She opened radio contact to everyone. “Do we have a location on the shooter?”
Officer Red responded. “Behind the third vehicle down, gray van.”
She peered around the end of the van that covered her. A bullet smacked the pavement a foot away from her. She ducked back behind the van, making sure Robo stayed behind her.
“Red and Blue, provide a diversion. Pin down the shooter with firepower. Green and I will move forward in front of the vehicles.”
Mattie crept forward. “Robo, heel.” They neared the front of the van, Robo so close it was as if they moved as one. Green stayed directly behind them.
When she rounded the front of the van, she could see a space between the building and the fronts of the next three vehicles that would provide cover.
“Fire now,” she ordered.
Shots rang out from across the parking lot. Mattie raised a hand and gave Green the signal to follow. Crouching, she jogged down the narrow passage with Robo at heel, stopping at the last vehicle, a white utility truck with racks on the side.
“Are there keys inside?” she asked Green, her voice quiet and firm, hiding the fact that her stomach clenched with nerves.
He moved down the passenger side, staying hidden from the shooter. “Affirmative.”
“Can you drive this truck real slow and shield me so I can get to the shooter?”
His face lit up with a smile. “That’s an affirmative, K-9 One.”
She turned on her transmitter. “Green and I plan to flush this guy out. Provide cover. Then move forward when you can.”
Green opened the passenger door and disappeared inside the truck. Moments later, the truck’s engine roared to life. Mattie checked Robo. He was still latched on to her left heel, following her every move.
“Good boy, Robo. Heel.” She kept the utility truck between her and the shooter as Green backed it slowly out of the space. The other officers continued to fire, trying to pin the guy down and neutralize him. Green drove the truck down the parking lot with Mattie and Robo creeping alongside.
Within seconds, the shooting stopped from behind the gray van. A black form materialized in the van’s shadow. The fugitive ran toward the building and slipped through an open door before Mattie could draw a bead on him.
She spoke to all the officers. “The suspect moved into building nine.”
Red and Blue left their position and ran to join her.
“Move the truck in front of the door,” she told Green, “and take cover behind it. Watch this exit. And watch for the other fugitives. Remember, we have at least two suspects out here, maybe three.”
She scanned the parking lot. “Red and Blue, split up and go to the other side. There’s probably another exit. Make sure we don’t lose them that way.”
Robo danced from side to side on his front feet as the two officers broke away and ran in different directions. But he stayed at Mattie’s heel without her having to prompt him. Green had taken cover behind the utility truck. She sprinted toward the open door, Robo close beside her, but stopped short of the opening. Taking cover at the door’s edge, she peered into the building. The dim light inside revealed nothing. She blinked and refocused.
“Scent this,” she spoke to Robo quietly, pointing at the invisible scent trail the fugitive had left when he charged through the doorway. “Search.”
Nose to the ground, Robo entered with Mattie immediately behind him. Static erupted on her headset.
“Halt!” Officer Red shouted. And then she heard the sounds of his breath as he started to run.
“Robo, wait.” She paused and listened, her eyes scanning the warehouse she’d just entered. The place was filled with rows of containers stacked from floor to ceiling, and a skid-steer loader was parked close by. Narrow alleyways branched off between the rows. She hurried to take cover behind the skid-steer.
Officer Red’s voice came into her headset, loud and breathless. “K-9 One. We’ve apprehended and neutralized two suspects. Do you copy?”
“Affirmative.”
“Both suspects are unarmed. Neither one is the shooter. I repeat, we do not have the shooter.”
“Copy that,” Mattie said. “How many exits?”
“Two. Your entry and one at the north end.”
“Green and Blue, guard both exits. Red, come inside to back us up. Can you make that happen?”
“Affirmative. Hold for one minute. Over.”
With her heart pumping more energy than she knew what to do with, Mattie waited until she saw Officer Red appear in the doorway. He signaled that he’d spotted her.
Mattie lifted the face guard on her helmet and shouted toward the back of the warehouse. “You are surrounded by police! We have blocked all exits. You cannot escape. Surrender at once.”
Silence.
Pulling her face guard back into place, she directed Robo toward the scent trail. “Robo, search.” As they moved forward, she signaled Officer Red to follow.
Robo led Mattie into a narrow passage between the rows of boxes, while Red covered her back. A wave of claustrophobia enveloped her as the boxes towered above, threatening to fall and crush. She focused on Robo’s back, watching the hair bristle and rise on the back of his neck. She scanned up and down the passageway, looking for signs of an ambush.
They reached an intersection, and Robo turned right. Mattie made the turn almost at the same time he did, her weapon held ready to shoot. Gliding down the narrow passage with his nose to the ground, Robo picked up speed. Mattie stayed close.
They came into an open space. Mattie spied the fugitive, moving away from her at an ungainly pace, his shape bulky in the dim light.
“Robo, take him!”
With lethal silence, Robo darted after the man. He leapt, striking the runner’s right arm. The gun hit the floor and skidded, scrapping against the concrete. Robo’s growls filled the space as he used his weight to pull the man to his knees.
Mattie approached cautiously, signaling Officer Red to pick up the gun.
“Out!” the fugitive cried. “Robo, out!”
Robo turned more vicious, growling and giving the man’s arm a fierce shake. Mattie smiled. Robo’s tail was waving.
This is what he lives for.
A full suit of bite gear with extra padding around the arms and hands protected the fugitive from her dog’s terrible jaws. She let Robo have his fun for a few more seconds before she decided to call a halt. “Robo, out!” Mattie used a loud, firm voice to instruct him.
Robo broke away at once and backed up a step, tail still waving.
“Guard!”
Her dog crouched into guard position, mouth open, teeth exposed, jowls dripping.
“Have you had enough, Sergeant Madsen?” Mattie asked the fugitive.
The large man in the bite suit stayed on his knees and raised his hands in surrender. Mattie saw his smile beaming from behind the protective gear he wore on his face.
“You can call him off now, Deputy. I give up.”
“Robo, down.”
Robo dropped into a down position, but his posture said that he was ready to go again any time.
Madsen, Robo’s trainer, pulled off his helmet. Sweat glistened on his shiny, bald head and dripped down to roll across the tattoo of a policeman’s badge above his right ear. He grinned up at Mattie. “Well, he’s surely your dog now, Deputy. No doubt about it.”
Mattie smiled back. “He’s every bit the dog you made him, Sergeant. No one could ask for a better partner.”
“Congratulations. Now go play with your dog, and we’ll debrief here in a few minutes, after I get the hell out of this goddamn bite suit.”
Mattie told Robo to come with her as she pulled off her helmet and walked out into the sunshine. She felt the sweat drip down her scalp, and she ran her fingers through her hair, inviting the breeze to cool her head. Robo gamboled alongside, nosing her utility belt.