Page 44 of Rescue Them

James burst through the front door, breathing heavily, with Daisy in his arms.“The other three are gone,” he said.“I came home from an exam and found the front door open.I’ve been looking for the dogs and found her hiding behind the shrubs over there.There’s no sign of the others.”His eyes filled with tears, and Lyle felt like his knees were going to give out from under him.“I think they were taken, and Daisy here was able to run.”

“Debbie,” Lyle said.“It has to be.She wanted the dogs, and I swear she’d do anything to get them.”He took Daisy and nestled her to him.

“Do you know where she lives?”James asked.

“Yeah.Corky asked me to take her there once.”Lyle grabbed a leash and put it on Daisy.Then he closed and locked the front door.He’d figure out how they got inside later.“Come on, let’s go see if we can find the rest of the family.”Lyle and Daisy got into James’s truck.Daisy lay on the back seat as James drove west toward Newville, with Lyle navigating.

“They couldn’t have been gone very long when I got home,” James said.“At first I thought they got out and were outside.But then I found Daisy and… well… the dogs stick together.”He sighed.“I’m sorry.I should have—”

“This isn’t your fault,” Lyle said, placing his hand on James’s leg.His throat ached, and he tried not to think about what could happen.All he knew was that they had to get out there as soon as possible.“Turn right here.Go up a block and make a left.Then slow down.Their house will be right ahead, and we’d better know the lay of the land.”

“Okay.”He made the turns and slowed.

“It’s that house right there.Go past and park in front of the neighbors.”James did, and Lyle got out.“Would you stay with Daisy?I’m going to see what I can find.”Lyle quietly closed the door and hurried off across the neighbor’s yard and to the side of the house.

“Are you crazy?”Kevin demanded, loudly enough that his voice carried through the house.

“It was easy.I jimmied the lock and went inside.These dogs should have been mine and now I have them,” Debbie said.

“And where do you think they’re going to look for them?”Kevin asked.“This is the first place the police and everyone are going to check.Hell, I’m surprised the police aren’t at our door already, you stupid cow.”Lyle shook his head, and for a second he felt sorry for Debbie.

He turned around and pulled out his phone, texting James that the dogs were here and to call the police.James sent a thumbs-up.

“What are you going to do?”Debbie demanded, her voice rising, tone frantic and filled with fear.

“I’m taking them to a place where they aren’t going to be traced to us.My dog trainers can use them as bait.Taking these dogs had to be the dumbest thing possible, but once those dogs are done with them, there won’t be anything left to find.”

It took Lyle a minute to realize that Kevin was talking about the dogfighters.Jesus… was he involved?The way he talked… shit… was he the leader of this whole thing?He tried to get his head around it as he hurried back to the truck.

“The dogs are in there.Kevin has been yelling at Debbie, and I think he’s involved in the dogfighting.He said he was going to get rid of the dogs, and I think he’s going to let his friends use them as bait.”

“The police are on their way,” James told him.

Lyle got into the truck as Kevin came out of the house with Dash and Dahlia, one under each arm.He put them in the cab of his truck and went back inside.Lyle thought of trying to get them out before Kevin returned, but he came out right away with Dover, who squirmed and snarled as he kept trying to bite Kevin.“He’s going to leave before they get here,” Lyle said softly.He didn’t know what the hell to do as Kevin climbed into the cab of his truck and pulled the door closed.

James lifted Daisy off his lap and passed her through the window.“Get back,” James told him, and Lyle stepped away.James started his engine and quickly turned around in the street.

Thankfully Kevin’s old truck picked that moment to be cantankerous and refused to start.The engine turned over just as James pulled his truck across the driveway entrance, blocking it.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”Kevin yelled as James revved his engine but didn’t go anywhere.“You son of a bitch!”He backed up and then turned the truck to try to go across the lawn.Thankfully there wasn’t much room, and Kevin’s old truck had a crap turning radius.It took him a few attempts before he managed to have enough room to swing around.

Lyle listened for sirens but heard nothing.He wondered how long it was going to take the police to get there and knew he had to slow Kevin down even more.Without a second thought, he raced out in front of Kevin, who slammed on his brakes out of reflex.“Stop!”

“Stupid fucker.Get out of my way.I’ll just run your ass over!”Kevin gunned the engine like the big man he was.

“And I have pictures of the dogs in your truck and you bringing them out of the house.The police will know what happened to those the dogs and they’ll find you.”Sirens sounded in the distance, and Lyle waited a few seconds more before racing out of the way.“You want to do a movie chase scene with the police, go right ahead,” Lyle yelled as Kevin peeled across the yard and out onto the street.He didn’t even make it to the corner before a cruiser pulled in front of him.

“Are you okay?”James asked, rushing over.Daisy licked his face, and Lyle nodded.

“Yeah.I’m fine.”

“You scared the crap out of me,” James told him before hugging him.Daisy squirmed in his arms, and James chuckled.“Let’s get her in the truck.”

Lyle nodded and put Daisy inside.James started the engine so she’d have some cool air and closed the door.Then they stepped back, watching as Kevin was pulled out of the truck and onto the concrete.

Officer Markham, Red, hurried over.“The dogs are in his truck, and they’re a little nuts.”

“They hate Kevin, so they’re reacting to him.I’ll get them.But you need to arrest his wife as well.I heard him yelling at her, and it appears that she was the one who actually stole the dogs.”Lyle did his best to speak clearly.His instinct was to talk at lightning speed.