Heidi nodded slowly. “Yes, she told me that I needed to dig into the issue of abuse among ranking officers, specifically Lieutenant Colonel Turks, and she specifically mentioned you.” Her expression filled with concern. “Do you think that’s why she was hit by the truck?”
“I do,” Jacey said before Sean could interject another no comment. “Because she called to set up a meeting with me off base. She was hit before she reached the café.”
“Oh, no,” Heidi whispered. “How terrible.”
“This is why it wouldn’t be smart for Jacey to talk to you,” Sean said firmly. “Maybe later, but not now.”
“Sean’s right,” Jacey said, her brow furrowed. “Things are too dangerous. Misty’s life is hanging in the balance as it is.”
“I’m sorry,” Heidi offered. “I had no idea.”
“It’s okay.” Jacey flashed a weary smile. “It’s not your fault, but I think it’s best if you leave this alone for a while. Bad enough that some of us are in danger. I’d hate to see anything happen to you.”
“I can take care of myself,” Heidi said. “And my fiancé, Nick Donovan, won’t let anything happen to me, either.”
“Nick Donovan?” Jacey repeated. “I worked with him a bit while training Greta. He’s an explosives expert and Greta is a bomb-sniffing K-9.”
“Small world,” Heidi said with a wry smile.
“Yes, well—” Jacey cleared her throat “—I’m hopeful the truth will come out sooner or later, and if it does, I promise to give you an exclusive.”
Heidi’s eyes lit up. “Thanks. Please let me know when you’re willing to talk.”
“I will,” Jacey agreed. “Where are you headed? It’s not smart for you to be alone.”
“I’m meeting Nick at Carmen’s,” Heidi admitted. “And based on what you’ve just told me, it would be silly to turn down an escort.”
Finally, a statement Sean could agree with. As he walked between the two women, Jacey keeping Greta close by, he found himself hoping that Heidi wouldn’t end up in the crosshairs the way Jacey and Misty had been.
The person doing all of this had to make a mistake sooner or later. And Sean planned to be there when he or she did.
NINE
Jacey and Heidi chatted a bit while Sean drove them to Carmen’s. He parked nearby, and the three of them with Greta headed to the restaurant. Nick must have been waiting for them, because he came outside to meet them. Jacey and Sean each gave a quick salute in deference to his rank of captain.
“Jacey, it’s good to see you again,” Nick said.
“You, too. Oh, and this is Staff Sergeant Sean Morris with Special Forces. Sean, this is Captain Nick Donovan.”
Now that the formalities were over, the two men shook hands. “Nice to meet you, Captain,” Sean said.
Nick nodded and glanced at Heidi. “You’re late,” he chided gently with a private smile. “Because of the fire?”
“Of course!” She leaned up to kiss him. “Thanks for being patient.”
“Always,” he murmured, his gaze full of love.
Jacey couldn’t help but sigh at how adorable they were together.
“Captain, you may want to keep a close eye on your fiancée over the next few weeks.” Sean’s serious tone brought the cheerfulness down a notch. “She’s investigating a story that has attracted danger.”
“The fire?” Nick asked with a frown.
“Not just the fire, but about allegations of assault against a high-ranking officer,” Jacey said. She knew Heidi would fill him in anyway. “The fire is just one of the attempts against me, among others.”
“Heidi?” Nick put his arm around the petite blonde. “Is this true?”
“Yes,” Heidi admitted. “I didn’t realize that one of the women I spoke to yesterday, Misty Walsh, was involved in a hit-and-run crash earlier today, before Jacey and Misty could meet. They both have experience with a particular senior officer. That, combined with the fact that Jacey’s apartment is the source of the fire, makes it doubly suspicious.”
“No more rushing off to cover stories alone,” Nick said in a grim tone. “I’ll go with you from now on.”
“Good plan,” Sean said with a nod.
“Do you have a list of suspects?” Nick asked.
“I wish I did,” Sean admitted. “But so far there’s very little evidence. There are a few items up at the San Antonio crime lab, but so far I haven’t heard anything.”
“Let me know if you need help.” Nick’s expression was troubled.
“I will. Excuse me.” Sean pulled his ringing phone from his pocket and moved away from the other couple. Jacey went with him, curious about who was calling. “Staff Sergeant Morris,” he said by way of greeting.
Heidi and Nick disappeared into the restaurant as Jacey strained to hear the other side of the conversation.
“She is? Great, we’ll be right there.” Sean slid his phone back into his pocket. “Good news—Misty Walsh is conscious and able to talk.”
“Thank You, Lord,” Jacey whispered, knowing that God had answered their prayers. “That’s wonderful. Can we go there now?”
“Absolutely. It’s just a block away, so no sense taking the jeep, but stay close,” Sean warned. “Keep Greta on your left, and I’ll stay to the right.”
Jacey wasn’t going to argue.
* * *
Inside the hospital, the lobby was warm and brightly decorated for Christmas. Sean asked at the front desk for Misty’s room number and was told she was on the second floor in room 228.
Jacey, Greta and Sean took the elevator up and found Misty’s room without difficulty. Sean knocked on the door, pushing it open when Misty’s feeble voice beckoned them to come in.
The woman in the hospital bed had a line of sutures along her temple and her left arm was completely bandaged, with pins and rods sticking out of it. The blankets covered her legs, but Jacey assumed the left one was casted, as well. Her heart went out to her fellow trainer.
“Misty? I’m Staff Sergeant Sean Morris and you know Senior Airman Jacey Burke and her K-9 partner, Greta.”
“Oh, Misty.” Jacey crossed over and lightly rested her hand on Misty’s unbroken arm. “I’m so sorry this happened to you.”
“Why did you bring a cop?” Misty asked, her gaze full of reproach. “I already told you I didn’t go near Greta’s kennel.”
“Why don’t you tell us what you remember about the vehicle that hit you?” Sean countered. “I’m not here to cause trouble. I just want the truth.”
Misty reluctantly nodded. “I was waiting at the crosswalk. The sign indicated it was okay to walk, so I did, but a truck zoomed through the intersection, hitting me on the left side.” Misty grimaced and tried to shift her position in the bed. “I don’t remember anything else until I woke up here in the hospital. One of the nurses told me that the police would be here to take my statement. But I didn’t think you and Jacey would be together.”
“I’m so sorry,” Jacey repeated. “But Misty, surely you don’t think this was an accident? From where I was sitting in the café, it looked as if the truck hit you on purpose.”
Misty closed her eyes and turned her head away, as if the news was unbearable. Jacey kept a light grasp on Misty’s arm, hoping the physical contact between them would help keep her grounded.
“Misty, did you get a look at the driver?” Sean gently asked.
Misty finally opened her eyes, her lashes wet with tears. “No. I wasn’t expecting the truck to be there. I had the walk signal. Did you get a license plate?”
“Unfortunately, the plates were covered with mud,” Jacey said. “That’s another reason I think it was done on purpose. Whoever hit you didn’t want to be identified.”
“Why?” Misty asked in an agonized whisper. “Because of Turks?”
“I’m afraid so
,” Jacey said. “I know you spoke to the journalist Heidi Jenks, as I have. He attacked you, too, didn’t he?”
Misty winced and whispered, “Yes.”
“How did you get my cell number?”
“From the training-center records,” Misty answered. “In fact, I was in your office when I called you.”
“My office?” Jacey glanced at Sean, who looked surprised. “Do you use my office often?”
“Sometimes, but only because I don’t trust the phone in my office.” Misty’s voice was getting weaker. “I think someone is spying on me.”
Jacey realized Misty may have been the one moving stuff around in her office. Interesting that they’d both experienced the same sense of being watched, too. Jacey wanted to ask more questions, but Misty’s eyelids fluttered closed.
“Come on,” Sean said in a low voice. “She needs to rest.”
He was right. Misty looked battered, bruised and broken. The best thing they could do for her fellow trainer was to find the person responsible.
They left Misty’s hospital room and took the elevator back down to the lobby. “She didn’t give us anything to work with,” Jacey murmured as they headed outside. “Other than to admit that she was attacked by Turks, too.”
“Yeah,” Sean agreed. “It’s good to have confirmation about Turks. And I think it’s interesting that she doesn’t trust the cops.”
Jacey had noticed that, as well. “Maybe she tried to file a report but was brushed off, the same way Senior Airman Bill Ullman did to me.”
“Could be. I’ll dig around to see what reports, if any, she filed.” Sean placed his hand beneath her elbow. “The jeep is this way.”
Sean took extra precautions so they weren’t followed, and they made it back to the house without incident. When Jacey took Greta around to the backyard to do her business, Sean tagged along.
“Do you really think Heidi Jenks is in danger?” she asked.
He shrugged. “If the person doing this figures out that she’s doing a story on abuse by senior-ranking officers, then yeah, that’s a no-brainer.”
Jacey shivered and nodded. Bad enough that Misty had been hit by a truck, the thought of adding other innocent victim to the growing list was disturbing to say the least.
“Come, Greta,” Jacey called, when it appeared her K-9 was finished. “Let’s go inside.”
Sean unlocked the back door and held it open for her to precede him inside. In the kitchen, Jacey expected Greta to head straight for her food and water dishes, since the poor thing hadn’t finished eating earlier, but instead Greta’s nose went up and her entire body quivered.
A chill snaked down Jacey’s spine. “Greta?”
The dog lowered her snout to the ground and moved in a zigzag pattern that was achingly familiar. It was the way Greta searched for IEDs in Afghanistan.
“We need to get out of here,” she whispered to Sean, but it was too late.
Greta alerted at the stable of the Nativity scene at the same exact moment a man stepped out from behind the Christmas tree.
He was medium height, slim and held a gun. But it wasn’t Senior Airman Bill Ullman, as she’d half expected.
It was someone she’d never seen before.
TEN
“Master Sergeant Hanover?” Sean couldn’t believe his boss was standing next to the Christmas tree holding a gun on them. “What’s going on? Why are you doing this?”
“When you pulled my file, I knew you’d figure it out eventually,” the man said in a snide tone. His boss was a few years younger than he was, and Sean had wondered how he’d risen up through the ranks so quickly. Now he knew it wasn’t just because Hanover was good. Far from it. Greta stood frozen directly in front of Hanover and he glowered at the animal. “Call off your dog, or I’ll shoot it.”
“Greta, come,” Jacey commanded.
Greta slowly backed up, keeping her dark eyes locked on Hanover.
“What’s the link between you and Lieutenant Colonel Turks?” Sean asked, desperate to find a way to protect Jacey. “I mean, it’s obvious he’s greasing the way for your promotions, and you physically look enough like him to be his son.”
Hanover’s smile reeked of pure evil and Sean wondered why he hadn’t noticed the underlying cruelty before now. “That’s exactly why I knew you’d figure it out. You’re smart, Morris—I’ll give you that. Putting the jeep in my name and then finding this place without going through proper channels. You made me work to find you, that’s for sure.”
“Are you denying you’re related to Lieutenant Colonel Turks?” Sean pressed.
“Not at all. Ivan never bothered to marry my useless mother, and I didn’t blame him. It didn’t matter, since I’m his son in every way that counts. Having different last names actually worked in our favor. And obviously I’ll do whatever is necessary to protect my father.” Hanover jerked the weapon toward Jacey. “Tie her up.”
Every muscle in Sean’s body went tense. He couldn’t—wouldn’t—allow anything to happen to Jacey.
Liz had died, but he refused to fail again.
“Jacey, run!” Sean shouted at the same time as he heard Jacey tell Greta, “Get him!”
He leaped toward Hanover. The distance was too far, and he braced himself for the gunshot he knew was coming. Greta moved swiftly, clamping her jaw around Hanover’s leg.
“Owww!” Hanover fired his weapon and Sean felt the bullet skate along the side of his thigh but ignored the pain. Jacey’s panic alarm shrilled loud enough to fracture his eardrums and everyone else’s within a ten-mile radius.
Sean took his boss down and Jacey scooped up Hanover’s gun. Greta clung to Doug’s leg as the guy continued to shriek with pain. At least he appeared to be shrieking; all Sean could hear was the stupid panic alarm.
Finally, Jacey shut it off, the ensuing silence a true blessing.
“Master Sergeant Hanover, you’re under arrest for attempted murder,” Sean said, slapping handcuffs over his boss’s wrists.
“Sean? We better hurry.”
“Why?” He glanced up at Jacey, then realized that Greta was sitting straight and tall right next to the stable of the Nativity scene. “Are you saying there’s a bomb in there?”
“Yes! Let’s go!”
Sean winced as the muscles of his injured thigh protested when he hauled Hanover to his feet. Jacey grabbed Hanover’s other arm and they rushed to drag him outside, with Greta keeping pace alongside. Outside, several airmen from nearby houses were milling about, rousted by Jacey’s panic alarm.
“All of you, follow us! Hurry!” Sean said. “There’s a bomb inside the house!”
Thankfully, the others joined them, and they didn’t stop until they were more than halfway down the block.
“We need to call it in,” Jacey said between gasping breaths. “Hurry!”
Sean was already fishing his phone out of his pocket when a loud ka-boom reverberated through the night.
“The neighbors!” Jacey shouted.
“I live on the west side of the place,” one woman said. “My husband is currently overseas.”
“We live on the east side,” a young couple piped up. “That alarm was crazy loud—I couldn’t figure out what was going on!”
Sean managed a smile. “You did it, Jacey. First Greta found the bomb, then that ridiculously loud alarm of yours saved the neighbors.”
“We did it,” she said. “I didn’t even know who he was out of uniform, but you did. I can’t believe your boss is Turks’s son. And you’re bleeding again.”
Sean couldn’t care less about the wound on his leg. Knowing that Jacey was safe from harm and that he hadn’t failed to protect her was all he needed.
Because he loved her.
The realization sank deep into his bones, and he knew that this was the real thing. More than what he’d felt
with Liz, although he’d certainly cared about her.
But not the same way he loved Jacey.
He wanted to tell her, to see if she felt even close to the same way, but right now, he needed to stay focused on Hanover. His boss had to pay for his crimes.
“Misty Walsh talked to us just an hour ago,” Jacey said, her gaze riveted on Hanover’s face. “Between the two of us and any others we can find, we’re going to drag your father down off his high-ranking-officer pedestal and toss him in jail where he belongs.”
Hanover sneered and swore at Jacey. “You’re all alike. Stupid women. You want to do a man’s job, but then you’re the first to crumble under pressure.”
“Assault is not pressure,” Jacey shot back.
“Don’t waste your breath talking to him,” Sean advised. “He’s not worth it. Just imagine the two of them sharing a cell, father and son.”
Before Jacey could say anything more, additional Special Forces cops arrived, along with half the firetrucks from the apartment fire.
“You again?” The fire chief did not look happy to see them.
“Yes, sir.” Sean had to retell their story several times, forced to start over when a superior officer showed up. When Captain Justin Blackwood arrived, he took over the questioning, silencing everyone else.
Hanover tried to interject his side of things, claiming he was being framed and had only come to talk to Sean and Jacey about the case, but thankfully, Jacey had kept his weapon, and handed it over to Captain Blackwood.
“I believe we’ll be able to match the ballistics of the bullet Greta found at the parking lot with Hanover’s gun,” Sean explained.
“Good work, Staff Sergeant,” Captain Blackwood said, his expression grim. “I only wish you had escalated this to me sooner.”
Sean frowned. “With all due respect, sir, I was keeping my immediate superior up-to-date on my investigation without having any idea he was the one responsible.”
Military K-9 Unit Christmas: Christmas Escape ; Yuletide Target Page 17