by Dale Mayer
“You’re thinking this might be related to a previous problem you had in the military.”
“Maybe. But no way to know that either,” he said simply.
She nodded. “Isn’t it ironic Levi sent you to help because of a problem with Katina, and you bring yours here instead?”
There was silence, for longer than she intended. Her gaze intensified. “I’m not blaming you.”
“I’m blaming myself.” He turned on his heel and stepped back into the kitchen.
Yeah, that wasn’t her finest moment. Of course he would take it that way. Maybe she’d intended for him to. Push him away a bit more. But she really didn’t like what was happening to her shelter. Although this work was where her heart lay, she wasn’t so sure this place was where her future was.
She turned and stared out at the animals, realizing that before when she’d been upset and disgruntled, finding her world tilted, the animals had put her back into balance. And she needed to do what she did best. She went down to spend some time with them.
*
“No, I haven’t said anything to her,” Flynn told Levi, walking over to the far side of the living room and staring out the front window. The cops loaded the rest of their gear into their cars. Good that they were done. Not so that they were leaving. A police presence was a great deterrent.
“Make it look like you’re leaving. If there’ll be another attack, we suspect it’ll be while she’s alone.”
Flynn agreed with that. It meant he’d have to stay inside away from the windows and prying eyes. “She might still kick up her heels over it.”
“It doesn’t matter if she does. She’s not safe. I put you there, and we brought this problem to her door. We have to fix this.”
“Does Gunner have any insights?”
“Lots. He’s tracking down Brendan. But so far his brother doesn’t know where he’s been today—or yesterday.”
“Right.” Flynn frowned. “It’s pretty damn thin motivation to think he’s coming for me after all this time.”
“I know.” There was a harder note in Levi’s tone. “Are you sure you told us everything about your involvement in Brendan leaving the military?”
“I didn’t have anything to do with him leaving. I was kicked out because of not following the orders I was given. Brendan was over there at the same time, but I don’t know what happened.”
“Was he with you?”
“I’m not exactly sure how it all played out. Brendan passed me a message to bring me back to base. I refused because I was busy helping the villagers. I have no idea what Brendan said to the CO. At the time, Brendan had a lot of hard feelings because he felt I got him kicked out. I knew I did myself, and was good with that. But I did talk to the CO and explained that Brendan had nothing to do with me disobeying orders. I don’t know why he was kicked out.”
“Right. Maybe I can ask someone about that.” Levi’s voice trailed off. “I have a mission I need you on. Now I’m wondering if maybe it will be safer to send the two of you so Anna gets out of there for a while.”
“And the animals?”
“Logan said he’d be happy to step in to stay there and look after them.”
“And what if he’s attacked instead?”
“Logan would be prepared. He wouldn’t come alone, and he’s military trained. Like we all are.” At Flynn’s lack of response, he added, “I know. I’m just tossing out ideas here. Looking for the best way forward.”
“That’s for Brendan to face me.”
“A great idea. But it’s not going to happen. As he’s already demonstrated.”
“One thing I do wonder though,” Flynn asked, “is why Jonas was here?” He shifted position to make sure Anna wasn’t listening. “I understand he was probably at the wrong place at the wrong time. But what was his reason for actually being here in the first place? And was there something behind the killer picking him? I’d seen Jonas twice the entire time I was here, but Anna said she didn’t see him that day at all. What was he doing at nighttime on her property?”
“Do you think he would break in?”
“I have no idea what he was trying to do, or might’ve thought. I do understand that he was after Anna. But she hadn’t given him any kind of encouragement, so if he was here for… The neighbors have a security camera, but Anna’s was out.”
Levi’s tone turned businesslike. “East or west?”
Flynn chuckled. “I can’t guarantee that it shows anything.”
“But we can’t discount it until we’ve seen it.”
After the phone call, Flynn walked outside around the house, to see just what the security feed might have seen. It was pointed at the space between the two properties. But given the angle, it might very well show activity going on in the back of her house. The animal shelters were in the center, while the dog runs were horizontal on the sides. But the shed could possibly be in the viewing angle.
Walking back toward the kitchen, his phone rang. Levi calling him back.
“The police say they’ve seen it, and nothing was there.”
“I was just out checking the angle.”
“Stone’s actually patching us through. I’ll get back to you in a few minutes.”
Flynn walked into the kitchen and once again checked the fridge and all the empty cupboards. He went into the office and found Anna gone. From the window, he saw her in the backyard, working with the animals. As he watched, the dogs jumped and scampered as she threw balls and picked up sticks, generally cuddled and played with them. This should be a full-time job for her. No question. But he understood her concerns about staying here.
He wondered if a quiet conversation with Gunner would make any difference. Logan had already gone around Anna as it was. Was the shelter something they could actually help with over the long-term?
What she needed was a couple major benefactors to keep the animal shelter flourishing. Plus, to find more places to give these animals homes. And it could take a while. If a few people would support the place, it would go a long way to add some validity to the shelter. All he had to do was tell a few friends, who’d tell a few more, who’d then tell more. He mentally wrote it on his To Do list. He’d spent a fair bit of time in Logan’s home with his family, knew about their love for animals and extensive network among family, friends, neighbors, and businessmen. He’d start there.
Texas had a huge animal problem, and if Anna could do her bit to help out, then he wanted to assist her. Everyone should have lofty goals.
His was to become a valuable member of Levi’s company. And to do what he loved. Although he was here, he had a tenuous relationship at best with Legendary Security. Not exactly the start to a great working relationship he’d hoped for. On the other hand, Levi had stepped up in a big way.
And that just made Flynn appreciate him all the more.
Flynn turned his attention back to Anna and decided it was time they went out for a meal. Then they could go shopping for food. He walked outside, headed toward her.
Just as he entered the pen, he heard a sound he’d never forgotten. He threw himself at Anna and dropped them both to the ground.
Chapter 8
“What the hell?” Anna rolled onto her back, the dogs all around them barking and yipping. The two little ones tried to clean her face. She wasn’t exactly sure what just happened, but Flynn was busy dragging her behind the side of the shed. The dogs followed, jumping, thinking this was a great game. She stared at him in confusion. “What was that all about?”
“I think somebody shot at us,” he said in a harsh whisper. “A sniper.”
She stared at him in shock. “Who does that? Who lives like that?”
He gave her a wry look and said, “I did. We all did. None of us are looking to do it again now.”
She watched as he quickly placed a call. She wondered if anybody else had noticed that sound. She’d heard a boom, but it was kind of a low one. For all she knew a branch had snapped off a tree or something. How he
had recognized a silent sniper shot said much about his history.
She didn’t understand why someone shot at them, but while Flynn talked to Levi, she had to get all the dogs to safety. Probably moot now. If somebody had actually fired that first shot to kill, chances were very good they could’ve taken out any of the dogs easily enough. It also bothered her that she now hid behind the shed where Jonas had been found.
Was it the same killer? And how the hell would she get out of the middle of this? Not only did it not have anything to do with her, but somebody had now made it her fight. And that was a whole different story.
“Will do.” Flynn turned to look at her. “That was Levi. They’re still running the feed on the neighbor’s house, looking to find something.”
“I doubt they’ll see very much.”
He nodded and peered around the shed. “If there’s any chance of you staying here at all, consider upgrading your system. I can get this one up and running, but you’ll need way more than you’ve got.”
“I need? You mean, you do. This asshole’s after you.”
“But he targeted your place. Your animals. Your friend.”
She winced. “Hardly a friend but okay, I hadn’t really looked at it that way.”
“And you should. We are in this together now.”
“We were from the beginning,” she muttered. “How the hell will I ever get my life back?”
He leaned over, studied her face for a moment, then reached down, snagged her chin, lifted it, and kissed her. “We will figure this out. This too will pass. In the meantime, we have to catch the asshole. Then we will make your place bigger and better. Wherever you choose it to be.”
She stared at him in wonder. That was kiss number two. Nowhere near as exciting as the first, but the words behind it were so much more reassuring. She waited for something else to happen outside. The silence around them crackled. No birds chirped; not even the dogs barked. In fact, they all lay down beside her, staring at her as if to ask What’s happening?
Knowing it wasn’t the right time, but because of that kiss, she couldn’t resist. “Does that mean you’re staying?”
“Yes.” That brilliant gaze turned toward her, studied her face, and he smiled.
Not quite the answer she was looking for. But what had she expected? A declaration that he couldn’t stay away or something else out of a romance novel? Not likely. She had to remain grounded. “How long until you fix the security?”
“I’ll have it done before bedtime.”
She knew he was searching every inch of the place, looking for the shooter. But he didn’t have binoculars. “Why was the old rifle in the shed?” she wondered out loud. “It really doesn’t make any sense.”
“So much in life doesn’t. The chances are good he managed to get my prints off something and put it on the rifle.”
“So that gun is what killed Jonas?”
“That’s what I would’ve done if I was pinning the murder on somebody else. Of course it’s a little too neat—placing the murder weapon in the shed where the victim was found. You want it to look like it’s been hidden but not so hard that the police can’t find it. But that wasn’t even a good effort.”
“It’s a little scary to hear you talk like that.”
“Don’t worry about it. I never killed anybody who didn’t need it.” He shifted suddenly and raced around the far side of the shed, calling back in a loud whisper, “Don’t move.”
She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, getting into as small a ball as she could. She was hardly well-hidden. She was alongside the shed where the fence line was. But she was certainly open on that side. One of the dogs crept closer and whimpered. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him on her lap. The least she could do was make him feel better.
She thought she had a family for these two small dogs—an older couple whose children had left home, leaving them as empty-nesters. It’d been on her To Do list to call and see if they were still interested. Both dogs were in good health and young, with a lot of happy years ahead of them. They shouldn’t be in a war zone, like she was currently living in. As soon as she got back to the house, she vowed to call them.
She glanced at the two bigger dogs. They were definitely much harder to place. It was too bad. Many people wanted a big dog, but by the time the puppy grew up, the owners realized it was no longer so much fun and a whole lot of work and expense. That was the kill age for so many animals. They got dumped at shelters, kicked out of the house and even left somewhere along the highway. It was sad the things animals went through with their owners. Some humans just didn’t deserve to have pets.
The minutes grew longer. She kept distracting herself with more thoughts about animals and coming up with ideas where she could potentially find a home for both males. The longer it took Flynn to return, the harder it was for her to not think about him and what he was possibly doing.
When a tree branch cracked close by, she froze. Instantly, the two larger dogs bounded to their feet and barked. The smaller ones came closer to her. She glanced around, but really had no other place to go. She could race to the side of the shed and just keep going around in circles, but that would hardly be the answer.
And suddenly Flynn was there. “Sorry if I scared you,” he said.
She bounded to her feet and cried, “Of course you did. You took off and didn’t tell me anything, and then you didn’t come back for so long only to break a branch before stepping out from behind a tree to terrify us all.”
He stared at her, then pushed her back against the shed and covered her with his body. “Where was the crack?”
She pointed wordlessly to the back corner of the building.
He creeped to the far side and peered around the edge. Then he disappeared again.
She was getting fed up with him doing that.
When he came around the same way he’d approached the first time, she sighed with relief.
“Nothing’s there,” he said.
“And the sniper?”
“No sign of him.”
“Of course not.” She ran her hand through her hair, staring down at the animals. “I’m not sure I want to leave them out here anymore.”
“Do you want to bring them into the house?”
“Will they be any safer?” She looked at him, then back down at the four dogs. It was a precedent she’d been avoiding. “I want to go inside and call someone I had in mind for the two little ones.”
“Then let’s get them inside.”
With him leading the two larger dogs on leashes, she picked up the smaller ones, and they quickly made their way into the back of the house. She stepped inside, set down the dogs and motioned for him to close the door so they wouldn’t run out. The dogs set about exploring the place.
She turned, looking around. “It just doesn’t feel like home anymore.”
“Anytime, when somebody breaks in,” he said, “it’s a violation that hits the very heart of you.”
*
“Levi suggested you head out with me. He wants me in another part of Texas to follow up on some inquiries to be made. He suggested it would be a good chance for you to get out of here.”
She turned to look at him. “But I can’t leave the animals alone.”
“Logan said he’d stay.”
“And how will that help?”
“It’s just one of the many options we were considering. Another was for me to leave but in fact, sneak back inside to help look after the place, which would give the killer a chance to come in, thinking you were alone. But any effort we make to draw him out isn’t a guaranteed success.”
“Sounds like a guaranteed failure to me. I’m the one who’s likely to get hurt.”
He shook his head. “I won’t allow that.”
She sighed. “But this guy came here before and killed Jonas.”
“And that brings up another issue. Any idea why Jonas was here?”
She flopped down into
the kitchen chair. “I have no idea. Wish I could figure that out. For all I know Jonas was working with this guy.”
Flynn had been on his way to the window. He turned and stared at her. “Is that likely? Did he have friends?”
“I think he had a few. But he always talked about this one guy and how the two of them would score big. Then Jonas could donate his share of the money to help out with the animals.”
“Whoa. Tell me more. Wait …” He pulled out his phone and called Levi. “Hang on, Anna has something to say.” He turned on the speaker, laid the phone on the table and said, “Go ahead, Anna.”
“I was just telling Flynn that Jonas said he’d met up with a guy, together they would make a big score, and when Jonas got lots of money, he would help out around my place. I just wondered if Jonas and the killer had been working together.”
“Did he give you a description or any way to identify this man?” Levi asked.
“No, not really. Just that he’d met him at the center.”
“What center?”
“It’s a kind of a community center where people help unemployed individuals get jobs or for retirees to fill their spare time with volunteer work. It’s one of those humanitarian places where you can do something to improve yourself.”
“Name?”
“I’m not sure exactly. Back on Your Feet or something like that.” Her voice trailed off. She shrugged at Flynn. “I’m sorry. I just don’t remember.”
“Don’t worry,” Levi said. “We’ll find it. We know that Brendan was doing volunteer work. His brother was particularly happy about that.”
There was a pause on the phone, as if Levi was writing down notes. They could hear scratching on paper. “I’ll give him a quick call. He might even know the name of the center. Good work, Anna. If you remember anything else, let us know.” And he hung up.
She glanced at Flynn. “Is he always like that? So abrupt?”
“When it’s business, yes. Do you think Jonas’s mother would know what the place is called?”
“No, I don’t think so. He told me he had a separate entrance downstairs, and his mom lived upstairs. As if somehow that made it different than living in his mom’s house.”