Chapter 2
Two
Raven bolted down his meal and stood to pull on his jacket. It might be spring, but the wind still carried the threat of more snow. “I’ll head back to the office and grab Ben. If she isn’t at home, I figure we track her.”
“We’ll drop by her house. Wait at the office. If she’s not there, we’ll call you.” Jenna stood. “We’ll need to enter for a welfare check, so I’ll grab something of hers that Ben and Duke can get a scent from and we’ll head up the Bear Peak trail.”
Raven headed for the door. As he moved swiftly along the sidewalk, he cast his mind back to the last conversation he had with Jan.
She’d mentioned her grandmother being a very strong woman, until she took a fall and broke her hip and went downhill from there.
She died less than six weeks later, leaving Jan alone in a big empty old house set on a good parcel of land just on the outskirts of town.
Although she’d lived in the house since her parents died in a fiery wreck when she was only five years old, being alone frightened her.
He’d spoken to her at length about different ways of protecting herself but really believed she needed the companionship of a dog.
He’d found a suitable young mixed-breed bitch, which came by the name of Greta.
The dog had come from a home with children, but when the owners moved to a smaller house in a different state, they’d left her at the shelter hoping that she would find a good home.
Raven had contacted all the shelters in a hundred-mile area and purchased suitable dogs for training for personal protection or K-9.
When the call came in about Greta, he’d left immediately and collected her.
She was perfect for protection. Active and intelligent, she had been trained by him with ease.
Jan and Greta had made a good combination, but he never allowed dogs to go with new owners until he was satisfied that they were a good fit.
He’d spent time working with Jan and Greta at his ranch and again at Jan’s home, making sure that the dog would settle with her.
Having the dog understand and react immediately to the new owner’s commands was imperative.
Jan and Greta were coming along really well, and with the dog beside her, Jan seemed to forget her nervousness.
He’d recommended contractors, who installed security systems and motion sensors outside the house, and truly believed that the dog, the classes, and meeting other women in the same position had helped her regain her courage.
He’d left his Belgian Malinois, Ben, a military-trained K-9, in the conference room.
His dog hated being left behind, but persistent barking during the exercises with the women had made it necessary.
Ben was very protective and couldn’t tell the difference between women attacking him in a play fight and the real thing.
Not wanting to confuse his loyal companion, he’d left him behind.
The moment he got to the office he headed up the stairs and took down a bag of the dog’s favorite food from the storeroom.
Ben’s excited barks came from the conference room, and when Raven threw open the door, the dog told him all about his day, all the while turning around in circles.
He laughed and filled Ben’s bowl with food.
“Have something to eat. We’re going walkies. ”
The dog’s ears stood up on end and his intelligent dark eyes focused on Raven before he dived into the plate eating ravenously.
Raven leaned against the desk, watching.
He didn’t want to get Ben’s harness just yet because it meant serious work.
It turned a normal dog into a military machine, fierce and loyal.
Ben would put his body in front of him to protect him without a second thought.
He would stay beside him if he became injured and go for help if ordered.
It hadn’t always been this way. He met Ben flying a medevac chopper during a military mission to rescue Ben’s seriously injured handler and was in the process of transporting him to safety.
Unfortunately, enemy fire took down the chopper, and the soldier died in the wreck.
He’d suffered injuries as well, and if not for a special forces sniper, he and Ben would have died at the hands of the rebels.
He’d dragged the injured, distressed dog along with him.
Somehow, they’d formed a bond. It had been fragile, but the dog seeing him injured had made the canine want to protect him.
During his convalescence he’d spent his time learning how to train K-9s.
Working with dogs helped his PTSD, but when the military discharged him, he made a request to take Ben with him.
They’d been together ever since. This was the main reason why he trained dogs for protection for vulnerable people.
The partnership helped both of them. The person had a loyal companion who would look after them, and the dog a home it desperately needed.
His phone chimed and he pulled it out of his pocket and stared at the screen. “Did you find her?”
“No, she’s not here.” He could hear the roar of the Beast, Kane’s tricked-out black truck, behind Jenna’s voice. “We’re heading for the parking lot by the mountain trail at Bear Peak. Grab a few survival packs and meet us there. We’ll wait for you.”
Raven nodded. “Copy that. I’m on my way.” He took down the harness from the peg behind the door. “Come on, Ben, it’s time to go to work.”
He found Jenna and Kane examining a vehicle when he arrived.
He slid out of his truck and opened the back door for Ben.
A few spots of rain splattered his cheeks and he stared at the dark clouds swirling across the sky.
The expected storm would arrive soon. Ben gave a happy bark and walked around Duke, excited to be out in the forest. “That’s Jan’s truck.
She usually drives to my place when she comes to work with Greta. ”
“There’s no sign of her anywhere.” Kane moved to his side. “The house is clear. There are no signs of forced entry and no disturbance whatsoever. Inside it’s as neat as a pin.”
“The vehicle is locked. She’s left a pair of day shoes inside on the passenger-seat well.
” Jenna pulled up the hood of her jacket against the buffeting wind.
“There is one set of footprints leading from the vehicle toward the trail. She came here alone. I wonder what happened to prevent her arriving at your place. What time did you expect her?”
Raven stared at the trail leading into darkness and wondered what made Jan risk going into the forest alone.
“Around seven-thirty. I needed to be at the town hall at nine-thirty to assist with the classes.” He removed his Stetson and pushed a hand through his hair.
“The thing is, this woman is like a scared rabbit. I can’t imagine what prompted her to go into the forest alone at that time of the morning.
If she’d mentioned she’d planned to walk to my place through the forest, I’d have headed out to meet her along the way. ”
“Here.” Jenna handed him a plastic bag with a pair of socks inside. “See if Ben can track her. Dave will give Duke her scent as well. We’ll find her.”
Raven opened the bag and held it to Ben’s nose. Tracking was new for Ben, but Blackhawk had worked with him and he’d gone from okay to amazing in a few weeks. The dog sniffed the air, sneezed, and then headed toward the trail. Raven looked at Jenna. “He’s on it. Let’s go.”