by Dale Mayer
“The good news is, the cops know. They are on it.”
“It’s been my biggest fear since Alice and Claire. I mean, obviously with one dead and one in the hospital, I had to consider maybe I was next. I pushed it off as being too far a reach. And if it isn’t too far out there, then I wish I knew how or why. It makes no sense.”
“You know something you don’t know that you know.” Lucas shrugged. “And, if you happen to be seen with me here, it could put you in more danger or keep you safer. Who knows how these people think?”
Her breath released in a raspy gasp. “I won’t be treated as collateral damage, not if you’re here,” she said. And she definitely didn’t want to be separated from him. She reached up a shaky hand, noting just how unnerved she really was, and then gave a broken laugh. “Wow, how to absolutely ruin my life.”
“I’m sorry,” he said abruptly. “Maybe I shouldn’t have told you.”
She shot him a hard look. “No. I’m glad you told me. Better to know and do what I can to stay safe than be blindsided. So now what?”
“I’ll head to the area where the dogfighting is, but I can’t have you with me.”
“In case I’m recognized?”
“Because I won’t be just looking for those involved. If there is a dogfight going on, I’m going in.”
“You can’t do it alone. You need backup. Men trained for this.”
He pulled out his phone. “I just talked to a detective. I’m pretty sure I can get some help if it looks like a dogfight is in the works. Or if I see an arena and dogs in kennels.”
“It’s still dangerous as hell,” she said.
“It is,” he said. “Doesn’t mean I don’t do it just because it’s dangerous. I’m still doing what’s right.”
She pinched her lips together and glared at him. Why did he have to play the hero? “One person is already dead. Another lying in a coma. You could be next. I can’t live with that.”
He smiled. “That part of my life hasn’t changed.”
She stared off in the distance, realizing he was right. It was one of the things she’d always had trouble with. The fact that he’d go into a dangerous line of work, and she was supposed to just wait for him to come home. Actually it wasn’t the waiting part as much as the not-knowing part. She worried about him constantly.
What if he didn’t come home?
“You’re no longer active military,” she said. “Life shouldn’t be dangerous for you now.”
“When you go to save the underdog, to help, you will encounter those who would oppress you.”
“Doesn’t have to be you though,” she blurted out.
“It doesn’t have to be me, but I won’t be me if I don’t go. Let’s go scope out the area.” He walked over to the truck and hopped in. He waited while she got in on her side, and, as she closed the door, he looked at her. “You don’t need to stay here. You know that, right?”
“I don’t need to stay here for your sake,” she said. “I need to stay here for my sake.”
He frowned, started the engine and pulled the truck away.
“What will you do if you find out they’ve shot Top Hat?” She watched a muscle in his jaw twitch. When he didn’t answer, she said, “You know you can’t kill them.”
“I know,” he said calmly. “It doesn’t mean the dog doesn’t get his chance for revenge though. If he’s still alive.”
Lucas shouldn’t have said that, but it was hard to see these kinds of men get away with the abuses they inflicted. Dogfighting was deadly for the animals, terrorizing for the innocents taken off the street and tossed into a ring with dogs trying to kill them. And for the dog trying to kill them too because he knows it’s either kill or be killed. But, with each successive fight, he’s got the upper hand because he’s already won the last one.
The fact that the local authorities had taken out two dogfighting rings but hadn’t gotten the rest meant the others would be that much harder to find. He knew in his heart that was where Top Hat was, and he didn’t want that for Top Hat. He hadn’t been trained to kill for fun; he killed for survival and would make mincemeat out of an opponent. Then he’d be down a path that would be hard to come back from, which was hardly fair. The dog had given a lot of years to the military; he deserved to retire in peace.
Lucas opened up the glove box and pulled out a map, then tossed it on her lap. “See if you can find the two areas we’re looking for.”
She unfolded the map and studied the area. Lucas took a right, heading toward town. He’d taken a glance at the map earlier, but that was only enough to get him through town. He didn’t know where the rest of the areas were.
“The first is up on the other side of the river.”
He picked up speed, merged into traffic and waited for her to chime in with more information.
“They’re beside each other,” she said thoughtfully. “More rural than we’ve seen so far with large properties. I’m not sure, but I think one is probably more of a lower-income area. Although, with the rise of the properties’ values, it’s hard to know. But they are likely hobby farms, not elegant estates.”
“Why is that?”
“Because I remember, when that local mill shut down, a lot of people were out of work. There’d also been a lot of protests and a lot of people complaining about how difficult their lives were.”
“I can see that then. Dogfighting is all about betting and trying to make your money somehow.”
“Sure, but you’ve got to have the money to bet it,” she said.
“That’s all right,” he said. “We’ll figure it out. We need to get into that area, drive around, scout out the lay of the land, and then we’ll find somewhere to stop for a meal.”
“Good,” she said, “I had a cup of tea at Andy’s but that’s all.”
“Andy. I forgot about him,” Lucas said as he turned to look at her. “I’m a little worried he might have been the one who shot Top Hat.”
“Then maybe we should be staying around and seeing what he does,” she said.
“I thought of it. I’ll check this area first because we can’t have all our eggs in one basket.”
“No,” she said. “But, at the moment, we don’t have anything.”
“Maybe not,” he said. “But, once we shake loose a few skeletons, you’ll be surprised at how the others come out of the woodwork.”
“Which is why I think we could have given Andy the first shakedown,” she said.
“When he went out back, do you know where he went?”
“No,” she said. “I never saw him again. … His vehicle was gone when I left though,” she said, frowning.
“And you didn’t notice him leave, did you?”
She sat back and thought about it, then shook her head. “No, I didn’t. How could he have left without me hearing that?”
“He could have rolled it until he got far enough down the driveway to start the engine.”
“It was facing down the hill, wasn’t it?”
“It certainly was,” Lucas said. “I’ve got the license plate number in my head, and I know the model, and I sure would like to find out where he’s gone.”
“You really think he’s gone after Top Hat?”
“I think he’s gone after whoever is holding Top Hat. It is also possible Top Hat is still at his place. We don’t know yet.”
“Do you really think he’s involved?”
“I think it’s just too damn convenient that a dog like Top Hat comes to his property, escapes and then gets shot.”
“Do you think Top Hat escaped, or did they let him out?”
“I think Top Hat got wind of something very wrong, and he took the opportunity when he could and bolted.”
“And that’s why they shot him? Because there was no way to bring him in without it?”
“I imagine that was the easiest way to deal with him. I doubt they killed him. I really think, if Top Hat is badly hurt, they’ll probably just shoot him, or for training, and
, if he’s not badly hurt, they’ll use him for fighting. And, if he bites one of them, they’ll put him in the ring injured and hope the other dog takes him apart.”
Chapter 6
They drove through the streets with purpose as Lucas appeared to know what he was doing, whereas she didn’t. All the buildings looked the same. But it was definitely much more of a rural area with lots of barns and horse stables. She glanced from one to the other. “How can you possibly tell where the dogs are?”
“That’s the thing. You’re not supposed to,” he said, “because they don’t want anybody knowing. Especially now that those first two rings were brought down.”
“But they still need people to come for the fights, right?”
“Right. So, a big-enough location, parking away from the streets, all of that’s important.”
They drove around for a good hour, and then Lucas pulled into an empty parking spot near a coffee shop. As they walked closer, they noticed several large groups of men in the parking lot.
She motioned at them. He nodded. “Don’t worry about it,” he said.
“They look like trouble,” she said.
He chuckled. “Just because they’re in plaid jackets, some wearing jeans, does not mean they are trouble.”
“You’re not listening,” she said. “My instinct says run.”
At that, he looked at her. “Seriously?”
She nodded—her shoulders hunched forward. “But maybe that’s because I know I’m being hunted …”
He nodded as he rubbed her back, pushing her closer to the coffee shop. “Our purpose is a little different here. Keep that in mind too.”
“Got it,” she said. “It’s still a little disconcerting.”
“Yes, it is,” he replied through the side of his mouth. “At least this way everyone sees you are not alone.”
She gave a quiet chuckle. “How sad that this is what we have to do to stay safe.”
“Not every female is being hunted right now,” he said cheerfully.
They stepped through the front doors. The restaurant had two sides of seating. Lucas gave a casual glance around, noting the rest of the patrons, and his back stiffened ever-so-slightly. “We’ll sit on the other side,” he said calmly, acting as if nothing was different.
But something definitely was, she just didn’t know what. She followed him to the other side, and they sat in a corner by the window with the door just a few feet from them.
He walked over to the counter, ordered two coffees, two muffins, paid and brought everything back to the table. As soon as he sat down, she whispered, “What did you see?”
“Andy,” he replied in a low tone. He glanced around the street parking and then motioned at a truck parked under the trees. “That’s his truck over there.”
“Shit,” she said. “You think that’s why he’s here?”
“Oh, I’m pretty sure,” he said. “What I need is a picture of the other guys he’s with.”
“I might be able to do that,” Tanya said. “The washroom is on the other side.” She subtly pointed to the sign.
“No, not alone,” he said.
She snorted. “Hey, I’m here, and it’s a washroom. They’re not likely to do anything in the restaurant. Besides, I have to walk by them to go.”
Just as she spoke, a woman stood at the next table and said something to the woman still seated there.
“I’ll ask her if she knows where the ladies’ room is.” Pulling out her phone, she put it on Video to record the men for Lucas, then walked up to the woman standing in the aisle. “Excuse me. Do you know where the washroom is?”
The woman smiled, turned and said, “Just follow me. I’m heading there now.”
Tanya held out her cell phone, angled in such a way to still be unobtrusive against her as she walked to the washroom, talking to the woman, completely ignoring the men sitting around. She was aware enough to realize Andy was here, but he sank in his chair, as if he realized who she was too.
In the washroom, Tanya used the facilities and walked back out. She kept her phone on Video so she could tape the sitting men. She’d only been able to tape their backs before. When she rejoined Lucas, she said, “Andy was trying to hide.” She noted the relief on Lucas’s face when she sat down again.
“Of course he is,” Lucas said. “Not that he has any reason to yet.”
She nodded and handed him her phone. He studied the faces and nodded. “Can you email that to me, please?” He returned her phone to her.
She did as he requested.
The beep marked the receipt of her emailed video. “I’ll send this to Badger, a friend of mine, to see if he can run it through their databases.” He frowned. “I should also send this to the detective I spoke with but don’t have his email address.” While she watched, he dialed a number. When a voice answered, he put the phone on Speaker and said, “I need your email address. I have a video to send you. Tell me if any of these guys are part of the group you know.”
The detective gave him his email. After the call ended, Lucas sent the video to him.
She loved that efficiency and can-do attitude. Hell, she’d always loved that about him. It still blew her away to think she was sitting here with him. She’d been afraid she’d never get this opportunity again.
Ten minutes later there was a phone call. Lucas again put on Speaker, yet turning down the volume, including her in the update. So much easier to keep track when all the information wasn’t secondhand.
“Okay, now you’re in the middle of the hot spot,” the detective said. “And I’m really not happy Andy is there.”
“I know,” Lucas said. “What do you want me to do?”
The detective paused. “We need to know where they go from there,” he said. “I’ll send two undercovers down. You’re at the coffee shop, I presume, on the corner of Blackwell and Kitchener?”
“Yep,” Lucas replied.
Tanya settled back, happy that maybe they wouldn’t be alone on this job.
“Okay,” the detective said. “Sit tight. Let us know if any of the men get up and leave.”
“Will do,” Lucas said. He ended the call. “Thanks for the video. I’ll send it to my boss, plus we’ve got the local cops involved now,” he said in a low voice.
She nodded slowly, looked at him and asked, “Is there any reason not to trust the detective?”
He shot her a look and a half smile. “Well, at least you’ve learned something over all these years, and that’s not to trust everyone,” he said. “For now I do. He seemed pretty angry about Andy being in the picture with several other men well-known for dogfighting. So we are definitely in the right area. What we have to do now is figure out where these guys live.”
Tanya rolled her eyes. “How the heck will you find that out?”
“The detective is looking it up. He’ll likely see if he has names he can match with properties. But my priority is still finding Top Hat.”
She frowned. “I hope it does not lead to doing anything dangerous.”
“Really?” he asked, leaning forward. “Aren’t you the one who just walked by those men to take a video of them?”
She shrugged. “But I’m in a public place.”
“The next time you may not be,” he warned.
She glared at him, but he was right, and she knew it.
Lucas waited for the detective to get back to him. He also knew two plainclothes men were coming in soon enough, but it wouldn’t be fast enough if these men split up and disappeared.
Lucas sent a text. What are the addresses for the men?
The answer came back. We’re right in the middle of their addresses. Can’t give up private information like exact addresses, but two are on Blackwood and two others on Kenwood.
Lucas pulled up his GPS on his phone and looked for the two streets, Kenwood and Blackwood, on the map. Neither were terribly long streets, and all were within a few miles from where they sat. He studied the layout of the properties, looked at
the men and said to Tanya, “I need to disappear. I wish there was some place to stash you.”
“Why don’t I sit at the counter while you do a little reconnaissance mission.” Standing, she picked up her cup and walked to the front counter and sat down. Several women were there and a bunch of newspapers. Tanya motioned to the waitress to refill her cup. and she grabbed a newspaper.
Lucas got up, walked to the men’s room but slipped out the back and headed for Kenwood Street. It was connected to Blackwood. He’d check out a couple properties as they were close.
Only three properties were found on this street, and all were fairly decent sizes. He could see from the satellite they had lots of room for animals. He hit the closest one. He found no sign of anyone on the property, and he slipped into the barn, moving his way down, but everything was empty. No signs of dogs or horses.
He went through all the outer buildings, but nothing was here—short of the kennels and a dogfighting ring being underground. And yet, why would there need to be anything underground when so much space was aboveground?
He carried on to the next property. Again found nothing but also nobody home. Maybe these people had full-time jobs, and it was a weekday—no, it was a Saturday. Maybe they were all out shopping. Frowning, he carried on to the third one, and this was definitely not uninhabited. Two men were working with horses, but the horses were jumpy. Lucas walked along the back fence, just out of sight, trying to keep an eye on them.
Dogs would make horses skittish, but there had to be a lot of dogs for dogfighting. As he walked around farther, he could hear several dogs howling. He kept walking and came upon three of the biggest, meanest, ugliest-looking things tied up with chains at the back corner fence. He stopped and studied them, seeing the aggression, the anger, the pain, noting the old wounds and nodded. “Well, there’s three of them,” he said. “Where the hell is Top Hat?”
He took several photos and sent them to the detective. Then he backtracked to the second property, but he saw no sign of dogs, chains or anything as he walked the perimeter of the fencing. Frowning, he returned to the first one but, walking the perimeter, found nothing.