She started to surge forward, but Gray grabbed her arm. “No.”
Barbie turned on her, eyes blazing. “They kidnapped my dog. That skinny guy, he was the one that took her from my front yard.”
“I know. And we’re going to make them regret it,” Gray said evenly. “But not by getting arrested in the woods or giving them time to hurt the dogs while we’re incarcerated.”
Barbie dropped to her knees, tears starting to stream from her face. “I thought she was dead.”
“Why would they bring her back here?” Gwen asked, putting a gentle hand on Barbie’s shoulder. “This is awful.”
“I don’t know,” Barbie said. “Maybe to hold her for ransom or use her as some kind of bargaining chip to control me. If they’re torturing her again, I don’t know what I’ll do.”
I gently took the binoculars from her shaking hand and looked through them. “She seems okay,” I said. “Just a little limp on her right side. But she’s alive and that’s what matters. We’re going to get her out of there.”
“Do your business quicker,” Mr. Whiny suddenly yelled at the dogs, and our attention snapped back to them. “It’s freezing out here.” He walked around trying to kick at the dogs, who danced out of his way.
I gritted my teeth, glaring at him through the binoculars. I felt like marching across the field, jumping the fence, and kicking both of those so-called scientists in their private parts.
Hard.
“You!” Mr. Skinny shouted, approaching Ginger. “Quit messing around. You’re not getting out of here again, so do what you need to do fast or I’m dragging you back in by the tail.”
Now Gray had to grab my arm as I leaned forward. My jaw clenched even tighter.
“Easy, Lexi,” she murmured.
Mr. Whiny laughed. “She thinks she’s smarter than us. A stupid dog.”
Ginger ignored him and skidded to a stop near the fence, pacing, sniffing. Her head lifted, nose testing the wind. And then she turned…straight toward us.
My eyes widened. “I think she can smell us,” I said in a low voice.
Ginger trotted along the fence line, right to the section nearest the trees. She stopped there, staring, ears flicking, body tense.
Mr. Skinny cursed at her. “What are you doing, stupid? Get on with it.”
“She’s always like this,” Mr. Whiny complained, clutching his coat tighter to his torso. “Never behaving. Always doing her own thing. It’ll be good to get rid of her. All of them. It can’t come soon enough for me. I’m cashing in and getting out of here.”
Mr. Skinny grunted and stomped his feet. “Come on, dogs, it’s cold out here. You have exactly one minute to finish your business or hold it for eternity, for all I care.”
Ginger didn’t move. She kept her eyes on the tree line right where we were hiding. On me. We didn’t dare move.
Mr. Skinny marched toward the dogs. “I mean it, I’m not standing out here freezing for you dumb dogs.” He stopped near Ginger and I tensed. “Not even for you. Do your business or not, princess. I don’t care.”
“I’m done. Let’s bring them in,” Mr. Whiny said. “Starting with her.” He pointed at Ginger.
The two men opened the building door and then fanned out to trap Ginger between them. The rest of the dogs ran inside, except for Ginger and Tootsie.
Barbie put both hands over her mouth and sucked in her breath. I wasn’t even sure I was breathing.
Mr. Skinny was the closest, so he reached for her collar. A sharp yelp tore out of him as Ginger clamped down on his fingers and released just as fast. He staggered back, clutching his hand.
“She bit me,” he screeched. “She’s never done that before. What’s wrong with her?”
Unfortunately, the distraction was enough to let Mr. Whiny grab Ginger by the collar. I started to surge forward again, but Gray kept her firm grip on my arm.
“Stay down, Lexi,” she hissed at me. “I mean it.”
It wasn’t easy, but I stayed where I was.
