Sheriff

“I know, but that was mostly a way to distract him, so that he’d focus on me, instead of you. To be honest, I didn’t have a clear shot from where I was standing.”

“I managed to hit him in the right arm,” Julianne continued. “He dropped his weapon, then took off.”

Brody glanced at Thunder. “Your dog might be able to track him for us.”

“Yes, but only if you have some clothing of his to provide Thunder the scent to follow. Blood alone won’t work.”

Brody considered that idea for a moment. He didn’t have anything belonging to the gunman, but he certainly had personal items belonging to Nate Otwell, the man who’d escaped.

His former best friend whom Julianne had never completely trusted.

He let out a disgruntled sigh. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, there was no way to deny he needed her help, and the dog’s, too.

The time had come to fill Julianne in on what had transpired before the prison break.

Even if that meant proving that she may have been right to leave him, six years ago.

* * *

Thunder found the gun and they also discovered several drops of blood left behind by the gunman, but of course the trail disappeared at the edge of the road.

“Did you see what kind of vehicle was waiting for him?” Rick asked. Deputy Dan Hanson was sending antagonistic vibes, but Rick Meyer seemed genuinely willing to partner with her.

Maybe Hanson was one of those who resented having women in law enforcement. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d had to deal with overblown macho egos. Or the last.

In her line of work, she was often surrounded by an overabundance of testosterone.

“No. I was still making my way through the trees when I heard the vehicle take off.”

“Too bad Thunder can’t tell us.” Brody patted the animal’s head and she bit back the urge to snap at him. Thunder wasn’t a pet, he was her partner.

“Thunder, heel.”

Instantly, the dog came to her side and sat straight upright, waiting for the next command.

“He’s on duty, just like I am,” she explained when the three men stared in surprise. “We need to figure out our next steps.”

“The medical examiner is on his way to pick up the driver’s body,” Rick said. “We already know the slug should match the weapon you recovered in the woods.”

“Keep looking for the other slug,” Brody said. “Julianne can show you where she was when the guy fired at her.”

“This way.” She led the team of deputies to the area where she’d been. “Here’s the rent in the tree bark from the path to the bullet.”

They’d found the empty shell casing near where the gunman had dropped the weapon, so Julianne held it out for Thunder. “Find, Thunder. Find!”

Her partner went to work, scouring the area and tracking the scent of gunpowder. The ground was covered in leaves, twigs and other brush, but she knew Thunder could find the missing bullet fragment.

Fifteen minutes later, he alerted on the spot, circling the area, scratching at the ground, then dropping onto his rump. Julianne walked over, gently edged the debris aside, and smiled with grim satisfaction.

“Found it.”

“Well, I’ll be,” Rick said in amazement. “That dog is smarter than most of the people I know.”

“Good boy.” Julianne rubbed his silky ears and slipped him a treat. “Good boy, Thunder.”

Dan made a rude noise under his breath, but drew on gloves then picked up the bullet fragment and dropped it in a specimen bag. “How many shots did he take at you?”

Julianne lifted a brow. “Just the one.”

“Hmm.” Deputy Hanson took the evidence back to his squad car.

She decided not to waste time worrying about Hanson’s opinion of her abilities. Glancing at her watch, she realized roughly ninety minutes had gone by, and she was feeling dehydrated and hungry. Which meant Thunder needed to eat and drink, too. The hour was close to dinnertime and she hadn’t had anything to eat since breakfast.

“Max? What’s the ETA on the chopper?”

“Two hours, maybe less. They’re coming in from Houston and Dylan has found a small airstrip not far from here for them to use. He sent us a secure email with the location. He’s still working on an aerial view of the compound.”

She wondered how Dylan was holding up back at headquarters while his fiancée, Zara, was training at Quantico to become a part of their team. “We need to take care of the animals. How about I meet you at the chopper in ninety minutes?”

“Sounds good.” Max turned and walked with Opal through the woods. No doubt he’d left his vehicle near the cabin he’d investigated before the gunfire rang out.

Julianne headed in the opposite direction, but then halted when Brody came along. “I’ve got things to do before the jump.”

“I know, but we also need to talk about the prison break. I thought we could grab a bite to eat at Rusty’s...they have outside tables now, which would work out well for Thunder.”

Rusty’s was their old hangout, and the last place she wanted to go was tripping down memory lane. But Thunder needed to eat and so did she, so she pushed the past back where it belonged and nodded stiffly.

“Fine, I’ll meet you there.”

Brody hesitated. She could tell he wanted them to drive together, but too bad, he’d have to get over it.

She needed some time alone before facing him again. Being home for the first time in six years was bad enough, but seeing Brody again?

That was something else entirely.

* * *

Brody tried to look at Rusty’s through Julianne’s eyes, noticing the changes that had been made to the bar/restaurant over the past few years.

The place had been painted a deep forest green with white trim. The tables outside were covered by green-and-white umbrellas to shade customers from the relentless sun. Patrons actually came here for the food, which hadn’t been the case when they were young.

Rusty’s had blossomed under new management, and he thought for sure Julianne would notice and approve of the changes.

She was late, and he wondered if she’d stood him up. Not her style, but then again, things hadn’t ended well between them.

He saw her drive up in a black SUV with a very small K-9 logo on the back. She slid out from behind the wheel followed by Thunder who jumped gracefully to the ground. The years they’d spent apart disappeared as if they’d never happened. She was still as stunning as ever. And he found himself wishing things had turned out differently for them.

After opening the back, she set one dog dish on the ground and filled it with water. After he drank his fill, she fed him from her hand, which he found curious. Only when the dog was cared for did she cross over to where he was waiting.