Chapter 11 #2
She had them run though some other training exercises, and then they exited the training area, the woman in charge again talking to the man next to her.
“We’re ready for you,” Greg, the man in the suit, said, the headgear still off. Atlas had spent time in that suit when he and Evie had done some initial training for the K-9 unit, so he knew how hot and uncomfortable it was.
Atlas waited until the overly aggressive dog was out of the training area and back inside before they entered.
He closed the gate, then spent a few minutes on some basic commands and responses.
He wanted to make sure that Evie was tuned into him and listening for him.
She usually was, but this type of situation was where he needed to be sure she was a hundred and ten percent clued in on him.
Once he was satisfied, Atlas got Evie into position, and the man put on the protective headgear.
Then Atlas gave the take down command, and Evie tore off across the area before leaping at the man, throwing all her ninety pounds of momentum against him.
The man went down, with Evie latched onto his arm with her teeth. It was just as they had trained it.
“Evie, back off,” he said firmly, and she let go and backed away just as she should have.
But damn, she kept the padded man in sight in case he made a move at them.
“Come.” Evie trotted over and sat next to him.
“That was amazing. Good girl.” He praised her fully before they moved on with the training exercises, which were not just designed to test the dog’s skills, but to help hone them and make sure they stayed sharp as a team.
Then they went through some additional attack scenarios with the “victim.”
“Where is the instructor I’ve heard about?” Atlas asked while conferring. “Why isn’t she directing the session?”
All Greg did was shrug. They had worked together a number of times before, and Greg knew his stuff, but he wasn’t the one in charge.
“She stands there talking to other people like she’s plotting some sort of coup, and then when we’re done, questions everything.
” He rolled his eyes. “Let’s do one final attack.
This time I’m going to run, and you have her take me down. ”
“Can you do that in that suit?”
“Yeah. Not well, but it will work.” He turned and put on the headgear. Then he began to run, and Atlas gave Evie the command to take him down, which she did.
“That was too easy,” the instructor finally said once he had Evie back with him. Both of them looked at her. It hadn’t been easy at all. Greg was a lot of weight, and Evie had him down quickly.
“What are you saying?” Atlas glared at her. “That was a lot of effort. She threw all her weight into it.” And for someone who spent most of the time carrying on another conversation, how could she be paying that much attention?
“It looked to me like he was ready to go down. Do it again.” They had her attention this time and went through the exercise. Evie did the takedown flawlessly. “Too easy.”
Atlas was losing patience. “Then you get in the suit,” he told her. “You’re supposed to be the instructor. You do it.” He met her steely gaze with one of his own. “I don’t see you doing any sort of instructing.”
She marched over to him like she owned the world. “I watch a training set and give you an evaluation at the end. I don’t know how it was done before, but that is how it works now.”
“Want to bet? It’s your job to do more than just watch.
Either get in the suit and see how Evie performs for yourself if you have legitimate questions, or your evaluation has no merit.
My department pays for these sessions, and I’ll recommend that we locate another facility.
There’s one in Allentown and another down in York.
We can use those.” He was not going to let her get away with doing half a job. He deserved better, and so did Evie.
“Is this because I’m a woman? Do you have problems working with women?”
So she was going to play that card. “Nope. It’s because you aren’t doing your job. Now get in the suit.” He added all the command to his voice, and even Evie took notice, watching him as though she were asking if he wanted her to take down the instructor.
She motioned Greg over, and he took off the suit and got her in it.
“Same scenario as before,” she snapped, and as soon as she started to run, Atlas told Evie to take her down, which she did at a run, sending the instructor sprawling on the ground as Evie growled over her.
It was a gorgeous move. Atlas called her back, gave her extra praise, and put on her leash before taking her to the air-conditioned car.
He poured some water for her into a bowl in back and closed the door so she could cool off. Hell, he needed a moment himself.
“Was that too easy?” Atlas asked as he approached the instructor, who was getting herself out of the suit. She hadn’t even bothered to introduce herself.
“That was impressive. She uses her weight well and took me down without getting too aggressive. Great control, and her command responses are very fast.” She seemed impressed. “I have a few notes for you to work on, but your work is very good.”
Atlas knew when he was having smoke blown up his ass, but he said nothing. Yes, all those things she said about Evie were true. She was an amazing dog, but he wasn’t buying her change of tune. “You can expect my formal evaluation by the end of the day.”
“As I suspect you’ll receive mine as well.” He turned to Greg, who stayed maybe ten feet away. “Thank you for everything.”
“You bet. Tell Evie there are no hard feelings,” he added and headed inside, walking a little gingerly. Atlas returned to the car and got in. He drove back toward Carlisle with Evie lying in the back, head down, needing her rest after that workout.
“How did it go?” Carter asked when he returned. “The captain wants to see you and Evie.”
“Good.”
Carter drew closer. “He didn’t seem in a good mood.”
“I see.” He was prepared as he led Evie through the station to the front corner office and knocked on the door. He went inside when called with Evie right next to him.
“Close the door,” he said firmly. “What were you thinking?”
“What?” Atlas asked with a shrug.
“You went after the instructor and made her get in the suit.” There was a hint of delight in his eyes.
The captain was in his early fifties and had seen just about everything possible.
He was also a good man who had worked his way up through the department over more than twenty years.
Captain Rogers was someone Atlas respected a great deal.
“She accused Evie of not working hard and insinuated that Greg and I had somehow set things up to make ourselves look good. So I told her to get in the suit, and Evie laid her out like she was nothing. Sent her sprawling and sliding on the ground.” He kept the smile off his face.
“I don’t want to train with her any longer.
I’d rather go to the facility in York. It’s farther, but we actually get instruction instead of just a report-pusher. ”
“I see,” he said, sitting back. “And the report that you argued with her?”
“She questioned Evie’s ability. If she had something legitimate, that would be one thing.
But she wasn’t even paying attention. She was talking with someone else almost the entire time, and that isn’t acceptable either.
I know we pay for the time, so we might as well get our money’s worth, and she is not worth what we’re paying.
Greg did most of the work with us, not the ‘instructor.’”
“So you took it on yourself to really get under her skin.”
“It’s one of my talents.” He grinned, and the captain cleared his throat.
“No argument there,” the captain said flatly. “I’ll take your wishes to the chief and see what he says.” He lowered his gaze, and Atlas got up to leave. “There is another issue. I understand that you have one of the people we rescued from the back of the truck living with you.”
“Yes. His name is Bazel. The women were able to be placed in a secure safe house, but those are set up mostly for women, so Bazel came to stay with me. There hasn’t been an issue with the arrangement, per se.”
“Good. But there are concerns that we have officers who are getting involved in ways that might not be appropriate. This is someone who will need to find himself a permanent home, or he could be sent back to his home country. Immigration is a difficult issue at the moment.”
“We are aware of that. County welfare is involved, and we are working with Chris from Social Services. She has been in a few times, and we are in contact with her. But the fact is that there are more people who need help than they have space for.” He smiled slightly. “I’m only doing what I can.”
“Don’t give me any of your crap. I know you’re helping him.
But there is also talk around the station about the two of you, especially with a certain set of officers.
You don’t need me to tell you who they are, because you can guess.
All I’m saying is to make sure that all behavior is being conducted properly.
” He tugged at his collar. “You know what I’m saying, and I’m sure you’re doing just that.
” He didn’t seem to know what else he wanted to say.
“Hopefully a more permanent home can be found soon.”
Atlas swallowed hard because that was exactly what he didn’t want to happen. “I like having Bazel at the house. He’s a good roommate and a nice guy. Living alone isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and best of all, Evie likes him. She’s a better judge of character than I am.”
“Still. It’s best if he moves to another location when possible,” the captain said.
Atlas paused, his mind a whir of conflicting thoughts as he tried to get his mind around what he was being told. “And why is that?” He narrowed his gaze.
“Think of how it might look,” the captain said.
“To who?” he questioned. “The people I work with who do not get a say in how I live my life?” He asked as gently as he could, but probably failed.
“As far as I know, I work for the police department. They don’t get a say in my personal life or who I open my home to.
I have done nothing wrong, but suddenly it seems to you that everyone in the department is commenting on who I allow to stay at my home.
” He took a step toward the desk. “Or is it you who has some sort of problem with this? Because that would be a real disappointment.” He respected Captain Rogers, and yet maybe he was only now seeing the real person behind the image.
The captain’s cheeks grew red, and Atlas wondered if it was anger or embarrassment.
“I don’t care how any of my officers spend their free time or live their lives.
But there are a lot of pitfalls with the kind of living arrangement you have.
He is from a country that has seen a great deal of conflict, and we found him in the back of a tractor trailer.
It isn’t as though he came here through lawful means, and it could look bad for the department for one of our officers to be harboring someone who didn’t arrive here legally. ”
“As I said, Social Services is working with Bazel and the others who arrived with him. Some of them have made arrangements to rejoin their families. It’s apparent that Bazel does not have that opportunity, so we are doing what we can to help him begin his life.
But I want to stress that no one has the right to interfere in my personal life.
And I expect the same kind of deference that every other officer receives.
I have not broken the law in any way, and Bazel has been working with us to try to find the people who transported him.
” He figured he had said enough at the moment.
Atlas had made his position clear. “Is there anything else?” he asked cooly.
The captain didn’t answer right away. “No.”
Atlas turned and left the office, Evie walking right next to him, until they reached his desk.
He released Evie, and she went to her spot on the floor, curled right up, and closed her eyes.
“That’s right, girl. You’ve had a busy day, and you deserve some rest.” He patted her head and stroked down her back.
Atlas wished he could take a nap, but he still had plenty of work to do.
His only hope was that he and Evie didn’t get called out for the next little while.
Evie would be up for it, that was for certain.
The thing was that Atlas wasn’t sure how much action he could take at the moment.
He had done a lot of standing up for Evie and for himself today, and it was exhausting, especially when he shouldn’t have had to.