had a victim at the scene already. You know the dogs are trained to bite and hold on. The fact that Star took a couple of hits before he stunned her and escaped proves how good that training is.”
“There’s nothing wrong with my dog,” Linc said, grimacing. “It’s my training that needs refreshing.”
The dark-haired veterinarian chuckled and clapped him on the back. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. She’s going to recover. The X-rays are just to be on the safe side. If it is cracked ribs, it’s nothing life-threatening.”
“If I ever catch up to the lowlife who kicked her, there’ll be something life-threatening for him. Me.”
“Spoken like a dedicated K-9 handler.” The vet approached a coffee urn and slipped two Styrofoam cups off the stack, handing one to Linc. “Help yourself. Creamer and sugar are over there.”
“Thanks. I didn’t get my usual shot of caffeine this morning.” He filled his cup. “I was planning to have coffee with Sergeant Sullivan.”
“I gather there’s a big mess over there?”
“Yeah.” Linc was shaking his head as he followed Roark to a small table, plopped into a folding chair and wrapped both hands around his steaming cup. “I thought the sergeant had been cut to pieces when I first saw her.” He suppressed a shudder.
“So I understand.” The captain’s dark gaze narrowed on the sergeant. “What’s the deal with you and her, anyway?”
“Sullivan? Nothing special. Master Sergeant James ordered me to stick close and see what I can learn by finessing information out of her.”
“Uh-huh.” Folding his muscular arms across an equally strong chest, Roark began to grin. “You sticking with that story?”
“It’s true.”
“Right. And I’m the commander in chief.” His expression of good humor softened. “There’s nothing wrong with two sergeants becoming involved. At least you’re not breaking any rules if you decide to date her.”
“It’s not like that. I’m just taking most of the daytime watches so she’ll get comfortable with me and open up.” He made a face into his coffee cup instead of looking at the captain. “I have decided she’s not hiding info about her brother.”
“So you trust her?”
“Enough. She’s got a little boy. I don’t think she’d do anything that might put him in jeopardy.” A flash of pain crossed the vet’s face so briefly that if Linc had not been looking straight at him he would have missed seeing it. “Hey, sorry, Captain. I wasn’t thinking.”
Roark shrugged nonchalantly, but Linc wasn’t fooled. The memory had hurt. “It’s okay. It happened a long time ago.”
Knowing that the man had lost both his wife and a young daughter—and during the Christmas season to boot—Linc decided to change the subject. “What’s the prognosis for Star? Do you think she’ll be sidelined long?”
“I doubt it. If nothing’s broken, she should get over any soreness in a few days or so. Even with cracked ribs, she can do light duty.” His smile returned. “I don’t recommend you send her on any more solo chases for a while, though.”
“Yeah. My fault entirely.”
“What about Sergeant Sullivan? Did she sustain any injuries in the attack?”
Linc shook his head. “That’s the crazy part. Whoever broke into her apartment apparently did it to unhinge her. I’m actually surprised that she recovered enough to function this morning.”
“Women are not the weaker sex, in case you haven’t noticed. We may be physically stronger, but they have us beat when it comes to rolling with the punches. Look at how she refuses to be cowed by a murderous brother. I’d have my back to a wall and be locked and loaded 24/7 if Boyd Sullivan came from my family. My older sister is bad enough.” His smile spread to a grin. “She’s a major in the army.”
“Wow. I see what you mean.”
Relaxing in the chair and stretching, Roark asked, “What about your kin, Colson? Are they military, too?”
Linc wished he could find a hole in the floor and dive through it. “One was. We don’t talk about him.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Kyle Roark said. “Every family has its unsavory relatives. You just have to dig deep enough and there they are.”
“Yeah.” Thinking of Zoe, Linc asked, “Do you know anything about Sergeant Sullivan’s late husband? His name was Flint. John Flint.”
“Not offhand. Why?”
“It’s not important. Apparently, he wasn’t the finest representative of the air force either.”
“We take what we can get,” the vet replied. “Some recruits are better than others. Take Airman Fielding, for instance. At first glance, she seems a bit on the flighty side, but she’s the best tech I’ve had in years.”
“What’s her story?”
Roark shrugged. “Beats me. She’s not a typical chatty female. When I’m doing surgery that’s a plus, believe me.”
Linc stood, disposed of his empty Styrofoam cup and waited for his companion to join him. “I’m ready to go back and see about Star.”
“Okay, okay. We’ve had a long enough break, anyway.” He clapped Linc on the shoulder. “Remember what I said about women. It’s okay to take up with somebody of equal rank. You won’t lose stripes over it.”
“That’s not what’s stopping me.”
“Oh?” They proceeded down the short hall together.
“Marriage is not for me. Never was. Never will be.”
“Sounds pretty final.”
“It is. Just because I believe she’s been truthful about her brother doesn’t mean I trust her regarding all the harassment she’s receiving. She keeps insisting she has no idea who’s doing this to her, yet it seems irrational that she wouldn’t have at least a glimmer of a clue.”
“You’ve classed her as an honest person, right?”
“Right.” Not sure what the captain’s point was, Linc waited for more.
“Then maybe she’s too forthright to recognize lies coming from those around her. I’ve known people like that. They have trouble seeing beyond the good and grasping the bad in others.”
“Naive, you mean?”
Sobering, the captain led the way into his office and gestured toward a leather chair. “Have a seat.”
“What about Star?”
“They’ll notify me when she’s ready for further examination. I want to talk about you for a minute.” He circled his desk, sat down, pushed aside a short
