TWELVE

      Seeing Star acting so weak made Zoe want to sit with Star on the folded blanket in the kennel run and cradle the poor dog’s massive head in her lap. Only her dress uniform stopped her.

      Happily, Linc had no such reservations in his ABU and sat beside his groggy dog, legs crossed.

      Zoe leaned against the open gate. “Do you want me to close this?”

      “Not yet. After she’s back on her feet, we’ll shut it and leave so she’ll rest. Doc says that’s what she needs most.”

      Studying the row of runs she could see from where she stood, Zoe asked, “Is this where all those loose dogs came from?”

      “Some of them. We have a lot more room in the Military Working Dog Training Center next door. There are indoor and outdoor housing areas.”

      “I saw you catch that one dog. How many are still missing?”

      Linc continued to stroke and comfort Star. “At last count, twenty-eight. Since almost two hundred were released in the first place, that’s a fair capture rate, but nobody understands why four of the best trained K-9s have remained missing. We’re all worried about them.”

      “What I don’t understand is why they didn’t all just come home. I mean, they’re fed and cared for right here. Why run away and stay gone?”

      He shrugged. “The theory in some cases is that since they’re not well socialized before training and a few are also suffering from PTSD, the wilds of the base beyond our developed areas appealed to them. Remember, dogs are basically pack animals. If they have a strong pack leader, they’ll follow him pretty much anywhere.”

      “But the base is fenced and patrolled.”

      “True. But we do get an occasional stray coyote inside the perimeter, so it’s possible our missing dogs were able to slip out. Or they could be hiding in or around small caves in the rougher terrain the way Westley James thinks they are. There’s also thick woods on base. It’s been searched, of course, but so far that hasn’t helped.” Looking up from Star, he caught Zoe’s concerned gaze and added, “We’ll catch up to them all eventually.”

      “Will they still be useful after turning feral?”

      “I wouldn’t worry about overcoming that. Our trainers are the best in the business. They’ll be able to handle any setbacks. It’ll just take time and patience.” He continued rhythmically stroking his dog’s shoulder.

      “Do you and Star train all the time?” she asked him.

      “Practice, you mean? We do our share. Maintaining the K-9’s proficiency is one of the requirements for being a handler. We never stop testing our dogs. Everyday patrols and assignments like the one I have watching you are only part of the picture.”

      He fell silent and concentrated on soothing Star. Zoe listened and heard a rumble. “Is she snoring?”

      Linc rested his hand lightly on the rottweiler’s head and began to grin. “Uh-huh. She’s had a rough day.” As he slowly got to his feet and backed away, he laid one finger across his lips. “Let’s go and let her sleep.”

      Whispering, Zoe questioned that decision, “I thought you wanted to stay with her until she woke up.”

      He eased her out and closed the gate behind them. “That was when she was groggy from the anesthetic. This is pure sleep. See how her breathing has changed? Deepened? And watch her muzzle.”

      Zoe had to cover her own mouth to keep from giggling aloud. “Her lips flap!”

      “I know. I’ve spent so much time with her I can tell how she feels by observation. She’s exhausted but doing okay. And her gums are nice and pink. That’s a good sign, too. According to Captain Roark, that means she’s not bleeding internally. If she were, it would be evident by now.”

      Zoe let him cup her elbow and direct her away from the kennels. Their slow passage didn’t rouse many of the other patients housed there. They were out of the veterinary hospital before she asked, “Where are we going?”

      “First, I’m taking you home and waiting while you change, since you’re not on duty anymore. Then I thought we’d go see one of the women your brother threatened.”

      “I hope she’s here on base, because General Hall ordered me not to leave.”

      “She is,” Linc replied. “First Lieutenant Vanessa Gomez is a nurse at the base hospital, and I want to pick her brain about something.”

      “Really? What?”

      He didn’t answer until they were in his SUV and had pulled into traffic. “We got a preliminary report on the substance that was found at your apartment this morning.”

      “They already told me it was fake blood. It was, wasn’t it?”

      “Yes. Mostly water and corn syrup with red food coloring and a little chocolate syrup to mute the bright crimson.”

      “Sure had me fooled when I stepped in it. I even imagined it smelled like the real thing.”

      “Me, too, at first glance. Very realistic. It made me wonder why the person who left it settled for a substitute. I’d think if he wanted to really freak you out, he’d have used the genuine article.”

      “Maybe it was hard to come by.”

      “That’s one of the details I want to double-check. If Boyd wasn’t behind it and the guy who is didn’t want to harm anyone, he might have tried to steal blood from the hospital. I actually hope he did because that could give us some clues.”

      Zoe’s eyes widened. “Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?”

      “Because you teach flying and I’m the cop. Our forensics team figured out what they were dealing with the minute they walked in. Your apartment smelled more like pancakes to them than it should have.”

      She smirked at him. “So, cop, what can a nurse tell us that we don’t already know?”

      “Since she was threatened by the Red Rose Killer, I thought she’d have some personal insights, maybe something more than the hospital administration gave us. It is in her best interest to speak freely, especially if she knows of a gap in their blood distribution system.”

      “Why take me along? I mean, unless you still think I’m hiding something and want to make me feel guilty, there’s no real reason for me to meet this nurse.”

      “No, there isn’t. But you do have to stay with me, and I have a few loose ends I can hopefully tie up without the use of my dog, so you’re coming along. I can’t just sit around and wait. It’s driving me crazy to be idle.”

      “I understand,” Zoe said, averting her eyes to stare out the window as they turned and crossed Canyon Drive. “I don’t want you wasting time with me when there are bigger fish to fry. It’s just embarrassing to talk to people my brother has hurt or threatened. I hate that I’m related to a serial killer.”

      “That’s definitely not the reason I want you to go,” Linc said. “Two heads are always better than one when it comes to spotting anomalies and picking out which ones may be of interest. And you need something to think about besides your own troubles. I figured a diversion might give your brain something to do while your subconscious works on the rest of our unanswered questions.”

      Zoe had to chuckle. “Sergeant, if my brain got any busier, my head might explode.”

      “Which reminds me,” he said lightly, keeping the conversation from becoming somber, “after giving it a quick look, the bomb boys didn’t find anything wrong with your car, but they did tow it in for further examination.”

      “I