Play Fetch: An Avery Barks Dog Mystery (Avery Barks Dog Mysteries Book 3) by Mary Hiker Page A
Authors: Mary Hiker
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place to carry it out.
“I like your little cave here, where’d you learn how to make it?” I asked.
“Papa taught me,” she said. Her chin quivered as she looked up at her handiwork.
“Anna, I know you trust Chevy. Right?” I asked.
She nodded and hugged him tight.
“Can you trust me too?”
“Okay,” she said.
“Your Papa is worried about you,” I said. “Can I call him and tell him to come pick us up on his four-wheeler?” I asked, my hand resting on the radio in my pants pocket.
Her little face crinkled up and she started crying uncontrollably. I put my arm around her shoulders and said, “You’re not in any trouble, Anna. We just want you to be warm and safe.”
“But they’ll arrest me like they did Austin,” she sobbed. “My cousin said the computer stick had the power to get him arrested.”
“Did Austin give you the plastic computer stick?” I carefully controlled my tone.
She shook her head no as Chevy licked away the tears streaming down her face.
“I found it on the front steps in his hat,” she said as she touched the mini pocket on the side of the trapper hat.
“Well guess what, the police think you’re a hero and they’re not going to arrest you. In fact, I’m going to tell you a little secret,” I said. I leaned over and whispered in her ear, “They’re planning to give you an award for saving your Papa’s life the other day.”
Her eyes got big and the tears stopped flowing. “They are?” she whispered.
I nodded my head in agreement. “Even your friend, Ace the search dog, is going to be there. You don’t want to miss that, do you?”
A big grin broke out across her face as the over-sized white hat fell down over her eyes.
I gripped my radio, turned up the volume and slowly brought it to my mouth.
“Ground team one to command,” I said.
“Go ahead ground team one.”
“We have a B-200.” I gave the code for ‘subject found and able to move, but needs assistance’.
“Ten-four on a B-200,” they answered with cheers in the background. “We have an ambulance on stand-by and a four-wheeler on the way.”
“Ten-four. Don has our location,” I said.
I helped Anna stand up and said, ”Jump on my back little friend and I’ll carry you to the pasture piggy-back style.”
As I walked through the woods with her on my back, it felt as though the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders.
Chapter 13
Once I handed Anna off to her grandfather and the paramedics, I had a chance to sit down on a fold-out chair under a canopy near the command post and grab something to eat. As I rummaged through my pack for a snack, I glanced up to see the three men that were partying during the other search sitting in their truck.
“Here’s some nabs,” Don said as he handed me a package of peanut butter crackers from his pack and sat in the chair next to me.
“I see the entire family is here again,” I nodded toward the trio of men and the biggest one waved back at us.
“At least they’re concerned this time around.” Don said. “They’re planning to head over to the hospital to pick up Anna when she’s released.”
I popped the first cracker in my mouth, and one of the guys from the command team brought a big bag of hot dogs out to us. “We’ll debrief after you have a chance to eat,” he said.
I looked through my pack to grab a bottle of water when I saw Anna’s sweatshirt stuffed inside. I pulled it out and held it up so Don could see it.
“So that’s the infamous skull artwork,” he said.
As I bent over and laid it out on the grass in front of us, stretching the sleeves to the side, Don’s words echoed in the back of my mind. Something struck a chord, and I suddenly felt like I might pass out.
“Oh no,” I whispered, and dropped my head into my hands.
“Avery. What is it? You look pale,” Don said.
I just shook my head. “I made a huge mistake.”
“What is it?” he asked
“I like your little cave here, where’d you learn how to make it?” I asked.
“Papa taught me,” she said. Her chin quivered as she looked up at her handiwork.
“Anna, I know you trust Chevy. Right?” I asked.
She nodded and hugged him tight.
“Can you trust me too?”
“Okay,” she said.
“Your Papa is worried about you,” I said. “Can I call him and tell him to come pick us up on his four-wheeler?” I asked, my hand resting on the radio in my pants pocket.
Her little face crinkled up and she started crying uncontrollably. I put my arm around her shoulders and said, “You’re not in any trouble, Anna. We just want you to be warm and safe.”
“But they’ll arrest me like they did Austin,” she sobbed. “My cousin said the computer stick had the power to get him arrested.”
“Did Austin give you the plastic computer stick?” I carefully controlled my tone.
She shook her head no as Chevy licked away the tears streaming down her face.
“I found it on the front steps in his hat,” she said as she touched the mini pocket on the side of the trapper hat.
“Well guess what, the police think you’re a hero and they’re not going to arrest you. In fact, I’m going to tell you a little secret,” I said. I leaned over and whispered in her ear, “They’re planning to give you an award for saving your Papa’s life the other day.”
Her eyes got big and the tears stopped flowing. “They are?” she whispered.
I nodded my head in agreement. “Even your friend, Ace the search dog, is going to be there. You don’t want to miss that, do you?”
A big grin broke out across her face as the over-sized white hat fell down over her eyes.
I gripped my radio, turned up the volume and slowly brought it to my mouth.
“Ground team one to command,” I said.
“Go ahead ground team one.”
“We have a B-200.” I gave the code for ‘subject found and able to move, but needs assistance’.
“Ten-four on a B-200,” they answered with cheers in the background. “We have an ambulance on stand-by and a four-wheeler on the way.”
“Ten-four. Don has our location,” I said.
I helped Anna stand up and said, ”Jump on my back little friend and I’ll carry you to the pasture piggy-back style.”
As I walked through the woods with her on my back, it felt as though the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders.
Chapter 13
Once I handed Anna off to her grandfather and the paramedics, I had a chance to sit down on a fold-out chair under a canopy near the command post and grab something to eat. As I rummaged through my pack for a snack, I glanced up to see the three men that were partying during the other search sitting in their truck.
“Here’s some nabs,” Don said as he handed me a package of peanut butter crackers from his pack and sat in the chair next to me.
“I see the entire family is here again,” I nodded toward the trio of men and the biggest one waved back at us.
“At least they’re concerned this time around.” Don said. “They’re planning to head over to the hospital to pick up Anna when she’s released.”
I popped the first cracker in my mouth, and one of the guys from the command team brought a big bag of hot dogs out to us. “We’ll debrief after you have a chance to eat,” he said.
I looked through my pack to grab a bottle of water when I saw Anna’s sweatshirt stuffed inside. I pulled it out and held it up so Don could see it.
“So that’s the infamous skull artwork,” he said.
As I bent over and laid it out on the grass in front of us, stretching the sleeves to the side, Don’s words echoed in the back of my mind. Something struck a chord, and I suddenly felt like I might pass out.
“Oh no,” I whispered, and dropped my head into my hands.
“Avery. What is it? You look pale,” Don said.
I just shook my head. “I made a huge mistake.”
“What is it?” he asked
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