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The barking had settled and the night had become suspiciously quiet again. Pepper disappeared into the building once more.
I guided the last dog around to the side door. He—or was he a she—put his paws on the side step as if he knew he was headed for safety.
But he couldn’t jump up.
As I gave him a boost, I got a good look at him in the light. His ribs were visible. He had bumps on his skin. And he appeared as though he could break with the slightest touch.
Gently, I put him in the van and patted a blanket on the floor. He lay down on it immediately.
Miss Adeline emerged with two more dogs. She moved in a lightning clip, especially for a person her age.
“Hey!”
She didn’t look up when someone shouted, a woman on a mission.
A shadowy figure hurried toward us. Miss Adeline continued to ignore him. I helped her load the dogs in the van and opened the passenger door so she could easily get inside.
“Those aren’t the dogs you’re supposed to take,” he said breathlessly when he reached us.
“Tell that to the sheriff when I report you for cruelty to animals.” She muscled in front of me instead of climbing in the van.
“Those dogs are spoiled,” he shouted as he took a step closer. “Give them back or you’ll be talking to the cops for stealing.”
She snorted. “No one has seen your ribs in fifteen years from the looks of it. The same can’t be said for the greys we found.”
“I have races to run tonight.” He moved toward the open van doors.
I put up a hand without touching his chest. “You don’t want to do that.”
He looked up at me, appearing to assess just how great a threat I was. “Give me back the dogs and we won’t have a problem.” His tone had lost a bit of its bravado.
“We already have a problem,” Miss Adeline snapped. “I have malnourished dogs with some in obvious need of medical care.”
Pepper burst out of the building with four more dogs. Holy crap.
“You can’t have those dogs. They’re running a race in an hour.”
What? Three of them could barely walk. They seemed to have summoned all their strength to make it this far.
One collapsed at my feet as if he knew he’d made it to safety.
I scooped him up and settled him next to the others, then repeated with the remaining dogs.
“This it?” I asked gruffly.
Pepper nodded as the man made a grab for the leads still in her hands.
“Donottouch them.”
He froze at my command. “You can’t take my dogs.”
“You don’t have dogs anymore.” Miss Adeline climbed in the van and slammed the door.
Pepper tossed the leashes in the back.
“Get in.”
She flashed me a look to kill but didn’t argue. I closed her inside and the dome light went out.
