Lone Wolf Standing

by Carla Cassidy

  She leaned into him, noting the pleasant scent of his cologne, the faint smell of beer on his breath, despite the terrible circumstances. “I let Highway out to r-run. Then Roxy called and I ran back inside to a-answer the phone. When I got off the phone Highway was g-going crazy barking someplace in the woods. He barked and barked and then he yelped and then there was silence.”

  She gulped back fresh tears as Jimmy pulled her more closely against his side and she thought of that moment when she’d heard that terrible yelp and then the ensuing terrifying quiet. “I thought maybe he’d gotten caught in a hunter’s trap. No matter how often I check my property, there’s always a chance some creep has put a trap out there. So I went to look for him and then a m-man j-jumped out of the darkness and tried to grab me.”

  Jimmy’s arm tightened around her. “A man?”

  “A t-tall, big man dressed all in black and wearing a ski mask.” She couldn’t halt the shudder that swept through her. “He started chasing me and I ran like I’ve never run before.”

  “Did he say anything to you?”

  She shook her head. “Not a word.”

  “Did anything about him appear familiar?”

  “No. H-he was just big and scary and he was trying to c-catch me.”

  “And you don’t know why?” Jimmy’s voice was soft, but with a steel undertone.

  “I have no idea. I j-just knew that a man in a ski m-mask wasn’t anyone I wanted near me. Highway’s probably d-dead, isn’t he?” She looked up into his dark brown eyes, needing him to tell her differently, but seeing in the depths of his gaze that he believed her words.

  Before he had an opportunity to give her a verbal response that she knew would break her heart, a knock fell on the door. “Our backup has arrived.” He gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze and then got up from the sofa to answer the door.

  Steve and Frank came in first, followed by officers Chelsea Loren, Joe Jamison and Wade Peterson. All of them were armed with both guns and high-beam flashlights.

  Sheri remained on the sofa, fighting against a wave of chills as Jimmy quickly filled in the others on what had happened.

  Joe, a big man with shoulders the size of mountains, walked across the room and crouched down in front of Sheri. “We’re going to figure out who chased you tonight and we aren’t going to leave here until we find Highway.”

  Sheri placed a hand on his shoulder. “Thanks, Joe.”

  He rose and Jimmy took his place, holding out a hand to her. “Come on, we’ll wait in the kitchen while the others search the area.”

  It took only minutes for the team to go out the kitchen door and quickly disappear into the woods, the only sign of their presence the illumination of their flashlights flittering around like fireflies on steroids.

  Sheri sat at the table, Jimmy next to her. Now that the danger had passed, all she could think about was Highway and whatever had happened to her faithful companion.

  “I can’t imagine my life without him,” she said, fighting back a fresh spill of tears. She got up from the table and moved to the back door where through the screen door she could hear the sound of the officers as they not only searched for her dog, but also for any sign that her pursuer might have left behind.

  She was aware of Jimmy getting up from the table and coming to stand just behind her, the nearness of his body warming her skin, but unable to pierce through the icy chill that still held possession of her heart.

  “What are the odds?” she said more to herself than to him. “What are the odds that Aunt Liz would disappear, that Roxy and Marlene would be attacked by unrelated assailants, and now somebody chased me through the woods in an attempt to grab me?”

  Jimmy placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed gently. “We’ll figure this out, Sheri.”

  She knew he meant to reassure her, but at the moment she was less afraid for herself than what the searchers would find of Highway.

  Her enchanted cottage would no longer feel magical without Highway’s presence. He’d been her companion for the past year. Her vision blurred with tears as she continued to stare outside.

  “Can you think of anyone who might want to harm you? Had any problems at the store lately?”

  “No, no problems with anyone either at the store or out of it. I can’t imagine anyone who might want to hurt me.” But she’d experienced the determination of the man who had chased her, she had felt his desperation to get her. What she couldn’t imagine was why.

  If he’d managed to grab her what would he have done with her? Would he have sliced her throat? Strangled her? Or would he carry her off someplace to keep, making her just another woman who had vanished from the small town of Wolf Creek?

  Once again her body shivered uncontrollably and Jimmy’s hands on her shoulders tightened. She breathed in through her mouth and out through her nose in an attempt to slow her heartbeat to a more normal pace, but it didn’t seem to be working.

  What she wanted to do was turn around, to fall back into Jimmy’s arms and find some kind of comfort. She was just about to do that when a voice cried from the woods.

  “I found him.”

  Joe Jamison appeared from the woods, Highway limp and appearing small in the big man’s arms.

  Sheri raced out the door, Jimmy right behind her. “Is he...?” She couldn’t bring herself to finish the awful sentence.

  “He’s alive,” Joe said. “At least he’s breathing, but he’s unconscious.”

  “We need to get him to the emergency clinic,” Sheri said, tears splashing down her cheeks as she saw Highway’s tongue lolling from his mouth, the utter stillness of his body and an unnatural bend in one of his front legs.

  Jimmy took Highway from Joe. “You all keep searching for any evidence you can find. I’ll check in with you later.”

  Sheri hurried after Jimmy as he headed for his car, her heartbeat racing so fast nausea twisted in her stomach. Were they already too late? Was Highway already lost to her?

  Jimmy placed the dog carefully in the backseat and then he and Sheri were on their way to the emergency animal clinic just off Main Street.

  “I’m going to buy bullets for my shotgun and if Highway doesn’t make it, I’m going to find out who did this and kill him,” she said passionately.

  Jimmy was smart enough not to reply.

  Chapter 8

  Only once in Jimmy’s life had he briefly felt the bond of intense love and that had been years ago when he’d been a child. Since that time he’d never really bonded with anything or anyone, but he felt Sheri’s love for the dog that remained unmoving in the backseat of his car as he sped to the clinic.

  He also experienced a burn of anger deep in his gut, felt the uncertainty of the entire situation sitting like a ton of bricks on his back.

  Somebody had attacked Sheri. That somebody had first rendered her protection dog unable to come to her aid and then he’d gone after Sheri.

  Who and why?

  Somebody had been in the woods, clad in dark clothes and a ski mask. He’d obviously been waiting for the opportunity to kidnap or kill Sheri. If the chase hadn’t occurred in the woods, he might have come through a window in the house or burst through the front door. Who had been in those woods just waiting for an opportunity?

  He shoved these thoughts aside as he turned into the parking lot of the animal clinic where veterinarian Dr. Chris Cusack and a technician manned the overnight hours.

  Sheri was once again weeping silently as Jimmy gently picked up the limp Highway. He was grateful that the dog was still breathing, but he showed no signs of consciousness.

  They hurried into the quiet, antiseptic-scented waiting room where Dr. Cusack took one look at them and quickly motioned them into a back operating area.

  “What happened?” he asked tersely as Jimmy laid
Highway on the steel table.

  “We aren’t sure,” Sheri replied, her voice trembling.

  “Somebody tried to attack Sheri. She heard Highway yelp, but didn’t see what was done to him.”

  Dr. Cusack was a short, thin man with thick black-rimmed eyeglasses that gave him the appearance of a meek, mild bookworm. His appearance had nothing to do with his dynamic, authoritative personality.

  “Out,” he bellowed at them, and pointed to the door that would return them to the waiting room.

  Jimmy sensed Sheri’s hesitation, so he took her by the hand and physically pulled her from the room. Together they sat side by side on the uncomfortable plastic chairs in the waiting room.

  “At least he’s still alive,” Sheri said as she twisted her hands together in her lap.

  “He’s a tough cookie and Dr. Cusack is a great vet.” Jimmy fought the impulse to take one of her hands in his, to somehow give her the strength to get through whatever news the doctor might have when he appeared again.

  As the minutes ticked by and Jimmy knew he was helpless to do anything to aid in Highway’s condition, his thoughts went to the most troubling aspect of the night.

  Who had been after Sheri and why?

  “Maybe Travis was angrier than we initially thought about me holding him at gunpoint,” she said, as if she could read his thoughts. “Maybe he just wanted to scare me by chasing me through the woods.”

  “Maybe,” Jimmy said dubiously. “But I can’t imagine Travis having anything to do with what happened tonight. I also can’t imagine him doing something to hurt Highway. He might be a hunter, but he usually only hunts for what he eats.”

  Sheri looked at him, her eyes filled with a distrust he knew was probably alien to her character. “Maybe he was back there hunting again and when Highway alerted to his presence he just freaked out.”

  “We’ll check him out, Sheri. I told you, I won’t rest until we get to the bottom of this.”

  She frowned. “I just hate not knowing who to trust. It’s a little weird, isn’t it? My mother shows up for the first time in years and suddenly there’s a man chasing me through the woods.”

  “I don’t see how to tie those two things together,” Jimmy said. “She would have had to hire some man to chase you, and in any case why would she want to hurt you?”

  “I don’t know...crazy thoughts.” The distrust in her eyes transformed to a comforted warmth. “There’s one thing positive, it’s good to have a detective as a friend.”

  Jimmy nodded, although he was beginning to think that this whole friends thing had been a stupid idea from the very beginning. He had definitely been having more than “friends” kinds of thoughts about her in the past couple of days.

  He jumped when his phone rang. It was Steve. “Have you found anything?” Jimmy asked.

  “Nada,” Steve said. “Oh, there are plenty of broken tree branches, indications of a chase going on through the woods, but we haven’t found a scrap of material or a single piece of evidence that might point to the culprit. We plan on coming back first thing in the morning to take another look. We’ll have more light then and maybe can spot something we’ve missed in the darkness.”

  “I appreciate it,” Jimmy said.

  “How’s Highway doing?”

  “We don’t know. He’s in the back with Dr. Cusack. We’re waiting to hear something. I’ll let you know what we learn first thing in the morning.”

  “Until then,” Steve said, and they hung up.

  Jimmy pocketed his phone and this time he didn’t fight the impulse to take one of Sheri’s hands into his. He’d feared she might pull away, but instead she squeezed his tightly.

  “Let me guess, they didn’t find anything,” she said miserably.

  “It’s dark, Sheri, and searching an area that large with flashlights is difficult. All the officers plan to be back in those woods first thing in the morning to see if they can find something to help us identify the man who was after you.”

  She leaned her head back against the pale green wall. “I feel like this is all a terrible nightmare and I just need somebody to wake me up.”

  “I wish it were a nightmare,” Jimmy agreed. “I’d be the first person to wake you. But what we have to figure out now is who would want to hurt you. I need you to think long and hard about it.”

  “At the moment all I can think about is Highway.” She focused her gaze on the door that separated the waiting room from the operating room. She narrowed her eyes, as if by sheer willpower alone she could send healing vibes to the dog she loved.

  “Okay, right now you think about Highway, but sooner than later you need to think about who that man in the woods might be,” he told her.

  She nodded and once again leaned her head back, this time closing her eyes. Jimmy took the opportunity to take in each and every one of her features.

  She was so unlike either of her sisters. Roxy was a sexy, fiery Italian with bold features that screamed of sensuality. Marlene was like an old-fashioned movie star, with her blond hair, blue eyes and glamorous sense of style.

  But as far as Jimmy was concerned, her older sisters paled when next to Sheri’s quiet, natural beauty. Her whisky-colored eyes were fringed by long dark-brown lashes. Her nose was straight with just enough upturn at the end to be slightly impish, and her lips were full and made to smile...or to kiss.

  He shouldn’t think about kissing her. He shouldn’t even want to kiss her, yet he did. The desire to taste her mouth had been on his mind for days.

  She even looked pretty with her red T-shirt grass-stained and twigs and leaves tangled in her thick hair. Yes, he definitely wanted to kiss her.

  He yanked his gaze from her and instead focused on a wall across the room that contained a bulletin board with photos of dogs needing homes.

  Maybe that was what he needed...a dog. He immediately dismissed the idea. His hours were too erratic to have a pet. Besides, he saw the way Sheri was bonded to Highway. He wasn’t sure he knew how to bond with either animal or a human so closely. He wasn’t sure he wanted to.

  “What’s taking so long?” Sheri asked, her voice laden with gut-wrenching worry.

  “Be grateful that he hasn’t come out and told us he can’t do anything more to help Highway,” Jimmy said.

  “You’re right. The doctor has to be doing something and that means he believes there’s hope, right?”

  Those beautiful eyes of hers gazed at him, obviously seeking confirmation. At that moment with her eyes looking so trustingly into his, he would have told her the moon was green if that was what she needed to hear.

  Thankfully the door to the operating room opened and Dr. Cusack walked out. Sheri bolted up from her chair as if she’d been hit by lightning and Jimmy stood with her, bracing himself not so much for what the doctor might say, but for how what he said would affect Sheri.

  “I took a complete set of X-rays and discovered his front leg was broken. Thankfully it was a clean break and easy to set and cast,” Dr. Cusack explained.

  “Is that why he’s unconscious?” Sheri asked.

  Dr. Cusack shook his head. “I’ve drawn blood to do a series of tests. I think he’s either been poisoned or tranquilized in some way. At this point I’m leaning toward some sort of tranquilizer as he isn’t exhibiting the normal symptoms of poisoning.”

  Sheri stiffened and Dr. Cusack continued. “I won’t have all the test results until morning. Right now he’s resting easy. I have him hooked up to fluids and I think it would be best if he stays right here for a couple of days.”

  “But, he’s going to be all right,” Sheri pressed.

  “I think things look encouraging. Go home, Sheri. I’ll do what needs to be done to help Highway and there’s nothing more right now that you can do for him.”

  “Just please let m
e know when he’s conscious, no matter what time of day or night it is, promise you’ll call me and let me know.”

  Dr. Cusack smiled at her. “Of course I’ll call you. I’ve seen you with that dog since he was a malnourished puppy. I know what he means to you.”

  “Come on, Sheri,” Jimmy said gently. “Let’s get you home.”

  Her shoulders slumped in defeat beneath his arm as he led her out of the building and to his car. “He looked more tranquilized than poisoned to me,” Jimmy said once they were back in his car, hoping to lift her spirits somehow.

  “That’s better than being poisoned, right?”

  When he pulled out of the animal clinic parking lot, he was aware of the weight of her intense gaze on him. “I’m no veterinarian, but I would think that definitely it’s better to be tranquilized than poisoned.” He shot a glance in her direction.

  She frowned. “That man in the woods broke his leg. I don’t know how he managed to do it, but I know in my gut he probably broke the leg and then somehow injected him with something. Highway would never take anything to eat from anyone but me, no matter how tasty the food might look or smell. Jed and I trained him too well.”

  They drove for a few minutes in silence. “Sorry about the pizza plans,” she finally said.

  He flashed her a quick smile. “Nothing to apologize for. I’m guessing you didn’t plan for a man to attack your dog and then chase you in the woods tonight. I think I can forgive you for not meeting up with me for a slice of pizza.”

  “Thank God you came to find me.” She wrapped her slender arms around her shoulders, as if chilled despite the warmth of the night. “If you hadn’t shown up when you did, I think he would have caught me. I will tell you this, he seemed to know the woods as well as I did, so it has to be somebody local.”

  “We’ll figure it out.” He seemed to be saying that a lot lately. “Maybe in the daylight tomorrow we’ll find a piece of his clothing snagged on a tree branch, or something he dropped while he was chasing you.”