Chapter Twenty

Levi

When Levi opened the hatch to get Mojo down from the transport, he jumped to the ground, his tail wagging happily. He obviously knew where he was and what was coming. “Mojo, we could light a house with the amount of energy pouring off of you, dude.” Grinning down at Mojo, where he sat patiently impatiently at his side, Levi was grateful that Reaper and Goose had been on the same page with him so far.

They were all impressed with Mojo’s actions yesterday when he moved with ease from a staged training session with copters and take-downs to a real-world mission with possible life-or-death consequences.

Enrico gestured toward the man approaching. “My colleague, Kimba, is a military K9 handler here at the park.”

Kimba held a hand high, and everyone called their greetings.

“Okay, here’s the scenario,” Enrico said. “In a minute, I’m going to take control of Mojo. My colleague there is going to drive you farther out to a starting point. From there, you will walk to the find site. As of now, I don’t know which site he’s chosen. He’ll send me the GPS for the rallying point after you’re in place. Reaper, just so you know, this is a fresh location where Mojo hasn’t trained before. We keep a map for each of our K9s and pin the area where they made a find so that there are no repeats.”

“Interesting,” Reaper said.

“It’s important that these are real skillsets that will save real human beings. The vanity of a quick find has no place in the work we do. Every minute lost in the park with the predators is a dangerous one.” Enrico turned to Levi. “You can calm your fragile nerves, brother. You’re not in the park right now. And we have a soldier on overwatch with a high-powered rifle, lest a lion be out looking for a snack.”

“Comforting.”

Enrico turned back to Reaper. “At this location, we have a dedicated build-out to hide our search subject.” He turned his head to catch his colleague's movement when he held up two fingers. “Two subjects?”

Kimba grinned and rocked back on his heels.

“Great. Well, Reaper and Goose, we’ve already decided that you’ll be following along with a drone. Is there anyone else who wants to hide in the rubble for a bit?”

Gwen shook her head. “Nope, after yesterday, I’m good with the excitement.”

“Craig? Iris?”

“Thank you, but neither one of us is good with walking too far these days. Our knees.”

“All right,” Enrico scanned the group, “well, we can leave it just Levi, Tess, I wasn’t going to ask. It might be too much after your event yesterday. I could get one of the off-duty rangers to go along. What’s the call?”

“What does this build-out look like?” Tess asked. “I feel like I’d like to help.”

“No pressure, Tess,” Levi said. “You don’t owe anyone anything.”

“I know,” she smiled at him. “I want to. But I’d like to know more about the structure, before I commit myself, to see if I can handle it.”

“Kimba?”

“Yes, this structure is for two lost persons. The main subject, Levi, will be in the front of the structure. You would enter into the back side of the structure. There is a box that has spaces for air and is very safe. Before you go, one of our K9 will search the entire area for anything that might bother you. Either of you can signal at any time and for any reason that you want to be removed from the training. But we ask that you lay still and not make any noise. We are testing Mojo’s ability to track a single individual's scent from a scent source.”

“That sounds okay.” Tess nodded. “I can do that.”

“The idea,” Kimba continued, “is that Levi’s scent will be offered to Mojo. He is asked to find the one scent. Once Levi is found and rewarded. We want to see if Mojo is aware of another lost person that he was not asked to find and how he handles the situation. And we have added a twist.” He clapped his hands together and rubbed them back and forth in anticipation.

Levi leaned in. “Are you going to tell me, Kimba, or is it a surprise?”

“There is a camping site set up near where you will hide. Mojo will pass that before he gets to you. We have placed three of the scent sources you gave Enrico yesterday in the tent. These were positioned near objects that Mojo might see.”

“Listening.” A slow smile spread across Reaper’s face.

“When Mojo finds Levi, I will lie down on the ground and tell Mojo that I’m hurt and that he needs to find a solution to help you.”

“A puzzle,” Reaper said with a full-on grin. “I like it.”

“We shall see what we see,” Kimba concluded. “This is a complex rescue for him.”

“But he’s trained for it, right?” Levi asked.

“Here in the park, anything can happen at any time,” Kimba said. “Our dogs are trained from the time they are puppies to identify items by their names and retrieve them. They are also trained to assess a situation and figure out the best item to bring when there is no command other than ‘Help.’ When they do this well, they get what Enrico likes to call a ‘high-dollar reward.’ That makes it one of their favorite games.”

Enrico clapped a hand on Levi's shoulder. “All right. Luckily, today, it’s not as hot as yesterday. For those lying in the structure, there are blankets for padding and water for your comfort. Remember that at any time you wish, you may leave the scenario.” His head swung toward Tess, and Levi was relieved that his gaze continued on without making eye contact. Tess absolutely despised the idea that someone would think she was weak.

No one should ever think that of her.

There were few people that Levi had met in his life who had such a strong moral character and who faced their demons with such determination.

From what Levi had learned about the job that she and Gwen did, it looked like Tess was right there witnessing the human condition at its most vulnerable, facing her triggers.

Her desire to help was what made Tess Tess.

Leaving Mojo with Enrico, Levi followed behind Tess and Kimba to a quad.

As Kimba drove over the bumpy ground, the wind caught up Tess’s curls, and she pulled her hair around, holding it in her fist.

The drive was farther than Levi had thought it would be, but he understood the location once they’d arrived. Out in the distance, there was a thick grove of half-dead trees. Short and scrappy, the trunks weren’t much taller than his six-foot-four frame.

“I will not walk with you,” Kimba explained. “I don’t want to add my scent to the trail. And Tess, if you coul maintain a path about ten feet or more to Levi’s left, it would be helpful. When you get to the structure, Tess should circle clockwise and Levi counterclockwise to the openings, get comfortable, and then close the door. Mojo will be trailing only Levi’s scent.” Kimba handed Levi a GPS unit with a flag marking a spot. “Follow this out. If you want to circle trees and wend yourself around, that will complicate the trail. A K9 swept the area ten minutes ago, and we have a man with a radio on overwatch to warn you. Inside the structure, it is safe from most things.”

“Most?” Tess pursed her lips.

“Rhino and elephants would be a problem. Now, as you get out toward the far side, there is a tent. We prefer that you not go into the tent but do walk up to the door and walk to the waypoint that I’ve handed you. The zipper is at a height that will force Mojo to crawl inside if he wants to search there.”

“Excellent,” Levi said.

Kimba pulled out two walkie-talkies, handing one first to Tess and then to Levi. “You know how these work?” He looked directly at Tess.

“Yes, I use them in the field.”

“Good then. The station has been set specifically for this rescue mission. You will hear our radio chatter. We wish you to have them as low as possible so as to not alert Mojo. But you must be able to hear, lest we need to warn or instruct you.” He smiled broadly. “Are you ready for some fun?”

“Absolutely.” Levi grinned and stretched out a hand to shake with Kimba. “See you in a few.”

As Tess set out walking by his side, Levi tucked his thumbs into his straps so that old habits weren’t muscle memory. Her hands weren’t his to hold.

“You look very happy about everything that was said. I’m sure it all means something to you as far as Mojo’s training goes.” Tess stepped to the prescribed ten-foot distance.

“This is a terrific setup. Enrico is a master of his craft. I really want Mojo to succeed here. If this goes as well as yesterday went, I am pretty sure that Reaper and Goose will sign off on Mojo, and he’ll come home with me.”

“He’ll be your dog?”

“My dog.”

“Mojo reminds me of you,” she said in a voice that was reflective rather than conversational.

No one had ever known him better than Tess. “I’d like to hear more about that.”

“From the beginning, he’s been lovely. Hasn’t he? Protective by nature, but not in a look-at-me kind of way. He’s done what’s necessary without hovering and being overwhelming. Steady, skilled, dependable. He’s obviously a thinking dog. And when he offered emotional support, it was subtle. Soft. He didn’t call attention to the fact that I was struggling. There when I needed it, and then went on about his doggy day when my system calmed. Mmm, that’s vaguely right.” Her gaze was on the ground ahead of her.

She walked in silence for a while.

“I’m still thinking about this,” she said without looking his way. Then, she lifted her hand to gather the air and rub it through her fingers.

That gesture was something she’d done since he’d known her. It had a magical, graceful quality.

It seemed to Levi she was doing it more than usual.

“Qualifying the sameness in your characters isn’t easy. I don’t like what I said earlier. It’s too surface, like a veneer thought.” She painted a hand down her chest from neck to belly. “I’ve seen you two communicate. You’re on the same wavelength. Enrico needs to call Mojo’s attention to him and make a command. You and Mojo work together like old partners, each doing the thing that needs doing. I think, for now, that’s the best I can come up with.”

“Thank you. I value your opinion.”

She stopped and turned to him. Ten feet away was much too far. Levi wanted to walk closer as he asked this, but he wouldn’t chance messing up this evolution. Too much was riding on Mojo’s performance.

“Tess, I hope this isn’t uncomfortable for you. I’m mean ...” He flipped his hand over and drew his arm to the side in an arc. “I take it that you wanted to keep your private life private. Gwen … ” He let that trail off. “Seeing you has meant a lot to me. When I was at the hospital with you and on the drive back to the vineyard, it took me some time to process you being back in my sphere.”

She gave a short nod, obviously braced for what came next, and Levi didn’t want that. Deciding to ease into things and see where it took them, ready for any decision she might make, Levi tried, “I would like to stay part of your life going forward. I hope that we can be friends.”

“Friends.” She said it like she was trying to pronounce a foreign word for the first time. “I … I … I … Yes, I think I’d like that too.”

“Good then?”

“Good.” She started walking again, but her head was turned away from him.

When she angled back she asked, “Do you think your wife will be okay with the idea of being friends with someone from your past?”

“No wife. No girlfriend. Just a guy in a new job and a new city. You’re pretty close, right? Gwen said Annapolis?”

“When we’re not in the field, yes.” She bent and picked up a stick and whipped it back and forth through the air, making swooshing noises, and he let her process. Was she checking on his status, or was she simply trying to avoid future drama by accepting his offer of friendship?

Tess tossed a glance his way. “You had a dog in the military, right? You were about to go train in Texas last we spoke those many years ago.” She turned her head completely away from him.

Levi liked that they were talking, trying to talk. Awkward—that he could acknowledge. And there was that tender spot that hurt when any kind of weight was put on it. But dogs were neutral ground.

“I did. I loved it. It’s been a great career choice.”

“When you left the Navy, what happened to your dog?”

“This will be the first time I have a dog that I train with consistently. In the military, I chose a dog for an assignment. That could last a day or several weeks if I were moving off grid for a mission. Having a dedicated dog was for specific roles. Otherwise, we had to share. They’re just too expensive and long to train to tie a single fur-force to a single handler when they can be shared around.”

“That sounds hard on everyone.” Tess reached up and adjusted the strap on her bag, patting her water bottle. “And you had to carry your stuff and the stuff for your assigned dog?”

“Right.”

“Water and everything, I’m assuming. That sounds heavy.”

“Could be. That depended on the amount of time and if we were dropping in or hoofing it.”

She sent him a grin. “ Paw ing it, you mean, cowboy?”

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “I guess that might be the better way to put it.” Still awkward.

“Why does Mojo need to leave Enrico?”

“He’s rhino sour. He can’t work near them in the park, and the black rhinos are coming back because of a local initiative to protect them in their natural habitats around Namibia. So working with the rangers won’t work either.”

“What happened that made him act out around rhinos?”

Should he tell her? He should tell her. He should always be as forthright and straightforward as he could be with her. “A poacher killed his handler.”

“Oh.”

They reached the tent, and Tess waited as Levi stood at the entrance, circled it, wove in and out of the trees, and then started forward again.

“You’re taking him, aren’t you?” she whispered. “You’re going to give Mojo a good home and an interesting job? You’re going to keep his brain busy so he can redeem himself in his own mind?”

Levi knew that question came from a bruised place. But he couldn’t promise Tess that was what would happen. “That’s why today is so important. I think this is the last test before Reaper and Goose sign-off. Barring some crazy twist today, I’m all in.”

“You, not your company?” She pointed. “I think I can make out the structure on the horizon. We’re almost there.”

“Iniquus is the company, Cerberus Tactical K9 is my division. Our operators handle their own dogs. In Command’s view, it makes for a better team. They purchase the dog to do the work, but he’s given to me, so the bond is tighter.”

“How much would it cost to buy Mojo?”

“Seventy thousand.”

“Seventy?” She sucked in a gasp. “Wow. To me, that’s, whew! But then I work for a non-profit. They treat me fine, mind you.”

“You have a PhD. They should treat you fine.”

“Our resources go to doing as much good as we can. Fifty thousand sounds like a fine car that gets paid for over a six-year loan. Seventy?”

“It’s a bargain. Well-trained dogs with good genes like Mojo can go for double that.”

“Training time, yes. But how will you get—sorry, none of my business.”

And Tess was doing that thing again, reaching out as if capturing a handful of air, then rubbing it over her fingers. She looked up at the sky and scowled. When she turned to him, her face had lost its color.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

“Something’s coming.”

A shiver slid across his scalp.

She’d never used that tone around him before.

Tess had never said anything like that to him before.

“I’ve felt the vibrations change from the time Gwen and I landed in Namibia until now.”

The structure was easily visible now at twenty yards. Levi shoved the GPS in the side pocket of his pack. “Any idea what you’re sensing? You were at Big Daddy, then Windhoek, then here. The ecosystems are different. Would that change the air quality for you?”

“Not this,” she scanned from her left to her right, then startled and swung her head to look over her shoulder.

The ice that dumped through his system was the closest thing to terror Levi experienced outside of a combat zone.