His Devious Angel

by Mimi Barbour

  A cell phone rang, and the bigger fellow, the one who'd driven the van, pulled it from his pocket and flipped it open.

  "Yeah?" His face first registered anger and then compliance. "Okay, whatever. Fine, they'll be ready." He shut the call off, closed it, and dropped his phone into his shirt pocket, then put his hands under his protruding stomach to balance on his hips.

  "Boss is on his way. He's bringing Sanders here to pick up the three dogs we collected on our last haul. Wants to get them out to the place and bred as soon as possible. I suppose he’ll want to drive the van back. Damn!”

  “Guess you’ll have to clean it,” Walt said with a sneer.

  “Not likely. That’s your job. Good thing you found that Pom, ’cause he mentioned him specifically.”

  "I'll get him and tie him in the barn with the others." Walt stomped forwards and wrenched open the truck door without using any precaution at all. Sadie could have told him it was a stupid thing to do, but it was too late. Peppi streaked past him like a jet-propelled furry red cannonball, straight to where Sadie huddled in the darkness.

  "Dad-blasted dog!" Walt ran surprisingly fast for a fellow with bowlegs, tight jeans, and a big stomach. "Ahhh…what do we have here?" Sadie turned to run in the other direction, but too late. He grabbed her hair and yanked cruelly.

  "Hey, Hank, come see what I found. I gots me a cute little trespasser—how ’bout that?"

  "Shit! Just what we need." Hank stomped nearer.

  For a second, Sadie wondered if she'd ever be able to cover up the bald spot in the back of her head. "Let me go. I'm here looking for my dog. She and I got separated, and when I heard voices, I thought you might have seen her."

  "And that's why you were hiding behind the fence? ’Cause you wanted to ask us about your dog? Then how come you knew the Pom's name? I heard you say Peppi, no?"

  "Yes. I mean, no. I don't know the dog, and I wasn't hiding, I was—"

  "Enough. Walt, where'd that little mutt go?"

  "Hell if I know. He ran straight to this little lady here and then disappeared." Walt had obviously taken a shine to Sadie's hair, ’cause he didn't seem to want to let go of the mass he still held twisted in his fingers.

  "We're in a pickle now. Stop messing with her hair and get her into the barn.”

  Before that could happen, Walt’s ankle became puppy-chow for a very angry bloodhound. Susie, showing a surprising amount of energy, had latched onto skin and bone and wasn’t about to let go. Slobber flying everywhere, bloodshot eyes gleaming hate, her incisors gnawed while Walt screamed. He let go of Sadie’s hair and flailed away at a twisting, growling bundle of fury.

  “You bastard! Stop hitting my dog!” Walt tried to grab Sadie before she leapt onto Hank’s back, but he reacted too slowly. Her hands gouged at beady little eyes, and it took a choke hold to get her to behave. Once Hank had her under control, he kicked Susie with cowboy boots and a lot of oomph. She rolled over and quivered, growling at the same time.

  The sneer in his voice said it all. “I’ll take her, ya big lug. You get that dog there. Might as well add a hound to our bloody group, eh?” He giggled like a girl at his own pun, grabbed a handful of Sadie’s hair and headed toward the barn. What was it about her hair that drew these suckers?

  Walt, disgusted, kicked Susie again, and she quieted. Then he found the end of her still-attached leash and dragged her pulling and snapping behind the other two.

  “Throw that hound in with the others and then tie this little one up good. We'll let the boss figure out what he wants to do with her. Then go and get that blasted runaway." Walt sounded as if his patience had fled.

  "Okay, honey chile. You come with little ole Walt, and I'll take good care of you." Walt wrapped surprisingly strong arms around her waist and started to lift. But Sadie hadn't taken all those aerobic and yoga classes for nothing. She let herself go limp, and when the move pulled him off balance, she kicked up with her foot and caught him in a place that would be guaranteed to make him talk in a higher voice for quite some time.

  Before she could gain her balance, Hank was on her and wrestled her to the ground. He seized the front of her sweater, lifted her to her toes and bitch-slapped her. Bells rang in her ears like a Sunday morning call to church. God, that hurt!

  "Quit sniveling, Walt. Get up and find that other dog. We got no time to lose. I'll tie her up. You get that mutt and then clean out the van."

  "Give me five minutes with the bitch first." Pain rang in Walt’s voice, which gave Sadie some solace. If she had to suffer, she was glad she wasn't doing it alone. The gladness disintegrated quickly with Hank's reply.

  "Later."

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  "You and Sadie going together?" Stan drove with an easy nonchalance that gave his passenger complete confidence.

  Liam realized he hadn't spoken in quite some time, and Stan might be thinking he was acting a mite strange. He did have an excuse, just not one he could share.

  First he’d filtered through the rioting emotions he’d experienced earlier. His dad had helped him more than anyone else could have. Probably his own fault, since he’d never let anyone else get that close.

  His old man had made him see that, when it came right down to it, he’d had no choice. The decisions made were under duress, and he’d reacted as a soldier was trained to act. Somehow that satisfied the guilt monster tearing him apart. He sensed that from now on he would be able to deal with the shame.

  Free of the monkey riding his back, his thoughts of Sadie could be allowed. She’d ensnared him, and he couldn't focus on anything but his need to see her again. He could tell her he loved her and carry on where they’d left off the night before.

  After the conversation with his father, he'd come to a decision. A good decision. One he knew would be right for him. And he wanted to share his news with the sassy girl who'd stolen his heart.

  "Ahem." Persistent, Stan tried again to start up a conversation. "You still with me here?"

  "Sorry, got a lot on my mind.” Liam turned to talk with Stan, and a movement in the back seat caught his attention. “Where the hell have you been? I could have used your help earlier.”

  “You swear too much, poopy-mouth. It isn’t nice.” Johnnie-boy lounged against the back seat, his long hair splayed over the headrest.

  “Who gives a sh…” An “I-told-you” grin stopped Liam from finishing his sentence. “I could have used your help earlier. How come you disappeared?”

  “I do have other duties. Untying animals, giving emotional support, I’m needed by more than you.”

  “Hellooo? Calling Liam.” Stan’s voice broke into Liam’s inner exchange. By the time he’d glanced over to an irked Stan and then snuck a short peek into the back again, his angel had disappeared. Just like the guy to appear when he’s not needed and be gone when I have a million questions.

  An answer popped into his head in that annoying British accent. “I’m not here to answer your questions, mate. Just to save your, ahh, butt.”

  Stan clicked his fingers in front of Liam, his voice rough but kind. “You okay?”

  “Sorry. Where were we? Right, Sadie. Yeah, I hope we're an item. She's a good girl. I'd like to spend a lot more time with her. What about you and Greta?"

  "Oh, I guess I'll have to marry that one. She's too perfect to throw back, and I couldn't even if I wanted to."

  "Oh, why's that?"

  "She's got my number. Always knew I'd get caught one day. Never thought she’d be such a winner."

  "I know what you mean. Guess when his time’s up, a guy's just gotta go quietly, right?" Liam laughed and was pleased at how happy he sounded.

  Stan slowed down. "I think we're getting close. Always did want to see Mara Lake, but never took the time to drive out here."

  "Mara Lake? Hell, that's where Sadie and her family are this weekend. I was supposed to join them tomorrow."

  "Well, Bud, it looks like it's a date you'll be able to keep."

  "If we ca
n free the animals and arrest the scumbags who make money off them. Can you call backup in case there's trouble?"

  "Yeah, I've been given authority to bring in the local guys, and the humane society is on standby to come in and take over the kennels, and to ensure the animals are looked after and that proper charges are laid against the perpetrators. In fact, they were more than happy to be involved in the operation. Must be pretty dull around this burg most days."

  "And that's a bad thing?"

  "Didn't say that. The farm shouldn't be too far. I think it would be best if we park here and hoof it."

  "Good thinking. Don't want them getting suspicious if they see a strange car."

  Liam felt energy building in the same way he'd always experienced before going out on duty. His spine stiffened, and he cleared his mind of everything except what was needed for the next little while.

  Stan pulled off the road into a dark switchback, stepped out of the vehicle, and checked his weapon before replacing it in his back waistband. Meanwhile, Liam collected his dark jacket and made sure his cell phone was switched to vibrate.

  "Ready?"

  "As I'll ever be."

  Night had descended, wasting no time once the sun had set. Moon rays, glinting through the trees, cast shadows over the uneven ground. Darkened foliage became nature’s weapon as branches mysteriously appeared out of nowhere. Stan crashed around like a complete greenhorn, but Liam’s training kicked in. He took lead.

  The flashlight helped some, but not wanting to break an ankle slowed them down more. Once they heard the dogs in the distance, they knew they were on the right trail. And the closer they got, the less they wanted to be seen. With the flashlight turned off, the going got even tougher.

  Liam held his hand up and whispered, “Stop grunting and swearing. Who knows if they’ve posted a guard? They could hear you from a mile away.”

  “I hate this shit.”

  “What shit?”

  “Killer trees.” A city man sounding like a youngster on his first camping trip made Liam smile. For him, this was more like a stroll in the countryside.

  “Try crawling on your belly through sand hot enough to scorch your camouflage, and all the while ducking bullets.”

  “Yeah! Whatever… Holy shit, what the hell? Is that a dog?”

  Peppi yipped a warning before he leapt from a rock, landing against Liam’s chest. Instincts kicked in as the soldier caught and wrapped the little fellow in his arms. He held on to the whimpering bundle of scared dog and surveyed the drastic changes. Branches attached to burrs stuck out all over the wretched shivering pup, his normally fluffy Pomeranian coat filthy with weeds and thistles.

  “Poor fella. It’s okay, Peppi. I’ve got you now.” Baby talk soothed the terrified Pom, and intuition told Liam it was sorely needed.

  “Is that the missing Pomeranian?” Stan reached over to help pull the worst of the branches from the dog’s mangled coat. At the same time, he awkwardly patted.

  “This is Peppi—the runaway. Smartest of the lot—and trust me, Sadie has trained all these animals on tricks you wouldn’t believe.”

  Liam gladly put up with having his face washed as he cleaned the worst of the mess off the little guy. He must be getting soft. The surprising gush of gladness he’d felt upon sight of the tiny fellow wouldn’t be admitted or shared. That loss of “macho” would be his secret.

  “Either we’ll have to take the mutt along or…or take him back to the car? What do you think?” The hesitation before the last part of his sentence emphasized Stan’s choice.

  Going back wasn’t his option either, and so he followed his gut. “We’ll take him with us. If I give him the order to be quiet, he’ll listen.”

  “Good. He came from that direction, so let’s go.”

  “No. The barking is coming from the north.” Liam pointed in the opposite way.

  “How would you know that?”

  “Trust me. It’s my job to know.” Liam purposely shook his head and made a sad face. “You city boys!”

  “Screw you, soldier.”

  “Look, I hate to beat a dead horse, but I’m trained to know night noise and how the wind carries—”

  “Lead on, then, and quit jabbering.” Laughter spread over Stan’s face, and the friendly slap on Liam’s back settled the issue. Unforeseen delight speared through his innards. It felt unexpectedly good to be part of an alliance once more, and on a mission. It had been such a long time since he’d recognized and embraced such things, he reveled in the re-awakening.

  As they approached the property, they saw exactly what Sadie had seen—a yard well lit between the back of a large house and small outbuildings scattered around a bigger imposing structure Liam took to be the barn.

  Still carrying Peppi, who’d begun to growl, Liam leaned over to speak softly in his ear. “Peppi, quiet!”

  Wriggling, straining, the agile pup loosened his grip, and before he could stop him, the dog landed on the ground and took off running. Knowing they needed to keep him in sight, the two men followed, staying low to the ground and crouching behind the plentiful bushes as they went.

  Leaping up on a mound of hay piled next to a barn’s small window, Peppi looked in. Agitated, he danced madly in circles, performing for the men. Obviously he wanted them to see what he could see, and both Liam and Stan carefully advanced and looked into the same window.

  “Son of a bit—” Stan’s hands shut off the rest of Liam’s expletive as he hauled him away from where they could be seen.

  “Shut up! Stop struggling. If they get us, there’ll be no one to help her.”

  “Screw you. Those bastards have Sadie tied up like some kind of fatted calf. I’ll kill them.”

  “Not on my watch. Look, Liam. This isn’t just stealing a few dogs any longer. We’re talking kidnapping. We have to call for back-up.”

  “You do that. I’m not waiting. That’s my girl in there.”

  “You’ll do as I say.” Steel rang in the voice, authority taking over. “I’ll arrest you if you make any move without my say-so. Got it?” Pretty hard not to, when the guy’s angry mug loomed two inches away.

  Liam took a breath and forced himself to cool down. “Got it!” Many times, he’d been the man in charge. He knew the difficulties that position held without having his men mutiny against his orders. On the contrary, they’d always respected him, and it was that which had saved their asses a number of times in battle.

  “You okay now?” Stan searched his eyes and accepted his nod of affirmation. “I’m calling it in.”

  “What if there’s only one or two guys here? We could take them, couldn’t we?”

  “How the hell are we gonna find that out?”

  “I’ve got an idea. Do you have a pen?” Stan rummaged in his top pocket. “What are you doing?”

  “Right now there’s only one guy in the back area washing a very unhappy Nicki. Good thing he’s got a muzzle on that Shepherd, and has his neck held in a holder or he’d be mincemeat. Nicki hates men. Good thing Sadie’s facing away from him. He’s tied her to the chair but her hands are in front. If I can get Peppi to take her this note, she’ll let us know how many there are.”

  “How the hell can she do that? Her mouth is gagged.”

  “Watch and learn my friend.” Liam gave Peppi the note and an order. “Give this to Sadie. Good boy. Go.”

  Both men crowded at the dirty window and watched as the dog slunk into the barn and hurried over to the girl. They knew when she caught sight of him by the stiffening of her body. And when he passed over the paper, she caught on quickly. Not being able to see them didn’t deter her from following instructions. The dog stayed next to her on the ground and watched for his orders. Soon, they saw him sit, and then he barked twice.

  “There are two men.”

  “You’re positive?”

  “Yeah!” The surety in Liam’s voice made his pronouncement indisputable.

  Peppi’s barking had alerted Hank, and the chase was o
n. Finally he cornered the poor little guy and seized him cruelly. “Come ’ere, you rotten pest. Look at the mess you’re in. It’ll take me an hour to clean you up.” He smacked the dog across the muzzle to stop Peppi’s furious noises and carried him toward the grooming section in the barn.

  Stan held Liam back once again until he calmed down. Then, speaking from the side of his mouth, his gaze riveted on the happenings inside the barn, he asked, “What did you write?”

  ‘I asked her how many men were here,” Liam muttered. His eyes stayed glued to the girl who’d stirred up longings he’d never dreamed he would feel.

  “How did she tell…? Never mind. You can fill me in later.” Stan put his unused cell phone back into his pocket, then backed away from the window and said, “You stay here and watch. I’m going to find the other dude. If I can contain him, we’ll go in and get your girl.”

  Liam nodded. Anger made speaking impossible without howling his rage. He’d never before been so personally involved in an operation of this kind. Fear and hatred ripped away the thin mantle of morality. He felt unbridled revulsion for another human being. Punching that ugly face would give him so much satisfaction that he promised himself the treat before the night was over. And if the asshole touched his Sadie one more time, he’d kill him.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Gagged and tied to a chair, with no hope of anyone knowing her whereabouts, fear began to settle in the pit of Sadie’s stomach. All she could think about was Walt’s threat and the hunger in Hank’s eyes as he’d tied her arms and then let his hands seek out places to grope and pinch that he had no right touching.

  Because he’d taken her sweater off and used it to tie her feet, the rough rope around her bare arms and wrists scraped tender skin—abrading and chafing. Bloody areas were visible where she’d worked at loosening them, and multiple bruises were already forming from the mean handling she’d received.

  It didn’t lessen her determination to get loose. If anything, that became stronger. Neither one of those two bottom-feeders had given any care for the harsh treatment they’d inflicted. And that alone didn’t bode well for entreaties or possible future begging. In fact, she knew in her heart they’d enjoy her all the more in subjugation. Not that she’d give them the satisfaction if she could help it—IF she could help it?