Border Breach

When drugs are smuggled across the border

it’s their duty to stop the culprits…at any cost.

Forming a joint task force, Canada border officer Kaylin Poirier and police constable Hudson Steeves have one objective: take down a drug-smuggling ring trying to sell a new lethal product. But when the smugglers come after Kaylin and Hudson, this mission becomes more than just a job. Can they live long enough to solve the case?

DARLENE L. TURNER is an award-winning author who lives with her husband, Jeff, in Ontario, Canada. Her love of suspense began when she read her first Nancy Drew book. She’s turned that passion into her writing and believes readers will be captured by her plots, inspired by her strong characters and moved by her inspirational message. Visit Darlene at www.darlenelturner.com, where there’s suspense beyond borders.

Also By Darlene L. Turner

Border Breach

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

Border Breach

Darlene L. Turner

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-0-008-90673-3

DEADLY COVER-UP

© 2020 Kathleen Tailer

Published in Great Britain 2020

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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“Don’t move. We only want her.” The masked man pointed the barrel of his gun in Kaylin’s direction.

Hudson kept his hand on the Smith & Wesson still holstered at his hip. “Who are you and what do you want with Kaylin?”

“None of your concern, Constable. Take your hand off that gun of yours.”

Hudson lifted his hands in surrender but inched closer to one of the assailants. “Tell us what you want.”

A sneer peeked out from behind the man’s mask. “I told you. He wants her.”

“He?”

“The boss.”

Could he mean Valentino? “Look, you don’t have to do this. Surrender and we’ll take that into—”

The mansion’s front door opened.

It was enough of a distraction to act. Both Kaylin and Hudson whipped out their weapons, crouching behind the back of the cruiser.

Hudson turned back to the gunman. “Give it up, man. You won’t get away with this.”

But the silent masked man fired in their direction, bullets spraying the area.

Dear Reader,

I hope you enjoyed reading Kaylin and Hudson’s story as much as I loved crafting it. It was fun to create their world and delve into their lives. Living in Canada, I’ve always been fascinated by Canadian law enforcement and the Canada Border Services Agency. I knew I needed to write them both into a story because they often work together. Plus, who doesn’t love a handsome constable?

I felt it was important to give them everyday struggles because it’s reality, right? There are times we need to move forward and forgive so we don’t become bitter. It makes us stronger.

I’d love to hear from you. You can contact me through my website www.darlenelturner.com and also sign up for my newsletter, to receive exclusive subscriber giveaways. Thanks for reading my story.

God bless,

Darlene L. Turner

Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

—Colossians 3:13

For Jeff, my forever love.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

Introduction

Dear Reader

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

Extract

Extract

ONE

Officer Kaylin Poirier’s stomach lurched at the sight of the two people inside a white florist van that pulled up to her booth at the Windsor-Detroit border. The driver wouldn’t meet her gaze and his passenger couldn’t sit still. Their body language elevated her guard. Could it simply be her overactive imagination or perhaps the humid weather putting her in a foul mood? Experience said there was more to it. This was her job, to protect the border and catch criminals illegally importing goods into Canada—whether it be drugs, weapons or immigrants. Today was no different.

Actually, today was different. Security at the border had been tightened by her father, Chief of Police Marshall Poirier. “We will find every drug smuggler and stop them before they can enter Canada. My daughter will make sure of it,” he’d said at a joint television press conference earlier in the morning.

She winced at the memory of his firm grip on her arm and commanding voice as he spoke. He’d vowed to clear his city of drugs after numerous gangs had terrorized the community with deadly narcotics. Too many teens had died in the past two months.

And he expected her to get the job done.

No pressure.

She wiped perspiration off her forehead and extended her hand out the window of the booth. “Passports, please.”

She eyed the inside of the van, checking for contents, but the rear of the vehicle was hidden by a partition. Not good. She would have to go around and open the back doors.

The men handed over their passports, and she ran them through the bar scanner. “How long were you in the States?”

“One day.” The driver wiped his brow, chewing on his lip.

The passenger tugged at his hoodie and sat further back into his seat.

Kaylin checked her computer, noting their nervousness. Strange. “What are you declaring?”

“Flowers, ma’am.” The driver produced a paper. “Here’s the phytosanitary certificate allowing us to bring them into the country.”

She examined the document to determine if all the correct signatures and details were included. Satisfied it was legit, she passed it back to him.

He took the form with a shaky hand.

Detector Dog Services Officer Nolan Keene walked in front of her booth with one of their dogs. The DDS worked with the Canada Border Services Agency and patrolled the border frequently, checking for smuggled goods. The older man had mentored Kaylin during her probation period two years ago and now often shared advice with her on what to observe when inspecting cars as they traveled over the border.

The beagle stopped and growled at the van, inching its way toward the vehicle.

Kaylin’s muscles tensed. Something was up. The dog’s actions confirmed her suspicions that she needed to investigate this van more closely. No way would she let the men pass without further inspection, especially with her father counting on her.

She stepped outside her booth and stood in front of the driver’s window. “Sir, can you shut off the vehicle and give me your keys?” She held out her left hand, keeping her right positioned on her weapon.

He shifted in his seat, exposing a gun in his lap. He fingered his Glock. A picture of Kaylin and her father at the press conference lay on top of the middle console.

Kaylin’s pulse palpitated, throbbing in her head. Why would they have her picture? Her training kicked in and she whipped out her 9 mm as she stepped an inch to the right to get out of his line of fire. “Gun! Hand it over. Now.”

The driver’s expression turned to a daring snare.

Nolan pulled his weapon from his holster. The beagle barked, tugging the officer toward the commotion.

The rows of cars lined up to cross the border reminded Kaylin of the pending danger. She needed to contain the situation before panic set in and others got hurt. She wouldn’t allow that on her watch.

The man opened his door in a flash, shoving Kaylin to the ground. Then he aimed his gun on her.

Before he could act, Kaylin rolled to the back of the van and crouched in an attack position. She pressed her radio button. “Officer in need of assistance. Hostiles armed and dangerous. Booth two.”

Nolan took cover behind a column and pointed his gun toward the vehicle. The beagle continued to bark, intent on protecting those around him.

The driver pulled the door shut, fired a shot out the window and gunned the engine, tires squealing on the concrete.

“Oh no, you don’t.” Kaylin fired.

She hit the driver’s-side mirror, causing the vehicle to swerve for a split second. The driver straightened the van and stepped on the gas.

He shot back, the bullet slamming into the concrete beside Kaylin. She scrambled to her booth, taking a position behind the wall, her heart jackknifing to her throat.

Nolan returned fire, damaging the rear window.

Sirens sounded as CBSA vehicles made their way to Kaylin’s booth. They pulled in front of the van, blocking its path.

The driver increased his speed and swerved around the vehicles, scraping the side of the concrete barrier. Then the van raced off into the distance.

Kaylin mumbled under her breath and holstered her weapon. Her fellow officers radioed ahead to the local Ontario Provincial Police to pursue the suspects. OPP patrolled the highways and would be nearby. Hopefully they’d intercept the fleeing van and stop it from getting further inside the Canadian border. Kaylin hated that the two men in the van had gotten away. Not a good start to tightening security at her border.

Other CBSA officers directed the bottleneck of cars to the remaining booths. They needed to keep them moving.

Nolan approached Kaylin with the dog. “You okay?”

She brushed gravel off her uniform. “Perturbed they escaped.” Tightness grabbed her chest, reminding her of her father’s impending wrath for not doing a thorough job. No doubt she would hear from him and her boss.

“Agreed. Time for the OPP to take over.” He petted the dog. “Duke sure had a nose for something in that van.”

“Good boy.” She rubbed the beagle’s head. “I wonder what they were smuggling.” And what was their intent with her?

Duke barked. Nolan ruffled the dog’s ears. “Let’s hope we catch them and find out.”

Kaylin’s radio crackled. “Officer Poirier, this is Dispatch,” the female said. “Be advised the police are en route to your location to discuss the incident.”

She stiffened. Great. Now she had to report to the police on the situation.

The last time she had to work with them did not go well.

A police cruiser pulled up at her booth and an officer stepped out.

Kaylin sucked in a breath.

Not him again.

Canadian police constable Hudson Steeves adjusted the holster at his waist and made his way over to the border patrol officer he needed to interview. The one involved with this morning’s incident with the florist van. Not a coincidence the altercation had happened shortly after they received a tip of the doda drug being smuggled into Canada via this exact border.

That was why he was here. To determine whether the driver of the van brought doda into their country. He was now part of a joint task force the chief of police had assembled.

Plus, he had made a promise to his sister to catch the drug ring that had targeted his nephew.

He stopped when he saw the CBSA officer standing near her booth.

Chief Marshall Poirier’s daughter.

Kaylin Poirier was the most stubborn woman he’d ever met. Sure, he noted how the tall brunette stood with her hands on her hips, looking more beautiful than when he’d seen her six months ago. However, he would not get sucker punched by a woman again.

Focus.

He tipped his hat at the two officers. “Morning.”

Kaylin crossed her arms. “Constable Steeves, what brings you here?” Her question held a curtness to it.

Images of their last case together flashed before him. Things had not gone smoothly: they’d almost lost their suspect because of their constant bickering, and he had nearly been fired. He’d vowed never to let it happen again during an investigation.

He squinted in the June sunlight. “The incident with the florist van.”

A wrinkle distorted her brow as she averted her gaze. “It occurred ten minutes ago. How did you get here so fast?”

Her body language told him she was annoyed by his presence.

Hudson eyed the other officer and extended his hand. “Constable Hudson Steeves. You are?”

“Nolan Keene with Detector Dog Services for the CBSA.” They shook hands. Nolan held up his dog’s leash. “This is Duke.”

Hudson nodded. “Nice to meet you both.” He turned back to Kaylin. “To answer your question, we had an anonymous tip that a shipment of a drug named doda was coming across the border. I was on my way over here when I heard the call about the chase.”

Kaylin adjusted the radio on her shoulder. “I don’t have an update for you. The OPP are still in pursuit.”

He took a step forward. “You hurt? I heard they shot at a CBSA officer.”

She tightened her arm muscles. “I’m fine. Nothing I can’t handle.”

Nolan motioned for Duke to sit. “How do you two know each other?”

“We worked on a case together six months ago,” Kaylin said.

Hudson pulled out a notebook. “Tell me about this van. What did the driver look like?”

“Asian. Approximately twenty-five. The passenger was wearing a hoodie, so I couldn’t see his face clearly.” Kaylin shook her head.

Hudson positioned his pen. “What happened?”

“I became suspicious as soon as their van pulled up to my booth.”

“Why?”

“Tense body language,” Kaylin said. “And then when Nolan and Duke walked by, Duke growled.”

Nolan rubbed the beagle’s ears. “One of his signs that he smelled something inside that van.”

Kaylin eyed the dog and nodded. “I stepped out of my booth and up to the driver’s window, requesting he turn off the engine and hand me the keys. Then I saw the gun.”

“You’re fortunate you didn’t get hurt. What happened next?”

She kicked a stone and dragged the toe of her boot in a circle.

She was stalling. Obviously, something bothered her.

He took a step closer. “What is it?”

She shoved her hands in her pockets. “They had a picture of me and my dad at the press conference this morning.” A pause. “Why would they have that?”

What? Not what he was expecting her to say. “They targeted you?”

“How would they know which booth I was at?”

Hudson glanced around. “They’re watching you. Are you normally at this one?”

“Mostly, but not always.” Duke nudged her hand, licking it. She looked down at the dog. “You know how to lighten the mood, don’t you, boy?” She squatted and rubbed the dog’s neck.

“How did you get away?” Hudson asked.

“I scrambled out of their line of fire. That was when Nolan ran toward us. It startled them and they pulled away. I shot at the van. Didn’t stop them, though.”

“We radioed the OPP to pursue them,” Nolan said. “That’s the last we heard.”

“Police joined in on the chase just as I arrived here.” We often work together with the OPP and other law enforcements on joint task forces.

Nolan adjusted the dog’s collar and Duke wagged his tail. “Well, I gotta get this guy back to work. Nice meeting you, Constable.” With a wave, Nolan spun on his heels and left.

“Let’s check the area for shell casings.” Hudson tucked his notebook back in his front shirt pocket.

“We should find mine, Nolan’s and the driver’s.” Kaylin scoured around her booth as the other CBSA officers directed the lines of cars through the border.

Hudson pointed to the shiny casing glittering in the sunlight. He put gloves on and picked it up. “This yours?”

She peered closer. “9 mm. Looks like it.”

He inspected the booth’s doorway and found two 10 mm casings. “Gotcha.” He bagged them and tucked it into his pocket. “Let me see if I can get an update.” He punched in his sergeant’s number. “Hey, Sarge, any word on the pursuit at the border with the OPP?”

“They found the van abandoned and on fire. Footprints appeared in the dirt. The driver and passenger must have fled through the woods.”

“Any goods found at the scene?” He turned for privacy.

“That’s what you need to find out. I’ll text you the address. Survey the area. I spoke with the CBSA officials and looks like you’ll be working with the chief’s daughter, Kaylin, on this task force. Know her?”

He tightened his grip on his phone and a lump formed in his throat. Could he work with her again?

A horn honked in the distance. The booths were filled with cars bumper to bumper. Another busy day at the border with thousands of passengers wanting to either visit or reenter their normally peaceful country. Too bad this day had been tainted with scandal.

“Talking with her right now.” He turned back to face her and caught his breath. Maybe he could make amends for the last time.

Kaylin’s eyebrows rose.

“Get this going. I’m counting on you to catch this drug gang. We need to stop it before it continues to hit the streets.” Sergeant Peter Miller clicked off the call.

Hudson stuffed his cell phone in his pocket. “Looks like we’ll be working together again.”

Her face contorted. “What are you talking about?”

“We’re looking into the uprise of the doda drug and I’ve joined the task force to stop the smugglers. Get your gear.”

She fisted her hands on her hips, eyes turning cold. “I’m working a lane today.” Her cell phone buzzed. She pulled it out of her pocket and checked the screen. She grimaced as the text message confirmed her earlier suspicions. “My father heard about today’s incident. Great. I’ll never hear the end of this.”

Her clipped tone spoke of possible friction between father and daughter. Would it cause problems? “They found the van abandoned. We need to go check it out. See what evidence we can find,” Hudson said.

“I can’t leave in the middle of a shift. My boss wouldn’t—”

Bullets ricocheted off the pavement.

They were under fire.

TWO

Hudson threw himself on top of Kaylin, pushing her into the booth to take cover. “You okay?”

“Not hit.”

He ignored his galloping heartbeat, whipped out his Smith & Wesson and aimed it through the entrance.

Where was the shooter? Were they targeting Kaylin? Muffled screams echoed throughout the stalled lanes of traffic.

Another round of bullets hit the booth, penetrating the glass and creating a spiderweb effect on the window. Several shards bit into his arm and blood began to ooze from the cuts instantly. He winced but dismissed the pain and dared a glance into the parking lot.

Gunfire peppered a nearby car’s windshield. He needed to check on the occupants.

“Where’s the shooter?” Kaylin stayed low and pointed her weapon out the broken window.

“No idea, but there can’t be too many places for the sniper to hide. Obviously, someone knows what they’re doing.” He took out his phone and punched 911, relaying their location and the number of shots fired.

Pounding footsteps sounded nearby as more CBSA officers made their way to the area.

Hudson waved at them. “Stay down!”

After several minutes of silence, Hudson slipped his gun back in its holster. He and Kaylin eased out of the booth, feet crunching on the broken glass.

“You hurt?” His gaze caught hers and held.

She hesitated. “I’m good. What about the other drivers, though?”

Hudson nodded and ran to the car hit by bullets to ensure they didn’t have any victims. He approached the vehicle with caution.

The couple lay on the front seat, shielding their heads.

Hudson opened the door. “Everyone okay?”

They peeked up, brushing off shards of glass. “They didn’t hit us. Just the windshield.”

Did this shooting have anything to do with the earlier incident? Were the suspects really targeting Kaylin and had they come back to finish the job?

Sirens pierced the area. EMS and local authorities weaved through the lanes. Windsor police officers piled out of their cruisers and approached them for a briefing on the situation.

After an intensive search of the area, Kaylin holstered her 9 mm. “Shooter is gone.”

Hudson wiped the perspiration from his forehead. The June morning had already turned muggy. “Sniper fired multiple shots. Hit the booth and a car,” he informed the Windsor police officers.

Hudson eyed Kaylin’s rigid body. Just like him, she stood on guard for more shots, but the bags under her eyes didn’t have anything to do with the tension from the shooting. They revealed sleep deprivation. Why? The pretty officer was stressed about something in her life and he had the sudden urge to find out what it was. To help.