by Dale Mayer
“You leave him alone,” she ordered. “I don’t want you hauled away to jail too.”
“Not happening,” he said.
She shut off the alarm system as the cops pulled in the parking lot. She stepped outside, and, when the first uniformed man arrived, she smiled up at him. “Am I glad to see you.”
“What’s going on here?” he asked.
She led the way into the back of the clinic, explaining what had happened.
As they walked in and saw Zane sitting there with the intruder tied to a chair, the first cop hitched his pants up and said, “Well, isn’t this an interesting situation.”
“I figure he was after drugs,” Zane said calmly. “He hit two different vet clinics in the same night.”
That wiped the smile off the cop’s face. “We don’t need another rash of those,” he said.
“I wasn’t after the damn drugs,” the intruder said. “I wanted the dog dead.”
The cop just looked at him and frowned. “What’s your beef with the dog?”
But the intruder wouldn’t say a word.
The second cop hauled McAfee to his feet.
Zane reached down with his knife and cut off the zap straps on the chair and on McAfee’s ankles, so he could walk. “I suggest cuffing him at both ends.” He pointed to the weapon on the floor. “That’s his.”
“Shit,” the first cop said. He bagged the weapon and led the intruder out to the patrol car.
A second vehicle was out there now, and two more men appeared in the parking lot. They stood around discussing what was going on, and then one of them came inside the clinic to talk to Holly. “Do you want to give your statement now?”
She nodded. “I do, indeed. And then I need to sleep. I have surgery all day tomorrow. I’ve called one of my assistants in, now that it’s safe here, so I can go home and sleep for a few hours.”
It took forty minutes to go over everything. When she was finally done, the cop nodded and said, “I’ll get this ready for you to sign. Can you stop by tomorrow after work?”
She nodded. “That I can do.”
He turned to look at Zane. “How about you? Can you come by at the same time?”
She stepped forward. “We’ll come together.”
“And what about the dog?” the officer said. “I want to know what the hell’s going on with that dog.”
“Me too,” Zane said. “He’s a retiree from the War Dogs program. I came here to make sure he was okay at a request from the military.”
At the sound of that, the officer’s frown deepened. “Jesus, like we don’t have enough of our own animal problems. We got to bring them back from the war with health problems too.”
“Which is why I’m making sure he’s taken care of,” Holly said. “And then we can find the proper place for him.”
The officer shook his head as he walked out of the office. “Good luck with that,” he said. “If I hear he’s dangerous at all, you know what’ll happen.”
“And then you’ll find out why he’s dangerous,” Zane said, his voice hard. “And who the hell has been abusing him.”
The cop turned and looked at Zane. “He’s been abused?”
“Abused and shot twice,” he said.
At that the cop winced. “He should have killed him clean. No need to hurt an animal like that. I’ll see you both tomorrow.” And he walked out.
Just then Bettina walked in, and Holly explained, adding, “Katch is sleeping, and I’ll be back in a few hours.” She grabbed her purse and turned to Zane. “Please take me home so I can go to bed. I want to grab at least a few hours. What about you?”
Zane hesitated.
She looked at him. “You might as well crash for whatever’s left of the night.”
She watched as he glanced at his watch; then he looked up at her and spoke hesitantly. “If you’re sure …”
“Of course I’m sure,” she said. “Come on. Let’s go.” She reset the alarm and locked up the office and headed out to Zane’s vehicle.
Inside the truck she said to him, “How long do you think they’ll hold him?”
“Not long enough,” he said, his tone grim. “He will be back. I just don’t know what we’re supposed to do about it.”
“We need a resolution to this. He can’t just keep breaking into our clinics to get at that animal.”
“He isn’t going to get his hands on that animal,” Zane said. “I don’t care what Katch did. He needs our help and the best chance at a good life that we have available to give him.”
“A nice fenced yard would be good. Especially one with acreage,” she said. “Something like your dad’s place.”
“Well, that’s not a good idea. He’d just as soon put a bullet in him. You know that.”
“I didn’t say your dad’s place. I said like your dad’s place.”
They made the rest of the trip in silence. Before long they pulled up to her house. “I’m really exhausted now,” she said. “But, after all this excitement, I don’t know if I can sleep.”
“You can sleep,” he said. “There’s nothing to worry about. Just get into bed and let everything fall away.”
She led the way into the house. “The spare room’s over there. Follow the hallway and take the first right.”
He followed her instructions.
She set her house alarm, locked up and walked down the hall to her bedroom. “We didn’t even clean up the kitchen from dinner,” she said.
“No time,” he said. “I’ll do that in the morning.”
She barely heard him as she walked into the bathroom, brushed her teeth, stripped off her clothing and crawled under the covers. She shut off the light, and her last thought was that somehow she had managed to get Zane to spend the night. But she sure as hell hoped it didn’t take as much panic and chaos to make him stay for the next one. It was nice to have him around.
When she woke the next morning, she rushed through her shower and getting dressed. Zane was downstairs in the kitchen. She looked over at him and smiled brightly. “You didn’t have to get up right away,” she said.
“Sure I did,” he said. “I’m a guest.” At her quick frown, he frowned too. As she made coffee, he said, “Are you going to eat breakfast?”
“I need to,” she said. “I wasn’t kidding about a long day.”
“What do you have?” He opened the fridge.
“Sausage patties are in the bottom crisper drawer, if you want to make sausage and toast.”
“Absolutely I do,” he said, pulling out the stuff. “Do you mind if I cook?”
“Please be my guest,” she said in delight. “Then I have a chance to make a lunch to-go.”
As he cooked breakfast, she made two big sandwiches.
“Are you going to eat all that today?”
“It’s possible,” she said. “Sometimes I have to stay late, and, if I don’t take enough food, then it gets hard to keep up my energy.”
“Do you have blood sugar issues?”
“If you mean, do I get weak and faint when I don’t get enough food? Absolutely. If I’m in surgery for too long, then straighten suddenly, I get dizzy. I just have to look after myself and make sure there’s food when I need it.” She finished wrapping up her sandwiches. “Do you have any plans for the day?”
“I’m coming with you this morning,” he said, “because I want to check on Katch. Then I’ll talk to the cops to see what the future is for your intruder.”
“Oh, good idea,” she said. “Maybe we don’t need these sandwiches then. Maybe we should go out for lunch.”
“Or we can have lunch in your office,” he said. “I can always pick up something.”
She shrugged and put the two wrapped sandwiches into a plastic carry bag she used most days. “We’ll see,” she said. “You can tell me what the cops had to say.”
“Good enough,” he said. “If you want to grab plates and knives and forks, this is almost ready.”
She looked at him in surprise.
“That was fast.”
He served the plates as the toast popped out of the toaster. He snagged them with one hand and buttered them. “Here you go. Eat up.”
She smiled and sniffed the air. “This smells divine.”
“Good,” he said. “I was afraid you’d be getting up too late, and you’d skip breakfast and take off for work.”
“It’s certainly happened before,” she said, “but I do take special care on surgery days. I have to keep my focus.”
“Good to know,” he said.
The next few minutes were quiet as they ate.
“You should stop in and see your father today,” she said.
“What’s the point?”
“Because every time you see him, it’ll get a little easier.”
“If I’m not staying, what difference will it make?”
“Are you not staying?” she asked, hating the tremor in her voice.
He looked up, then glanced back down at his plate again. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” he said. “At the moment, I’m a bit of a lost cause.”
She gave him a sharp look and shook her head. “Hardly a lost cause. Did you have any training in the military for when you left the navy?”
“I did,” he said. “I just haven’t decided what I’ll do now that I’m out.”
“What kind of work were you doing for Titanium Corp?”
“Security mostly,” he said, “not exactly what I want to do, but they have lots of jobs. They need the men, so it was a great place to reenter the workforce.”
“Have you put much thought into going back to school?”
“No, not really. I don’t think I need to either,” he said. “I have a few ideas rolling around in my head. I’m just not sure what I want to do.”
“Good enough.” She hopped to her feet, taking her dishes to the dishwasher. “I have to leave.”
He glanced at his watch and saw it was almost eight a.m. “You’re early then?”
“No,” she said. “Surgery days require more time. I want to be in the right space, not rushing in late before I start.”
“Any idea what you’re starting with?”
“A lop-eared rabbit. It’s coming in to get fixed. He was breeding stock. He’s about to have his mind changed on that subject.”
“Poor guy,” he said. “Is that the work you do most of the time?”
“A lot of small-animal care is getting them fixed. But also stitches, claws, all kinds of stuff,” she said. “There are emergencies, like when animals ingest something not edible. Car accidents bring us, unfortunately, way too much work with broken legs and damaged hips. This afternoon I also have one of the other vets coming in to work on a more complicated case with me. The dog had his leg straightened, but it didn’t heal properly. We’ll have to rebreak it and pin it at a better angle, so it’s more functional.”
“Sounds fascinating,” he said.
She flashed him a smile as she snagged her purse and sweater. “It can be. It can also be very difficult because we can’t save everyone. And I still cry when I lose one.”
He nodded, stepping out the front door as she walked out.
“You might as well stay and finish the pot of coffee,” she said. “When you get to the clinic, we’ll have time enough for you to see the dog.”
“I’m coming with you,” he said.
She hesitated, then nodded. “If you’re ready then, I’ll set the alarm.”
He stopped on the top step.
She ran through her normal security sequence and then hopped into her SUV. “I’ll see you there.” And she reversed and headed off at a quick pace.
She knew the longer she waited before going into work, the worse it got. She always needed a few minutes to calm down, have a cup of coffee and relax before she went to look at the first patient. This morning wouldn’t be so bad. She was more worried about the Lab’s surgery this afternoon. She hadn’t set the leg in the first place; another vet had, and the dog was in a lot of pain. Although mobile, every step had to hurt. She wanted to fix the leg properly.
With her mind going through the day’s events, the commute to her clinic went quickly, and she pulled into the back of the parking lot to find Mittle’s car already there. Inside, Mittle sat behind the reception area. “No matter how early I come,” she said, “you always beat me here.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” she said. “Coffee is dripping. Everything looks normal.”
“Except for one thing,” Holly said. “We had a visitor overnight.”
“You mean, the dog in the crate? I figured you must have gotten an emergency call-in.”
“Yeah, we did.” She explained to Mittle and then described the intruder. “So we have to keep a vigilant eye here.” She smiled at Mittle’s shocked expression. “Right. In other words, I didn’t get a whole lot of sleep. I left Bettina on watch. Is she here?”
“She went to the coffee shop.”
“Okay. I’ll go grab five in my office. Let me know when our lop-eared rabbit comes in.”
“Will do,” Mittle said.
Holly grabbed a cup of coffee and headed into her office. At her desk she sat down, put her feet up and let herself relax. Just five minutes. She’d take five minutes to herself, and then she’d start her day.
Zane walked into the clinic shortly after Holly. He smiled at Mittle. “I’m here to see Katch. Holly knows I’m here.” He nodded toward Holly’s office.
Mittle nodded. “I was surprised to hear about the dog. Holly filled me in on the break-in too.” She led the way to the back through the surgery room—where two vet assistants were getting things prepped for the day—and on to the room where the animals were kept.
Katch appeared to be awake. He was lying on his side, staring out at the room. Zane walked forward, and the dog just stared at him. He didn’t growl. Zane took that as a good sign. He crouched on the floor in front of him and talked to him calmly. He looked at Mittle and asked, “Has he been looked at yet?”
“One of the assistants came through, checked his vitals and IVs, so I know it’s all good. Otherwise there would have been a panic when Holly came in,” she said. “But the dog looks to be holding his own.”
“He had a pretty rough night.” Zane hesitated. “It’s hard to touch him with the cage locked.”
“We keep it that way for safety reasons.” Mittle’s voice was serious. “To get permission to open it, you’ll have to talk to Holly.”
“Good enough,” he said. “I’ll do that.”
When she left, he reached down and placed his hand against the cage. “I’m not here to hurt you. I’m actually here to help. But you don’t know the difference, do you?”
At the sound of his voice, Katch shifted several times. Zane heard a whimper.
“Are you in pain?” he asked. “I can get somebody to help you with that.”
“I’m here to take a look at him,” Holly said. “Let me get close enough.” She took the chart, read the new notes from her assistants, then opened the front of the cage. The dog didn’t react.
“He’s not running for freedom,” Zane said.
“No. He’s still under sedation, but it looks like he’s reacting to the pain a little too much. Let me just increase that dose a bit.” She went about changing something on the dog’s medications. Finally she stepped back. “He should be fine. I’ll check on him in an hour.”
“May I sit with him with the gate open for a bit?”
Holly hesitated, then looked at him and back at the dog. “Why?”
“Because I want to touch him,” he said. “I want him to feel a human touch that isn’t hurting him.”
“I can’t have him stressed or upset, and I don’t want any of his tubes disturbed. So, if he starts to get up, tries to pull away or to fight you, that has to stop immediately. He’ll hurt himself. One of the reasons for the extra drugs is to keep him calm and sedated in there.”
“And yet, he’s not sedated,” he said. “His eyes are open,
and he was just whimpering.”
“The medication should kick in soon,” she said. “You can leave the gate open for a few minutes, but, when I come back, I want to see it closed. I can’t concentrate on my surgery if I know this cage is open, so you’ve got five minutes.”
He nodded, reached out a hand and gently stroked Katch on top of his head, running his fingers down his nose, gently stroking what should have been soft fur but was instead rough. “He needs a bath,” he said softly.
“Well, it’s not going to happen here and now,” she said from behind him.
Then the door shut, and he turned, realizing he was once again alone. He didn’t bother reaching in farther; he just gently stroked the dog’s forehead and nose, scratched under his chin. He kept talking to him, always quiet and calm.
When Holly returned a few minutes later, he obediently let her check the dog over, then she closed and locked the gate.
“I’m heading out now,” he said. “You take care.” He stopped at the door and looked back at her. “Are you okay?”
She looked up at him in surprise. “Of course I’m okay. Why?”
“I just know you’re tired,” he said. “You’re heading into a long day.”
“I am,” she said with a bright, warm smile. “But, hey, it’s not the first time, and it won’t be the last time. It’s all good.”
He gave her a gentle smile. “You don’t have to be the tough guy all the time, you know?”
“I’m not,” she said with a laugh. “That’s up to you guys.”
“I’m not a tough guy at all,” he said. “I’m a real softy when it comes to dogs.”
“You always did have a soft touch with animals.”
He nodded. “They usually like me.” He cast one more glance at Katch. “Now I’m heading off to the police station to see what they have to say.” And, with that, he left, got in his truck and drove the couple blocks to the station.
At the front door, he stepped inside and asked for the cop he’d spoken to last night.
The receptionist nodded and said, “I don’t think he’s in at the moment. May I leave a message for him?”
He frowned, shoved his hands in his pockets and said, “This is about the intruder at the vet clinic last night. Actually the intruder at two vet clinics. I want to know what to expect, how dangerous he is, how soon he’ll be back on the street and how much danger the clinics are in.”