Toby Part Eight: Wilderness Hunt

Part 1

 

                “Come on,” groaned Toby.“It’s already past noon.Where are they?"

            “Relax,” said his mother.  “They’ll be here.”

 

Toby stared at her.  “Mom, aren’t you anxious for him to get here?”

“Of course I am.  “But you’re acting like they might never get here.  Trust me, they always do.  Especially him.”

Toby looked frustrated.  “I know, I know.  I’m just anxious for them to get back.”

Watching them, Luna rolled her eyes.  She knew why Toby was so anxious for the sled to arrive.  This wasn’t the mail team, like most sled runs.  Toby was waiting for the police team to get back with his dad.  They’d been gone for two weeks, looking for an escaped convict.  And Rex had asked Toby to look after Nome in his absence.  Toby had taken to the request with extreme determination, which Luna thought was pretty ironic considering that as a puppy, Toby had hated his bloodhound half and shown great determination not to be a tracker like his father.  Personally, Luna found it a little annoying that Toby was so busy all the time.  But then, she knew she would do the same thing if her parents asked her to do something, and it was kind of nice knowing that Toby was so dedicated…

“They’re coming!” Toby barked, snapping Luna out of her thoughts.  In an instant, he had transformed from a tense statue into a whirlwind of energy.

“Hold it,” said Terry, planting a paw on his tail to keep him from dashing out to the sled.  “You’re not officially off duty yet, Officer Toby.”

Toby gave his mother a pleading look.  “Mom, please don’t talk to me like I don’t have any sense.  It’s embarrassing- especially in front of Luna,” he finished under his breath.  But all the same, he forced himself to stay put.

To their surprise, the sled didn’t stop by the jail, where they were waiting.  It blew right past them and kept going down the street.  “Come on!” yelled Toby.  The three of them bolted after the sled.

“Hey!” Toby yelled to the dogs pulling the sled.  “Where are you going?!”

“The vet’s office!” came the reply from Exile, the police team’s lead dog.  “We’ve got a big problem!”

“Who is it?” asked Terry.  But by then the team was starting to pull ahead of them again, and they couldn’t make out the reply.

“Shortcut!” Luna barked, dashing between the Post Office and the General Store.  Toby and Terry followed, and the three of them came out right by the animal hospital where the sled team was just pulling to a stop.

“Dad!” Toby called, running up to the sled.  There was no reply.  No bloodhound jumped from the sled.  “Dad?” asked Toby in confusion as the police chief hurriedly removed a bundle of furs from the sled and headed for the hospital.

Terry gasped.  “Toby, look!”

Toby turned to follow his mother’s gaze and saw what had so upset her.  Sticking out of the fur in the chief’s arms was a large, baggy-looking nose that could be mistaken for no other dog in Nome.

           “DAD!”

 

 

 

A half-hour later, Toby and Luna pressed their ears to the operating room door at the veterinary clinic.  Terry, shocked by the sight of Rex being carried into the hospital, had gone home.

“Is it bad?” asked the chief’s voice.  “Is…is Rex going to be all right?”

The doctor sighed.  “Well, he’ll live, and he should make a complete recovery, but it’ll take a pretty long time.  That gunshot really did a number on him.”

‘Gunshot?’  Toby’s jaw dropped open.  Luna, whose head was just below his, seemed to sense his distress.  The fact that his jaw hit her squarely on the forehead might have been a tip-off.  She nudged him under the chin to remind him she was there.

There was the sound of a fist slamming on a tabletop.  “I’m going to get another search party together and find that rat,” snarled the chief.  Toby and Luna ducked into hiding as he walked out the door.  When he was gone, they returned to the door.

“What should we do?” asked Luna.

“I don’t know, but there’s one thing for sure.  I have to see my dad.”  Toby paused.  “But how do I get in?”

“May I make a suggestion?” asked Luna.  She led him outside and around to the window of the recovery room.  Peering in, they saw cages of various sizes for animals recovering from injuries or sickness- or in the case of Toby’s father, surgery.  “The lock on this window broke years ago, but no one ever bothers to fix it.  A lot of my visitors got in this way when I was staying here once.  We can just push it open, get in, get out, and we’re good to go.”

Toby nodded approvingly.  “Good idea,” he said.  “Meet me here tonight after the place closes up.”  He could hear his father inside, weakly calling for him.  “I’ll be back, dad,” he promised.

 

 

 

Toby snuck back to the clinic that night.  Luna was already there, waiting for him.  “He’s been calling for you ever since he heard sounds out here,” she said.  She pushed the window open.  “Better get in there.”

Toby nodded.  “Thanks,” he said, jumping through the open window.  The room was dark.  “Dad?” he asked, peering around.

“Over here, son,” came a voice from one of the cages.

Toby trotted over.  “Dad, are you okay?  Your voice sounds weird.”

“It’s the medicine they gave me while they were getting the bullet out.  Hasn’t quite worn off yet.”

Toby put his paws up against the mesh.  “Dad, what happened?”

He was answered with a snarl.  “Bryan Lawrence happened.  I had him cornered when he pulled a gun on me, fired twice, and took off.  Lucky for me only one shot found its mark.”

“The chief says he’s gonna send someone else out to get him.”

“I know,” said Rex.  “Toby, I want you to be that one.”

“Me?” asked Toby.  “But I’ve never had any training.  I don’t know how to track criminals.”

“You tracked Steele once, didn’t you?” asked Rex.  “It’s the same thing.  Listen, Toby, you’ve got the best nose in town.  If you can’t do it, nobody can.”

“But I don’t…”

“Listen,” said Rex, and Toby could tell he was close to falling asleep.  “Need I remind you that this man is a killer?  You have to do this.  Do it for them.  Do it for me.  But please do it.”

Toby nodded.  “I’ll do it,” he promised.  “I’ll find him, and I’ll bring him back.”  His brow furrowed ominously.  “Dead or alive.”

“Alive!” snapped Rex.  “I stand for justice, and I won’t have my son turning into a vigilante.  Bring him back, but promise me you won’t do it for revenge."

Toby nodded.  “I promise.”  Only now, as his eyes adjusted, did he see how bad his father looked.  The stitches, the bandages, it was almost too much.  Rex had always been a strong dog, a powerful, noble figure.  But now he looked weak and sick.  Toby struggled not to cry.  “Goodnight, dad,” he said as he left.

He jumped out the window, and Luna pulled it closed.  “What’s up?” she asked.

“I’m going after him,” said Toby.

“Who?”

“The criminal who did this to my father,” he answered.  “I’m going to find him and make him pay for all of it.”

“I’ll see what I can find out,” offered Luna.  “If Haley or Phoebe don’t know, there’s not a dog in Nome who does.”

“Thanks,” said Toby, although the word sounded flat and dead even to him.

 

 

 

Toby went back to visit his father again the next day, and was very much relieved to see that he seemed to be better.  “How long until they let you out?” he asked.

“A month, maybe two,” answered Rex.  “And if this cage weren’t so small I’d be a lot happier about it.”

Toby nodded, then pressed right to the heart of the matter.  “How do I get the chief to pick me for the job?”

“Oh, that’s easy enough.  Just go to him, and he’ll recognize you.”

“Are you sure?  I’ve grown a lot since the last time he saw me.”

“Trust me.  He’s worried sick about me right now.  He drops by every hour on the hour to see me.  Just show up and he’ll see the resemblance and remember that you’re my son.  He didn’t get to be chief of police by being ignorant, you know.”

“Okay,” Toby agreed.  “Should I go right now?”

Rex nodded firmly.  “Absolutely.  The sooner we get you on that search team the better.”

Toby headed for the window.  “I’ll let you know how it goes,” he promised.

“Bring me a bone with a file in it so I can get out of this blasted cage,” said Rex with a laugh.

 

 

 

A half-hour later Toby returned, thoroughly disgusted.  “Nothing!” he snapped.  “Absolutely no response!  I thought you said he was smart!”

“Didn’t work, huh?” asked Rex.

“No it didn’t!” snarled Toby.  “I walked in and looked him right in the face and all he did was chase me out!”

“Hmm,” said Rex.  “This may be tricky.”  For a long time they discussed possible ideas before finally settling on one.  Toby would come in while the chief was visiting Rex, and then they would let him see both of them side by side.

“But what if that doesn’t work?” asked Toby.

Rex set his jaw.  “I’m out of ideas, so we’ll just have to pray that it does.”

After what felt like an eternity, the chief showed up to visit Rex.  “How is he?” he asked the doctor who came in with him.

“He’s doing well, considering what he’s been through,” answered the doctor.

“Now, Toby,” whispered Rex, although all either of the men heard was a soft woof.

Toby

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