“Who’s ready for fireworks?” Levi said, standing over the children with his daughter Sunshine in his arms.
All of the children screamed in approval as did his mate Juliet who clapped and cheered him on. Levi had a permit to shoot fireworks off of the islands located in the middle of the lake. It was an attraction to the area that visitors enjoyed throughout the summer. With the sun going down, it was a perfect time to shoot off some fireworks.
Levi handed Sunshine to Juliet and walked off with Shane to a rowboat. They got inside and rode out to the island. About fifteen minutes later, as the sun sank behind the mountains and the outdoor lights blinked on, the first of the fireworks shot into the night sky.
All of the children screamed in awe, and Rollo wrapped his arm around Zoe’s shoulder, holding her close. The rockets burst into the air, spraying out their colorful sparks and drawing out gasps and laughter from the children and adults alike.
By the time the fireworks show was over, and Levi and Shane had come back to land, Rollo knew it was about time to get going. He had an early patrol in the morning and had to get some sleep. As he and Zoe were making their way through the parking lot to his car, Detective Gauge moved out of the shadows to stand in front of them.
“Commander,” Gauge said at a whisper. “I need to speak with you in private.”
“Can’t this wait?” Rollo asked.
“I have important information about the case I’ve been working on,” Gauge said.
“I’m going to take Zoe home, and I’ll meet you down at the station,” Rollo said.
“Meet you there fifteen minutes,” Gauge said, slipping back into the shadows in the parking lot.
“What was that all about?” Zoe asked as she climbed into the car.
“Gauge is onto something, apparently.”
He took Zoe home and dropped her off out front and hurried back to the station. Gauge had been working on a local drug ring that they had not been able to shut down so far. It was like a mythological hydra. Every time you cut off one had, two more heads sprang up to replace it. Fate Mountain had been experiencing a surge of drug-related activity over the last six months, and Gauge had been deep in his investigation of the ringleader.
Rollo walked into the police station and found Gauge sitting at his desk, where Rollo had not seen him in a long time.
“Let’s talk in my office,” Rollo said.
They walked into his office and Rollo closed the door. “What is it, Gauge?”
“I think I’ve found where they are headquartered,” Gauge said excitedly. “But I need to go undercover.”
“You think it’s wise to go undercover at this point in the investigation?”
“It’s the only way that I will get the information I need to bring them down,” Gauge said.
“How do you know that they won’t recognize you?” Rollo asked.
“I’ve been extremely secretive the entire time I’ve investigated this case. It is unlikely that any of them have any idea what I look like.”
“Can you give me a timeline, detective? How long are you going to be undercover?”
“I don’t know, Commander, but I need to drop out of sight asap. I’m too close to screw it up now.”
“You have my permission to go undercover, Gauge. But I need you to report back to me regularly. And take care of yourself out there. We need you on the Bear Patrol.”
“Yes sir,” Gauge said slipping out of Rollo’s office and into the night.
19
Zoe waited up for Rollo to return home while reading a copy of Woodworker’s Magazine in their comfy, king-sized bed. He walked through the door of the bedroom, looking surprised to see her awake.
“I thought you’d be sleeping by now,” Rollo said, moving through the room to get ready for bed.
He pulled off his shirt and kicked off his shoes before going into the bathroom to brush his teeth. He came out of the bathroom with a brush in his mouth, pulling the contents of his pockets out and discarding them on top of the secret compartment chest Zoe and Angus had built as their first project. Zoe watched Rollo move back into the bathroom with a mischievous grin on her face. She could barely contain what she had to tell him.
Rollo emerged from the bathroom a moment later in his boxers. He sat on the bed and turned off the light on his side before laying down on his pillow.
“What did Gauge need to tell you?” Zoe asked.
“He wants to go undercover on this case he’s been investigating.”
“I see,” she said, putting her magazine on her side table.
She slid down beside Rollo and caressed his chest as she gazed at his profile. Rollo wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she leaned into his chest. He kissed her head, holding her tight.
“The barbeque was fun, wasn’t it?” Zoe said.
“It was great to have both crews together.”
“Angus sure was making a case for babies today,” Zoe said.