Page 5 of Lightning Strikes

Chapter 2

Angela

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Melissa passes me a bag filled with glorious, greasy fast food and I inhale the cheese and meat permeating my office. “Thank the cows, thank you Melissa.” I groan as I dig in and barely take a breath as I eat.

She chuckles and shakes her head. Her red hair is in two long braids today that she huffs at and throws behind her shoulders. Her brown eyes light up and twinkle at me as she watches me eat like I’m a part of a zoo act. “I have no idea how you always eat so much and still look… like that.” I shrug and wink at her… then I sigh as I chug water from my mini fridge.

“I run a lot when I’m not stuck in the clinic. So you haven’t heard back from Blake either?” She shakes her head and I chew on my lip. “I’ll have Mac check up on his house. It’s one thing to be late, it’s another to shut off your phone and not show up to work for four days in a row…” I grumble as I wave Melissa out and she skips out of the room and back to her desk.

I’ve been basically trapped here until further notice… Melissa has interviewed two vets so far, both online since they’re from southern Arizona. One from Tucson and the other from Phoenix. They have impeccable recommendations and their references checked out… I don’t think anyone has ever been hired as quickly as those two, but they’ll be up here within the week. Preferably sooner.

I offered moving costs but both declined. Cassie still has another two months of maternity leave… So now all we need is a tech or seven. Melissa has turned down each and every one she’s interviewed for not seeming as serious as she wants them, dressing abnormally, or didn’t know a specific, random breed of animal she pointed to.

I chuckle to myself as I call Mac and then frown as I remember that Blake may truly be missing. Just like my parents… And so many supes all over the country for the past decade. No one knows what happens to them. Gone without a trace. I don’t think these psycho pieces of shits would take a human, but you never know.

“Ang, long time no talk.” He jokes as I hear a car door slam and people hollering on his end of the call.

“One of my vets hasn’t come into work for a few days and I can’t get in touch with him. Can you do a house check for me? Or try to find any of his friends or family?”

He whistles. “Sounds like some crazy shit just getting’ tossed at ya, doesn’t it?” I sigh as I tap my nails along my desk when he clears his throat. “Send me any and all information you have on him and I’ll start up a missing person’s report and get in touch with the chief. Is this why you haven’t been home in days?” I murmur a yes before he hangs up and I send him a text of Blake’s address, phone number, and his emergency contact… His mother, who is also not answering any calls.

I groggily make it through the rest of the workday and am just about to lay down in my makeshift apartment beside the puppy who still has no name… When someone knocks on the front doors. With my sensitive hearing I can hear freaking everything from inside and outside of the clinic. Good thing I have my hearing plugs with me for my new sleeping arrangements… I grimace down at my pajamas and sigh as I make my way through the clinic to find out who’s here. I look through the glass and raise an eyebrow at the man from the bar… and the man that saved the pup. I’m wearing a tight black tank top and silk shorts… Oh well.

I unlock the door and step back so he can come in. His hands are in his pockets and he gazes around with a frown. “I didn’t think you would still be open so I was going to just slip the check through the bottom of the door… until I saw a truck in the parking lot and tried knocking… So, you live here?”

I turn around, ignoring him, as I sit at the reception desk and blow out a raspberry. I tilt my head at him. “Did Melissa tell you the amount? I haven’t added it to the pup’s file yet… And no. One of my vets has been a no-show for a handful of days and we don’t have anyone else for about another week. Can’t really leave the dogs here overnight.”

He slips an envelope from around his back and taps it against the desk. “No, I just came up with a number and decided it would cover his expenses… and a donation. Sorry about your vet, anything I can help with?”

I shake my head and lean back. My eyes are so heavy I wouldn’t be surprised if I fell asleep sitting up right here. “No, I got it. Melissa feeds me when she’s here. Otherwise I just order food. I had a bag of clothes in my car… I have a shower and a makeshift room next to my recovering patients.”

He smiles at me and I have a hard time holding back an answering grin. He truly is too beautiful to be walking around alone. A woman is going to snatch him up and lock him in their basement. “Well, I best get out of your hair so that you can get your beauty sleep. I’m here for another week if you change your mind on entertaining some company… My number’s on the check.” He winks and then he’s gone. I chew on my lip as I stare at the envelope and slowly open it up and groan when I see the check for several thousand dollars.

Cal Winters is his name. The address is a P.O. box in California, which makes sense. He has a healthy glow to him. I wonder what the heck he could be doing here in Prescott, unless he’s here for work or visiting a family member. His number is listed under his address and the memo at the bottom says ‘Maximus’… I hope that’s a name for the pup and not his middle name or something.

Maximus… I guess it works. I lock the envelope up in one of Melissa’s drawers and leave her a note to stop by the bank when she has the time. She typically doesn’t work weekends but will most likely show up to help me since Blake bounced on us.

I hope he’s okay, but at the same time, I hope that he’s just at home so that I have a reason to knock his ass out.

My bare feet tap along the tile floors on my way back to the hospital and I check on the dogs again before I lay back down. I pull out my phone and look up the name. Maximus… means the greatest. I snort and then pull up my maps to see where Earp, California is. I frown as I search for that city and blink slowly at my phone. What an odd place for a seemingly rich person to be from. Maybe he just has an office there and uses the post office there for his mail?

There’s literally nothing. Well, aside from the Colorado River, sandy cheap resort areas, and trailer parks. I set my phone down and close my eyes.

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Maximus has come a long way, not that I had any doubts in my healing abilities. I’m going to be removing the casts and doing a quick adoption with Mac so that no one asks any questions. At least his offer was sincere and he truly wants to adopt the pup. Going off of his first x-rays, he should be having around the clock care in casts for a fewmonthsnot days. Especially with a cracked skull, broken ribs, and the liver laceration.

Now he’s eating and drinking normally, and I keep him sedated overnight so that he’s comfortable and not bored while stuck on bed rest.

Cutie on the other hand, is due to go to a foster home tomorrow. He’s eating full meals, drinking plenty of water, and going to the restroom regularly. I’ll be using donation money to cover the costs since his owners haven’t returned any calls and I don’t feel like going to court with them. The deposit the old man left was close enough for the stay anyway, I’ll just deal with it. If I see them around town, I might do something stupid, like trip the elderly couple or slash their tires. At least they’ve already been handed citations, no idea what the courts will decide to do.

Who in their right minds keeps dozens of animals on their property with no care to their health or safety? Low life humans, that’s who.

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It only took three days for Dr. West to show up, and two more for Dr. Czar. Both are human males not too much younger than me. Apparently they were ready for a ‘small’ town life and wanted out of the heat. Makes sense, I don’t know how my body would react in 110-degree weather… I would melt like a wicked witch.

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