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Karma cocked her head, mystified, when Combs put Lia’s gloves on his own hands and slowly shoved a box under the crawl space. “I know you don’t understand. But we need you to find Lia and Tee. So let me guard your babies, while you such—go find. Deal?”
Her ears pricked again. She loved to search for the scent, track down the missing. She’d done that before, towing Lia behind with the long-lead. She trusted Tee to track, too. They both liked this man and trusted him. Could Karma trust him, too?
She watched his gloved hands reach to grasp the lamb-toy and put it in the box. Then he picked up one of her babies, and a low growl bubbled deep in her chest. He paused, letting her sniff his hand—Lia-smell—and then place the squealing puppy next to the lamb.
“Everybody, stand clear!” He called to the people in uniform watching from some distance away.
Karma whined. Maybe he would help Karma take her babies home? She couldn’t carry them all at once. Too far to travel on four paws. She watched as he placed each baby in turn inside the box, heard him gasp when he moved the kitten. When Combs crawled out dragging the container with him, she hurried after him, sticking her head inside and sniffing to be sure no damage had been done. He once again held out his Lia-scented gloved hand, and she inhaled deeply, pressing her face into it with a sigh.
He stood, cradling the box with mewling puppies and kitten against his chest. Karma jumped up, trying to see inside, but his next words stopped her cold. “Combs guard. You know what that means, good-girl? Guard.” He gestured with the box, and she cocked her head.
“Karma, such! Good-dog Karma, find Lia!” He offered his scented glove once again.
Training clicked. Karma lowered her head, and began to track, hearing Combs follow close in her wake with her family. She padded up the wooden steps, scent-trail bright as blood, huffing and hurrying. Her babies would be returned once Karma found her girls—Lia and Tee—and they’d all go home together. Karma couldn’t wait! Wouldn’t that be fine?
The clear trail couldn’t fool her nose. Karma followed the overlapping scent of both her girls, fear-stink bright, until it came to the end. She lay down to announce her find, looked up at Combs, and woofed. He placed the box next to her, dropped Lia’s gloves inside, and yelled for help.
Someone had smashed the hidden wheels on one side of the unit. Three men in uniform added their muscles to help Combs roll the floor-to-ceiling storage shelf aside, revealing the hidden door. When it opened, Karma flinched at the icy breath of cold air, and heard a weak cry.
Lia! Puppies were safe and warm but her girls—Inside, there! In the cold box!
Dodging past the uniform legs, Karma beat the police to reach her girls.
“Baby-dog, oh Karma.”
She bathed Lia’s icy face with her tongue. “Combs, thank God you found us. Help her, help my sister, she’s in bad shape.”
Karma turned to her other girl, and little whines of concern whiffled out. She licked Tee’s face, her hands, nudged her hard. But Tee didn’t respond. She mewed and cried, blind and deaf to this world. Like her puppies. Karma knew Tee needed her help more than ever.
