Page 43 of Colorado K-9 Rescue

M ckenna kicked hard again, but Keith was ready for her move and ducked to the side. She hadn’t noticed until now that he had grabbed the board Mckenna had hit him with. Raising it above his head he slammed the board down, but Mckenna managed to roll out of the way.

The board split in two as it hit the hard, rocky ground.

Mckenna tried to free herself from his grip, but he was too strong, his fury-fed adrenaline making her no match for him.

When the board split, it had created a sharp, spear-like side, and fear coursed through Mckenna as Keith pulled his arm back, ready to stab her.

“No,” Mckenna screamed, trying again to get away. “No!”

She writhed on the ground and saw that same sly smile cross his face.

“You’re mine. You thought you got away, but I’ve been waiting to catch you again. This time, there is no release.”

Mckenna was about to scream when she heard a female voice.

“Put that down or I’ll shoot.”

Mckenna managed to turn and wiggle, escaping Keith’s grip as he was distracted. Coming toward her was Mocha, Evan and the sheriff with her gun pointed straight at Keith.

She was going to get up and run, when Evan yelled, “Mckenna, stay down. Stay down.”

Every part of her wanted to spring away, to flee, but she trusted Evan. Mocha took off, racing toward her, and Evan let go of the leash. Mckenna stayed down, but scooted away from Keith as the sheriff kept her gun trained on him.

Keith appeared to be deciding if he was still going to stab her. Unsure what he would do, Mckenna shoved Mocha behind her, trying to keep him safe.

“I said, put the weapon down,” the sheriff said again.

Evan repeated her command. As the sheriff and Evan continued to pressure Keith into dropping the board, Mckenna kept slowly scooting away, trying to stay down, but gain distance from this monster.

Keith’s words, “This time there is no release,” kept going through her mind. He wasn’t going to let her go, even if it meant the sheriff and Evan shot him. Rearing back, Keith gripped the sharp stake in both hands now. He lunged toward Mckenna.

A couple of gunshots echoed off the surrounding hills. Screaming, Mckenna rolled away as the stake shattered against the rocky ground. Keith’s body landed with a thump next to her and then Evan was there, kneeling on Keith’s back and cuffing his hands.

The sheriff was there too, helping Evan roll Keith over so they could start administering first aid.

“You’re one lucky bastard,” the sheriff said. “We hit you in the shoulder and it’s nothing vital. Looks like you’re going to get to the big house and stay there for a while. I don’t think you’ll get a warm welcome considering you’re a PO. Just as bad as being a cop in prison.”

The only response from Keith was a groan. Mckenna was shaking and Mocha lay on her, draping himself across her lap, trying to comfort her. Mckenna started petting his head. Realizing that the sheriff had Keith and was patting him down for weapons, Evan came over to Mckenna, his face serious.

“Oh my God, I’m calling an ambulance. I thought I’d lost you. Forever,” Evan said.

“I didn’t know if I’d see you again,” Mckenna said, pulling Evan closer. He sat down next to her and hugged her, Mocha grunting a little since he was caught in the middle on Mckenna’s lap. “I don’t need an ambulance, but Rex is in the mining building. He’s hurt, bad.”

“Are you sure you don’t need an ambulance?”

“I’m sure,” Mckenna said.

“I’m still taking you to the hospital. Just to make sure you’re okay. You have a nasty bump on your head and your eye is starting to turn black.”

“Keith caught me a couple times, but I think I managed to get some payback,” Mckenna said. She glanced over at Keith, who still had blood running out of his nose.

Evan followed her gaze. “That was you? You broke his nose.”

“Good,” Mckenna said. She stopped petting Mocha and ran her fingers across Evan’s cheek. “I love you, Evan Knox. I don’t know if you feel the same, but you should know that I am totally in love with you.”

“I thought I’d lost you. I never want to feel that way again. I love you too, Mckenna Parker,” Evan said, leaning in and kissing her, his lips gentle and caressing.

Mckenna wrapped her arms around Evan and pulled him in, never wanting to let go.

A bit annoyed at Evan’s persistence that she needed medical attention, Mckenna lay on a bed in the ER.

The doctors had done all their poking and prodding and thought she might have a mild concussion and be slightly dehydrated, but otherwise she was fine.

She had agreed to IV fluids and then Mckenna would be released. She was ready to go home.

Mocha was lying on the bed with her at her insistence.

The hospital didn’t really want the dog in the ER, but since he was technically a therapy dog and had hospital clearance from visiting Lily, they’d given in.

There was only one other guy she’d like to be here with her, but she knew he was down the hall, interviewing Keith.

Evan had popped in once to check on her and said that the shot to Keith’s shoulder wasn’t bad.

He’d be transferred soon to jail, where a medical team would take over his care.

That way they didn’t have to have a deputy guard him.

Until then, Evan was going to get all the information out of Keith that he could.

Amazingly, Keith hadn’t lawyered up yet.

Evan had also told her that Rex was in stable condition and would be staying a few nights at the hospital.

Voices echoed down the hall and Mckenna groaned. She could tell it was her family. Not that she wasn’t happy to see them, but she didn’t want to be fussed over right now. She wanted to get the fluids and go home—with both Mocha and Evan.

The door opened and Cassidy peeked from behind the curtain. Seeing Mckenna in the bed, she said over her shoulder, “She’s dressed. You’re good to come in.”

“Why don’t you announce that to the whole hospital?” Mckenna said, with a sarcastic tone.

“Good idea, let me go to the nurses station and see if I can get on the intercom.”

Mckenna laughed. Her sister could always rival her sarcasm. Their parents came into the room with concerned looks. Her mom started crying when she saw her.

“Oh, my baby,” her mom said, coming over. “Hi, Mocha.”

Mocha lifted his head and thumped his tail on the bed.

“He’s tired,” Mckenna said. “He worked hard to find me. And I’m fine, Mom, really.”

“You’re the best dog,” her mom said, rubbing Mocha’s face. “I’ll buy you your favorite dog cookies forever.”

Mocha wagged his tail even harder. Mckenna didn’t know what to say to her family. She finally said, “This is all over. Evan says Keith is going away for a long time.”

“Evan?” her mom asked.

“Agent Evan Knox,” Cassidy interjected. “He’s been the agent assigned to this case.”

“Oh! That’s the man who had the idea to let Mocha track. We’ll have to find him and thank him too.”

Mckenna knew that her sister was getting ready to cover for her.

The last thing her parents wanted to know was that she’d spent the night at Evan’s house, but Mckenna did want them to know one thing—Evan was now a part of her life.

Her mother had worried that Mckenna’s experience would mean she would never have a normal life, which Mckenna translated to her mother fretting about not having grandchildren.

Neither she nor Cassidy had been in a serious relationship, and their mother was constantly worrying that she’d be the only person at her bridge club without grandchildren or even a son-in-law.

“Yes,” she said. “Agent Evan Knox was not only assigned to this case, and he did have Mocha track, but there’s something else you should know…”

“Yes?” her mother said.

“I’m in love with him too.”

“Does he know this?” her mother asked.

“Yes. He does,” said Evan, standing in the doorway.

Her mother turned and scanned Evan from head to toe. “Very nice, dear. Very nice.”

“Oh geez, mom,” Mckenna said, her face flushing red.

Evan shook hands with her father. Mckenna could tell by her father’s expression that he already liked Evan. Then to her surprise, Evan gave Cassidy a hug. That made her happy as well.

Her mother was getting ready to launch into more questions when Cassidy saved Mckenna.

“Well, we can all see that she’s fine,” Cassidy said.

“Let’s go get something to eat and then I need to get back to work.

Plus, Cooper is hanging out with another handler, and I need to pick him up soon. Let’s leave these two alone.”

Mckenna thought her mom was going to argue, but she ended up following Cassidy out the door. Her father came over and gave Mckenna a kiss on the cheek and squeezed her hand. He turned to Evan and said, “Take good care of her.”

“I will,” Evan promised.

Mckenna could hear her mother still talking about Evan as they all walked down the hall. Then they stepped on the elevator and there was quiet. “Well, now you met my family,” she said.

“I like them.” Evan leaned over and gently kissed her, taking his fingers and caressing the bump on the side of her head where Keith had punched her.

“How did it go? With him…”

“It went well. I guess getting shot and being caught red-handed helps a person confess.”

“To everything? Even my kidnapping nine years ago?”

“Even your kidnapping,” Evan said. “And others, including a couple in Wyoming where he ended up killing his victims.”

“Others? Besides Lily and Autumn? And he killed them?”

Evan filled Mckenna in about how Keith went to the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming to go “fishing.”