The Death & Life of an American Dog

by Ralph Vaughan

  Yoda bristled at the disdain aimed at one of his favorite cartoon characters, but out of respect for the old Doberman he kept silent.

  “What’s wrong with the name Iblis?” Sunny asked. “Do you know what it means?”

  Atlas shook his head. “No idea, but not a proper name. We take names like Zeus, Apollo, Patton, Vito, Caesar, Striker, Ajax…”

  “Hey, we know a dog named Ajax,” Yoda exclaimed, his eyes glinting with wry humor. “He’s a Mastiff.”

  “That so?” Atlas drawled. “Good breed. Ancient war dog used extensively in the Roman Empire. Fearless. Good fighters.”

  Yoda smiled mischievously. “Maybe, but once you get to know Ajax, it’s easier to understand the decline and fall of Rome.”

  Atlas growled deep in his throat.

  “We don’t know that it really is his name,” Sunny said quickly, moving forward a little to crowd Yoda back from the fence. “He told Yoda that he heard himself being called that in a dream.”

  “Now that is interesting,” Atlas said, ignoring Yoda. “Dogs returning from war often have bad dreams and need therapy.”

  “I didn’t know that companions…” Sunny started to say.

  Atlas silenced her with a glance. “Companions may be well-meaning, but they have their limits. We take care of our own.”

  “I don’t understand,” Sunny said.

  “Therapy dogs,” Atlas explained. “Dogs may fight each other, even skirmish pack against pack for dominance or resources, but war is not a natural behavior for dogs. We fight for our companions because of the responsibility bequeathed to us by First Dog. Many returning dogs are broken in spirit. We must help them, if we can, and the first step is usually seeing a therapy dog.” Atlas thought back to the German Shepherd. “That poor lad is still chased by whatever demons he encountered wherever he was.”

  Sunny and Yoda looked back along the street. They knew the big Doberman was speaking metaphorically but they both wondered if Iblis’ demons might be much more tangible. And closer.

  * * *

  Now that they had entered the alley, Levi was glad he had brought the cats with him. Groucho walked along the connected rooftops of the businesses to the right while Smokey prowled on the lines of fences to the left. Knowing that they were there, that they could cover an area much wider than the alley, not only providing security but using their keen eyes to scan parking lots and backyards for signs of Iblis or danger, he could more fully concentrate on the scent trail.

  The alley was a cacophony of smells, mixing with or fighting against each other, and the scent that was particular to Iblis and none other was beginning to fade, either lost among the stronger odors or taken by the winds that always swept through the narrow confines of alleys. Besides, while asphalt was always difficult to deal with as a medium for scent, it was made very much harder here because potholes exposed the stronger scents trapped within the asphalt and because cars prowled the alley all the time. By the time they reached Jade House, both air- and ground-scent were lost.

  “Did you see anything from up top?” Levi asked when the cats joined him in the shade to the side of the alley.

  “I didn’t see anything down the alley, along H Street or over in the shopping center,” Groucho reported. “I kept bounding from one side to the other.” He shook his head. “Nada.”

  Levi looked to Smokey.

  “Litter, overgrown weeds and torn-apart cars, but no lost dog,” the gray-and-black cat said. “No signs of any recent trails going into any of the yards.”

  Levi looked up and down the alley, then sighed.

  “At least I didn’t see any road-kill out on H,” Groucho quipped, then was sorry he had said it.

  Levi looked at him evenly, but said nothing.

  “What do we do now, Levi?” Smokey asked.

  “I’ve reached a dead end with Iblis’ scent, but just the fact that he’s not in the alley nor in any of the yards means that he went on up to Fifth, then went one of three directions,” Levi replied. “If he turned north at Fifth, that takes him along the junior high school and back toward G; if he went straight across Fifth he may be hiding near Scripps Mercy Hospital.”

  “If injured he might be drawn there naturally,” Groucho said.

  Smokey smirked. “It’s not the veterinarian, you know.”

  “However, if he went south…” Levi started.

  Both cats shuddered and uttered a low moan.

  “I know,” Levi agreed. He glanced at Groucho. “But, as you said, no road-kill on H.”

  Groucho looked away.

  “Levi, give the kid a break,” Smokey murmured.

  “If he made it across H, then he could be anywhere in the shopping center,” Levi continued. “And there are a thousand places he could hide there without anyone being the wiser.”

  “Should we cross H, then?” Groucho said. “I could do it, could get through the traffic. I’m not afraid.”

  “I know you’re not,” Levi said kindly. “But we’ll not extend the search to the shopping center unless we have a valid reason to do so. We might catch a break at the top of the alley, but we should go back and see if Yoda and Sunny have learned anything.”

  As Levi and the cats exited the mouth of the alley, they saw the two dogs just crossing G Street. They were both on the west side of the street since the other side was taken up by an elementary school and not likely to be a source of any information. By the time they caught up with Sunny and Yoda, the two dogs had finished their sweep since only a few houses had pets, sleeping ones at that.

  Upon seeing the grim set of Levi’s expression, Yoda sighed. “No luck in finding where Iblis went to?”

  Levi shook his head. “Trail went cold in the alley that runs parallel to H.”

  “Well, at least he didn’t cross…” He looked at Levi quizzically.

  “He might have, but there was no sign of it,” Levi replied.

  Groucho glanced nervously at the alpha dog, but saw that Levi was determined to spare him any embarrassment in front of the others because of his lapse of manners. It was a small kindness, to be sure, but the Calico appreciated it all the same. Over the past few years, these dogs had become not just allies in a constant battle against injustice and cruelty, but friends. He knew that these three had, by conscious choice, buried the old enmity between the species but it was in a Calico’s nature to secretly nurture insecurity.

  “We came across a marvelous clue in an old Doberman named Atlas,” Sunny said. “He saw Iblis running down the street.”

  Levi tilted his head expectantly. They already knew Iblis had run down the street after leaving the motel driveway.

  “Atlas was a jarhead!” Yoda exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement or to wait for the mellow Golden Retriever to come to the point.

  Levi tilted his head the other direction.

  The cats stopped their preening and stared.

  “Atlas was a leatherneck!”

  Sunny snorted in exasperation. “Well, he had a leather collar, but that’s no reason to…”

  “He was in the Marine Corps!” Yoda finally blurted.

  “I was getting around to that,” Sunny said. “Besides, if that’s what you meant, why didn’t you just come right out and say it? Jarhead? Leatherneck? Really, Yoda, sometimes I think it’s true what they say about Pomeranians.”

  “Those are perfectly good words for…” He stopped suddenly and snapped his head around, hair bristling so that it almost looked as if he had a lion’s mane. “Hey! What who says what about…”

  “Yoda’s right about the words being synonyms for Marine,” the Dachshund-mix said, “but let’s keep on point here.”

  Yoda wanted to worry the other point like a steak bone, but he knew Levi was right. He also knew he was feeling a little too huffed to continue in the calm manner Levi encouraged when reporting.

  Briefly, Sunny told the others what Atlas had said to them, both about Iblis’ possible military origin and the unlikely nature of his
name. She also reported that Atlas had not seen another dog in pursuit, but that she had not been able to shake the feeling that they were being watched covertly.

  “I didn’t see anyone, but I definitely felt those eyes,” she said.

  “I think you’re probably right, Sunny,” Levi agreed. “I don’t know how that dog managed to vanish so suddenly and completely, but you’re right about it being evidence of cunning and stealth, not magic or…” He glanced at Yoda. “…teleportation.”

  “Humph,” Yoda snorted softly.

  “I would like to question Atlas further, but we need to keep on the search for Iblis,” Levi said. “The scent went cold, but we still might be able to find some trace of him, or maybe find someone else who saw him before dusk starts to settle in.”

  “We thought you might,” Sunny said.

  “Yeah, we asked him to come by the house later,” Yoda added now that his hide was not feeling quite so chapped. “He has to wait until dusk, when he gets his companion safely secured for the night—as he put it—then he’ll be over.”

  “Maybe with a couple of friends who might be able to help us,” Sunny said. “Military dogs, like him.”

  Levi nodded. “If Iblis is a military dog, as Atlas suspects, then they might be of great assistance, and it will also help us understand his background, figure out what happened to him.”

  The dogs and cats, now back in a pack formation (the dogs at least), returned to the alley where Iblis’ scent had been lost and very slowly made their way toward Fifth, carefully searching every step of the alley with all their keen senses. Unfortunately, by the time the alley opened onto Fifth they had not turned up a single clue as to the whereabouts of Iblis. Weary from excitement and exertion, they paused behind the Chase Bank building, a two-story brick structure.

  Unable to find Iblis, they rested behind Chase Bank at Fifth & H

  “I have no idea which direction Iblis took after leaving the alley,” Levi admitted. “My hope is, of course, north, along Fifth, back toward our own area. If so, one of the Irregulars will surely spot him. If not, then on east, toward the hospital grounds.”

  “We could split up,” Yoda suggested.

  “I’d rather not do that, not at this point,” Levi replied. “We are stronger as a pack. Besides, there is the matter of Iblis’ shadow. He is either behind us or in front of us. Either way, he represents an unknown danger that we should not underestimate.”

  “Where do we go from here?” Sunny asked.

  “From here, we’ll cross Fifth and explore the hospital grounds and through the Medical buildings up to Fourth,” Levi said. “Then we’ll turn north, head home and get a report from the Irregulars.”

  “Are we ignoring the Great Dane in the room?” Yoda said.

  “No, he might have headed toward the shopping center,” Levi admitted, “but that’s not an easy search for such a small band and not something we can accomplish in just a few hours.”

  “We can’t just ignore it though, can we?” Sunny said. “I don’t want us to waste time when we have not the slightest evidence he went over there, but we have to do something about it.”

  Levi looked to Smokey. “As I understand it, after dusk the shopping center is pretty much taken over by cats, is it not?”

  Smokey nodded. “Scavenging and scrapping. There are more cats at night than there are shoppers by day. Most of them are ferals and strays, but there are also large numbers of domestics from the residential area south of the center.”

  “And from north of H as well,” Groucho added. “It’s much easier to get across at night.”

  “We’ve both gone there from time to time,” Smokey admitted, “but we try not to make a habit of it. Harmless fun for the most part, but there’s always…”

  “I like it when a hobo cat comes by,” Groucho interjected. “The stories they tell are…”

  “There’s always the possibility of danger,” Smokey continued, frowning at the smaller cat. “While it’s mostly innocent howling and socializing, there’s always a gang element present. There can be clashes between clowders and gangs, with sometimes a naive bystander getting the worst of it.”

  “Not while you’re around, I’d say,” Yoda exclaimed.

  “I hope you don’t do it too often,” Sunny said. “It sounds very dangerous to me.”

  “No, Miss Sunny, I just go to keep Groucho out of trouble.”

  Groucho frowned but said nothing.

  “I live behind your gate for a reason,” Smokey said. “I‘ve seen too many fights in my time, too many young toms thinking to make a name for themselves by fighting a ship’s tough old ratter.”

  “Would you mind going tonight?” Levi asked.

  “Not if you think it would help,” Smokey replied. “But I could not search the shopping center very well, not even with Groucho at my side, and I would definitely keep him by my side.”

  “Would the other cats search as well, if asked?” Levi said.

  “That would be very complicated,” Smokey said. “I could talk to the leaders of the gangs, appeal to the solitaries that show up.” He sighed. “I could couch it in terms of a game, hunt the dog, but they would want to know what’s in it for them.”

  “They should be willing to help find Iblis because it’s the right thing to do!” Yoda snapped.

  Smokey gave the feline equivalent of a shrug.

  “If they help us, whether they find him or not,” Levi said, “they would earn the gratitude of the Three Dog Detective Agency.”

  Smokey and Groucho stared at Levi as if he had suddenly coughed up a hairball.

  “You want me to tell them that?” Smokey asked.

  “No, I’ll tell them that,” Levi replied. “What I need you to do is get them together.”

  Smokey looked at him apprehensively. “A dog would not be warmly welcomed there.”

  “We’re going too!” Yoda exclaimed.

  “That’s right.” Sunny agreed.

  Groucho shook his head but said nothing.

  “No, just me this time,” Levi said.

  “What were you saying about us being stronger as a pack?”

  “It isn’t strength we’ll need when dealing with all those cats, but suggestion and influence,” Levi explained. “Smokey is right. A dog will not be welcome in that mix of clowders and solitaries, much less three dogs. They might not listen to me, but we won’t even get the chance to talk to them if they feel threatened.”

  “And they will feel threatened if they don’t think they have an overwhelming numerical superiority,” Sunny sighed. “It probably wouldn’t help that I outweigh a dozen of those mice-chasers.”

  “I could go with you,” Yoda offered. “I may be a bit large for a Pomeranian, but I’m still smaller than most cats.”

  Levi started to draw in a deep breath, which usually meant, Yoda knew, that he was getting ready to make a protracted reply that would go on and on, citing one logical point after another, until Yoda would either give in, fall over in a semi-comatose state, or want to go running into traffic just to put an end to all the words.

  “I’ll stay in the background, watching out for you, not taking part or letting them see me,” Yoda cut in before Levi could get started. “Besides, I have to find Iblis. I owe it to the big guy.”

  Levi sighed. As the alpha, he knew he could easily order Yoda to do as he was told. But he also knew that was no way to run a pack, and certainly not the way of a natural alpha. Other dogs, he knew, who found themselves in charge of packs, or who managed to usurp power from another, used all sorts of tricks and gimmicks to maintain control, to keep the others under paw. Levi knew all the tricks—the voice, the snap and the stance—but that was control, not leadership, and he had no respect for dogs who pretended to be what they were not.

  “You’ll have to keep out of the action, not antagonize the cats with any quips or snarky remarks,” Levi warned.

  “Yeah, I can do that,” Yoda agreed enthusiastically.

  The c
ats and Sunny rolled their eyes, but held silent.

  “Very well,” Levi agreed. “We’ll keep searching as long as we can, then get home by dusk. After our meeting with Atlas and his friends, we’ll start for the shopping center.”

  The cats yawned.

  Levi smiled. “You two ought to head back to the house and get some sleep before tonight,” he said, knowing that cats needed much more rest than did most dogs.

  “We don’t want to leave you short-pawed,” Groucho said.

  “We can keep on awhile longer,” Smokey added.

  “It’s okay,” Levi assured them. “Besides, as you head down Fifth, check out the Middle School and see if any of the Irregulars have anything to report. When you get home, update Kim and Little Kitty about what’s happened and with any information you glean along the way. Remember—with the info, Kim also needs name and breed of the informant for follow-up.”

  “Will do!” Groucho promised.

  Smokey gave a slight nod and started off.

  “If everyone is rested,” Levi said after the cats departed, “let’s head across the street and start a careful, slow search. He’s going to need water on a day like this…”

  “Us too,” Yoda panted.

  “…so pay attention to areas around fountains, leaking pipes or where run-off water collects naturally,” Levi continued. “If Iblis keeps to the pattern he established behind the restaurant, he’s going to hide. Keep your eyes and ears open, and sniffers up.”

  They carefully made their way across Fifth, some distance from the intersection. Fifth was a quiet street, even this close to H. At one time it had been much busier, but then the two halves of the shopping center were extended to meet and cover Fifth, cutting off the thoroughfare. With the shopping center blocking what had been a straight shot between Chula Vista’s north and south borders, traffic dropped dramatically, but increased significantly on the already-thronged streets of Broadway and Fourth. Companions who were inconvenienced complained, but there was not an animal along Fifth who did not breathe a sigh of relief.

  After checking the western employee parking lot, between and under each car, they moved off into the expansive hospital property.