Page 59 of Survive the Night
Peering into the structure, Sarah didn’t see anyone, and she pushed the door open a little more. Mort tried to wiggle his way in front of her, but she used her legs to block him.
“Sit,” she said in an almost inaudible voice. Mort must’ve heard, since he settled onto his haunches behind her. She slipped out, debating whether to leave the dogs in the tunnel. She was worried that they’d bark and howl, though, so she let them exit with her and closed the tunnel entrance behind her. The main barn door was closed, so Mort couldn’t go running out into danger.
Sarah moved toward Bean’s stall, but she couldn’t help but peek out of one of the dusty windows. Her breath caught. The flickering red and orange light that filled the barn was coming from a huge fire—a fire that was destroying the blackened and flattened skeleton of Otto’s house. The wind whipped the flames to higher and higher peaks, both painfully loud.
Her throat tightened, but she turned her head away from the charred remains and rushed to the oversized stall that Bean shared with Hortense. For a moment, Sarah was grateful for the bad weather, since it meant that Otto had put the animals in the barn for the night. If she’d had to chase Bean down in the pasture, this would’ve been almost impossible.
The wind slowed for a few moments, and the roar of the fire softened with it. In the sudden slight hush, Sarah heard a shout. She froze as the wind whipped to life again, burying any follow-up. Had she really heard a male voice, or had it just been her imagination? Her stomach jumping anxiously, she grabbed a halter and lead rope off the hook and slid open the stall door.
Hortense was right there, looking for treats. Nudging the goat to the side, Sarah slid into the stall. Xena followed her in, and Sarah watched Bean, hoping that he wasn’t scared of dogs. The horse’s coat was dark with nervous sweat in patches on his neck and barrel, and his head was high, the whites of his eyes reflecting the red light in an eerie way. He didn’t seem to even notice the dog, though, too concerned with the fire outside to worry about who—and what—was in the stall with him.
As if testing the theory, Mort pushed his way inside. Sarah moved toward Bean, trying to look as calm and unthreatening as possible. The horse’s muscles twitched with tension as he stood slightly splay-legged. Although he flicked an ear toward her, Bean didn’t look at her. His attention was fixed on the entrance. Sarah followed the horse’s gaze to the closed main doors, and her muscles tightened in warning.
Mort growled, startling Sarah. Ripping her attention away from the barn doors, she looked down at the dog. Mort’s ears were just as focused as Bean’s—on the main doors. Staring at the entrance again, Sarah tried to swallow, her mouth suddenly dry. All of her instincts were screaming that something bad was coming. Mort had saved their lives earlier. Sarah knew better than to ignore the dog’s warning.
Choking back creeping panic, she moved toward the stall door. She and the dogs needed to get to the tunnel. In there, they’d be safe until whatever—whoever—was on the other side of the doors left. Then, they could come back for Hortense and Bean. Sarah took a step, her gaze locked on the entrance.
The door swung open.
Sarah quickly ducked down. Grabbing both dogs by the collars, she hauled them to the front of the stall, pushing them into a sitting position right under Bean’s hay feeder. Slipping out of the backpack straps, Sarah pressed her back against the wood and pulled her backpack in next to her. If someone didn’t get too close, Sarah, both dogs, and the cat would be hidden.
It was a long shot, though. If Aaron’s thugs were searching the barn, they wouldn’t just glance inside the stall and then wander away. At the very least, they’d open the door and look. Sarah thought about covering them in the wood shavings that blanketed the stall floor, but then she heard the howl of the wind cut off as the door was pulled shut with a thud.
Too late.
Chapter 16
Otto cruised down Main Street, watching for any activity in the closed businesses. Monroe generally didn’t have a problem with theft or vandalism during the winter, but he liked to keep an eye out, just in case. The building snowstorm had cleared things out even more than usual. Even the gas station had closed early. The town felt abandoned, and Otto wished that he still had Mort in the squad car with him. Not only had he been a good partner, but the dog had been good company, too.
Lieutenant Blessard was hopeful about getting the funding for a new K9 for Otto in January, but Otto was leaning toward training his own rescue dog. When he first started working with Xena, he was hopeful that she could progress to detection training, but she was still so timid. Confidence was crucial in a K9.
Thanks to their current officer shortage, the lieutenant had to stay late to meet with the FBI agents who were finally picking up the three occupants of the jail: Aaron Blanchett, Logan Jovanovic, and Jeb Hopp. If Otto had had to do it, there wouldn’t have been anyone available to take calls. Besides, he tried to limit how much time he spent with the trio of prisoners. Every time he saw them, Otto was tempted to punch them in their cruel, smug faces for what they’d done to Sarah.
A hazy figure outside the general store waved at him, and Otto turned into the lot. As he drew closer, he recognized Grady, the owner and Sarah’s new boss.
“Hey, Otto,” Grady said as Otto rolled down his window. Small, sharp snowflakes immediately pelted his face. “My truck won’t start. Mind giving me a jump?”
Otto climbed out, heading to the trunk to get the cables. The wind grabbed the edges of his department-issue coat, making it flap. The promised blizzard was finally here, and it was going to be a rough one. Otto hoped Sarah and Grace would make it home safely. He glanced at his watch, noting that they should be in Dresden by now. He decided that, as soon as he’d gotten Grady’s truck started, he’d send Sarah a text suggesting that they stay there overnight. The drive back would be much better tomorrow, after the snow had stopped and the plows had cleared the highway.
As he clamped the cables onto the battery terminals, Grady leaned against his truck and watched. “Your girl is doing a fine job at the store.”
“Good.” A warm sensation spread through Otto at Sarah being referred to as “his girl.” It felt like she was. He wanted her to be. Just the thought of her leaving made him feel like his insides were being ripped out. Otto didn’t want to push too much, though. Her life had been filled with so many people who tried to coerce and bully Sarah. He didn’t want to be one of them.
“Never seen someone so excited about stocking shelves before.” Grady chuckled. “Every time we get a shipment in, she acts like it’s a present for her.”
Otto smiled. “Yeah, she enjoys that part.”
“Customers like her, too.”
The mention of customers reminded Otto of something Sarah had told him. “She mentioned meeting Norman Rounds.”
Grady’s laughter died as suspicion filled his expression. “Could’ve been. I wasn’t there at the time.”
“He come in your store a lot?” Otto asked.
“Wouldn’t say a lot.”
