“No. I’ll leave him here for law enforcement.”

  “What if...” Jamie broke off when she caught Ben’s warning glance. The lack of a foolproof way to secure their prisoner had not escaped the K-9 cop and without Shadow on duty she doubted he’d have brought the danger so close to her.

  Once she got the hang of positioning and tightening the ties, she finished quickly, straightened to rub her lower back and retreated. “Done?”

  “Looks good.” He still hadn’t holstered his gun even though the K-9 was also standing guard.

  “Want me to grab your stuff, too?”

  Ben nodded. “Please. And Shadow’s bowls. Once we hit the road I plan to keep going for as long as necessary.”

  The thug in the chair still looked amused. “Won’t do you any good. I’ve already radioed your position and a description of your Jeep to my friends. You and the woman are dead meat.” He snorted. “The mutt, too.”

  “And who might they be?” Ben asked, surprising Jamie with the nonchalance of his delivery. “I always like to know who’s trying to kill me.”

  “You already know unless you’re dumber than you look.”

  “Oh, yeah? Maybe I’m wrong. Want to prove it one way or another?”

  Jamie kept packing although she momentarily held her breath. For a few seconds she thought Ben’s efforts might fail until the man said, “Let me put it this way. Your girlfriend won’t be doing any testifying in court.”

  So, it was all about the Hawkins trial as they’d thought from the beginning. That was little comfort.

  The baby kicked. Jamie’s strained back ached. The food she had eaten was rolling around in her upset stomach and she was getting a little dizzy.

  Breathe came to mind and she inhaled sharply, drawing Ben’s attention and an arch of his eyebrows, so she made an okay sign with her fingers.

  The last of their getaway supplies were packed. Jamie straightened, ignoring the pain in her lower back. That sensation wasn’t new. Changes in her body and center of balance had brought it on before, more times than she could count.

  She watched Ben start to rise. Saw him flinch. Tried to ask him what was wrong via her eyes and facial expression.

  He didn’t comment but their captive did.

  “Aw, sorry,” the thug said. “Did I hit you too hard? Break a rib, maybe?”

  The lack of rebuttal from Ben truly worried her. As soon as they were on the road and away from this awful man she intended to insist on hearing the whole story. For now, though, she would simply help him load the Jeep.

  “I’ll get all that,” Ben said flatly. “You go wait outside.”

  “I can carry some.”

  “Take your camera bag and go get in the Jeep. I’ll bring the rest.” He holstered his gun and started forward.

  “Really, I can...”

  He was close enough in three strides to set her heart on fire and make her unsteady. When he leaned over to whisper in her ear it took every ounce of control Jamie could muster to keep from closing her eyes and pressing her cheek to his.

  “Go get in the Jeep.” Ben grasped her hand and pressed a set of keys into it. “Driver’s seat. If you see or hear anything out of the ordinary, start the engine and drive away as fast as you can.”

  She was shaking her head. His breath was warm against her face and she felt Ben gently tuck her hair behind her ear before continuing, “Promise.”

  “No,” was barely audible.

  “That’s an order,” Ben said.

  “Why?”

  He briefly glanced at the thug. “Because we don’t know how far away his reinforcements were when he told them about us.”

  “Then we’d better get a move on,” Jamie declared, stepping away to scoop up both her camera equipment and one of the bags she’d just packed. “Come on.”

  “Listen” was all she permitted before countering. “No, you listen. It’s me they’re after and if you think I’m reckless enough to hit the road without you and Shadow you’d better think again. This is my life we’re talking about and it’s my fault we’re all in danger. Now stop arguing and follow me.”

  The menacing laughter coming from the man tied to the chair made the tiny hairs on Jamie’s arms and at the nape of her neck bristle, but she didn’t let that deter her.

  “Don’t go out there without a gun!” Ben shouted.

  Had she thought of taking the shotgun with her to start with she might have grabbed it. Since it currently lay across the table, she’d get it on her second trip. Or her third, depending on how badly Ben was hurt and how much he could carry.

  The door stood open when she returned from the Jeep and she passed her injured guardian in the doorway. His teeth were gritted but he was toting everything she’d left behind.

  Jamie hurried back and opened the Jeep for him. As soon as he was secure in the passenger seat he whistled, and Shadow came barreling out of the cabin.

  By the time she reached the driver’s door the K-9 had leaped over his human partner and was waiting in the rear with the baggage while Ben rode shotgun. Literally. The window was rolled down on his side of the cab and he had the barrel of the shotgun resting on the sill.

  NINETEEN

  “We’ll have to backtrack a little,” Ben said. “It’ll be bumpy.”

  “This isn’t your fault.”

  Although she was driving cautiously his ribs were still complaining. “Unless the bouncing around bothers you, this is a good time to drive faster.”

  “Actually, holding on to the steering wheel helps. I feel much less like those tennis shoes I mentioned.”

  “Terrific.” By crossing his arms and pressing his elbows to his sides, Ben was able to steady the shotgun and support his sore side. It was past time to report their situation to his headquarters, so he did.

  “This is Sawyer, RMKU. Cell service is spotty up here so I’ll make this fast,” Ben said as soon as he connected. “Our cover is blown. We’re headed northwest from Cloud Peak in a camo-painted Jeep with a black rag top. I’ll leave this phone on so the FBI can track it and come and get us. The sooner my witness is secure the better.” Static filled the connection before it failed.

  He glanced at Jamie. One eyebrow was raised in an unspoken question. Ben shook his head. “I have to assume they got all that. We lost the signal before I was able to confirm.” He paused to study her, puzzled. Understanding her current expression was like trying to read a book with the cover closed.

  The tires bumped through a pothole. Ben winced and bit back a wordless sound of pain. That broke the silence.

  “So, what happened out there in the woods?” Jamie asked. “That guy said he hit you. Is that how you got hurt?”

  Denial was futile. “Yeah. He must have played a lot of football as a kid because his shoulder sure packed a punch.”

  “Is there anything I can do to help you?”

  “You’re doing it,” Ben said flatly. “As soon as we hit the highway I’ll take over.”

  “Oh, you don’t like my driving?”

  “It’s not your steering that’s lacking, it’s your foot on the gas pedal. There’s no lead in it.”

  “I’m not in any hurry to join my ancestors and meet Jesus, if that’s what you’re saying. I either trust God or I don’t.” Her smile blossomed. “I was just thinking how nice it would be if we had a dozen trained attack K-9s like Shadow. Then we could sit back and let them do all the work.”

  “What happened to the woman who was afraid of dogs a few days ago?”

  “Haven’t seen her lately,” Jamie teased. “She’s learned a lot since coming to your ranch.”

  “Did you like it there?” The question had to be asked. His heart insisted. And when Jamie nodded he breathed so deeply it cramped his side again.

  “Actually, I loved it. Except the part about falling off the fence during a stampede. Oh, and being shot at.”

  “What about the drone?”

  She chuckled. “That part was fun.”

  “You’d never be able to make that shot again if you tried,” he taunted, positive she’d have a snappy comeback.

  “Let’s hope I never have to try unless we’re just practicing.”

  Something about the way she was talking gave him the idea she wanted to return to the Double S, so he said, “You’re welcome to come visit Wyoming anytime, whether I’m there or not. You know we have plenty of room at the ranch.”

  “I would love to see that sweet mare’s foal when it’s born. Of course, I may have a baby of my own to cramp my style by the time she has hers.”

  “Babies are portable,” Ben reminded her, wishing he’d had more time to get to know Jamie and for her to see more of what made him tick. Truth to tell, he wanted to see her daughter as a newborn, maybe even hold her. That was a new emotion for him and one that was pretty scary, considering his previously negative opinion about marriage and children.

  She laughed. “I suppose they are. I’ll be glad to be able to put this one down in a crib after toting her around for months.”

  “You still feeling okay?”

  “Sure.” Flexing her shoulders and stretching against the seat belt, she made a soft moaning sound that was barely audible above the roar of the engine.

  Watching her from the corner of his eye, Ben saw Shadow react by laying his head on her shoulder. It would have been kind of cute if it hadn’t been a clear sign that the K-9 was instinctively as concerned about her as he was.

  They turned onto a paved road in less than a half hour. No one had pursued them so far and Ben felt comfortable telling Jamie to stop. “It’s time to switch drivers.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive. Pull over.”

  Slowing, she eased the Jeep off the road onto the gravel shoulder. “We should tape up your ribs.”

  “Later.” He propped the shotgun between them with the safety on so it wouldn’t be dangerous. Despite the stabbing pains in his side he still made it around the vehicle before Jamie had swiveled to slide out, so he lifted his arms to catch her.

  “I can manage.”

  “I know you can. I’m just trying to help.”

  Halfway through saying, “I don’t need...” she slipped and dropped the final few inches. Ben caught her without gasping in pain, sensing a difference in their embrace and wondering why. He suspected it might be because he’d never really hugged a woman in Jamie’s condition before, which might be the reason he wanted to scoop her up in his arms and carry her to the passenger side.

  He resisted. She briefly laid her forehead against his chest before pulling away. “Thanks. I’m okay. Let’s roll.”

  “Let me get that other door for you.”

  It didn’t surprise him one bit when she made a face. “Nonsense. Get in and get ready. I’ll take care of myself.”

  He wanted to remind her she had needed him only moments before but chose to pass up the chance. Self-confidence was good for her. The less she leaned on him or anyone else, the better, at least until she’d testified and this threat had passed. There would surely be times he wasn’t able to be with her, and she needed to be as cautious and self-sufficient as possible.

  The effort to twist far enough to click the buckle on his seat belt was excruciating. Ben noticed that Jamie seemed to be having equal problems so he reached over. “I’ll fasten yours if you’ll fasten mine,” he said with a lopsided smile. “I seem to be as much in need as you are.”

  Luminous green eyes twinkled. Jamie grinned. “Since you put it that way, cowboy, okay.”

  “I’m in cop mode now,” Ben said, fixing her belt, then leaning back so she could assist him with his. “No more cowboy.”

  “I wondered why you’d ditched the Stetson for a ball cap.”

  “Police logo,” he said, glancing at his side mirror before pulling back onto the highway. Traffic was sparse and the closest oncoming vehicle looked at least a quarter of a mile away.

  Jamie, too, was checking the large exterior mirror. “Am I seeing things or does that SUV back there look familiar?”

  “Don’t worry. There are hundreds on the road just like it.”

  “Yes, but, I imagine our prisoner’s buddies drive the same kind of vehicle you kept seeing on the ranch, don’t you?”

  “If they were smart they wouldn’t.” What he didn’t tell her was that thugs in a criminal organization as large and powerful as the one Hawkins worked for would be far less likely to worry about masking their identity. They didn’t care who knew what they were up to because they figured to escape prosecution, just as Hawkins expected to by having Jamie London killed before she could testify.

  Ben stomped on the gas. Accelerating up a hill, he kept watch on the sparse traffic behind, noting that his speed was sufficient to visibly widen the distance. The real question was how had they been trailed so easily in the first place? Could there be a leak at the RMK9 Unit or in the FBI? Whoever had sabotaged the ammo for the training demonstration that had hurt Shadow last month was probably still working undercover within the police department. Perhaps it was someone in his unit, although each man and K-9 pair had been thoroughly vetted.

  “No. It can’t be one of them,” Ben muttered. He knew each man in his group, some from even before Tyson had formed the K-9 unit, and there wasn’t one he didn’t trust implicitly, even his disgruntled half brother. Men and women who handled K-9s were different from most regular cops. They had to be to work efficiently with their dogs. The ability to sense an animal’s mood was instinctive and couldn’t be taught. Honing that skill while working with a trainer was the second step. Total trust in their K-9 partner was the final one. Not one of them would allow one of their dogs to be harmed. Even accidentally.

  Ben checked all the mirrors again. The center one reflected the smiling face of Shadow, tongue hanging from his mouth, watching the road ahead. There had been human partners he hadn’t trusted as much as he trusted that amazing K-9. To say he loved that furry face and the look of intelligence in those deep brown eyes was no exaggeration. Not that he would have admitted it to anyone other than himself.

  “Why are you smiling?” Jamie asked.

  “Just thinking about my special friend in the back seat.”

  “You mean my hero?”

  It occurred to Ben to counter that he wanted to be her hero, but he quickly pushed down that urge. Instead, he said, “Yup. He’s mine, too.”

  * * *

  Sunlight through the windows of the Jeep bathed Jamie’s face with warmth and made her sleepy. She yawned behind her hand.

  “Am I boring you?” Ben asked.

  “Better to be bored than scared witless.”

  “You do have a point there.”

  “How much farther?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Where are we going? You must have some idea.”

  “Nope.”

  It bothered her to see him smiling. “I’m not joking. Where are we headed?”

  “Nowhere and everywhere.” He glanced at the cell phone lying on the seat between them. “Pull down the center console, will you? I’ll be able to see my phone better if it’s in its holder,” Ben said, watching her struggle to comply. “There’s a release lever on your side. You have to push that in first.”

  “You could have told me.”

  “Sorry. I figured everybody knew how it worked.”

  Amused, Jamie lowered the console between them, then righted herself. “I hate to disillusion you, but this is the first Jeep I’ve ever ridden in.”

  “You have led a dull life, haven’t you?” he joked.

  “Hah!” she shot back. “As if there is anything dull about being orphaned, then marrying the wrong man and splitting from him before witnessing a murder and having to go on the run like a fugitive.”

  “Don’t overlook the good things,” Ben said. “Did you have a happy childhood? Enjoy school? Make lots of friends?”

  “Yes.” She knew what he was doing but it was comforting to hear him voice reminders of her happier times, so she let him continue.

  “When you first got married, were you happy?”

  “I thought I was.”

  “How about your baby? Does having her to look forward to feel joyful? You act like it.”

  “Of course.” As was her new habit, Jamie lightly caressed the tight skin at what had once been a slim waist.

  “See? You’re smiling, too.”

  She was, wasn’t she? “I get the point. I do. It’s just hard to keep from worrying about the future when some lowlife thugs are trying to keep me from having one.” Saying that caused her to search the mirror images again. The vehicle she had been concerned about was nowhere in sight. If there had been danger there, it was gone.

  “I think we lost them or that black SUV wasn’t pursuing us, after all,” Ben said.

  “You read my mind. That’s another thing to be thankful for.”

  “What is? Losing the SUV or my knowing what you’re thinking?”

  “Losing sight of that black car,” Jamie said. “I’ll probably never get over jumping whenever I spot one like it.”

  “Nothing wrong with staying on your toes.”

  She glanced down at her feet. “Speaking of which, it looks like my ankles are swelling a little. My ob-gyn warned me about sitting too long. Can we stop soon and walk around a little?”

  Judging by Ben’s furrowed brow, the answer was No. Well, no worries. She’d do isometrics while they drove and make up for inaction later.

  Traffic was getting heavier. The cell phone propped atop the console had been silent ever since Ben had used it, but she could see it now had a stronger signal. That was a good sign. One worth mentioning.

  “Something else to be thankful for.” Jamie pointed. “See?”

  “Yes. I just wish somebody would tell us the new plan for you.”