear mind and he wouldn’t be able to function with a throbbing head.

  His cell phone rang. He swiped the screen and saw an incoming call from his best friend, Layke Jackson in Calgary. “Hey, bud. Isn’t it early there?” He hit the search icon on his computer and waited as the cursor circled.

  The two had met at the local mission when they were fifteen and hit it off right away. Layke had been living on the streets for a short period of time. They’d stayed in touch over the years and even gone to college to become officers together.

  “Just finishing the night shift. How’s your case going?”

  “Slow. Had a lead yesterday, but a shooter took him out. Another suspect is fighting for his life in the hospital.”

  “Tough break. Who are you working with?”

  “Kaylin Poirier from the CBSA.”

  Layke whistled. “Oooo...her again, huh?”

  “I hear the tone in your voice. Forget it. I’ve sworn off women, remember?” A link to the Saskatchewan drug bust appeared on his screen. He clicked on it and took a sip of coffee.

  Layke clucked his tongue. “You need to get over Rebecca. Not all women are cheaters like her. Besides, it’s been almost a year. Time to move on.”

  Hudson winced. He knew his friend was right, but Rebecca’s cheating ways had done a number on him. Lord, help me get over her and trust in You. “Speaking of moving on, let’s talk about something else. You on a case right now?”

  “I think I’ll be working soon on one concerning a child trafficking ring. We’ve caught wind of it happening here in Alberta as well as at the Yukon border.”

  “Those poor kids. I hate hearing stuff like that. They’re so young when they’re ripped from their families.”

  “I know. They’re being used in sweatshops across the country.”

  “I hope you get on the team.”

  “Me, too. Means I’ll also be working with the CBSA.”

  Kaylin came through the door carrying a large coffee and rubbing her eyes. She waved and smiled when she spied him and headed in his direction, her ponytail swaying as she walked.

  She was beautiful. He couldn’t help but notice. He raked his fingers through his stubbled hair and admonished himself. Concentrate.

  “They’re a good agency. Sworn to protect the borders.” He finished his coffee and threw out the paper cup. “Listen, I gotta run. Kaylin is here and we’re headed to the hospital to question a suspect.”

  “Stay safe, buddy. Chat later.”

  “You got it.”

  They clicked off the call as Kaylin reached his desk.

  “Morning,” she said through a yawn.

  “You not sleep last night?” He noticed the dark patches under her eyes.

  “Unfortunately not. Had a disturbing call before bed. Put me on edge.”

  Hudson sat straight, his protective senses on alert. “What kind of call?”

  She pulled up a chair beside him. “Someone said they were watching me.” She twirled the end of her ponytail.

  He leaned back and blew out a breath. “The smugglers?”

  She blinked rapidly before taking another sip. “Who else could it be?” She rubbed her palm on the front of her pants, over and over.

  This caller had gotten to her more than she was willing to admit. “Well, someone out there is after you.” He reached for his phone. “We need to call your father. Give him an update.”

  She placed her hand on top of the receiver, brushing his fingers.

  A jolt raced through his arm from her simple touch. What was that?

  She snapped her hand back and he looked up at her.

  Her eyes looked focused and determined when she spoke. “Please don’t. He threatened to take me off the case before and I need to finish this. I’m fine. I’ll call my phone carrier and get a new number.”

  So she was still the stubborn officer he remembered from the last time they worked together. “Don’t you think it’s better to be safe than sorry?”

  She glared at him. “I can take care of myself, Hudson.”

  He couldn’t win. All he wanted was to keep her safe. “Not saying you can’t, but this seems like a threat to me.”

  She eyed the report on his screen. “That the latest seizure?”

  Nothing like changing the subject. “Yes, they seized nearly a thousand grams of doda at the Saskatchewan border.”

  “Any arrests?”

  “They captured a thirty-five-year-old man and charged him under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.” He scrolled through the report. “However, a lawyer got him off on a technicality. Seems the arresting officer didn’t follow the correct protocol.”

  “Sounds like a good lawyer.”

  “Yes, one linked to the dark web.”

  Kaylin leaned in closer to the screen. “What?”

  Her vanilla scent tickled his sinuses. He breathed in deeper, getting lost in the fragrance. Was that her shampoo?

  Focus, Hudson. “Yes, we’ve been watching this lawyer on other cases. Seems he has a presence on the dark web and offers his services to those needing to get off drug charges. He works across Canada and has made quite a name for himself.”

  “Do you think he’s linked to our case somehow?”

  “Nothing would surprise me.”

  “Isn’t doda a powdered opiate?” Kaylin finished her coffee and threw the cup in the garbage.

  Hudson pointed to the screen. “Yep. It’s made from crushed poppy seeds, similar to the stash we confiscated from Benji.” />
  He closed the report. “Jacobs called and said the surgery went well on our suspect. Looks like he’ll pull through.”

  “Do we know his name yet?”

  “He didn’t have any identification on him when we picked him up and he was tight-lipped. We took his prints and are running them against our records in CPIC. We should hear soon.”

  Hudson and his team used the Canadian Police Information Centre’s computerized system to track down criminals and help identify them. He clicked on the application to boot it up. “Actually, let’s see if we have a hit yet.”

  He typed a few keys and once again his cursor circled while they waited.

  He peered over his screen and stole a glimpse at Kaylin. Much as he told himself to keep it strictly professional, he had to admit she intrigued him. What was her story? How could he find out without intruding on her personal space? He recalled their previous case hadn’t gone well when Hudson had tried to take over. But he’d learned a lot about himself during their investigation. Now that he wanted to know more about Kaylin, he vowed to do better this time around.

  “Did you get a chance to talk to your dad last night?”

  Her body tensed. “I don’t want to talk about him.”

  “Why not?”

  She glared at him. “Let’s just say that’s uncharted territory and I’ve blocked him from my life.”

  How could she not want her own father around? He longed for his, but Ron Steeves had been ripped from his family when Hudson was only a boy. He closed his eyes and pictured the pool of blood.

  So much blood.

  A tremor crept in and he blinked to rid himself of the dreadful image. It was a day he wished he could change. But nothing could amend history or take away the suffering. “Sorry to hear that. I wish I still had a dad.”

  “Not one like mine, you don’t.” She tapped her thumb on his desk.

  Interesting.

  “And you said your brother and mother are both passed. So you don’t have any other family?”

  “Just a woman who took me in after I lost all hope. Her name is Diane Smith, and she’s like you.”