Page 42 of Guarded By the SEAL
He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and handed it to Teslyn, telling her the code to unlock it. “Call Cowboy. He’s in my favorites. Tell him I need him to meet me around the back of Casa Larga ASAP.”
She did as he asked and hung up. “He said he’ll be there in ten.”
Wyatt’s arm muscles burned with the effort he was putting into rowing as quickly as he could. The sound of a boat engine starting up carried across the surface of the water. “Goddamn it,” he ground out, pulling in his oar and climbing past Teslyn and Ivy to start his own engine.
“Maybe they didn't see us and they’re not coming after us,” Teslyn offered. “Maybe they’re just patrolling the lake.”
He started the engine. “We can hope,” he said over the thrumming noise. Fighting back against the good guys wasn’t an option. Their only real hope lay in outrunning the police. “Hang on.” He throttled up quickly, moving as fast as the little boat could go across the glass-like surface of the lake. Nearly any boat would be faster, and he imagined the state troopers were right on his tail as he traversed the water.
He aimed for the dead-center of the unlit park, counting on the darkness to hide them as he ran aground on the beach. The restaurant where he said he’d meet Cowboy bordered the park itself, but that area was a solid quarter-mile from where they were now, and he feared Ivy wouldn’t be able to keep up if they ran.
“Climb on my back,” he told her, turning to Teslyn as Ivy settled against him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Take Jett. Can you run?”
A spotlight flashed at them from somewhere in the lake. “Yes,” Teslyn said.
“Hurry.” He took off at a jog, pacing himself to be sure he didn’t go too fast for Teslyn. He could see Jett pulling her faster, the pup used to Wyatt’s early-morning sprints. The sound of an engine grew close to the shore. “Can you go faster?” he asked.
“Yes.” She took the lead and he stayed on her heels, barking directions as they wove through the trees and emerged on the other side. The sign for Casa Larga was dark, and he jogged past Teslyn to a fenced-in garbage container around back, holding the gate open for her and the dog to enter before shutting it behind them.
He turned wary eyes to Jett, wishing he’d had more time to work with the puppy. He took a deep breath, preparing to use the command he so desperately needed to dog to obey.
CHAPTER20
Teslyn took her life preserver off, then pressed a hand into the stitch at her side and worked to catch her breath.
“Stinky,” said Ivy, holding her nose as Wyatt put her down and took off her life vest.
“We have to be quiet,” whispered Teslyn. She turned to Wyatt. “Do you think they’re on this side of the lake?”
“I don’t know,” he said. The distant sound of barking came from the direction of the park. “Fuuu…” He looked at Ivy. “Darn it,” he corrected. “How much do you want to bet those are police dogs?”
Jett whimpered, clearly wanting to play with the animals.
“Quiet,” Wyatt said in a deep voice, the dog instantly sitting down and looking to him for further direction. But the police dogs barked again, more closely this time, and Jett was clearly having a difficult time obeying Wyatt.
Teslyn frowned with concern. “How well trained is he?”
“He’s a puppy. Not that well trained.”
“I was afraid you were going to say that.”
The police dogs yelped, and Jett barked back. “Quiet!” snapped Wyatt, but it was too late. The dogs were clearly getting closer, their enthusiasm for the hunt raising an answering enthusiasm in the puppy. He barked several times despite Wyatt’s attempts to quiet him.
Panic gripped Teslyn and wouldn’t let go. Being chased by a pack of dogs was her greatest fear, and knowing the animals were baring down on them left her barely able to function.
“Focus on your breathing,” commanded Wyatt. “There’s a fence all around us. They can’t get to you.”
Her eyes latched onto his, her diaphragm working hard to follow his orders, and she imagined this was exactly what Jett was feeling right now. Ivy took her hand. “It’s okay, Tessie. The puppies won’t hurt you.”
She was going to be sick or pass out, she wasn’t sure which. She held tightly onto Ivy’s hand and bent at the waist, helping the blood to stay in her head as she hyperventilated. The dogs were so close now, she could hear the voices of their handlers. Weren’t dogs great with scent? They’d be able to track them to the dumpster no matter the fence that hid them from view.
Maybe they were attack dogs, trained to go after fugitives like her.
“Talk to me, Tess,” said Wyatt. “Tell me what you like to do.”
“I want to live.”
“For fun, Tess. What do you do for fun?”
