Chapter Nine

Levi

As the group finished their breakfasts, Enrico checked his watch. “I think it’s time we head out for the evolution.”

Levi felt anticipation bubble through his system. “Oh yeah! Let’s do this, brother.”

“Craig and Iris, are you coming with us?” Enrico asked as he pushed his chair under the table.

“Hell yeah, I am.” Craig scraped his chair back and stood. “Can’t wait to see what you’ve planned for today.”

Iris bustled toward the door. “Let me tell the staff where we’ll be and change into boots.”

Enrico scooped his hand in a follow-me gesture. “I brought my vehicle. The logos will get us into the training grounds without the high-dollar scrutiny you might get from your rental. It’s a ten-minute drive.”

Rounding the front of the building, Craig moved to the left side to sit shotgun. The Iniquus men climbed in, each taking a seat, leaving the one by the door free for Iris. Gripping the back of his chair, Craig pulled himself around to see the group. “You know I heard the Iniquus name for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Tidal Force is one of your tactical forces, isn’t it? That group was working over in Kenya a bit ago.”

“Yes,” Levi said. “I was attached with Tidal Force recently. We were providing security for an American corporation’s Kenyan retreat.”

Iris stepped into the van, and Goose leaned forward to slide the door shut while she reached for her seat belt.

“Yep.” Craig nodded. “I read all about it. Iris, I was saying that Iniquus made the newspaper when they saved that woman on safari from the lion attack.”

“Lion attack?” Iris asked. “Did you tell me about that?”

“Out of Kenya, Iris. It was a young woman, too. You know, they’re saying the lion attacked her because of where the woman was in her cycle. The lioness thought she was competition,” Craig said. “The young lady was pointing her camera toward some birds taking a photograph, and just out of nowhere, wham.”

“Our lions are pretty shy,” Enrico said, starting the engine. “They’re usually off in the tree line camouflaging. While the best times to see them are first light or last, it’s rare that a wildcat would be anywhere near where a person would come into contact. Even a tourist with binoculars in Etosha.” He put the van into drive and rounded back toward the road. “Our guides are amazing at finding any animal in Etosha. They can point them out, and a tourist with a zoom lens can possibly make out the shape of their head, the twitch of an ear. But their cameras can’t take a clear photo. To do that successfully, you’d have to have a massive lens or something military-grade. While it’s disappointing for tourists who’ve seen lions lying in the roadway, blocking traffic on social media feeds, I’ve never heard of that happening in Etosha. Honestly, it’s safer that way. Guides can bring open safari vehicles into the park, but no weapons are allowed. There’s no protection.”

“Good for jumping out if an elephant is stampeding,” Craig said.

“Rare.” Enrico reached up and adjusted his mirror.

“Craig, I’m just thinking about what you said, though.” Iris leaned closer to her husband. “From a biological point of view, I don’t know that I buy that about the woman’s cycle.”

“Okay, then you might not buy this either,” Craig turned forward as they jostled down the main drive. “The Tidal Force men leaped out to save her. Since a weaponless human can’t win a fight with a lion, I’m not sure what the heck they were thinking. But the others in their safari group told the journalist that the lioness took a swipe at the woman. She fell from the vehicle. The men sitting around her were out like a flash in the mix.”

“Oh, my!” Iris gasped. “They jumped a lion ? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“Perhaps the group's sudden movement startled the lion,” Enrico said as he waited at the top of the drive for a truck to rumble past. “It wasn’t a smackdown. She’d have mauled the lot.”

“Sounds about right. And then those guys got that girl some lifesaving first aid.” Craig gestured toward his collar. “The lioness got her in the neck.”

Iris pressed a hand to her cheek. “Did that poor girl survive?”

“That’s what the paper said.” Craig reached up to grab his seat belt and pull it on as Enrico turned from the unpaved vineyard road out onto the highway. “She was hospitalized to get some blood, but she made it through.”

“Are there lions that roam Namibia? Or have they moved them all to the park?” Goose asked.

“There’ve been lion sightings by our rangers,” Enrico called over his shoulder. “They’re trying to put a number on the population, but, like I said, lions don’t really want humans to see them. They definitely aren’t lying in the roadways. You won’t run into one on your day hikes, even with a dog that might look like a nice snack. Mostly, the rangers are finding them up in the hills.”

“Good to know,” Levi said with a grin.

“Levi, you were working with Tidal Force in Kenya? Were you there when that happened to that woman?” Iris asked.

“No, ma’am, the team went a few days earlier than I did to do some sightseeing in the area. They wanted to meet with the members of the Maasai, which they did. Their warriors weren’t on that safari. I didn’t join the team until several days after that. I missed my opportunity to rope a lioness. It’s been a while since I did any rodeo sports, so maybe it’s for the best.” He sent Iris a wink.

Iris tapped Craig’s shoulder. “Levi’s from Oklahoma.”

“Everyone ready?” Enrico asked. “Here’s the plan. We’re driving over to the field where we set out bite suit equipment. Today, we’re practicing chasing down a poacher by low-flying a helicopter in to release Mojo for a takedown. Then Mojo will hold the poacher—that would be you, Levi—until we can get boots on the ground to take over the arrest.”

“I see,” Levi said. “And how long would you anticipate it taking for those boots to get over and stop me from getting mauled?”

“All depends on you, brother. This is Mojo, not Cujo. You fight, you get the bite. I suggest you lay still.”

***

Levi stood in the powdery earth, watching that he didn’t put his foot on the rocks that spotted the area and risk rolling his ankle.

Any grass around him had dried to straw, and Levi wasn’t sure how the grazing animals were getting any nutrients from that at all.

“This normal?” he asked, lifting his chin to indicate the tufts of dead vegetation.”

“It’s dry season. We expect dry,” Enrico said. “But this is something you might see on Mars. It’s not good, man.”

“Lot of rocks out here for a dog take down,” Levi observed, “Even with a bite suit on.”

“We cleared an area.” Enrico pointed. “That tree out there—”

“By tree,” Levi asked, “You mean that spot on the horizon?”

“That’s the one. You beeline in that direction, and by the time Mojo is on the ground, you’ll be in the cleared field. When you hear the helicopter, I’d get to running hard. The wash can throw rocks.”

“Good to know.” Levi tugged the suit over his arms and pulled up the zipper. He pulled the collar around and attached it in place to protect his carotid. As Levi suited up, he shifted his shoulders around. He was a bit sore still since the last time he’d played this role two days ago in Texas when Casper didn’t want to let go.

After pulling up the hood, Levi cinched it down tight and tied the cords. As uncomfortable as it was, Levi had seen a buddy have his ear bitten clean off. That was an experience Levi wanted to avoid.

Off to the side, Levi overheard Enrico talking to Reaper and Goose. “I thought we’d start with a show-stopper. Mostly because it happens to fit in with the equipment we have available to us today, and it was already on our training schedule. But also because I want to impress the heck out of you.” Enrico grinned. “Truth is, Mojo is going to be hard for me to part with. I’d feel better about the situation if Mojo was with a brother.” He hitched his thumb toward Levi. “One good thing Levi taught me when we were on deployment was his dog policy. When he was going down range with a tactical K9, he always jumped into a bite suit so he’d know how the dog would act in a takedown.” Enrico rocked back on his heels. “It’s a good policy. It’s important to understand the dog’s temperament and how best to control the situation. Nothing like being on the receiving end to give you a clear idea.”

They could hear the helicopter rotors coming in from the east. “That’s for you, Tumbleweed.” Enrico chuckled. “Might as well start running now to get your muscles warm and loose so you don’t hurt yourself.”

Levi took off at a jog. Well, the best he could with the heavy padded suit on. This was an important test to see how Mojo would perform in the field.

His choices here could have life-or-death consequences in the future. As much as Levi loved Enrico and as much as Levi wanted this to work, he had to lead with his head and then check his heart.

Working both search and rescue and tactical support, it was imperative that Levi protect future missions and future lives by only choosing a dog with a focused nose and a weaponized bite. That bite had to be accurate and controlled.

The wash of the helicopter sent debris spray that pinged and pocked Levi’s face. But under the suit and hood, he felt nothing. Yet .

As the wash of air became loud and heavy, Levi threw his head around to see what was coming his way.

The helicopter was about a hundred yards off, skimming the ground as it glided slowly forward. A soldier, tethered to the door, leaned out, gripping the handle of Mojo’s tactical vest.

Mojo wasn’t scrambling. There was no anxiety in his body. On the contrary, Mojo had locked on to the prey, him .

Holy heck . That dog was the damned tip of the spear. And that spear was going to be flying at him. Still looking behind him, without any design other than the lizard part of his brain desperately trying to find a rock to hide under, Levi sprinted forward.

Well, sprint-like.

From over where Reaper and Goose stood, he probably looked like a maniac.

Hovering feet from the ground, the soldier released Mojo.

As Mojo hit the dirt, he rolled to disperse the energy of the helicopter’s forward momentum. That roll looked practiced and precise.

Good job on that training, Enrico. A broken leg day is a bad day indeed.

Mojo finished the roll, landing on his feet. His body lowered and streamlined; he shot forward in a swirl of caramel and black.

Fur missile launched! Here he came.

Levi turned to face forward. His system heated and sweat-slicked over him. His heart was racing. Something about Mojo set Levi’s nervous system on fire. It was like he was back in the Sandbox, racing away from the enemy.

Levi could hear Mojo’s breath. Turning his head, they locked eyes.

The K9 took a mighty leap.

With no airtime, no time to think or process, Levi reflexively lifted a defensive arm.

Mojo sank his teeth into the padding of the bite suit.

Dangling in the air, Mojo’s velocity was spinning Levi against his will.

And suddenly, there was Levi, flat on his back. He had hit down hard.

Flailing about, simulating a poacher fighting back, Levi could feel every bit of the two-hundred-plus pounds of K9 jaw pressure.

Pushing back into his haunches, Mojo shook his head with a powerful neck.

The sinews in Levi’s shoulder were tearing, and he had no desire to keep up this fight.

How far off were those soldiers?

Even though Levi’s brain hollered, “Flee!” Levi had trained to bypass the absurd and make clear-minded choices. The only survival choice here was to force his body to lay perfectly still no matter what happened next.

Twisting his head, Levi could see that the helicopter had landed, and there were boots on the ground running toward him.

Levi focused on his tactical breath, holding himself statue still, waiting for the handlers to get on scene.

Even with Levi’s submission response, Mojo’s mouth still wrapped Levi’s arm. While the bite lost its pressure, Mojo hadn’t released the padded sleeve. One move, one, and Levi knew the punishment would begin again.

The bite was the easiest part for the dog. What came next would tell everything about the dog’s personality and the quality of his training. Man, Levi was praying this wasn’t another Casper situation.

Mojo was very clearly having a ball.

How many times would the recall commands need to be issued? Would the handler need to intervene with a bite-release device or a shock? Either would be disqualifying for Iniquus.

“Mojo, release,” a soldier commanded.

Mojo inched backward so his mouth no longer encircled Levi’s arm. With his legs bunched under him, Mojo was ready to leap forward and trap Levi again if need be.

Levi thought he might like to test that.

As the soldiers approached, Mojo’s eyes remained locked with Levi’s. The intensity of the strength and intelligence Levi read there was damned impressive.

“Levi?” the soldier called out.

“That’s me.”

“How are you doing today, sir?” the soldier commanding Mojo asked.

“I’m just going to lie here very still.”

“When I command you to, roll to your stomach and spread your legs as wide as you can, then lace your fingers behind your head. If you would like to observe Mojo’s behaviors when you roll, face me. Ready?”

“Yes, sir.”

The soldier barked out the orders, and Levi followed them precisely.

“Mojo, to me.”

From his crouch, Mojo turned and raced to the soldier and sat at his feet looking up for his next command.

“Mojo, flank.”

Mojo rounded to the side of the soldier, and together, they walked slowly forward.

“Mojo, en guard.” Mojo shifted into fur missile launch position as the soldier patted Levi down.

“Sir, I will now place the handcuffs on your wrists,” the soldier said. “We will lower one arm then the other on my command.”

“What would happen if I didn’t? What would happen if, for example, I spun and knocked you over, and you didn’t give Mojo any commands?”

“Would you like to see, sir?” There was laughter in the soldier's voice.

“I would indeed,” Levi said.

“Very well, I would have you do it when both hands are behind you. You might be able to get your hands on the ground. I might be blocking them from Mojo’s view. We’ll try our best to make your scenario work.”

The two men acted their way through the first arm, then as the second came down, Levi twisted, threw the soldier to the ground, then yanked his legs toward his chest, rolling to get himself standing. Before Levi could plant a foot on the ground, he was whipped into a kneeling spin.

Once again, Levi found himself in the dirt before his brain could analyze the situation.

Mojo gave his arm a good shake to remind Levi who was in charge.

It was Mojo. It was definitely Mojo. There were no ifs, ands, or buts.

“This is good enough, sir?” the soldier asked, definitely laughing this time. “Or you would like to continue?”

“Yep. That’ll do it,” Levi said through gritted teeth. “Could you get that release again, please?”

Mojo responded to his recall with the crisp precision of a soldier on the parade ground.

Enrico took control of Mojo as the soldier ran off to the helicopter and moved on to the next skill they would practice in this evolution. With Mojo in a sit by Enrico’s side, Levi pulled off the suit, then sank to the ground, winded.

Mojo’s gaze never left Levi.

In other circumstances, like with Casper, Levi might be worried that the dog would try for another bite while Levi wasn’t protected by the suit.

In Mojo’s case? No. That was a solid, disciplined K9, exactly what Levi would expect from Enrico’s work.

When Enrico looked down, Mojo swung his head, looking expectantly for his next command. Enrico gave him a scrub and high-pitched praise. Then he said, “Go on, Mojo, meet my friend, Levi.”

Mojo’s gaze followed Enrico’s finger over to Levi. Then, with a grin and lolling tongue, Mojo jogged over to tickle Levi with a wet snout, sniffing his ear and neck.

When Mojo rounded to the front, he caught Levi’s gaze, then swiped a friendly tongue over Levi’s cheek and mouth.

“What do you think, Levi?” Enrico ambled over. “Good bite?”

Mojo curled himself around until he tucked into the nest Levi made with his crossed legs and put his head down on Levi’s knee.

“Looks like you made yourself a friend,” Reaper called as he and Goose made their way over.

Catching Enrico’s eye, Levi said, “Man, that was some beautiful badassery.”

Levi’s heart was full. If Reaper and Goose weren’t around, he thought he might even shed a tear. Damned if Iris wasn’t right. He knew. He just knew. Mojo was his dog.

Again, there was the memory of how he’d experienced a connection like this one other time in his life.

Why had her ghost suddenly reappeared?

All week, she’d been there, brushing through his mind.

Levi tried to quiet that part of his brain that whispered, Tess. He hoped it would stop.