by KC Frantzen
“I’m sorry May. My priority was the drone.”
That’s alright Miss Sandy. Lobbie will be safer at home. Anyway, I wouldn’t want it to fall into the wrong hands while I’m on a mission.
“Good attitude. And we’ll bring you back here soon enough.”
I‘m so excited to be part of the K9 team! I’ve only had quick training on the helicopter, but they tell me I have common sense and street smarts.
When we arrive at BWI, which is code for “airport” in a place called “Baltimore,” we meet our contacts. They just missed Rabba, I mean Rukan. He was traveling incognito by train and bus from a place called Falls Church, (I want to see the falling church, but some other time) and slipped past security.
Humans…So unaware.
We take a train ourselves, to the “Metro Ops Center.” When I balk getting on these moving stairs Miss Sandy whispers, “It’s an escalator. In some countries, K9 operatives called strays ride them and the trains alone. They send information back to the Service.”
Wow! Maybe I’ll get to meet them one day.
When we arrive, the team has me review some security film from cameras located in all the stations. (Now I know why they wanted me to practice being incognito!) I spy his walk so they “enhance,” making a man appear closer on the film. Shudder. It’s him alright. We all see his red and white cloth. When he boards the train into DC (code for the capital of our country), he’s carrying a laptop case. That must be the weapon we are looking for, the “EMP.”
(They must help me remember all these codes – EMP, BWI, TBX, HQ, HUA, DC. At least I know I’m OSM, assigned to Team Dog’s Nose Two.)
When I ask, they explain an EMP. It’s a bomb that makes electronic things quit. It would cause a lot of chaos if it goes off, which is what the anarchists want – pure chaos. I don’t really understand EMP’s yet, but they say computers wouldn’t work. Cars would stall and water would stop running in the faucets and the lights would go off too. Not good.
We just got word one of the teams captured a member of Rukan’s cell group! Roger that! Orders are we try a stink operation since I’m an unknown and if he is in the area, I have the best opportunity to detect him.
Sassy laughs. “OSM, that’s ‘sting’ operation.”
Drat. Rukan deserves a good spray of perfume.
They plan to detonate the EMP near the Dupont Circle Metro because that’s where many embassies are and an attack would “create international chaos and collapse foreign relations.” I overheard Rabba (Ugh. R-U-K-A-N, RUKAN!) say stuff like that a few times, when he didn’t know anyone was listening. I don’t understand exactly what this means either, but it sounds bad.
The captured woman said Rukan chose this weekend because of the Around the World Embassy Tour. HQ explains that one day a year, many embassies are open to the public. The cell group plans to go incognito by mixing with the crowds. We will too. I still don’t know what an embassy is, but it sounds important.
She also suggested the enemy might have information from inside. Everyone looks at each other, and I do too, because I don’t know what this means either. Inside what?
Will I ever fit in?
Before I can ask, they give me a Metro Service Dog Pass. Miss Sandy will be an Ambassador’s attaché. She’s used this cover before. She’s dressed in a tweed suit and I have a matching jacket that fits perfectly. (Maybe that’s why she measured me?)
Even our sunglasses match! They connect to cameras and microphones back at field HQ. Since I haven’t “mastered human communication protocol” yet, Sassy will help direct me. And they give me one of those neat collar fobs with a camera, like April has!
Sassy will be positioned where she can see the station cameras plus our views through our sunglasses and my camera. Miss Sandy and I will lunch near Embassy Row and prepare to board the Metro at the Dupont Circle stop. Other teams are scattered too. We aren’t sure when Rukan’s group will strike but it’ll require split-second timing to stop them. And prayer.
Suddenly, we hear HQ in our ears. He’s been spotted! And just as I started on my third biscuit. Piffle. I could get used to this “lovely dining experience.”
Miss Sandy paid our bill in advance, so she scoops me up and we’re on our way to the Metro stop. People crowd onto another escalator, going down, down into the dark…I still don’t like the dark, but Miss Sandy is holding me.
I hear Sassy’s voice in my ear. “OSM, find our target. Over.”
“Ready! Over.”
Miss Sandy’s sunglasses appear dark but I suspect she can see also. Many people are carrying bags. Sniff, sniff. I scent many are filled with interesting foods, including desserts. Yum! Hans would love it.
“Those are from the embassies,” Miss Sandy explains. “Each country highlights its culture, including delicious foods.”
I might just like embassy work!
We stand with everyone in the semi-dark and wait. I listen and sniff and look everywhere. There are interesting people, but no sign of Rukan, or anyone else, who would want to harm us with a bomb.
I feel it first, then hear it. A light appears and a vehicle on a track roars up and stops. The crowd steps forward, then back as people exit through many doors. We get on and find a seat. The doors close automatically. Amazing! Layers and layers of stories!
Must focus. I shake it off, which isn’t easy in Miss Sandy’s arms.
“You will be fine, chica.” I feel better hearing Sassy’s encouragement and strain all my senses. Must find Rukan before he does…does…Now I know what, and am prepared to do something about it!
“Come in, Dog’s Nose Two.” It’s HQ!
“Roger,” whispers Miss Sandy.
“Rukan and group rode previous train. Exited Red Line, Metro Center.”
“Roger. Over.” Miss Sandy whispers into my ear. “As soon as the train slows, we will move near the doorway, ahead of the crowd. Oh Father, please help us thwart this evil plan. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Roger that, Miss Sandy!
I notice not many people wait to board at this stop. When the doors open, the air circulates and I catch a whiff, of HIM!
Stay Miss Sandy! But she doesn’t.
Instantly, I hear, “Chica?”
“No time Sassy!”
Miss Sandy carries me, dashing away from the train. Oh NO! I’m not communicating. Miss Sandy! We have to go back.
“No, OSM. Come!”
But something’s on our train! Gotta go! I spin and jump from her grip, knocking my sunglasses onto the pavement. I land alright but they don’t. They’re smashed to bits by dozens of feet.
Run Miss Sandy! The doors are closing!
I leap onto a seat and see Miss Sandy running…for the escalator.
I‘m alone. Thump thump. No Miss Sandy, no sunglasses. Now what?
Must calm my breathing. Thump thump.
Okay. Calm. Deeeeep breath. Now, focus. It was only a whiff of Rukan. Where to look?
“Here puppy, puppy,” calls a man. (I think he likes my jacket.)
Must focus. What IS that sound?
A racket-maker! Coming from…
THERE!
I spy a silver laptop case on the floor, just like the one Rukan carried in the security film. Puppy man watches me race four seats back where the ticking is louder. Sniff sniff – shudder. Rukan alright.
I grab the latch and pull hard and push the case apart. It falls open, showing wires and batteries and some other devices.
This is it! Now what?
An arm reaches past me. Puppy man! He shouts, “Get back. It’s a bomb!”
The few humans on the train jump up and gather at the far end. One pulls a handle. The brakes squeal.
Though the humans howl, must focus. Decide what to do. Well, Dad smacks the alarm to turn it off. I’ll try that.
The ticking stops!
Lights flip on inside the case. That can’t be good. THINK! What else?
When he was working on the house, Dad showed Mom a
bout electricity. If you disconnect the wires, then things won’t work.
But which ones? There are so many. Okay. What are my knowns? Righty-o. Rukan’s favorite colors are red and white. Good as any.
I carefully use my underbite to pull some slack in only those two wires and start chewing as fast as I can. ZZzzttt. My lips are burned as I gnaw through them both, but the shock isn’t too awful. And if I can stop the disaster…
I watch the lights inside the case dim, then go out.
No lights. No ticking.
“That did it!” I bark.
Everyone is gathered in Union Station, petting me and calling me a hero. Flashes from countless cameras almost blind me. Thank goodness for my new sunglasses!
Miss Sandy gives me a squeeze. “OSM, I don’t know how, but you seized the opportunity. Good work. You will be up for commendation.”
Sassy salutes. “Chica. Ah am proud of you. Your family will be too.”
I’m glad I remember to salute.
Sigh. I should be happy, and I am. I was here for my family. “Defending freedom and the American way.” But we didn’t catch Rukan.
I look around. Some sense tells me to beware, he’s watching.
I know he will try again.
And I’ll be ready.
Dear Special Agent,
Thanks for joining May on her journey to become a K9 Spy. YOU are who we do this for! Please be so kind as to leave an honest review on the site where you acquired your confidential copy. That would be such a help.
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Keep in mind, we will visit your local public or private schools or groups. Email us for particulars. And look for us at festivals and fairs. It’s always a joy to meet you “in dog!”
Until we meet again, remember “a prepared puppy is ready when opportunity is provided.”
KC & May
ENJOY MORE OF MAY’S ADVENTURES
Turn the page for a sneak peek…
Sneak Peek - May Finds a Way Book Two
Plop!
Wshew. That last step was a doozy.
I shake it off. Sniff. Edgrr’s scent has vanished. And uh oh, my infrared goggles aren’t working. Can’t see a thing.
“When lost, stop. Assess the situation.” Ms. Schwind just taught that in survival class so, okay…I dislike the dark, but don’t panic. What are my knowns?
I’m participating in a timed agility exercise and dashed past the correct turn. Obviously. I dropped down some kind of metal tubing, it gives a bit when I push. Landed okay, but not much room to maneuver. Infrared goggles on the fritz. All in all, status not so good.
On the other paw, I’m not injured. Nose and ears functional.
I really want to make Miss Sandy and Sassy, her K9 partner, proud they picked me for the program. With twenty days of K9 Service boot camp behind me – almost half-way – I’m near the front of the pack. And bonus points if I’m the one to find the mole!
Me, a chance to graduate Top Dog!
Well, wrong turns are an automatic deduction in this test, but maybe I can earn extra credit for “creativity and resourcefulness.” I’ll need both to graduate and for sure if I land the assignment to nab Rukan. Please-please-please!
I almost got him last time, and that was without any training.
Okay. Time for further assessment.
Things smell new here – drywall, paint, linoleum. I faintly detect human scents and voices below. Donuts too. Yum.
Maybe I’m near the renovated offices. Somewhere…inside an air duct?
Our instructors keep telling us to “improvise and use any resources at your disposal.” Would it be cheating to remove these goggles? But how? The straps are still on tight.
I stamp my paw, listening. Sounds like a big open space ahead.
I’ll test each step while practicing my stealthy cat walk. It’d sure help if we had an actual feline instructor instead of video. But this is the K9 Service. Dogs only.
I scrape alongside something. A latch? And I aced the latch exam. Hey. Maybe if I turn my head a little, and back up I can use it to ditch these goggles.
I squirm around, hook the strap near my ear, and step back…Starting to give.
YANK.
The goggles pop off, hurtling me backwards. Not again! I fling all four paws out to slow my fall.
Wham!
So much for incognito. I stand and shake it off.
Blink, blink. Righty-o, goggles are gone.
I’m looking down into an office through a vent grate. From the photos I’d say it’s General Jim’s, Administrator of Special Services, K9 Division. I don’t know him – yet – but I like his kids. They brought treats for all us recruits. I like treats!
The desk is far away but I think that’s Miss Sandy’s agent file, I mean, dossier. Yep. There’s a photo of Sassy too, with her jagged ear, won in a Venezuelan street fight.
I squish my whiskers up to the grate.
Drat. No way in.
I turn around and scramble up the shaft.
My goggles! At least I’m back where I started this part of the journey.
“Leave no evidence. Pack it in, pack it out.” I almost hear Edgrr’s gruff voice as I tuck the goggles into my collar pouch and start to search. Here’s another metal tube, branching downward. I see a little glimmer of light through another vent grate. And I hear…Buzzing? Let’s go!
Few overhead lights are lit in this office, but my eyes adjust quickly. Look in that flat glass case. Bees, working as a team. And they seem content, like they don’t mind being cooped in a crate like I used to be. April, my grouchy sister, said she ate bees to survive, before coming to live with Dad and Mom. Can’t imagine.
The wall calendar has this week crossed off with letters: V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N. Great! Since nobody’s here, I can exit incognito…when I figure out how to get down. I’m going to check out those bees, bee-sides.
Dad would say something silly like that. I sure miss him and Mom and Hans, and my Lobbie. Okay admit it. April too. Though she always thinks she’s so smart.
Well, I think I could travel along the shelves, so how do I remove this grate?
I notice small screws on the sides. Dad says “Lefty loosey, righty tighty.” Using my underbite, I take the end of a screw and twist left. Drat. It’s tighter. Wait – he used that device on the flat part, not the pointy end. Must twist it the other way.
After several twists and a little nudge, one side swings open. Pawsome! Thanks Dad.
When I look straight down at the shelf, I notice awards for beekeeping and an old mesh helmet. Wonder if this is a hobby or another special branch of the Service? Maybe both.
Good thing I’m not afraid of heights. I position my front paws over the edge and glance at the clock. I’ll make good time if I report in soon. Let’s go…No, wait. There might be extra points if it’s like I was never here.
I scootch out further, nosing a trophy out of the way. ACK! It wobbles and tilts. I catch it with my paw and tip it back into place.
I push off, then balance on the narrow shelf. Steadyyy…I stand on my hind legs, nose the grate into position and twist the screws. Okay, I’m on my way!
I dodge trophies and some plaques, jump to another shelf, dodge two large dead cow gloves, dodge books, dodge – What’s this?
It’s bee-shaped, though a little larger than the real thing. Definitely mechanized, with little rotors and tiny colored wires. I suspect that’s a camera where the eyes should be. This resembles that dragonfly Miss Sandy and Sassy use for surveillance and communication. And that piece is probably the controller.
One day I’ll use devices like this on a real mission!
Three more shelves before I make it to the credenza – vault to the swivel chair – steaaadyyy – now leap onto the desk. Don’t slip on the folders.
Ooh ho
w thoughtful, a half-full glass of water. I’m parched.
Piffle. This glass is narrow and a bit tough to navigate since we dogs use our tongues to toss water back. A bowl would be easier. Still, I’m thankful for something to drink while I “improvise resourcefully and apply lessons creatively.”
Lap lap lap. I stuff my face deeper inside, extending my tongue farther and farther and.
My eyes pop open wide. Panic rises from my toes.
I jerk my head and feel liquid dribbling down my neck. When I look through the glass, the overflow is spreading across the desk. Quick! Must get this off without breaking it.
I lurch to the desk lamp, positioning the glass rim at the edge of the metal shade and carefully pull back.
Good. It didn’t break. I nudge the glass into place.
Now guess I’ll have to use my fur like a towel.
When I stand back, it’s clear I’m only making a bigger mess. The ink is blotchy on some of the papers and the folders are curling. Sorry Mr. Bee Man.
I arrange the files so the contents will dry – I hope – and jump onto a chair and down to the floor. I trot to a coat rack and inspect a white over-suit. Same scent as the dead cow gloves. Here’s some boots and.
Yikes, the time. Gotta go! But how to exit? That door handle is way high.
I spy a wall panel marked “Electrical.” Maybe…
I push and it springs open. Lots of wires and circuitry inside, and hey. I think that’s another latch. I stretch and tinker.
Yep. I can just fit. There are benefits to being small.
I use my underbite to shut the panel into the office, wedge in between the conduit and circuit boards, and…I’m through. I push on the panel cover and hear it click into place. Now to the finish line!
I look down two long empty hallways.
Drat. I’ve completely lost my sense of direction.
May on the Way Discussion Questions