“Let’s get this party started. I see you standing there, Gimpy. You can get lost now.”
Jake flipped his middle finger toward Cooper in the admin building. Koa tilted his head, not recognizing the signal.
“Never mind, bud.”
He signaled Koa to stay and walked downfield. Koa stayed behind as Jake went to the nearest blind and hid behind it. Ahi was in position and out of sight. They were ready.
“No more chatter,” Geddon said. “Connecting to Koa’s audio feed on three… two… one…”
The world suddenly became louder, amplified by Koa’s hearing and enhanced by the audio chips in his ears. It sounded to Jake like low-pitched white noise, isolating other sounds nearby. Somewhere, a small animal rustled through the bushes. A rodent squealed and ran.
Jake peeked around the edge of his blind to verify Koa was still in place. He was, sitting and ready.
“Decoy… Go,” Cooper said.
Ahi busted away from his blind and ran across the field, legs pumping as fast as his girth and cumbersome bite suit would allow.
“Stellen,” Cooper said.
Koa alerted that he heard Cooper’s command but didn’t leave his position.
“Stellen, stellen!” Cooper yelled over the radio.
“Speak German, idiot,” Jake said into his mic.
“Shit… Fass, fass!”
Koa stood and began barking but only watched as Ahi ran away.
“Fass! Fass!” Cooper screamed. “Dammit, Colonel, I told you this wasn’t gonna work.”
As Jake expected—and secretly hoped—Koa wouldn’t obey a different handler. A good MWD never would. He was sure Cooper knew that, too, but now was Jake’s chance as Ahi kept trucking across the field.
“Koa,” Jake said. “Fass, fass!”
Koa burst from his position, running like hell for the decoy. The world at ground level sped by as Ahi’s lumbering shape loomed closer. Seeing Koa give chase through his own eyes was incredible. It was impressive and amazing. It was… fucking awesome! Koa caught up to Ahi in seconds.
The video feed went blurry as Koa slammed into Ahi’s leg like a missile strike. It sounded like a baseball smacking into a catcher’s mitt. Koa’s snarling and Ahi’s shaky voice filled Jake’s ears. Ahi tried to escape but couldn’t. Not with an eighty-pound German shepherd hanging off his leg.
“Alright,” Geddon said. “That’s enough.”
“Aus!” Jake said.
Koa released Ahi but kept guard, his rapid barking a warning not to move.
“Good boy, Koa,” Ahi said. “You’re such a good boy!”
“Decker,” Geddon barked over the radio. “Take Koa back to his kennel and report to the conference room as soon as possible.”
* * *
Geddon logged out of Koa’s satellite feed and the wall display went dark. Cooper yanked his headset off and tossed it on the table, sending it skidding off the edge.
“Well, hate to tell you I—”
“Save it, Cooper,” Geddon said. “I know what you said, but it was worth a shot.”
Geddon drummed his fingers on the table as they waited for Decker. Even though Koa could deploy, Decker wasn’t going to allow his dog to be sacrificed. And Koa sure as shit wasn’t going to listen to Cooper. He’d just proved it—and Cooper’s point.
Damn, they’d just have to use Odin after all. He glanced at Dr. Levski, who had his elbow on the table and his head resting in his hand. He looked either bored to death or about to fall asleep.
“Look alive, Vladi. We’re in a jam here.”
Levski sat up and cleared his throat.
“Sorry, Colonel. I just thinking. Maybe we wait for Jake, but I have idea.”
“Doesn’t matter. What is it?”
“So problem is Koa or any dog obey only one handler. This because of trust relationship and tonal command set during training.”
“Yes, that’s just been demonstrated perfectly, Vladi. What’s your point?”
“If we record Jake’s voice saying command, then we play recording and transmit to Koa anytime from anywhere. I think this may work, yes?”
Geddon’s finger-drumming stopped. That was it—if it would work. Once they had a recording of Decker’s voice, they wouldn’t need him anymore, either. He glanced at Cooper to gauge his reaction. It took a few seconds for him to catch on to Levski’s implication.
“Hey, hold on,” Cooper said. “You do that, then what’d you need me for?”
“An excellent question,” Geddon said. “Why would we?”
Cooper blinked, seemingly caught off guard.
“Because I’m the handler,” he growled. “It’s in my contract.”
The conference room grew deathly quiet until Decker walked in. He shot Cooper a smug look as he stood by the window and crossed his arms.
“What’d I miss?” he asked.
Geddon looked from Cooper to Levski and smiled at the doctor’s idea.
“Your promotion, Decker,” Geddon said. “Congratulations. You’re Koa’s new handler for Operation Landshark.”
TWENTY-THREE
The next morning, Cooper was playing fetch with Odin and his new Kong in the off-leash area. Odin brought the toy back covered in slobber and dropped it at Cooper’s feet. He picked the slimy thing up and chucked it across the field. Odin tore after it, flinging a rooster tail of debris behind him.
While he waited for Harding, Cooper mentally rehearsed his plan, the reasons behind it, and could see no reason not to go through with it. In the last twelve hours, Cooper’s dream of being the world’s most famous dog handler had just been hosed down the drain like a pile of dog shit.
His kennel of world-class MWDs bred from the finest stock on acres of luscious green Tennessee land was at risk. Perhaps worst of all, Cooper felt he had been betrayed, insulting his pride. To someone like Cole Cooper, pride was worth fighting for—to the death. If a man gave up on his pride, what did he really have left that mattered?
Thinking about yesterday, he had to admit that a part of him choked up when he saw Koa trotting out to the training field. He also had to hand it to Decker—he had worked a miracle with that dog in only three short days. But damned if he was going to let that gimpy motherfucker ruin his dreams.
About fifty yards behind him, the door to the dog handler quarters opened and closed. Gimpy and the retard were taking Koa out to the training field for the day’s first session. They both saw Cooper and ignored him. Ahi carried a bite sleeve and a stick for apprehension work. The dog had a spring in his step as he followed Decker closely on his leash. He was no Mal, but he was a fine-looking dog.
Harding showed up, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
“Good morning,” he said to Cooper.
“Ain’t nothin’ good about it yet, but you just wait and see.”
Harding nodded. “We’re still on, then?”
Cooper looked at him. “Sounds like a better question for yourself. You in or out?”
After Geddon announced that Decker had been given the mission, leaving Cooper standing there with his dick in his hand, Cooper made a quick decision. He had to do something, but he couldn’t do it all by himself. He pulled Harding aside and made him a promise: be his wingman on this and he would make Harding his partner at his future company: Military Warrior Dogs (MWD).
Harding stood straighter and put his game face on.
“I’m in,” he said.
Cooper nodded, and they bumped fists.
“Knew I could count on you, Harding.”
By the time they got out to the training field, Decker and Ahi were already drilling with Koa. They were too focused to notice who was coming and what was about to happen.
From about fifty yards out, Cooper nodded to Harding and transferred Odin’s leash to his burn-scarred right hand. He bit down as he squeezed the leash hard, sending a bolt of pain up his arm. The pain had to be real.
Once Odin saw Koa, he stopped and growled. This had been his te
rritory for quite some time while Koa stayed in his kennel. And like his pack leader, Cooper, he wasn’t about to give up what was rightfully his. Cooper stopped and squatted down so they were both looking straight ahead at Koa.
“You want that, boy? Goin’ to get some?”
The tone of Cooper’s voice encouraged Odin further. A guttural growl rumbled from deep in his dog’s chest. Cooper gave him two pats on his muscular shoulder and stood. His eyes narrowed, looking at that sonofabitch Decker, and then he loosened his grip on the leash in his damaged hand.
“Stellen.”
Odin ripped his leash free from Cooper’s grip, sending white-hot pain shooting through his body. He collapsed to his knees, holding his hand in agony. Sparkles moved across his eyes, but as his vision cleared, he spotted Odin racing downfield at forty miles per hour. Cooper smiled. That’s my boy.
“Loose dog, loose dog!” Harding yelled, making a good show of it.
Odin made a beeline for Koa, who was too focused on Ahi waving a stick above his head. Decker had his back turned while controlling Koa by his leash.
Koa noticed Odin’s charge too late, getting smashed by the flying Mal. The dogs tumbled to the ground and engaged. The primal sounds of canine combat lit the morning air.
“Fuck!” Decker yanked back on Koa’s leash, but Cooper saw that it would only put Koa at a disadvantage. Decker realized it, too, as Cooper ran toward them to join the fun.
“Goddammit, Cooper!” Decker yelled. “Grab your fucking dog!”
“He got loose—damn near ripped my hand off!”
The snarling snapping sounds were sweet music to Cooper’s ears. He hadn’t realized how much he missed a good dogfight.
He proudly saw that Odin was the quicker dog and was whipping Koa good despite the shepherd’s biotech. As expected, Decker waded into the fray and tried kicking Odin off.
Cooper charged him and yelled, “Don’t be kickin’ my dog!”
Decker turned just as Cooper landed a punch to the side of his jaw, knocking him sideways. Decker stumbled and fell.
The dogfight raged on, Odin taking bites out of Koa, now on his back. Odin was about to have Koa’s neck until Ahi jumped in.
“Odin, no!”
He bear-hugged Odin and yanked him into the air like a stuffed toy. Odin suddenly twisted in Ahi’s grasp and bit him on the side of the neck. A gurgling howl escaped Ahi’s mouth.
Ahi let go but Odin held on, taking the big man down by the throat and slamming him to the ground. The earth shook. Cooper rushed for Odin’s leash and tried pulling him away.
“Los, los! Let go, goddammit!”
In a savage rage, Odin shook his head, tearing into his prey. Cooper pulled him off and cringed.
Ahi’s neck was a bloody mess, gore gushing from the side of his ripped-out throat. Blood spurted from a severed carotid artery with each heartbeat. Ahi’s hands tried to piece himself together, choking on his blood. His glassy vacant eyes found Cooper.
“You, too,” Ahi whispered. “You…too.”
Cooper stumbled backward, out of breath. He looked down at Odin’s bloody maw as his dog licked his bloody lips. Damn. Now that was a proper mauling.
Decker regained control of Koa and began yelling for help. With each handler controlling his dog, only Harding was left free. He stood there frozen in wide-eyed shock.
“Harding, go get help!”
“Right, right. An ambulance.”
“A fucking evac!”
“Helicopter—roger that.”
Harding pulled out his cell phone and ran for the admin building.
“You motherfucker, Cooper! Look what your dog did!”
“Damn leash slipped out of my bad hand, Decker. Harding seen it. It was an accident!”
Koa and Odin barked furiously. With each dog pulling on his leash to fight the other, neither handler could provide first aid or comfort.
All they could do was helplessly watch as Ahi bled out, dying before their eyes.
* * *
They gathered solemnly in the conference room later that day. Cooper and Harding sat at the table and faced Montoya and Levski. Jake stood by the window, staring outside but seeing nothing. Geddon paced the front of the room. Everyone was processing their own thoughts and emotions about the news.
Ahi was flown by medivac to Tripler Army Medical Center. He was dead on arrival.
Jake could tell Geddon was upset, but it paled in comparison to how he felt inside. Cooper was there, right in front of him, checking his burned hand as if that alone had caused Ahi’s death.
“I swear it was an accident. I looked away one second, Odin sees Koa the next, and BAM! Took off like a rocket and rips the leash right out of my bad hand. Harding was there. He seen it.”
Harding looked down at the table and nodded.
“Bullshit,” Jake said. “You and your dog are both murderers. How’s it feel?”
Cooper seemed taken aback.
“Them’s strong words, Decker. I personally find them offensive to my Christian values.”
Geddon rapped his knuckles on the table.
“Alright, listen up. We lost a good man today. Keahi was dedicated to his job, our dogs, and he will be missed. It’s never easy to lose someone like this—believe me, I know—but the show must go on, folks. I can promise you our enemies are not sitting on their asses and feeling sorry for themselves or pointing fingers after a bad day. We must carry on. There is no other choice.”
Geddon stared hard at every person in the room.
“Montoya, Decker, how’s Koa?”
Montoya took a deep breath.
“Stressed. I couldn’t get inside his kennel to check him, but he seems fine physically. Even with Jake there he wouldn’t let me touch him.” She shook her head. “That dogfight’s not going to help his PTSD.”
Jake glared at Cooper.
“Yeah, because of this fucking idiot.”
“Cool, it Decker,” Geddon said. “Look, I have a mission to execute in less than forty-eight hours that could prevent another 9/11. Instead of making final preparations, I just lost my best dog in a damn dogfight. Now, how is he?”
Jake looked away, mumbling under his breath. He couldn’t purge the thought of punching Cooper in the face. He owed him one, but he had to focus on Koa for now.
“Montoya’s right. He’s like he was a few days ago: hyper-alert and aggressive. Once I put him back in the kennel, he wouldn’t let me near him, either. Looks like I’m starting over.”
“Well, that’s a big fucking problem,” Geddon said. “I don’t have time to start over.”
Cooper turned to Geddon.
“Sir, as a reminder, I care deeply about the success of our mission. Despite the unfortunate accident today, me and my dog are still good to go.”
Geddon leaned forward on the table and bowed his head. His shoulders heaved from a heavy sigh before he looked up.
“Cooper, I may have no other choice now, but after what happened today, I’d rather not risk any more fuck-ups by you or your dog if I don’t have to.”
“Sir?” Cooper said. “May I respectfully remind you that this may be your mission, but I am the exclusive handler for this program. It’s in my contract.”
“Christ, give it up, Cooper. You can wipe your ass with that contract. I make the final decision and you know that.”
Cooper slammed his fists on the table and jumped out of his chair. Jake stepped away from the window. He might get to punch Cooper’s ticket sooner than he thought.
“You best think twice, Colonel,” Cooper said. “I’m not the only one got somethin’ to lose around here. With Dr. Satan and the shit goin’ down in them tunnels, you’ll spend the rest of your days in Leavenworth if word gets out.”
Geddon’s face lost a shade of color as his eyes flicked around the room. Dr. Levski folded his arms and nodded his head as if this was an interesting development.
Jake turned to Montoya. “What the fuck is he talking about?”
“Boy, you been played like a fiddle since day one. You never had—”
“Cooper, that’s enough!” Geddon yelled. “Shut the fuck up!”
Cooper smiled. “Just sayin’, Colonel. As far as your threats and all them NDAs I signed? Well, you can wipe your ass with those, too.”
TWENTY-FOUR
Noelani parked her moped around the corner from Coffee Talk in the Kaimuki neighborhood. She liked nearby Island Brew better, but that coffee shop was better for working, much quieter, and she wanted to keep it that way. It was a hot and humid Monday afternoon, and not surprisingly, none of the sidewalk tables were occupied.
She went inside and was hit by the smell of strong dark coffee and island beat music in the background. Every seat near the front was taken, but there was a small alcove near the back that was open. She quickly snagged it along with two chairs.
Evan was supposed to meet her here any minute. She had changed her clothes three times before leaving the house and now felt pretty dumb about it. She texted him and told him she was there, but he hadn’t replied. Maybe he was still butt-hurt for not texting him back the other night.
It was his idea to meet and deliver some good news, he said, so it wasn’t exactly a date. Still, her stomach swirled nervously, but for the first time in a long time, it was from the good kind of butterflies. She glanced sideways at the couple at a nearby table, talking and smiling into each other’s eyes. It sucked being alone.
Just as she was growing impatient, Evan finally walked in. He wore orange board shorts, a white T-shirt, and the camera backpack that went wherever he did. He smiled when he saw her. She smiled back.
“Hey. Sorry I’m late,” he said.
“It’s okay. Traffic sucks.”
Actually, traffic wasn’t that bad with UH still out for summer break. Why was she making excuses for him? She had another week of freedom before it was back to the daily grind of classes, homework, and her internship at Civil Beat. Somewhere in all that, she had to carve out time for herself and, maybe, a boyfriend.
“Nah, wasn’t that. I was waiting on my buddy. He had that info you wanted.”
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