Rock Harbor Series - 03 - Into the Deep

by Colleen Coble

  Naomi shut the door behind them. “I’m sorry, Lauri,” she said. “Donovan and I talked it over, and we both feel this wouldn’t be the right thing for our family. The kids are in so much turmoil already with their mother back in town, and we don’t think we can disrupt them even more.”

  “But what am I going to do?” Lauri’s voice was plaintive.

  “There are so many couples who really want a child,” Bree said. “You won’t have any trouble finding someone to take the baby.”

  “But I want it to be someone I know and trust.” Lauri turned to Bree. “What about you, Bree? Davy needs a brother or sister.”

  Bree gaped. The thought had never crossed her mind. She turned the idea over in her mind slowly then shook her head. “He needs the stability of knowing he has my undivided attention right now,” she said. “I’m sure he’d adjust to a brother or sister if he had to, but I don’t think now is the time. And your baby needs a loving father as well as a mother.”

  “Maybe I should just abort it!” Lauri crossed her arms over her chest and glared at them.

  “You know you don’t mean that,” Bree said, careful to keep her voice gentle. “You still have plenty of time to find an adoptive family. I’ll help you look. There are probably several in town who would love a baby.”

  “My life is a mess,” Lauri wailed. “I thought it was all settled, and now you’ve spoiled everything!” She jumped up and rushed out the door, slamming it behind her so hard papers flew from Bree’s desk.

  Naomi’s hand shook as she passed her palm over her forehead. “I hated to do that. I know she was counting on me taking the baby.”

  “I understand though,” Bree said. “It’s a lot of responsibility. “What’s happening with Marika?”

  “Donovan is checking with our lawyer. But we think we have a good case since she abandoned them. For one thing, we can insist on supervised visitation, which will go a long way toward easing our fears about her running off with the kids. He’s going to write her a letter detailing what we expect. We’ll probably have to go to court.” She sighed heavily. “Emily has been throwing tantrums that have to be seen to be believed. I don’t know what we’re going to do.”

  “Let’s pray together right now,” Bree suggested. She chuckled at the surprise in Naomi’s face. “I know I’m a baby Christian, but I’ve learned that much.”

  “You’re a good friend,” Naomi said, taking her hand. They bowed their heads and prayed for God to guide Naomi’s situation and to keep the children safe.

  Jonelle leaned on the fence and watched Zane work Bruck. The dog’s powerful muscles moved as he loped along on the treadmill.

  Zane glanced up and saw her. “I have to get that dog today. The big match is in just over three weeks. We need him to put on a good show by then.”

  “Why should you care? You don’t want Bruck to lose,” Jonelle said.

  “I don’t want the fight to be one-sided either. The spectators might feel they aren’t getting their money’s worth. I want the betting to go high for this one—really high. Then me and Simik will rake in the dough.”

  Jonelle tossed corn to the chickens scratching in the yard and didn’t answer. He wouldn’t listen anyway. A big car came up the driveway. She rolled her eyes. Simik again.

  He got out of his car and walked toward Zane. “Zane.” His voice was tight. “We got a problem.”

  “Yeah?”

  “The troll is getting antsy. He’s offering more money to snatch the dog, but it has to be today or he’s going to get someone else.”

  “What a patsy! He’s paying us to snatch the dog, and then he thinks that mutt will really beat Bruck.” Zane rubbed his hands together. “We’re making money off him in a double whammy.”

  Simik leaned against the fence and watched Bruck. “The troll is itching for that dog to fight. If we won’t get the dog, he’ll go elsewhere. We can’t let that happen. I want to control the game and bankrupt the jerk. You get that dog and make him mean enough, the troll is sure he can beat Bruck.”

  It was a complex game the men were playing, Jonelle thought. Make the troll think Samson has a shot at Bruck, then get him to bet everything he has on the fight.

  Zane snorted. “It’s easier said than done. People are watching now.”

  “Don’t whine to me about it. You’ve already screwed it up once.”

  “You didn’t offer to help!”

  “You said you could handle it. You’ve never had a problem before.”

  “Yeah, we’ll get the stupid dog today. You tell the troll it’s a go.”

  “All right, but don’t disappoint us again.” Simik nodded to Jonelle, then got in his car and drove away.

  Zane stared after him with his fists clenched. “Sometimes Simik drives me crazy.”

  “You really going to get that dog today?” she asked, bending over her strawberry patch to pull weeds.

  “I have no choice. You need to come with me to drive the truck.”

  “I’m not going.” Jonelle stood with her hand in the small of her back. “I want no part of taking that dog from the boy. Give it up, please, Zane.” She put a heartfelt plea in her voice.

  “Why can’t you ever be on my side? This is for you, for us. It’s just a dog, for Pete’s sake!”

  She sighed. “I am on your side. But I don’t like this business, Zane. You’re smart. You could do something else.”

  He gave a bark of harsh laughter. “Like what? Cleaning toilets?”

  “There’s nothing wrong with cleaning toilets,” she said. “I do it.”

  “Not for long. With this money, we could afford a maid.” He glanced at his watch. “Let’s go.”

  “Let me wash my hands.” She dusted the garden dirt from her fingers.

  “There’s no time. You’re fine.” He grabbed her arm and hustled her to the truck.

  “I want no part of this,” she protested as he pushed her into the seat.

  “When will you learn these dogs are not your pets? You’re too soft on them. They’re here to make money.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. There was no getting through to him.

  They pulled into Rock Harbor. Late afternoon sun cast long shadows in the passing yards.

  “Perfect timing,” Zane said, with a smile. “Folks will be fixing supper. The woman will probably let him out to pee.” He glanced at her. “You still sulking?”

  “No. Let’s just get this over with. I don’t want to end up in jail.”

  Driving down Negaunee Road, he kept glancing in the rearview mirror. “No one’s following us.”

  The road was clear as far as she could see. Even the Blue Bonnet looked deserted.

  First he drove by the lighthouse. Smoke billowed from the backyard, and the aroma of grilled meat wafted through the open window of the truck.

  He grimaced. “I hope they’re not all outside.”

  He turned the corner and Jonelle caught a glimpse of people in the back. The kid tossed a Frisbee to the dog. Samson was a magnificent animal. Even though she didn’t want to see him hurt, she could understand why Zane yearned to see the dog in action. Heavy muscles moved under his thick fur. He’d give any dog a run for its money, though Zane would deny any chance he might beat Bruck.

  The little boy threw his arms around the dog, and Jonelle had to look away. “Look at how much that little boy loves his dog, Zane. You can’t do this.”

  “Just shut up, okay?” He drove into a pull-off in the woods and killed the engine. “We’ll wait.”

  She inhaled the aroma of grilled meat. “If I’d known we were going to be all night, I would have brought something to eat. The smell of that food is driving me crazy.”

  “I got some apples in the back.”

  “Apples aren’t steak. We could go get some dinner and come back.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “How about if I run after some pasties? It would only take a few minutes. You can stay here and watch.”
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  “And what if I find the perfect time to snatch the dog and you’re not here? I’d be screwed.”

  She wanted out of here. Watching the perfect family was driving her crazy. “They’re still grilling. They’ll be out there for a while yet.”

  Zane peered through the shadows. “Drop it. You’re not going anywhere.”

  Jonelle opened the door and got out. “I’m not a child, Zane.”

  “Sometimes you act like it,” he got out and slammed the door. Reaching into the back of the truck, he pulled out his tranquilizer gun.

  Jonelle followed him. They crept along the edge of the woods to get a closer look at the dog. The woods crowded close to the yard on the east side and hid him from view to within ten feet of the fence.

  Jonelle knelt in a carpet of wildflowers. The voices carried to her on the wind.

  The ranger flipped the rib-eye steaks over. The woman sniffed the sizzling aroma and groaned. “Aren’t those done yet? I’m famished.”

  “Almost. If you didn’t ruin a steak by wanting all trace of pink gone, they’d be finished. You need to discover what steak is all about. I don’t know how you eat that shoe leather.”

  Jonelle sighed at the good-natured love in the man’s voice. She didn’t think Zane had ever talked to her in such a gentle, teasing way.

  “A good chef can cook it tender even if it’s well done.”

  “Yeah, well, you’re free to try it.”

  The woman’s tinkling laugh came. “I didn’t mean me and you know it. I’m just learning to boil water.”

  “I wasn’t going to mention that.”

  “You know when to shut up,” she told him. She turned to her son. “Davy, come wash up for dinner.”

  Jonelle pressed her fingers against a headache just starting to throb. They were going in. There was no stopping Zane now. She sighed.

  She watched the little boy scuff his toe in the dirt. “Aw, Mommy, me and Sam was having fun.”

  How would he react when his dog was missing? Jonelle was thankful she wouldn’t be around to see the trauma to the kid.

  “You can come back out after dinner,” the woman said. Samson raced after the Frisbee again. He caught it and carried it with him as he settled into a patch of rhubarb. “Come on, Samson, let’s go in.”

  The dog laid down.

  “You don’t want to stay out here,” the woman said.

  He whined.

  Take him with you, Jonelle thought. Her gaze went to her husband. She could see the intent in his shoulders as he crouched with the tranquilizer gun.

  Jonelle froze when the dog lifted his head and growled softly in Zane’s direction. The woman didn’t seem to hear him, for she turned toward the door.

  “Okay, but just until dark. The gate’s locked, and the only way in or out is through the house.”

  “Steaks are done.” The ranger carried the platter of steaks toward the back door.

  Their voices faded as they vanished inside the house. Zane shifted, and Jonelle heard the rustle of vegetation. The dog growled again, his eyes seeming to pierce the shadows that concealed them. Zane brought the gun up and sighted it. The dog’s growl intensified, and he got up and walked toward where they crouched.

  “Perfect,” Zane whispered. His finger tightened on the trigger. “Just a little closer.” He pressed the trigger, and the dart zinged through the air and buried itself in the dog’s left flank.

  He yelped and Jonelle tensed, then relaxed as a burst of laughter from the house covered the dog’s noise.

  Samson staggered a few more feet then collapsed. Zane nodded with satisfaction. “Hand me the cutters.”

  Jonelle pulled some fence cutters from her pocket and handed them to him. He cut the fence and bent it back enough to crawl through to reach the inert dog lying four feet from the fence. Grasping the dog’s leg, he dragged him through the fence.

  Jonelle didn’t like the rough way he handled the dog. “Give him to me,” she said.

  “He’s too heavy.” Panting, Zane hefted him into his arms and carried him toward the truck. He dumped him in the area behind the seat. “Run the windows up. We don’t want the search dogs to be able to track him.”

  11

  Hey, this is really good,” Kade brought another forkful of potato casserole to his mouth. “I should drop off a note from Lauri more often. Maybe I’d get invited to stay again. What’s in here?”

  “You sound surprised.” She didn’t want to tell him what was in it because he claimed not to like sour cream.

  He grinned. “Sorry. I know how hard you’ve been working on learning to cook. I wanted to praise your efforts.”

  “So this is just sucking up and it isn’t all that great?” She tasted the casserole herself. It wasn’t even burned.

  “That’s not what I meant at all. It’s delicious. Isn’t that right, Davy?”

  “I like Grammy’s cooking,” the little boy said. “But Mommy makes the best peanut butter and jelly.”

  Bree grinned. “He hasn’t learned diplomacy yet.”

  “That’s no way to make a woman happy,” Kade told Davy. “Your mommy needs to know she’s the best at everything.”

  Davy took a bite of his hamburger. “Mommy’s the best mommy, but Grammy is the best cook.”

  Kade and Bree laughed, and the sound of their mingled amusement gave Bree a funny feeling in her chest. It was almost painful. She’d missed times like this with Kade so much.

  They ate dinner, then Kade helped her carry the dishes to the kitchen while Davy got a book out to read.

  He appeared a few minutes later. “I can’t read without Sam.”

  “Go call him. He’s probably ready to come in now. I’m surprised he hasn’t been whining at the door for the scraps of meat.”

  “Okay.” Davy went to the back door and yelled out the screen. “Come here, Sam!”

  Kade scraped scraps onto a plate. “He’ll be one happy dog with this stuff. Zorro loves it when we grill.”

  “Samson does too.” Bree began to load the dishwasher.

  “He’s not coming, Mommy,” Davy complained.

  “What’s with him? I hope he’s not getting sick.” Bree wiped her hands on her apron. “I’ll get him. You go read your book and I’ll bring him to you.” She stepped onto the back stoop. “Samson! Come here, boy!”

  There was no answering bark. Frowning, she stepped into the yard. It was starting to get dark, so she had trouble seeing the spot where her dog had been lying. She approached the area but didn’t see Samson. “Samson, where are you?” Her gaze roamed the yard and focused on a bumpy shape out by the fence, but in the dark, it was hard to make out what it was. She jogged to it. As she got nearer, it came into focus.

  It wasn’t something by the fence; it was the fence. Bent and pushed out to make a hole. The breath left her body. “Samson,” she wheezed. But the yard felt empty. Her hands went to her face as the truth began to sink in. “No, no,” she whispered. Her cries grew louder. “Oh, dear God, not Samson!”

  She turned to run to the house but felt she was moving in slow motion. She had to get the other dogs. They had to find him before it was too late.

  Anu arrived within minutes to whisk Davy away. Bree was still shaking by the time the dog teams arrived. Naomi had even called Cassie but couldn’t reach her. Mason arrived before the dogs and found only tire marks in the pull-off near the fence. There was no telling if the marks were old or fresh.

  Bree watched the dogs roaming the yard and tried to pray, but she couldn’t settle her thoughts enough to do more than just whisper, “Please God, please God,” over and over in a mantra of desperation. She couldn’t bear to think of what her dog was going through. He’d known a life of love and comfort. Would the people beat him? Starve him? Did they take him for a fight? Samson could fight, but it wasn’t his nature.

  Soon it looked as though the entire town had rallied for her dog. Molly from the Suomi came along with several of the teenagers who worked at The Coffee Pla
ce.

  Mason waved them all over to him. “We’re going to have to have some organization. I’m going to divide you all into teams and assign grids for you to search. We’ve got a vast amount of area to cover. They’re surely long gone from these woods.”

  “They can’t be far,” Bree objected. “They’ve been stalking Samson. They have to live in the area somewhere.”

  “But we know how vast the North Woods is,” Mason pointed out. “They could be only twenty miles from town but down some cow path. Did anyone see any strangers around today?”

  Molly snorted, her Yooper twang heightened by her agitation. “And who would notice, eh? We’ve had tourists crawling all over town for a month.”

  The others agreed. Steve Asters nodded. “I bet we had thirty people from out of town use the ATM today.”

  “What about people you’ve seen around but don’t know much about?” Kade put in. He had been organizing his ranger buddies who had shown up to help. He stepped closer to Bree and put his arm around her.

  His presence made her feel as if she’d been given a spot aboard one of the Titanic’s lifeboats. She turned and buried her face in his chest. Nick hadn’t shown up, though he’d been called. He was never one to be in a hurry though.

  The townspeople looked at one another, but no one offered up a name. The insular quality of the community ran deep. They wouldn’t tattle on a neighbor without good reason. Despair ran through Bree in a cold stream. She had to find Samson. She couldn’t imagine her life without her dog.

  “We’ll find him,” Kade whispered.

  She clung to him, sensing his resolve in his taut muscles. “We have to,” she said. “We have to find him, Kade. Tonight.”

  He didn’t answer. “Tonight,” she said again insistently.

  “It’s dark, Bree,” he said. “We’ll do the best we can, but if the dogs don’t pick up a scent, we’ll have to hit it again tomorrow. It may take a lot of tedious work just going down every lane and every trail.”

  She pushed him away. “I’m not stopping until I find him.” Stalking away, she went to join the dog teams. Naomi had brought out Samson’s bed and was letting the dogs sniff. They seemed to sense the sobriety of the night. Charley stood with his tail down, almost as if in mourning. Zorro and Bubbles huddled together in a frightened pose. Eva’s and Ryan’s dogs nosed the bed, their tails wagging as they smelled the scent of their friend.