Chapter 3
Seek
Deciding to give the parents a few moments of privacy, I moved a few steps away.
I made sure the bag was properly sealed to trap the odor, then shoved it into my cargo pocket and made my way back to my truck.
Tommy had stepped back, allowing me to do my job.
We’d been through this together many times before. He knew the drill.
I reached for the handle on my truck and paused, looking over my shoulder. It was like a swarm of locusts following me. They’d all trailed behind me to my vehicle. “If you could please step back?”
They obeyed, but didn’t move but a few steps away.
That was fine. Auron was a Search and Rescue dog, there wasn’t an aggressive bone in his body.
At least I’d never seen him in a situation where he felt the need to be defensive.
He was friendly with people and especially loved children.
That was important for when we found missing people, the dogs put those who were lost at ease.
I let him jump out of the vehicle and switched his regular collar out for his working harness. It had placards that depicted his job so if someone saw him out working they’d leave him alone. It also alerted anyone who was lost that he was there to help.
“What kind of dog is that?” Susie asked.
“Auron is a Belgian Malinois,” I explained.
I preferred working with Malinois because they seemed to take the heat better than German Shepherds and had more stamina than Bloodhounds.
They weren’t a dog that most people could handle because they needed a job to do.
They were high energy, incredibly smart, and ideal for most dog sports and as working dogs.
Auron let out an impatient bark. As soon as his harness went on he knew it was time to work and he wanted me to stop talking.
I locked the truck, but left it running so Jecht would have the AC going while I worked.
Even if the vehicle shut off at any point it had an auxiliary battery that ran a fan for him in the back.
I always brought both dogs in case it was a long search and I needed to swap them out, but in the heat they needed something to keep them cool inside my truck.
My eyes went to the man standing with his arms folded over his chest, “It was Hush, right?” I asked.
He nodded, but didn’t say anything else.
At least his name makes sense.
His dark hair glinted in the sun and I eyed his jeans, long sleeve t-shirt, and work boots. He was at least set up to tromp around in the desert.
“You’re going to come with me,” I told him. “If you can’t make your way back here after you show me where the trail ends, then you’ll be walking it with me.”
“Fine by me.”
This was a man of few words. That wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing while I worked. I didn’t like taking people with me, but I’d do whatever I had to in order to find Dex.
Pulling out my GPS, I marked the camp site.
I knew this area pretty well, but when you were down in washes, it was easier than not to get turned around.
These washes were nothing but dry river beds now, but when monsoons came they had a tendency to fill up fast and some became raging rivers in minutes.
Despite the fact that Auron could lead me back, I always marked the trail as I went with my Garmin GPS. It helped me accurately write up the reports I submitted to the police after the fact.
Shoving that in my opposite pocket from the bag, I threw my Camelback onto my back. Auron whined. He knew I was ready. Taking out the bag, I opened it and let him shove his long snout inside so he could inhale the scent particles.
As soon as he removed his nose and looked up at me, I shut the bag and returned it to my pocket.
I wouldn’t give him the official command to search until we reached the spot where Hush had lost Dex’s trail, but it didn’t hurt to let him have the scent now.
“Auron, come,” I told him. I looked over at the dark-haired, blue-eyed man studying me. “Let’s go.”
Without a word, he led me over to the edge of the campsite and made his way out into the desert, eyes on the ground. I found the child’s shoe prints quickly. There was a little Nike Swoosh that was easy to distinguish and I was grateful for that.
Hush was walking fast, so I knew he hadn’t forgotten which way Dex had gone, but he was keeping an eye on the trail just in case.
He walked to the side of it, preserving the prints and I was impressed.
Most people clomped around all over the sign and made it harder for me to do my job.
I’d had to teach the officers who joined me on searches not to do that. Hush clearly knew what he was doing.
His easy manner spoke to his comfort out in the wilderness. It was impressive. Normally, I worked only with the cops and spoke mostly to my dogs on the trail. This time, since there’d been men who clearly knew how to do a Search and Rescue mission, I was using Hush’s expertise to my advantage.
“What branch of the military were you in?” I asked after about five minutes of being on the trail.
“Marines.”
My eyes narrowed on his broad back. “What did you do in the Marines?” I wasn’t sure what job would make him an expert tracker, but whatever it was, it was clear he was good at the job.
“Force Recon. It’s the Marine’s version of Special Forces.” He tossed a look over his shoulder, then fell silent again as he focused back on Dex’s prints.
That was impressive. I seemed to be finding myself admiring this man more and more. It explained his self-assured nature and why he was so confident out here in the desert. I could only imagine the places he’d seen and things he’d done.
Auron was running out in front of us, following the trail as well, but by scent instead of sight.
Thankfully, it was still early so the heat wasn’t messing with his nose yet.
The hotter it got, the harder it was for the dogs to pick up scent markers.
I hoped to be on the way back with Dex before that happened.
We walked for thirty minutes in silence before Hush pointed to a flat open spot. “I lost the trail there. Couldn’t seem to pick it up again.” He sounded pissed, and I didn’t blame him.
“This is really far for a six-year-old to have wandered,” I commented.
“Dex is wily,” he responded with a rueful grin. “He has an endless amount of energy most days.”
“Clearly,” I said, curbing my sarcastic tone.
Grabbing the hose that connected to my Camelback’s bladder, I opened the end and took a few mouthfuls of water.
Slipping the bag off my back, I pulled a small collapsible bowl from one of the front pouches and poured water from a canteen into it for Auron. He lapped happily at the liquid.
“Thirsty?” I asked Hush and held out the end of the hose. The water in the canteens was for my dog. I’d rather share my own water, and risk running out myself, than take Auron’s.
“Thanks,” he said, giving me an impenetrable look.
Something told me that despite his quiet nature he was a force to be reckoned with when the need arose. A shiver made its way up my spine and I had to look away from those cobalt blue eyes.
I swallowed hard as I watched his lips surround the end of the hose while he sucked water into his mouth.
The desert suddenly felt a few degrees hotter.
Forcing my eyes away from his mouth, I focused on the landscape around us.
That was much safer to think about. Nothing sexy about cactus and mesquite trees.
Once Hush had drunk his fill, I put the pack back on. Whistling, I called Auron over to me. I held the bag out for him again. “Auron, Search,” I ordered, giving him his official command to take over in looking for the boy.
“Let me carry that,” he said, motioning to my Camelback.
“Oh, it’s not a problem. I’ve got it.” It was such a huge part of my routine it’d feel weird not to have the extra weight on my back. I didn’t even notice it anymore.
“I’d rather you stick with me,” I told Hush, ignoring his frown at my refusal to let him carry my bag. “That way when we find him he’ll have a familiar face.” It had absolutely nothing to do with me wanting to spend more time in Hush’s company. My own inner voice called me a liar.
“I wasn’t leavin’ even if you told me to,” he said, his eyes boring into me.
Okay then. My heart skipped a beat and I had to let out a slow breath to calm it.
Auron circled back and bumped my leg, saving me from answering. That was his cue to me he’d picked up the trail. “He moves fast, so we might have to run,” I warned the man standing next to me.
His dark brow arched in challenge. “No problem.”
Eying his body, I silently conceded that it probably wasn’t. He looked like he was in damn good shape even though I guessed he was probably late forties, early fifties. At thirty years old myself I was no spring chicken, but my work kept me fit.
I took off after Auron, loping at a steady pace to catch up with my dog.
Hush stayed close on my heels, but didn’t get out in front of me.
That would have impeded my work and he seemed to recognize that.
I shoved all thoughts of the man behind me to the back of my mind and concentrated on my job.
Determined that nothing would keep me from finding this boy, I ran down the side of the wash after my dog.