Ahmed. There was so much blood. What those poor dogs went through."
"I know. In my life I have seen many such fights unfortunately."
"You have?" she asked, surprised someone so sensitive to dogs would ever be present at such a violent event.
""Yes. I was hunting down a brutal man named Sergei and discovered the world of dog fighting. I never found him, but unfortunately I had to learn about this world he is a part of.
"There is a group of men and some women that fight these dogs on a large, international level. These fights are hard to find, but if you have the right contacts you can get in. I have had to find them before because of the other dealings that go on at fights. The weapons’ trade mostly. It is horrific what they do. They would never think of fighting to the death themselves, but it is okay for them to do it to an animal. Cowards are what they are. Cowards who think they are gods."
"There’s so much more to you, isn't there?"
"There's only one way to find out," he said as his voice lowered seductively."There is?"
"Come to dinner with me."
Katelyn felt the catch in her breath. Dinner with Ahmed? Yes, please!
"I'd love to. But I also need to check on Zoti." Did her voice sound breathy?
"Perfect. I’d like to see him too."
"Let me just go tell Nana that I won't be here for dinner. I'll meet you out front?"
"I'll go get the car." And then he smiled again.
It took her a couple of minutes to realize he had left the room already. She shook her head and walked out through the door and down the hallway toward her grandfather's office.
"Yes! You heard right." Nana's voice floated into the hallway. "She's going on a date with him!"
Katelyn hurried into the office and found her grandpa on the couch with Alice wrapped in a blanket on his lap, sound asleep.
"I know! I can't believe it either."
She looked around the room and saw Nana standing at a side table with the phone to her ear.
"Nana!"
"Gotta go, Lily. We'll talk more later." She hung up the phone and turned innocently around. "Yes, dear?"
"As if you didn't already know, Ahmed and I are going out to dinner tonight."
"That's lovely, dear. Have a good time." Her grandmother smiled serenely as if she didn't just get caught gossiping.
"Call me if Alice needs me."
Her grandfather just nodded and went back to petting Alice's head. She was sure the second she left the house her grandmother would be back on the phone telling the whole town her granddaughter finally had a date.
Ahmed was waiting beside a brand new black Mercedes SUV with the passenger door open. The setting sun cast a warm glow about Ahmed as she walked towards him. She hadn't been on a date for almost two years. She had simply been too busy with wrapping up school and starting her own clinic.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
"Yes. I believe I'm finally ready," she smiled as she got into the car.
Katelyn took the stethoscope out of her ears and smiled. Ahmed was watching her closely as she finished up the exam on Zoticus. She and the rest of the girls had been calling him Zoti. It had taken a lot of work on their behalf, but he was starting to realize he wasn't in danger anymore. He didn't growl when they came to the run to feed him or give him his medicine. In fact, he had even allowed them to pet him.
Zoti wagged his tail just a little when she patted him on his hip before standing up to put away her instruments.
"He looks really good. I believe he's going to make it. I gave him some more antibiotics and a little more pain medication. He should be able to go home soon. Do you know what you’re going to do with him?"
"Zoticus's new home is all ready for him. I bought a nice dog bed until he's strong enough to jump up onto the bed and couch. I have already hired a personal trainer to help me train him and to help him get over the memories I know he will suffer from. In time, I hope for him to be a normal, happy, and loved dog that will enjoy the rest of his life."
Katelyn's heart
"I know. In my life I have seen many such fights unfortunately."
"You have?" she asked, surprised someone so sensitive to dogs would ever be present at such a violent event.
""Yes. I was hunting down a brutal man named Sergei and discovered the world of dog fighting. I never found him, but unfortunately I had to learn about this world he is a part of.
"There is a group of men and some women that fight these dogs on a large, international level. These fights are hard to find, but if you have the right contacts you can get in. I have had to find them before because of the other dealings that go on at fights. The weapons’ trade mostly. It is horrific what they do. They would never think of fighting to the death themselves, but it is okay for them to do it to an animal. Cowards are what they are. Cowards who think they are gods."
"There’s so much more to you, isn't there?"
"There's only one way to find out," he said as his voice lowered seductively."There is?"
"Come to dinner with me."
Katelyn felt the catch in her breath. Dinner with Ahmed? Yes, please!
"I'd love to. But I also need to check on Zoti." Did her voice sound breathy?
"Perfect. I’d like to see him too."
"Let me just go tell Nana that I won't be here for dinner. I'll meet you out front?"
"I'll go get the car." And then he smiled again.
It took her a couple of minutes to realize he had left the room already. She shook her head and walked out through the door and down the hallway toward her grandfather's office.
"Yes! You heard right." Nana's voice floated into the hallway. "She's going on a date with him!"
Katelyn hurried into the office and found her grandpa on the couch with Alice wrapped in a blanket on his lap, sound asleep.
"I know! I can't believe it either."
She looked around the room and saw Nana standing at a side table with the phone to her ear.
"Nana!"
"Gotta go, Lily. We'll talk more later." She hung up the phone and turned innocently around. "Yes, dear?"
"As if you didn't already know, Ahmed and I are going out to dinner tonight."
"That's lovely, dear. Have a good time." Her grandmother smiled serenely as if she didn't just get caught gossiping.
"Call me if Alice needs me."
Her grandfather just nodded and went back to petting Alice's head. She was sure the second she left the house her grandmother would be back on the phone telling the whole town her granddaughter finally had a date.
Ahmed was waiting beside a brand new black Mercedes SUV with the passenger door open. The setting sun cast a warm glow about Ahmed as she walked towards him. She hadn't been on a date for almost two years. She had simply been too busy with wrapping up school and starting her own clinic.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
"Yes. I believe I'm finally ready," she smiled as she got into the car.
Katelyn took the stethoscope out of her ears and smiled. Ahmed was watching her closely as she finished up the exam on Zoticus. She and the rest of the girls had been calling him Zoti. It had taken a lot of work on their behalf, but he was starting to realize he wasn't in danger anymore. He didn't growl when they came to the run to feed him or give him his medicine. In fact, he had even allowed them to pet him.
Zoti wagged his tail just a little when she patted him on his hip before standing up to put away her instruments.
"He looks really good. I believe he's going to make it. I gave him some more antibiotics and a little more pain medication. He should be able to go home soon. Do you know what you’re going to do with him?"
"Zoticus's new home is all ready for him. I bought a nice dog bed until he's strong enough to jump up onto the bed and couch. I have already hired a personal trainer to help me train him and to help him get over the memories I know he will suffer from. In time, I hope for him to be a normal, happy, and loved dog that will enjoy the rest of his life."
Katelyn's heart
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