Battle Tested. Laura Scott

She’d never felt helpless and vulnerable like this, until tonight. First the attack, and now this.

      “The cops from the south gate are closest,” she said in a low voice. “I’m sure they’ll be here soon.”

      “I know.” Isaac’s hands were fisted, his elbows flexed at his side, as if he were expecting a physical fight.

      Tango emerged from the bushes, tail wagging. He stood looking at them for a moment, then turned to duck back between the branches.

      She frowned. “What was that about?”

      “I’m not sure. Tango is a therapy dog, but he’s still trained well enough to know when danger is near.”

      “So, Boyd isn’t hiding in there?”

      “Probably not. Stay here. I’ll be right back.” Isaac took a step forward, but she didn’t let go of his uniform, choosing to go with him rather than remain on the street alone.

      “Vanessa, you should stay here.” Frustration was audible in his tone.

      She shook her head. “Better to stick together.”

      Tango came out of the bushes again, gave a sharp bark and wheeled around to return to the brush. She relaxed her grip on Isaac’s uniform, sensing the dog wanted them to follow.

      Surely, the golden wouldn’t lead them into harm’s way.

      “Call off the cops,” Isaac said, parting the branches with one hand and using his flashlight app on his phone to illuminate the darkness. “False alarm.”

      She inwardly debated letting the police come anyway, since she needed to report her attack, but she would rather talk to Justin personally. Decision made, she called the dispatcher back, confirming there was no immediate danger and that the call could be canceled. She slipped the phone back into her bag, then crept closer, hearing the rustling and odd whimpering sounds before her eyes landed on a cluster of puppies.

      “Did we find some of the lost dogs?” Six months ago, Boyd Sullivan or his accomplice had sneaked onto base and let nearly every single K-9 in the Working Dog Program out of their kennels, a little over two hundred of them. Over time many of the lost animals had been found, but there were still several missing, including three extremely valuable German shepherds named Glory, Scout and Liberty.

      “I’m not sure. There are four pups here, but it’s odd because there’s no sign of the mother. I doubt the mother is one of the lost dogs or we would have found her by now. The puppies appear healthy and well cared for, so I don’t think she abandoned them without a good reason.”

      “She must be one of the training dogs, don’t you think? Maybe she was attacked by a coyote?” It was horrible to think of a pack of coyotes ganging up on the mom, who likely would have attempted to lure the predator away from her babies. “We have to try to find her.”

      “Agreed, although we need to get these pups to safety first.” He gestured to the puppies. “These look to be a few weeks old—not that I’m an expert. And they’re snuggled together to stay warm.”

      “My house is at the end of this block. Let’s bring the puppies there and get them warmed up, then let the cops know what happened.” Vanessa wondered how Aiden would like the puppies. Her brother tolerated Eagle, her Doberman, but didn’t find any comfort in the animal. And while she was hopeful he’d connect with a therapy dog such as Tango, he’d already failed in the first attempt to match him up. Ruby, the first dog who’d been assigned to him, had been a loving Irish setter, but Aiden hadn’t connected with Ruby on any level. Perhaps the adorable puppies might have a better chance of getting through to him.

      Not that there was any guarantee that Master Sergeant Westley James, the lead trainer at the K-9 training center, would allow her and Aiden to care for them. Although if the mother wasn’t one of the missing dogs, maybe he wouldn’t mind?

      She sent up a quick prayer, asking for God’s grace and mercy in keeping the puppies and the lost mother safe.

      “You take two, and I’ll take two,” Isaac said, gathering a couple of the puppies in his broad hands and handing them over. She cradled them against her chest, marveling at the softness of their fur and their adorable faces.

      “When we get the puppies settled and you’re safe, I’ll come back and search for the mother,” Isaac said. “I’ll also check with the veterinary clinic. They might have an injured dog that may belong to these pups.”

      “All right.” As her small ranch home came into view, Vanessa picked up the pace, suddenly desperate to see her brother. She’d been gone far longer than her normal twelve-hour shift, and Aiden didn’t always handle being on his own very well.

      The house was mostly dark except for a lone light in the corner of the living room. Awash with guilt, she shifted the puppies to one arm, and fished for her keys to unlock the door. Using her hip, she pushed the front door open and stepped inside.

      “Aiden? It’s me, Vanessa. I’m home.”

      Isaac followed her inside, but remained near the doorway, instinctively giving her brother time to adjust to the presence of a stranger.

      “Aiden?” She swept her gaze over the living room, then noticed her brother sitting on the floor in a corner of the room, his face buried in his hands. “I’m sorry I’m late,” she said in a low voice. “But look what I found. Puppies!”

      Aiden lifted his head, his gaze darting anxiously around the room, and instantly zeroing in on Isaac and Tango standing near the door. “Who is he?” Aiden asked harshly, his expression contorted in a mask of anger. “Why is he here?”

      Her heart sank as she realized how Aiden had struggled in her absence. Eagle came out of the kitchen to greet her, but with her hands full, she couldn’t give her canine protector the attention he deserved.

      She stayed focused on Aiden. “This is Captain Isaac Goddard, and he helped me bring the puppies home. Maybe you could hold them while I find a box to put them in?”

      Aiden’s gaze remained fixed on Isaac for a long moment before he finally noticed the squirming animals in her arms. Her brother’s expression softened and he rose to his feet.

      “Where did you find them?” he asked in a hushed tone.

      “In the bushes near Webster and Viking,” Isaac said from the doorway. “Four pups. I’m sad to say their mother seems to be missing. We’re hoping she’s getting care at the vet.”

      She wished Isaac would have remained silent, concerned that Aiden would become upset again from simply hearing his deep voice, but she needn’t have worried. Aiden’s gaze locked on the puppies and he came over to take one of them from her hands, bringing him up to his cheek.

      “They’re so soft,” Aiden whispered. He met her gaze. “There’s really four of them?”

      “Yes.” She handed him the second pup and then stepped back, subtly swiping at her damp eyes. The way her brother responded so positively to the puppies was more than she could have hoped for. “I’ll find a box.”

      “There’s one full of old movies next to my bed,” Aiden said. “Just dump them on the floor.”

      She took a moment to give Eagle a welcoming rub between the ears before hurrying into Aiden’s bedroom to empty the box of movies. When she returned, she was shocked to see that Isaac had come farther into the room and was standing less than three feet from Aiden.

      What was he thinking? Shouldn’t he have stayed near the door? What if Aiden freaked out again?

      “Found it,” she said as she rejoined them. Isaac set his two puppies in the box first, then her brother did the same. When she realized she’d been holding her breath, she let it out in a soundless sigh.

      Tango and Eagle sniffed at each other curiously, but both dogs were trained well enough not to growl. Tango in particular was a calm, sensitive dog, the kind she’d