Part 41 (1/2)
The door made a nasty crunching sound and popped open. Owen stood there for a second, flummoxed. Breaking down doors was never that easy in Afghanistan.
Reggie bopped his nose against the wood and went in.
”Becca?” Owen followed. ”I'm sorry about the-”
Reggie began to howl.
Terrified at what he'd find, Owen hurried toward the sound. Only to find the dog alone in the middle of the waiting room. A quick tour of the rest of the building, upstairs and down, revealed it empty.
Owen glanced out the back door. Her car was gone. If he hadn't been so determined to find her he would have noticed, and saved her a door.
”Dude.” Joaquin stepped inside. ”Was it like that when you got here?”
”It was an accident.”
The kid snorted. Owen had sounded like a five-year-old after he'd broken Mom's favorite vase.
”Shouldn't you be in school?”
”Why does everyone keep asking me that?”
”Who else asked you?”
”Doc Becca.”
”You saw her? When?”
”Early this morning.” Joaquin frowned. ”Isn't she here?” He walked through the exam room and into the office/waiting area. Owen followed. ”We have office hours soon.”
The unease Owen had been feeling since he'd returned intensified. Becca wouldn't miss her appointments.
He pulled out his phone, dialed her number, got voice mail. He almost disconnected without leaving a message. What could he say?
I'm an a.s.s.
He figured she knew that already. In the end he made do with a short, ”Call me,” and hung up.
Joaquin appeared as concerned as Owen. ”Should I cancel her appointments?”
Reggie blew air out his nose the way he always did when he was excited, revved, ready for a mission. Owen turned.
The wolf was back.
Reggie licked her face. She rolled her eyes, the amused disgust in the mannerism as human as her green gaze. Then she spun and ran out the still open door, pausing just outside to look back.
”You see it, right?” Joaquin stood at Owen's side.
”The wolf? Yeah.”
”Look at her wound.”
Her stance gave Owen a perfect view of her shaved flank. The wound that had nearly killed her was gone.
”How does that happen?” Joaquin asked. ”Becca said wild animals heal fast, but that's ridiculous.”
Owen didn't have the time to explain magic, even if he could. Then the wolf yipped-high, impatient-and Reggie rushed to join her. The two disappeared from view and Owen bolted after them. By the time he caught up, they were trotting down the sidewalk.
”h.e.l.l,” Owen muttered, as locals and tourists did double takes, then scrambled out of the way.
”It's okay,” he called. ”She's tame. Not a threat.”
He wasn't certain how true that was, but he didn't need anyone playing the hero, trying to grab either Pru or Reggie. Pru would probably be better behaved about it than Reggie would be.
”What's going on?” Joaquin had followed him outside.
”You need to stay here,” Owen said.
”Not.”
”The door's broken. Anyone could get in. Besides, I think you are going to have to cancel Becca's appointments.”
The wolf had seemed agitated. That couldn't be good.
”I don't-”
”Becca would expect you to do your job,” Owen said.
She would also expect Owen not to bring along a fifteen-year-old kid in his search for her. Considering all that had happened since Owen had gotten home, he doubted what was to come would be anything short of dangerous.
”I'll call you when I know something.” Owen hurried after Reggie and Pru.
The townsfolk, who had parted like the Red Sea at the sight of the dog and the wolf, flowed back together like the ocean. Owen had to take to the street to keep up. At least everyone was keeping their distance and not following them.
A flash of metal to his right drew Owen's gaze as a man stepped out of the hardware store with a rifle. He sighted on Pru. Owen s.n.a.t.c.hed it out of the guy's hands.
”Hey!” The fellow-someone Owen didn't know-tried to s.n.a.t.c.h it back. ”There's something wrong with that wolf.”
”I'll take care of it,” Owen said.
”The wolf or my gun?”
”Yes.”
Picking up speed, Pru left Carstairs Avenue. She wasn't a fool. Best to get where they needed to go before someone else appeared with a firearm.
Like Chief Deb. Where had she gotten to? Owen hadn't seen her since the incident on Route GG.
Ahead lay the coffee shop/motel. The wolf trotted right up to the same room Owen had been in that morning, bopped her head against it-once, twice. When it opened she went in.