Page 73 of Smoky Mountain K-9

The dog shot off the floor like a coiled spring. He leapt over the shield, landed beside Carter, and had Constance’s arm in his mouth in less than a second. The woman screamed and reached for her gun.

Carter stood and whirled, grabbing her free hand. Bending it behind her back, he forced her to her knees. Maverick held onto her other arm. Constance still screamed.

Mara searched her brain for the command to release the dog. What was it? Ow? Owl? “Maverick,aus!” The dog let go and backed up several steps. Bent low, he barked in her face, warning her he’d bite her again.

Forcing Constance onto her belly, Carter straddled her back, then reached up with his bound hands and yanked the tape off his face. “Good boy, Mav. Good boy.Pass auf.”

The dog’s muscles tensed and his barks shifted to a low growl as Carter told him to guard. His eyes never left Constance.

With his teeth, Carter found the edge of the tape on his wrists and yanked. Circling his hands, he pulled, unraveling it until he could separate his fists. Once free, he reached for the handcuffs on the back of his utility belt and secured them around Constance’s wrists.

Mara’s breath left her on a whoosh as relief flooded over her like a fifty-gallon drum of water. Then the tears came. She was vaguely aware of Carter pulling a thin wire from his pocket and pressing a button on it. His low voice carried over the sound of Constance blubbering about her arm as he spoke to someone outside. A moment later, he was in front of her.

“Hey, baby. Let’s get you free.”

She gave a jerky nod and inhaled a breath through her nose, trying to calm herself. “Yes, please.”

He pulled a folded knife from his pocket and flicked it open. The rope around her chest loosened as he cut through it, then fell away.

“Stay put for a minute.” Carter put his hands on her shoulders when she would have dove into him. “I want to look at the mine under you before you get up. Make sure she didn’t attach a secondary trigger to you.”

“I don’t think she did, unless there was something already on the chair when I sat down.”

He nodded and bent low to look under the seat. Mara craned her neck to see what he was doing. His fingers traced the thin wires running from under the chair to the doors.

“It looks like it’s just the two she’s got strung up that go outside. I should be able to cut them and it’ll be fine. My tools are outside, though.”

“Okay. Can I get up?”

“Not yet. Let me go get my bag. I want to remove the mine first.” He patted her knee and stood, disappearing out the front door for a moment, then coming back with a khaki-colored backpack. Opening it, he withdrew a set of wire cutters.

Mara squeezed her eyes shut. She’d rather not see them get blown to smithereens.

A soft snick reached her ears over the sound of Constance crying on the other side of the ballistic plates. Then another. When nothing happened, Mara opened one eye. “Is it safe?”

He glanced at her, then chuckled. “You’re fine.”

“Can I get up now?”

“Not yet.” He reached into his bag and came out with a small battery-powered screwdriver. “I want to take this thing off the chair. She attached it with brackets.” His head dipped again.

Mara heard the soft whir of the screwdriver and felt the vibrations through the chair. In less than a minute, he sat back, the device in his hands.

“I’m going to take this outside.” He stood and walked away.

Mara’s shoulders sagged, and she pressed a hand to her chest as the adrenaline dump left her weak.

Carter’s boots thudded across the floor, then he was in front of her. His face filled her vision, and she launched herself at him. He caught her and rolled back on his heels to sit on the floor, hauling her into his lap. She let the tears flow as she clung to him.

“I’m so sorry, Mara.” He buried his hands in her hair. “I’m sorry she came after you. I love you. So much.”

Pulling back, she sniffed. “I love you too. And don’t be sorry. This wasn’t your fault. She’s just a crazy bitch.”

He huffed a laugh and leaned in to press a kiss to her lips.

Male voices floated to her ears, then suddenly, they weren’t alone anymore. Ben, Tristan, and Jake entered the small cabin. Carter lifted his head and sat back to point to the ballistic plates.

“She’s back there.” He moved Mara off his lap and stood. “Maverick,hier.”