Page 32 of Rescue Them

“Come on, guys,” he told the dogs as they sniffed all around.“Let’s go inside.It’s time to go to bed.”He took them around to the front of the building.They had all done their business, so he let them inside and locked the door.Then he got them each a treat before settling in front of the television with all the dogs around him.

He messaged James just before he went upstairs.“Good night.I’ll be dreaming of you.”Okay, maybe it was corny, but he could live with that.

“I’m still working, but I’ll be thinking of you too,” James sent him, and Lyle returned a happy face before going to the bathroom to clean up.Then he got ready for bed and climbed under the covers.He really wished that James was there with him.It surprised him how easily he got used to having James in bed with him.And that worried him sometimes.Things with James just seemed easy, and they kind of fell into place.Like there wasn’t some big drama or these huge hurdles to overcome.The drama in his life seemed to come from his mother, work, or even the dogs.Maybe that was how it was supposed to be… or maybe the drama with James was something he had yet to discover.

“Don’t borrow trouble,” his mother’s voice said in his mind.

“Yeah, but that’s easier said than done,” he told himself and closed his eyes.The dogs were all in their beds nearby, but Lyle felt weirdly alone tonight.He kept thinking about his mom and what might happen to her, especially since she refused to slow down up until the surgery.He tried to stop his mind from racing, but failed until Dash and then the other dogs jumped on the bed and settled around him.Then he managed to sleep.

TOWARD THEend of the week, things went better at work than anyone expected, and the boss told Lyle and the rest of his team that they weren’t going to be needed on Saturday morning, which pleased everyone except Yarl, who was always looking for overtime if he could get it.Still, that meant that Saturday morning he was free.Lyle made sure the dogs were all set and hurried over to the rescue to help out.

What he walked into was pandemonium, with dogs running around the inside of the building, some of them scared and hiding.Enclosure doors hung open, with Mitchell and his husband desperately trying to get the dogs back inside.Lyle immediately set about getting dogs back in their enclosures and locking the doors.

“What happened?”Lyle asked Mitchell as he carried a little terrier mutt to his enclosure before closing the door.

“Someone got in here and opened everything.There were dogs barking and some cowering, while others chased up and down the aisles.”He looked haggard as Lyle found a small chihuahua mix and got her in her enclosure.He was gentle with her and petted her before closing the door.At least the sound had diminished as fewer dogs ran around.

“How many are missing?”James asked as he brought a large dog out from the back area of the shelter.He pulled at James, not wanting to go back in his enclosure.“Bruno, that’s enough,” James said firmly, and he finally went inside.

“He just wanted to run,” Lyle said.

“Yeah,” James agreed as the last dogs were put back.

“It looks like five aren’t here.We need to check around.Look in any possible hiding places.”

Lyle hurried behind the desk and smiled as he found Missy, a poodle mix, hiding underneath.He spoke to her gently and coaxed her out with a treat.Then he gently lifted her, petting her gently as he carried her to look for others.“You’re such a sweetheart,” he told her, muttering other nonsense to her just to keep her calm.After feeding her some more kibble and calming her, he placed her in her enclosure, and she lay down in her blanket, head on her paws.

“I have Rex,” Mitchell said as he brought out another dog.

“So that means that Lady, Mars, and Loopy are missing.”They were all small dogs, and Lyle felt his insides go cold.

“Did anyone check the video?”

“I did,” Mitchell’s husband said.“I’m Brad, by the way.”He shook Lyle’s hand as he introduced himself.“A guy came in really early this morning, dressed in a hoodie, so we can’t see his face.He took some dogs, but it was dark enough that I couldn’t see how many.”

“Damn,” Mitchell swore.

“I may know where they are,” Lyle said.“That guy who came in a few weeks ago.He’s a dogfighter.I saw him in town and followed him home.I know where he lives.We can check to see if they are there.”He wasn’t sure what he was going to do if they were, but it was worth a look.

“Don’t go alone,” Mitchell said.

“I’ll go with him,” James offered.

Mitchell seemed as determined as Lyle felt.“Be careful and don’t do anything foolish.We can call the police and get the dogs back that way.”

“What if he’s already gone before they get there?”Lyle asked

James nodded, and they headed for his car and jumped inside.“You plan to get the dogs if you can,” James told him.“I recognize that determined look.”

“Yeah, I do.”He started the engine and hurried out of the drive and headed toward town, turning left on College Street and continuing north.They could see the beat-up truck with a cap over the bed in the driveway, tailgate open, but the front door of the house was closed and the garage door down.He continued past the house and pulled to a stop just beyond the neighbor’s.Then Lyle got out and closed the door.

“What are you going to do?”

“Check the backyard,” Lyle said.“Like I did before.I’ll be right back.”He hurried out of the truck and up to the neighbor’s front door.He knocked and didn’t get an answer, which was good.Then he went over to the fence and carefully peered over.The three fighting dogs were tied up, but there were no other dogs in the yard.“Shit,” he swore under his breath and hurried to return to the car.“There’s only the pit bulls.No other dogs.”His heart sank that the ones he had seen before might have been hurt… or worse.“I’m going to check the back of the truck.”

He walked down the sidewalk toward the house like he was out for a walk.As he approached, he could see into the back of the truck, and his heart sank.There were two cages with the dogs he had seen earlier in one and their three missing dogs in the other.He just continued on and crossed the street to the other side, messaging James as he doubled back.

“All the dogs are in the back of the truck, including our three.What do I do?I think he’s going to be leaving for some sort of training.”Which meant all of them were in danger.