her ability and heard nothing but her low, steady growls. I grabbed my gun from the nightstand, pushed myself out of the bed and tiptoed across the room. Max was getting agitated and lunged for the door, headed down the hall. I sank my feet into my boots and sprinted behind her. My heels hit the wood like drum beats warning of an impending war and barking faded out into the night by the time I reached the bottom of the stairs. The back door was open and Max was gone. I followed her without hesitation, a move that could end in disaster. I was defenseless out in the open, but I couldn't lose her.
I heard a splash and then thrashing along the outer bank, but my eyes were not adjusting fast enough to see that far in front of me. I yelled repeatedly as I crossed the river in a fury and felt my foot slip on the bed of slippery rocks and take me down into the icy water. I pulled myself up and crawled out onto the uneven edges of dirt and weeds. There was no sound except for the wind rushing through the trees and the steady whoosh of the river as it traveled its carved-out path. I dug and clawed my way over to the bank and made my way through the brush and timber. I walked and circled, yelling her name. She would have come, if she could hear me. She would have come back to me.
The thought of her being lost was overwhelming. The thought of someone taking her and hurting her was worse. I needed back-up and had to get back to the house to call for Neville. He would be on the road and would get here the quickest. The few minutes that it took me to maneuver through the water and my yard seemed to take forever. I ran through the house and took the radio from the table in the living room and pressed the mic.
"540, 520."
"Go ahead for 520."
I spoke as calmly as I could. "520, request assistance at 121 Water Street." My winded and cracking voice revealed my anxiety. I sat my radio back in its cradle and knew that I should have used my cell. I should have called dispatch directly. I should have called Neville directly. Those few words would travel the airwaves faster than a speeding train. I unlocked the front door and waited.
Jason was the first to fly through the door with Neville on his heels. I told them the events of the evening and Neville headed toward the back door. The rest would follow like a wild pack of wolves. The house was lit up like a circus act. The spotlights traveled from one end of the house to the other. I saw car after car arrive, uniforms of all colors of blue with their weapons drawn. Jason sat facing me in the front bay window, stroking and rubbing my hands. "You all right?
"Yes," I lied, fumbling with my soaked cloths and heavy breathing. I managed to get everything turned in the right direction, but it was sticking to me like paste and I was shivering. His dark eyes scanned me as he reached up to comb my hair back from my eyes. I did my best to hold back the tears, but my emotions betrayed my request and the floodgates ripped open. I had gone from afraid to hysterical to pissed off within seconds.
"Hey, hey, try to breathe." he said, looking into my eyes and wiping away my tears.
"Jason, there was somebody here. Somebody has Max."
"Don't worry, the entire house is being checked. Including the woods."
"I don't know what happened."
"Try to relax, we'll figure it out. I promise," he said, taking off his jacket and wrapping it around me.
"It doesn't make any sense. I know I locked the door."
"I'm sure it's something logical and I wouldn't expect you to be reacting any differently after what's been happening."
"It's not my imagination."
"Try to relax." He rubbed my arms.
"I can't, not now."
Leaving a door open or even unlocked is not my style, and everyone knew it. Lessons learned from the street that you never can shake. Jason leaned closer, slipped his hand around the back of my neck and slowly massaged the tension away. His strong hand was warm and gentle and all I wanted to do was melt into him, but I
I heard a splash and then thrashing along the outer bank, but my eyes were not adjusting fast enough to see that far in front of me. I yelled repeatedly as I crossed the river in a fury and felt my foot slip on the bed of slippery rocks and take me down into the icy water. I pulled myself up and crawled out onto the uneven edges of dirt and weeds. There was no sound except for the wind rushing through the trees and the steady whoosh of the river as it traveled its carved-out path. I dug and clawed my way over to the bank and made my way through the brush and timber. I walked and circled, yelling her name. She would have come, if she could hear me. She would have come back to me.
The thought of her being lost was overwhelming. The thought of someone taking her and hurting her was worse. I needed back-up and had to get back to the house to call for Neville. He would be on the road and would get here the quickest. The few minutes that it took me to maneuver through the water and my yard seemed to take forever. I ran through the house and took the radio from the table in the living room and pressed the mic.
"540, 520."
"Go ahead for 520."
I spoke as calmly as I could. "520, request assistance at 121 Water Street." My winded and cracking voice revealed my anxiety. I sat my radio back in its cradle and knew that I should have used my cell. I should have called dispatch directly. I should have called Neville directly. Those few words would travel the airwaves faster than a speeding train. I unlocked the front door and waited.
Jason was the first to fly through the door with Neville on his heels. I told them the events of the evening and Neville headed toward the back door. The rest would follow like a wild pack of wolves. The house was lit up like a circus act. The spotlights traveled from one end of the house to the other. I saw car after car arrive, uniforms of all colors of blue with their weapons drawn. Jason sat facing me in the front bay window, stroking and rubbing my hands. "You all right?
"Yes," I lied, fumbling with my soaked cloths and heavy breathing. I managed to get everything turned in the right direction, but it was sticking to me like paste and I was shivering. His dark eyes scanned me as he reached up to comb my hair back from my eyes. I did my best to hold back the tears, but my emotions betrayed my request and the floodgates ripped open. I had gone from afraid to hysterical to pissed off within seconds.
"Hey, hey, try to breathe." he said, looking into my eyes and wiping away my tears.
"Jason, there was somebody here. Somebody has Max."
"Don't worry, the entire house is being checked. Including the woods."
"I don't know what happened."
"Try to relax, we'll figure it out. I promise," he said, taking off his jacket and wrapping it around me.
"It doesn't make any sense. I know I locked the door."
"I'm sure it's something logical and I wouldn't expect you to be reacting any differently after what's been happening."
"It's not my imagination."
"Try to relax." He rubbed my arms.
"I can't, not now."
Leaving a door open or even unlocked is not my style, and everyone knew it. Lessons learned from the street that you never can shake. Jason leaned closer, slipped his hand around the back of my neck and slowly massaged the tension away. His strong hand was warm and gentle and all I wanted to do was melt into him, but I
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