“Where’s their water? These animals are dying of thirst,” he growled at the man. Cole stared him down as he called for Archer. “I need water in here, pronto.”
Archer took one glance inside the cages and enlisted one of the veterans to help him.
“I’m not signing shit until I inspect every one of them. You’re paid to care for them,” he seethed.
Opening the crate of the first one, the animal whined and slowly exited, not a sign of a good working dog. In fact, upon inspection, the poor thing appeared sick. Rushing to the other pens, he opened them to find all the dogs sluggish. Archer and the other veteran placed bowls of water in front of them. A few lapped it up as if dehydrated. The others ignored it completely.
“What did you do to these canines?” he demanded.
“I don’t know, buddy. They only tell me where to drive them. They’re probably tired,” the man said, making excuses.
“Don’t screw with me,” Cole ground out, grabbing the man’s shirt. “I personally inspected them a couple of weeks ago, and none of them appeared like this.”
“Easy, man,” Archer placed a hand on his shoulder. “I suggest you better tell him what you did to these animals before he calls the cops.”
“Archer, call Jake, Doc’s godfather. He’s the veterinarian. Tell him it’s an emergency and be prepared to draw blood. I want to know what he gave them to press charges.”
“Listen, it’s not easy listening to their barking and whining all the way here. I gave them something to put them out for a while,” the man blurted out.
“You may have ruined good working dogs,” Cole barked. “Call the cops.”
“Hey, man. It’s never hurt any of them before,” the man argued.
“I suggest you keep your trap shut,” Archer threatened. “Or I’ll let him lose on you. Take him over there and don’t let him leave,” he said to the veteran. “I’ll help Cole with the animals.”
They moved them to their pens and put them on comfortable beds. Archer wiped them down, cooling them off while they waited for Jake to arrive. Cole cleaned the cut and bandaged it. He pulled out his phone to call the owner and report the driver. With any luck, the driver wouldn’t have a job by the time Cole finished.
Jake arrived and went to work. Three of the seven dogs needed IVs, making him sick to his stomach. The police found a bottle of sleeping pills inside the truck and gave the name to Jake.
Cole sighed. He refused to leave them alone on their first night. One of the sicker dogs whined, and Brody lay beside him as his master comforted the poor thing.
“Sorry, Brody. We can’t leave them here,” he said, feeling outraged. On top of it, he hoped to see how Hannah fared after her big day. He picked up his phone to call her, but hesitated. Cole felt drawn to the woman, but he didn’t want to take advantage of her while she recuperated from her trauma. It’s not as if they made a date or anything. Maybe, since she finally stepped foot outside of the hospital, she didn’t need him. The thought made his stomach churn and he rubbed his chest from the invisible pain. How did he begin to explain the mountain called to him? Hannah might believe he needed a mental health evaluation if he admitted he came for her.
CHAPTER 22
Three days later,Hannah placed her suitcase on the bed and slid the glass door open to step onto the deck. The cold air hit her face and she lifted it to the sun.
“We stocked you with some homemade frozen meals and there are general items found in the cabinet, such as coffee, sugar, crackers, salt, and pepper. Check the kitchen before you purchase anything,” Kassie reminded her for the third time.
“Can I purchase things online and have them delivered?” she asked.
“Of course, let us know when you’re expecting a package and we’ll ensure you get it,” Kassie informed her as she walked inside the closet. “We have a panic button in here. If you need some quiet time or want someone to talk to, press the button.”
“Good to know,” she murmured.
“Claire will come here for your appointments. We have trails on the other side of this cabin. Feel free to walk them anytime you want. They light up at night, and the veterans monitor them continuously. Some of Victoria’s men walk the trails to discourage any wayward teens who find themselves in love or with contraband.”
“Got it,” she said, nodding her head and hoping Kassie planned to leave soon.
“Then, you’re all set. My number’s on the fridge. Call me anytime,” she said as she walked outside.
“Thank you, Kassie,” she called out as she watched the woman leave. Kassie flashed her a smile before closing the door.
Hannah was finally alone. She took a deep breath and went back inside to unpack her few belongings. Yesterday, Samantha visited, bringing a bag full of new clothes and styling her hair. She felt almost like a new person. If only she didn’t have the scars and marks on her body to prove otherwise.
Opening the suitcase, she hung the tops and folded the sweaters. She took her coat, hat, and gloves to the front closet and placed her new boots in there. Realizing she wasted less than half an hour, she plopped down on the couch. The quiet of the cabin seemed almost as disturbing as the machines’ beeping.
Her mind drifted to Cole and Brody. She even missed Nine. Apparently, he considered her a pity project. Since she showed up at the facility, he stopped dropping in at the hospital.
