Chapter 35

"It was two agonizingly slow weeks before the call came. "Sheriff Porter I believe the farm belonging to Joseph Black is going to be used for an illegal gathering of terrorists tomorrow?" the heavily distorted voice advised me.

"Who is this?" I asked even though I knew.

"If you have your deputies there at 12Noon you might be able to stop them." the voice went on.

"How many are there," I asked.

"Probably two dozen," the voice said. "You just need to be there."

Be there or be square, I thought. So geek, of course I have no idea who, had just told me they had cracked his digital code. He was planning a dog fight the next day. It was just in time for me to ask our special deputies for help. Which would explain how they just happened to be there. It would also give Colonel Martin some cover should something go wrong and the swamp dog guys had to put someone down. All in all it was an eloquent plan. It was very well thought out, but then again this wasn't Colonel Martin's first rodeo.

I made the phone call they were expecting. The one where I officially ask Liam for help. He agreed, "I'm totally at your disposal."

Of course his plans were already made. With nothing to do that Friday night, but stay home and worry. I did just that. I wondered if I had a good enough plan. I wondered if someone else could have done better. Me and the dog sat home on a another Friday night.

I had seen Dog gain weight and go for runs with me, but he never seemed to be content. I knew he missed Tommy. I felt really bad for him, but I didn't know what to do. He just looked so unhappy even when he chewed his chew toy there was no happiness. He would bring me his tug and when I tugged he just gave up and walked away. He looked fine but I just knew he wasn't happy. I just didn't know what to do about it.

I joined an adult chatroom, then masturbated. It was an hour or more before I was ready for bed. I slept all night but the raid was on my mind. I told myself that Dog was on my mind even more, because of the things I might see the next day.

I also had not come to grips with Osborn. I should fire her ass, but she really hadn't done anything but stalk me. I mean it wasn't like I was some high school girl in need of protection. Hell as far as I could tell, Osborn was most than likely straight. She probably just had a little girl crush on me. I did have to admit she had lost a lot of weight and really did look good. I would bet my pension the guys were finding her attractive. She was either dating, or turning down dates since our little dust up. I should tell her all was forgiven. She should just go and sin no more.

Something about her was rattling around in my brain when my clock went off at 5AM. I took the trike and Dog out for a couple of hours work. Dog seemed happier when we went up and down the roads than any other time. He also loved Hardee's. He sat up on the bench of their concrete patio set and ate from the table just like a person. Okay it was like a person with terrible table manners.

We went home I skipped the showered and dressed for the second part of my workout routine. Dog lay on the floor of the bedroom while I took off my riding clothes and put on my shorts and sweat shirt with the cut off sleeves. He was always in the same room with me and always looked miserable to me. He came alive only when we ran in the mornings, or he met someone he liked, even then it was only for a minute, before he went back to his sullen ways.

It was a Saturday, so I didn't really need to be anywhere until I called my crew together. I went to Reggie's to work the bag, just to kill time. That is where I bumped into Melissa Osborn. She was ending her bag work and I was there to start mine.

"Have you run this morning?" I asked.

"I'm just heading to the Rec Center to run. I'm going to try to get the run in early before the kids show up for a soccer or softball game." she said.

"When you finish, go home take a shower put on a uniform and meet me at the courthouse. Be there by 10AM. Oh and Melissa forget about that misunderstanding with the computer thing. I'm over it," I said coolly.

"I'm glad, I was a little concerned. I know it was wrong. I really just felt you needed someone to watch your back. Honest that is all there was too it," she said. I didn't believe her, but it also didn't matter at all.

"Since I had begun storing a spare uniform in the locker at the station, I just went down there and showered. I had the little sign that a deputy made for me. It said "Female in the house stay out". The other females and I turned it backwards, when we weren't doing anything that we needed to do in peace.

That morning it was take a long shower. Longer than I did at home, the courthouse had a heck of a lot more water. They heated with steam, so the boiler was full of hot water all the time. Dog lay just outside the shower stall, while I was inside it. He looked a lot more alert when we were in places other than home.

Well he looked bored at the pub, once he had dinner that is. He stayed very quiet and sad looking Mrs West commented once. She never changed her opinion either. Jeremy pretty much felt the same way. Nobody thought Dog was happy or as happy as dogs can be.

At 10AM I dropped dog at Jeremy's Gallery. Jeremy had a accounting sheet for me. The items of mine were pretty much gone. Now and then he sold a piece of jewelry I had from an estate sale, or even one of mine got sold. That morning was accounting day.

"I will be back for my dog this afternoon. I do appreciate the dog sitting," I said.

"Has this go something to do with Allen leaving at the crack of dawn?" Jeremy said.