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Lia stumbled into the kennel area ahead of Derek. A spot just below her shoulders itched in response to the gun aimed at her back.
“What’s all this about?” Keep him talking. Maybe he’d take what he wanted and leave. Her eyes widened when she saw Karma in the right-hand kennel space with the black shepherd.
Lia’s stomach clenched, knowing what Derek had planned for Dolly and her litter. As if her thought prompted the action, Dolly attacked, trying to get through the kennel door to reach Derek.
He yelped and grabbed Lia to shield him from the slathering Rottweiler. Left arm circled her waist, hand still clutching the camera with its incriminating evidence. His right arm reached across her neck, hand leveling the gun at Dolly.
“No! Don’t shoot her!” Lia struggled to throw off Derek’s aim.
Dolly’s puppies awoke at Lia’s voice. They barked and yipped, surging around Dolly as the big dog leaped and snarled, and continued throwing herself against the wire barrier trying to reach Derek. Her teeth rattled against the wire, and spittle flew.
Once he realized Dolly couldn’t get through the metal gate, Derek relaxed. He laughed, shoved Lia away, and offered a fake-growl at the distraught dog to egg her on.
Lia fell against the opposite kennel, clutching at the door to regain her balance. Shadow’s kennel door wasn’t latched and Derek hadn’t noticed. He ignored the shepherd and puppy inside, or maybe didn’t care about them.
Shadow’s intelligent brown eyes met Lia’s own with a calm watchful gaze. That delightful sparkle-tickle inside her mind’s-eye returned. It’s you, Shadow? Yes! Lia’s panted breath slowed, her heart steadied. She embraced the sudden calm determination, and focused on her purpose.
They’d get through this. That message came through loud and clear. Though hurt and exhausted, too weak to attack Derek or even defend himself if attacked, Shadow’s intent shone clear. Trust the dog.
Encouraged, she turned and straightened, her back to the kennel hiding the stoic shepherd and Karma. Derek’s gun leveled at her. She licked her lips when her mouth turned to dust. “What do you want, Derek?”
“Don’t play dumb, Lia.” He raised his voice to be heard over Dolly’s railing. “Coop got me into the gambling. I needed one big score to get free and clear. This dog deal should have squared everything, but the storm screwed everything up. The fight got cancelled, but not before the police heard about it. They’ve already picked up some of the players, including Coop. So now I got to get rid of the evidence, in case Coop blabs and sends the cops sniffing after me, too.” He pointed the gun again at Dolly. She redoubled her screams, and her puppies wailed. He swung the gun back at Lia. “And the witness.”
Her heart stuttered. She stared at the gun, surprised her whispered plea remained steady. “Derek, you can’t mean that. Our families have known each other forever.”
“That’s right. I grew up with your mother.” His pinched lips told her she’d said the wrong thing, but she didn’t know why.
Dolly raged on, and he banged his fist on the metal door. “Shut up!” He turned back to Lia. “Rather not shoot her, but I will.” He cocked his head. “Yeah, I could make that work. Unless you get her under control for me.”
“Sure, I can do that. Just don’t shoot her.” Lia’s throat tightened. “I’ll do whatever you say.” She took a half step across the aisle toward Dolly’s run, but stopped short when Derek pulled out the shock collar from his jacket pocket. He thrust it toward her.
“Damn dog never obeys unless I crank up the juice.” At her expression, he shrugged. “It’s a tool, Lia. It’s better than getting shot, don’t you think?” Derek tossed it to her.
She caught the leather strap, wrinkling her nose when the twin metal prongs protruding from the attached remote E-stim box brushed her skin. Lia pushed past him, waited until Derek backed away, and then cracked open Dolly’s kennel door and slipped inside.
Dolly’s focus never wavered from Derek, even though her foam-stained jowls trembled, and she’d lost her voice. “Shush, big dog, you’re okay, Dolly.” Lia held the collar behind her back, not wanting the dog to see and recognize the thing. After the weeks she’d spent winning Dolly’s trust it hurt to betray the dog and confirm Dolly’s suspicion about humans. But the collar would save Dolly’s life, and give Lia time to figure a way out of this mess. She stroked the short black fur of Dolly’s arched neck. The dog’s tension thrummed like a hummingbird’s wings.
Derek muttered to himself. “You had to buy this old dump. Why’d you have to do that, Lia? Now you’re the only witness. Otherwise, it’s just Coop’s word against mine.” His voice rose. “Just like your mother. Sleep with dogs, you’re liable to get fleas.” He wagged the gun at her.
Poised to fix the repugnant collar about the Rottweiler’s neck, she froze. Her shoulders hunched, she held her breath, waiting for the shot.
He laughed at her expression. “Oh, I won’t shoot you, Lia. That would just confirm Coop’s story about my involvement. I’ve got something else in mind.”
Lia breathed again. “Derek, I see it was all Coop, like you said. Gambling can sneak up on you. It’s not your fault.” She prayed he’d believe the lie. She knew dogfights attracted big money gambling, illegal guns and drugs. She nodded at the camera he still held. “The camera can be erased. Or just dump it somewhere. Without the recording, there’s nothing for the police. It’s just Coop’s word against yours, like you said. I can back you up.” She stared at him, willing Derek to believe, but she sucked at lying. “Let me help you.” She nodded at Dolly, who had stopped snarling and now nosed her puppies. “See, she’s fine. I didn’t even need the collar.” Lia hated the pleading tone but couldn’t help herself.
He tipped his head to the side. “How about that? You have the makings of a good trainer, Lia. Too bad it’s wasted.” He glanced toward the end of the kennel where the bois d’arc tree punched through the roof and wall. “So sad. Business blown to hell and gone before it got started. Sort of like my plans.” He rubbed his eyes. “Dog fighting is a felony. I can’t be tied to that.”
“Should have thought of that before you got involved.” As soon as she spoke, she wanted to take back the words.
He threw the camera as hard as he could against the cement floor, and took a half step toward her, fist clenching and unclenching.
She stiffened her jaw and stared him down. Bullies picked on the weak; the strong collected bruises but survived. His hands were tied if he wanted her death to look like an accident. She had to use that, to survive.
With a visible effort, Derek unclenched his fists and smiled, more of a grimace than anything else. “Have it your way, Lia. I have a better idea about the training collar. Use this tie-down and get Dolly secured.” He unhooked the braided leather lariat and snaked it through the metal grillwork, keeping the door between him and Dolly closed. “Do it now.” His lowered brows warned her not to argue.
Lia nodded and looped one end through the chain link at the other end of the kennel run, then slipped the lasso around Dolly’s neck. She stood back, wanting to scoop up one of Dolly’s wriggling offspring and lose herself in the scent of puppy breath. No, not just any puppy. She wanted Karma.
She peered past Derek across the cement aisle to the opposite kennel. The black shepherd watched, posed in stiff legged defense. She could still feel the confident calm, a “no-fear” promise from Shadow, an all-enveloping certainty she had no wish to explain. Lia embraced the concept and trusted that somehow this secret communication would save them all. Lia wished with all her being that the tie-down failed. She pictured bright dog-teeth chewing and gnawing through the leather. But wishes weren’t enough.
“I won’t say anything, Derek. You’re angry and upset but you haven’t done anything that can’t be explained away.” She took a step closer, threading fingers through the wire grating. “If Coop’s talking to the police, they’ll be here soon. You should leave.”
“Put on the collar, Lia.”
“What?” She dropped it, and the collar slapped the cement floor like a reproach. Dolly growled at the sound, recognized the collar, and lunged, but the tether kept her at bay.
Derek smiled. “The tie-down controls Dolly just fine. But I know you, Lia, I’ve watched you for years. I suspect it’ll take cranking up the juice, or the threat anyway, for you to do as you’re told. So put it on, or I’ll shoot the bitch.”
With shaking hands, Lia fastened the collar around her slim neck, tightening it to a snug fit when Derek urged her with the gun. The metal conductor tips pressed against her skin, cold as snake’s teeth and chilling her soul.
“Good girl. Just so we’re on the same page, here’s a little taste.” He thumbed the hand held remote.
A buzzing itchy sensation at the twin contacts grew to a painful level. Derek watched her while dialing up the stim-level.
She did her best to remain stoic, not wanting to give him the satisfaction, but soon gasped and clutched at the collar to pull it away from her skin. “Bastard!”
“Yes, you are.” He laughed. “Time’s a-wasting. Like you said, the police will soon be here. And when they arrive, all they’ll find are victims of the storm.” He pressed the remote again, dialing it even higher.
She screamed, clawed her neck, and fell writhing onto the cold cement.
