The moment I stepped inside the facility, I was approached by another canine guard who instructed me to follow him. And about fifteen feet in, the main entryway widened on both sides, revealing rows of cells containing humans on both the northern and southern sides of the building. I was appalled as I saw people I’d known all my life sitting in chairs or lying on thin, flat beds in those cells. Some were crouched on the floor, apparently staring into space. One girl was rocking back and forth hugging her knees and humming something, yet she had no expression. They were still in their own little worlds, seemingly not bothered by the fact that they were enslaved. Then I remembered what Jeffreys had said about him knowing what was going on while dazed and not being able to express himself in the slightest. So, I knew those people must’ve been horrified by what had become of them.
I was gently urged by Hugo to continue walking on and as I glanced back, I noticed that two human and two canine guards were trailing behind us. Though bothered by their presence, I was more bothered by the silent terror I was witnessing as I walked along the wide corridor. I’d spotted Chief Mays’ poodle, Dolly-Ann, at one point, but she’d entered one of the rooms up ahead moments later.
The place had very little lighting, so inside was fairly dark even though it was daytime. I wondered if the lighting aspect was a deliberate act designed to add a dismal effect to the atmosphere of the facility. I’d learned in history class that there was more than just physical torture inflicted on human beings in times gone by. Perpetrators knew that if they could cripple their captives mentally, they had won half the fight already.
That building was extremely long and we must’ve walked another two minutes before I spotted Carl standing near the steel bars, back on. Mom and Dad were sitting in iron chairs looking out toward the corridor. I stopped immediately and held onto the bars, calling to all of them. Mom and Dad seemed to look through me and Carl didn’t turn around.
“Mom! Dad!” I cried again, feeling the tears sliding down my cheeks. “I know you can hear me. Carl, look at me!” I yelled.
Jeffreys placed his hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry, Spader. They can’t respond to you, remember? Let’s go.”
I continued holding onto the bars and couldn’t care less that my face was wet with tears. “Listen to me, Mom and Dad… you too Carl and hear me good… I’m coming back for you; I promise. Trust me, okay?”
I felt again like that colossal failure I’d felt I was when all I could’ve done was watched when that big, yellow bus came and took away my family. I stepped away from the cell and brought up my shirt sleeves to dry my face.
“Where’s your so-called leader?” I demanded of the guard who we’d been following. “Take me to him now!”
I took one last look at my folks before I focused straight ahead, wanting nothing more at that moment than to come face to face with the dog that turned our lives upside down.
10
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Both human and canine guards were literally at every corner of that building and all along the main area and passageways. I saw a green door straight ahead with no signage attached to it. My best guess was that it was the office of their leader or someone else in authority. I wasn’t sure why I thought that. Just a feeling I had.
I soon learned that I was right as the guard in front led us into the office after knocking one time at the door.
“You go in,” Hugo said. “We’ll be waiting right here.”
“Okay,” I replied.
The canine’s revered leader was standing at the left corner of the room in front of a single window. Seeing him close up gave me a better appreciation for how large of a dog he really was. Even though I was furious at him, I was amazed by his commanding presence.
The spacious room was comprised of high backed, comfortable leather chairs, and a darkly-stained desk made of cypress wood. From the location of the window, it was clear that the office was situated at the very end of the facility. I realized that from the window, the leader was able to see the pit they’d been working on which was slightly ahead and over to the right. I could see it from where I stood after I’d entered the room.
The Tibetan mastiff turned around and faced me. For a few moments, he was strangely silent—only stared. And I looked away from his gaze, determined not to make eye contact, which also meant I had to speak boldly if I were to get my point across.
He slowly approached his desk, then gestured for me—which I could see from my peripheral vision—to have a seat which I reluctantly did. He then sat down, facing me.
“And so, I meet with a mere child who has demanded the respect of Leader,” he uttered in a deep, domineering voice. “Are my sons all right?”
“They are for now,” I replied with my head still lowered. “How long they’ll stay that way is completely up to you. My guys are with them waiting for the signal to inject them with a dose of euthanasia medication and with that, they’ll go to sleep permanently—if you know what I mean.” I paused, momentarily. “My only concern is for my family and the others you have here in captivity.”
There was a slight pause in the room, then he asked, “Why do you not look at me?”
“I might be young, but I’m not stupid,” I replied.
“So, that is how you and your guys have avoided detection…Very clever.”
He got up and sauntered over to the window again on hind legs. His white uniform made him look more superior than all the other canines and humans combined. This animal had an air about him that was regal. However, he was not going to intimidate me and I was not about to show him an ounce of fear that he, in turn, could feed off of.
“Are you familiar with my breed, Mr. Spader?” He asked, with his back turned again.
“I am.”
“Then you know that Tibetan mastiffs are considered as the strongest dogs in the world, which means that if that is true, I can turn around right now and slice you to pieces with my bare teeth in a matter of seconds.”
I gulped. Couldn’t help that, particularly since I knew what he proposed was quite true. “I don’t doubt your ability to slaughter me on the spot, and if that’s what you choose to do, I can’t stop you. But I do know that once I don’t return from where I came within one hour, your beloved sons will be dead. I don’t think you killing me would make you feel satisfied knowing that your deliberate actions resulted in your own children being killed. You don’t care about me and I don’t expect you to, but I do believe you love your children.” With his back to me, I was looking in his direction. The moment he turned around again, I looked away.
“I do...love my children; they are all I have ever lived for,” he said, solemnly. “We have always stayed together. Their mother died years ago, but I never abandoned them. And I call them children just as you humans call your children by that name.” He paused for a while. “What do you want? I understand that your family is here. Have you come to ask for their release?”
With those words, I felt like we were finally beginning to get somewhere. I thought for a moment, even though I knew exactly what I was meant to say before I walked in there.
“I will turn my back and you can speak freely,” he said. “We will avoid eye contact and it is my gesture of good will in this meeting.”
“Okay…” I replied. “I do want my family back…”
“All right. Well then, it’s done.”
“You don’t understand,” I continued. “I want my family back, but I want our lives back too. There’s not much of a life they can have as zombies—people who can’t seem to think or feel, express themselves or show emotions. I want everyone in this place to return home and to continue living their lives with their loved ones. That’s what I want and that’s what you’ve taken away from us!”
He shifted his head a little. “You mention the word love, Mr. Spader. What do your kind know about love?”
“Everything that matters,” I retorted. “The human race is not a perfect race, and despite all the wrong we do an
d have done, so many of us have done so much good and have shown so much love not just for our own, but for others too. We’ve shown love for all animals, including your kind. How can you ever deny that?”
“If that were true, you and I wouldn’t be here today in this very room and my kind would not have taken over your town. The opposite is true. Many of you have been unkind to animals, especially to the ones you call man’s best friend. Many of us have been abused, neglected and even put down without a human so-called loved one being there for us in our final hour. They turned their backs on the dogs who had loved them unconditionally for years and years. Your kind has polluted the world with hatred stemming from jealousy, envy, wanting what you ought not to have and taking what you know isn’t rightfully yours. Useless wars have erupted and lives lost because you wanted to control one another, enslave one another, dominate one another. And that’s why we’re here. That is why the forces within the skies have visited this particular town to make the changes that are necessary to save those that remain.”
I scoffed at what he said. “You talk about all the bad things we’ve done—wars, enslavement and all that stuff, but you have a military set up here; you have people enslaved under your nose and you think you’re better than we are? You have a huge pit being dug outside where you intend to toss the people you exterminate. You, sir, are no better than the worst humans that ever lived because you cannot justify doing the same evil things they’ve done simply to get the result you want.” I shifted in my seat as the passion in my heart was overwhelming. “Release these people and leave our town! Go back to wherever you came from. Whatever needs fixing in Eppington will be fixed by the people who live here. Tell whomever sent you that we don’t need them. Destroy the invisible boundary and put this place back on the map!”
“I see you were well informed,” he replied. “And I understand it was one of us who made you privy to that information.”
I didn’t like the tone of his voice and feared for Hugo’s safety. “Hugo is different from you all,” I said. “He knows what it is to be grateful to the one who took care of him and to love enough to risk his own life. Maybe you can learn something from him.”
“I’m turning around now,” he said. “You may look away if you prefer, but just so you know, I have no intention of hypnotizing you in any way.”
I appreciated that bit of enlightenment, but stuck with the plan.
He walked back over to his desk and sat down. “I am from another place, as you might have figured out. There are forces in the universe that work for the good of canines and as members of that celestial community, our mission is to pay a visit to every town in every part of the world where our kind has been grossly mistreated, abused and so forth. This is a special mission of ours and your town is the third assignment. However, I have never before come across anyone—any human especially in his youth who would risk his life the way you’ve done for the sake of the one thing we fight for which is love. I cannot deny the fact that you are here advocating not just for your family—but for every member of this town. I have never witnessed such passion and love in a child so young.” He looked away for a moment and seemed genuinely moved. “In light of this fact, I am inclined to consider that perhaps this isn’t where we need to be. There are other places that I am sure about, but this is no longer one of them. I have something to seriously consider.”
I nodded, but was jumping for joy inside. Was this canine going to bend?
He picked up his cell, dialed a number, then placed it on speakerphone. “Where is Hugo and his human?” he asked.
“They’re here,” the male voice replied. “Right outside the door.”
“Send them in and take Mr. Spader to have a seat out front for a few minutes.”
He looked at me, but of course, I avoided eye contact. I didn’t trust him that much.
“Please, Mr. Spader, allow me a few minutes to speak with your friends. I will not be long.”
I got up just as the door opened and after walking out, Hugo and Jeffreys went inside and shut the door behind them. We’d only glanced at each other in passing. The guard who’d accompanied us to the office, led me over to a nearby chair where I waited.
While there, I reflected on what transpired between the giant of a dog and myself. I could barely believe that I actually pulled this thing off and that Hugo was right on the money when he thought of kidnapping the leader’s only family. I imagined what it would be like hugging my folks again and teasing Carl. I missed those things I never thought I’d lose. It’s really true that you don’t miss the water ‘til the well runs dry. I yearned for the expression on my folks’ faces when they’ve woken up out of that terrible nightmare—any expression would do. Sitting there, everything that transpired felt surreal. If this dog wasn’t lying to me and was considering releasing his grip on this town, our lives would be normal again. Maybe as a result of this experience, we’d do better from now on as a community and would treat the animals with more love and respect. Besides, they deserved it just as much as we did.
I got summoned back to Leader’s office a few minutes later. Jeffreys and Hugo walked out before I arrived and I was alone with the mastiff again. He was still at his desk.
“I have made a decision,” he started. “I agree to release everyone and to give you your town back and I and others from afar will leave. But you must agree to work on the areas of animal cruelty and neglect that must be addressed. I will give you time as a community, but there must be marked improvement in the way you treat animals in Eppington. If you, as humans, fail in this regard a second time around, we will come back and resume where we’d left off and there will be nothing anyone can do to reverse the decision we have made. Am I clear, Mr. Spader?
“Yes, you are.” I readily agreed, and I believe I did so with a smile. I was elated, unlike you could ever imagine, and struggled to keep my composure.
“While you were out front, I contacted my agents and they have agreed with my proposals,” he continued. “They will be here at four o’clock promptly. That’s three hours from now.”
“Will my family be released now?” I asked.
“They will remain here until shortly before that hour, and you will meet them at home. This place will be abandoned. As for my sons, when the spacecraft arrives, they will be elevated from wherever they are.”
From my peripheral vision, I could see that he was studying me.
“I know what you’re thinking,” he added. “You’re thinking that if the spacecraft coming here can easily release my sons, why am I meeting your demands.”
“You’re right,” I said.
“It’s because the craft would never return unless we decided to depart for good.”
“I see.”
“So, Mr. Spader, you’ve won. After today, I hope I will never have to pay another visit to your beloved town ever again.”
“I’ll do what I can to make sure you don’t,” I replied.
11
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As Jeffreys, Hugo and I walked back through the main building in the direction of the exit, I was in a much better mood than when we’d first arrived. I happened to pass Sam’s folks on the northern side closer to where the leader’s office was and probably hadn’t noticed them before due to the overwhelming grief I’d felt after seeing my folks. Everyone was pretty much doing a lot of nothing and it was distressing to see them in that state. However, I knew it wouldn’t be much longer before they were completely free again and had reclaimed their identity. They’d no longer be like robots and mere shells without a soul.
“It won’t be much longer!” I said to my family as I approached their cell once more. Carl was now sitting on the floor facing the western side of the wall. Mom and Dad were exactly where I’d left them. “You all will be home soon. I gave you my word.”
They didn’t have a reaction, but that was okay. Everything would be back to normal soon.
Jeffreys, Hugo and I were in a celebratory mood afte
r we left the compound. We were dancing, singing and shouting for joy in the car. I, of course, made the most noise, especially since I had the most to gain. My folks were coming back home and this nightmare of a reality was going to be a thing of the past. That was the best day of my life.
I called Sam on her cell, told her to put me on speakerphone and I gave her and Rob the great news. They erupted with joy and I had to caution them to quiet down as we were not clear out of the woods yet. They said the canines were still sleeping, which was good to know.
At my urging, Jeffreys agreed to stop at Fredricka’s Diner for ice cream. I told him I was buying cones for everyone. Fredricka’s had better flavors and their prices were cheaper than local ice cream parlors.
“I’d take a chocolate,” Hugo said. “For years, chocolate wasn’t good for us dogs, but it doesn’t bother us now. This may be the last chance I get to savor its goodness before everything changes to the way it was before.”
“I don’t blame you,” Jeffreys asserted. “You probably should have a double scoop or triple.”
I laughed. “Well, I feel like eating a barrel and probably would if I didn’t think I’d be bent over with a serious stomach ache tonight.”
We all went inside the diner and I picked out a vanilla for Sam and a butter pecan for Rob, which were their favorite. Jeffreys selected a pistachio nut flavor and Hugo grabbed his chocolate—double scoops.
Hugo held Rob’s cone and I held Sam’s.
“I can’t believe we actually did it!” I said, licking my strawberry ice cream.
“Yes indeed, we did,” Hugo replied. “Actually—you did. You were the one to convince our leader to reconsider what they were doing.”
Jeffreys nodded.
“By the way, you guys didn’t say why he called you in.”
Jeffreys glanced through the rear-view mirror. “I guess you can say Hugo here got a bit of a scolding for his part in this whole deal, but surprisingly, it wasn’t too bad. The leader said Hugo’s loyalty for his ‘human’ as he calls me, to the extent that he released me from the daze regardless of the risk involved, amazed him. Hugo came clean with that part. Told me he felt he owed him that much. After that, he called you back in.”
The Hewey Spader Mystery Series (The Complete Trilogy * Books 1 -3 ) Page 12