Chapter Sixteen

JAX LOOKED UP FROM the examination table to make eye contact with Molly, a spitfire of a woman who was the local coffee hostess at the convenience store downtown. Jax was examining her dachshund, Doxy, who was as big around as she was long. “Molly, we’ve got to get some weight off Doxy. She’s limping because of the stress on her joints.”

Molly looked everywhere except at Jax. “I don’t feed her that much dog food, she only gets a cup in the morning and one in the evening.”

“And a hundred treats and bites from your plate.” Jax smiled to lighten the chastising. “Doxy, your momma is going to love you to death.” She scratched the red wiener dog behind her ears. “Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. No more treats except for an occasional apple slice or a carrot. Cut her food in half and add half a cup of cooked green beans in with it. Dogs like the taste of them, and they’re a great filler. Twice a day, you and Doxy, are going on a walk. I want you to go down to the park and make a lap in the morning and one in the evening. Even if you have to stop several times. She needs the walks, every single day.”

“Well,” Molly patted her own belly. “I guess we’re both going on a diet.”

Jax chuckled as she listened to Doxy’s heartbeat. “Just think how much longer you’ll both be around to love each other. Okay, we’ll have you go see Lindsey while l put some medications together for you.”

Molly shook Jax’s hand. “Thanks, Doc. I’ll really try to do better.”

Jax squeezed back. “I have all the faith in the world in you.” She left the room and found Lindsey out front. She handed her the chart.

“Need me to do anything for them? Doxy okay?” Lindsey took the chart and opened up the program that allowed her to ring up Molly’s bill.

“She’s going on a diet, but otherwise, our Doxy’s fine. I’m going to grab the meds Molly needs and be right back out. After that, we’ll go take care of the barn call at Dogwood Flats.”

Lindsey nodded and spoke to Molly as she rang her up. Jax stepped into the medicine dispensary and pulled out a three-month supply of flea, tick, and heartworm medicine before stepping back to the counter.

“See you in a few months for a checkup, Molly. Remember, no extras and a slow walk twice a day.”

Molly gave her a thumbs up. “Thanks, Doc.”

Jax walked back to her office and sent a quick text to Chance telling her where they would be going and making arrangements for a long horseback ride in the evening. They hadn’t had near as much time to ride as Jax wanted. After the vandalism, she knew Chance’s nerves were on edge. A little moonlight ride is exactly what the doctor is ordering.

 

***

 

Jax chuckled to herself. Trying to wrangle a small herd of goats was one of the most challenging jobs of being a farm vet. She’d been to Kidd’n Around Goat Farm a few times. The adorable Nigerian dwarfs were great milk goats, and the couple that owned the farm used the milk to make soaps, lotions, and other beauty products. Andrew and Kitt had moved to the area five years ago and now had almost a dozen goats. Four of which were young kids.

“The good thing is they already have headstands, which will help in the examinations. I want to check the adults’ feet to make sure the Halsteads are taking enough off the hooves when they trim them, so they don’t end up with problems. Sometimes people are timid about how much to take off, and it leads to issues. The four babies are about six weeks old, so we should have fun trying to catch and examine those little buggers.”

“I love baby goats. Megan promised me we can have a few when we build. Dad said he’ll help build their pens to keep the coyotes away, but I’m really going for a Great Pyrenees for the protection factor. With Meg’s frequent night shifts, I’d feel better knowing there was a dog outside keeping the four and two legged predators away.”

“I can’t blame you there. Knowing Zeus can hear things we can’t gives me a sense of security that I miss when Chance is out at night. Maybe I’d sleep better if there were still a dog in the house on those occasions. I don’t know about a Great Pyrenees, though. Maybe something a little smaller than one of our horses.”

“I don’t sleep.”

Jax wasn’t sure she’d heard Lindsey right. “You don’t sleep? Ever?”

Lindsey stared out the window, not turning to Jax. “No, not if Meg’s not home. Not since Leland came back in town. It’s been worse since that day at the office. Most of the time, I go to stay with Mom and Dad.”

Jax’s heart ached. She’d done everything she could to make Lindsey feel safer about being at work. More than once, she’d watched Lindsey reflexively reach for the panic alarm around her neck when she was startled by the office door chime.

“Anything I can do to help?”

“Not unless you can force Leland to leave the state and never come back.”

That would be a relief but was unrealistic. Leland still had close family in the area, according to Chance. “I wish I could. Instead, we’ll keep our security on and rely on the women we love to keep him in line, okay?”

Lindsey nodded.

Kidd’n Around Farm sat on a peak near the county line. A panoramic view of the mountains and valleys jutted up and dropped off into rolling tongues of fire, tipped in scarlet, burnt orange, and umber. The leaves rippled as the wind blew the ocean wave of color. Jax spoke out loud without even realizing. “There’s nothing like autumn in the mountains.”

“I agree.” Lindsey pointed. “There’s Kitt.”

Jax pulled the mobile vet clinic up to the barn and shut off the engine. She marked the mileage down on her log before exiting. Immediately, four dogs surrounded the vehicle, tails wagging. Jax and Lindsey stepped out and joyfully greeted the pack of two Great Pyrenees, one border collie, and one Heinz-57.

“Hey, guys, how are ya?” Jax patted sides and stroked heads as she accepted wet dog kisses to her cheek and neck. “Okay, okay, I’m happy to see you too.”

Kitt came over to the truck and started pulling the dogs off them. “Sorry. You know how much they adore you two.” Kitt clapped her hands together and pointed. “Back to work, you guys.” With the command, all four dogs went back inside the fence, where Andrew directed them into the field with the goats.

“I take it Heidi and Rex are working out well?” Jax stood with her hands on her hips, watching the dogs.

“Better than I could have imagined. We haven’t lost a single kid to the coyotes since we got them. I never thought dogs would be happier being outside at night, but those two”—she pointed to the field—”take their job pretty damn seriously.”

Lindsey raised her hand to shade her eyes. “They were bred as protection dogs to watch the flock and deter predators. So many people see this fluffy, white puppy and have no clue they’ll turn into a hundred-plus-pound dog, whose back might be taller than some people’s hips.”

Jax smiled with pride; Lindsey was going to make a great vet someday. Lindsey had helped Kitt and Andrew find the dogs through a rescue group.

They meandered to the enclosure to watch the hysterical group of little goats running around. The babies were bouncing off the adults and jumping sideways as they played. “The babies look good. Anyone showing any issues?” Jax leaned against the fence and eyed each of the little ones, looking for anything that seemed amiss.

Andrew put his arm around his wife. “Nope, everyone looks healthy and seems fine. We’ve got the head harness set up at the milking stand.”

Jax stepped back. “All right, let me get my bag and we’ll get this show on the road.” Once at her truck, she donned her coveralls and Lindsey did the same. Jax pulled her long hair into a high ponytail and tucked it into the back of her coverall. She slipped on her boots and put a set of disposable covers over the top. Jax made it a priority to take every precaution against bringing some parasite or disease to the goats that she might have picked up from another farm.

“Ready, Jax?” Lindsey met her at the front with a bag full of equipment to trim the goats’ hooves.

“Let’s do it.”

 

***

 

An hour and a half later, they were on their way back to the clinic on a backroad. They’d decided to take in some scenery to soak in a few more minutes of fall’s beauty. It was after four, and the temperatures in mid-October dropped off quickly.

Jax rested her arm on the edge of the driver-side window. “Did you text Meg that we are on our way back to the office?”

Lindsey nodded. “She’s going to pick up dinner and meet me at home. She had court today and is off for the next two days, before she moves to day shift for a week.”

“I’ll bet you’re looking forward to that. You have less than a month until your wedding.” Jax caught a quick glance in Lindsey’s direction and saw the smile.

“I know. I can’t wait. We’ve been dating since high school. Meg wouldn’t even consider us getting married until she was a trooper.” She waved a hand around. “She said something about being old-fashioned and wanting to be able to take care of me. I never needed her to do more than to love me. Meg wanted my dad to know she could support me. Pissed me off for a long time, but that’s just Meg.”

“It’s in their DNA to protect, and that means in all ways. You can’t change them.” The sky grew darker, and Jax could hear the faint whine of an off-road vehicle or maybe a dirt bike. She glanced in the rearview mirror and saw headlights approaching quickly. The sight wasn’t unusual in a rural county. Much of the population enjoyed off-road activities and frequently used ATVs for farm chores. What worried Jax was the speed with which these vehicles were traveling. The narrow, blacktop road wasn’t very forgiving, and one side dropped off sharply, with guardrail only in the most dangerous spots.

Lindsey agreed. “No, you can’t. I don’t think we’d want to. Admit it…it’s kinda hot.”

Their laughter filled the truck. “Oh, yeah, in an annoying kind of way. It’s nice being able to talk with someone who understands.” Jax heard the rider getting closer, and it was obvious there was more than one.

Lindsey pushed her hair behind her ear and looked at the side mirror. “Do you hear that?”

“Yeah, it’s been coming up on us for a bit. I’ve seen lights but not the bikes.”

Jax concentrated on her driving. They still had a few miles to go on the narrow, winding road, before reaching the main route. She caught glimpses of Lindsey fidgeting and watching the side mirror. Relax, dirt bikes out here are normal. She needed to calm Lindsey’s apprehension. “So, how are the wedding plans coming? Did you settle on the reception meal?”

“We’re bringing in Hog Wild to do a pig roast and Karmen’s catering the rest of the meal.”

Jax nodded. “We’re having Karmen do our catering as well. She’s so good. I don’t think I’ve ever had anything from her I didn’t like.”

The bikes were close enough that Jax could finally see them clearly. Both riders were in all black.

“Lindsey, see if you have cell service. Send Chance a text with our location, please.”

Lindsey picked up her phone and started tapping the screen with her thumbs. “Anything else you want me to tell her?”

“Yes, tell her to come and find us. When you’re done, I want you to tighten your seatbelt.”

Lindsey whipped her head at Jax, her face full of alarm. “What’s going on, Jax?”

“I’m not sure, Lindsey. Whoever these individuals are on the bikes, they don’t seem to be trying to get past me, even though I’m giving them plenty of room to do so. I might be wrong, but I think the one on your side has a hay hook in his left hand.”

“Isn’t that what you said someone used to flatten Chance’s truck tires the other night?”

“And that’s why I need you to make sure you’re fastened in good and tight.” Jax saw Lindsey’s phone light up. “I’m assuming you don’t have enough service to make a call, if my dash display is any indication. If that’s Chance, give her a description of the bikes and landmarks where we are.”

Lindsey tapped quickly on the screen as the bike pulled up alongside. They heard a screech of metal. Jax looked in the mirror to see the rider dragging the hay hook along the side of the truck as it went past. Jax’s blood ran cold. The back of the sweatshirt was imprinted with the same skeletal hand with the middle finger extended. An incoming call rang over the integrated system, and Jax hoped there was enough service to complete the call.

“Chance, we’ve got trouble. Same sweatshirt from the vandalism the other night, and they’ve got a hay hook. Two riders.”

Jax strained to make out anything Chance said, but she was dropping in and out of service. All she could make out was “coming.” The call disconnected. “Siri, call 9-1-1.” Jax hoped that at least in attempting the call, the communication center could pinpoint their location if anything happened. She could hear the ring, but the call dropped off again before she could make voice contact. “Lindsey, keep trying 9-1-1.”

Jax moved more to the center of the roadway that had widened out to nearly a lane and a half. They were approaching a blind spot, and she prayed no vehicle was coming in the other direction. When she rounded the curve, she jerked the wheel in reaction to the bike driving straight at her. The rear wheels broke loose in the gravel and her attempts to correct the slide were ineffective. The edge of the roadway came closer with shocking speed, and Jax could do nothing more than yell to Lindsey to brace herself.

“Hold on!”

The vehicle tilted sharply to the right as the tires dropped off the edge, sending them into a roll over the embankment. Darkness claimed the last of the light from the sky. The truck’s headlights illuminated the trees, as they rolled in a dizzying kaleidoscope. Side airbags deployed. The inertia of the truck continued to roll them, metal screeching then yielding to the solid objects around them. Finally, they stopped. Jax was disoriented and tried to clear her head as small glass pebbles from the busted rear window plinked off the vehicle’s interior and showered them both. Pain seared Jax’s body. She dangled upside down against the seatbelt.

“Lindsey? Lindsey, can you hear me?” Jax felt around the darkened cab, trying to check on Lindsey. Her hand found the warm flesh of a dangling arm, and she followed it down until she had the wrist. A strong pulse bounded under her fingers, though Lindsey still hadn’t answered.

I’ve got to get out of this seatbelt. Jax stopped moving and took several deep breaths, trying to clear the disorientation from her head as blood rushed into it from the inversion. Solve one problem at a time, Jax. She tried to release the buckle on her seatbelt, but the weight of her body seemed to bind the clip. Where’s your knife? Cargo pocket on your right leg. That would require her to pull up with her core muscles to get to the knife. Thank God for all these years holding myself up in the saddle. Using her abdominal muscles, she used her left hand to push against the roof while she located the Gerber tool and pulled out the blade.

Jax realized the only way to control her fall was to try and brace herself with her left hand on the truck’s roof. It wasn’t going to help much, but she hoped it would keep her from causing Lindsey more injury. The second the blade sliced through the webbing, Jax dropped from the seat into an incredibly awkward position that bent her neck painfully. It wasn’t until she went to push with her legs that she realized something was wrong. Apparently, the adrenaline running through her veins had masked the pain. Her left leg, below the knee, screamed in protest as she tried to push off with it. The pain was so excruciating, her mouth felt like it was filling with hot water, alerting her that she was about to throw up. Jax forced it back down, when she heard Lindsey moan. She focused all her attention on checking on Lindsey.

Think Jax, you need to see what’s going on. “Flashlight, find the flashlight.” Jax felt around for the edge of the bucket seat, knowing she had a Maglite jammed in between. Gratitude flooded over her when she felt the cool cylinder and found the button. A bright beam illuminated the cab, and she got her first look at the trouble they were in. The roof was bent into the cab, and part of Lindsey’s door protruded in and against Lindsey’s body. She moved the beam around to be able to see her assistant’s face. Her eyes were closed, her face partially covered in blood. Her arms were stretched above her head and lay on the roof.

“Lindsey! Lindsey, talk to me. Wake up, Lindsey! Come on, wake up, honey.” Jax tried several times to get a response from Lindsey. She watched her chest press tight against the seatbelt, relieved to see she was still breathing. “Lindsey, wake up.”

Jax was trying to maneuver closer to Lindsey when she heard a siren off in the distance. Unsure as to whether emergency services would be able to tell where they went over the embankment, she did the only thing she could do to get their attention. She blew the horn.