“I began looking for Joy’s mother as soon as she left her outside the station with a note that said she was my kin. Joy had a birth certificate with her that gave Serena’s name as her mother but nothing else. She’d dropped off the grid by then.”

  “You’re sure you’re related?”

  “Yes. DNA proved it. When we finally did locate Serena, she was out of state and failing fast so I had her brought back to South Dakota where I could oversee her care in a hospice closer to home and family.”

  “Why did she leave Joy at the station ATF shares with the police instead of bringing her straight to you? I can’t imagine leaving a child like that for any reason.” Seeking something to do with her hands, she picked up a piece of cheese and nibbled it.

  “Neither could I until she explained. She watched from across the street until somebody took Joy inside. Serena was alone and very sick at that time. She knew she wasn’t going to be able to properly care for Joy much longer, and when she was accepted into an experimental drug program in Texas, she left her behind and went there, hoping for a miracle cure.”

  “Which didn’t come.”

  Daniel sighed deeply. “Right. The drug trial ended without any positive results for Serena so she was ready to return to Plains City and see Joy again.” The frown on Aurora’s brow caused him to add, “I did clear it with Joy’s pediatrician before I took her to visit her mother in the hospital. I was afraid the sight of Serena so sick might cause her emotional harm.”

  “He encouraged you to do it?”

  “With proper preparation, yes. He explained that young children aren’t hindered by adult logic. We spoke with Serena first, of course, and explained that we were planning to tell Joy about Heaven and why. She was more than eager to go along with it.”

  Aurora’s hazel eyes glistened. “It’s not a fairy tale. I truly believe there’s a place in Heaven waiting for those who believe in Jesus and commit to Him.”

  “That didn’t come out the way I intended,” Daniel said quickly. “I wasn’t making up a happy ending for Serena’s story. I truly believe her pain will be gone in heaven and she won’t cry for the earthly life and family she’s lost, but you can’t go into a lot of detail with kids who are barely making whole sentences. Later, when Joy is older, Nana and I can explain more fully. I’m just thankful Serena brought Joy to me, to us, and gave us a chance to help when she needed it most.”

  Thankfully, Aurora’s features seemed to relax before she said, “Okay. I do see your point. So, how did it go?”

  “Pretty well, actually. Serena shed some happy tears. We waited until she was moved to hospice so there wouldn’t be a lot of noisy machinery. The atmosphere now is actually quite peaceful, considering.”

  “Peaceful?

  “Yes,” Daniel said with a sigh. “Nana and I alternate whenever possible and take Joy in only when the nurses advise us ahead of time that Serena is ready.”

  “I can’t see how you could handle it any better,” Aurora said. “Again, I’m sorry.”

  “Faith helps. I’m sure it was a comfort to you when your mother passed.”

  The attractive face that had begun to soften tightened in another scowl. “Yes, and no. I miss her terribly. It’s too bad not everybody in my family does.”

  “You can’t be sure of that.”

  “Oh?” Her eyebrow arched. “My dad has made it pretty clear to everybody in town. He’s acting like a teenager who is suddenly off curfew, running around and chasing women right and left. Any female under seventy is fair game.”

  Daniel wasn’t about to share all the details of his disillusionment with his own father such as his disowning Serena in spite of his paternity, then refusing to have anything to do with her even when she was grown and needed help but he did huff with derision. “At least your dad is single. Mine acted like that when he was very married.”

  Although he hadn’t spoken with the intent of distracting his guest, his statement did just that. Lips slightly parted, she stared at him. Moments of silence passed until she asked, “You mean with Serena’s mother?”

  A nod was all that was necessary to bring their conversation to a permanent close. Reaching for the tray of food, he politely passed it to Aurora before taking some for himself. He’d already revealed a lot more about his dysfunctional family than he’d intended and was not about to continue.

  Rumor had been running rampant ever since little Joy had been plopped down into his life and he was determined to get past it, for her sake. The most he could hope for was that he’d never follow in his father’s footsteps and to guarantee that he fully intended to spend the rest of his life dedicated to raising his niece in a stable home among adults she could trust and rely on no matter what.

  He’d seen lots of instances where single parents did wonderful jobs. Conversely, he’d seen supposedly happy homes dissolve like the last snows of winter beneath the bright sun of the Black Hills.

  Joy was who mattered now. She had her whole life ahead of her, and whether he understood it or not, he’d been placed in her short life to guide and love her. The loving part was easy. It was how to best provide guidance that had him concerned.

  First, I have to survive this job. And protect others who need me too.

  “Daniel?” Aurora reached out and almost touched his hand.

  “What?”

  She pointed to his pocket. “I think your phone is buzzing.”

  Surprised to have not noticed immediately, he turned away to answer. “Slater.”

  It was West Cole, a detective with the Plains City PD and a member of the task force. “Thought you should know,” West began, “we’re responding to the report of a suspicious vehicle that keeps cruising past your place. You might want to stay away from the windows until we’re sure what’s up.”

  “Yeah. Thanks.” Daniel was about to explain to Aurora when a loud beeping sounded inside the house. He tensed, gripping the phone. “Alerts going off now,” he told Cole. “Bump up response to code three!”

  THREE

  Aurora picked up on Daniel’s changing mood instantly. He looked first at her, then at the stairway they had climbed to reach the open level. “Nana knows what to do in an emergency. You stick with me. My home office is down stairs.”

  Daniel led the way to a windowless room at the back. Not only did it contain a desk and a large enough table for team meetings, there was a bank of monitors on one wall that showed shadowy images of the outside of the house and grounds.

  She didn’t try to hide her amazement. “Wow.”

  “Home sweet home,” he said, focusing on the live-action monitors. “I told you this place was well equipped.”

  “You can say that again.” Something on one of the screens caught her eye and she pointed. “Look.”

  He barely glanced at her as he said, “I see—we’ve got company.”

  Circling to the desk, he stopped at a keyboard below the wall display and punched in a number. One screen zoomed in revealing a hooded figure just as it ducked behind one of the trees at the perimeter.

  “That doesn’t look like one of the local PD officers. Besides, they can’t be here yet. This guy is inside.”

  “How would anybody know I’m here?” There was more anxiety in her tone than she liked so she breathed deeply in an effort to control herself better.

  “They may not be here because of you,” he said. “My team has been targeted too, since the death of Brandon Jones’s brother, Hal.”

  “The same Brandon we suspect of that murder we just came from?”

  “One in the same. We think Brandon’s brother, Hal, was the brains of a gun trafficking operation, but since his death, with Brandon going off the rails the way he has, it’s starting to look like this case may be coming to a close—in a good way.”

  “But what about—?” was all she got out before Daniel raised a hand, palm out, to quiet her. He made a quick call while Aurora listened.

  “Yes. That’s right. To the west, just inside the fence.” He paused. “All right. We’ll approach from this side. Just tell your officers I’ll be on scene with my K-9 so they don’t shoot us.”

  Aurora reached to grab his arm as he strode past, thought better of it and stood back. “You aren’t going out there?”

  “Of course I am.”

  “But…”

  “You’ll be safe inside, and I’ll be careful. I’m going to leave you locked in down here. As soon as I’m sure Joy and my grandmother are safe upstairs too, I’ll see about the problem in the yard.”

  “What if—?” Aurora was getting tired of starting a sentence and having him signal her to stop talking.

  “Watch the action on the monitors if it will make you feel more secure. Just do as I say and stay in this room.”

  An argumentative element of her personality urged her to snap off a mocking salute as Daniel left but she restrained the impulse. There were worse places to be left alone than this secured room. For instance, she could be upstairs where there was open access.

  That realization caused her to pause in her selfish thoughts and turn her attention to the well-being of the others. “Father, be with them. Protect them. Please,” she began, adding, “and forgive me for complaining about Your plans for me.”

  Her focus rose to the screens as she waited to see something, anything, that would put her mind at ease.

  Long minutes passed before a door slammed upstairs. Floodlights illuminated the entire property. There he was. Daniel Slater. He was dressed in black but in the center of his back were the bright white letters ATF. They would keep him from being misidentified as the intruder but they would also point him out as a federal agent to anyone bent on causing harm. Trotting beside him in her K-9 vest, Dakota kept pace.

  Aurora’s head swiveled back and forth from one screen to another, searching for danger as if she could somehow warn her brave defender. She didn’t even have his cell number to call if she did spot the adversary. Well, that could be remedied, and would be as soon as he returned.

  “He’ll be back. He’ll be fine. I know he will be,” she insisted softly to herself. “So will his K-9.”

  The words echoed in the empty room like a shout straight from her heart. This was a good man. He was needed by his fatherless, soon-to-be orphaned niece and by the task force.

  And by me, she added, a bit surprised to identify so closely with the agent and his mission in life.

  No, that’s normal for me. I care about people. That’s why I chose my job.

  Starting to smile at the self-expressed argument, she caught a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye. There. By the wrought iron gate. It was Daniel, opening a pass-through for armed men on foot. Backup had joined him. Hooray!

  She breathed a sigh of relief. Her shoulders began to relax. And then she checked a different screen and saw someone who looked like the hooded man they’d originally zoomed in on.

  “No! Daniel!”

  The group at the gate seemed oblivious.

  She pressed the fingers of both hands over her mouth, willing them to notice what she was seeing, praying one of them would spot the enemy in time to avert disaster.

  * * *

  Knowing where the assailant’s image on camera had originated, Daniel headed straight for that area with Dakota at heel in a short leash. Shallow drifts of snow beside the perimeter fence had preserved footprints.

  He pointed at the closest prints. “Dakota. Seek.”

  The enormous Dane put her muzzle to the ground, then raised her head and began to strain in the direction of a shadow where beams from the floodlights didn’t quite overlap.

  Daniel pointed his sidearm at the same area. Just because he couldn’t make out anything, didn’t mean the dog was wrong. Dakota was never wrong. He’d stake his life on it, which was exactly what he was doing.

  At the moment his greatest concern was that the intruder hadn’t come alone. Pinpointing one danger didn’t mean there were no others near enough to do damage.

  “Easy,” he told Dakota, keeping her close for her own protection. They edged closer to the place she’d identified.

  She braced, growling. Her lip curled back. Rumbling in her deep chest gave fair warning. Something in the shadow shifted. Dakota stood on her rear legs and lunged so hard she pulled the leash out of Daniel’s grip.

  She was out of sight in an instant, barking and growling.

  Daniel followed, two hands gripping his sidearm and every muscle in his body taut. Without a clear view of their adversary he nonetheless ordered, “Hands up!”

  Dakota was no longer barking but she was growling and he could hear a scuffle. A man yelled.

  Daniel closed in. His brave dog had the perp on the ground and was holding his gun arm in her teeth while he squirmed and fought to get free.

  “Drop the gun and I’ll tell the dog to release you.”

  Their quarry cursed, fired wildly and scrambled in the snow, trying to escape.

  It took Daniel only seconds to disarm the thug and make sure Dakota was uninjured. Despite Daniel’s grip on the prisoner, the guy managed to wriggle away, stagger to his feet and run again. Daniel unclipped the leash from the K-9’s work harness and sent her in pursuit.

  While the assailant’s feet rapidly pounded the ground, the Dane stretched full length and overtook him in mere moments.

  The hooded man whirled, arms raised in front of his face, and absorbed the full weight and momentum of the dog as it leaped at him, drove him to the ground and stood with front feet planted on his chest.

  A simple, “Dakota, out,” was all it took to make her step back, panting and wagging her tail yet still concentrating on the criminal on the ground while Daniel rolled him over and cuffed his hands behind his back.

  “Good girl,” Daniel said. He reached for his radio and reported the capture, listening as others completed their searches without finding anyone else. Apparently, this prowler had come alone, although chances were good he had buddies either watching from a distance or keeping track via body camera. Wearing such devices had helped law officers prove themselves in the past but body cameras were a bane when used for criminal purposes.

  “He has no ID on him,” Daniel said after checking his pockets. “Book him for trespassing and see if we can get a name from his fingerprints or tie him to previous crimes.” He led the way to the iron gates. “Make sure my team has a full report and photos of him in case they can make a match.”

  Lights over and around the heavy gates illuminated the driveway like day. Placing Dakota on a Sit/Stay, he took out his phone and snapped several pictures of the man with his hood pulled off.

  A quick glance toward the camera mounted on a light standard showed him that it too was recording. Good. Hopefully at least one of the images would show Aurora whether or not this shooter was the drive-by from the murder scene. If it turned out they could prove ties to the Jones/Murray group, they might be able to rule out an attack aimed at Aurora or her cousin, the ADA. Assistant District Attorneys made plenty of enemies themselves and he’d hate to discount that possibility to the detriment of that branch of law enforcement.

  Incoming queries from his team drew Daniel back to the concerns of the present. He answered a group text and promised the planned video conference in ten minutes.

  The gate closed behind the uniformed officers. Several patrol cars were staying in the immediate area until released, giving Daniel a modicum of peace of mind. Nothing could ever be 100 percent when you were dealing with irrational people like Brandon Jones—whose real last name was Murray, though he and his family had been living under the alias Jones. Still, having a visible police presence always helped.

  That was one of the problems with life, he mused on his way back to the house. He could plan all he wanted, do everything supposedly right, and bad things could still happen. Some people blamed God for that without ever giving Him credit for the good. The truth was, people made mistakes. They made poor choices. They got themselves into trouble and either didn’t know how to get out or actually liked doing wrong. That was the way he viewed the Jones brothers, particularly Brandon. Hal, may he rest in peace, may have been just as bad but he, at least, was smart enough to control some of his worst urges. That made him less dangerous than his surviving brother, Brandon. Brandon was the wild one, the unpredictable one, the loose cannon. And as such, dealing with him was akin to looking for a good time to step on a rattlesnake. There wasn’t one.

  * * *

  Aurora heard the clicking of Dakota’s nails on the hard floor outside the locked door. Nevertheless, she backed behind the desk ready to duck if necessary.

  Daniel’s quiet call of, “It’s me,” made her realize she’d been holding her breath. She released it and circled the desk, hurrying toward him. It was only when she realized she was ready to hug him in relief that she put on the brakes.

  The abrupt stop was a bit awkward but not nearly as awkward as it would have been to forget herself and embrace the poor man. After all, they were colleagues, not close friends. She knew him, of course, because they both worked in and around the Plains City PD. Beyond that, they’d merely exchanged pleasantries or talked about job-related things.

  Until today, Aurora realized with a start. Something had changed today when they’d been shot at and he’d saved her. That was it. Sure. She was grateful. That made perfect sense. Thinking back, she wasn’t sure she’d even thanked him, although she assumed she must have.

  Daniel held out his hand toward her, breaking into her thoughts. “Come on.”

  As she naturally reached to grasp his hand, he pulled it back and motioned. “Upstairs. We need to check on Nana and Joy.”

  “Of course.” Of course. What did you think, that he wanted to hold your hand? Get real. This is business. All business.

  She had to hurry to keep up with him as he ran up the stairs and passed through the kitchen into the interior hallway. Nothing had been disturbed since they’d left the table so she assumed Catherine had remained with the toddler even after Daniel had called Dakota to patrol with him.