Chapter Two

 

Kelly maneuvered through the traffic, finally reaching the on-ramp for I-95. She wasn’t looking forward to the long drive ahead but flying with Xena wasn’t an option. So she’d driven from the top of the States to the bottom to spend a week in Key West with two friends. The vacation had been wonderful. Sun, snorkeling, doing the Duval Crawl to all the pubs on the main drag. But now she was making the trek home, facing long hours on the road.

Rick Latrobe had been an unexpected bonus. Maybe she could entertain herself with images of him while she drove. Yum! She seldom took this kind of notice of men anymore. Especially one like this. She’d learned they wanted the very feminine type, small and cuddly. All the things she was not. So fantasizing about him was a pure waste of time.

Last night had been both unexpected and incredible. Something that was hard to walk away from. She gritted her teeth and shook her head. Despite what he said, it wasn’t even likely that they would see each other ever again, so she’d better do something about the erotic thoughts running through her head.

Again she puzzled over Xena’s strange reaction to this man. Unless properly trained, Caucasian Ovcharkas could exhibit ferocious and unmanageable tendencies. They distrusted people they didn’t know and had a powerful urge to defend their owners. Many people claimed they had psychic abilities and Kelly could testify to that. She believed it herself. She’d read the research. Certain types of animals could sense impending danger, or the death or impending harm of a loved one.

She could definitely certify the urge to defend that was inherent in the dog. Twice when she’d been crossing a street, Xena had leaped at least eight feet from her truck to knock her away from a car just turning a corner. Then there was the time a poacher had wandered onto the land around her farmhouse. She’d been taking a walk with Xena, stretching her muscles after working with the dogs all day. The man had been a good six feet away, hidden by trees.

She didn’t know who was more startled, she or the man with the rifle, when Xena launched herself across the space between them, knocked the man down and clamped her teeth on his throat.

“Better than any man,” she muttered.

Xena gave two short barks, her own signal for the word “no”.

Oh, yeah? Well, you’re wrong.

In the years she and Xena had been together, she’d discovered they could communicate almost silently, or with hand signals. No matter what skeptics might say, she knew they could read each other’s minds. Like right now. She knew exactly what Xena was thinking.

And I didn’t appreciate that little act of yours at the airfield.

If it wasn’t for me your night would have been a lot more boring. If I were human I’d jump on that man in a minute. Since I’m not, I just made sure to give you a little help in that direction.

I suppose I should thank you.

Damn straight. And for the next time, too.

He leads a very busy life. The words were nice but I doubt I’ll ever see him again, so just back off and don’t do me any more favors.

I think you’re wrong. I have a very strong feeling he might become an important part of your life. Of our lives.

Yeah, right. She tweaked Xena’s nose. Shut up and let me drive.

But when she slid a quick glance in the dog’s direction, she swore Xena was grinning at her, her eyes flooding with good humor. She couldn’t help laughing.

* * * * *

Rick took care of some things at the house before heading for the airfield. He had a lot of preparations to make for the trip with the shipment of arms and that itch at the back of his neck was telling him to double- and triple-check everything. He was more than grateful that except for a sideways glance now and then Harry kept any comments about the previous night to himself. They went about their business, checking the preparations for the shipment. Making sure there would be sufficient security at the airfield for the loading and until take-off.

It was close to noon when they stopped for fresh coffee before Harry finally got around to the subject.

“So I guess you and my granddaughter got along okay?” he asked, his voice sly.

Rick allowed himself a grin. “We got along just fine, Harry. And for the record, she’s an incredible woman and I plan to see her again. Just as soon as I get back from Iraq.”

“I don’t guess I need to worry too much about her. Not with that dog to guard her.”

Rick burst out laughing. “I promise you she’s something special to me. Can we just leave it at that for right now?”

“I guess.” The older man sighed. “She’s old enough to know what she’s doing, anyway. I hope.”

The immediate tasks taken care of, Rick lounged at an old table in one corner of the hangar, making all his phone calls and triple-checking what was going on the manifest. At last he was ready to head for the office and a meeting with his partners.

“See you when we load,” he told Harry.

Pulling his truck out of its parking spot, he waved to the gate guard as he pulled out onto the road and headed for the interstate.

* * * * *

Hosni and Malik had been sitting in the van with blacked-out windows, engine idling, for some time. Watching the airfield where Phoenix kept its fleet, sharing space with two other equally low-profile companies. From the gas station just at the edge of the interstate they had a good view of everything that was happening. They would have preferred to be waiting in the parking lot but that was out of the question. The fence was electrified and guarded by both men and dogs.

“I wonder how the other tenants feel about this excessive security,” Hosni, the driver, mused.

“What makes you think they would object?” Malik asked. “They could be renting there because they need this, also.”

“Perhaps we should just take out the whole building,” Hosni joked.

“And perhaps Gabir would take off your head. You know he doesn’t want anything that would draw that much attention.”

“Just joking, just joking.” Hosni lit one of the thin cigarillos he favored. “I still think we should have picked a better place for this.”

“Not if we want to make it look like an accident.” Malik jabbed the driver in the ribs. “Here he comes now.”

The dark-green pickup exited the guard gate, drove down the road leading away from the building and headed for the interstate. Hosni pulled out of the gas station, falling right in behind the pickup. He maneuvered the van just to the left rear of the pickup while his passenger lowered his window scant inches and propped the barrel of his gun on the edge of the glass.

“Now,” Hosni ordered.

The gun spat its entire clip of bullets into the pickup’s rear tires just as the driver hit the truck’s rear bumper, forcing it into the streaming lane of traffic. It hit a gray sedan, bounced off and into another pickup, then spun around. They could see Rick Latrobe wrestling with the wheel, trying to gain control of his vehicle. Other cars were sliding into each other, trying to avoid the mess.

Two heavy trucks, pushing the speed limit, saw the pickup but were unable to stop and slammed into it, shoving it into the concrete wall. As the van pulled away they saw the pickup flip over as it bounced off the front of the second truck.

“He’s done,” Malik said.

“At least out of commission,” the driver agreed.

He merged smoothly into traffic, confident that no one had paid attention to his part in the accident.

* * * * *

Mark was scribbling notes on a yellow pad, Troy and Mike were discussing a possible new client and Dan had just walked into his office when his phone rang.

“Mr. Romeo? This is Harry at the airfield. We got trouble here.”

Dan snapped his fingers to catch Mark’s attention and mouthed, Hold on.“What is it, Harry?”

“You’d better get down here to the interstate. There’s a big pileup at the on-ramp and Mr. Latrobe’s right in the middle of it. I think he’s—”

Whatever else he would have said was cut off as Dan slammed the phone down, already heading toward the elevator. “Get the others. Rick’s in trouble.”

The interstate was a mess. Vehicles everywhere. Some upright but smashed and dented. A couple of them lying on their side. People running everywhere, screaming, shouting. By the time they pulled up in Mike’s SUV, the Maryland Highway Patrol was already on the scene and with the help of tow trucks that made their way along the inside shoulder, had managed to clear a little space. The local fire department was also there, as well as two ambulances with a third squeezing through that narrow lane.

“Fast response,” Troy commented.

Mark nodded at the gas station. “My guess is the owner over there called it in right away.”

They spotted Rick’s truck but getting to it was a major problem, what with all the traffic backed up behind the scene of the wrecks. Rick’s truck looked as if it had been through a mixer and both rear tires were blown. They could see him hanging upside down, still strapped into his seat belt. From the distance it was impossible to tell if he was even conscious, let alone alive.

Mike pulled over on the shoulder as close as he could get and they hoofed it the rest of the way, ignoring people who tried to stop them. Troy carried his emergency medical kit with him.

Dan, who was out of the vehicle even before Mike had completely stopped, heaved a small sigh of relief when he saw a familiar face.

Capt. Holden Jennings of the Maryland HP, in civilian clothes, was standing next to a fireman hosing down Rick’s pickup. Through a number of situations he and the men of Phoenix had become good friends who respected each other. He turned when Dan, having pushed his way through everyone, touched his elbow.

“I figured you guys would be here any second,” Jennings said.

“I didn’t think they called out the top brass for highway pileups,” Dan commented.

“I was on my way home from a meeting and when I got caught in this.” He waved his hand at the long lines of traffic standing still behind him.“Recognized Rick right away.”

Dan kept his voice level even though every nerve in his body was screaming. “Can you tell yet how he is?”

“One of my guys managed to look through the window before they started to spray. He couldn’t reach in there but he saw a little movement.” He looked at Dan. “They could see where the gas line ruptured so we’re foaming the tank. We’ll be done in a minute and then we’ll get him out.”

That turned out to be the longest minute of Dan’s life. At last the firemen backed away and two of the highway patrolman used a crowbar to pry the driver’s door open. People were yelling all around them and the EMTs were attending to the other wounded as fast as they could. But Dan was concerned with only one person.

He felt a nudge at his elbow and turned to see Troy, holding up the medical bag.

“As soon as that door is loose I’ll get in there,” he said.

If not for Holden Jennings, Troy would have played hell getting anywhere near Rick. As soon as the door was pried open Troy was right there, gently prodding Rick for broken bones, checking his pulse. One of the many EMTs now on the scene moved up next to him and handed him a cervical collar which he placed around Rick’s neck with great care.

“Hey, buddy,” he said in a soft voice. “You with me?”

Rick groaned and blinked his eyes.

“Yeah, I bet you hurt like a son of a bitch.”Troy turned to the EMT who was still next to him. “I’m going to unsnap the seat belt. Can you get in here and be ready to catch his weight?”

“Yes sir.”

Troy checked to make sure the collar was in place, moved to make room for the EMT and pressed the release catch on the seat belt. Rick slumped downward and the EMT caught him gently, preventing him from falling.

“I think we can ease him out,” he told Troy.

“Okay. On three.”

Together they maneuvered Rick until he was out of the truck and shifted it to a waiting gurney. Troy allowed the EMT to do his thing—checking vitals, checking for broken bones, calling into home base for instructions—but he was right beside him checking everything. Finally Troy turned to Dan and the others.

“He’s probably got a couple of cracked ribs and maybe a fractured wrist. I don’t know about internal injuries yet but the only blood I see is from the cuts on his face. And he’s got a whale of a bump on his head.” He grinned. “Good thing it’s so hard.”

“He may have internal bleeding,” the EMT warned, as they opened Rick’s shirt. “He’s got some ungodly bruises from the seat belt and maybe the steering wheel.”

“I know,” Troy agreed, “but the obvious signs of it aren’t there.”

Jennings had moved up next to them. “I have a Life Flight helicopter coming. Do you think he needs it?”

Troy looked around and shook his head. “No. The ambulance is good. Despite how it looks, there are people here much worse than he is.”

“You’re going to the hospital.” Dan made it a statement, not a question.

“Yes. I’ll ride in the ambulance and call you when I know something.”

Holden Jennings got the ambulance, with Rick and Troy on board, out and on its way, not an easy feat with wrecked vehicles everywhere. But the tow trucks were clearing cars as fast they safely could and one emergency lane was now open.

As soon as the ambulance driver hit the siren and pulled away from the scene, Dan turned back to the others and spoke in a quiet voice.

“Did you see his back tires?”

Mark and Mike both nodded.

“I’ve seen that kind of damage before,” Mark told him. “Someone shot them out.”

“I want one of you to go talk to the owner of the service station. Mike, I think you can follow the same lane the ambulance did, get off at the next exit and come back.”

“What about you guys?” Mike asked.

“We’ll talk to the people here who aren’t hurt. Also to the cops first on the scene. I want to know what anyone saw while it’s fresh in their minds.”

“Okay.”

“Call me when you’re done at the station. I may need you to pick us up in the chopper. Or get Ed to do it, if you’re following a lead.”

Wearing identical grim expressions, Mike headed back to his SUV and Dan and Mark began to thread their way through the unbelievable mess strewn over the road.

* * * * *

“Think we’ll make it home in one day, girl?” Kelly asked, looking at Xena sitting in the seat beside her.

The dog woofed softly.

“Yeah, I don’t know, either. Maybe we should have left last night.”

Now the dog growled in a low voice and Kelly laughed out loud.

“Okay, okay. You’re right. He’s hot and I deserved a night with him. And yes, you can really pick them.” She scratched the big dog’s head.

Checking the clock on the dash, she realized it was almost noon. No wonder her stomach was growling. She’d barely taken time for coffee and a muffin from a convenience store before getting on the road. She’d stop for something to eat and take the time to look through her book for campgrounds. She really wanted to get home, although she knew her dogs were in good hands. But camping out tonight might be a good last vacation moment for both her and Xena. A sign before the next exit advertised food and gas, so she flicked on her signal light and moved into the right-hand lane.

Xena sat up on her haunches on the seat next to her and pressed her nose against the window. Her bark was pretty plain. What is this place? Why are we stopping here?

Kelly ruffled her fur and tugged on her ears.

“How about a little walk, hmm? Then I’ll get some water for you and some coffee for me.”

She grabbed the leash on the seat between them, hooking it onto Xena’s collar. Eagerly, the dog followed her out of the cab and came to heel at her feet.

“That’s some animal you’ve got there,” a man pumping gas called to her. “Is that a dog or a small horse?”

Kelly was used to comments like that and she’d gotten to where she laughed them off. “She’s whatever you want her to be,” she joked.

They headed for a small wooded area behind the service station. She made sure Xena had plenty of time to sniff out a place for herself, then jogged with her a little to work out some of her pent-up energy. She was very good about staying still for hours but she was happiest when she was moving.

She had just signaled Xena to go back into the truck when the dog stiffened and a low growl rumbled from her throat.

“Xena?” She threaded her fingers through the ruff on her neck. “What is it, girl? What’s wrong?”

Kelly looked around her but nothing seemed amiss. The man pumping gas had finished and was back in his car. There were two other customers still in the process and two more cars parking in front of the building itself. Otherwise the traffic hummed by on the highway and that was it.

Xena made the same noise, pushing her head against Kelly’s hand. That was her signal to get attention but Kelly hadn’t a clue what was bothering her.

“It’s okay, Xena,” she soothed. “Everything’s fine. Maybe all this traveling is getting to you like it is to me. I want to cover more distance before we stop for the night. You’re okay with that, right?”

In the convenience store she bought two more large bottles of water and the biggest coffee they sold. Back outside, she poured some of the water in a dish for Xena and the dog drank greedily.

“Better now?” she asked her. “Then let’s get moving.”

It took more urging than normal for Xena to climb back into the cab and lie down on the wide seat again. The dog was definitely disturbed but Kelly still couldn’t see anything that would be bothering her. Finally she settled down, albeit unwillingly. Kelly checked her watch once more. Time to get going.

Back on the highway she turned on the radio, hoping to find some music to rev her up but the first thing she found was a newscast. She listened with half an ear to the details of a massive pileup on the interstate right where she’d gotten on after leaving her grandfather. According to the radio, it had happened only moments before.

Her neck began to itch when she realized that was almost the exact moment Xena had tried to communicate her distress.

What the hell?

* * * * *

The van with Hosni and Malik in it passed the first exit it came to after the wreck and took the second one. It led them into a street in a suburban neighborhood filled with shops and restaurants. Neither had said much since pulling away from the chaos they’d created. They felt confident that Rick Latrobe’s truck had suffered maximum damage and Latrobe along with it.

In a strip center they parked in a long row of cars. Malik punched a speed dial number on his cell phone.

“Is it done?” Gabir’s voice on the other was sharp, demanding.

“Yes,” Malik assured him. “You have nothing to worry about.”

“We’ll see. Did you go where I told you to?”

Malik nodded his head, even though he knew Gabir couldn’t see him. “We’re there now.”

“Leave the keys under the mat and walk away. Someone will remove the van shortly. There’s a gray sedan parked at the end of the outside row. You’ll find the key in a magnetic box under the car. Start driving and I’ll get back to you.”

The men exited the van as casually as they could, forcing themselves not to peer around or in any way act suspiciously. They were in the sedan and about to back out of the space when the cell phone rang.

Malik clicked it on. “Yes? We are ready to leave.”

“I should leave you there to suffer the consequences of your own stupidity,” Gabir spat at him.

Malik’s hand shook and he squeezed the phone hard. “What do you mean? What are you talking about? We took care of things.”

“Not exactly. I have someone right on the spot. Not only is the Latrobe man still alive, they don’t think his injuries are that serious.”

“That’s impossible,” Malik protested. “We took great care. And watched as the truck was destroyed.”

“Apparently it wasn’t destroyed as much as you thought.”Gabir’s grunt of disgust was loud. “I can’t believe I was given such idiots to work with.”

“But—”

“But nothing. The orders were to get rid of him before his next trip. It seems I’ll have to clean up this mess myself.” His sigh was heavily audible. “Come to the apartment. There’s enough traffic in these buildings you won’t be noticed. Meanwhile I’ll figure out what to do next.”

“We’ll just try again,” Malik protested.“We can do it.”

“Idiot. You’ve put these people on the alert, which is exactly what we didn’t want to do. The Phoenix men are dangerous animals. You won’t catch them with their guard down again.”The hiss of his breath across the connection was sharp. “I was told it was very important to get rid of this man in particular. Especially before…”

“Before what?”

“Nothing you need to know about. We’ll be lucky if the man we work for doesn’t kill us all. Get moving.”

Malik used his forearm to wipe away the sweat that had beaded on his forehead. Carefully he backed the car out of the slot and turned down a wide avenue.

“What?”Hosni asked.

“The Latrobe man is not dead but apparently we might be when Gabir’s employer finds out we didn’t succeed.”

Hosni plucked a cigarillo from his pocket and lit it nervously. “Have you ever seen this all-important employer?”

Malik barked a short laugh. “Are you crazy? People like you and me never get told anything. And believe me. The less we know the better. Gabir only says this is a very powerful man and he can crush us like grapes.”

He turned down another street, monitoring the traffic in his rearview and side-view mirrors. Who knew if someone was following them for some reason?

They made the rest of the journey in silence, each man aware that his lifespan might just have been considerably shortened.

* * * * *

Despite the overcrowded situation at the emergency room and the chaotic condition as accident victims were added to the usual crush, Troy muscled his way through the red tape to a doctor he knew. In scant minutes Rick was in a treatment room being evaluated. The problem, Troy soon realized, was going to be keeping Rick in bed long enough to treat him and let him heal.

“Definitely a concussion,” Dr. Bronson pronounced. “Bruised ribs, which he’s damn lucky aren’t cracked. Multiple cuts, two of which need stitches. And a hairline fracture of the left wrist. How he got away without any internal injuries is a Jesus Christ miracle.” He shook his head in wonderment. “He’s one lucky son of a bitch, I’ll tell you that.”

“Do what you have to and get me out of here,” Rick growled from the treatment room bed.

Troy moved closer to the bed. “Listen, tough guy. We can put a soft cast on your wrist and stitch up your cuts. But those ribs won’t heal that fast. And you’ve got a concussion which is nothing to be sneezed at.”

Rick reached for the IV needle in the back of his hand, ready to rip it out but Troy clamped his fingers on his wrist.

“Not this time. Let me take another look at those X-rays and talk to the doc again. If he and I come to some kind of agreement, I’ll get what you need and Ed can lift us out of here.” He pushed Rick back against the pillows. “But only if you agree to do exactly as I say.”

Rick leaned back, pain etching lines in his face. “Fine, fine, fine. But we’ve got a shipment going out of here next week and I have to be with it.”

“Rick,” Troy began.

“That’s not negotiable. This is my gig. I’ve been running it from the get-go. We’re not changing horses in midstream. I’m going to see this through and find out what the hell is going on.”

“You’re in no shape to baby-sit a major shipment of arms to Grainger’s people.”

“We’ll discuss it later,” Rick growled. “Meanwhile, just see what you can do about getting me out of here.”

* * * * *

By late in the afternoon Kelly realized she was through driving for the day. She hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before, something that made her smile to herself, and she didn’t want to chance driving when her reflexes might not be at their peak. The campground where they stopped was well-maintained and the facilities as good as any Kelly had ever seen. She paid her fee and pulled her truck into the designated space, setting her tent up in record time. Xena, uncharacteristically, whined the entire time she was getting her gear out of the truck bed, pawing at everything and pushing at Kelly with her head.

“You big stinker. What is with you?” she asked, nudging the dog away from her so she could take out her little camp stove. “What are you trying to tell me? Come on. Think it. You know I’ll pick up on it. Are we in some kind of danger?”

Reaching beneath the driver’s seat in the cab, she retrieved the holster with her little H&K 9mm and checked to make sure a round was chambered. She usually tucked it in the small of her back when she left the truck but this campground had looked safe so she’d left it in its usual place. She scouted the area but no one was lurking behind trees or showing an unusual interest in her. She knew there were people who resented her guard-dog-training business, nut cases who might not mind taking a potshot at her. Living in an isolated situation as she did, she’d learned long ago to be armed and proficient with her weapon. Just in case.

Now, holding the gun along the side of her thigh, she did one last perimeter check, just to reassure herself and Xena. Nope. Nothing. Yet Xena continued to act strangely.

She whined, almost as if she was trying to send a signal and was frustrated that Kelly didn’t get the message.

“Tell me, girl,” Kelly said, crouching down in front of her.

She had chosen a Caucasian Ovcharka specifically because they are naturally protective, alert and aggressive. Working with Xena since she was a three-month-old puppy, they had developed a set of silent signals between them that surpassed any audible communication. The ability to read each other’s minds had been a shocking surprise but the more they worked on it the easier it became. Lord knows it wasn’t something she could share with people but it created a truly unbreakable bond between woman and dog.

Xena’s possessive or protective actions toward Rick Latrobe, whichever they were, had puzzled her. In their time together she’d never behaved that way with anyone but her. Yet Xena’d somehow linked with him at once. Certainly enough to push Kelly right into his arms. How sneaky was that? And now, no matter how she soothed the dog or checked the area where they set up camp, Xena was agitated, demanding something from her owner.

“Is it Rick? Is that it, girl?”

On impulse Kelly pulled out her cell phone, checked to make sure she had a signal and called her grandfather.

“I’m fine,” she said at once, in answer to his question. “I decided not to push it and drive all the way through. Anyway, Xena can use the exercise.”

“Have you had the news on?” Harry sounded agitated. “There was a badass wreck on the entrance ramp right near the airfield. Cars and trucks and bodies everywhere. Hell of a thing.”

A tendril of unease skittered over her spine. “Was-Was anyone we know involved in it? Hurt?”

Harry was silent for too long.

“Granddad? Who was hurt?”

“Someone shot out the tires on Rick’s truck just as he entered the interstate.”

“Oh my god!”Her stomach flipped. “Is he okay?”

“Honey, his truck rolled and he was damn near killed.”

“Damn near?” She tried to swallow. “But he wasn’t, right?”

“Right. But they did cart him off in an ambulance.”

The little tendril grew into a full-blown grasping vine. “What time did you say the accident was?”

“About noon.”

When Xena was having her fit.

“How come you called, anyway?”

“Listen, Granddad.” She forced a calmness in her voice that she was far from feeling. “Have you heard anything from his partners at all? Do you know how Rick is doing? Is he going to be okay?”

“Yeah, Dan Romeo called me. His truck was totaled but he himself was one lucky son of a gun. A couple of busted ribs, concussion, some bruises and a fractured wrist.”

“And you said someone shot out his tires?”

“Yeah. Dan told me the guy in the gas station there saw the whole thing. Crazy, huh? Although these guys have ticked off some serious loonies in their business,” he growled. “Too bad they had to leave any of them walking around.”

Kelly chewed her bottom lip for a minute, a thought chasing itself around in her head. Maybe she was making a big mistake but Xena’s Psi was infallible. She picked up vibrations that no living person ever detected. Kelly wanted to go back there, to see what the dog could sense but she had a kennel full of dogs in Maine waiting for her attention. Her helpers could only stay full-time one more day.

Damn!

“Listen, Granddad. I’ll call you when I get home tomorrow. Find out everything you can about the accident for me, will you?”

The pause that stretched across the miles was telling.

“Honey.”Harry broke the silence at last. “I just have to say this. Maybe I should have said something before. Rick Latrobe is a helluva guy and I like everything about him. He mentioned this morning he plans to see you again. Forgive an old man’s interfering but he’s not the right person. These people aren’t the kind for you to get mixed up with. They lead very dangerous lives.”

“I can take care of myself. And I know exactly what I’m getting into. Besides, we might never even see each other again.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard that before. You and Xena need to take a pass on this one.”

“Granddad…”

“All right, all right.” She couldn’t miss the exasperation in his voice.“I’ll find out what I can. But when you call me it better be from Maine.”

“It will be. I promise.”

After disconnecting the call she leaned against the truck, idly rubbing Xena’s neck. “You called it, girl. You’ve got that link with Rick, don’t you? Well, let me into your brain. Something’s very wrong. One way or another we’re going to find out what.”

She picked up the ingredients for a simple meal from a nearby restaurant and she and Xena ate sitting at one of the picnic tables at the campground. But the food tasted like sawdust and sat like lead in her stomach. Finally she tossed the trash and pulled out her cell phone.

“Okay, call me an idiot,” she told the dog. “I can’t help myself.”

Fishing the Phoenix Agency business card from her jeans pocket she dialed the number on the back and waited for an answer.

“Latrobe. Who’s this?”

She was startled at the hostile tone in his voice. “Kelly Monroe. Uh, you said it was okay to call this number.”

“Kelly? Jesus, I’m sorry.” He paused. “Things have been a little traumatic around here.”

“That’s what I’m calling about. I heard the report of the accident on the radio. I called my grandfather for details.”

Rick snorted. “Accident, my ass. Those guys were waiting for me to take me out.”

The knot in her stomach tightened a little more. “But you’re okay, right?”

“Yes. Thanks. Listen, hold on a sec.”

“If I’m calling at a bad time just tell me.”

“No. I just need to get a little privacy here.” There was silence for a long heartbeat, then his voice came on again. Softer this time. “Thanks for calling.”

“I was just worried about you.”

“Don’t, I’m fine.” He chuckled. “And all my parts are still in working order.”

Heat crept up her cheeks. “I’m glad.”

“Kelly?” His voice dropped even lower. “It’s going to be damn lonely in my bed tonight. I don’t suppose I could talk you into turning around and coming back here.”

She sighed. “I wish. But I have to get home to my dogs. And you have to go to Iraq.” She sat up straighter. “Wait. Will you still be able to go?”

“Yes. I got a few dings and nicks but nothing incapacitating. I was damn lucky.” Another pause. “I want to see you as soon as I get back. I’ll even come up to Maine if you’ll let me.”

Would she? Was this moving too fast?

Hell, no. she wasn’t a kid anymore and men like Rick didn’t come along too often.

“That would be nice. Call me as soon as you’re back in the States.”

“And you keep your bed warm for me.”

She sat there with the closed phone held to her chest for a long time, remembering the feel of his body, the touch of his tongue and his hands. Oh, yes, she’d be keeping her bed warm. Her body would be hot enough just thinking about him.

When they finally settled down for the night, Xena stretched her hundred and thirty pounds out next to Kelly, in full protective mode. Kelly threw her arm over the huge body and tried to empty her mind. But as she drifted off to sleep visions of a tanned Norse god with startling blue eyes teased at her, his hand outstretched. But when she tried to grab it, he danced tantalizingly just out of reach. And between them was Xena, sending them silent messages of danger.