Page 55 of Smoky Mountain K-9

“Green.”

“How big?”

She let go of his hand to hold her hands up about a foot apart, then curved her fingers to make a six-inch circle.

“You’re sure it was that big?”

“Yes. I was eye-level with it. It wasn’t small. Why?”

Carter caught Ben’s eye. “Because that’s too large for a grenade.”

A slight widening of Ben’s eyes was his only tell before he backed up, spinning away. “We need to widen the perimeter.” He jogged the few steps to his car and ducked his head inside.

“Carter, what’s going on? Why is he so worried all of a sudden?”

He pushed her toward his car and his barking dog. “Because I think that’s a land mine on your front porch.”

“What? Geez! What the hell is going on?”

“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.” He opened the passenger door. The sound of Maverick’s barks increased. Carter ignored him and pushed Mara inside. The car wouldn’t stop all the shrapnel should the mine explode, but it would catch the brunt of it. “Stay low.” Once she had her feet tucked in, he ran around to the driver’s side and got in, starting the engine.

“Where are we going?”

“Down the block, out of the blast radius.” He backed up and turned around, driving down the street and parked across the road. “What else can you tell me about the device? Did it have smooth sides? What about spikes coming off the top?”

“It looked like a large can with a tube coming off the top and three prongs sticking up from the top of that. And yes, the sides were smooth.”

Carter’s heartbeat quickened. Definitely not a grenade. “Okay. Anything else? Writing?”

She glanced to the side briefly, then nodded. “It was yellow. And it looked like German.”

Unease rippled through him. If that was the type of mine he thought it was, it could be extremely unstable. Leaving the engine running, he opened the door. “Stay inside.” He reached between the seats and opened the kennel door so she had access to Mav. “If you need me, flip this switch.” He pointed to a panel above her head. “Just flick it back and forth. It’ll sound the siren.”

“Carter—”

He laid a finger over her lips. “Please, Mara. I need to go help evacuate your neighbors, but I also need to know you’re safe.”

She rolled her lips in, pressing them together. “Okay. Please be careful.”

“I will.” Leaning over the console, he kissed her. “Blast the siren if you need help.” Sliding out of the car, he shut the door and jogged away.

Running up the road, he dodged the other officers who were moving their vehicles back and headed for the closest house to the blast zone. It was the elderly couple who lived next door. If the mine exploded, shrapnel would go through the window on the side of their house and into the living room. At this hour, it wouldn’t normally be an issue, but the activity had roused them from their bed. He could see the living room lights on.

House by house, he and the other officers went until the neighbors were all down the block, past the perimeter they’d established.

“That everyone?” Ben asked, jogging up.

“I think so.”

“Good. Bomb squad is on the way, but it’ll be another forty-five minutes.” He shook his head. “Once things settle down, I think I need to find a way to get some basic EOD stuff for the sheriff’s department. This is happening much too frequently for my liking.”

Carter gave a short nod. “I agree. I wish we had the equipment too. I’d already be up there looking at that thing.” Instead, he was forced to stand here and wait for Asheville’s bomb squad. But the moment they arrived, he’d be asking for a suit to go with them.

While they waited, Carter split his time between jogging to the car to check on Mara and talking to the neighbors to see if anyone saw or heard anything. He came up with zeros. There were enough shadows on Mara’s porch in that corner no one noticed anyone. By the time the bomb squad arrived, he was ready for some answers.

Ben hurried over, joining Carter as he approached their vehicle.

“Sheriff.” The commander of the unit, Matt Gunderson, stepped out of the driver’s side. “Fill me in.”