Pippa's Rescue (12 page)

She was teasing him by making reference to his old squad and inadvertently Harry. She’d claimed the first time they’d met was at lunch with Harry. Focused on Wilson, Basil had totally ignored the slight mention. He wanted to find out how much of a story she’d weave before he gave in to his inner voice and called the cops. Of course who would he call in this situation, the police or ghost busters? “Special powers, eh. Where is this group located, Norway?”

“No, Asgard, which is far away from here. Travel is somewhat challenging without my horse, but we’ll manage.” She lifted her face toward the ceiling. “Right Heimi?”

Christ, was Pippa in danger of this lunatic? How could he convince Skogul to leave the cabin and keep Pippa out of the line of fire? But what about finding Harry? She might know something. At least she kept hinting of knowledge. He’d suggest they go to him. “Skogul—”

“He said we would not have transportation problems and it should be a smooth painless transition through the portal.”

“Like in a different part of the world?”

“A different planet.” She rubbernecked looking everywhere at once. “Is there a television here?”

“No, it only has the essentials. If you’re so interested in watching movies we should leave. We’ll go to a nearby bar.”

She shrugged, making the thread twinkle in the firelight. “That’s not necessary. I just like to watch people relate to each other, especially futuristic tales.”

“Explains the all-night Star Wars marathon. How did you heal the horse?”

“Magic. Too bad about the residue.” Scents of lavender and herbs, a mingling of his grandmother’s house, came from her as she moved closer to him. She held a marble in her hand, whirling it around.

How evil could she be if she’d healed a wounded horse? Basil glanced at Pippa. He’d take the risk because he needed more information. “Could other, ah, humans see the sparkles?”

She moved the marble to the other hand. “I don’t know.” Her words were chilly.

He’d pricked a nerve. “Tell me about your world and why you want me to go there.”

“My world is much like yours without all the pollution and population. We have people, but not the number of inhabitants Earth does. We, Valkyries, transport from one place to another by modifying our cellular makeup. We”—she paused as if seeking the correct word to use then continued—“reposition our cells to a location, in an orderly arrangement, by envisioning the destination in our thoughts. Except for traveling from one planet to another—we need Heimi for that. No spaceships, just horses. Sometimes solo. I shot through the tunnel solo to come here.”

“Why were you chosen to recruit me?”

Her fist tightened around the marble. “Because I’ve been here before, on a similar mission, and I was successful.”

Now he was getting somewhere. She’d found, recruited, another person, a Marine. Harry? “This human went to Asgard?”

“Yes.” She lowered her eyelashes, shielding her glittering turquoise eyes from his perusal.

His heart beat so fast he could feel the pounding clear to his fingertips. A lump lodged in his throat, preventing him from asking the question he suspected he already knew the answer. His fingers smoothed his camo pants. “Who?”

“The human was—”

“Basil,” Pippa whispered.

He glanced at the bed. Pippa was upright, her beautiful faced strained and white in the dim glow from the firelight. To comfort her was priority; yet, he needed to know if Harry had been the human recruited. He turned toward Skogul. She’d disappeared.
Damn woman
.

Chapter 13

The cold wood post pressed against Pippa’s side. Almost finished. The farrier would silently leave and she’d go inside and rest. Most of the time she could ignore the throbbing in her foot, but not today. Chills skittered along her arms, indicating something big was going to happen. The steed shifted, trying to block Billy from lifting the last hoof.

A few pats to the animal’s neck, and the horse settled. “Thanks, Billy. His hooves needed some serious trimming.”

Billy nodded. His Cincinnati Reds cap, snug to his head, had beads of water from where the hose had splashed him. His squat position gave her a superior view. Beneath the band of his hat, short spirals of gray hair had grown thinner since she had known him. “Are there others I should look at while I’m here?”

He stood, bringing his height to five-five at the most. The farrier knew his trade, and she considered his change of career choice from jockey to caring for horses instead of racing them a stroke of luck.

“I think we’re good. I’ll call if I should get a new horse that needs work done. I’ve heard Rae has returned.” She’d been trying to introduce the subject in their conversation, but had hesitated because with it came pain.

Billy’s back went straight as one of the pokers he was always molding into clever shapes. “Yep. The prodigal daughter has returned…at least for now.”

“My dad often said being a parent is like an amusement park ride. Sometimes it’s fast, sometimes slow, and more often than not you have to wait a long time to get to the finish line.” Out of the corner of her eye, a dark, muscular form moved. Basil.

Billy gave a half-chuckle and squat again, ready to finish trimming the horse’s hoof. “Yeah, your pa had a saying for every little thing.”

“Yes, he did. I miss him, Billy.” She did. Her stomach muscles clenched at the thought of her brother’s disloyalty. In the past she could run to her father, and he’d make everything right. David was a traitor and thief who’d allowed her to lose her home. Tightness held her clear to her ankles. Blood ties didn’t necessarily mean someone was there to protect your back, to support you in every way.

His sun-weathered face grew somber. “I do too, Pip. We had some good times together. The Thursday night poker game just isn’t the same.”

Keeping the tears inside over acute loss of her father and the betrayal by her brother was an astronomical challenge, but she had a job to do and no amounts of crying would change the outcome. In a matter of hours the bank would hold the ranch as collateral.

“Rae’s been straight for four years. She’s working at the bank until she pays back her school loans, then she’s going to open a digital newspaper.” Billy had finished his work. He stowed his tools into the thick black bag.

Instantly she got an image of Rae’s drunken strides walking away from her car, while Pippa’s father lay dead in the seat of his vehicle. She closed her eyes trying to focus on what was going on. Rae had also gotten on with her life. “You must be proud of her.”

A shimmer of tears held steady in his eyes. He looked away, but nodded. “Yes, I am.” He turned back to her and touched her arm. “She’s come a long way. Give her a chance.”

Tears tracked along her cheeks and the bile rose again. She nodded and hobbled as quickly as possible toward Basil. Her shelter in a storm.

****

Basil inhaled the familiar scents of horses, hay, and manure. Volunteers were busy mucking stalls and field hands unloaded bales of hay into the barn. This had become home and he’d miss the people, rescuing horses, and most of all, Pippa.

Lost. Two opportunities to get information about Harry and he’d missed both. Each time Pippa had been the source of his missed chance. Granted, the last time he couldn’t let her fall. Would he have done the same for any woman? No. He would have saved the girl, got her settled, called a ranger, and then tracked Wilson.

He glanced at the woman who’d turned his neat and orderly world upside down. She’d already abandoned the crutches, claiming she couldn’t get close to her animals with big sticks flapping at her sides. The walking cast, large and awkward, drew attention to her sexy legs. Her cream sweater had been belted by the black medic-bag she wore whenever she was out on the ranch.

Soon she’d find out the property was deeded to her. He’d enjoy banker-boy handing over the documents, all signed and sealed, making Basil the hero once again. Overwrought by joy, maybe Pippa would drag him to her bedroom, assuming he was around to enjoy the overflow of love.

He considered his approach to tell Pippa about his departure as he swung his travel bag into the rental. Gonzo nodded at him. Basil didn’t know if his nod was so-long-sucker or thanks-for-taking-care-of-my-girl. Either way she was safe and that was all that was important. Pippa hobbled toward the corral and Deep South. He shut the car door, drawing her attention.

Their glances met, hers wary and his full of remorse of what could have been. What should he say to her—
Skogul
,
the woman you can’t see, disappeared at the cabin and I can’t seem to find her
? The pain in the ass hadn’t reappeared in his room, or the barn, so the last place to look was with Dr. Aidan Hall. They seemed to have a thing, a connection.

Pippa stroked Deep South’s dark neck, then hobbled toward him. He exhaled, committing her beauty to memory.

He had one last chance to find Harry and it revolved around the supernatural, the Valkyrie. He’d done his research and discovered they were folklore. A mythological god, Odin, gathered troops to fight at a major battle. As crazy as it seemed, this was exactly something Harry would be interested in, especially since his head injury forced him from the Marine Special Ops group. Marine lifestyle was addictive; each of the Special Ops members needed the thrill of success, saving families from invasion. Marines thrived on power, the game. Harry would be pulled into a parallel universe if he could continue to strategize battles and be a part of the action. He didn’t doubt Skogul would declare Harry had abandoned his human life for a supernatural one.

If this panned out, Wilson would be in the clear for murder, but he was still responsible for the North Korean ambush. First things first. Basil needed to discover where this cult kept Harry and how he could communicate with his friend. Then, he’d track down Wilson and bring him to justice.

He sighed. Harry wasn’t dead and buried by Wilson. At least that was what he kept telling himself. He leaned against the car, waiting for Pippa to close the distance. When she was within inches, he pulled her to him. Bodies touching, she rested her leg on his thigh. “I like how we can be a couple out in the open.”

She chuckled, a deep sexy ripple in her throat. “We can’t be totally out in the open.”

“Since you brought it up, let’s go to your room.”

Her mouth fused to his, instead of a light feathery kiss it was one of promise. “Where are you going?” She pointed to his bag. “Duffle means you’re leaving.”

Sadness in her voice shattered his core. Could he leave her? She wasn’t the clingy needy type. She’d never declared anything but gratitude for saving her. Did she care for him the way he did for her? More than finding Harry, he wanted her to tell him to stay, to say those love words.

“I’ve a lead on Harry.” He kissed the side of her pouty lips.

She lurched backward, putting an inch of two between them, pulling away but not completely. “Through my brother?”

“No, he’s still…missing. I’m going to see Aidan Hall.”

“I’ll go with you. Give me a sec to tell Mattie and put Gonzo in charge.” She turned.

“No. This is something I need to do alone.” Would she recall the incident in the stable and question why he was anxious to see the vet?

She pivoted, staring at him, trying to read between the lines. “Are you returning?”

He took her hand into his. “I’m not—”

“Pippa!” Brooke shouted.

She narrowed her eyes, but didn’t break the link between them. “I’ll expect you here, tonight, for a romantic dinner.” Pippa kissed him, with tongue, then hobbled as quick as possible to stable one and her never-ending responsibilities.

He got part of his wish, so why didn’t his body rush with happiness?

Brooke stood at the entrance, slapping a strip of leather against her leg. A ranch always had issues to resolve. His heart thumped faster. He wanted to be part of this life, but how could he give up his quest? Marines lived by a code. Behind the steering wheel of his rental, he started the motor and considered the future. After finding Harry and tracking down Wilson he’d return and…then what?

He was typically a by-the-minute guy, but he couldn’t shake off thoughts of a future. Obligations be damned. Find the man who betrayed their squad, Harry had said. The Korean mission had ended Harry’s military career and almost killed him. Deep down Basil knew Wilson was the coward—the one who betrayed their squad for money.

Skogul first, then he’d track Wilson and bring him to justice.

Aidan Hall had purchased a ranch directly after he’d
healed
Titan. Due to the economy diving into the shithole, the property had been vacant for a year. Rumored to have settled into the homestead, Hall had furniture delivered and Titan as well.

Basil drove onto the paved driveway and circled around, noting the gray-and-white horse in the corral outside a fairly new bright white stable. He parked in front of the Greek Revival house, noting the modernizations of solar panels and surveillance cameras. He walked to the double front doors and used the brass knocker. No sounds came from inside. His thumb pressed the electronic doorbell and strains of “Für Elise” rang.

Okay, so the structure had been modernized but the chimes rang old school. He walked around to the back. A west-facing pet door built into the wall caught his attention. He’d never owned a pet, but he’d seen commercials and typically the cat or dog entrances were built into the back door. Basil crouched at the rear entrance and ran his finger over the panel. Solid steel. This was no pet door. Yet, one had been recently installed on the side of the house.

A few feet from the house stood an enormous willow tree. Long, pliable branches created an umbrella, a shield for him as he viewed the layout of the property. The strangely positioned pet door wouldn’t be seen by anyone parked in the driveway, nor coming from the back door. Why that particular side of the house? Where was the cat or dog? Chimes would have set off any dog and a naturally curious feline would be planted in a window, watching. No visible sign or noise from inside indicated pets inhabited the home. He walked around the outside of the house again, looking for other oddities. He shook his head. It was easy enough to leave the Marines, but the intelligence training, surveillance, and reconnaissance would always be a part of him, and he embraced those skills.