“Yes they do.”
“Well I don’t,” Russ said as a state trooper went by them. “Just, follow that guy.”
Glen frowned as he pushed down on the accelerator and took after the state patrol car, which already seemed miles in front of them. He looked down at the speedometer as it touched ninety. “How fast do these guys drive?”
“I don’t know. How fast does it go?” Russ asked. “This isn’t New York. You don’t have to worry about running into cars out here.”
* * * *
Jerry looked down. Seeing Colton pointing a rifle up at the plane, he banked it hard to the left, looking over at Tory, who was leaning against the door. “Sorry about that. Good thing you have the door fastened good.”
“Where are you going?”
“Back to the airstrip.”
“You quitting?”
Jerry nodded, “They know where he’s at. I’m not getting this bird shot out of the air. She’s the only one I have and I can’t afford to replace her. If you want, I can land it right here and you can hitch a ride with the patrol.”
“Yeah, do that. I might be able to help them track him.”
Jerry sat the plane down on the road. “Be careful kid,” he said as Tory opened the door. “Hornbaker knows you can track, if he gets you in his sights -.”
“I know. I’ll see ya, Jerry.” Tory ducked under the plane wing and jogged away from the plane as Mac slammed on the brakes, bringing the state patrol car to a stop because of the plane on the road.
“What’s wrong?” Mac asked.
“He has to quit,” Tory answered. “Hornbaker was going to shoot his plane down.”
“Well don’t just stand there kid, get in,” Mac ordered.
Tory watched as Jerry taxied the plane down the road and pulled it up, banking it back toward town.
Twenty-Three
Colton worked his way up the side of the mountain, moving around large rock and through dense timber until he came to a creek. Glancing behind him, his eyes quickly scanned the timber, then he took off running through the water, going up stream, hoping to throw the dogs off his trail.
A quarter of a mile up the creek, Colton started up the steep incline. No one knew the land better than him, except maybe Tory Stoutman. But he doubted if Tory knew about the cave. It was a place Colton camped out in during some of his hunts, and it was on private property.
Reaching a rocky ledge, Colton could hear the vague barking of the dogs below. He smiled. “It’s the thrill of the hunt, isn’t it boys?” Looking around, it wasn’t where he wanted to make his last stand, if that’s what it came down too. He knew a place where the timber wasn’t so thick, where he could see them coming, and it was on his way to the cave. Hopefully, he’d make it that far. “I’m not going down without a fight and taking some of you with me,” he said and continued up the hill.
Glen got out of his car, looking at the dogs. The handlers of the Belgian Malinois were trying to silence their dogs, which were ready for the chase, like a Beagle on a rabbit. The few German Shepherds that were there sat silently, watching the timber in front of them, waiting.
Glen looked around. “Where’s the Blood Hounds?”
The handler of a German Shepherd looked at him. “They’re still working at Hornbaker’s place. Nothing has a nose like a Blood Hound. If there’s any more bodies buried around there, they’ll find them.”
“You don’t need them here, to help track Colton down?”
“Not with these guys.”
Glen nodded toward the German Shepherd. “Are you going to turn him loose?”
“Depends on what kind of mood Coppola’s in,” he answered. “But we don’t usually. Some of these guys are ex-military, trained for combat and they’ll kill a guy if the handler isn’t there to call them off.” He extended his hand to Glen. “Jason Traxel, don’t believe we’ve met officially. And this is Rocco,” he petted the dog’s head.
“Glen Norman,” he introduced himself. “I thought military dogs put back into society were re-schooled?” he said looking at the dog.
Jason smiled, “They call it reconditioning, but it’s kind of like this you know. They train you to be a sniper and then when you get out of the military you get a desk job, pushing a pen. Do you forget how to shoot?”
“I guess not. You know this isn’t just any guy. You’ll be lucky if he doesn’t shoot some of you and your dogs.”
“Believe me, Glen. We all know Colton Hornbaker. And Mac,” he motioned toward the man approaching them, “isn’t going to be taking any chances with him.”
Mac walked up to Glen and Jason. He looked over at Russ. “What the hell’s he doin’ here?”
“I brought him,” Glen said. “I thought you might need someone to help track -.”
“Hell he doesn’t know how to track!”
Glen frowned. “I didn’t know.”
“You goin’ with us deputy or are you staying here?”
“I’m going. I know this guy.”
“Don’t we all?” Mac said. “Jason, you got that dog ready to go?”
Jason nodded. “Yeah, we’re ready.”
Mac looked at Tory as he walked up. “I don’t think we’re going to need you on this, Tory?”
“Maybe not, but I’d like to be there just in case.”
“I’m not gonna be responsible for a bunch of civilian spectators.”
“I’m not a spectator, I’m -.”
“Hell you’re not. You’re just going for the dog show, you don’t have to tell me.” Mac shook his head. “Get your rifle out of my car. If you’re goin’, you’re goin’ armed.” He looked at Glen. “Same with you. If you’re goin’, get a rifle. This isn’t the place for a pistol.”
“I’ve never seen the dogs work like this before,” Tory said, as Glen walked up with his rifle.
“You won’t forget it, I’ll guarantee that,” Mac said, as he walked past them. He stood in front of the men with the dogs. “I only want the Shepherds on this. The rest of you need to check with Sergeant Loftus, he’s received a request for search dogs at the Grand Canyon for some lost tourist.”
“They do rescue work too, huh?” Glen asked.
Jason nodded, “Yeah, we do it all.”
“Why does Coppola just want the shepherds?”
“They have the experience he wants on this.”
“What kind of experience is that?”
Jason swallowed. “Hunting the enemy.” Taking Rocco’s lead, he led the dog over to where the other’s patiently stood waiting.
* * * *
Colton watched, waiting and listening. The cave was on the other side of the mountain, a good five days hike. To start in that direction would be futile. The dogs would catch him before he got half a mile in the rough terrain. It was better to make his stand here. If he could inflict enough injuries to the men and/or their dogs, they might pull back. It would be at that time he could slip through their fingers and possibly disappear.
* * * *
Mac waited as the handlers of the Belgium Malinois led their dogs away. “You all know who we’re dealing with here,” he stated loudly. “You know this man’s reputation as a hunter. Be careful up there. No chances. Let’s turn’em loose.”
“I didn’t think you ever let them go?” Glen asked in disbelief.
Hearing Glen, Mac turned and looked at him. “I’m not screwin’ with that ass-hole. He wants to contend with something, let him contend with these guys. They know what they’re doing as well as we do. But I’m not sending these men up there to get shot!”
“We ought to keep’em on a leash for awhile,” Jason suggested. “At least until they signal we’re getting close.”
Mac nodded, “However you want to do it, Jason. But no chances, you got that?”
“Yeah, I got it.” Jason looked at the other handlers. “Let’s get started.” Taking one of Colton’s shirts from a bag he put
it in front of Rocco. “Hunt’em,” he said.
Glen walked beside Tory, as they followed the dog handlers with the six dogs, which were followed by a dozen troopers.
“Ya ever been in on a manhunt before?” Tory asked.
“Huh-uh,” Glen said, shaking his head. “You?”
“Only to find them if their lost. Nothin’ like this.”
Coming to the creek the dogs checked the scent and started up the creek in the direction Colton had taken in attempt to throw them off his trail.
“I didn’t think dogs could track through water?” Glen said.
Tory shrugged, “You don’t want to believe everything you see on T.V.”
A mile up the steep incline, the dogs began to cower down toward the ground.
Jason gave the hand signal to stop as he knelt down to the ground. He looked around, but couldn’t see anything. He looked at Rocco, who was on the ground, alert to the area straight in front of them. “Let’em go.”
Letting the dogs loose, the men watched as the dogs moved forward, quietly moving up the hill through the woods with the handlers and troopers following as close as they could, listening for that familiar crack of a rifle.
“Where do you think he is?” Glen asked.
Tory shrugged, “It’s hard to tell. He could be hiding anywhere behind this rock. I don’t hunt this mountain.”
“I figured you hunted everywhere.”
“Mountainside belongs to a friend of Colton’s, and he only lets him hunt up here.”
They passed the ledge and continued climbing up.
A rifle cracked from above and Glen stopped wide eyed.
“Don’t stop, keep it moving!” Tory ordered.
The dogs stopped and went down to the ground. Jason gave the hand signal to get down.
Glen crouched to the ground watching Tory, the troopers and dog handlers. “What’s happening?”
Tory shook his head. “Waiting for instructions,” he finally said.
The troopers and dog handlers continued to kneel down to the ground, listening, waiting, trying to see the dogs.
“What’s going on?” Glen asked Mac, who was in front of them.
“We’re close,” Mac said lowly. “Keep quiet.”
“That was Colton shooting, wasn’t it?”
Mac nodded.
Jason looked thought a pair of binoculars, spotting Colton, who was looking at him through a rifle scope. “Get down!”
The men flattened themselves against the ground as the rifle from above them cracked.
“That son-of-a-,” Mac growled.
“What are we going to do?” Glen asked. “He’s got us pinned down.”
Mac looked at him. “Just shut up.”
Jason noted the position of Colton. He took another quick look through the binoculars, looking for a direction to send his dogs. “Rocco,” he lowly called the dogs name and motioned him to the right. Rocco and two other dogs moved off to the right as another handler motioned the other dogs to the left.
Mac looked at Glen. “You better stay here.”
“But -.”
“You don’t want to see this, believe me,” he said and started crawling up the hill with the other troopers.
Glen looked after him. As Tory moved forward, Glen followed.
The rifle cracked again, followed by two more shots, then a terrifying scream.
“Move, move, move!” Jason ordered, rushing forward.
Dog handlers and troopers rushed forward, as Glen watched in total confusion at what was going on. He heard the dog handlers yelling for the dogs to, ‘stand down’ and troopers yelling at Colton to throw his weapon aside.
Tory put his hand out against Glen’s waist as he started up the hill toward the commotion. “I don’t think we want to go up there.”
Glen looked at him. “They got him?”
“Yeah, they got him.”
Glen looked up the hill as the dog handlers, with their dogs leashed, started coming down the mountain side. Some of the dogs were bloody. At first he thought that they’d been shot. But the blood was on their mouths and chests. One of the handlers carried a black shepherd. “Is he?”
The handler could only nod.
Some of the troopers followed after the dogs, not making any comment as they looked at Glen and Tory.
Glen looked at Tory. “I’m going up.”
“Well then. I’m going with you.”
They worked their way up the steep embankment to where a few of the troopers were gathered around, looking down.
“I need more gauze,” one of the troopers said.
Looking between two troopers, Glen could see that the dogs had ripped Colton’s throat out. One of the troopers was trying to bandage it as he gasped for air.
“Anything you want to confess too?” Mac asked, picking up the scoped 30-30 rifle.
“Let me die,” Colton managed to say.
“I wouldn’t mind doing that,” Mac said. “Unfortunately, the law says we have to save your life so the taxpayer can support your sorry ass for the rest of your life.” He turned to a trooper standing beside him. “Go down and radio a chopper in here to fly him out.”
The trooper nodded, turned and stepping past Glen started down the hill.
“Damn dogs always go for the throat,” one of the troopers mumbled.
“Better him getting it, than him getting one of us,” another trooper stated.
Glen turned and followed the trooper down through the dense wooded mountain side. Reaching the bottom he saw the handlers, sitting with their dogs, cleaning blood off from their coats. He swallowed looking at Rocco as Jason cleaned the dog’s hair. “You don’t worry about him, after he’s just done that?”
Jason shook his head. “These dogs, hell no!” he answered, soaking a towel to wipe off the dog’s chest. “Sweetest dog you’ll ever find. Rocco won’t hurt anyone, unless it’s the enemy.” He smiled, looking up at Glen. “You don’t ever want to be the enemy.”
Glen swallowed. “How does he know who the enemy is?”
“I tell him. I give him a piece of a person’s clothing for scent and tell him to find them if it’s a search and rescue. If it’s someone we’re hunting, like Hornbaker, I tell him to hunt.”
“And he knows the difference?”
“Yeap. He knows the difference.” Walking to the back of the car, Jason threw the bloody towel in the open trunk. “He isn’t stupid.”
“Can I pet him?”
“Sure, you can pet him. Pet him on his body, not his head. He likes being petted. And if you want to play ball or tug-of-war, he likes that too,” Jason said closing the trunk lid.
As Glen started to lean down, he thought about what the dogs had done to Colton’s throat. He slowly stroked the dog’s back. “I’m glad nobody got hurt taking Colton down, but that guys dog -,” he motioned toward a man putting a black shepherd in his car.
“I know. Sometimes we suffer casualties, and we don’t like it. But our dogs aren’t married with kids.”
Glen nodded, “I hear what you’re saying. You let your kids around this dog?”
Jason smiled. “They play ball and tag with him all the time. It’s always three against one in tug of war, and he always wins. He’s the best baby-sitter we have. We never have to worry about who’s around our kids. So Tom and Sandy are in the hospital, huh?”
“Yeah,” Glen nodded, watching as Colton was laid on the ground. “They’re at the hospital in Santa Rosa.”
“I’ll have to take Rocco over to see them.”
“They’re not going to let you in the hospital with this dog.”
“Sure they will,” Jason said, rubbing Rocco’s ears. “Hospitals always let us in, especially when they find out that he’s a search and rescue dog.”
“I guess you don’t tell them what he just done here?”
“They don’t have to know everything. Dogs are like people. When you’re hunting
for someone that’s been lost or hurt, you want to know that they’re all right. It brings a sense of closure to a person in knowing. Dogs are the same way.”
“I’ve heard that, but I didn’t know whether to believe it or not.”
“It’s true. Rocco needs to know they’re okay. I told him to find them, but he couldn’t. Seeing them will let him know that they’re all right.”
“So what happens if he doesn’t find out that they’re all right?”
“Dogs can get really depressed if they don’t find out. Not that they have to know on every case, but… Rocco knows Tom and Sandy, and I think that makes a difference.”
Glen shrugged, “I suppose.” He looked around. “I have to go, it was nice meeting you.”
Twenty-Four
Glen pulled up in front of the old Stagecoach Inn. Getting out the car he looked around, to see who might be watching. As he walked up to Denise’s door, she opened it.
“Glen,” Denise hugged him. “I’m so glad you’re all right. I’ve been worrying about you all day. Did you get Hornbaker?”
“Yeah,” he nodded, “they got him. The girls don’t have anything to worry about anymore.”
“Nicole will be happy to hear that.”
Glen looked in her room, seeing her suitcases sitting on the floor. “You told her you’re leaving didn’t you?”
“Yeah, I told her. Nicole wasn’t very happy about it, but she said she understood and kind of suspected that I’d be leaving.”
Glen picked up her suitcases. “You’re sure you don’t mind being married to a cop?”
“I’m sure,” Denise said smiling. “We don’t mind.”
“You remember what I told you Tom said, about knowing that it’s right. This is right, Denise. No matter what anyone says.”
* * * *
Glen, carrying a suitcase, and holding Denise’s hand walked into the hospital room, where Tom and Sandy sat beside each other watching television.
“It’s good to see you’re up and around,” Glen said, as they entered the room. “How do you feel?”
“Like hell, why?” Tom asked, joking.
“We’re doin’ all right,” Sandy said, nudging Tom on the leg with hers.
“You look great.” Glen said, sitting the suitcase down. He looked at Denise, then at Tom. “I want to introduce you to Denise.”
“I think we’ve met,” Tom said looking at her. “It’s nice to see you’re changing your occupation, Ms. Keegan.”
“Yeah,” Denise smiled. “I’m going to be mom from here on.”
Tom nodded. “That was quick, but if that’s what you both want, than -.”