Blind Trust

As a result, Eva overslept, having fallen into a deep sleep at some time after three in the morning. She quickly showered and changed, and then fed Mikey cereal for breakfast. Finn arrived and drove them to Mikey’s preschool, and then he dropped her off at the training center.

“I’ll call to let you know if I’m able to drive you home, okay?” Finn’s expression reflected his regret. “Unfortunately, there are a few things going on that I have to take care of.”

“That’s fine,” she assured him. “I know you have a job to do.”

Though he looked like he wanted to argue, he simply nodded. She headed inside and spent the day working with George, the black Lab puppy who was a week younger than Cocoa. When Finn called to let her know he couldn’t pick her up, she understood.

Taking the subway for the first time since the incident at the training center was unnerving. The dark clouds hanging overhead, an indication of an impending rainstorm, only added to her depressed mood. She found herself acutely aware of the people around her. She didn’t smell the dusty, the raspy guy or the stinky, twangy guy, but for all she knew they’d sent someone else to watch over her.

Being surrounded by strangers was suffocating, and she couldn’t help wondering how she’d manage to ride the train once she’d lost her eyesight. Her determination to remain independent wavered in the face of what that really meant.

Moving around Queens, among the people and traffic, seemed a daunting task. Even with a guide dog. That was what she trained them to do, but experiencing it firsthand wouldn’t be easy.

Time ticked by slowly before she arrived at the subway stop near Mikey’s preschool. She exited the station and waited for the stoplight to turn green. After crossing the street, she headed down the sidewalk toward the preschool.

She smelled a hint of dust seconds before a man wearing black stepped out from between two buildings and grabbed her arm roughly, yanking her into the alley and up against the wall. He was behind her, so she couldn’t see his face.

“Did you find the package yet?” he whispered harshly in her ear.

“No, but I’m looking for it,” she admitted, realizing this was the raspy-voiced guy, the one who had tried to drag her into the black sedan. “I promise to keep searching.”

“You better look harder or you’ll never see that puppy again. And you never know who’ll be next.”

“I’m trying,” she insisted. Was the threat against her? Or Mikey?

The raspy guy yanked her from the wall and shoved her sideways. The momentum sent her falling hard against the concrete.

Her hands and knees stung from the force of the blow, but she ignored the pain, jumped up quickly and headed out to see which way he went.

The raspy guy was long gone. She struggled to breathe against a wave of panic. Fearing the stinky guy might be nearby, she turned and ran to the safety of Mikey’s preschool before using her phone to call Finn.

“Gallagher.”

She tried to control her racing heart. “It’s Eva. The raspy guy just threatened me, or maybe Mikey. I’m at the preschool now, but I need you to come and get us. Hurry!”

“I’ll be right there,” he promised.

“Thank you.” She disconnected from the call and leaned heavily against the wall near the doorway. Knowing Finn was on the way wasn’t as comforting as it should be.

You never know who’ll be next.

The subtle threat against her or, worse, a three-year-old boy was nearly her undoing. If anyone was the true innocent in all this, it was Mikey. These men wouldn’t stop until they got what they wanted.

No matter the cost.

SEVEN

“I have to go.” Finn glanced at a fellow K-9 cop, a rookie named Faith Johnson and her partner, Ricci, a German shepherd named after fallen Officer Anthony Ricci. They’d been searching the Rego Park area because someone had reported seeing a German shepherd running loose. The K-9 team had hoped the dog might be Jordan Jameson’s missing K-9 partner, Snapper. So far, they’d come up empty-handed. “You’ll be okay?”

“Yeah, Ricci and I will be fine.” Faith waved him off. “We’ll do one more sweep, then head back to headquarters before the storm.” She sighed. “I was really hoping to find Snapper.”