Valerie Hansen - Special Agent

Neither man responded. Max reached for his badge. “Federal agent. Please keep your hands where I can see them and get out of the vehicle slowly. One at a time. Driver first.”

Instead, the men ducked out of sight. Because the cab of the older truck sat so high off the ground, Max was no longer able to see them from where he stood. He started to draw his gun. The engine roared, drowning out his shouted order to stop. No officer of the law would discharge his weapon under those circumstances and apparently the men in the truck knew it. The driver backed into the road, quickly reversed and ground gears to start forward.

Max ran back to Katerina, slid behind the wheel and grabbed his radio to alert local police, then commanded, “Fasten your seat belt.”

“We’re not going to chase them, are we? I mean, how fast can they possibly go in that old truck? It’s on its last legs.”

“Don’t be so sure. It sounds as if they have a new engine under their hood. Until reinforcements catch up to us we’re going to keep them in sight. If they really are connected to Kowalski I don’t want to lose them.”

She braced herself as they took off in a squeal of rubber. “You think they are, don’t you?”

“What I think is unimportant. It’s what we discover after they’re pulled over and searched that counts.”

“I’d rather walk,” Katerina yelled. “Let me out.”

He couldn’t, of course. If the men knew her by sight he’d be able to tell by observing their initial expressions when confronted. If they were merely unrelated lawbreakers he’d see that, too. Katerina had to be with him when the stop was made. This was too perfect a scenario to waste. Besides, if he let her out, she’d be vulnerable.

“We’re staying together,” Max yelled back at her. “It’s safer.”

“Doesn’t look like it to me!”

Her blue eyes were wide, one hand fisted on the grip above the passenger door, the other grasping the edge of the seat. Yes, Katerina was fearful, but there was also a sense of wild adventure about her. Under different circumstances he might have guessed she was having the kind of fun a lot of folks experienced on a roller coaster.

Had their current situation not had the potential to turn deadly, Max might have chuckled out loud.

* * *

Whipped from side to side on tight, fast corners, Katerina kept her lips pressed together despite the awareness that a good, loud scream would feel wonderful.

Freeing.

Speaking of freedom, Max seemed to be gaining on the old truck. “I think we’re catching them.”

His “Yeah” didn’t sound as upbeat as she’d expected.

“What’s the problem? We don’t want to lose sight of them, do we?”

“No. But I don’t want to corner them all by myself, either. This isn’t technically my jurisdiction and if the stop didn’t go as planned, a lot of bureaucrats could end up twisting in the wind, me included.”

“Is that what special agent in charge really means? You pay dearly for bad decisions?”

“In this case it may be. Hang on. They’re slowing more.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Without armed backup? If it were just me and Opal I’d order them out of their vehicle and hold them at gunpoint.”

Katerina arched her eyebrows and made a face. “Hey, it’s not my fault I’m still here. I told you to let me out and you refused.”

“It was the right decision. It simply complicates things at the moment.”

“Ya think?” She knew it was wrong to needle him but he’d been so convinced she was on the wrong side of the law that his current dilemma hit her as ironic. And amusing, provided the men in the big truck stayed away until reinforcements had time to arrive.

“Um, is it just my nerves or is the truck stopping?”

“Stopping. In the middle of the road, no less. The first car that takes that next corner too fast is liable to hit head-on.”

She noted the hard set to the agent’s jaw, the way his big, strong hands gripped the steering wheel. Clearly, he was having to make some crucial decisions and she hoped one of them included turning around and running for their lives.

Max eased his SUV to the far right of center and set the parking break. “You stay put. Lock yourself in. If anything happens to me, use the radio to call for help.” He handed her the mic. “Push this button, talk, then release it so you can hear replies.”

“Whoa. Where do you think you’re going?”

“To order them out of the traffic lanes before they cause an accident.”

“I thought we were waiting for backup.”

“You are.” Taking the mic momentarily he reported his position and plans to the county dispatcher, then stepped out and slammed the door.

“A fine mess this is,” Katerina muttered. An answering whine from the rear of the SUV reminded her that Opal was back there. Releasing her seat belt, Katerina flipped onto her knees and shinnied between the backs of the front seats until she was within reach of the portable kennel box. Opal was not only drooling she was wagging her whole rear end.

“If I let you out will you promise to behave?” she asked the dog. “Your partner might need you and I could sure use the company.”

Woof.

“That’s what I thought. Okay. Here’s your leash.” She opened the kennel grate and grabbed the dog’s harness. “Hold still, will you?”

The friendly canine’s antics were enough to take Katerina’s mind off the tenuous situation and bring a smile. “Yeah, Opal, I agree. He’s the kind of guy to try riding a wild mustang with no saddle or bridle and then wonder how he ended up in a heap on the ground. I’m glad he’s your partner, not mine.”

Together, they returned to the front seat. Opal took the passenger’s place so Katerina eased behind the wheel. The dash resembled an airplane cockpit with gauges she didn’t recognize and equipment that looked like multiple radios, not to mention the computer system she’d seen Max use briefly.

Parked to the right rear of the bigger truck, Katerina could no longer see him. Neither could Opal, which clearly disturbed them both. The dog began pawing at the inside of the door.

“No, Opal. Your boss said for us to stay right here and that’s what we’re going to do unless...” Unless I hear shots or something equally as bad, she thought. Her hands rested naturally on the steering wheel and she sighed. “Why didn’t I ask exactly what he meant when he told me to call for more help if he needed it. How am I supposed to know?”

Woof.

“My sentiments exactly.” Katerina had always talked to animals and was reassured to have Opal beside her. “You’re the one with the fancy training. So, what’s the standard protocol for this situation?”

Instead of the silly, drooling look the dog had been exhibiting, she began to focus out the windshield and stare at the large truck. Katerina’s focus followed Opal’s. It almost looked as if the thing was moving. Backward. Toward them. There was little room to spare to the right before the ground fell away into a steep canyon!

A few native live oaks rose above the edge, their canopies giving the false impression that there was solid earth below. Pines, however, clearly demonstrated that they were rooted far below with only their tops visible.

What was the penalty for driving an FBI vehicle without permission? Katerina wondered. There was no time to ask and even less time left to decide. If they stayed where they were, that lumbering old truck could shove them off the road as if they were a child’s toy. Either she took matters into her own hands and saved herself and Opal, or Max would be scraping them up at the bottom of the canyon. Looking at the problem that way made it easy to act.