Page 33 of Rescue Them

He approached his car as James got out.A door smacking closed drew his attention, and he turned as the man came out and checked the back of the truck before closing the tailgate.“He’s about to leave,” James said.

“Go around to the neighbor’s and throw sticks or something into the yard.Get his three dogs barking up a storm, like the devil himself is after them.Don’t let him see you if you can help it.”

“Okay.I got it.”James got out, and Lyle watched as he ran to the back of the neighbor’s yard.There were sticks, and he began throwing a few into the yard.As expected, the dogs began barking like crazy.

Lyle got into his car, whipped it around, and pulled right up behind the truck as soon as the man went inside the house.Lyle got out as soon as the yelling started from the backyard.Quietly, he lowered the tailgate and opened the cage with the shelter’s dogs in it.He managed to get all three in his arms and into the car through the lowered driver’s-side window.Then he went back for the others.They were just as eager to go with him.Maybe they sensed that he was there to help them, but they came right out, and he got them in the car as well.He left the cage doors open, but raised the tailgate and unlocked the door above the cap, leaving it hanging open.Then he got into the car, careful not to sit on any of the dogs, and closed the door, grateful none of the dogs tried to make a break for it.He went around the block and picked up James at the corner, making the turn away from the house just as the guy came back out.

They were heading north and had turned the corner, well away from the scene of the crime, before Lyle let himself breathe.“Jesus, that was crazy.”He sighed and continued driving back toward the shelter.

“What the hell were you thinking?”James asked.

“I had to get them all away from him.I left the cage doors open and the top of the truck cap hanging, so I hope he thinks that the dogs somehow got out and ran away.I don’t know, but at least he isn’t going to hurt any of these guys.”James was crawling with dogs.Some insisted on sitting in his lap, while others sat on the floor of the back seat, scared and whimpering.

“Yeah, but we have a car full of stolen dogs,” James said flatly.

“And what is he going to do?Call the police and say that someone took the dogs he broke into a shelter and stole?I’m also willing to bet that the other dogs were taken as well.”

James was petting a little poodle mix on his lap.She kept trying to lick his face, and James looked her over.“This one has a tattoo,” he said softly.“Jesus, you’re right.She was most likely stolen.”

“Yeah.And I bet Mitchell can find out who her owner is,” Lyle said, driving out toward the shelter while James spoke to Mitchell on the phone.

Brad, Mitchell, and Daniel all met them when they pulled in.“Holy crap,” Brad said when he saw the car.Lyle lowered his window and he handed Loopy to Brad, who carried him inside.Then he passed Mars to Mitchell, and Daniel took Lady inside.When Mitchell returned, Lyle handed him the poodle mix with the tattoo.

“She’s definitely someone’s dog,” Mitchell said.“I’ll look up the numbers and try contacting the owners.”He carried her inside as they got the rest of the dogs.Lyle took the one he knew was hurt and gently carried him in, waiting for Mitchell.

“This is also someone’s dog,” Lyle told Daniel, who directed him to the counter so he could look him over.

“Yeah.You can tell by how the fur is rubbed at the neck.This dog usually wears a collar.Maybe he’s chipped.”He grabbed a wand, and sure enough, it beeped at the neck.Daniel checked the computer and smiled.“Yes.Here’s the owner’s name and info.”Daniel made a call and was soon on the phone to the little dog’s owner.It seemed as though two of the dogs were going to be returned.

“What about the others?”Brad asked once Daniel had confirmed that they weren’t chipped or marked.

“Well,” Lyle began.“Let’s check Facebook and Nextdoor, see if there are any missing dog posts.”He pulled out his phone and began checking Facebook.He found a number of posts, but not the dogs they had.

“Here’s one,” Brad said, showing Lyle the phone.“It was posted a week ago.Says his name is Petey.”That made Lyle smile.Brad contacted the poster that their dog may have been found and where to call, which left only one dog.

“What do we do now?”James asked.

Mitchell joined them.“The owner of the tagged dog is on her way.She’s thrilled.”He smiled, and they brought him up to date on what they’d found about the other owners.“This last one is going to need medical attention, so I’ll keep him at the clinic for a few days.But I don’t think we should keep the three of ours that were taken here, at least for a while.That way the trail can’t leads to any of us.”

“We’ll take one,” Brad said, smiling lovingly at Mitchell.“I know you want to.”

“My mom can foster one for a few days.But she has to leave on a trip in a week or so,” Lyle offered.

Mitchell nodded.“It should just be a few days, in case he comes back to snoop around.I doubt he will after he broke in, but let’s be safe.”Daniel took the third dog.

The rest of the morning was spent feeding and watering the dogs, setting up a few adoptions, and reuniting missing dogs with their owners.That was the best part: seeing people reunited with pets they had thought were gone forever.That warmed Lyle’s heart.As another of the dogs was headed home, Lyle slipped his arms around James’s neck, kissing him.“We did good, I think.”

“Yes, we did,” James said softly.“And damn, you’re fearless.”

“I am not.I was frightened the entire time, but the dogs needed me, and I had to do something.”

A throat clearing pulled them apart.“I found the home of the fourth dog.He’s in bad shape because he was injured by another dog.The owners were clients of the clinic a while ago until their dog ran away.That was six months ago, and I think our last little orphan had been running wild until our dogfighter got hold of him.Then God knows what happened.He’s at the clinic now, and we’re pumping him with antibiotics.As soon as we’re done here, I’m going to see if I can help with the infection.I told the owners to come to the clinic tomorrow.”

“Did they seem happy?”Lyle asked.

“Yes.They were thrilled.They got a new dog, but Jean sounded thrilled that they could get Muffin back.”He patted Lyle on the shoulder.“You did really good.Now take Loopy to your mom’s, and if she doesn’t want to keep him, we’ll find another place to foster him.”

“Mom will be fine,” Lyle said before packing the care package for Loopy in the car.Then he left, with James riding with him.Lyle took James home, and the plan was for Lyle to drop Loopy at his mom’s and join him.