Betrayal came to mind. Stabbed in the back might be a good way to describe it, too. David had looked like he’d been smacked.
She owed David an apology no matter what. It hadn’t been something she’d set out to do to him, but she should’ve talked to him about it sometime earlier. The unsettling feeling had snuck up on her and she truly hadn’t recognized it as keeping a secret from him until the moment she told him. Maybe he’d understand. Things had happened so quickly, she’d spent very little time thinking about any role her stepfather played in all of this or why he might want reports on Atlas.
Stupid.
But it was the truth. And if there was anything David valued beyond excuses and apologies, it was honesty. Simple, bare, sometimes brutal. He gave it and appreciated it in return. She should tell him. Whether he believed her or not was up to him but at least she could give it to him to do with as he chose.
The scenery was passing by as a blur outside the window. She barely took notice. They’d be getting on Interstate 95 soon if they took a similar route to the one David had on their road trip. At least, if she remembered it correctly. If this was a long ride, she was likely to lose her mind wondering about what she should do. To be honest, there was no time like the present. Later she might be too busy to keep her thoughts clear and it’d also be too easy to push it off repeatedly until she never reached out to him. Now was better.
She took out her smartphone and swiped the screen to unlock it. Tapping the message icon, she started to text David.
“Time to end this farce.” Sergeant Zuccolin’s hand shot over her shoulder and grabbed her phone out of her hands.
“Hey!”
She didn’t have time for more as the sergeant grabbed for her hands, starting to wrap duct tape around her wrists.
Panic blinded her and she thrashed.
“Fuck!” The SUV swerved as her flailing hands contacted with the man’s shoulder. The hell was his name? She should know both of their names so she could report this.
If she survived.
Atlas was barking and growling. The metal crate crashed in the back.
Her brain had gone into overdrive as she struggled against the sergeant. He was too strong, though. In seconds, he’d captured her hands and wrapped the duct tape around her wrists. Once. Twice.
Metal screeched and clanged. The sergeant shouted as Atlas came flying into the back seat.
“Shit! How did he get loose?” The enlisted man started to pull over.
“No!” Sergeant Zuccolin shouted even as he struggled with Atlas. “Keep driving, you idiot. I’ve got this.”
Not likely. Another minute and Atlas was going to get through the sergeant’s defense with a kill bite. It would be bad. Atlas killing a US soldier would be bad. He wasn’t on duty. He could be put down.
And he was doing it for her.
She needed to get him out—safe, away.
Desperation pushed Lyn to wrench the door handle. The door opened and the ground shot by as they started to accelerate again. Quick. Had to be quicker. She jammed her foot against the door to keep it open as wide as she could.
“Shut that door!” the driver shouted.
She ignored him. “Atlas! Hier!”
Atlas left off the sergeant in the back and jumped into the front seat, into her lap.
“No you don’t!” The sergeant grabbed her by the shoulder, his forearms bloody and ripped up from fending off Atlas.
Not what she had in mind anyway. “Atlas! Over! Over! Zoek David!”
Atlas whined but obeyed. He launched out of the SUV, clearing the dangerous pavement to hit and roll in the grass past the road’s edge. A normal dog might’ve been hurt, but Atlas had jumped out of planes and helicopters in his career. She’d had no doubts he could make the jump and get to David.
The sergeant yanked her shoulder painfully and she let her leg off the door. It slammed shut and she desperately searched for Atlas in the rearview mirror.
Her heart leaped when she saw his rapidly shrinking form get to its feet.
The vehicle slowed. “Do we go back for the fucker?”
“We got gloves? Any gear to keep him from ripping us up?” The sound of rummaging came from the back of the car.
“No sir.”
“Bitch doesn’t have any in her crap either.” Sergeant Zuccolin let out a long string of curses. “No. We’ll never catch the bastard out in the open like this and even if we did he’d rip chunks out of our hides. Let him disappear. Long as he’s not with anyone who can connect him to us, he should just end up in a shelter. He’s been erased from the system so they’ll come up with jack if they scan for his chip and that bastard will scare any shelter into destroying him instead of holding on to him for adoption.”
Never. Lyn was sure Atlas had understood her. She’d told him to jump, to track David. Atlas hadn’t ever misunderstood her since the day they’d met. He’d have understood her this time.
“You sure? Orders were to secure the dog.”