Payback (The Canine Handler Book 1) (12 page)

Kellee grabbed Sarah’s wrist. “Sarah, what is it?”

“It’s him,” Sarah mouthed under her breath so only her teammate could hear.

“Him?” A look of confusion crossed Kellee’s face.

“From foster care.”

It took Kellee only a few seconds. Sarah had told her about some of the demons from her foster care life. Understanding dawned on Kellee’s face. There was one guy in particular Sarah had told Kellee about—but she’d never mentioned a name.

It hadn’t been important. Then.

Now was not the time for Sarah to unravel. She needed to stop this physical reaction to her emotional response. Hyperventilating, she bit her tongue, and tried to hold her breath. She had to keep it together. Falling apart at a search event was a surefire way not to get invited back.
We’ve trained too hard for this! I can’t blow it now. If I walk out and leave the search, they’ll never call us back.
Word would get around; no other agency would use the team either.
Think
, she thought,
calm down and get all the information first
.

Kellee could tell that Sarah was about to lose it. Kellee looked at her teammate. Alarm registered in her eyes. “Look at me,” she put her hand on Sarah’s shoulder. “You’ll be with me, Gunner and Sammy,” Kellee told her. “You will be safe. We can handle this.”

Sarah closed her eyes for a moment.
Deep slow breath, control yourself
. She tried to think of a calm, safe place. Gathering her composure just for a moment, she opened her eyes and refocused.
Knick of time
, she thought. Lt. Langenberg and Dave were heading back to the table.

With the flier still in front of her, Sarah forced herself to read all of the information printed below the missing subject’s picture.

In bold lettering underneath the image of an unshaven, gruff looking man it announced:

AT RISK

DESPONDENT MISSING PERSON

Dwight Harrison, 27 years of age, 5’ 11”, White male, wavy mid-length brown hair, mustache & goatee. Full-sleeve colored tattoo on left arm depicting the devil. Several scars across torso and upper arms.

Sarah and Kellee read through all of the information the paper offered. Sarah drifted back to her days in the hands of foster care. She had shared some information from her previous life with Kellee, but not everything.

Sarah tried to calm herself down and push away her immediate fears.

Dave handed his canine report to the search management team while the lieutenant read through it as well.

When finished, they both re-joined Sarah and Kellee at the table where the maps were spread out. No one commented on Sarah’s expression, so apparently she’d done a good job of outwardly hiding her fears.

Lt. Langenberg interrupted Sarah’s thoughts. “Our missing gentleman was last seen at approximately 1800 hours this past Tuesday when he left his residence. As you know his vehicle was located at the lot adjacent to the lake and Sinsheim Road.”

Sarah and Kellee reviewed their map as the lieutenant spoke. Sarah used a pen to pinpoint the area where the car had been located. She made a note in the sidebar. It helped her to relax as she continued to scribble remarks. Her shoulders began to relax. She felt the tension ease up for a moment.

“So far,” the lieutenant continued, “we have two mounted teams and a handful of ground teams running hasty searches of the immediate area around the LKP. Those teams will run the trails and report back. Dave, I want you to show us on the map where exactly your dog found tracks.”

Sarah was glad that she wasn’t given the task of running a hasty task. Her dogs moved too fast and worked too far from her to be of much help on the quick initial information-gathering chore. The mounted team, in her opinion, was always the best option for this duty and she was happy they had already been deployed.

“Sure, sure thing,” Dave pointed to the map. “I ran Bella on the vehicle first, let her scent and sniff around it for several minutes. Then we offered her a scent article, and she picked up a solid track from the driver’s door. She cast about a few times but finally was able to follow the track from the car, through the parking lot onto the main trail heading northeast.”

Dave pointed to the area on the map where the LKP was marked. He showed the group where Bella had crossed over a small stream and picked up the main trail that headed past the horse trail parking area and wound its way east. “We were able to make it about 300 meters down the trail. There are numerous smaller trails that drop off the main one, but we think he passed several of those pathways and remained on this trail at least this far. So I’m thinking maybe that was his ultimate goal. He could’ve traveled all the way to the furthest point of the park and maybe even back toward the lot where he had parked his car.”

Sarah and Kellee studied the map, paying close attention to the main trail and how it wound its way through the whole park at some point. There were loops and shortcuts that split off, but they were not as wide or well-groomed as the main trail. If the subject continued as he had, he could have made it all the way over to the furthest northeast edge of the park.

With the predominant wind blowing from the north again today, this area might just be the best place to start working Gunner and Sam.

Kellee looked up at Sarah. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

“I believe so,” she answered, her throat constricted and dry. After studying search theory and training canines for years, they both thought on the same plane, though Sarah deferred to Kellee. She was still unraveled at the thought of who they were being deployed to find. Kellee took the lead and gave an overview of their search strategy.

“If I start the dogs from here,” Kellee said pointing at the area on the southern boundary of Lake Marburg, toward the northeast corner of this side of the park, “we can grid from east to west working our way back north. Then we would be able to cover a large area efficiently depending on the terrain and how thick the ground cover is.”

Dave and the lieutenant listened as the two dog handlers discussed how they would work their dogs. “Are there any searchers working in this area?” Kellee asked pointing to the edge of the park.

“No. The mounted teams plan to ride the main trail first and report back to base. Then their plan is to ride all of the smaller trails and loops that drop off the main trail. We also have a few of the mounted teams running a perimeter of the park to catch the subject if he’s still mobile. Most of the ground teams are closer to the LKP and working the foot paths in that area. Will it disturb the dogs if you happen to run into any of the horse teams? They plan on riding the trail eventually through the area you’re talking about. The teams might run into each other.”

Sarah finally piped into the conversation. “No, the dogs will be fine with the horses. We’ve trained with a mounted team and know how to work our dogs around them. Gunner and Sam know most of the horses and team members here today.” She found it calming to focus on something other than that worthless piece of shit that was the subject of the search.

Finally, their search sector was solidified, and they received boundaries of the area to grid. Their task would also cover part of the trail where Bella determined the subject appeared to be walking.

The lieutenant left to have management write up their search assignment and to retrieve a 7.5-minute topographical map of the area for Sarah and Kellee.

“Do you mind if I walk with you and the dogs on your task?” Dave asked. “I could be your escort.” Sarah knew Dave was interested in seeing Gunner and Sam work together. Most handlers only worked one canine at a time.

“Oh no, that would be fine. I’m the strike team leader for the task,” Kellee responded. Dave would know what the term strike team leader meant from NIMS training. Kellee would be in charge of the field team.

Maybe a man, especially a cop, would make it safer to be in the woods (with HIM possibly out there somewhere),
was Sarah’s initial thought.
On the other hand, the less info Dave knows about my past relationships the better.

Sarah and Kellee were handed maps of their search sector. The management team went over their task assignment, discussing terrain, borders and search strategy.

“Your search assignment is at least two miles from base camp as the crow flies—even longer by winding roads and trails,” Dave mentioned.

“Geez, you’re right,” Sarah agreed.
Far from the safety of base camp,
she thought. She knew what the subject—the creep—was about and what he was capable of. They would be the furthest team from base camp. Not unusual in itself, but it added additional concern for Sarah today.

The women stood up to exit with Dave in the lead.
Need to get outside!
Sarah felt like the walls were starting to cave in around her. She craved the fresh air and a chance to stretch her legs.

Kellee gave her a concerned look. Not wanting to worry her friend, Sarah smiled and whispered, “Ocean King.” That was their team’s code words used to indicate everything was okay.

“Do you think we can get a ride out to the sector?” Dave asked the management team before leaving the command unit.

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” one of the officers replied. “Let me find out where the mule is and if we have a driver.” He turned to Sarah and Kellee. “Can the dogs handle riding in that?”

“Of course,” Sarah attempted to smile as she answered.
We’ll see,
she thought. “As long as it’s the kind of mule you ride
in
and not
on
,” Sarah laughed thinking of a vehicle commonly used on local farms. Though slightly larger than a golf cart, there still wasn’t a lot of room in them and they usually were a bumpy ride.
Should be interesting
. Although both dogs had ridden in the back of an open pickup truck bed, they had never traveled in an all-terrain vehicle like a mule.

The officer pushed his chair away from the radio equipment. He shifted his police-issued leather belt, adjusting it around his considerable gut. He looked up to the dog handlers before he spoke as if he had something tremendous to say. “I can have a driver on his way over here with the mule. How soon will you and the dogs be ready to head out?”

The officer delivered his message in a monotone, but smug voice. Sarah felt like this was the last place on earth he cared to be and for some reason it added to Sarah’s feeling of uneasiness. It unsettled her and she felt guilty for asking the man to do his job.
Asshole.

“Give us 15 to 20 minutes” Sarah said, still trying to keep her composure.

Standing still, she was trying to hold herself together professionally.
Torn
. That’s how it felt. Between giving into her anxieties and keeping her cool, she felt like she was being ripped in two. She knew once she could get outside, walking and focusing on the search task would help. She needed to be in motion.

“Okay, that will work,” the officer from search management continued. “They’ll be here when you’re ready.”

Finally.
Sarah, Kellee and Dave were once again outside and moving. Dave headed toward his vehicle. “I need to grab a few things from the car and check on Bella. Don’t leave without me.”

“We won’t,” Kellee retorted, “but make sure you bring plenty of water.”

Sarah held it together until they were far enough away from prying ears and suspicious eyes. Her face pale, sweat covered her forehead. Perspiration started to show through in patches through her shirt. All of the horror and memories had re-emerged when she saw Dwight’s face—the missing subject—on the flier.

Sarah’s signs of uneasiness were obvious. “Keep moving. Concentrate on getting the dogs ready,” Kellee advised. “Don’t think about the past. Focus on working your dogs and the task at hand.”

Sarah felt numb inside. All of the painful memories flooded back in a rush. It made her head spin.
How could this be happening? Out of all the people in the world?
Sarah needed to pull herself together. Her reputation as a first responder and canine handler depended on how she performed—something she dwelled on over and over. Sarah never wanted to be the reason her team wasn’t called back by an agency. She needed to calm down for herself and Gunner and Sam’s sake.

If the dogs detected there was a problem with their handler, they wouldn’t range as far while out on task. It would hinder their work. The dogs were apt to pick up on her emotional stress. Sarah tried to steady her nerves. She took a deep breath, stood taller, straighter and mouthed under her breath to no one but herself, “I got this, I can handle this.”

Sarah could hear Gunner and Sam barking as she headed back to her truck. “Hey, guys,” Sarah addressed them, her voice stressed and cracking. The dogs responded with high-pitched whines and the pounding of tails against their crates. Kellee headed to her van.

Sarah saw Kellee pull out her backpack and rummage through the contents. In slow motion, Sarah took in her friend’s detailed preparation. Kellee refilled her containers with fresh water and made sure she had a working pen and notepad. Satisfied all of her supplies were in order, she secured the enclosures and placed the pack on the hood of her van.

“Do you need critter spray?” Kellee offered, holding the can of bug spray out to Sarah.

Sarah answered with a nod. The ticks were especially bad in this region of the country and in light of all the tick-borne diseases, it was best to be overly cautious. Thankfully the dogs were already well-protected with a monthly treatment that controlled ticks and fleas.

Sarah finished with the bug spray and handed it off to Dave once he rejoined the group.

Sarah pulled out one dog at a time to give them a quick bathroom break. It took Gunner and Sam a moment to settle down and get to business because they were so excited. She struggled to put their search vests on. Hugging Gunner around his neck, she held him tight to snap his neon collar.

Although today was another real search and they were “technically working,” the dogs still thought of it as a game. They couldn’t wait to play Find-the-Human-in-the-Woods. Sam and Gunner enjoyed any type of search work, but the terrain and environment of the woods was their favorite.

All of their search training had been carefully tailored to each dog’s personality and drives, instituted through a completely positive program. To them, it was a fun outing in the woods with their owner, handler and partner. They couldn’t wait to get the game underway.

The dogs’ energy was contagious and their antics comical. Sarah’s mind raced with the tasks that lay ahead.
Settle,
she told herself.
Take a few deep breaths and just chill
. She tried not to second guess her prep work regarding supplies, dog training or navigational skills.
Trust Gunner and Sam,
resonated in her thoughts. Seeing her dogs helped ease her mind. Slowing her breathing, Sarah smiled at her two clowns now back in their crates.

“Anything I can help you ladies with?” Dave asked.

“Think we’re good for now,” Sarah answered, “but thanks anyway.”

Sarah stood unmoving surveying the contents inside the truck bed. The dog crates were attached to a platform. Under it were metal drawers filled with training and search equipment and supplies. There were racks along the inside of the truck cap that held several different types of leashes, collars and various other canine paraphernalia. To the untrained eye, it appeared to be in disarray, but actually the gear was well organized and easy to access.

Her wilderness backpack, the dogs’ water bottles and several other pieces of search gear were spread across the open tailgate. Sarah had made sure all of the gear was clean and in good working order prior to storing it. She mentally primed herself for the search ahead.
You could never be over prepared,
she thought.

Dave peered into the back of her truck to admire some of her canine gear. He was in awe of how much stuff she’d fit in the bed. “From the looks of things, you have everything but the kitchen sink,” he teased.

Nervous, Sarah joked back. “If you look hard enough, I’m sure you’ll find that’s in there too.”

Exasperated with herself for being anxious and slightly on edge, she continued to keep busy, organizing and re-organizing her previously readied supplies. Finally, she straightened her back and shoulders once again to stand taller and give off an air of confidence, more for herself than for Dave. Her awareness shifted to trying to figure out the trooper’s true intentions. She felt mixed signals coming from him.

Looking at her watch, Sarah realized they needed to get moving. “Okay, is everyone ready?” Sarah looked to Dave and Kellee. They nodded.

She could see the mule pulling up in front of the command unit. She grabbed Gunner and Sam’s beta leashes from where they hung in the back of the truck. One excited Shepherd was enough to handle, but two doubled the joy. Sarah needed to pull the dogs out, straighten their vests which had shifted while they lay in their crates and attach their leashes.

She pulled Gunner out first and tried to get him to stand still long enough to reposition and tighten the straps on the dog vest. He was so excited, it was beyond difficult.

“Settle!” Sarah firmly command, continuing to try to get the vest to fit properly. Gunner pretended not to hear her and continued his capers.

Kellee laughed at the dog’s antics. After Sarah was finally able to attach his leash, she saw Kellee pull a cookie from her vest. She held it in a fist in front of Gunner’s nose. Instantly he settled down and started to push his nose into Kellee’s tightly gripped fist to get at what she was hiding. Both dogs possessed a huge food drive as well as their play drive. Times such as this were perfect to use this food drive to advantage.

Sarah quickly adjusted the dog’s vest. “Thank you,” she mouthed silently to Kellee. She handed Gunner off to Kellee and moved to pull Sam out of his crate. Sarah quickly attached his leash and straightened out his vest. Sam was more of a gentleman and allowed Sarah to do what was necessary. She handed Sam’s leash off to Kellee as well. Sam could smell the cookies in Kellee’s hand and started pushing for them too.

Due to the tough terrain the dogs would be working in today, the vests they wore were different than the previous day’s. Each was made of a rugged canvas material that discouraged briers or sticker bushes from catching. “Search Dog” was embroidered on both sides of the vest and the team’s logo patch was sewn alongside. The orange vests contrasted with the dogs’ neon yellow collars which read “Search and Rescue.” Emergency contact information, in case one of the dogs went missing during a search effort, was also embroidered. Each dog also had a specific tattoo inked on its underbelly which was registered with a working canine agency.

Both collars were outfitted with a GPS tracking device so Sarah could download the exact area each dog had covered. Management liked to have this information to verify map locations of the dogs’ exact search coordinates. Each dog also wore a “trail bell” that Sarah had already attached to the collars.

“Hurry, Sarah! Get your pack and whatever else you need while I still have these guys’ attention,” Kellee admonished.

Sarah picked up her wilderness field pack with all of her search supplies; she put her left arm through one of the straps and swung it up on her shoulder with a little effort. Heavy, the field pack was bright orange and made of a durable, waterproof material. Neon yellow reflectors adorned the sides of the pack. It was loaded with necessary first responder gear such as first aid materials for herself, the dogs and the missing subject if they should locate him in their search area.

There were many miscellaneous survival tools in her pack including a knife, various bits of wires, foil and batteries and even a tarp should she need to make camp for the night. While there were some supplies she used over and over, she found others to be useless as she never used them and forgot they were even in her pack.

Sarah attached the radio holster across her chest and secured it tightly. She dropped the freshly charged team-issued radio into its pocket. Her knee-high, black Gore-Tex gaitors were zipped up over her hiking boots and BDUs. She carried a Garmin GPS in a front pants pocket with fresh batteries, but she also carried a Ranger Silica orienteering compass as a back-up in case the GPS malfunctioned.

Satisfied she had everything she and her dogs would need, Sarah grabbed Gunner and Sam’s black beta leashes with quick-release brass snaps. While the dogs were pre-occupied with Kellee and the treats, Sarah checked to make sure the leashes were snapped onto each of the dog’s fitted prong collars as well as their leather flat collars.

Bells were hung from the dogs’ flat collars since they would wear them throughout the search assignment. Sarah only used the primitive looking prong collar while in base camp to keep better control of her energetic beasts. When they were in exciting surroundings it helped keep them from burning up their energy too quickly. Sarah would remove the prong collars once they arrived at their search sector. They weren’t appropriate while the dogs were working in case they snagged on a branch or got caught on something else.

Even so, the collars looked worse than they actually were. Because they applied even pressure on the neck and throat, they were actually less severe than a choke collar. Like most “tools,” it was all in how it was used.