Fight For Me ✔

Chapter 16

Liam

The cry makes my heart stop for a moment. The sound so tortured and petrified that at first I have a hard time believing it was actually human. When it finally dawns on me that it's Caia's - she's the only one out there right now - I abandon closing my zipper and dash to the door.

I see her ahead running like mad from three of our half grown Rottweiler pups who are hot on her trail.

Uncaring that I don't have any shoes on at the moment I set after them yelling at the top of my lungs. From the corner of my eye I see someone else running after them too but I don't pay the tenuous shape any mind.

"BRUTUS! YONDA! RANGER!" I yell after the dogs "STAY!!" the basic command does its job and the dogs come to a complete standstill. But Caia continues, doesn't even look back to see if her pursuers obeyed, so I run past the dogs even faster than before. I catch the twitching in their bodies indicating that they are about to follow me. "Stay!" the sharp command have them freezing again.

Even though I can see that she's running as fast as she can, my legs are longer and I'm more fit so I soon gain on her.

"Caia!" as soon as my hand closes around her arm she screams bloody murder and start to struggle like a madman. "Caia!" I grab her hands that are clawing at my face, her nails leaving behind painful scratches.

I finally get her under control by pinning her arms to her sides and squeezing her to my chest. She still struggles in my grasp, her leg flailing wildly but to no avail. Then I see her eyes.

I have seen her scared before. I have seen her eyes fill with anxiousness and fear as I corner her somewhere. But that's nothing compared to what's in her eyes now. The wide terror-stricken eyes overflowing with tears strike an unforgiving blow to my midsection. Her deathly pale, wet face and her body trembling against me even as she thrash about makes me want to punch something in return. But it's the strangely vacant look in her eyes that strike a fear in me that I have never experienced before, not even in a fight.

"Oh Bambi..." the sorrowful fierceness of my whispered words makes the pitiful creature in my arms jerk and her eyes find mine.

Then she lets out another wail this one no less terrified but quieter and her knees give out under her. Her trembling intensifies and her breathing becomes choppy. I quickly follow her down onto the pavement.

"Caia?!" I yell in panic. She's trembling violently, her skin becomes cold and clammy, tears are still flowing freely. She curls into herself and begins rocking back and forth as small pathetic sounds leaves her mouth. I grab her shoulders and shake her when her breathing doesn't become better.

"Caia!" I shake her by her arms, trying to snap her out of it.

"Is she okay?" I turn sharply and at last identify the lanky figure from before. It's Lenny Shinner our resident dog caregiver's trainee. He has Brutus, Ranger and Yonda on leashes now but he's struggling to hold them back as they strain towards Caia. Yonda growl lowly and the rocking of the figure in my arms increase.

I tighten my arms, hindering her movements. "Get them away from here!" I yell at Lenny the fool. A distressed moan works its way up her throat and I start to gently rock her from side to side, which is quite a challenge since she's still going back and forth. Lenny turns to leave when I stop him. "Wait, hand me your phone."

"My phone?" I grind my teeth, striving for patience.

"Yes dumbass your phone. Give it to me and go!"

"I don't know man, it's brand new and..." see that mist rising from me? That's my patience evaporating.

"NOW!" he hastily produces a iPhone from his jeans, throw it to me and run, trying to drag the dogs with him and I silently vow to make him pay for every whimper that has left my sweet girl's mouth. I enter the number and hold it to my ear. It rings twice and then it's picked up, thank fuck.