Page 47 of Through the Fire
Turning her head, Kit shouted, “Grab Justice out of my SUV!”
He hated to leave her, but he knew she needed her K9 partner. Turning, he ran around the side of the VFW, his boots sinking into the snow with every step and slowing him down. There weren’t any tracks, but he was still tense, waiting for another round of gunfire to cut him down. In a way, it would’ve been a relief, since that would mean the gunman wasn’t about to ambush Kit in the alley.
As he reached the lot, he scanned the vehicles, finding three SUVs. Even if he hadn’t recognized her SUV from the first time they’d met, the bloodhound in the back seat would’ve told him which one was hers.
He rushed to it, opening the door and expecting Justice to surge out, but the bloodhound stayed in the SUV, his entire body wiggling with excitement. Relieved to see that the dog was already wearing a protective vest, Wes looked for a leash but didn’t see one. He stepped back to give Justice an opening. When the hound just danced in place, Wes figured he was waiting for a command.
“Out!” he tried. “Down!” Justice lay down, his big paws stretched in front of him. That wasn’t the one. Wes tried to think of other possible commands. “Off! Here!” He racked his brain for other words that made sense, but nothing was coming to him. “Okay…”
Justice leapt off the seat, almost knocking Wes over on his way out of the SUV. Once down, he jumped and played, his directionless excitement leading him to run a few feet away and then spin to rush back to Wes.
Slamming the door closed, Wes ran toward the side of the VFW again, Justice following. The fire engine pulled into the lot, and he turned to see some cops rushing out of the station and across the street. “Fire’s by the back wall in the kitchen,” he called out to Theo, the closest cop. “One person’s still putting it out. Someone dragged a woman out of the kitchen and shot at us. Kit’s chasing them west down the alley.”
As Wes ran toward the back of the viner, he heard Theo shouting, repeating the information that Wes had just shared with him. The dog sped up, running in front of him, giving him occasional backward looks as if he wasn’t sure where he was supposed to go. His ears were pinned back, and his tail was tucked, telling Wes that his playfulness was switching to anxiety. Wes felt guilty and scared for Kit, but he didn’t know how to get Justice to track her and the shooter. For Pete’s sake, he didn’t even know the command to get Justice out of the car.
Frustration filled him, battling with his fear for Kit’s safety, and he fisted his hands at his sides. He needed to do this, to calm down and communicate with Justice. Think of it as a puzzle, he told himself. It’s dog training, after all. If Justice understands, then surely I can figure it out.
“We can do this,” he said, and the dog crouched a little at his harsh tone. Wes cringed and made an effort to soften his voice. “Sorry, Justice. Help me out here. I need you to follow Kit.”
Justice perked up, his head cocking to the side and his tail waving tentatively.
“Kit? Is that a word you know?”
His tail whipped back and forth in what Wes was pretty sure was an affirmative answer.
“Look for Kit!” Justice just stared at him, so Wes tried another possibility. “Search for Kit! No? Track Kit!” There was still no response except for enthusiastic tail wagging every time he said Kit’s name, and Wes felt frustration building up again. He shoved it back, knowing that he couldn’t let it creep into his voice and scare Justice again. “Follow Kit! Find Kit!”
That got a reaction.
The bloodhound immediately lowered his head and made ever-widening circles, so focused that Wes felt hope rise in him. Letting out a loud bark, Justice started running down the alley in the direction Kit had gone.
“Good dog! Good boy, Justice! Let’s find Kit!” Letting out excited bays, the dog quickly outpaced Wes, turning south between two buildings. When Wes reached the spot where Justice had changed direction, the bloodhound was long gone, and Wes had to switch to following the boot and paw prints in the snow.
His heart was pounding heavily in his chest, but it was more with adrenaline and anxiety for Kit’s safety than from exertion. Breathing was hard, thanks to the smoke, and he struggled not to cough, knowing that it would just slow him down. He heard pounding footsteps behind him and looked over his shoulder to see that Theo was following him. As Wes faced front again, two gunshots rang out, followed quickly by a third. Kit! Heart in his throat, Wes ran faster, barely preventing himself from calling to her. He didn’t want to distract her if she was fighting for her life.
The tracks turned again, disappearing behind a detached garage, and Wes tore toward the structure, dreading what he might find behind it. After the gunshots, he braced himself for the worst. What if he was too late to save Kit? His heart thumping painfully against his ribs, his imagination painted horrible scenarios in his head as he rounded the corner.
Taking in the scene, Wes dragged in a deep breath and immediately started coughing. When he came into sight, Kit spun to face him, putting her body between him and a crying Elena. Recognition and relief passed over her face, and she turned back toward the other woman. Justice was bouncing in excited circles, returning to attempt to lick everyone’s face. Elena cried harder as she pushed the dog away with black-smudged fingers. Wes approached with Theo close behind, and Kit took a step back, hauling the dog with her by his harness.
“Sit, Justice,” she said before turning to Theo. “Can you call in a BOLO for a white sedan? Elena said the plates were covered with snow and unreadable. She thinks it turned east on Main, but she’s not certain. There’re at least two people in the vehicle, the driver and the man who tried to abduct Elena. She couldn’t give a good description, except that he was male, tall, and strong, and he was wearing dark-colored pants, coat, and a ski mask.”
Theo repeated the information into his radio as she turned back to Elena. “Are you hurt?” Kit asked gently. “Theo can call for an ambulance if you need one.”
“No,” Elena said between shuddery breaths, “no ambulance.”
“Okay. Can you stand?” Kit asked as Wes moved to take Justice’s harness. She gave him a smile of thanks before returning her attention to helping Elena up.
“Do you have any idea why he tried to kidnap you?” Theo asked, stepping closer. With renewed sobs, Elena threw herself against Theo’s chest, burying her face in the front of his coat. Wearing a startled expression, Theo held out his hands as if he had a gun pointed at him. Wes took an automatic step back, tugging Justice with him. He was very glad that Elena hadn’t chosen to throw herself at him.
As Elena clutched Theo’s coat, Wes noticed the black smudges on Elena’s right fingers again. “What’s that on your hand?” he asked. Kit moved closer to look, but Elena yanked her hand back, tucking it between her chest and Theo’s.
“Probably soot from the fire,” Theo said, trying to step back to get a better look. Elena’s hands fisted in his coat, making it impossible for him to budge. Wes made a skeptical sound. The black marks had looked more like gunpowder than soot. He eyed a still-sobbing Elena, wondering if she’d been the one who’d shot at them. Anger gripped him at the thought of Kit getting hurt, and he clenched his teeth to keep himself from accusing her. He’d mention it to Kit, but he knew she’d already seen it. She wasn’t stupid. She’d know what it was and quickly reach the same conclusion that Wes had. He looked at her, at the way her narrowed gaze took in Elena and the scene around them, and he knew Kit was already there—and probably a few steps ahead of him.
But if it was true, why would Elena go through such trouble to stage her own fake kidnapping?
“We should get a couple people to tape this area off, as well as the alley right behind the viner,” Kit said, her gaze cool and thoughtful as it rested on Elena. “Did you see if the man who grabbed you tossed the gun or kept it on him?”
Wes saw the tiniest jerk of Elena’s shoulders at the question. “Nooo,” she said between hiccupping breaths, drawing out the word uncertainly. “I don’t think so.” She sniffed and released Theo to blot at her face with her sleeve. “It’s cold out here. Can we go back to the viner?”
