Fight Or Flight

by Amy Shojai

  “Where are they? The bitch and her litter?”

  The man didn’t bark this time, but Dolly stiffened with recognition. Her lip curled, mimicking Shadow’s expression, and she backed away stiff-legged from the kennel door.

  Karma tipped her head to one side as soft footfalls approached. The door squeaked open, and the girl stepped into view. She held her hands above her head.

  Was it a new game?

  Lia made brief eye contact with Karma, then blinked hard, and Karma wondered why water ran down the girl’s face. Then Shadow shouldered his way in front of Karma, placing himself between her and the man who followed.

  Dolly’s caution exploded into a silent attack, and her massive chest banged into the wire barrier, making the metal clang and shudder.

  Chapter 17

  Lia stumbled into the kennel area ahead of Derek. A spot just below her shoulders itched in response to the gun aimed at her back.

  “What’s all this about?” Keep him talking. Maybe he’d take what he wanted and leave. Her eyes widened when she saw Karma in the right-hand kennel space with the black shepherd.

  Lia’s stomach clenched, knowing what Derek had planned for Dolly and her litter. As if her thought prompted the action, Dolly attacked, trying to get through the kennel door to reach Derek.

  He yelped and grabbed Lia to shield him from the slathering Rottweiler. Left arm circled her waist, hand still clutching the camera with its incriminating evidence. His right arm reached across her neck, hand leveling the gun at Dolly.

  “No! Don’t shoot her!” Lia struggled to throw off Derek’s aim.

  Dolly’s puppies awoke at Lia’s voice. They barked and yipped, surging around Dolly as the big dog leaped and snarled, and continued throwing herself against the wire barrier trying to reach Derek. Her teeth rattled against the wire, and spittle flew.

  Once he realized Dolly couldn’t get through the metal gate, Derek relaxed. He laughed, shoved Lia away, and offered a fake-growl at the distraught dog to egg her on.

  Lia fell against the opposite kennel, clutching at the door to regain her balance. Shadow’s kennel door wasn’t latched and Derek hadn’t noticed. He ignored the shepherd and puppy inside, or maybe didn’t care about them.

  Shadow’s intelligent brown eyes met Lia’s own with a calm watchful gaze. That delightful sparkle-tickle inside her mind’s-eye returned. It’s you, Shadow? Yes! Lia’s panted breath slowed, her heart steadied. She embraced the sudden calm determination, and focused on her purpose.

  They’d get through this. That message came through loud and clear. Though hurt and exhausted, too weak to attack Derek or even defend himself if attacked, Shadow’s intent shone clear. Trust the dog.

  Encouraged, she turned and straightened, her back to the kennel hiding the stoic shepherd and Karma. Derek’s gun leveled at her. She licked her lips when her mouth turned to dust. “What do you want, Derek?”

  “Don’t play dumb, Lia.” He raised his voice to be heard over Dolly’s railing. “Coop got me into the gambling. I needed one big score to get free and clear. This dog deal should have squared everything, but the storm screwed everything up. The fight got cancelled, but not before the police heard about it. They’ve already picked up some of the players, including Coop. So now I got to get rid of the evidence, in case Coop blabs and sends the cops sniffing after me, too.” He pointed the gun again at Dolly. She redoubled her screams, and her puppies wailed. He swung the gun back at Lia. “And the witness.”

  Her heart stuttered. She stared at the gun, surprised her whispered plea remained steady. “Derek, you can’t mean that. Our families have known each other forever.”

  “That’s right. I grew up with your mother.” His pinched lips told her she’d said the wrong thing, but she didn’t know why.

  Dolly raged on, and he banged his fist on the metal door. “Shut up!” He turned back to Lia. “Rather not shoot her, but I will.” He cocked his head. “Yeah, I could make that work. Unless you get her under control for me.”

  “Sure, I can do that. Just don’t shoot her.” Lia’s throat tightened. “I’ll do whatever you say.” She took a half step across the aisle toward Dolly’s run, but stopped short when Derek pulled out the shock collar from his jacket pocket. He thrust it toward her.

  “Damn dog never obeys unless I crank up the juice.” At her expression, he shrugged. “It’s a tool, Lia. It’s better than getting shot, don’t you think?” Derek tossed it to her.

  She caught the leather strap, wrinkling her nose when the twin metal prongs protruding from the attached remote E-stim box brushed her skin. Lia pushed past him, waited until Derek backed away, and then cracked open Dolly’s kennel door and slipped inside.

  Dolly’s focus never wavered from Derek, even though her foam-stained jowls trembled, and she’d lost her voice. “Shush, big dog, you’re okay, Dolly.” Lia held the collar behind her back, not wanting the dog to see and recognize the thing. After the weeks she’d spent winning Dolly’s trust it hurt to betray the dog and confirm Dolly’s suspicion about humans. But the collar would save Dolly’s life, and give Lia time to figure a way out of this mess. She stroked the short black fur of Dolly’s arched neck. The dog’s tension thrummed like a hummingbird’s wings.

  Derek muttered to himself. “You had to buy this old dump. Why’d you have to do that, Lia? Now you’re the only witness. Otherwise, it’s just Coop’s word against mine.” His voice rose. “Just like your mother. Sleep with dogs, you’re liable to get fleas.” He wagged the gun at her.

  Poised to fix the repugnant collar about the Rottweiler’s neck, she froze. Her shoulders hunched, she held her breath, waiting for the shot.

  He laughed at her expression. “Oh, I won’t shoot you, Lia. That would just confirm Coop’s story about my involvement. I’ve got something else in mind.”

  Lia breathed again. “Derek, I see it was all Coop, like you said. Gambling can sneak up on you. It’s not your fault.” She prayed he’d believe the lie. She knew dogfights attracted big money gambling, illegal guns and drugs. She nodded at the camera he still held. “The camera can be erased. Or just dump it somewhere. Without the recording, there’s nothing for the police. It’s just Coop’s word against yours, like you said. I can back you up.” She stared at him, willing Derek to believe, but she sucked at lying. “Let me help you.” She nodded at Dolly, who had stopped snarling and now nosed her puppies. “See, she’s fine. I didn’t even need the collar.” Lia hated the pleading tone but couldn’t help herself.

  He tipped his head to the side. “How about that? You have the makings of a good trainer, Lia. Too bad it’s wasted.” He glanced toward the end of the kennel where the bois d’arc tree punched through the roof and wall. “So sad. Business blown to hell and gone before it got started. Sort of like my plans.” He rubbed his eyes. “Dog fighting is a felony. I can’t be tied to that.”

  “Should have thought of that before you got involved.” As soon as she spoke, she wanted to take back the words.

  He threw the camera as hard as he could against the cement floor, and took a half step toward her, fist clenching and unclenching.

  She stiffened her jaw and stared him down. Bullies picked on the weak; the strong collected bruises but survived. His hands were tied if he wanted her death to look like an accident. She had to use that, to survive.

  With a visible effort, Derek unclenched his fists and smiled, more of a grimace than anything else. “Have it your way, Lia. I have a better idea about the training collar. Use this tie-down and get Dolly secured.” He unhooked the braided leather lariat and snaked it through the metal grillwork, keeping the door between him and Dolly closed. “Do it now.” His lowered brows warned her not to argue.

  Lia nodded and looped one end through the chain link at the other end of the kennel run, then slipped the lasso around Dolly’s neck. She stood back, wanting to scoop up one of Dolly’s wriggling offspring and lose herself in the scent of puppy breath. No, not just any puppy. She wanted Karma.


  She peered past Derek across the cement aisle to the opposite kennel. The black shepherd watched, posed in stiff legged defense. She could still feel the confident calm, a “no-fear” promise from Shadow, an all-enveloping certainty she had no wish to explain. Lia embraced the concept and trusted that somehow this secret communication would save them all. Lia wished with all her being that the tie-down failed. She pictured bright dog-teeth chewing and gnawing through the leather. But wishes weren’t enough.

  “I won’t say anything, Derek. You’re angry and upset but you haven’t done anything that can’t be explained away.” She took a step closer, threading fingers through the wire grating. “If Coop’s talking to the police, they’ll be here soon. You should leave.”

  “Put on the collar, Lia.”

  “What?” She dropped it, and the collar slapped the cement floor like a reproach. Dolly growled at the sound, recognized the collar, and lunged, but the tether kept her at bay.

  Derek smiled. “The tie-down controls Dolly just fine. But I know you, Lia, I’ve watched you for years. I suspect it’ll take cranking up the juice, or the threat anyway, for you to do as you’re told. So put it on, or I’ll shoot the bitch.”

  With shaking hands, Lia fastened the collar around her slim neck, tightening it to a snug fit when Derek urged her with the gun. The metal conductor tips pressed against her skin, cold as snake’s teeth and chilling her soul.

  “Good girl. Just so we’re on the same page, here’s a little taste.” He thumbed the hand held remote.

  A buzzing itchy sensation at the twin contacts grew to a painful level. Derek watched her while dialing up the stim-level.

  She did her best to remain stoic, not wanting to give him the satisfaction, but soon gasped and clutched at the collar to pull it away from her skin. “Bastard!”

  “Yes, you are.” He laughed. “Time’s a-wasting. Like you said, the police will soon be here. And when they arrive, all they’ll find are victims of the storm.” He pressed the remote again, dialing it even higher.

  She screamed, clawed her neck, and fell writhing onto the cold cement.

  Chapter 18

  The girl’s shriek hurt a good-dog’s heart. Karma pressed her ears flat. Her pulse galloped when Lia fell to the ground out of sight. She had to reach Lia! Karma didn’t know or care what she would do once there, just drove forward with a puppy-size roar.

  The shepherd still blocked her way, so Karma ducked to squeeze between Shadow’s forelegs. But the big black dog shifted and hooked one paw over her back to stop her. The move both restrained Karma and signaled his status.

  She submitted with no argument, offering just a weak whimper of frustration. Even an inexperienced puppy-girl like Karma understood that adult dogs outranked her. She obeyed Shadow’s because I said so command without question. For good measure, Karma licked his muzzle as he stood over her. His legs trembled, and she read his disquiet as easily as her own. He also wanted to leap to the girl’s aid, but waited with an adult dog’s caution.

  Lia’s screams of pain trailed off, followed by raspy gasps that mimicked dog-laugh sounds. Karma knew the sound meant the opposite. Lia’s fear-stink and the man’s anger colored the kennel air.

  The man opened Lia’s kennel and the door squealed in protest, scraping against the cement floor. Dolly, still tied to the back wall, flailed and lunged with silent intent.

  “Derek, wait.” Lia whispered, but Karma heard it even through all the barking and snarling.

  Shadow flinched like the wait word hurt. Karma itched to do something, anything, to make the helpless feeling go away. She wanted to be confident and brave again. How could it be, that Lia, with all her extra knowledge beyond the ken of dogs, still couldn’t protect herself?

  What if Karma protected Lia? Karma had sharp teeth, even if she was little. And Karma wasn’t alone.

  She cold-nosed the shepherd, urging him to action. Shadow was big. Older. With scars that shouted of battles won. Shadow saved her, and Lia saved him. Now Lia needed their help. She wiggled beneath his heavy paw, and he lowered his head and sniffed her, all without taking his attention from the man. But he still didn’t budge.

  The stranger grabbed Lia and dragged her out. The remaining puppies cried and squealed, a couple following a few steps before turning tail and running back into the safety of the kennel. The open gate teased Dolly. Powerful shoulders and neck strained against the old leather tether, choking Dolly in her effort to reach the man.

  Derek bullied Lia to where the tree poked through the roof and turned the space into a maze of thorny branches. Soon, Karma couldn’t see either of them. She whined and struggled against Shadow’s paw, but he held her down. She heard Lia crying and yelling, and she yearned to see. People puzzled Karma, and she wanted to understand them. More than that, she needed to help, to stop the bully, to protect Lia the way the girl protected Karma. She just didn’t know how. And Shadow wouldn’t let her move.

  Then the black shepherd removed his paw from Karma’s back to take an unsteady step forward.

  She bounced to her feet, eager to rush forward, and whined with excitement until a stern look from Shadow silenced her.

  Shadow nosed open the door a dog’s width and stepped through on shaky legs. Karma crowded after, dodging the excited sweep of his long, black tail. He growled low in his throat—not at her, though—and paused to scent the air. He gazed both ways before he stepped fully into the aisle. Even Dolly stopped lunging long enough to take in his powerful but injured form before she returned to digging at the cement as if to drag the entire kennel off its moorings.

  Karma expected Shadow to go after Lia’s attacker. He’d use his bright, sharp adult-dog teeth to help Lia. Karma liked biting toys and wondered what it would feel like to bite a bad man. Make him yell like he’d made Lia scream. She wanted to find out.

  But after a brief sniff toward the downed tree and hidden people, Shadow instead stumbled to Dolly’s kennel. The other puppies made way, steering clear of the potent male who still smelled of his own blood and pain.

  Dolly watched with narrowed eyes, still more focused on the hidden, hated man.

  Shadow lowered his ears with respect and cut his eyes sideways. He wagged, low and loose and slow, and stood motionless to allow Dolly to scent his neck and flank. He shifted before she could investigate his tail, nor would she allow him to sniff hers. But she didn’t move when Shadow nosed the tether that held her captive. Dolly again surged against the restraint, holding it taut. Shadow licked the leather.

  Karma’s pleading whine turned to frustrated yelps of disappointment, but Shadow and Dolly ignored Karma. Worse, they ignored Lia. Didn’t care about the bad man. Ignored the girl’s sobs.

  Lia’s hoarse voice raised louder than blustery wind and dog noises. Her cries cut deep and made Karma’s tummy hurt. Karma was brave, but didn’t know what to do. Shadow would know.

  Karma ran the few steps to reach him, and barked loud, louder still, a demand so loud it hurt her own ears. But both adults still ignored her. She stopped barking, and stared, her fur bristling all over her body, and stubby tail jerking with determination.

  They still ignored her.

  Karma leaped forward, and nipped—not a real bite, just a little play nip—on Shadow’s hind leg.

  He roared. His teeth snapped and clicked within a whisker’s width of Karma’s nose.

  She yelped and spun away, falling on the wet pavement before regaining her feet. Her tail tucked tight she rolled and bared her tummy, even wet herself a little to show no threat before scrambling back to her feet. Karma felt bereft. Dolly couldn’t and Shadow wouldn’t help.

  He didn’t care about Lia at all. Maybe didn’t care about Karma, either. He just stood close to Dolly, licking, nibbling and grooming her neck.

  Lia screamed.

  Karma showed her teeth and raced to help her person.

  Chapter 19

  Lia crouched on hands and knees, and tried to catch her breath. The smell
of wet cement clawed the back of her throat. Bare tree limbs rattled like ice in a glass, surrounding her with skeletal fingers.

  The loss of control hurt worse than the pain. She offered no physical threat to the bigger man, and after an initial fruitless struggle, Lia conserved her strength. She couldn’t outrun him, not when the collar’s hornet sting dropped her where she stood, whether a half yard or half mile away. The shock collar kept her bound to him as surely as chains and Lia’s sympathy rose even higher for what Dolly had suffered.

  Some respected trainers used remote trainers ethically—if there was such a thing—but Derek administered the punishment with pleasure. This went beyond removing a threat. This was personal, this was sadistic. He’d already zapped Lia a dozen times, whether she cooperated or not, just to hear her scream. He punched the button again and again, making her teeth clench, and breath whoosh from her lungs until she lay weak and gasping.

  With the roof gone there was nothing to stave off the weather. Lia’s wet clothes chafed when Derek slung her slight frame beneath the felled bois d’arc that slumped overhead like a brown recluse spider stalking prey.

  “Now what?” Her voice croaked. She needed to distract him, just long enough to tug off the collar. He hadn’t tied her up. Hell, if he’d used the lariat on her instead of Dolly, she’d never get free. She braced herself with one hand on a gnarled limb, and rose to her knees. “You can’t shoot me, you said so yourself. The police would believe Coop’s story and chase you forever.”

  “Don’t have to shoot you.” He pocketed the gun, then bent and grabbed one end of a spiny branch that had fallen free. “You were in the wrong place at the wrong time, a victim of the storm. And this big old tree landed on you. Freak storm, freak accident, for a freak who shouldn’t have been born.” He hefted the branch like a bat, wound up like a Texas Ranger and stepped into a roundhouse swing.