Free Let Loose by Rae Davies Page B

there was a lot more they could
destroy. But if I brought them with me, maybe, just maybe, someone
would see them and think of some plan that would take them off my
hands.
    Out of sight, out of mind, and all that. And
I did not want Reds’ dogs out of anyone’s mind except mine.
    I also wanted them out of my house and my
car.
    The Sleep Inn was an old roadside type of
motel that reminded me a bit too much of Norman Bates. There was
even an old house behind it. Not a Victorian, but a two-story of
the same general upkeep as the place in
Psycho
.
    The motel itself was a one story with a
wooden wishing well in front that might have been cheerful if the
paint hadn’t peeled off two winters ago and the garden gnome camped
at its base hadn’t lost his nose during some epic gnome-type
battle.
    A truck that looked a lot like the one I’d
seen parked at the campground was in the parking lot. As I walked
closer, I could see dogs inside the multiple boxes, nestled in
their cozy straw beds and staring out at me with visible
interest.
    “Lucy!” Martin stepped out of the motel room
door closest to the truck. He had a leash in his hand with two dogs
attached to the ends. “I was just getting ready to do some
skijoring.” He glanced past me at my husky-loaded car. “Are you
here for our lesson? I’d thought with what happened you wouldn’t be
up for it.”
    Uh. Not knowing how to reply, I held up both
hands.
    “Great. I know Red would understand.” He
motioned to his room. “I’ve got some extra gear. Which dogs do you
want to use?”
    Which dogs... I looked back at my crew,
wondering which ones were feeling the laziest. Every husky, as if
listening in on our conversation, stared back at me with bright
eager eyes.
    Kiska yawned.
    “Well, I should probably use my dog.”
    “Good thinking. Because one time will not be
enough.” Martin’s smile was so wide and bright I had to fight to
keep from lifting my hand to block the glare. “You might want to
use Fluff too. She’ll keep him in line, unless you don’t think
he’ll need motivation.”
    Since my whole plan had been to use Kiska
specifically because of his lack of motivation, I didn’t reply.
    “I’m taking three of mine, and since my truck
is built for twelve dogs, you can leave the rest of Red’s
there.”
    It worked out so nicely. How could I say no?
I couldn’t think of a way. So I stood by patiently as Martin
transferred the dogs from my Jeep to his truck.
    Twenty minutes later, Kiska, Fluff and I were
suited up and ready to go. When Fluff saw Martin’s dogs hooked up
and waiting, she wiggled her body and flipped her head toward
Kiska. He stared back at her, interested, but obviously oblivious
to what the source of her excitement might be.
    I, unfortunately, wasn’t oblivious at
all.
    First there were the skis. The boots were a
bit big for me, but Martin shoved a couple of pairs of socks in the
toes and declared them good.
    I clicked them onto the skis and held out my
arms to get my balance.
    “You’ve been skiing before, haven’t you?” he
asked.
    I waved away his question as if it were a
joke. “Of course. I even own gear.” And I had, and I did. Just last
winter, Rhonda had taken me to McDonald Pass. I’d made it a good
200 feet before I’d taken off my skis and sunk into four feet of
snow.
    Not, by the way, my smartest decision.
    Martin held out a black belt like the one I’d
seen him in on the day we met. I snapped it around my waist and
awaited my death as Martin hooked the line already attached to
Fluff and Kiska to my belt.
    He tugged on the line and looked me in the
eye. “Ready?”
    I gave him a brief nod.
    “Hike!” he called.
    At first I thought nothing was going to
happen. Fluff stood, but Kiska stayed plopped down in his usual
sloppy sit.
    “Hike,” Martin called again.
    Fluff turned to Kiska and snarled. Kiska
pulled back in offense, but he got off his butt too. And suddenly
we were moving - fast.
    Too fast, if the look on