Special Agent

by Valerie Hansen

  Bending again, she asked Moonlight to raise one foot. The horse shifted her weight. “That’s it, girl. That’s what I want.”

  She was reaching for the hoof pick when one of the ranch dogs started barking. The whole pack immediately joined in.

  Katerina froze. It was too early for Kyle. Max might be here already but if so, why were the dogs barking when they had gotten to know him? Her heart thudded painfully in her chest.

  Without rising, she released her hold on the mare’s foreleg and crouched in the stall. The barking was getting worse. Closer. And she was trapped with the very animal she’d come there to rescue.

  * * *

  Max had stationed himself in the hotel lobby to wait for his backup early so he’d be certain Katerina was behaving herself upstairs.

  Maybe he shouldn’t have kissed her at all, but his raw emotions had finally won that battle. What he was or wasn’t going to do about it later was a whole other dilemma. The way he figured, one catastrophe at a time. Maybe, once she felt safe and stopped feeling like a victim, she wouldn’t be interested in a romance with him at all.

  “Well, that’s a depressing thought,” he grumbled to himself as several black-and-white patrol cars pulled up in front. Max could see that some hotel guests were uneasy about such a strong police presence so he went to meet the others in the driveway. Opal was by his side.

  “My dog’s coming in case we need her,” Max announced. “May as well be covered.”

  “Three units of city police went on ahead,” the closest deputy informed him. “Our boss went with them to make sure they don’t act like old-time cowboys on a Saturday night spree and shoot up the place.”

  “Sounds good to me.” He’d started for his SUV when the deputy leaned out the window of his cruiser and called, “What happened to your pretty sidekick?”

  “She’s right here,” Max said, indicating Opal and pretending he didn’t know who the man was asking about.

  “Right,” someone else drawled. “Personally, I like the ones that look like Ms. Katerina. Thought you did, too.”

  “I have a job to do. We all do,” Max said tersely. “Let’s get a move on.”

  He huffed as he climbed into his SUV. So, his personal feelings were that obvious. Big surprise. It seemed that he and Katerina were the only ones missing the signals. Had she been sending them to him? Undoubtedly. He even recalled rebuffing her at least once when she’d tried to hug him. That kind of casual exchange of affection had begun as no more than the innocent moral support of one human being for another. When had it changed, grown into something so much more? Perhaps the metamorphosis had been so subtle that neither of them had noticed. Or maybe they had both been denying their mutual attraction for different reasons.

  Joining the convoy bound for the Garwood ranch, Max had plenty of time to mull over his feelings for Katerina. He had admired her from the moment when she’d tried to ignore her own injuries to go check on the welfare of animals. She’d have done it, too, if he had not forced her to accept medical attention. That kind of self-sacrificing attitude was commendable as long as it didn’t get her hurt.

  Somehow, after that, he’d started to take a personal interest in her welfare. He hadn’t purposely decided to do so, it had simply happened, which was the main reason he’d ordered her to stay in her hotel room. Yes, she was mad at him. And yes, she might hold a grudge. But he’d had to do it. As long as his attention was divided, his success was in jeopardy. More than one agent had ended a promising career that way—and not necessarily by retiring at a ripe old age.

  Max instinctively knew he’d be willing to sacrifice himself for Katerina, he just didn’t want to. Not if he could look forward to spending the rest of his life with her.

  That conclusion hit him hard. There was the key to settling all their manageable conflicts. At least he hoped so. If he confessed his love and she didn't reciprocate, he didn’t know how he’d take it. She had to care for him. She had to. And it had to be love, not anything else, such as a desire to escape her critical parent or leave a town that had turned against her.

  He began to smile as the convoy neared the Garwood Ranch. After he'd bared his heart he planned to tell her all about his ranch in Montana. She’d love it there. It wasn’t a big spread but it was all his, his and his brothers’. There was plenty of room for another house, too, if it came to that.

  But for right now... Max slowed and parked out of sight in a grove of trees while the sheriff’s men spread out and found their own places to hide.

  Since he and Katerina had been seen together so often he hoped the sight of him, if he were spotted, would not put Kyle off and endanger the horses or Garwood. Of all the lawmen present, he was the most easily identifiable, the only one working a dog.

  He led the boxer up the driveway, keeping to the edges in case they were being watched. The first long, rectangular block of stalls was occupied by horses, he knew, but Opal’s body language did not yet indicate the presence of strangers. Not that he was positive she was reliable in that capacity. All he had to go by was the instinct she’d displayed after the parade.

  Max’s jaw clenched and a shiver shot up his spine. Of all the actions he’d taken since arriving in South Fork, the smartest had to be his decision to insist that Katerina stay out of this final showdown.

  There was a good chance someone would die today.

  He didn’t want it to be her.

  * * *

  Crouching out of sight and trusting Moonlight to avoid stepping on her, Katerina listened, hoping to pick up clues to who was nearby. The barking of the ranch dogs kept her from hearing clearly but she knew they wouldn’t bother raising a fuss over any of the regular employees. Therefore, either the police were already here or Kyle had outsmarted them all.

  “Please, Father,” she whispered, “make it one of the good guys.”

  Her arms and legs felt as weak as if she’d just run miles. She was weaponless. Hemmed in. And as useless as a saddle without a horse.

  “Lord, I’m sorry,” she said, her lips barely moving. Unshed tears blurred her vision as she thought of the man she loved and added, “I’m so sorry, Max.”

  Moonlight’s ears swiveled forward. Her deep brown eyes widened until Katerina could see white rims around the pupils. The horse was getting frightened. And, as a result of animal’s signals, so was Katerina.

  She duckwalked over to the front wall of the stall and pressed an ear to the wood. Men were talking. If only those dogs would shut up she might be able to figure out who it was and what was being said.

  A deep voice shouted. Something metallic crashed against the wall. A bucket had been thrown, probably at the pack of excited dogs, because their barking quieted.

  “You stay here and mind the horse while I go take care of Garwood,” one of the men said.

  Breathless, Katerina heard a muted rebuttal. “What about the other? You know.”

  “Taken care of. One push of a button.”

  “I don’t like that idea.” The voice was gravely, as if the speaker was nursing a sore throat.

  “Too bad. I’m the one with the gun so that makes me boss. Now do as you’re told or you’ll get the first bullet instead of the old man.”

  Dad! Katerina’s emotions churned. She felt ill. Why didn’t I start with the house? One glance at the horse towering over her and she knew she had chosen wisely. If she had stayed her course, at least one of the threats against those she loved would have been thwarted.

  It was suddenly easy to identify with Max and see why he blamed himself for prior mistakes in judgment. She’d had more than one choice this morning and had taken the wrong path. Her motives had been good but her conduct was not nearly as honorable as it should have been. She had let a lie of omission stop her from making wise decisions. False pride had brought her here.

  Ka
terina bit her lip to keep from weeping. She wasn’t nearly as clever as she’d thought she was and it was almost time to pay a high price for her inflated opinion of herself.

  As she sagged against the front wall of the stall, the exposed end of the metal hoof pick in her back pocket bumped against the wood. A tapping sound that would normally have been almost inaudible seemed to echo like the thrown bucket had.

  She held her breath. Froze. Prayed silently that whoever was in the aisle had not noticed. If he came any closer and looked down he might be able to see her despite the barred top half of the wall.

  Seconds dragged by. Katerina didn’t move. Maybe she was safe. Maybe she’d gotten away with accidentally making the tiny noise.

  Then, her dapple gray mare started to move. Careful to avoid stepping on Katerina she ambled to the open half door and put her head through the opening as she always did when greeting friends or begging for treats.

  Shadows above told the story. A man was coming closer, reaching out, stroking the horse’s forehead and scratching between her ears.

  Moonlight knows him! Katerina realized. And suddenly she did, too. The shirtsleeve was familiar. So was the crooning tone he was now using. One of her enemies was Heath McCabe!

  As soon as he realized Moonlight should not be wearing a halter, he’d know exactly who had put it on her and would start searching.

  The game was over. She’d lost.

  EIGHTEEN

  Max spotted Kyle in the distance. He was about to follow when Opal began to pull him in a different direction. The radio earpiece kept incoming transmissions muted so he called in his location and reported the situation.

  “We have men coming up on the back of the ranch house now. Hold your position,” was the reply.

  He didn’t intend to argue command hierarchy, particularly not when Opal was so intent on leading him to the barns. Whatever the dog wanted at this point was fine with Max. If she happened to turn up another bomb, so be it. If not, he could work his way into position to intercept Kyle if and when he headed back that way.

  They rounded the first rectangular barn. Opal began straining at the leash and wagging her stub of a tail along with the rest of her rear half.

  For the briefest of moments, Max was so thunderstruck he couldn’t make himself believe his eyes. His jaw dropped open. “No. No, no, no.”

  “You okay, Agent West?” This time it was Sheriff Tate, himself, who was asking.

  “No. Have somebody bring my car to me. Park it in plain view.”

  “Keys?”

  Max recited the code for the locked door. “Keys are in the ignition.”

  “You sure? I thought we’d agreed to do this covertly.”

  “That was before I saw this.” Max snapped a quick photo of Katerina’s rented car and sent it to the sheriff.

  The older man’s reaction was as expected. He cursed. “I thought you were sure that young woman wasn’t mixed up in all of this. If she’s innocent, why did she come to warn her buddies?”

  “They aren’t her friends,” Max insisted, keeping his voice down and letting Opal approach to sniff the green car. “If anything, Katerina’s in deep trouble already. That’s why I want my car brought up. We were sneaking around to protect her. Since she’s already here I want her to know that I am, too.”

  “Okay, if you say so. Just remember, this is your party, not mine.”

  That verbal transfer of authority and therefore blame, struck Max as ironic. Truth to tell, he didn’t care who was in charge. All he cared about was finding Katerina and spiriting her out of harm’s way. Later, when he had her alone and could express himself without having it broadcast all over the county, he intended to have words with her. And unless he managed to calm down before then, they were probably going to be very harsh words.

  Providing she’s all right, he added silently. If something happened to steal her from him the way his first fiancée had been taken years before, he didn’t know if his heart—or his mind—would survive.

  * * *

  Terror filled Katerina. Moonlight sensed her distress and shied away from the ranch foreman, her ears laid back and her eyes once again wild-looking. That helped expose Katerina’s hiding place. There wasn’t a thing she could do about it except remain very still, hold her breath and mentally call out to God. It wasn’t the way she’d been taught to pray by her late mother but at the moment it was the best she could do. At least she was already on her knees.

  The noisy rumble of a diesel engine drifted to her. There were several trucks on the ranch that ran on diesel fuel but that one sounded more powerful. Like Max’s SUV!

  Confirmation came from McCabe. “Well, well, well. Look who’s here. Mr. FBI himself.”

  To her relief, the foreman stepped away from the stall. She stretched her cramped legs by pulling herself up and peeking through the bars. When Moonlight came up behind her and breathed down her neck she reached around and gave the mare a pat.

  There had to be something close by she could use to defend herself until help arrived. But what? The hooked end of the hoof pick in her pocket was blunted to keep from hurting the tender center of a horse’s hoof called the frog, so it was useless for self-defense.

  A pitchfork might work. If there was one around. Given her father’s strict rules about keeping a tidy barn she doubted it.

  “Keep going,” she whispered, watching McCabe cautiously working his way down the aisle to the far door. If he left the barn she might get a chance to make a run for it. And if she reached her car and made a lot of noise driving away, Heath and the man she assumed was Kyle might give chase.

  Someone shouted. Katerina ducked down, holding her shaky breath and clenching her fists. Another man yelled, his words so faint she figured he had to be much farther away.

  “Far is good,” she muttered. “Just give me a little distance. That’s all I ask.”

  Braced with her hand on the latch to the stall door, she waited and listened. Her fingers tightened. The horse behind her whinnied softly, as if joining in the moment of decision. Almost time. Almost time...

  A bang cracked the still air like a hammer breaking a brittle rock.

  Katerina fell back, shocked speechless. Horses panicked, kicking at their stalls and calling to each other. That was a gunshot. She knew it was. And since it had rattled every fiber of her being, she knew it had originated in the barn.

  Max’s name was in her heart and almost on her lips. If they had hurt him she was going to attack them with her bare hands. Pound them with her fists. She was...

  Reality overwhelmed her and sapped her strength. She wasn’t going to do a thing. She had behaved as if she belonged in a bad movie and had walked into this mess with her eyes open. Now she was going to have to face her fate the same way, like it or not.

  Standing tall, she dashed away tears. The air was still, the atmosphere fraught with anxiety. Moonlight was almost as upset as the other horses so she offered comfort, wondering if this was the last time she’d have an opportunity to show love to the magnificent animal.

  “Easy, girl. Easy.” Katerina began with soft, calming strokes, then laid her cheek against the horse’s sleek neck and hugged her, weeping, the way she had so many times in the past. They had shared a lot of good days, a lot of wonderful memories. Her only regret was that those days were probably about to come to an abrupt end.

  Thoughts of mounting bareback and charging out of the barn in a daring escape flitted through Katerina’s mind. Moonlight might survive that way even if she didn’t. Then again, knowing how horses behaved, she knew it wouldn’t be long until memories of a cozy stall and plenty of alfalfa hay drew her back home. Then what would become of her with no protector, especially if McCabe chose to take his frustration out on the helpless mare?

  As the horse quieted, it became clear that
a race to safety was totally out of the question. Shuffling around in fright had noticeably worsened the mare’s sore foot. She came to a stop with one foreleg resting on the leading edge of that hoof, as though she were a ballerina on point.

  Katerina gave the aisle a quick glance, saw that it was empty and took out the hoof pick. This might be her last chance to minister to her sweet companion and she wasn’t going to waste it.

  Tears clouded her vision and dripped onto the underside of the hoof as she cleaned it out. There was a big rock wedged between the tender frog and the inside edge of the shoe. No wonder poor Moonlight was limping.

  Katerina dashed away her tears, sniffled and persisted. McCabe and his buddy were probably going to shoot her anyway so she was going to give him a piece of her mind. Leaving an obstruction like this was shameful.

  Raking at the rock she cleared away everything else that was packed around it. The gray color reminded her of Half Dome in Yosemite Park. The shape, however was odd.

  Suddenly it all came to her. Vern had hung around the stables a lot. She’d thought he was there to keep her company but maybe he’d had ulterior motives. If Heath had been telling the truth about taking horses to the vet, this clump of material would have been discovered already. Since it was still here, there was a good chance he’d lied and was merely clearing out the barn before the planned destruction.

  Did that mean he hadn’t known about the diamonds at that time? It must, because, as Max had speculated, he had blown up a place where they may have been hidden.

  So where did Kyle come in? Had he and Vern really been close friends? Or had he been sent by a higher-up to retrieve Vern’s stash?

  Finally, Katerina got the nose of the pick under an edge of the gray glob and heard it pop loose. The noise startled Moonlight.