Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 82282 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82282 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Mostly, he rented it out because The Dixie Wardens tended to be off putting to the normal population. Therefore, to save themselves time and heartache, Sebastian rented the place so no other kids, nor parents, could attend while we were there.
“Is he playing?” Viddy asked me.
I watched as Radar got right up next to Hemi, nudging and urging until, finally, Hemi started walking slowly towards the spraying water.
Once the water hit him, renewed vigor started to pour through Hemi, and he started moving a little more jovially until finally he was trotting, keeping up with Radar as they both frolicked and played.
“Yes, Radar’s playing with him. He looks happy, honey.” I told her, watching her face.
The next four hours went about as expected. Radar and Hemi played in the water for a good hour before Hemi finally lost his battle with the exhaustion. Once they were efficiently dried off, we took him to go get a steak dinner. Sadly, he only ate about a quarter of it before he lost the desire to eat, and nudged the rest in Radar’s direction, who’d refused to eat it.
Then the final moment came as I pulled up to my house that was set off in the woods.
At first, I’d been willing to take Hemi back to his doctor to be euthanized. Then, I’d heard about Viddy’s treatment, and knew that I’d never take them there.
Instead, I called my good friend, who took care of Radar and my other animals, Kosher, Tequilla, and Mocha. All three were German Shepherds. Radar being the oldest, at nine, followed by Kosher, who was two, and finally to Tequila and Mocha who were still small at nine weeks old.
I trusted my good friend, Dr. Zack Toler. Zack had taken care of Radar when he’d been sick or needed a check-up for nine years now, and had taken very good care of him.
“Where are we?” Viddy asked when she heard the crunch of gravel underneath the tires of my cruiser.
“How do you know we aren’t anywhere we’re supposed to be?” I asked as I put the car in park and slid out.
I let Radar out, and then made my way around the car to Viddy, who had her feet up in the seat to allow Hemi to sleep on the floorboard.
“The sounds are different. Nowhere I know has that kind of gravel. So, where are we?” She asked as she turned in her seat and placed her feet on the ground.
Not thinking about the fact that she hated being led around, I grabbed her by the elbow and took her hand to guide her to the front porch and then to a seat.
“We’re at my house. I have a friend who’s a veterinarian. He’s coming over now to help.” I explained as I walked towards the front door, opened it, and moved to the side as Kosher came barreling out.
Kosher was a bundle full of energy, which was why I’d moved Viddy out of the way as I’d done. He wouldn’t have understood that she wasn’t able to play like all the other people that came over. When my boys weren’t on the job, they were free to play and have fun just like any other dog. Which included jumping up and licking faces.
Viddy, however, wouldn’t have been prepared for the massive dog, and it was best for all if I moved her out of the way, just in case.
Kosher didn’t come barreling out, however. He came out slow. Much slower than he normally did, and walked straight to Radar who was standing beside Viddy’s open car door. Both of my boys watched as I went to the car, lifted Hemi out, and took him inside to lay him on the couch.
Hemi lay there, not moving, exhausted from all that he’d done in the last four hours.
Feeling the sadness well up, I started to walk back outside but stopped once I saw Kosher and Radar leading her in. She had a hand full of fur from each dog, and was walking slowly forward. She was reading Radar and Kosher’s cues as if she’d done it a million times before.
“Your friend is here. I heard him pull up.” She choked out.
I walked up to her, pulling her into my body and hugged her tight. She was shaking, and very near to tears.
“Do you want to be there with him?” I asked into her ear, breathing her scent in with each inhale.
She felt perfect in my arms. The only thing I wished was different were the circumstances. I wish she hadn’t called because she was in a bind. Especially one such as this.
“Yes,” she breathed, looking up at me.
Not liking that she wasn’t looking at my eyes, I took her face in my hand and moved her until her eyes were connected to my own.
Eyes so close to mine. One blue and one green. Both pale. Hypnotizing.
That was how I’d gotten my road name. Trance.
Loki had given me that name one day when a woman had turned him down after seeing me.
“It’s like they’re in a trance. Once they get a look at your pretty fuckin’ eyes, they don’t want to see anything else!” He’d whined.
Loki was another member of The Dixie Wardens, and my best friend. We’d met first on the force and, shortly after, prospected for the Wardens together. Both of us had been sponsored by Sebastian, only a year after Sebastian had become a member himself.
“Trance, is it okay that I come in?” Zack asked from my front door.
I looked up to see him watching Viddy and me.
He was a short man. In his late fifties, Zack had been in practice for nearly thirty years. He’d moved here all the way from North Dakota, and I’d found him by chance when I’d needed an emergency vet for Radar when he’d swallowed a chicken bone.
It also said something about him that he didn’t just come barging into my territory. Radar and Kosher, although somewhat occupied with Hemi, were not totally ignorant to what was going on, and Zack knew that.