Read Online Rock Harbor Series - 04 - Abomination by Colleen Coble - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Colleen Coble
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of her. They’d been here many times, and he knew the way.
When she entered the room, Samson was nosing around the floor. Opening her kit, she pulled out his vest and slipped it on him. He immediately went alert. She snapped his leash onto his collar and led him to the bed. He sniffed the sheets.
“Search, Samson. Find Grandpa.”
He leaped for the door and led her down the hall. Residents called to them as they roamed through the sitting area, but she just waved and didn’t stop. Samson raced toward the sliding glass door that led into the fenced backyard. If her father had gone out there, he should still be around. There was no exit except by coming back through this area.
His nose in the air, Samson crisscrossed the open area, searching for an air scent.
A man ran toward her with his arms out. “Stop, wait, what are you doing?”
A newbie evidently. Bree motioned for him to follow as she trailed after the dog. “Samson is a search dog.”
“He doesn’t have his nose to the ground.”
“He tracks by air scent. Every human scent is different. The skin gives off about forty thousand dead skin cells called rafts every minute. The rafts carry bacteria that release a vapor that makes up the unique scent we all carry. He has my dad’s scent, and he’ll find him. You can count on it.”
The man stopped and stared, but Bree rushed on. Samson raced back toward the door, back through the sitting area, and out the front door. Her father had walked right past the receptionist? Bree had wondered about their security, and this was proof it wasn’t very good.
Once back outside, Samson made a beeline for the trees across the street. Bree unclipped his leash. Samson plunged into the wooded area, and Bree darted after him. The cool, dim forest blotted out the sun. She had to find her dad before sundown. The temp would lower, and he wouldn’t be dressed for it. And the mosquitoes would eat him alive.
Samson’s ears were pointed, and his tail swished like windshield wipers on high, sure signs that he had a hot trail. Maybe Dad was just a little distance ahead. The dog put on an extra spurt of speed, leaping over a brook and bounding across a fallen tree. He disappeared over the hillside. Moments later, she heard him begin to bark.
Samson had found him. She kicked up her own speed, but in her haste she slipped on a mossy rock and landed in the swiftly flowing water. It wasn’t deep, but she was soaked to the waist by the time she regained her feet and hurried in the direction of Samson’s barking.
She reached the top of the hill and looked down. A small pond lay at the bottom. So did her dog and her father. The old man sat on a log and stared out over the water. He seemed not to notice the dog licking at him. Two swans glided along the lake’s surface. She noted their bright orange bills. Mutes. Kade would want to know. He needed to prevent their population from threatening the rarer trumpeters.
She approached slowly so she wouldn’t startle her father. “Dad?” she said softly when she reached him. Even when her hand touched his shoulder, he didn’t move. He was lost inside his mind today.
She blinked against the moisture in her eyes. All she could do was call off the search and take him back. Nothing was going to change here.
NICK SUSPECTED THAT GIDEON BELONGED TO A GEOCACHING community. But which one? He’d attended several local meetings where the groups talked about which GPS unit was best and explained how to plan the best adventures. Their passion for the hunt hummed in the air.
The geocaching community was vast, global. Nick’s poking into it was about as ineffectual as a puppy nipping at the heels of a giant. If he stumbled onto Gideon like this, it would be a fluke. Still, the puzzle drove him day and night. He hoped that concentrating on figuring it out would help him get through what he had to do today. Searching through Eve’s things for clues to her disappearance would bring back more
When she entered the room, Samson was nosing around the floor. Opening her kit, she pulled out his vest and slipped it on him. He immediately went alert. She snapped his leash onto his collar and led him to the bed. He sniffed the sheets.
“Search, Samson. Find Grandpa.”
He leaped for the door and led her down the hall. Residents called to them as they roamed through the sitting area, but she just waved and didn’t stop. Samson raced toward the sliding glass door that led into the fenced backyard. If her father had gone out there, he should still be around. There was no exit except by coming back through this area.
His nose in the air, Samson crisscrossed the open area, searching for an air scent.
A man ran toward her with his arms out. “Stop, wait, what are you doing?”
A newbie evidently. Bree motioned for him to follow as she trailed after the dog. “Samson is a search dog.”
“He doesn’t have his nose to the ground.”
“He tracks by air scent. Every human scent is different. The skin gives off about forty thousand dead skin cells called rafts every minute. The rafts carry bacteria that release a vapor that makes up the unique scent we all carry. He has my dad’s scent, and he’ll find him. You can count on it.”
The man stopped and stared, but Bree rushed on. Samson raced back toward the door, back through the sitting area, and out the front door. Her father had walked right past the receptionist? Bree had wondered about their security, and this was proof it wasn’t very good.
Once back outside, Samson made a beeline for the trees across the street. Bree unclipped his leash. Samson plunged into the wooded area, and Bree darted after him. The cool, dim forest blotted out the sun. She had to find her dad before sundown. The temp would lower, and he wouldn’t be dressed for it. And the mosquitoes would eat him alive.
Samson’s ears were pointed, and his tail swished like windshield wipers on high, sure signs that he had a hot trail. Maybe Dad was just a little distance ahead. The dog put on an extra spurt of speed, leaping over a brook and bounding across a fallen tree. He disappeared over the hillside. Moments later, she heard him begin to bark.
Samson had found him. She kicked up her own speed, but in her haste she slipped on a mossy rock and landed in the swiftly flowing water. It wasn’t deep, but she was soaked to the waist by the time she regained her feet and hurried in the direction of Samson’s barking.
She reached the top of the hill and looked down. A small pond lay at the bottom. So did her dog and her father. The old man sat on a log and stared out over the water. He seemed not to notice the dog licking at him. Two swans glided along the lake’s surface. She noted their bright orange bills. Mutes. Kade would want to know. He needed to prevent their population from threatening the rarer trumpeters.
She approached slowly so she wouldn’t startle her father. “Dad?” she said softly when she reached him. Even when her hand touched his shoulder, he didn’t move. He was lost inside his mind today.
She blinked against the moisture in her eyes. All she could do was call off the search and take him back. Nothing was going to change here.
NICK SUSPECTED THAT GIDEON BELONGED TO A GEOCACHING community. But which one? He’d attended several local meetings where the groups talked about which GPS unit was best and explained how to plan the best adventures. Their passion for the hunt hummed in the air.
The geocaching community was vast, global. Nick’s poking into it was about as ineffectual as a puppy nipping at the heels of a giant. If he stumbled onto Gideon like this, it would be a fluke. Still, the puzzle drove him day and night. He hoped that concentrating on figuring it out would help him get through what he had to do today. Searching through Eve’s things for clues to her disappearance would bring back more
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