Chapter 18 #3
Too easy. Way too easy, and that thought took him by the throat and moved him into a painful run.
He wrenched open the door, struggled up the stairs, and heard the last of Keely’s song as the crowd applauded.
He stood in the dark, listening to his heartbeat.
Above the song, a whine sounded, as if from Caspian, high, worried—
His gut tightened. Diversion! Dawson headed toward the closed door of the greenroom, grabbed it.
Caspian jumped to his feet, barking.
Dawson froze.
Mars Sorros pointed a gun at Axel, who held both Caspian and Zoey in his grip.
He’d clearly been expecting Keely, because his jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing. “You.”
“Me.” Dawson pointed his gun at Sorros. “Put down the gun.”
“No.” And then Mars grabbed Zoey, yanked her away from Axel, and shoved the gun against her head.
It happened so fast, Dawson didn’t have time to react. Caspian lunged toward the man, his teeth on his arm, ripping his grip away from the little girl.
Zoey screamed, and Axel grabbed her back, caught her, and rolled away from the man.
Dawson pulled the trigger, but Mars struggled with Caspian, shouting, and the shot only scuffed him.
Caspian was a bulldog, tearing at Mars’s arm, and Dawson couldn’t get another shot. The man fell back against the wall and punched Caspian. The dog yelped and must have loosened his hold, because Mars hit him again.
The dog cried, and the sound of it set Dawson on fire. He leaped at Mars, grabbing him around the waist as the man threw Caspian away. His arm bled, and Dawson slammed him against the wall.
“Don’t move!”
Mars elbowed him in the ribs, but he ignored it, grabbed his wrist, fighting for a submission hold.
Behind him, Caspian was crying.
Mars turned, slammed his fist into Dawson’s chest, and Dawson stumbled back.
Then Mars pointed his gun at Dawson, and—
Caspian lunged at him, maybe to again grab his arm—
The shot exploded through the room, and Caspian dropped.
Zoey screamed.
Dawson staggered to the dog. Caspian lay on the ground, blood spattering his fur, pooling on the ground, crying.
Mars pushed past him, heading for the door.
No—no—
Dawson whirled around, tried to get up, but his knee wouldn’t work.
Caspian’s cries shredded the air.
Mars jerked open the door—
Dawson turned back to Caspian, the animal writhing. He might not be a four-year-old girl, but his dog trusted him.
And darkness didn’t win today.
Mars disappeared out the exit—hello, where was security? But Dawson focused on his dog, pressing his hand on Caspian’s wound, just above his right leg, in his chest. “I know, buddy, I know—” He glanced at Axel, still holding Zoey, his hands over her ears, her back to the trauma.
“I need a cloth.”
Axel tossed him a nearby T-shirt, and Dawson shoved it against the wound. “We need to get him to a vet.” He scooped up the dog but struggled to stand.
Axel let Zoey go and appeared right there, a towel in his arms. “I got him.”
Dawson relinquished the dog, then glanced at Zoey. She hugged her panda, her eyes wide, her lower lip caught in her teeth.
He couldn’t leave her. “Where’s Goldie?”
“She stayed in the wings,” Axel answered. “Said someone had to watch Keely.”
He got that. But he wasn’t letting Zoey out of his sight.
But he couldn’t leave Keely, could he? Or Caspian.
He leaned down to her. “Kiddo, let’s take the doggy to the hospital, okay?”
Zoey had barely nodded when he picked her up. Turned to Axel. “Let’s go.”
Axel had already headed toward the door.
Griffin stood on the other side of the door. “Everything—oh wow, is that—what happened?” He stood back as Axel pushed past him, into the backstage area.
“Mars Sorros was here—he probably went out the back. Get security, and . . . stay with Keely.”
Griffin nodded, stepped back for Dawson to follow Axel.
“He’s armed.”
“So am I,” Griffin said.
Griffin headed for the wings, and Dawson pushed out after Axel. Zoey buried her head into his shoulder.
Axel had parked near the back entrance and now opened up the back end, set Caspian inside.
Shoot—Dawson didn’t have a car seat—
“Dawson!”
Goldie appeared from the back door. She stalked toward him, picked up her pace. “Where are you going—”
“My dog’s been shot.”
She glanced at Zoey, then past her to Axel. “Right. Zoey can stay with me.”
He considered for a moment, then shook his head. “I think—”
“Fine. Take Keely’s rental.” She turned and ran back inside.
He set Zoey down, his hand in hers, and turned to Axel. “Where are you going?”
“Arctic Paws Vet Center. It’s right near the Tooth, about a block away, across from the hospital.”
Goldie came back out, holding keys. She pressed the fob, and a nearby SUV barked.
“I’ll meet you there.” Dawson took the keys and tried to breathe as Axel pulled out with Caspian.
He set Zoey into her car seat. Strapped her in. Her big eyes landed on him, and he crouched by the door. “Zoey, everything is going to be okay. I promise.”
She just met his gaze.
God, please let him not be a liar.
He got in, pulled out and followed Axel’s rearview lights onto the highway, off on 15th, east to the airfield—
God. He’s a good dog. His throat tightened. Please.
They pulled up to the clinic under a lighted sign that said 24-Hour Clinic.
Axel already had Caspian in his arms when Dawson met him at the door with Zoey. He held it open, and a receptionist met them in the lobby.
“He’s been shot,” Dawson said as a doctor came from the back.
“I’m Dr. White,” she said as she lifted the towel. “Okay, get him in the back.”
Axel followed her, and Dawson couldn’t stop himself from following.
Caspian groaned when Axel set him on the metal table.
“I’ll need you out of here,” Dr. White said.
“I’m staying. He’s my dog.”
Axel took Zoey’s hand. “C’mon, sweetie.” He took her out of the room.
Dr. White turned to him. “Then stay back and say nothing.”
He looked at Caspian. “Don’t die on me, buddy.”