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Authors: Cheryel Hutton
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nothing to do but to trudge through the dusty road in that direction. I was looking forward fondly to a shower, food, and a nap.
My phone buzzing didn’t help my exhaustion any. “Hi, Steve.”
“What do you think you’re doing, talking to Shaylee?”
I stopped in the middle of the rarely traveled, dirt road. “Good grief, I’m not even back to my car yet.”
I head a sigh through the phone. “I’m serious, Maddie. There’s a delicate balance between us and other groups. You need to leave it to the experts to handle things.”
I ground my teeth. Where was he and his experts when I needed them? “I was trying to help.”
“Maddie…”
I started walking again, tossing up dust with every stomp. “I know you think I’m nuts, but I’m worried about them.”
“Channels, Clark. You have to go through channels for things like this.”
“I tried. Nobody listened.” I hung up the phone and jerked open the door of my car. Tears stung my eyes, and I swiped at my face.
Great, now I’d made a good friend angry, and he would tell Liza, and she would be mad too. Maybe I was wrong and everybody else was right.
No . I couldn’t set back and let the non-humans be put in danger.
No matter what I lost in the process.
****
I paced back and forth, trying like crazy to push my mental gerbil off its wheel. I was getting tired of thinking the same thing over and over. There had to be something I hadn’t thought of yet. “Why won’t they listen to me?”
“Maybe because you’re hysterical?” Gizmo looked up at me from where he sat on my bed.
“I’m not hysterical,” I told him.
“Not now.”
I eyed the little fuzzball. “I don’t get hysterical.”
“No comment.”
He couldn’t be right. Not a chance. Right? “You’re a pain in the rear, mutt.”
“Hey, don’t be questioning my lineage, human. I am not a mutt! I’m a full-blooded dachshund from a documented line going back to Germany. How about you?”
I sank onto the bed next to the pain in my butt. “Apparently I’m the only one worried about what Mac McFain could do to this town.”
“Personally, I’m more concerned about Kate Stone. She’s using the mayor.”
“To get info for Mac.” I stood and turned away from the dog. As crazy as it sounds, I didn’t want the dog to realize I had the hots for McFain.
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
I glared at the little furball. “What is up with people thinking McFain is an angel? He’s proven himself to be a real menace.”
Gizmo was quiet long enough it got on my last nerve.
“And…”
The dog dropped his chin on his front paws. “Aren’t you a reporter too?”
I so wanted to wring his cute little neck. “There’s a difference between reporting the facts and going out of your way to hurt people.”
“Hurt people by reporting the facts about them?”
I swallowed back the retort. I wasn’t about to have an argument with an animal who couldn’t possibly understand the nuances of my chosen profession. “I need to think,” I told him, and headed to the screened-in porch at the back of my mom’s house.
Sitting out there usually cleared my mind. And my mind was desperately in need of clearing. That little pain in the rear couldn’t possibly be right. If he was right, then what happened to McFain could have happened to me. Still could.
I’d have no reason to hate the guy. He was just doing his job. He might have had no idea what the consequences of his actions might be.
I stood and went out the screen door. There, surrounded by nature, I considered whether or not I might be wrong about McFain. That was ridiculous, right?
What was wrong with me? Why was I even considering what a dog had said to me? There was no way in the world the dog could be right.
Could he?
Chapter 9
Filming went well the next morning, and even into the early afternoon. Four armed security guards manned posts at corners of the shoot area. I’m not sure if they made me feel safer or more anxious, but I
My phone buzzing didn’t help my exhaustion any. “Hi, Steve.”
“What do you think you’re doing, talking to Shaylee?”
I stopped in the middle of the rarely traveled, dirt road. “Good grief, I’m not even back to my car yet.”
I head a sigh through the phone. “I’m serious, Maddie. There’s a delicate balance between us and other groups. You need to leave it to the experts to handle things.”
I ground my teeth. Where was he and his experts when I needed them? “I was trying to help.”
“Maddie…”
I started walking again, tossing up dust with every stomp. “I know you think I’m nuts, but I’m worried about them.”
“Channels, Clark. You have to go through channels for things like this.”
“I tried. Nobody listened.” I hung up the phone and jerked open the door of my car. Tears stung my eyes, and I swiped at my face.
Great, now I’d made a good friend angry, and he would tell Liza, and she would be mad too. Maybe I was wrong and everybody else was right.
No . I couldn’t set back and let the non-humans be put in danger.
No matter what I lost in the process.
****
I paced back and forth, trying like crazy to push my mental gerbil off its wheel. I was getting tired of thinking the same thing over and over. There had to be something I hadn’t thought of yet. “Why won’t they listen to me?”
“Maybe because you’re hysterical?” Gizmo looked up at me from where he sat on my bed.
“I’m not hysterical,” I told him.
“Not now.”
I eyed the little fuzzball. “I don’t get hysterical.”
“No comment.”
He couldn’t be right. Not a chance. Right? “You’re a pain in the rear, mutt.”
“Hey, don’t be questioning my lineage, human. I am not a mutt! I’m a full-blooded dachshund from a documented line going back to Germany. How about you?”
I sank onto the bed next to the pain in my butt. “Apparently I’m the only one worried about what Mac McFain could do to this town.”
“Personally, I’m more concerned about Kate Stone. She’s using the mayor.”
“To get info for Mac.” I stood and turned away from the dog. As crazy as it sounds, I didn’t want the dog to realize I had the hots for McFain.
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
I glared at the little furball. “What is up with people thinking McFain is an angel? He’s proven himself to be a real menace.”
Gizmo was quiet long enough it got on my last nerve.
“And…”
The dog dropped his chin on his front paws. “Aren’t you a reporter too?”
I so wanted to wring his cute little neck. “There’s a difference between reporting the facts and going out of your way to hurt people.”
“Hurt people by reporting the facts about them?”
I swallowed back the retort. I wasn’t about to have an argument with an animal who couldn’t possibly understand the nuances of my chosen profession. “I need to think,” I told him, and headed to the screened-in porch at the back of my mom’s house.
Sitting out there usually cleared my mind. And my mind was desperately in need of clearing. That little pain in the rear couldn’t possibly be right. If he was right, then what happened to McFain could have happened to me. Still could.
I’d have no reason to hate the guy. He was just doing his job. He might have had no idea what the consequences of his actions might be.
I stood and went out the screen door. There, surrounded by nature, I considered whether or not I might be wrong about McFain. That was ridiculous, right?
What was wrong with me? Why was I even considering what a dog had said to me? There was no way in the world the dog could be right.
Could he?
Chapter 9
Filming went well the next morning, and even into the early afternoon. Four armed security guards manned posts at corners of the shoot area. I’m not sure if they made me feel safer or more anxious, but I
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