Blind Trust

“Just a minute or two.” The paramedic was grudgingly using gauze to wipe away the blood from Abernathy’s flank injury.

“Abernathy, stay.” He gave the command before hurrying toward the street. It wasn’t like Eva to wander off, especially since he’d told her he’d return. How well could she see anyway? Her eyes had been watering badly when he’d got her out of the house.

“Eva!” He raised his voice to be heard over the din. Several of the cops and firefighters glanced at him, but there was no sign of Eva.

He returned to the ambulance, where the uniformed officer was still holding Stu Greer. “Tell me about the big boss.”

Stu sneered at him. “Not saying anything until I get my lawyer.”

The words were similar to what Roach had said, only the guy still hadn’t talked. Finn wanted to grab the cuffed man by the shoulders to shake him until his teeth rattled. But of course he couldn’t. Instead, he stepped closer until he was invading Greer’s personal space.

“If anything happens to Eva, I’ll make sure you go down for her murder, understand? Now, tell me who the big boss is!”

Greer stared at him for a long moment before admitting, “We call him Uno. As in he’s numero uno in the cartel.”

“Number one?” That information wasn’t the least bit helpful. He needed a name! “What else does Uno stand for? What’s his real name?”

“Ulrich.” Greer said the name so softly Finn almost didn’t hear it. Then it clicked.

“Grant Ulrich? The owner of The Fitness Club and the furniture store?”

Greer nodded. “He owns a lot of places, uses them to launder drug money.”

Finn remembered the white powder found in the office at the guide dog training center. “Does Ulrich own the guide dog training center? Is it part of the drug-running organization? Is that where he got the idea to use Cocoa as bait?”

“Yeah.” Greer craned his neck to look back at the officer who still had him by the arm. “You’re my witness. I gave him information to help his case, so I expect a lighter sentence, understand?”

Finn felt a chill snake down his spine at the implication of the training center. He glanced over at Abernathy lying in the back of the ambulance. The K-9 lifted his head, his dark eyes laser focused on Finn.

As much as he needed to get his partner to the vet, he sensed there wasn’t a moment to waste. He crossed over to the ambulance. Cleaning the wound had helped and the gash didn’t look deep enough to need stitches, yet he still wanted his partner to be checked out by the vet.

He debated between sending Abernathy to the vet without him or taking him along to find Eva. It wasn’t an easy decision, but he needed his partner’s keen scent. He lifted the dog and put him back on his feet.

“Come, Abernathy.” Finn glanced around, then picked up the oxygen mask, hoping, praying there was enough of Eva’s scent left behind for Abernathy to use. He held the face mask to Abernathy’s nose. “Find. Find Eva.”

Abernathy sniffed at the face mask, then went to work. He made a circle around the area in front of the ambulance, then trotted off in a direction that led across the street.

Finn followed, relieved that his partner was on Eva’s trail. As they went down one bloc, then another, he saw the guide dog training center up ahead.

This time he wanted backup, so before they got too close he used his radio. “This is unit twelve, I need backup at the guide dog training center for a possible hostage situation.”

There was static on the line, then another officer responded, “This is Zach Jameson. I’m on my way.”

“Reed Branson and Jessie, also responding,” another voice said.

“Ten-four.” He continued toward the training center. Even from this distance, when they were still a few blocks away, he could see a dim light shining from the back of the building.

Interesting that it wasn’t from the office area. He quickened his pace, then slowed down when he realized Abernathy was doing his best to keep up with him.

Abernathy alerted just outside the front door of the building. Finn praised him, then glanced over as Zach Jameson and his drug-sniffing beagle joined them. There was no sign of Reed, but Finn hoped he’d show up soon.