A Dog's Courage--A Dog's Way Home Novel

by W. Bruce Cameron

  We left the table, my eyes on the savory paper bundle still in Lucas’s hand. We rounded a corner and I was conscious of the huge creatures continuing their slow stroll in the direction they had been going and not turning to follow us.

  They knew better than to mess with a dog.

  “It’s raining!” Olivia exclaimed.

  I was conscious of the faint tickle of something landing on my fur. I shook it off.

  Lucas was staring into his palm. “That’s not rain. Look. They’re tiny kernels of hard ash, blown here on the wind.”

  “Maybe we should get back to the camp,” Olivia suggested.

  They stopped walking when the phone on Lucas’s belt squawked. The noise sounded vaguely like a human voice.

  “911: What is the address of your emergency?”

  “There’s a fire up on Tribute Ridge.”

  I cocked my head because the tone of the almost-voice seemed upset and afraid.

  “Yes, ma’am, we’re aware of the fire on Sherwood Mountain.”

  “No, lady, you’re not listening to me! This is on the ridge, Tribute Ridge!”

  Lucas and Olivia exchanged solemn glances and we started walking again, our pace quickening.

  Ten

  Something was scaring Lucas and Olivia. I went alert, scanning with my eyes and nose, looking for what it might be. Of all the moods a dog might sense in people, this one, the sense of impending danger, was the easiest to detect, coming to me as clearly as a shout. Yet the cause of human emotions isn’t always evident. I wanted to be a good dog and help Lucas and Olivia face the current threat, but I didn’t know what it was.

  The phone on Lucas’s belt was still making scratchy, squawky noises.

  “If you feel you are in danger, you should evacuate immediately.”

  “Do you know where Tribute Ridge is?” Lucas asked Olivia.

  “No. I’ve never heard of it.”

  “Let’s make our way back to tent city.”

  She nodded. “Good idea. Let’s go left at the next corner—I think buffalo rush hour has probably moved on by now.”

  We turned at the end of the street and Olivia slowed down. “Oh no!”

  Lucas followed her gaze and shook his head grimly. “Do you think people just left their dog here to die?”

  At the word “dog,” I realized that I smelled one. A male was watching us from a yard, not barking or moving. A chain sagged from his collar to a metal rod protruding from the ground. We stared at each other, each of us frozen at the sight of another dog. Surely this wasn’t the source of my boy’s apprehension. It was a dog.

  “Hey, boy,” Lucas called to him softly. “Are you friendly?”

  The dog shook himself, bowed, and wagged.

  “Do you want something to eat?” Lucas asked.

  Lucas cautiously approached this new dog and I watched in utter shock as my boy opened the paper bundle and pulled out a piece of my meat. I started to move forward to address this issue, but Olivia tightened my leash. “No, Bella. Stay.”

  I almost always hate Stay.

  Lucas fed some of my food to the male and then reached down to the chain and unsnapped it from the stake. The dog did Sit, and received some more meat. I was doing Sit, too, right behind my boy, and he wasn’t even looking at me! I stared up at Olivia in astonishment, but she ignored me, even though I was doing Sit and Stay and getting no treats!

  Lucas led this new dog over to me. The male was big and light colored with his short tail up and stiff, but wagging a little. We politely smelled each other under the tail, and then he dashed over to a bush, pulling Lucas at the end of the chain, and lifted his leg. To show him I was friendly, I sniffed his mark. I was wagging in a way intended to show that I understood he was just happy to be with people and wasn’t going to try to take any more of my food.

  Lucas gave Olivia a helpless look. “Now what do we do?”

  “We need to take him to the shelter so he can be evacuated with the rest of the animals,” she said.

  “Do you know where it is?”

  She nodded.

  “Is it far?”

  “Nothing’s far in this town. I’ll show you.”

  We went for a walk, though I was somewhat suspicious of this new male dog who seemed so at ease with my people. Where were his humans, that he had to share mine? His chain clinked and rattled when it struck the street. I found it annoying.

  Like most males, he held us back because he kept stopping to sniff other marks and lift his leg on them. I trotted pointedly next to my boy, displaying better, more treat-worthy behavior. We all halted when the male made another mark, and Olivia took the opportunity to bend down and grab the metal tag on his collar. “Gus,” she declared.

  I could tell by the way the male brightened that this was his name. He looked to me, and I glanced away. I already knew Lucas and Olivia could do amazing things, and coming up with this treat-stealing dog’s name seemed among the least of these.

  Olivia released the collar. “Are you a good dog, Gus? Yes, you are, you’re such a good dog.”

  Gus wriggled in pleasure. I looked away from Olivia. I did not like her speaking in such tones to a new dog and hoped we would not be walking with him for long.

  The phone on my boy’s hip made a familiar noise. “911: What is the address of your emergency?”

  “Chambers Road! Fire!”

  “Which … where on Chambers Road?”

  “I gotta go, the fire’s right here!”

  “Oh my god,” Olivia breathed. “Do you suppose that’s close to where we are?” I picked up on her distress, even more heightened now, and glanced up in concern.

  Gus, if that was his name, was busily examining an old urine spot and didn’t react.

  Male dogs aren’t usually good for much more than that.

  Lucas fiddled with the phone. “I’m going to … I think I’ll turn down the volume on the walkie for a little bit. We’ve still got plenty of time before the trucks are supposed to be here. I don’t think we need to listen to every 911 call.”

  Olivia nodded. “Okay,” she agreed shakily.

  Hearing her speak, Gus looked up at her, so I knew he was one of those dogs who reacts more to women than men. Because he was finally aware something might be wrong, he turned his gaze on me. I ignored him.

  We all walked steadily for a while. I hadn’t been asked, but I was essentially doing Heel, pointedly sticking to my boy’s side while Gus yanked around at the end of his chain without discipline. Then we came across another dog. This one also had light fur, and was smaller than I, but was far shaggier than Gus or me. Unlike Gus, she was running free, untied behind a wire fence that surrounded the front yard, and she was wagging with excitement as we approached. We stopped at the gate, and I had a sinking feeling our pack was about to grow even larger.

  “Hello?” Olivia called loudly.

  She opened the gate and the male dog and I followed her into the yard. Lucas dropped our leashes so we three dogs could freely examine one another. Though she was female, when Gus lifted his leg, she smelled his mark and then squatted as well. I don’t usually do that.

  Olivia strode to the house and mounted some steps, knocking on the front door and then opening it, sticking her head in. “Hello?” She turned and shook her head at Lucas. I watched in concern as she passed into the house, but she returned moments later carrying a leash. She came over and clipped it into the new female’s collar. She looked up. “This one’s named Trixie.”

  “And the family just left her in the yard?”

  Olivia shrugged. “Nobody home.”

  I watched, perturbed, as Lucas knelt and ran his hands through the female’s shaggy fur. “Hello, Trixie. I can’t believe your family took off without you. What if the fire comes through here? What’s wrong with people?” He stood back up and we all left the yard. I did not know what we were doing; I only knew that we now had two more dogs walking with us. Lucas held us females on leashes, while Olivia clutched Gus’s cha
in in her fist.

  “I don’t want to think they left their dogs on purpose,” Olivia replied cautiously. She was jerked forward when Gus sensed that a particularly interesting male had sprayed the base of a street sign. The female sniffed at me in a friendly way. “I think maybe they were just caught up in the flow of traffic, or maybe they panicked when the evacuation order was issued.”

  “Sure, that could be. Or maybe they’re in another town and couldn’t get back to Paraiso. I imagine they’re not allowing traffic to come toward the fire,” Lucas suggested.

  The road underfoot turned to gravel, and along its sides, fewer houses and more trees appeared. We turned and followed a narrow, rutted driveway that ventured up a steep hill. At the top we found a long, low building. As we approached, I heard some dogs barking and could tell the two new dogs could hear them, too. The building had a glass door, which Olivia pulled open. As soon as she did, we were blasted with the strong odors of many dogs and cats. The new female was wagging furiously but Gus seemed unsure. I was with my boy, so I followed him and Olivia into the building with confidence.

  “Hello?” Olivia called.

  A short woman with long, light-colored hair came swiftly through an open doorway and hugged Olivia. “Oh my God, what are you doing here, Olivia?”

  “Lucas, this is Diane. Diane, this is my husband, Lucas.”

  “Oh!” Lucas exclaimed as the woman hugged him. He seemed startled. “Nice to meet you, Diane.”

  Diane. She wiped her eyes and laughed briefly. “I’m sorry, I’m just so scared.”

  Gus was sniffing at a couch along a wall as if getting ready to lift his leg on it. Many male dogs mark when they hear barking. I don’t do that.

  Diane smelled of dogs and cats and tears when I sniffed her hand.

  “That’s our dog, Bella,” Olivia told Diane, “and we found these other dogs, Gus and Trixie, abandoned by their owners in their yards.”

  Diane nodded. “The evac orders came so fast and they just made everybody go and it was utter chaos and they said no one could take their dogs. It was horrible. We’ve got eight dogs and more than a dozen cats that weren’t here yesterday.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Lucas interjected. “How could it possibly matter if they took their dogs with them?”

  Diane shrugged. “I think most people felt the same way, but everyone was shouting orders at them. Like, in a total panic. The sheriff came and told me I had to leave immediately but I’m like, “So what about the animals?” and he didn’t have any kind of answer. So…” She shrugged again.

  Olivia reached down and petted Gus, who wagged and glanced at me, and I reflexively wagged back. “Well, these two are sweethearts. They won’t give you any trouble.”

  “We’ll find room for them,” Diane agreed.

  “When will they be evacuated?” Olivia asked.

  Diane gazed steadily at Olivia. “They won’t be.”

  Olivia gasped. “What?”

  “My brother went into town to see if he can find someone to help us. A lot of people are planning to stay and save the town. We are going to try to keep the building from burning down because if that happens, we’ll lose all the animals here.”

  Lucas tapped the phone on his belt. “You may be okay. I hear the fire is still pretty far out. Tribute Ridge? Maybe it won’t get up here.”

  Diane stiffened. “Tribute Ridge? That’s only twenty miles from here. I thought it was on Sherwood Mountain.”

  “I don’t really know the area.”

  “We’ll stay and help you,” Olivia assured Diane. “Don’t worry.”

  Lucas stared. “Stay and help,” he repeated. “Didn’t we just decide to get on the National Guard trucks when they come?”

  I noticed that the female was gazing in the direction of all the barking, her ears alert, her head cocking from one side to another. So many dogs were giving voice to their fear at the back of the building.

  “We can’t let these animals burn alive, Lucas,” Olivia implored.

  Gus flopped down on the floor with a sigh, apparently unbothered by the distressed barking from down the hallway.

  Lucas was frowning. “Olivia…”

  “You heard the people in town saying the same thing Diane just told us. A bunch of them are staying. They’re going to fight the fire. We should help.”

  “They’re doing it because these are their homes.”

  “These are innocent animals!”

  Lucas gazed at Olivia for a long moment. I could feel strong emotions pouring off of both of them, but I couldn’t tell if it was fear or anger. The other two dogs didn’t seem to be paying attention to the people.

  “Lucas is right,” Diane interjected softly. “This is our town, not yours.”

  Lucas and Olivia were still staring at each other, doing that thing of talking without words. Finally, my boy walked to the window and looked out. “Okay. I think the thing to do, then, is to take down the trees right next to the building. Also, the wooden fence. Maybe.” He turned back to Olivia. “I don’t actually know. But that’s what the guy at the briefing was saying, the one who’s going to stay and fight. Make a firebreak.”

  “Good,” Olivia agreed. “And we should radio Mack. Maybe the fire department can help.”

  “And don’t forget my brother,” Diane reminded him. “He’s got chainsaws and so do his friends.”

  The three people went to sit at a table. I was unsure what I was supposed to do about the two dogs who had recently joined us. They weren’t a permanent part of my pack now, were they? They reacted to all the human movement by climbing into a couple of soft dog beds, but I followed my boy and sat loyally beneath the table at his feet.

  I heard the same squawking noise as before. Lucas spoke to the phone. “I need to contact Mack Fletcher. This is Lucas Ray.”

  “911: What is the address of your emergency?”

  “There’s fire on both sides of the road!”

  “Where are you, ma’am?”

  “Katsen Road, by the school!”

  “You need to evacuate.…”

  “I can’t! There’s fire everywhere! You’ve got to help me!”

  “Katsen Road?” Diane gasped. “That’s out where I live. That’s practically here!”

  “Lieutenant.”

  Lucas looked at Olivia. “That’s a firefighter.”

  “This is Lieutenant Gibbens. Go.”

  “Lieutenant, this is Jordi. The hill is on fire, sir, it looks like a lava flow!”

  “Go to channel five, Jordi.”

  “There are people driving cars with flaming tires!”

  “Jordi! Channel five, now!”

  Lucas and Olivia and Diane ran out the front door and I followed. The other two dogs remained inside. Everyone was staring at the sky. “Why is it orange?” Diane gasped.

  “That’s from the fire,” Lucas responded grimly. “I thought it was supposed to be far away, still.” He held the phone to his face. “Mack Fletcher, Mack Fletcher, come in.”

  “I’ve got eyes on Fletcher, hang on.”

  “911: What is your emergency?”

  “I’m trapped in my house! Everything outside is burning. 891 Silver Road!”

  “Lucas? Change channel to twenty.”

  Lucas played with his phone. “Mack?”

  “Hey, where are you guys? Are you okay?”

  “We’re at the animal shelter. Listen, it’s packed with abandoned pets.”

  “We got to get you out of there, Lucas. The fire’s coming faster than anyone thought. The National Guard trucks should be here soon. Can you get to the command post, or should we come get you?”

  Lucas and Olivia stared at each other. Lucas lifted the phone to his mouth. “Mack, I … I’m sorry. We can’t leave.”

  “Repeat that?”

  Olivia leaned forward. “We can’t just let these animals burn up, Mack.”

  There was a long silence.

  “You said the animal shelter?”

 
; “Yeah,” Lucas responded.

  “You guys stay there. I’m coming.”

  Eleven

  As we stood in the front yard, two trucks came rattling up the driveway. I pulled at my leash, interested because the first truck’s pickup bed was full of dogs, who started barking when they saw me.

  Diane waved, smiling. “That’s my brother Dave.”

  There was a loud screech as the trucks stopped. A man slid out and opened the tailgate and the dogs jumped to the ground. Two of them immediately began fighting, both large males, snapping and trying to climb up on the other’s back. I watched tensely, the fur rising on my back. The other dogs circled the altercation uneasily.

  “Hey! Hey!” the man yelled.

  People always join dog fights with their voices.

  Diane ran forward and the two male dogs backed away from each other. She seized the collar of one of them and the man who had been yelling grabbed the other one. Both dogs were still growling, but I could tell they were relieved to be pulled from battle.

  I understood why they had gone after each other; the tension rippling off of the people was almost unbearable. Something was going on, something awful and beyond canine understanding, and it was frightening all of us. I looked up at Lucas, seeking guidance from my boy.

  “I don’t get it,” the man observed as he dragged the big male up to us. “They were fine on the truck.”

  Diane put a leash on two of the new dogs and guided them through the gate and into the house while the new man followed, still gripping the collar of the big black dog who had been fighting. The dog stared at me as it was dragged past. The rest of the dogs hesitated, sniffing each other, then turned, sticking together as a pack, and followed Diane. The door shut behind them. I remained with my boy.

  Men hopped out of the second truck, and I wagged because I recognized the scent of one of them—it was Meat-man, the angry local man from earlier. He held out his deliciously fragrant hand to Lucas. “Hey,” he greeted. “I saw you guys earlier down at the staging area. Name is Scott, Scott Lansing.”

  “Lucas Ray,” Lucas replied. I glanced up at his mention of his name. “This is my wife, Olivia.”