Page 23 of Colorado K-9 Rescue

M ckenna couldn’t even remember what she said.

It was like an out-of-body experience as hysteria took over.

The operator was saying something in a calm tone about staying on the line.

Officers were on their way, but Mckenna didn’t hear a word.

The dispatcher was only adding to her panic.

She knew they were trained to keep her on the line, but Mckenna hung up. She needed quiet.

Mocha climbed over the center console and flopped on her lap while licking her face. She hugged him tightly, his soft black fur up against her cheek.

“You’re such a good boy. You knew something was wrong. We should have left then. I’m sorry, boy. I need to do a better job of listening to you.”

Holding Mocha, Mckenna could feel her heart rate slow a bit, some of the frenzy leaving her body.

As she calmed down, clearer thinking came back, and she pulled up her security camera through her phone app.

I hope I have a clear shot of this person.

I can’t wait to see who it is. Would it be Toby?

Rex? Someone else? When the footage came up, disappointment hit.

Somehow the person had seen the camera or knew about it.

The intruder was an adult male, but he had his face covered and made sure to keep his back to the device. So much for security cameras helping.

She took deep breaths and saw that 911 was calling her back, but she didn’t know that person. She needed to talk with someone she knew. A person who understood her. Mckenna rejected the call from the dispatcher and opened the contacts to Cassidy’s number.

But she didn’t want to talk to her sister either. Cassidy meant well but she was so overprotective that it felt like Mckenna was being smothered by her older sister. There was someone who listened to her, though. Who understood her.

Evan.

Yes, he’d made her mad, but she’d overreacted too.

She had to admit that he was the one person who made her feel safe but allowed her to be herself at the same time.

She wanted him now. Mckenna dialed his number, listening to it ring.

Please answer, please. He’d been going to find Toby and Rex and she didn’t know if he’d have cell signal up at their house.

“Pick up. Please answer,” she said out loud. Just when Mckenna thought the call would go to voice mail, Evan answered. He sounded a little out of breath.

“Mckenna? Are you okay?”

Hearing his voice and his concern made her start crying again. “No. I’m not.”

“What’s going on?”

Mckenna filled Evan in about Mocha, the journal and her bracelet.

“Where are you now?” Evan asked.

“I’m in my car with Mocha at the gas station near the local coffee shop.”

“Stay where you are. Lock your doors and don’t open your window for anyone. Not even a police officer. I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Stay put, you hear me?”

“Yes.” Mckenna started crying again. She was so tired of the tears, but so many emotions were hitting her at once, she didn’t know what to do with them.

“I’ll try to stay on the line with you, but I might lose signal.”

The sound of sirens echoed off the mountains as several patrol vehicles flew by toward Mckenna’s place.

Evan must have heard them too, because he said, “I’m glad you called 911 and that the cavalry is on its way.”

Mckenna nodded and then realized he couldn’t see her. “I did call 911.”

“Good, let them get there and clear your house. I’m driving as fast as I can.”

“Thank you,” Mckenna managed to stutter out. “I can see my house from where I’m parked. They’re going inside. Their guns are drawn.”

“Good,” Evan said. “If there’s someone in there, they’ll find him.”

Mckenna thought she heard Evan mutter something about a sick bastard under his breath. There was movement near the side of her house, right by the door she’d entered. Someone in a hat and sunglasses took off. “There was someone in the bushes, by my house. They took off on foot.”

“What?” Evan said. “Let me call that in. Stay on the line. I’m getting close.”

There was silence as Evan must have switched calls. Evidently, he was able to get through quickly because the cops came sprinting out her side door, guns drawn, and they started clearing around her house.

The man had vanished. Mckenna knew he’d run up the street toward the west and disappeared out of sight. Where was Evan? Mocha leaned on her and licked her face again, working to soothe her.

In answer to her question, Evan’s bu-car barreled around the corner and pulled up next to her.

Mckenna leaped out of her vehicle and Evan wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight.

Mocha stuck his head out of the car and Evan rubbed his floppy ears.

Mocha jumped out, put his front paws up on Evan’s body and licked his face and then Mckenna’s.

“I’m sorry. For earlier,” Mckenna started to say.

“Stop,” Evan interrupted. “You had every right to be upset. Tell me what happened.”

“Mocha warned me. I didn’t listen, but Mocha growled when we got home. He let me know something was wrong.”

“You’re a good boy,” Evan said to the Lab, who had hopped back into the car.

“Are you okay?” Evan asked Mckenna again. “Did you see him? Did he try to hurt you? Grab you?”

“No. None of that. I’m fine. In fact, now that I’m calming down, I’m getting more and more mad.

I have a security camera, but he knew it.

I don’t have good video of the intruder, which is even more frustrating.

” Evan pulled her closer and Mckenna could hear his heart pounding as she laid her head against his chest. “Did they find him? The person hiding in the bush?”

“I don’t know,” Evan said. “I’ll find out more, but I’m not leaving you until there’s an officer I trust who can stay with you. I’ll have you send the security camera footage to me too. There’s still important information we can figure out from it, like his height and weight. Anything helps.”

“Thanks,” Mckenna said gratefully. She didn’t want to extract herself from his hug, but she also knew he had to do his job.

And the sooner they caught this guy the better.

Anger seethed through Mckenna as her tears dried up.

How dare he do this. But who was “he?” Toby?

Someone else? Who was driving the Jeep? Was it that person?

Mckenna wanted to start peppering Evan with questions, but he was on his phone.

He hung up and said, “There’s an officer coming here. Once she arrives, I’ll go bag the journal and bracelet for evidence. I’ll make sure it’s a rush in the lab. Let’s hope he did something stupid and left a fingerprint or DNA.”

“Okay,” Mckenna said.

A female cop from the local department drove their way and pulled in next to Evan. Evan went over and spoke with her and then came back with the officer. “This is Officer Taryn Ash. She’s going to stay with you.”

“Thank you,” Mckenna said to the officer, who didn’t look much older than her.

“I’ll be back,” Evan said.

Mckenna watched him drive to her house, making small talk with the policewoman and petting Mocha. Luckily some afternoon clouds rolled over, so Mocha wasn’t too warm. Mckenna had to admit, it was nice to see Evan go into her house.

Too bad he was here under these circumstances.