Andy’s progress out of the park was slow both because he was careful to avoid the numerous DEP work crews now taking over the area and because the one-eared dog fought against him the entire way. No amount of cajoling or begging moved her faster. Every time she pulled against her leash to go back—whether to the Lake or the cavern, he couldn’t say—Andy’s heart broke a little bit more. The old man’s words didn’t help his state of mind either.
Andy’s sense of despair increased with every step and, because it was so familiar, it threatened to suck him back into the river of his past. If he gave in to that history, he knew he would never get the dog out of the park alive. The fight required all his concentration and it was exhausting.
His phone rang and he jumped at the noise before he answered it.
“You got her?” Luke asked.
“Yeah. Where should I meet you?”
“Well, we’ve got a little problem over at the shelter. Our truck is stuck here. The shelter is being watched.”
“Watched how?”
“Like ‘waiting for the invasion’ kind of watched. It appears they actually found a rabid dog in the park.”
“I haven’t seen anything like that, and I’ve covered a lot of ground.”
“True or not, that seems to be the justification they’re using. They know we brought your dogs in from the park.”
“But how?”
“Long story. But now they want those dogs for testing and they want all the other dogs in the shelter as well because of the risk of contagion.”
“So Greg was right. I did bring this all down on us.”
“Don’t give up yet. Nobody’s going to do anything right now. We’re trying to reach Sam.”
“She didn’t come back yet?”
“No.”
Andy felt his heart begin to race. “What should I do? I’m trapped.” He thought of the image of the fox in the claw trap gnawing off its own foot and shuddered.
“If you can get her out of the park, take her to your place or mine. We can reconnect after. But listen—all the park entrances are blocked off now. You’ll need to take her over the wall.”
“Isn’t the Guard patrolling all the walls?”
“I seriously doubt it. Remember, the Guard is looking for strays, not Stalag 17 escapes.”
“What?”
“Never mind. You’re too young. Can you lift her?”
“Yeah, but which direction?”
“I’d try north first. You get her over the wall there and you’ll be above the perimeter. The dark will help cover you. Stay off the paths and keep moving.”
Andy hung up, swallowed his panic, and started north.