Star

by Jennifer Li Shotz

  But they hadn’t counted on Ms. Khan saying no when they went to her office to get Star’s vibration collar.

  “I really need your help before you take Star out,” Ms. Khan said. “Two of my staffers are out with the flu, so there’s no one to help hose down cages this afternoon.”

  Julian and Bryan exchanged a glance. They didn’t have much of a choice. Julian wished they’d thought to call in sick, too, but then he wouldn’t have gotten to see Star at all. The slight delay was worth it. “Sure, we can do that,” he said.

  Relief washed over Ms. Khan’s face. “Thank you so much. That’s one less thing for me to worry about. We had to move around a bunch of the cats to deep clean the cages this morning, so the carriers that need to be cleaned are out back.”

  The boys nodded and left the office. Once the door was closed behind them, they raced down the hall, eager to finish the task as quickly as possible. But when they burst outside and saw the mountain of plastic cat carriers and small wire cages, they stopped in their tracks.

  “This is going to take forever,” Julian said. Their careful plan had been totally derailed. It felt like the treasure was getting farther away from them. “Why did they have to do the deep cleaning today?”

  Bryan handed Julian the hose. “I’ll open up the cages, and you start spraying.”

  They quickly figured out a system to clean the cages as quickly as possible, but it still took them almost an hour, and by the time they finished, the cuffs of their jeans were soaked.

  When Ms. Khan finally gave them the okay to get Star, Julian hurried to the kennel. Bryan stopped him just outside the door. “Remember to act like nothing’s going on. Star will know if you’re anxious.”

  “But I am anxious,” Julian said. “It’s getting late.”

  “I calculated how long it’ll take us to get there,” Bryan said. “We still have plenty of time before dark.”

  Julian tried to relax. He exhaled slowly and shook out his arms. It helped that Star was so happy to see him. She pressed her cold nose into his hand and leaned against his leg. He clipped the leash to her collar, and they jogged out to the yard.

  Bryan found a tennis ball, and he and Julian took turns throwing it for Star. Julian wanted to talk about their plans for finding the treasure, but Ms. Khan kept checking in on them. So he stayed quiet and focused all his attention on Star. At least it was sunny enough that their shoes and jeans began to dry. When the dog became less interested in chasing the ball and more interested in sniffing at the grass, Bryan nodded at Julian.

  Julian snapped the leash onto Star’s collar and waved at Ms. Khan, who was working with a young beagle. “We’re taking her back in now.”

  “Okay,” Ms. Khan said. “Thanks for letting me know!”

  The boys put Star back in her kennel with lots of scratches behind the ears and a handful of treats on her bed. Julian felt guilty for not sitting with her the way he usually did, but they had to get going. He stepped out of her kennel and closed the door behind him. Star abandoned the treats on her bed and came to the kennel door. She looked up at Julian and Bryan with sad eyes.

  “We better go,” Bryan said.

  Julian reached through the kennel door to scratch Star beneath the chin. He wished he had a sign to tell her he was sorry.

  * * *

  Julian and Bryan wheeled their bikes away from the shelter. Their backpacks were heavy with snacks, water bottles, maps, flashlights, and garden tools to help them dig up the treasure. They had everything they might need, but Julian still felt that something was missing. At the edge of the parking lot, Bryan swung his leg over his bike. Julian hesitated. He reached into his pocket and touched Star’s tag, the way he always did when he needed reassurance.

  Bryan was ready to go. “What’s wrong?”

  Julian ran his thumb over the engraved numbers on the tag, remembering Star’s sad eyes. He felt guilty about leaving her, even though he was trying to save her. “I wish Star could come with us.”

  “She’d be a good treasure hunter,” Bryan said. “Because she’s deaf, her other senses are enhanced—like her brain kind of rewired itself to make her vision and sense of smell even better.”

  “What if she could sniff it out as soon as we got to Western Island?” Other treasure hunters might have metal detectors, but Star would be even better. Julian imagined her leading them right to the spot where an old treasure chest was buried. “And she’d probably be able to help us find our way back better than any compass.”

  Bryan didn’t answer right away. He stared down the street, his eyes narrowed and one hand tugging at his hair. Finally he turned to Julian and nodded seriously. “Okay, let’s do it.”

  “Do what?” Julian asked.

  “Let’s go get Star,” Bryan said.

  “Are you serious?” Julian tried not to get his hopes up.

  “If we bring her with us, she might be able to help. Just like you said.”

  Julian shook his head. “Ms. Khan will never let us take her.”

  Bryan lowered his voice. “Ms. Khan doesn’t need to know. All the dogs have been walked by now, so Ms. Khan won’t be paying close attention to the kennels until dinnertime. If we’re quick, no one will even notice that Star is gone.”

  Julian thought it over. They were breaking the rules and could get in big trouble, but this was important. How could Ms. Khan be mad when they returned with enough gold to save the shelter? He imagined the three of them coming back just as night was falling and Ms. Khan was about to start feeding the dogs. He and Bryan would be tired, slowed down by their backpacks loaded with treasure. Star would be trotting ahead of them, head high and tail wagging, knowing that she’d helped save the day. They’d sneak her back into her kennel and then surprise Ms. Khan with the gold.

  Julian was convinced. It suddenly seemed that there was no way they could do this without Star.

  He turned back toward the shelter. “Let’s go get her.”

  “Wait.” Bryan grabbed Julian’s handlebars. “We need a plan.”

  Julian and Bryan hid their bikes behind some bushes at the edge of the shelter property. They wouldn’t be able to ride them anyway once Star was with them, but Western Island was only five miles away, so they figured they could walk there. It would take a little longer than going on their bikes, but it was worth it to have Star with them. And Julian had packed more than enough snacks to keep them fueled for the hike.

  The boys crouched behind a tree and watched the shelter door. Ms. Khan had finished her training session with the beagle, and Bryan was pretty sure she was back in her office.

  “She always goes back to her office after working with a dog—to catch up on email and stuff,” Bryan whispered. “She’s probably working on the budget or trying to find new grants.”

  “Not for long,” Julian said, picturing Ms. Khan sitting in her office, stacking towering piles of gold coins.

  Bryan nodded. “Okay, you go get Star. I’ll keep watch.”

  Julian crept around the building to the back door by the kennels. He took a leash off the hook inside the door and tiptoed to Star’s cage. It didn’t matter how quiet he tried to be. The other dogs came to their doors as he passed. Some of them started barking. Julian shushed them, hoping Ms. Khan couldn’t hear the dogs sounding the alarm all the way in her office. He gave up trying to be sneaky and raced to Star’s kennel.

  She was waiting by her kennel door, tail wagging, as if she’d known all along that he was coming back for her. She let him clip the leash onto her collar and practically pulled him out the door. They were halfway out of her cage when he grabbed her water bowl, sloshing the last few drops onto the kennel floor. It hadn’t been on Bryan’s list, but Julian thought she might get thirsty. He wondered if he should bunch up her blanket so it looked like she was asleep in the corner of her kennel. But he decided there wasn’t enough time. Besides, it wouldn’t fool Ms. Khan. He just had to hope she didn’t come looking for Star before they got back.

 
Julian closed the kennel door behind him so it wouldn’t draw any attention. Then he and Star ran out of the building to where Bryan waited for them. Bryan took the bowl from Julian and zipped it into his backpack. “Good thinking! She’s going to need that.”

  Julian thought about his parents. He knew they would be upset that he was taking the dog out without permission, but he decided to push that thought to the side. He just had to trust that they’d understand once he, Star, and Bryan saved the shelter.

  When Julian and Bryan turned toward the road instead of the training yard, Star stopped in her tracks. She looked toward the yard in confusion. Julian worried that she might panic and he’d have to leave her behind after all. He wished she was wearing her vibration collar so he could get her attention, but there had been no way for him to swipe it from the office where Ms. Khan was working.

  He lowered himself into a squat and waved at Star. She glanced at the yard one more time before trotting up to him. He scratched her behind the ears, then petted her patches of gray fur. “We’re going on an adventure, and we need you, Star. It’s okay, you’re going to love it.”

  Star wagged her tail uncertainly. Julian gave her a reassuring thumbs-up. She tipped her head back and gently licked his chin. He stood and faced Bryan. “I think that means she’s ready to go.”

  The boys hoisted their backpacks onto their shoulders and crossed the road. They walked quickly away from the shelter, in the opposite direction of town. As they rounded a curve in the road and the shelter disappeared behind them, Bryan let out a long exhale. Julian felt the same sense of relief. They had made it out without being caught! They were really on their way.

  The boys settled in for the long walk ahead of them. Star’s nostrils flared and her whiskers twitched as she took in all the new smells and sights. She was weaving from side to side, her nose working furiously as she investigated every patch of dirt and blade of grass.

  “I was a little worried that she’d be overwhelmed,” Bryan confessed, swishing a stick through the tall grass beside the road. “But all that time in the training yard really paid off!”

  Julian smiled, watching Star sniff a million things he couldn’t even begin to imagine. She probably knew what bugs were hiding in the grass and whether any other dogs had been through there earlier and how many cars had driven down the road today. Her tail wagged as she trotted alongside them. He couldn’t wait for her to see Silver Lake.

  ★ Chapter 16 ★

  * * *

  * * *

  Julian, Star, and Bryan stopped in front of the wooden split-rail fence that blocked their path. It stretched as far as they could see in both directions. Beyond the big NO TRESPASSING sign and the remains of harvested cornstalks, they could make out a patch of woods in the distance. The land bridge to Western Island was just past those trees.

  Star ducked her head beneath the bottom rail of the fence, her front paw crossing the line onto the forbidden property. Julian tapped her hip and signaled for her to come back to him. He kept an eye on the sign looming over them, as if it might come to life and yell at them for standing there.

  “We need to keep moving if we’re going to get Star back before dark,” Bryan said, looking at the sign, then up and down the fence line blocking their path. “Is there another way?”

  Julian took the map out of his backpack. The private farm hadn’t existed when this old map was created, so he hadn’t expected it to be there, and he had no idea how big it was. The only thing he knew for sure was that the most direct route to the treasure was across these fields.

  Julian refolded the map. “We have to get to those trees.”

  “But it’s private property,” Bryan protested.

  “It’ll take at least three times as long if we try to go around the farm.” Julian handed Star’s leash to Bryan, then climbed onto the fence. He shielded his eyes and looked in both directions. “I don’t see any farmhouses or tractors. There’s no one around to see us.”

  Bryan squatted down to examine the cornstalks. “The field has already been harvested, so they probably don’t have a reason to come back right now.” He glanced at Star, as if asking for her opinion. She stared back at him with an expectant, what are you waiting for? look in her eye. Bryan stood and nodded at Julian. “Okay, let’s do it.”

  The boys carefully climbed over the fence. They paused on the other side, as if waiting for an alarm to go off. When nothing happened, they started across the field, the brown, flattened stalks crunching beneath their shoes. Star sniffed at an ear of corn that had been left behind.

  Julian and Bryan kept looking nervously over their shoulders as they trekked across the open area. The fence got smaller and smaller behind them as the trees up ahead grew taller, until soon the woods were looming just a hundred feet away. They peered anxiously at the shadows between the trunks. Star picked up on their uneasiness and stayed close to Julian. He felt reassured every time her fur brushed against his leg.

  The woods had seemed so far away from the other side of the fence, but they’d made it across the field quickly—without seeing an angry landowner. Julian and Bryan started to relax, feeling confident that they’d get to the cover of the trees before anyone saw them trespassing. Bryan bent down and picked up an ear of corn and tossed it in the air. Star watched him toss and catch it, as if hoping he might throw it for her. Julian let his mind wander, trying to calculate how far they were from the island and guessing whether the treasure would be buried in a box or an old canvas sack.

  Julian was jolted from his thoughts when he nearly tripped on Star and almost went flying to the ground. She stood as solid as a statue, right in his path. Julian tried to signal her to keep moving, but she ignored him. She scanned the tree line, her nose twitching and her head swinging around like crazy. Her whole body was tense, her tail stiff and alert. Bryan’s head whipped back and forth, following her movements.

  “What is it?” Bryan whispered.

  Julian froze, trying to pick up whatever Star was sensing, but all he could hear were the leaves rustling in the breeze and Bryan’s quick, nervous breathing. All he could see were insects skittering across the dry cornstalks. All he could smell was the earthy scent of maple trees and freshly turned dirt.

  He tried to tell himself it was just a squirrel. Or maybe Star sensed the farmer or a farmhand approaching. He imagined a tall man coming out of the woods with a hat pulled low over his eyes. Julian wished there was a place to hide so they wouldn’t get caught and sent back across the field. But there was nothing around them except flattened cornstalks, and Star wasn’t letting him get any closer to the woods.

  What if there was something much worse than the farmer headed their way?

  Star locked her eyes on a spot between two thick tree trunks off to their left. All the fur on her back stood up, and she growled low and fierce in her throat. Julian’s heart pounded and his mind went blank with fear. Bryan’s eyes were as round as Frisbees, and Julian knew that his friend was just as petrified as he was. Anything could be in those woods! But no matter how hard the boys strained their senses, they couldn’t figure out what Star was growling at.

  Until a twig snapped in the underbrush. Julian and Bryan jumped. With wide eyes, they slowly turned toward the sound. Julian wanted to whisper to Bryan that they should be ready to run, but his mouth felt like it was filled with cotton balls. He couldn’t get any words out. Just as Star took a few steps forward, the huge head and shoulders of a black bear rose out of the thicket less than twenty feet away. A scream caught in Julian’s throat. The ear of corn Bryan had been playing with dropped from his hand and hit the ground with a soft thud.

  The bear turned to look at them. Julian had never seen a bear in the wild. He couldn’t believe how massive its body was, filling the space between the trees. It had bits of twigs and leaves caught in its fur. The bear watched them with intelligent brown eyes. But Julian had no idea what it was thinking. He knew that if the bear came after them, they wouldn’t be able to ou
trun it.

  Julian frantically tried to remember whether you were supposed to run from a bear or curl into a ball or wave your arms around. He’d been a Cub Scout for only one summer before he’d had to start reading camp. He thought Bryan would know what to do, but when he glanced at his friend out of the corner of his eye, Bryan’s face was blank with terror.

  Star took another step forward, putting herself between the boys and the bear. She leaned forward aggressively. Her fur was so puffed out, she looked twice her size. She was tiny compared with the bear, but she clearly wasn’t going to let that stop her. Star’s growls turned into wild, protective barks that seemed to echo through the trees, bouncing from their trunks and across the field behind them. Julian and Bryan hadn’t known she could make so much noise.

  Julian held on to her leash with both hands. He didn’t want to find out what would happen if she got away from him—and any closer to the bear.

  The bear flicked its ears and raised its snout to sniff the air. As its nostrils twitched, its mouth opened just enough to reveal the tips of its teeth. It rocked back and stood up on its hind legs. Julian’s breath caught in his throat. The animal was taller than anyone he knew—taller even than Bryan’s dad. Its paws were as big as dinner plates, with claws like knives.

  Star’s barks got even louder and fiercer. Julian began to worry that she was making the bear mad, but in order to stop her, he would have to get her attention. To get her attention, he would have to move, and he was way too scared for that. Now he wished there was a farmer nearby to help them. But they were all alone.

  The bear dropped back to all fours, shaking the bushes around it. Star growled, her ears back and pinned flat against her head. The bear took one long look at her, then swung its big head away and lumbered deeper into the woods. Julian hadn’t realized that he’d been holding his breath, but then his chest began to hurt. He gasped for air and looked down at the dog, who stood in a fighter’s stance as she watched the bear amble away. Star had saved them!