Lucy

by Chris Coppel

  The dogs all went quiet as they heard the return message arrive from Scotland Yard. Bonzo smiled as he listened then turned to the others.

  “They’re on their way.”

  It wasn’t long before the animals heard the distinctive sound of approaching sirens. By the time the policemen arrived, Sergeant Bonzo had cleaned up Lucy and the others and lined them up according to size. When the front door flew open, he gave the order and the five dogs stood to attention. First through the door were the biped policemen who scattered in various directions to secure the premises. Then, in walked Captain Salty.

  He was clearly in charge. Tall, proud, and professional, the captain eyed the goings on with a careful eye as he evaluated the crime scene. He was older than the other dogs, though fitter than officers half his age. His grey hair simply added to his look of elegant, four-legged strength. The Airedale spotted Sergeant Bonzo and stepped over to him, pulling a biped on a leash after him.

  “Sergeant!” he snapped. “What have we here?”

  “Sir!” Bonzo saluted. “These are the dogs we’ve been tracking throughout London. They came back to rescue the others and helped us capture the bipeds.”

  Lucy sneaked a look over at Rex, who caught her glance and simply shrugged. As she faced forward again, Sergeant Bonzo gave her a brief wink and a grin which still didn’t explain what he was up to.

  “Well then . . . ,” The captain said. “it would appear that we have some true heroes amongst us, wouldn’t it?”

  “Yes sir,” the Sergeant replied.” It most certainly would. I think it’s important that these dogs get special treatment, don’t you? Also, the terrier’s been injured in the line of duty. He’ll need immediate care.”

  “Couldn’t agree more. Well done, all of you,” The captain said as he raised a paw in salute.

  He then turned and joined the biped officers as they continued with their work.

  “I’d better join them,” Bonzo announced to the others.

  “Thank you, Sergeant.” Lucy leaned forward and gave his muzzle one, brief lick.

  “Now steady on there, girl!” he blustered in complete embarrassment. “I’m on duty you know.”

  The others all laughed. Even Bonzo had to give in to the humour of the moment and suddenly began rolling on his back, laughing boisterously.

  “Sergeant!” came the officious voice of the captain from somewhere in the building.

  Bonzo leapt to his feet and cleaned himself off with great urgency.

  “Yes sir!” he replied when he was suitably neatened.

  “Come and give us the breakdown on this lot,” the captain said from the other room.

  “Yes sir!” Bonzo answered.

  “What about us?” Rex enquired.

  “Stay here. Some bipeds will be here shortly to take you away from this horrid place.”

  “What about going home?” Angel asked. “You said we could go home now.”

  “And you will,” Bonzo answered. “But first we’ve got to get Rodney some medical care and you lot, somewhere safe when we can work out where you actually live?”

  “That sounds a bit complicated,” Lucy said, trying to hide the concern she was starting to feel.

  “Actually, it’s quite simple,” he explained. “We’ve got all the reports of kidnapped dogs at the headquarters. All we have to do is notify your humans that you’ve been found, and you’ll be home in time for supper!”

  “Now you’re talking,” Angel stated as her tongue lolled out of her smiling mouth.

  “Sergeant!” the captain’s voice echoed through the premises.

  “I’d best be off,” the Boxer announced nervously.

  “Well again . . . Thank you,” Lucy nodded at him.

  The others offered their thanks as he turned and disappeared through the door to the cellblock.

  The dogs all looked to each other, expecting at least one of them to say something, but they all remained quiet as their thoughts took them back over the last few days and what they’d been through.

  By the time, the white-coated bipeds arrived to take them away, they were all fast asleep.

  CHAPTER 34

  They were transported in large, white vehicles filled with individual, metal enclosures that smelled sour, and were slightly damp. Lucy remembered the smell from the cottage. Cook used to create the same smells when she would scrub the small, tiled room upstairs. She would pour amber liquid into the big, raised water bowl that the bipeds sat on to do their business, and the water would turn white and smell just the same way.

  The journey lasted an awfully long time. Finally, the vehicle came to a stop and went quiet. The rear doors were opened, and bipeds were there to greet them.

  “Oh my!” Lester suddenly shouted, “We’re in for it now!”

  “Why?” What’s the matter,” Rex and the others asked anxiously.

  “Look!” Lester gestured to a large sign in front of the building they were being loaded into.

  “What does it say?” Lucy asked urgently.

  “Kennels. It says we’re at the Camden Kennels!”

  “His words sent such a wave of panic through the enclosures that it took the bipeds forever to unload the animals and get them into the building.

  Finally, every dog was placed in their own enclosure, which weren’t that much bigger than the ones back at the prison place. The bipeds where, however, were terribly nice and spent a great deal of time with each animal, calming and grooming them as best they could.

  After they had left, the dogs were alone and began calling through their gates to locate their friends and find where each had been placed.

  Lucy found that she was in a section filled with complete strangers. She had called down the line and been informed that the rest of her group were in an entirely different wing.

  Even when a kind and smiling biped brought her a bowl of chopped beef, she couldn’t help feeling almost unbearable pain at being separated from the others. She tried to eat a little, but couldn’t even manage that, such was her anxiety.

  She lay in her enclosure, trying to visualise each member of the group, hoping that by keeping their memory alive in her mind, she would feel some comfort inside. As she was thinking of Angel and her devious and glutinous ways, the smiling-faced biped returned to her enclosure and let herself in.

  “Hello there, pretty girl,” the biped cooed affectionately. “Sorry we had to put you in here, but the wing with the others was full until just a few minutes ago. Would you like to come and be with your friends?”

  Lucy of course, didn’t have a clue what exactly was being said, only that the words were kind and filled with caring. She looked up into the friendly eyes of the biped and gave her one polite bark.

  “Good for you,” the biped replied.

  Lucy was then led from the enclosure and out of the wing. They walked through various holding areas then through one final door and into another section filled with dogs. Lucy couldn’t grasp why she was being moved until she heard Angel’s unmistakable voice cry out.

  “Goldie! It’s Goldie!”

  At that point she heard the others, each in a different enclosure dotted along the passageway and each delighted to have her back.

  The one voice that she’d missed the most, came from the far end of the row. Rex sounded not only happy, but highly relieved to have Lucy back, close at paw.

  “You had me worried there Goldie,” he said with feigned casualness.

  Lucy was led halfway down the passageway and placed in an enclosure only two down from Lester.

  “Where’s Rodney?” she asked through the gate.

  “We thought he was with you?” Lester replied.

  “I hope he’s alright,” Lucy said, more to herself than to anyone else.

  There was a moment of silence as each animal tried to find words
to say.

  Angel was the first to speak up. “What did you think about the beef!”

  The others had to laugh.

  The dogs spent the rest of the day introducing themselves to the other inhabitants of the wing. Each dog, one by one, introduced his or herself then gave a brief account of how they had been captured. The session went well into the night, and as the last dog gave his story, the rest began to settle down for sleep. When the story telling finally ended, the wing fell silent for a moment.

  “Good night Angel,” Lucy whispered.

  “Good night Goldie,” she answered.

  “Good night Lester,” she continued.

  “Good night Goldie,” he responded.

  Lucy hesitated for a moment before continuing. She felt her heart beat faster just at the thought of him and knew then what she had been afraid to accept while they were still in danger.

  “Good night Rex”

  “Good night Goldie.”

  She closed her eyes and allowed a tear to roll down her muzzle as she accepted the joyous realisation that she was in love.

  The entire wing was awakened at the crack of dawn as a young biped wheeled a food cart down the passageway and distributed one bowl to each resident. The biped was wearing round, black pads over his ears and singing loudly and discordantly at the top of his voice.

  The bowl turned out to be filled with a dry, and very tasty, kibble mix that Lucy devoured without any show of manner or breeding whatsoever. She felt slightly embarrassed when she realised how greedy her display must have appeared to the others, but upon raising her head to check their reactions, found that all of them had seemingly done the same thing. They were all looking guiltily out of their enclosures expecting a reprimand from some quarter or another.

  After a period of grooming, the passageway doors were opened on both ends and much to the dog’s initial dismay and then total delight, bipeds began funnelling into the wing, each with an expression of urgent anxiety imprinted upon their features. Almost immediately, one group of humans, a male, a female, and a small child began squealing excitedly. They were joined in their revelry by one of the dogs. They were apparently his humans. The dog was released and left with the bipeds as they all fawned over each other with complete abandon and disregard for biped-hound protocol. It was not long before another family was reunited with as much, if not more exuberance.

  One by one, each dog was claimed. At one point, Lucy distinctly heard Angel scream with delight as her mistress located her. She was only able to call out the briefest of farewells to the others before being whisked away.

  It was that simple. All they’d been through, then in one brief second, she was gone. Lucy found it very disconcerting to realise that the Spaniel was on her way home and that she would almost certainly never see her again.

  A short while later, Lester’s human arrived. Their reunion was a little more formal than some of the others, but still as touching. There was none of the screaming and yelping, but as his gate was opened, Lester stepped out and walked soundlessly into his humans waiting arms. The two simply stayed holding each other for the longest time, then, again without a word, they separated and walked side by side out of the building.

  By the end of the morning, there were very few dogs left in the wing. There was little talk as the tension rose with each passing minute. Lucy began to feel the beginning of concern about her situation. Where was her Man or Cook? Maybe they weren’t coming for her. Maybe they didn’t care that she’d gone? Maybe they’d found life easier without her. Maybe . . .

  “Lucy? Lucy, where are you?” She suddenly heard her human calling from the far end of the passageway.

  “Here! I’m here!” she called out breathlessly. She could hear him break into a run then suddenly, he was there, standing right in front of her, separated by the thin wire mesh of the gate. Her Man! He had come for her! He almost tore open the gate then stepped into the enclosure. Lucy tried to think of the proper greeting then suddenly found herself leaping into his arms. Oh, the joy she felt! She licked him, and nuzzled him, smelling and tasting him over and over again.

  “My poor girl,” he whispered. “What did they do to you? Cook called me in America and I flew right back. I’ve been so worried. Oh, my sweet girl.”

  He hugged her still closer.

  Finally exhausted by their own display of emotions, they rose to their feet and Lucy allowed him to place her collar . . . (yes, her collar) around her neck then attach the lead. He walked her out of the enclosure and towards the exit.

  They had only gone a few paws when Lucy remembered something. She stopped and turned back.

  “What’s the matter girl?” her man asked. “It’s alright. I’m just going to take you home.”

  Lucy pulled at the lead, knowing that she was breaking all the rules. She had one more thing to do before returning to the cottage. She continued tugging her lead, pulling her Man until he gave up and followed her back along the passageway.

  CHAPTER 35

  Lucy slowly opened her eyes and watched as the mother duck escorted her young into the pond. She couldn’t be certain, but the ducklings looked slightly larger than she remembered them. After the last one slid into the water, the mother took her position in front, and led the group in single file across the open water.

  Lucy rolled effortlessly onto her back and glanced up at the billowy clouds as they sailed rapidly by overhead. A shaft of sunlight freed itself from the heavens and momentarily warmed her belly as it moved across her.

  She stretched her legs to their fullest length, then rolled onto her paws and stood up. Lucy glanced over towards the Granger’s property hoping to see the horses, but then remembered that they were in competition at that very moment up in the city.

  She took a moment to glance about her and feel the warm comfort that comes from being home in a place you love. She looked to the cottage and its sparkling white exterior then to the gentle rolling hills of the Downs.

  She was home!

  Lucy wandered over to the entrance and stepped inside the cottage. She took a moment to breathe in the tangy smoke smell that she so loved, then proceeded towards the kitchen. Before she’d gone more than a couple of paws, she heard a commotion coming from just around the next corner. She trotted over and cautiously peered in the direction of the disturbance.

  “Why you mangy good for nothing . . . ,” Cook’s words were playful as she scolded Rex as the two fought over a tea towel. Rex seemed to have the upper hand and was pulling Cook along the polished kitchen floor. Amazingly, Cook seemed to be thoroughly enjoying every minute of it. Without warning, she suddenly let go of her end and Rex went rolling backward, muzzle over paw!

  Cook laughed herself into a veritable fit and had to hold herself steady with one hand on the countertop.

  Lucy looked on with a pretence of distaste as she scowled at both of them. They pretended not to notice, but then both suddenly took off after her in an unexpected game of chase.

  As the three tore through the sitting room her human called for their immediate attention. He had in his hand a paper bit with gold edging and fine squiggles on it.

  “You’re not going to believe this,” he said excitedly to the others.

  “What?” Cook squealed breathlessly.

  Cook read the paper bit then looked to the dogs with open mouthed astonishment.

  Lucy and Rex didn’t know what was going on exactly, only that their Man and Cook both seemed very pleased about something.

  Lucy hoped this might mean that Cook would let them have some of the bread she knew was being prepared at that very moment in the hot oven.

  EPILOGUE

  There wasn’t a cloud in the sky or even the smallest hint of wind as they were led out onto the forecourt of Buckingham Palace. Lucy and Rex had recognised the place the moment they had arrived! At first, they’d been a little nervo
us, but everyone else seemed happy and relaxed so they decided that everything must be all right.

  Lucy glanced over at the ornate fencing that enclosed the parade ground and for a moment, vividly recalled when they had sneaked through that very fence to evade the grey van. She was surprised to see that on this day, the area beyond the fencing was crowded with bipeds all pointing towards them.

  As they reached the centre of the forecourt, Lucy spotted Angel and Lester. They were fully groomed and standing next to their formally dressed humans. After some brief catching up of what had happened to them all since their rescue, a murmur could be heard rising through the crowd. The dogs all turned and looked towards the portico through which they had escaped capture with the help of the two corgis. They saw to their utter delight that a small Yorkshire Terrier being carried towards them.

  Rodney spotted the others then, wriggling like a maniac, had to be placed on the ground. He proceeded towards them with his head held proudly in the air and his left hind leg held securely in a white plaster cast.

  When Rodney reached the others and greetings were exchanged, a silence fell across the entire area. As breaths were held, the main doorway to the palace opened and an elegantly attired biped made her way towards the group. Behind her were the two corgis, William, and Mary, and behind them, much to the delight of the dogs, were Captain Salty and Sergeant Bonzo. Needless to say, there were also numerous bipeds in attendance.

  They moved to a spot directly in the centre of the forecourt facing the others. The elegant female stood in front of the group and began to speak into an odd metal thing that seemed to take her voice, and make it not only louder, but made it come from many different directions at once.

  Lucy didn’t know what she was saying, only that it appeared to be directed mainly at her and the other dogs. After a while, the female biped ceased talking and stepped back to be alongside the police dogs and their bipeds.