Page 8 of Nora
Pausing at the edge of a large field, Nora scanned the area. There were obstacles and training tools scattered over the five-acre grounds. An area to practice attack skills was to her left. A tightrope was visible on the far end of the field. And if the fading light wasn’t fooling her, there was a maze of tunnels in the north corner. Application of the skills grown and honed on the field would take place all over the property.
To her immediate left sat the clinic. It was the kind of portable building that schools used for extra classrooms. It was even the same weird color, somewhere between yellow and beige. With a smile at the incongruity of seeing the ugly building amid the beauty of the field, she walked toward it. And once again, revisited her thoughts on Lucian.
Her natural inclination to want to help him warred with her promise to Franklin. With every step she took, though, she realized that the latter would take precedence. Lucian was unlikely to accept any overture of friendship she might extend, anyway. Which left her with no option but to treat him like all the others—as a suspect. She was self-aware enough to know it would be difficult for her. It was against her nature to ignore someone in pain. Especially when she had a connection to them, as tenuous as that might be. But she’d done difficult things in the past and somehow made it through. She’d muddle through this as well.
After spending an hour familiarizing herself with the contents and layout of the clinic, she took a roundabout path back to the residential quarters. Arriving at her room with twenty minutes to spare before her meeting with James and Ingrid, she started preparing for the well-checks she’d give the dogs upon their arrival. Satisfaction settled on her shoulders as she emptied the contents of her equipment bag onto her bed. It was always well-stocked, but it didn’t hurt to be extra prepared. Especially since she had a feeling Lucian would be keeping a close watch on her.
One by one, she mentally checked items off her supply list as she returned them to her bag: stethoscope, ophthalmoscope, otoscope, test tubes, and needles. She also had a plethora of items she didn’t anticipate needing that night, including bandages, tweezers, and ointments. When the bag was repacked, she glanced at the clock. Perfect timing. It was four o’clock. She was looking forward to hearing more about the training program from James and Ingrid. Whether Lucian would be there was anyone’s guess.
After grabbing her water bottle, a notebook, and the key to her room, she walked down the hall to the conference room. Knocking lightly, she opened the door and poked her head in. James and Ingrid were sitting at the table, each with a cup of coffee, but Lucian was nowhere to be found.
“Come in,” James said with a smile.
“I checked out the clinic after lunch,” she said, taking a seat. “It’s a good setup for a portable. More equipment than I thought there’d be.”
James flashed her a cynical smile. “The first program NATO ran wasn’t so well equipped and they almost lost a dog to heatstroke. After that, they’ve been pretty good about ensuring the on-site vets have everything they need.”
“Well, hopefully we won’t need it, but it’s always good to be prepared.”
Both trainers nodded.
“Why does Lucian not like you?” Ingrid asked, startling Nora with her abruptness.
A pile of pens sat in the middle of the table. Nora rose and reached for one. When she was reseated, she lifted a shoulder and decided to be completely honest. “I don’t know. I’ve known him since we were kids. He’s one of my best friends’ cousins. I haven’t seen him in three years so have no idea what I could have done to make him so angry.”
“What happened three years ago?” James asked.
Nora wasn’t keen to dive into the personal questions but recognized that she was the outsider here. James, Ingrid, and Lucian had been working as a team for over a year. Behind the question, she heard a concern that she shared: Would her presence pose a challenge?
“We had dinner with my friend’s parents, his aunt and uncle,” she answered with a shake of her head. “I have no idea what’s going on in his mind. Like I said, I’ve known him for years, but I’ve never known him well, so I can’t say. What I can say, though, is that whatever it is, it won’t interfere with the program. I’ll be in the clinic most of the time, and not with you and the participants. There’s a big window in the portable so I’ll be able to keep an eye on the dogs from the comfort, and warmth, of my domain,” she added with a smile.
“What about when we aren’t working in the field?”
Nora tipped her head. “I’ll be wherever you all need me to be. I’ve cared for a lot of working dogs in my career, but I’ve not participated in a program like this before. You obviously have a method”—she waved to the large sheets of paper taped to the opposite wall that detailed, to the minute, the schedule for the first week—“so just put me where you need me.”
Ingrid gave a sharp nod. James acknowledged her statement as well, but his nod was a little longer in coming. His hesitation could be for any number of reasons, so Nora decided to ignore it. The best way to prove she meant what she’d said was to let her actions speak for themselves.
“So,” she said, pointing to the sheets of paper again. “Why don’t you tell me what you have planned and anything you think I should know about the dogs.”
* * *
An hour later, Nora was in the lounge waiting for the first arrivals. James and Ingrid sat with her by the roaring fireplace. Lucian had opted for a seat on the other side of the room, by the pool table. The well-checks would happen later. For now, she just wanted to observe the dogs. And their handlers.
The first to arrive were Craig and Jonah. Being from the US, they’d had the least travel. Both Miles, Craig’s German shepherd, and Lena, Jonah’s Belgian Malinois, strolled in looking as if they belonged there. After Staff Sergeant Markley checked them in, the two men and their K9s joined her and the trainers in the lounge for a few minutes. When the introductions and greetings were done, they made their way to their rooms to get settled.
For the next ninety minutes, the participants trickled in. Anne and Marie from Belgium with their two Malinois, Kroger and Fidele. Then Jean and Sophie from France, with their shepherds, Adela and Abel. They arrived at the same time as Angelo and Cencio from Italy and their two Malinois, Cesare and Vita. They were followed by Jurgen, with his Malinois, Dieter, and Gerhard with his shepherd, Falk, from Germany. The last to arrive were Collin and Willa from the UK. Collin’s dog was the biggest of the bunch, a huge all-black shepherd named Raum. Willa’s was the only non-shepherd/Malinois, but her Majestic Tree Hound, Hagen, was one of the best tracking dogs in Europe.
All the dogs had passed vet checks prior to traveling, and they’d probably slept most, if not all, of their flights. Even so, Nora was pleased that none looked stressed. Their handlers were another story, though. Most were fatigued from travel, and for their sake, she considered starting her well-checks before dinner. She wouldn’t be able to spend as much time with each pair as she’d like. On the other hand, jet lag was real. After nine-thirty, she doubted the Europeans would be up for much conversation anyway.
Starting at the room closest to the lounge, she knocked on Jurgen’s door. He called for her to come in, and a few minutes later, Dieter, his K9, stood docilely as Nora began her check. She took all his vitals, writing them down in her notebook, then drew a blood sample. She’d compare it to the one taken before the flight to help her check stress levels.
As she went through her routine, she chatted with Jurgen. She’d identified him and Jonah as playboys of the group, and she hadn’t been wrong. Twenty seconds into their conversation, he asked her if she was single and hinted at getting dinner together. His invitation implied more than just a drink. She wasn’t the least bit interested, but staying open and friendly was the best way to gain his confidence. So rather than brush him off, she gave him a vague answer that wasn’t a commitment either way.
After leaving Jurgen’s, she attended to seven more dogs—and handlers—before dinner was called. In her short time with each pair, she learned quite a bit. Gerhard, the oldest of the group, viewed the others as his nieces and nephews. The two women from Belgium were both friendly, although Anne seemed more outgoing than Marie. Sophie, from France, was quite harsh—with both Nora and her K9. Jean was more like Jonah and Jurgen and oozed French charm. And last of her first group, Cencio and Angelo, were about as opposite as two people could get. Angelo was so serious that Nora wondered if he had any sense of humor. While Cencio was gregarious and loud and loved his wine. He’d even brought a case from his family’s winery with him to share.
Willa, Collin, Craig, and Jonah graciously agreed to wait for their checks until after dinner. She’d complete those four quickly, though, since neither Jonah nor Willa were suspects.
As soon as Nora finished with Cencio and Vita, she jogged up the three flights of stairs and walked to her room. Once she had blood samples from the last four dogs, she’d head out to the clinic and start the tests. But for now, she needed to wash her hands and freshen up before dinner.
