“Is there a faster route to get there?” he asked quietly, checking Gracie in the back as well. “She’s holding.”

  “Yeah, holding, but she’s not doing good.”

  He didn’t say anything to that because honestly, Gracie didn’t look like she was doing well at all. She was definitely out of sorts.

  “I can get us there faster,” she muttered nervously, “but I don’t know that it will be any better for her.”

  “We just need somebody, … somebody we trust who can look after her.”

  “Oh, I have a friend who’s a vet,” she said, looking at him. “Jeez, my brain’s not working yet.”

  “Well, make the call.”

  “But Robin won’t know this number.”

  “It doesn’t matter. Hopefully she’ll answer anyway. Does she have an office?”

  “Yeah, she does. She does.” Rebecca dialed the number, grateful when Robin picked up. “Hey, it’s me.”

  “Where the hell are you?” Robin cried out. “I’m hearing some really strange rumors.”

  “The rumors are probably lies, and I’ll certainly fill you in at some point, but right now I need your vet skills really badly.”

  “What’s up?” Robin asked in confusion. Rebecca quickly explained about the shooting. “Shooting? The dog’s hurt?” Robin muttered. “What the hell are you doing in a shootout?”

  “I was kidnapped, and so was Gracie. Remember how I told you about her going missing?”

  “Sure, and you asked me to keep an eye out in case anybody brought in a dog like her.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Well, nobody brought a dog in like her.”

  “But then I was kidnapped and they kind of took me to her.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Robin cried out. “You know this all sounds a little bit strange. Are you sure you’re okay?”

  Sensing that her friend didn’t believe her, Rebecca glanced helplessly over at Delta, who reached out a hand. She handed the phone over.

  “Robin, this is Delta Granger. I was sent here from the War Department, checking the status of Gracie, a Malinois retired from the military K9 program, otherwise known as a War Dog. I can provide my ID when we arrive. It’s true Gracie had been taken and that Rebecca was subsequently kidnapped. She’s just come through quite a fight. After being dumped in the forest, she was able to steal a vehicle and run away. She drove through an ambush, was shot at, and the dog picked up some ricochet bullets. I don’t know how badly, but Gracie is lying injured in the back seat. Will you help us or not?” He spouted it out with such an officious and snappy tone, he hoped that the other woman would jump in to pitch in and help.

  “So this isn’t a joke or some sort of prank?” Robin demanded.

  “No, it’s no joke,” he snapped. “Yes or no? Otherwise we’ve got to find somebody else who can help. Why the hell would you refuse to help a woman who’s supposedly your friend when she’s now in desperate straits, and you have the skills she needs to help this dog?”

  “I didn’t say I wouldn’t help, but you don’t understand the rumors we’re hearing.”

  “Yes or no? Otherwise, we’ll find another vet, and believe me. I’ll be looking at why the hell you’re a vet in the first place if you won’t help when you’re needed the most.”

  “Hey, hey, hey, calm down.”

  “No, I’m not calming down,” he snapped once more. “For all I know, Rebecca is injured too, and she’s refusing to go to the hospital and to get checked out herself, until Gracie is tended to.”

  “Oh, now I know you’re telling the truth. That is so Rebecca.”

  “So, is that a yes?”

  “Yes, I’ll meet you at the clinic,” Robin snapped right back at him and quickly hung up.

  He looked over at Rebecca. “Is she always like that?”

  “Yeah, Robin’s kind of a cranky type.” She laughed. “However, she’s absolutely wonderful with animals.”

  “She would have to be because she doesn’t seem to have any people skills.” With that decided, Delta said, “Now, give me directions on how to get to her office.” Rebecca did, but she was fading. He looked over at her and shook his head. “Don’t you dare collapse on me.”

  She glared at him. “I wouldn’t do that.”

  “No, maybe not now, but I don’t want you dropping on me the minute we get there and get Gracie seen to,” he said. “And I do want you to go to the hospital and get checked out.”

  “Well, that’s not happening,” she muttered.

  But her tone was weakening, and he knew that she would fade very quickly. So he had to be ready before that happened. Swearing at this supposed friend who was great with animals, he followed Rebecca’s directions until he parked in front of a small clinic.

  Robin stood impatiently outside, arms crossed over her chest, glaring at the world.

  He hopped out and said, “Wow. Nice to meet you too.”

  She shot him a look and then raced around to see Rebecca. “Hey, are you okay?”

  “Now that I’m no longer a prisoner stuck in some godforsaken bedroom,” she replied, as she slowly got out, “yes. I’m sore. I’m tired, and I really need a shower and some sleep.”

  Robin took one look, gave a painful squawk, and wrapped her up in a hug, barely even considering the glass on her. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, almost in a panic. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you. You look like shit.”

  At that, Delta snorted. “Yeah, that’s a friend for you.” Robin turned and glared at him, and he held up a hand. “I don’t give a crap,” he muttered. “But I do care about making sure Rebecca’s okay. Once Gracie is looked after, I can get this one somewhere safe, before she keels over.”

  “Where will that be?” Robin asked, as she unlocked the clinic door, obviously not trusting him.

  “I don’t know yet,” Delta responded, “and I’m not sure I would tell you anyway.”

  She stopped and turned to look at him in horror. “You can’t think I’m a part of this.”

  “I don’t know whether you’re a part of this or you just don’t have people skills,” he admitted, as he headed to the back of the vehicle and gently picked up Gracie to bring her out and around to the front of the center. “But you sure as heck weren’t a help when I needed you to immediately pitch in and do something. Now here you are all lovey-dovey with Rebecca, and I’m very suspicious.”

  Robin glared at him and snapped, “Look. You don’t know me, and I don’t know you.”

  “Yeah, and that’s the way we’ll keep it too,” he stated, as he walked in and turned to look back at her, his gaze going to Rebecca. “Rebecca? Come on. Just a couple more steps, honey. We’ll get you taken care of after this.”

  Rebecca gave him a wan smile. “I’m coming. I’m coming.”

  “Honey?” Robin asked in an odd tone.

  Rebecca looked over at her friend and smiled. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “Yeah, well, if he’s taking advantage of you when you’re at your weakest, he’ll be on my shit list too.”

  “I thought I already was,” he quipped, glaring at her. “Could we just get to the point?”

  Robin led the way to the back. “Put Gracie down here.”

  He gently laid Gracie down on the gurney, and the vet stepped up to look at her. Gracie wagged her partial tail at her.

  “Hello, sweetheart,” Robin said, her voice dropping in tone. “You’ve had a rough couple days, haven’t you?”

  Not sure that he could trust Robin even now, Delta stayed close to ensure no harm would come to Gracie.

  At one point in time, Robin looked over at him in exasperation. “This is my clinic. This is where I work and what I do,” she snapped, “so just give me some space.” He shrugged, but he didn’t move. She glanced over at Rebecca. “Can you call off your watchdog so I can work?” she snapped at her friend.

  At that, Rebecca half smiled and nodded. “She’ll look after Gracie,” she murmured to Delta. “It’s all right.”

  “It’s not all right,” he argued, “not until I see how she treats her.”

  “You think I’ll hurt her?” Robin asked in astonishment.

  He shrugged. “After what this dog’s been through, I don’t trust anybody.”

  “Good enough,” Robin muttered. “I don’t either.”

  “Yeah, that’s obvious.”

  “Could you two just stop,” Rebecca wailed in an exhausted voice. “I really don’t have the energy to sit here and referee a fight between the two of you.”

  Immediately Delta felt bad. He walked to her, wrapped an arm around her, and tucked her up close, trying to be mindful of the glass all over her. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I’m just worried about you.”

  She smiled and nodded. “I know.” She looked back over at Robin. “How bad is it?”

  “Gracie is exhausted. She’s got this bullet wound, but it looks more like a deep scrape across her back, more like a burn versus an actual penetration,” she muttered, as she quickly worked on Gracie.

  Gracie whimpered a couple times, as she was poked and prodded and glass removed from her coat. “I know, sweetheart. I’m so sorry this happened to you.” She looked over at Delta and asked, “Did you catch the asshole who did this?”

  “Not yet.”

  Then Rebecca looked at Robin and whispered, “I think I ran over one of them, killing him,” and she burst into tears.

  The vet came running over and wrapped up Rebecca in a hug. “Oh my God, oh my God,” Robin said, “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”

  While the two women held each other close, Delta walked closer to Gracie to check out her wounds himself. “Hey, baby, how’re you doing?” he whispered. “It’s been a hell of a run so far, hasn’t it, girl?”

  He checked her over himself, and, when he straightened up with a clipped nod, he looked over to see the vet glaring at him. He shrugged. “Hey, you left her. I came to check on her.”

  “What’s your prognosis, Doctor?” Robin sneered at him.

  “She’s got a bad laceration, but, with antibiotics to stop the infection, she should heal just fine.”

  Robin looked at him in surprise and then gave him a slow nod. “Yes. That’s exactly right.” She looked back at her friend. “Do you want me to keep her here?”

  “No, I really want to keep her with us.”

  “Gracie stays with us,” Delta declared, brooking no arguments. Robin narrowed her gaze at him. He just shrugged. “This is a missing War Dog, and that is my responsibility. The fact is, she was instrumental in helping rescue Rebecca, so I need the two of them to stay together.”

  “That’s a different story, and I kind of get it,” Robin replied, followed by a huff, “but the lack of faith and trust in me is really irritating.”

  “It’s not because you give a great first impression.” Just as she went to open her mouth and snap at him again, he held up his hand. “My apologies, Rebecca. I did say I would try.”

  Rebecca sighed. “Honest to God, you know what it is? You two are so damn much alike that, when confronted with each other, you can’t stand yourselves. Welcome to my world.”

  They both stared at her, enough that he watched a smile crack her face. “Good,” he said in satisfaction. “Now, maybe we can get this finished off, give Gracie some antibiotics, dress that wound a little bit, and get you someplace safe.”

  “Where will that be?” Robin asked, suspicion still in her tone.

  He shrugged. “I don’t know yet, and I wouldn’t tell you anyway.” She stopped and glared at him. “In this case, it’s not a lack of trust as much as it would be to your benefit.”

  “Why?” Robin asked.

  “Because Rebecca’s the second person who was kidnapped,” he shared, “and, unless you’re really looking to be part of a fight that isn’t yours, anything you don’t know will be better for you.”

  Robin frowned, as she continued to work on Gracie. Finally she drew up an antibiotic shot and administered it to Gracie. Then she walked over with pills that she’d put in a small pill bottle and handed it to him. “Two a day for five days.”

  He nodded. “It’s good to go open like that? Wouldn’t—”

  “It’s better off open,” Robin cut him off. “The wound is now clean. With any luck she should heal up pretty quickly. She has a few glass cuts, but those will be fine in no time.” She turned to Rebecca. “Do you want to come to my place?”

  She shook her head then stopped remembering the glass. “No. Honestly, I don’t want you to get involved, any more than you already are.”

  “I’m not involved at all,” Robin noted in exasperation.

  “No, but you’re helping us, so anybody who’s pissed off could take that as a wrong sign.”

  “Well, they’re likely to get the same reception as you got,” she stated, as she glared at Delta sideways. “I don’t like being manipulated.”

  Rebecca chuckled. “No, you sure don’t, but I also don’t want you hurt.” She looked at Gracie and asked, “You ready to go, girl?” The dog perked up.

  With that done, Delta walked over and carefully lifted the dog off the table and helped her down. “Let’s keep her movements to a minimum,” he whispered gently. He walked back out toward the front with both Robin and Rebecca in tow, Gracie following them.

  He looked back at Robin and stated, “And, by the way, you didn’t see us.” She looked at him in confusion and then frowned. He nodded. “We may have gotten off the wrong foot, but, for your own safety, you did not see us.”

  “It can’t be that bad,” she said.

  “How do you figure that?” Delta asked.

  “The stories we’ve been hearing …” Then she stopped, as if not sure how to say it.

  Delta nodded. “Yeah, the stories you’ve been hearing. Remember that. I don’t know what they are, but I bet they are probably all kinds of crazy and make no sense. Your friend wouldn’t do that, would she?”

  “She wouldn’t. She wouldn’t go off half-cocked.”

  “Who do you think is putting out those rumors?” he asked. “I’m just trying to keep her safe.”

  “Yeah, well, as long as you don’t try anything else with it.”

  He stared at her, shaking his head. “That’s not an issue.” But he didn’t elaborate. It had made him mad to think that anybody would say such a thing, but considering this prickly pear woman and the relationship she already had with Rebecca, it didn’t seem wise to antagonize Robin any further.

  He walked out to the vehicle, opened up the backseat door, helped Gracie inside, then went back to Rebecca, who was hugging her friend as she said goodbye.

  He waited for a moment, then said, “Come on. Let’s go.”

  Rebecca nodded and slowly stepped back away from her friend. “Now you stay safe,” she whispered.

  “I’m fine,” Robin muttered. “You, on the other hand …”

  “I’m fine too, or I will be. First, I need some sleep and a chance to regroup and to figure out what my next options are.”

  “What options?” Robin asked, throwing her arms out wide. “I don’t understand any of this.”

  “No, and that’s also why I’m trying not to tell you too much because then you can’t know anything. If you deny we were ever here, then nobody will find any value in trying to torture it out of you.”

  Robin paled at the thought and shook her head. “Yeah, that’s not cool. It’s that bad, huh?”

  “It’s not cool, and it’s also not a scare tactic,” Delta reminded her. “Keep it close to heart because it is that bad. Your friend and this War Dog were both kidnapped, and now I’m trying to keep them safe.”

  And, with that, he helped Rebecca into the front seat and walked around to the driver’s side. Feeling the urge to leave that he hadn’t had before, he quickly fired up the vehicle and, without any other excuse, pulled away at top speed.

  Rebecca looked over at him. “Is there a reason for the rush?”

  “I don’t know.” He shook his head, uneasy at the feeling in his gut. “But I want to say yes, and I really don’t know why. I don’t know anything in particular. … I just feel that it’s definitely past time to go.”

  “I won’t argue with that,” Rebecca added, as she settled into the front seat.

  “And your friend?”

  “I don’t know.” Rebecca waved her hand. “Robin’s always cranky and miserable, but I love her anyway. Her heart’s in the right place, and it’s always centered around animals.”

  “I don’t have a problem with that,” he muttered, “but if she’ll contact anybody as soon as we leave …”

  Rebecca nodded. “I’m a little afraid she might have done so before we even arrived.”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised at that either,” he muttered. “So, that’s another reason to get moving fast.”

  “Get moving, yes,” she agreed, “but, from the sounds of it, you are already panicked about it.”

  “Not panicked,” he clarified, rolling his eyes at her. “My instincts are telling me to go—and to go now. I can’t shake that feeling.”

  And, with that, he peeled off down the highway.

  Chapter 9

  Rebecca was so tired, tired of fighting, tired of keeping the pace, just plain tired.

  “Go to sleep,” Delta muttered beside her.

  She gave a strangled laugh. “How did you know I was two steps away from crashing?”

  “I can see it,” he said, with a gentle smile. “You don’t have any reason to worry. Let’s just get you some sleep, while I try to figure out where I’m taking you.”

  “Yeah, it would help if we had somebody on our side. You did contact law enforcement, didn’t you?”

  “I did,” he admitted, with a hard tone slithering into his words. “The jury is still out on that one.”

  “Yeah. I was afraid you would say something like that.” She yawned. “Can we just grab a room somewhere? Maybe downtown, so I can get some sleep, and Gracie can relax a bit?”