Chapter 4 #2
That was a safer topic. “I come from a big clan of includers. It wouldn’t be a gathering at my parents’ without a slew of guests we’ve all collected.
I’m a middle child. Two older siblings, one sister and one brother.
And two younger siblings, also a brother and sister.
Comes with a lot of drama, a lot of laughter and a lot of tears. ”
“That sounds wonderful.”
Her wistful note had his heart contracting.
“Hey, you’ll have a niece or nephew to love on soon,” he told her. “I have twin nieces. And a couple of nephews who are rowdy with a capital R.”
They shared a smile. A dimple winked at him from one corner of her mouth. His heart did a little thump. So pretty.
Warmth gathered in his chest. Unnerved by his attraction to Maren, who was impressive while drawing him in at the same time, Colt concentrated on the road.
The woman next to him was equal parts tough cop and loving sister. But his trust level was low ever since he was betrayed by a woman who turned out to be in the drug trade. He still beat himself up that he hadn’t known until the day he’d had to arrest her. She’d broken his faith and his heart.
His faith was slowly being restored, but his heart—not so much.
And if he wasn’t careful, this woman beside him could work her way through the cracks of the barricades he’d erected to keep from ever experiencing the kind of pain he had with Rebecca.
If he were to let Maren in, would there be healing? Or just more heartache in store for him?
Not questions he wanted to spend any energy on finding the answers to.
Two hours later, Colt brought his truck to a halt in the parking lot of the Colorado K-9 Unit task force headquarters building. A two story-brick building with lots of windows.
“The bottom floor is our training center,” Maren said. “Upstairs are the offices.”
Curious to see the task force’s digs, Colt jumped out and released Rusk from the back of the truck.
Once the dog was leashed and Maren had Haven on a lead, Colt and Rusk walked next to Maren and Haven toward to the building.
Maren led them around to the back to a lawn surrounded by a short fence.
Once inside the gated area, Maren removed Haven’s lead. Colt followed suit.
“Playtime,” Maren said with a smile.
The dogs hesitated, then slowly walked in opposite directions before circling back to sniff each other.
Haven bowed, the signal for play. Then she and Rusk were running around the grassy space, taking turns chasing each other.
“I think they’ll get along,” Colt said.
“Agreed.” She whistled.
Haven immediately veered in an arc and ran back to Maren’s side.
Rusk stood still for a moment as if confused by the other dog’s desertion.
“Here,” Colt called out.
Rusk raced to his side.
Once they had the dogs back on their leashes, they headed for the building. The training center of the federal building had a large, enclosed ring with ramps, tunnels and window cutouts for training. Kennels lined one wall.
“Hey, Maren,” a man in his sixties approached. He was tall and fit, with salt-and-pepper hair, a dark beard and mustache. He wore a green polo shirt with the task force logo on the breast pocket and khaki pants.
“Good afternoon, Dev.” Maren gestured to Colt. “This is DEA Agent Colt Dawson. Colt, Dev Singh, our lead trainer. Though he’s retiring soon.”
Colt shook the man’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.” Dev’s focus turned to Rusk. “Hello, handsome.” To Colt, he said, “Can I?”
Colt nodded his permission for Dev to interact with his partner. “This is Rusk.”
Dev crouched and let Rusk sniff his hand before scrubbing the dog behind the ears. “Will you two be joining our training today?”
Haven pushed forward for some pets. Dev laughed and scrubbed her behind the ears with one hand while also scrubbing Rusk. Colt was glad to see the two K-9s sharing. It meant they wouldn’t be as likely to resource guard if they spent more time together.
Maren shook her head. “We’re here to talk to Emmett. Can we leave the dogs down here for a bit?”
“Of course.” Dev stood and swept a hand toward the row of crates. “Pick any kennel.”
A high-pitched yapping had Colt spinning in time to see two German shepherd puppies run into the ring. Another trainer who looked to be in her late teens, wearing the same sort of outfit as Dev, hurried behind them.
“Those two are running me ragged,” the young woman said as she shooed the puppies into the ring and shut the gate.
“Hi, Jessie,” Maren made the introduction. “Jessie is a part-time high school volunteer.”
With a wave, Jessie slipped into the arena to chase after the pups.
Colt smiled at the young woman. “Is it normal for that one pup to have a bent ear?”
“No,” Dev answered. “We’re hopeful Trooper’s ear will straighten as he ages. These two are brothers donated by Dodger Andrews.”
Colt recognized the last name. The man was a benefactor of K-9 training programs in the area. “Any relation to the missing pregnant woman?”
“Her grandfather,” Maren supplied.
After settling their K-9 partners into separate crates, Colt followed Maren up a couple of flights of stairs to an office area. A large conference room sat off to one side with a huge screen dominating one wall. A long oval table and multiple chairs stood waiting.
Maren headed down a hallway to an office, prompting Colt to keep up. The nameplate on the door read FBI Supervisory Special Agent Emmett Dane.
She knocked and then stepped inside.
A tall, broad-shouldered man rose from behind his desk. Serious blue eyes regarded them with surprise. “Maren, I wasn’t expecting you.”
Maren moved forward. “Emmett, this is DEA Agent Colt Dawson.”
Colt shook hands with Emmett.
“Your boss speaks highly of you,” Emmett said. “Glad to meet you.”
Emmett turned to Maren. “How’s the search for your sister going?”
She explained about the attack on her vehicle and what the gunman had said before Colt shot him and he fled.
Emmett rubbed his chin, his gaze on Maren. “It’s safe to surmise this Shadow believes that you are your sister.”
“That’s what we’re thinking,” Colt confirmed.
With a nod, Emmett leaned a hip on his desk. “Shadow’s men may come after you again.”
“We’ll be ready for them,” Maren assured her boss.
Colt liked that she included him in her statement.
“Is there any reason to suspect Shadow is involved in the illegal adoption ring?” Emmett asked.
“I wouldn’t put it past Shadow,” Colt stated.
“Okay, then stick close together.” Emmett glanced at Colt. “I’ll talk to your boss about bringing you on to the task force.”
Not sure he was understanding, Colt questioned, “You want me on the task force?”
“We’re using every available resource to track down the villains who are dealing in the buying and selling of babies and if your case can help us solve our case, then that’s what we’ll do.”
“I’m glad to help if I can,” Colt said. “But my mission is to find the drug kingpin.”
“I have faith you can accomplish what you set out to,” Emmett said. He shifted his focus to Maren. “Concentrate on finding your sister. You said the clinic receptionist mentioned Derek Rolls had a wife?”
Maren nodded. “She couldn’t remember her name, only that she seemed like a timid woman.”
Emmett frowned. “I’ll put Eli on tracking down Mrs. Rolls. Good work, Maren.”
“The informant who gave you information about my sister,” Maren said to Colt. “He’s in Denver, correct?”
“He is,” Colt confirmed, wondering where she was going with the question.
Emmett stood. “Have Eva do research for this informant as well as any information she can get on Opal’s whereabouts. If there is a connection between Shadow and our baby smuggling ring, I want to know about it. Mia Andrews is counting on us to find her.”
Thinking of the missing pregnant teen that Maren had told him about, Colt fisted his hands. “Of course. If my hunt for Shadow leads us to Mia and helps bust the adoption ring, all the better.”
“Including bringing my sister back safely,” Maren added.
They bid the FBI agent goodbye, then Maren led the way to Eva Gomez’s office.
The task force’s tech analyst’s domain was a hub of electronics.
A pretty woman sat at a bank of computers.
Her long, wavy hair was captured in a clip at her nape.
She turned dark eyes on them as they approached. “Well, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Hi, Eva, this is DEA Agent Colt Dawson. He’s working with us on a possible connected case,” Maren said, briefing Eva on what they suspected. “We need some information on one of his CIs.”
Colt gave the woman the name of his confidential informant. “Steve Loren. The guy sent me looking for Opal at the motel in Barren Valley. He’s one of Shadow’s minions but apparently had a soft spot for Opal.”
“I’m on it.” Eva spun back to her keyboard; her fingers flew over black keys. An image popped up on the computer screen with a long rap sheet.
“Yep, that’s him,” Colt affirmed.
“Can you send me that address?” Maren said.
Eva’s fingers worked quickly. “Done.”
“Thanks,” Maren said. “We appreciate you.”
Colt and Maren made their way back to the training center to release their K-9s from their kennels.
“Do you think Steve will cooperate?” Maren asked as they climbed into his truck.
“That will depend on if he’s more afraid of us or Shadow,” Colt told her.
His pulse thrummed at the thought that they were now officially working together. Teammates. He would have to make sure to keep a professional distance, because anything else would only end in disaster.