training exercise. This is the real thing.”
Lani’s heart beat a little faster. Though she was concerned about the missing child, the prospect of working a real case was exciting. She said a prayer of gratitude that she wouldn’t have to deal with Noah’s questions right away.
Maybe it was just the bliss of ignorance that she could be in denial a little longer. If the attacks were personal, would they let her continue in her K-9 training? She’d worked hard to get to this point. She didn’t want to lose all that or even have it be delayed.
Noah wove through traffic with a high level of skill by slipping into the pockets between moving cars and avoiding construction by taking side streets.
Noah checked his rearview mirror. “What’s with this guy?”
Lani craned her neck at the line of cars behind them. “I don’t see anything.”
“That black sedan two cars back has been doggin’ us since we left the station.”
Her muscles tensed at the sight of the car.
Sensing her unease, Oscar leaped up and licked Lani’s hand where she rested it on the back of the seat. She gave him a hand signal indicating he needed to sit. Oscar complied but shifted his weight from foot to foot as he sat back in the seat. He stretched his chin out indicating that he wanted affection from Lani.
Lani shook her head and waved her finger at the pup.
“He’s a little unfocused to be good K-9 material,” Noah said.
“He’s still young. The initial testing showed he had a strong defense drive.” She glanced one more time at the dark sedan. Encroaching fear made it hard to get a deep breath.
Noah hit his turn signal and slipped around a corner. After he’d driven several blocks, he checked the rearview mirror. She didn’t need to look over her shoulder at the traffic behind them. Noah’s expression, the tight lips and narrowed eyes, told her the sedan had turned as well.
The fenced dirt arena for the therapeutic horse stable came into view with the stables behind it. City apartment buildings and homes surrounded the little oasis for horses. She had volunteered here as a teenager. “I know the layout of this place.”
A cluster of maybe ten people with two uniformed police officers stood on the edge of the arena. A rider—a young girl—with three adults, one on each side and one by the horse’s head, trotted alongside the horse skirting the edge of the fence on the other side of the arena.
Noah pulled onto the grass beside the other patrol car where there was no fence. “I’m glad you know the layout. Let’s go get the details from the uniforms.” He got out, opened the back door and gave Scotty the command to hit the ground. Noah hooked the Rottweiler into his leash and headed toward the crowd. Lani glanced at the forlorn-looking Oscar. “You gotta stay in the car, buddy. Be good. We’re both being tested.” She shut the door just as the pup’s tail thumped on the seat.
One of the officers noticed Noah and Lani. He broke away from the crowd. Lani recognized him from the academy. He’d graduated the same time she had.
She stepped forward. “Officer Langston.”
Scotty sat at attention at Noah’s feet.
Officer Langston was short and maybe twenty pounds overweight. His physical stature was deceiving. He’d played football in high school and was strong and quick on his feet. He smiled. “Officer Branson, good to see you.” He tipped his hat toward Noah. “Chief Jameson. Just want you to know all the street patrol units have kept their ears to the ground for any news about your brother’s killer.”
A shadow seemed to fall across Noah’s face at the mention of his brother’s name. “Thank you, Officer.” The change in mood was momentary. Lani wondered if she was the only one tuned into it. “Time is of the essence in finding this kid. What is the story here?”
“More tracking dogs and search-and-rescue dogs are on the way.” Officer Langston held up a child’s red coat. “Brendan is five, he’s autistic and deaf. He comes here for lessons. The usual thing. His mom was distracted for just a second. She turned back around and her son was gone. They searched the grounds for twenty minutes before calling us.”
Lani didn’t have to have Brendan’s mom pointed out to her. It was clear the woman who gripped her purse to her chest with glazed eyes and an expression that looked like it was chiseled from stone was the distraught mom. They didn’t need to make her more upset by peppering her with questions she had probably already answered. Officer Langston would give them all they needed to know.
Lani said a quick prayer for the mother and son.
“The mom says the son might think he’s in trouble, so he’ll hide,” Officer Langston said.
And if the child was deaf, he wouldn’t hear people calling for him.
Noah grabbed the coat and let Scotty sniff it. “Let’s head up there and see what he can find.”
“Two more dogs are on their way. I’m just glad you were able to get here so fast.”
They made their way across the grounds toward the stables. Lani stared out into the streets that surrounded the little oasis of peace. Her throat tightened with fear. A five-year-old could wander out into the street pretty quickly.
“We’ve got a unit circling the block and officers on foot as well.” Officer Langston explained before breaking away and heading back to where the cluster of concerned people huddled together.
Eager to work, Scotty lurched forward, causing the long leash to go taut. They headed into the stables where the boy had last been seen. A teenager stabbed hay with a pitchfork and tossed it into a stall.
Scotty sniffed the ground. And hurried through the building.
Lani lagged behind.
“You’re here to find the kid?” said the teenager.
“Yes,” she planted her feet. “Did you see anything?”
“No, I was in another building. All I know is that kid loves animals. I can’t help but think he was chasing after a barn cat or became fascinated by a squirrel outside.”
But where was he now? She didn’t even want to think about what could have happened to Brendan if he had wandered off the grounds.
Noah exited the stables and headed toward another building with Scotty sniffing the ground.
An idea flashed through Lani’s brain. She called to Noah that she would return quickly. She headed down the hill toward the patrol car. She swung open the back door and put a leash on Oscar. He ruffled his ears while he licked her face. “Time for some on-the-job training. Let’s use your cuteness to draw out a little boy.”
Oscar leaped down to the ground. They headed back toward the stables. Her theory could be totally off base. Something sinister could have happened to Brendan. He could be miles from here by now. If he’d wandered out into the street, someone in a car could have picked him up.
She shuddered at the thought. Brendan was the age of some of the kids in one of the martial arts classes she taught.
Oh God, let there be a happy ending to all this.
She hurried across the arena just as another patrol car with another search dog pulled up. She waved at the officer as he unloaded his dog. She caught up with Noah and Scotty inside a different barn that was filled with hay.
“Scotty loses the scent inside here.” The barn appeared to be used mostly for storage of farm-type equipment, hay and other bags of feed.
“You think he’s still on the grounds somewhere?” she asked.
“Yeah, but there are a thousand places where he could be. What if he’s fallen and hurt himself.” Noah’s jaw tensed. “I hate when bad things happen to kids.”
“Let’s