Chapter 7

"I can walk back to my place from here, if you want," Brittany offered.

"No," Baron said, "not with these two on our tails and especially not in the dark. I'll ensure that you get home safe," he murmured. He glanced into his rearview mirror, then stiffened ever-so-slightly.

She knew what that meant. "That's them, isn't it?"

"It is. Now let's see what they'll do."

The two guys drove slowly up the road.

She asked, "Do you want me to hide?"

He nodded. "If you don't mind."

She ducked down against the front of the dash, as he slunk down below the windshield, so the gunmen couldn't see him either. "Do you think they saw us?" she asked him.

"No, I don't think so." He glanced around at the neighborhood. "They'll be looking to see if we're here somewhere."

"But it also means that they did come looking for us," she whispered. "Do you think they recognized your truck?"

"A bullet hole is in the side of it, isn't there?"

She gasped. "I never even thought of that."

"Well, it's a good way for them to identify the vehicle, and it's also why I didn't want them to know where you live."

She shook her head, as she watched him from the floorboard. "I can't believe this is what my life has come to."

He shot her a smile. "Hey, it could be worse."

"Yeah, how's that?"

"You could be alone right now."

She winced. "I hadn't even thought of that, but you're right, so thank you." He just waved his hand. "Do you think it's safe to pop up yet?"

"Not yet. I'm waiting to see if they'll get out and walk the area."

"Oh no, that wouldn't be good," she muttered. "I don't like the idea of that at all."

"Which is why we'll stay right where we are and see what they do. They've pulled over to the shoulder and are parked ahead of us."

"Shit," she muttered. She couldn't see anything, hidden as she was. To top it off, it was very sense depriving. The truck was old and smelly. "Is this Brad's truck?"

He looked at her and smiled. "It is."

"You took your brother's truck?"

"I didn't think he would need it anymore," he pointed out mildly, "and it's the perfect vehicle for the work I'm doing."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way."

"It's fine," he replied. "People say all sorts of things when they're in these situations."

"How often have you been in these situations?" she asked, looking over at him. "So often that you can understand people's reactions?"

"Yep. I've seen a lot," he stated.

She stared at him. "I think there are a lot of ghosts in your history."

He glanced at her and then nodded. "Yeah, I suppose there are, but part of rebuilding my life was making sure I didn't bring the ghosts with me."

"Is that possible?"

"I hope so," he declared. Then he whispered, "Hold on. They're getting out."

"Crap," she muttered. "I feel the need to run, but I've got no place to go."

"No, we won't run," he murmured. "Worst case, I'll drive away and leave them staring after us."

"But that will let them know that we're aware of what they're doing."

"Yep," he replied shrewdly, "and that's the nature of this cat-and-mouse game. I would just as soon have the upper hand and not let them know it just yet, if we don't have to."

She nodded and then buried her face in her hands.

He gripped her shoulder. "It'll be okay."

She nodded, turning slightly to look at him. "Says you." But she noticed that his gaze was centered outside, and she had to wonder how much he could see. "What are they doing now?"

"They're walking the block," he shared, "but they're going away from us. I suspect they'll come around on the far side, so they can keep an eye on where we are, without looking like they're searching for us."

"Crap," she muttered.

Just then his phone rang, and he quickly answered it. She listened in, as he talked to Badger.

"Yes," he murmured, "it's the same vehicle. Two cops apparently went to the site where we were earlier and talked with Brittany. They supposedly went looking for me, but I've seen no sign of them. That's why I want to make a trip back to the Gorman place to ensure those cops are okay. I'm not sure what these two armed clowns are up to, but I doubt that simple looting is at the heart of it, although it could be."

"It depends whose properties may be available to be looted," Badger noted.

Hearing that, Brittany poked her head up and stared at him in shock.

"Hang on a minute, Badger. Brittany, that means something to you. What is it? Why did you react like that?"

"Well, I …"

"Nope, not a good time to stop the conversation."

She groaned. "It's just that one of the houses down there, the owner was a suspected murderer from years and years ago. He was also involved in gang-related things, stealing high-end stuff. Maybe he killed somebody during a robbery. Several in the gang got caught for some heists, but this one owner didn't."

Baron stared at her for a long moment. "Are you talking about the Galloway gang?"

She nodded. "One of the gang owned a home right next to the spooky Gorman house. You did hear how Gorman spent time in jail too, right? What if Gorman was working with the Galloway gang? I have nothing to support that obviously, but with two criminals living next door, that seems to be an easy leap."

"Right. The gunmen were near both houses. But, as you said, we don't know which house they were possibly searching. Could be both, for all we know. That changes everything. Badger, did you hear that?" Baron asked. Hearing whatever Badger said on the other end, Baron put his cell on Speaker. "Repeat what you just told me to Badger, will you?"

Brittany quickly repeated what she had told Baron, with Badger firing questions at her.

"Did you ever see anybody there at the Galloway gang's home?"

"I haven't myself, but my grandmother has. I wouldn't know because the place is a bit farther down that road from me and out of the way. However, people have been living there for years. I just never really knew who they were, whether they had people moving on, others moving in, or it's just an empty place now," she muttered.

"Any idea what the address is?" Badger asked.

"No, I don't,… but it's maybe six or seven houses past my grandma's, just around the corner of the block there. You have to turn the corner, and then it was one of those big houses right along there," she said. "I don't know which one exactly from here. I could figure it out if I was there, but I don't know it from memory."

"But you could pick it out on a satellite map?" Baron asked.

"Oh, yeah, that I can do."

"Okay, we'll do that, and I'll get back to you," Baron told Badger. "Seems some continued gang activity could be going on here."

Badger added, "Definitely could be."

As soon as Badger ended the call, Brittany frowned at Baron, confused as hell. "Why now? The murder was at least a decade ago. If the original Galloway gang was involved in somebody's death but were otherwise a bunch of thieves, why would they resurface now? What difference would any of it make now?"

"Maybe they were in jail for a time. Maybe the hurricane made a difference if they were afraid something would be revealed with all the destruction."

She stared at him. "That makes a sick sense, and I really don't want to think about it."

"Then don't," he invited. "Come on. Let's go."

"Where are we going now?" she asked. "What about our gunmen?"

"I don't care about those guys," he stated. "We're leaving." He started up the engine, pulled out into the street, and, making a U-turn, disappeared down the block.

"What are they doing?" she asked.

"Running to their vehicle," he replied calmly.

"Well,… crap," she muttered. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I am because Badger knows where we are, where we are going, and he's sending in some backup for us," he muttered. "I'm just not sure what we're dealing with here, but we need to sort it out fast. Now I'm really worried about the local cops who were down there searching for me."

"They were both young, very young. I knew the one, but I can't remember what his name was."

He looked over at her. "Maybe your grandmother would know?"

"Maybe, but it's too late now. And even if she were awake I don't really want to call her because I don't want to answer her million questions."

He laughed. "Just something about grandmothers, isn't there? It's really hard to fob them off when they want to know something."

"Absolutely, and explain to me why you can't just lie to them and get away with it? I don't understand what magic that is."

Still grinning, he nodded. "Maybe it's something that you could ask her though and see if she knows anything about them. Or is there anybody else who would help you recognize them?"

"Your brother would have been the go-to guy. He was helpful in all kinds of ways."

Baron smiled. "That would be Brad, the hometown hero."

She chuckled. "I'm pretty sure you don't get a pass on that one either. Why is it nobody ever likes to be called a hero?"

"I don't think anybody particularly objects to it," he explained, with a mocking look in her direction. "It's all about how it's intended. Heroes are around us every day, but they are common everyday heroes, and that was my brother. He would go mow the neighbor's yard or go grocery shopping for someone's grandma."

"That's right. He did. I forgot that part."

"He used to take our mother out and get her hair done every once in a while, just so she would have a better day," Baron shared. "Brad was just one of those guys who was inherently kind, and he didn't think about himself as much as he thought about others."

"Which is also why he's dead," she pointed out.

He nodded. "Maybe."

"Maybe?" she repeated, turning to look at him.

He shrugged. "He was out trying to rescue dogs scattered by the storm, so, yes, that was one of the things that put him into the grave."

"Why do I sense more behind that than you're letting on?"

He shook his head. "Nope, I'm not looking for conspiracy theories where there aren't any," he replied. "But I am looking to confirm those young policemen are okay."

"Well, you're not leaving me behind, not after we know that the two gunmen are still chasing us down," she declared.

"I know." He nodded. "I changed my mind when I realized they were following us."

"Good." Then she groaned. "Shit. That means I'm heading back in there with you."

He laughed. "Either that or you'll go to Camille's place, where your grandmother is."

"No, I don't want to bring trouble to them either. Those two ladies are definitely characters, and most likely they would be up for the thrill, but they don't need this kind of trouble."

"I understand, and I wouldn't want to bring this to my mother's place either. Still, I'm not happy to get you involved."

"I've already been involved," she muttered, "so how about you find a way to get me uninvolved?"

"Well, I would love to, but that would mean solving the whole thing."

"Done," she declared. "That's the best answer. I don't want to come back down here and start searching through my grandma's stuff if we've got some wild cards like these armed men, running around, raising hell all over the place."

"Agreed." He looked over at her and smiled. "See? That was pretty easy."

"Yeah, but… you're leading me in directions that I'm really not prepared to go."

"I'm not leading you anywhere," he clarified. "I just want to ensure that you're safe."

"I want that too, but, if this will continuously hound me, then let's solve it, once and for all. That way I'll know that my grandma and Camille are safe too, not to mention everybody else who will already have their hands full trying to rebuild their lives. It's just complete shit that something like this has to happen right now, especially when we're already dealing with so much pain and loss."

"I agree," he murmured, "but it doesn't change the fact that people will take advantage of the situation. We have seen this time and time again, and the minute there's an opening, the bad guys are right there."

"That just means they're assholes," she stated bluntly.

"I won't argue that one," he murmured, "but it doesn't change the facts, though."

"No, maybe not, but I wish it did." They drove in silence for a few minutes, and she looked over at him. "Are you sure there's no conspiracy theory going on in your head?"

"I'm sure," he replied, then studied his rearview mirror.

"They're after us again, aren't they?" she asked, with a groan.

"Well, let's just say that somebody is behind us."

"Damn it," she muttered. "Is it even safe to go back there? It seems to me that we are heading right into their turf."

"No, it sure isn't safe," he conceded. "That's why I want police backup, particularly if nobody has seen the first two cops."

"Wouldn't it make sense to check and see if they made it home already, safe and sound?"

"Badger already did, and nobody's seen them for some time."

"But apparently nobody is exactly worried either, and that's a little concerning," she pointed out. "Why wouldn't the other cops all be out looking for them?"

"Because, at the moment, we know nothing. The police don't know that they have two cops in trouble. As a matter of fact, they don't know shit."

"Except you do," she said, eyeing him carefully.

He hesitated, then nodded. "Yes, I do."

"And you think nobody'll believe you?"

"I don't know whether they will or not," he stated calmly, "but, without proof, it'll be a little hard to sort out, won't it?"

"Maybe," she muttered, "but if it's the wrong men…"

He smiled. "The police have to know for sure that their men are in trouble before they go call out others on a wild goose chase, especially when they are already spread thin just trying to keep all these places secure from looters."

"And yet… you don't think this is about looting, do you?"

He glanced at her and replied, "No, I don't."

Baron didn't know what to do with Brittany.

He didn't want her with him because it was too dangerous, and she was already fighting that. However, he also knew that he couldn't just drop her off back home again, not with these gunmen following them, at least for the moment. He wondered whether his brother had run into any of this or it was completely unrelated. "You never saw the War Dog anywhere, did you?" He kept his eyes on the road ahead, periodically checking behind him.

"Not enough to know that it was there." He just stayed quiet. "Yet we heard that bark earlier."

He nodded. "I went looking for it, but I couldn't find the source."

"Do you think the gunmen had something to do with the War Dog?"

"If they did, he's probably just been locked up in order to give them access, if he was getting in their way."

"They wouldn't hurt him, would they?"

"I hope not," he stated bluntly, "but, if any dog gives them trouble, no doubt they'll just shoot him. If they can shoot a person, shooting a dog is no big deal to them. I'm really hoping they won't and that they don't see the dog as being in their way."

"That's the first thing I want to check," she muttered, as they drove along to where they'd been shot at the last time. "And second, are the police still there?"

"We will definitely do that, but, if injured cops are up here, we have to find them and get them out."

Brittany sighed. "I just came down to find a few family heirlooms for my grandma—and to find Pocket of course."

"Well, you found Pocket," he said, shooting her a big grin, "and the rest just fell into place."

"If that's what you call falling into place." She fell silent, as Baron navigated past the tree that he had dropped to slow the gunmen's progress. "Do you think it slowed them down at all?"

"Depends on if they took another way around it," he replied. "I was wondering that myself."

"It's a little freaky to think they got out of here so easily the last time. There had to be another outlet."

"It's quite possible that's exactly what they did," he murmured, as he looked over at her. "Remember that, so far, these guys aren't acting normal."

"No, they aren't, and I can't stand that because I'm always second-guessing what's going on here."

"Well, maybe somebody up here was involved in hiding something. Maybe the hurricane started something or maybe interrupted it or uncovered it. The gunmen may be checking on the Gorman house or the Galloway gang house, checking on their stash, deciding if it's a good time to divvy up the assets," he suggested.

"Right," she muttered. "Greed always kicks in, doesn't it?"

"Greed always kicks in," he confirmed, with a nod. "It's pretty hard to get away from it. If these guys are criminals, you can bet they'll be looking for an opportunity to make something happen in their world, and this hurricane may have given them that opening."

Brittany snorted. "It would sure be nice to not deal with this crap right now."

"That would be a dream," he muttered, with a smile in her direction. "So dream on as much as you want to, just don't let it color your logical thinking." He slowed down, as they pulled up to the front of one of the houses. "I had made it this far when I heard the dog." He shut off the engine, and they sat in the silence.

"What about the people behind us?"

"We lost them back there," he said, "but I suspect they won't be too far behind."

"Great," she muttered. Just then he perked up, and, at the same time, she straightened. "Was that a dog? I heard something, but I'm not sure."

"I swear to God it's the same dog," he muttered but hesitated to leave her.

She shooed him away. "Go."

He frowned at her and shook his head. "I can't leave you here alone."

"Damn it, I guess we're both going then." With half a laugh, she hopped out on her side. "Let's just keep the boogeymen away, please."

"As far as I know, they didn't follow us down this far," he shared. "We also don't know for sure it was them."

"That's a damn lie," she declared. "You have a very good idea who it is. You just don't want me to make the same connection." Even in the darkness, she could see the whites of his eyes as he smiled. "See? I'm not a dumb bunny," she muttered.

"I would never insult you by suggesting such a thing." He laughed softly. Then they heard the bark again. "Let's move."

Using a flashlight to guide their way, he headed down to where the barking came from. As they got closer, the dog fell silent.

"Why do they do that?" she asked, irritated, "I mean, it got us here, and now it's as if…" Then she whispered, "It's almost as if it's a trap."

He glanced over at her. "Not exactly what we want to think about right now."

"Maybe not, but that's what I feel screaming at me."

He brushed her behind him and whispered, "Stay back."

She nodded. "I'm not planning on being a hero."

"Good," he muttered. As they headed down the debris-filled street, everything was in darkness.

"How can we even tell how much of the house is still standing?"

"Not much is left of this one. One of the side walls has come down, and part of the building itself has collapsed."

"Do you think the dog is trapped?"

"It's a possibility," he murmured. "I'll see if I can get close enough to tell."

As he walked a little farther, keeping her right behind him, she whispered, "You don't want to call out to him?"

He glanced back and smiled. "I'm thinking about it potentially being a trap." He squeezed her hand and added, "I'll call out to him when I get a little closer, but I don't want to alert anybody else."

"Right," she muttered, "that everybody else thing again." She glanced behind them but saw no sign of anyone. Yet why would there be? They were the ones with a flashlight. They were the ones lighting the way, but Baron was all focused on the dog again. So was she to a certain extent, but she also wanted to know where Anthony, she finally remembered the name of the one cop, and his buddy were.

As they came around the side of the house, part of the roof was on the ground.

"I tell you these hurricanes are tough on the roofs," she muttered.

"They are," he agreed. He circled the area with his flashlight, then he froze.

She gasped because right there in front of them was one of the young cops, tied up and seemingly unconscious. "It's Anthony."

She raced forward, but he grabbed her and held back. "Just a minute.… He's unconscious. We'll have to be careful with this. The thing is, I doubt he was left without a guard."

She froze in place and turned to look at him, her heart in her chest. "Well then, we need to get him out of here fast. This poor guy's been here for hours."

He nodded. "And, with any luck, he's just fine."

"We don't know that."

"I need to ensure that we're safe, so we can get the word out. You stay here, and let me do a quick search around. We also have to find that dog." He did a quick circle around and then nodded as he came toward the young cop. He bent down and pulled the gag off his mouth and checked him over. "He appears unhurt."

With a jerk, the cop opened his eyes and tried to speak, finally opening his mouth and whispering, "What happened?"

"You were attacked." Brittany squatted beside him. "Give us a chance to untie you, and then you'll have to move slowly because you'll be incredibly stiff and sore."

Baron freed him and gently moved the cop's arms. Anthony groaned. At that, Baron slowly lifted him to his feet. "This may seem out of context, but I'm looking for a dog, a dog we're trying to help. We've heard a dog around here somewhere. Have you seen him? Every time I get close enough, he bolts."

"Yeah, we saw a dog, but we couldn't get near it. It does seem terrified," Anthony replied.

"Was it a shepherd?" Baron asked.

"Maybe. The dog I saw was black, big, mean-looking as if he'd had some rough years."

"The dog I'm looking for is a War Dog that had more than a few rough years in the military and was now looking for an easier time of it."

"I don't know about an easier time of it. This dog appeared to have had a rough few years, or maybe just the last few weeks anyway," he muttered. "That could be. I don't know." He massaged his wrists and then rubbed his temples. "My head is killing me right now."

"What happened to your partner?" Baron asked him.

"I don't know," he said, as he looked around. "I don't know what happened." He reached up, then groaned as he touched his head. "Shit, I tell you my head,… it's on fire or something."

Baron took a quick look and announced, "Yeah, we'll have to get you into the hospital and get that stitched up."

"Stitched up?" he asked, staring at Baron.

"Yeah, you've taken a serious blow to your head." He pulled out his phone and quickly phoned Badger.

"Who is Badger, and why are you calling him?" Anthony asked in confusion.

"Because I know that he'll contact your outfit," Baron explained, "and that's about the fastest way we can pull this together and get you out of here." He didn't worry about any other explanations.

In the distance, they heard the dog bark again, and Anthony perked up. "That's him."

"Was he hurt?" Baron asked.

He nodded. "He was hurt, and he had something around his neck that was hurting him more."

A shadow passed over Baron's face as he turned to Brittany. "I need the two of you to stay here. I'll keep looking around."

"Wait," she cried out. He turned, and she spoke fast, too fast, as if she wouldn't get another chance. "Please wait until the cops get here. Then you can go look for the dog. Besides, we're already missing one cop here. Don't go."

"I understand, and I'll be looking for him as well as the dog," he explained. "Both are important, and I'm not sure that we'll get another chance to do this. And, if his partner is hurt too, we need to get him out of here." Baron turned to Anthony and asked, "What is his name?"

"Josh. I don't know what happened to him. Hell, I don't know what happened to me."

Baron looked from Anthony back to her. "Stay here." With that, he disappeared into the darkness.

He moved through the shadows silently, not sure who the enemy was at this point. Unsure whether it was the gunmen on his tail or somebody else altogether.

Hearing the dog bark one more time, Baron completely shifted his orientation and then moved quickly through the darkness, until he came upon the dog, sitting, partially trapped by debris, yet looking like he may free himself. Baron called out softly, "Kingston, is that you?"

The War Dog started to whine and howl, hearing his name.

Baron walked closer and bent down to get a huge greeting. Using his flashlight, he checked to see how badly the dog was hurt. Definitely some blood was on his shoulder and some on his back, but neither injury appeared to be impeding him. However, the rope that seemed to be both a collar and a lead on his neck was definitely restricting him. The rope appeared to be snagged by the debris. Baron moved around some of the wood and limbs and shingles off the dog's back legs, then quickly cut the rope, and Kingston danced free.

With the War Dog free and clear, Baron surveyed his surroundings and muttered, "Now where is the other cop?"

At that, Kingston barked once and took off running. With the uneven ground, the stacks of debris left by the hurricane, and the challenges caused by Baron's leg, it was difficult to keep up with the dog. By the time he reached the dog's side again, Kingston was barking at another stack of various materials in front of him.

"Is he in here, boy?" Bending down, he took a closer look and, sure enough, found a cop, once again tied up and stuck under some debris to hide him. "Well, crap."

The dog started sniffing around, licking the cop's face.

Baron asked, "Do you know this one?"

Kingston barked.

The cop groaned, opened his eyes, and started to panic.

This must be Josh. Baron bent down and calmed him. "Hey, hold still. I'm here for the rescue," he explained. "Let's not bring all this down on top of us, okay? I'm not the bad guy."

"Who are you?"

"Baron. I've got your partner a couple houses away," he shared. "No need to worry. Anthony is okay but for a hard knock on the head. Let's get you untied so I can get you onto your feet and get some circulation moving."

Realizing that he wasn't the enemy, the cop whispered, "My name's Josh." His voice was cracked and hoarse. "I don't suppose you have any water."

"Not on me," Baron noted, "but we'll get you some soon. Let's get going, and we'll head back to Anthony." When he got the cop up, Baron realized that Josh had a leg injury and wouldn't be walking anywhere. "Did they do this to you?"

"Yeah, but I don't know who it was," he muttered. "They came out of nowhere. We were searching the area because of the looters. We'd been talking to a woman who told us that somebody was out here, trying to stop looters."

"Well, that was me, and I wasn't trying to stop looters, but I was trying to see what those guys were up to. Plus I was looking for this War Dog."

"I was hit from behind and didn't get a chance to defend myself," he muttered. "It's as if they were expecting us."

"And that could be true. You can't walk out of here on that leg."

Josh was limping badly and clearly dehydrated. No point denying that when they were all in trouble.

"Sorry, man. I'll just wait here until you can get somebody to wheel me out."

Baron smiled. "Well, that'll take a bit, and, if you haven't noticed, the roads are quite a mess."

"What will you do then?"

"I'll get you down there with the others. I want you all in one place, so I don't have to keep splitting my energy off, finding everybody," he shared, with a half laugh.

"Agreed, but I don't think I can walk much farther."

"No, so we'll have to do it the hard way." With that, he bent down and picked him up in a fireman's carry. "Let me know if it gets to be too much."

They were well underway when his phone buzzed with a text from Badger. He quickly set Josh against a tree, dug out his Bluetooth earpiece, and placed a quick call to Badger.

"Have you got an update for me?"

"Yeah, I've got the other cop, but he's hurt, so I'm having to pack him. With all the rubble, it's pretty slow going, but I've got to get back to the others." With that, he pocketed his phone, the call still live, and picked Josh back up again, with an audible grunt.

"Sounds like Kat needs to do a revamp on that leg joint," Badger noted, with his customary amusement in his tone. "I'm pretty sure she has a load restriction on it."

"Then she needs to raise it," he muttered, as he picked his way slowly back. He whistled once, and Kingston came to his side. "Oh, and I found the dog."

"You did?" Badger perked up. "Really?"

"Yeah, he's right here beside me. I still have to check the chip, but he's responding to his name when I call him Kingston ."

"We have to be sure," Badger said.

"If my arms weren't full, and it wasn't so dark out here, I would send you a photo," he replied, trying his best to steady his breathing, "but it looks to be him."

"Now that is good news," Badger said warmly. "Much better than the rest of your situation."