K-9 Capture - Chapter 1

California Department of Fish and Wildlife Officer Isaiah Carver drove his black Ford F-150 truck down Plaitere Street in Braeden Falls, California, where he lived. It was located in the San Joaquin Valley, in Merced County. Beside him in a cage was Lex, his Belgian Malinois trusty partner with the CDFW K-9 Enforcement Unit, who served a dual purpose of criminal apprehension and narcotics detection. They had just wrapped up a trafficking investigation in Fresno County, in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, that involved smuggling and poaching protected species.

All in a day’s work, Isaiah thought, when you’re assigned to the CDFW regional office in Burlingame. More like weeks of work in the operation, but well worth it, as arrests were made and future convictions all but certain. He glanced at Lex, whom he had worked with for the last three years, and said, “Couldn’t have done it without you, buddy.”

He only wished the same were true of his ex-wife. They had been divorced for two years now, after she couldn’t handle being married to someone in the law enforcement world, where scheduling one’s free time could be unpredictable. So she walked and he was unable to stand in her way.

Now, at thirty-three, he was on his own, more or less. Aside from Lex, who never let him down.

Recently, Isaiah had begun spending time with another local CDFW employee, Tamara Dunne, an attractive widow and single mother. They were taking things slow for now, neither of them ready or willing to jump into something prematurely and risk getting hurt or having it end badly.

But that didn’t stop him from looking forward to their dinner date tonight. She was picking the restaurant.

Reaching his three-bedroom, two-story contemporary home on Otlier Drive, Isaiah parked in the driveway next to his personal vehicle, a gray Buick Envista SUV, and got out. At six-three and solidly built, he had short jet-black hair in a line up, a chevron mustache and deep coal-colored eyes. He was in his uniform and had a Glock 22 Gen 5 semi-automatic 40 S&W caliber duty pistol in a leather holster.

He released Lex from his cage. The K-9 was a bundle of energy as they played with each other for a moment before heading inside the house. It had an open concept, high ceilings, casement windows, a great room, a gourmet kitchen and traditional furnishings.

Isaiah allowed Lex to run free, trusting the dog knew how to behave himself when he was just being a part-time pet away from the job.

Following Lex up the switchback staircase, Isaiah went to freshen up, change clothing and get ready for his dinner date. He was also keeping an open mind about where things went from there. If anywhere special. Or not so much.

***

Tamara Dunne drove her blue Subaru Outback down Chestlean Road in Lodren Creek, California. She turned her brown eyes toward the rear-view mirror and smiled at her four-year-old son, Gabriel, who was sitting quietly in his car seat. Seeing his curly black hair and big brown eyes, Tamara couldn’t help but be reminded of her late husband, Jamal Dunne, who died overseas four years ago during a training accident as a member of the United States Armed Forces, without ever getting to meet his son.

Tamara blinked back the thought, knowing that there was no turning back the hands of time as she sought to move forward with her life. Aside from being a single and doting mom, she loved her job as an environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Environmental Sciences division, where she was focused on protecting the state’s rich and diverse environment through science-based means. Lately, she’d been gathering data on agricultural productivity, evaluating issues involving management of natural resources and writing reports.

But as a healthy thirty-two-year-old woman, Tamara also longed to find a partner to share her life with. She felt she had taken a possible step in the right direction with the handsome CDFW officer she was dating, Isaiah Carver. They got along well and had enough in common. Isaiah adored Gabriel and had been patient with her, not wanting to overstep. And she, in turn, did not wish to pressure him, as a divorced man, to go down that road again until if and when they were both ready to move in that direction.

If nothing else, I’m ready to take things up a notch or two—at the very least, Tamara told herself wistfully, hoping that Isaiah felt the same way. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? Hoping to entice Isaiah, she’d worn her favorite pearl necklace and matching pearl earrings, which dangled nearly to her shoulders. She’d also applied a touch of orange blossom–scented perfume along her neckline and behind the ears.

She pulled up to the curb in front of her sister’s big Victorian-style home on McKeiver Lane. Stella Foley, two years older than Tamara, had agreed to babysit Gabriel. An audiologist, Stella and her attorney husband, Carl, who had a thriving law practice, had been very supportive since Tamara became a widow. Just as both had encouraged her to date again and see where it might lead.

Tamara, who was tall at five-nine with a slender frame and a center parted brunette Afro, dropped Gabriel off with a big kiss, before heading to Heidee’s Steakhouse in neighboring Braeden Falls for her date with Isaiah.

When she arrived, Isaiah already had a table for them. He stood as she approached.

“Hey,” he said with a crooked grin.

Tamara tried to control her nerves. “Hey.”

“You look great,” Isaiah told her, checking out the wine-colored cocktail dress and black slingback pumps she wore. “And smell good, too.”

Tamara blushed. “Thanks.” She regarded him in civilian clothes—a yellow knit polo, navy-blue linen pants and brown loafers—instead of the uniform she was used to seeing him wearing. “You clean up pretty nicely yourself.”

He grinned and responded boldly. “You’ve given me a good reason to want to look my best.”

“Well, it’s working,” she pronounced giddily, while picking up a whiff of the woodsy cologne he had on.

Tamara smiled, appreciating that he cared enough to want to go the extra mile where she was concerned. Feeling the same way about him, she took this as a solid sign that Isaiah was the real deal.

It gave Tamara the impetus to want to give it her all and see where it led…and just how far and wide they could go.

After they sat down by the window, Isaiah regarded her over his menu and said smoothly, “If you trust me, I thought I could order for both of us and see if my tastes line up with yours.”

“Hmm…” Tamara couldn’t help but chuckle. He certainly had a way with words. “Yes, I do trust you,” she admitted. “And ordering for two does have a romantic ring to it… So go for it.”

“Okay.” Isaiah grinned. He glanced at the menu. “How’s my little buddy doing?”

“Great. Gabriel’s at my sister’s house, hopefully behaving himself.”

“I’m sure that he is.” Isaiah ordered the meal, and they caught up on each other’s workday.

When the food arrived, they shared bites of their dishes, that included roasted shrimp and pasta pomodoro, all of which Tamara loved, and sipped red wine.

Then they exchanged kisses, before Isaiah murmured in her ear, “What do you say we go back to my place?”

Tamara’s teeth flashed. “I’d like that,” she answered eagerly, after which they paid the bill and headed out.

***

Alphonse Olivarez was agitated as he stood outside the convenience store on Fenfell Drive. He was high on isotonitazene, a synthetic opioid that played with both his mind and body, making him crave it even more. With a loaded Staccato HD P4 9mm pistol in the pocket of his bomber jacket, he sucked in a deep breath, then entered the store.

Alphonse quickly sized up the place through dark brown eyes. There was only one customer at the register—a middle-aged female who never looked his way. The male clerk was maybe thirty, short and stocky, with brown hair in a comb-over style. Unlike Alphonse’s own curly black hair, which was in a temple fade cut. The clerk was wearing round glasses and focused on bagging the customer’s items.

Moseying around, Alphonse checked out the store to make sure no one else was present. When it appeared to be empty of any other customers, he waited for the woman to leave, before approaching the clerk.

The man glanced at him and asked routinely, “Can I help you…?”

Alphonse hesitated for a long moment, having second thoughts, knowing that once he did this there was no turning back. But his overpowering addiction pushed him into action and he whipped out the gun. “I want everything you’ve got in the cash register,” he spat, furrowing his brow.

“Okay, okay,” the clerk uttered nervously, his hands raised. “Take whatever you want.”

Unmoved by his apparent cooperation, Alphonse demanded, “Hurry up!”

The clerk locked eyes with him and opened the cash register. But as he lowered his hand toward the underside of the counter, Alphonse sensed that he was about to bring out a weapon. Panicking, he aimed his firearm at the clerk’s face and pulled the trigger.

His glasses shattered; the clerk went down in a heap. Alphonse climbed over the counter and, after putting the gun away, took as much cash as he could from the register, quickly stuffing it inside his pockets. Gazing down at the dying, moaning clerk and the handgun by his side, Alphonse voiced shakily, “See what you made me do…?”

He got no response as he climbed back over the counter, grabbed a candy bar almost just for effect and ran out of the store, his heart racing.

Outside, he sighed and wondered what to do next in making his escape.

***

While on the road, Tamara was still savoring the thought of making love to Isaiah at his place, after following him there from the restaurant. He had proven to be every bit the lover she imagined. She only wished they could have spent the night together and continued where they left off. But she didn’t want to overstep her bounds with her sister’s generosity in babysitting Gabriel.

Beyond that, Tamara was eager to see her son again, almost as though they had been apart much too long, instead of only a few hours. Isaiah got that, seemingly totally accepting of the fact that Gabriel came with the territory, if this exciting new relationship was to work.

I really hope it does, Tamara mused. Aside from the sexual chemistry, she felt a strong connection with Isaiah that deserved to be explored as far as they both wanted it to go.

When she arrived at Stella’s door, Tamara rang the bell. “Hey,” she said after Stella opened it.

“Hey back.” Stella, who was her same height and build, had black hair in a collarbone-length lob and bold coffee-colored eyes. She was holding Gabriel close, as if he was her own.

“Hope he wasn’t any trouble,” Tamara said, stepping inside the doorway and into a huge living room with rustic furnishings. She knew that Gabriel was usually on his best behavior with his one and only aunt, who loved to spoil him.

“No trouble at all,” Stella assured her, kissing him on the cheek as Gabriel giggled.

“I was good,” he stated proudly, as if there was any doubt.

Tamara chuckled. “Nice to hear.”

“So how was your date?” her sister asked curiously.

Tamara took Gabriel from her, even if he seemed more than content to be in Stella’s arms. “It was nice.”

Stella regarded her. “You’re glowing.”

“Am I?” Tamara blushed, not realizing it was that obvious, albeit for good reason. “Guess I am,” she admitted, leaving it at that for now. “We’d better go.”

“All right,” Stella acquiesced, “but I want details tomorrow.”

Tamara laughed. “If you insist.”

She and Gabriel waved goodbye and they left the house, the door closing behind them. Tamara was holding her son’s hand as they walked to her vehicle at the curb. She opened the back door on the passenger side and put Gabriel in the car seat.

It was only after she closed the door and went around to the driver’s side door that Tamara found herself being accosted by a tall and well-built, dark-haired, dark-eyed Hispanic man in his twenties. To her horror, she saw that he was holding a handgun and pointing it directly at her. She glanced back at the house and wondered if Stella was watching this take place. Beyond that, their security system would likely record it.

Unfortunately, neither of those was enough to prevent whatever it was her that assailant had in mind.

***

That evening, Isaiah was practically giddy as his mind kept drifting back to the red-hot sex between him and Tamara. If he’d had any doubt about their compatibility, their intimacy erased that completely. Especially when coupled with the ease in communication between them and an overall sense that they belonged together. He was intent on making this work—knowing a good thing when he had it in the palm of his hands—with the beautiful and brilliant environmental scientist.

Lex sat quietly nearby in the great room but seemed antsy, while Isaiah sipped coffee and saw on the television news that a local convenience store clerk had been killed in an armed robbery. The unsub, described as a twentysomething, tall Hispanic man, was believed to have carjacked a woman on a street nearby—taking off with the victim’s vehicle and her child, who was in a car seat in the back.

With a lump in his throat, all Isaiah could think about was Tamara and Gabriel, as it seemed to fit.

When his cell phone rang, it was Tamara on the other end. She was frantic. “I-I was c-carjacked outside my sister’s house…” Her voice faltered. “Gabriel was inside the car when the man stole it at gunpoint. I begged him to let me get my son out, but he ignored me…”

“We’ll get Gabriel back!” Isaiah promised. He drew a breath while attempting to maintain his composure. “Were you hurt…?”

Tamara was crying as she responded, “I was shoved to the ground, but I’m okay…”

Thank goodness for that much, Isaiah told himself, flustered at the thought of the carjacking. Locating Gabriel unharmed became a top priority.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Isaiah told her in an even tone. After a beat, he said, “Stay put and let us track down the carjacker…and find Gabriel.”

Tamara agreed reluctantly, adding that her sister’s surveillance camera had captured what had happened, including enough of the suspect for a description.

Isaiah promised to keep her informed every step of the way.

***

After a perimeter had been established by the Merced County Sheriff’s Office, working with the Lodren Creek Police Department, a SWAT team was called in and an Airbus H-125 Echo 1 helicopter was deployed to help in the search for the suspect and rescue of young Gabriel Dunne.

Isaiah had voluntarily joined the mission with his canine partner, intent on doing whatever could be done to bring Gabriel back to his mother safe and sound.

A short while later, Isaiah and Lex were at the scene when Tamara’s Subaru Outback was spotted on the side of a road. While the unsub was nowhere to be found, Gabriel was left unharmed, still in his car seat.

As Isaiah lifted him from the car, he asked the frightened little boy gingerly, to be sure, “Are you okay, buddy?”

“Yeah.” Gabriel wiped tears from his eyes. “Just want my mommy.”

Isaiah smiled. “And she wants you just as much,” he assured him, and handed the boy off to medical staff to check him out before he would be returned to Tamara’s waiting arms.

In the meantime, with the unsub still on the loose and apparently headed out on foot toward the creek, Isaiah and Lex’s service had been officially requested as a CDFW K-9 Enforcement Unit.

“We’re on it,” Isaiah told dispatch, then updated Tamara with the good news about Gabriel.

After parking his truck close to the creek, Isaiah got out with Lex. Sensing that the armed suspect was hiding somewhere, Isaiah took out his weapon and then let Lex loose, believing that the agile and skilled Belgian Malinois would have the element of surprise and fear on his side.

And I’ll be backing you up every step of the way, Isaiah told himself, running hard to keep pace with the dog.

When Lex stopped at the water’s edge, barking vociferously, Isaiah caught up to him and spotted what looked to be a person, almost totally underwater, amidst blackberry bushes and cattails.

As Lex continued to bark and started to enter the creek, Isaiah saw the submerged figure move and then saw the suspect’s head come to the surface.

He yelled, “Call the dog off! I’m giving up—”

“We’ll see about that,” Isaiah said sharply, keeping his gun aimed at the suspect. He commanded Lex to stop, then ordered the man out of the water.

Only once he did so, did Isaiah lower his weapon—with Lex waiting in readiness—then he cuffed and placed the suspect under arrest, before calling it in.

***

After being on pins and needles with worry, Tamara was happily reunited with Gabriel at her sister’s house. They stood in the living room alongside Isaiah and Lex—his tail wagging as he took them in with interest after saving the day with his heroics.

“We have Alphonse Olivarez in custody,” Isaiah reported to her satisfyingly, while noting that the suspect faced a slew of serious charges, including murder, robbery, carjacking and the kidnapping of a child. “Apparently Olivarez decided to quit while he was ahead, with me and Lex making sure he didn’t have second thoughts.”

Tamara was teary-eyed as she held onto Gabriel for dear life and leaned in to murmur, “I’m just grateful to get my son back, thanks to you and Lex, with no harm done. At least that part will stick with Gabriel in the future.” And me too, definitely, she told herself, counting her blessings that Gabriel had been spared from being seriously injured or killed by the carjacker.

“Yeah, I agree,” Isaiah told her. “Hopefully we’ll both be around to help him with any hurdles he may face along the way.”

“We’ll both…?” She gazed up at his handsome face keenly. “Does that mean you intend to stick around for the long haul?”

He grinned, then abruptly turned dead serious in his expression as he responded. “Absolutely. I think we make a great team, Tamara. And Gabriel’s a great kid. I’d be honored to be a father figure to him—and someone you can both count on, through thick and thin.”

Tamara smiled, feeling butterflies fluttering within, and spoke from the heart. “I feel the same way, Isaiah. I think Gabriel does too. Don’t you?” She turned to her son with expectancy.

“Yeah.” The boy gave a cute smile and giggled. “I like you, Isaiah.” He gazed at the K-9, adding, “You too, Lex!”

The dog barked with mutual admiration, making everyone chuckle.

Putting a big grin on his face, Isaiah regarded Tamara and said straightforwardly, “Then it’s settled. From now on, we’re a team and all that it entails…”

Tamara’s eyes lit up as she read between the lines and was certainly on the same page as him. “Agreed,” she uttered with sincerity.

With that, Isaiah took Gabriel from her arms and gave Tamara a tender kiss that, as far as she was concerned, sealed the deal solidly.