'I'm curious.'
'Four cats. Three parrots. A pig. A donkey.'
'I take it that they're not all house pets?'
'I have a place in the country outside Denver. It's a few acres, big enough.'
'Why so many?'
'Some of them are strays. Some of them were abused. Some of them were left because their own ers didn't want to pay their bill and told me to find them other homes.'
'And you took them in.'
'When I couldn't find them a good home.'
'Who takes care of them when you're trekking over the world on these rescue missions? Your husband?'
'I have a housekeeper.' It was about time she asked a few questions herself. 'Don't you want to fill out a report on the shooting? Captain Ramirez will send someone to take a statement.'
'I think I'll pass.'
'I'd want to wring that bastard's neck,' she said curtly. 'And it's your duty to do it. If only to keep it from happening to someone else's dog.'
'I don't have the time. I promise you that no other dog will be victimized by the shooter.'
'How do you know? If they don't find him, you can't expect-' She stopped, her gaze narrowing. 'You know who shot Ned?'
'I don't have a name. I know I can find him.' He sat down in a camp chair. 'Go on. I know you want to go check out that house that I flagged. I'll stay with Ned. Believe me, I've been through enough illnesses with him to qualify as an expert.'
She hesitated. 'I should be the one to stay with him. I never leave a patient on the first night.' She added deliberately, 'And I don't leave strangers with access to a medicine chest full of narcotics.'
He shook his head. 'There's a guard outside the tent.'
'That's to keep thieves from coming in, not people from going out.'
He smiled faintly. 'Good point.'
'And there were soldiers all over the mountain, and you managed to find your way to those ruins. You're lucky you weren't shot for looting.'
He lifted his brows. 'You think Ned and I were searching for loot, not survivors?'
'It's a possibility. What could appear more innocent than a rescue dog and his handler?' She added, 'Even though they were scouring through ruins that the main team had already abandoned.'
'Ned thought you were wrong. He thought there was still life in those ruins.'
'It seems impossible. We were so careful.'
'Could be. He turned up blank on the first try.'
'Blank?'
'He made a mistake. He found a dead man. He was overanxious and wanted desperately to find someone alive. I don't think it was a case of his senses being off. His success ratio is in the 90 percent range.'
'He's that good?'
'Exceptional. Some dogs are good, a few have the passion. From the moment I took him on his first rescue mission, he instinctively knew what to do and how to do it. I've never known any dog to have such a heady sense of joy as when he found someone alive in the rubble.' His lips twisted. 'Or such abject despair if we found them dead. He never got used to it. Every time it was new joy or fresh pain for him.' His glance shifted back to Ned. 'But sometimes the dead were too much for him. And then I tried to keep him at home. It's been a long time since I brought Ned to a disaster site.'
'Why this one?'
'He was grieving,' Marrok said simply. 'He needed it.'
'So you brought him to this island in the back of beyond because he needed to save a life?'
'It's not a bad reason, is it?'
She slowly shook her head. 'Not to me. But most search and rescue dogs don't grieve when they're away from the disaster.'
'Ned is different.' He studied her face. 'You look tired. Why don't you get someone else to go up and check out that house?'
'I'll be fine.' She wearily rubbed the back of her neck. 'I'll get my second wind on the way up.'
His lips lifted in a slight smile. 'I thought you'd do it yourself. You're not good at delegating, are you?'
'I'm already awake. Why rouse anyone else to trek up there on what is probably a wild-goose chase?'
'It may not be. What will you do if it isn't?'
'Jump up and down with joy. Then send up a flare for them to rush up a medical team.' She looked at Ned. 'I don't like to leave him. Are you sure you know what to do if there's a problem?'
'Ned is a powerhouse. He's strong, and his body heals faster than any animal you've ever treated. Now that the bullet is out, he'll begin to repair himself. You'll be amazed at how quickly he'll recover. I've told him what to do.' He added solemnly, 'And I promise not to rifle through your narcotics stash while you're off saving lives. Not that you won't warn that guard to keep an eye on me.'
'You bet I will. You're going to have a lot of questions to answer when I get back.' Though she couldn't believe Marrok was a petty thief. He was larger than life. She'd judge that he might find a way to embezzle a million, but he wouldn't be pilfering the medicine chest. As she headed for the entrance, she said over her shoulder, 'If you need help, have the guard take you to my trailer. Nick Gilroy's a vet, too, and will know what to do.'
He looked back at Ned. 'I won't need help.'
Devon paused a moment outside the tent to take a deep breath and look up at the mountain. Lord, she hoped Marrok was right about there being a survivor. It had been two days since the last person had been pulled out of the rubble, and the old woman had died on her way to the hospital in Caracas. Out of the two stricken village's population of 4500 people, they'd only been able to save 722. Dealing with disappointment as well as the grieving families of the lost ones had been agonizing for every rescue worker on site. She couldn't let herself be too hopeful. The odds against finding anyone alive weren't that-
To hell with it. She would hope until hope was gone.
She headed for the jeep.
WHO WAS NICK GILROY? Her friend? Her lover?
Marrok's gaze followed Devon Brady until she disappeared from view in the jeep. She was a woman who a man wanted to keep on looking at. Not pretty. Her mouth was too wide, her nose turned up a little, and she had a sprinkling of freckles over her cheeks. Yet together, the small imperfections gave her face interest and character. Though she was definitely not at her best tonight. Her short, brown-blond hair was tousled and her khakis and shirt rumpled. She was tall and thin, but her shoulders were squared even though he knew she was tired. There had been circles of weariness beneath her wide-set blue eyes, but you'd never know it from the way she carried herself. She walked with strength and purpose, and she'd treated Ned with the same strength and determination… and gentleness.
Oh, yes, there had been a world of gentleness when her hand had touched Ned. He valued gentleness. He had seen too much of roughness and brutality lately. Not that she wasn't a tough cookie. He had believed her when she said she'd go after the man who'd shot Ned herself. Toughness and gentleness… They were qualities he always demanded in the guardians.
Guardian?
Yes, he realized he'd been speculating about the possibility of using Devon Brady as a guardian since he'd first met her.
Well, whether or not she would have to be used long term, he would have to use her to get over this bad patch with Ned. She was the right person in the right place, and he had little choice.
Get moving. She'd be busy on the search on the mountain for only a short while, then she'd be back. The excavators would have done the initial work by the time she got there. Whether or not she found anyone alive when she came back, she would still be suspicious and full of awkward questions. He took out his cell phone and dialed his pilot, Walt Franks.
Walt picked up on the second ring. 'It's about time. Is Ned going to keep you up there all night?'
