Page 22 of So Savage

She leaped to her feet and grabbed her flashlight.She started running forward, zigzagging to avoid being hit.Another dart whipped by her, missing her shoulder by millimeters.

“Bruce!”she shrieked.“Bruce, talk to me boy!”When Bruce still didn’t make any noise, anger joined her fear.“Whoever you are, you better pray to God that you didn’t hurt my dog!”

She caught movement ahead and lifted the flashlight to see a figure crouching next to Bruce’s still form.The figure was hurriedly loading another dart into a gun that looked like some civilian video gamer’s idea of what a sniper rifle should look like.

The figure lifted the weapon, and Jessica hurled the flashlight at his head.It connected just as he pulled the trigger, making a resounding crack and causing her attacker to jerk.The dart sailed high over Maria’s head.

She dropped to Bruce’s side and felt her dog’s pulse.It was there, but it was slow, and his body was limp.“Bruce!Come on, baby.It’s okay, Mama’s here.”

A groan told her that her attacker wasn’t as unconscious as she hoped he would be.She looked up just in time to see a boot heading for her face.

She threw herself backwards, but not enough to avoid the impact.Sparks flew in front of her eyes, and she stumbled to her feet.The attacker drove his fist toward Jessica’s midsection, but she was able to lift her knee and parry the blow.

She kept her leg in the air and kicked out, catching the attacker in his solar plexus.He grunted, but didn’t go down.Instead, he grabbed her ankle and her toes and twisted.She spun and fell onto her elbows in the snow, one of her legs lifted high.She kicked back desperately, but the attacker grabbed her other leg and held it aloft too.

She kicked and screamed for help, but there was no one nearby.The nearest people were on the other side of the airfield, and they were all asleep in their cozy beds.Maria never anticipated that she would need anything other than Bruce to protect her.

The attacker switched both of her legs to one arm and reached into his pocket.He was reaching for another tranquilizer dart, Maia guessed.

With one arm handling both legs, she was able to tear both of them from his grasp.He cursed and reached for her again, and she drove her foot into his groin.He released a soft cry, and she brought her right knee up and smashed his nose.He stiffened and straightened, and Maria backed away and got to her feet.

“You’d better back the hell off,” Maria warned.“Or I’ll finish what I started.”

The man looked at Maria.He wore a ski mask, so all she could see were his eyes, but that was enough to terrify her.There was nothing in that gaze, no emotion, no sanity.It was like looking into the eyes of a lizard.

“I’m going to finish whatIstarted,” the attacker promised.

He lunged at Maria, and Maria sidestepped and brought her knee into his ribs.He grunted and fell, but the awkwardness of the blow caused Maria to stumble too.She scrambled to her feet, but when she did, she saw a pink puffball bouncing along the snow at her ankle.

The puffball was attached to a dart that was buried in her calf.She looked at her attacker, who got to his feet with a very recognizable emotion now in his eyes.Triumph.

“No,” she whispered.

She tried to run, but her legs gave out.Her head lolled to the side, and she saw Bruce’s chest rise and fall.She opened her mouth to call to him one last time, but she was unconscious before she could know if she succeeded.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

After leaving Eric Davidson, Faith and Marcus stopped for dinner at a burger joint across the street from the VA.While there, they looked up Daniel Ross.

It turned out that Eric was telling the truth.Daniel Ross was once the proprietor of Five Star Obedience School, but the school had been shut down three weeks ago after an investigation determined that Daniel encouraged and participated in abusive practices.The primary witnesses for the complaint were Thomas Reeves and Kevin Walsh.

Incredibly, Ross had found a job training security dogs within days after losing his business.Faith guessed that standards for security dog training were lower than standards for military and law enforcement K9s.

The facility he worked at was closed, but a call to the owner gave them Daniel’s address.They reached the apartment complex fifteen minutes after leaving the burger place.The complex was a typical two-story lot with two buildings facing each other across a central courtyard.The buildings were joined at the rear, giving the lot a U shape.Daniel’s apartment was on the left side on the second floor about halfway from the rear of the complex.

“Think he’ll actually be home?”Marcus asked as they approached his door.

“Well, he was at work earlier today, so he’s probably not dying of cancer,” Faith replied.

“Think he’ll have a—”

Marcus’s question was answered before he finished it when loud barking came from inside the apartment.Turk’s ears immediately flattened, and he bared his teeth and returned his own barking.

Marcus and Faith drew their weapons and shared a grim look with each other.If this ended up in a fight, it would become bloody fast.

“Hey!”a voice called from inside the apartment.“Caesar, calm down.”

Footsteps approached the door.“I know, I know,” the voice said again.“Stay calm.Let’s take a look here.”

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