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“We’re pretty sure he does. George thinks they were taken by a former SEAL who offered to buy them.”
“A SEAL?” Ali exclaimed. “Who?”
“TJ is tracking him down.” Mike glanced out the window as a truck drove past the barn. “That’ll be him now.” He hugged his wife. “We’re going to get to the bottom of this, and we’re going to get them back.” He patted Axe before leaving them in the clinic and walking to the house.
TJ, Ernie, and Rick were in the kitchen when he arrived. Rick had run a pot of coffee and poured a mug as he entered.
“I asked around, and I think I’ve got a name,” said TJ. “Gavin Kane out of Coronado. A dog handler who earned himself a big chicken dinner for dealing drugs a few years back.” TJ used the slang for a dishonorable discharge.
“I remember hearing about that,” said Rick. “He was tied to an outlaw motorcycle gang, right?”
“That’s the one. He was also accused of an unlawful killing in Iraq, but it didn’t stick.”
“Drugs, bikies, murder, and theft, that’s one broken SEAL,” said Ernie. “The brotherhood does not extend to that hombre.”
“I spoke to his old TL, said the last time anyone heard, the guy was up north in Canada,” said TJ. “I’ve sent his details to Deb. She’s going to see what she can find.”
“So, we’ve got a name,” said Mike. “That’s a start.”
“I think we should check over the crime scene again,” said Rick. “We gave it the once over when we were looking for the pups, but we could have missed something.”
“That’s a good idea,” said TJ. “Can we safely assume that George has given us permission?”
“Yeah,” replied Mike. “He told us to get the puppies back. He’s not going to object to a little SSE,” using the acronym for sensitive site exploitation.
“OK, you, Rick, and Ernie get around there and check it out. Hopefully, one of the neighbors has a camera that Kane missed. I’m going to put some calls in and see if I can find out more.” He checked his watch. “Let’s reconvene here at sixteen hundred and see what we’ve got.”
“All of the cameras were hit with paint,” reported Rick after walking around George’s house. “Five in total, and he got them all.”
“That’s thorough. Tells us that this wasn’t a rushed job. He probably had the place under surveillance and planned it in detail,” added Ernie.
“Yeah, the more we dig, the more it confirms this was run by an operator. It also makes sense that he’d be a dog handler. He’s the perfect guy to help a crime syndicate develop a working dog capability,” said Mike.
The three operators had spent over an hour searching George’s house in detail. So far, they’d found nothing to reveal what happened other than the blacked-out cameras and the broken front door. They’d gathered in the kitchen to discuss their findings.
“I’m going to start canvassing the neighbors,” said Mike. “One of them might have cameras or remember seeing something.” His phone vibrated at the same time Rick and Ernie’s pinged. He took it from his jeans and checked the message. TJ had sent through the photo from Kane’s old TL. It showed a bearded SEAL squatting alongside a large black Malinois. “Well, at least we’ve got a picture.”
“Except he looks like every deployed SEAL,” added Rick.
“Every white SEAL,” clarified Ernie.
“True that.”
Mike zoomed in on the picture and noted the hawkish nose and steely grey eyes. To him, Kane looked like a cold, ruthless killer.
“I’ll keep digging here,” said Rick.
“And I will check houses on the other side of the street,” said Ernie.
“Thanks, guys.” Mike started by knocking on Albert’s door. The elderly neighbor took a while to answer.
“Mike, did you find the puppies?”
He shook his head. “Not yet. But we do have a lead.” He showed Albert the image on his phone. “We think this guy might have played a part. Do you remember seeing him around?”
“Let me get my glasses.” Albert stepped back inside and reappeared a moment later to study the image. “No, I’m sorry, Mike. I don’t recognize him.”
Dejected, Mike slid the phone into his pocket.
