Page 59 of K-9 Prime Target

“The dogs are with me,” Connor said.

“The dogs are with you?” She stared at Liam, wide-eyed. “How?”

“I was driving home and spotted them walking along the side of the highway. It looked like they were headed toward SkyCrest.”

“Oh, Connor! Are they okay?”

“They look worn-out, and a little agitated, but otherwise fine. Where are you now? I’ll bring them to you.”

“We’re at my house. We’ve been searching for the dogs all day.”

“I’m on my way.”

* * *

Nina could have sunk to the ground in a puddle, she was so relieved. She settled for leaning against Liam and bursting into tears. “I don’t know why I’m crying now,” she said between sobs. “I’m so glad they’re safe.”

He smoothed her hair. “It’s been a rough few days.”

It had. And until Nicholson was caught, she had no hope things would get better. But she had Sky back. And Angel. That was more important than anything.

Ten minutes later, Connor’s truck pulled to the curb behind a line of sheriff’s department vehicles. He opened the door and Sky hopped out, followed by Connor, who was carrying Angel.

Nina ran to meet them. Sky leaped into her arms. She staggered but stayed upright, and buried her face in the dog’s soft fur. Sky whimpered and licked her cheek, plumed tail furiously fanning the air.

Liam gathered Angel into his arms. She licked his hand, then settled with a weary sigh. He stroked her gently and crooned endearments.

Nina returned her attention to Connor. “We were so frantic,” she said. “Thank you so much for finding them.”

“They were probably trying to get to you,” he said. “Or at least, some safe place they knew.” He patted Sky’s head.

Nina set the dog on the ground. Sky lay at her feet. “They must have been terrified when Nicholson broke in,” she said.

“So you’re pretty sure it was Nicholson?” Connor asked.

“Who else would hate me so much?” Nina looked back toward the house. “At least this seems to have convinced the sheriff’s department to take the harassment seriously,” she said. “There should be a lot more pressure on Nicholson now.”

“What are you two going to do?” Connor asked.

“Tonight, we’ll get a room somewhere,” Liam said. “We’ll talk about the rest tomorrow.”

They loaded the dogs and a few personal items Nina retrieved from the house, including dog food and leashes, into Liam’s SUV and left Nina’s car locked in the garage. Nicholson hadn’t touched the vehicle this morning, maybe because he hadn’t had time before they returned.

Nina directed him to an older motel on the edge of town. “I know it allows dogs, and because it’s older and a little farther from skiing, they’re more likely to have a room available,” she said.

They secured a room with two beds, one of which was immediately claimed by the dogs. The exhausted canines wolfed down supper, then went right to sleep, but Nina and Liam were more restless. She paced the room while he sat on the side of the bed, scrolling through his phone.

“What are we going to do?” she asked. “Even after the sheriff and his people are finished, it doesn’t feel safe to go back to the house.”

He looked up from his phone. “I was thinking we should go away for a few days.”

“Run away?”

He looked pained. “We both need a break. The dogs need a break. If we get away somewhere Nicholson isn’t likely to follow, we’ll have time to clear our heads. Maybe we’ll come up with a better plan to stop him. Or the sheriff’s department might even find and arrest him.”

“Where could we go that he wouldn’t follow?”

“I’ve been doing a little research online,” he said. “There are backcountry huts in the mountains. The only way to get there is on snowshoes or skis. Nicholson just got out of prison. He’s not an athlete. I can’t see him following us to someplace so remote.”