“Well, clearly it’s not,” he said, shaking his head.“This is how break-ins happen.”
He wasn’t really worries about a break-in here, though.The Sheriff’s Officeandthe Police Department had uniformed officers here every day, not to mention security cameras that actually worked.You’d have to be stupid to…
His thoughts trailed off when he glanced at the ceiling to see frayed wires where the lobby’s security camera used to be.His blood ran cold, and he stopped whistling.The lack of an alarm chime didn’t seem so benign anymore.
Run.Get out of here.Call the police and tell them what’s going on.
He turned and started for the door, but no sooner had he taken a step than the dogs started barking like mad.He hesitated.Their reaction probably meant that whoever had broken in was still here, which was another wonderful reason for Carlos tonotbe here.
But he loved those dogs.Despite his eagerness to leave early every day, he actually liked his job.He couldn’t just abandon the dogs to whatever was happening in there.
It’s probably just someone trying to steal a dog.Shit like that happens all the time.
Except never here.And two people were killed at dog shelters yesterday.
He took another step toward the door.One of the dogs howled, a lingering mournful sound.
That sounded like Bonnie.Bonnie was a collie and the sweetest dog Carlos had ever met.He couldn’t just leave her.
He unclipped his handgun and closed his hand around the comforting weight of the butt.He was a civilian employee, not law enforcement, but Texas allowed open carry to all non-felons over twenty-one, and Carlos proudly exercised his second amendment rights.
Thank God for that.
He drew the handgun and started to pull back the hammer but stopped himself.He needed to figure out what was going on and not let his emotions rule him.Especiallyif he was going to carry his handgun.
He kept the barrel pointed at the ground, thumb on the hammer, and called, “Hey!Whoever’s in there, you need to declare yourself now!I have a gun, and I’m not afraid to use it!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, heat climbed his cheeks.Not only was the last sentence the most cliché thing he could possibly have said, but his voice sounded like he’d just hit puberty.
Bonnie howled again, and he cursed inwardly.Come on, Carlos.Don’t be a coward.
“Okay, I’m coming in!”
He strode through the door into the animal containment room, heart beating a million pumps a minute.He burst through the door and saw a figure lying on the ground in front of Bonnie’s cage.He cried out and aimed his handgun at the figure, then sighed.It was just a homeless person who had broken in to sleep.
He rolled his eyes and holstered his weapon, then walked up and nudged the figure with his foot.“Hey.Hey, buddy.Time to wake up.”
The figure didn’t move.Carlos sighed and squatted next to it.“Hey!Buddy, it’s time to go.”
He pushed the figure’s shoulder, and it rolled over, revealing the head of Linda Hayes, the volunteer coordinator.One of her eyes had been gouged out, and a screwdriver stuck out of the hole in its place.A note was tied to the screwdriver with a piece of twine.It contained a single word.SLAYER.
It felt to Carlos like he floated backwards out of the room.He saw his hands shake in front of his face, but he didn’t hear his scream of terror.It wasn’t until he tripped over his left foot and fell heavily onto his back that reality snapped into place, and he was able to compose himself long enough to call nine-one-one.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Faith’s dreams that night were disturbing.In one, she and David were making love while a shadowy figure wearing reflective glasses watched from outside their window.In another, the shadowy figure called Turk, and he came to him, ignoring her shouted commands to stay away.In a third, David was chasing the figure.Faith tried to go after him, but she kept falling, and each time, he would get further and further away.
She was roused from that sleep by a rough shake from Jessica.She flinched awake and blinked at her partner’s serious expression.“We have another body,” she said.
Faith sighed and fell back onto the bed.“God damn it.”
“Yeah, I know.I’m sorry.”
“Why are you sorry?It’s not your fault.”
“I’m still sorry.”
Faith nodded.“Yeah.Me too.”
