Page 1 of Guarded By the Hellhound
KATHERINE
The rain is pouring down as I park my car. I grit my teeth when I look outside. It’s a short walk to the door of the main building, but I don’t want to arrive soaked at my appointment. I glance at my watch—shoot, I don’t want to be late either. Just my luck that I forgot my umbrella. Everybody knows it always rains in Lakewood this time of year.
I glance at my bag on the passenger seat and sigh. I guess I just have to suck it up and use my bag to stay somewhat dry. That means I have no free arms and no way to grab my pepper spray in case of emergencies. I take a deep breath to calm my spiking anxiety. Then I take one more before I look around the parking lot. There are only three other cars parked in the lot, and they were already there when I pulled up. I see no other vehicles in sight. I wasn’t followed, and if I was, he did not follow me into the parking lot. If I run, I should reach my destination safely.
I take another big breath before I unlock my car, hoist my bag above my head, and step into the downpour. I fumblewith the lock on my old Volvo, but once I have it locked I sprint towards the main building. The bell chimes as I enter the reception area, followed by the barking of dogs. A lady at the counter, wearing overalls and a sweatshirt, looks up at me and smiles.
“Welcome to the animal shelter! How can I help you?”
I shake out my hands, feeling a bit like a wet dog myself, as I hook my bag over my shoulder. Okay, Kat, big girl panties, I mentally chastise myself before I straighten my shoulders and force myself to look her in the eye.
“Hi, I’m Katherine Thorne. I have an appointment to look at a dog?”
She gives me a beaming smile at those words. “Hi, I’m Lisa! I was expecting you! Glad you could make it in this downpour.” She steps from behind the counter. “Follow me, please! I will show you the dogs we have available first.” She holds out an arm like a ringmaster presenting his stable.
I give her a shy smile, then throw a nervous glance over my shoulder at the door. “Should we leave that unattended? What if someone comes in when we’re out back?” I fidget with the shoulder strap of my bag. What if he was following me after all?
She gives me a curious look, clearly sensing my distress. She then walks back to the desk and picks up a landline. “Bruce, can you come out front and keep watch, please? I am going to take a client to meet the dogs.”
I can’t hear what happens next, but she nods and hums approvingly before she puts down the receiver. She straightens before she looks at me, giving me a reassuring smile.
“My coworker will be here in a second; let’s go; everything will be fine.”
I nod, returning her smile with a tight one of my own.She leads me towards a door on the left, and with one last glance over my shoulder, I follow her.
When we enter the hallway, the barking starts. It is overwhelming. The smell of wet dogs combined with the fluorescent lights shining is almost nerve-shattering, and I feel my breathing quicken.
Lisa looks over her shoulder, shooting me an apologetic smile. “Sorry, this part can be a bit much; they’re all just so happy that we’re here.”
Before I have a chance to respond, the hallway opens up to a big room, lined with cages full of excited dogs. My heart aches at the sight of them. Most are on their hind legs, begging for attention, begging for me to take them home.
Lisa turns towards me, spreading her arms. “Have your pick, Katherine. What are you looking for?”
I bite my bottom lip to stop it from trembling. “I need a guard dog,” I say in a soft voice. Then I straighten my shoulders, widening my stance. “I want a big dog with a kind character, but one that will protect me no matter what.”
She nods, then thinks about it a bit. “Come with me then. The bigger dogs are kept in a separate room.”
We turn a corner, go through another door, and walk into a small room with five cages, three of which are occupied. I am immediately drawn towards them. Strong, big dogs. The first one hobbles towards the cage immediately, but I can see that he is old, and I need a defender. My heart aches at the good boy he is, but I’m afraid I can’t take him with me.
The dog in the middle cage is some kind of fighting dog, snarling at me the moment I get close to the cage.
“Sorry,” Lisa says. “I’m afraid he’s not really a people person.”
“Neither am I, buddy,” I whisper under my breath before moving on to the third cage.
The third cage contains a huge black dog. However, “black” is not a sufficient word to describe his coloring. His fur is the deepest, richest black I have ever seen. His pointy ears stand straight up, and he looks at me with curiosity. He slowly walks towards me and pushes his head towards the cage. I let him sniff my hand.
“What kind of dog is he?” I ask Lisa without turning back.
“We don’t know exactly. He looks like a Dobermann Pinscher, but he’s much larger than they usually get. We think he’s a mixed breed with a lot of Dobermann in him.”
I nod and gently scratch him under his chin, which is risky, I know, but somehow, I know that this animal will not hurt me. “He is such a good boy!” I exclaim. Never stop scratching him.
“Yes, he is.” I hear the smile in Lisa’s voice before I turn around.
“How did he get here?” I ask.
She frowns. “Animal control brought him in, no collar, no chip, nothing.”
