Easy, relaxed. Yeah, Haydn was handling the surroundings well. And Forte would need a partner when more IEDs were possible. “He’s amazingly steady since the explosion.”
“Yeah?” Rojas let his hand fall to Souze’s shoulders, his fingers burrowing into the thick fur there.
None of them were free of memories of IEDs. They’d all experienced their share from their multiple deployments. The when and where didn’t matter. There’d been enough situations for multiple lifetimes. But Haydn’s were the freshest, and he’d been exposed at close distance again today.
“Sophie asked for him and he settled in next to her. Pulled himself together and kept her calm.” Forte owed the dog for that alone, if there was any kind of way to repay the comfort Haydn had given Sophie. It wasn’t something quantifiable. “Either way, Sophie woke up jittery, but seeing Haydn distracted her. I’d rather she stay distracted until Ky has a chance to ask all the questions he has for her.”
The well-being of the dog should come first, and Haydn should have a chance to go back to his familiar kennel and get some rest. But if Haydn could be of help to Sophie, Forte was torn. Ky would share as much as he could with Forte, but the team at Hope’s Crossing Kennels had crossed paths with shady groups twice in the past year now. Forte would not take the risk of assuming this was a freak coincidence.
“For now, I’ll take off his prosthetic and let him rest.” The other two waited while Forte followed his words with action. Once the prosthetic was removed, Forte checked Haydn over for bruises or sensitive spots. He’d left the prosthetic on for longer today than Haydn had worn it since he’d been fitted. No signs of overuse, but he’d keep an eye on Haydn. For the moment, the big dog was happy to remain lying on the cool floor of the waiting area. “I want eyes on Sophie around the clock.”
Neither Cruz nor Rojas expressed argument.
“We can stretch to cover the lessons for the next day or two.” Rojas took up the conversation again once Forte returned his attention to the humans of their group. “It’ll free you up to get Sophie settled back at home.”
“Think she should go home?” Cruz asked. “Lyn was asking whether Sophie should come to the kennels.”
They all chewed on the suggestion for a minute. The kennel grounds were more secure. It would be easier to watch for the next move of an enemy they knew existed but hadn’t yet identified. But they weren’t active military or law enforcement. They couldn’t just whisk Sophie away even if it was for her own good.
“Sophie wants to go to her home.” Forte drew the sentence out. Something about it twisted him inside, but he respected the life Sophie had built for herself since they’d graduated high school. She had a career, an apartment of her own, friends and family. Most important, she’d put her life together the way she wanted it. “I’ll take her there and make sure she’s okay. Depending on what the doctor says, things could be simple and all she’ll need is rest, or things could be complicated.”
Whoever had set the bomb might come back to make sure their target was well and truly dead.
Cruz shrugged. “We can help with whatever.”
“Whatever she lets us.” Rojas grinned. “This is Sophie. She’s got a mind of her own.”
“We’re going to make sure she’s safe, regardless.” Forte leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “We need to look hard at the possibilities.”
The other two men sat forward, grins gone.
“We crossed a couple of ex-SEALs and some still active duty when Atlas came to us.” Cruz rubbed his chin. When Atlas’s handler died under suspicious circumstances and Atlas had come to Hope’s Crossing Kennels, there’d been multiple clashes with ex-military-gone-private-contract resources. “There’s a possibility Lyn’s father would have some insight. We’ll reach out, see if there’s activity in this area again. He’s going to want to look into it if there is.”
Forte nodded reluctantly. None of them wanted to lean on Lyn’s father. He was still active military, high ranked, and involved in a very discreet investigation. The less to tie him to them, the better for all involved. But this was more about sharing information. Giving Lyn’s father a heads-up could be good in the overall scheme of things.
Rojas sighed. “We didn’t make friends with Corbin Jr., either. Either him or Daddy could be irritated with us.”
“True.” Forte was starting to fight off a headache.
Joseph Corbin Jr., Elisa’s stalker, was awaiting trial for assault and attempted kidnapping. He and his father had the means to get him out on bail. In the meantime, they couldn’t go after Elisa again, but they had the connections to go after someone close to Elisa.
Or someone who meant something to all the people who’d become a part of Hope’s Crossing Kennels. Like Sophie.