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CHAPTER ELEVEN
Nine, Gaspar, Ian, and Ghost waited for someone to return to the disgusting, inhumane kennels. The smell was overpowering, even for them, and they’d smelled some of the worst things the world had to offer.
Certain that there were no cameras or sensors, they carefully walked through the empty property. The dogs that had once been there when Jamie was there were now gone.
“They must have come back after he took the puppies and realized someone had found them,” said Ghost.
“Looks like it,” said Gaspar. “Look at this shit. These cages aren’t big enough for one adult-sized lab or shepherd, let alone several. The shit hasn’t been cleaned from the cages for weeks, I’d say. There’s one water hose over there that was probably used to hose them down every now and then and give them water.”
“I really want to kill these men,” said Ian. “I haven’t been allowed to kill anyone in a while. Can I kill them?”
“On this one, brother, you’re going to have to fight for the kill,” said Nine. “I remember when Violet and Striker met over that dog fighting ring. I was angry then, but this is different.”
“It’s different because these are puppies,” said Ghost. “We were compassionate for the bigger dogs, especially for that damn wolf he befriended, but puppies. It’s like finding kids and adults. We’re compassionate for the adults, but we’re pissed off and ready to kill if there are kids.”
“I suppose so,” said Nine. “I’m not seeing any shelter for humans. I don’t see a lean-to or a cabin, not even signs of a tent out here.”
“Maybe they had a truck with a trailer or cab on it,” said Ian.
“Could be. We’ll ask Jamie when we see him next. I’ve got empty beer cans over here, some cigarette butts, a few candy wrappers,” said Nine.
“Same over here,” said Ghost. “Looks like an old grill where they were cooking their meals. Maybe they were living out here.”
“But why?” frowned Gaspar. “If you’re making four, five, even six hundred per dog you sell, you have enough money to at least live in a shitty motel or apartment. Why are you camping in the wilderness with the dogs?”
“You’re not in charge,” said Ian, staring at his oldest friends. “These guys are the middlemen. Someone else is in charge of this operation. That’s why they’re living this way.”
“Great. Another person, or persons, we need to find,” said Ghost. “This is risky. Think about it. I run this mill, sell sick dogs, and sooner or later, someone is going to figure it out and not buy the puppies. We’ve seen this before, but not to this extreme. It’s usually people selling dogs claiming they’re a breed that they are not. That’s a lie, no doubt, but it’s not selling sick dogs.”
“They think they’re above the law,” said Nine. “Whoever this is, they believe that the law won’t touch them.”
“Well, that’s any number of narcissistic psychotic bastards,” smirked Ghost.
“True. I don’t think we’re going to find anything else here. Let’s check on the way out to see if any of the homes in the area have cameras. We might catch them driving.”
The four men took off down the road they’d driven in on, all quiet, wondering who could possibly do this to helpless animals. As they turned out of the forested area and began seeing more homes, they didn’t see any that would have cameras or surveillance of any kind. When the light traffic became heavier, they all stared at one another.
Moving at a snail’s pace, they could see lights up ahead on a sheriff’s car. People seemed gathered around, staring at something.
“What’s going on?” asked Nine, staring out the window.
“Don’t know,” said Gaspar. “I can’t see anything either.”
The closer they got, the more nervous they became. Something was happening, and in this part of the small community, where very little happened out of the ordinary, it could only be one thing.
“Fuck me,” muttered Ghost.
Ahead, beside a small park, was a manmade pond. Sitting in the middle, visible to all, were the tops of a dozen cages. Animal cages.
“They got spooked and drowned them,” said Ian. “Son-of-a-bitch.”
Gaspar pulled over, parking on the side of the road. As the four men got out, the sheriff asked them politely to get back in their cars. Gaspar quickly explained what they were doing, and he nodded, allowing them to get closer.
“Sickest thing I’ve seen in a while,” said the young man. “We count eleven cages that we can see, and the puppies are just floating at the top. A bunch of kids were playing and saw it, and some kid told his father. My deputies are speaking to them now. Can you imagine the nightmares those poor kids are gonna have?”
“Anyone see anything?” asked Nine.
“No one that we’ve spoken to yet. People are pretty quiet around here. Kids go to school, parents usually both work outside the home. The park is pretty open once you’re here, but as you can see, most people have fences around their properties. Even if they were in the backyard, they wouldn’t have seen this.”
