by AJ Adaire
“He used to wear a muzzle when we worked. Maybe we can rig something. Do we have enough gauze?”
“A little bit. Maybe we can use one layer of gauze and wrap it with something like strips from clean cloth.”
“I have a clean white shirt.” Kim said. “I’ll tear off some strips from the bottom of that.”
Peri managed to close the gash with strips of tape she fashioned into a mock Steri-Strip. They’d rigged up a muzzle-like bandage of sorts, using strips from Kim’s shirt over the dressing, to help hold it together. They worked hard on their design so that Murdoch could still open his mouth. Peri tied the ends of the bandage between the big dog’s ears.
Peri kissed him on the top of his head. “Hope that will do the trick, big guy.” Murdoch put a paw on her shoulder as if to say you did your best and I appreciate it. He didn’t even whine at her about the bandage.
Chapter Nineteen
PAIGE SAT NEXT TO her dog with a hand on his back. Peri heated more water for tea and made a cup for her and Paige. Before she approached, she dug out a shirt from Paige’s pack and handed it to her.
“Thanks.” Paige pulled the clean shirt over her sports bra. “Where’s Kim?”
“She’s finishing up washing the things from dinner.” She watched as Murdoch rested his head on Paige’s leg. “I soaked your shirt and washed it…” She shrugged. “The blood stains came out.”
Handing Paige both cups, Peri sat down next to her and, once settled, took back one cup for herself. She rested a hand on Paige’s arm. “Don’t worry. We’ve done all we can. We irrigated it with purified and boiled water. It bled a lot and was thoroughly cleaned. If what Zeke told us about Heather’s antibiotic cream is even half true, he’s going to be fine.”
Paige turned her tear stained face to Peri. “I couldn’t bear to lose him. He’s all I have left.” She choked back a sob.
“I know it feels that way. It’s not true though. You have me, Kim, and the other friends we’ve all made. I know Murdoch is special. You’re not facing this alone, though.” She wrapped an arm around Paige and pulled her close. At first Paige resisted. Seconds later, she sighed and allowed Peri to comfort her.
Kim was careful to remove all evidence of their dinner in camp. Afterward, she attended to finishing up the chores and hung the packs with the food high in the trees. To provide light and safety, she stoked and added a couple of logs to the fire before crawling into her sleeping bag. She was the first to drift off to sleep.
Paige and Peri sat shoulder to shoulder. Murdoch’s head rested on one of Paige’s legs, while she idly stroked his fur. She told the story in a whisper with little intonation. “He means the world to me. Because I was the only human law enforcement officer in a small town, they bought him to help me. He served with me every day. Even before life fell apart, he was my partner and my companion. We had the normal problems a small town has. Some Saturday night fights, domestic disputes, kids acting up…nothing that serious. I’m not being dramatic when I say he was amazing as a police dog. He saved several serious situations from becoming life-threatening nightmares. More than that, he was a wonderful family pet. He loved Hildie with his heart and soul. They had a special bond from the minute we brought her home. He slept with her every night. There was no doubt that he loved me, and he was absolutely devoted to her. The only time he ever disobeyed me was the day she became ill. I had to go to work. I called him, and he refused to come with me. He jumped up on her bed and looked at me. I called him again. He turned away and laid his head on her chest.”
“He knew?”
Paige shrugged. “He never left her, other than to go to relieve himself. I had to bring his food and water to her bedside, or he wouldn’t eat. After Hildie died, he never left my side. He sat with me, while Maria struggled.” Silent tears leaked from her eyes and coursed down her cheeks, unnoticed.
Murdoch moaned in his sleep.
Paige’s eyes implored Peri.
“Give me your flashlight.” Peri examined Murdoch’s snout, gently touching it with her fingers to feel how warm it was. “I’ll be right back. I’ll get some cool water from the river and we’ll make some compresses.”
Paige handed over her handgun. “Be careful.”
Peri returned with a pan full of cold water from the river. She filled a sealable bag from the bucket and placed it on Murdoch’s injury. He looked up at her with soft, brown eyes. She spoke quiet, meaningless phrases to him, telling him how beautiful and strong he was. “You’re going to be fine, and will feel better soon.”
Murdock stretched out along Paige’s side, his head in her lap. They took turns filling and applying the cold pack to Murdoch’s injury. After a couple of hours, he seemed to feel more comfortable, because he calmed and drifted into a more peaceful sleep. Peri sat next to Paige and leaned into her. “I think he’ll be fine. I’m not saying that because I know you need to hear it. I believe it.”
“You have a caring and gentle touch. Are you a nurse?”
Peri shook her head. “An EMT.”
“Makes sense.” Paige closed her eyes and drifted off.
***
Paige opened her eyes to find Murdoch gone. So was Peri. She leaped to her feet and looked around. Silhouetted against the rising sun, Peri sat on a rock, her arm wrapped around Murdoch. He was leaning against her. Paige’s expression changed from alarm to a soft smile. He loves her too.
Chapter Twenty
AFTER BREAKFAST, PERI REMOVED the outer muzzle bandage and dressing. She showed Paige that the wound looked clean and less angry than the evening before. She praised Murdoch for his good behavior and applied more antibiotic cream. “There’s no fever in it today.” They hand fed him some soft food. He drank some water and allowed them to reapply the bandage.
“Thanks for everything you did for Murdoch.” Paige waited for Peri’s eyes to rise to meet hers. “And for me.”
“You’re welcome. I’m always here for you if you need me.”
***
They took an extra day in camp to give Murdoch a chance to feel better. The extra time to rest was good for Kim too. She awoke the next morning feeling stronger than she had since she got her cold. She set about making a breakfast of dry cereal and reconstituted powdered milk. It was a breakfast she’d have turned her nose up at in her prior life. Today, she was happy to have it. They were starting to run low on food. The extra day in camp would put an extra burden on their limited supplies.
Peri awoke and slid from her sleeping bag to join Kim. She quickly stirred the fire to life and in a matter of minutes they had water on for tea. Without discussing it, they moved away from where Paige remained asleep. They took a seat on a fallen log at the opposite side of the camp to speak in hushed tones. They knew Paige hadn’t had much rest because of Murdoch’s injury.
“Morning.” Peri handed a hot cup to Kim.
“Umm. Good. Thanks.”
The two women each disappeared into their own thoughts. Kim stuck her hand into her pocket and felt the letter from Jennifer there. She smiled at the memory of the pleasant time she’d spent with the younger woman and her family. There were a number of unknowns there. She’d especially enjoyed their goodbye kiss. I wonder if her family knows Jennifer is drawn to women. Would they accept me into their family? I know that my background and training could be helpful on their farm. Joe seems to be a savvy guy. Would he welcome my ideas? What would life be like there with Jennifer, on her uncle’s farm? She mentioned that maybe she would return to her parents’ farm, that she and Jeff wanted to go back there. Could I hope to make a life there if things don’t work out at Allie’s place?
Kim stretched out her legs. She glanced over at Peri, who was watching Paige and Murdoch sleep and seemed lost in her own thoughts. It was at that moment that Paige stirred. Murdoch raised his head. Peri patted her thigh and the big dog rose to his feet and came to Peri’s side. After removing his outer bandage she was pleased to see his nose was looking good. “Don’t worry, Murdoch,” sh
e whispered as she scratched his ear and kissed the top of his head. “If you have a scar, it’ll only make you look more dashing.” Looking up, she noticed Paige watching her.
Peri smiled a greeting and gave a little wave of her fingers.
Paige pulled her feet from her bag. “You two should have gotten me up. Is there hot water left?”
Kim pointed to the fire. “There’s some in the pot.”
With little conversation, they broke camp and set out. There was no real path to follow at this point, and progress was slow. They used the compass to navigate and watched for landmarks that Zeke had described. As he’d promised, the stream they followed led to a point where it intersected with a smaller stream. Travel along its bank was difficult. The elevation increased with each step they took. He’d instructed them to follow that stream, until they came to an old, rough-built structure, mostly gone now. They made camp there and pushed forward the next morning. Although the path was no clearer, the travel was less arduous as they dropped in altitude. The forest opened onto a logging road.
“It shouldn’t be too far now,” Kim said. “Zeke told us we just have to follow this road to the northeast and we’ll come to the path that leads to my friends’ place. What do you think if we break early and camp for tonight? We can push forward tomorrow morning with a fresh start.”
They moved back out of sight of the road and set up camp for the night. Murdoch’s nose was well enough that he could lose the bandage and homemade, tape-stitching strips. Peri removed the bandages and laughed with the others, when Murdoch turned and woofed his excitement. His tail wagged furiously at the freedom from the dressings.
Returning to Peri, he licked from her chin to her nose in one, wet, doggie kiss of appreciation.
“I’m impressed,” Paige said, as Peri wiped at the trail of wet Murdoch had left behind.
“By what?” Using her shirtsleeve, Peri wiped her face. Figuring out what she meant, Peri grinned and patted Murdoch. “Well, I’ll have to admit that you’re a very wet kisser, mister.”
Kim laughed at Peri’s situation. “I think Murdoch kisses like a girl I dated in college. Kissing her was like kissing a wet plunger.” Kim started chuckling as she finished the story. “Once she attached, there was this loud suction sound when we’d end the kiss and pull apart. Thwock. I only dated her once and kissed her twice.”
The unexpected comment sent them all into shared laughter. Kim doubled over as she gasped out the, mostly unintelligible, final few words of her story. She inhaled a deep breath and repeated the last sentence more clearly, when the others sobered. This sent everyone into another round of shared laughter.
“Oh my God, Kim. You are too much.” Peri placed her hand on her side. “I’ve laughed so hard, I have a pain. If it was so bad the first time, I’m surprised you did it a second.”
“Because I couldn’t believe how bad it was. I thought maybe it was an aberration. She was so nice. The second time was even worse, I think. Together, they would have broken a world record for worst kisses ever.”
Although her face was serious, Paige had a twinkle in her eyes. “How dare you cast aspersions on Murdoch’s kissing ability and compare him to that woman.” She reached down to pat his neck. “Murdoch is a good kisser, aren’t you boy?”
The sorely needed joviality lasted as they set up their camp and continued into their next day of travel.
***
Paige stopped and looked up at the darkening sky. “We only have a couple more hours to go. With night coming on, maybe it’d be better to camp and get a fresh start in the clear light of day tomorrow. What do you two think?”
Both Peri and Kim agreed it was a good idea, though each wished they’d been able to make it to their destination without having to camp one more night. Being so close to the road, they opted not to have a fire, and ate a cold supper. They crawled into their sleeping bags early.
Paige cleared her throat, reached for her canteen and took a swig of water. She snuggled into the warmth of her bag. “I find it amazing that my life has changed so dramatically. In addition to the obvious loss of my family and my vocation, there are hobbies that are gone, too.”
Kim turned slightly in her bag. “You know, Paige, you and Peri both continue to practice your previous jobs. You’re still protecting us, and Peri is still providing medical care to all of us.”
“I guess that’s true. What did you do for a living, Kim?”
“I owned a landscaping company with a focus on organic gardening. I hope my skills will be viable in my friend’s community. Peri’s skills will be useful as well, I suspect, and you’re a skilled fisherman.”
“My wife and I used to make soap and candles as a hobby. I guess that might be something that could be handy if I stay.”
Peri’s eyes snapped up and fixed on Paige. “Why wouldn’t you stay?”
Paige shrugged one shoulder and returned a sad smile. “I promised I’d see the two of you this far, and I’ve kept my word.” She slid the rest of the way down into her bag and said, “Night. See you two in the morning.”
Chapter Twenty-one
MURDOCH RAISED HIS HEAD and growled. “What’s the matter boy?” Paige reached for her revolver. “Get the guns. I’ll be back. Listen for my dove call so you don’t shoot me.” She faded into the trees, Murdoch close to her side.
Peri and Kim sat shoulder to shoulder. Peri could hear Kim’s breath coming as fast as her own. Peri tried to calm herself by slowing her breathing.
The loud clack-clack sound common to cocking of a shotgun pierced the still night. A menacing disembodied voice from the forest followed seconds later. “Real careful now, put your guns aside and raise your hands.”
Trusting Paige to save them, they complied.
“Now stand up and move away from the lean-to.”
Kim and Peri followed the instructions of the disembodied voice. The fact that they couldn’t see their captor made him even more ominous.
“Sit on the log in front of you and put your hands on top of your heads.”
A lone, armed man, dressed in camouflage clothing, stepped out of the trees and moved toward them. Pointing to Kim, he said, “You first. Stand up and turn around.”
Kim did as she was ordered. She met Peri’s eyes, as the man started at her collar and felt all the way down the back of her body. He stepped closer and roughly felt each of her arms, down to her armpits. Peri watched Kim’s grimace as he groped her breasts intimately. He pressed against her and whispered something that caused a look of disgust to cross Kim’s face. His hand traveled downward to her most intimate part and lingered before running his hand down each of her legs.
“Your turn, sweet pea,” he said to Peri, his voice as thick with arousal as the bulge in his pants.
The unmistakable sound of a revolver cocking echoed in the still night. “Don’t move if you want your friend to live, mister.” Paige herded a tall, bearded man into camp. She’d easily captured him. He’d his hand in his pants, as he observed his friend search the women.
“Murdoch, guard.” Paige moved the man out into the open to join the others. “Peri, please go collect his gun behind the tree, over where we were.”
The taller man with the beard was the first to speak. “No offense girls.” His eyes traveled from Paige’s feet to the top of her head. “We saw these two here and thought we could have a little fun with them, that’s all. No harm done.”
“In whose opinion, asshole?” Kim was still fuming from the manhandling she’d received from the shorter man. “You think holding a woman at gunpoint, against her will, and feeling her up without her permission is fun?” Kim grabbed the man’s crotch and squeezed a howl from the man. “How do you like it, you bastard?”
The man dropped to his knees, gripping his privates.
Seeing the murderous rage in Kim’s face, Paige put her hand on Kim’s arm. Her voice was stern, though not unkind. “That’s enough, Kim. Step away.”
Kim was still muttering under her
breath as she turned and moved away from the group.
“Sit down.” Paige directed the men to sit on the same log Kim and Peri had been on. The shorter man managed to sit. He was still doubled over. “What are your names?”
The bearded one answered for both of them. “I’m Buck.” He gestured with his thumb toward his companion. “That’s Jack.”
“Well, Buck. Do you accost all travelers like you did us?”
“We keep an eye on this sector.”
“Sector of what?”
“Our area.”
Paige’s eyes narrowed and a flush crept up her cheeks. “Are you trying to be obtuse? What are you doing out here, and why did you take them at gunpoint?” Other than your obvious intentions. She didn’t mention why she was easily able to apprehend the transfixed Buck. She opted not to deal with what might have happened to her friends if she’d not been there to take control of the situation.
Paige raised her weapon and pointed at Buck. “Murdoch, hold.” Faster than one could even imagine, Murdoch took hold of the man’s hand. He didn’t bite, just exerted enough pressure to let the man know he was in control. Buck raised his fist, preparing to strike him. Murdoch growled a warning and Paige cocked her gun. “Touch my dog and it’ll be the last thing you ever do in this lifetime.” Although her voice was quiet and measured, the message was chilling.
Buck dropped his fist. “Oww,” he whined. “He’s hurting me.”
“My heart bleeds. Answer the question, or I’ll have him clamp harder. What do you mean by area?”
“A group of us guys have a hunting club up here. You know, kind of a boys’ club. We hunt and fish. When the shit hit the fan down in the city, a bunch of us came up here. We didn’t mean any harm to your lady friends. Just looking for a little action.”