Necessary Force by D. D. Ayres Read Free Book Online Page A

the protection.”
    “We?”
    He stepped aside to allow his Lab, Zander, to poke a head into the room, sniffing breakfast smells that already had Georgie’s mouth watering.
    The yellow Lab seemed to grin when he saw her, lolling his tongue in that lovable doggy fashion. In fact, only his partner’s hand on his collar seemed to keep him from crossing over to lick Georgie’s hand as he had the first time they met. That restraint reminded her that she was a suspect. Even FBI canines were supposed to be wary around her.
    Her gaze narrowed suspiciously on Zander’s handler. “Are you really FBI?”
    “We are.” He smiled genuinely this time and it drew her attention to his mouth, the same kissable one she remembered.
    She jerked her gaze away. He wasn’t the hunky firefighter she’d shared a steamy night with two months ago. He was a federal agent who had been sent to check her out, believing that she might be involved in potential criminal acts. She’d been had.
    What made her even angrier was the realization that it had been her decision to go against her rule about casual sexual encounters and invite this man into her bed. Look what had happened! Another woman might have ended up discovering the guy was a jerk. Not her. She’d seduced an undercover FBI agent. Way to go, Georgie.
    She looked up, letting her hostility show. He’d propped a hand high on the door frame. The action stretched his torso, drawing his T-shirt taut across the lean muscles of his pecs and abs. It was impossible to miss the fact that he was one very impressive male specimen. But she wasn’t some yo-yo who couldn’t control her libido. Every instinct of self-preservation told her to get away from him as far and as fast as possible.
    Her gaze switched to Zander and her hostility grew. “Why is the dog here?”
    “He’s here to alert on anything suspicious.”
    “He can’t be that good at what he does. He supposedly found bomb smells in my apartment when that’s impossible.”
    His stance stiffened at her dismissal of his K-9 partner. “Zander’s never wrong. Occasionally I misunderstand his signals but he’s not deceitful. He tells it like it is.”
    She shook her head. “He was wrong this time. There never was a bomb or bomb-making stuff in my apartment.”
    “That’s not what Zander detected.”
    Georgie eyed the Lab suspiciously. “What did he detect?”
    Brad hesitated. There were lines he couldn’t cross, information he couldn’t divulge, even to settle her down. “Zander doesn’t just pick up the scent of bombs. FBI dogs can detect nineteen thousand different explosive combinations. In addition, K-9s like Zander collect all kinds of trace evidence smells when he sniffs an object or person. He gets skin cells, sweat from those who’ve handled the bomb-making elements. He can detect the smell of ink on money, find cell phones, trigger devices. He can even detect and match bomb formulas brought in from the field.”
    “Seriously?”
    “Yes. He detects and categorizes smells the way someone like you sees color and texture and contrast.” Brad patted his partner in pride. “A few special dogs, like Zander, can even follow what’s called a vapor wake. That’s the trail of explosive particles a person carrying an incendiary device leaves behind as he moves through a crowd. If we could get within the vicinity, and downwind of our bomber when he’s carrying, then we would have a chance to pick him out before he dropped his load.”
    Still unconvinced, Georgie folded her arms. “So, you believe a dog over a person?”
    “Zander was born with a special nose. I believe he detected trace evidence linking the bomb to odors in your apartment.”
    Georgie chewed her lip. “You’re saying someone connected to the bomb you found at the Senate Office Building was in my home.”
    He regarded her steadily. “That’s a possibility.”
    “The burglar!”
    “Perhaps.”
    “Who else could possibly—? You do think I’m