Page 7 of Scent of Death (Sullivan K9 Search and Rescue #5)

W here was the shooter? Sandwiched between Griff and Denali, she couldn’t see much beyond the tree she’d used as cover. She knew her brother Joel and Royal were nearby, too, not that she could see them either.

The twelve-inch-wide trunk wasn’t enough coverage. If this guy had a scope on that rifle of his, he could easily kill her and Griff.

Maybe with one shot.

Her stomach knotted as she realized this guy had come there to wait for her. She had put the people she cared about and her dog in danger.

Griff pushed her closer to the ground. “Stay down.” Then he took aim and fired. She had no idea if he could see the killer or not. The gunfire was deafening. She wondered if any of the campers nearby would run over.

No, they’d more likely run away from the sound. Or assume it was a hunter. Not that July was hunting season.

A second shot rang out. At first, her pulse spiked in alarm, until she realized Joel had joined the fight. She understood Griff and Joel were trying to warn the killer that there were two of them who were armed.

She prayed their plan would work. As the ringing in her ears faded, a heavy silence hung over the area. Seconds ticked off in her mind. She could barely see the wheels of her SUV. Or Griff’s. Hard to say for sure.

“Is he gone?” She spoke in a hushed whisper. Denali remained remarkably calm, despite the gunfire. That was due to Maya and Chase who had insisted they train their dogs while other members of the family were doing target practice at their firing range.

“I’m not sure.” Griff’s voice was low and grim. “I’d like to know how he found your vehicle.”

She frowned. Her car did not have the Sullivan K9 Search and Rescue logo stenciled along the side.

The logo had been Chase’s idea, but after Maya was targeted back in January, her brother had realized announcing who they were to the world was a mistake.

Over the past six months, the entire fleet of SUVs had been repainted in basic black.

“I have no idea. My car does have the crate area for Denali, but how would he even know to look here?”

“I don’t know.” Griff shifted his position. “Joel? Do you see anything?”

“Negative,” her brother responded. “If he’s smart, he took off upon learning the odds were stacked against him.”

Griff grunted but didn’t let her up. After another long five minutes, Griff finally stood. “Stay here for a minute. I’ll try to draw him out.”

“What?” She lifted her head and grabbed his arm to stop him. “You can’t use yourself as bait.”

“Why not?” He shook off her hand and stepped out from behind the tree. She swallowed hard and watched as Griff slowly made his way to the SUVs.

His was parked beside hers and happened to be closer.

He unlocked the car, then ducked inside to check the interior.

After a few seconds, Griff gestured to her for the keys.

She tugged the fob from her pocket and threw it toward him.

He caught it and repeated the process of checking the interior of her vehicle.

When that was finished, he turned. “Joel, I’d like you to ask Royal to track for this guy’s scent.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Alexis quickly stepped forward. “This guy is armed and has not hesitated to shoot at us. He could take Joel and Royal out in a heartbeat.”

“We’ll do it,” Joel quickly interjected. “I’m with you, Griff. We need to know where he was and if he’s still in the area.”

“Joel,” she protested in exasperation.

Her brother ignored her, turning to his black lab. “Are you ready to search? Huh? Are you?” He offered Royal water. “Search! Search bad guy!”

Despite not having a scent source to work from, Royal turned and lowered his nose to the ground. Alexis shot Griff an annoyed glance, then caught up to her brother. “If you’re going, so am I.”

She half expected Griff to argue, but he didn’t. Maybe he knew it was better for the three of them to stick together.

Joel and Royal led the way. Remembering how Denali had growled seconds before the shock rang out made her wonder if Denali had recognized the scent of the bad guy too. They remained silent, and she knew Griff was keeping a wary eye out for their shooter as Joel focused on his K9.

Royal wound through the trees for a solid fifteen minutes until they came upon what appeared to be a path. It wasn’t one that had been used often, but the flattened grass and broken branches from low bushes indicated it had been used recently.

Sure enough, Royal picked up the pace, his tail moving from side to side as he sniffed along the ground. Alexis hoped Denali would alert them if this guy was hiding nearby. As much as she wanted Griff to arrest him, she was half hoping he’d left the area.

Royal veered off the path toward a tree with a low-hanging branch. Then the lab sat and let out a sharp bark.

“This is it.” Joel stared up at the tree branch. “He must have climbed up there. There are scuff marks on the bark.”

Griff crossed over to see for himself. Joel rewarded his K9, as Alexis glanced around curiously. “I don’t see any place where he could have hidden a car.”

“Yeah.” Griff rubbed the back of his neck. “What about the spent shell casing?”

“Hang on.” Joel called Royal over, took the stuffed beaver, and made Royal sit. “Are you ready to search? Search for gold.”

Royal jumped to his feet, spun in a circle, and pushed through the brush, his nose close to the ground. She and Denali stayed back, giving Joel room to work.

Within minutes, Royal let out a bark. He didn’t sit because the brush was so thick. Joel shoved the branches aside, peering at the ground.

“Found it.” Her brother glanced at Griff. “Have another evidence bag?”

“Yes.” Griff handed it over. Joel carefully picked up the shell casing, then passed the bag back. Griff examined it, then glanced back up at the branch overhead. “I hope the lab is able to match this with our previous casing.”

She nodded. “I’m sure it’s the same guy, but having proof would be nice.”

“This was definitely his perch.” Joel backed out of the brush, taking a moment to pluck the prickers from his clothes. Then he rewarded Royal a second time. “Good boy!”

Denali glanced up at her, as if asking why she was left out of the game. Alexis stroked her fur. “Next time.”

Denali wagged her tail as if in agreement.

“Let’s head back to the cars.” Griff pocketed the second shell casing, then frowned. “I confess, I wasn’t paying attention to my compass.”

“I was,” Joel said. “We’ll find our way back, no problem.”

“I double-checked our location too.” Alexis turned to follow Joel.

“I feel like a dope,” Griff muttered, his cheeks red. “I was too focused on watching the trees to make sure he didn’t jump out at us.”

“You’re not a dope, verifying our location is second nature for those of us using K9s to track scents.” She managed a weary smile. “It only takes one time getting lost before you make it a habit.”

“I can imagine.” Griff shook his head. “I have a lot to learn about what you and your siblings do.”

She didn’t know how to answer that, so she fell silent. While there was no hurry, she’d noticed Joel set a brisk pace. She didn’t mind, and glancing at Griff, she was relieved he wasn’t limping.

When they reached the clearing, she moved toward her vehicle. “Hey, Griff? I need the key.”

“I’d like you and Denali to ride with me,” Griff said. “I don’t like how this guy climbed a tree with his rifle to shoot at you.”

As much as she didn’t like it either, she didn’t appreciate being ordered to give up her car. “I’d rather use my own vehicle.” She held out her hand, wiggling her fingers. “The key, please.”

Joel and Royal came up beside her. “You should go with Griff,” Joel said. “Chase would want you to be safe.”

“Go where?” It was difficult to maintain her composure. As much as she had already accepted the fact that this guy had set up here to eliminate her, she wasn’t about to go along with a plan she didn’t understand. “What’s the point? We’re heading back to the ranch, aren’t we?”

“Where we have two pregnant women and a child?” Joel asked, referring to Maya and Chase’s wife, Wyn, and their son, Eli. He shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“I suggest we find a place in Greybull to stay for the night.” Griff crossed over to her. “Please, Alexis. I need to stay in the area anyway. I promise you’ll be safe with me.”

She sighed, knowing Joel was right. She would never place her family members in harm’s way. Especially not her pregnant sister and sister-in-law and her nephew, Eli. She held Griff’s gaze. “Fine. I’ll go with you, but you’re going to keep me in the loop on this case.”

“Of course.” Griff nodded and tossed the key fob to her brother. “Thanks, Alexis. Let’s hit the road.”

Swallowing a sigh, she turned to Joel. “I need supplies for Denali from the SUV.”

Her brother opened the back hatch. She stepped forward, rummaging for extra dog food and Denali’s bullet-resistant K9 vest. Denali’s regular vest was lightweight for the summer months.

The Kevlar vest weighed a ton and would not only slow the K9 down, but it would also add to the need for frequent rest breaks.

The inconvenience was nothing, though, compared to protecting Denali. Summer or not, she would insist the dog wear the Kevlar vest out in the field from this point forward.

She double-checked her backpack to make sure she had what she needed, then stepped back. “Come, Denali.” She moved toward Griff’s SUV. “We’ll put her in the back. You don’t have a crate barrier, but it will have to do.”

“I can buy one,” he offered.

“No need.” She waved that off. “This is a temporary arrangement.”

“Do you want me to follow you into Greybull?” Joel asked. “We can meet for dinner and discuss options.”

“Dinner sounds great. I’m starved.” Griff swept his gaze around the clearing one last time. “Let’s get out of here.”