Lucas (The K9 Files Book 5)

by Dale Mayer

  “Not once I got in behind them,” he said. “I think that disturbed them more than they were comfortable with.”

  “It’d be nice if the cops got to them first.”

  “With any luck, they will,” he said cheerfully.

  She led the way down the hall to the stairs. “Damn. No elevator,” she said on a laugh.

  “Just keep going,” he said. They huffed and puffed their way up to the second floor. They put the cage down at the door. Tanya took a few deep breaths as she slid her key in the lock. They pulled the cage into her apartment, Top Hat whimpering quietly. While she locked the door, Lucas bent down and opened the cage door and leaned in to check on Top Hat. “He doesn’t look too bad,” he said. “It’ll be interesting to get him in and out to go to the bathroom.”

  “I know. I was thinking about that,” she said. “You’ll have to carry him.”

  “We’ll see,” he said. “He’s still pretty out of it.”

  “Good,” she said. “That’s the way I’d like to be right now.” She stood on her feet, swaying. “You good with the couch?”

  “I’m fine with the couch,” he said as he took off his jacket, kicked off his shoes and stretched out on the couch. She stared at him in surprise. “Don’t you want a blanket or a pillow?”

  “If you’ve got them, sure,” he said.

  She nodded, headed to her linen closet and pulled out a blanket and pillow, carried them to him. “See you in the morning.” She walked past Top Hat, smiled down at the dog and said, “Sleep well, Top Hat.”

  In her room she took care of her evening ritual in double time and dropped face-first on her bed. She was beyond exhausted. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

  Lucas couldn’t believe he was actually at Tanya’s place. It was a different one than he’d been in before of course, but the place had never mattered to him. It had been all about her. They’d spent a lot of nights together, a lot of evenings together, making plans for their future, except for the one big issue always there between them. It wasn’t the time to start thinking about that now because, unlike her, he was constantly on the lookout for anyone following them.

  He had taken a couple corners to evade them, hoping they didn’t know where she lived. If they did, it would be a mess. Even though he was confident nobody had seen him, he hadn’t hidden his vehicle. He had parked it across the street. He knew he wouldn’t sleep well because of that.

  He drifted in and out a couple times. Sat up, checked the street in front, stood at the door, listening for any movement in the hall. No activity. Went back to sleep.

  In the morning he got a text, waking him up. It was six a.m. It was one of the cops telling him they had raided three properties last night, and another twenty-four dogs had been recovered. The men from the restaurant were still at large. Lucas winced. “Great. Means they are probably looking for us, pretty hard-core,” he mumbled to himself.

  He dialed Detective Madison. When he answered, Lucas said, “Any chance they know who I am?”

  “I don’t know,” the detective said. “We did raid these three properties, and I know we’re not done yet. We’re hoping to get a few more.”

  “Right,” Lucas said. “I’ll put my sister and brother-in-law on alert then to make sure. I’ve still got Top Hat, and we’re at Tanya’s place but will be heading over to my sister’s soon.”

  “Good,” the detective said. “Maybe get there a little earlier just to be sure. It’ll be a long weekend as we’ll still be searching as many of these properties as we can find.”

  “Good enough,” Lucas said. He hopped up to put on some coffee, coaxed Top Hat out of his cage, and he seemed a lot more subdued. They slowly made their way down the stairs. Top Hat was a trooper, he barely whimpered. He took care of his business as Lucas looked around at the driveways and the parked vehicles.

  No sign of the vehicles from the night before, and nothing looked different from when they had pulled in during the night. Top Hat was feeling a little more energetic as they made their way back inside.

  “Probably hungry, right, boy?” Lucas asked.

  When he opened the apartment door, Tanya stood there, an odd look in her eyes.

  “I didn’t want to wake you,” he said. “I took Top Hat out to go to the bathroom.”

  “I was standing here, surprised to see the truck, thinking that maybe you had taken off again.”

  “Again?”

  She shrugged. “It was part of our life together, wasn’t it? You were always going off somewhere.”

  “Well, life has changed in that regard. I don’t even have a normal job anymore,” he said with a smirk. “I need to head back to my sister’s place. The cops contacted me to say they’ve raided three more properties and have a few more they’re looking into. And the four jerks from the restaurant are still at large. Wanted to make sure I kept an eye out.”

  She frowned. “Do they think they’ll go to your sister’s?”

  “I don’t know if anybody knows who I really am,” he said, “but let’s not take that chance.”

  “I’m coming with you then,” she said.

  “That’s fine,” he said. “You can. I did make coffee, but I figured, after that, I’d leave.”

  “We will leave,” she corrected. She poured two cups of coffee. “Maybe I’ll grab a quick shower.”

  He nodded. “I’ll feed Top Hat the leftover steak.” He cut the steak up into bite-size pieces and fed him by hand. The dog took it gently and chewed slowly. Lucas filled a bowl with water, and Top Hat seemed to enjoy that more.

  When Tanya came back out with her long blond hair braided down one side, he thought of the number of times he had wrapped that braid around his hand and used it to pull her to him to kiss her. He forced himself to look away and take several long, slow, deep breaths.

  “Are you okay?” she asked as she pulled on a sweater.

  He nodded. “If you’re ready, we can leave now.”

  “I had one cup of coffee. I’m good to go,” she said.

  “In that case, let’s leave.” He walked over to Top Hat, who was lying in the cage. Lucas bent to close the door and whispered, “Let’s go, boy.” But Top Hat didn’t want the door closed. He got up and stepped out of the cage.

  “Are you okay to walk?”

  Top Hat’s tail thumped the ground. There was no sign of aggression. He was more than happy to leave.

  Lucas hooked the leash on him, lifted the cage with one hand and led the dog from the apartment. They walked over to the truck, Tanya trailing behind. Lucas loaded the cage in the bed and walked back up to Top Hat. He was still wagging his tail.

  “Okay,” Lucas said. “We’ll try it your way.” He helped him into the back seat and waited until Tanya got in front and climbed into the driver’s side. He looked at Tanya. “Ready?” he asked her.

  She nodded. “As much as I will be. While Meg and I talk a lot, I haven’t seen your whole family in a while,” she admitted.

  “Well, they’re not scary,” he said. “Let’s go make sure they’re all okay.”

  She nodded. It was a fifteen-minute drive. When he pulled up, his sister stepped out and waved.

  “Glad to see you back,” she said cheerfully. “Everybody doing okay?” Her gaze was on Tanya.

  Tanya smiled and nodded. “Yes,” she said. “Everything is good.”

  Relief washed over Meg’s face, and she broke into a bigger smile.

  Lucas looked from one to the other and said, “Yes, things are okay.” He opened the back door and helped Top Hat out. The dog shook out his fur and sniffed the air as he walked slowly in the house with Lucas.

  Nathan was seated at the kitchen table but stood up when Lucas and his dog entered the house. Nathan smiled and said, “I figured you’d find him.”

  “I found him, but he was shot.”

  His sister was behind him and gasped out loud. “Oh, the poor dog.”

  He sat down and explained everything that had gone on. Top Hat sa
t down, then slowly slid to a lying position beside him. He looked down and gently stroked him on the top of his head. “He’s been through a lot.”

  “Those damn dogfighting rings,” Nathan grit out.

  “They carried out raids on three more properties,” Lucas said. “We had some ugly business at the restaurant last night. Now the police are concerned about me, about you.”

  “Let me go check on the dogs,” Nathan said.

  Top Hat lifted his head curiously but slowly stood, as if not sure what was happening.

  “I’ll go with you, Nathan,” Lucas said. “You girls stay inside, okay?”

  His sister looked at him worriedly. “Okay,” she said. “You take care.”

  He nodded, and Lucas and Nathan headed outside. They checked all the pens. “Looks good. For—”

  A weird ping hit the barn, and they both ducked instinctively. Something hit the metal roofing.

  Trouble had come home.

  Chapter 11

  “What was that?” Tanya jumped to her feet and ran to the window. She watched as Lucas crouched down low, slipped behind a building and headed over to the far side of the property. She glanced around, trying to see what she’d heard and where’d it had come from. There was a flash of light on top of the hill. “I think somebody just shot at your dog pen,” she cried out.

  Meg stared at her. “What?”

  Top Hat struggled to his feet and eased his way over to her, a low growl escaping. He stared out the glass doors, which offered him visibility from his height.

  Tanya bent down beside him. “It’s okay, boy. You’re not going back there.”

  Top Hat turned to look her in the eyes. She smiled, not seeing any aggression in him. She reached up and scratched him under the chin and on the back of the head. “But you’re injured and in pain. Stay put.”

  Just as she said that, there was another shot. She cried out, and Top Hat, instead of skulking, bristled.

  He barked at the glass door. She looked at Meg. “What should we do?”

  “I’d probably let him out,” Meg said. “Lucas would know how to get him under control.”

  Tanya pulled out her phone and called Lucas. “Top Hat wants to join you. Were those shots fired?”

  “Yes,” he said. “But I don’t want the dog out here because he could get shot again.”

  “It will get scary in here,” she said, “because he has absolutely no intention of sticking around if he can get outside. His barking will wake up the kids.”

  “Fine. Open the door. I’ll call him to me.”

  “Will do,” she said. She walked over to Top Hat and opened the door.

  Top Hat bolted outside. There was a whistle, and Top Hat raced for it.

  Another shot was fired and missed Top Hat.

  Tanya swore and turned to find Meg calling the police.

  That was exactly what needed to happen. “Tell him to contact the detective in charge of the dogfighting raids.”

  Meg filled in the police dispatcher and told them to send someone quickly. Tanya darted around the house, looking through windows. Two children were in this house, and, although they slept, she didn’t know for how long. Soon. through a window, she saw another glint coming around the property. She texted Lucas, letting him know what was happening.

  The response was instant. I see it. It was followed by an order. Stay inside.

  She snorted, then heard a gun cocking and turned to Meg, surprised. “Do you have another one?”

  Meg laughed. “Anybody in the country has at least two,” she said. She walked over to a gun cabinet and pulled out a second shotgun, then locked it back up.

  Tanya hadn’t fired a gun in a long time. Lucas had taught her. He’d said it was better to know how to use a gun and not need it than to have one and not know how to use it.

  At the time she’d laughed, but he had been insistent that she learn to load and how to shoot. She was not into target practice because it was loud. But, right now, she was damn grateful to have this gun in her hand.

  She texted Lucas. Both of us holding loaded shotguns.

  There was no answer, but she figured he’d gotten the message. She turned toward Meg, who was at the back door talking on the phone. She went to her side. “What’s going on?”

  “Nathan’s pulling all the dogs inside.”

  “Good. But that won’t help get these guys.”

  “I know.”

  Another shot was fired outside, and it slammed into the house. Meg raced to where the boys were sleeping. They were fine.

  The master bedroom was a little higher because it was a split-level house. Tanya eased over to look out the window. She caught sight of Lucas on the left side of the property, sneaking around the top of the hill with Top Hat at his side. She wanted to scream at him to get out of sight, but he was too far away, and she didn’t want to draw any attention to him. But her breath caught in her throat as she spotted another flash from the morning sun reflecting off a rifle as it was leveled in Lucas’s direction.

  She shoved open a window and popped out her shotgun. “Don’t you dare.”

  The rifle turned toward her. She fired the double-barrel weapon without a thought. She watched as dirt kicked up in front of the rifle, and then no one was there. She didn’t know if she’d hit anyone. She didn’t give a damn. They were trying to kill Lucas and Top Hat. This was private property. She could feel a rage, an old rage she’d tamped down for a long time. It had burst free with Claire and Alice. Right now she wanted a target for all that pent-up rage.

  She headed back to the kitchen, popped two more shells out of the box on the counter and reloaded her shotgun, then stuffed six more shells into her pockets.

  She looked up to see Meg staring at her—her face white and her eyes dark. She shook her head. “So far everybody’s fine, but I was making sure nobody got a shot off at Lucas or Nathan.”

  Meg nodded. “Thank you.”

  Tanya gave her a grim smile. “We’re in this together,” she said. “I’ll be damned if those assholes are the last ones standing.”

  Lucas couldn’t believe she was armed and ready. Once she’d fired her shot, he’d already made his way around to the house, and, as he came around a side building, somebody tried to lift a weapon, which Lucas yanked from his hand. “Do you really want to take that chance?”

  The man swore softly. “No, I’m done,” he whispered through gritted teeth, falling to the ground. “She got my hand. I’ll be lucky if I have the use of it again.”

  “I won’t feel one damn bit sorry for you either,” Lucas said, bending down to check out the hand. “Not bad for one shot. Phone, wallet. Now.”

  The injured man slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone and wallet. He handed them over.

  “Cops are on the way,” Lucas said. “Either you can sit here and bleed to death or you can make your way down the driveway, and, with any luck, you’ll be picked up by the cops first.”

  The guy only moaned.

  “You better get some pressure on that fast.” He ripped the guy’s T-shirt and bound the wound. “I’m not happy you are here,” he said. “And, if you think we aren’t shooting the rest of your buddies, you’re wrong. Dead wrong.”

  “I warned Joe last night that you were not somebody to mess with,” the man said. “My name is Jake. If I don’t make it, make sure somebody tells my wife.”

  “Somebody will tell your wife all right,” Lucas said. “Is that really how you want her to find out?”

  He shook his head. “No, she told me to get out of the business a long time ago. But I wouldn’t listen.”

  “And why is that?” Lucas asked. “Because you know this will just get uglier.”

  Jake shrugged. “I’ve known these guys since high school. I’m the lightweight. They will expect me to be the first one taken out.” He swore as he looked at his hand and saw the blood already seeping through the cloth. “I feel like this is pretty major.”

  “Yep,” Lucas sai
d. He already had his phone out, contacting Detective Madison. “I’ve got one down, with major bleeding.”

  The detective swore into the phone. “You’ve got a tactical team coming at you. How bad is it?”

  “There’s at least four of them.” He looked at the Jake, whose gaze shifted sideways. “Or at least twice that.”

  Jake gave a half nod. “Jake is nodding, which means we got one down and seven to go. But I got my sister, two little boys, my brother-in-law, Tanya and a lot of innocent animals on this property. You know I won’t let this go down without a fight.”

  “We’re on the way,” the detective said. “Try to stay down until we get there.”

  “Bring some body bags with you then.” Lucas ended the call. “Start walking. If you’re lucky, your own buddies won’t pop you before you get to the end of the drive.”

  Jake shot him a look. “Don’t underestimate them. Most are ex-military, with three draft dodgers from Idaho.”

  “Great,” Lucas said. “I hope I meet them face-to-face. I don’t have much use for dogfighting monsters or deserters.”

  “Give me a hand up?” Jake asked.

  Lucas stretched a hand down, helping Jake to his feet, pointing him in the direction of the driveway. “Go.”

  He didn’t give Jake a chance to argue, he turned and disappeared with Top Hat at his side. One down, seven to go. He sent that info to his brother-in-law with a warning. Watch your back.

  He thought he saw a flash off a rifle. That was the problem with a handgun versus a rifle. Reflections from a handgun barrel were easy to hide but reflections from a rifle barrel, not so much. Keeping to the trees, he snuck up and circled around so he was slightly higher. He crouched down to the ground, Top Hat at his side, his growl low. Lucas reached out a hand to still him. “Easy, boy. We can’t let them know we’re here.”

  The two watched intently, Lucas scanning the area, and finally a shift of movement gave away someone’s position on the opposite side of where Lucas was. He noted the position and spotted the metal blinking in the light. There were two men.