Page 13 of After the End
The dog crate was gone.
His muscles tightened. Had Leek picked them up a day early? Deciding that it was more likely Larry had just moved the dogs, George kept looking, slipping from shadow to shadow until he’d circled the entire perimeter of the house.
Ellie tapped his back, mouthing “Inside?” when he looked at her.
That had been George’s first guess, too, and the thought made his heart sink. It was one thing to take dogs out of someone’s yard, but to break into an occupied house? That was a whole different story. As he debated, his gaze caught on the garden shed. It was worth checking, since he couldn’t imagine Larry dragging the filthy, smelly dog crate into the house with him. Hope renewed, he pointed at the tiny structure.
Looking where he indicated, Ellie smiled. Even in the dim light, George could see the relief on her face. She evidently hadn’t wanted to commit first-degree burglary either.
They moved to the shed, and George hoped that Larry had left it unsecured through sheer laziness, but the door resisted opening. In the sparse moonlight, it took a few seconds to find the hide-a-key rock. It was empty, as he suspected it would be.
Ellie gave him an anxious look, but he patted her shoulder reassuringly as he moved to the back of the shed. Mrs. Johnson, before she came up with the hide-a-key, had been locked out of the shed numerous times. After an expensive locksmith visit, she’d started leaving the back window unlatched. She’d been agile for someone in her seventies. With the help of a stepladder, she’d been able to wiggle through the window and unlock the door from the inside.
Sure enough, the window was still unlatched.
As quietly as possible, George slid open the window and waved for Ellie to step closer. She looked at the dark opening before turning to George and raising her eyebrows in anare-you-sure-about-thisgesture. In response, he picked her up by the waist and hoisted her high enough that she could slip her feet into the shed. She wiggled around until she was on her belly and then dropped the rest of the way inside.
When she disappeared into the darkness, he shifted uneasily. It was hard to not be in the middle of the action, to be the one who could only wait and hope that everything went well. Ellie was brave and capable, he knew that, but he still had to fight the urge to protect her constantly. Pulling his small flashlight from his pocket, George turned it on, keeping the light pointed down, and passed it through the window.
Ellie took it from him and swept it across the floor. The more valuable items were stacked neatly by the door, but the rest had been tossed in a heap. The sight of the familiar tools that Mrs. Johnson had maintained so carefully sent a jolt of fresh grief through George. Mrs. Johnson had deserved a better son than the mercenary Larry.
Next to the weed trimmer was a familiar dog crate. He waved to catch Ellie’s attention, but she was already picking her way toward the cage. Crouching in front of it, she tried to open the crate door, but it wouldn’t budge. With one hand braced on top of the crate, she gave a hard yank, and the door popped open. Taken by surprise, Ellie’s elbow flew back, knocking over a spade. The shovel fell with a clatter, and she stared at George, her eyes wide with panic. A chorus of whimpers and squeaks came from the crate. The crash must have woken the puppies.
He made a hurry-up gesture, and she reached into the cage. George watched, hating how helpless he felt, as she pulled out Lemon.
“Who’s there?” The shout came from the house, and Ellie tucked the Yorkie under one arm. With her other hand, she reached back in the crate and put the squirming, grunting puppies, one at a time, into the center pocket of her hoodie.
The house’s back door slammed, and George resisted the urge to peek around the corner of the shed. Ellie rushed to the window, handing him Lemon. For a brief second, he paused, unsure what to do with the dog. He’d forgotten to bring anything to carry her in. Her tiny body shook, her heart pattering against his hand, and he tucked her down the front of his shirt with a soothing hush.
Ellie glanced at the window and then looked frantically around the shed, her gaze landing on a wheelbarrow. She hurried to roll it under the window and then stepped into it. The wheelbarrow rocked slightly under her, and George grabbed her shoulders, steadying her. The puppies squirmed, making the material of her sweatshirt ripple and bulge.
The door rattled.
George and Ellie went still. The shed was quiet except for the muffled squeaks and grunts of the pups. Ellie wrapped her arms over her front pocket, and the dogs quieted.
“Which one’s that damn key?” Larry muttered. From the scraping sounds, George guessed that he was trying different ones in the lock. They didn’t have much time before Larry opened the door and caught them red-handed. If that happened, Lemon and her puppies would end up with Leek after all, and George and Ellie would probably be headed to jail.
Keeping a protective arm over her puppy-filled pocket, Ellie slipped her head and upper body out of the window. As quietly as possible, George gripped her by the waist and carefully pulled the rest of her through the opening. Once her feet cleared the sill, he lowered her to the ground and then slid the window closed—just in time. The lock clicked and the door swung open. George crouched, pulling Ellie down with him. Her eyes were huge, and he kept a reassuring arm around her shoulders, mentally cursing himself for involving Ellie in this mess.
Lemon wriggled against his abs, but she quieted after he patted her through his shirt. The puppies were making tiny grunting, squeaking sounds, and Ellie wrapped both arms around her middle again to muffle them.
A crash inside the shed made them both jump. It was followed by a stream of profanity. “Thieving asshole!” Larry shouted. “If you can hear me, you dumb redneck, I’m calling the cops. They’ll arrest your motherfucking criminal ass!” His words grew fainter, sounding as if he was headed toward the front of the house. The trees were just ten feet away from the back of the shed. George met Ellie’s gaze, tilting his head toward the wooded area.
“Not without you,” she mouthed.
He nodded and grabbed her hand. They sprinted for the woods, keeping their steps silent. Ellie ran next to him, one arm wrapped around her front. In his shirt, Lemon yipped, most likely in protest at being jostled, and there was a responding shout from the house. George increased his speed, and he and Ellie ducked into the cover of the trees.
He slowed to an even jog, and then to a walk. Now that they were in the woods, they should be safe. George was almost positive that Larry didn’t have the skills to track them. Ellie made a muffled sound, and he glanced down at her, concerned.
She slapped a hand over her mouth, but her eyes gave her away. Ellie was laughing.
“Oh my goodness,” she whispered once she’d gotten her giggles under control. “That was the funnest thing I’ve ever done.”
Fun?He gave her a sideways glance.
“That doesn’t mean I wasn’t so scared I thought I might pee my pants,” she admitted.
With a quiet, amused snort, he squeezed her hand.
