Tested—Laura Scott, October 2018Valiant Defender—Shirlee McCoy, November 2018
Military K-9 Unit Christmas—Valerie Hansen and Laura Scott, December 2018
What a blessing and joy to be able to end the Military K-9 Unit continuity! I love writing about K-9 teams, but the military angle was a new one for me. Military handlers and their dogs have a special bond, and I hope I’ve conveyed that in Valiant Defender. More important, I hope that I’ve offered you a satisfying ending to a wonderful series. Gretchen and Justin are compelling characters. Driven by their desire for justice, they pursue the Red Rose Killer with tenacity and faith. As you follow them on this journey, I pray that your faith will be strengthened and your hope renewed. Happy reading, my friend!
Blessings,
Shirlee McCoy
How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
—Psalms 36:7–9
To my continuity buddies, Dana, Laura, Lenora, Lynette, Mags, Terri and Val, with much affection and admiration. And, most especially, to Emily, who puts up with all our writing shenanigans.
Contents
Canyon Air Force Base was silent. Houses shuttered, lights off. Streets quiet. Just the way it should be in the darkest hours of the morning. Captain Justin Blackwood didn’t let the quiet make him complacent. Seven months ago, an enemy had infiltrated the base. Boyd Sullivan, aka the Red Rose Killer—a man who’d murdered five people in his hometown before he’d been caught—had escaped from prison and continued his crime spree, murdering several more people and wreaking havoc on the base. He’d released two hundred highly trained military dogs from the base kennel and created a feeling of unease among the community. Sullivan wanted to destroy everyone and everything that he blamed for his failures.
Justin planned to stop him.
“What are your thoughts, Captain?” Captain Gretchen Hill asked as he sped through the quiet community. A temporary transfer from Minot Air Force Base, Gretchen had been in Texas for several months, observing the way Justin, himself a K-9 handler, commanded the Security Forces. When she returned to her post, she’d help set up a K-9 unit there.
“I don’t think we’re going to find him at the house,” he responded. “But when it comes to Boyd Sullivan, I believe in checking out every lead.”
“The witness reported lights? She didn’t actually see Boyd?”
“She didn’t see him, but the family that lived in the house left for a new post two days ago. Lots of moving trucks and activity. She’s worried Sullivan might have noticed and decided to squat in the empty property. Since she lives on the same court, she’s terrified.”
“Based on how easily Boyd has slipped through our fingers these past few months, I’d say he’s too smart to squat in base housing,” Gretchen said.
“I agree,” Justin responded. He’d been surprised at how much he enjoyed working with Gretchen. He’d expected her presence to feel like a burden, one more person to worry about and protect. But she had razor-sharp intellect and a calm,
