Heroes In Uniform (303 page)

Barely Dangerous: Chapter Eighty-Four

“We've really got to cut this out.” Maggie sighed contentedly, savoring Cooper's weight pressing her deep into the tower's sleeping cot. She throbbed pleasantly between her legs where he lay. “I think I'm getting sore.”

He thrust softly into her. “I'm pretty sure I've got blisters.”

She giggled. “Ouch.” She lowered her legs from around his waist. “Happy I'm not your prime suspect anymore?” She kissed him lovingly.

“No shit.” He stroked her face with a large hand. “The question is, who takes over the vacancy?”

He slid off her, and after a moment ran his hand down the side of her deliciously weary body. She snuggled her back against him spoon-style, warm and content from their lovemaking, and ready to tackle the problem of the poachers. “Lord knows. It could be anyone.”

“What do you think of the fingerprint being Sally's?” His breath tickled in the hair surrounding her temple.

“Inconclusive. She could just as easily have left it on the battery when they tagged the bear, as after it was killed.”

His hand glided up to her breast. “That's what I thought, too. But what about the postal order deposits?”

“You think it's poaching proceeds?”

“Doesn't really fit the pattern. At least not if they're paying her for each kill. And it’s not very much money. Could just be for information on the bears, I suppose.”

“True. Of course, she'd be on my list anyhow—the way she's taking advantage of the poaching to get funding from the sponsors.” Maggie’s breath hitched as he gently pulled on her love-tender nipple until it peaked hard in his fingers. “Wolf, if you keep doing that, I won't be able to think, much less speak.”

A deep, satisfied noise growled from his chest as he pulled her against him. “Are you ready for me again?” he whispered roughly. “So soon?” He slid his other hand between her legs. “So hot, so wet. Woman, you leave me in the dust.”

She arched against his fingers, teasing herself as much as him. “You told me once that Indian warriors were built for endurance.”

A low chuckle rumbled in her ear. “I thought I was. Last night had to be some kind of record for me. For the past decade, anyway.” Without removing his hand, he turned her and tucked her body neatly under his, grinning. Using his knee, he spread her wide. “How am I going to keep you satisfied, woman?”

She gasped as his fingers began an erotic pressure on her sensitive clit. Ultra-sensitized from a night and morning of unbridled sex, she lit up like wildfire to his touch.

He slid down and his tongue took over from his fingers. “How am I doing?”

All she could manage was a moan of approval. It took less than a minute for him to coax her to a shuddering, screaming climax. “My God,” she panted after she'd regained consciousness. “My God.”

“I'm good,” he said, obviously pleased with himself. “But not
that
good.”

She pried open an eye and regarded him affectionately as he scooted up until he was level with her. She gave him an amused smile. “You're not good, Wolf, you're bad.
Real
bad.” She wrapped her leaden arms around him and sighed. “My big, bad Wolf.”

He gave her a lingering kiss, then smacked her backside. “You're keeping me from my job, Red.” He slid over her and sat on the edge of the cot, absently rubbing one of his shins. “We need a bigger bed,” he said, grimacing. “I've heard of exquisite torture, but I don't think this is quite what they had in mind.”

“Bruised?”

A grin slid onto his face. “You're too rough on me.”

“Remind me to feel sorry for you. Now, where were we?”

He quirked a brow.

“In our discussion of possible suspects.”

“Right. Suspects. I think we'd narrowed it down to Sally.”

She laced her fingers over her stomach and thought. “Who else do you like?”

“Well, there's always Sir Roland Timmons, your knight in shining armor.” Cooper pulled on his jeans and stood.

She smirked. “Yeah, that was some rescue. He waited till I was already past every one of those damned rattlers before he said a word.” She shook her head. “But, Rollo seems so charming, and I really can't imagine he's brave enough to kill a possum, much less a bear.” Pursing her lips, she looked over at Cooper. “Makes him a perfect suspect, I'd say.”

“That settles it.” Laughing, he swept her up in his arms. “It's time to pay them a visit.” Setting her on her feet, he held her chin between two fingers. “Just make sure I don't
ever
catch you kissing him again.”

Barely Dangerous: Chapter Eighty-Five

When they walked into the research camp hand in hand, Sally looked up and smiled. “Maggie!” she called out. She tipped her head to one side at Coop. “And your non-friend.”

Coop frowned.
Huh?

“Hey, Sally,” Maggie returned.

“Good to see you again,” Sally said, walking up to them. “Too bad Theresa and David are out doing observations. They’ll be sorry they missed you. Rollo!” she yelled. “Look who’s here!”

Good
, Coop thought. The fewer people, the more he could snoop around.

Timmons poked his head out of a tent and joined them. Maggie started to introduce them, using his outdoor sports writer cover, but Timmons waved her off.

“Yes, we met last night,” Timmons said, and they shook hands. “Solve any interesting moral dilemmas lately?”

Coop grinned in answer. The other man might be an irredeemable womanizer, but he did have insight. Yikes. Talk about a moral dilemma. Thank goodness
that
one had been solved.

“I've been thinking about the interesting research you’re doing out here,” he said in his best reporter's voice. “And about those bear poachers. I thought it might be a catchy angle to throw into the story I'm working on, if you wouldn't mind. What do you say?”

“Why not?” Timmons said. “Have a seat and I'll tell you about the operation.”

Pulling out a notebook, Cooper faithfully jotted down the highlights of what the other man had to say, asking a question now and then. Sally excused herself, and puttered around the camp as she listened, throwing in an occasional comment.

“So, what effect is this bear poaching having on your project?” Cooper asked finally.

Sally's eyes came up from the ledger she was working on.

Timmons shook his head in disgust. “It's been a real pain. A whole bunch of our bears have disappeared since spring, presumably taken by the poachers. If they'd been taken by hunters with permits, their tags would have been returned, so we'd know. These bears are just gone.”

“How many animals are in your project?” Cooper asked.

“Around seventy-five tagged. So, anything more than two or three disappearing in a season is a big chunk, statistically.”

“What do you do in a case like this?” Maggie asked. “I mean, what does it do to your results?”

“Some would argue that it invalidates all the data we're collecting because this kind of loss to poaching doesn't reflect the so-called natural life cycle of the local black bear population.”

Sally chimed in, “Hunting is considered part of the natural life cycle, because it's a regular, fairly random force the bears have to contend with. Poaching on a large scale like this is more of a one-time disaster. In a really long-term study it would be okay to include that sort of thing, but for our shorter research, it's bad news.”

Cooper nodded. “Some people might feel you’re painting a deceptively bleak picture of bear survival.”

Sally sprang to her feet. “As far as I'm concerned, the picture
is
bleak.”

Swiping his hands on his chinos, Timmons shrugged. “Well, I guess it depends on how common this type of poaching becomes. If law enforcement doesn't crack down harder on the people they catch killing them illegally, black bears could be wiped out in no time.”

Maggie and Coop exchanged a glance. “Have you notified CDFW about your missing bears?” he asked.

Timmons glanced over at Sally. “You called them last week, right?”

Sally leaned against a nearby tree. “Not exactly. What with one thing and another...”

Timmons frowned. “That's not like you Sally. Usually you're two steps ahead of me in everything.”

She dragged her toe through the dust. “Sorry. I'll call them first thing.”

Coop asked the next logical question. “Have you any idea who's doing the poaching? Seen anyone suspicious?”

“So you can interview them, you mean?” Timmons asked with a wry grin, apparently only half-joking.

“Absolutely.” Coop tapped his pencil on his notebook. “Can't blame a man for doing his job.”

“No, I suppose not.” Timmons shook his head. “Sorry, can't help you there. But I'll tell you one thing.” His face became sober. “I've got a nasty suspicion whoever it is, they're specifically targeting my bears.”

Coop peered at him. “Yeah?”

“Well, think about it. We've got seventy-five bears tagged, and almost a dozen disappear?”

“A
dozen
?” If Timmons was right, every one of the poached bears that summer had been from his project.

“Yep. And what are the odds the poachers just happen to run across that many of mine? Unless these guys have killed a ridiculous number of bears this summer, of course. But we would have noticed that in our observations.”

Coop gazed at Timmons contemplatively, noticing that Sally was doing the same. “That's very interesting. You got any enemies?”

Timmons shook his head with a laugh. “No. I make it a point not to date married women.”

Barely Dangerous: Chapter Eighty-Six

Maggie and Cooper hiked leisurely back to the Yamaha, which they'd parked by the service road leading to Rollo's camp. The sun beat down from one of the patches of brilliant blue sky that showed through the majestic trees. The spicy vanilla perfume of Jeffrey Pines hung heavy in the hot, windless air.

Maggie looped her arm through Cooper's. She smiled, feeling pleasantly aroused just walking next to him. Would she ever come down off this high?

She should never have let this happen between them, but lord, was she glad it had.

“Well,” he said, “I agree with your opinion of Timmons. He doesn't seem capable of killing. It didn't feel like he had anything to hide, either. But what did you think of his theory that the poachers are targeting his bears?”

She considered. “I’d say it reinforces his innocence, if it’s true.”

Cooper pursed his lips. “Or he might just be a crafty son of a bitch. But if he's right, it puts a different light on the situation.”

“It could narrow down the suspects a bit.”

“Maybe right down to four.”

“Rollo, Sally, Theresa, and David.”

Cooper nodded. “Especially in light of the added funding the poaching has generated. Maybe someone didn't like the idea of having to look for another job when the study was over.”

“I really like Sally. I'd hate to think she's the one behind it.” Maggie said regretfully.

“Right now we've got nothing but hunches.”

“Well, and the bullet and fingerprint from the battery,” she reminded him. “Oh, yeah, and your precious boot print.”

She rolled her eyes. Cooper had insisted on sneaking back after they left, and had slipped into Rollo's tent to take a rubbing of a muddy hiking boot he'd discovered on his last visit. When he’d been spying on her.

His cheeks crinkled with a satisfied smile as he patted the pocket he'd folded the paper into. “I'll compare this with the print we found at your kill site. Timmons might seem innocent, but you taught me well that appearances can be deceiving.”

She made a face at him, wanting to argue about her being deceptive. But she couldn’t. He had no idea how right he really was. “It’s not
my
kill site,” she muttered instead.

“Think I'll call Jack and see if any of the clerks remembered who bought all those postal orders for Sally.” He gave her a stern look. “Assuming you haven’t tampered with my cell phone again.”

She smiled. “Who, me?”

“You realize you've shot my reputation all to hell,” he observed evenly.

She rounded her eyes, all innocence. “Whatever do you mean?”

“Between motorcycles, phones, and whipped cream, I'll never live this case down.”

“Oh, I don't know. You just have to solve it. How often does the cop get the bad guys
and
the girl?”

He cocked a brow.

“Never mind,” she said, her sudden pique only half-feigned. “I'd rather not know about your other conquests.”

He put his arm over her shoulder and pulled her close as they walked. “Now, don't get your feathers ruffled. How often do you think a girl is involved in a Fish and Wildlife investigation?”

He was right. She was being silly. And selfish. In just a few days, Dinny would return to take her to the trial, and she might have to disappear for a long, long time.

Face it, she was playing fast and loose with the feelings—and the life—of the man she loved.

It was true. She had fallen madly, helplessly, irrevocably in love.

Of course, she couldn't tell
him
that.

Though, how she wished she could tell him. Ask him if he felt the same way...

But, no. She'd just have to be grateful for whatever time they had together.

Until she had to go.

And then, she'd have to live with the pain. She’d lost boyfriends before. She'd get through it this time, too, if she had to. Maybe just not as quickly.

She looked up at Cooper’s proud, handsome profile, and her heart almost melted in her chest.

Or maybe not at all...

His gaze caught hers, and he gave her a questioning look. “Okay?”

“Yep.” She smiled bravely, swallowing the large lump in her throat.

“Come on,” Cooper said as they reached the Yamaha. “There's something I need to do.”

Barely Dangerous: Chapter Eighty-Seven

Coop pulled the bike off the rough dirt track that he and Maggie had been following for a mile or so.

“This is where the last kill was done,” he said. “Jack already recorded the crime scene. I just need to bury the bear. What's left of it.”