The Military K-9 Unit Collection. Valerie Hansen
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the tablet, Westley closed the open file of wedding photos, and then clicked on the next file. More photos appeared. These were of Felicity as a child, and shots of her father and her uncle mugging for the camera. There were photos of her mother as well, looking beautiful and serene sitting on the sand beneath an umbrella. Felicity vaguely remembered going to a Corpus Christi beach. She still had a collection of seashells in her room from that trip. Her mother did look happy here in these photos, she noted.
“These aren’t helpful,” she said. “Try that one.”
Westley exited the file and clicked on the next one. A window popped up and asked for a password. “This has to be it,” he said. “Any idea what your father would use as a password?”
“I haven’t a clue,” she said.
“I’ll try your name.”
No go.
“Try Colleen,” Felicity said. “My mom’s name.”
That didn’t work, either, and neither did the other obvious passwords they tried. He closed the folder and powered down the device before handing it to her. “Hopefully Cyberintelligence can crack the code.”
“We have to take this to Ian in the morning,” she said. She tucked the device in the deep pocket of her uniform pants. “This may be the evidence he needs to open an official investigation into my dad’s death.”
Westley’s gaze narrowed. “I hope we’re not making a mistake by trusting the man.”
“We’re not.” At least she prayed they weren’t. But could she trust her judgment? After learning the circumstances behind her parents’ marriage, she found herself doubting everything.
Everything? she asked herself. Even her growing feelings for Westley?
* * *
The rising sun shone bright over the Texas Hill Country, washing Canyon Air Force Base in shades of gold. Felicity loved this time of day. The world seemed fresh and alive, though she felt a bit wilted from lack of rest. Taking turns on the cot in the training center hadn’t provided her much sleep. She feared Westley hadn’t received much shut-eye, either.
Only Dakota seemed to have much energy this morning. If his hindquarter wasn’t sporting a bandage, she wouldn’t have known by his even gait and wagging tail that the dog had been recently hurt.
As Westley drove them back to the OSI offices, with Dakota in the back seat, Felicity glanced out the passenger window at the horizon and sent up a prayer. She had much to pray for. Strength, both physical and mental. Closure for her father’s death. Boyd’s capture. An untangling of her confusing emotions for Westley.
She told herself she had to be patient. The promise of Romans 8:28 came to mind.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
She had to trust that God knew what was needed and He would provide as He saw fit. She filled her lungs with a deep, settling breath. She might not have had the rest she needed, but she felt renewed.
They arrived at the building and rushed inside to Ian’s office, but he wasn’t there. They backtracked to the front desk.
“Agent Steffen is off base following a lead on the Red Rose Killer case,” the woman at the desk told them.
“Can you tell him to contact one of us as soon as possible?” Felicity tried to hide her disappointment. She was anxious to see what was in the password-protected file.
The electronic tablet burned a metaphorical hole in the pocket of her uniform pants. But she couldn’t do anything with it until Ian’s return. Meanwhile they needed a distraction. “The BMT graduation is this afternoon. I’d like to get some photos of the setup.”
With Dakota at their heels, they went to the photo lab, where she picked up her camera. On the way out they ran in to Yvette Crenville. The base nutritionist paused to salute. There were dark circles beneath her eyes, and she looked like she’d lost weight.
“Are you okay?” Felicity asked, worried for the younger woman. They were both targets of Boyd Sullivan. In fact, Felicity figured Boyd would have more reason to feel slighted by Yvette since the woman had made their breakup very public.
Yvette patted her utility cap as if checking to be sure she’d put it on. “I’ve been so stressed. This whole thing with Boyd is too much.”
“You’d feel better if you had a protection detail,” Westley stated.
Felicity certainly did.
Yvette rolled her eyes. “Please. I go to the hospital and my apartment. If I’m not safe at either of those two places, then there is nowhere on base that I’d be safe.”
“Having a dog and a handler with you, getting there and back, will give you peace of mind,” Felicity told her.
Yvette eyed Dakota and his bandaged hip. “What will give me peace of mind is Boyd back in jail.” She adjusted her uniform jacket. “I’ve been called in to talk to Captain Blackwood again. Like I would help Boyd?” She huffed. “As if. If you ask me, it’s Zoe Sullivan they should be questioning. Gotta go.” She hurried past them.
Felicity watched Yvette disappear inside the command building. “Do you think she’s right? Zoe does seem the most likely to be Boyd’s accomplice.”
Westley shrugged. “If she is, Linc will find out.”
They spent the rest of the day in and around the BMT graduation events. The crush of people made Felicity nervous at first, but with Westley and Dakota watching her six, she relaxed into the process and enjoyed herself, capturing the day’s memories. This photography gig wasn’t half bad. In fact, she could see herself doing this long-term. Which she would be doing until Boyd was caught.
As dusk settled over the base they returned to where they’d parked the SUV at the back of the lot near the north woods.
She stopped and gripped his arm as dread made her skin prickle.
“Boyd was here.” She pointed a shaky finger to the front windshield.
A red rose was tucked under one of the wipers. A small square piece of paper was plastered to the glass.
Westley plucked the note from the windshield, careful to only touch the edge.
“Let me see,” she said.
Together they stared at the words typed across the paper.
I’ll get you yet.
Her stomach lurched. Boyd was on base. And close.
* * *
Anger twisted in Westley’s gut. He scanned the area for the fiend, but with so many people milling about, there was no way to tell if Boyd was out there among them.
“I feel so exposed here,” she whispered.
He did, too. Despite the fact that they were on a military installation on high alert, somehow Boyd Sullivan managed to move around at will. They could even be in his crosshairs right now. “Don’t touch anything. I’ll call the captain from the center I need to bag this evidence. Then we’re out of here.”
From the back compartment of the SUV where he kept supplies, he grabbed a brown paper bag and a set of latex gloves. With the gloves on, he slid the rose and note inside the bag. He placed the offending evidence in the glove box, then opened the doors to let Felicity and Dakota into the SUV. As she passed him to climb in, he touched her arm. “I’m not going to let him, or anyone else, hurt you. Not on my watch.”
The look of trust and tenderness in her eyes sent his pulse racing. “I know.”
He couldn’t stop himself from leaning in and placing a quick kiss on her sweet lips. Her quick inhalation nearly made him steal another, but not now. If ever.
When