"I would." Her lips tightened. "And if Captain Ramirez starts giving me excuses about not finding him, I will. He can't get away with shooting my dogs."

"Your dogs?"

"I'm the vet on-site. All these rescue dogs may not belong to me, but their health is my responsibility." She went across the tent to her computer to view the X-ray. "And why the hell haven't I seen you and Ned on the mountain? You don't belong to any of the U.S. rescue groups that I flew in with."

"I don't belong to a group. Ned and I are sort of… freelance."

"Freelance? No way. Do you think I'm stupid? You have to have government permission even to enter the area. They wouldn't approve anyone not sponsored and approved by a government."

"We were here. We were doing a job." He met her eyes. "Now why don't you do your job? Take that bullet out of Ned."

He was right. The barely contained violence that glimmered beneath Marrok's cool exterior might be antagonizing her and filling her with suspicion, but she could deal with it later. She wasn't about to put him through a third degree until she finished taking care of the dog. Her gaze shifted to the X-ray on the computer. "You appear to have guessed right. The bullet isn't lodged in a vital organ."

"No guess. I told you that no one knows Ned like I do. Anesthesia?"

"Of course."

"I don't like anesthesia." He lifted his hand to ward off the words he knew she was going to say. "I'm not suggesting you cut into him without it. He'll need it for the initial pain. But I want you to use PropoFlo and work fast. He'll come out of it quicker, and he'll be himself again. That's important in Ned's case."

"It's sometimes better for them to have a heavier sedation. They don't try to struggle after they wake and break the stitches."

"He won't struggle. I'll explain it to him."

Her brows lifted. "You may believe he's very intelligent, but it's instinct that makes-"