Payback (The Canine Handler Book 1)

by Hillegas, Maria

“Not sure I want to be seen with the dog team,” Dave retorted.

  “It’ll be your loss!” Sarah spat back, pointing at him with one hand and the other on her hip. She broke into a teasing smile and turned her focus on her two boys.

  Dave stood back as Sarah took care of the dogs. She needed a few moments to check Gunner and take a quick peek at Sam. She made sure they both had fresh water and were secure in their crates. She put the tail gate up but left the cap door open for air flow. The dogs curled up in their crates. They were content from their day of work. It satisfied them physically and mentally. So lucky, she thought, smiling and taking one last glance at the dogs.

  She turned to Dave and said, “Ready?” He nodded his head and they started to make their way to the command unit.

  “I wonder how this will affect future dive team searches in this lake,” Dave made a blank statement, “since the body was caught in the vegetation and never made it to the bottom. Will it make them re-think the use of side scan sonar with its limitations.”

  “Coming from another resource’s point of view, I’m hoping it opens the dive team commander’s eyes a little. The canine team is only here to work with them, not compete. Our team is happy that it was a successful recovery and we were able to be utilized. It will help to bring closure to the family. That’s what we train for.”

  “I’m a believer. You’re really good with your dogs, Sarah. It was remarkable watching you guys work together.”

  Sarah could see he was sincere. She was flattered, but didn’t want to be emotional. She didn’t want to appear weak. She needed to stay strong and professional on the outside. “Thanks. But it’s all the dogs. It’s because of them. They’re the ones who get the job done.”

  “They wouldn’t be here without you bringing them and leading the way.”

  “They would drive themselves if they could!” Sarah retorted with a chuckle. She kept trying to steer the conversation back to the lighter side. She was fearful of being too serious emotionally or letting the conversation take a deeper tone.

  Dave followed as Sarah led the way. She had taken the bandana off her head and used it to tie her wavy, copper shoulder-length hair in a ponytail.

  “Nice tatts,” Dave complimented.

  Sarah touched the back of her neck subconsciously. “Thanks,” she sputtered, not knowing if he was sincere or judging her.

  “Never seen paw print tattoos before. Is that Sam and Gunner’s names inside them?”

  “Hunh?” Sarah was caught off guard. She wasn’t quite sure of his tone.

  “Just saying there’s no doubt what’s most important in your life.”

  Sarah appreciated that Dave could understand how her world revolved around her dogs. They were the most important things in her life.

  Clambering up the steps into the command unit, it was standing room only. There were five members of the dive team including their commander, the lieutenant, Kellee, Joe, Garrett, a few leaders from the ground-pound teams plus the rest of the communication and search management team. Sarah instantly felt like she would suffocate.

  “Well, there’s our little star of the search. Glad you could make it,” the dive commander stated in a condescending tone as Sarah entered. She and Dave had been the last ones to make it to the de-briefing.

  “That will do,” the lieutenant blasted back, her face sharp and pinched with infuriation. It didn’t go unnoticed that she had grown tired of the man’s immature antics.

  Sarah shot the dive team commander a hardened look. Enough already! He’s nothing but a bully! He must feel threatened. I think we proved ourselves today. I shouldn’t have to put up with his constant grind.

  “Okay, now that we’re all here, let’s quickly go over today’s search event. I know everyone is tired and hungry and wants to get out of here,” she began. “I want to thank all of the resources and volunteers for their hard work and time. We couldn’t have done this without any of your teams,” she said as she looked around the crowded unit.

  Sarah’s mind started to wander as the lieutenant droned on about the search assignments, the areas covered and outcome. She looked over to where Kellee stood with the rest of their team. She was proud to be a part of an organization that was both professional and good at their jobs. It had given her the confidence she needed to get through today’s search tasks.

  Having Dave as an alliance and support was an added bonus.

  She was still lost in thought, only half listening to the lieutenant when she heard the recovered subject’s name. It was familiar. It was a name from her not so distant past.

  “The drowned subject has been identified as 65-year-old Thomas Brickner from the Penn Township area. We pulled ID from the deceased that matches the truck’s registration.”

  Sarah’s jaw dropped at the sound of the victim’s name. Her breath became shallow.

  The lieutenant continued, “The boat registration did not match up to the boat that was found which made it difficult to identify the owner and occupant.” The lieutenant paused for a moment to look through her notes before she continued.

  “We’re at a complete loss as to why there was a dismembered male body part located in what appeared to be Brickner’s boat. Brickner’s body was complete—intact—as far as we could see. Though, he does appear to have received some sort of trauma to the head and upper torso. Trauma that could’ve happened from a fall of his own accord, or perhaps received from another human. We won’t know cause of trauma until a full autopsy has been performed.”

  Sarah’s muscles tensed and she felt her body go rigid. Breathe, she told herself.

  Dave looked at her. He watched her clench her jaw for the third time today. “You okay?” he whispered.

  The lieutenant flashed a look at Dave and continued. “We are handling both the drowning and the evidence found on the boat as suspicious and crime scenes. Since this will be an on-going investigation, we would appreciate everyone keeping this information quiet.”

  At first, Sarah didn’t respond to Dave. She just concentrated straight ahead at the lieutenant. Really? I went through all of this trouble today for him? How ironic is that? Hateful thoughts crossed her mind when she realized it was her state-appointed foster father. Her abusive and degrading foster father. Her piece of shit foster father. It made her breath catch in her throat.

  With a concerned look, Dave asked her once again if she was okay. Swallowing hard, she waved a hand at him and said she was fine. She crossed her arms and re-focused on what the lieutenant had to say.

  She steadied her breathing. Sarah had become a pro at learning to conceal her emotions.

  “Thanks again to all the first responder volunteer teams who gave their time to help with the search today. This agency as well as the county appreciates your services and dedication. If anyone has anything to add to today’s search notes, please stay behind after debriefing. Other than that, you’re all free to go. Make sure you sign out.”

  Since Dave and Sarah had been the last ones in the unit, and closest to the door, they were the first ones to exit. Sarah jumped down the last few steps and stormed away toward her vehicle. She could hear Dave follow in pursuit. She knew he would want an explanation. Heavy footfalls, he jogged to catch up with her.

  “Sarah.”

  She didn’t turn around.

  “Sarah,” called Dave more firmly.

  She felt his hand on her shoulder as they neared the back of her truck. Sarah spun around on her heel. The look on her face stopped Dave in his tracks. She had a hardened expression she’d never shown him before.

  “Sorry,” he spat out. “What’s going on?”

  Sarah stood there for a moment. Blood pounded in her temples. Calm down! He’s dead! Why am I letting him have this effect on me now? She closed her eyes and drew in a few deep breaths. Dave stood facing her, waiting and patient. “I’m tired, I’m hungry. That’s all. It’s been a long day. I guess I overacted to being stuffed into the command center.”

  Dave loo
ked at Sarah. From the appearance of concern on his face, the sincere tone of his voice, she could tell that he was honestly worried about her. She didn’t like keeping the truth from him.

  “Are you sure? You just seemed to react when the lieutenant said the subject’s name.”

  She studied Dave’s face for a minute. Should I tell him? Did she want to risk the chance of being judged by him so soon? Lose the chance of him getting to know who she really is, not who she was due to the way she was raised. She didn’t want to chance seeing the judgment reflect in his face like she’d seen so many times in the past. No, she couldn’t bear that right now. Too much explaining.

  “Yes, I’m sure.”

  “Okay, no problem. I just wanted to make sure you’re going to be all right. Do you still want to grab some dinner?”

  “I’ll be fine. Let me check with Kellee and the rest of the team. I’m sure they’re famished as well and ready to head out.” Sarah looked around but didn’t see Kellee by her van. She pulled out her phone and sent a text to Kellee, Joe and Garrett asking if they were ready to go. Kellee quickly replied with a message that they were almost finished in the command unit and would be ready to head out to eat shortly.

  “Looks like they’ll be ready to go soon. There’s a great burger place just a few miles from here. We can meet them over there.” Sarah sent a text to Kellee with the info on the diner so she and Dave could head out.

  “Perfect, I’ll follow you over.” Dave headed to his police-issued SUV.

  Sarah walked around to the back of her truck. Gunner and Sam looked up from where they were sleeping in their crates. “Hey guys, you were amazing today. I’m so proud of both of you. Good job!” The dogs’ tails wagged lightly in gratitude as she spoke to them. She shut the cap of her truck and locked it. Once in her truck, she put it in gear and looked around for Dave. She saw a state police vehicle waiting at the entrance to the parking lot.

  She headed out of the park with Dave following close behind. She was beyond tired. This has been an interesting day. A fucking emotional rollercoaster. Her thoughts were scattered as she headed to the diner. What am I getting myself into? I need to tread lightly here. Not sure I’m ready for this. Just keep it simple, she told herself. At least I can sleep in tomorrow and maybe sort all of this chaos out over the next few days, she thought as she looked forward to the rest of her four-day weekend.

  Chapter 13

  Sarah

  Sarah headed home after dinner with Dave and her teammates. She had struggled to stay awake and coherent through discussions rehashing the search. Polite, but aloof, she remained quiet as she listened to her teammates’ conversations. She paid attention when Dave added his thoughts to the day’s events. She could tell he had respect for her team and regarded them as peers when it came to teamwork, canines and search strategy.

  So tired! She had been awake for over 24 hours. The stressful day was finally coming to a close. The group finally parted, everyone headed in their own direction.

  Arriving home, she let the dogs out in the yard to stretch and take care of business. She turned on the spotlight above the deck in the backyard. Looking out the kitchen window she could keep an eye on them as she prepared their evening meal. She watched them follow invisible tracks around the yard to the back gate where a path dropped into the woods. They never stop. Their sniffer is always turned on, she laughed to herself. I wonder what type of animal they’re tracking now.

  She called the dogs back in the house and locked them in their crates with their dinner. Heading down the hallway from the dining area to the bathroom, she grabbed a towel from the linen closet. Sarah could feel the dogs’ eyes follow her. “You’re not missing a thing, guys.”

  Once in the bathroom, she pulled off her team-issued ball cap and slipped off the red bandana that helped keep her hair in place. She carefully pulled up and removed a thick hairpiece and sat it on a pedestal on the counter. She pulled the strips of tape that held the piece in place, from her scalp.

  Looking at herself in the mirror she realized it wasn’t her past that kept her from getting close to men, but the conditions from her past that she still dealt with. What would he think? What would anybody think? Damaged goods, no doubt. What would Dave think if he ever were to find out she had alopecia areata universalis? She studied the small scars that wound their way along her upper arms and torso. Damaged goods. That’s what she was and always would be.

  Turning on the hot water, she let the shower run for a few minutes before stepping in. Steam filled the little bathroom. Once under the faucet, she leaned against the tiled wall, closed her eyes and drifted. She let the grime and stress of the day wash way, allowing herself to drift off and relax.

  Feeling somewhat renewed, she dried off and pulled on an old, worn t-shirt. For a moment, she felt whole again. In the privacy and confines of her home, with her two dogs. She felt in control, comfortable. By herself, in her own space, where she would never be judged by anyone, especially her dogs, she felt the most at peace.

  Letting Gunner and Sam out of their crates, they competed with each other to see who could get Sarah’s attentions. “Settle down, guys,” she chided. After checking locks on the door and switching on a nightlight in the bathroom, Sarah finally headed to bed with two dogs in tow. She fell asleep as soon as her body hit the bed. The dogs curled up on the hardwood floor close to their owner.

  * * *

  The early morning sun streamed in through the bedroom windows. Sarah pulled a pillow over her head to block the disruptive light from interrupting her sleep. The dogs heard her stir and were up circling, stretching and whining immediately. “Go lay down!” she mumbled with some exaggerated distinction. She tried to sound firm, even mean, but they knew better. Gunner and Sam just looked at her, tails going non-stop, prodding her to wake up with their pitiful whines and willful stares.

  “Okay, okay!” She gave into the dogs’ demands and pried herself from her snug bed. She followed Sam and Gunner as they raced each other down the hall. They slid into the wall as they turned the corner on the hardwood floors, stopping at the back door. Sarah let them out, yelling, “Take it easy, guys,” as they bounced down the brick steps. They are so numb sometimes! She watched as they playfully bit and bowed at each other, running across the deck and out into the yard. “Chaos as usual!” she laughed shaking her head.

  Picking up the dog bowls from inside their wire crates, she could hear her phone buzzing. She’d been so tired last night she’d left it in her BDU pants pocket, dropped unceremoniously on the hardwood floor outside the bathroom.

  Most of the time, Sarah kept the phone beside her wherever she went. Setting the bowls down on the counter, she found her BDUs and fished the phone out. She had missed that call plus a few more. Dave had called twice already, both recently. Kellee had called last night.

  I wonder why he’s calling? We just saw each other. Sliding the bar to unlock her phone, Sarah tapped on Dave’s number. He answered the phone within a few rings. Sarah could tell he was on his Bluetooth, in his squad car, she assumed.

  “Hey there, Sarah,” echoed in her ear. “Hate to bother you so early on your day off.”

  “Oh, hey Dave. Sorry I missed your call.” She stretched her whole body still trying to wring the sleep from her tired bones.

  “Has anyone called you yet?”

  “Uh, no. I’m just getting up. Called me for what?”

  “Looks like we have another search,” Dave continued, “and you will never guess where it is.”

  Sarah cast a silent smile. She knew Dave was trying to humor her. She was getting the idea that he was also a goofball at heart. She was happy he felt at ease with her enough to kid around. “How many guesses do I get?” she fired back. “The same park, maybe?” She retrieved her notepad from her BDU pants as well as her pen and waited for Dave to respond

  “Well, aren’t you the smart one. Is your team available again? Will they be ready to go out on another search this quick? Can Sam and Gun
ner work again?”

  “Are you kidding? The dogs are always ready to go,” Sarah laughed. “We have several certified members and I’m sure we’ll have a couple dog teams available. You know I’m available and can help. Good thing I’m close to the park. Is this another water search?”

  “Will be an inland search to start out with. Seems we have a despondent person whose vehicle has been left at the park for a few days. Apparently the gentleman has been known to drive to the area and hike so he knows the trails pretty well. Evidently his car has been in the lot since sometime on Tuesday. He hasn’t been seen since.”

  “Okay. Will the state police be running the search again?”

  “Yeah, it’s our jurisdiction and with what was found yesterday, our agency is all over this one. I’ll be there with Bella as well,” he said referring to his new bloodhound. “I’m going to try and see if we can pick up a track from his vehicle. Hopefully Bella can figure out a direction of travel. We’re heading there now.”

  “Okay, that sounds perfect. Would be great if she can pick up a track.” Sarah jotted down a few notes. “Where is base camp set up for this search?”

  “At the horse parking lot area. Do you know where that is?”

  “Yep. Got it. I’ll send out the info to my team and get back to you ASAP, Dave. Thanks for calling us again.” Sarah hung up. She sent Kellee a personal text with all of the information on the search prior to sending out the team-wide text. Sarah wanted to make sure Kellee was up to escorting her and the dogs.

  Wow, another call out right away! Finally fully awake, her adrenaline started to flow. Both dogs were on her heels. They always know when something’s up! “You guys ready to go again?” The dogs responded by running back and forth between the front door and Sarah. Gunner’s body was shaking with excitement. There was nothing in this world these dogs loved to do more than go to work with their handler. They knew the game and that using their nose meant a huge play reward and interaction with Sarah.

  She decided to give each dog a small portion of their morning meal since they would be heading out soon. She didn’t think it would be a good idea to work them on a full stomach. But she also didn’t want them going all day without something in their system. They each licked their bowls clean in a matter of seconds and looked up at Sarah and back to their empty bowls. The dogs had expected a heartier meal. “Sorry guys, I’ll give you extra kibble tonight when we return.”