Rescuing Harlow by Aubree Valentine
Chapter 20
After dessert with Mickie, Harlow headed back to the house.
She was exhausted. Nothing new for this stage in her pregnancy but lucky for her, she had a great cuddle buddy to keep her company since Zane was still at work.
Bailey greeted her at the front door with a yip.
“Hello, pretty girl.”
The dog circled around her, sniffing all over to see just where Harlow had been.
“How about we take you outside then we can go to bed.”
Woof.
Bailey made a beeline for the back door, slipping and scurrying on the hardwood floor.
Harlow laughed and waddled after her.
At the backdoor Bailey paused and let out a bark.
“I’m coming,” Harlow replied, assuming the dog was fussing at her for taking so long. “You know I’m not over here running marathons these days.”
Bailey backed up and stood more rigid than barked again before a low growl rolled out.
Harlow quickly noticed Bailey’s hair seemed to raise and she stayed at attention.
Bailey barked again, this time not letting up.
“What’s out there? Huh? Is there a bunny in the yard again?” Harlow commanded the dog to sit and moved to open the door. Instead, the dog backed up and circled around Harlow, still barking. “Bailey. What is it, girl? And why are you trying to herd me?”
Glass shattered on the back door and Harlow screamed.
Bailey lunged toward the intruder while Harlow ran as fast as she could into the bedroom and locked the door. The last thing she wanted to do was leave Bailey out there, but she needed to get herself to safety. Behind the locked door, she quickly called 911 and unlocked the gun safe on Zane’s side of the room.
“911, what’s your emergency?”
“Someone has just broken into my house. 1126 Long Pond Avenue. I’m inside the house. My dog, she’s...her name is Bailey she attacked the intruder but can still hear her growling. It sounds like a man trying to…”
There was a loud pop and Bailey yelled. Harlow choked back a sob. “I think he just shot my dog.”
Harlow tuned out everything that the dispatcher was saying as panic set in. What the hell was she supposed to do now?
* * *
Shelby’s phone number flashed on Zane’s cell phone screen for the second time in as many minutes. There was no time for him to answer it in the middle of a briefing, so he ignored it. There would be time to call him back later, like on his way home to his baby momma and his fur baby.
A phone rang in the conference room, interrupting the meeting. Someone in the back of the room took the call.
“Agent Clark. It’s for you,” one of the other agents held out the receiver.
Zane quickly looked to their instructor with an apologetic look then headed to the back of the room.
“This is Agent Clark.”
“Damnit. Zane. you need to get back to your house. Now. Harlow’s missing and Bailey’s been shot.”
“Shelby? What?” There was no way. His brother did not just tell him that Harlow was missing, and his dog had been shot.
“Get. Home. Now. Harlow is missing. Someone broke into your house. Call me the minute you get in the car.” Shelby hung up.
Zane dropped the phone. “Sir, I need...My wife, she’s…I have to leave,” he barely found the words to speak.
“Agent Clark, you can’t walk out in the middle of a briefing. I’m sure all the policies and procedures were explained to you last week.”
“Someone broke into my house and now my wife is missing. I need to leave.” He spoke louder.
The instructor’s entire demeanor changed. “Agent Rigsby, go with Agent Clark, I’ll gather up a team and we’ll head out. We’ll find her, Zane.”
