Page 63 of Smoky Mountain K-9

“You got it.” Nodding to Ben and Carter, Tristan spun around, Jake on his heels, and they left.

“Have you finished those reports?” Ben asked.

Carter sighed. “No.” Since he was basically sidelined until Maverick could go back on patrol, Ben had Carter working on a backlog of reports. It was annoying and tedious, but it kept Carter in the thick of things. Hopefully, he could still glean some information, even if things were getting routed through the feds.

“Better get to working, then. They won’t catalogue themselves.”

Biting back a groan, Carter nodded and left the office. Back at his desk, he settled into his chair and logged into his computer.

The next several hours passed in a slow blur. He did his best to stay focused, so he wouldn’t think about things he couldn’t do anything about. By late afternoon, he’d made a decent dent in the backlog.

Commotion drew Carter’s attention away from his computer screen. He glanced up to see Tristan and Jake putting their coats on and gathering their gear. Rising, Carter took two steps into the aisle, blocking their path. “What did you find?”

Tristan frowned. “How do you know it’s about your case?”

Carter crossed his arms. “Is it?”

“Yes.”

Nervous excitement erupted in Carter’s veins. “And?”

“We got the warrant to execute a search at a motel between here and Asheville. The number is registered to them.”

“I’m coming with you.” He reached for the leash on his desk.

“Carter—”

Carter held up a hand. “I’ll stay out of the way and only get involved if Maverick’s needed. We’re the only K-9 unit in the county. You might need us.”

Tristan eyed him, then the dog, who’d risen to sit next to Carter’s desk.

“Has he been cleared for duty?”

“Sort of.” Technically, he was cleared, but with the training lapse, Carter hadn’t intended to take the dog into the field for another day or two.

Rolling his eyes, Tristan reached for the desk phone. He punched some numbers in and lifted the receiver to his ear.

“Hey, Ben. Can I take Carter and Maverick to execute my search warrant?”

Carter strained to hear what Ben said, but the man’s voice was too low for him to make anything out.

“Okay. Sounds good.” He hung up. “He said it’s up to you. If you think Maverick’s well enough to do his job, then yes, you can come.”

“He’ll be fine. We were going back on duty tomorrow or the next day, anyway.”

“Then let’s go.”

Snagging the rest of his things, including Maverick’s harness, he followed Tristan and Jake out of the building.

“Where are we going?” he called as he opened the rear door on his cruiser. Maverick jumped inside.

Jake told him the name of the motel. Carter nodded. He knew where that was. After putting Mav’s harness on him, he got in the vehicle. Pulling out behind Tristan and Jake, he followed them to the location, along with another patrol car.

He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as he drove. It would kill him to stay put while the others executed the warrant, but he meant what he told Ben. He didn’t want to jeopardize this case. The only reason he would get involved was if they needed the dog.

They turned into the motel. Carter pulled off to the side and waited while Tristan and Jake went into the main office to talk to the manager. He surveyed the structure in front of him, noting the two-story design and stairwells on both ends. His location gave him the perfect vantage point to watch for anyone trying to sneak away.

A few minutes after they entered, Tristan and Jake came out of the office and Tristan jogged his way. Carter rolled down his window.