Her Rocky Mountain Protector. Patricia Thayer

ran to her ex. “Where is Zack?” she demanded.

      “Go to hell,” he said. His words were slurred, his eyes glassy. Drugs, in all likelihood.

      Grady walked up. “Let’s check the mine,” he said, taking out his penlight and heading to the opening that had once been boarded up but now showed signs of some of the boards having been pulled away. He stepped through the slats, Larkin and Gina right behind him.

      “Come, Scout,” he called to his dog.

      The shepherd immediately went into the darkness and Grady turned on the flashlight, and followed.

      Gina cried out, “Zack! Mom’s here and you’re safe. Zack!” There wasn’t a sound, then a bark from Scout. They walked carefully through the maze of rocks and mining equipment. Then they reached the wide opening. That was where they saw the light and sleeping bags and camp lanterns. There was a pile of ropes abandoned on the blanket.

      Gina searched around. “Where’s Zack?”

      “Not sure,” the sheriff said. “Maybe Eric moved him.” He flashed the light around the cave and over the piles of blankets to the empty food containers. Then he picked up the knotted ropes. “Do you think Zack could have got away?” He glanced at Grady. “Is there another way out?”

      Grady had to think a minute. Then he heard Scout’s bark again. “This way.” He started off and the others followed. They were led through a maze of rocks until they saw some light and were outside in the back of the cliff. There was no sign of the boy.

      “Where is he?” Gina demanded.

      Not waiting for an answer, she returned to the front of the cave. Marching over to her ex-husband, she began pounding him with her fists. “Where’s Zack? Tell me. Damn you, tell me.”

      Lowell tried to move, but the deputies held him there. “Get her the hell away from me.”

      When Reed Larkin finally pulled Gina back, Grady could see her tears on her face. He was about ready to give her something to beat the SOB with.

      Gina couldn’t hold back any more and sobbed. “Where’s my son?”

      An evil grin appeared on the jerk’s face. “Hell, Gina, I hid him so deep, you’ll never find him.”

      Suddenly Grady reached out and gripped Eric’s shirt, getting the man’s attention. “You’d better hope that’s a lie, because if anything you said has one ounce of truth in it, I’ll personally take care of you myself. So I suggest you don’t push any more of my buttons, or I’ll bury you so deep no one will find you,” he said through clenched teeth, then he finally released Lowell, causing him to stumble backward.

      “Hey, he threatened me,” Eric cried.

      “I didn’t hear anything,” the sheriff told him, and the deputies agreed. “Maybe you better talk, and fast.”

      “Who the hell are you?”

      Fletcher moved closer. “Your worst nightmare. I’ve done two tours of duty in Afghanistan. I know a lot of ways to torture someone, and get rid of the body.”

      Lowell’s eyes grew wide. “I swear, I left Zack back in the cave and he was tied up when I came out. I don’t know where he is now.”

      Grady got in his face again. “I’d better not find out you’re lyin’.”

      Eric cringed, looking like the coward he was. “Sheriff, get him away from me, I told you everything I know.”

      “Take him down to the truck,” Reed said.

      After the deputies took Lowell off to the vehicle, Gina turned to the sheriff. “We’ve got to go look for Zack.”

      “We will, Gina,” Reed promised, and turned to Grady. “Could Scout find the boy?”

      “We can try.” Grady looked around the dark area, but Scout wasn’t there. He put two fingers in his mouth and whistled. “Scout. Come.” There wasn’t even the sound of a bark. Now it was time for Grady to panic.

      “Please, don’t hurt me,” Zack cried as the big wolf came toward him. He raised his shaking hand and waved, hoping the animal would leave his hiding place. “Just go away. Please.”

      Zack took off running. He wasn’t sure what he was more afraid of, the animal or his dad finding him. He climbed the rough hillside, and went through a group of trees, but every time he looked back the big wolf was still following him. He tripped on a rock and cried out as he fell. He rolled over and saw his bloody palms. It hurt so bad, but he wasn’t going to cry. He just had to get away.

      He got up and started to walk again, hoping he could find someone who would get him back to his mom. He looked up at the sky. It was getting late and it was going to be dark soon. That scared him. Nighttime was when bad things happened. He glanced over his shoulder to see the wolf was still following him. Zack climbed over the next rock and stopped. There was a coyote, then soon there were three of them.

      Suddenly the wolf following him took off after the wild dogs. The animals fought, and soon the coyotes ran away, but not the wolf, who came back to him. Afraid, Zack backed away, but the animal still came closer. Then he saw a collar and a tag hanging from his neck.

      “You’re a dog?”

      As if he understood, the animal barked at him.

      All at once the wind began to blow and Zack hugged himself. It began to rain, and lightning and thunder weren’t far behind.

      The dog barked again and started off, but stopped and waited for him. Maybe the dog was taking him home. Zack went after him, but they came to another mine and the dog slipped inside, showing him the way.

      Shivering, he went inside the dark old mine. He didn’t know what else to do. Inside, he stayed close to the opening, and the fading light, but couldn’t help but be curious by all the treasures. An old mining car sat on tracks. He wished there were some blankets to keep him warm. It began to pour rain outside and he stepped back. The dog came up beside him, and Zack stood very still, then he reached down and petted him. His fur was soft.

      “Good dog,” Zack managed to say.

      The animal nudged him away from the entrance and Zack sat. The dog sat, too. “Can I see your collar?” Zack carefully reached for the silver tag and read the letters.

      “U.S. Army. Your name is Scout. Wow, you’re an army dog. You can protect me.”

      Scout laid his head on Zack’s leg, and he was beginning to feel a little better. Now, if only his mom would find him.

      CHAPTER THREE

      THREE hours later, and exhausted from the search, everyone stood next to the sheriff’s vehicles to figure out the next move. They’d had to wait out the heavy rain, then had gone back out and combed the area once it let up, but any trail of her son had been washed out.

      “But we can’t leave Zack out there,” Gina cried.

      A frustrated Reed Larkin said, “Of course not, Gina, but it’s getting dark. I need to go back to town and get more volunteers and we’ll start out again at first light. The men need to eat, and get some rest.”

      “It could be too late by then,” Gina argued.

      The sheriff turned to Grady Fletcher. “Is there a chance your dog might be with Zack?”

      Gina was hopeful. “Is that true?”

      Grady nodded. “Scout might have got the boy’s scent and gone after him. If the dog couldn’t get the boy to follow him back to us, he’d stay.”

      She was hopeful. “So Zack’s not alone out there?”

      “It’s a possibility,” Grady told her. “I don’t know for sure.” He hesitated. “Scout had some injuries while in Afghanistan.”

      Gina