Authors: Kathleen Brooks
She gave a little fist pump, looked at her watch and ducked out the back door. It looked like she'd take lunch at home and hopefully her one o'clock would forgive her for being a little late.
Katelyn felt herself relax the second she turned into Wyatt Farm. Her grandparents’ farm always had a sense of peace about it. The horses frolicking in the pastures, the shaded lane, the red, yellow, purple and white flowers her Nana had planted all around the farm, and the pearl pink Lincoln Town Car bounding through the pasture.
The what? Nana always drove her car through the pastures to say hello to every horse on the farm. She had a bag of peppermints in the car and would give every single horse one. However, she wasn't driving at her normally sedate speed of slightly faster than a snail. No, she was flying. The car was even taking air as it flew over small hills. Her eyes widened as she watched Nana slam on the brakes, sliding the car into park.
Something was dreadfully wrong. Maybe it was one of the horses. She quickly parked behind her grandmother's car and raced into the house behind Nana's disheveled form.
"Beauford! Oh Beauford!" She heard her grandma yell from the foyer.
"What is it Sweet Pea?" her grandfather said from his nearby office.
"Oh Beauford! It was positively horrid! I’ve never been so vexed in all my life." Her grandmother's agitated voice reached her as she made her way towards her grandfather's office.
"Sweet Pea! You're bleeding! What happened? Are you all right, my dear?"
Katelyn stopped trying to eavesdrop and ran for her grandfather's office. She slid on the polished wood as she skidded to a stop at the open door. Her grandmother was sitting in one of the leather chairs; her long, billowy white dress was wrinkled and stained with blood dripping from a gash on the backside of her head.
"Nana! Oh my God!" She hurried to her grandmother's side and looked at her pale face. Her make-up was smeared and her hair out of place. That fact scared her more than the blood.
"I was attacked! I was attacked on our own property. Beauford, I’ve never been so angry!"
"What can I do, Nana?"
"You can call that nice young Sheriff and tell him to come out here, if you don't mind. I think I need to have a word with him," her grandmother said, her calm southern demeanor falling back into place.
Her grandmother's hand covered hers and gave it a pat. She was afraid it would be ice cold, but it was actually warm and color was flooding back to her face. She was getting angry. She had never seen her grandmother angry a day in her life, and from the look of it, she never wanted to be on the receiving end of that.
Katelyn stood and resolutely headed for the phone. The day she had dreaded for the past four months was finally here. She needed Marshall's help.
Chapter Four
Marshall took a bite of the meatloaf sandwich at the Blossom Café and brooded. He had waited at the clinic for fifteen minutes only to be told that the doc went out for lunch. That was now the second time she had snuck out on him.
"Dispatch to Sheriff. Do you copy?" Annie's voice crackled out from his radio.
"Yea, what do you need?"
"Katelyn Jacks just called 9-1-1!" Along with his heart stopping, so did all the conversation in the Café as everyone leaned closer to hear. "Mrs. Wyatt has been attacked and you're needed at the farm."
Gasps of shock and outrage filled the café as Marshall shoved his chair back. Two attacks on the same family in twelve hours. What was going on?
"Quick, Violet put up the closed sign!"
Marshall ignored the rush of people heading to their cars as he darted across the street to his cruiser parked in the courthouse parking lot. Mrs. Wyatt was eccentric, but she was a sweet and well-loved eccentric. By now the phone lines would be on fire with the news and most people would be grabbing spare casseroles and cakes out of their freezers and heading over to the farm.
This settled things. Katelyn was going to get protection if she wanted it or not. And come hell or high water, he was going to be the one to give it to her.
Marshall felt as if he were leading a processional. He flew down the country road with a line of cars right on his tail. He looked around the farm as he pulled to a stop behind Katelyn's car. Mrs. Wyatt's car had just missed a rose bush and was sitting at an angle by the front door.
He did a quick study of the surrounding property, but all he saw were people from the town parking their cars and the workers from the farm gathering. He'd have to talk to them after he found out what happened.
Marshall strode up to the door and pushed the doorbell and waited. Katelyn opened the door with a surgical glove on one hand and a drawn look to her face.
"Um,
we're
here to see how Mrs. Wyatt is doing. I'm here to investigate." He stepped forward when she opened the door. She didn't say anything and she didn't look him in the eye.
"Look Sweet Pea, the whole town came to check on you," Beauford said as he stepped up to the door.
"Beauford! Get my lipstick. I can't let them see me without my face on!" Mrs. Wyatt called from the office.
Marshall stepped farther through the door. He brushed by Katelyn and enjoyed the pleasure of feeling her stiffen.
"Dr. Jacks," he murmured. He didn't know where the husky tone of his voice came from. But by the way she became ramrod straight, he didn’t question it. He just enjoyed it.
"Sheriff. My grandmother is in here. Please follow me."
He looked around at the historic old home. He had only been in it once or twice when Mrs. Wyatt allowed the schools to bring the kids through for a history lesson. Her family had all been supporters of the South. Most of her great-great aunts were named Dixie. She had period paintings, furniture, and memorabilia from the time. Sherman had actually burned her house as he made his march on Atlanta. When the family had heard he was coming, they had buried what they could, packed up and traveled westward until the end of the war as the men went off to fight. As they rebuilt they dug up what was left behind. Mrs. Wyatt had some of those artifacts hanging on her walls and decorating her house.
Her home still reflected that love of history as he caught a glimpse of an old rifle mounted over a fireplace in a sitting room. He turned into Beauford's office and saw Mrs. Wyatt looking like a bright red ghost.
"Oh, Sheriff, I'm so glad you're here!" She didn't bother to get up, but he didn't expect her to.
He went over to her and took her hand. She was still shaking a little, but seemed to be in control of her emotions now.
"Can you tell me what happened?"
"Well, I was driving through the fields like I normally do to check on all my babies. There's a cluster of trees in the southwest corner of the property that is near the woods that connect our property to the next county. I always call it no man's land. We hardly ever go out there. I don't like having the horses so far way. Normally we just use that area for hay, but I thought I’d see how the grass was doing so I was just going to drive by on my way back to the barn.
"I thought I saw a person there and figured it was one of our boys checking fence lines or maybe hiding from doing some work. I thought I’d go see which one it was.
"I parked the car and went through a cluster of trees until I came upon a clearing."
Marshall heard her breathing quicken and the slight raise in her voice. Whatever happened to Mrs. Wyatt, happened out there in the woods.
"It was horrible! Absolutely horrible. There were stacks and stacks of wire cages and these dogs were crammed into them. They were barking and a dead cat was hanging from the tree right in front of the dogs. There was blood and some of the dogs looked severely injured. I was going to get a closer look so I could tell Katelyn what I had found, but then I was hit on the back of the head. I fell to the ground. My bell was quite rung, but I managed to hear someone run away."
"Do you know which way he ran?" Marshall had taken his notepad out the second she started recounting her story.
"Deeper into the woods. I got up as soon as everything stopped spinning and came right here." Mrs. Wyatt paused and then looked to her husband, "Beauford, there were all these poor dogs. We have to go back and get them."
"Wait a second. Why don't you just tell me where this place is and I’ll go there and check it out. I want to secure the scene."
"Pish posh. Beauford, get your gun. Katelyn, grab your medical bag. We're going to go rescue those poor dogs."
"No, ya'll stay here. I'll…" Marshall tried to tell a very determined looking Mrs. Wyatt.
"Son, you need to learn when you're in a no-win fight and just surrender. It saves a lot of time," Beauford said as he turned to a large gun case behind his mahogany desk and pulled out an antique Winchester 30-30 rifle. "Come on Sweet Pea, lead the way."
Marshall climbed into his cruiser and waited. The town had to be satisfied with its gossip and Mrs. Wyatt was happily giving it to them. He looked out the rearview mirror at her. She looked like an avenging angel in that white dress of hers and matching wide brimmed hat. He could see her hands gesturing in the air and, by the look on their faces, that she held them captive by her story. She had reached the part about being on her way to rescue the dogs.
Finally Beauford gently cut her off and maneuvered her to the Town Car. Even from where he was, Marshall could hear Beauford ordering the troops to go back to town and let the sheriff do his job. No wonder this man was feared in the boardroom. He looked like he came from one of those Civil War paintings Mrs. Wyatt had hanging up, except instead of having on a uniform he had a suit.
He watched as Beauford opened the door and helped Mrs. Wyatt into the car. He then reached back and grabbed the large medical bag Katelyn held and put it into the backseat. Marshall had wanted to give Katelyn a hard time about the attempted burglary at the clinic last night and to find out where she really stood with Ahmed, but Mr. and Mrs. Wyatt hadn't given him a chance to talk privately to her.
He liked Ahmed, but the thought of him with Katelyn turned his stomach. Something primal from deep inside him reared its head screaming that she was his. The trouble was that if she and Ahmed were together, as much as he hated it, he would have to deal with it. If he didn't, friend or not, Ahmed could find a way to make him disappear.
Marshall followed the pink Town Car through the fields and to the back of the property. He pulled up alongside Beauford when he slowed to a stop in front of the beginning of the woods.
"Ruthie says it was just through there." Beauford gestured to the trees.
"Okay. Keep them here. I'll check it out and then come back for you when I have secured the area."
At Beauford's nod he drove on ahead until the woods prevented his passage. As he got out on foot, he didn't know what to expect. Between the fighting dog Ahmed found and the description Mrs. Wyatt gave, he was afraid there was a dog-fighting ring in or near Keeneston.
He stopped and listened to the woods. Leaves rustled with the light breeze. Birds chirped and the sun danced through the trees. It didn't seem to be an area infested with the likes of dog fighting.
He looked around and through the trees saw the beginning of the clearing Mrs. Wyatt had told him about. As he broke through the tree line he knew with one look his fears of a dog-fighting ring were valid.
Blood was spattered around a makeshift wooden ring. Chains were piled up in a corner. He could see where the cages had been placed in the grass by the indents, but they were gone now. A dead cat was dangling from a tree branch.
He spun around with his gun drawn when he heard a noise come from behind him. Katelyn stood with her medical bag in one hand and her other hand covering her mouth. Her eyes were wide as she looked in horror at the carnage left behind. Bloody feathers covered the one side of the clearing. Farther back, tucked behind some trees, Marshall spotted the bodies of several dead dogs. He glanced back at Katelyn and saw the tears trickling down her cheeks.
"Sweet Lord," Beauford mumbled.
"What kind of monster could do such a thing, Beauford?" Mrs. Wyatt asked as she clutched her husband's arm.
"I don't know Sweet Pea, I just don't know. But, what I do know is there is a special place in Hell for them." He patted her hand and looked sadly upon the clearing.
Marshall was about to tell them to go back to their cars when a noise reached his ears. He wasn't the only one to hear it. Everyone had gone quiet and stared at a rustling bush nearby. Marshall held up his hand and signaled Beauford. Beauford stepped in front of his wife and leveled his 30-30 at the bush as Marshall drew his own 9mm Glock.
Katelyn watched as Marshall took his gun from his holster and pointed it at the moving bush. She was holding her breath, waiting to see who was there.
"Keeneston Sheriff. Come out slowly with your hands up," Marshall said loudly and clearly. "Katelyn, get behind me," he whispered.
Katelyn rolled her eyes, but with the memory of the other night fresh in her mind and no pooper-scooper in sight, she grudgingly stepped behind his wide shoulders. A sudden memory to four months ago flashed through her mind. His voice repeating his order to come out brought her back to the now.
The bush moved again and Marshall slowly inched forward. He held the gun in his right hand and with his left he slowly moved a branch out of the way. She watched him as he looked down toward the ground.
“Damn!" He quickly holstered his gun and fell to his knees.
Katelyn tightened her hand on her medical bag, but couldn't see over Marshall. She stepped forward and gasped at the vision she saw over Marshall's shoulder.
"What is it, darlin'?" Beauford asked as he started forward.
Katelyn was too busy to answer. She pushed Marshall out of the way and went to her knees beside the injured dog. She opened her medical bag and grabbed the saline wash and a bunch of gauze.
The dog before her was black, about forty pounds, and female. There was too much blood to tell much else. She checked the dog's pulse and found it weak. Her gums were white with lack of oxygen and her eyes were glazed. She wet the gauze and started her exam. There were bites on the neck, ears, and hind legs. Blood was flowing freely and she needed to operate to save her life, and quickly.