Fight Or Flight

by Amy Shojai

  “She’s with CPS.” Combs put Lia’s statement in the folder. The girl had run away from her last foster home, and been plucked from the streets in Hawaii by...they hadn’t figured that out yet. Combs wasn’t thrilled about sticking Mele back in foster care.

  According to national data, eighty-six percent of missing children suspected of being forced into sex work came from the child welfare system. In Texas, the vast majority of young victims had some contact with Child Protective Services. “Here in Texas, we focus on the pimps. Wish we could do more for the victims.”

  “Girls like Vicki are victims, too. Didn’t you say she was kidnapped? And yet, if she lived, she’d be going to jail.” Lia’s righteous indignation made her voice shake. “Vicki wanted to testify, and she ended up dead. Now you want to put Mele in the same no-win situation. How do you keep her safe?”

  “I know, I know. You’re preaching to the choir.” He noticed someone outside the room, and paused for a moment. “Mele knows who killed Vicki. But the only name she has is Boss. Says it’s the same person who set the fire that nearly killed all y’all. Not to mention the property damage done to Corazon holdings.” He nodded to the older man, face solemn. “Glad you got the alarm in time to move your horses, sir.”

  “Appreciate that, Detective. And I appreciate you rescuing my granddaughter.” He didn’t look at Lia.

  Lia’s face turned rosy and she looked away as well.

  Combs cleared his throat. “As it happens, we’re lucky our Hawaiian consultant has a knack for getting Mele to talk.” He motioned with one hand, inviting someone to join them. “In fact, she wanted to talk more with you, Lia, and is staying on for a while as part of the ongoing investigation.”

  She tugged on his sleeve. “Grandfather? You don’t have to stay. I’m fine, if you want to go ahead.” Lia looked more nervous than embarrassed. Even fearful. Combs wondered why.

  He shook off Lia’s hand and stood when the petite dark-haired young police officer entered the room and held out her hand. “So you’re the one who fished Lia out of that tank. I’m William Corazon, ma’am, but you can call me Dub. Very pleased to make your acquaintance.”

  “Nice to meet you, too.” She took his hand, and offered a firm handshake. “Officer Pilikia Teves. You can call me Tee.”

  He dropped her hand as if snake bit. “This some kind of joke?” He towered over Lia. “Did you put her up to that? Have you been digging in that mongrel shit, when I ordered you to stay away?” His other hand crushed the brim of his hat.

  Combs frowned, and took a step forward. “Mr. Corazon, I don’t understand. Let’s stay calm. What seems to be the trouble?”

  “I won’t calm down, Detective. And if you’re part of this, I’ll have your badge, see if I won’t!” He jammed the hat back on his head, stormed to the door, turned, and offered a parting shot at Lia. “Forget about testing that mutt of yours, I’m calling it off.” His lips whitened, breath came in gasps. “You lied to me, did the one forbidden thing I can’t forgive. You’re no better than that Teves bastard who killed my girl!” His voice rose to shouts, face purpled and a vein throbbed in his neck. “You’re not part of this family, not anymore. You made your choice. So pick up your stuff, and clear out. You hear me!” He slammed the door.

  Lia stood silent, face white, mouth agape. She played with a bracelet on one delicate wrist.

  Tee folded her arms tight, jaw working. She looked ready to bolt, too.

  Combs stared at the two women, a tall Texas beauty and a petite exotic cop, one light and one dark. But they had the same eyes. The same smile. The same hair, except for the color. “What just happened?” But he had an inkling.

  “I lost my home.” Lia knuckled tears away and squared her shoulders. “Need to find a place to stay. For me and for Karma.” She gathered her small bag, and hunted for car keys. “We’ll be camping over at Corazon Kennels if you need us. Who needs electricity or running water?” Lia tried to smile, but it faltered. “I have to go get my dog.”

  Tee took a breath, and uncrossed her arms. “I like dogs. Been thinking about getting one.”

  “That so.” Lia didn’t look at her.

  Tee addressed Combs. “Karma could identify Mele’s Boss just as well as the girl. Dogs testify sometimes, don’t they, Detective?” She didn’t wait for an answer, as if she’d made a decision. “The department’s putting me up while I work the case but I need a ride.” She nodded at Lia. “You got a truck. You need a place to stay, and I got a room. Maybe we can help each other out. Maybe we can share, you know, resources, yeah?” Her hesitant offer anticipated vehement objections.

  Surprise, anger and suspicion chased across Lia’s face in quick succession. Finally, she nodded stiff agreement. “Appreciate the offer. Karma and I will help any way we can.”

  Tee turned to Combs. “What do you say, Detective?”

  He had no reason to object. “You want to share the room, that’s up to you. If management has objections about the dog, have ’em call me. Police dogs get special consideration.”

  Lia smiled her thanks, and followed the smaller woman out of the interview room.

  Combs called after. “Tee! I’m still lead on this investigation. No more running off without backup, you hear me? Lia, that goes double for you.” He sat heavily and dropped the file on the table. One of ’em alone was trouble enough. Teaming a Texas firebrand and a Hawaiian volcano? He predicted fireworks in their future.

  Chapter 51

  Lia drove faster than the speed limit, but didn’t care. She had a cop riding shotgun, after all. She glanced sideways at Tee, and didn’t know whether to be angry, or relieved.

  Grandfather never lost. He’d set Lia up to fail. So in a way, this woman had done her a favor. “We need to talk.”

  “We will. Just not now, please.” Tee kept her eyes focused out the window, taking in the North Texas landscape as the city streets made way for pasture. “It’s not easy for me, either.” She played with something—looked like seashells—in one hand, and they made a whispery sound like waves at the beach. “You the one emailed my Auntie.” It wasn’t a question. “That’s why she talked about fate, me being in Dallas.”

  There, she confirmed it. Lia gripped the steering wheel so hard her hands hurt. All those emails she’d sent out months ago, when she’d flouted Grandfather’s wishes out of hurt. She’d been careful to keep them secret from Grandfather, even hiding her name. She never wanted to go behind his back, but he refused to entertain a calm, adult discussion. At age twenty-one, she deserved answers, didn’t she? Anyway, she’d received zero replies. Now, this.

  Heat flushed her face. She wanted to scream at the woman, make her talk, explain, give details about the man Grandfather blamed for everything. Lia had only suspicions until Grandfather’s reaction confirmed the connection.

  “What does the W stand for? His first name, give me that at least.” Tee had answers to the questions that had plagued Lia her whole life. She’d let the woman dodge most for now, not wanting a repeat of the woman’s meltdown.

  “Wyatt.” The officer spit the name. The shushing of the seashells grew agitated. “Don’t we have to get your dog?” She changed the subject without apology.

  Lia nodded. Wyatt Teves. The old worn leather made the letters look like Tex rather than Teves. With the name, she could dig deeper to find out more about her family history, even if Tee—her half-sister—refused to help. Maybe the woman’s Auntie would be more forthcoming.

  “The vet kept Karma for oxygen therapy, same as us. She had some superficial burns on her muzzle and paws, but nothing serious.”

  “Good.” Tee turned from the window now the conversation had moved to safer ground. “What happens now? With the police dog training, I mean.” She slipped the shells back into a pocket.

  “Don’t know.” Lia rubbed her bloodshot eyes that still stung from the after effects of the fire. “Even if Karma passed the test, Grandfather wouldn’t have come through with the financial support. He�
�d have found a way to get his own way.”

  Tee frowned. “Sorry I barged in. I should’ve waited until he left.”

  Sighing, Lia pulled the car into the parking lot of the Heartland Veterinary Hospital. “You couldn’t know.” Her eyes narrowed. “Or did you?”

  The derisive snort spoke volumes. “If it had to do with Wyatt Teves, yeah, I’d expect a toxic reaction. But I didn’t know it was you.” She looked out the window again, anywhere but at Lia. “Your last name isn’t—”

  “Like you said, we’ll talk later.” Lia sat for a moment, wanting to rush in and collect her dog but worried what she’d find. Dogs could have PTSD, just like people. Only time would tell if Karma suffered fallout from the fire or water. That could disqualify her from police dog consideration. Her breed already counted against Karma because of overheating concerns. In Texas triple-digit heat indexes, Karma wouldn’t be a top K9 no matter how well she performed. She’d do better in a cooler climate.

  Only one hurdle stood in Karma’s way. If Doc Eugene gave the okay, Lia would sign those papers, get it done today, and pick up the big girl tomorrow. “You want to wait in the car, or come in?”

  “I’ll wait. We can put my suitcase the back to make room for Karma.” Tee started to get out.

  Lia shook her head. “It’s fine for now. Karma may need to stay an extra day or so for surgery. I’ll let you know.”

  “Surgery? I thought she just needed oxygen. You said she wasn’t seriously injured.” She sounded more concerned than Lia expected. Tee and Karma connected out at the tank. Karma knew what to do, to cut short the woman’s flashback.

  “You can come in if you want, but the baby-dog’s fine.” Lia smiled as she got out of the car, too. “She’s just getting spayed, that’s all.”

  “Wait. You’re getting her fixed? But you can’t.” Tee looked panicked.

  Puzzled, Lia tried to calm the cop’s concern, and explained. “She can’t be a police dog unless she’s spayed. Bitches go into season, and that’s a distraction for her and any other dogs she encounters. It’s a safety issue. To perform at peak levels, female dogs are spayed.” She started toward the clinic. “Karma won’t even notice the difference.”

  Tee didn’t look convinced.

  “Look, it’s usually done at a much younger age, and safe. I shouldn’t have waited so long, but got caught up in the training, and Rotties don’t often go into heat this early. Jeff—that is, Detective Combs, found blood trace that didn’t belong to either victim.” She shrugged. “I always figured we could get Karma spayed after Grandfather’s test. Now that won’t happen, so it’s as good a time as any.”

  “You don’t understand.” Tee grabbed Lia’s shoulder, stopping her. “Mele told me a story. She said Karma had a lover.” She smoothed her dark curls, clearly upset. “She called him a Koa, pu’ali īlio.”

  “That can’t be true.” But the words rocked her. Six months ago, an injured shepherd appeared to help save them, and then vanished just as quickly. And now, he’d reappeared when Karma faced her trial by fire? On top of that, September’s tracking dog had gone missing during the fire. “What else did Mele say?”

  “She said they slept together, all three of them. Mele says Koa warned them of the fire, he barked and held it at bay until they were safe in the water. Then he disappeared into the smoke.” She laughed uneasily.

  Lia shivered, still not willing to believe. “She must have dreamed it.”

  Tee shook her head. “No, I saw him, too. When I galloped after you, I planned to ride west to the nearest pond. Instead, a big dog appeared like a smoky shadow, and drove Fury the other direction. That’s how I found you.”

  “A shepherd? Like a shadow?” Lia whispered the question.

  Tee nodded, eyes wide. “I’m not into all that woo-woo mystical stuff, but still. Lia, do you have to spay Karma today? I mean, what if . . .” Her voice trailed off. The corners of her mouth twitched into a hopeful smile.

  The past six months overflowed with anger, stress, heartbreak and even death. Karma’s future as a police dog already teetered on the brink. Now with Lia’s future shot to hell, and Mele’s past offering little hope, didn’t everyone long for—and deserve—a happy ending?

  “No, the surgery doesn’t have to be today.” Lia nodded at the car. “Make room for the baby-dog. Let’s take Karma home, and see if that Shadow-dog’s magic is real.”

  PART 3 CALLED to PROTECT

  (October)

  Chapter 52

  The chilly October wind pushed gusts that rattled bare branches against the windows. Karma woofed under her breath and levered herself upright with effort. Her black brow furrowed, and her short Rottweiler tail quivered. She clawed the soft bedding with low mutterings before settling once again, but immediately stood, unable to find a comfortable position.

  Her head cocked to one side and she eyed the nearby sofa. It smelled of Lia, her favorite person. Lia taught her important things a good-dog needed to know. Strong and bold, but always fair, Lia gave Karma fun games to play.

  Lia slept here, on the sofa. The other girl, Tee, slept in the other room.

  Karma hadn’t known Tee for very long. She carried a gun, but had a hidden hurt inside, one that Karma kept trying to heal with face-licks and snuggles. Tee pretended to be strong, but a good-dog could sniff out hidden broken pieces. Karma wondered how humans could look one way but be something very different. They tried to pretend but could never fool a good-dog.

  Dogs never pretended. Dogs always looked and smelled and acted like dogs, no matter what.

  Karma loved making Lia happy. Being close to her made Karma happy and feel safe, too. Sometimes, not nearly often enough, they shared feelings so strong that a dog might burst with the sensation. Karma made herself small, so she fit in the curve of Lia’s knees, and they slept that way all night long on the sofa. Until recently. Now, Karma couldn’t curl herself tight enough to fit.

  She whined again. Lia and Tee had left as the sun rose and they had been gone forever. Karma begged to go with her girls, but no amount of paw-dancing or butt-wriggling requests changed their minds. She’d been left behind in this stuffy two-room hideaway, all alone, all day long. It made Karma want to howl. So she did.

  Karma wondered what she’d done wrong. A good-dog stayed with her people, no matter what. She used to go everywhere, even to visit Tee’s other uniform-wearing friends. But now, she had trouble jumping into cars, or running as fast as before. Her body had grown clumsy and didn’t move right.

  She missed playing her favorite games. Karma loved playing the “achtung” game to stop people who raced away. But Karma yearned to stretch into a flat-out butt-tucking run and feel the wind in her face. Even her adored ferocious tug contests with Tee—for a little girl, she was strong!—were better with grass beneath her paws.

  Karma’s stubby tail quivered at the thought of mauling a padded sleeve until Tee gave up and fell down laughing with joy. Tee didn’t laugh enough, and Karma had decided that should be part of her job, to make the girl laugh. That was the best! Lia would give the command, and Tee would yell and hold out the sleeve, and squeal when Karma bit down hard. Oh, so much fun! Tee didn’t know the proper words, like “such” to search, or “achtung” to guard, but Karma still understood. She was smart that way.

  They still played the hide-and-seek “such” games but finding treats and toys hidden around two rooms bored her. Nothing remained hidden from her nose for long. She remembered leading the young girl Mele, tracking water despite the twists of smoke and swirling fire. Her breath quickened at the memory, and she licked her burn-scarred paws. She wanted another challenge, but maybe one not so dangerous, please.

  But now, a tummy flop hurt. Her body no longer obeyed. Karma worried her girls wouldn’t let her play the best games anymore.

  Wind teased the tree outside the window so it scratched the glass like cats clawing their way inside. Karma barked at the thought of cats, so much fun to sniff and chase. She barked again, e
ven though she knew no cat-scent was near. But sometimes barking made strangers come to the door. She cocked her head to listen, but no neighbor responded. She was alone, and she didn’t like it.

  Grumbling to herself, Karma left the window, caught up her stuffed lamb-toy, and carried it to the sofa. It took two tries to climb onto the soft cushion. She scratched and scratched the fabric, not sure why, but needed to rearrange the surface before settling down. With a sigh, she sank into the softness, but immediately reared back up and dismounted. It felt wrong. She grabbed her lamb-toy again, whining, and paced from the sofa to the window and back again.

  The open door to the closet caught her attention. A handful of clothes swayed overhead, and Lia’s tracking boots littered the floor with dirt. Boot-smell comforted Karma. It also meant her girls weren’t tracking without her. She lay down again, snugging one of the boots and lamb-toy close to her swollen tummy.

  A sudden sharp pain made her scramble to her feet.

  With another grumbled whine, Karma padded into the bedroom to Tee’s bed and hoisted herself up. She wasn’t supposed to jump on Tee’s bed but couldn’t help herself. She grabbed one end of the fabric covering, tugged it loose, and walked backwards while pulling it after her. Karma gathered the spread into a messy pile at the head of the bed. Then she nosed the pillows, paw-thumped them into submission, and settled with care in the new nest.

  Karma hadn’t felt normal for many days. At first she got sick every morning, but now she always felt hungry. A gnawing feeling filled her middle now, not hunger, but something akin to that yearning. Karma whined again and scrubbed her face against the sheets with a satisfied moan. She liked the smooth fabric better than her own floor-level pillow. Tee-smell was different than Lia-smell but was the next best thing to her girls being here. Karma sighed, and settled her big head on her paws to wait.

  She yelped and jerked. Pressure in her tummy became a sharp, unrelenting pain that came in waves. Different from anything she’d ever experienced. Karma was brave and strong, she’d faced down scary people, survived flood and fire, and would protect her family no matter what. But how could a good-dog fight a hurt on the inside?