on.
The door opened, and a man in a housecoat stepped out onto the porch and walked over to the railing and stood looking toward the fence.
Jack and Danny lay on the ground while Danny peered at the man from behind a tree.
On the other side of the fence, the dog took out its frustration by shredding Jack’s pants and grinding them into the dirt.
“What’s he doing? Did he see us?”
“I don’t think so. He’s just standing there,” whispered Danny, glancing back at his half-naked partner. “What should we do if he comes over?”
“Pretend we’re gay.”
Danny’s silent prayer was answered when the man went back inside.
“He’s gone. Now what?” asked Danny.
“Wait a few minutes to make sure he’s not still watching, then get the car and take me home. We’ve still got tomorrow night to come up with something.”
They watched as the dog quit growling, picked up Jack’s pants, and trotted back toward the house.
“Just like he’s bringing home a trophy,” said Danny.
Jack’s reply was inaudible as he limped over to pick up his gun, keys, and boot.
Jack glanced back inside the compound. The dog had returned, without the pants, and was standing over his other ankle boot, staring back, as if daring him to try to retrieve it.
A short time later, Danny eased the car over to the curb in front of Jack’s apartment, and Jack hobbled inside. With the interior light on, Danny saw the blood seeping through Jack’s fingers as he held his leg.
“You’re hurt!”
“He took a chunk out of my calf, but I don’t think it’s as bad as it looks,” said Jack, easing his hand off.
“You might need stitches.”
“Damn it!”
“Natasha?” asked Danny.
Jack groaned. “I guess I’d better. I’m not going to Emergency like this. She’s home now.”
“Great!” replied Danny enthusiastically.
“What do you mean, great?”
“I want to see how you explain losing your pants.”
Danny chuckled. “Almost makes up for dumping me in the park last night.”
“Slow down and make sure we don’t get stopped for speeding,” grumbled Jack.
Twenty-four hours later, Jack and Danny sat in a brown four-door sedan. It belonged to a Highway Patrol unit. There were no markings on the car, but with a thick Plexiglas shield between the front and back seat, most people could easily identify it as a police car. They slowly drove up the alley behind Rolly’s house.
They got out of the car and walked up to the fence. Jack picked up a handful of gravel from the lane and tossed it over the fence. The dog appeared instantly, pressing its jaws up against the fence to reveal a snarling, salivating mouth full of teeth.
“Good,” said Jack. “Keep him here for about ten minutes while I pick the lock, then bring him around front. Don’t stumble!”
“You don’t have to tell me,” responded Danny.
Ten minutes later, Danny made his way around to the gate while the dog, emitting a deep, low growl, stalked him on the other side of the fence.
Jack had positioned the car alongside the gate. Both back doors of the car were open and Jack waved to him from the front seat.
“God, I’m fucking crazy to be doing this!” Danny took off his jacket and swatted it against the fence. The dog snarled louder, leaping at the fence. Danny then raced over and crawled partway into the back of the police car.
“Okay, go for it!”
From the front seat, Jack leaned out the partially open window and shoved the gate slightly open. Danny, looking out the open car door across from him, shook his jacket once more as the dog lunged into the car after him. He immediately backed out, slamming the door. Jack slammed the door from the other side. Seconds later they drove off as the dog, realizing it was trapped, went into a frenzy and started shredding the upholstery with its teeth.
They parked the car a short distance from the house. As both men got out of the car, chunks of upholstery and stuffing rained down within.
“It looks like it’s snowing in there!” said Danny. “HP is going to be pissed!”
“Makes up for the ticket they gave me last year. Hope he doesn’t eat his way into the front before we get back.”
They crept up the steps leading into the back of Rolly’s house. A spiked dog collar tied to a heavy chain lay on the porch. The chain led down the steps and was wrapped around a tree in front of a large doghouse. Two empty aluminum dog dishes lay upside down in the dirt. Both had holes chewed through the rims. The remnants of Jack’s pants were hanging out of the doghouse.
“This is a good omen,” whispered Danny. “We’ve already found your pants.”
“Wonderful. Next week is Halloween. I’ll go dressed as dog food.”
Danny heard the door open and saw Jack step inside.
“Christ, you’re fast! You’re going to have to teach me someday,” said Danny in amazement.
“Thanks. But it wasn’t locked.”
Danny glanced at the dog collar. “I can see why.”
They started their search in the three bedrooms upstairs. The furnishings in two of the bedrooms consisted only of dirty mattresses lying on the floor. There was a dresser in the main bedroom, and Jack searched through the drawers. Danny spotted a shotgun leaning against the wall and carefully picked it up.
“Loaded?” asked Jack.
Danny nodded, putting the shotgun down.
It was an hour and a half later when they finished their search. They found a few telephone numbers in a kitchen drawer, but again, none were for outside the city.
“Well, at least we tried,” said Jack. “Let’s get out of here before the sun comes up. We’ve still got to return the dog.”
“Yeah. Hope he leaves on his own so I don’t have to coax ’im out,” replied Danny, feeling apprehensive.
Outside the house, Danny watched as Jack retrieved his pants from the doghouse, then got down on his knees and shone his flashlight inside.
“Do you see your shoe?”
“What’s left of it.” Jack reached inside and pulled out a badly mangled ankle boot.
Danny
