“Okay. So you filed a police report. And, what else? How does Logan look?”
“I haven’t seen him, Andy. I just know it’s him.”
“Okay, that explains why Shelley’s there.”
“I want to ask you something. I want to adopt a dog. It was suggested since I’m alone so much. But I wanted to get your approval first.”
“He better be potty trained.”
“I found a really nice golden Lab mix. I think she’d be a good running companion too. But mainly it’s for my safety. I don’t know how he found out where we live, but with a loyal dog, I’d feel safer.”
“I’m cool with it.” Andy saw Peterson give him the wrap up signal. “Hey, I gotta go. I’ll try to call back in a couple of days. But promise me you’ll not encourage him to hang around the house Aimee, okay? Not without me there.”
“Do you know how long?”
“No clue.”
“One more quick question. If I need to talk to someone, do I call your LPO’s wife on Team 4, or—”
“Call Christy. What do you need to talk about?”
“I don’t know. There’s a lot more going on. Met with Carmen Hernandez and her attorney—”
“Problems? Okay, look, I’m really getting pressured. But call Christy. Use her. They aren’t on deployment yet, so you can even talk to Kyle if you want.”
“Thanks. Go save the day.”
“Working on it.”
Peterson banged on the window and yelled from behind the glass, “Carr! I need your butt out here, now.”
Andy was embarrassed Aimee had to hear that. He also didn’t think it was very smart for him to make such a spectacle or draw attention to them.
“Sorry, Andy. Love you. Be safe.”
“Love you, sweetheart. Sleep naked, but not when Shelley’s over there.”
She was still laughing when Andy hung up.
Peterson grabbed the phone back. “Next time, three minutes, then maybe you’ll be done in five.”
“Sorry. You know how it is with that first phone call home.”
They divided into two groups of six. Andy stayed with Sven and Dallas went with Peterson. They were to work the perimeter of the town center, looking for a space large enough for a three-office clinic, or that was the ruse. But while they were checking out vacant buildings for lease, they were observing the population, other shops and who ran them.
“Everything okay at home?” Sven asked.
“More or less. Being married is complicated. It’s good, don’t get me wrong, but Aimee gets into things and I’d just feel better being there.”
“That’s always the way it happens. Shit explodes sometimes at home.”
“This wasn’t that bad, but—well that’s a talk for another time when I don’t have to concentrate.”
They took pictures of storefronts but also got shots of the local Guarda police, and license plates of some expensive cars slowly traveling through the downtown area. Even the shops on the ground floor level were of interest. Several times they found a group of military-aged males gathering in the back of some of these shops or walking together on the opposite street. The team observed what kind of vehicles they drove, and who they talked to.
The two groups met back near their parked trucks. Sven had a plan to talk to the local Commissioner of Health, so while the rest of the team waited, he and Andy and Peterson walked up the steps to a three-story government office. At the side in a taller wing, was the local jail, evident by the bars on the windows. Faces appeared between the bars along with hands, and forearms as the prisoners watched the streets below.
Inside, the building was air conditioned, which was such a welcome that Andy closed his eyes and took in a deep breath of cool, clean air free of red clay dust. Sven had already opened the frosted glass door to Amadi Sabi’s office, the Commissioner of Health.
They were lucky to find Mr. Sabi sitting behind his desk, the reception area of his office vacant. He motioned for them to enter his office, saying something in his local Benin tongue. As they entered through the doorway, he switched to French, having sized them up to be Europeans.
Sven spoke up, responding in French, and asked if he spoke English.
“Yes, yes I do. You are English then?”
“I’m Norwegian, but these two are from the States, yes. Allow me to introduce you. This is Dr. Carr, and Dr. Peterson. We are here from the Southern Baptist Africa Project. We’ve been given a mandate to find a suitable location to set up a mobile clinic. We’ll need a base office, and Benot is centrally located.”
“Please, sit down,” he said graciously. There was only one chair across from his desk, so Peterson took it. Andy hoped they didn’t look too rough around the edges, since they had been literally camping in the bush for four days. Sven continued the discussion.
“We understand this is a safe area?” he floated to Mr. Sabi, trying to calculate the rise he’d get out of the gentleman.
Sabi laughed deep and long—almost a guttural growl—shaking his head. “If you wanted safe, well then you’d have to go back to the States. But even there it isn’t safe. But here, in Africa, we are very grateful for what the rest of the world can do to help us. We welcome you with open arms. I can probably find some surplus properties you can rent direct from this office, saving you from having to deal with crooked leasing agents in town. How does that sound?”
“Well, what I meant was, we’d like to make a presence here, expand if we could. Perhaps build a hospital,” Sven proposed.
“You have such strength?”
“We do a lot of fundraising. For the right cause, yes.”
“I cannot promise you a site for a hospital, but if you want to operate a clinic, you would have to do so under my office auspices. And we wouldn’t want to interfere with the World Health projects in the area, either. For instance, we wouldn’t want to build a clinic right next to another one, would we? We’d like to serve the entire country.”
“That makes sense, Mr. Sabi. Where would be the greatest need in the safest area?”
“Look, doctor—what did you say your name was?”
“I am not a doctor. Sven Tolar.”
“Mr. Tolar from Norway, the safest place is one that is well guarded. You see, the way we work here is that we provide you with a good location at a relatively cheap price, but you will have to hire security to ensure the integrity of the project and keep the doors open. Many of our police and fire departments work extra duty as guards in banks, hospitals, clinics and sometimes schools, or traveling with businessmen and officials from all around the world.”
“So what you’re telling me is that the location isn’t as important, as long as we have the budget for the security, right?”
“Exactly.”
“And what if we were to bring our own security?” Peterson injected.
“Of course, but they would work under our people, who are highly trained and specialize in knowing everything there is to know about security here. You wouldn’t want to do it on your own. It’s not recommended, and I don’t think I could get the permits for it, either.”
Andy felt Sven had come to the end of his useful conversation. In one hand, Sabi had a sheaf of papers at least a quarter inch thick.
“So you wish we should fill out the paperwork?” Andy asked, leaning forward to accept the stack of forms.
“Please, doctor,” he said, handing them to Andy.
When Peterson stood, Mr. Sabi did as well, shaking their hands one by one. “Gentlemen, I look forward to our partnership going forward. Please, use me as your resource. I will help you get whatever you need. I will be your partner, standing in the shadows, making things happen for you. All worries about security and safety should by now be put to rest. N’est pas?”
Chapter 15
Shelley was off to her classroom prep so the two parted company and went their separate ways. Aimee couldn’t wait to go get Sandy. On the way, she stopped for a set of stainless steel dog bowls in t
heir own stand, bought dog treats and some expensive gourmet frozen raw dog food with venison and salmon, along with some kibbles. She also bought a yellow jeweled collar and hoped it would fit, with a yellow leash to match. The pet store owner recommended a good shampoo for a longer-haired dog, and she passed on the conditioner.
The whole bill was just under two hundred dollars. She swallowed hard and gave her credit card.
With the new leash and collar clutched in her hand, she ran up the steps and into the reception area. A new clerk was at the front desk.
“I’m here to pick up Sandy.”
“Sandy? Let me check to see if she’s still here. We had a couple in here yesterday afternoon, and I thought they adopted her.”
Aimee was crestfallen.
“But I paid the deposit. She said they would hold her for me for a few days, and call me first if—”
“I see that she’s been adopted. I’m so sorry.”
“But—” Aimee’s eyes began to overflow. She looked down at the leash and the collar and felt the pangs deep in her heart. “I paid for her.”
“No one pays, Miss.”
It was a snooty answer, but Aimee knew she had it coming. Suddenly, the helpful tech was looking ugly and cruel. Aimee wanted to climb over the counter and go check for herself to make sure the dog was really gone. But then she’d have to see all those other lonesome faces behind bars—sweet animals she couldn’t afford to take home.
The tech was waiting for Aimee to say something further.
“Can’t you double check with your colleague who was here yesterday? Do you actually have adoption paperwork processed?”
The girl’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t have access to the Director’s office and he keeps all the adoption files there. But yes, I see that her fee was paid and—”
“But I paid the fee. I did it,” Aimee insisted.
“It happens all the time. Some people come in and pay for an animal and then just never come pick it up.” Her eyebrows, that tiny strip of over-plucked hair above her eyes rose into her bangs.
Aimee was horrified. “Can you check to see if she’s still here?”
Just then, the girl from yesterday entered the reception area, wearing a rubber apron and gloves. She pushed the hair from her forehead and greeted Aimee.
“I’d shake your hand, but—”
“She’s come for Sandy,” the other tech whispered.
“Yes, and I got her all bathed for you. I had a feeling you’d be by. And since we’ve had so much interest in her, I knew someone would be taking her soon if you didn’t. So I pulled her paperwork.”
Aimee nearly fainted with relief.
“That’s why she doesn’t show up on the list,” she said to the other girl.
“Okay, well then I’m going to go get the exercise group going. Can you finish with her?”
“Of course.” The tech smiled at Aimee. “I’m so sorry about that. I can see you were close to a meltdown. That bodes well for Sandy.”
“I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I talked to my husband early this morning, and he was fine with it. I knew she’d be popular.”
“You made a wise choice, although we try to get the right homes for all our animals here. Some of our most injured ones, the ones who need the most care and love, seem to find the most loving homes. It’s really a labor of love working here. There are special people all over the Largo area—they even come from out of state to check out our dogs. Sandy’s profile just went up on our website yesterday and we’ve had lots of calls. But that just means another nice dog will be adopted, so it’s all good.”
“Thank you, for what you do. When I have an opportunity, and I can’t do it now, I’d love to make a donation to your shelter. You’re a non-profit?
“Yes, and since we’re aligned with the school, we keep our fees low since it is offset a bit from part of their tuition, so it helps.” She removed her rubber gloves and apron, tossing them in a towel bin in the corner. “Now, let’s get the paperwork done and then we’ll see if the pretty girl is all ready for you. I don’t want to put her in your car if she’s still wet.”
“I don’t care. I honestly don’t.” Aimee knew Andy would have something to say about the condition of the car afterwards, but that was a hurdle she’d have to mount later. Right now, all she wanted to do was get Sandy to her home and get her adjusted seamlessly.
The tech helped Aimee fill out the adoption paperwork. She was given a form she’d have to fill out to get her dog license, but the fee was included in her payment. In her paperwork was a list of vets in the area, and a copy of what shots she’d had, and she was up to date. There was an extra copy so Aimee could send it in with the license form.
“Can I ask you a favor? If I fill this out, can you send it in for me? That way I know it will be done correctly. Add the shot records too?”
“Absolutely.” She began filling in several boxes and then turned it over to Aimee to put her address and signature at the bottom. “I’ll include a copy of the license charge, and you might want to put in your cell number.”
“Oh, good idea.” Aimee added that.
“One more thing? Go to one of those pet stores that has the address tags, and fill in your address and your phone number, in case she gets lost. It helps. She’s going to be a little skittish at first, since everything’s new, so you should get this done on your way home. Your license should be mailed to you within a week or so.”
“Thank you so much!”
“Okay, well, I’m going to get your girl, see if she’s ready.”
Aimee handed her the leash and the collar.
“Oh this is cute. A jeweled collar. I can tell she’s going to be spoiled.”
“No doubt about it.”
The tech disappeared behind a swinging door while Aimee tapped her foot. She heard her stomach growl and realized she hadn’t eaten anything for breakfast. Someone else came into the room behind her, which set off a little bell summoning an attendant, but Aimee could take her eyes off that little crack in the door, waiting.
At last, she heard the tech’s voice behind the door, “That’s a good girl. Now, let’s go outside and meet your new mommy, shall we?”
Right on que, Sandy barked. Aimee was so thrilled she nearly wet her pants. Sandy burst through the door, and ran right for her, yanking the leash from the tech’s hand. She put her paws on the counter and barked again.
Aimee leaned forward. “We’re going to have to teach you about that, but are you ready to go home?”
The dog fed on the excitement of the moment. Aimee figured she was conditioned by the sight of the leash, and not necessarily going home with her. But she’d take whatever she could get. She reached over the countertop, grabbed the leash as the tech popped up the countertop to allow Sandy to enter the reception area. But Sandy was headed straight for the door, no doubt excited to be taken for a walk.
The tech followed behind, all the paperwork stuck in a plastic bag, along with some instructions and a couple dog treats. Aimee opened the second door, and Sandy jumped in on the seat without being coaxed.
“You’re going to need to get a seat cover. This dog is going to shed,” said the young girl.
“I know it. And I’m going to need a dog bed too. I tried to think of everything. I’ll get it on the way home.”
The tech gave a loving rub to Sandy’s jowl, patted her head, and accepted the paw she was presented, shaking it. “Good-bye, Sandy. Have fun in your new home.”
Aimee closed the door, and by the time she went around to the driver’s seat, Sandy had already occupied it. She slid herself in and ordered the dog to go to the back seat, which she did. With a thumbs up, Aimee drove out of the parking lot and headed for the pet store on the way home.
After another two-hundred-dollar shopping spree, even with the pet store owner giving her a ten percent discount on her new purchases, Aimee and Sandy were finally home. She attached her leash and tried not to let her pull too hard, yanking it
back sharply to get the dog to heal. She figured it wasn’t too soon to begin training. Once inside the door, she unclipped the leash and let the dog roam the house, while she brought in the food, the dog bed and the treats.
When Aimee entered the living room, she didn’t see Sandy anywhere.
“Sandy? Where are you?”
Did I leave the door open?
Dropping her items, she ran up the stairs to the master bedroom. Sandy had ensconced herself, nestled in the pillows of her bed. That’s when Aimee knew she could take the dog bed back. That’s where the dog was used to sleeping when she had an owner who loved her.
“Well, if that’s the way it’s going to be, Sandy, I’ll be fine with it. But you’re going to have to sell Andy on the idea. He’s going to be your biggest problem.”
Sandy angled her head, listening, as if she understood fully.
Chapter 16
Andy helped the cranky UN project manager to build sheds and enclosures for his new project. He put up with the eccentric former zookeeper, but it wasn’t long before he realized the man really did know quite a bit about primates. The long term mission wasn’t as important as helping to gain his trust and support today. They were using the jungle outpost as their new base, even though they had a perfectly good one closer to the Northern border. They owed him something.
The photographs that had been taken proved that indeed there was a training camp for young boys at the top of Mont Sokbaro. What wasn’t clear was who was paying for this, and without complaints of kidnappings or the abuse of the children, the folks in Norfolk decided it was something they should not insert themselves in. At least for now.
That suited Andy fine.
So, the search remained for the hostages, and every day now that it wasn’t resolved was creating a lot of tension. The upper brass decided the Team should remain at Gunnar’s encampment, but continue to work their way outward in all directions, like the spokes of a wheel, sweeping through the grassy savannah lands, trying to get information from some of the smaller villages since the larger towns were proving to be dry holes. These were mostly farmers, who tended small plots and sold their goods locally at the markets. Life was simple, and it was also very tough. They had a natural distrust of newcomers and strangers which often brought so much violence with them.
The House At Sunset: SEALed At Sunset - The Beach Renovation (Sunset SEALs Book 5) Page 12