Page 2 of Chasing Justice
When she joined Doug and Juniper, Maya couldn’t help but admit there was still a draw. Deep down she wanted to take the leash and feel the vibration, the dance, the power, and most of all the partnership, where a handler gave the dog the lead and they trusted each other. This animal was bred for their job and their instincts were superior, but Maya had killed a dog through handler error. She vowed to never put another dog in danger.
I’ll never take the leash again. Only a worthy K-9 handler like Doug should work a dog.
Low-hanging clouds from a morning rainstorm rolled in off the mountain peaks, crawling down the valley, pushed by the wind. She caught Doug studying her and smiled at him.Reassure everyone that you’re okay.That was the only way to survive. Maybe someday it would be true.
“We’ll head out toward the old Baker homestead. The call to dispatch came from a hiker near that area,” Doug said.
“All right. Let’s go.” Maya put on her green Forest Service jacket. The panic from the rock hitting the windshield was already leaving her body. The mountains had a way of calming and soothing her. Doug made sure Juniper’s leash was secure on her collar along with her Kevlar K-9 vest before the trio headed out toward their destination.
Maya traipsed over the rough trail, dodging fallen logs and stepping over rocks. Doug hiked ahead of her ducking under thick tree branches. His light brown uniform blended in with the surrounding forest.
Sudden movements to the north of the trail made all three of them stop abruptly. A mule deer leaped out from behind a tree, her large ears flipping back and forth. A fawn with white spots followed. Juniper sat by Doug and cocked her head to the side. Maya saw the curiosity cross the dog’s face, but obedience overrode her predatory instinct.
“She’s a good dog. Amazing to see a Mal that relaxed,” Maya said.
“She’s agreatdog. I feel lucky to have her. Maybe one of these days you should try working her. Or even take a bite from her in training. Just get the feel again.”
Maya shrugged in response. She hadn’t told Doug much, just that she’d lost her K-9 partner, Zinger, due to an IED.
It wasmyfault.I didn’t trust my dog. I didn’t listen to my dog.
Watching Doug and Juniper’s partnership ripped open painful wounds.
They waited for the deer to continue on their way, their hooves softly hitting the ground until the mother and baby disappeared into a grove of fir trees. The trio started hiking again and the sound of Juniper’s sniffing cut through the quiet forest. The dog jogged back and forth in a zigzag pattern, working a scent.
“She enjoys the trails, doesn’t she?” Maya said.
“Yeah, she’s always up for getting out here and doing her job. Loves tracking work the best, although bite work is a close second for her. Your grandfather offered to do some decoy work a while back,” Doug said, with a laugh.
“Pops? Decoy? Does he even know how?”
“Yeah, I think he does, but I wasn’t able to connect with him. How’s he doing? You talk to him lately?” Doug asked.
“I think he’s good. Haven’t you caught up with him? Don’t you boys get together for poker night and beer?”
“You need to call him, Maya.”
“Why? Is he okay?” Maya stopped.
“He’s fine. He misses you. With your grandmother gone now, he’s lonely. You should at least stop in and say hi.”
“I’ll think about it.” Guilt washed over Maya. She and her grandfather had kept things cordial, but Maya knew he had every right to be mad at her. The thing was, she was mad at him too. Her grandfather was the Western River County sheriff, and with Maya’s job, she had to work with him and at least pretend to get along. To add to her frustration and anger, Maya had wanted a job as a deputy, but her grandfather ripped up her application. He’d told her to find a different job—one with less danger. He didn’t want Maya following in his footsteps. She would have been an asset to the department and her grandfather knew that. He also knew she desperately needed a job.Not to mention, if he’d hired me, I wouldn’t be stuck working with a K-9 and reliving my nightmare.
Juniper sprang to attention, cutting off Doug from continuing the conversation. The Malinois stretched her nose in the air and scented off the slight breeze that came through the trees.
“Let’s keep going,” Doug said. “She’s air scenting in the right direction. Maybe she’s smelling a good marijuana grow.”
“Did the reporting party give you information about a possible grow?” Maya asked.
“No. They just said suspicious activity at the Baker cabin. Saw a person lurking.”
Juniper put her nose to the ground and picked up the pace. Her body became tense and her tail was straight up in the air. Doug and Maya increased their pace to keep up. Every now and then Juniper would pause and change direction.
Maya started to feel the burn in her legs from going uphill, dodging rocks and hopping over fallen logs. Pine needles cushioned the ground, but made it slick too.
Juniper took a sharp right and pulled on her leather leash, dragging Doug into a clearing, where they finally stopped. Doug grabbed a map out of his pocket and checked their location.
“I thought the Baker cabin was abandoned?” Maya asked.
