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Lenora Worth
While this subject matter was disturbing, I enjoyed working with the talented Terri Reed in this two-in-one story. It was exciting to put a strong female FBI agent with an equally strong US Deputy Marshal. Nina and Thomas stole my heart. I knew their story would be a challenge since they both wanted the same thing—to get the bad guy. And yet, they needed each other, too.
Sometimes in trying to be strong, we forget that God sees our weaknesses and helps us overcome them. Having faith gives us strength beyond measure. But accepting God’s help can be hard to do at times.
I hope you have a good Christmas. Think of Nina taking Thomas home to a place of love and happiness. I want you to feel that, too, no matter where you are in life.
Until next time, may the angels watch over you.
Always.
Lenora Worth
To Terri Reed—you make me proud every day.
I’m so glad to be here with you!
For He will give His angels charge concerning you to guard you in all of your ways.
—Psalms 91:11
The full moon grinned down on her with a wintry smile. FBI Tactical K-9 Unit Agent Nina Atkins held on to the leash and kept an eye on the big dog running with her. Sam loved being outside, no matter the weather, no matter the crunch of snow underneath his paws. The three-year-old K-9 rottweiler, a smart but gentle giant that specialized in cadaver detection, had no idea that most humans were terrified of him. Especially the criminal kind.
Tonight, however, they weren’t looking for criminals. Nina was just out for a nice run and then home to a long, hot shower. Two weeks before Christmas, and after a harrowing year where one of their own had gone bad and lost his life, thankfully all was quiet around the Billings, Montana, FBI Tactical K-9 Unit headquarters. Special Agent in Charge Max West would be back before Christmas, but right now he was taking some time off with his bride, Katerina. Even tech wiz Dylan O’Leary had taken a few days away to spend some time with the parents of his wife, Zara. So many of her friends and fellow agents had fallen in love lately, Nina’s head was spinning. Which was probably why she’d felt the need for a quick run. She lived for her work. No time for romance. Okay, maybe she’d just given up on a love life since her last brief relationship had fizzled out like a mountain stream in a serious drought.
Nina lived about twenty miles from downtown Billings, in the quaint town of Iris Rock. Regardless of her single status, she loved going on these nightly runs through the quiet foothills near the Elk Basin.
“C’mon, Sam,” Nina said now, her nose cold. “Just around the bend and then we’ll cool down on the way home.”
Sam woofed in response, comfortable in his own rich brown fur. But instead of moving on, the big dog came to an abrupt halt that almost threw Nina right over his broad body.
“Sam?”
The rottweiler glanced back at her with his work expression. What kind of scent had he picked up?
Then she heard something.
“I don’t know anything. Please, don’t do this.”
Female. Youngish voice. Scared and shaky.
Giving Sam a hand signal to stay quiet, Nina moved from the narrow gravel jogging path to the snow-covered woods, each footstep slow and calculated. Sam led the way, as quiet as a desert rat.
“I need the key. The senator said you’d give it to me.”
Nina and Sam hid behind a copse of trees and dead brambles and watched the two figures a few yards away, standing in an open spot.
A big, tall man was holding a gun on a young woman with long dark hair. The girl was sobbing and wringing her hands out, palms up. Nina recognized that defensive move.
Was he going to shoot her?
Then Nina noticed something else.
A shallow, open pit right behind the girl. Could that be a newly dug grave?
Nina didn’t stop to ponder that question, but she knew to be careful, too. Giving Sam another “quiet” signal, she called out, “Hey, everything okay here?”
The
