Chapter 12 #2
“What is this place?” I call out as I get off my bike, my helmet tucked under my arm.
Nico’s comment made me curious, so I joined him once our shift ended.
It’s not like I had anything better to do.
I look around the half-empty parking lot, only for my eyes to narrow when I spot a familiar black truck.
What is he doing here?
“So impatient.” Nico elbows me in the side, snapping my attention to him. He tilts his head toward the building. “Let’s go inside.”
Setting the helmet on the seat, I follow after him, the AC slamming into my face the moment we step inside and enter what can only be described as complete chaos.
A high-pitched barking fills the room. Something falls, clattering loudly, paws scraping against the hardwood.
“Shit! Close the door!” a woman yells, sitting upright next to the registration counter. “She’s going to—”
Her words are cut off as Nico steps inside, slamming the door closed. The little rat that’s running in our direction comes to a sudden halt, as does the ruckus in the room.
I blink a few times, trying to wrap my head around what I’m seeing, but before I can do that, the animal goes into another mad dash.
The dark-haired woman, who’s been trying to use the animal’s distraction to catch it, curses under her breath as she scrambles to her feet.
“C’mon, Poo,” she coos softly as she moves after the animal in measured steps.
“Man the door,” Nico mutters and then walks around the counter, coming from the other side.
“No need to be skittish, love.” The woman crouches down, extending her hand toward the dog as Nico slowly moves in on them. “If you come to me, I’ll give you a treat. You love treats.”
The word “treat” has the dog tilting its head to the side. It’s almost as if it’s debating whether it should take the offer or not.
The woman moves closer. “You don’t want the treats? I have your favorite.”
The dog’s eyes narrow slightly when it realizes it’s being cornered. It dashes to the side. The woman follows, and so does Nico.
I push from the door as there is another loud thud. Leaning over the counter, I find both of them crouching on the floor, mere inches separating them.
“Shit.” Nico looks at the woman. “You okay? Did I hit you hard?”
“I have a thick head,” she jokes, rubbing her forehead. Letting her hand drop, her whole face lights up. “You caught her!”
Nico looks down, and sure enough, the wiggling thing is pressed against his chest, trying to find a way to slip out of his grasp.
“Poo, you naughty little girl!” the woman chastises as she scoops her out of Nico’s arms and lifts her so they’re eye to eye.
The animal is so small that it could comfortably fit between my palms. It has to be some kind of poodle or something, because the majority of its body is covered in light-brown skin, with a few patches of dark-brown fur around its ears, tail, and legs, the thinned-out strands sticking out in different directions. It kind of reminds me of Einstein.
“What is that?” Nico voices out my own thoughts.
“This is Poo. She’s the newest resident of the shelter, but apparently little missy has some thoughts about baths.”
The animal shudders visibly at the mention of the bath, which has the woman shaking her head as she smooths her hand gently down the dog’s back.
“I know, girly, but you stink, and I saw some fleas. Gotta get rid of those so you’re all pretty when people come to check you out.
” She smiles at the animal. “They’ll love you, Poo.
We’ll find you a new home in no time. You’ll see. ”
As she talks to the animal, my partner watches her intently. Almost as if he’s transfixed.
Not that I can blame him.
She’s pretty. Her long, dark hair is pulled into a high ponytail; a few runaway strands have fallen out of their confines during the chase and are now curling around her face.
She’s dressed in pink scrubs with little paws on them, and what I assume is the logo of the shelter on the pocket of her shirt.
“Sorry about that.” She looks up at Nico. “We don’t usually greet our guests this way.”
“Does that mean I’m special?” Nico asks, a smile tugging at his lips.
I hold back my snort at the cheesy comeback, not that either of them notices because their attention is locked on one another.
“Apparently so.” The dog looks at my partner, extending her little body so it can lick Nico’s hand. “And look, Poo likes you. She doesn’t really like many people. Men especially.”
“She’s cute.” I shake my head as Nico rubs the dog between her ears. “What happened to her?”
“Her owner died recently, and her family couldn’t bring her with them since they have a strict no-animals policy in their home. You looking into adoption?”
“Umm… Not really. We’re here to see Chase.”
“Oh.” The woman straightens, any warmth in her expression disappearing in the blink of an eye. “You’re cops.”
She shifts the dog from one hand to another and then pushes to her feet. Nico is faster, though, grabbing her arm to help steady her.
“Thanks,” she murmurs, pulling her hand out of his grasp the moment she’s on her feet, doing everything to avoid his gaze. “Chase is out back with Duke. I’ll show you the way.”
Nico’s brows pull together at the clear dismissal, his gaze glued to the woman’s back as she goes to the double doors at the back of the room.
I walk to him, nudging him with my elbow. “You’ve gotta work on your flirting skills, dude.”
He turns to me, shooting me a death glare.
“Shut up, Rookie,” he grumbles, clearly not amused in the least.
I just chuckle as I go after her and then hold the door open. “After you.”
She eyes me carefully before she slips inside. “Thank you. Just make sure the door is closed. I don’t want to risk any more animals slipping outside.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Her eyes narrow at me as she studies me intently for a moment. “Do we know each other?”
“I don’t think so?”
“Hmm…” We enter the dimly-lit hallway. “Gimmie a second.”
She enters one of the rooms, and when she pops back out, the dog is nowhere in sight. “Okay, it’s this way. Chase is working with Duke out back in the yard. They’re—” She pushes another set of doors and snaps her fingers. “Now I know why you look so familiar!”
The bright sun blinds me temporarily as I step outside, and by the time my vision clears, I see none other than my brother standing in the middle of the yard with a dog by his side.
“You’re related to Chase, aren’t you?”
The man in question does a weird series of steps and turns, the dog following his every move in a perfectly synchronized rhythm.
“Matthew Williams.” I extend my hand toward her. “I can’t say I know who you are.”
“Maisie Foster. Chase and I work together.”
“What are you doing here?” I turn around to find my brother scowling at me, arms crossed over his chest while the dog’s sitting patiently by his side.
“Is that the way to say hello to your favorite brother?”
“You’re my only brother,” Chase deadpans.
“Maybe, but I’m your favorite sibling. You can’t deny that.”
Chase just lets out a low grunt, not a denial nor an agreement, which makes me chuckle.
“And here I thought he has better manners with his siblings.” Maisie shakes her head.
“Ha! We can only wish. He’s always been a grumpy asshole.”
“That still doesn’t explain what you’re doing here,” Chase mutters as he joins us, the dog following in his footsteps.
“Hey, don’t ask me. Ask him.” I point at Nico, who’s just standing to the side and observing our interaction. “Better question is what you’re doing here.”
“He helps.” Maisie gives him a side glance, the corner of her mouth tipping upward. “Occasionally.”
“Do I need to remind you, you were the one who asked me to come here?”
Maisie snorts. “Oh, please. As if you don’t do that on the regular.”
“Is that the dog?” Nico finally asks, tilting his head in the direction of the dog who’s standing by Chase’s leg.
“Yes. That’s Duke.”
Duke’s ears perk up at the mention of his name. Different colored eyes stare at us with intensity and intelligence that is almost human-like. He’s tall and lean. His fur is grayish-black, and although it’s evenly grown, I can spot a few pinkish scars on his body and legs.
“He’s still young and needs more training, but he’s shown great progress and interest in working.”
My brows pull together. “Working?”
Chase nods. “I’ve been teaching him basic commands, and we’ve started on some search and rescue training exercises.”
“For?”
I could see my brother being interested in working with the animals, even training rescues. From a young age, he’s always had a keen sense for them, and after he retired from the Army, that connection only intensified.
“After everything that happened a few weeks ago, I’ve been thinking about this more.” Nico shrugs, but his face is serious, and I can feel my own shoulders tense.
I know exactly what he’s talking about—an attempt at kidnapping Rose’s son, which led to her ex shooting Chase. The whole reason I’m here in the first place.
“If it hadn’t been for Shadow, I’m not sure we would have found Kyle when we did, and asking for the search and rescue team takes time.
Our department might be small, and the crime rates aren’t as high as they are in the city, but we’re secluded enough that we would benefit from a search and rescue dog considering every now and then we get people who get lost in the woods. ”
“That makes sense.” I glance at him. “Does Jenkins know about this?”
“He does.” Nico pinches the bridge of his nose. “That’s what we were talking about earlier. He agrees that having a K9 would be helpful, and he promised to bring the idea up with the town council, but we all know how bureaucracy works.”
“I get that, but K9s require a lot of training, tests, and licenses,” Chase interjects, his tone serious.
“I’ve asked around, and I could get a license to be a certified K9 trainer here at the shelter.
It helps that I was a K9 handler myself in the Army.
But that still doesn’t solve the problem of the money and official certification for each dog.
The department would need to sponsor the training, housing, food, and the certification of the officer who’s going to be the official handler. ”
“I know.” Nico sighs and rubs his hand over his jaw.
“Give me some more time. I’ll talk to Jenkins; make sure he understands the importance of it.
Hell, I’ll go and talk to the council myself if I have to.
They’re not dumb, and should see a benefit of having a search and rescue dog in the long run. ”
“Okay, but make it fast.” Chase rests his hand on Duke’s head and gives him a little pat. “He’s a good dog. Extremely intuitive and sharp. He was born to work. Talk to Jenkins. But if he doesn’t agree, we’ll have to find someplace else for him. He’s too talented for it all to go to waste.”
“I know. I appreciate you doing this. I promise I’ll get this sorted out as soon as possible. Who knows? Maybe it won’t be as hard as I think.”
Knowing Jenkins, that shit ain’t gonna be easy.