The Death & Life of an American Dog (Paws & Claws Book 4)

by Ralph Vaughan

  “Push it between the slats.” She looked back to Purdil. “Pick it up and follow me.”

  “Yes, Anila.”

  Yoda pushed the collar halfway out the crate, but held onto it as Purdil tried to pull it out. Surprised at the sudden resistance, the Gull Dong found himself suddenly against the side of the cage, his ear very close to Yoda’s mouth.

  “On your way out, drop my collar among those boxes,” Yoda said in a voice that barely approached a whisper.

  Purdil yanked on the collar, then staggered as it was suddenly released to him.

  Abasi thrust his scarred, ugly face into Purdil’s muzzle. “What did the prisoner say to you?”

  “He…he asked…” Purdil stammered.

  Yoda held his breath.

  “What?” Abasi screamed.

  “He begged for mercy,” Purdil said.

  Yoda breathed.

  “Mercy,” Abasi mocked. “A weakling begging a weakling for mercy. Weakness for weakness.”

  “Come with me, Purdil,” Anila said. “I will tell you where to take that, what to say, and what to do afterwards.”

  “Yes…” As Purdil tried to speak, the collar dropped from his mouth and landed in a rubbish pile. Purdil muttered abject apologies to the pack leader and quickly retrieved it.

  “You now only have me to keep you company,” Abasi growled as the two dogs moved into the darkness.

  “Oh joy,” Yoda muttered.

  “Whether it is a short company or a long company depends all upon your friends,” the Bully Kutta said as he settled down in front of the crate. “Do you want to know a secret, little one?”

  “Sure,” Yoda said. “Dazzle me.”

  “Whether or not your friends trade Iblis, this will end only one way for you,” Abasi replied, as if sharing a confidence with a comrade of many years. “The same way it will end for Iblis.”

  “But Anila said…”

  “It was easier to have your cooperation,” Abasi explained. “But not more enjoyable.”

  “Dogs do not lie,” Yoda said.

  “Infidels are so foolish,” Abasi muttered. “Now, shut up.”

  Yoda retreated to the far end of the crate and lay down, keeping a watch on the treacherous and savage Abasi. There was nothing to do now, he thought, but wait.

  * * *

  Levi recognized the black and white Gull Dong coming slowly down the walkway as Purdil, the dog Anila had attacked and whom Zain had died protecting. Motioning the others to keep back, Levi approached Purdil.

  “Do not come any closer,” Purdil warned.

  Levi stopped over thirty feet away. “Where is Yoda?”

  Purdil placed the collar on the walkway.

  “I bring you proof of life,” Purdil said, remembering to say the exact words given him by Anila. “Your friend is held prisoner by soldiers of the Dog at the Well. He is a hostage. He will be returned to you without harm…” Purdil stumbled a bit over the lie he had to utter, but forced himself to continue. “…without harm when you deliver unto us the dog whom we call Iblis. Failure to comply with our demands will mean the forfeiture of your friend’s life.”

  “We know why your pack…” Levi paused. “We know of the dishonor caused to your alpha dog, and are prepared to…”

  “There will be no negotiations!” Purdil snapped, mouthing the words provided in case the enemy tried to strike some kind of bargain. “Iblis has led many from the one true path, and for that sin there can only be one punishment.”

  “The one…true…path,” Levi mused, pausing to emphasize each word uttered by Purdil.

  The Gull Dong tilted his head in confusion. “Yes.”

  “I was with your friend Zain at the last,” Levi said.

  Purdil remained silent, not trusting his own tongue.

  “He told me what good friends you were, how happy the two of you were before Anila recruited you for her pack,” Levi continued. “I imagine those were great times, running free in the streets of your village, playing in the hills without a care in the world.”

  “We are soldiers of the Dog at the Well,” Purdil said.

  “Maybe you are,” Levi conceded, “but Zain wasn’t when he died. I think he stopped being one when Anila attacked you.”

  “Zain was a faithful follower!”

  “Of the one true path?”

  “Yes.”

  “Until that one true path led to your death,” Levi said. “That he could not permit, and so he abandoned his blind belief in the Dog at the Well, lost his fear of Anila. He did what he did to save you.”

  “He was weak.”

  “He gave his life for you.”

  “He was…”

  “He loved you, Purdil, and that was why he did what he did,” Levi said. “There is no greater love than that of a dog willing to lay down his life for another. Self-sacrifice is not a weakness. It is the moment of a dog’s greatest strength. There is no honor in killing, never has been, but in saving the life of another…that is not just an honor, but an expression of true love.”

  “I cannot hear this!” Purdil wailed. “I don’t want to share in the dishonor that came to Zain! He was weak! I am not weak!”

  “Zain gave his life for you because you were his brother.”

  “I am a good solder!” Zain yelled. “I follow the Dog at the Well! There is no other path!”

  Levi watched Purdil carefully. His eyes were closed, his head lifted, and his words were shouted too loudly against the night. The sentiment, Levi realized, was not intended for him, or even for Purdil himself, but for a hidden watcher. Levi wondered if that hidden dog, either Anila or Abasi, was as unconvinced by Purdil’s assertion as he was.

  “What do we have to do to get Yoda back?” Levi asked.

  “A half-hour before dawn, you must bring Iblis to the place where we fought,” Purdil replied, relieved to be back on the script Anila had recited to him, even though his throat was so constricted with emotion he could barely speak. “Only one dog shall conduct Iblis to the place of exchange, you or another, to ensure he does not seek a coward’s escape. If you do not come alone, or if the police dogs are alerted, there will be no exchange and you shall not see your friend again alive.”

  Purdil turned and started to walk away.

  “Wait,” Levi called. “How do we know we can trust you?”

  “Followers of the Dog at the Well do not lie,” Purdil lied.

  Somewhere in the darkness of night, an Afghan Hound smiled.

  “Tell Anila I’ll be there,” Levi said. “With Baron.”

  Purdil paused at the mention of the name, then started away.

  “Zain died your friend,” Levi said, just loud enough to carry the distance between him and the other dog, “He crossed the Rainbow Bridge in the company of Anubis, and awaits you there.”

  Purdil ran.

  Levi quickly crossed the half-dozen yards that had separated them, watched Purdil vanish into the dark, then picked up Yoda’s collar and returned to the others.

  “We have to follow him,” Sunny insisted.

  “Before he gets away,” Kim added.

  “Not a good idea,” Gibbs said quietly.

  “Gibbs is right,” Levi agreed. “Purdil was not alone. Someone was listening from concealment. That’s why he proclaimed his faith with such zeal. He’s probably going straight to the meeting point. Even if he were returning to where Yoda is held, it would be an indirect route—Yoda would be gone before we got there.”

  “We can’t give Baron to those savages,” Sally said.

  “No, we can’t,” Levi agreed.

  “Is that…” Little Kitty asked, gesturing to the collar.

  “Yes, it’s Yoda’s collar, no doubt about that,” Levi said.

  Little Kitty sighed. “Then we have no choice. I don’t want anything to happen to Baron, but Yoda…well, he’s Yoda.”

  “I hate to agree with Little Kitty,” Kim said, looking around at the other animals, “but we can’t abandon Yoda.”
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br />   Sally looked at Levi and Sunny. She was ready to discount the opinions of the cats, but she saw in the expressions of the dogs their resolve to save their friend, no matter what. She did not agree with them, both on principle and because she was now emotionally connected to the injured Baron, but she could not see a way to save both Yoda and Baron.

  “I guess we’ll have to give them Baron,” Sally said quietly. “I wish we didn’t have to make that choice…”

  “You don’t have to make the choice, Miss Sally,” said a soft voice. The security door opened and Baron stepped onto the porch. “I know what’s going on, heard what everyone said.”

  “Baron, you should be resting,” Sally said sternly.

  “I’ve rested enough,” Baron replied. “Just like I’ve run enough. I am through running. I don’t turn my back on others. It’s not who I am. If the only way to get Yoda back safely is to trade me for him, then that’s what we’ll do”

  “You don’t know what you’re saying, Baron,” Sally asserted. “You’re still suffering from trauma and shock.”

  “You’re probably right about the last part, but I know what I am doing,” Baron replied. “For the first time in a long time, I know what I am doing…just as I now know who, and what, I am.”

  “And what is that, Baron?” Sunny asked softly.

  “I am a soldier,” the German Shepherd said, his tone containing neither boast nor bravado. “I go where others will not go, and do what others will not do. I stand between the innocent and danger. I fight evil where I find it, and do not run away because the task is difficult or painful.” He paused. “I am Baron, United States Army, an American Dog.”

  Sally said: “But, Baron, to sacrifice yourself…”

  “I owe it to Yoda,” Baron interrupted. “He would not be in this danger if not for me. If I die to save Yoda, then I die.” He smiled. “I was like one dead when Yoda found me. He guided me back into the light, a resurrection unto life. I shall do the same for him.”

  “It may be that no one need die, neither you nor Yoda,” Levi said. “We have some time before the exchange. We might be able to rescue Yoda from captivity before then.”

  “I don’t see how,” Sunny sighed. “We have no clue to where he is being held.”

  “We have this,” Levi said, indicating the collar.

  “It’s Yoda’s collar,” Sunny said. “The only reason they gave it to us was proof that they have him.”

  “That may have been their intention, but I think Yoda may have had a different idea,” Levi said with a smile. “Remember, Yoda is not an ordinary Pomeranian. He’s a detective, and a very good one. He knew they were going to give us his collar, that it would be his only chance to communicate with us, so, no matter what, he would find some way to send us a message.”

  “Quick!” Little Kitty yelled. “See if anything’s written inside!”

  The others glared at her.

  “Never mind,” she muttered. “It was just an idea.”

  “Humph,” Kim sniffed.

  “Yoda knew the collar would be given to me,” Levi said. “He would send a message his captors would ignore, but which I might be able to understand.”

  “They are all sight dogs!” Sunny exclaimed.

  “Exactly,” Levi agreed. “Now give me some room to sniff out Yoda’s message, if I can.”

  Levi placed the green collar on the concrete drive, away from any other distracting scents. The strongest scent upon the fabric was that of Yoda himself. At the edges, however, opposite each other, were odors from the pads of his forepaws, probably where he pulled it over his head. That was good, because it meant Yoda would, to a great extent, control what his collar came into contact with.

  Once Levi eliminated all scents stemming from Yoda, as well as any arising from the Gull Dong messenger, he was left with a varied collection of smells, all with stories to tell. The strongest was a dank and moldy smell, calling to mind a place ever away from the sun, a hidden area that never managed to complete dry out, damp and cool even on the hottest days. Earthy odors rose to Levi’s nose, loamy soil mixed with the sharp bitterness of fine-grained sand. In addition, there was the scent of decay, both of a woody pulp and the purification of plant and animal matter. Wafting upward, more subtle than any of the other scents, however, was…

  Surprised, Levi pulled his head back and cleared his nostrils.

  Cautiously, his nose now free of all the many scents previously detected and analyzed, Levi lowered his muzzle to Yoda’s collar, let the molecules drift into his nostrils with their own kinetic energy. He closed his eyes and shut out all distractions from his hearing. At first, when the smell had come to him, it had been so unexpected that he doubted his own senses, but, now, he smelled it again.

  “Pepperoni,” he murmured.

  And cheese and tomato sauce, he thought, as well as faint hints of olives, sausage, bread and mushrooms. He chuckled silently. That Yoda! There was even a trace of pineapple.

  He picked up the collar and returned to the others. “Sunny,” he said, “help me loop Yoda’s collar through my own; make sure the tags are secure and don’t tinkle against each other, and tuck my own tags behind the cloth as well.”

  “Why?” she asked as she helped him. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m taking Yoda’s collar with me,” Levi replied. “He’s going to want it back…you know he feels naked without it.”

  “Then you know where he is?” Little Kitty asked.

  “I believe so,” Levi replied.

  “Where?” the Calico asked.

  “I believe he’s being held in the storm drain that runs under Third Avenue, between Madrona and G Street,” Levi said. “I picked up smells indicating a place that is often flooded with water, which never quite dries out, where the floor is covered with a mixture of mud and damp sand. Add to that the smells of rotting, soggy trash, you know, paper and wood, along with scattered vegetation and the remains of animals unlucky enough to be caught in the floods.”

  “Well, that certainly sounds like the drainage tunnels,” Sunny conceded. “But there are so many of them. It’s a pretty big network, all the way from Eastlake to the bay, with all the smaller connecting tunnels between. How can you be sure it’s that particular stretch?”

  “Pizza,” Levi replied.

  They all tilted their heads in confusion.

  “Clever, clever Yoda!” Levi said. “Somehow he managed to let his collar come into contact with the remains of a pizza, or, more likely, considering the location, boxes that once contained pizza.”

  “How do you know that it wasn’t just…”

  “Something he ate?” Levi finished.

  Sunny nodded. “You know how he is.”

  “Because his collar went into the wash last week,” Levi said.

  “And he hasn’t…”

  “Despite his best efforts, he hasn’t been able to get in the trash, not since the mess he made the last time,” Levi explained. “This has to be recent, which coincides with the strength of the scent.”

  “But I still don’t see how…” Sunny paused as she ran through the geography of the area in her mind. She smiled. “La Bella’s!”

  Levi nodded. “And if the pizza smells alone were not enough, I caught a whiff of pineapple.”

  “Not at all Yoda’s favorite,” Sunny commented. “He wouldn’t eat a pizza with pineapple if his life depended upon it.”

  Gibbs looked from Sunny to Yoda with confusion. “Who or what is La Bella’s?”

  “It’s a pizza parlor on Third Avenue between Madrona Avenue and G Street,” Sunny explained.

  “The important thing is, one of the longest drainage tunnels runs from east to west beside it,” Levi said. “Most of its length is below ground, but from behind the houses on the west side of Second to where it goes under the parking lot behind La Bella’s it’s uncovered and a great target for unwanted trash and debris. It’s the only place that fits the smells, so there Yoda has to be.”

&n
bsp; The drainage tunnel behind La Bella’s

  “We have to rescue Yoda,” Baron said.

  “No, you and Sunny are going to the meeting place,” Levi said.

  “Not me!” Sunny protested. “There’s no way I am going to let Yoda remain a prisoner of those savages.”

  “Yoda’s life is in danger because of me,” Baron said. “I have to do something. I can’t just stand by and do nothing.”

  “Someone will be at the meeting place long before we get there to make sure nothing is amiss,” Levi pointed out. “If you and Sunny are not seen approaching, they will know something is wrong.”

  “But the tunnel is so far…” Sunny started to protest.

  “Yes,” Levi agreed, “but there’s more than enough time for a watcher to run back and intercept whomever is bringing Yoda.”

  “If they plan of taking him there,” Sunny said. “I do not trust those dogs any farther than I can throw them, and maybe not even that. I know we say dogs don’t lie, but those dogs…”

  “They do lie,” Gibbs said.

  “And so was Purdil,” Levi added.

  “We should have grabbed…” Sunny sighed in frustration. “No, I guess not, not with him being watched.” She looked askance at Levi. “How do you know Purdil was lying?”

  “The death of his friend hit him hard, harder than he is ready to admit, even to himself,” Levi explained. “His faith in the beliefs of his pack has been shaken to the core. I think there’s nothing but fear holding him in thrall to Anila. No loyalty, no affection, no respect, just fear. The words we heard him speak were not his own words, but words he was given to speak. His intonation of them was too measured, too precise, and he stumbled over sections he knew to be untrue. I was not sure how he felt until I was able to get him off script, so to speak.” Levi shook his head. “His heart is not in it anymore, if it ever really was.”

  “Do you think we can count on him as an ally?” Sunny asked.

  “Or at least to stand down?” Gibbs added.

  “I’d like to think so after Anila’s betrayal, but we can’t rely on it. We have to figure a showdown with at least Anila and Abasi. At most, Purdil is going to be a wild card that might go either way.”