K-9 Blues (Paws & Claws Book 3)

by Ralph Vaughan

  The Master attempted to evade Levi’s lunge. He might have been partially successful had not his evasive action opened him for an attack by Antony. The Master howled in agony as Levi chomped on the side of his head and Antony gashed his belly.

  A savage whip of the head dislodged Levi. Antony’s breath was knocked from him when the Master slammed him with his heavily muscled shoulder. Levi stood and started forward, limping; Antony fought the darkness in his eyes, and tried to suck air into his tortured lungs.

  They had fought the Master to the edge of the dock, but he was already starting back toward them, rearing back so he could finish off these interlopers as he had always solved his problems – by the power of tooth and claw.

  A pale object shot through the night air, straight as a missile, and struck the Master. Boris clamped down on the sensitive and vulnerable flesh of the throat. The Master reeled. Levi and Antony, ignoring their own injuries, slammed into the Master, each seeking to push him back.

  For an instant, the Master teetered at the edge of the dock, with three smaller dogs clinging to him. He tried to retain his balance, tried to stay on the dock, but in the end he succumbed to the force of gravity and the indomitable wills of three dogs who had resolved that after this night the Master would be no more.

  As soon as they struck the water, the Master began to sink, and none of his flailing about slowed his submergence. Levi and Antony let go and paddled to the surface. Boris, however, refused to relinquish his grip on the Master’s throat and stared triumphantly into those glittering green eyes all the way into the blackness.

  Levi and Antony regained the dock as Sunny, Yoda, Rex, and the two cats erupted from the maze of containers; the others were taking care of those who remained in the warehouse. They ran back and forth along the edge, anxiously peering into the black water.

  “The Master?” Rex asked, peering downward.

  “And Boris,” Antony said.

  “Boris?”

  “He saved me and Levi,” Antony explained. “Without him coming in at the last we’d have never survived.”

  “But why did he do it?” Rex asked. “Was it just to get even?”

  “All of us find ourselves on the wrong road at one time or another,” Levi said. “Boris thought he was doing the right thing in helping the Master, because the Master seemed to accept him, to award him a place in his pack, where other dogs did not.”

  Antony and Rex hung their heads low.

  “Boris followed us tonight, not because he sought revenge, but because he sought redemption,” Levi continued. He noted the looks from the others. “Yes, I knew Boris was following us, but I also knew it could not be for the purpose of helping the Master. I did not know then what his ultimate goal was, but I knew he needed redemption, and I hoped he would find it. He has, but at a great price, but not so great, I think, that he did not pay it gladly.”

  They all stared at the oil-shimmered water over the deeply dredged channel, hope dwindling by the moment.

  “I was wrong about Boris,” Antony murmured. “He was a good officer…and he was a good dog. When it counted most.”

  Epilogue

  Captain Rex barked, and all the assembled dogs came to order.

  The reinstatement ceremony took place in the K-9 Unit’s common area, in the small hours of the morning when the dogs could be fairly certain none of the regular police would intrude.

  In addition to the officers, trackers and sniffers of the Unit, the Three Dog Detective Agency was in attendance by invitation, Kim and Little Kitty included, as well as Smokey and Groucho. Also there by invitation were Ajax, Swoon and Biggles, the newest members of the 3DDA’s Fifth Avenue Irregulars, the pets and ferals who volunteered to help Levi, Sunny and Yoda whenever possible. An invitation was also extended to Slim Shady, but no one was greatly surprised when he declined.

  “We are here to right a wrong and to acknowledge those who helped us eliminate a great evil from our midst,” Captain Rex said. “Officers Antony and Arnold, front and center, please.”

  The two former K-9 officers emerged from the shadows, where they had been told to wait apart from their comrades. They were joined by two other dogs carrying police vests in their jaws.

  “Antony and Arnold were cruelly maligned,” Rex continued. “False accusations were leveled against them and spurious evidence was planted in their kennels, making it appear as if they had committed heinous crimes. A hearing was held in which justice was mocked. They were banished from our midst, not because they had done anything wrong, but because it was considered efficacious to do so.” He paused. “They have been cleared of all charges. We welcome them back to our family, for that is what we truly are; though we are of different breeds, we are but one pack, a family caring for one another, bound together by a common purpose – to serve and protect all the citizens of Chula Vista, whether canine, feline or companion.”

  Rex nodded to the two attendant dogs and they helped Antony and Arnold on with their vests.

  Rex smiled. “Officers Arnold and Antony, you are hereby reinstated to the K-9 Unit of the Chula Vista Police Department, with all rights and privileges restored. Welcome back, boys.”

  The assembled dogs barked appreciatively until Rex growled for silence.

  “Officers, please resume your places amongst your comrades.”

  The Cane Corso and the Belgian Shepherd returned to the pack they had once despaired of ever belonging to again.

  “Probationary Officer Blackie, front and center, please.”

  Blackie, moving slowly and painfully, yet refusing assistance from anyone else, took his place before Captain Rex.

  “The hardest thing in the world for any dog to do is to stand up against his own pack,” Rex began. “When Antony and Arnold went to Blackie and asked him to do what they could not, Blackie could turned his back on them, could have followed the orders given him by his alpha, but he recognized the importance of loyalty over blind obedience. By his actions in search of the truth, he placed himself in great danger. The way he met that danger, with unflinching courage and skill, showed us that he has earned the right to be here, the right to stand with the best of us.” Rex grinned. “Blackie, you are hereby advanced to full officer status with all rights and privileges. Blackie, please take your place among your fellow officers.”

  Blackie did as he was told, earning some envious glances from the dogs still on probationary status.

  “We are also here to commemorate the loss of one of our own,” Rex resumed. “As you all know, Boris the Sulimov did not survive our encounter with the Master and his minions at the waterfront.”

  Although Levi, Antony and the others searched all though the night, the Master’s body was never recovered from that deep channel. They found Boris, however, about an hour after the fight, caught in some rocks along the shoreline. He appeared as if he were merely sleeping, as if he had finally found in death the peace that had eluded him in life. Levi and Antony pulled his body ashore, then howled a mournful dirge of respect and loss, without hesitation or resentment.

  “Boris was a troubled dog, and I fear that many of us added to the troubles that eventually pushed him onto the wrong path, a path which led him to a very dark place,” Rex said. “While none of us are responsible for our breed and breeding, neither must we be a slave to it. Many of us held Boris’ breed and breeding against him. We denied him the opportunity to rise above it. He followed the wrong alpha, something all of us should be familiar with now, and that set him against those who should have been his brothers. But at a time when Boris could have fled, he returned, and in doing so he proved himself as good a dog as any, and a better dog than some. Levi, please come forward.”

  Levi joined Captain Rex before the dogs of the K-9 Unit. He moved with some slowness. So successful was he at hiding his limp that most of the dogs ascribed his movements to age.

  “I did not know Boris well, but as you all well know, he was not an easy dog to know,” Levi began. “But I do know he sa
ved my life at the cost of his own. If you will permit me…

  “Don’t grieve for me, I served you well.

  I loved you more than you could ever tell.

  I am now an angel in blue.

  I laid my life on the line for you.

  I wore my badge with honor every day,

  To keep companions safe and out of harms way.

  So think kindly of me, and in your hearts let me abide,

  For I am now at rest, having found the peace in life denied;

  I am now in a better place, and walk by Anubis’ side.

  “Like all of us, Boris searched for a pack, a home, and he wrongly believed the Master offered that for which he had long searched,” Levi continued. “At the end, he saw his error, knew he must make amends. When he redeemed himself for all his wrong choices, he did find his pack, here, with you, among others who wear the same badge with pride. I believe that with all my heart.”

  Levi returned to his friends.

  “Thank you, Levi,” Rex acknowledged. “Hector, as you know, is no longer among us. Unlike Boris, he was not misguided, but actually embraced the Master’s evil, and committed the crimes for which Arnold and Antony were blamed. Justice and natural law have been served, and the death of an innocent has been avenged. As to the dogs taken at the waterfront during the raid, they have been dealt with in one way or another, and we are keeping a very close watch on the gang-alphas who swore fealty to the Master.”

  Most of the dogs apprehended at the warehouse ended up at the Shelter. Others turned out to be runaway pets, enticed into darkness by the Master’s promises; many were surreptitiously returned to their homes, left to be found on porches, but some joined their unrepentant comrades in the Shelter drop-off cage. Then there were Hector and the Master’s personal guards. Though canine society has changed much since the days of First Dog, and even the time of Anubis, some aspects of canine justice are yet primitive, and final, and are best not discussed openly.

  “Finally, we acknowledge a group of dogs and cats many of you know, or think you know,” Rex said. “Levi, please return, and bring all your friends with you.”

  Levi, Sunny, Ajax and Biggles stood behind Kim, Little Kitty, Swoon and Yoda, lining up with Rex. To their surprise, Rex joined the other dogs facing them.

  “It’s a mistake to think the only ones who make a difference are the dogs who wear a badge,” Rex said. “Antony?”

  “In the past we have had our differences, and I suspect we will continue to do so in the future,” Antony said. “But I was wrong in discounting the efforts of civilians. If it were not for you, Levi, and the rest of the Three Dog Detective Agency, as well as your friends, Arnold and I would not be where we are now. I want to say two things to you all – I’m sorry, and thank you.”

  “Thank you,” Arnold echoed.

  “Thank you from us all,” Rex added.

  The other police dogs barked their appreciation.

  Not long after the ceremony, the police dogs returned to their kennels and the Three Dog Detective Agency prepared to escort their friends home. Antony and Levi stood apart.

  “I haven’t really thanked you properly for what you did for us, for Arnold, and me,” Antony said hesitantly.

  “No thanks are necessary,” Levi replied. “It’s what we do.”

  “You realize this changes nothing between us, right?”

  Levi grinned. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  “Good.”

  “But thanks for what you said,” Levi murmured. “I know what it cost you. You’re a good dog, Antony; you always have been.”

  “You sure about that, Levi?”

  Levi tilted his head enquiringly.

  “I wasn’t very nice to Boris,” he explained. “Perhaps if I…”

  “It does no good to second-guess our past actions,” Levi said. “Boris was on a journey, walking a path of his own choosing. In the end, he came to a better place than he had ever before known, and part of that final decision must have been because he knew you. If you have to think about something, think about that.”

  “The Master was obviously not an Arctocyon, at least not like in that picture,” Antony said, changing the subject. “Do you think we will ever know anything about him?”

  “We may never know exactly what the Master was or where he came from,” Levi replied. “That his lair was at the waterfront may be a clue as to how he entered the country, hidden in the hold of some ship, lurking unsuspected in the darkness. I think he hailed from a forgotten corner of the Earth, one of the blank spots that still remain on maps despite the advent of satellites and GPS, a place where the modern world is held at bay, where ancient ways survive and old things refuse to die.”

  Antony shuddered. “I’m just glad we’ve seen the last of the Master, whatever he was.”

  Levi nodded. “I hope so.”

  A Message to the Reader

  From the Three Dog Detective Agency

  Thank you for reading our story. We very much hope you enjoyed it. If you know a pet or animal who should appear in a future story, please email us at ralphv1@gmail.com List your subject as “3DDA Story” and always include a photo; be sure to tell us the animal’s breed, and also especially about personality and mannerisms. Until next time, stay cool and be good.

  LEVI

  SUNNY

  YODA

  The

  Three Dog Detective Agency

  Will Return

  in

  The Death and Life of an American Dog

  BONUS FEATURE

  Editorial Note: As everyone knows, “Dog Latin” is, as the Oxford English Dictionary states, “a debased form of Latin.” Collins’ Dictionary of English goes further and dismisses Dog Latin as “spurious or incorrect Latin.” As linguistic expert Noli Glabber pointed out in his 1947 essay “Dog Latin: Barking Up the Wrong Lignum,” it “…is nothing more than a humorous device for invoking scholarly seriousness.” Of course, none of this has deterred Yoda from creating his own version (word to the wise: don’t try to talk a Pomeranian out of anything) which he presents to the world in his own words…

  How to Speak Dog Latin Like a Native

  by

  Yoda Vaughan, Pomeranian

  Special Operative, Three Dog Detective Agency

  During a recent case solved by the world-renowned Three Dog Detective Agency, our alpha, Levi, made an off-the-paw comment about Greek and dogs, which set me to thinking about Latin, which, although it may seem something of a non sequitur to you, makes perfect sense to me. This was after one of his many, many, many dissertations…okay, I have to admit it was rather short compared to how long he usually regales any willing listener, or those too slow to escape, or those who can’t open a locked door or jump through a window. Usually Levi goes on and on until you either lapse into a coma or want to run into traffic…but I digress.

  His comment set me to thinking about how handy it might be to have a secret language that no one else can understand. As an ace detective and part-time secret agent, I can certainly tell you that covert communication is very important.

  For example, when you don’t want anyone to hear you (you might be on surveillance duty or hiding in the lair of a legendary monster canine) nothing is better than the “language of the paw” or “Paw Talk” as it is sometimes called. It comes down to us from the ancient world, before even the time of First Dog. Of course, there is no need to go into the details of Paw Talk. If you’re a dog, you already know it; if you’re not…it’s a secret!!!

  But anyone can learn to speak Dog Latin, even cats, canaries and companions. Naw, I’m just kidding about canaries, but, hey, if companions can do it, so can you. There are just a few rules to learn before you, too, can start speaking it like a native.

  If a word begins with a consonant, you move it to the back of the word and add –arf. For example, Cat becomes Atcarf. Actually, that sounds pretty funny, doesn’t it? Like someone of the feline persuasion just hawked up a big fur ba
ll. And Fish becomes Ishfarf…bet that sends bubbles to the top of the Owlbarf, if you know what I mean. Okay, enough fun and games at the expense of others. Let’s get down to linguistic Rassbarf Aackstarf.

  Here are some more examples of common words that you use on a daily basis, translated into Dog Latin:

  Bone

  Onebarf

  Kibble

  Ibblekarf

  Squeaky Toy

  Queakysarf Oytarf

  Mailman

  Ailmanmarf

  Veterinarian

  Eterinarianvarf

  Cookies

  Ookiescarf

  Walkies

  Alkieswarf

  Fetch

  Etchfarf

  Frisbee

  Risbeefarf

  Detective

  Etectivedarf

  Dog House

  Ogdarf Ousedarf

  In most cases where a word starts with a consonant the rule is pretty straight forward. One thing to note is that any word beginning with a “B” ends up making a new word that sounds like you’re talking about someone getting sick. It may seem yucky, but it can be a help when communicating covertly, because even as suspects try to listen to what you say, they’ll be trying not to listen. Cool!

  Not all words begin with a consonant, of course. Some begin with a vowel (“I’d like to buy an ‘E,’ Vanna”). Now, “Y” can be a really tricky letter since “Y” can be either a consonant or a vowel, but, 9 times out of 10, if it’s at the beginning, it’s going to be a consonant; always treat it appropriate to its usage.

  Neither can we forget that some beginning letters are silent, as in the words write, knockwurst, gnome, knife and pneumatic. As far as I am concerned it’s just wasting a perfectly good letter. Why did they do that when they invented language, and who are they? I have no idea to either question, but silent letters do exist, so I am sure they must exist as well…and no, I am not paranoid. Well not a whole lot…but I digress.