Special Agent

by Valerie Hansen

  “No.” She broke eye contact. “Later.”

  Aha! Now they were finally making progress. “When?”

  “Promise you won’t look at me like I’m a horse short of a full team?”

  “Yes. Go on, Ms. Garwood.”

  “When I had a scare earlier this afternoon, the nurses said I imagined everything and blamed it on my injury and pain medicine.”

  Leaning closer, Max listened carefully. “Is that what you think?”

  “No. Well, maybe. I know I was terrified. I was drifting in and out of consciousness when somebody clamped a hand over my mouth and told me not to struggle.”

  “Here?” Every instinct in him was on alert. “They told me you’d been having nightmares but what you claim is highly unlikely.”

  “I know,” Katerina agreed. “The nurses who came after I shouted for help insisted I’d been dreaming. I’ve started thinking they may be right. It’s just that my lip bled and hurt more afterward and I can’t see any other reason for that much physical change, not even my screaming when I got so scared.”

  “Describe your assailant.”

  She huffed. “Pick up any mystery novel and you’ll know. Ski mask, hospital clothes and gloves. No prints, no ID, no nothing. He wasn’t as tall as you are and not as muscular, but...”

  “Okay. What makes you think he had anything to do with Kowalski?”

  “Because he told me Vern sent him,” Katerina said haltingly. “I—I thought he was going to kidnap me. That’s when I started yelling.”

  Max gave her the kind of stern, menacing look he usually reserved for perps he was grilling. “You didn’t want to go with a friend of your fiancé?”

  He saw her fists clench. “No.”

  “Because he scared you?”

  Despite the obvious discomfort of pushing herself up with her elbows, she met his severe gaze with one of her own. “No,” she almost shouted before lowering her voice, her throat raw. “Because I am an honest person and I want nothing to do with criminals, their friends or their disgusting business. When is everybody going to get that straight?”

  The glistening of her unshed tears was more convincing than her insistence. Either she was a great actress or she was truly upset.

  Max stood and backed away to make a call. He arranged to have the police check recent activity on the security cameras monitoring the halls and place a guard outside Katerina’s room for the night. Then he returned to her. “When you’re released from here I’ll come back and drive you home. Then, if you’re up to it, I’d like to take you back to the ranch and walk you through exactly what you did before I arrived.” He handed her a business card after jotting his private cell number on it. “Call me when you’re ready to go.”

  “What if I refuse to take orders from you and arrange my own ride?”

  “I don’t advise it.”

  Katerina nodded. “I’ll call, but not because you’re scowling at me. And not because I’m guilty of anything and hope to fool you. I’ll call because you believe there really was a stranger in my room when everybody else insists I’m crazy.”

  THREE

  In retrospect, Katerina was not keen on asking the taciturn federal agent for a ride home the following day. The problem was, she had few other options. Her poor pickup truck was probably toast after the barn blew up and except for a few friends who worked in town and maybe the ranch foreman, there was nobody she felt she could call. Heath McCabe would be in deep trouble with her dad if she asked him, so she did the sensible thing and dialed Max West’s private number.

  “West.”

  “Um, hi. It’s Katerina Garwood. They’ve discharged me and I need a ride if your offer is still open.”

  “Of course. Did you have a quiet night?”

  “As quiet as it gets in a hospital,” she said with a wry smile.

  “Understood. I can be there in twenty. Does that work?”

  “Yes, I think I’ll last that long. I’d walk down to the cafeteria for a latte if I wasn’t still a little dizzy.”

  “Are you sure you’re okay to leave?”

  It was refreshing to hear genuine concern reflected in his question. “The doctor says I am so I’m going. This is not a fun place. I want out.”

  “Hang tight. I’m on my way.”

  She wanted to tell him how truly thankful she was that he’d made himself available but did not. Her instinct to trust had been so ravaged by Vern’s betrayal and her father’s rejection she couldn’t rely on her instincts. Not yet. Besides, considering all she’d learned about law enforcement in the past few months, Max was probably only being nice to her in order to catch whoever had menaced her or set the bomb at the ranch. Or because he still had doubts about her innocence. Given his job and her background, she figured the agent would become even more suspicious if she acted overly friendly.

  Katerina let her thoughts wander as she perched on the edge of the bed in the too-big green scrub outfit the nurses had provided. Her own clothes were ruined. The back of the shirt she’d been wearing looked as if it had been blasted with a shotgun, as her tender shoulder blades kept reminding her. Jeans were tougher but hers were so dirty she’d refused to put them on. Her leather cowboy boots were about the only thing she could still wear, although they slipped without thick socks.

  “I should fix my hair,” she muttered, wondering why it mattered when she wasn’t meeting anyone but Agent West. Nevertheless, she slid off the bed, took a second to steady herself, then made her way to the bathroom mirror. Nurses had helped her shower and the hospital had provided a comb but her long, wavy hair resisted efforts to tame it. Pulling on tangles made her scalp hurt unless she carefully held each portion, so the job took a while and was less than perfect. Well, too bad. If her volunteer taxi driver didn’t approve, so what?

  That hostile attitude not only struck her as wrong, it made her blush. Whatever his motives, Max was no chauffeur. He was going out of his way to be nice to her. The least she could do was try to look presentable.

  A knock on the door startled her. She steadied her balance on the sink and called, “Come in.”

  One look at him today, when she was fully lucid and aware, took her breath away. Not only was he tall and ruggedly handsome, his dark blue uniform shirt fit the way it should, displaying a powerful form with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, unlike many men his age. How old was he? she wondered. It was impossible to tell, although her best guess put him somewhere in his early thirties. Definitely not over-the-hill. Far from it.

  Max acknowledged her with a brief nod. “Ready?”

  “Absolutely.” She began to move toward him, hiking up her sagging scrubs as the pants started to slip.

  He eyed her. “Nice outfit.”

  “The boots are mine. The rest is borrowed.”

  He cleared his throat but Katerina still heard the chuckle he was trying to mask when he said, “Glad they had your size.”

  “I could fit two of me and a couple of the ranch dogs in here at the same time,” she quipped, stopping and spreading her arms to better display the two-piece scrub ensemble. That was an error. The room started to tilt and she made a grab for the doorjamb. “Whoa.”

  Beside her in a fraction of a second, Max caught her around the waist. “Easy. You sure you’re ready to leave?”

  “I’m signed out and everything. Just had my chickens scattered, as Mom used to say.”

  “Your parents are divorced?” He was guiding her toward the open door.

  “No. My mother passed away when I was fourteen. That’s when I started putting all my efforts into training horses.”

  “So, last year?”

  Katerina knew he was teasing to try to lift her spirits and played along. “I’m twenty-two, going on forty, which my file should tell you.” Leaning on his big, strong
arm as they walked, she asked, “How about you?”

  Max gave her a wry smile. “Older than dirt.”

  “That old, huh?”

  Pausing at the doorway he looked back. “Do you have anything to take with you? Meds or bandages or anything?”

  “Just that plastic sack of ruined clothing at the foot of the bed. Since I’m on a tight budget I need to try to salvage the jeans.”

  Making sure she was well balanced, he fetched the bag and picked up where they’d left off. They were almost to the exit when a nurse spotted them and tsk-tsked. “You’re supposed to leave in a wheelchair, ma’am. We don’t want you falling.”

  “As you can see I’m in good hands,” Katerina said, smiling and leaning her head toward her stalwart companion, genuinely glad he was by her side.

  It wasn’t until they left the hospital and she saw his formidable black SUV that she sobered. Lighthearted moments aside, there was big trouble in the little towns in and around historic gold country. First there had been the drug busts and now somebody was setting off bombs. Other incidents had been reported on the local news so she knew her family ranch was not the only target. The question was, did somebody destroy the barn as retribution for her former ties to Vern? It was certainly possible, and terribly disconcerting.

  She remained silent as Max helped her into the SUV. Above all, she wanted him to find the perpetrator and put him in jail.

  And not blame an innocent bystander. Like her.

  “So, where do you live?” Max asked casually.

  She arched an eyebrow. “You mean you don’t already know? That’s not very comforting.”

  “Okay, I know,” he said with a smile, flicking a brief glance across the seat at her. “I figured you might have a shortcut or better way to get there. These winding roads are hard on Opal.”

  “Who?”

  “My K-9 partner. She usually rides closer to me but I put her in her portable kennel box in the back when I have a passenger. You’d have met her if you hadn’t been knocked unconscious.”

  “Oh, I love dogs! Is she a German shepherd?”

  “No. And don’t you dare laugh. She’s a boxer.”

  “A what?”

  “You heard me. I get teased almost everywhere we go. She’s really great at detecting bombs but people are more used to seeing breeds with longer noses.”

  “No kidding. Why in the world would they train a boxer for that? I mean, they can’t have as keen a sense of smell with such a short muzzle.”

  “You’d be surprised.”

  “I’d like to meet her. Dogs and horses were my best friends while I was growing up. There’s a darling black lab at the ranch that I’d adopt in a heartbeat if Dad would let me.” She hesitated, seeming sad. “So, tell me more about your dog. How old is she and how long have you had her?”

  “She’s about four. My team has begun rescuing at least one pup for every mission we go on and we don’t rule out any capable canine, purebred or mutt. Opal’s a good example of hidden talent. She showed aptitude for detecting explosives and hearing or smelling electronics such as detonators, et cetera, so she was trained and assigned to work with me.” He cleared his throat before continuing. “We’re not master and dog, we’re partners. We both have badges. I just happen to be the only one with a driver’s license and a gun.”

  Katerina chuckled quietly. “That’s comforting.” Pointing to an upcoming turn, she said, “May as well take 49 and double back a little. My place is between here and the ranch.”

  “I’m surprised you didn’t ask more about the horses in that burning barn.” He was surreptitiously watching her expression and most likely wondering if he would find out more than she intended to reveal.

  “Heath had Moonlight and her stablemates in the trailer, remember?”

  “Yeah. Handy.”

  “What was?”

  “That that barn was totally empty when the bomb went off.”

  “You don’t think Heath was responsible, do you? I mean, he’s been with the family since he was a teenager. I trust him like an uncle.”

  He hardened his jaw. “What about your father? Could he have needed insurance settlement money?”

  “Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “Then you realize who that leaves.” His gaze was telling, as it was meant to be.

  “Me? No way. I’d never endanger people or animals. How many times do I have to say it? I am one of the good guys.”

  “Until I believe it.” Another sidelong glance caught her evident consternation.

  “I don’t care if you believe me or not, Mr. Big Important Government Agent, except that you’re wasting time. Instead of harassing me you should be out looking for whoever is really behind the bombing, not to mention the lowlife who tried to grab me from the hospital.”

  “I’m keeping my eyes open,” he vowed soberly.

  “It’s not your eyes I’m worried about,” Katerina countered, “it’s your closed mind.” She turned her face to the window and added, “‘There is none so blind as he who will not see.’”

  Max knew she was quoting scripture, although he couldn’t recall exactly where in the Bible that phrase was found. He didn’t mind her doing that. What bothered him was the slim possibility she might be right.

  * * *

  Katerina’s apartment was a tiny space above a boarded-up, vacant storefront on a side street in South Fork. It had been all she could find when she’d been ousted by her father and, although she was now employed, anything else was still beyond her budget. If she hadn’t worked at a diner, eating might have been, too. Not that she wanted anyone to know. The way she looked at it, as long as she had a roof over her head and enough to eat, she was blessed.

  If the K-9 cop/agent was surprised by the appearance of her current dwelling in contrast to the posh Garwood Ranch he hid it well. That pleased her. She’d already had so-called friends from her ranch days turn up their noses at her efforts to make a home out of a veritable hovel. This handsome man with his perfectly pressed uniform and gleaming car never batted an eye.

  “I’ll get Opal.” He eyed her scrubs and smiled. “That shade of green sure isn’t your color.”

  Katerina returned his grin. “Oh, I don’t know. It matches my skin whenever I move too fast and get dizzy.”

  He was chuckling to himself as he opened the hatchback and released his dog. Katerina waited to see what a boxer in uniform looked like. Since the idea was ludicrous she assumed the image would be, too. Opal, however, jumped down on command and stood at the ready, a picture of the perfect canine standing at attention as if she were a seasoned soldier ready to do battle.

  “Can I pet her?” Katerina asked. “I don’t want to mess up her training.”

  “Glad you asked. When our dogs are wearing their vests or special harnesses like this it’s best to keep your distance. I’ll let you play with her later. Okay?”

  “Okay. She really is beautiful and impressive. I’m sorry I made fun of her breed.” Katerina continued to smile, only this time she was focused on the dog. “Please convey my sincere apologies?”

  “Opal never holds a grudge,” Max said with a slight smirk. “I think you’ll enjoy watching her work. She’s intense when she’s on the trail of dangerous substances.”

  “Wonderful. Well...” She eyed the building. “I’ll go on up and change before we go back to look at the ranch. That was what you wanted to do, right?”

  “Right. After Opal and I have scoped out your apartment.”

  It was hard for Katerina to stifle an unladylike snort. “I don’t think there’s much danger of anybody even finding this place, let alone wanting to blow it up. It will probably fall down on its own soon enough.”

  “Still, we should go with you. Opal can always use the practice and there’s no lea
d on whoever was in your hospital room yesterday.”

  Reminded of this, Katerina was willing to let him accompany her. After her recent close calls she was unsteady in more ways than one. Her nerves were firing like kernels of popcorn in a pan of hot oil and she didn’t like the feeling one bit.

  “Okay. I have an outside stairway in the rear. That way I don’t have to bother opening the old hardware store to get in.”

  “It looks unique.” Max squinted to peer through the dusty windows. “I almost expect a prospector to step out carrying a pickax and a gold pan.”

  “You aren’t far wrong. The date over the doorway says the building goes back to the mid-1800s. I suspect it was expanded as needed during the gold rush.” She paused when she reached the base of the wooden stairway in the rear. “Single file from here. Be my guest.”

  Max hesitated and raked her with a solemn stare. “If I didn’t have Opal to alert me, I might wonder if you wanted me to go first because you already knew it was dangerous.”

  “Oh, for...” Katerina pushed past him and stomped up the stairs in her loose boots. The door wasn’t locked. Almost nobody in South Fork locked their homes. She straight-armed the door and barged in. One gasp and she skidded to a halt.

  Max caught up. “What’s wrong?”

  “Look! It’s awful!”

  He took one peek and agreed. “Wow. I take it you’re usually a neater housekeeper than this.”

  “Well, duh.” Katerina rolled her eyes cynically. “I never tear the stuffing out of my only chair just for fun. And I don’t have a pet tiger, so those slashes must have been made with a knife.”

  He drew Opal closer with the leash and placed his other palm on the grip of his sidearm. “Wait here.”

  He didn’t have to tell Katerina twice. Her boots felt nailed to the floor. Trembling, she watched the dog put its nose to the carpet and lead the handsome agent toward her bedroom. Was it simply searching for a scent or had it picked up the odor of an explosive? What if there was another bomb? What if it went off? She shivered involuntarily. The old hardware store was rickety at best and there was no telling what kind of combustibles might be stored below. She had never wondered before. Now she wished she’d been more paranoid.