Stargazer's Woman - Aimee Thurlo

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so the tracks in the area were almost indistinguishable by the time she was located. But I’m absolutely certain that your sister hid the assets we were protecting—and died with honor protecting them. Which brings me to the reason I’m here,” he added. “My job now is to find out where she went, who she spoke to or saw, and where those assets ended up.”

      “So to you, this is mostly a matter of finding the missing cargo,” she concluded. “But why do you need me for that? Why don’t you just expand the search until you find the stuff?” She paused, suddenly reminded of Talbot. “Or did you come to me because you also think I had something to do with the theft?” Angry, she faced him squarely.

      “No, that’s not it.” He rose to his feet and placed both his hands on her shoulders, capturing her gaze.

      “I’m here because I remember the way your sister spoke about you. She told me that you were two of a kind. I believe that if anyone can second-guess what she did that day, it’ll be you.”

      Max was telling her the truth. She could feel it. But she was just as sure that there was a lot more he wasn’t saying. “You two shared a working relationship,” she said at last. “You were partners in the police force at one time, too. That should give you all the edge you need.”

      “Your sister and I respected each other, and we worked well as partners, but we were never anything more than that.”

      “My priority isn’t finding those precious assets. I want to know exactly what happened to my sister that day and why she was killed. Since we have different goals, I can’t see us working together.”

      “We’ll have a better chance of finding answers—and staying alive—if we work together,” he replied in quiet voice.

      She gazed into his eyes, then shook her head and turned away. “I won’t work with someone who’s holding out on me. If you want us on the same team, then start by telling me what was stolen. I know how to keep things under wraps. If the United States Marine Corps trusted me, so can you.”

      “It’s not that I don’t trust you,” he began.

      “Then stop playing games,” she interrupted sharply, bringing forth the bark that had served her so well as a marine. “If you want my help, then put me in the picture, and tell me everything you know. Otherwise, you’re on your own.”

      “We’re not overseas now, giving orders, or fighting a war. This type of case isn’t part of your training. You’re out of your element,” he said, his eyes narrowed, his gaze sharp.

      Kris was sure that not many people could have stood up to one of those icy looks of his, but she held her ground. “I’m a quick study. I intend to start by examining my sister’s personal effects as soon as the police release them. I’ll also have a talk with our senator and congresswoman and ask for their help in loosening some lips. I’ve got it covered, so it looks like we’re through here,” she added, gesturing to the door. “I’ve got a long day ahead of me.”

      “Give me a few more minutes of your time,” Max said, slipping his jacket back on and jamming his hands into the pockets. “My pickup is parked right out the side door. Walk with me, and we’ll talk. You’ve got nothing to lose.”

      MAX WAITED FOR HER as she stepped over to speak to the woman at the cash register. Kris was one tough lady. Women usually liked him, but he’d tried charm and that hadn’t worked. He’d also tried logic, but her points had been valid, too. He needed a new tactic—and fast.

      A moment later she fell into step beside him. “Don’t even think of trying to play me, Max. I’ve been dealing with men trying to tell me what to do for years.”

      The challenge sparked something inside him. She had fire, this one. He brought his thoughts under control quickly. Without control and finesse, he’d get nowhere.

      “So talk,” she said. “Time’s wasting and I’ve got other work to do.”

      He was so completely focused on Kris that he didn’t pay much attention to the van parked behind his pickup until the side door slid open. By then, it was too late.

      Two men wearing topcoats and ski masks jumped out, the first one firing a taser directly at him.

      The jolt stunned him instantly, like an electric sledgehammer. Then one of the contacts slipped out, having hit the button on his leather jacket instead of lodging in place. Shaking off the attack, he reacted, striking out with a jab even before turning to face his assailant.

      Dropping the taser, the man advanced with his fists. Max’s defense was quick. He blocked a jab, then delivered a hard uppercut to the surprised man’s jaw.

      Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a quick glimpse of Kris. As the other thug made a grab for her arm, she landed a spearlike kick to his left thigh, barely missing a crippling strike to the groin. The man sagged back.

      Catching a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye, Max glanced back at his own opponent, and saw him reach for a sawed-off shotgun inside his topcoat.

      “Gun!” Max yelled, knowing he was too far away to grab the weapon in time.

      Leaping to one side, he grabbed Kris by the arm and pulled her around the front bumper of a small SUV. They fell to the gravel just as the shotgun blast shattered the driver’s side window.

      Chapter Two

      Max had rolled to the left, simultaneously reaching for the gun at his waist. Kris immediately reached down her right side for her service Beretta. Old habits died hard. All she found now were pruning shears in a leather holder at her belt.

      Two more shotgun blasts shook the vehicle they were hugging. “We need them alive,” one of the men called to the other.

      Kris saw Max’s reaction and wondered if he’d recognized the voice. But there was no time to discuss that now.

      They waited, back to back, crouched low beside the passenger’s side front tire. “Stay close to the tire so they can’t see our feet. Let them come to us,” she whispered, taking a quick look underneath the vehicle, trying to locate their assailants. “I can take down the one who came after me. He’s an amateur.”

      Max turned toward the back end of the SUV. “I’m going to the rear axle and take a quick look. Maybe I can get a drop on the one with the shotgun.”

      “No, stick close and cover my back. You can’t fire in that direction anyway. A stray bullet could kill a civilian. Make them come to us,” she repeated.

      He glanced back at her and realized that he was taking tactical advice from a woman wearing a shirt with a smiling cactus. Before he could give that further thought, she reached into her shirt pocket for her cell phone and dialed 9-1-1.

      “Deputies are on their way,” she called out a second later.

      They heard running footsteps, followed by the distinctive slam of the van door being pulled shut.

      As the van’s engine started up with a roar and they heard the squeal of tires, Max stood.

      Kris did the same. “They’re making a run for it,” she said, watching the van accelerate out of the lot. “Wimps!”

      “I’ll pursue,” Max said, running to his truck. He suddenly stopped, seeing where the other shotgun blasts had gone. Both his rear tires had been flattened—shredded by the buckshot.

      Kris, half a step behind him, grabbed his arm and tugged. “Come on. We’ll take my truck!”

      He raced after her. As she opened the driver’s side door, he made a move to edge past her, but she jumped in ahead of him, waving the key in her hand. “Nobody drives my truck but me. Take shotgun.”

      “I’ve been trained in pursuit.”

      She gave him a level stare. “I’ve threaded my way through ambushes in a Humvee. You want them to get away while we

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