Why Not Murder

28. Custody

28. Custody

Maya arrived at Dog's in the early evening. Dog was not there. All the computer equipment was gone. The watch dogs were barking frantically. One dog was shot dead, another badly wounded, crying between vicious barks, and the third dog was insanely angry, barking to kill and baring fierce teeth. The two that were alive were locked in the kennel. Maya went inside the kennel and calmed them, though quiet now, they were miserable and did not wag their tails. The teepee had been torn down.

Maya went inside the house and the two dogs stayed right with her, one on either side, touching her as much as possible and whimpering. Muddy footprints were all over the floor. Much had been knocked over and trod on. Maya found two bullets embedded in a wall. She managed to extricate one of them. The other was too deep and she left it. Maya could tell from the prints that at least four different people had been there in addition to Dog himself. Maya had an awful foreboding, worried that the police had come and taken Dog away with them as well as all the computer equipment. It looked like there had been a struggle. All containers had been opened, contents dumped haphazardly. A pair of open handcuffs lay on the floor partially out from under the couch, pillows were all ripped open. Maya did not want to stay any longer and left all as she had found it. Just outside the back door, to the side and in the weeds, Maya saw the communication device Dog had, that matched the one he had given her. It was about the size of a coin. Maya picked it up and took it with her. She got two leashes from the kennel and put them on the dogs. She bound the wounded dog's leg, bleeding stopped and at least the dog could walk, though limping on three legs only. Together they walked slowly away, avoiding the town and cutting through the forest.

The drizzle continued off and on. Maya realized that she had no idea what Dog called these dogs and she would have to give them temporary names until Dog was able to look after them again, which she hoped and prayed would be soon. One was an older male, the hair on his snout had turned grey and the rest of him was black. The other was female and quite a bit smaller, white in colour. They were a mix of breeds. Maya recognized German Shepard but didn't know what else. In some people, the mind has the tendency to avoid thinking of pain or painful thoughts. It's a survival skill and Maya was lucky to experience it, at least at this time. She couldn't think of anything else but what she should call the dogs, who had clearly adopted her. Maya even laughed, immediately glad there was no one else around in the forest, because it seemed that under the circumstances laughter was wholly inappropriate. She heard herself thinking, "hey, now you are a top dog" and that's what made her laugh.

Slowly during the course of their walking, the dogs' ears returned to their usual position which was straight up, from the position the trauma had put them in, which was flat back against their necks. Now and then they perked right up in alert, forcing a pause, looking around in curiosity but never leaving Maya's sides. They smelled something that Maya couldn't. They never made more than quiet sounds as though whispering to each other and Maya. Finally they reached Maya's cabin, the three of them quite wet from the rain. Maya removed the leashes and put them around her own waist like a belt. The dogs were sniffing eagerly at the door. Inside, on the table was a bundle and beside it a wooden jug that had been crudely carved out. The jug was full of the same honey her guardian angel had given her. Maya was completely amazed. Inside the bundle there was deer meat, fish, eggs and wrapped separately in large leaves, pine nuts, berries and herbs. The indoor water container was completely full. Wood was ready for a fire. Clearly all work of her guardian angel. Maya gave the dogs meat and water and proceeded to get the fire going, dry her clothes and eat as well, with a blanket wrapped around her. What a time of treasurable peace surrounded by the whirlwind of frightening events. She and the dogs became warm, dry and slept curled up together, dreaming restoratively.