***
Ryan drove out to Kerry’s house that Friday as planned. Several times along the way, he found himself instinctively watching to make sure he wasn’t being followed. He shook his head at his paranoia, but at the same time wasn’t willing to ignore the possibility…
After finding the right house, he pulled into the driveway. Kerry was standing on the porch, her arms crossed against the cold. She waved as he parked the car and got out. “Hi, Kerry,” he called up to her.
Hunter barked from the back seat as if to remind Ryan that he was still there. “I’m coming boy,” he said. He brought the dog out on his leash and led him to the porch.
“Hi,” he said again, giving Kerry a hug. “I really appreciate this.”
“Hey, no problem,” she said.
“I know it wasn’t an easy decision with… well, you know.”
“Yeah, I do. Ryan, you’ve got to stop beating yourself up about it. You are my friend, and I don’t blame you at all. Nothing has happened. I’m not worried.”
Ryan didn’t look convinced, but he said, “Just do me a favor, okay?”
“What?”
“Let Hunter go into the house before you do, just in case. He’ll be able to tell if there’s an intruder.”
“You make it sound like he was trained for this,” Kerry said. “I’ve never once had a problem with someone breaking into my home, and I don’t think it will start now.”
Ryan met her eyes, unflinching. “He actually was trained for protection,” he informed her. “That’s why I suggested it. He’s very good at guarding people.”
“Oh,” Kerry said, wondering if there was more to the story than the notes and phone calls.
When she asked, she wasn’t thrilled about the answer. “The guy tried to grab me a couple times when I was a kid. When I decided to get a dog the only thing that sold Frank on the idea was getting one that would be protective, and having him trained.”
Swallowing her anger at what her friend went through, Kerry quickly relented. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll let him into the house ahead of me.”
“Thank you. That does make me feel better. Here,” he said, handing her Hunter’s leash. “I need to get his food and his crate from the car, and you need to go into the house before you get sick. I’ll get him all set up, then I need to finish getting my stuff together.”
“Sounds good,” Kerry agreed as she led Hunter into the house. Ryan brought the large collapsible crate in and set it up in the living room.
“It’s not heavy, so you can put it wherever you want,” he said. “Hunter goes into it with no problems. Hunter, kennel,” he said. The dog went in his kennel and sat on the blanket Ryan had put inside of it.
“Good boy. You can come out,” he said patting the dog on the head before turning to explain to Kerry, “He’s going to have to go out before you leave for work. I put his food on the porch; he gets two cups twice a day, no more—even if he begs,” he added, rubbing the dog’s ears affectionately. “And make sure his water is full all the time.”
“Sure thing,” Kerry said watching as Ryan set a bowl of water down on the floor of her kitchen for the big dog. He took Hunter out on the leash while Kerry put the crate into her bedroom and got her coat. “Does he have to go into his crate every time I leave? I hate the thought of keeping him crated all day.”
“I mostly keep him in there at night so he doesn’t wake me up by jumping on the bed. But if you don’t want to use it that much, it’s fine. I really don’t mind.”
“Okay. I think I want to leave him loose while I’m at work. That way he can get used to my house.”
Ryan raised an eyebrow, but only said, “If that’s what you want. Oh! By the way, watch this: Hunter, guard.” The dog stiffened.
“What…?”
“When you leave the house, make sure you tell him to ‘guard’ so he will stay alert to any threats. Don’t give him another command until you’re home.”
“How do I get him to relax?” she asked, watching the dog.
“Easy. Hunter, settle.” Almost instantly Hunter jumped up on Ryan, his tail wagging and tongue hanging out happily.
“Good boy. You’ll take good care of her, won’t you, buddy.”
They stood quietly for a minute. “I should probably get going. I really do have some stuff to do before I head out tomorrow. You have a nice place here, Kerry. I’m not sure Hunter will even want to come back to the apartment with me when I get back,” he said with a laugh.
“Thanks, Ryan. It will be even nicer in a few weeks. I have a lead on a couple horses that might work for me, but I need to finalize a couple things first.”
“I guess that means that when I get back you’ll be giving me riding lessons, huh?” Ryan said, sounding uncharacteristically hesitant.
“It won’t be that bad. You’re strong enough to control a horse, and I’m sure you’ll catch on quickly.”
“Well,” Ryan said, scratching his head, “you are living up to your end of the bet, so I guess I can’t back out of the horse thing, can I?” he asked, still sounding hopeful that he could get out of it.
Kerry laughed, “No, you can’t. I’ll drag you over to the horses if I have to, but I don’t see you as the type to back away from a challenge anyway.”
“You’re right. We’ll set something up when I get back. If anything happens with Hunter, call me. I have you down at his vet as being okay to make decisions, but I need to know if anything major happens.”
“Quit worrying, we’ll be fine. Won’t we, Hunter?” she said with a laugh. “Hope everything goes well at the academy, and we’ll see you when you get back.”
Driving back to the city, Ryan was distracted by thoughts of what he still needed to pack, and making sure his mental checklist was completed before leaving the next day.
He never noticed the car following a few lengths behind.
SIX
Ryan finished packing his car, and went back into his apartment to make sure he wasn’t forgetting anything. He glanced at his watch, cursing under his breath when he realized he was running late. He ran out the door to his car.
The drive to the state’s police academy was long. Ryan found himself wishing he had someone to talk to, but had to settle for listening to the radio. At least the traffic isn’t bad, he thought. He drove up to the gate of the academy at a few minutes before noon and found a parking spot. He opted to leave his bag in the car for the moment and went to the main building to receive his schedule and housing arrangements for the coming weeks.
Ryan was so focused on his task that he was completely oblivious to the man standing in the shadow of the main building watching every move he made.
***
Kerry opened her eyes only to be met with big brown eyes staring at her with intent. She sat up quickly. “Hunter! You scared me boy. Do you need to go out?”—the dog whined and walked to the door—“All right, just give me a minute.”
Checking the clock, Kerry figured she should have gotten up earlier to take the dog out. “I hope you’re really well house trained,” she muttered as she pulled on some jeans and a sweatshirt. Hunter was standing by the door with his leash in his mouth when Kerry reached the hallway. She clipped the leash onto his collar so she could grab him easily if he decided to run off, and opened the door to let him out. She grabbed her jacket on the way out.
She stood on the porch watching Ryan’s dog, and she shook her head. I can’t believe I’m actually taking care of a dog. Will this bring me and Ryan closer? Will he finally see me as more than just a friend? But he needs friends right now. He hides it well, but the stalker has him rattled.
Kerry found herself dragged back to reality when she heard Hunter’s growl. “What is it, boy?” she asked, suddenly feeling nervous. Despite what she had told Ryan, she was a little scared about what his stalker might do.
“Hunter, come!” she commanded. The dog hesitated, still growling, his teeth bared and fur bristling.
Some
one’s in my barn! Kerry thought, and instantly panicked. “Hunter!” The dog finally turned away from the barn, coming to her side, still bristling.
Kerry took his leash and pulled him back into the house, locking the door behind her and grabbing her cell phone. Ryan had told her to call Frank if she was worried about the stalker, so she dialed his number. “Frank? This is Kerry. I think there’s someone in my barn.”
“What makes you think that?” Frank asked. “Did you see anyone or hear anything?”
“No, but Hunter was growling at the door like there was someone or something in there that he wanted to attack. I’m scared, Frank. Ryan told me to call you if anything happened…”
“I’m on my way. Stay in the house and keep the doors locked until I get there.”
“Okay. You know how to get here, right?”
“Yes. I knew your grandparents, and visited them several times over the years. I remember how to get there. I’ll be there in about twenty minutes. I’m in the car now. Just stay calm; okay, Kerry?”
“Okay. I’ll see you soon, Frank. Bye.” She hit the end button and looked out at the barn door, relieved to have Hunter at her side to protect her from whatever was out there.
***
Frank drove as quickly as he could to Kerry’s home, hoping that it was a false alarm. Unfortunately, he knew his nephew’s dog wouldn’t growl without reason. He hoped it was just some kind of animal that the dog was reacting too, and not something more dangerous.
***
The dog had almost found him. It would make his plans more difficult having the mutt guarding the girl, but he would make it work. Ryan needed to be punished. He didn’t deserve happiness. He could tell that the girl was nervous. Her voice shook as she called for the dog—that big beast had to go. He left through the back window he had climbed in and sneaked off Kerry’s property. The bitch had probably called someone to check the barn. They would find the gift he had left. He laughed at the thought as he drove off.
***
Frank turned in the driveway and was relieved to see Kerry peeking through the blinds at him as he pulled up to the house. She opened the door as he walked up the front steps. “Are you okay, Kerry?”
“I’m fine. I haven’t seen anything from the barn. I feel a little silly about calling you, actually,” she admitted as she looked at the floor.
“Don’t. From what Ryan told me, this could be something serious. I don’t want you to hesitate to call me whenever you feel that something’s not quite right, okay?” He waited for her acknowledgement before he continued. “Okay. I need to borrow Hunter for a little while. He needs to help me check your barn.”
“No problem. He’s right here, and I didn’t take the leash off when we came in. I figured you’d want him out there with you. I thought about making you some coffee for your trouble, but I didn’t want to go into the kitchen. I can’t see the barn from the kitchen, and I figured I should watch in case someone came out. Hunter is ready to go, and he hasn’t stopped bristling since we came in…” Kerry stopped speaking as she realized that she was babbling. “Sorry, I talk a lot when I get nervous,” she explained.
“That’s fine. Everything will be okay, Kerry. I’ll be right back.”
Frank took Hunter’s leash and led the eager dog out to the barn. He opened the door, letting Hunter loose as he did so. “Scout!” he commanded the dog. Hunter stalked around the barn sniffing for anything out of place as Frank checked high and low. There were two stalls that were empty, and a couple small rooms that Hunter went in and out of quickly enough that Frank wasn’t worried. However, when Hunter reached the ladder going to the hayloft, he started growling and scratching at the base of the ladder.
“Good boy, Hunter,” Frank said, patting the dog’s head before carefully climbing the ladder to the loft. There was no one there, but he saw an envelope with Ryan’s name on it on top of a package. Frank sighed and climbed back down. He left the letter and package where they were. Hunter had once again done his job. He had warned Kerry of a danger, and kept her safe. Now it was time for the police to enter the picture.
***
“What do you mean he was at her house?!” Ryan was understandably upset as his uncle told him what had happened.
“Don’t worry. The police were here, and nothing happened to Kerry. Hunter warned her and she took him into the house, locked the door, and called me.”
Ryan sighed. “You’re telling me not to worry? The guy who’s been stalking me for the past…what…fourteen years has suddenly decided to take an interest one of my only friends…!” his voice trailed off before he continued. “I should be there. I can’t do any good from here; I’m coming home.”
“Ryan, don’t come home. You’ll be able to do more good with a badge and access to files than you can do coming home without it. You have friends on the force, and I’m here as well. Kerry will be protected. Ryan…” Frank stalled, not wanting to worry his nephew any more than he already was.
“What, Frank?” Ryan asked, sounding frustrated.
“There was a note and a package left in the loft. They were addressed to you.” Frank heard Ryan sigh wearily into the phone.
“What is it this time?”
“The note said that you didn’t deserve happiness, and he would do whatever he could to keep you from being happy.” Frank hesitated again, not wanting to tell Ryan what was in the package.
“That’s not completely new,” Ryan admitted. “He’s said similar things in other notes that he’s sent me. But he’s never sent a note to me through another person besides you. He’s never threatened anyone else before. Why is he starting now?”
“I don’t know, Ry. But that’s not the worst thing. The package… it had to do with your father… official reports stating that your father was a dirty cop.” Ryan didn’t respond. “They can’t be true but… Ryan, they’re pretty convincing. If this guy got copies of these reports and pictures, he could drag your father’s name through the mud and possibly affect your chances of becoming a cop at all.”
“Dad wasn’t dirty, and I will do everything in my power to prove that to anyone who believes he was. He knew right and wrong, and he would never have crossed that line.”
“I know that, Ryan. But these pictures and reports could cause some problems with people who didn’t know your father or what he was like.”
“Wait… how did this guy get any kind of official reports about my dad? Wouldn’t they be restricted files?”
Frank shrugged, despite Ryan being miles away. “I don’t know, kid. He could have forged things, I suppose. Or he could be someone your father had gotten into trouble who wants to cause problems for his family. I’m not sure. Finish your training, and you’ll have access to your father’s files.”
“You’re right Frank; I can do more good as a cop than as a private citizen. Just do what you can to keep those files confidential. I don’t need them to keep me from being accepted as a cop.”
“Don’t worry. This is between me and my friend Greg. He’s completely trustworthy. He’s one of the officers I had follow you when you were younger. He protected you a couple times.”
“He must have been pretty good. After the initial kidnapping attempt I never saw anyone come near me.”
“He saw a vehicle following you home from school once, and he made sure that the driver saw him. He couldn’t justify doing any more than that. Technically the guy wasn’t doing anything wrong, but it made Greg nervous. He ran the plates and found out it was a rental car, and was never able to find out who it was that rented it, so nothing ever came of it.”
Ryan was silent for a moment before saying, “Wow. I didn’t know that. I guess I should be thankful that you had me followed. Who knows if the guy would have done something if Greg hadn’t been there. Of course you don’t know that was my ‘stalker,’ it could have just been your run-of-the-mill scumbag.”
“That’s true, but I’m still glad that I had Greg following you that day. So you’
re doing okay? You’re all settled in?”
“Yes,” Ryan answered, accepting the changed subject. “I’m settled into my room and ready for my first weekend home so I can check on Kerry for myself. I’m also going to want the items from that package, or at least copies of them, so I can start trying to piece things together. Uncle Frank?”
“Yes, Ry?”
“It makes me nervous that he’s escalating like this. I’m scared that he might try to hurt Kerry. She’s alone out there, and even with Hunter there to protect her, he could still get to her.”
“I’ll get a security system set up in her house. I’m sure she’ll agree to it after that scum was in her barn. Talk to her, Ry. Try to convince her that she should stay with someone while you’re gone so she won’t be so far from help if she needs it.”
“I’ll do my best, Frank. She’s somewhat stubborn though. I don’t think she’ll let this guy run her off her own farm.”
“That could be, but she’s also a rational young woman who was scared out of her wits that something terrible was going to happen. Just talk to her, she’ll be reasonable.”
“Okay. Well, I need to get going. There’s some orientation stuff I need to do today. I’ll be home in a couple weeks. Please have that stuff ready for me.”
“I will. Ry? Be careful, and work hard. The better you learn this stuff, the more chance you have of catching this guy.”
SEVEN
Ryan was happy to finally be home. Even with the visits on some weekends, his semester at the police academy had been rough. He had constantly worried about Kerry’s safety, despite her assurances that she was fine. On the other hand, she had been shaken up enough that she had agreed to install a security system.
Ryan was shaken as well. After the initial package and note, the stalker had apparently decided not to leave things with Kerry anymore. Instead he sent photos and threatening messages to Ryan at the academy. He’d had a hard time hiding the notes from his roommate, who had no concept of privacy. Fortunately, he’d been able to find a hiding place that his nosy roommate couldn’t find.
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